Wolf and Keeper

Chapter 1: The Cruelest Lessons

Ebume, Mutsu Province, 1541

Sen watched the other children run through the town laughing and playing the whole way and briefly wondered if perhaps his newfound hobby would, maybe, make them like him before he quickly shook away the thought and stayed hidden in the bushes, watching them have their fun. The last time they had found him, the only thing he had received was a well-aimed rock to the temple. The cut still stung from time to time despite it having scabbed over. A part of him ached for the ability to play, to laugh with other children, but he knew better than to believe that they would see him as anything other than what the crazy old priest had convinced them he was: a monster.

He looked down at the small folded carp in his hands, made out of bright washi paper and covered in pretty painted scales, and instantly knew that they would find some way to twist his gift into a reason to torment him. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Whatchya doin'?" The voice made him jump with a yelp and spin around to see a girl staring at him, blinking back at his surprise. "What're you holding?" She looked down at his cupped hands and blinked at him again when he dropped his eyes to his bare feet and refused to look at her. She reached out and grabbed ahold of his wrist and opened his loosely curled fingers to reveal the carp, which she took from his hands and turned over in her own. He was waiting for her to hurl some form of abuse when instead she giggled and handed it back, "It's pretty! Can you make me one?"

Sen's head shot up and his eyes widened as he found the girl grinning at him, "Ah..." He wasn't quite sure exactly what to say.

"My name's Itsuki! What's yours?"

"...S-sen..."

"My dad is the blacksmith! Someday, I'm gonna be a blacksmith, too! Just like him!" Her smile fell when she saw him staring at her in surprise and she cocked her head to the side quizzically. "What's wrong?"

"You... you're not afraid of me?" He asked hesitantly, preparing to run if she somehow realized who she was talking to,

"No...? Should I be?" She furrowed her brow, "I always see the other kids being mean to you. They... They're mean to me too. They say a girl can't be a blacksmith. I think they're just stupid."

"Hey! Look! Soot-face is being nice to the demon spawn!" Sen felt his back stiffen up as he heard the voice behind him as a cold pang of fear took hold of him. He knew the boy. Hamu. "Might wanna go somewhere else, Itsuki. You'll catch the crazy standing so close to him!"

"Back off, Hamu!" Itsuki shouted back, stepping forward to stand beside Sen, who still had his back turned to the other children behind him. "Leave us alone!"

"Hey, demon spawn!" Hamu ignored her entirely and shouted at Sen's back. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

Sen was rooted in place. It felt like his legs were wrapped in coiled vines that held him fast and rigid as the icy lump formed again in his stomach. "Maybe you should leave..." Sen muttered as his eyes slowly looked to Itsuki, who looked back at him in surprise.

"Did you hear me? Turn around!" Hamu shouted again and Sen flinched like the words were stones.

"Leave him alone!" Itsuki turned from Sen and shouted back, and he quietly hoped she would leave before they did what they usually did to him when they saw him around town.

"Know what we do when he won't listen?" Hamu leered, and soon after Sen felt a sharp crack against his skull and briefly saw stars as he stumbled forward. He felt a small rivulet of blood down the back of his neck and heard the dull thump of a rock fall behind him before the kids all started to cheer and another one slammed into his shoulder blade, making him whimper and arch his back defensively against the stones.