Blackfeather Woods the assassin's road

it could have been a ruse. for a long time after the demise of his father's han the man called kikyō had to hide himself; names, stories, lies upon lies.

in the years since, a certain boldness had overtaken him—the spirit of revenge possessing and controlling him through many battles, so it stood to reason that, by now, his name might mean something.

still, he did not say it.

a man of samurai blood, he does answer in this way, and moves as his voice flows, in case the other is the same. their voice is young, he thinks—not that it detracts from any possible threat.

however, who would send a boy after him?

and in seeing the shape of a man, and seeing glimpses of scars, kikyō bristles and finds the shelter of shadows; the stranger looks battle-worn.