2 Chapter 2 (1/2)

Chapter 2

I made my way into the forest, running. I could only think of one place that I wanted to go, and I knew that she would be just as happy to see me as I would be to see her. I was going to see Shizuko, and ask her to run away with me.

When I reached her village, I took a deep breath and I searched out her scent. I followed it to her hut, and I knocked on the window. I heard a sharp gasp, and I heard rustling and she pulled aside the shade to look at me. She was surprised to see me.

”Koroshi…? What-”

”My castle came under siege, and so I used it as an opportunity to escape. But I know that if my step-father survives, he will come after me. I… I wanted for you to run away with me. I know that must seem very forward, but… I feel a connection, between the two of us.”

She was stunned, standing there in thought for a moment. I knew that she was more than likely a rice farmer, or something very taxing, and that she was probably worked fairly hard.

She looked over shoulder, at her closed shoji door. Then, she looked at me and gave a small nod. ”I'll come with you,” she said. She quickly got a blanket, and started putting some things in it before she wrapped it up, tied it, and I took it and threw it over my shoulder as I used me other hand to take hers, and helped her climb out of her window before we ran, hand in hand, out into the night.

*

Days passed, and I was already well into building us a small hut, way out in the forest, away from my old home and away from her village. She helped me gather supplies and put the hut together, and in the evenings, we rested together.

Within a few more days, our hut was finished, and I was busy building the furnishings and hunting food while Shizuko worked at home. I had gone and stolen blankets and other supplies, and she was busy using those supplies to stock and work around our new home.

*

We had been together for a few months, now. This had been a bit awkward. I slept on a bed roll on one side of the bedroom, and she slept on a bed roll on the other side. We continued sharing small, shy glances with one another.

We were flirting with each other often, teasing and picking on one another. We talked to one another about our problems. We cried with one another.

And then one day, it happened. We were sitting on a dock, while I was fishing, and she pressed a gentle kiss to my cheek.

I smiled. ”You missed,” I told her. I turned my face to look at her. ”Try again.”

She blushed prettily, but she smiled and pressed a kiss to my lips.