A week had passed after Black Star got his star tattoo from the tebori master. White Star was outside his home packing up a few supplies and was getting prepared to go on a raiding expedition on another village a week or two away from the Star Clan's village. He will be accompanied by Oni Star and a few scouts. That means that Ruby Star and Sky Star wouldn't be able to see either of their husbands for a while, but they both knew it's for the good of the clan.
Normally, Ruby Star would join with the expedition team since she is White Star's wife and also happens to be very… very… very persistent. The last time she was able to go on a raiding expedition was a week ago, the very same night Black Star was born.
Her husband often worried when Ruby Star came along on the raiding expeditions, especially when he found out that his wife was pregnant to his child. The Star Clan's greatest assassin was put at unease that night when his wife came along for the raiding. She said she felt the baby kick a little harder than the other kicks she had experienced during her nine month pregnancy but she casually said that it probably meant nothing. Everyone on the team was able to get what they went for, but a short time after that, her water broke. Their village was too far away and it would have taken too long to get back even if they ran they still wouldn't be able to make it before the baby was delivered. They were very lucky to be able to find another village closes by, the Village of Needles, and that was when the chaos started.
Now he had a good reason why his beloved wife had to stay at his clan's village. She had to take care of their one week old son. Even she knew she couldn't argue with that. She couldn't ask Sky Star to take care of another child. She was the leader's spouse so she could just ask another woman in the clan to help care for her child, but she knew that the other women had problems of their own.
Black Star was still too young to remember all this, but he will soon have to deal with his parents leaving most of the time, but when the young bluenette gets to an appropriate age he'll be joining his father on many raiding expeditions along with some other members.
However, Frost Star was only three-year old and didn't understand why her father, Oni Star, was leaving for a few days. It has not been the first time it had happened, it has happen a few times now, but she has been told that her father would come back and he always had.
Right now Ruby Star took Black Star back home to socialize with Sky Star and Frost Star.
"His tattoo looks magnificent." said Sky Star. She leaned up closer to Black Star to get a better look at his tattoo. Even after a week she couldn't get over how perfect the baby's tattoo was. Over the week Black Star was getting used to Sky Star since she was constantly around him and his mother and father. At the time he also gotten used to Frost Star as well since she was usually seen at Sky Star's side. He still hasn't gotten used to Oni Star yet since he would usually hang out with his father.
"What's 'madnifigent mama'?" asked Frost Star tugging her mother's arm. Sky Star looked down at her child and gave a light chuckle at Frost Star's mispronunciation of the word 'magnificent'.
"It's pronounced "magnificent" sweetie. It is another word for wonderful or beautiful but with a stronger meaning. For example, "Black Star's tattoo is magnificent"."
"Oh, ok mama." Frost Star crawled up to Black Star who paid no attention to the girl years older than him until she was right next to him. "Can you say "magnificent" Black Star?" Black Star only stared at the girl.
"Vima." He only replied. Frost Star shook her head repeatedly. "No, it's magnificent." Unfortunately Black Star kept on replying in gibberish. "Why isn't he saying real words, mama?"
Sky Star only chuckled. "That's because Black Star is not old enough to say big words, honey."
"Oh, was I like that when I was a baby, mama?"
"Yes actually, you were a little like Black Star like he is now. All babies are like that, even mama and daddy were like that when we were babies." Frost Star's eyes widened and her jaw fell open. "You and daddy used to be babies?" she said in shock. Sky Star chuckled at her daughter's naïve nature. "Of course, all people entered this world as babies, which include the people in and out of the Star Clan." Frost Star closed her little mouth but her eyes remained as wide as a full moon and placed a thoughtful expression on her face. "What's my first word?" Sky Star looked up at the hut's ceiling with a deep concentration look on her face trying to remember the answer to the question. "Let's see now… Oh! Now I remember, when you were only a few months old daddy and I gave you a little rubber ball for you to play with. Sometimes you would throw it up in the air until it hit the ceiling, every time that happened you would start saying, "Bonk". That was your very first word"
Frost Star had another thoughtful look on her face and then she ran outside the hut to who knows where, but Sky Star didn't worry about it though. "So did White Star tell you of the name of the village that is going to be raided?" asked Sky Star.
"I do remember him telling me the name, but I can't seem to remember, but I did remember that he said that it isn't that large, but there're a good number of people with many fortunes and delicious souls." Sky Star gave a blissful sigh. "I do hope the people there have a flaming personality, I love the souls with some spice to it."
"I prefer souls that have a sweet taste."
"So does Frost Star, she would never eat a different soul as long as it is sweet. I swear she gets it from Oni Star, you should know, he likes sweet souls as much as Frost Star does." Sky Star huffed. She may love her spouse, but had to admit, sometimes he could be a huge pain.
Ruby Star giggled and glanced down at her son who soon looked at his mother's eyes. Hers were beautiful. What the infant was looking at was the most exquisite sea blue sapphire jewels in all of Japan. Her beautiful blue hair reached down to her knees. While Black Star looked up at her mother, her long hair blocked most of the baby's sights, the only thing the bluenette baby could see was the woman that gave him life.
But looks could be deceiving, she is a new mother, but in the Star Clan she one of the most dangerous. She was an expert with how the human body works such as how each organ works, what are the vital organs, and how much blood a body needs to survive and an expert on traps. She would mostly use her charm to lure in victims like bees to honey. When she was shown only a few months pregnant, her act became more believable. That was what caught White Star's eye, a beautiful, elegant woman who was deadly as a vial of the world's most deadly poison.
"I'm going to make sure that my little star's first word will be "mama"." She spoke without looking up at her friend. "Oh course, "dada" would be fine too."
"Mama!" cried a voice. Both the mothers looked down at Black Star thinking it was him, but he was busy playing with his plush toy. Then little Frost Star rushed back inside the hut with a small, red, rubber ball in her arms and a big smile on her face. "You mean this ball, mama?"
"Yes, that's the one." Ruby Star blinked in confusion as the three-year-old walked over to her and Black Star.
"This is a ball, they make a "bonk" sound when they hit the ceiling, like this." Frost Star tossed the rubber ball in the air and hit the ceiling and made a small "bonk" sound and fell back down in Frost Star's arms. "See? It made a "bonk", now says bonk." Black Star kept his green eyes on where the ball hit the ceiling. "Bima gah." He replied and looked back at Frost Star. Sky Star and Ruby Star chuckled to themselves as Frost Star continued to toss the ball and hit the ceiling and tried to get Black Star to say "bonk".
A male member of the clan entered the hut and caught the attention of the three females and the baby boy. "Miss Ruby Star, your husband is ready to leave with the others." Ruby Star nodded she, Sky Star and her daughter got up and went outside. Many men were saying goodbye to their kids and or wives. Both the mothers went on their separate ways to find their spouse. Frost Star held onto her mother's hand and looked side to side to see if any of the faces that went by was her father. She would call for her father and used the name she would normally call her father and Sky Star would call him by his real name. Finally Oni Star heard their calls and they got together.
"Daddy!" Frost Star jumped up to her father who opened his arms and picked her up. She giggled with glee as Oni Star and Sky Star smiled at the touching scene. When Oni Star had enough he gently put Frost Star back down to the ground. "I hope your trip won't be too long as I've been told."
"As far as I've been told, the raiding expedition will only take a week or two to reach the destination, and it'll probably take that long in order to get back." He felt something tugging at his pants, he looked down and to see it was only his three-year-old daughter tugging at his pants.
"You'll be back, right daddy?" Oni Star smiled and rubbed his hand on her head.
"Of course, daddy will be coming back soon."
"You swear it?"
"I swear."
"Pinky swears?" she reached out her smallest finger in front of Oni Star. He reached out and wrapped his pinky finger to Frost Star's and then shook on it. "Pinky swears." Frost Star smiled and had been satisfied. "I'm going to miss you, pumpkin." Oni Star kissed Frost Star on the forehead. Sky Star stood a little impatient until she cleared her throat.
"What, no kiss to the woman you love?" Sky Star asked sarcastically with her hands on her hips.
"Ah that's right, I should go see if I can find Ruby Star and find my son, Black Star." Oni Star joked. Sky Star rolled her eyes and kissed her husband on the lips and he kissed back.
"Ewww…" Frost Star cringed. Both the parents pulled away and smirked at their daughter.
"Yeah it may seem gross now, but when you get older you will want to do so." Sky Star laughed.
"Yeah right, that's never going to happen!" Frost Star stated boldly.
Ruby Star had trouble looking for her husband. She wished to say goodbye to White Star before he left for the raiding expedition. She asked multiple people if they have seen him but they would say they hadn't or he was where she last checked for him. Black Star on the other hand hadn't have a care for the world and wondered why his mother was going one place to another with so many people around them.
"Ruby Star?" a deep male's voice called out. Ruby Star turned around to the source of the call and saw the man she was looking for. "There you are! I was looking all over for you!" she walked over to White Star and gave him a peck on the cheek.
"I was doing the same thing as you were." Ruby Star smiled and gave out a long sigh. "Is it true you'll be gone this long?" she finally asked.
"Unfortunately, yes."
"Is there a way for you to change the destination?" Ruby Star asked hopefully.
"I cannot do that, I have already set up the whole plan and everyone who is coming along is all ready to go and if I do change the destination I would need to come up with another strategy." He said ruefully. Ruby Star gave a disappointed sigh.
"I understand." Black Star sensed his mother's gloom mood so he wiggled up and down and tried to act as cute as he could be.
"Mek mak!" he squealed and made a cute giggled. The parents looked down at their bluenette son.
"Don't worry Black Star, daddy will be coming back home soon," Ruby Star cooed, "Maybe he'll bring you back something to play with." Black Star somehow seemed to understand his mother and squealed even more and looked from his mother to his father.
"If I wait long enough, his teeth will start growing in and we could feed him his first special soul. Perhaps if I'm lucky, it could be a soul from a samurai…" said White Star as he eyed his only son.
Each member of the Star Clan has their first souls when their teeth start to come in. A regular member would eat a plain human soul, but for the leaders of the clan like White Star is now, must eat a special human soul such as those who had a royal bloodline or a soul from a warrior. White Star's first soul what was once was a powerful samurai when his father defeated him without any trouble.
Black Star stopped squealing and giggling when he saw his dangerous father looking straight at him with a look of satisfaction. His face looked so cold it could probably turn things to ice if one touched it. His pupils changed into stars which caused the baby to blink in curiosity. He never seen his father's eye like that before, but it would be something he would have to get used to if he was going to be White Star's son and his only heir to being the whole clan's leader. In fact, Black Star shall have these same imprints in his eyes when he grows older and when something traumatic has happen to him.
"Yes, that would be nice, but I would miss you even more. What if something happens to you and the scout on the trip or to me, your son and everyone else here that stays?" White Star only chuckled darkly at his wife's worries. "My clan has lived for centuries and shall continue some centuries more. My father taught me all he had known in order for me to come out what I am now. My clan is the strongest of the other clans who dare call themselves more powerful. My son shall be taught by me of becoming the proper assassin and next leader. My clan has one of the fiercest people in all of Japan including those who are at a young or old age. And my wife is as brave as I am, the entire Star Clan shall be fine even when I'm away." He said and smiled behind his scarf that covered his mouth. Ruby Star smiled as well, she knew her husband was right. He usually is right a lot of the time. Her smile fell as she let loose a big sigh.
"Of course, you're right. It's just, I worry." Ruby Star tilted her head down so her sights were on the ground. White Star lifted Ruby Star's chin so she could look at him in the eyes, his star pupil eyes. "I will come back." Ruby Star again smiled and gently pulled down White Star's scarf that covered his mouth, leaned forward and kissed him on the lips as he kissed back. Ruby Star made sure that there was space between the two of them so their bodies won't crush Black Star.
Finally they pulled away from the kiss and White Star walked passed his wife while she stared at her husband with a sad smile.
"Attention men!" White Star yelled out with stern, loud voice and caught out the group of male assassins that were in front of him. "We shall be leaving shortly. The location of the destination is a couple of hundred miles from where we are now called the Village of Kai. It shall take a week or so to get there and another week to get back. The times we'll stop is to rest set up camp and we shall then keep continuing towards our reason for going.
This expedition shall be longer than some of you are probably used to do, but there shall be a reason to it all. We all have families whose mouths have to be fed. They too shall one day help this clan to survive. We must continue our legacy of the most feared assassins in all of Japan, for our family's sake." People nodded in agreement. White Star's eyes looked around here and there for his wife and son. He found them right next to his childhood friend's wife and daughter. For my wife and for my son's sake. He thought to himself.
"When the people of the Village of Kai constructed their defenses around their homes they challenged our strength… And now we accept their little game…" White Star watched as his men got adrenaline rushed through their veins just like White Star who now hunger the taste of the sweet, blue human souls. The taste for power coursed throughout the white-haired assassin's body with a mixture of wrath. With both combined he would be able to battle with ease. "They all shall learn their mistake to challenge us. We shall thrust down a dagger so deep to the very core; they all will tremble by our very name… and the might… of us, the STAR CLAN!" An eruption of cheers and yelling sounded off as their leader watched them with pride and satisfaction.
Ruby Star smiled with pride at her husband's speech. She felt Black Star squirming in her arms. Black Star was giggling and clapping his hands like he knew what his father was talking about and he enjoyed it. "Did you enjoy your daddy's speech, sweetie pie?"
"Mawlga!" Black Star blurted out. Sky Star and Frost Star looked at Black Star and smiled. "I think that would be a yes." Sky Star replied nonchalantly.
"Come on momma! I want to wave daddy goodbye!" Frost Star tugged at her mother's arm and tried to drag her to where some women waved goodbye to their husbands and or family members as they waved back and started to leave. "Come on come on! I want to say bye before daddy goes!"
"Alright, alright, Frost Star," she turned to face her friend, "Do mind if I go?"
"No, it doesn't bother me at all, in fact, I'm going to join you," she looked down at her son who looked back with a smile on his little face and tried to reach for his mother's ruby earrings given from White Star when he "burrowed" from a jewelry store in Tokyo. "I also want to wish my husband the best of luck and that he might return sooner when the entire raiding expedition is over with."
"Then let's not waste time then." Both the mothers walked over to the other women and started wave and wishing good luck to the men in the raiding expedition.
"Bye-bye daddy, I'll miss you!" Frost Star shouted to Oni Star as he waved back and blew a kiss to Sky Star and continued is way. White Star watched his friend leave and looked back to see his wife and son. Ruby Star was waving and gently reached for Black Star's arm and made him look like he was waving at him. He gave an amused, low chuckle and followed his scouts to lead the way.
Soon the assassins were out of sight and the women started to go back to do their homes and do their work. Ruby Star just stood where she was and stared where White Star once was. Black Star reached Ruby Star's earrings again. She looked down at him with sad, but sweet smile and gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead. In response Black Star gave a coo. Ruby Star giggled and started to walk back to her home.
"Come on sweetie, time for the two of us to go back home." Black Star looked up with what looks like a questionable look. "It's going to be you and me for a while, Black Star. Daddy's going to be gone for a while, but he'll be back soon so you don't have to worry." Black Star somehow understood her and smiled and clapped his hands.
She smiled as well and entered her home and into her and White Star's bedroom. "Since Daddy won't be home for a while, I don't think he'll mind if you stay in mommy and daddy's room for a while. Now then, let's get something for the both of us to eat." She placed him on her bed and left to get a bottle of milk for Black Star and a bowl of a few human souls for herself. She sat down on the bed and lay back on the bedpost and placed Black Star on her chest and placed the bottle of milk in his mouth.
Ruby smiled down lovingly at Black Star as he gulped down his milk. Ruby Star held the milk bottle until Black Star was starting to act stubborn and wanted to hold it on his own. The mother rolled her eyes and aloud Black Star to hold his bottle of milk and plucked a human soul and ate it. Black Star continued to drink his milk full of nutrients then looked up at his mother as she ate the souls. The dim blue light reflected off his big green eyes. He stared in awe at the strange, round, light blue objects his mother ate. It reminded of the ball Frost Star threw at the ceiling.
Then it came to him. He stopped drinking from the bottle and threw it up behind him. Unfortunately, it hit his mother on her forehead and forced a soul out her mouth. The sight made Black Star laugh and clapped his hands in amusement. Ruby Star rubbed her forehead and gave her son a sarcastic look. "Oh, you think that's funny, huh?" Black Star continued laughing. Ruby Star smirked. "Well then mister Giggles, you'll be caught by… THE TICKLE MONSTER!" Ruby Star started to tickle her baby and it made him laugh even more and her laughing baby made her laugh as well. "You are the cutest thing I have ever seen." She lifted him up in the air and made him look like he was flying. The bluenette baby squealed in excitement.
After an hour of playing with her baby, Ruby Star quietly brought Black Star's crib into her and her husband's room for Black Star to sleep in for the night. The said baby started to doze off as his mother carried him with one arm and carried the exquisite crib without any effort. She put it down next to the bed in case he woke in the middle of the night and cried for attention like he always had in the past week.
"Alright, Black Star, here is your little bed." She gently placed him in the small but soft silk comforters and placed a silky blanket on him. Black Star then started to wake up a bit and waved his small arms for his mother and started to whine. His mother smiled and playfully rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright, Black Star, but I'm only doing this once." She leaned towards the edge of the crib and her long blue hair fell inside. Black Star grabbed a small handful of the silk soft hair as Ruby Star cleared her throat and began to softly sing for him a sweet lullaby.
In the middle of the woods,
A gentle voice echoes through the trees with the wind.
The stars shine brightly in the night.
And in the clearing in the green grass,
Lays a small crying child.
The voice sings its sweet song
The child stopped his tears
And his eyes fall and drifts in a dream.
The gentle voice can still be heard,
Drifting through the woods with the wind.
Now it's here inside a home,
Singing to this sweet little star,
The very same song she sings,
When she drifts with the wind…
She finished her lullaby and gently smoothed Black Star's hair on his head and kissed him on the forehead. Her hair slipped out of his tiny fingers when she pulled her head back. She quietly got on her bed and covered herself with a blanket. She grabbed a lit candle that brightened the room and blew it out.