The Book Keeper's Daughter

Chapter 5

       "So...what are you? Some type of Samurai woman?" he asked.

"No."

"Ok...well...how did you learn these skills?"

"Shh!", she hushed. "You're going to get us caught." she whispered. The two snuck behind the pub. "Now we wait until nightfall."

"Are you joking?" he asked. She replied with a blank expression. "I guess not." Isao mumbled to himself. Throughout the day, the two stood there, swapping questions back and forth. Some were comical; like would you rather marry a horse tamer, or a wealthy widower accused of murdering his first wife. Daitan chose neither, of course. Some questions were more personal; like why Isao became a guard in the first place.

"My family comes from a long line of guards and samurais. It's just...what was expected of me... and I didn't want to disappoint my family." he admitted.

"Well if you weren't going to be a guard, what would you be?" Daitan asked.

"To be honest with you...I would want to be a bookseller. I've always been a lover of reading and books. Knowledge is the most honorable attribute. What would you be?"

"Hm...," she thought for a moment, "ask again me later." she responded.

Finally, nightfall. Datian watched as a drunken Goro stumbled out of the pub with his group of men. She recognized every single one of them from that night ten years ago. "Follow." she commanded. Isao followed, watching as Daitan walked toward the group of brawny men, purposely bumping into one of them.

"Hey! Watch it!", he barked. A flash of lighting was followed by a crash of thunder.

Datian removed her helmet, revealing her face. "Do you remember me...?" she mumbled.

"What?" the man asked.

"Do you. Remember me." she repeated louder, a second boom of thunder striking at the same time.

"Why would I remember you-" before Isao heard the end of his sentence, he noticed the man holding his neck, gasping for air. Before he even knew it, chaos had ensued. Both of the other men had tried to make their attack on Daitan, but Isao threw himself against a tall stocky thug, tackling him to the ground. The man pulled out a dagger, stabbing Isao in the side of the leg. "Agh!" Isao screamed in agony. A heavy pour of rain downed on them. Isao pulled out the dagger, holding it against his chest blade side up. He then pulled the man closer, causing the blade to penetrate his lung. Isao rolled from underneath the bandit, slowly getting to his feet, listening to the man clenching to the last few breaths he could muster. Isao looked over to Daitan, who already had her attacker unarmed, and pinned to the ground with a knife to his neck. "Daitan, wait!" Isao tried to lull her. "This isn't what your father would have wanted!"

"Don't talk to me about my father! You didn't even know him!" she argued.

"You're right...you're right...but if I had a daughter that I loved as much as you say he loved you...I wouldn't want her to become like him." Isao stated, pointing to Goro.

Daitan stood still, holding her grip on the blade. "But...but my whole life...I have to finish this!" she stammered.

Isao limped toward Daitan, gently grabbing the hand holding the knife, and pulling it away. "No, you don't." he reassured.

"Ok...", she couldn't control the silent tears streaming down her face, lucky for her, it could be mistaken for rain. On the inside, she was still that scared little eight year old from ten years ago. But now, it was time to move on; it's what her father would have wanted for her.

"Weak!", she heard a familiar voice yell, before having the chance to walk away. Goro was on his feet, holding a blade of his own. "Weak, just like your father," he spat, "and you know what I did to him."

A fire had begun to brew in Daitan, but she knew deep down that Isao was right. "We don't have to do this you know." she explained. "We can both just walk away. I will never come for you, and you don't have to come for me."

"It's too late." Goro hissed, lunging towards her. Before the small sword could impale Daitan, Isao tripped the man, crashing to the ground, and causing Goro to fall on his own blade. Daitan rushed to Isao's side, helping him regain his balance. The knife had speared Goro's side, slowly causing him to bleed out. This was a popular method of suicide for warriors who were caught with no way out. It was truly a grueling, and painful death. Fitting for Goro, Daitan thought.

Soon after Goro passed, Daitan began to feel disappointed. She thought that she would feel happier, maybe even lighter. But she felt exactly the same, and a little tired. Then she remembered the conversation she had prior with Isao. "Ask me again." she finally said, guiding a crumpled Isao back toward the woods.

"Ask you what?" he questioned.

"Ask me what I want to be."

"Ok...what do you want to be?"

"The wife of a bookseller." she smiled.