Thieve's Fate (Part 1)
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"Whoooah! It looks so good!" Aiko gawked with her mouth agape. Through the mosiac of scents within the market the precocious girl had reached the end of the great sojourn, led dutifully by her nose to a stall of sizzling Squids. "I need one.....NOW!" she darted towards the steaming sea snacks with arms outstretched and a salivating smile.
"Urk!" she choked as a hand yanked the collar of her yukata, halting her sprint and sending her feet up enough to lose a sandal. Aiko turned grasping her neck and gasping dramatically "Hey what was that Sakura! You trying to choke me to death!?" Sakura pulled her hungry companion within earshot and murmured
"You're the one who going to get us choked to death at the end of a noose! We have to lay low and not make a scene."
She let go of her rambunctious companion returning her tiptoed feet to the ground. Sakura gave a stern look as Aiko picked up her sandal and gave an exaggerated pout. Being taller with Aiko's head reaching just above her chest Sakura's authoritarian role among the companions was aptly reflected by her stature. She had shrewd eyes, narrow and discerning, close to her brow which gave her a stern, judicious look. Though brimming with austerity, there was a soft glow of loving concern that pierced through her discerning glance as she felt a tinge of guilt for snapping at her.
"I'm not trying to scold you, we just have to be cautious and unmemorable even when it's looking at food. This is our new start." Aiko's pout remained.
"You just don't know how to have fun. We're miles away and the city was burned to the ground! Relax already!" Aiko looked away.
"I wasn't gonna steal it" she said diminutively.
"Well, we only have so much and I'm holding our purse. We have to save everything we can until we find some kind of work!" As she said this she saw the hurt in her companion's naive, expressive eyes and guided her head to into her bosom, brushing her hair. "Sorry Ai, I'm hungry too" her stern tone softened into a soothing maternal reassurance as it always eventually did.
"I can afford it" she whispered into Sakura's kimono before looking up pleadingly. "You said this was our new start right?"
"Yes".
"So Y-you promise not to get mad if I tell you something I did before we came here?"
"...Yes"
The girl reached into her yukata, showing a glimpse of a tiny satchel.
"Where did you get that!?" Sakura gasped.
"Some drunk who fell asleep" Aiko quickly flashed a mischievous smirk.
"We can't go.."
Aiko, feeling more assertive cut her off "This is our fresh start so we should have a little fun to celebrate a new chapter!
Sakura mulled over snatching it from her and saving it but gave up, Aiko's smile was a precious sight after a year of hardship, and another close encounter with death after only 18 years of struggling through life. They just a month ago had run through a sea of smoke with bound arms and hands after being left to die, having been spared from execution only by a raging fire breaking out as the Daimyo's forces razed the city to the ground they had run for their lives. The girl deserved a break after all they had been through, just a while ago she was marked for death, now having the time of her life.
"Go ahead" Sakura said betraying a smile as she shushed Aiko's elated squealing jumping up and down.
Enjoy this moment she thought as she looked on fondly at the girl's pure joy in having a decent meal for the first time in what felt like a lifetime. "Of course I had to get you one too" Aiko said with a grin that flashed like steel as she rushed back holding the skewered squids.
"Like you always say, let's enjoy this slow...ly..." Aiko trailed off as she watched her companion devour her ikayaki messily without a hint of her usual reservation.
"You almost ate that as fast as I did!"
Sakura blushed with embarassment realizing she had downed her whole portion in a heartbeat and wiped her face. Since the day they had met as orphans struggling to survive in a city ravaged by a collapsing shogunate she had chastised her tiny companion to eat slow and savor what little food they could. With all the willpower she could muster, she had given up most of the food they foraged to nurse Aiko back to strength after falling ill in prison. Even after 2 months of prison gruel and days of carrying her through the wilderness Sakura still gave up the pittance of wild mushrooms, leeks and eggs to her ailing friend, crying silently at night with pangs of hunger and bathing separately to spare her the guilt of seeing the ribs that had begun to poke out of her famished body. For just a second a simple squid had made Sakura let down her guard and surrender herself to a moment of bliss.
After a brief silence Sakura's shocked face transformed into an enormous smile and the girls became overcome with teary, uncontrollable laughter.
It was the first time they had laughed like that in a long time.
As the two giggling girls walked hand in hand down an alley they were completely unaware on the armed men behind them....
"Urk!" she choked as a hand yanked the collar of her yukata, halting her sprint and sending her feet up enough to lose a sandal. Aiko turned grasping her neck and gasping dramatically "Hey what was that Sakura! You trying to choke me to death!?" Sakura pulled her hungry companion within earshot and murmured
"You're the one who going to get us choked to death at the end of a noose! We have to lay low and not make a scene."
She let go of her rambunctious companion returning her tiptoed feet to the ground. Sakura gave a stern look as Aiko picked up her sandal and gave an exaggerated pout. Being taller with Aiko's head reaching just above her chest Sakura's authoritarian role among the companions was aptly reflected by her stature. She had shrewd eyes, narrow and discerning, close to her brow which gave her a stern, judicious look. Though brimming with austerity, there was a soft glow of loving concern that pierced through her discerning glance as she felt a tinge of guilt for snapping at her.
"I'm not trying to scold you, we just have to be cautious and unmemorable even when it's looking at food. This is our new start." Aiko's pout remained.
"You just don't know how to have fun. We're miles away and the city was burned to the ground! Relax already!" Aiko looked away.
"I wasn't gonna steal it" she said diminutively.
"Well, we only have so much and I'm holding our purse. We have to save everything we can until we find some kind of work!" As she said this she saw the hurt in her companion's naive, expressive eyes and guided her head to into her bosom, brushing her hair. "Sorry Ai, I'm hungry too" her stern tone softened into a soothing maternal reassurance as it always eventually did.
"I can afford it" she whispered into Sakura's kimono before looking up pleadingly. "You said this was our new start right?"
"Yes".
"So Y-you promise not to get mad if I tell you something I did before we came here?"
"...Yes"
The girl reached into her yukata, showing a glimpse of a tiny satchel.
"Where did you get that!?" Sakura gasped.
"Some drunk who fell asleep" Aiko quickly flashed a mischievous smirk.
"We can't go.."
Aiko, feeling more assertive cut her off "This is our fresh start so we should have a little fun to celebrate a new chapter!
Sakura mulled over snatching it from her and saving it but gave up, Aiko's smile was a precious sight after a year of hardship, and another close encounter with death after only 18 years of struggling through life. They just a month ago had run through a sea of smoke with bound arms and hands after being left to die, having been spared from execution only by a raging fire breaking out as the Daimyo's forces razed the city to the ground they had run for their lives. The girl deserved a break after all they had been through, just a while ago she was marked for death, now having the time of her life.
"Go ahead" Sakura said betraying a smile as she shushed Aiko's elated squealing jumping up and down.
Enjoy this moment she thought as she looked on fondly at the girl's pure joy in having a decent meal for the first time in what felt like a lifetime. "Of course I had to get you one too" Aiko said with a grin that flashed like steel as she rushed back holding the skewered squids.
"Like you always say, let's enjoy this slow...ly..." Aiko trailed off as she watched her companion devour her ikayaki messily without a hint of her usual reservation.
"You almost ate that as fast as I did!"
Sakura blushed with embarassment realizing she had downed her whole portion in a heartbeat and wiped her face. Since the day they had met as orphans struggling to survive in a city ravaged by a collapsing shogunate she had chastised her tiny companion to eat slow and savor what little food they could. With all the willpower she could muster, she had given up most of the food they foraged to nurse Aiko back to strength after falling ill in prison. Even after 2 months of prison gruel and days of carrying her through the wilderness Sakura still gave up the pittance of wild mushrooms, leeks and eggs to her ailing friend, crying silently at night with pangs of hunger and bathing separately to spare her the guilt of seeing the ribs that had begun to poke out of her famished body. For just a second a simple squid had made Sakura let down her guard and surrender herself to a moment of bliss.
After a brief silence Sakura's shocked face transformed into an enormous smile and the girls became overcome with teary, uncontrollable laughter.
It was the first time they had laughed like that in a long time.
As the two giggling girls walked hand in hand down an alley they were completely unaware on the armed men behind them....
Page: 1
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