Northstar Vale The woodpecker sighs

@Reiko @Kazuhiko
phone posts

Though it was a lie her heart still felt as if it had been cut into tiny pieces, that everything told to her was just as true as the day she was told. He was not present in her life, he was not there to see his child grow. Take his first steps, utter his first words, step outside their home of despair. Where they not meant to be, everything since he had asked her to be with him had been distance and pain. She did not want to lose this man, the one she harbored feelings for since she was just a pup. She adored him but did he truly love her or was that a way to cover his love for their empress?

A sigh escaped her lips as she gathered the herbs needed for her task, she too loved Reiko. She had loved them both for longer than she could remember but she stayed silent, how stupid of her.

Tears fell down her cheeks but she quickly wiped them away when her son came into view, his smile matching her samurai's. "Are you ready little one?" her voice shook as she tried to smile down at him. When he responded she gave a nod to the pile of herbs he wanted to carry and they were off. Before long they stood before the den of her injured friend, the woman she loved just as much as the fabled dead samurai.

Oh, he knew something was wrong when the man he had saw before his mother carried him to another den with other puppies was gone. When his mother started to cry herself to sleep, when she began to whisper to children no longer there. He did everything he could to make her know he was there, cuddling up to her, just being there.

Today was different, they were going somewhere. Somewhere with plants! When he was asked a question he yipped in response, grabbing the plants he was told to and matched next to her with pride.

After her talk with Collision, the woman was lost. Though she accepted what had to be done, it didn't make the thought any easier to cope with. Someone had to die, and hopefully, it was the right individual who would and peace would finally follow. it was a bitter pill to swallow, and even if Takeshi had brought with him nothing but pain, there were days where it almost seemed like they would have been a family. 

It was those good days that made it all the more difficult. 

If only they could have seen eye to eye, had found some middle ground where everyone could have been happy instead of fighting one another at every step along the way. 

A figure stood at the entrance of the den, blotting out the little light that came trickling in and stole her attention away from the plaguing thoughts. Eyes strained to make out who it was, the paleness of the coat at first put her into a fury, thinking that only one with such a coat would dare to come by now - only to be calmed as it slowly faded into a more clear view. Hiromi had come to make her own visit now. 

And her heart ached.

Not only was Yuudai gone from Reiko's life, no longer the lover or even the friend she accepted as their fates, but Hiromi as well. Reiko couldn't even help the mourning woman, since well, she mourned all the same.

She watched the emotion flicker across her best friends face, the sadness and hopelessness there. She looked over the nasty wound over her neck, and fear moved over the false-widow's features. This was not how this was suppose to be, why couldn't her friend have listened to her? The three of them could have been happy, no rise would have to happen, no pain would have befallen either of them. Instead she granted the one man that should never have come into power just that, power over her, power over their kingdom.

It was theor clan all over again, the fear, the pain, the loss. She gave her friend a smile, sad and fragikeep but there as she geturned to her child to go to their empress. As she moved closer she could not help but press her side against Reiko's, she still loved her and wanted to touch her..

He moved just when he moved signaled, placing the plants by their patient, the empress. He watches as his mother touched her with affection but did not comment, he was a smart boy like that. Instead he remained quiet and gave the woman the same affection, pressing against her before falling back.. resting his backside on the worn den ground.

Hiromi's touch was comforting, oh how she missed all of this, fear still gripped her to think that Takeshi was looming somewhere close by. Watching, enjoying the sight as she was certain he did. She hated what he had done, all of it, and the stuff she didn't know about. Did she even want to know of all the disgusting things he had done since his presence here? Would it simply shatter the Empress further than the news already had?

Never the less, she sighed a breath of relief at the touch and smiled at the child she brought. The little prince made between Hiromi and Yuudai, she envied it all and loved it all the same. She coveted them both for so long, even more so with their reunion and the attempts to keep them safe had all failed. Why... why didn't you tell me what he did Hiromi? With the thoughts, she had to ask.

Call it selfish, I would have done so many different things. If she didn't think she was holding the burden alone, that the tyrant's wrath was solely on her and thus everyone else was living their dreams. I'm sorry. She would have been better, a better leader, a better friend.

She watched as her little boy gave the empress affection asif she was also his mother before settling down andignorign the two, that was whenher firend spoke up. Asking why she did not tell her what her husband had done to her, speaking about how she would have dont things differently but she just ouldnot see that happening. When she tried to tell her that she was in love with Reiko she had yelled at her and told her she wanted peace, when she tried to tell her about how she disliked Takeshi she had brushed off her concerns.

Sighing she sat down, grabbing the herbs she needed and started to treat her best friend before she started to speak. "What could you have done?" She questioned softly, hating that she sounded so weak at this. "I told you I loved you and you said you didn't want to hear it, so how could I have told you he did that" She looked down as her paws before she began her healing again.