"I can't believe it's already fall," Kai said, leaning back on her rock. As if answering her, a breeze blew over her and Nami, who was polishing his sword. "But I am glad the weather's cooling off. It was hot last spring too."
"Yeah, weather's been weird. Summer was rainier than usual too. Just be glad we don't live in Sailou, it'd be hot all the time." Nami looked at the road. "Not much business today."
"Good thing yesterday was busy," replied Kai. "Some of the stuff we took in was really nice. We can sell it for a lot." The road remained quiet and she looked at the enormous man she had come to think of as her partner. "Hey, Aniki?"
"Here we go," Nami said, rolling his eyes. "What is it this time? Want to know how many brothers and sisters I have? My favorite color? How pathetic you are at hiding your-" A high-pitched whistle broke the air and Nami stood up straight. He motioned for Kai to follow him and she jumped off her rock. "That's Goh's whistle. He and Kyohei must be in trouble."
"Trouble?" Apart from being shot and the occasional tough customer, Kai hadn't seen much trouble. She ran after Nami, her heart pounding in her chest in time with her boots hitting the hard-packed dirt of the road. Before she could ask what kind of trouble they could be in for, they came over the small hill and found Kyohei and Goh fighting four men as hard as they could.
"Let's make this fight a little fairer," Nami growled, drawing his sword. Kai reached back to do the same, realizing a moment too late that she had brought her bow instead. One of the men turned his attention to her and she cursed herself for only carrying her long range weapon.
Too late to worry about it now, she thought as the man she assumed was a bandit chuckled.
"Sendin' a boy to do a man's job now? I knew the Leikaku bandits were gettin' soft."
"Why don't you get a little closer and say that?" The words were in Kai's mouth before she had time to think about them and the smirk on her opponent's face turned hard. Without answering, he ran at her with his sword down. Kai ducked the thrust of the bandit's sword expertly, as if she was doing some sort of ballet move, then hauled her arm back and punched him in the stomach hard enough to double him over. It was inelegant, but she took the opportunity to kick the sword out of his hand. It skittered out of his reach into the bushes and she pulled out her knife.
"Get out of here," she said, mustering up all her courage. Kai had never threatened anyone before, and she'd definitely never used a knife but all she could think of was that these men had hurt one of her brothers and she had to make them pay. "Or I'll cut them off."
"No brat like you is gonna tell me where to go," the bandit said. "I don't need a sword to fight you, I can break you in half with my bare hands."
"Try it." Kai hadn't done much hand-to-hand combat but she fell back into a defensive stance the way she'd seen others do. Her knife was clutched in her hand, daring the bandit to come at her. Before he could take a step, though, a blade sliced through the air and took him down. Kai looked up, surprised, and found Kouji standing with his sword out.
"Were you really gonna try and fight him with that little thing?"
"Kouji Aniki!" Kai was both relieved and confused at the same time. She had no idea how Kouji would have appeared so suddenly but she was glad he had. He gestured at her bow.
"Get up on that hill and get ready to start pickin' guys off. As soon as they know somethin's up they're gonna come down here and start a real fight." Kai nodded at him and turned to go, her bow in hand, when she heard a shout that drew both her and Kouji's attention. She turned just in time to see Kyohei drop onto the ground. The bandit standing over him was grinning as blood ran down his sword and Kouji leapt forward to fight him. "Check on him, see how bad he is," he directed Kai. Even though she didn't have any more medical experience than the others, she ran to the fallen bandit and knelt beside him.
"Kyohei!" Kai didn't have to search hard to find the source of the blood that was covering him. A hole in the center of his chest was bleeding freely onto the ground and he was gasping for air, a trickle of blood running from the corner of his mouth to his beard. "Don't try to talk, Aniki." He looked like he was drowning and she put her arms around him and hauled him into a sitting position.
She didn't know what to do. This wasn't a broken leg or a graze from an arrow. Even she could tell that it was serious, particularly when she saw that the back of his shirt was also soaked with blood. While she was trying to figure out what she should do, he stiffened in her arms, clawing at her chest for a brief moment before slumping forward onto her. His chest was no longer moving, and when Kai looked into his eyes she could see he was dead.
Gently, she laid him on the ground and looked at him through eyes that were threatening to spill tears. She dug her fingers into her thighs to send them back to where they belonged and stood up. The bandits had fled back up the road that led to Mt. Kaou, leaving the Mt. Leikaku bandits to take stock of their wounds and the situation. Kai was so preoccupied with thoughts of Kyohei that she barely noticed that Genrou had joined the fray. He turned to look at her, then hurried over immediately.
"Are ya okay?" Genrou grabbed Kai by the shoulders and shook her, his eyes combing her for evidence of any wounds. "Where'd ya get hurt?"They lingered on the blood across the front of her shirt and she looked down to see what he was looking at. When she realized what it was, she gave him a half-smile.
"It's not my blood," she said, turning to Kyohei and pointing. "It's his."
"Kyohei?" Genrou went over to the body with Kai close behind, still looking and feeling a little stunned. He knelt down for a closer look, then dropped his head. "Dammit."
"What do we do?" Kai asked this in a soft voice that was far more feminine than she had intended. If Genrou noticed, he didn't point it out. Instead, he looked over his shoulder at the mountain path.
"We take him home," he said. "We'll clean him up and bury him."
"Oh," Kai said. She leaned over and looked at the corpse. It wasn't the first she'd seen; it wasn't even the first victim of a sword fight. There was something different about this, though, and she felt her eyes brimming again. Hoping Genrou wouldn't see her, she quickly swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I wish I could have done something."
"Ya did," Genrou said, standing up. "Weren't ya with him at the end?" Kai nodded and he smiled, just a little. "At least he didn't die alone."
The others joined them beside Kyohei's body and looked down at it together. Nami shook his head, then leaned down and picked him up without a word. The rest of the bandits walked behind him silently, as if in a funeral procession, thinking to themselves that their bruises and cuts could have easily been fatal if they had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
As they came across others on their way up the mountain, they joined the group without so much as a question about what had happened. The only ones who remained in their place were the guards at the gate, but even they were silent. Everything they could say seemed meaningless.
"Take him to the back," Genrou said, breaking the silence. "Kouji, go ahead and get some spare clothes out of his room. Goh, you were his best pal, do you mind cleaning him up?"
"Of course not."
"Good. We'll bury him before the sun goes down." He looked from one face to another. "Anybody wanna volunteer to dig a grave?"
"I will," Kai said, stepping forward. Genrou looked at her dubiously and Kouji put a hand on her shoulder with a smile.
"I'll help. You'll probably hurt yourself if you tried to do it alone," he said. "First we'll find a big enough rock to be a headstone, then we'll get started digging. C'mon." Kouji nodded to the yard. "I'll show you where the graveyard is."
"Graveyard?"
"Yeah. We don't lose guys often," Kouji said, leading her outside to a small shack that held digging and other gardening tools. "But when we do, we usually bury 'em here. A lot of 'em don't have family or anyone to do it. Besides, they're all family to us."
"Yeah," Kai said, taking the shovel he handed her. Kouji led her to a small area in the back where several gravestones marked the resting places of other bandits that had died. There was something terribly sad about this and before she could stop herself, a tear escaped the corner of her eye and ran down to her chin. She half-expected Kouji to laugh at her or tell her to be a man about it but instead he put a hand on her shoulder again. "Sorry."
"It's okay," he said kindly. "Let's get to digging. That'll take your mind off it a little." Kai nodded her agreement, then followed him to look for a rock.
000
While Kouji and Kai were getting Kyohei's grave ready, Genrou stood at the window and watched them for a moment. Kai seemed to be taking it hard and he was glad Kouji was helping him. He turned away from the sight of them digging and went back to the leader's room, where he sank into his chair heavily.
When he had been a teenager, the Mt. Kaou bandits were some of the fiercest around and they'd had a rivalry with the Mt. Leikaku bandits that had resulted in a great deal of bloodshed. The leader at that time, Keiron, had crawled away from the mountain like a whipped dog after his little sister was killed and Genrou battled a demon at their fortress. But now a new group of bandits had taken up residence in the old stronghold and they seemed as determined to build a reputation as dark as their predecessors. As much as he hated to think about it, Genrou was fairly certain that this was only the beginning. Starting the next day, they would have to be more cautious. He lowered his head and sighed. As soon as Kouji came in he could help him think of something.
Something else popped into his head and he rubbed his temples. Now that Kyohei's room was empty he supposed he could give it to Kai. The boy had spent six months sleeping on the floor and it was high time he got an upgrade. It all seemed so final, though, and he wondered how Kai would feel about it. He got back up and looked out the window at where Kai and Kouji were digging. They were working much faster than he'd expected.
Before he knew it, they were ready to bury their friend. The rest of the bandits had come up from the restaurant and their places on the paths after word of his death had spread. This time even the guards from the front gate came after securing their post. The last thing they needed was another battle that could potentially cost more lives.
Without a word, Nami and Goh laid his body in the ground and each of the bandits threw a handful of soil into the grave. Genrou saw that the palms of Kai's hands had blisters on them and he hoped the kid had some of the medicine he'd given him so he could rub it on them. He had to admire Kai for volunteering even though he knew his hands weren't meant for manual labor.
"We're all here to say bye to ya," Genrou said to Kyohei's still form as if he was still alive. "It's gonna be hard without ya but we'll make it through. I know that's what ya would've wanted. Thanks for everything ya did for us. We won't forget it."
With that, Kai and Kouji picked up their shovels again and began to cover him. This time the other bandits joined in until a mound of earth covered Kyohei. They had already set the big white stone they'd found at the head of the grave. Once it was over, the group dispersed and Kouji followed Genrou back to his room to talk without being asked.
"This is probably the worst thing that could happen," Kouji said as he closed the door and Genrou sank into his chair with a sigh. "How do you want to handle it?"
"I dunno," Genrou said. "I don't really wanna start a war with them if I don't hafta. But if they're comin' down the mountain to attack our guys that seems like the only way to keep the peace. If we keep on fightin', we're not the only ones that'll get hurt. We're supposed to protect the travelers, not get 'em involved in this."
"Right," Kouji said with a nod. "What's our first move?"
"Let's put more guys down on the road. We'll hafta make sure they know to watch their backs and that they carry their weapons with 'em at all times." Kai and his knife popped into his head and he amended his statement. "Swords and stuff like that. And we'll keep our archers on the hill so they can keep a lookout and shoot anyone who doesn't belong here."
"You think the kid is good enough yet for that?" Kouji looked dubious and Genrou thought about this, then shook his head.
"Nah. We'll have him stay with Nami for now. We definitely hafta make sure the traps up by the fortress are workin' though. If they're gettin' brave enough to start fights, they might be thinkin' of comin' up and tryin' to get inside." He ran a hand through his hair. "That's all we can do for now. Hopefully they'll think about comin' back here for a while."
"Hopefully," Kouji said, then went back to the door. "Hope you don't mind, but I'm gonna go back to my room for a little while before dinner."
"Yeah, I kinda need to be alone for a while too." Kouji pushed open the doors and went into the hall, leaving Genrou to his thoughts.
For the thousandth time, he thought about how hard being the leader could be. He had to think about protecting the mountain and his men at the same time, had to make the hard decisions and come up with strategies when things like this happened. It was hard to think about anything when Kyohei's death was so fresh in his mind. He got up and went over to his bed, where he sat down and then lay back on it. He felt drained and not much like going to dinner but he didn't want to be the only one who didn't show up. Closing his eyes for a moment he sighed heavily. It wouldn't hurt to sleep just a little.
When he woke up several hours later it had gotten dark and he sat up so fast his head spun. He was sure he'd missed dinner and wondered why Kouji hadn't woken him up. The thought that his place at the table had been empty made him feel guilty and he got up to go to the dining hall to see if anyone was still there.
It was completely empty when he got there and he rubbed his forehead. What kinda leader doesn't even go to dinner with his guys when somethin' like this happens? While he was thinking this he heard a clatter from the kitchen and went to see what it was, grateful for the distraction. On his way he wondered if it was Kai, still in the kitchen cleaning up.
He wasn't surprised when he found Kai in the kitchen with a plate on the floor, its food scattered everywhere. The boy's clumsiness was legendary at times. What did surprise him was that Kai wasn't cleaning it up. Instead, his hands were planted on the table and he was leaning over it as if trying to support himself.
"Hey," Genrou said, leaning over so he was in Kai's line of sight. "You okay?"
"Kashira?" Kai's head jerked up and it looked as if he had narrowly escaped crying. "I'm sorry, I'll clean it up. My hand just slipped when I was moving it and, I mean, I guess I don't have to explain it to you." He smiled, but Genrou could tell his heart wasn't in it. "I'll clean it up now."
"Don't worry about it. I'll help ya." Genrou knelt down to pick up the plate and Kai did the same, a panicked look on his face.
"Y-you don't have to do that! I can clean it up myself!" They reached for the plate at the same time, but Genrou's arms were longer and he reached it first. Kai flushed and dropped his head. "I'm sorry. I'm just, I don't know what's wrong with me."
"Today was pretty rough," Genrou said, standing up and putting the plate into the tub with the others while Kai cleaned the food off the floor. "I don't blame ya for bein' a little outta it." Kai didn't reply to this, he just continued to clean the floor. "There's a lotta food leftover tonight," observed Genrou. "Guess nobody's really hungry."
"I made too much," Kai said quietly. "Not many of the guys came down." His words sent another stab of guilt through Genrou's chest and he cleared his throat. Kai looked up at him. "I'm sorry, Kashira. I'll shut up now."
"Ya don't hafta do that," Genrou said. "I think that floor's as clean as it's gonna get, though."
"Huh?" Looking down at the rag, then at the floor, Kai's cheeks reddened again. "Oh. I guess I'm just not paying attention. I'm sorry." The resigned way he apologized made Genrou feel like he should say something, give him some leaderly advice, but he didn't know what to say. The boy had watched someone die in his arms. There was nothing he could say that would make it different, no matter how much he wished it might. Something else came to him then and he offered a hand to Kai to help him up.
"Havin' second thoughts?"
"Huh?" Kai looked up and saw the leader's hand in front of his face but hesitated. For a moment Genrou thought maybe he'd done the wrong thing, then Kai took his hand and let him pull him to his feet. The boy was lighter than he'd expected, even after half-carrying him up the mountain, and it made something in his chest tighten. "No, just thinking a bit. I've never seen anyone die before. It wasn't anything like I expected it to be." A silence grew between them and Kai looked back at the ground. In spite of what he'd told Genrou, he knew Kai was feeling a little doubt at coming to the mountain. The last thing Genrou wanted was for him to leave but he couldn't tell him that. Even if he told Kai he didn't want him to leave, there was no guarantee that he'd listen.
"Well," Genrou said with a sigh that made Kai look up from the floor. "At least one good thing'll come outta this. Ya get his old room."
"Oh." Kai couldn't muster up even the ghost of a smile and Genrou knew he was thinking that he'd only been given this promotion because a man had died. Even so, the manners living with bandits hadn't managed to get out of him prevented him from staying quiet too long. "Thank you, Kashira."
"Don't mention it," Genrou said, giving Kai a smile that he hoped desperately would encourage him to return it. By some miracle, Kai gave him a smile that didn't seem forced and it made something inside him hum like a biwa's string, taut and rich. "Don't dwell too much on it," he advised, giving Kai a thump on the back. "Any one of us could go at any time. 'S part of our life."
"Yeah."
"C'mon," Genrou said. "I'll show ya where your room is, then we can have a drink."
"A drink?" Kai looked back at the pile of dishes.
"Yeah, I think ya deserve it. Just leave 'em for now." He resisted the urge to grab Kai's wrist and drag him away from the kitchen. If there was anything the kid needed right then, it was to get out of his own head. That wasn't going to happen if Genrou left him alone with the dishes.
They went down to Nami and Kai's room together and Genrou waited outside while Kai got his things. He didn't know if Nami was inside but judging by how quickly the boy came out he assumed he was out. In Kai's arms were several blankets, his armor, and some spare clothes, and his sword was tucked under his arm. There was something familiar about the things he was carrying, though.
"What's that?" Genrou motioned to the blankets in Kai's arms. He grabbed the end of the blanket he'd given him on his first night in the fortress and gave him a dubious look. "Why're ya still draggin' around this ratty old thing?"
"Because I like it," Kai said, jerking the blanket away from him. "And you're not getting it back, so don't bother trying." It was a return to the boy's usual feisty nature that filled Genrou with relief. This was the Kai he liked.
Kyohei's room was actually closer to Genrou's than Nami's and the leader pushed the door open slowly. There were still traces of Kyohei inside; his clothes, several pairs of boots, the naginata he was learning to use leaning against the wall. Kai looked around it and Genrou noticed his arms tighten around the things he was carrying.
"What am I supposed to do with his things?" Kai didn't make a move toward putting his things down and Genrou looked uncomfortably around the room.
"I guess we can pack 'em up. Anyone who can fit his clothes can have 'em if they want 'em, and we'll just stick his weapons back with the others. Unless ya wanna keep anything yourself." As soon as he said this, Kai's eyes went to the naginata. "It's yours," Genrou said before he could even open his mouth. "You wanna learn how to use it?"
"Maybe," Kai said quietly. "Right now I just want to look at it. If that's okay."
"It's fine. Ya want me to help get his stuff together?" Kai shook his head and carefully sat his blankets and clothes on the bed, then leaned his sword near the naginata as gently as if it were alive.
"I'll get them together and we can figure out what to do with them tomorrow." His voice was heavy and he looked from the basin to the bed. Genrou could see Kai was starting to get depressed again just as surely as he had been able to see that he wanted the naginata and he jerked his thumb at the door.
"All right, I brought ya down here. Now it's time to have a couple of drinks and relax." He started for the door and Kai seemed all too eager to follow. Genrou wondered if maybe he was doing the wrong thing, that it might be better for Kai to stay with Nami for the night. "Hey," he began, only to be cut off by Kai walking briskly past him and through the door.
This time it was Genrou's turn to follow Kai, and he wasn't surprised when he saw the boy was headed back for the kitchen. He reached out and grabbed Kai's upper arm, stopping him in his tracks. "Where do ya think you're goin'?"
"I really need to-"
"-have a drink. You're kinda on edge and ya need to relax." Not letting go of Kai's arm, he dragged him to his room and forced him to sit at the short table on the floor. While the boy stared down at the table in silence, Genrou brought out some of the extra-strength sake he'd been saving for just such an occasion. He poured some out for Kai and handed it to him. "Careful with this stuff," he warned. "It's pretty powerf-"
Before he could finish what he was saying, Kai tossed back his drink and set the cup on the table. He reached across the table for the bottle, then carefully poured a drink for Genrou before refilling his own cup. A memory of the way Kai had been drinking the night they'd gone to the teahouse returned to him and he wondered if he was going to have to cut him off tonight.
"At least I won't have far to drag ya this time," he said more to himself than to Kai. This made Kai smile a little, which made Genrou happy again. "Good think you're not heavy."
"Just wait until I start building up my muscles." He took another drink, then looked around the room. "What's that?" Kai pointed up at the wall, where a long, flat piece of folded metal with a leather handle was mounted. Genrou followed his gaze and grinned.
"It's a tessen," he said. "Kinda like a fan but when I say an incantation it shoots fire."
"Really? That's pretty cool." Sipping his sake, Kai considered the tessen. "You must not use it much if you've got it on the wall like that."
"I carry it around with me," he said, looking up at the tessen with Kai for a moment before turning his eyes back to him and raising an eyebrow. "Ain't ya seen me with it a hundred times? I just keep it up there for safekeepin' and stuff."
"Oh." Kai continued to stare at the tessen and Genrou knew exactly what he was thinking. He had thought the same thing when he'd seen Hakurou use it the first time they'd met. Having never actually seen him use it, he wasn't surprised that Kai couldn't stop looking at it.
"Maybe I'll show ya sometime," Genrou said.
"Really? Thanks," Kai said with a grin. Suddenly, he sat up straight. "Hey! Is that what you keep hitting me with?"
"I didn't say it was only good for fire, did I?" Genrou got up and took the tessen off the wall, remembering as he did every time he'd used it when he was with Miaka and the others. Its weight hadn't changed since the first day he'd held it in the Mt. Kaou stronghold but for some reason it felt lighter, as if it was a part of him instead of just an extension of his arm. He hesitated, not sure he wanted to let Kai touch it. Except for Kouji, he'd never let anyone else even touch it, much less hold it. Even as he thought this, he carried it over to the table and held it out to Kai. "Here."
"Me?" He looked around the room, as if he was expecting to see someone else behind him, then up at Genrou, who was still holding out the tessen. He reached out and took it carefully, his arms dropping when Genrou let go. "It's heavy!"
"What'd ya expect, it's made of metal." He sat back down and poured himself another drink while Kai ran his hand reverently over the smooth finish of the tessen. Carefully, he unfolded it just enough to confirm that it really did open, then closed it again.
"Wow."
The simple fascination Kai showed toward the tessen made Genrou feel melancholy somehow. Even though there were some sad memories associated with using it, the majority of his experience with the tessen was good. He didn't know why watching Kai's face should make him feel so sad.
"You'll really show me sometime?" Kai's voice snapped Genrou out of the gloom that was settling over him and he smiled.
"Of course I will. I don't lie to little kids." Kai's empty cup bonked him on the head and he rubbed the spot where it had hit. "Hey! What the hell was that about?"
"I'm not a kid!" He shot up from the table and held the tessen back out to Genrou. "You can have this back, Kashira. I've got dishes to finish."
"I'm just kiddin' with ya! Sit back down."
"I really need to finish those dishes," Kai said, still holding out the tessen. Just as he'd said, it wasn't light, and Genrou figured his arms must be getting tired.
"Just leave 'em," Genrou said with a shrug. "We've got plenty of others." His irritation had faded but Kai looked uncertainly at him and he grinned. "If they're buggin' ya that much, I'll help ya with 'em."
"No!" A scandalized look crossed Kai's face and his fingers tightened around the tessen. "I couldn't ask you to do that. It's my job, I'll do it."
"I said I'd help ya and I mean it. I don't go around sayin' things like that for my health, ya know." He tipped the last of the sake into his mouth, then stood up and finally took the tessen from him. "I dunno, it kinda takes me back. When I came up here, I did all the stupid little chores and stuff. They weren't as nice as me, either. I didn't get to start workin' on the road until I'd almost been here a year." Genrou went to the wall to hang up his weapon, then led Kai out of the room and into the hall.
"Why are you letting me do it?" It was an honest question and Genrou didn't know how to answer it without sounding like he had some ulterior motive. Which he didn't, of course. Suppose I should just be honest.
"I guess it's 'cause ya seem like ya got it together, at least more than I did. Kouji wasn't kiddin' when I said I was just a brat with no fightin' skills or anything." He grinned. "You're also smarter than me and most of the guys here."
"Thank you," Kai said, and this time Genrou wasn't sure whether it was his compliment or the sake making his cheeks red. "I'm glad I can be of use around here."
"What're ya talkin' about? Ya run this place most days. If it weren't for all the stuff ya do around here, the whole place'd fall apart." This was a little of an exaggeration but he didn't want Kai going back to the quiet, depressed state he'd been in when they were in the kitchen. "I guess that's why they made me do all the stuff when I was younger too. Kashira made me feel important to him, like you're important to me." As soon as he said this, Genrou blushed. "Th-that didn't exactly come out right."
"It's all right," Kai said, his cheeks a little red as well. "I understand what you meant."
"Good. I'm glad."
"Me too."
000
It was too quiet. The lantern in Kai's new room had been off for at least an hour but she wasn't able to sleep. She rolled over so she was facing the room instead of the wall and stared out into the darkness, trying to make out shapes. It was laid out pretty much the same as Nami's room so she had an idea of where the table and basin were, and where her sword was, but had absolutely no confidence in her ability to find her away around in the dark.
Kai sat up and swung her legs out of bed, setting her bare feet on the cool floor. Maybe I'll go take a bath, she thought. Sneaking out of the fortress and going into the mountains would definitely take her mind off Kyohei and her new room. I'll just grab a towel from the laundry and go out, she thought as she stepped into her boots. Nobody's awake to see me.
She went down the hall until she reached the laundry, took a towel and started out the side door that led to the yard where she hung the clothes to dry. On her way she carefully propped the door open with a scrub brush the same way she'd been doing since she came to the fortress. There had never been a problem before and there didn't seem there was going to be one now, at least until she saw Genrou out in the yard, looking up at the sky.
Not wanting him to see her with a towel in her hand, Kai took a step back toward the laundry. He seemed to be more occupied with the sky and she thought she would be able to get away with it. Then he turned his face toward her and frowned.
"What're ya doin' out here?"
"Me? What are you doing out here?" Kai stuffed the towel through the partially opened door.
"Couldn't sleep," they said at the same time, then laughed at the look on each others' faces.
"It's going to take some getting used to, sleeping without Nami's snoring," Kai said, looking down from the porch at Genrou. He looked back up at the moon and her heart sped up at the way its light touched his face. In that moment, more than any of the others they'd shared, she knew there was no way she could be away from him. No matter what it took, she would stay by his side.
"When I was a kid," Genrou said with a fond look up at the sky, "I used to sleep in the same room as Kouji and the first thing I thought was that he was really quiet. My Ma would snore so loud you could hear her in my room, but it didn't seem to bug my sisters or nothin.'"
"You have sisters?" It was sort of a personal question but she couldn't stop herself. She wanted to know something about him that was a little private.
"Four of 'em," he said with a nod. "All of 'em older that me. They used to torture me when I was a kid, which was part of the reason I ended up here." Finally, he turned away from the moon. "You? Ya got any family?"
"Not anymore," Kai said, trying not to sound like it bothered her. In truth, they had been gone long enough for her to be used to the idea but it still stung a little to talk about them. With Nami it had been all right to be a little pensive about it but she felt like a boy should be stronger about it. "My folks and my brother died a while back."
"You're an orphan." It didn't seem to surprise Genrou to hear this. Kai nodded convulsively and he gave her a smile she could only describe as warm. "A lotta guys here don't have any family either. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. But if ya met my family I dunno how lucky you'd think I am."
"If they're anything like you, I'd like to meet them," Kai said. "Four sisters, though." She tried to imagine Genrou getting pushed around by four women and couldn't. "Are they all still in Kou?"
"All but one. How'd ya know I'm from Kou?"
"You mentioned it to one of the travelers, remember?" She wanted to add that she would never forget anything he told her but wisely kept her mouth shut in spite of the fact that the sake had loosened her tongue and still had a slight hold on her.
"Oh yeah, guess I did. What about you?" Kai couldn't help but feel happy that he was asking her about her family, even if the memories it brought back made her heart ache. If he wanted to hear her life story she would gladly tell it to him.
"I'm from Kushin," she said, looking down at him. It felt strange to be higher than him and Kai laughed a little before she could stop herself, causing Genrou to give her a look like she'd gone crazy. "Sorry," apologized Kai. "I was just thinking it's funny that I'm finally taller than you."
"Come down here and say that."
"Sure." Kai jumped down off the porch, landed wrong on her foot and fell onto her hands and knees. Feeling more than a little stupid, she stayed like that for a second before a hand came into her line of sight. She looked up to see Genrou holding a hand out to her.
"Shoulda known that was gonna happen," he said with a smile. "We've got steps around here for a reason, ya know."
"Thanks," Kai mumbled, embarrassed. She reached up and took Genrou's hand and he pulled her to her feet a little harder than he meant to. For the second time, she stumbled forward a little and found herself close enough to him that she could see every stone in his necklace. His hand tightened on hers and for a long moment Kai thought he wasn't going to let go. Not that she minded. If he wanted to stay outside holding her hand all night, it would be fine with her.
"Sorry," he said, letting go of her hand and taking a step back. It could have been her imagination, but Kai thought that his face was flushed. "Didn't mean to pull ya that much."
"It's okay," she said. "Just me being clumsy again."
"Nah. This time it was my fault." There was an uncertain pause between them and he scratched the back of his head nervously. "So, uh, you wanna have another drink?"
"No thanks," Kai said, even though she really wanted to. The last thing she needed was to get drunker and say something she shouldn't. Not to mention that she didn't want to do anything that would spoil the moment she'd had with Genrou, awkward though it had turned out. "I think I'll be able to sleep now. Are you going to stay out here?"
"I think I'll go in too. Nothin' happenin' out here." Genrou took one last look up at the sky, then went around to the side and went up the steps. "Be sure ya come up the stairs this time. Unless ya don't think you'll be able to get up on your own."
"I'll be fine," Kai said. She followed him up the steps and into the fortress after kicking the scrub brush surreptitiously back into the laundry room so he wouldn't see where she had come from. I'll pick it up in the morning.
Though she hadn't expected him to, Genrou walked with her all the way to her room. She realized for the first time since she'd left it that she was wearing the plain shirt and baggy pants she slept in and felt a flush creeping into her cheeks. If Genrou noticed, he didn't say anything and Kai was grateful for it.
"So, uh, I'll see you in the morning," she said, looking back at the door to her room. There was something both strange and pleasant about the leader standing in the hall with her and she smiled. "Everyone needs their breakfast, right?"
"Yeah," Genrou said. "Get some sleep, okay?"
"I will." He seemed to be waiting for her to go in her room and she pushed open the door and went inside. Kai listened at the door until she could hear his footsteps fade away, then locked it and took off her shirt. For the first time since she'd come to the mountain she was going to be able to sleep comfortably, and no matter how she had come by the opportunity she was going to enjoy it.
As she unwound the strips of cloth from her chest, she thought about Genrou and how he had helped her off the ground. Of course it didn't mean anything, especially not the way she'd almost knocked him down. Kai wondered if she could go one day without embarrassing herself in front of him, but the answer was a dismal no.
He probably thinks I'm a pain in the ass, she thought with a sigh. I give up.