by Ryan Kirk
The woman entered the path Asa had just been standing on. Now she had to trust luck. The intersection she hid near had three routes. If the woman chose Asa’s route, there was nothing more she could do.
The pedestrian entered the intersection, and Asa held her breath. Possibly an elder of the village, the woman continued straight, never glancing in Asa’s direction.
Before, Asa would have gotten back onto her first path as quickly as she could, but now she knew better. She kept her focus on her sense, planning her next moves. More people were walking near her original path. She’d be better served by choosing a different alleyway.
Asa stood up and snuck quietly away, paying attention to her footsteps to make sure she didn’t make a noise that would attract the bulky fellow’s interest.
Her next obstacle was a wide path that cut through the middle of the village. There was no way to avoid it, but here Asa had more luck. When she arrived, no one was looking at the space she needed to cross. With no time for hesitation, she darted across into a narrow passage on the other side.
From here she moved quickly. She was nearing the other side of the village when another danger presented itself. One person was in the passage behind her, around a corner for now but would see her in a few heartbeats. A crossing was in front of her, but two men were talking near it.
Asa scanned her surroundings. She smiled when she looked up at the roofs. Several in the area were flat, and her sense told her the buildings were currently unoccupied, the residents out enjoying the bright weather. She ran up to one, putting her foot high up on the wall and pushing up, letting her hands catch the edge of the roof. With one smooth motion she pulled herself up.
She rested for a few moments as the person who had been unintentionally following her passed below, completely oblivious that he had almost ended Asa’s test. During her rest she glanced around, grinning from ear to ear when she saw that she could make it to the edge of the village on the rooftops.
Making sure not to be seen or heard, Asa leapt lightly from roof to roof, covering the last fifty paces of her task with no problem. She leapt with pride off the last roof, landing and rolling softly on the other side of the village, completely unseen.
Not long afterward, beaming, she walked up to Daisuke, whose face was as expressionless as always. He gave her the slightest of smiles as she approached.
“You did well. Not quite the ideal route, but an acceptable one. You kept your focus, used your imagination, and your ability with your gift is better than I’ve seen from you.”
From Daisuke, that was high praise, and Asa flushed with pride.
“Come, let’s have lunch. Then we can begin our journey back.”
Asa was content. Her stomach was full, and her satisfaction at the completion of her test was deep. As they journeyed toward Daisuke’s house, she noticed other subtle signs of spring. Here and there, a green blade of grass poked through the snow, and songbirds flitted around the blades’ heads.
She wasn’t sure the last time she had been so content. Her days were filled with effort and training, but she was happy to be learning under Daisuke. She loved making little Mika laugh, and she was surprised that she’d miss Keiko’s company as well.
Daisuke, who always seemed to have a window to her thoughts, broke the companionable silence that had lasted between them. “It is perhaps not my place to ask, but I must. Have you put any thought toward what you will do next?”
There were layers to the question, and Asa understood them. Daisuke believed he had taught her everything he knew. She had nothing more to learn. That was not to say her skills couldn’t improve further, but lack of knowledge was no longer the problem. Asa knew what she needed to do. Henceforth, improvement was more a matter of practice than of learning.
He was also asking what she would do with what he had taught her. With her belly full and Daisuke’s inquiry opening the door, she finally worked up the courage to ask him the question that had pestered her since the day he’d let her into his house.
“I’m not sure. I do think about it often. But may I ask you something?”
Daisuke’s silence passed for consent.
“When I came to your door, after what I did, why did you welcome me?”
His eyes were unfocused, as though he was seeing something far in the past. “My own feelings were mixed. I had long thought what I would do if our paths crossed again. Often I believed I would kill you.”
The statement was simple and uttered without malice. Asa wasn’t surprised, but it did hurt.
“Simply, though, I welcomed you because of Kiyoshi. Knowing what I know now, I think he saw to your heart better even than you did, and certainly better than I. His last request to me was that I train you as well as I was able. After . . .”
Daisuke’s voice, normally steady, wavered. He took a deeper breath and continued.
“After he died, I couldn’t fulfill the promise I made to him. I had enough respect for him not to kill you, even though I desperately desired to. When you found me, more than anything, it was his wish that made me bid you welcome.”
Asa stopped and bowed deeply to him. He nodded silently, and they continued. For some time, Asa didn’t trust herself to speak.
“What do you believe I should do?”
“I do not know. I am out of touch with the events of the day, familiar only with the general state of affairs. Both Kiyoshi and I would have the same ask, though—that you serve the people of the Kingdom as well as you are able.”
The answer was too broad for Asa’s taste. She had the same feeling but wasn’t sure how that could best be accomplished.
She was surprised when Daisuke continued. “Know that I mean no malice in this, but once we return home, I will ask that you leave within a few days.”
Asa felt like she had been kicked in the shin. Before she could think, she blurted out, “Why?”
Daisuke glanced at her and smiled gently, his expression surprisingly tender. “It is not because I want you out of my family’s life. I’m sure that both Keiko and Mika would be more than happy to have you as our guest forever. You have become as close to us as Kiyoshi was, and that is no small feat. Even I admit that I wouldn’t be opposed to your presence. You are a skilled warrior, and the home is easier to manage with you present.
“You will always be welcome with my family, and our door will always be open to you. But you are hiding, and I would be a poor teacher if I continued to let you do so.”
Asa wanted to protest, but the words died before they could leave her lips. Claiming to be living with Daisuke to continue training was a half truth at best. While she was with him, there was no need to figure out what she lived for.
“I’m not sure what to do,” Asa repeated.
Daisuke stopped walking and fixed her with a penetrating stare. “Why did you come to me?”
Asa was momentarily disoriented. “To get stronger.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to prevent the people I care about from dying.” She thought of her family and Daiki and his strong-willed wife.
“You’re a fool.”
The words stung, but Asa could hear the affection behind them. Nevertheless they upset her.
“Why is that wrong? Isn’t that why you’re out here, in the middle of nowhere?”
Daisuke shook his head as though she was a child who didn’t understand the simplest explanations. “Part of why we are here is to protect my family, yes. But the real reason is because we wanted to start a new life together. Asa, no matter how strong you are, you can’t prevent what comes to us all. Your purpose needs to be better than that.”
“Your idea of ‘protecting the Kingdom’ is too vague.”
“Then be specific. Serve one person or one village. Just serve. Even if it’s only one person at a time, you’ll be making a difference in this world, and that’s all Kiyoshi or I could ask for.”
Daisuke, like his mentor Kiyoshi, was one of the best people she had ever me
t. His decision wasn’t easy to accept, but it was right.
“May I stay a few more days and say my goodbyes to your family?”
“Of course. I would never deny you that.”
Asa, not one given to self-expression, felt like running at Daisuke, leaping at him, and wrapping him up in a tight embrace. For a moment, she felt as though the feeling would overwhelm her. Then she got control of herself and gave him a small bow.
They continued toward his house in silence.
For the next few days, Asa tried to hold on to every moment with Daisuke’s family. She knew she had grown attached, but it was only when their company was going to be taken away that she understood just how close they had become. The moments slipped like sand through her fingers.
She and Mika played frequently in the woods behind the house. They imagined they were high ladies, fussing over their clothing and food. Asa hadn’t expected to enjoy playing with the girl, as she had never had a chance to play when she was young and saw little need now. But Asa gradually softened, and although she couldn’t throw herself into the imagined settings with the same enthusiasm as Daisuke’s daughter, she took part without complaint.
Daisuke continued her training, although there was little to teach. Their training had become more practice now and less instruction. The time was still valuable, especially for Asa. She focused on Daisuke, intensely curious how a nightblade with such incredible skills lived. She watched how he went about his morning chores and observed how he interacted with his family. At times she was able to admit that she wanted what he had.
One morning Daisuke asked Asa to join him for a walk through the woods. As she often did, Mika asked if she could come along, and Asa was pleasantly surprised when Daisuke agreed. They walked in silence through the woods, soon coming into ancient forest where the trees had seen hundreds of cycles. Asa had passed through before but generally avoided the area.
The problem with old woods was that they weren’t what they seemed. If one walked through them having only the regular five senses, one would hear only the silence suspended among the trees and footsteps underneath. The canopy overhead blocked most of the light, and even the height of day could seem like the depths of night. The forest almost seemed to be dead or dying.
With the gift, walking through old woods was an entirely different experience. You could sense the bugs and the critters that hid before your presence. The trees themselves, majestic in their age, gave off a powerful sensation, and the ground underfoot was alive with life. Intertwining roots and burrowing animals and creeping insects lit up one’s sense with a flood of information, like being in a city.
The difference between what a blade’s normal senses said and what the gift said made going into the old woods a disconcerting experience. Asa had never enjoyed it.
Asa’s best guess was that some human intuition, some hint of the gift, must reside in everyone, because very few people went into old forests. Sure, there were stories of mythical creatures that abducted children in the woods, but Asa suspected that was only an attempt to rationalize an underlying unease.
Daisuke was unusual in that he didn’t seem to mind the thick trees and narrow paths. Like her father, Mika also seemed unaffected. They walked for most of the morning, going deeper and deeper into the woods. At times, their path became so dark Asa wished for a torch.
She watched the two of her hosts move and realized they had a destination in mind. Daisuke wasn’t wandering or searching. He was moving directly for a place, a place deep in a forest few people dared enter even the outskirts of. Mika, from her carefree attitude and excitement, also seemed to know where they were going.
Eventually, they came to a small clearing. A very small hut appeared that looked as though it had only one room. Daisuke led the way in, and Asa saw her guess was correct. There were two beds set up and a very simple cooking arrangement. The hut had everything needed to live, but there was no extra space.
Asa ventured a guess. “You built this in case the worst comes to pass? A place to hide if events turn against you?”
Daisuke nodded.
He didn’t have to say anything more. Asa understood the brilliance herself. They would be safe from any military units, and in the confined spaces around the hut, even if an entire group of soldiers attacked, Daisuke would be able to pick them off one by one.
Nightblades would suffer the same fate. The trees were thick and dense, and Daisuke couldn’t be sensed. He could slay a group of blades with almost equal ease.
The only danger Daisuke faced here was if the entire forest burned down, but Asa didn’t see that happening. Lumber was a precious commodity, and someone would have to be incredibly desperate to destroy the woods intentionally. Acts of nature were possible but unlikely.
Mika tugged at Asa’s clothes. “This used to be a shrine, but my father turned the inside into a living space.”
“I wanted to show you this place,” Daisuke said. “There’s no telling what’s going to happen in the Kingdom in this cycle or even the next. My hope is that my home is spared, but I have plans in case it isn’t. Here I can defend my family indefinitely. I want you to know where it is in case you need a place to return.”
Asa felt a sadness grow in the pit of her stomach. She knew what it meant for Daisuke to show her the last place he had created for the safety of his loved ones. For him to trust her after the suffering she had caused him was almost too much to bear.
She bowed deeply to him. “Thank you.”
As she straightened, a thought crossed her mind. “Daisuke, I’m sorry that I must ask, but how do I even find this place? I don’t have the slightest clue where we are.”
Daisuke chuckled. “Perhaps there is one last lesson I can teach.”
He knelt down and indicated she should do the same. Asa followed his lead, smiling when Mika also squatted down. Daisuke showed the palm of his hand to Asa. “Place your hand on the ground and focus your sense beneath us.”
Asa did as Daisuke asked, extending her sense down below. She couldn’t remember ever having tried. In her experience, they had always focused on expanding their sense out, not down. She sensed the root system beneath, but that wasn’t new to her, as she had felt its influence most of the morning.
She lifted her hand and looked at Daisuke. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to be feeling.”
“Can you sense the flow of energy through the roots?”
Asa frowned. She had never thought of trying such a feat. She replaced her hand, closed her eyes, and focused on expanding her sense. This time when she found the roots, she did as Daisuke asked. Surprisingly, there was a direction to the energy, toward the hut Daisuke had made.
Asa stood up. “What are you saying?”
“I believe there are lines of force that run through the world we live on, something I’ve pondered for many cycles. If you extend your sense at any point in these woods, you’ll feel the flow of energy toward the hut. Focusing through your hands works as a start, but if you practice, you can feel life flowing beneath your feet as well. Locally, here, it all points toward the same place.”
Asa felt as confused as when she first began nightblade training. “What does it mean?”
Daisuke shrugged. “I’m not sure. I just know it works. Practice. You’ll be able to find the place again if you need to.”
Asa accepted his reasoning, even if she didn’t understand it. They worked on chores through the middle of the day, cleaning out the house and collecting firewood from downed branches.
The three made it back to Daisuke’s by early evening, just in time for Keiko’s meal, a simple dinner of rice and fish caught the day before from a nearby stream. Asa thought the food tasted particularly delicious, wondering if it was the cooking or the atmosphere that made every bite seem like a slice of pure pleasure.
As they neared the finish of the meal, Asa decided it was time to break the news. Without much warning she said, “Tomorrow I’m leaving. There’s still work I must
do.”
Keiko wasn’t surprised by the news. Asa had told her days ago, after coming back from the village, that she was planning on leaving soon.
Mika, though, was caught unprepared. Tears bubbled up in her eyes, and with a deep breath, she just barely managed to hold them in. “I thought you were going to stay here forever and we could be sisters.”
Asa’s heart was shredded by the girl’s desire. She’d never had a sister, either. “I would like to, Mika, but I must go out and try to help other people in the Kingdom.”
The girl wiped her tears and fixed Asa with a fierce look. “My father says that a nightblade goes around and makes sure the bad people can’t hurt anyone. Is that what you are going to do?”
“Yes, that is what I’m going to do.”
She didn’t get a chance to say anything more. Mika continued, “And you’ll promise you’ll come back when you’re done so we can be sisters?”
Asa would have rather faced one of the nightblade hunting units than Mika at that moment. She glanced at her parents, but although they gave Asa supportive looks, it was clear she was on her own. She approached Mika on her knees and, acting on an impulse, gave her a hug.
While holding the girl in a tight embrace, she said, “Mika, there is nothing I would rather do than stay here and be your sister.” Surprising even herself, she found that she believed what she said. “But you know that what I do is dangerous. If I can, I will come back to you, but I might not.”
The girl might have been young, but she understood. Asa broke off the embrace and glanced at Daisuke and Keiko again. Daisuke bowed his head the smallest amount, and Keiko had a single tear crawling down her left cheek.
They finished the meal in silence, and that night as they prepared for bed, Mika came into Asa’s bedroom and snuggled next to her, falling asleep as Asa stared at the ceiling and told stories of the nightblades of legend.
She was up the next morning before Mika. It would be hard for the girl to wake up and have her gone, but Asa feared that if she waited, she wouldn’t have the courage to leave.
