It was, Ryuu reflected, the nature of life to seek patterns, from the movement of a flock of birds in the sky to the daily actions people took every day. Every morning he and Moriko awoke before the sun rose in the sky. They would condition in the woods: running, climbing, lifting rocks and logs. Then came combat training and instruction. Moriko was teaching him how to hide his strength and Ryuu was teaching her new sword techniques and a more natural use of her own sense.
By the time the sun was near the tops of the trees, Takako would wake and the three of them would be off again, heading northeast. Deciding how to track Orochi had been a difficult decision. Moriko and Ryuu had combined their knowledge and intuition. Moriko knew the locations of all the military instillations in the Kingdom. They assumed with his injuries Orochi would have to return to one for healing. They also assumed he wouldn’t give up on his mission and would choose the military base closest to his current location, or the location he assumed Ryuu and Takako would be heading. From there he would move north, the direction he had seen Takako and Ryuu take.
They decided their best bet was a small outpost near the northern edge of the Kingdom. It was a local garrison which served as a training ground for the local militia. Moriko said it contained a small contingent of regular military but had enough beds and supplies to contain a full company of men. It felt right. Shigeru’s last advice to trust his instincts resonated in Ryuu’s mind.
The three of them traveled at a slow pace. Moriko, while strong, was still recovering from the abuse she had suffered at the monastery. Ryuu suspected the lasting damage was more in her mind than in her body, but she still hesitated just a moment too long in swordplay. A typical opponent may not notice it, but her hesitations were as deep as ravines in Ryuu’s mind, and they rendered her defenseless against a skilled swordsman such as Orochi.
Moriko knew it and she knew he knew it, but they had an unspoken agreement not to discuss it. Ryuu couldn’t judge her and only knew a little of what had happened to her at the monastery. But whatever had passed had scarred her enough to fail to commit to her sword. Fighting most people it wouldn’t be an issue, but if the sun rose on a day she had to fight or defend against Orochi she would be at his mercy.
Ryuu also didn’t know how to approach Takako. She had been distant ever since he had returned from the monastery and he couldn’t piece together why. A part of him wanted to find someplace safe for her and hide her. She didn’t belong in this struggle between the nightblades of the age, but had fallen in due to Ryuu’s own bungled morals.
But there was no place she could hide that was safer than with the two of them. Ryuu desperately wanted to comfort her and to be present for her, but she wouldn’t let him. He had tried to speak alone with her a couple of evenings but had been firmly rebuffed.
Without better options he gave her the space she hesitated to ask him for. He couldn’t shake the knowledge he was still responsible for all that had happened to her. He just didn’t know how to make the situation any better.
As the sun rose above the horizon, Ryuu could see evidence that winter was beginning to pass. The ground they walked on was no longer snow covered, although often muddy and slippery, wet from the melting. It slowed their progress further, but a part of him didn’t mind. He knew that once they reached the outpost it was unlikely their little group would stick together. They were united by purpose and necessity, and some days it seemed like little else.
Ryuu pushed his thoughts aside as he got up and began warming up. He could sense Moriko getting up about a hundred paces through the woods. He was beginning to sense her naturally, the way he had once been with Shigeru. But she was much more difficult. She had managed to adopt a very slight, consistent shield against the sense. While most people burned brightly, she did not, a dim candle in a forest fire.
Ryuu had learned to hide himself to a degree, but hadn’t internalized the technique the way Moriko or Orochi had. But although she was hidden, she wasn’t invisible, and it gave Ryuu hope he would be able to defeat Orochi when the time came.
Although he couldn’t see her from where he was standing he could sense her move in unison with him as they grabbed the wooden swords they had made. They walked far enough away that their practice wouldn’t wake Takako in the early morning hours and they began to spar.
Moriko managed to keep up with him well. She was fast and strong and had a good sense of improvisation. Their wooden blades snapped through the air, meeting and disengaging in ever-faster conflict. The tension built, and as was often the case, Ryuu could feel Moriko start to fall back against the speed of his cuts and thrusts.
With a quick snap of his wrists, he was inside her guard. He stepped in, wooden blade against her neck, her back against a tree, his face so close to hers he could smell the fresh sweat on her skin. She breathed heavily from the exertion of the combat. Ryuu held his cut close, his face close, and recognized for the first time his attraction to the dark haired mystery standing in front of him.
It was an impulse, a moment’s lack of reason, and he kissed her.
It was a mistake.
With incredible force, she shoved with all her might, throwing him back a good three paces. Off balance, he had no ground, and fell backwards, his feet tripping over a root.
Ryuu was speechless, his mind tumbling over a series of strong feelings. He loved Takako. He was sure of it. Why would he do that? His mind raced for answers but only found confusion.
Moriko wasn’t making things easy for him either. She regarded him in silence, her face neutral but her stance defensive. If Ryuu was going to try to get close to her again he would be experiencing a wooden blade to the face if not a steel one.
Ryuu searched for words, but his mind couldn’t hold onto them. He had never considered this, never thought the woman he had brought back from the monastery would have this power over him. He didn’t know what Takako thought of him, but this wouldn’t help his case. He should ask her to not tell Takako.
Finally his mind snapped into place. He may have made a mistake, but Shigeru had taught him lying to friends, to family, was inexcusable. No more. He stood up, brushed himself off and looked Moriko right in the eye.
“I’m sorry, Moriko, that wasn’t appropriate.”
Moriko returned his gaze without saying anything, allowing the moments to hang like stones between them. But then she let out just a bit of a grin, and Ryuu thought for the first time that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She didn’t have the looks of Takako, but she was primal, and Ryuu was entranced.
“Let’s continue” Moriko said, as she stepped into a defensive crouch.
Ryuu shook his head and grinned. No forgiveness, no absolution, simple acknowledgment was the extent of what he was going to get. He supposed it would have to be good enough. They continued their sparring practice, but Ryuu was never able to get inside her guard again.
They returned to camp and Ryuu woke Takako up. He couldn’t help feel a pang of guilt as he greeted her, but he kept his peace. He didn’t know what was going to happen to the two of them, but he still cared for her, and he couldn’t bring her any more pain.
As Takako awoke Moriko packed up the few items that constituted their camp. For once Ryuu appreciated Moriko’s less than verbose nature. He didn’t need another complication right now. Orochi was enough.
Moriko and Ryuu determined what direction they wanted to be moving, and the three of them took off. The sun against his face cheered him and brought him out of the depression he hadn’t even realized he was feeling.
He knew he felt guilty about Shigeru’s death. Although he knew that in one way he wasn’t responsible, that Shigeru had died at the hands of another, he also knew he bore some responsibility for what happened. That guilt had gnawed at him since he had felt the grief start to dissipate.
But spring was coming and Ryuu could feel the renewal of the Earth. The quiet pressure on his sense which he lived with most of the cycle was returning, softly muted over the winter. Birds and squirrels were starting to flit throughout the forest again and there was an atmosphere of expectation as the earth returned to life.
Moriko sensed the guards before he did, which only confirmed how distracted he was. For all of her skills the monastery training was not as good as the training Shigeru had given Ryuu and his sense was much better developed than hers. But there were two guards in the trees ahead of them.
Moriko gestured for Ryuu to follow her away from the guards. They met with Takako, who was staying as far behind them as she could and retraced their steps. Ryuu threw his sense out in every direction to search for others. Once they were satisfied they were out of earshot, Ryuu broke the silence.
“Are we there already?”
Moriko seemed uncertain. “Maybe, I would have guessed it was further away.”
Ryuu tried to contain his frustration. He wouldn’t have done any better. Neither of them had experience navigating these distances. It was testament enough they had even stumbled upon the camp.
“I didn’t sense anyone beyond the two guards.”
“Neither did I.”
Ryuu brought his hand to his chin and thought. The odds of running across two guards in a tree stand in the middle of the woods were pretty low. It indicated a larger, static force nearby. But they didn’t know which direction or what the force may consist of. If it was the camp they were looking for there could be dozens of soldiers waiting for them somewhere within a day’s walk. But there was also a chance the soldiers were there for another reason, such as being an advance lookout or rear guard for a company on the move.
Moriko was thinking many of the same thoughts. “We need to know more before we decide what to do.”
Ryuu closed his eyes and reached out with his sense. He could still feel the guards on the very outside of his range. They hadn’t moved.
“I agree. We need to move back and set up a place for Takako. Then tonight we scout.”
Takako glared at Ryuu. “I don’t want to be left alone anywhere near an enemy camp. I’ve been in one of those before, and I don’t care to repeat the experience.”
“We’ll move quite a ways back and we’ll hide you. You won’t be able to light a fire tonight, but other than that you’ll be fine. We’ll make sure we choose a safe spot.”
Takako nodded, but she didn’t look convinced. As they started to move back to find a campsite for Takako, she grabbed Ryuu’s arm and held him, waiting for Moriko to go away.
“Ryuu, I have a bad feeling about this. The two of you need to stop hunting Orochi now. I know he killed Shigeru, but if you keep this up, something bad is going to happen.”
Ryuu looked down at Takako’s lovely face, a tear streaming down her face, and his heart dropped from him. He knew he loved her, which only solidified his resolve.
“I know it’s dangerous. But it’s the only way we’re ever going to be free of him, free from all of this. If I thought there was any other way, any way at all, I would pick you up in my arms and run all night and every night after until we found a safe place where we could spend the rest of our days in peace. But I can’t do that knowing we’ll be hunted forever. I can’t live like Shigeru did.”
Takako’s shoulders sagged as she realized her arguments didn’t have any weight. “But I don’t want you to die like him either.”
They walked in awkward silence until they reached the location Moriko had chosen. Ryuu found his voice again.
“You know I will do everything I can to protect you.”
“I know that, but it doesn’t make my feeling any less horrible.”
“I’m sorry, but this has to be done.”
Takako couldn’t control herself any longer. She whispered violently, “I know that! I know we are stuck here on this path, but it will lead us all to ruin. I know it doesn’t make sense, but it’s what is in my heart.”
Ryuu held her like it was the last embrace he would ever be able to give her. He wanted to give her peace but didn’t know how. “I will be back. I promise it. We’re just going to go scout it out and decide upon our next steps.” He let her go and walked away. “I love you, you know.”
Takako nodded wearily. “I know you do. Please come back.”
Ryuu nodded and turned away. He wasn’t sure he could keep going if he stayed near her.
He met with Moriko and they moved through the woods towards the scout outpost. Ryuu was thrilled by the feeling of hunting with another nightblade. As they drew within visible range of the scouts they halted and whispered. They had sensed other outposts as well, each having overlapping areas of visibility. If they were going to sneak by they would need to wait until dark.
With nightfall near at hand they sat and waited. Ryuu took the time to calm himself and focus his sense. He crawled through the outposts searching forward. He lost the sense of his immediate surroundings in favor of understanding what lied ahead. He didn’t worry, Moriko was alert to changes in their vicinity. He continued forward and found what he was looking for, a garrison, a bright glow of life at the edges of what he could reach with his sense. It was small and seemed to hold less life than he had expected. But they were active, pacing back and forth. They were nervous.
He came back to himself and to the state of awareness which brought in information from nearby. It was a difficult transition to make, and he did it slowly. As soon as he had the attention to spare, the question came full force to his mind. Why would seasoned warriors be nervous when they were on guard duty?
The answer came right after the question. They knew Ryuu was coming. But did they know that he was here? If so, they had already walked right into a trap.
Moriko caught his excitement and raised an eyebrow.
“They know we’re coming, or maybe even that we’re here,” Ryuu said. He explained what he had sensed.