Chapter 2: Journeying in the Wilderness
The first day of travel passed without incident. On the second day of my travels I met an odd old man, traveling the opposite directions as I.
"Hello there, young one!" An old man greets me on the road. I slow my pony from a trot to a walk. I check that the hood I placed over my head is still in place, before responding.
"Hello, sir." I say, nodding my head respectfully. Even if I have my hair coated in powdered black charcoal, and doesn't appear to be blonde. I still want it to be covered up by my hood.
"You don't want to be going that way. It's a war zone. Nothing but trouble."
"But, isn't that east?"
"Yeah, it is."
"Then I need to go that way." I tell him, determined.
"Ok. If you go left at the next fork you can go over a bridge across the ravine. Other wise you have to take the two-week road down one cliffside and up the other."
"Really? I didn't know about the bridge."
"Why don't you take a break and eat lunch with me? I'm an old man, we tend to give great advice."
I pause, unsure of what to do. I've made good progress down the road. Uma-y is panting. He could definitely use a break.
"Why not." I say to the grey man.
He pulls his food out of his bad, and kneels down. I dismount Uma-y. I open my scroll just enough to release an apple and some bread, then roll it back up, and retying it to my saddle.
"What's your name, kiddo?"
"...Aimisouma. But my mama called me Misou."
"Miso? Like the ramen flavor?" He asks curiously.
"No!" I flush red, before realizing I yelled. "I'm sorry. The boys at home called me 'Ramen-Head' a lot, 'cause my hair is wavy and ... I like ramen." I had almost said 'and I am blonde.' Which would have made the old man confused, since my hair looks black.
The old man hesitates before responding. "I'm Sato Taiga. Where are you heading?"
"East. The last of family lives that way."
"It is going to be dangerous. With the War and all."
"That's ok." I smile up at him. "I'm going to destroy war."
The old man looks down at me inquisitively. "Well then, how are you going to do that?" I don't have a response, so I quickly take a large bit to avoid needing to answer just yet. "In fact, many people are fighting for peace right now."
"Really?" I question, and Taiga nod in response. We eat the rest of our meals in silence, as I try to understand fighting for peace.
"Thank you, sir. It was nice to talk to someone." I smile at him as Uma-y and I continue on our way.
"Good bye, kiddo. I wish you safe travels." He says. I nod my head respectfully, and he disappears as I round a bend in the path..
I continued on the road, turning left at the fork.
My body hurt. My legs had been bouncing on the saddle for what seemed like years; despite it having only been a couple of hours. It was the most I had ever ridden before, and I hurt everywhere.
Trees surround us. They are old trees. Tall and strong. I wish I was as strong as these trees.
When Uma-y took another step, and tears came to my eyes, I decided it was time to stop. I fell of the horse like an ungraceful scoop of sticky rice that had glued itself to the spoon.
Uma-y took this opportunity to nuzzle my side. He was hungry.
I force myself to my feet, and untie my scroll. It falls to the ground with a soft thump. I unroll the scroll and release one of the bundles of hay and a water barrel.
Open Scroll Seal - Inside Seal - Outside Seal - Release Seal
I next remove some blankets from the scroll, repeating the same signs. I make a makeshift bed next to a fallen tree. I tie Uma-y's reins to a branch on the fallen tree to stop him from wandering off. But he can still access the hay and the water. I lay in the blankets for a few moments before sleep claims me.
I wake from my uneasy sleep to dawn's light. The sun is rising from the east. It brings with it a memory from my past.
"Aimisouma, Do you see where the sun is coming from? That direction is East. The sun rises in the East and sets in the West."
"Why, daddy?" I ask curiously.
"No one really knows. There are many myths and legends, as well as science that explains HOW it happens. But no-one knows why."
"Why not?" I ask, a little confused.
"I don't know if we are meant to know the answer to every question, little one. Just remember that with every sunrise starts a new day, and a new chance for answers, adventures, and advancements." With that, he lightly 'booped' me on the nose. I giggled and hugged his leg.
I smile towards the sun. Maybe this is a new day. Even, maybe, a better day.
A tapping sensation starts on my leg. "EHHH!" I yelp, throwing off the covers severely startling the rabbit who had decided to sleep inside my bedroll. I want to pull the sheets over my head and go back to sleep, but hunger pains in my stomach won't allow it. I pull the my legs underneath me and grab my scroll. I unroll the thick rice paper until I find the section where I had stowed my food. I release a loaf of bread. I think about releasing a knife to cut the bread, but instead take a bite out of the loaf.
"Better day my butt." I mutter between bites. I can hear the rabbit as it bounces through the woods away from me.
As I finish eating, I hear more rustling, But assume its just the rabbit. "Come back to haunt me. Ehh?" I say out loud. I ignore the rabbit and roll up my blankets. I prepare my jutsu.
Open Scroll Seal - Outside Seal - Inside Seal - Merge Seal
I am just about to touch my bedroll to remerge it with the scroll when a shadow looms over me. I turn, and my heart stops. A massive black bear is above me, standing on it's hind paws. From paw swinging down toward my head. "Ahhh!" I yell. My hand above the blanket flies above me head to protect my face.
*Poof*
A slip second after the bear's paw touched my arm, it disappeared. I look down at the scroll, under my fingers, I can see the word 'Bear' written. "Huh..." I say out loud, before passing out.
I don't think much time has passed since the bear attacked. When I wake up, the sun is not much further up the horizon than it was. I look around. My scroll is still unrolled in front of me. My blankets are still rolled up. My head hurts, and I feel exhausted.
The only major difference is that I can't find Uma-y. He must've torn his reins off his bridle when the bear attacked. two four-foot leather straps are still wrapped around the branch of the fallen log.
"Uma-y!" I yell. But I hear nothing. I try again, but still nothing. "Dumb horse," I murmur to myself. I scan the trees all around and look for tracks. I see his hoof prints getting on the road, but the stone path offers no tracks to follow. My options are to back track and hope to find Uma-y; or to continue forward and hope to find Uma-y.
I decide that I can't go back. So I take a few minutes, seal my bedding back into the scroll, the carefully wrap the reins around the scroll. I form a makeshift back pack for the scroll. It's still really heavy, and I struggle to lift it off the ground. However, once I get it settled on my shoulders, it's not so bad. I start walking east, very slowly at first. My muscles ache from all the riding. However, I slowly start to speed up, as I work my muscles. The pain recedes a little as I keep walking. The sun is directly overhead when I next stop for water. I can see the bridge on the path ahead of me.
I am getting closer! I think happily. As i release another piece of fruit and a cup of water from my scroll. I take a long break, maybe an hour long, before I retie my scroll and shoulder it again. Ready to cross the bridge.
"No one won the last war, and no one will win the next war." - Eleanor Roosevelt
