Wayward Ransom, chapter 13.
They walked for a short distance in silence, which Bankotsu didn't seem to mind at all. However, Akiko felt a need for some conversation, as she continually found herself both intrigued and terrified of him all at once.
She crossed her arms, and her hands disappeared under her outer kimono sleeves. "I...I thought you fell asleep on me back there, which is why I stopped so suddenly."
"I tend to get like that. I'm not smart enough to do what you do. I enjoy listening to stuff like that."
Akiko was taken aback. "It's not about being smart at all! It's about having the right tools to work with!"
Bankotsu chuckled. "I couldn't do anything like that back when we were kids, and I still can't now."
Akiko was frustrated by the fact that he seemed to give up on himself like that. "It's never too late to learn!" she huffed.
Bankotsu turned his face toward her with a smirk. "Well, maybe one day you'll have to start teaching me."
Akiko smiled and let out a tiny puff of air which was supposed to be a laugh. She imagined the ridiculousness of the notion of herself teaching the leader of the infamous Band of Seven how to read!
The girl cleared her throat again. "Your men...what do you see in them? How could you associate with people like that? I...don't understand."
His face turned serious, almost pained again. "Those men saved my life. And they didn't have to do it. I knew what they all were when they all chose to follow me around. A part of me didn't expect a lot out of them, mostly because a lot of them were so used to a completely criminal background.
"But when we were finally formed, we got hired by the old man to crush an opposing daimyo. We were assured that he had no magical resources, and the seven of us were enough to handle his army. We took care of the army in a matter of hours," he said, grinning straight ahead. But his face became pained again quickly enough. "But it turned out that the daimyo we were to kill had a demon secretly working for him. It appeared out of nowhere. The demon transformed...went to shoot a powerful spell against my men..." His face turned away again. "I stepped out in front of it and took the blow. Even my banryuu couldn't block all of it. I fell a long way down. I was knocked out cold and my bum ankle was sprained." He pointed down to his left ankle to illustrate.
He turned toward Akiko again, his face grew passionate, but warm too. "For all anyone else would have guessed, those men could have left me there to die. They were all men who were used to doing exactly what they wanted to do, and nothing else. But instead they fought harder and won, as the demon blew all his energy in that one attack.
"I...don't remember much for a while after that, but I do know from what they told me that for a whole week they put up with one of my men named Suikotsu caring for me. Usually they can't tolerate his gentle side, but they did for me. He was wonderful to me, and they gritted their teeth the entire time. I almost died for them and I don't regret it. I'd die over and over, for any one of them."
The story really made a visible impression on Akiko. She gazed at him, and he noticed that for once her face lost most of that distant fear she had been carrying around with her. Now that the sky was darkening, he could see that her eyes glowed most interestingly in the lessening light. When he was finished with his story, she looked forward as they walked again, seemingly absorbed in thought.
They came upon a tree along the pathway, and each took a seat in front of it, a slight distance apart. Akiko looked toward the darkening sky which was above her and all around her, and thought about the young man that was seated to her left. She laughed a little. "Maybe you're not all that different," she said softly and thoughtfully. After a pause she said, "Would you go in the military all over again? Since that's what started all of this?"
He was silent this time. He picked up a twig from the ground and started fiddling with it.
She cocked her head toward him curiously. "Is that a no?" She had quickly gotten the impression that this was a bad topic to discuss, but she was too curious about where he'd been for thirteen years to just let it go. She might never see him again after he was done with her anyway, so it didn't matter in the long run.
He looked toward the horizon with that same distant, pained expression. "Some things can't be helped."
She resumed talking, the sound of the twig crunching in his fingers in the background. "I don't know if I'd do anything over. I guess I wouldn't mind knowing where I came from. But what's the chance of finding out anything about that?" She leaned against the tree, and looked at her guard again. His hands stopped fiddling with the twig suddenly, and his eyes were shifted all the way to his left. He was staring intently at something.
She closed her eyes and scolded herself. She figured he was annoyed at her prying questions, so she tried to change the subject. "I'd just like to get back to Daddy after traveling all this distance. But being moved around so much, I-"
She had to cut herself off in shock because as she opened her eyes, there he was right in front of her, inches away from her.
He put a hand on either one of hers and pressed them down to the ground. Her hands were quickly turning cold. He looked intensely at her face, and saw that every ounce of fear that was alleviated by hearing about his life had returned. She was wide-eyed and terrified at his severe expression. His eyes briefly settled on that scar on her face, then returned to her eyes. He came closer and leaned against her, pressing her against the tree, pinning her solidly against it. She gave out a little terrified peep, and he pressed in further, running his right hand up the length of her left arm and stopping at her shoulder. He pressed his mouth against her ear, and whispered in it.
"Don't move."