Training
(Kotori)
Kotori saw Hanayo watching from the gate waving as Rin waved and rode off out of sight. Hanayo stood there watching Rin ride off as the clouds turned grey in the distance.
"Oh, Lady Kotori." Hanayo said surprised as she bowed.
"Hanayo please, don't call me lady, you know I hate it."
"Sorry." Hanayo said with a bow again.
"It's ok." Kotori sighed "Rin, away is she?"
"Yes, though I can't help but worry." Hanayo admitted "The land's dangerous and I fear something evil will come."
Kotori had long ago learned not to doubt Hanayo's intuition, the girl had an almost sixth sense for these sorts of things 'If only I listened to you before.' Kotori thought to herself.
"I'm sure she'll be fine." Kotori said trying to comfort the younger girl.
"Thanks, how are things with you?"
"You mean with Umi?"
Hanayo nodded a look of concern in her eyes as Kotori let out a sigh "I'm not sure if I'm honest." Kotori admitted. While she still wanted the blunette she still felt a pang of guilt of what happened and with Nozomi revelation last night, it had only increased, yet the tugging at her heart for the blunette was still as strong as ever.
"I'm sure she'll come around soon." Hanayo said hoping to try and return the shred of comfort Kotori had given her.
"Thanks." Kotori smiled.
"So you'll be going with Maki in a few days to meet up with her?" Kotori asked as the two walked back from the gate.
"Yes, then I can relax about her."
"So have you confessed to her?"
"Erm…what do you…?"
"You love her, don't you?" Kotori said with smile.
"I…I…" Hanayo stuttered.
"Don't worry I won't say anything." Kotori said.
Hanayo took a breath calm down "I do, when I hug her I could stay there forever and I could look at her smile all day and when I'm sharing a futon with her, I feel like I'm in a world of my own and it's just us."
"Aw." Kotori said with a bright smile "Listen Hanayo, I know it's scary, but tell her."
"But…"
"Listen," Kotori interrupted "Don't end like me Hanayo, being away from Umi has been the worst thing in my life, I wouldn't wish it on my friends, she won't hate you, so please not for me, but for the both of you ask her."
"I know, I want to but it's scary."
"Scarier than the idea of not having her, or not getting to tell her."
Hanayo sighed "Ok, I'll tell her."
"I'll be hoping for you." Kotori smiled as she went to leave.
"I'll be hoping for you too." Hanayo shouted.
"Huh?"
"With Umi, you still want her, don't you?" Hanayo asked.
"I want to, wether I will succeed or not I'm not sure."
"Oh, well I'll still be hoping for you all the same." Hanayo smiled.
"Thank you Hanayo, it means a lot."
(Umi)
Umi dodged back from the strike and swung her Naginata to the side her parrying Maki's strike before she thrust forward and hit the girl dead centre and making her fall back.
Eli rushed forward and tried to strike downwards, Umi merely caught the pommel of the Katana in her hand holding it in place "Are you ever going to learn not to do that, Lady Eli?" Umi sighed to Eli and brought the Naginata back and hit Eli with the shaft in the knee making Eli kneel before Umi. When the blonde looked up Umi brought her Naginata to the blonde's neck "And that's your neck." Umi said a staring down the blonde as Eli dropped her Katana.
Umi brought her weapon to her side the butt hitting the ground as she bowed to her two opponents "Urgh, that's going to bruise." Maki said she stood up and bowed.
"Wouldn't have gone so bad if you hadn't charged in head long." Eli said as she bowed.
"This coming from you who…"
A clapping caught the three girl's attention, turning they saw the others standing to the side having watched the whole thing "My, my, I think that was almost the record Umi." Nozomi smiled as she walked up to the trio.
"We didn't get beaten that fast." Maki grumbled.
"Sorry, but you did." Nico countered.
"Oh and you could do better?"
"No, but I'm not dumb enough to fight Umi in a fair fight."
"So you're a coward then."
"Ninja, we fight smart not fair."
"Same thing."
"If you're going to lose a fair fight, why fight fair?"
"It's dishonourable."
"It's smart."
"Enough girls." Nozomi stopped the pair's argument "We all have our own ways of fighting." Maki and Nico settled to just glared at each other.
"Umi's almost as good with that Naginata as she was with her sword." Honoka said to the others.
"Oh, wish to try do you?" Nozomi asked.
"Oh, no thanks, I'm good." Honoka recoiled at the idea.
"Well these three have one more training fight and you can never be too prepared." Nozomi smiled in such that Umi saw Honoka recoil slightly.
Honoka sighed in defeat "Fine." Honoka sighed picking up a spare training sword.
"Do we have to?" Maki asked, "We've got beaten five times today."
"What's the matter, got some engagement you need to do?" Nico countered.
"What's that mean?"
"Oh nothing, just wondering if we're keeping you from something or someone?" Nico glared.
"Why don't you join in, I'm sure you might need to know just in case." Maki growled.
"What a good idea!" Nozomi smiled.
"No, not happening."
"I pay you for this kind of thing." Maki countered.
"You don't pay me for this kind of thing and even if you did, no one could pay me enough to fight Umi."
"Nico-chi." Nozomi said in a sing song voice. "I can always find…"
"Drop it!" Nico shouted "Fine, I'll do it, let's just get this over with." Nico scowled as she picked up her own practice katana mouthing something to Nozomi as they walked past each other.
Once the four were ready Umi bowed and took up her stance, with her Naginata pointing forwards, the others bowed before taking up their stances, Umi scanned her opponents, Maki on the far left, her katana pointing directly at Umi slightly upward, Nico on the opposite side, her blade was pointing upwards the guard to the side of her head, Honoka and Eli were close together with Honoka slightly behind Eli, the former's guard was exactly like Nico's, Eli's blade was still held like it was in a sheave.
'Going for that strike Lady Eli, bold of you.' Umi thought to herself as she evaluated her opponents 'Maki's guard's good, but she's unsure what I'm planning so she's going for a simple one, Nico's unfamiliar with this type of fighting, Honoka's nervous.' Umi evaluated 'Not bad, could be better, but could be worse to.'
Umi took a step back each time the four stepped closer, she was outnumbered and she knew she needed to not let them get around her, she had the reach and needed to keep herself out of their reach.
Eventually Nico broke first and charged in, Umi swung her Naginata and parried the sword away and tried to thrust but Nico just managed to dodge back, just then the others charged, Umi pointed the weapon at them and they stopped.
'Need space.' Umi thought. Then Nico tried again, Umi brought the shaft of the Naginata up to block the strike, Honoka went in after Nico, Umi brought the butt end of the Naginata around the back of Nico's neck and pushed Nico in Honoka making the pair tumble over each other before walking to the side of Eli and Maki, keeping the bladed head at the pair to ward off any of their strikes.
Eli nodded to Maki and the pink haired girl charged, Umi thrust and broke Maki's charge, Eli came in just after, going for a drawing strike but Umi was a bit too quick and the blunette just managed to catch the blade with the polearms shaft with the Naginata's blade pointing downwards, Umi then trust down at Eli's foot catching the blonde in what would be the top of her ankle.
Maki saw her chance and tried to strike in an overhead strike, but Umi brought the curved tip part of the Naginata and caught the back of Maki's foot and lifted it from under her making her lose balance and land on her back.
Before Umi landed the finishing strike Nico and Honoka dove in to try and stop her, Umi jumped back and ducked as Honoka went for her head while trusting forward catching Nico in the chest, before hitting Honoka in the side with the shaft leaving the ginger kneeling as Umi hit Honoka in the shoulder taking the two out, as Umi brought the Naginata around so the head of the weapon was resting just above her shoulder.
"Nice job Nico." Maki moaned as she stood up.
"Not like you did better." Nico moaned.
Maki growled before trying to attack with Eli on her right following, Umi brought the head of her Naginata down with as much force a she could, Maki brought her sword up to block but the strike had too much force it broke through the guard and hit Maki on the right shoulder.
Eli came up to Umi's side and tried to go for an overhead strike but Umi hooked her with the back of the Naginata head behind her neck and used the blonde's momentum to make her fall forward, as Eli got to her knees Umi brought her weapon to the blonde's neck in a repeat of the previous fight "And that's your neck Lady Eli." Umi repeated.
(Kotori)
Kotori heard Nozomi clap signalling the fight was over, Kotori watched as Umi stood watching her opponents as they stood up, once they were standing, as best they could with the whacks Umi gave them she bowed, followed by the others bowing to her.
Kotori had watched the scene in front of her and it made her reminisce, Umi had always been a formidable warrior, her mother Takeko made sure Umi and Tatsumi had been well trained and Umi had excelled, even better than her mum.
Kotori always found the way Umi could move and fight with such grace and efficiency kind of hypnotic, when the pair were kids she'd watch the blunette practice for ages, she never joined in, fighting wasn't her style but seeing Umi practice was something she enjoyed and missed dearly.
"My Ladies." Umi bowed as she came to the others who were spectating "My apologies if some of them are bit sore later."
"It's ok Umi." Tsubasa smiled as she went to tend to Honoka "Gives me an excuse later."
Kotori shook her head feeling sorry for Honoka. Umi then came to Alisa who had been holding Saki the entire fight, the blunette gently took her niece as Alisa went to help Eli and Hanayo went to help Nico and Maki.
"How are you little one?" Umi asked "You didn't cause to much trouble did you."
"She was very quiet." Kotori said with a smile "She takes after you a bit."
"Must be a Sonoda trait La…" Umi said, suddenly the blunette started to waver a second and began to lean forward slightly, Kotori instinctively dived forward and caught Umi before she fell "Are you two alright, are you hurt Umi?" Kotori asked concerned as Saki started to cry.
Umi handed Saki over to Kotori as she leaned on the banister "No, I'm fine, my leg spasmed is all, must be an old injury playing up." Umi explained.
"Then you should rest." Nozomi said as she came up to the pair a stern look to her face "Kotori would you mind taking Umi to her room and making sure she gets some rest."
"I'm fine Lady Nozomi."
"Clearly not." Nozomi said clearly unconvinced, the daimyo went and picked up the training Naginata and forced it into Umi's hands "Kotori, if you please."
"Lady Nozomi…"
"Umi…" Kotori whispered; she wasn't sure it would work but she felt she had to try "…Onigai!"
Kotori saw Umi swallow and her free handshake, after what felt like an hour to Kotori but was only a second, Umi sighed "As you wish Lady Kotori."
'It worked?' Kotori thought as Umi started to walk to her chamber.
Kotori followed Umi as she slowly walked back to her chamber, little Saki cooing in Kotori's arms "She seems to really like you Lady Kotori."
"Not as much as you."
"How did you get that wound?" Kotori asked.
"Oh, I was with Eli and Alisa recently, a bandit fired an arrow that ricocheted and hit me in the hip."
Kotori looked at Umi in horror "Umi…"
"It was just a grazing blow." Umi countered as she opened the door "Just put her down in the cot, Lady Kotori."
Kotori nodded and followed Umi in, it then hit her that she'd hadn't been in Umi's chamber, Kotori saw the cot and placed Saki gently inside, the little girl moaned at being separated "Sorry little one I have to, the cot's too small for me." Kotori smiled.
Kotori heard Umi let out a groan as she tried to lay on the futon, Kotori went to the girl "Here let me help." Kotori said as she helped support the girl as she sat down "Sorry to be a burden Lady Kotori."
"It's ok, you're not a burden."
'I wish you would stop calling me that.' Kotori sighed in her head, she turned to look back at the cot only to see a set of armour in the corner.
"Isn't that…?"
"Yes, Lady Nozomi said I had to have it in here." Umi said as she laid down and got comfortable.
"Are you ok now?" Kotori smiled at Umi.
"I will be, slight over work that's all Lady Kotori."
"I'll come and see how you are later ok?" Kotori asked worried what reaction she would get.
"You don't have to…"
"I want to."
"As you please Lady Kotori." Umi said looking away.
Once she was out Kotori let out a sigh, she wasn't convinced that Umi was telling the truth she always had a gut feeling when Umi lied or was hiding something and she had that feeling now.
'I guess I'll have to work away slowly at this.' Kotori sighed in her head.