Wounds
Umi lay on the futon her right hand covering her face as she let out a sigh 'I haven't been getting a lot of sleep recently, it must be that, or overexerted one of them.' Umi thought to herself, after Kotori left.
Saki had fallen asleep and was letting out occasional noises, while Umi lay on the futon staring at the ceiling as she thought about the feeling of Kotori's hands on her as she helped her lay down, it had felt the same as before, same warmth and comfort, yet Umi had to fight the feelings in her heart 'I can't do it.'
Umi sighed, she wished her mother was here, she had always been there when Umi needed advice, the year she had died, Kira had dishonoured her and driven Umi from her home, now she really wished she could talk to her now and figure out what to do, her thinking not helped by the slowly dulling pain in her hip.
"Guess their starting to catch up with me." Umi sighed.
(Kotori)
"Yeah, that sounds about right." Nozomi sighed after Kotori had explained everything that had happened in Umi's chamber.
"How do you mean?" Kotori asked concerned.
"Umi pushes herself way to hard, it seems all the injuries she's taken are taking their toll." Nozomi sighed.
"Injuries?" Kotori said horrified the implication "How many has she taken?"
"If I'm honest I don't think Umi knows, she only started wearing armour because we told her to, I would try and limit the number of times she fights but it's hard, not to mention she doesn't take the time to fully heal up before she goes back to pushing herself again with her training, I fear she's strung her bow to tight and it's about to snap."
"So what do we do?" Kotori asked, "There must be something."
"I had more than one reason to have Umi as your bodyguard and this is one, if she's guarding you while on campaign, she will have less time on her hands and hopefully she can rest between battles."
"But you're still going to put her in battles?"
"I have to Kotori, Umi will be key, there is no place for sentimentality or favours in war and even if I wanted to stop her, she won't accept it." Nozomi sighed "What you need to worry about is keeping an eye on her between fights understood."
"Understood." Kotori scowled as she walked away, she knew Nozomi was right but she still wasn't happy about it 'She should be resting not fighting.' Kotori thought as she entered a garden and sat by one of the trees.
As she lay down, she noticed a pair of birds chirping in a tree as they made a nest together 'I wish I were as lucky as those birds to have my own love.' Kotori thought to herself 'How silly is that I'm envious of a pair of bird, oh Umi come back to me.'
(Maki and Nico)
"What was up with you earlier?" Maki asked as she and Nico laid down in her chamber.
"It's none of your business, idiot."
"How am I an idiot?" Maki asked, "And that is no way to speak to a lady of my rank."
"For having us duel Umi, you know full well we can't beat her." Nico snapped before turning her back to Maki.
"Have I done something to upset you, you seem to be avoiding me."
"Why would you say that?" Nico asked sighing just wanting to rest and recover.
"Well you've not tried to surprise me at all, in fact you've been actively in my line of sight so I could see you, what's up?"
"Maybe I just don't want to go through what we do after." Nico growled.
"Why?"
'Because it's meaningless to you.' Nico said in her head "Maybe I just don't want to." Came Nico's reply then she remembered Nozomi's words "Maki is a complex girl, if you talk to her you might find the real Maki."
"Why do you do that anyway?"
"Huh?"
"The whole taking lots of women to your chamber, why do you do it?"
"What's it to you, and why ask this now?"
"Curious and it's the thing that got me the contract to kill you, thought I might as well know what the reason is."
"Funny time to ask." Maki huffed before she sighed "Not that it's any of your business."
"Fine, just thought I might try and ask."
"Loneliness."
"Hhmm?" Nico sounded confused.
"I was lonely for long periods of my life, my mother and farther were away for long periods of time, I knew they loved me but they were never there. I had this attendee, she was a friend and we spent a lot of our time together, one day when we were alone, we kissed and it went from there, I'd never felt so loved and cared for." Maki smiled at the memory "I eventually got farther to let me take up a castle to myself and the two of us developed, the way she made me feel and the way her touch would…"
"I don't need those details thanks." Nico interrupted "So what happened, I haven't seen anyone that acts like that, so what happened?"
"She and I were riding back from seeing my father and she fell off her horse, she hurt her leg and it got infected, she died not long after."
"I'm sorry."
"Thanks, that's why I do it, I'm trying to find that love and affection again."
"You're a fool."
"I'm sorry what?"
Nico turned over to face Maki "You're not going to find that love by bedding random people." Nico started "You fell in love not because of what she did, but what you did together, you both spent time with each other you got to know each other, taking a maid to bed for a night won't make you feel that, for long at least." Nico sighed as she turned away again.
"How do you know?"
"I'm older and therefore wiser."
"How'd you make that out?"
"I was the one who said fighting Umi was a bad idea."
"Still did it."
"Pressured, look I'm tired can we just get some rest?"
"Fine by me." Maki sighed as she laid down.
Nico closed her eyes as she drifted off to sleep, only to feel Maki hug her from behind and hold her tight.
'You're only getting this tonight nothing else.' Nico thought to herself as she fell asleep, putting a hand on Maki's.
(Alisa)
"Lady Nozomi, Eli may I come in?" Alisa asked outside the pairs chamber, she'd learnt to ask before entering after one event that she'd rather not think about.
"Come in Alisa." Nozomi sounded.
Alisa slid the door open and entered "So what do we owe this pleasure?" Nozomi asked as Alisa closed the door and bowed.
"It's about this force you're sending with Maki, would it be possible for me to go to?"
"What no…"
"Easy Eli, let's hear her out." Nozomi claimed the blonde "Why do you wish go?"
"Well I feel I could be of more use there, I know Yukiho better than Maki, I can be a go between if you like."
"Very rare of you to want to volunteer to be in such a dangerous position, you realise you could be in the middle of a fight?"
"I know, but I'm sure the others can keep me safe and you'll be just behind."
"Alisa, I know you there's more to this what is it?"
"My, my, Eli you can be clueless at times." Nozomi giggled "Could you leave me and your sister alone for a while, I have something I wish to discuss with her alone if you wouldn't mind."
"Nozomi?"
"I promise I won't force her into anything."
Eli sighed at this before leaving with a clearly unhappy face "She still see you as that little girl she helped bring up." Nozomi smiled.
"I know it's a bit annoying at times, if sweet."
"Now to business."
(Umi-Next day)
"Should you really be training given what happened yesterday?" Kotori pouted as she held Saki watching the blunette practice her archery.
"I'm perfectly fine Lady Kotori." Umi sighed, Kotori had come to hers later that night to check on her and again in the morning and had be trying to stop Umi from practice to no avail.
"I'm still not sure." Kotori sighed as she sat down.
"Lady Kotori I assure you I'm fine, I just had an unusual event yesterday." Umi said as she drew back on her bow, she took a breath and loosed the arrow on the out breath "Besides, this is light training by comparison to yesterday, so you need not worry Lady Kotori."
Umi then heard Kotori let out a strangled screech "That's not the issue, you're going too far and too hard, you're going to do something terrible to yourself."
"Lady Kotori…"
"And that is getting really annoying." Kotori snapped in annoyance and she stood up and walked up to Umi "Umi, I'm getting really fed up with this Lady title you give to me."
Umi looked away from Kotori, the two had never fought or even got angry at each other before, in fact the idea of Kotori being angry at anyone was wrong to Umi "It's how it is, I'm not who I was, I have no title, no honour, nothing."
Saki made a disapproving sound in Kotori's arms making Umi look at the two "You have Saki." Kotori whispered her anger gone from her voice "And you have me." Kotori said as she touched Umi's cheek "Just ask and I'll be there."
Umi shivered at the touch, deep inside she could feel the guilt in the bottom of her stomach, but she couldn't refuse the touch it was a moment of the past she wanted to remember so much. Then footsteps broke them out of their trance.
"Oh, are we interrupting?" Eli said as she came across the scene with Lady Minami alongside her and Nozomi just behind.
"No, My Ladies, is there something you need?" Umi asked as her cheek heated up 'You didn't have a right to that touch.' Umi inner voice shouted though she dearly missed Kotori's hand.
"Well Nico's come to me with some information." Nozomi said smiling at the two blushing girls.
"What information?" Kotori asked, trying to hide her blush by looking down at Saki.
"According to one of Nico's contacts someone was looking for you Kotori."
"Me?" Kotori said shocked as Umi felt her hands clench tight around her bow.
"It's fine, they didn't get anywhere."
"Why are you telling us this Lady Nozomi?" Umi asked as her hands relaxed slightly.
"Because we feel it's likely to happen again so we have decided that Kotori will stay with you for the rest of our stay here and during the campaign, including at night."
"But Lady Minami, shouldn't Lady Kotori stay with you, I mean you can protect her just fine."
"No, if assassins are after her, they are likely after me to, if they get both of us, we lose, its better their targets are not together."
"Besides, you will need someone to help you with Saki." Nozomi added.
"But Lady Alisa…"
"Is leaving with Maki, she's to act as the go between for the force once they meet up, any other questions?"
"A few in private, if that is ok Lady Nozomi?"
The daimyo nodded once the others left Umi spoke "That was a lie about the assassins wasn't it?"
"No, it was true and even it was, it does make sense to keep Kotori and her mother apart for that reason." Nozomi smiled "Besides if what we saw earlier is any indication, you two should be fine."
"That wasn't…"
"Hold it Umi." Nozomi said with a stern glare "We both know what was happening, just go with it, it's an order and who knows you might even enjoy it a little."
"I suspect not as much as you plan to Lady Nozomi." Umi sighed as Kotori came back.
"Are you ok?"
"Yes, I'm fine Lady Kotori." Umi heard Kotori huff likely at being called lady again.
(Kotori-Night-time)
Kotori slid the door open to Umi's chamber to see the blunette playing with her niece while the tiny girl was in the cot "Lady Kotori?" Umi said as she saw the ashen girl walk in.
"You didn't forget I'm sleeping with you now did you?" Kotori smiled trying to force down the annoyance of the Lady title again.
"No, I just wasn't expecting you right now." Umi replied, Kotori could see a blush on the blunettes cheeks "Erm I wasn't sure where you wanted to sleep so I put it next to Saki's cot, if that's ok."
"That's fine." Kotori smiled as she kneeled beside the cot "Hello little one, guess we'll be sharing." Saki cooed at Kotori's voice.
"Would you mind watching her while I get changed and please don't look Lady Kotori?" Umi blushed again at the second part.
"Ok." Kotori smiled as Umi stood up and walked to the corner "So little one, do you find the cot comfy do you wriggle in the cot?"
"She's not, she is very quiet at night." Umi said from the corner.
"You must take after your aunty then." Kotori smiled "Well I'm not a snorer so you don't need to worry about that." Kotori smiled.
Just then Kotori heard a sharp gasp, out of instinct she turned to face it and she saw Umi's back, Kotori covered her mouth as she the numerous scars that covered the Ronin's arms and back.
Umi's back had been pristine not a cut on it, now her shoulders had a scar on each side running from her shoulder downwards towards her spine, on her left arm was a scar that ran down Umi's forearm, her right arm was crisscrossed with scars. Her back was the worst some were tiny and must have come from arrows, running down from the left was a big wide nasty scar, there was two thinner scars on her right across her hips front to back and another scar just like them on the left. Just above the scar that ran across the blunettes back, was one that was bigger than the arrow wounds, Kotori assumed it must have been from those new guns Kotori had heard in passing.
Umi pulled her Yukata up and finished dressing herself, as Umi stood Kotori turned around hoping the blunette wouldn't notice she'd seen.
"Lady Kotori, are you not going to change?"
"Oh sorry." Kotori said as went to the corner almost running to it 'So that's what Nozomi meant.' Kotori took a breath to calm herself down, as she sneaked a peak behind her she saw Umi playing and babbling to Saki "Oh Umi, I'm not worth it." Kotori whispered before she went back to changing, tears pricking at her eyes.
After Saki had fallen asleep the pair went to sleep, Kotori lay staring at the ceiling as she lay beside the cot, she glanced over to see Umi fast asleep, the top of the blunettes head facing her "I'm really sorry Umi, forgive me." Kotori whispered as she turned over so her back was to Umi with tears in her eyes.