First Movement, Part Two

Kaimu walked through the entrance of the medical tent with a little box between his arms. It has been six days since the girl was brought in. Three days ago she woke up from her sleep, her fever relatively gone, but her appetite was still as weak as her body.

They were still stuck in the cave though the storm had died down only a little. Hunters would go out several times a day and see what they could scavenge, but there's rarely every any meat on the fire and the women had to rely on broths to fill everyone's empty stomachs.

The girl looked up from her own bowl of soup Nakao had prepared for her and smiled gleefully. Kaimu smiled back at her. She did not seem to be able to speak or understand anything at that, but she understood one thing, Kaimu is someone special to her.

She quickly finished her hot soup and set it on the side. She peered at Kaimu's shaggy face covered by his long hair and then at the boxed instrument in his lap and smiled greatly. Kaimu understood that it was her way of saying she wanted for him to play. Ever since she woke up she was intrigued by the sound his kokyu.

Kaimu smiled, he had found a good bird, and now all he needed to do was teach her to sing. He took out the instrument in the case. His hard fingers tapped on the wooden case harmoniously. He put the bow on the strings and started to play a simple melody.

After he had finished she clapped joyfully.

"Do you like music?" he asked with hand motions pantomiming the way the kokyu is played.

The girl nodded and started to hum the exactly melody he had played, note for note. She had proved she wasn't deaf or mute since she could sing, but not an understandable word came from her lips. Doc had surmised that she is suffering from amnesia. She didn't remember her name and more importantly she didn't remember language, so he assumed she forgot everything that has ever happened in her life.

But Kaimu never doubted her ability to learn, and since she has taken a liking to him he and a keen ear he had already started to teach her words. He took out a sheet of paper and started writing some words down for her to learn, but she pushed them away with a furrow in her brown and pointed at that his instrument.

"This? You want to play the kokyu?" he asked her, picking up the delicate instrument.

"Kokyu," she repeated and pointed even more fervently. "Shinpi, kokyu!"

Kaimu smiled, impressed. Within these three days, while she was busy healing her own body she had learned the name that he had given her. There was nothing holding this girl back from learning what she wanted to learn.

"Alright, I'll teach you the first four measures of the song you just hear," he pantomimed the number four with his fingers, "and then you're learning words," he took the paper she had shoved away.

He came over and sat on her cot and placed the kokyu in her lap. He took a few moments o adjust the way she held it so she learned the proper way of holding the instrument that allowed the musician full access to the possibilities of the instrument and at the same time having the most graceful pose possible.

He placed his own hands in a particular position and had her copy with her tiny callus forming hands. Then moment of truth, he had her push the bow across the strings and an flat discordant sound came from the belly of the kokyu. It wasn't an attractive sound and Shinpi knew it since it sounded nothing like the sound Kaimu made. But she was patient and eager to learn the proper way. She let Kaimu adjust the position of her fingers and she played again this time with a proper sound acceptable to human ears.

He spent another half hour teaching and practicing with her and soon she was able to create somewhat of a copy of the song he had played. He was truly proud of her form the bottom of his heart. Kaimu patted her head rewardingly.

Doc came out just then and saw how well Shinpi had bonded with Kaimu. More importantly he saw how Kaimu treated Shinpi, his whole character changed around her. For all he knew Kaimu had stayed sober these past six days and though he didn't bother washing himself at least he had changed clothes when he came to see her.

"Kaimu, tomorrow," Doc said, "you can take the girl, I mean Shinpi, home tomorrow."

Upon hearing that Kaimu lost his balance on the cot and fell on the ground with a thump. "Tomorrow? As in the day after today?"

"What are you doing there on the ground? Is that any way to act in front of your daughter?" Doc asked him, bewildered. He knew Kaimu was a little weird in the head, but he also knew Kaimu had smarts in his brain also.

Shinpi leaned over the edge of the cot to watch. She didn't understand the words they were saying, but it was amusing to her to watch anyways.

"Tomorrow," Kaimu repeated. "Don't you think tomorrow's too soon?" he asked Doc.

Doc laughed with his well loved large mouthed laugh. "Too soon? Too soon!" he laughed again at the irony, his face all red with amusement. Shinpi turned her little head of gold at the laughing Doc, with a wide smile on her face. "We're you the one that sad you are going to take her and to tell you when she's able to walk. Seeing her so lively whenever you are around it seems like she's good to go now. What? Are you going to go back on your word?"

"No! No, no! Of course not," Kaimu said, regaining his confidence. "I'll take her tomorrow, same time. I just thought I would have more time to prepare, you know, with another person living there. So… I'll go now."

Shinpi started to laugh. It was surprising to the two men who have been with her since she woke up. She was pure sunshine in that state. Her eyes, large and purple, like gigantic lilies in Konohagakure that they would see every year.

"I'm sure you'll do fine. She's not a weak girl," Doc said.

Kaimu smiled at Shinpi and pat her smooth head and she made a sound that sounded like a cat purring. She then quickly gathered the instrument next to her quickly and presented it to Kaimu.

"You keep that for now," he said, pointing at the kokyu. "Practice," he pantomimed playing.

She looked at the instrument and then back up at him confused. Kaimu just puffed out a chuckle and left the tent. Still a little confused Shinpi looked over to Doc for further explanation. She sat at the cot like how Nakao would always sit when she came in, with her knees tucked underneath her.

Doc chuckled again. She was quickly becoming a full-fledged Japanese woman with the way she acted. "You're going to go home tomorrow."

"Shinpi? Kaimu?" she asked with a pause in between.

Doc guessed she asked about her and Kaimu and nodded. "Yes, with Kaimu. He's going to take you how to play music like he does," he said pointing at the instrument and pantomimed his own version of stringing the bows, unrefined and sloppy compared to Kaimu's motions.

"Your teacher, Kaimu," Doc said pointing at the flaps of the tent. "He's the best in all the lands that we've been too," he said with a thumb up and a big gratifying smile that gave Shinpi the general idea. "Now let's work on some words so you can start some talking."

"What are you doing rummaging through your things?" Kaimu's friend, Joiji, asked.

"I'm going to have a girl live with me from now on, she needs at least a tent, she can't be like me and spend her days like me, in a whole with you guys."

"A girl?" Joiji repeated with a lewd smile. "Is she's pretty with a blessed body and killer curves?"

Kaimu elbowed Joiji hard in the abs. "No, you moron! Don't you think about anything else with that messed up brain of yours? She's six!"

"A kid?" Joiji exclaimed, while recovering from his blow. "You're taking in a kid?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with that? She has the talent I've been looking for."

"I see, I see." Joiji knew Kaimu well enough to understand that he had been looking for another talented musician to be his successor. He was the last capable artisan in the caravan. The others were just second-rate, and there was no one else interested in learning how to make the music he made.

"So when's she coming?"

"Tomorrow," he said.

"Bah! You can't get this all done by tomorrow. I know you and your stupid hands that can't do housework even if your life depended on it. I may not be as good an artist as you, but at least I can do these things better than you. Get over there and do something else. Haven't you been looking to make a new bowl? You can make it if you start now."

After being shoved away by his lanky friend, Kaimu started with a block of wood he had purchased from the wood lumbers. He took up a chisel and with his dominant hand he stared to carve.

Shinpi start to eat her second bowl of food that day and Nakao was sitting by her reading a book to her. She thought the more the girl was around the environment of the language the quicker she would learn. Shinpi had already grown bored, but she still kicked her feet back and forth and pretended she was paying attention. As soon as she finished her food and patted Nakao's shoulder and saw the results. Nakao stopped reading.

Shinpi smiled and got the kokyu. "Shinpi, kokyu," she said and then pointed at Nakao and then her ears telling her to listen. Nakao sat still and listened as the little girl imitated the tune Kaimu taught her just that morning at a level lower than mediocre.

Nakao was very glad she has already started to learn how to play, but she could see that there was no chance of Shinpi becoming her daughter by adoption now. She was already so attached to Kaimu, it made Nakao feel just a little jealous for she really liked the girl and her beautiful smile.

Chikako heard the music from the medical tent and knew it was the blonde girl playing. Whenever she thought about her a foul taste would appear in her mouth.

"Shinpi," she muttered as she helped her mother with the laundry. "What kind of name is that? She can be as mysterious as a ghost for all I know."

Even though Chikako hated Shinpi, she was still very curious about her.

"Mom I'm done here. Can I go play?" she asked with an innocent look about her face.

Her mother glanced up at her daughter whose had never finished her work so fast before. There must be something up, but she didn't see the danger. They were cooped up in the cave and it was better for the kids to run around.

"Sure, go ahead. But don't be causing any trouble," she ordered.

Chikako climbed over rocks and went past people sitting down towards the medical tent. The playing was still going on so Chikako just knelt by the flaps and peeked in and waited until the music was over. She saw Nakao reach up to the girl's face and caressed her gently.

Then she said, "You're never going to be my daughter now are you?"

Chikako could see in Nakao's eyes the desire to make Shinpi her daughter and felt a pang of jealousy in her chest.

Nakao gestured for Shinpi to come close for a secret and Chikako strained her ears to hear.

"You'll have to marry into my family," Nakao said with a smile. Of course Shinpi didn't understand a word Nakao said, but Chikako heard and dreaded the reality.

She would never be able to marry Toroki and it's the new girl's fault! Chikako promised herself she wouldn't let Shinpi see a day without her torture. She was about to get up turn around and leave when suddenly Toroki came from behind.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing," she said. "I had a scrape was going to see Doc, but it doesn't hurt anymore."

"Let me see," he said and took her hand to inspect.

"No," Chikako said, since she didn't really have a scrape. "I'm fine. Thanks." She shied away.

Toroki never understood why Chikako did that whenever he touched her and it annoyed him. She was usually rowdy and tomboyish, but now she's acting like a total girl. He shook his head, confused, and entered the tent.

"Mom, I brought the blankets you told me to bring."

"Thanks, Toroki," she said and took the blankets. "Here, Doc, these should do well for your patients."

Doc thanked her and took the blankets to the back. "Oh yes, tomorrow Shinpi is going home with Kaimu, so you won't be able to find her here."

So, I won't be able to have an excuse to see her anymore, Toroki thought and he suddenly felt disheartened. He held on to the basket his mother had left with him. He sat next to her, still holding the basket and thought hard for a reason to see the pretty Shinpi again.

"Toroki," Doc asked, "are you alright? You're strangely quiet today."

"That's right, Toroki," Nakao said putting a hand over his forehead. "You're not sick," she concluded. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing," Toroki stammered. "I'm just a little tired today. Played around too much, you see." He made up the excuses as he went.

"Played around too much," Shinpi repeated. "Played around too much."

Nakao asked her, "You want to play?"

"Play?" Shinpi asked for the meaning as she caught on the verb.

"Play," Nakao whispered to herself as she thought of a way to express the meaning on play.

"Like this," Toroki said and he balanced the basket on his arms and shoulders, sliding down one arm to the other. "You can also run around and play tag," he said and pantomimed a running man. "Or you can hide," he said ducking underneath his arm. "Playing with friends is fun."

Wide eyed and excited Shinpi repeated all the verbs with glee. "Play! Toroki!" she called out with a smile and pointed at him. "Toroki! Fun!"

Toroki blushed as red as a nine year old boy can get. "Shut up you! You can't even say a complete sentence! I'm not going to play with someone as stupid as you!" he yelled in frustration and stormed out of the tent.

"Mori Toroki! Where are your manners?" his mother scolded after him, but he had already ran off. "I don't know what to do about that kid. I'm sorry Doc."

"It's alright," he said, "He's a growing boy. There's a need to get rid of all the energy he has."

Relieved that the Doc hasn't called her a irresponsible mother, Nakao sighed and turned to the frightened Shinpi. "I'm sorry, Shinpi," she said calmly. "I know Toroki scared you, but don't worry. Aunty is going to punish him until his explosive temper is controlled."

Nakao left the tent to grab her kneading stick and chase after Toroki.

Shinpi brushed the little bit of tears that had fallen out of her eyes when Toroki scared her. She knew it was stupid to cry over someone yelling at her for no reason. She didn't know the language and really tried her best to say the words correctly. At that moment, she just really wanted to be with Kaimu.

"Kaimu," she said quietly.

"You want to go to Kaimu, Shinpi?" Heikuro, who had just walked in, asked her softly.

She nodded her head.

"How about I teach you some words to say to ol' Kaimu when you see him tomorrow?" he said pantomiming words coming out of his mouth.

Shinpi looked on with interest as the apprentice taught her some simple words.

The next day came faster than Kaimu had expected. He hadn't had any time to prepare himself, but he was glad that he had prepared at least a place for her to stay.

He was just going to go pick her up from the doctor's tent when he saw her running toward him with Keikuro not far behind. She quickly ran over and leapt in the air with her arms wide open ready for a embrace.

Kaimu panicked and caught her before she fell flat on her face.

She snuggled in his chest and loudly declared the words Keikuro had taught her, "I love Kaimu!"

Hey Everyone!

RueLin here! :D

So, I don't know for you, but school just started for me. Don't worry though, I had already pre-written seven chapters of this story. Plus, I'm eager to get this story completed. It's been on my mind far too long. :P

Just dropping down a note for you all. :D

RueLin