Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Kazemaru and Miharu ❯ Chapter 3

Kazemaru landed a ways away from the village on the side where the old woman lived. He quietly made his way to the back of the little building that served as both her home and a little restaurant. She didn't get much business because her food was mostly old-fashioned, and nowadays people liked to live on the edge, too much wasabi, sake, and fugu. He liked the old ways; they were more familiar to him.

 

He listened carefully to make sure she wasn't too busy, and then made a little sound like an owl. From within the building he could hear her excuse herself from the one customer she had, and gently shuffle to the back.

 

“Hello, old woman,” he let her hear his smile.

 

“Well, if it isn't my old back-door lover! Haven't heard from you in a while, handsome.” She patted his cheek fondly. She probably knew he was Yokai, since he hadn't gotten any older over the last 40 years, but she didn't seem to care.

 

“What gift have you for me today, sweetheart? Something pretty?” She had been blind at least since she was 20, when he first met her, but she always seemed to put value on appearance.

 

“Mmm… not too pretty… but nice.” He placed the sword in her hands, and she felt the length of the sheath and the handle. She un-notched the blade and even felt the edge.

 

“This is very nice, Kaze-kun, but a little too nice I think.” She began to hand it back to him.

 

“I need more food than usual, old woman. I have a guest.”

 

She grinned. “A guest! Well, it's about time. I worry about you, all alone. Especially in the winter.”

 

He smiled. “You don't need to worry about me; I can take care of myself.”

 

The old woman swatted his shoulder. “Nonsense. I have worried about you since the day you showed up with your head wrapped up, half-starved and asking if you could have some food for the tooth of a dragon. I got quite a bit for that, too. Now tell me about this guest. Is it a man or a woman?” she gestured for him to come inside to the kitchen while she made some nicely arranged meals.

 

He indulged her. “A woman.”

 

She turned around and grinned at him. “Oooh. Is she pretty?”

 

“Yes.”

 

She waited a while. “Well, is that all you're going to tell me?” she jibed.

 

He sighed. “She's very pretty actually. And she sings. She's nice to me, which is …unusual.”

 

She threw a towel at him, which he caught. “I'm nice to you!” she was smiling though. “Is she young?” she asked, a little more serious.

 

“Yes. Younger than 20, I'd guess.”

 

She nodded a little. “Good. Then you'll have lots of time together.” She took it for granted he was immortal, as if it was normal for some people. She had finished the boxes, and handed them to him, patting his cheek once her hands were free. She sighed. “If I'd been able to see that pretty face of yours I'd probably have fallen head over heels for you, regardless of my husband, (may his soul be at peace). You take good care of her now,” she warned.

 

He thanked her, and left. He never contested anything she said, and with good reason. She didn't like to be corrected. She'd thrown food at him, that time. She had exceptional aim for a blind woman.

 

As he returned to the island, he thought about what she had said. He couldn't possibly have explained the situation to her. But maybe she was right. He should be a little nicer to Miharu. After all, she was being very nice to him.

 

When he reached the cave, he found her sitting on the chest, simply waiting for him. He wondered how long she had been waiting, and felt a little guilty. She looked perfect, too. Not a single feather on her. Oh well. He handed her one of the boxes, took one himself, and set the other two aside for that evening.

 

Miharu simply held it in her lap, watching him. It wasn't until he sat down and opened his own that she did so as well.

 

“This is wonderful!” she commented.

 

He shrugged. “You're probably used to better.”

 

She shook her head. “I get tired of all the ceremony and delicacies. It's nice to have a good simple meal once in a while.”

 

He smiled a little. Well, they had one thing in common. They ate in silence for a moment, and he found himself watching her. When she ate it was like a dance, taking only the tiniest bits of rice and fish, delicately raising her hand as if she might drop something, which she never did.

 

“Would you mind if I asked you a question, lady Miharu?” he finally said quietly.

 

She paused. “Only if I can ask one back.”

 

That made him smile. “I suppose that's only fair.” She nodded, and so he asked. “How old are you, lady Miharu?”

 

“I am seventeen, this last April. How old are you?” she asked right back.

 

He paused, sucking on his chopsticks as he calculated. “Two hundred and thirty-five, last June.”

 

She stared at him a moment, and then looked back at her food. “How… how long do your people live?”

 

He smiled. “Until we die. My turn. Your name is Miharu; it means clear skies, right? How did you get it?”

 

She smiled a little. “Well, on the day I was born, there wasn't a single cloud in the sky all day long. It was very unusual, so they named me Miharu. It also sounds kind of nice with Nakamura, I suppose.”

 

He nodded, and waited for her next question. “Your name means `wind warrior.' How did you get it?”

 

He laughed a little. “Well, I wasn't born Kazemaru, just Kaze. I earned the title later on. But as for Kaze, well…” he stared past her. “My father left a little before I was born, and my mother assumed he'd been killed. He had left no name for me, and so I was named in remembrance of his awesome power. It beats Ichiro or Nanashi. It wasn't until I was an adolescent, about 30 I guess, that she learned that my father was still alive. He had left because he didn't want the responsibility of raising a son, she told me. So she raised me to succeed him. When I had trained long enough, I found him here, and I succeeded him.”

 

Miharu frowned, a cute little thing. “How did you succeed him?” she asked out of turn. He was afraid she would ask him that.

 

He sighed. “I fought him to the death. I just barely won, and lost an eye in the process. I healed of course, but for some reason it left a mark.” He pointed to his right eye, presumably to the small brown spot. “Unfortunately, he had apparently suppressed a great dragon, and it was sleeping under the island. When my father died, it awoke. I just barely managed to kill it too, but it was a couple of weeks before I could even get up after that. I would say I earned both my titles, wouldn't you?”

 

Miharu nodded, a little less stunned than he had expected her to be. “Alright, you asked two questions, so I get to ask two now. What was it like growing up for you, and have you got any deep dark secrets I should know about?” he joked.

 

Miharu sighed. “I don't, but I wish I did.”

 

Kazemaru nearly choked on a piece of crab. He almost asked why, but stopped himself. She saw it though, and answered anyway.

 

“My life has been so boring. I know I'm very fortunate compared to most people today, but I've always wanted something more. A little adventure, even a little tragedy would be better than the mindless routine I've lived. As for growing up,” she shrugged delicately. “My mother died when I was about six, and I only remember her a little bit. I don't really know my father that well; I think I reminded him of mother too much, so he keeps to himself. The closest thing I had to friends was my governesses, who taught me the painful art of being a lady.”

 

Kazemaru frowned. “They didn't bind your feet did they?”

 

She blushed and pulled her feet back against the chest. He remembered a little too late that humans seemed to find feet erotic. He thought this was a little bonkers, but he apologized anyway.

 

“It's alright. No, they didn't.” she smiled a little, coyly, and poked a perfect stocking-covered foot from under the edge of her kimonos. So they weren't, and not that she would have needed it. They were delicately tiny as it was. She drew it back and blushed a little again. “My father didn't approve of the practice. Besides, twelve kimonos and a retinue of guards and handmaidens is enough to keep anyone from running away.” She finished her food and delicately set it aside, putting the lid back on the box. “Now you've asked two questions, so I get two again.” She paused a moment.

 

“Why did you kidnap me and what exactly do you plan to do?” she seemed downright curious.

 

He shook his head again at her manner. “I suppose the answer to both questions would be that I'm not sure. I kidnapped you because it seemed the efficient thing to do at the time. You were in my arms, and it was time to leave.”

 

She blushed. “Oh…” she looked a little confused.

 

“I caught you when you fainted.” He explained, and she smiled a little. “I'm sorry you had to see that…” he offered, but she just shook her head.

 

“I'm just not used to it I guess.”

 

He nodded. “It shouldn't be something a lady should have to get used to. As for what I plan to do, I don't know.” He looked at her scrutinizingly, the urge to antagonize her rising again. “I haven't decided yet.”

 

She simply nodded. “Your turn.” She said pleasantly.

 

“Why aren't you afraid of me?” he shot out, and she paused.

 

Why wasn't she? She couldn't place her finger on it. She definitely had reason to be, but he just didn't seem… scary. “I don't know. I just don't find you scary.” She shrugged.

 

Wrong answer, she guessed, as he was suddenly inches away from her face, holding her chin tightly. Her heart beat rapidly, but she was only surprised and… she blushed.

 

“Do I still not frighten you?” His voice was a rough and low, and it sent a chill up her spine.

 

“Do you want me to be honest?” she said quietly.

 

“You had better be,” he whispered, and `or else' hung afterwards.

 

“No, Kazemaru-sama.” She closed her eyes, bracing herself, but what he did made them shoot open again. He gently slid his lips over hers, tilting her head back a little. His lips were so soft and warm… she closed her eyes again and tentatively put a hand to his face, but he jerked back at her touch.

 

“I'm sorry…” he said curtly, and turned around.

 

Miharu lifted a hand to touch her lips, perplexed. He had kissed her. That wasn't as surprising as the fact that she wanted him to kiss her again. Something in her had awoken, and she didn't want to force it down again.

 

Kazemaru put a hand to his mouth, incredulous of what he had just done. What was he thinking?! And yet he couldn't deny that he had liked it. Had she been trying to push him away or…?

 

“Kazemaru-sama?” her voice was so soft and kind, and to him alluring. Perhaps… no. He couldn't turn around. He couldn't look at her again or….

 

“I will return.” He said gruffly, and left the cave immediately. A nice cold swim would do him some good.

 

Miharu sat on there on the chest, perplexed. She hadn't even moved since he had come back. She stared at the entrance of the cave and wondered how long he would be gone. Had she done something wrong? She was so confused. She was alone now, and she didn't know what to do. She wanted him to come back, she wanted to apologize. She didn't want to be alone. She put her hands in her face and cried softly. `No,' she thought. `I shouldn't cry. This is what I asked for. A little adventure, a little change. I'm only getting what I asked for. I'm such a fool.'

 

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A/N:

A few helpful notes:

Fugu is puffer fish. Sucking on your chopsticks is really rude. Ichiro means “first son” and Nanashi means “no name.” *shrugs* thought you should know.