Awaiting The Dawn

26: [Side] Battle Within The Household

"Here." Daichi handed her a new blanket.

"Thank you." She took it into her little arms.

He nodded and Hisa copied him. Both of them fell silent. And then they were interrupted.

"Hisa, Hisa! Lookie what I brought!" Kichi pulled out a pouch that looked like it was about to burst. "The finest dried apricots in Kouka!"

That kid must've packed that thing full with apricots. Hisa always liked them.

Daichi didn't even bother looking at his brother or the fruit. "Your advertising needs work."

"Shut up!"

"Happy birthday, Hisa." Hana smiled to Hisa before leering at Kaya. "Say, friend. Now that she's nine, why don't I teach her some archery?"

"Well..." She searched for Hisa's reaction. "Do you want to?"

She briefly touched Kaya's hand, flinching before quickly letting go. "Don't...don't worry, mother."

Did she...just do a divination without asking permission?? Good thing her father was too distracted in talking to one of the elders.

"I look forward to your guidance, Aunt Hana." Bowing her head and hiding a smile, Hisa used a recently learned line.

"Goodness, kid. Just when did you get so mature?" Hana pretended to laugh, hiding her inner bitterness as she elbowed another member of their clan.

Lin took the hint in changing the subject and snuck a jab at one of the youngsters. "Definitely more grown up than our young merchant Kichi."

"I heard that, Auntie!" Said merchant stuck his tongue out, throwing the pouch of apricots into Hisa's face. "Don't compare me to this little kid! I'm older than her, and Eun-ae, and Daichi!"

"Ow!" She couldn't dodge the attack on time.

"By ten minutes." Daichi refuted Kichi with a blank expression, bending down to blow on Hisa's red forehead.

"That's not the point!" He yelled at Daichi with entertaining frustration all while popping a dried apricot into Hisa's mouth.

Lin, Hana, Kaya, Eun-ae, and everyone else laughed. Even Hisa and Daichi smiled.

.

The morning following Hisa's birthday, Kaya left on a hunt. When she returned, the house was quieter than usual.

She expected to come back to the sounds of her husband reciting a book from memory, scolding Hisa as she dozes off.

Maybe they went off to meditate?

That possibility vanished when she saw Hisa hiding in a corner, her new blanket covering her head.

"Huh? Where's your father, Hisa?" She looked left and right, unable to see him.

The little girl had her nose scrunched up and mouth set in a frown. "Father's hiding."

"Hiding?" Kaya repeated, crouching down to Hisa.

"We had a battle." She sniffed, hiding her face.

A battle. Kaya could hardly imagine it.

The literal scenario would be [hilariously] impossible. Since her husband couldn't fight, wouldn't it just be nine-year-old Hisa shooting knives at him?

Well, that probably didn't happen. "So who won the battle?"

"...It was a draw."

"Any casualties?"