Okay folks, I'll give you a warning on this one, Hiko's going to do
something in this chapter that I don't recommend nor advocate. But it's
Hiko and this seemed in character to me. You'll see what I'm talking
about.
The Brave Ones Chapter Two
As if sensing his mother's passing, Takeshi let out a wail that startled Hiko. Looking again to the wrapped blanket, Hiko saw a small red face scrunched and screaming. Hiko reached down and with his large hands pulled the small bundle into his lap. As soon as his arms closed around the bundle, Takeshi's wailings decreased in intensity. Although he was still crying, it was no longer the full-lunged scream that had rocked the clearing just a few moments prior.
Hiko sat there for a few moments trying desperately to comprehend what was happening to him.
'A son. How on earth? I'm not father material. I don't even like babies and they certainly don't like me. What am I going to do? Could he even be mine? When was the last time I was with Yuriko? It would've had to have been close to a year ago. I remember it was Fall.'
Hiko was startled out of his musings by Takeshi's wailings again growing in volume. "What on earth?" Hiko looked down and saw the child squirming uncomfortably. Carefully unwrapping the blanket, a stench wafted up to Hiko's nose that nearly had the Hiten Mitsurugi Master losing his breakfast. "Ohhhh...Kami-sama what is that?" Turning away, Hiko tried breathing through his mouth as the culprit was determined to be a soiled wrapping. "This must be one of those diaper things. Oh that is just wrong. I'm sure I never produced a smell like that EVER! What am I going to wrap you in?" Looking around Hiko realized there was nothing there.
"Gah, what am I going to do?" Thinking for a moment, Hiko laid the baby on the soft grass. He sprinted back to the fallen men at the tree line. Ripping one of their shirts off, he carefully tore the bloody parts away. "Well, now I know what to clean you with, but what to wrap you with?" Hiko continued to look around, but realized the clothing of the men was rather dirty to begin with and there wasn't enough cloth to wrap the baby with. Glancing down, Hiko sighed. "This is the most humiliating thing ever."
Hiko walked back to the clearing. Shrugging his cloak off, he pulled off his shirt. Using the bit of cloth he'd salvaged, he wiped the soil away from the baby as best as he could and wrapped the baby in his shirt. Spreading his cloak on the soft grass, he re-wrapped the baby in the blanket and laid him on the cloak. Turning he began the laborious task of burying the dead.
When he'd finished, Hiko kneeled at Yuriko's grave.
"Yuriko, I don't know what to make of this. You and I had a strange relationship and given your work, I'm not sure that this boy is my son but your dying wish was that I protect him. I swear he will be protected. I will find out why this happened and I will avenge your death."
Hiko looked up at the sky and estimated that it was a little after noon. He walked over to the baby and picked him up.
"C'mon runt. I need a shirt and I need some answers."
Hiko walked back to his hut with the baby in one arm and his cloak draped over his other arm. As he got close to the hut he heard Takeshi start to make mewling cries. Looking down he saw that the baby was beginning to get himself worked up.
"What now? You ruined my shirt already?" Hiko pulled the blanket apart some and gave a cautious sniff. "Nope, you're fine there. Hmmm...what else could be bothering you?" Hiko thought for a moment and wiped his finger on his pants then placed his finger in front of Takeshi's mouth. The baby immediately latched on and started sucking. With a loud wail, he turned his head from Hiko's finger and scrunched up his face. "So you're hungry. Great. How am I going to solve this one? I don't have any milk. Kuso, I'm going to have to go ask my neighbors down the mountain. Baka baby, you obviously don't understand I'm a hermit for a reason do you?"
Hiko quickly made his way to the hut and pulled out a clean shirt. Donning it and the cloak, he glanced around the kitchen trying to find something to give Takeshi that would keep him quiet till they reached Hiko's closest neighbor. Takeshi's wails echoed off the walls and Hiko turned to glare at the unwelcome interruption in his life, currently laying on his futon angrily moving his arms and legs. Hiko glanced from his futon to his handy jug of sake. Quirking an eyebrow, Hiko considered it for a moment. "Hmmm...might shut him up for a bit and a little wouldn't hurt. It's a long walk to Takeda-san's." Grabbing a small bit of cloth from his trunk Hiko walked over to the jug, uncorked it and soaked it with a bit of sake. "Well, baka baby, you're a little young for this, but allow me to introduce you to the nectar of the gods." Wrapping the soaked fabric around his finger, Hiko again offered Takeshi his finger. Takeshi sucked for a few moments and began to wail even louder.
"Great, leave it to you to not appreciate sake. You obviously can't be my child."
Hiko scooped him up and made his way down the mountain hoping that Takeda-san was home and that his nanny goat was still producing milk.
After procuring some goat's milk from his neighbor and enduring some strange looks, Hiko made his way into Kyoto with Takeshi covered in the folds of his cloak. Takeshi had fallen asleep and Hiko was glad. His head was pounding from the near-constant wailing of the baby.
Turning from the marketplace, Hiko crossed over into the entertainment district. Bright lanterns were lit and loud noises emanated from the large teahouses that lined either side of the street. Hiko passed by the young boys and girls who stood in front of the teahouses enticing customers to enter their establishment. One daring boy tried approaching Hiko, but a mere burning gaze was enough to make him think twice about trying to get Hiko to enter that establishment.
As he neared the end of the street, Hiko stopped in front of one of the largest teahouses on the street, The Lotus Room. Entering the reception area, he asked the young hostess for a woman named Rei. The hostess led Hiko to a private room and offered him a drink, while eyeing the strange man with a bundle under his cloak. Hiko refused the drink and the hostess bowed, presumably to go get Rei.
Sitting, Hiko looked around the room. Nothing had changed from the last time he'd been here. The room was sparse with woven tatami mats on the floor and a futon in the corner. Arranged flowers gave off a light fragrance and the table Hiko was sitting at was lacquered with an inlay depicting seaside items like shells and fish. Hiko brought Takeshi out from under the cloak and checked on him. He was still asleep. Hiko sat up straighter as he felt a familiar ki approaching.
The shoji slid open and a tall woman softly entered the room. Her kimono was elaborate, red with gold embroidery of sakura blossoms starting at the hem and winding their way toward the yellow obi tied at her waist. Sliding closed the shoji, a smile graced her lips. Hiko sat with his back to her.
"Seijuro, it's been awhile," she purred, moving forward to wrap her arms around the large man.
"Rei, I'm not here for pleasure, I'm here for answers," he ground out turning so she could glimpse the bundle in his arms.
The Brave Ones Chapter Two
As if sensing his mother's passing, Takeshi let out a wail that startled Hiko. Looking again to the wrapped blanket, Hiko saw a small red face scrunched and screaming. Hiko reached down and with his large hands pulled the small bundle into his lap. As soon as his arms closed around the bundle, Takeshi's wailings decreased in intensity. Although he was still crying, it was no longer the full-lunged scream that had rocked the clearing just a few moments prior.
Hiko sat there for a few moments trying desperately to comprehend what was happening to him.
'A son. How on earth? I'm not father material. I don't even like babies and they certainly don't like me. What am I going to do? Could he even be mine? When was the last time I was with Yuriko? It would've had to have been close to a year ago. I remember it was Fall.'
Hiko was startled out of his musings by Takeshi's wailings again growing in volume. "What on earth?" Hiko looked down and saw the child squirming uncomfortably. Carefully unwrapping the blanket, a stench wafted up to Hiko's nose that nearly had the Hiten Mitsurugi Master losing his breakfast. "Ohhhh...Kami-sama what is that?" Turning away, Hiko tried breathing through his mouth as the culprit was determined to be a soiled wrapping. "This must be one of those diaper things. Oh that is just wrong. I'm sure I never produced a smell like that EVER! What am I going to wrap you in?" Looking around Hiko realized there was nothing there.
"Gah, what am I going to do?" Thinking for a moment, Hiko laid the baby on the soft grass. He sprinted back to the fallen men at the tree line. Ripping one of their shirts off, he carefully tore the bloody parts away. "Well, now I know what to clean you with, but what to wrap you with?" Hiko continued to look around, but realized the clothing of the men was rather dirty to begin with and there wasn't enough cloth to wrap the baby with. Glancing down, Hiko sighed. "This is the most humiliating thing ever."
Hiko walked back to the clearing. Shrugging his cloak off, he pulled off his shirt. Using the bit of cloth he'd salvaged, he wiped the soil away from the baby as best as he could and wrapped the baby in his shirt. Spreading his cloak on the soft grass, he re-wrapped the baby in the blanket and laid him on the cloak. Turning he began the laborious task of burying the dead.
When he'd finished, Hiko kneeled at Yuriko's grave.
"Yuriko, I don't know what to make of this. You and I had a strange relationship and given your work, I'm not sure that this boy is my son but your dying wish was that I protect him. I swear he will be protected. I will find out why this happened and I will avenge your death."
Hiko looked up at the sky and estimated that it was a little after noon. He walked over to the baby and picked him up.
"C'mon runt. I need a shirt and I need some answers."
Hiko walked back to his hut with the baby in one arm and his cloak draped over his other arm. As he got close to the hut he heard Takeshi start to make mewling cries. Looking down he saw that the baby was beginning to get himself worked up.
"What now? You ruined my shirt already?" Hiko pulled the blanket apart some and gave a cautious sniff. "Nope, you're fine there. Hmmm...what else could be bothering you?" Hiko thought for a moment and wiped his finger on his pants then placed his finger in front of Takeshi's mouth. The baby immediately latched on and started sucking. With a loud wail, he turned his head from Hiko's finger and scrunched up his face. "So you're hungry. Great. How am I going to solve this one? I don't have any milk. Kuso, I'm going to have to go ask my neighbors down the mountain. Baka baby, you obviously don't understand I'm a hermit for a reason do you?"
Hiko quickly made his way to the hut and pulled out a clean shirt. Donning it and the cloak, he glanced around the kitchen trying to find something to give Takeshi that would keep him quiet till they reached Hiko's closest neighbor. Takeshi's wails echoed off the walls and Hiko turned to glare at the unwelcome interruption in his life, currently laying on his futon angrily moving his arms and legs. Hiko glanced from his futon to his handy jug of sake. Quirking an eyebrow, Hiko considered it for a moment. "Hmmm...might shut him up for a bit and a little wouldn't hurt. It's a long walk to Takeda-san's." Grabbing a small bit of cloth from his trunk Hiko walked over to the jug, uncorked it and soaked it with a bit of sake. "Well, baka baby, you're a little young for this, but allow me to introduce you to the nectar of the gods." Wrapping the soaked fabric around his finger, Hiko again offered Takeshi his finger. Takeshi sucked for a few moments and began to wail even louder.
"Great, leave it to you to not appreciate sake. You obviously can't be my child."
Hiko scooped him up and made his way down the mountain hoping that Takeda-san was home and that his nanny goat was still producing milk.
After procuring some goat's milk from his neighbor and enduring some strange looks, Hiko made his way into Kyoto with Takeshi covered in the folds of his cloak. Takeshi had fallen asleep and Hiko was glad. His head was pounding from the near-constant wailing of the baby.
Turning from the marketplace, Hiko crossed over into the entertainment district. Bright lanterns were lit and loud noises emanated from the large teahouses that lined either side of the street. Hiko passed by the young boys and girls who stood in front of the teahouses enticing customers to enter their establishment. One daring boy tried approaching Hiko, but a mere burning gaze was enough to make him think twice about trying to get Hiko to enter that establishment.
As he neared the end of the street, Hiko stopped in front of one of the largest teahouses on the street, The Lotus Room. Entering the reception area, he asked the young hostess for a woman named Rei. The hostess led Hiko to a private room and offered him a drink, while eyeing the strange man with a bundle under his cloak. Hiko refused the drink and the hostess bowed, presumably to go get Rei.
Sitting, Hiko looked around the room. Nothing had changed from the last time he'd been here. The room was sparse with woven tatami mats on the floor and a futon in the corner. Arranged flowers gave off a light fragrance and the table Hiko was sitting at was lacquered with an inlay depicting seaside items like shells and fish. Hiko brought Takeshi out from under the cloak and checked on him. He was still asleep. Hiko sat up straighter as he felt a familiar ki approaching.
The shoji slid open and a tall woman softly entered the room. Her kimono was elaborate, red with gold embroidery of sakura blossoms starting at the hem and winding their way toward the yellow obi tied at her waist. Sliding closed the shoji, a smile graced her lips. Hiko sat with his back to her.
"Seijuro, it's been awhile," she purred, moving forward to wrap her arms around the large man.
"Rei, I'm not here for pleasure, I'm here for answers," he ground out turning so she could glimpse the bundle in his arms.