The Hunter

Chapter Two

In the end, it was surprisingly easy to leave the brothel. Kohaku paid the Madam an obscenely over-inflated sum of what remained of her debts and they simply walked out the door. Some of the girls looked on with open jealousy, the rest capitalized on the influx of new customers. Everyone had their own way of dealing with the news. Rin chose to remain silent; too scared to speak a single word for fear that this dream would come crashing down around her.

Kohaku lead her through Kyoto's darkened streets, navigating the narrow alleys with ease. Every so often they'd pass by a market, brightly lit by lanterns and still bustling with late night revellers. With the wind blowing against her face and the smell of roasting fish in her nose, Rin experienced the first glimmer of hope she'd felt in nearly a year.

"You hungry? They probably didn't feed you much in that place," Kohaku asked, surveying her thin frame with a quick glance.

Her stomach growled noisily in response and she nodded uncertainly, realizing in that moment that she was completely dependent upon him for food. She had no money of her own and nothing to sell apart from her body. Even the modest kimono she wore wouldn't fetch much of a price.

Kohaku guided her into the next market and stopped at one of the many stalls lining the street.

"See anything you like?" he asked, inspecting the menu.

The scent of roasting meat curled temptingly in her empty stomach as she eyed the offerings laid out before them on the grill. Kohaku was right – the Madam hadn't fed them much. "No one will pay to bed a fat whore," was one of her favourite threats.

Swallowing the sudden rush of saliva to her mouth, Rin pointed at a row of squid roasting on sticks.

"Squid, please."

Kohaku asked the man for two and handed her one. She greedily devoured it while he paid and then followed him down the street to the next stall. There, he purchased a handful of onigiri and handed her one. She hungrily dove in to that too, savouring the softness of the warm, fresh rice in her mouth. The rest of the food Kohaku tucked into his satchel for the journey ahead.

With her belly pleasantly full, Rin was better equipped to focus on her current situation. Though she was thankful for the food and the freedom, she couldn't help but wonder what someone like him wanted with her. As she walked behind him it was easy to observe the subtle looks and lingering glances other women cast his way. He obviously didn't require any help attracting their interest, so why did he need her?

However important, those questions paled in comparison to the bigger one looming at the forefront of her mind which was, where was he was taking her? He'd mentioned a long journey but had declined to name the destination. As they approached the bridge that would lead them out of the heart of the city, she found she could no longer keep quiet.

"Where are we going?" she asked boldly, slowing her gait.

Kohaku stretched his arms above his head and cast a glance back at her over his shoulder.

"To Edo."

"Edo?!" she cried out incredulous. "But that's…"

All hopes of returning to her village abruptly vanished. It would take nearly a month to reach Edo on foot, and it was about a hundred ri* in the wrong direction. She would never survive the journey back alone.

"I told you it would be a long trip," he winked, not the least bit bothered by her distress.

"And if I refuse to go?"

His feet drew to a halt and he turned to face her. The carefree smile slipped from his lips as he said, "Well, I hope it does not come to that. I would rather not use force."

Taking firm hold of her arm, he drew her close enough so that only she could hear his next words. "I am the one who paid your debts, Sakura. Until I choose to release you, you belong to me."

He waited for her nod of acceptance before loosening his hold on her arm. In that moment, the reality of her situation became strikingly clear. Her surroundings had changed, but her circumstances remained the same. She'd merely traded one slave master for another.

Tearing her arm from his grasp, she turned heel and ran. Honour dictated that she remain at his side until her debt was repaid, but what did she care for honour? Honour hadn't kept her village from being burned to the ground by bandits, or her from being sold to a brothel. She had no use for honour when it meant forever giving up the possibility of returning home.

Kohaku's shouts of protest followed, prompting her feet to move faster. Dodging around groups of drunks and market stragglers, she prayed for somewhere to escape him. If she could slip down an alley, or maybe hide beneath a stall she might yet find freedom.

Rin darted across one of the small bridges that ran over the river, her shoes clacking loudly against the weathered wood. It was then that she made the fatal mistake of casting a desperate glance over her shoulder. In the same moment that she turned her head, her body collided with a solid wall of muscled flesh. The wind was knocked straight out of her lungs and she staggered back, struggling to catch her breath.

"Hey, I know you."

Rin looked up into the scarred face of a very drunk looking soldier. He caught her up by the arm and leered down at her.

"You and me had fun last time. Don't tell me you don't remember!" he slurred through a watery smile.

"Let go of me!" she screeched, attracting concerned glances from a few passersby.

Not one of them intervened to help though, and her next cries were silenced by the soldier's wet lips on hers. His tongue invaded her mouth with the taste of sake and fish. Furious, she bit down hard and he reeled back with a howl of rage.

"How dare you!" he roared and slapped her hard across the face. The blow left her head spinning and she would have fallen were it not for the iron grip he had on her arm.

"I'm taking you back where you belong," he threatened. "Perhaps the owners can be persuaded to let me teach you some manners."

Grabbing her up by the waist, he flung her over his broad shoulder and carried her down the street. She looked around frantically, desperate to find someone who would help her. Not one person had the courage to meet her eye. She'd nearly given up hope when Kohaku's confident voice rose above the din of the noisy street.

"I believe that's my woman you're stealing."

The soldier stopped and she could hear the laughter rumble through his chest. "Is that so? I would be glad to fight you for her boy, but believe me she is hardly worth the trouble."

"Just the same, kindly put her down. She is not yours to punish."

Rin lifted her head to see Kohaku standing a stone's throw away with his arms crossed and a smirk on his lips.

I'm glad he finds this amusing, she thought, finding herself torn between relief and disappointment.

The soldier's laughter faded into a dark chuckle. "Well, if you insist."

His words were her only warning before her body met the ground with enough force to knock the air out of her lungs a second time. She pulled in a ragged breath and coughed violently into the dirt. Even over her struggles, the telltale sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath reached her ears.

Rin lifted her head to find a circle of onlookers surrounding them and the soldier with his blade drawn. The polished metal gleamed in the lantern-light and he grinned down at Kohaku as though he were a petulant child in need of discipline. The man was at least twice Kohaku's size around and a full head taller. It was like watching a child fight a giant.

Kohaku considered the soldier in front of him, then confidently drew his short sword and took up a fighting stance. A bubble of fear rose into the back of her throat and she quickly swallowed it down. Why should she care that he was risking his life for her? He was doing what any man would do when defending his property. Still, the prospect of seeing his blood spilled for her sake did not sit well.

"Stupid, foolish man," she muttered under her breath.

"Just what do you plan to do with that?" the soldier jeered, laughing heartily at the size of Kohaku's sword.

The giant gave no warning before his first attack but his swing was slow and uncoordinated, his movements inhibited by his inebriated state. Kohaku dodged the blow and leaped onto his back. With a single stroke of his short sword, the soldier's neck was sliced open and his hot blood splashed onto the street. Kohaku dropped gracefully to the ground and the giant collapsed behind him.

The crowd that had moments ago been eager for a fight suddenly became silent, their faces awash with horror and awe. Rin glanced in astonishment between Kohaku and the body at his feet. She had barely seen him move and yet somehow he'd managed to dispatch a man of that size in one strike? She didn't have long to dwell on the deadly accuracy of his blade. He sheathed his sword then grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"Quickly, before his friends arrive," he urged, dragging her towards the edge of the crowd. She was inclined to obey. It was rare that soldiers travelled alone and she didn't want to imagine what his comrades might do if they discovered their friend dead.

The crowd was reluctant to part for them, but several well placed blows of Kohaku's elbow did the trick and they eventually emerged on the other side. Holding her hand tight, Kohaku dashed towards the bridge pulling her behind him.

Despite her protests he led her out of the city, stopping only once they were surrounded by moonlit rice fields. Out of breath, he rested his back against a tree and grinned at her.

"Well, that was exciting!"

Too exhausted to reply, she could only nod and then promptly collapsed at his feet.

* A ri was a common measurement of distance during the Edo period in Japan. It is equal to about 4 kms or 2.5 miles. Along the Nakasendo Trail, the trip from Kyoto to Edo was 533 kms or 135 ri.

Author's Note: Simply because I enjoy the symmetry of pairs - another chapter. It starts into the action pretty quickly, which is pretty much par for the course for the rest of this fic. Hope you enjoyed the read! As always, reviews are welcome!

- Langus