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Chapter Two

In the end, it had been surprisingly easy to leave the brothel. Kohaku paid the owners what remained of her debts without batting an eyelash and they simply walked out the door.

Some of the other girls looked on with open jealousy, the rest capitalized on the influx of new customers. Everyone had their own way of dealing with the news. Rin chose to remain silent, scared that if she spoke a single word this dream would come crashing down around her.

Kohaku lead her easily through Kyoto's darkened streets. Every so often they'd pass by a market, still open and bustling with late night revellers. The sounds and smells of the city almost brought her to tears. With the wind blowing against her face and the smell of roasting fish in her nose, she felt happiness for the first time in almost a year.

Kohaku eventually led her into a small market brightly lit by hanging lanterns.

"You hungry? They probably didn't feed you much in that place."

Her stomach growled noisily in response and she nodded uncertainly, fully realizing that she was completely dependent upon him for food. She had no money of her own and nothing to sell apart from her own body. Even the modest kimono she wore wouldn't fetch much of a price.

He stopped at one of the many stalls lining the streets and inspected the menu.

"What'll you have?"

She eyed the offerings roasting before them on the open grill. The delicious scent of roasting meat curled in her empty stomach. Kohaku was right – they hadn't fed them much at the brothel. No one wanted to pay to bed a fat whore.

Swallowing the sudden rush of saliva in her mouth, she pointed shyly at a large helping of ika. Kohaku asked the man for two and handed her one. She tore into it before he'd even finished paying. She devoured it greedily while she followed Kohaku along the street, sparing not the slightest care for where he was taking her or why.

At another stall along the way he purchased a handful of onigiri. After handing her one, he tucked the rest into his satchel for the journey. She accepted it with a grateful nod and dove in, savouring the softness of the warm rice in her mouth.

With her belly pleasantly full, she had more energy to focus on the situation she was currently in. Who was this man and why had he sought fit to purchase her from the brothel?

"Where are we going?"

Kohaku stretched his arms above his head and cast a glance back at her over his shoulder.

"To Edo."

"Edo?! But that's nearly a two week journey," she cried out incredulous.

"Yeah, but it's home. I told you it'd be a long journey," he winked, not the least bit bothered by her distress.

"And if I choose not to go?"

His feet drew to a halt and he turned to face her. For the first time the carefree smile slipped from his lips and he regarded her carefully.

"Well, I hope it doesn't come to that. I'd rather not use force if I don't have to."

Taking hold of her arm, he drew her close enough so that only she could hear his next words. "I am the one who paid your debts, Sakura. Until I choose to release you, you belong to me."

He waited for her nod of acceptance before loosening his hold on her arm enough that she could rip it away.

"I thought you were different but you're just as bad as the rest," she spat at him.

"I've never deceived you, Sakura."

Ignoring his words, she turned heel and tried to run. She'd barely travelled two steps before her body collided with a solid wall of muscled flesh. She stepped back and looked up to find the scarred face of a drunken soldier leering down at her.

"Hey, I know you," he slurred through a watery smile. She turned to run but he caught her up by the arm and boldly groped her breasts.

"Hey now, don't be like that. You and me had fun last time. Don't tell me you don't remember!"

Rin used her free fist to beat against his chest in a desperate effort to free herself.

"Let go of me!" she screamed, attracting concerned glances from a few passersby.

Not one of them intervened to help her and her next cries were silenced by the soldier's wet mouth descending onto hers. He forced his tongue past her lips, invading her mouth with the taste of sake and fish. The smell and taste of him made her want to vomit. Furious, she bit down hard on his tongue and he reeled back with a howl of rage.

"Stupid bitch!" he screamed, slapping her hard across the face. She would have fallen were it not for the iron grip he kept on her arm.

"I don't know how you escaped, but I'm taking you back to the brothel where you belong. Maybe the owners will let me teach you some manners for free," he chuckled darkly.

Grabbing her up by the waist he flung her over his broad shoulder and began carrying her down the street. She looked around frantically, desperately hoping to meet the eye of one person who would help her. Not one looked in her direction or offered her assistance. She'd nearly given up hope when she heard Kohaku's strong voice behind her.

"I believe that's my woman you're stealing," he announced.

The soldier stopped and she could hear laughter rumble through his chest.

"Is that so? I'd be happy to fight you for her boy, but believe me she isn't worth the trouble."

"I disagree. Just the same, kindly put her down. She is not yours to punish."

Still angry at Kohaku's earlier words, Rin couldn't bring herself to look at him once the soldier had set her on her feet again. Grinning he drew his sword and took his stance. A few more onlookers had gathered now and began to form a circle around them. Kohaku considered the soldier in front of him carefully before drawing his short sword.

"Just what do you plan to do with that?" the soldier jeered before taking his first swing. Kohaku dodged it with unnatural speed and jumped past the soldier, using his short sword to slice open his neck. Hot blood splashed against the dirt road and behind him the soldier collapsed heavily to the ground.

Rin gaped at the scene before her in shock. It'd all happened so fast. She'd barely seen Kohaku move and he'd managed to dispatch a man of that size in one strike. She didn't have long to absorb the scene before he grabbed hold of her hand and dragged her towards the edge of the circle.

"Come on ,we gotta go before his friends arrive," he urged. She was inclined to listen. If that meeting had proven anything, it was that she wasn't safe in Kyoto. She'd never be able to live a normal life here, not as long as people could still recognize her face.

The crowd parted for them and they dashed through. Kohaku kept running, pulling her behind him. They ran through the market, over the bridge leading out of the city, and didn't stop until they were surrounded by rice fields. Out of breath, he rested against the nearest tree and grinned at her.

"Well, that was exciting!"

She nodded and promptly collapsed at his feet.

Description

Chapter Two

In the end, it had been surprisingly easy to leave the brothel. Kohaku paid the owners what remained of her debts without batting an eyelash and they simply walked out the door.

Some of the other girls looked on with open jealousy, the rest capitalized on the influx of new customers. Everyone had their own way of dealing with the news. Rin chose to remain silent, scared that if she spoke a single word this dream would come crashing down around her.

Kohaku lead her easily through Kyoto's darkened streets. Every so often they'd pass by a market, still open and bustling with late night revellers. The sounds and smells of the city almost brought her to tears. With the wind blowing against her face and the smell of roasting fish in her nose, she felt happiness for the first time in almost a year.

Kohaku eventually led her into a small market brightly lit by hanging lanterns.

"You hungry? They probably didn't feed you much in that place."

Her stomach growled noisily in response and she nodded uncertainly, fully realizing that she was completely dependent upon him for food. She had no money of her own and nothing to sell apart from her own body. Even the modest kimono she wore wouldn't fetch much of a price.

He stopped at one of the many stalls lining the streets and inspected the menu.

"What'll you have?"

She eyed the offerings roasting before them on the open grill. The delicious scent of roasting meat curled in her empty stomach. Kohaku was right – they hadn't fed them much at the brothel. No one wanted to pay to bed a fat whore.

Swallowing the sudden rush of saliva in her mouth, she pointed shyly at a large helping of ika. Kohaku asked the man for two and handed her one. She tore into it before he'd even finished paying. She devoured it greedily while she followed Kohaku along the street, sparing not the slightest care for where he was taking her or why.

At another stall along the way he purchased a handful of onigiri. After handing her one, he tucked the rest into his satchel for the journey. She accepted it with a grateful nod and dove in, savouring the softness of the warm rice in her mouth.

With her belly pleasantly full, she had more energy to focus on the situation she was currently in. Who was this man and why had he sought fit to purchase her from the brothel?

"Where are we going?"

Kohaku stretched his arms above his head and cast a glance back at her over his shoulder.

"To Edo."

"Edo?! But that's nearly a two week journey," she cried out incredulous.

"Yeah, but it's home. I told you it'd be a long journey," he winked, not the least bit bothered by her distress.

"And if I choose not to go?"

His feet drew to a halt and he turned to face her. For the first time the carefree smile slipped from his lips and he regarded her carefully.

"Well, I hope it doesn't come to that. I'd rather not use force if I don't have to."

Taking hold of her arm, he drew her close enough so that only she could hear his next words. "I am the one who paid your debts, Sakura. Until I choose to release you, you belong to me."

He waited for her nod of acceptance before loosening his hold on her arm enough that she could rip it away.

"I thought you were different but you're just as bad as the rest," she spat at him.

"I've never deceived you, Sakura."

Ignoring his words, she turned heel and tried to run. She'd barely travelled two steps before her body collided with a solid wall of muscled flesh. She stepped back and looked up to find the scarred face of a drunken soldier leering down at her.

"Hey, I know you," he slurred through a watery smile. She turned to run but he caught her up by the arm and boldly groped her breasts.

"Hey now, don't be like that. You and me had fun last time. Don't tell me you don't remember!"

Rin used her free fist to beat against his chest in a desperate effort to free herself.

"Let go of me!" she screamed, attracting concerned glances from a few passersby.

Not one of them intervened to help her and her next cries were silenced by the soldier's wet mouth descending onto hers. He forced his tongue past her lips, invading her mouth with the taste of sake and fish. The smell and taste of him made her want to vomit. Furious, she bit down hard on his tongue and he reeled back with a howl of rage.

"Stupid bitch!" he screamed, slapping her hard across the face. She would have fallen were it not for the iron grip he kept on her arm.

"I don't know how you escaped, but I'm taking you back to the brothel where you belong. Maybe the owners will let me teach you some manners for free," he chuckled darkly.

Grabbing her up by the waist he flung her over his broad shoulder and began carrying her down the street. She looked around frantically, desperately hoping to meet the eye of one person who would help her. Not one looked in her direction or offered her assistance. She'd nearly given up hope when she heard Kohaku's strong voice behind her.

"I believe that's my woman you're stealing," he announced.

The soldier stopped and she could hear laughter rumble through his chest.

"Is that so? I'd be happy to fight you for her boy, but believe me she isn't worth the trouble."

"I disagree. Just the same, kindly put her down. She is not yours to punish."

Still angry at Kohaku's earlier words, Rin couldn't bring herself to look at him once the soldier had set her on her feet again. Grinning he drew his sword and took his stance. A few more onlookers had gathered now and began to form a circle around them. Kohaku considered the soldier in front of him carefully before drawing his short sword.

"Just what do you plan to do with that?" the soldier jeered before taking his first swing. Kohaku dodged it with unnatural speed and jumped past the soldier, using his short sword to slice open his neck. Hot blood splashed against the dirt road and behind him the soldier collapsed heavily to the ground.

Rin gaped at the scene before her in shock. It'd all happened so fast. She'd barely seen Kohaku move and he'd managed to dispatch a man of that size in one strike. She didn't have long to absorb the scene before he grabbed hold of her hand and dragged her towards the edge of the circle.

"Come on ,we gotta go before his friends arrive," he urged. She was inclined to listen. If that meeting had proven anything, it was that she wasn't safe in Kyoto. She'd never be able to live a normal life here, not as long as people could still recognize her face.

The crowd parted for them and they dashed through. Kohaku kept running, pulling her behind him. They ran through the market, over the bridge leading out of the city, and didn't stop until they were surrounded by rice fields. Out of breath, he rested against the nearest tree and grinned at her.

"Well, that was exciting!"

She nodded and promptly collapsed at his feet.