Walter collapsed onto the bed and groaned, shutting his eyes. "I am never going to eat meat again."
"I thought it tasted quite good, before it started wiggling," Flynn shot back. His eyes closed as well, yearning for rest.
"Walter! Get off of my bed! You are getting your sweat all over it!" Jonathan complained, entering the barracks. Walter opened his eyes, barely raising his head in order to see Jonathan.
"This is mine. Yours is in the corner," Walter said, pointing.
"No, its not. My bed is in the middle. The bed you are stinking in."
"Your bed has blue covers," Walter protested. "This one's red."
"That doesn't-" Jonathan stopped. He sighed, limping to the blue bed, only to find Flynn underneath the covers. "Flynn, that is my bed. Your bed has white covers."
"The covers change," Flynn grumbled. "The servants wash them and put them on a random bed. The first night I had purple sheets, and now I think Isabeau has them." Flynn sat up. "Where is Isabeau?"
"The women's quarters," Walter said from across the room. "She is a woman, Flynn."
Flynn rolled out of bed and pushed past Johnathan. He walked to the door, pausing to sip some water from a flask. "I'm going to go check on her."
"Oh? Are you taking her on a nice steak dinner?" Walter said.
Flynn shuddered at the mention of meat. He turned the handle and stepped out into the hallway. A few torches burned low, with a lightbulb pulsing every now and then, lighting the way. The women's quarters were just down the hall. Isabeau had it all to herself- she was the only female prentice that year. Flynn paused outside her doorway for a moment, fixing his hair. Isabeau was different than Johnathan or Walter. She was a strategist, more taciturn, less impulsive. She was more determined to do the right thing than anyone he knew...and she was the most beautiful too. He wouldn't admit it, but he enjoyed watching her face redden when she suddenly became the topic of conversation.
He pushed those thoughts from his mind, for now. He knocked on the door. "Isabeau...?"
"Come in," she called.
Flynn opened the door, finding Isabeau at a table, cupping a mug of coffee, her face illuminated by the golden light of a candle. Perhaps more distracting... was how much nicer it was than the men's quarters.
"You know, we don't have a kitchen in our room."
Isabeau gave him a tired smile. "As if you three would ever cook?"
A chill ran up Flynn's spine, yet again. "Not after tonight, that's for sure. With those little meat things-"
"Please, don't remind me," Isabeau groaned. "Now, what was it that you needed?"
"I just wanted to see how you were doing."
"Oh, really?" Isabeau said, pleasantly surprised. "I'm doing well, thanks." She paused for a moment. She didn't often get to talk to Flynn like this. "Take a seat," she said, motioning to the chair next to her.
Flynn closed the door, then sat down next to her. "You shouldn't be drinking that this late." He motioned to her coffee. She rolled her eyes and pushed the mug towards him. He took a sip. "That's pretty good."
"Indeed," Isabeau said. She paused. "Flynn, I-"
"Isabeau, I'm worried." Flynn said. He rested his chin on his hand. "Something's wrong."
Isabeau sighed. "I know, Flynn." She frowned. "I know." She looked up at him, into his eyes. "I don't know what we're going to do." We, she realized. She considered Flynn to be her ally. He gazed back at her.
"I don't know either."
"Do we just...keep going? You know it is getting out of hand. The demons, the monastery, Tokyo, Walter and Jonathan, the Black Samurai. It's too much."
Flynn talked through clenched teeth. It was the first time Isabeau had ever seen him act...unsure. "I am not worried about us. Me, you, Walter, Johnathan, the Samurai. We can take care of ourselves."
Isabeau scooted her chair closer to him. She was worried about him, but she didn't say anything.
"What I am worried about," he continued, "Is who will get hurt along the way. The people of Tokyo, the people of Mikado, Kiccigorgi Village-" he choked up. "Isabeau, they're gone. My family is gone. I could have killed them, and I wouldn't even know. How many other demons used to be-?" He stopped.
Isabeau could see it in his eyes. Fear. It scared her.
"What I am worried about, what I am afraid of- is that I will not be able to protect everyone."
Isabeau's eyes were watering. She put a hand on his arm. "Oh Flynn... you can't protect everyone. You just can't. Me and you are doing our best, but that's all we can do." Flynn looked away. She reached out and turn his face towards her. "And, I'm not sure us Samurai will be ok. We are being pulled in many directions. I need your help to keep us together."
Flynn took a deep breath. That brief moment of vulnerability was over. There was no time for it in the life of a warrior. "I will help, Isabeau. I promise I will."
"And I'm sorry about your family. I know it has been...hard on you."
Silence dominated. Finally, Flynn spoke. "What is your family like?"
"Mine? Well...my father is a judge. He spends most of his time reading old tomes."
"Is that all?"
"Er, no. My mother loves to play the harpsichord. Actually, it makes some people quite angry! They say that music is not befitting of a woman. But I disagree. I think her playing is beautiful. Actually, I can play a bit myself," Isabeau said proudly. She rubbed Flynn's shoulder, trying to see his thoughts.
"...Flynn?" She said gently. "What was yours like?"
"Don't worry about that. are your parents kind to you?"
"Yes," Isabeau replied. "We love each other. I can still remember, when I was young, and my father hadn't seen me for a few days, I would run up to him and he would just pick me up and hold me in the air!"
Flynn chuckled. "That reminds me of my younger brother." Flynn held his arms out. "He would just go like this, and expect you to know that this means he wanted to be carried!"
Isabeau mirrored him, holding her arms out in front of her, giggling. "Kids really are a handful." The two Samurai smiled at each other for the first time in weeks.
Then, the candle blew out. They were plunged into darkness, but quickly their eyes adjusted to the remaining moonlight. It was enough to see by. They were still holding their arms out towards each other. Slowly, the smile dropped off of Flynn's face, replaced with sadness.
Isabeau closed the distance.
She wrapped her arms around him.
She kissed him on the cheek.
"I care about you, Flynn."
"And I for you, Isabeau."
"Everything is going to be ok."
"Everything is going to be ok."
