Private Tales Forastero

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
Water Dancers. It was unheard of for them to ever leave their temples. They were stalwart defenders of their homes and spent their days diligently keeping to their routine of prayer and training.

"They say that among Lord Kensui's five greatest warriors was a Water Dancer by the name of Maki. Everyone knew of her."

The Gentle Blade. Unrivaled Under Heaven. Invincible Under the Sun. She'd been called many things.

"What... would make this Captain speak of such things?"
 
Amore's silver gaze leveled steadily on the waters before her while she sat, listening intently. Kishou was a softspoken man when at peace, this much she had already become familiar with, so the cadence and volume of his words marked a shift in his demeanor. Why?

"The Captain said that she was blind," Amore's brow furrowed slightly, "but yet she still sees."

"Once we have found your family and you have made your peace with them, I would like to meet her."
 
The swordsman's lips pressed into a thin line. If the rapid consumption of sake had done anything to intoxicate Kishou, her request quickly sobered him up. He was deathly quiet for a moment as he regained his composure.

"Of course," he set the bottle and cup aside. "She'll be easy to find."

He had known her quite well, having been of a similar age while fighting side-by-side for several years. They'd formed a friendly rivalry during that time, which had flourished into something more intimate. However, when Kishou fled the country, he hadn't been on the greatest terms with the Water Dancer. That is to say, she fiercely hated him.

"Yeah," he whispered and sunk into the bath, "very easy."
 
Something told her that for the very few words leaving his mouth, many many more remained unspoken. It wasn't the first time she'd felt that way in his presence. Amore had to wonder if she could see would he be more forthcoming about things.

Of course if she could see they wouldn't be here right now, and Water Dancers would forever remain an unknown to her.

This tangled web of fate was beginning to become frustrating. Her own patience was strong, but even after time steel begins to wear.

"Sometimes I wonder about you..."
 
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Rubbing his fingers together, he could feel that his skin was wrinkled from the water.

"Do you?" He slowly rose from the water and sat on the edge of the bath. He grabbed a towel from nearby and began to wipe his shoulders dry. "Am I that wondrous?"

Kishou was well aware of just how frustrating his sarcastic comments could be. Having Amore be frustrated rather than fully informed of the details he'd left out of the stories of his past was preferred. A tower of lies had a way of toppling on its own. Toji had said that once. Lord Kensui had said something similar, but his analogy included a mountain. Knowing all of that, he was still afraid to be completely truthful to whom being truthful mattered the most.
 
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There was no stopping the frown that settled over her expression. Amore didn't try very hard to hide it either. If Kishou was actively seeking to annoy the woman, he'd succeeded. She made a mild, thoughtful sound and chose to quietly, slowly indulge in her tea instead of pressing for more conversation. It wasn't that she disliked silence, but it felt that there was too much silence between them.

Too many things unspoken that should have been. It both worried and bothered her.

Very little else was said during their stay, and when they returned back to the Tea House she excused herself to rest in the bedroom. Some sleep would hopefully take the edge off of what felt like a rather disappointing morning that was supposed to have been relaxing, rejuvenating. Instead, she just felt ... anxious. Enough so that the pain of her neck and throat returned with a vengeance.

["Healing is painful,"] Mameha said to her as she applied new poultice and wrapped her neck in fresh gauze, ["it is what reminds us of the value of our health."]

["Wise words,"] Amore uttered.

["The Chairman has asked you to join him and his wife for dinner. Master Kei will be there as well. I told him I would see if you felt well enough. Tonight is the cook's specialty stew, it would be good for your throat."]

["...and Kishou?"]

Mameha shrugged, ["If he wants then there is room at the table."]

Amore thought on it for a bit in silence before nodding in assent, ["Tell the Chairman I would be honored to join him, and ask Kishou if he would like to be there."]
 
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The swordsman let out a long, quiet sigh as he continued to dry off. Things were better this way, or so he thought. He hadn't the thought that his series of half-truths were a snake coiling back to strike the moment he let his guard slip.

Kishou had reluctantly agreed to join in the dinner, though Mameha had made it absolutely clear that if not for Amore's request, he wouldn't have the chance to sit at the table and warned him to be on his best behavior. Before the dinner, Kishou was attended to so that he would be at least somewhat presentable. His usual ponytail was done in a topknot, and his bangs were pulled back from his face.

He was seated next to Amore and gave her a gentle nudge with his elbow before the Chairman and his wife arrived.

"Hey," he whispered, "I'm sorry about this morning."
 
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Amore had been dressed in a pale blue kimono featuring silken white clouds and flying swans. Una had described it to her as she helped dressed her prior to dinner, and now that she had learned to speak more slowly and plainly, Amore was beginning to understand better. With her hands resting on her knees while she sat on her cushion at the table, she secretly traced the embroidery with her fingers. How masterful it felt, to get so many tiny stitches that created such a scene. How long it must have taken. Months, Mameha told her. It took months, sometimes a full season to make just one.

Kishou's arrival and words were met with silence in return. The distaste for the morning hadn't abated as she hoped, and in fact it had only made her think more on various other times when similar conversations had put her off from him. At the temple. During their travels. How is it they had been companions for so long and he still couldn't open up to her?

Had she done something wrong to break his sense of trust in her?

Kei arrived to the private dining area with the Chairman and his wife in tow, jovially talking about something from their past, something from their childhoods so far as she could tell.

["Ahhh, hello Lady Rose,"] the Chairman greeted warmly, ["and to The Dragon as well, a pleasant surprise that you join us tonight. I've heard a great deal about you from the various Yisha of the House. Please meet my wife, Lady Himari. She has been talking of nothing else but meeting the famous Rose."]

["Yes, what an honor!"] Himari bowed, ["I have been traveling and only just returned. My husband tells me I have missed all your shows but that there might be one more?"]

Amore smiled, lifting a hand to indicate her throat, ["If I am well enough. It is an honor to meet you Lady Himari."]

["I have the region's greatest Healer on his way right now. He arrives tomorrow evening and, with luck,"] Kei smiled and clapped his hands together once, ["she will look and feel like new."]

["Tell me, Dragon,"] the Chairman and his wife took their seats across the table, ["I understand you have quite the piece of artwork on your back..."]
 
The swordsman frowned at Amore and turned his attention to their guests as they entered.

Kishou deeply bowed as he was greeted, "It is my honor."

Though out of practice, he was no stranger to etiquette expected from those that mingle in the upper classes and did as he was told: maintained exceptionally good behavior. His gaze switched between everyone as they spoke.

"It's not so interesting as others may make it sound," he smiled behind his modest response. "Most people would find it unsightly."
 
The Chairman chuckled, ["From what I hear, the ladies love it. What do you say, Lady Rose? Do you find tattooed men charming?"]

Amore offered a faint smile with her painted lips, ["I find charming men charming,"] to which she got a good laugh in response, ["tattoos I cannot see."]

["Ah but you could see before, yes? Kei tells me you are here on a journey to regain your sight. Do the men from your lands not have tattoos?"]

["Yes,"] Amore nodded, ["artwork on the skin is very common. In my family of faith, many wear the marks of worship."]

["And..."] the Chairman leaned in as if to share a secret and whispered, ["do you?"]

Amore scoffed in response, but it was clear she was only playing, ["You might have asked me my age, Mr. Chairman."]

["Oh ho ho ho ho-"] Kei grinned and elbowed the Chairman, ["now you've done it. You've insulted the Rose. She'll never sing for us again."]

["A thousand apologies,"] the Chairman laughed, bowing for forgiveness, ["how may I make it up to you?"]

["Some sake would be a good start. And your evening dessert."] Amore smirked.
 
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Kishou could only smile back at the Chairman and silently picked at the food in front of him. Perhaps taking up the invitation was a mistake. Even if he could find something to say, he couldn't quite find the timing to speak up and resigned himself to watching others speak. Though accustomed to it, he never felt comfortable in these kinds of situations.

The table fell silent, and Kishou cautiously glanced around. There was a certain line to jokes and the tone one could speak with. As the swordsman's gaze settled on the Chairman, his features suddenly lit up, and he laughed so heartily that tears began to well up. Everyone laughed with him.

"Oh! Oh, dear!" He said as he dabbed at the corners of his eyes with an expensive handkerchief. Kishou sighed to himself. "The Lady Rose is a shrewd one!" Then, pulling his sleeve up, he sat up on his knees for a moment to lean across the table and pour Amore a cup. "Please, drink your fill!" He said, his laughter settling to a soft chuckle.

The Dragon ate with a small appetite. Amore had grown comfortable speaking in his mother tongue, and though he was pleased, he couldn't quite help the odd feeling watching her speak so pleasantly to the Chairman, especially since she'd turned a cold shoulder to him after their morning trip. Was this jealousy?
 
The light mood of the table was a refreshing cleanse of her earlier morose. Amore pleasantly kept the company engaged in conversation away from herself, asking quiet questions of the Chairman and his Wife and their life. Lady Himura was a horticulturist and grew fields of beautiful flowers and herbs on land owned by the Chairman. They were sold across the land as decoration and as ingredients.

["Oh but the lavendar smells so wonderful when it blooms. What sort of things grow in your lands, Lady Rose?"]

["We have lavendar too,"] Amore nodded, ["and many herbs. Fruit trees ... names I do not know how to say in your language."]

["Oh but we must travel there some day, dear,"] Himari smiled at her husband, ["how exotic it must be!"]

["Some day,"] the Chairman agreed, ["when I retire and the Capital no longer needs me to keep its trade from falling apart."]

["You are from the Capital?"] Amore perked, ["Do you meet with the Emperor?"]

["Oh yes, most regularly,"] he nodded, ["he is looking to expand trade. A great thing, but maybe not for my retirement."]

Kei grinned ruefully at his friend, keeping mostly quiet while he ate, sitting as the silent bookend companion to Kishou.

["Now that the lands are at peace, it is the best way to bring further prosperity. Art and culture are relevant again,"] the Chairman explained, ["music and theater."]

Himura leaned over to whisper something to her husband, looking excitedly at Amore.

["Hm, there's a thought. Tell me, once you recover from your injury and leave the Tea House, what is your plan?"]

Amore paused before answering, ["We will be spending time with his family,"] a small white lie, but she didn't feel it safe nor appropriate to disclose everything, ["and seeking more healers that may be able to help me regain my sight."]

["You should come to the Capital then, of course,"] the Chairman offered, looking between Amore and Kishou, ["it is home to many great healers and doctors. And I think the Emperor would be very interested in meeting you."]

["Are you stealing my best act, Chairman?"] Kei spoke up.

["Not at all, I believe meeting someone who has traveled the foreign lands as much as the Lady Rose would be invaluable to the Emperor's desire to open trade."]
 
Kishou wasn't aware of his grim expression until he met Kei's eyes. Here he sat across from a man who called the Capital his home. A man that could have recognized him. The swordsman relaxed and shrugged at the teahouse master.

He remembered as the previous Emperor's head rolled and his son, not even ten winters old, was placed on the throne as a puppet. Now they speak of the resurging prominence of the arts and expansion of foreign trade, things that the great Kensui, a hardline conservative, never showed an interest in. What kind of man did that poor boy grow into, Kishou wondered. A sheep raised in a den of wolves, only to become a wolf himself.

"I think what the Chairman says is agreeable," Kishou spoke at last, "But who can say when we would actually arrive in the Capital. It's a long journey from Kozai, after all. That being said," He laid his chopsticks down and managed a small, polite smile, "The Capital is one of our intended destinations."
 
["We will be here in Kozai for some time still,"] the Chairman replied as he eased back from his meal, looking pleasantly content, ["my business here is mostly through, now we stay for my wife and her business."] He smiled to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently.

["We would be honored for you to travel with us on our return to Saiji,"] Lady Himari smiled excitedly, ["as our guests. You will want for nothing and you will be safe."]

["The roads are filled with thieves and cut throats, it is true,"] the Chairman sighed, ["but we are well guarded."]

Amore tilted her head as though to look at Kishou - an action that meant nothing in her blindness now, but the gesture stood all the same, ["We will discuss it this evening,"] she nodded, ["and have an answer for you in the morning. Thank you."]
 
"There it is," He softly clapped his hands, "Now, Sir Chairman, I do believe you owe my companion some of that dessert."

The dinner concluded with lighthearted chit-chat, and even then, the conversation carried on for a while. Master Kei, the Chairman, and his wife allowed Kishou and Amore to excuse themselves as they continued to talk about the past and, eventually, the future.

Kishou walked alongside Amore in silence for a while, but eventually let out a sigh of relief.

"You sure do know how to handle yourself with those kinds of things. No. Me, I'm much too simple for all of that." He side-eyed the Priestess as he attempted to break the ice between them.
 
"The Priesthood is often used as Intermediaries between Cortosi states, neighboring allies, and even their enemies," she replied, "diplomacy is just part of the skills we must learn. Our words were used to sway the minds of nobles, royals, and Kings alike. A Chairman and his Wife at a casual dinner is ... child's play."

She offered Kishou a smile, one of confidence that she used to wear before the island incident.

"I would like to travel with them."
 
"Child's play," he echoed and breathed a soft chuckle, "You're usually so modest. This confidence... it's certainly welcomed."

Kishou quietly pondered her request for the next six or so steps.

"Okay," he gently responded, but the lines of his face were hard. "We'll travel with them. It'll be much safer! And, it'll be nice to travel with company for a change."

He thought aloud as they continued. "We agreed to stay three more days, but us traveling with the Chairman changes things. Should we ask Kei to prolong our stay?" He brought a hand up to his chin. "Concluding our business regarding my family shouldn't take long. The village shouldn't be far." Prolonging their stay was the real issue. He couldn't imagine that an extension would come freely. "I cannot work another night. I refuse to."
 
Confidence wasn't something she'd felt in quite some time. Indeed, it felt good. She held on to it for several moments longer before letting the notion go as one did a firefly from their cupped hands in the courtyard gardens at night.

"No, I do not think that will be necessary. Our pay will be substantial and our reputations strong. I do not believe we will have trouble finding living accommodations in the city anymore. A few nights ago I overheard Master Kei talking with Mameha about other Tea House and theater proprietors that wanted me to come preform. And you, well," Amore's fingers gently trailed the walls of the Tea House to find her route through as she had come to memorize it, "for certain there are many women who would love a chance to meet the Dragon for themselves."
 
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"Ha-ha," He didn't sound very entertained, "That's very funny."

If Kishou were to be entirely truthful about the whole thing, he would certainly admit that he'd anticipated the work. The first night was even somewhat enjoyable. But, as the days passed and he saw an abundance of the teahouse's patrons, he grew sick of the whole thing and the whispers that came with it.

"And, could you please not call me the Dragon?"

As they arrived at their room, Kishou opened the door for Amore and followed her in. He was uncharacteristically quiet as they settled for bed.

***​
Kishou had hardly gotten a good night's sleep, and as his eyelids drowsily fluttered open, he let out a heavy sigh and rolled onto his side. Amore's warmth was always a comforting thing, and lately, it seemed as she'd only gotten warmer and warmer. He pulled the Priestess closer and let slip a second, happier sigh as his arms wrapped around his companion.
 
She knew that comment would sting a nerve and yet ... and yet she said it anyway. Part of Amore felt a righteous sense of catharsis in bringing about the perturbed silence that Kishou had leveled upon her earlier. The matter of morality was something she forcefully brushed aside.

And yet, as she settled in under the blanket, even though Amore found herself perfectly content in his silence, she was still grateful for his presence nearby. After spending some time thinking over it all, she decided that she would seek no further retribution for his alleged slights. She slept peacefully that evening, ever so much more than Kishou.

When she woke to the sensation of an arm wrapping around her, tugging her close, Amore felt confident that starting anew was the right decision to make. She did hate being cross with Kishou, especially considering he was all she had in these lands. Amore smiled a small smile to herself, adjusting slightly for comfort as Kishou snuggled in at her back.

"What's the time?" it was difficult to tell consider her lack of visual cues. Usually she relied on the sounds of the birds outside or that of the workers stirring early to get started in the kitchens. She couldn't hear anything, so it must have been very early ... or perhaps still very late.
 
"Mmh," Kishou drowsily responded. He picked his head up to check, and sure enough, light diffused through the sliding windows. An arm tightened around Amore's waist as she adjusted herself, "Dunno. Who cares? I just want to stay like this for a while."

There were no thoughts over their quarreling, just contentedness with the present. The groggy Dragon nuzzled the back of Amore's shoulder.

"Yeah," he sighed, "Just a little longer."
 
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It was ...pleasant, being wrapped in her companion's warmth, but the closeness felt somehow different. Amore could feel the color filling her cheeks and a sensation of tingling where he nuzzled into her shoulder and squeezed her tightly at her middle. Hazy and flushed, she couldn't think of any other moments in her life when she'd felt quite like it.

Amore drew her lower arm down from where it cradled her head to find the arm looped around her middle. Her fingers traced the length of his sleeve until she found the hem at his wrist and slipped in along his arm as if to embrace him back.

"I'm sorry, too," she whispered, smiling hopefully, "are we ok?"
 
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"Of course we are," he whispered into her shoulder, a smile of his own beginning to grow, "To me, there was never a moment that we weren't."

He'd held many women in many ways, but none while bearing such overflowing warmth in his beating heart as he did now. Kishou clung so closely to the Priestess as if he never intended to let her go, and the pair fit perfectly together as if they were two pieces of a puzzle. At that moment there wasn't a single thing in the world that mattered except for their intertwined legs and the sound of Amore's quiet breathing.

A silent vow was made as he basked in her warmth to, so long as he was by her side, protect her smile and to be her shield from anything that would seek to cause her harm. There weren't thoughts of finding his family or seeking a cure for her condition. No, not a single thought.

It was nice to hope that they would find his family as it was to hope that a cure existed, but neither of those was as real as the mingling warmth between the Dragon and Rose. There was nothing he believed more than that if he stayed by her side as they walked their shared path, good things would ultimately befall them.
 
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Hadn't realized that she'd been carrying weight of negativity until he'd said those words. She felt it lift from her like a rain-soaked robe, leaving her feeling light and letting her heart skip in relief. Amore breathed a deep sigh, giving his arm a squeeze within the sleeve, and fell back into a sound and restful sleep.

They slept until nearly noon when Mameha finally knocked to rouse them. The Healer had arrived early and was eager to see to Amore's wounds. He was truly a skilled Healer, as he was capable to make those bruises and welts disappear as if they'd never even happened. He could not, however, take away the mental and emotional pain and fear left behind from the incident - that could only heal on its own.

He could not, also, heal her sight or her powers. But he did tell her to seek out several of his colleagues in the capital over dinner that evening. By the next day, Amore was well enough to sing and preform, and just as she had agreed with Master Kei, she gave the Tea House a most phenomenal finale act, featuring several of her very popular songs and one last song given as her farewell. Kishou was able to see it all, seated at the table with the Chairman, Lady Himari, the Healer, and Master Kei all evening.

The next day Mater Kei made good on their deal. Not one, but two horses fully tacked and loaded with supplies awaited them. They had rations, medicine, water, a regional map, traveling essentials, and - yes, two swords as promised. They were nothing compared to the blades Kishou once carried, but they were good enough for the local militia. Lastly was their pay - a most handsome fortune that would hold them well. Amore bid Kei hold half of it for their return to meet with the Chairman and his wife once they were finished visiting Kishou's family. She did so in front of their new friends to ensure that it would be there when they got back.

By late morning Amore was sitting side-seat on her horse who was ponied off of Kishou's and following him down the main road, hair braided and hidden and hood drawn, heading east to find his family.
 
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Seated next to Kei and his close friends overlooking the crowd and Amore's performance, Kishou was overwhelmingly proud of his companion. Perhaps there was a meaning behind the first full show that he watched was also the last. If there was, Kishou never spent a moment to think about and enjoyed her songs.

Kishou had drawn exclamations from Kei and the Chairman as he wore the swords on his waist. They had complimented how naturally he wore them and that it felt that they were seeing his true self for the first time.

Dressed in a clean, expensive kimono and with two swords at his side, Kishou led them out of Kozai. For the first time in their travels, they made excellent time and arrived at the village early in the evening. Houses were spaced far apart to accommodate the rice fields, and the farmers and peasants they passed had paused their work to watch the pair stroll in. A man that walked ahead of them stepped off the road and bowed to Kishou as they caught up, clearly mistaking the swordsman for being a man far more important than he actually was.

Word spread faster than their horses walked, and as they arrived at the center of the village, a man with a round face and greying beard waited for them.

"My Lord!" He greeted them with a deep bow, "Welcome to this humble village. What brings you here?"

"I'm no samurai," Kishou bowed his head in turn, "Please, speak to me casually." The swordsman politely smiled. "I'm looking for my family and believe that they may be living here. They would have arrived several years ago as refugees: a woman- my mother and my two brothers. You would remember if you saw them, for they had strong bodies and the strength of two men. My mother's name is Yakusha, and my brothers are Kenzo and Kisato."

The village chief scratched his scraggly beard. "Yes," he answered immediately, "I know your family. Please, join me in my home. I'll tell you all that you wish to know."

So they followed the chief, whose name they learned was Inagaki, to his home, where he served them weak tea around a warm hearth.

"Your family," Inagaki said after sipping his tea, "Did live here once. Your brothers were respected by the other refugees that traveled with them. They were natural leaders and must have led the refugees through many difficulties. My father was the village chief then, and he welcomed the newcomers despite the other villagers' suspicions. In a short time, your family and the other families that came with them were accepted into the village."

Kishou didn't touch his tea as Inagaki spoke and instead clutched a bundle of his kimono in his lap. "They lived here once? Meaning..."

"That's right. No longer."

"What-"

"My friend," Inagaki took a serious tone. "It would be best if you followed me."

He led them out and behind his home. On the hillside behind his modest hut was a small cemetery. A stone path led up the hill towards the row of unevenly spaced graves. There were small stone statues of a guardian deity responsible for carrying souls into the afterlife. Inagaki was silent as he led them to a small headstone. Carved into it were the characters that spelled out the name of Kishou's mother.

Y
A
K
U
S
H
A
​
Kishou knelt in front of the headstone and traced two fingers over the carvings.

"She fell ill during spring about four years ago and quickly passed. Your brothers, after grieving, left for Saiji... I heard about you from your mother, who always said she believed you would return to see her. I never said it, but I believed her to be too optimistic. Not many sons return to their mothers after running off to war. Take your time here," Inagaki smiled and turned to return to his home, "And come see me. Your mother left something behind for you if you ever showed up."

With that, the village chief left Kishou to mourn.
 
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