The Hunter

Chapter Twelve

They came in the dead of the night, bursting through the door like an army. The rush of air blew out the small fire that'd been keeping the heater alight, plunging the room into darkness. Rin heard Kohaku get up and the sound of his sword being drawn. It was answered by six others, maybe more. She was too afraid to count. A part of her wondered if this wasn't in fact a nightmare. She'd had dreams like this before, of bandits rousing her from her sleep to throw her back into the life she so despised. She pinched her arm and twisted the skin sharply enough to leave a bruise but it had no affect. The realization that this was no dream was slow to settle over her, but once it did a paralyzing fear overtook her and rooted her to her futon as solidly as a tree is rooted to the earth.

A spark flared and a lantern was lit, then another. In the dim light she recognized the scarred face of the bandit who'd try to steal her once before. He leered at her with that same cutting smile and said, "Miss me, pet?"

Kohaku moved quickly, putting himself between them. She gazed up at his back and the sword he leveled at his opponent's chest. Whatever anger, frustration and heartache she might have harboured towards him earlier, in that instant she felt nothing but relief. He wouldn't let them take her. Without understanding how or why, she was certain he would protect her with his life.

"Your fight is with me. Leave her out of this," he growled at the leader, his tone deadly serious.

The rest of the group slowly closed in around them until they were surrounded on three sides. Kohaku saw them too and anxiously bounced on his toes, prepared to strike down whichever man dared to challenge him first.

"Kill him."

The leader's command was succinct and instantly obeyed. Two bandits charged at Kohaku from opposite sides of the room with great battle cries. He dispatched the first in a single stroke of his sword and the second in two. Rin's heart leapt into her throat. Kohaku was a talented fighter, but how many could he possibly defeat on his own?

She clutched at her yukata until her knuckles turned white. It was the only way to keep from reaching for the knife hidden inside her obi. She didn't dare give herself away. If worse came to worst, it would be her last line of defence against them.

When the first two bandits fell, two more took their place. They circled slowly, like wolves closing in on their prey. Desperate to help somehow, Rin grabbed the pan from the heater and tossed its contents towards them. A field of glowing embers scattered across the tatami, scorching the bandits' feet. One of them howled in pain and Kohaku took his shot, felling him with a devastating slash to his neck. The other met his end before his comrade's body had hit the floor.

"You'll pay for that."

Large hands dragged her roughly off the floor and held her tight. She struggled against her captor, aiming kicks and bites at any body part that came within reach. They had little effect and she was delivered unceremoniously into the leader's waiting hands. Kohaku moved to intervene and was quickly blocked by three more bandits. They grinned wickedly at him with their weapons drawn.

The group's leader pulled her close, enough that she could smell the lingering scent of sake on his breath, and pressed his knife to her cheek. She froze, barely breathing, her eyes fixed on his. He licked his lips, excited by her fear.

"Cause me any more trouble and I'll run this blade from the top of your head down to your chin, understand?" He spoke plainly, the expression in his eyes telling her that he would not hesitate to follow through with his threat. She nodded her head ever so slightly, hyper-aware of the knife's cool touch against her skin.

The tatami began to smoke where the burning embers sat atop it, filling the room with its fragrant scent. They were quickly running out of time! Kohaku dispatched his next opponent with relative ease and then lunged forward to attack the others. That's when it happened.

Her eyes dropped to the place where his sword had fallen. Above it, he stood clutching his arm where the wolf's bite lingered beneath its wrappings. His eyes met hers, his features contorted by shock and pain. The bandits wasted no time capitalizing on their advantage. They jumped him all at once and bound his arms tightly behind his back.

"I've changed my mind," the leader announced, giving Rin a sly look. "A quick death would be wasted on such a skilled fighter. Take him with us. We can think of other ways to deal with this nuisance."

Rin watched in disbelief as Kohaku was led past her out of the room, cursing and struggling futilely against his bindings. The breath that'd remained trapped in her lungs escaped with a shaky exhale. He'd lost? It didn't seem possible, and yet the proof was all around her.

"He's not so tough now, is he?" the leader taunted in her ear. "Like a cat without its claws."

The tatami in the far corner of the room suddenly caught fire and black smoke plumed towards the ceiling. In a matter of minutes the entire inn would be ablaze. The bandits collected their bags off the floor and then forced her into the hall and out onto the street.

Relief flooded through her when she caught a glimpse of Kohaku standing next to one of the horses. As she drew closer she saw that they'd tied him to the saddle. He glared at their captors looking positively murderous. She offered him what she hoped was a reassuring glance as they pulled her past him to the lead horse.

We'll be okay. We'll figure something out.

The look he gave indicated that he didn't share her optimism and fear settled in her belly like a rock. It was clear to her that if they were to have any hope of escape, it would going to be entirely up to her.

The bandit leader hopped onto his horse and then pulled her up in front of him. She kept her eyes forward, refusing to meet his stare.

"You and I have unfinished business, pet," he whispered darkly as his hand caressed her face. A shiver of revulsion curled down her spine and she shut her eyes tight. His hand fell away and a dark chuckle rumbled through his chest. With a whistle the group departed, leaving the sleeping town and flame-riddled inn in their wake.

xXx

They arrived with the dawn at an abandoned temple. Rin had heard stories of bandits taking over temples before, but had always imagined they were simply that – stories. She couldn't bear to think of what men like these might have done to the monks who'd once lived peacefully within the temple walls.

As the lead bandit helped her down from the saddle, she watched worriedly as Kohaku's limp form was dragged inside. They'd forced him to run beside the horses the entire way. When he'd stumbled, they'd prodded him sharply with their katana sheaths. When he fell, the horse dragged him till he was able to get his feet beneath him again. It wasn't until she tearfully begged and pleaded and finally threatened to throw herself from the horse that the leader conceded to have Kohaku transported over the back of one of the horses like a sack of rice instead.

Once inside, the bandits had summarily tossed him into a cell made of interlocking bamboo bars tied together with hemp rope. Her panic rose up and threatened to choke her when she saw him face down, unmoving on the floor. She wanted to collapse where she stood and do nothing but cry, but a stern inner voice reminded her that fear and tears would accomplish nothing. So she pulled in a few calming breaths instead and focused on steadying herself. If they were going to get out of this mess alive, she'd need to have a clear head.

With Kohaku incapacitated, the bandits seemed to relax. They took their time unloading their bags and stretched out around a long table that ran from one end of the room to the other. Taking her by the arm, the leader pulled her into the kitchen.

"Time to make yourself useful, pet," he jeered. "My boys are hungry, so do what you women do best and cook us a fine meal."

His eyes travelled hungrily over her face and be brushed a thumb across her trembling bottom lip. "If the taste is nice, I might even go easy on you later."

Though her entire body trembled, she somehow found the courage to turn her face away from his probing touch.

"There isn't any food to cook," she ground out, thankful to hear that her voice didn't shake.

"I've taken care of that." She followed his finger to where it pointed at the door. Two bandits were unloading large sacks of rice, vegetables and dried meat atop the table. All of it stolen, no doubt.

"Best get started," he warned, "the boys get grumpy when they're hungry and your boy out there is the only target around."

With his words ringing fresh through her mind, Rin set about the task of preparing their meal. Her hands furiously chopped vegetables into bite-sized pieces. What she wouldn't give for a few drops of poison. The thought brought back a memory of the old woman named Miho, the one who'd slipped her an herbal tea meant to put Kohaku to sleep.

Suppressing a gasp, Rin slipped her fingers into her obi and retrieved the small satchel. She'd never gone through with her plan to use it on Kohaku. Thankful for that bout of wisdom now, she set to work brewing up a fresh batch of Miho's drug laced tea.

The bandits looked impatient when she walked out of the kitchen with the tea a short while later. They were eyeing Kohaku's still form, some of them toying with their knives as they did so. She remained quiet as she laid out the table with tea cups and then went about filling each one.

"What is this," one of them sneered.

"It is something to keep your stomachs warm until the food is ready," she promised while keeping her eyes on the floor. The leader grabbed her wrist on her way back to the kitchen and pulled her into his lap. For a brief moment she thought she'd been discovered, but instead he grinned slyly at her and pressed a wet kiss against her lips. Horrified, she struggled and pushed him away to the amusement of the others. He released her with a cruel laugh and she hurried back to the kitchen.

"Best be quick with that food," he taunted with a nod at the table. "This won't tide them over long."

Back in the kitchen, she braced her hands against the tabletop and pulled in several deep breaths. Every time he touched her, her skin crawled like it was covered with a thousand fire ants. She couldn't bear the thought of his hands on her again, or what he might do to her once Kohaku was gone.

Determined not to give up just yet, she righted herself and wiped the tears out of her eyes. She occupied herself with spooning the cooked rice into a serving bowl. When that was finished, she impatiently paced back and forth in front of the small fire. How long before the tea took effect?

When she couldn't stand it any longer, she grabbed up a pile of rice bowls and chopsticks and returned to the other room. To her surprise, almost every one of the bandits was asleep. Those who weren't were close to nodding off, their heads bobbing as they struggled to stay awake.

She slowly made her way around the table with the bowls, quietly setting them down in front of each man. A surreptitious glance at each of their cups confirmed what she'd hoped was true - they had all drunk the tea! The only one who hadn't was the leader. He glared at her through half-lidded eyes and she noticed that his cup was only half empty.

"What the hell did you give us?" Moving faster than she ever could have expected, he grabbed her and threw her down atop the table. His fingers dug into her throat and she suddenly found herself struggling for air. She squirmed and arched but his hold on her was unbreakable.

"I swear to the gods I'll make you suffer you miserable bitch," he hissed into her ear.

Spots began to form in the peripheries of her vision and suddenly the room seemed far away. It was difficult to hear over the faint ringing that'd taken over her ears. She tried to listen, to speak, but her body felt paralyzed. She wasn't even aware of her hands moving, only the faint sound her knife made as it thrust upwards into the bandit's side.

The menacing look slipped from his scarred face, and was quickly replaced by one of shocked surprise. He released his hold on her and stared wide-eyed at the knife buried hilt-deep in him. Rin managed to roll off the table and the bandit stumbled backward into his chair. He looked at her as though he wanted to say something, perhaps level one last threat, but blood emerged from his lips in place of words and then he was dead.

It could have been minutes or even hours before she found the courage to approach the corpse. With shaking hands she retrieved her bloodied knife and then ran to Kohaku's cell. He was still unconscious, but she could see the reassuring rise and fall of his chest with each breath.

"Kohaku!" she whispered frantically as she forced the door open. "Kohaku, wake up!"

He groaned unintelligibly and she set to work cutting away the ropes that bound his arms in place. The knife's sharp edge made quick work of them and she rolled him over onto his back.

"Kohaku, please! You must get up. We need to leave before they wake!"

He stirred, grimacing as the blood rushed painfully back into his arms. "Rin?"

"Yes, it's me. Please, we must hurry!"

His eyes opened slowly and he looked dazedly about the cell. He caught sight of the table of sleeping bandits behind her and struggled doggedly to his feet.

"How did you-?" His eyes fell to the bloodied knife in her hand, and she quickly put it behind her back.

"I will explain later," she urged, pulling him towards the door. He followed her, his footsteps clumsy. At the sight of the leader's bloodied torso he lifted his brow in surprise but didn't stop for a closer look.

Outside the sun was bright despite the cold chill on the air. Kohaku led her to two horses that were still saddled and untied the reins. He helped her onto the first and she waited for him to pull himself up onto the other. Instead he retrieved a katana from where one of the bandits had hidden it beneath the saddle blanket and pulled it from its sheath. The blade glistened ominously in the morning light, its edge razor sharp.

"What are you doing?" she hissed.

"Wait here," he commanded, his voice eerily calm. She opened her mouth to object but by then he'd disappeared inside the temple.

The minutes crept by slowly, offering little reprieve for her nerves. To distract herself, she used the time to wipe her knife clean and temporarily returned it to her obi. No doubt Kohaku would want it back once they were safe. Her stomach made a nervous flip as she thought about how he might react now that he knew the truth. Would he be angry with her for taking it and lying about it? She didn't imagine he would be overly pleased about her minor act of theft.

As more minutes passed her anxiety worsened. She took to petting the beast beneath her on the neck. It snorted and shook its head as though reassuring her – It'll be fine, it said, everything will be okay. She nodded and stared at the door, willing Kohaku to return.

He emerged from the darkened doorway slowly, exhaustion dogging his every step. The sword in his hand was soaked in red. He flicked the cast off onto the ground and then used a bit of cloth to wipe the rest of the blade clean. Only once he'd returned the sword to its sheath did he look her in the eye.

"Did they hurt you?"

She shook her head 'No'. He hesitated with his hand on the saddle, his expression uncertain. Whatever he'd done inside that building hadn't been enough. She could see it clearly in his eyes - he was out for blood but there was none left to take. When she didn't break down under the scrutiny of his gaze, he gestured to her horse.

"Do you know how to ride?"

She silently shook her head once more. Horses were a luxury meant for the nobility and samurai classes. Her family never could have afforded one, and even if they had it would have been well beyond their station to own it.

Kohaku slipped the katana into his belt and then tied the second horse's reigns to hers. With practiced ease he pulled himself up behind her on the saddle and wrapped an arm firmly around her waist to keep her secure.

Moving at a steady pace, they headed back down the road in the direction of the village they'd stayed in the previous night. Rin cast a final glance back the bandits' hideout before it was out of sight. Kohaku offered up no explanations and she asked not one word about what he'd done to the men inside. Without wanting to know she knew, and despite the surge of relief it brought she couldn't bear the thought of the scene they'd left behind.

* A katana is a long, single-edged sword that was most commonly used and worn by members of the samurai class. Kohaku's short sword would have been known during the period as a wakizashi - a blade shorter than a katana and often worn in addition to it by samurai as a back up sword. Its smaller size made it ideal for close-quarters fighting and ritual suicides.