【遠慮側が多い】
Something was telling him this was the right thing to do.
To say he was losing his mind in the fort would be an understatement. Besides, he lost his mind days ago, somewhere between Omi and Kishibe, along with the tracks of Rin's captor.
If only he could be the storm in which he lost them, become the air and wind, encompassing all living beings. At least he would know if she was alright.
Instead, he allowed the storm to be caged within four walls, surrounded by rules and orders, suffocated to the point where all hope was soon to be lost.
But not anymore.
By the time they snuck out of the fort, Jin had a solid plan of action in his mind. First, he was going to search Rin's workshop for any clues. He was aware Lord Shimura's men had already done that, but none of them knew Rin as much as he did.
The workshop was a place where the two of them would meet up after a hunt, or simply just sit and talk when no one else was around. It was the first place he would come to after returning from the castle and the last place to visit before going back.
Second on his list was picking Lord Nagao's mind after he'd return. The thought of putting his family in second place was upsetting him, however, he also knew he needed to tread carefully there. There was no doubt this would be an emotional conversation for him. All the suspicion that Jin had accumulated over the past couple of days had to be pushed aside in order to make way for compassion and sympathy.
The final part of his plan, if it could even be called that, was to go south and continue his search. He wasn't sure how to go about it yet, especially now that Lord Shimura was gone, but he was hard set on coming up with something.
Maybe he could turn the fact that his uncle was absent to his benefit.
He looked down at the katana on his side, the yellow tassel swaying lightly back and forth, closely mimicking the strides Kaito was making on the soft path. To a bystander, the tassel would probably seem a little out of place. To him, it was temporarily filling a gap in his heart, a gap that was created by a mystery he didn't understand.
He glanced over the brothers' faces, the two riding side by side behind him. The hooves of their horses were pressing lightly into the water-soaked ground.
The Adachis came to the fort the previous day. After Lord Adachi left for Fort Imai, they didn't have anything specific to do and were more than eager to accompany him on a trip to Omi. Jin filled them in on most of the narrative, keeping the more private details to himself.
The brothers, sensing the matter was somewhat personal to him, didn't question him much and mostly kept a neutral conversation throughout the journey. That itself was a reason to be thankful to them. They forced his mind to stay present, keeping it away from the memories of his own decadent past.
Emerging from the forest, he couldn't help but shudder upon seeing the first structures of the village. The feeling was uncomfortably similar to the one he had when he returned from Iki, when Lord Adachi's group accompanied him and his father's body back to Omi.
He nudged Kaito to slow down upon reaching the estate. Yuriko didn't know he was coming, and he wanted to keep it that way. He wasn't about to put more stress on her by revealing his intentions in the village. It was unnecessary, at least until he had more information.
The land was covered with a thin layer of snow. The path itself was somewhat clear of it, showing the recent movements of the people in the village. The trail to the workshop was untouched, suggesting everyone had stayed away, either out of respect or fear.
YOU ARE READING
Of Arrows and Men (Ghost of Tsushima prequel)
Historical Fiction"I can hunt." He followed her line of sight and once again took the bow into his hands. His face was void of all emotion when he came forward. "I don't need a hunter. I need a killer." With fingers gripping the weapon on both ends, he leaned in and...
