★ MINE ★
FIGHTING LESSON

it hadn't been difficult to find Kazuha. The beach was relatively empty, only in a few places children were playing together. Kimiko could see him sitting on the small rock from afar. He was sitting cross-legged and she couldn't tell exactly, but it looked like he had his eyes closed. He must have really enjoyed the silence.

Kimiko thought for a moment if she should really disturb him since he seemed so peaceful and maybe didn't want to be disturbed, but then she had to think about what Yua had said. He had asked for her and now that she had made it through the settlements without anyone noticing her, she really wanted to walk the last few steps.

Actually, it wasn't too difficult to get to the beach undetected. Most people were so busy with themselves or their businesses that they didn't even notice Kimiko. So did all the guards. When she thought about it, it had been far too easy. How could not a single guard notice her? After all, these men were responsible for the security of the Tenryou Commission. You couldn't really feel safe with such guards.

But who she definitely felt safe with was Kazuha. He had helped her without asking anything in return and without knowing who she was. To be honest, she found him really impressive and interesting. He was after all the first person she had met outside of her home and the village.

»Hello there. There was a familiar sent upon the wind,« he interrupted her thoughts. Kimiko stopped abruptly only to realize that she had already arrived at the rock. Kazuha looked down at her and smiled. »I guessed that you would come.«

She couldn't help but return his smile. »You guessed?«

»The wind told me.«

»Ah, yes. I forget, he talks to you.«

Kazuha laughed lightly. »So how do I get the honor?«

»Well.« Kimiko stepped on a small rock with her right foot to sit high on the rock. Kazuha moved a little to the side so that she had enough space. Then she pointed to his hand. »You still have my bracelet.«

He nodded. »Right.« Kazuha held out his hand and after a moment's hesitation, Kimiko put her hand in his. He slipped the bracelet gently over her wrist but didn't let go of her. He looked at the wet cloth and carefully lifted it up. »How did this happen?«, he asked with his soft voice.

»As you said.« She stopped mid-sentence when he looked up at her, looking straight into her eyes. She wasn't used to someone being so close to her. That someone would take care of her without working for her. »I am clumsy.«

Kazuha smiled. »Very clumsy.« He let go of her hand and pulled out his sword. He unwrapped a piece of bandage he was wearing on his right hand and cut it off with his sword. When he had put the sword away again, he pointed to her hand. »May I?« Kimiko nodded and let him bind her hand.

Kazuha was really gentle. He was careful not to hurt her and if she hadn't already seen him fight she would have said he couldn't hurt anyone at all. »You didn't get attacked again, did you?«, he asked when he was done. He brushed his fingers against hers and then let her go completely

»No.. I, well I fell down a tree.« Of course she couldn't tell him why she fell down the tree, but at least she could tell him that she fell down. But when he started to laugh, she wished she had shut up. But his laughter was so honest, so kind that she couldn't be mad at him. Still, she nudged him with her elbow. »That's not funny.«

»I'm sorry, my lady,« he apologized amused. »Maybe you should not only practice defending yourself, but also practice climbing trees.«

»You are a samurai, could you help me?« Of course it would be smarter and safer if Kimiko stayed away from him, but she was twenty years old and had no contact with the outside world. And she wanted to change that. She wanted friends, adventures and with Kazuha she could imagine that.

»Climbing trees?«, he joked.

She shoved him, laughing. »To defend myself.«

He was quiet for a while, as if thinking, until he cleared his throat. »Can you sneak away from whatever or whoever tomorrow?«

Kimiko wasn't sure if she would make it, but she nodded anyway. She would manage somehow. »So you help me?«

»How could I refuse this offer.«

»Actually, it's more of a request than an offer.«

A smile formed on Kazuha's lips. He looked at her sideways. »But it is a chance to spend time with you and therefore an offer for me which I gladly accept.« It was hard not to like him. Honestly, she knew Hiroki was right about being more careful, but she couldn't help it. Kazuha was the only chance to make contact outside of her golden cage. And even if Hiriko had his concerns, he understood her. He let her go the next day. She didn't even have to bother to persuade him.

Since Hiroki knew where she was going, he helped her get over the wall, so she didn't fall off the tree. Kimiko landed gently on the other side and didn't have to limp through the woods. She walked to the place where she had met Kazuha for the first time.

»Hello?«, she called through the forest. »Kazuha..?«

He was not there. Anyway, she couldn't see him, but she heard footsteps. They were getting closer and louder, and they were clearly coming from behind. Kimiko gripped her spear tighter. She crouched a little and spun her spear so that it slammed into the other's knees, throwing him to the ground. Grinning, she got up and turned to him.

Kazuha was lying on his back on the ground. He didn't look hurt. Rather surprised. Kimiko turned the spear in her hand and pointed the point at his throat. »You can't say that this was just luck.«

He laughed. »What I can say is that you've had quite a bit of training.« She had. He was right about that. But that was a long time ago and Kimiko didn't really wanted to talk about it. As if reading her mind, he nodded. »Now, would you be so kind as to put the spear aside?«

»Depend on it.«

Kazuha raised his brow and used his fingers to gently push the spear's tip away. »On what?«

»Will you immediately attack me with your sword?«

»Never.« He shook his head, at least as much as he could so the spear wouldn't impale him. »I don't want to hurt you, I have bamboo sticks with me, we'll practice with them.«

»Bamboo sticks?«

»With them, even such a clumsy person like you does not manage to injure herself.«

Kimiko nodded with a smile. She raised her spear and before she could offer him her hand, he was on his feet. He brushed the dirt from his clothes and then looked at her, one of the bamboo sticks in his hand. Kimiko wanted to accept the cane, but a small branch in his light hair caught her eye. She leaned a little towards him and immediately noticed how tense he was. At first she wanted to back away, but then she quickly fished the branch out.

She involuntarily touched his cheek as she dropped the branch, making him wince, and then grasped the bamboo stick. Kazuha stood frozen. He didn't move a bit. Just a quiet, »Thanks.« Came from his lips.

Confused, Kimiko looked into his eyes from the bamboo stick he didn't let go of. He was already looking at her. Or rather still. She smiled nervously. »Kazuha?«

»Y-yes?«

»You have to let go."«

»Oh!« He let go of the cane with a jerk and staggered back two steps. Kimiko had no idea what his problem was. But as suddenly as his behavior had appeared, it also disappeared again. While he was helping her he behaved normally again. Still it was kinda weird.

When the sun was about to set and the forest was getting darker, they stopped. On the one hand because it was getting dark and on the other hand because Kimiko was out of breath anyway. She handed the bamboo stick back to Kazuha and picked up her spear from the ground. She was really grateful to him for helping her. She could remember some things her mother had explained to her when she was young.

»Thank you for today, Kazuha.« Kimiko thanked him and a lovely smile formed on his face. »If you hadn't had time I would have sat at home and.. well I would have been bored.«

Still smiling, he took a step towards her. »May i ask you something?« Kimiko was already panicking that he would ask her something about her name or something like that, but he didn't. »Why do you carry your vision on the spear?«, Kazuha asked pointing to her vision with a red flame in the center.

Actually, it was a perfectly normal question. But it was still very personal. Kimiko didn't like to remember the day her mother died. The day she killed a group of men and got her vision from it. Besides, she had never told anyone about it. Her father only knew that her mother had died at the hands of the men. He didn't know that Kimiko killed the men, honestly she didn't know how she did it herself. Because after that day she had never had such strong feelings again and she had never used her vision since.

Of course he didn't know that she had had a vision either. Kimiko could clearly remember her mother's words. She had told her to keep this secret. She shouldn't tell anyone about the vision, least of all her father. So she hadn't done it and attached the vision to the spear and hid it.

Kimiko wasn't sure what to say to Kazuha. She couldn't tell him the truth. Of course, when she lost her mother, Kazuha was the same age, maybe a year older than she had been. He certainly wasn't aware of it at the time, but pretty much everyone in Inazuma knew about the tragedy. He must have heard stories about it.

And if he'd heard stories about it, he'd know who she was right away. And then his kindness would certainly vanished away. Besides that, Kimiko couldn't talk about her mother without breaking out in tears. Even thinking about her made her sad. She felt her throat tighten and her eyes fill.

»It's because of my father, he«, Kimiko mumbled so he wouldn't notice her voice failing. But he noticed. He cocked his head to the side and looked at her sympathetically. »It's complicated..«

Kazuha gave her an encouraging smile. It was a beautiful smile. „There is no need to hide anything that you wish to say." His voice was soft. She was always soft when he spoke to her. »I hear the voices of all things in nature and that includes yours.« To be honest, she only understood half of what he said, but it sounded nice. She liked listening to him. »In fact I discerned this not from what I saw but what I heard. The ground beneath your feet and the pattern of your breathing.«

He started laughing, as if noticing her confusion. It was just a soft laugh, but it sounded adorable. It was really sweet. »When I talk about that which I see or hear in you this is not poetic symbolism at play,« he explained. »I mean these things in the truest sense possible.«

Kimiko crossed her arms and smiled at him. »Are you sure you're a samurai and not more of a poet?«

He returned her smile and shrugged. »I'm a bad poet.«

»You good with words.«

»Thank you.«

»But I can't tell you more than that I don't carry my vision because of my father.« And even that she probably shouldn't have told him. But she had to say something, especially after his poetic speech. »And well you're the first one to even know about my vision so I'd be very grateful not to tell anyone.«

Kazuha nodded. »I won't say anyone anything.« And then he laughed a little again. »What am I supposed to say anyway? This Lady whose name I don't even know has a vision that she can't show because of her father who I don't even know?«

Kimiko laughed as well. »I, i have to go now.. the sun has almost completely set.« She spoke softly.

»I'm looking forward to our next meeting.. There will be another meeting even if I don't steal your bracelet, r-right?«

She couldn't help but smirked. She had actually found someone who didn't work for her but still liked being around her. Well, he still didn't know who she was, but the time for that truth definitely hadn't come yet. »Yes it will.«