Chapter 9
Min blinked at the swaying curtain for a second, she swallowed down the lump forming in her throat, took a deep breath and continued with her work. "Audrin?" She called. "Do check on Mr. Hamato. The procedure seems to have made him ill."
"I am sure he is fine, lady Min. but I will check just the same." Audrin decided he would give the man a few minutes to compose himself first.
"Thank you." She called back. She frowned as she continued to press the puss and fluid from the cyst. 'funny,' she thought, 'how even when expected, rejection hurt, just the same.'
Rayen took a bite of a crisp apple enjoying the pop as the flesh pulled away from the fruit and relishing in the sweet crunch as she chewed. She watched her sister as she rubbed her upper arm.
"Are you sure you are ok?"
Lyra looked at her sister and nodded. "You are a better fighter than I am. A few bruises go with that territory."
"Maybe we should stop and see Min. Put some of that magic white paste on it." Rayen waggled her eye ridge.
"Oh I can hear her now. 'It is for surgeries only. A miss use of the substance can lead to addictions and….other such problems.' Or something to that effect."
Rayen chuckled. "I wasn't planning on asking her. I figured you distract her while I nab some."
"Oh God." Lyra laughed.
"Better make up your mind we are coming up on the clinic." Rayen took another bite of her apple.
They had been training all morning but had to cut the session short do to Rayen getting in an overly aggressive hit, causing Lyra to fall and pull a muscle in her arm. It was frustrating to Lyra. There was just something slightly demeaning about having your butt kicked by your younger sister, even if she has not ever lost a fight. She had come close a few times but always seemed to overcome. That was Rayen though. Getting herself into some tough situation and then having to climb and fight her way out. Lyra there to make sure she could. Lord knows there had been enough close calls.
"What is this?" Lyra asked as they came up on the clinic. A man doubled over in the bushes heaving.
"Are you alright, sir?" Rayen called out as they hurried over to the man.
Leonardo winced at the familiar voices. Spit out some of the vile flavor in mouth before standing and giving the two women a weak and embarrassed smile.
"Oh, Mr. Hamato! Whatever has made you ill?" Lyra asked with concern
"At least we are at the clinic." Rayen stated. "I will fetch Min." She added as Lyra handed Leo a water bladder.
"Please don't." Leo said before taking a swig of the water, swishing it about in his mouth and spitting in to the bushes. "She is in the middle of cleaning out a cyst."
The last bit of information was delivered with an expression of disgust. He took another swig of the water and spit again before giving the bladder back to Lyra with a sheepish, "thank you."
The sisters shared a pitiful look.
"Perhaps you should save your visit with her till later." Lyra suggested as she turned her attention back to Leonardo.
Leo frowned but nodded. "Ya. That is probably a good idea."
"Lyra and I were about to take a ride down to the cove." Rayen said.
Lyra gave her a slightly confused look, as riding had not been discussed on their walk up. "We are?"
"Yes. Don't you remember? We talked about it this morning." Rayen hoped Lyra would pick up on the hint.
Lyra did, her eyes widening with realization. "Oh! Yes. Of course." She turned back to Leonardo. "Perhaps you would like to ride with us. It is a lovely ride. Perhaps some fresh air would help settle your stomach."
The two gave Leonardo a bright smile.
He would much rather spend his day at the cove riding than spending one more minute in that clinic next to an opened wound that smelled of rot. Though he felt bad about ditching Min. "I would love to go to the cove, believe me. But I don't want to just leave Min. It would be…rude. Wouldn't it?"
"She will understand." Lyra reassured. "Not everyone can stomach what she does."
Leo considered the situation for a second then nodded. He really did not want to go back into the clinic. So he agreed to go. After opening the door and informing Min that he thought they should pick up their visit later, and listening to her curtain muffled agreement, he followed Lyra and Rayen to the stables.
Leo was kind of excited about riding horses down to the cove. He actually rather enjoyed riding, though he did not get to very often, given that he lived in New York City. Only when he got to visit Usagi, here in this world.
He wondered for a moment if these women would be as willing to leave with him or his brothers if they knew how far away he really lived. He frowned. It was going to be a necessary conversation at some point. How was he going to make them understand without sounding crazy?
"Would you like a little peppermint?" Rayen asked Leonardo, pulling him from his thoughts.
"Hmm?"
"It will help settle your stomach." Rayen informed. "We can run in and see if Emery has some."
"No. I'm fine." Leo blushed. "We are already here anyways." He motioned to the stable door.
Rayen shrugged and followed Lyra through the large stable doors.
It wasn't long before Leo found himself astride a small horse. So small in fact that Leo was surprised it could carry him. He felt like if he took his feet out of the stirrups and pointed his tows he could brush the ground with his feet. But the small horse didn't seem to mind and kept a chipper pace.
Lyra had said it should only take them about thirty minutes to reach the cove. It took two hours. They had hurried through the market, on that side of town. But once they were traveling the gravel path to the cove Rayen found the need to stop and help every being in need. They helped fix a farmer's broken wheel. They caught a boy's runaway, pet tokage lizard. They even helped an old woman repair a broken basket before making any real progress on their journey.
At one point Lyra had made the comment, "Always the bleeding heart." In a whisper to Leonardo, accompanied with an eye roll and a smile.
Leo couldn't help but share in Lyra's sentiment, toward her sister, as Rayen hopped off her horse to run some dropped apples to a farmer. He was beginning to wonder if they would ever reach the cove. But he did not have to wonder overly long, as they did reach it.
Salty waves lapped at the sandy beaches. Bushy trees grasped onto the ground just before grass met sand. Fishing boats with fan shaped sails speckled the sparkling water as dolphins splashed about catching what hadn't made it into the fishermen's nets.
"Sew me a sail to catch me the wind…" Leo found himself inspired to mumble the line.
"What was that?" Rayen asked.
Not realizing he has spoken loud enough to be heard he gave Rayen a surprised look before answering. "Oh, it was a poem from when I was a child. My father used to read it to us from a book he found."
"Do you remember the whole poem?" Lyra asked, pulling her horse to a stop next to him.
Leo blushed a little at being put on the spot. "Ya. Umm… It goes; needles and pins, needles and pins, sow me a sail to catch me the wind, sow me a sail strong and the Gail, carpenter bring me your hammer and nails, hammer and nails, hammer and nails, build me a boat to go chasing the whales, chasing the whales, sailing the blue, find me a captain and sign me a crew, captain and crew, captain and crew, take me, oh take me to anywhere new." *
The women looked out over the fishing boats and waves as they listened to his voice, melodic and deep.
"That's lovely." Lyra commented.
"I always thought so." Leo smiled at Lyra, their eyes meeting for a moment.
Lyra turned away a blush warming her face.
"You know what else is lovely?" Rayen asked. "Coconut smoked fish. Last one to the water guts em'!" She shouted as she goaded her horse in to a run.
"Oh I don't think so!" Lyra shouted following after her sister.
Leo laughed and gave his horse a quick kick taking off after the two women.
They road neck to neck, dirt and sand flying up behind them. Horses flaring their nostrils and stomping their feet down as they splashed into the cove waters. Shrieks of laughter danced across the water as Lyra leapt from her horse tackling Rayen into the rolling waves.
Leo pulled his horse to a stop, the waves lapping at the bottoms of his feet. He laughed as he watched the girls splash about in the water.
"Well, you coming or what?" Lyra called to Leo.
Leo pulled his swords off his back and hung them on the horn of the saddle, then dove sideways off the horse. Salt could be tasted where his lips met, two beautiful women leading him deeper into the cove. In that moment, life couldn't have been any better.
The next few hours were spent using a small net to fish and checking out the life inside the cove. It was teaming with colorful fish, plant life, crustaceans, and things like octopi, sea cucumbers, and less evolved turtles. It was like a rainbow, saturated, alien world.
Dry coconut husks were collected and a small fire was started by the two women while Leo gutted the fish, he had lost the race after all, and soaked them in coconut milk. They were then skewered and put over the fire. Small chunks of coconut were tossed into the fire and the scent of toasted coconut filled the air.
Leonardo smiled as he leaned back on his elbows soaking up the late afternoon sun. Yep, today was turning out to be perfect.
Rayen watched her sister as she watched Mr. Hamato, a thoughtful look on her face. Something was coming she knew it, she knew her sister.
"Rayen and I go together." Lyra finally stated. "If, of course, you choose one of us."
Leonardo looked at Lyra and sat himself back up. "Well, I don't think that is going to be an issue. I mean my brothers are…"
"It doesn't matter." Lyra stated matter of factly. "Whether we are both chosen by you and your brothers or only one of us is. We go together."
"I don't think there will be a problem unless one of you decides you don't want to marry one of my brothers or myself."
Lyra suddenly took on an annoyed look. "Look all that, her honor in purity doesn't matter...skat, was great for my father. But he isn't here. Who are you trying to impress?"
"Well, you guys. Honestly." Leo motioned to the girls. "I'm not trying to marry your father nor am I considering spending the rest of my life with him. And what I said isn't… skat."
"Really?" Lyra gave him a skeptical look.
"Lyra, don't."Rayen frowned at her sister.
Lyra crossed her arms but stopped her questioning.
Raya started to turn the fish. "Sorry." She said softly to Leonardo.
"There is nothing to apologize for. This is all a little frustrating."
"A little?" Lyra's sarcasm slipped out.
"Lyra!" Her sister chastised. "We have had a nice day. Can we refrain from questioning everything right now?"
Leo watched as Lyra shook her head and looked out across the beach. "We do things different than this where I am from. I am finding aspects of this frustrating. I am sure you all find aspects of it frustrating as well."
"Like the fact that we really don't have a choice." Lyra muttered.
"If you don't want to marry me, or my brothers, you don't have to. I have no desire to take anyone back with me against their will."
Lyra laughed. "The moment you tell my father you have made a choice…"
"Then I'll ask you, first."
Lyra raised her eye ridges.
"As in a general you, all of you, or the you that I think would be a good match… for me, rather."
"You would ask us before asking talking to our father?" Rayen asked.
"Yes." Leo smiled encouragingly at Rayen.
"Is that one of the things you do differently where you are from?" Rayen's dark green eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Yes. We also date… umm, court, for much longer."
"How much longer?"
"Years." Leonardo answered with a laugh. "And now I am trying to make this decision in a couple of weeks. You can't know someone in a couple weeks. It takes years."
"That's right." Lyra turned her gaze away from the beach and back to Leonardo. "How are we supposed to agree to going away with you if we don't really know you?"
"I don't know." Leo admitted. "There are some definite issues with the system we are dealing with."
'How dare he be agreeable.' Lyra thought to herself. She wasn't used to men agreeing with her ideas. "I suppose things are sooo different where you are from that one of you are going to have absolutely no issue with the fact that Rayen…"
"Isn't a virgin? Why are you all so caught up on that?"
Both girls guffawed at him for a second.
"Men don't want a woman that has been touched by another man." Rayen stated. "No matter how it came about."
"Came about?" Leo asked.
Rayen poked at the fire.
"It's complicated." Lyra frowned.
The obvious discomfort sat heavy across the fire pit. So as Leo tossed in a few more chunks of coconut he attempted to change the subject. "Well since we are trying to get to know each other…how did you get those scars Rayen, Defending the town?"
"No...I wish it was." Rayen poked at the fire a bit more then stood up. "I think I'm going to take a walk."
Lyra started to get up but was stopped by her sister.
"By myself." Rayen said and then assured her sister. "I will stay in sight."
Leo frowned as watched her walk away. "I didn't mean to upset her more. I was trying to change the subject."
Lyra sighed as she watched her sister walk along the beach. "The stories are one in the same."
"One in the same? How did sleeping with someone give her a scar?" Leonardo asked before he could stop himself.
"We had finally convinced our father to have the head of the guard let us into the town guard, on the grounds that there was no law against it. I guess they just figured a woman wouldn't want to be. We had to pass the same tests as the men. We prepared for worse though. Because we knew they didn't want us to join." Lyra turned the fish again as she talked. "We trained by ourselves and made our own weapons. They gave us nothing. Then after months of hard work they suddenly changed. Especially a man named Jayden Eldren. He and Rayen became… close. He started training with us. Talking to our father…" Lyra looked back out at her sister. "We started thinking maybe he was going to talk to father about marriage."
"But he didn't." Leo guessed.
"No. He did invite us to go have a few drinks with the other guards, after he was promoted for the second time since he had started training with us. I didn't want to go. Something didn't feel right. But I am skeptical of everything." Lyra said with a shrug. "Rayen was more trusting. I mean you saw how she was the whole way here, wanting to help everyone that seemed they could use it. That's why she had wanted to join the guard." She smiled as she talked about her sister's kindness with a smile but the smile faded. "But I guess being such a bleeding heart comes from a desire to be accepted, and that puts you in a position to be hurt. She went to the pub and drank with the guys. I went home.
Jayden must have talked sweet to her, made bigger promises and lied to her. When she was drunk he took her to his home. Stripped her and took her to his bed." Lyra looked back at Leonardo and took a deep breath. "He woke her by ripping her out of the bed and dragging her outside. He called her… horrible things. She was naked, confused, and scared and she slapped him. He struck her so hard she fell. He was wearing a rings gifted to him upon his promotions."
"And they cut her face." Leo guessed again watching as Rayen started the walk back to the fire.
"Yes." Lyra answered. "She ran from him. Crying, bleeding both from being struck and…"
"Raped." Leo stated. The bite in his tone not lost on Lyra.
"It was long trek home. She was spit on, called names, things thrown at her."
"What happened to this, Jayden?" Leo asked.
Lyra scoffed. "He is second in command now."
Leo looked at Lyra with shock. "What?!"
"We are women. I shouldn't have been there." Rayen stated. "That's what you are talking about right?"
"Bull shit." Leo stated bluntly, earning a surprised look from both the women.
He stood and looked Rayen in the eyes, but she couldn't hold his ice blue gaze. "It doesn't matter where you were. If you couldn't consent…"
"Consent?" Rayen questioned, looking up at Leonardo.
"Ya, uh it means to.."
"I know what it means, Mr. Hamato." Rayen stated.
"A man NEVER has a right to touch a woman without her consent. And if I ever cross that bastard's path he is going to choke on my fist."
"I appreciate the sentiment but I think it is a little late to defend my honor."
Leo gave Rayen a small smile. "It's only too late when we are dead. Not of us are perfect, Rayen. We all bare scars." He said as he gestured to his own then pointed to the small ones of her face. "You stayed in the guard anyways."
"I wasn't about to let that…"
"Bastard." Lyra helped her sister find the right word.
Rayen's lips pulled into a small smile. "Right. I wasn't about to let him steal everything I had worked so hard for. Lyra and I promised each other we would stick together and have each other's back."
"So if you go with me and my brothers you go together." Leo nodded. "That's fine."
He looked at Lyra and then back at Rayen. "You are very brave women. To go back and face him, to protect each other like you do."
Rayen smiled and shifted, unsure what to do with the praise. "The fish is going to burn."
"Oh!" Lyra rushed in to start saving the fish from the fire. Leo, close at hand to help.
They spent the rest of the afternoon sharing adventure stories while eating coconut smoked fish and cool coconut milk. The girls gladly devouring the tasty pastries, Leo had been gifted earlier that day, but could no longer stomach.
*Poem by shell Silverstein.
