The Painted Lion & The Threadbare Rose

Ambush In The Woods

A little while later, Rubina sat on the deck, watching the trees sway in the breeze and the gray skies darken as night began to creep in. Her mind was buzzing. She swung her legs back and forth.

"A dream that I'm destined to follow?" She mused.

At that moment, a familiar figure emerged from the shadows, with a massive boar being dragged behind him. It was Shishimaru. He saw her and his face lit up.

"Hey!" Rubina called, laughing and waving at him.

Something about the larger boy lifted her spirits immensely, making even the pain in her ribs fade into a distant throb. Her mother would have said he had 'good vibes.' She'd never paid much attention to the different feelings people gave off until the pirates came. Compared to that, Shishimaru was a ray of sunshine, even with that weird dangerous under-layer. He felt like safety, but also a killer. What was even more curious was that his mother was exactly the same, yet Rubina couldn't imagine the cackling woman to be any kind of fighter.

"Yoyoi!"

He waved back, beaming. When he reached her, he hefted his kill up onto a big metal hook hanging from the roof. It had to be at least three hundred pounds of solid meat, yet he made it look like a measly sack of flour. Rubina marveled at his strength, starry-eyed.

"Wooow, you caught that? Amazing!"

Shishimaru's entire face turned red, and he almost tripped on his way to grab his skinning tools, catching himself by hopping on one foot. Her praise stoked his leonine pride. He retrieved them and puffed out his chest, smirking cheekily.

"Of course! There isn't a single creature on this island that I can't hunt!"

"Well, I guess I don't have anything to worry about anymore then!"

She smiled widely at him and he felt his heart almost leap out of his chest. This girl really had a strange effect on him. She was even more pretty now that she'd had a bath and the layers of dirt had come off of her. Something else caught his attention and he squinted at her.

"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?" Rubina patted her cheeks, looking a bit panicked.

"Hmm...is that my shirt?" He asked her.

Rubina perked up.

"Oh, is that all? Yeah, your mom told me to wear this until she can make me some clothes. Is...is that okay?"

Shishimaru had to use all of his willpower not to melt and join the rain puddles on the ground.

'She's wearing my clothes! Why does that make me so happy?'

"Yoyoi! It's fine! They look good on you. You can keep them if you want, I outgrew those anyway!"

He set about skinning the boar, and Rubina chatted with him while he worked.

"Oh, I never told you my name did I? I'm Rubina!"

Shishimaru finished stripping the fur off the boar and set it aside. He peeked around the carcass at her.

"Ah, a beautiful name for a beautiful girl!"

Rubina giggled.

"Thanks...Shishimaru."

Becoming a puddle was looking more and more likely, he thought.

A comfortable silence descended on them. Shishimaru lit a series of lanterns that lined the porch. Once he had sectioned off the meat, he started a roaring cooking fire. Rubina felt guilty for not being able to help. So, she asked him if she could take a look around and grabbed a lantern for herself. The rain had stopped so she didn't have to worry about getting wet again. He was happy to oblige as long as she promised not to wander too far. He also gave her one of his kunai knives to take with her.

"Just in case! There are some truly massive beasts on this island. Try not to leave the yard, ok?"

Rubina thanked him and agreed happily, skipping off into the dark. She spied an old basket near the side of the house and grabbed that too. She started scouting the edges of the forest, trying hard to see in the dark. Now that she wasn't fleeing for her life, she could see that the area was incredibly rich in natural resources. Her father had taught her almost every plant there was, and fungus too. Soon, the basket was filled almost to bursting with herbs, a wide variety of edible mushrooms, and even a few root vegetables she'd been lucky enough to uncover.

The sounds of the forest at night were soothing. Crickets sang and in the distance a pair of owls called out to each other. Rubina was bent over at the edge of a large clearing still within sight of the house's fire, tugging at a particularly stubborn potato, when a twig snapped behind her. She shot to her feet and spun around, only to be greeted by a terrible sight.

It seemed the other pirates had noticed their missing comrades and had pieced together what happened between the close-by shore and the broken cage lock. Six fully armed men stood before her, leering down at her with lecherous expressions.

"Well, well, well! Thought you could find yourself a new little home, did you? not today, girlie. You're coming back with us." One of them said, brandishing a sword that gleamed in the moonlight peeking through the clouds.

"Yeah, the captain's pissed! It's up to him what your punishment will be but it'll be less harsh if you just get your ass back on the ship." Said another.

"Hey I don't know about that, guys." A third one piped up. "Did you see those two back there? She butchered them! Doesn't matter what kind of price she'll fetch, captain will have her little head for sure for that one!"

"Who would've thought she had it in her?"

Rubina backed away slowly, peering back at the fire. The men saw this and rushed her. As their massive forms bore down on her, she did the only thing she could think of.

"SHISHIMARUUU!!!"

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