Aramoro stepped into the still room from the night, cold rain dripping down into his armor against his skin. Across the room, a single figure stood, occasionally silhouetted in a flash of lightning as it streaked across the black sky. Thunder followed soon after, rumbling over the rafters of the ancient home of the Hantei family.
As soon as he saw the figure, he fell to his knees and placed his long, slender blade at his side with a single silent motion. "My Lady," he whispered, his breath hinting at the exhaustion that wracked his frozen muscles. "I bring you news."
Another flash descended, but the shadows clung to her, revealing nothing to him. He could smell the perfume of her hair drifting across the room, but he heard no sound from her, save for the single "Yes?" that hung in the air many moments after it was spoken.
"I followed Akiyoshi, as you commanded." She did not respond; he continued. "Your suspicions were correct. She has been to see the ronin."
"Where else would she go?"
Aramoro continued, feeling the bitterness of her words seep into his skin. "Much have I learned, my Lady. Yoritomo's ambassador was there, as well as a representative from the Brotherhood."
She nodded. "Junzo is looking for the descendants," she whispered. "That is why the Brotherhood is there. Yoritomo is there because he is as opportunistic as a crow spying a shiny bauble."
"There is no alliance between them, my Lady. The Clans refuse to acknowledge his claim. Yoritomo swears the Alliance will fight to prove their worth."
"And destroy the Empire in doing so." Again Kachiko shook her head. "It is just as Yokuni said. All of his prophecies are coming to pass."
"My Lady," Aramoro whispered. "There is more. The Lady Tsuko..."
Kachiko spun on her heel, her kimono whipping about her. "You have news?"
"Hai. She was at the ronin's camp."
She moved across the room as the lightning struck behind her. Aramoro fell completely prostrate, not certain if the chill in his bones was from the rain or his LadyÕs icy stare. "Tell me, ninja," she said.
"She was there, my Lady." Aramoro's eyes focused on the wood panels inches from his nose. "She begged him to return, to reclaim the mantle, but..."
The thunder crashed, the paper panels and wooden beams of the house shuddering as the ninja continued whispering to her. When he was done, he remained prostrate and silent. Kachiko paused for a moment, then turned back to the window. For a moment, she swore she saw a shadow there, but in the span of a breath, it was gone.
"It is all true," she whispered. "All true."
She turned back to the ninja, her face shifting in the shadows. All the darkness had left her eyes. When she lifted AramoroÕs chin with her fingertips, he could see them gleaming like the lightning in the window behind him. With her lips only a breath away from him, she said "My beloved husband's brother. You swore you would protect me and follow my every wish, my every command without question?"
Aramoro nodded. "Aye, my Lady. You know I did."
"Then I have only one command left to give you, my devoted Aramoro." She looked into his eyes, knowing his response perhaps even before he did. "I want you to leave me."
"...My Lady?"
"Without question, Aramoro. Remember? Leave me now. Join the others. Our army must be ready when the moment is right." She saw the confusion in his eyes and she smiled, and at that moment, she realized it was the first true smile since the war had begun. "I cannot have you standing between me and my destiny. Go. Now."
As soon as he saw the figure, he fell to his knees and placed his long, slender blade at his side with a single silent motion. "My Lady," he whispered, his breath hinting at the exhaustion that wracked his frozen muscles. "I bring you news."
Another flash descended, but the shadows clung to her, revealing nothing to him. He could smell the perfume of her hair drifting across the room, but he heard no sound from her, save for the single "Yes?" that hung in the air many moments after it was spoken.
"I followed Akiyoshi, as you commanded." She did not respond; he continued. "Your suspicions were correct. She has been to see the ronin."
"Where else would she go?"
Aramoro continued, feeling the bitterness of her words seep into his skin. "Much have I learned, my Lady. Yoritomo's ambassador was there, as well as a representative from the Brotherhood."
She nodded. "Junzo is looking for the descendants," she whispered. "That is why the Brotherhood is there. Yoritomo is there because he is as opportunistic as a crow spying a shiny bauble."
"There is no alliance between them, my Lady. The Clans refuse to acknowledge his claim. Yoritomo swears the Alliance will fight to prove their worth."
"And destroy the Empire in doing so." Again Kachiko shook her head. "It is just as Yokuni said. All of his prophecies are coming to pass."
"My Lady," Aramoro whispered. "There is more. The Lady Tsuko..."
Kachiko spun on her heel, her kimono whipping about her. "You have news?"
"Hai. She was at the ronin's camp."
She moved across the room as the lightning struck behind her. Aramoro fell completely prostrate, not certain if the chill in his bones was from the rain or his LadyÕs icy stare. "Tell me, ninja," she said.
"She was there, my Lady." Aramoro's eyes focused on the wood panels inches from his nose. "She begged him to return, to reclaim the mantle, but..."
The thunder crashed, the paper panels and wooden beams of the house shuddering as the ninja continued whispering to her. When he was done, he remained prostrate and silent. Kachiko paused for a moment, then turned back to the window. For a moment, she swore she saw a shadow there, but in the span of a breath, it was gone.
"It is all true," she whispered. "All true."
She turned back to the ninja, her face shifting in the shadows. All the darkness had left her eyes. When she lifted AramoroÕs chin with her fingertips, he could see them gleaming like the lightning in the window behind him. With her lips only a breath away from him, she said "My beloved husband's brother. You swore you would protect me and follow my every wish, my every command without question?"
Aramoro nodded. "Aye, my Lady. You know I did."
"Then I have only one command left to give you, my devoted Aramoro." She looked into his eyes, knowing his response perhaps even before he did. "I want you to leave me."
"...My Lady?"
"Without question, Aramoro. Remember? Leave me now. Join the others. Our army must be ready when the moment is right." She saw the confusion in his eyes and she smiled, and at that moment, she realized it was the first true smile since the war had begun. "I cannot have you standing between me and my destiny. Go. Now."
Aramoro nodded and stood and she stood with him. She looked up at the ninja as his full height dwarfed her own. "May the Fortunes watch you, my Lady." As swiftly and silently as he had arrived, he was gone. Leaving her alone with the rain, the darkness and the thunder.
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