Chapter Seventeen: The Price of Betrayal

Consigned to the fact that no answers would be found this night, Shiori reluctantly rose from her vigil, but was in no hurry to leave the sickroom.

Father, she thought as she furrowed her brows in confusion. It made no sense. She tried to tell herself that she had misheard him. It would have been so easy. His voice had been so soft and her hearing not always that good coupled with the stress of the day had played tricks on her mind.

With a long exhale Shiori shook off the silliness that had consumed her for so much of the day. Seijun—no, Kiyohito—had killed him. She had watched him fall before her, the moonlight reflecting in his dying eyes.

She never blamed her husband for what he did.

Looking upon the sleeping man, she knew that he was far too young to be his son. That was so many years ago. It was only her fervent wish that help would come to save her village that she had forced an image of the past upon this ronin.

It was late, she knew, and she was tired. Her bones weary from the day and the constant rain. She needed sleep. Stepping close to the lantern to put the light out, she paused wanting to look back at her guest one last time but deciding she had spent enough time there. The last thing she needed to do was give more rise to doubt.

With the light extinguished, darkness flooded the chamber but it did not hinder her. Familiarity guided her out into the corridor and toward the other private sleeping chamber, separated from the more common areas of the large house.

Stopping in the hall, she turned and looked back toward the room, but there was only darkness and quiet. Her hands rung together as she listened to the muffled sound of the rain.

For the first time in years, the memory of her father's strong voice touched her. These are warriors, her father had once said. These men you do not love. They are incapable of it. They know only obedience, death and the sword.

They are not for you.

"And if," she whispered as she stared toward the room. Tears burned in her eyes and flooded down her cheeks. "Where is he?"

A soft muttering filled the still night as Kaitou shifted, pressing tighter to Hagetaka's shoulder. She wrapped entwined her fingers in a string of wooden beads that hung around his neck even as she whimpered in her sleep.

Opening his eyes, the shaven-headed member of the Shinku Kiba stared down at the sleeping girl. He wondered what she dreamed about.

Even with her armor thrown off, Kaitou still carried the appearance of a teenage boy. Her forelocks brushing along her pale cheek as she whispered something he could not quite make out. Sticking out of her tied back hair was the flower he had given her earlier.

She was warm against his body, a perfect compliment to the cool breeze that drifted in through the open door at the balcony.

From his place propped against the wall, he could see most of the common room. He quietly noted Guma's absence, but was unconcerned. The bear of a man had chosen to stay next to Kyoudai and Yamainu's burial site to mourn his friends in private. For such a big brute, he really was soft hearted, weeping for his friends.

Hagetaka's dark eyes sought out the only other figure in the room, Hisuiiro. The man sat by the balcony, his hand resting on a sake jug as he stared out into the street.

Fool! He silently thought glaring at the man that had trapped them in this miserable village.

He wanted to take Kaitou and Guma and leave at the first opportunity, but he doubted they would abandon their leader so easily. Their loyalty was admirable but the man was weak. He also knew that if he were the one to cut Hisuiiro down, he would fracture their trust.

If only the brothers had not been so lucky to meet the ronin at the bridge, he could have used Hisuiiro's pride to goad him into fighting. He doubted Hisuiiro would have won that crossing of swords.

That destiny was not to be and no matter how much thinking he did, it would not change things. All he could do was engineer a situation where Hisuiiro could not win.

Staring beyond the balcony rails, he stared into the darkness and thought of the old woman who seemed to possess their leader. The more he thought about her, the less he wanted to kill her. No, he could use her against Hisuiiro and he knew just how.

Kaitou shifted again. "Shu…mmm."

Brushing a finger across her soft features, Hagetaka pushed back the dark hair revealing closed eyes. "Have you ever been to Aki?" he whispered. "I think you would like it there."

Yes, they would go to Aki soon.

Krows Scared - Thanks!
Next Chapter - Seijun's plan.