Balance
Y'all should be given the "Reader of the Year" Award for putting up with me...I'm so terribly sorry that I haven't updated since Spring! Some people actually get the 'break' part of 'summer break'...not me. Anyways, I'll try to get back on a more regular update schedule! Thank you all again for hanging in there!
I kept the joints in my arm loose to prevent injury as Kutsuriuri parried my blow. Kutsuriuri used his momentum to bring his free elbow towards my head, which I parried with my opposite forearm. We leapt backwards from each other. "Don't use your body to attack the Mononoke; if your flesh comes in contact with their poison, you're dead," I chided as we panted and paced. Kutsuriuri gave a quick nod of his head before leaping back towards me, slashing diagonally.
It had occurred to me that I did not know the extent of Kutsuriuri's fighting skills, and so, while we were resting, I had proposed a skirmish between the two of us so that I could gauge his prowess. While I did have to tone down my speed and strength to that of a normal human, I was pleased to find that I was hard-pressed to remain ahead of Kutsuriuri. His warrior training had certainly not been forgotten amongst his medicinal studies.
A small frown graced the lines around Kutsuriuri's eyes as we fought. I could almost see the calculations in his cold blue eyes as he catalogued my attacks and defenses. I smiled inwardly at this; it reminded me so much of Aia – I stopped my thoughts in their tracks, growling aloud at my lapse in concentration as well as self-control. If he noticed my growl, Kutsuriuri did not mention it, nor did it break his own concentration.
Thrust…block…slash…parry…the strains of our dance grew faster and faster as we fought to overcome each other's defenses. He was a natural warrior; he could interpret almost every shift of my body and therefore act accordingly. My impression of human warriors was that they only saw that which was coming directly at them as opposed to the delicate maneuvers that, in the long run, worked even better than a direct attack. And yet Kutsuriuri, while outmatched in speed and strength, used his cold, sharp intelligence to make up for what he lacked, matching my every wit and even outmaneuvering me at times.
"Alright, stop!" I called, spent. Kutsuriuri nearly collapsed right there on the spot, but it was only through sheer willpower that he managed to sit down gracefully. I myself carefully lowered myself to my knees, sweat dripping from my brow and running down my neck and chest. The flush of the fight was not as noticeable in my dark amber skin as it was in Kutsuriuri's fair complexion, but I was just as exhausted as he was in this instance.
When we both had finally regained our breaths, Kutsuriuri walked over to his bags and removed some of herbs, a large ceramic pot that he used for cooking and boiling water in, and the waterskin. After creating a fire and putting the glazed pot over the flames, he sprinkled the herbs in and then, going back to his bags, removed two small ceramic cups. After the brew had boiled to his satisfaction, he poured some of the mixture into each cup. Handing one to me, he bade me drink it to ease the ache and strain of my muscles after our skirmish. I smiled inwardly, knowing that his human herbs would not help my non-human body, but I drank anyways so as not to offend. The gesture was so like Aia…even though he had been a boy, he had insisted upon mothering me as a duck shepherds her ducklings.
Finally, we were completely relaxed and at peace. Kutsuriuri was performing the re-glazing of the ceramics that would enable the pottery to withstand the heat and constant use he put them through without cracking, when the scales in his bag began to chime and tremble. Not a moment later my hackles rose as a nasty feeling tickled the senses at my back. Kutsuriuri and I both turned in the direction of disturbance. Without even saying anything, the both of us packed up our camp and banked the fire. Stowing the majority of our belongings in a nearby cave, only keeping my dragon-headed sword and Kutsuriuri's scales, papers, and sword, Kutsuriuri turned to me and asked, "Trouble?"
"Trouble," I agreed. "And it's about to attack that village 5 miles north of here."