About Crystals and Stars (On hold)

4-1

A/N: Welcome back! Enjoy your read. ;P

You might have noticed, that I changed the structure. It was because the Wattpad mobile app couldn't handle 5-6k chapters , without swallowing half of the sentences. So you'll get two parts of one chapter from now on.^^ Sounds good?

Thank you for all your comments and votes. It means a lot to me!^^

After riding for a long while, Shimon was granted the sight of the coast and the sea, embracing the island of Tsuchimikado. The incident with the robbers had stolen him a lot of time as he now gazed upon the sun sinking to the horizon. He should look for a shelter. He wouldn't reach the harbor soon anyway.

Heading south on the road along the coast, he hoped he would arrive at the next town soon. Recalling the map of Tsuchimikado, he tried to remember, which town would lay on his way.

All of a sudden his stomach churned violently. But it wasn't out of nausea this time. After having been contained in the hot and humid air of the cart for hours and riding the rest of the day he was hungry and thirsty.

Spurring the horse on, he galloped over the path across the coast. If his memories served him right, he would reach the small town of Shiromi in short time.

Not much time passed, when he came to see a building at the horizon, surrounded by a large area of rice fields.

It had to be a farmer's house.

He wondered, if he should stop there and ask for food but then the picture of the dead man rolling on the ground came back to him. The man had become another victim of this war. A man who had a pregnant wife waiting for him at home, if Shimon remembered the words, the farmer had said to the guard at Tsuchimikado correctly.

He figured, it probably wasn't this farm for there were more towns in this region for a farmer to sell his goods to. But still the memory the sight evoked in him, let him ride past the farmer's house. He hadn't been oblivious to the world outside the Ikaruga estate's walls. He had heard stories about robbery and murder but the experience felt like a raging fire next to the kindling flame those stories enlightened.

All these years he had trained himself, hardened his body and skill in handling a sword to perfection thanks to the help of Seigen-dono. But he was no warrior. He might have put on this warrior's clothes but beneath them was the flesh and heart of a man filled with regret and anger at the sight of war's means.

To follow his hearts needs, he turned a blind eye on what lay behind him.

Riding for what felt like an eternity due to the hunger twisting his stomach, he wished he could make faster haste without torturing his mount. But then he finally caught sight of something at the horizon.

Farther ahead he could see the small town of Shiromi built on a hill. Only a few people lived a life outside of the city or the warrior camp at the harbor. Life outside these protected places was rough. Deserters weren't the only danger outside of the walls of Tsuchimikado. Escaped prisoners and vagabonds were a threat as well. So he knew, that the few huts which came in his sight were inhabited by only a few people, who voluntarily lived outside of the direct protection of the forces.

From afar he could see only three huts and he didn't expect there to be not many more.

He tore at the reins to lower the speed of the horse when he was nearby. Before he reached the town he dismounted the animal and lead it into the town on foot.

From one of the huts he heard a few voices. Through the window he could see the warm light of a fireplace. As he approached the hut, he could see a young maiden coming out and looking at him. She quickly smiled at him and bowed down. He figured it must be thanks to the warriors uniform. "Welcome to Shiromi," she said.