[22] Bloodlines

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A/N: For anyone who’s looking for some action, don’t worry, you’ll get it soon. I’m also going to write about the invasion, so after the action in this mission, there will be a few breaks, and it’s on to the saving lives and the deaths and the aknflkenflknfdknldknf.

I also have a pretty important question for you guys at the end of this chapter. Please look forward to it! Your opinion will matter a lot to me. SO PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR’S NOTE AT THE END PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.

It was nearing sunset, and Osamu decided that they should stop looking around to find a safe place to sleep within the forest. They didn’t bring any tents with them, as they were only two people and preferred the idea of not having anything to slow them down in the event of an attack. So Osamu found a medium-sized section surrounded by tall trees to start a fire. They sat around the fire for a while until the sun fully set, polishing their weapons and planning on their next destination to look for Yoshiaki. They agreed on The Valley of the End, since that was where he had last been spotted. Even though a few weeks passed since Kohana and Kiba were dispatched to carry out the mission, there was still a small possibility that Katashi was there. And if he wasn’t, neither student nor master would be disappointed; they didn’t hope for much in the first place.

By the time it was almost completely dark out, the two had eaten a small meal (rice balls) and just when Osamu was about to put out the fire, Kohana said, “Wait a minute… can you tell me more about Teruko… and your clan?” She’d expected a reaction from Osamu when she asked for information about the clan, but he simply glanced at her then went back to staring at the fire.

“I can’t tell you everything about my clan, because I was never allowed to know everything about it. Every clan has its secrets, and even the Satoru Clan—no matter how much we strived to become a peaceful community—presumably had its own set of dark secrets. About Teruko… there is hardly anything left that I can tell you, but if you wish to know, she was beautiful. She’s the daughter of the best of a handful of smiths in the clan. She gave me Wasurenagusa as a birthday gift—that was the last birthday I spent with her.”

“Did she make it?” Kohana’s voice was surprisingly very quiet and hushed. She didn’t much like raising her voice when Osamu was like this: vulnerable.

The corners of Osamu’s lips curved upwards. “Yes, she did, with the guidance of her father.”

“What does she look like?”

There was no mistaking the agony that crossed Osamu’s eyes.

“I… don’t remember.”

Kohana bit the inside of her cheek, looking away from Osamu. She didn’t want him seeing the look she was giving him. She didn’t know herself what to think of this, and didn’t want to assume anything because Osamu deserved that. He deserved being understood completely, so she waited for him to continue.

It didn’t take a while, and Kohana tried to clear her mind when that thought occurred.

“I will tell you why I’d forgotten, when I tell you what happened after the massacre, but I’ll tell you what I think I remember.”

Kohana nodded, finally establishing eye contact once again. She was right. Osamu did have a reason, and the mention of what happened after the Satoru Clan’s downfall almost made her ache. Kohana wanted to know everything.

“Teruko doesn’t look like a Satoru. She doesn’t have our black eyes and pale skin. The Satoru Clan was fairly open to other bloodlines, so there were variations of hair colors.” All of a sudden, he chuckled quietly, his eyes glimmering with amusement as he raised an eyebrow at Kohana. “I must look like a monstrosity now, but you must believe me when I say I looked different back then.”

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