The Hunter
Chapter Thirty
The village behind the palisade walls was small and quiet. There couldn't have been more than twenty or thirty huts spread throughout the area, each well tended to and of a moderate size. It reminded Rin of her own village in some ways, but features like the high walls and countless racks holding weapons of all shapes and sizes were stark reminders of just how different they were.
Sango wordlessly led them to a hut along the main road that looked slightly grander than the rest. It was elevated on short stilts and had a set of stairs that led up a wooden porch to the main door. Kohaku helped her down off their horse, managing to wince only slightly on account of the cut on his shoulder.
"We should bandage that," Rin said with an eye on the blood trickling down his arm.
He agreed with a reluctant sigh and inclined his head in the direction of the stairs leading to the door, "After you."
Inside the hut was simply decorated. The main room was a large open space with a good-sized hearth at its centre. Surrounding the hearth were square tatami mats and beyond that a smooth, hardwood floor. Kohaku led her in the direction of the kitchen while her brothers gingerly sat upon cushions laid next to the hearth.
Sango was preparing tea in the kitchen when they entered. Her eyes followed them to a short table near the shouji doors that led out to the porch while her hands tore apart dried tea leaves for the pot.
Rin could only imagine what Sango thought of her. If their positions were reversed, she would have no fewer than a dozen questions for the strange girl who appeared unexpectedly at the village gate with her brother and two strange men in tow. But she didn't presume to know anything about the girl standing stoically a few feet away, especially when she hadn't spoken a single word since their arrival in the village.
Kohaku set some fresh water and bandages atop the table and Rin was only too eager to divert her attention to a task that had almost become comforting in its familiarity. Kohaku in need of mending was a scene that had become all too familiar during their travels together. Only now she tended him in the safety of his family home, in a village located farther north than she'd ever thought she would travel in her lifetime. It felt surreal and unsettling to be so far removed from the world she knew, but the warmth of Kohaku's skin beneath her hands set her at ease.
The cut on his shoulder wasn't deep, but it was stubborn. She carefully dabbed at the edges of the wound to mop up the blood, all the time aware that there was an extra set of eyes watching her. She was thorough, perhaps more thorough than she needed to be, but she didn't want to give Sango any reason to dislike her. In the end it mattered little - by the time she was ready for the bandages she had left with the tray of tea. Rin lifted her eyes instead to Kohaku's and saw a familiar teasing gleam in their depths.
"It seems like you're always putting me back together," he said while looking more at ease than she'd seen him in days.
"You don't leave me much choice," she remarked dryly and tied off the bandage around his shoulder with one last knot.
Kohaku moved his arm experimentally and then pulled his shirt on over his head. They sat in silence, neither wanting to join the others in the next room just yet. This was the first time they'd been alone in nearly a week, and neither of them was willing to relinquish their newfound freedom just yet.
"About before…," Kohaku began hesitantly, "I want you to know - that was about me, not you."
"I know," she said, offering him a faint smile. "I would be angry too, if I were her."
He blushed sheepishly and scratched at the back of his head. "Does this mean I'm going to be outnumbered from now on?"
She laughed softly and glanced down as his fingers slipped over hers. His thumb grazed her knuckles and she felt her earlier anxieties begin to wane.
"This village is filled with good people, Rin, they're just not used to outsiders. Give them a chance and they'll treat you like family."
"Even your sister?" she wondered, voicing her concerns aloud for the first time.
His fingers tightened around hers, "Let me worry about Sango."
He looked so sincere that there was little else she could do but smile and nod. In truth, she'd been prepared for this. No family in their right mind would accept her as one of their own, not with her sullied past. And as certain as Kohaku was that a few words would be all it would take to smooth things over, she was prepared for a more realistic outcome. If the situation were reversed, she couldn't honestly say she'd condone either of her brothers settling down with a reformed whore, no matter how well-intentioned.
"I think we'd better go check on the others. Knowing your brothers, one of them may already be face down in the fire."
She suppressed a laugh and took his offered hand, allowing him to help her to her feet. They found the others still alive in the main room and kneeling around the hearth fire. To her surprise, her brothers almost looked like they were enjoying themselves. As they drew closer, the topic of conversation became clear.
"Our family is from Yamato province. Do you know it?" Takanori asked.
Sango's brow gave an inquisitive lift and she shook her head. "Are there many demons in Yamato province?"
He blinked in surprise. "Not that I know of. Though I suppose we might simply have excellent demon slayers in the area."
A reluctant smile cut across Sango's lips, "Perhaps."
She turned as the whisper of their feet atop the tatami drew her attention. Sango's eyes settled briefly on the place where their hands were joined before she turned back towards the fire. Kohaku knelt atop the cushion next to his sister and she took her place on the opposite side.
"Would you like some tea?" Sango asked politely enough. Kohaku agreed and she poured him a cup, which he passed to Rin, and then poured another for himself.
"Your village is pretty well protected," Ryo stated, referring to the high palisade walls. "You have much trouble with bandits this far north?"
"The palisade is to keep out demons," Sango answered after taking a sip of her tea. "Bandits know better than to attack this village."
"I'll say. That wall is really something!"
The demon slayer bowed her head demurely.
When Kohaku noticed her eyes casting about, studying everything with wide-eyed curiosity, he bent his head and spoke softly into her ear, "Our father was the headman of the village. He died some years ago, but the others didn't have the heart to kick two orphans out of their home."
His words were light-hearted, followed by a carefree shrug of his shoulders but she couldn't stop the brief look of empathy that crossed her features. Orphans, both? What a pair they made.
Takanori's next inquiry drew her attention as it was something she'd wondered about as well.
"I couldn't help but notice that the village seemed rather empty upon our arrival?"
"The others are out hunting demons in a neighbouring village. They should return before nightfall for the festival. You are all welcome to attend, of course. The villagers will be delighted to know that you've returned safely, Kohaku." Turning her gaze on him, she added, "We were all worried about you, little brother, especially Chihiro."
A scowl cut across Kohaku's features at mention of the girl's name. He attempted to hide it with a lengthy sip of tea and Rin made a point of studying the pattern on the bottom of her teacup. She would have to ask Kohaku about the girl later, though she was almost certain Sango had thrown her name out simply to see how they both reacted. It was a smart move, cunning even, but she'd dealt with far worse at the brothel and wouldn't be shaken by such a simple attempt at forcing jealousy.
The conversation moved like that for some time; her brothers navigated from topic to topic with Sango and seemed more comfortable in her presence with each moment that passed. Takanori's participation intrigued her more than the conversation itself. It was rare to see him so engaged, and even rarer to see him smile, which he had done twice now since their arrival.
Despite being seated so close to her, she and Sango barely exchanged more than pleasantries. So when the elder demon slayer announced that she would need to leave them for a short while to prepare dinner, Rin stood and offered assistance. Sango eyed her curiously but did not object and bid her follow into the kitchen.
Once there, Sango announced that they would be making steamed pork buns and invited her to begin preparing the dough. She'd eaten something similar in Edo, a deliciously warm concoction of bread and meat that filled the stomach and warmed you from the inside out.
She focused on kneading the dough while Sango prepared the meat that would go inside. There were a dozen thoughts racing through her head, all demanding equal attention. Thoughts that asked what she should say, or if she should say anything at all. Thoughts that made her question how best to appeal to the woman next to her and whether it was already a lost cause. She desperately wanted to know more about Kohaku's only other family, but having no idea where to begin she instead said nothing and concentrated on the consistency of the dough between her hands.
"What is it like to be so far from home?"
Rin's head jerked up at the suddenness of the question. She blinked in surprise and then returned her gaze to her hands.
"It feels strange…frightening."
"Is it so different where you're from?"
She nodded, feeling a smile begin to creep across her lips. "It's warmer. In the winter the snow covers only the mountains and in spring they bloom pink with a carpet of cherry blossoms. Our village is small, smaller even then yours, and filled with simple farming families."
"Your brothers told me a little. It sounds like a charming place. You must be eager to return."
She offered her a thin smile and said nothing.
"Today isn't the first time you've mended my brother." It was a statement, not a question. Rin looked up expectantly and waited.
"You did an admirable job. I doubt I could have done better myself."
With Sango's praise an invisible weight lifted itself from her shoulders. She smiled, more genuinely this time, and inclined her head.
"Kohaku is a good slayer, one of the best our village has known in generations, but he's not invincible."
Sango looked up momentarily to gauge her reaction and then returned her attention to the meat she was stirring in her pot.
"He doesn't know what it's like to spend each day worrying about whether the people you love will survive the day. In our village we're taught not to fear death, but they haven't yet figured out a way to stop us from worrying over those we care about. My brother…he's noble and idealistic to a fault. I fear that he's led you here with the promise of a happy ending when this village can only offer you heartache."
Rin kept her eyes on the movement of her hands as they kneaded and stretched the dough. She didn't dare look up for fear of giving something away. At length she said, "In the short time that I've known Kohaku he's delivered me from a life of servitude, reunited me with my family, and saved my life more times than I care to count. He's a good man, an honourable man, but he has promised me nothing."
Sango made a soft noise in the back of her throat but did not press the subject. Once the meat was ready, she lifted the pot from the stove and set it on the table next to Rin. They worked together in tandem to put together the first batch of pork buns. When they were finished, Rin washed her hands and made an excuse about needing to check on her brothers. She felt like she hadn't taken a single breath since leaving Kohaku's side.
"Do you care for him?"
Her feet halted at the door. She remained there a long moment, frozen between the truth and the allure of freedom. Her answer was there, lingering on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't give it life. Instead she pressed forward, heading towards the sound of conversation near the hearth, leaving the heavy silence and Sango's probing gaze behind.
oOo
The sights and sounds of the festival made her feel an acute ache of homesickness that lingered in the centre of her chest. She clutched her hands around a warm cup of amazake and took a soothing sip. The clang of bells and the hollow beat of drums drew closer as the crowd of revellers rounded the corner and made their way down the main street to the temple. The ancestors' shrine bobbed overtop of the crowd carried on the shoulders of the village's young men, with Kohaku in the lead.
He'd explained the purpose of the festival to her earlier. With every ritual, it honoured the village's ancestors and asked for their protection in the months ahead. Every village in the area held similar festivals to give thanks to their local kami or gods, and from what she could tell they weren't so different from the ones she and her brothers had participated in as children.
Such festivals were a common occurrence in her town, but she'd never put much credence in them. Now, she wished more than ever for what they did here to have meaning. Their journey had not been an easy one and for however long they stayed within the village walls she could only hope the ancestors would be so kind as to lend she and her brothers their protection.
When the men reached the temple they raised the shrine up high, chanted a prayer to the heavens, and then moved it inside the temple where it would remain until the next festival. The village erupted into cheers and Rin smiled, happy to be a part of something once more. Her eyes found Kohaku's as he emerged from the shrine, grinning and laughing with his comrades. A girl ran up to him holding out a cup. He took it from her with a nod and drank it down, much to the pleasure of his fellow townsmen.
"I see Chihiro wasted no time in finding my brother."
Rin recognized the melodic voice at her side and turned towards Sango with a polite smile. She greeted her with a short bow and asked if she would like any amazake. Sango held up her cup and took a sip before turning her gaze back to where Kohaku was smiling and talking to the village girl.
"She's been infatuated with my brother for some time," she explained with an indulgent smile. "I think he rather likes the attention."
Rin nodded and took a long sip from her drink to fill the silence.
"She comes from a good demon slaying family. I'd wager any family in this village would be happy to welcome her as one of their own."
Including yours? she wondered with a pointed glance at Sango. Not trusting herself to linger, she excused herself with a polite bow and offered up some excuse about finding her brothers to see how they were enjoying the festivities.
As she turned go to her eyes happened upon Kohaku who was staring at her through the crowd. She turned away and headed deeper into the crush of people, hoping to get lost in it. She just needed a minute to breathe, a minute away from the constant questions racing through her mind. She drained the rest of the amazake in her cup and tossed it into the nearest fire.
What had she been thinking, coming here? She'd known from the start just how difficult this might be, but she hadn't cared. She'd stubbornly insisted that she and her brothers follow along and for what? To spend an entire winter watching from the shadows while Kohaku entertained his pick of marriageable women?
A firm hand gripped her arm just above the elbow and steered her into the narrow space between two houses.
"What's wrong?"
Kohaku's voice was soft and close in the dark, and she could smell the lingering scent of sake on his breath.
"I don't know what you mean," she protested feebly and his hand tightened around her arm.
"Something's wrong. What did Sango say to you?" He pulled back and turned towards the crowd as if determined to find his sister right that very moment. She put a hand out to stop him and let it linger against his side before falling away.
"This has nothing to do with your sister," she insisted quietly, and then, even more softly, "You seemed quite happy to see Chihiro again."
He breathed out a quiet sigh and his palm came to rest next to her head.
"So, that's what this is about," he said as though to himself. "Rin, I was as happy to see Chihiro again as I was any other comrade in the village. She is a nice girl, but you might have noticed that she's not the one I'm having a moment alone with."
His fingers caressed the underside of her jaw and began to slip down the side of her throat.
"I understand perfectly," she replied with an edge to her tone. "Her you'll speak with in front of everyone, but conversations with me are reserved for dark, shadowy corners where no one can see us."
"I thought you'd want privacy," he protested.
"I thought you weren't ashamed to be seen with me."
Kohaku cursed softly under his breath and she heard the rustle of his hair as he brushed his hand through it. Taking her suddenly by the arm, he pulled her back out into the street. She glanced around, aware of the eyes of the others suddenly on them.
"Kohaku, what are you-?"
He didn't give her the chance to finish before his mouth was on hers. He held her tight against him while the insistent, demanding pressure of her lips bowed her head back and made her blood run like fire through her veins. He pulled away a few seconds later, a few seconds far too short, and set her firmly on her feet.
She blinked up at him, stunned, and wordlessly licked her lips. Kohaku grinned wide and raised his brows at her in a cheeky sort of gesture that would have earned him a slap on the arm had she not already been too astonished to move.
"I trust that ends the argument?" he asked, lowering his mouth to her ear.
She swallowed and nodded.
"Come," he offered, taking her hand in his. "Let's enjoy the rest of this festival."
Author's Note: It has been inexcusably long since I've updated this story and I do apologize for that. There will be another chapter out shortly as I kept you waiting for so long it only seemed fair :) I hope you like the update! (And for any Sango-stans who may be concerned about how she's is coming across so far, please hold off any complaints until you read the next chapter.) Comments are always welcome and much appreciated :)