The Hunter
Chapter Thirty-One
Sango found him on the steps, staring up at the moon. She sat down quietly next to him and rested her chin atop her knees.
"That little display of yours earlier was interesting."
There was no need for her to elaborate. Kohaku nodded and breathed out a quiet sigh, his breath escaping in front of him in small, white clouds.
"Tell me about her."
A shy smile curved a corner of his mouth upwards. "Where do you want me to begin?"
"At the beginning, of course. I want to know more about the woman who kept you away for so many months."
He began with the village's request for a gift to present to the daimyo and then delved into how he'd discovered her at a brothel in Kyoto. When he tried to describe what it was about her that'd captivated his interest Sango gave a knowing sort of look and urged him to go on with a gentle nudge. He told her about their journey from Edo, the bandits, her brothers, the daimyo, all of it. He hadn't planned to tell her everything, but once he started he found he couldn't stop. The words poured from his mouth and heart like an endless fountain until there was nothing left to say.
Sango was quiet for a long while and then turned her gaze towards the stars.
"You love her, don't you?" she said softly.
He grinned as his cheeks turning a subtle shade of pink, "Is it that obvious?"
Sango's silence was telling, as was the way her brow furrowed in consternation. He nudged her in the arm and gave an expectant lift of his brow.
"It's not that I don't approve, it's just…you've never shown any interest in girls before now."
He lifted his shoulders in a light shrug and studied the snow dusting the tops of his boots. "I can't explain it but when I'm with her I feel whole, like before her I was missing something I hadn't realized was gone."
"Kohaku…" Sango took hold of his arm and offered an understanding smile. "I'm glad to see you so happy. And I'm even happier to finally have you home."
"But?"
Sango's lips pressed into a light frown as her eyes met his, "Have you spoken with her about your future together?"
"I can't be apart from her again. Those months she was with the daimyo…" He swallowed hard and closed his eyes against the memory of leaving her in that place. "It felt like my heart was being cut out of my chest."
"That doesn't answer my question."
Kohaku exhaled a frustrated sigh and rose to his feet. "How can I ask her to stay when I have nothing to offer?" he asked while brushing invisible dirt from his pants.
"You have plenty to offer."
"And what's that? Our father's house? A life filled with danger and violence? The uncertainty of whether I'll make it home to her each night?"
Sango was quiet a long moment as her eyes looked out into the village. The streets were quiet, the others long since gone to bed. "Maybe you should let her make that decision for herself."
Kohaku made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat and paced back and forth in front of the steps.
"Or are you afraid you won't like her answer?"
The sudden clang of the village's warning bell cut short any further discussion on the topic. Their heads snapped up in unison and turned towards the sound.
"Go find Rin and keep her safe," Sango ordered as she secured Hirakotsu over her shoulder. "I'll find out what's going on."
oOo
He found Rin exactly where he'd hoped not to find her – emerging from his father's house to see what all the commotion was about. She gazed in the direction of the main gate, her eyes transfixed by something in the dark beyond.
"I think there's-," she began to say, but he grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her down the street and as far from the gate as possible.
"Where are your brothers?" he shouted back over his shoulder.
"They're inside! I told them to stay hidden."
"Will they?"
"I hope so," she offered with a wary glance back at the hut.
"I'm taking you somewhere safe and then I have to go help the others," he explained, leaving no room for argument.
"What if I can help?"
Kohaku stopped short and pulled her in close with his hands on either shoulder. "I want you to stay far away from that gate, understand?"
She looked as though she would argue but in the end kept her mouth shut tight and nodded her head.
"Wait here. I'll be back soon," he instructed and pressed a fleeting kiss to her cheek before running off in the direction they'd just come.
It didn't matter where in the village he took her. She would never be safe from the sort of demons who shook the earth with every step they took. Or whose screeching cries filled the air with a noise as deafening as thunder.
She sneaked back in the direction of the headman's hut, stubbornly determined to keep an eye on Kohaku and her brothers. She was careful to avoid the main streets, travelling instead through back alleys in the general direction of the main gate. By the time she reached the gate there were already several bodies on the ground, though none of them, she was relieved to see, belonged to Kohaku, Sango or her brothers.
Hiding behind the headman's hut, she watched Sango jump into the fray with her sword drawn. She struck at the demon's feet, hoping to fell him with one good blow. Her large yellow weapon was nowhere to be found. The demon lashed out, kicking her backwards with a blow that sent her careening hard into the dirt. She lay very still, even as pieces of wood from the gate crashed to the ground all around her.
She searched next for Kohaku. She found him exactly where she expected him to be – at the dead centre of the fray. There was a second demon, a creature just as large and grotesque as its brother. It had as many heads as it did arms and they screamed in unison before the beast charged through the gate and into the village.
Rin didn't stop to think before dashing out from her hiding spot to drag Sango away from any immediate danger. The elder demon slayer still had not stirred and though she had no visible wounds, Rin knew enough to be worried over the possible injuries she couldn't see – the ones inside that could steal a person's life away. Kohaku had told her many times before just how dangerous fighting demons was, but only now did she truly understand the truth behind his words.
She'd only just hooked her hands beneath Sango's arms when an explosion rocked the earth at her feet. The second beast had slammed its fists into the earth, knocking every demon slayer in the vicinity to the ground. Kohaku was the first back on his feet and he swung a sickle-like weapon at the demon's neck with the intention of lobbing its head off completely. Only, it didn't turn out that way. The beast was far too agile and swatted the weapon away as if it were nothing more than a toy, leaving him temporarily defenceless.
"Kohaku!" she shouted at him and his eyes turned towards her in wide-eyed horror. She grabbed Sango's sword up off the ground and tossed it towards him. It landed not far from his feet, giving him just barely enough time to dash for it before the beast could attack again. Only, it didn't attack. It stared directly at her, its odious yellow eyes narrowing on the spot where she was frozen in place.
The beast let out a deafening scream into the night and then turned heel, retreating through the ruined remains of the village gate. Kohaku stared after it mystified, Sango's unused sword in his hand.
"What happened?"
Sango groaned and stirred, her eyes drifting back and forth in a daze.
"You were hurt in the fight," Rin offered and helped her to sit up. The demon slayer nodded in thanks and put a shaky hand to her head.
"Is it gone?"
"It turned tail and screamed out of here," Kohaku interjected and handed Sango's sword back to her. He gave an uneasy glance towards the village gate, "Never seen anything like it. Are you okay?"
She nodded and Rin helped her to her feet.
"I thought I told you to stay hidden," Kohaku said under his breath, fixing her was a thoroughly displeased look.
"I couldn't-"
"Never mind that," Sango interjected, her meek tone a far cry from the rich tone Rin had become familiar with. "Let's go inside."
They each offered Sango an arm and worked together in silence to help her back to the headman's hut. Rin knew her brothers must be scared out of their wits. She could only imagine the elaborate tales Ryo would tell about their near-death encounter with real demons. It wasn't every day you came so close to a beast like that and lived to tell the tale!
As they neared the stairs of the hut she heard a noise from underneath the porch. With a tilt of her head she caught a glimpse of a familiar face, but one she'd only seen at a distance until now. Chihiro's eyes locked with hers and she shook her head, silently begging her not to say a word. Rin gave the smallest of smiles and diverted her attention to helping Sango up the stairs.
The demon slayer's warnings from earlier had not been without merit. Today she'd been given a very real look into what the future held if she remained in this place. The life of a demon slayer was not for the faint of heart. She had not been born with demon slayer blood in her veins, and she didn't know how to handle a weapon as well as the others in the village, but when faced with certain danger she hadn't cowered in a corner either.
Sango was rescued, Kohaku spared, and the demons gone, all in some small part thanks to her. It gave her a glimmer of hope that there may just be a place for someone like her here after all.
Author's Note: Delivering on the promise of a quick update? What sort of crazy Twilight Zone am I in? ;) A speedy update as promised and I do hope you enjoyed the read! Some big (and I do mean big) developments happening next chapter. Stay tuned!