Versus Jidaigeki

 

“You just want her for yourself.” Ryuzo muttered as the shōji door glided open and Honomi entered with the bed rolls.

 

It was perfect timing too, because as soon as she had rolled out the first futon the unconscious man began to stir and then cough violently.

 

She rushed over to his side, grabbing the water jug she had brought in with their meal. She lifted his head up and tilted the jug so a small stream of water ran to his mouth. The man’s coughs eased and his eyelids opened weakly.

 

His lips moved to form words but no sounds came out.

 

“Don’t try to speak just yet, you’re hurt.” she tried to calm him. Lifting the jug again, she gave him another sip of water, which soothed his vocal chords enough that some of their functionality returned.

 

“Where?”

 

“A shrine in the mountains, somewhere safe. Please don’t strain yourself.”

 

She placed a hand on his chest to deter him from trying to rise, when he started to lift himself up and his eyes shot to her face.

 

“Who?”

 

“The priestess of this shrine. My name is Honomi.”

 

“Honomi.” He breathed and lowered his body back down. The way he uttered her name had her fighting down a burning blush that rose in her cheeks. It sounded too intimate without any honorific tacked on to the end. But she knew it was no fault of his. He was just grateful she had saved him and the tone came out strangely in his weakened state.

 

He motioned for the water again and she obliged, tipping the jug to his lips once more.

 

He swallowed and rasped “Arata.” His name.

 

Masahiko watched her smile and nod at whatever the injured man was telling her, before he appeared to fall back into his restorative sleep. She turned her attention to the ronīn and smiled again, her relief the man had shown some lucidity was overflowing.

 

“I believe he’ll be okay. He just needs time to heal now… I forgot to ask earlier… your names?” She didn’t want to anger these men by being nosey with questions but she felt a name was the bare minimum and she was providing them a bed for the night after all. She still wasn’t sure if that had been the best choice. It felt a little like inviting wolves in, but it was too late to change her mind now.

 

“Ryuzo” The taller man announced proudly. “Remember it.”

 

The other man took longer to answer. “Masahiko.”

 

 She processed each name and nodded. “Thank you. I’ll be turning in for the night now.”

 

She straightened her posture and bowed to them before standing.

 

When she stood up she swayed on her feet and realized just how long her day had been. She had woken up at dawn and it must’ve been well past the hour of the ox now. She slid the shōji door open but stopped right before exiting.

 

“If his condition worsens please call for me. I won’t be far.”

 

She left when she heard Masahiko’s word of acknowledgement.

 

She wasn’t quite comfortable giving them the exact location of the room in which she slept and as she made her way there, she decided to change into clean, blood free clothes and sleep in her miko uniform.

 

“Where do you think she’s sleeping?” Ryuzo asked.

 

“Doesn’t matter.”

 

“What’s with you?”

 

“Its unnecessary to kill her, only a rabid dog bites a hand that gives him food.”

                                                                                          

“I didn’t say anything about killing her. I’ve left plenty of women alive afterwards.” he licked his lips. “Especially the pretty ones. That’s how you get the good-looking sons to pass on your legacy.”

 

Masahiko didn’t even want to think about how many illegitimate children that man had most likely fathered nor what kind of legacy he was referring to.

 

“Some day one of those sons will come seeking vengeance for his mother and kill you.” he warned.

 

“Beh” Ryuzo shrugged it off.

 

They started stripping off their clothes which were still sopping wet with rain water and laid them out near the fire to dry. Now sitting in the room in no more than their fundoshi they sat on their futons and stared into the dancing flames. Sleep was the last thing on either of their minds.

Masahiko was reluctant to leave Ryuzo as the only one awake. The man had poor control over his violent tendencies and the ronīn would prefer to not wake up to any bodies so he waited until the taller man had fallen asleep before finally nodding off himself.