Wolf and Keeper

Chapter 24: The Mercenary

"He's a gaijin, isn't he?" Maru started and looked up from his taiyaki when Kai looked over at him, eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Where in the hell did you get one of those?"

"What am I? A piece of meat?"

"Picked him up from Kubara."

"Huh... So the rumor was true."

"I swear..."

Maru didn't know exactly what Avery was saying, but he seemed confused. He guessed. "I wish I could figure out what he's saying."

"Color this a coincidence," Shou cut in from the other side of the table, "but I heard a rumor."

"Do tell," Maru bit into the fish shaped bun again and leaned forward, not noticing Shoda give her eyes a roll beside him.

Shou quickly shot a glance over his shoulder to the door of the rather large room. Seeing no one except for a few scattered Sayonakidori at the other end of the table, he leaned forward and dropped his voice, forcing Maru to lean in to catch what he was saying. "There's a mercenary - one of the Saika-ikki - who can speak those strange gaijin tongues. I heard a rumor that he's further along going your way. Maybe you can butter him up? See if he'd help you translate?"

"Why the secrecy?"

"Because our boss hates you," Kai snickered as Shou sat back with a nod. "He explicitly told us to not give you any form of assistance and that as soon as you've eaten, we're supposed to throw you out."

"Not following that order, then?"

"We don't hate you specifically. Our advice is to gauge what way the wind is blowing," Shou picked up a slice of pork delicately between the very tips of his chopsticks and cast his eyes to Maru. "Kazegumo has been sending out a lot of missives lately, and our boss hasn't exactly appreciated what he's had to say."

Now, that was news to Maru. His face must have shown it because Shou and Kai exchanged a look before Kai leaned forward and dropped his voice again, "Wait, you didn't know?"

Before Maru could even reply, another Sayonakidori arrived. A tall woman clad in her full set of armor, her face obscured behind a snarling tengu somen, and her dark eyes peering down at him. "You need to leave," she spoke with a deep voice that seemed to fill the quiet space.

"Mari, maybe we should let them..." Shou attempted to cut in, but the woman spoke over his protest.

"Our boss told me to get rid of them," her eyes never left Maru, who reluctantly stood up, followed by Avery and a wary Shoda, who Maru saw watching Mari with an almost anxious look. She didn't speak a word as she turned and began to walk back the way she seemingly came, and Maru found himself hard-pressed to keep up with her long strides.

"This is abrupt!" He called up to her, hoping to strike up some conversation, but she remained ominously silent as she led them from the room and out through the grounds. The sky was dark, and the air smelled like an impending thunderstorm. She didn't seem to notice or care as she continued to silently lead them to the gate. She moved off to one side when they reached it, her eyes locked onto Maru as he saw their things sitting there on the ground. He paused and looked up at her as he bent down and grabbed his pack. He saw Shoda and Avery in his periphery do the same. "What? No goodbye? No offer for future aid?"

"Be happy we decided to let you walk out of here alive," Mari's voice was even and cold. Absolutely frigid, if Maru was being honest with himself. She stepped back and gave the order to close the gate, and soon Maru, Shoda, and Avery found themselves standing outside beside their packs in front of a closed and locked gate.