The Cloaked Samurai

"Prince Keiji, we think it is safe to say that the missing body does in fact belong to Lady _____," the man said, bowing before Keiji.

"I see," Keiji nodded slowly. He contemplated this. Where would she have gone? There had been no reports of seeing her, but then again, no one save her family, close servants, or him knew what she looked like. Perhaps she was living in the village with someone.

"Have you heard anything about the samurai who killed the rebels?" Keiji asked the man.

"No, my prince. The villagers only tell tales of a mysterious samurai who will save them from hardship. Only a legend, of course," the man replied.

"Of course," Keiji repeated with a slight smile, but he wasn't ready to dismiss the notion quite yet. What if _____ had left the house, a samurai had killed the men, and then she was kidnapped by the samurai? A beautiful, young girl like her would certainly be a prize worth having, one he wanted all for himself. He couldn't stand the thought of anyone else having what he had once failed to obtain.

"Continue the search. Question everyone with no exception. Men, women, children... all are to provide any information they know. I will not rest until _____ and the samurai are found," Keiji commanded.

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"Akio! Akio! Wake up!" Farren shook your shoulders. Your eyes flew open. You had broken into a cold sweat, and you couldn't catch your breath.

"You were shouting in your sleep again," Farren told you.

"I'm sorry," you apologized. "I keep having nightmares about the night of the fire. Not even of my family dying, but of the rebels dying."

"I have often heard that the first killing is the hardest, especially for those unprepared emotionally. It seems so easy, to just take the life from a person, but the long-term effects are tremendous. I believe this is why we often find ourselves hesitating before killing. It is a last-resort for our instincts to stop us. No matter how terrible the villain, each person has a mind, soul, hopes, and dreams of his or her own. To end all of these is a terrible deed," Farren mused thoughtfully.

"I also dream of the prince," you said.

"The prince? What of him?" Farren asked in surprise.

"He is searching for me. I know it. If he finds me..." you shuddered, trying to keep from imagining all the horrible things he would do to you.

"He will not find you, if that is what you wish," Farren assured you, putting a hand on your shoulder. "Farrah and I will protect you."

"Thank you," you sighed, laying back down. Soon, you had drifted to sleep again.

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The next day, Goro came back to the dojo.

"Hello, sir!" you greeted him as he walked into the classroom. You tossed him a wooden sword.

"Are you two interested in a joint lesson?" Farren asked.

"Yes, if Goro agrees to it," you replied.

"I wouldn't mind another chance to fight Akio," Goro nodded with a smile. It was actually fun to fight Goro when he wasn't trying to kill you. You were able to relax a little more, and it was nice to have more experience from fighting someone other than Farrah or Farren.

"You're a natural, Akio!" Goro slapped you on the back once the lesson was over. You nearly fall forward and have to catch yourself. Goro laughed.

"You're scrawny, though! You should meet my wife. She'll fatten you up," he said.

"You have a wife?" you asked in interest.

"And a child," Goro added proudly.

"I would love to meet them!" you said.

"Would you like to join us for dinner?" Goro offered.

"I would, but because I'm living here in the dojo now, I usually help with the chores," you said.

"Go ahead and go," Farrah smiled. She had apparently been listening in to your conversation. "I'll take care of your chores tonight."

"Thank you!" you smiled. Goro led you to his house.

"I'm home," Goro said as he entered his house.

A pretty young woman not much older than you came to the entryway. She saw you and exclaimed, "Please, come in!"

"I'm sorry I didn't announce I was coming earlier," you said, stepping inside and taking off your shoes.

"It's all right! We could always use more company," she smiled pleasantly.

"This is my wife, Kuma, and this is Akio," Goro introduced you to her.

"Welcome," Kuma bowed in respect. The sound of a baby crying suddenly filled the air. She rushed off to soothe the baby.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Goro smiled proudly.

"Yes!" you nodded. Kuma was very pretty as well as polite; it actually made you a little jealous.

"You should find yourself a wife," Goro nudged you with a grin. "Or were you eying Farrah? She's about your age."

"Sir!" your face turned bright red.

"The meal is ready," Kuma called.

During the meal, you were still in awe over how graceful and polite Kuma was. It almost made you want to be a woman again, seeing as how much power of charm and beauty they really did have. Would it be too risky to try a kimono on one last time?

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The week passed by uneventfully, but you couldn't help thinking about Kuma. Either you were falling in love with her or you were jealous. The grass always was greener on the other side of the hill it seemed. When you were a woman, you longed for the freedoms of a man. Now that you're a man, you wished for the kindness and beauty of a woman.

Alone in your room, you carefully take your pale blue kimono intended for your wedding from beneath the folds of the silk shawl. You tried it on. It's so comfortable and beautiful at the same time. You let your hair loose and tucked Kioko's comb into it. You dug out a bit of rouge and applied it, admiring your reflection in the mirror.

"Akio, would you like to-" Farren came to your door. He stopped as he saw you. A tinge of red appeared on his cheeks.

"I'm sorry. They say old habits die hard," you sighed, taking a cloth to wipe your face clean.

"Wait!" Farren exclaimed. You looked up at him, and you felt your face getting red as well.

"It... it looks nice," he stuttered, looking away.

"Did you... want something?" you stood up and walked over to him.

"I was wondering if you'd like to come by the river with me. The moon is full tonight, and I thought you would enjoy it," Farren said, still unable to meet your eyes.

"Yes, I would love to!" you smiled.