Chapter 8: To persuade a Ronin
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The road out of Beacons northern gate was straight, but poorly maintained and hole riddled. Built many years ago during the war of the slaughtered by the Sotora clan, it was a military highway for rapid marching of large number of troops. Now however the grassy fields that surrounded it have mostly swallowed the stone used for it, with only a large indent in the earth showing where the route was. Grassy noles and rolling hills covering in long grass, and grazing herd animals of animal, bird and reptile of great diversity. Through this region, Cao's wagon slowly made its way through, but a problem was swiftly becoming apparent.
"Let me out dammit!" a voice from under him said suddenly in a muffled tone
"Shit I forgot." Cao sigh in frustration as he stopped the wagon, then got ruby out
"You forgot! I could have died down there!" Ruby yelled angerly
"I may smuggle a lot of things, but people were never one. I have standards dammit." Cao snapped back
"Some standards." Ruby answered sarcastically
"Coming from the woman who is willing to blackmail someone with something that could get them killed!" Cao roared
"What are you on about? What are you smuggling besides me?" Ruby asked
"None of your business. I fulfilled my end of the deal. You're out." Cao snapped back quickly
"Were in the middle of nowhere! You can't just leave me here!" Ruby snapped to him just as quickly
"After all the trouble and grey hair, you've given me I sure can!" Cao yelled back, his veins popping
"Where is your honor, or do you not have that!?" Ruby yelled, and that cut deep
"Fine. Get on. Once we are at the next town we are done." Cao said in a cold tone as he climbed back on his wagon
Once the two were seated, the two were off. Neither one looked, talked, or even acknowledged each other on the trip. The only noise's heard by them was the sounds of nature, the clop of hooves, and the turning of the wagons wheels. The air around them practically frozen the tension was so great. A chill went down the two's spines at the sudden feeling. Later that day when it got dark they stopped on the side of the road to set up camp. Soon a fire was going, and food was cooking as the two sat on the opposite sides of the fire, not looking at each other.
"I have a question." Ruby said bluntly as she looked at the crackling fire
"You act like I'm going to give you an answer." Cao replied coldly as he cooked a rice soup in a pot
"Why did you decide to be a smuggler?" Ruby asked sincerely, this time finally bringing herself to look at him
"That's it? You ask my motivations? Gods you are trivial." Cao answered dismissively as he stirred the pot
"You know my motivations, tell me yours." Ruby stated very bluntly
"Very well if it will shut you up. I chose to join the Scales of The Carp because in all due honest what other choice did I have?" Cao replied as he looked at the pots contents instead of his companion
"No other choice? You're a samurai. You guys have choices for days." Ruby replied with a confused tone
"Clan samurai have the luxury of choice. They can choose what dojo they attend, be appointed by lords, or win glory in battle in the name of their clan. Ronin however do not get such a luxury." Cao returned in a solemn tone, the subject to him still a less than cheery one
"Then what is a Ronin then?" Ruby asked him
"A Ronin is a samurai without a master. Some are those exiled by their clan for some dishonor, some are born into this life like me. I don't know what my parents did, or their parents beyond them that caused my fate, but I wandered for years without any purpose in life." Cao explained
"So how did you get into the scales?" Ruby asked him
"My do you ever stop?" Cao sighed
"Answer about your motivations and I will." Ruby said to motivate him
"Fine. I chose to cause I have a talent for talking with people. Not well enough apparently. It was the only choice I had. It was either that or starving. It's better than being a bandit I guess. Now you satisfied?" Cao said to her
"Yes I am. Thank you." Ruby said solemnly as the food is finished
The two then ate in silence, a small understanding, but not enough to improve the mood. They then hunkered down in the wagon, each in their own sleeping bag and drifted to sleep. The sounds of the night swirled around them, but the two shrugged them off blissfully. The next day after breakfast they were off and making good time. Surprisingly, and miraculously to the two, they could see a small village in their sights. Though Cao wanted to make his horses go faster, he knew that they were his only means of transporting the gaijin pepper, and getting new ones wasn't guaranteed.
"Looks like we are nearing a village." Ruby said
"Good. I can drop you off and pick up supplies." Cao replied, keeping his eyes on the road
The village was nothing remarkable. A few vendors, a tavern, a blacksmith, and little more than a dozen small farms close together. However, it was enough to warrant a stop. Cao would like to gain more supplies to allow him to keep going longer. The members of the village were surprised indeed to see a samurai and his wagon roll into town, and talk began to spread. Without a word to each other, two went into the tavern after Cao unhitched his horses and got them food and water. They entered the tavern and sat at different part of the tavern.
"What would you like samurai-sama?" The bartender asked as Cao sat at the bar
"Your finest sake please." Cao said calmly as he tried to compose himself
He sat and looked over his shoulder at Ruby. He felt silly right now. All he wanted this whole time was to get rid of her, to be done with this business she put him up to. Yet now he felt different. He felt like he was going to miss her. Again, the feeling he felt when he first met her welled up in his chest. Desperately he tried to shake it off, but it wouldn't go away.
"Are you okay Samurai-sama?" The bartender asked
"No. I'm fine. Call me Cao." Cao replied curtly, trying to keep his composure
"Would you like anything to eat?" The bartender asked after nodding
'No thank you. Not right now." Cao said as he then took a sip of sake
Ruby meanwhile wasn't much better. She had little in the way of the money and had to buy something cheap to drink. Her mind was on Cao and she couldn't get him out of her head. Admittingly she did blackmail him, but he was nice to her before that. Hell sold her a necklace she never had been able to get otherwise. She rubbed the locket as it hung from her neck, pondering what she was going to do from here. She had no plan, no idea what to do with her sudden freedom. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.
"Hey there. Is something wrong?" A Young man asked her suddenly from behind
"What? No. No everything is fine." Ruby said in a startled tone
"You sure? Your all alone and got a cheap drink." The man asked her
"Really I'm fine." Ruby answered a bit more hurriedly this time
"Nice necklace there." He said, suddenly drawn to the exquisite piece of jewelry
"Thank you its…" Ruby said before she was cut off by sudden action
The man grabbed the chain on the back of her neck and pulled hard. Due to his farming background, he was strong enough to yank Ruby off her seat onto the floor. However, the necklace due to its masterful construction did not break, and now it was choking Ruby's throat at the base of her jaw. The man was confused and kept pulling, not realizing that in his attempt to steal this expensive item it wasn't going to budge.
"Stop it!" Ruby yelled through the choking with what little air she had
"Let go of it you cheap bitch! I need it a hell of a lot more than you do!" The man yelled back, now committed to stealing her necklace from her
Just as he was about to heave it off her neck someone punched him square in the jaw. This sent the mans face smashing hard into a thick oak beam. Blood from splinters and the impact came out of the corner of his mouth and a cut in his cheek. He turned only to see another punch hit him square in the nose. Ruby looked up as she breathed deeply and frantically to see Cao stepping into the encounter.
"Cao?" Ruby asked
"You really have a habit of causing trouble Ms Rose." Was all Cao said before he dodged a clumsy punch from the man
"You son of a…" He said before Cao grabbed his throat as he missed his punch
The sudden contact of his throat into Cao's hand stopped the sentence there. Cao then gripped tight and with surprising might lifted him off the ground for a second, before smashing the back of his head into the thick planks of the floor. The sudden impact knocked the thief out in a instant with a thunderous crack that could be heard outside the tavern. Cao panted a bit before looking over the staring room of people.
"Anyone else want to try and cause trouble around here?" Cao asked, but was answered by silence, before returning to the bar
Ruby panted and looked in amazement. Cao saved her, despite all that she put him through. He literally had no reason, or really should not be motivated to save her. Yet he did. She was grateful, but this was compounded by sheer confusion. She needed to understand this.
A few hours later at the northern edge of town
After getting some lunch, meditating, and purchasing of supplied, Cao hitched up the horses and got ready to go. Then suddenly he stopped as he felt a familiar presence. He didn't need to even look to know who exactly it was.
"What do you want?" Cao asked without turning to face Ruby
"Thank you for saving me back there. But after everything…" Ruby said, but Cao cut her off
"Like I told you Ruby, I have standards. Thieves are a stain upon the economy I can't stand. You do not need to thank me." Cao answered with surprising kindness
"It was still surprising." Ruby said sheepishly
"I bet it was." Cao said with a slight chuckle
"Can I ask you something?" Ruby asked
"You have a annoying habit of doing that unfortunately." Cao replied with a nod
"Can I join you in your journey? I realized that I don't have a plan. I don't know what to do. At least with you I have a direction to go down, a person to travel with. I think I've proven that I can't easily defend myself…" Ruby said, but Cao had turned around and put a finger on her lips suddenly to silence her
"Its okay, and its fine. After thinking about it I understand what your going through. It merely has been too long for me to remember at first. I'll let you come along. On my terms." Cao said, with the last part punctuated with a sternness
"Name it." Ruby answered when Cao removed his finger
"Rule number one, I do the talking. Rule two, you're going to help me in any task I require of you. And finally rule 3, you're not going to be running off out of my sight under any circumstances? Do you agree to my terms?" Cao explained to her bluntly
"Deal." Ruby said, and the two shook on it
The two of them climbed on the seat of the wagon and with a call from Cao they were off. The two sat there with the same silence and tension as before, but the coldness between them died down compared to before. Now they sat with a baseline level of understanding, and common ground. Under new, more peaceful terms, the two had now truly begun their journey.
Those two are finally together and off on a grand adventure. However, danger and surprises are in store for them on masse. Next time we will see who is going to be in pursuit of Ruby and her Ronin protector, and what reason's they are willing to attempt such a rescue. Till then, and have a wonderful day everyone.