Chapter 4: Trying Trust
"Can you not sleep?" Jin asked plainly. Mai shot up her head to look at him.
"By body wills it but my mind refuses it." Jin knew all too well of that conflicting feeling.
"You will need your rest to travel." Mai nodded.
"Then I shall try...and you? You need sleep as well."
"I must keep watch."
"I never told you how grateful I am to you, for rescuing me that night. I knew I was going to die and I had never been so terrified in my life. Death had never been so certain to me before...so, thank you..." Jin only nodded. Mai squinted her eyes at him and he took notice. Jin questioned her calmly,
"Something wrong?"
"No." Mai continued with great caution apparent in her tone, "You don't trust me, do you, Jin?"
"I find it difficult to trust anyone, especially a woman who had allowed three men to bring her to the brink of death; a woman who as of recent proved greatly skilled in protecting herself."
"I did not allow those men to attack me..." Mai's voice trembled. "No one ever allows someone to attack them."
"Unless it is a mere sham." Jin contradicted, afterward aware his tone may of been overly cold. Mai shot her head up at him, he could see her large eyes glistening with tears. She bowed her head to conceal them.
"So that is all I am to you, a mere 'sham'? Then why allow me to sit here among you like this? I should think I disgust you if I'm nothing more than fake to you." Jin heard the swelling in her voice, she struggled to maintain steadiness but failed rather miserably. Always excellent when it came to good timing, Mugen plopped himself down directly next to Mai. She tensed at his presence but did her best to ignore him. If it was one thing he wouldn't let happen, it was being ignored.
"There ain't nothin' fake 'bout you...you're all real..." His words smooth but they reeked of his normal slyness and at the moment, sake. Mai swiveled her head to the opposite side, maintaining her silence. She felt eyes on her, but they belonged to Jin not Mugen. Mai quickly looked up at him, and when he did not look away she did instead, taken aback he hadn't. Mugen continued,
"You were mighty impressive out there. Shit, NOW we're talking, I figured I'd have to be savin' your ass the whole time. What guy wants that run around? There are better things we could be doing with an ass besides savin' it..."
Mai could no longer stand him and his vulgarness and she forced her heavy body to her feet, marching away weakly. Jin watched her then looked away. Mugen scoffed, "God, she's fuckin' uptight...but she's somethin' else that's for sure." Jin eyed the bottle in Mugen's hand. He was in no mood for Mugen either, especially a drunk Mugen, and so he too followed suit in leaving. "Fuck it, you're all uptight!" Mugen waved, taking another swig of sake.
"For pete's sake, you've had enough of that...where'd you get it anyway?" Fuu scolded, approaching him minutes later. He blew her off like always and took another swig. "Where's Mai and Jin?" She pressed, scanning the wooded area worriedly.
"How the hell should I know? Looshers up an leff me...you're all uptight as hell." His words began to slur. Fuu frowned at him,
"You're hopeless ya know that?"
"I know EVERYTHIN'..." He retorted shortly, falling over and passing out. He began snoring loudly. She sighed,
"Moron..."
Jin eyed her form, shadowed and solitary as it sat hunched by the banks of the river; moonlight caught in her dark hair. The snapping of branches on the ground immediately caught Mai's attention and she spun around, her eyes shooting upward. Upon seeing him, she looked away and turned around again slowly, facing the shimmering water. He said nothing for several moments and the silence was more than Mai could bare. Enough. She got to her feet and began walking away.
"You do not disgust me..." Jin began firmly, loud enough for her to hear him. She stopped, heaving a great sigh. Mai retained her stance, unfaltering, she would not, could not, turn to face him.
"I cannot think otherwise of your feelings by the way you look at me, as if you can barely stomach my presence." The darkened clouds above crawled against the sky, consuming the glowing orb of pure light.
"That was not my intention." He offered but there was an unexpected softness to his voice Mai had not heard before. She tightened her fists, closing her eyes tight. "My eyes look of you not with disdain. Nor is it that I do not wish to be in your presence." Jin paused. "Rather..." Mai interrupted him,
"How can you speak such lies? You called me out as a fraud. Now you mean to spout false words to..." She broke off, hesitant to complete her thoughts. Mai shook her head and returned seated to the ground below her, bringing her knees to her chest, she hugged her legs. Jin approached her. Finally, he too slowly sat down beside her. She bowed her head in the opposite direction.
"I cannot sway you in believing me. However, I need for you to know that I stand by what I say to you. My words are genuine. All I ask is that you do the same." She knew what he was referring to. He didn't have to be direct. He knew. It was his way, she had observed during her time with him, that he be as straightforward as possible, while avoid in divulging too much indication of the information he sought. In other words, Jin communicated all he wanted with as little talk as possible. Mai explained,
"It just happened. There was no time to falter, to hesitate, to question how I reacted. It was there and something flashed within me and so I knew I could wield it. I've felt it before, at that moment I knew I had felt it before. Almost like instinct." It was more than apparent to Jin that Mai had definitely had some experience in sword fighting. When he had seen her bring down that man there was no questioning her ability. But was the reason she gave credible? Was it possible she could suddenly recall her skill in battle when there had been not an inkling of it earlier? Jin did not dash the notion, still, he retained his skepticism but something in him wanted to believe her. The feeling dangerously teetered on becoming a need. "You still don't believe me." Mai added, commenting on his lack of response.
"I'm simply pondering the events of earlier. I ask that you return with me. It's far too risky for you to be out here alone." Mai watched him as he stood.
"I was frightened..." She began, catching his attention. "I thought you'd have nothing to do with me if you knew. No one would want to help a foreigner, a woman running from men like that. But I swear to you that the knowledge I hid was only due to trepidation, not to trick you. When I spoke of my origin being unknown to me, I spoke the truth. I want nothing more than to remember. It is all I've been trying to do...to recall. The prospect does frighten me, but I still desire to know. I understand to believe this, is much to ask of you..."
"It is not." His voice assuring. Jin made it apparent that he wanted her around, or at least that he didn't want her leaving. And she could rest that it was not simply out of pity. She stood and walked back slowly, keeping to his side.
Morning...
"Hey, Mugen." Fuu's voice was hushed. Mugen grunted in response and scratched his chin as he fiddled with the fishing pole. It's string bobbing up and down in the water. "Ya think there's something going on between Jin and Mai?" Fuu continued as she inconspicuously watched the two, who were seated together, from afar. Mugen said nothing in response and this irritated Fuu. "WELL?" He groaned,
"Wouldja shut up? My head's killin' me, and if you keep yappin' away like that we'll never catch anythin'." Pouting, she plunked down onto the ground and rested her chin on her hands and continued watching them. "Ain't it obvious?" Mugen began. Fuu perked up, "He's interrogating her ass. After what happened last night what else could they be BSin' about? I knew she was a liar the first time I laid eyes on her..." Fuu appeared unfazed and she scoffed,
"The only thing you know about a woman when you lay eyes on her are her boobs."
"You have the most peculiar eyes." Jin abruptly stated. Mai immediately looked to the man seated across from her. As usual, he offered nothing but a stoic expression, to match his tone. As such, she wasn't sure to receive it as a compliment or just as a plain statement. The mystery within this man unnerved her and yet it was ever so intriguing.
"I do?"
"I've never come across such a color in a woman's eyes." Mai smiled, feeling her cheeks flare with a small blush.
"Nobody's ever said that to me before-"
"They are very pretty!" Fuu added, joining the two unexpectedly. Mai smiled at the young girl.
"Thank you..."
"It's because you're European. We've only once seen a guy before with blue eyes. It makes me wish I had blue eyes." Fuu sighed and rested her chin on her hands. Mai looked down toward the banks of the river.
"Shouldn't we help Mugen?"
"Why? So he can bark orders at us? Don't give him the satisfaction." Fuu replied.
"It's a good idea." Jin said as he stood and the two women watched as he made his way toward the lake. Mai sighed heavily and the frustration it held was apparent.
"You ok?" Fuu asked concerned.
"You must think I am a liar as well..." Fuu's eyes widened, caught off guard by the assumption and she quickly waved her hands in protest.
"Of course I don't! If anything I think you're a hero! You saved my life..." Fuu offered, her flustered tone dieing down to serious. Mai could offer nothing but a faint smile in return. She said nothing.
Mugen made no notice of Jin's presence beside him until after several moments of sitting in silence. He shifted his body,
"So?" He grunted to the steady samurai. Jin moved only his eyes in the direction of the voice.
"'So', what?"
"I mean so whadda 'bout her?" Mugen jerked his head backward, gesturing at Mai.
"It seems we have a skilled swordsma-er, woman on our hands." Mugen huffed.
"No shit. I mean, whaddya make of it? Her 'skill' popped outta nowhere. What's up with that? I knew she was keepin' stuff from us all along."
"I do not doubt the possibility of her withholding additional information, however, I cannot say I entirely doubt her stance of failed memory." Mugen jutted out his lower lip, seemingly disappointed by the response he received.
"Ya think a guy with glasses would see things clearly; see things for what they really are. And yet, you're blind as a bat."
"Nice catch, Mugen..." Fuu's mocking tone pointed out from behind him.
"Eh?" He looked to his line, where the world's tiniest fish dangled. Mugen growled, "Son of a bitch..."
Well it seems this story is taking a turn toward the romantic side,(yeah Jin was sorta OC) although it wasn't originally my intent, it's taking on a mind of it's own...RUN, it's the story from hell!
I enjoy writing this, and I'm progressing slowly but surely with the story line. I already have future scenes planned out that will help in developing it.
thank you, neldluva for your kind reviews. unfortunately, my computer lacks any sort of word program that spell checks so I missed some errors(I know that's annoying). But I realized I can use my email to spell check. woot! thanks again. glad you're enjoying it otherwise!
also, I have much of the next chapter already written, but I would love some reader insight of what has been posted thus far. review please! it's very appreciated. ;) thanks.
