Blackfeather Woods 赤

as bid, he rises. watching with eyes now less cold as she comes to his side, closer, and he feels her breath upon his dark feather fur.
masa drawing breath to answer her questions, obediently. my blade still answers to my father’s command. i trail a bounty; a woman who has committed crimes against my clan and must be brought to justice.
his eyes speak to say that there is more to the story than just that, though. but it is shoved aside, quickly, as he moves to walk, leading kaede-sama to where he left shinjou and lorroakan. but one they call the moonwoman of moonglow has given me a directive i must follow first: in thanks for her hospitality. we return to her now to complete the contract and move on.
samurai shinjou hirohiko, a vassal of my father, and a boy not of our people called lorrokan stay with me. he says. thus they are sworn to you now. i wish you to wield my katana for your uses.
is it a sudden decision? or is masa right to see in this woman something whole? something more honorable of a leader, than he might ever be? let us be sword and wielder, kaede-sama. co-leaders?