Born of Love

CHAPTER II

The little girl in his arms screamed with such force that he did not understand how a newborn could have such lung capacity when until an hour ago she was still in her mother's womb. However, it gave him a certain tenderness to think that his newborn daughter has inherited his strong lungs and that she will run like the wind as soon as she learns to stand on her own.

They were first-time parents and had no family to advise them. It's also not like they can turn to the neighbors, as they weren't very popular; Or they were, but in a bad way...

"She's very beautiful!" Look how big her eyes are!"

"Just like yours... Doesn't it bother you that it's not a boy?"

"A boy would have to go fight, and I don't want to give Tokiasa any more innocent men.

They were both silent for a while, wishing the baby would follow suit. Several hours later (and her first meal of her life) made the little girl give their parents a reprieve, although they sensed that it would not last long.

"What shall we call her?"

"We could inherit your name."

But they both knew that was a bad idea. The girl had enough to have them as parents and naming her after her mother would only make it worse.

"Beautiful," he said.

"Don't start..."

"No... I mean... The girl is beautiful. As beautiful as a dream."

"Are you really going to compose a haiku right now, samurai?"

-Yuna.

The little girl made a slight noise that made her parents stop to watch her, afraid they had woken her up. Luckily, they were safe, for now...

"What did you say?" she asked.

"Yuna: "She's beautiful." "It's a dream." Those are the kanji. Yuna."

They didn't think twice. By the time the little girl woke up, they already had a name to try to calm her down, and they would repeat it a lot over the next few months...

Born a peasant, Yuna's father had lived the same monotonous life as almost the entire population of Tsushima. However, no one felt a particular envy for those born on the Main Island given the amount of discouraging news such as revolts, civil wars, dynastic conflicts, and differences between the most powerful clans. But what he liked least about that vast land were the taxes; The constant dramas of the shogunate don't pay for themselves...

Not that Tsushima was exempt from any payment, but the sea that separated them gave them a certain autonomy from these great affairs. They also had samurai clans that watched over the maintenance of order and security on the small island, unlike Iki.

Yuna's father was born in the village of Urashima to a fishing family. Everything pointed to the fact that this quiet young man would dedicate his life to the sea, until one day he appeared in front of his parents and revealed that he had been training under the supervision of an old warrior monk to enter the ranks of samurai in Yarikawa.

Little did his parents object as they were already too burdened by the bad fishing streak and the upbringing of their other children, so they accepted the news willingly and together they dedicated a day to visit the nearby Leaf Peak Shrine and honor Shinatsuhiko (kami of the wind), who seemed to be present now of the delivery of the offering for it shook the young man's hair so hard that it untied his ponytail and made the ribbon that contained it fly...

Soon after, he would participate in the tournament organized by the Yarikawa Clan to recruit new recruits and emerge victorious in his entrance test by combat and duel. With the approval of the jury, he managed to enter the army of the then Lord Tokiasa Yarikawa, despite not being his first choice. He had wanted to appear at the Nagao tournament, but his skills with the bow were far below what was required in said Clan, not to mention the discouragement that came from the mere thought of being evaluated by Ishikawa; the best goalkeeper Tsushima has seen in decades and he's only a few years younger than him.

As a swordsman he had talent, though this was overshadowed by his diligence. He would take all the jobs that were the most tedious and do them with a smile on his face. He hadn't given up the life of a fisherman because he was bothered by the monotony, he just wanted to be sure that he wouldn't be homeless overnight; And if he had to take care of the horses, polish weapons and armor, or stay up late guarding the village gates, he would gladly do so. He prided himself on being hardworking.

The spring of his life came through a girl who lived outside the walls of Yarikawa. He met her on one of his many night watches when he helped her repair the wheel of the cart in which she was transporting medicinal herbs. She wanted to give him some ginseng as a thank you, but he refused to take any of her merchandise. Noticing his hair ruffled by the wind and humidity, she decided to give him a piece of her own headband.

Little did he know about romance, but what he felt for her had to be love. Whenever he came across an interesting place, he would write it down in his mind to take her with him next time, and he would dream of the idea of her waiting for him in their own house every night. The conversation was easy between them, and the silences were warm (especially when he rested his head on her legs and let her small hands caress his unruly hair). And even though he had enough money to buy himself a hundred ribbons, he never stopped using the piece she had given him. He was ready to formalize their relationship. If he asked, she would answer yes. But he postponed the proposal to make it as special as possible.

Several stations passed in this way; the intrigues of the Main Island reached Tsushima, and Tokiasa Yarikawa was its catalyst.

The lord of Yarikawa (and thus his chief) had decided that the Shimura had ruled long enough and that his clan was best suited to lead the way from now on. He was right; Yarikawa was noted for being a thriving village and an important center of trade, being in a convenient territorial half of the island through which goods passed from the south of Izuhara to the coldest tip of Kamiagata. Not to mention, his warriors were fierce swordsmen, and our young lover, no matter how much he tried to be modest, was one of the lucky ones who had managed to master the "Dance of Wrath"; a lethal sword technique that quickly combined three consecutive attacks and was known only to Yarikawa's samurai.

War had been declared, and along with it came news: Tokiasa Yarikawa ordered him to marry one of his cousins. It was a way to ensure his loyalty and that the secret of the Dance of Wrath would remain in the clan's inner circle. Chains disguised as favor.

She was waiting for him at the secret entrance of the village; behind the waterfall and under the white-leaved tree. He didn't have to tell her; he knew she would be there.

"Your footsteps are not so light anymore."

"It's because of the new armor; heavier..."

Silence. That kind of silence that had never been born between them. Silence that indicated that for the first time they didn't know what the other was thinking.

"When is the wedding?"

"It's already happened."

"Ah! Hence the armor."

He couldn't stand it any longer and threw the helmet away, making the little cave rumble with the roar of metal. She kept watching him; She was used to his tantrums, and this time he had a real right to vent.

"Tokiasa gave you an order and you carried it out, I want you to know that I understand that. I will remain by your side if you continue to wish to do so."

"And the people? I don't want them to be cruel to you."

She laughs. When she turns her gaze back to him, she lets out another big laugh, but this time accompanied by a slight gesture of concern.

"That will end up happening even if we part, samurai."

"We can avoid it. We can try to keep it a secret and..."

"Yes... I guess so... If you get a discreet healer."

"A healer?"

"If we don't hurry, there won't be a kimono to hide our secret, samurai."