Fuel to the Fire

Chapter 6


Tatsu awoke to the sound of horses in the distance. He lazily turned his head to search the road, but only caught the fleeting sight of a caravan leaving the village. There must have been seven women among them, all clad in dark green clothing to help hide them from any enemies waiting in the forest. Reaching out to the long grass at his side, Tatsu plucked a blade and put it to his lips. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath of the humid air from the nearby river, and listened to the calming sounds of the water. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep, but the sun was barely visible as it began its decent into the trees.

He was curious to see what other secrets Yume might reveal on this eve, for he would not let her out of his sight. The scar along her stomach concerned him. He remembered his former compatriot from the Shinsengumi, Harada, who had a very similar scar from when he botched an attempt at seppuku. This wound was very similar to that. Would something have driven her to that point? Or worse, did something happen along her journey that would cause another to harm her this way? The more he thought on the subject, the more questions it raised in his mind. Tatsu wondered if they had been apart too long. She had suffered so much during the year she had spent with him. Maybe the time away, searching for that unrestricted life she wanted, had actually found her in a better place, without him. But only two people would know the facts surrounding the past five years, and one wasn’t telling secrets that were only his to bear, not to reveal.

Tatsumaki let out a sigh, then moved to sit up, only to collide with a foreign object in mid-air. “Ow!” said a young voice. Holding his forehead, Tatsu opened his eyes to see a young girl standing over him. She was also holding her head, fighting not to let a tear fall down her face. Tatsu sat up, and scooted around to face her. “Here, let me see that,” he said, trying to pull her hands away from her face. She watched him with a cautious eye, then conceded anyway, but not before sticking her tongue out at him. Tatsu placed a warm hand over the reddened area, feeling a small bump from their accident. “There, there, I think you’ll live,” he laughed, causing the girl to pout. “Don’t let her fool you, mister, she’s tougher than she looks!” yelled Arashi, approaching from the tree line. Tatsu looked between the two children. They were twins, both sharing the same eyes, the same smile. Arashi was slightly taller than this girl who immediately ran to her brother’s side for protection. “Stop it, Seimei, he’s not going to hurt you,” Arashi said, taking his sister’s hand. “We need you to come with us. The bead lady has something for you.” Tatsu nodded, rising to follow the pair into the village.

~*~*~

Yume and Miki were waiting outside their hut when Tatsumaki returned. The two were in the heat of an argument. He could hear Miki chastising her, but he had come into the conversation too late to determine the actual subject. She was shaking her head in aggravation, and it seemed Miki was trying hard to keep his voice at a decent level. Before Tatsu could approach anymore, Yume shoved Miki against the shoulders, and stalked up the main road leading away from the village. Tatsu watched as her hair swung furiously back and forth as she yelled curses into the forest. Miki was already on the move, heading in Tatsu’s direction. Tatsu had to sidestep him, or Miki was just going to plow through him. “Lover’s quarrel?” Tatsu asked jokingly, trying to lighten the mood while searching for any hidden emotions. Miki actually snorted as he passed Tatsu. “You’re her eyes tonight. If I see her before dawn, I might kill her,” he said, disappearing into the darkness surrounding the village. Yeah, he’d been there. The damn woman was too stubborn for her own good.

He caught up to Yume fairly quickly; her trail of curses was easy to follow. His laughter brought her out of her rantings long enough to give Tatsu a deadly look. “I’m not taking this shit from you either, Tatsu! Just say what you have to, and be done with it!” she yelled. Tatsu halted in front of her, raising his hands as a signal for surrender. “Hey, I’m only here to help,” he said. Yume closed her eyes, and started to breathe deeply. One breath, two breaths, she could feel the anger start to melt away, the cause hiding itself in the back of her mind. She didn’t have time to deal with it now, it would have to wait until morning. She looked at Tatsu, and smiled. “I see we found the right clothier for you,” she said. Tatsu nodded, stretching his arms out in front of him. The bead lady, as the kids had called her, turned out to be Ayame, the accountant he had met the first night in the bathhouse. “Yeah, her husband and I are the same size. She even loaned me some of his weapons in case of emergency.” Yume had forgotten how hot he looked when he was in his element, but a tinge of sadness crossed her face that Tatsu caught before she could hide it. “What is it?” he asked, reaching out to touch her shoulder. Yume took one step away, then looked up to search the trees. “Tatsu, she hasn’t loaned you anything. She gave them to you because her husband won’t be returning to this village.”

He thought on her words for a moment, then the realization struck. “Asahi…” he said, Yume nodding her affirmation. “It’s a real fear that these women live with everyday. They have buried three since I was accepted into the clan. But these women are strong, Tatsu, they know that if we don’t all share some of the burdens, we might starve. When they were given the chance to do their part by working in the bathhouse, most were eager to help out, to learn the arts that I have taught them. By doing this, they know that they are not just sitting around doing nothing, waiting for more bodies to return home. They are actually making a difference in a world dictated by men’s actions and decisions.” Tatsu watched her. She, too, believed that she was making a difference, that she had a purpose. Yume smiled back at Tatsu, and he could see that fire burning in her eyes again. Before she could move away, Tatsu pulled her into his arms, crushing her body against his chest. She was rigid against him, but when it seemed his intentions were pure, she breathed deeply and wrapped her arms around his waist. His heat was calming against her cold body, giving her a sense of love and security she had not felt since she had left his side.

Oh Kami, how she had missed him. Every time they buried another husband, she’d had to be strong for her associates. She knew the pain of loss, but it was nothing compared to the death of a loved one. She couldn’t relate, only support the woman who had lost her mate. Yume remembered the first time. She had barely known the man, but the woman’s pain was so deep that she took her own life out of despair. She remembered walking into the woman’s hut, carrying a lunch basket to share with her. Her body lied in a pool of her own blood, a gash across her throat still emptying her life onto the wooden floor. It had taken three days of sleeping in Miki’s arms to calm her down, to restore her mind back to some form of sanity. She could only think about what she would do if the same thing happened to Tatsumaki. Sure, she was surviving without him now, but he was still a living being, she could return to him at anytime. What if one day she woke up to the realization that Tatsu no longer walked this land? Would she have a reason to ever stroll under the sun’s light again?

Tatsu sensed her apprehension, and held her tighter. He still had no idea what this woman had been through, but he knew she would tell him in her own time. The voice in the back of his mind was prodding him to ask questions, but he knew it would only cause her close up tighter. He felt her sigh, then released her hold on him. Yume looked up to him, balancing on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. Yume left his side to climb a nearby tree. He hadn’t noticed until now that she was barefoot, wearing only cloth wrappings around her feet and ankles. Even in the spring night’s cool air, she still wore minimal clothing, a simple sleeveless tunic the color of night, and a pair of shorts to cover her underneath. Her old scars still marked her arms and legs, some fading with the years. He grinned at the knowledge that Yume was no longer a delicate flower, not that she had been that delicate when they had parted company five years ago. But she was not afraid to fight for what she believed in, and her body was a testament to her brazen courage. “Tatsu!” she yelled from her perch. “I need you to be my eyes on the ground. We are expecting men to return tonight, but we don’t know how many.” Tatsu nodded, giving her a signal of comprehension.

Tatsumaki took a post on the other side of the road. Ducking low into the brush, he watched as the evening fog settled around the woods. Now he understood. From her perch, she could hear if someone was coming, but she was above the fog so she couldn’t see them. He caught one more glimpse of her before the fog shrouded her presence. She sat in the junction of a tree, it’s trunk splitting in three directions, giving what appeared to be a throne to sit in. It wasn’t long before Yume started a conversation with him, uttering words he hadn’t expected. “So, when are you going to ask me, Tatsu? You’ve been here for a day, and you still have not gone through your list of questions.” Tatsu laughed at her recollection of his “other” job. “Well, what question should I ask first?” he directed back, letting her choose what she wanted to reveal. “I know you’ve seen it, Tatsu, I saw your reaction this morning by the river.” Tatsu took a deep breath, letting all of his air exit his lungs before he choked on his next breath. She really wanted to tell him, and he couldn’t refuse her now. “Yume, where did the scar come from?”

She inhaled the night’s scents. The evening breeze caught her hair, and she shook her head. She had the sensation that she was flying, the air moving seamlessly around her body. Yume opened her eyes again and watched the moon cresting over the treetops, it’s light seemed to thicken the fog below her, cutting her off from the world. This would be easier for her. She could answer his questions without having to actually face him. “When Miki found me, I was very sick. I had been for a while. I think the term the foreigners used was influenza. Anyway, when he and the villagers were nursing me back to health, they made another discovery about me.” She paused, trying to work through her own memories. “Wait, let me backtrack a little. During the time I spent with you, betrayals made me claim the lives of two men, Nanaka and Shinra. Their blood flowed through my dreams, their souls cried out for peace. Then, a remedy presented itself. You see, to repent for the two lives that I extinguished from the balance, I was able to provide two lives to give equality to the scale.” She paused, listening to her surroundings. As she listened for Tatsu, she heard the distant sound of hoof beats. “Tatsu, how many are there?” she half-whispered, half-yelled to him. She closed her eyes and listened again. They were closer, but their number was indistinguishable from her perch. “Two!” Tatsu yelled to her. Yume stood, grabbing the quiver and bow that was hanging on the side of the tree. She notched two arrows, and fired them in the direction of the village, signaling to Miki the number of men arriving home.

She sighed. Their job was finished for the night. It was time to collect the news that they brought, but first, she would have to see Tatsu. This was going to be her true test. At best, he would accept what had happened, at worst, he could leave and forsake her. Fear was building in her muscles, her fight or flight response screaming for her to run. He hadn’t said so much as a word except when she asked for his signal. Yume simply shook all those negative thoughts from her mind. Knowing she couldn’t stay in this tree all night, she began her descent. Before her feet could reach the ground, Tatsu had his hands around her waist, lifting her away from the tree. He set her gently on the ground, turning him towards him. Tatsu searched her face, seeing the fear of rejection in her eyes. He reached up to brush away some straggling hairs from her face. She closed her eyes, resting her cheek against his hand, seeking his acceptance.

“Would you have ever told me if Miki didn’t make you?” Tatsu asked. “Do Arashi and Seimei know?” The first question stung her, the second shocked her because she wasn’t aware that he had met both of them already. But she also wasn’t sure what answer to give. “I’m not sure, Tatsu. I can’t give a straightforward answer to that question. And no, the twins don’t know, about either of us.” With that, Yume turned away and headed towards the village. Her dark form faded into the thick fog within a few steps, leaving Tatsumaki standing alone with more questions and fewer answers, including the answer to his original question.