Blade Song

Chapter 8- Moonlit Strolls

Soon after agreeing to go with them, I'd promptly excused myself. A few more of Kiyoshi's companions were away gathering supplies, but I couldn't be bothered to wait around to meet them. I was about at my limit for the day and could feel myself starting to crack, so I decided to wander deeper into the woods, away from everyone. Once I was sure I'd gone far enough away, I sat down at the foot of a large tree and allowed myself to fall apart.

It'd been years since I'd wept so violently and for so long. In fact, I probably hadn't cried like that since the night I'd lost Eight.

Where had I gone so wrong? Was it that night I'd punched Shusui? If I'd kept my temper in check, would I still be in the bamboo woods right now laughing with Goro and Yasuki?

Perhaps all that was inevitable. Maybe I'd been on a sinking ship from the beginning, destined to go down no matter how hard I tried or how careful I was. I wanted to be mad. I wanted to hate them both, especially Yasuki, but six years is a long time. We'd had so many good memories. It was hard to cast all that aside.

Every time I closed my eyes I could still hear Goro screaming, still see Yasuki's head on the floor. I couldn't believe I'd destroyed everything I had again. By my own hand, my world was once again brought to ruin while my dumb luck kept me standing so I could watch the whole thing collapse around me.

How many times can one person start from nothing before it just isn't worth it anymore? Nothing is far more frightening than anyone gives it credit for.

I'm not sure how long I sat there, unmoving, staring at the shadows created by the bright moonlight. I'd stopped crying sometime after the sun went down, but couldn't bring myself to get up and go back. What was I even going back to? So, I just sat there watching the shadows dance and listened to the crickets chirp.

I saw him then, the white fox, moonlight caught in his hair. I thought at first maybe he was looking for me, but if that were the case, I'm sure he would have found me. If he wasn't here for me, then just what was he doing wandering around the woods at night? Up to no good, maybe?

I decided to follow him, knowing full well it would only take him a matter of seconds to realize I was doing so. In this case, however, it didn't really matter if he knew I was following him or not. My objective was not to spy on him as much as it was to deter him from whatever it was he was planning to do. You can't very well do something suspicious if someone is watching you.

He could have turned right around and murdered me on the spot. That was also fine. I was perfectly willing to fill this hollow feeling inside of me with a death song, mine or his. It made no difference to me at the moment. It was just that kind of night.

I snuck through the shadows after him, following for a few minutes, doing my best to keep my distance and make as little noise as possible, even though I knew it was futile. The bright light of the moon was helping me find my footing better than a dark night would have, but the darkness was still no friend of mine.

After a while, he stopped and turned towards me. The light of the moon hit his eyes and gave them a slight golden glow. "You don't have to follow so far away. I'd be happy for the company."

I sighed and stepped from the shadows. "What gave me away? The sound or the smell?"

He chuckled. "Both, I suppose. But don't get down on yourself. I'm very hard to sneak up on."

"Is that how you found me in the bamboo forest?"

"It was mostly smell then," he said. "The bamboo forest isn't far from here. I started smelling blood, a lot of it."

We started walking side by side, but I still kept some distance between us. I wasn't sure when his façade might wear off, and although the thought of death didn't worry me, I'd much prefer to go down swinging.