Sword and Shadow
Crickets chirped off in the distance, the light of
the moon peaking out from between the clouds. The tall
swordswoman wrapped up her hands in the long strips of
cloth with calm efficiency, her blue eyes heavy lidded
from her many thoughts. Her robes were simple, white
cloth hugging her tall, lean body, pants, shirt and a
matching belt. The boots were supple cloth, molded to
the shape of her toes, the soles of her feet hardened
to such use.
The peasant's hut that she knelt in was nearly dark,
falling down into wreckage around her. The paper
screens were tattered, the door falling off it's
hinges and the thatch roof was collapsing on one side.
Moonlight lit the rubble in splashes of bone white,
giving it a serene beauty amid all of the
destruction. The floor mats had begun to rot away,
exposed to the elements, the sweet scent of decay
filling the confined space.
The bloody cuts that covered her graceful hands were
soon covered, an awkwardly tied knot tightened by
grabbing the strip with her teeth and pulling so hard
that her eyes teared up. The battle had been
desperate, the older yojimbo had been very good. In
the end she had ripped the bodyguard's sword from his
hands, the blade slick as it cut her palms, then she
had cut him down. With a final piece of cloth she tied
her black hair back from her blue eyes, the twin
strands of cloth falling gently to caress her bare
cheek.
Something off in the distance stilled her movements
for a second, possibly a twig breaking off or maybe
the sound of a branch gently being shifted aside.
Smoothly she reached for the sword that was beside
her, gracefully sliding it through the belt and then
rising to her feet, taking a deep breath to steady her
nerves. With an almost unearthly silence she slipped
from the hut out into the burned out wreck of a
village, the rubble of countless peoples lives
scattered all around her. She walked forward until she
found a mostly clear place, the faint breeze stirring
her hair as she tilted her head back, patiently
waiting.
It didn't take long.
The knives hissed like snakes as they cut through the
air but the swordswoman heard them coming, leaping
aside at the last moment. Her attention was already
focused on the next attack, the black shadow that
raced out from the night towards her. The slim body
was sheathed in darkness, face, hair, all but the
green eyes concealed by the black cloth. Knives swung,
flashing in moonlight as the figure went for the
swordwoman's eyes but she dodged, hand ready on the
hilt of her sword as she watched her foe warily.
The two circled each other for a few graceful paces,
then the green eyes figure nodded to her respectfully.
"You don't need to do this Shion," the voice was
definitely female sounding as she continued, "just
swear the same oath we all did."
"No," Shion answered, the swordswoman never taking
her eyes away from her opponent, also aware that
others were watching, off in the distance as she
continued, "we both know who I swore my oaths to,
Jasmine."
Jasmine shook her head, the ninja looking oddly
mournful. "You're going to die for your honor," she
said regretfully.
"Then I cannot think of a better way to go," Shion
answered her firmly, something in her stance saying
she was at peace with that decision.
Jasmine didn't say another word, instead she simply
seemed to disappear, in a instant of movement racing
off back into the safety of the deep shadows. From the
darkness her words echoed, "Another time, then, and I
will kill you."
"I'll be waiting," Shion answered, hoping that she
was still near enough to hear.
She waited for a few moments, Shion's every sense
seeking to pierce the night as she sought her foe
before finally accepting that she was gone. Turning
away Shion returned to the wreckage of the hut,
picking up her pack from the battered mat then heading
off on her own errands. Ignoring any of her tiredness
and bone aching fatigue, casting aside all her human
weakness she ran, knowing that there wasn't long left
to act.
Over the past few years the kingdom had been
gradually torn apart by war, many powerful factions
battling ruthlessly for power and influence. In this
era oaths were fickle things, the overthrow or death
of a lord leaving his warriors masterless and alone.
You swore to whomever looked like they were going to
be victorious, and tried to ignore the rumblings of
guilt and regret over the deaths of those you had once
served.
'The princess isn't dead yet,' Shion reminded herself
as she raced along the road, the dirt and stone
sliding away beneath her feet, 'nor will I allow it to
happen.' She was barely hours away from the summer
home of the noble family, the logical place for the
usurper to have put her.
Of course, her trip was made more difficult by the
patrols by various factions on all the main roads.
Most of them she could avoid, the loud men dressed in
armor riding along on mighty steeds as they searched
for the enemy were easy to spot as she traveled under
the weak late afternoon sun. But sometimes, fickle
chance wasn't with her.
The crossroads were guarded as she neared the blind
corner keeping Shion from avoiding the guard station.
"Woman," the samurai called out angrily, his sword
being drawn with a steely hiss, "how dare you carry a
sword!" His armor was shabby, much like his
companions, clearly they were hire-swords, fighting
for the highest bidder.
Easy prey for one such as her.
Not answering Shion charged them, her sword swinging
free with a steely hiss. It was the last thing these
arrogant men on horseback had been expecting her to do
and she struck before the first could possibly react.
His sword, along with most of his arm hit the ground,
then his wait of pain was cut off brutally. Blood
splattered the panicked steed as it bolted away in
terror, leaving Shion facing the other stunned riders.
"You killed...." one finally managed.
"Yes," with a single swing Shion coldly flicked the
blood away from her sword as she continued, "let me
pass, before I have to do it again."
The sound of a bowstring answered her, some one
wisely striking at her from a distance but Shion was
ready, ducking and then swinging to cut the arrows out
of the air. With that same impossible speed she raced
forward, her blade clanging against the sword of a
dismounted fighter. He met her eyes under his helm,
his expression wry with a kid of painful regret.
"You were in the palace guard," the older man
murmured as they strained against each other, muscles
fighting fatigue.
"Yes, once," Shion answered, then with a twist of her
wrist broke free, her sword smoothly slicing across
his body, dropping him with a groan of pain.
"Damn you, demon," the bowman cried as he fired
hurriedly, fear sending the arrows astray but Shion
was gone before the arrows crossed her path, swiftly
closing with the last fighter as the boy bolted for
his life.
"I yield," the fighter wailed and Shion struck,
hammering the hilt of her sword right across his head,
him falling limply to the ground out cold.
Part of Shion wanted to chase down the fleeing bowman
too, battle lust pounding through her veins, then she
shook herself. 'There's no time for it,' she thought
to herself, gazing up at the rising sun, 'I have to
go!'
The night was falling once again when Shion reached
her destination, the great castle rising up over the
little town. In perfect silence she crouched in the
shadows of the forest, watching the guards and a few
residents of the town fearfully come and go. She timed
the patrols to the steady beat of her heart, the
guards that circled the walls and the men who stood
outside, clearly bored.
Shion had to make a choice, between one kind of
stealth and another. She could easily steal the
clothes of a guard, bluff her way in and with a bit of
luck reach the princess before being discovered. Or,
if she was daring enough, she could sneak in as she
was, relying on her skill to stay away from guards
until she could accomplish her goal.
It wasn't much of a choice.
The guard slipped away from the others, moving into
the woods a bit to relieve himself. Politely Shion
waited till he was done before dropping down silently
behind him, a single well struck blow putting him out.
Roughly she dragged him away then stripped him of all
his armor, gagging the guard before tying him up
against a lonely tree.
"They should find you by morning," Shion reassured
the dazed young man softly, "once the search starts
up."
Shion actually felt a flash of honest irritation as
she passed the outer guards, no one even challenging
her presence. Once upon a time such challenges would
have been automatic, but clearly times had changed.
She strode through the town, keeping her helm down to
hide her face, soon reaching the castle itself. The
townspeople she passed looked at Shion with more than
a little fear, having experience with what these
guards could do to them. Around her the streets swam
with filth, buildings falling in disrepair much like
the rest of the kingdom.
'We have to change things soon,' Shion thought
grimly, 'the land can't go on like this for very much
longer.'
At least at the castle, the guards were a bit more
diligent than those at the gates. Not by much, but a
little. "Friend or Foe?" a young man demanded.
"A friend," Shion deliberately dropped her voice,
making it sound as masculine as possible even as the
helm hid much of her face. They should have demanded
to see her face, to remove her helm, but the fools did
neither.
"Enter then," he paused and added wryly, "the
Princess is still on the warpath, so I pray that
you're not one of her warders."
"Guilty as charged," Shion answered wryly as she
strode past them through the doors, fighting the urge
to say anything more. 'I'm not that realistic
pretending to be as man,' she thought as she passed
through the inner courtyard to the main building.
Moving through the halls Shion was keeping herself as
inconspicuous as possible, doing nothing to draw any
attention to herself while she neared her goal. The
castle itself was largely deserted, thankfully, with
only a few guards occasionally wandering the echoing
halls. The apartments of the nobility were near the
top of the palace, a few guard towers stationed nearby
to watch over those within and to protect from attack
from without. Nearing the rooms she heard a familiar
voice speaking softly, her eyes widening just
slightly.
Jasmine was quiet, "Princess, your champion is on her
way."
"Shion is still alive?" she sounded so happy, the
warrior could easily imagine the other girl's sweetly
smiling face. Moving nearer Shion was glad to see the
hall was deserted, no one else within range to hear or
see.
"Alive and well," Jasmine agreed, "and not long
behind me, either." A short pause, "Of course, we're
fully ready for her arrival."
"I hope that she has evaded all the guards on the
roads," the Princess softly fretted, and Shion could
easily imagine her worried look.
"Oh, I think she'll manage," Jasmine said
confidently.
Shion smiled to herself wryly as she moved forward,
gently tapping on the sliding door before entering the
chamber. Despite being what amounted to a cell the
apartment was beautifully decorated and comfortable,
fitting a princess of the blood. Both women looked up
on Shion's entrance, one going for her weapon, then
they smiled in relief as they saw who it was.
"In truth the road patrols were rather thin," Shion
commented as she entered, smiling at the two familiar
figures who were sitting there. She moved to kneel
before the princess as she murmured, "Princess
Chiziru."
"Shion, that isn't necessary." the Princess looked
down at Shion, the delicate blonde smiling at her with
honest warmth. Fine robes colored in a shimmering rose
covered a graceful body, Princess Chiziru's lovely
face open and caring to the world. She was the last of
her line, meant to inherit the throne and Shion had
sworn that she would do so.
Jasmine chuckled, her dark purple hair flowing over
her shoulders as she helped Shion up to her feet.
"It's about time you got here," she said impishly,
"I'm sure the Emperor's spies have already reported
our mock fight."
"I cam barely believe that the two of you have
maintained the deception that you are enemies for so
long," Chiziru murmured, watching as Jasmine took
Shion's hands in hers in a gesture both tender and
deeply intimate.
"It hasn't been easy," Shion said, for a moment lost
in Jasmine's eyes.
"No have no idea," Jasmine said feelingly.
Chiziru chuckled softly at that, her eyes twinkling
with amusement. "In truth I am glad to have two allies
as worthy as you," Chizuru said simply.
Shion shook herself, fighting free of the almost
irresistible pull Jasmine had on her, smiling at the
others wryly. "We'd better get you out of here," she
addressed the princess respectfully, "we have a long
road ahead, to get you to safety."
"And not that long to do it in," Jasmine added, her
eyes narrowed, "the Emperor has said he intends to wed
our princess within the week."
"That won't happen," Shion said firmly.
"Indeed," Chiziru rose, her robes flowing gently.
"With companions such as these," she smiled at Jasmine
and Shion, "I know we'll make it."
The End....?
Notes: I've wanted to write a samurai/ninja love story
for awhile now, and I'm still not quite sure if I've
succeeded. I had originally plotted out a much darker
ending of death and betrayal, but the idea that
Jasmine and Shion were working together just wouldn't
go away. Oh well... ^_^;
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