Within A Grey Twilight 26 Chapter Twenty-Five: Odds for the worst situation

Of all things that could have been on her mind, she noticed that Kaede was nowhere in sight for quite some time. At least until now when he found her sitting on the edge, on the courtyard while holding a bottle of wine. Drinking from it as she looked outside.

This was an estate that few knew about, quietly tucked away. Although in a city known for its brutality, which was anything but quiet. Kaede put down her bottle when she saw Sachiko, although having no intention to get up. Sachiko didn't see the need for it either.

Choosing to take a seat beside her. "Where did you go?"

She looked at her.

"Went to see my family." Although a little strange that she will have came back like this.

"You look as though your family suffered a disaster."

"It's just that a lot is on my mind now." Not that she had any time for that either. Sachiko knew that it was very much the truth at this point. If there was nothing else to show for it, but in the entirety she knew Kaede she was never so melancholic.

Not so prominent in her life, at least until this point.

"Actually, it's not even them. It's more on Kouya, and whether he's really back." She took another drink.

"Rumors, isn't it?" She heard many of them mention it, when Masaki asked whether he could leave or did he have to wait.

"Except that it might be true." Kaede took out a piece of paper. With a drawing of an old man, with only one eye shown on the side. He was bald.

"I thought you said he was a young man at most now."

"Well, they don't know that." And so they assumed that it had to be someone much older, hence capable of coming up with the strategy which ended a feudal lord's life. And they were making him seem as menacing as possible. "And he might have returned to this city, but he will not look like this. Besides, he wasn't bald."

"Although I highly doubt he looks anything like that, since he mentioned that he was only twelve when I first met him. If my guess is correct, he should be around eighteen now."

"You haven't met him?" Kaede gave a small smile, one which confirmed her suspicions in the first place.

"Not yet, not that he can make contact with me." Which could go both ways, with Kaede not being her original name in the first place. Kouya certainly didn't seem like a name anyone gave at all, for good reasons.

"How long did you know him?"

"You sure are curious about him." Kaede looked at her.

"He is a suspect after all." Kaede obliged her, seeing as how it may not matter because of how no one has actually seen him. Except for her, but Sachiko has her own reasons why she has to.

"I knew him for a year before he said that he wanted to leave." And leave he had, which will have explained why he faded off the radar. Perhaps after that incident, he felt that it was not the place for him.

"Did he keep in contact?"

"No, I could barely write letters. Not to mention how expensive paper was. I made money making it, he wrote the letters."

"So you can read?" At least that will have made more sense than teaching her to write them in the first place.

She shrugged, clear that she could. Perhaps a lot more. "Easy enough, he taught me quite a bit."

Although even that could be debated for much, unless Sachiko had a way to know. She still kept a letter with her at all times, if anything happened. Or if she had fulfilled her goals, and she will show it to her younger brother.

"One like this." She gave one to him, not unlike before was another letter between her and Masaki. Just before she left. "Read it aloud."

"Dearest Masaki, how have you been? I bring forth terrible news, our father has disappeared off the shores of Fukusei. Mother is taking control of the situation and wishes to have you back among us."

"I suppose this wasn't sent?" She passed back. She hasn't finished, but displayed something amidst a strong vocabulary. For a boy like Kouya, to have taught Kaede spoke of a good education since he was old enough. Fortunes may change, but years of learning rarely went away in the first place. Even languages which were unspoken for years but learned could still be remembered.

"I was about to, but we could not." Although Kaede seemed anything but really convinced by this, but knowing Sachiko she didn't say a word. Besides, this was going to be a secret between them in the first place. With this letter. Sachiko kept it between her sleeves, never to let another person know of its existence.

"Did he ever spoke of his past?"

"No, but I feel that he has a score to settle with the Satou. Although I could not exactly figure out why." She tried to remember these details, because they were mentioned when she was a child. Just before that incident occurred.

"Besides, it was an easy guess he came from an esteemed family. With his education and also his strategies, he even once played shoji before me. Not that I know the game well." She didn't say anything else, even if Sachiko all but held her suspicions. At that point, a servant came who asked Kaede to go off. As she has finished her day off.

Just as she did, she remembered a rumor that came from long ago. Uttered within these walls by a servant, was that the Satou clan may have colluded to kill the Shogun.

Junri and Masami had largely tried to find a safe place while Yuki looked over Kisuke, who by all means needed one. Although the younger girl was also skeptical, but decided they had to. Yuki should not go out on her own, the same went for Kisuke as well. As they have to look around, since both had never been here truly before.

Masami kept her blade, as did Junri. Even as they know that all will have concealed their blades as well, in the same manner. Inclusive of pistols, hidden between sleeves and easily reachable. Even for women, some means of protection were a must.

And hidden between these streets were deals, which she knew were of a far more dangerous kind.

But she could ascertain one thing, no one was after them. And they had escaped that district, which was as safe as it can be. This was a city where territories were split and governed by different people, who mostly left commoners alone but will have threw out anyone associated with a rival clan.

"You seem rather okay for someone who has never been here."

"I came from a city which has been in this state for centuries. It's pretty easy, although here we're less recognized."

"This city has been of a similar situation." Pointing out that it was the same. She shrugged but still walked it with a familiarity that few ever will, the same could be said of how she carried herself. Discreet enough to be ignored, but never forgotten.

She didn't know many places to go, except for one. Even then, she has never been certain of how useful it was. In the edge was a merchant's wife, who lived in a large and safe estate. And also offered her place to any who needed a place.

Masami passed by it, knowing that it was a terrible place to choose. Especially if they had not known the woman personally, instead passing it for another inn with a much clearer idea. She entered inside without thinking at all. Junri could only follow her, and one line of thought emerged: did she end up with the insane ones.

Masami was quiet and did seem to be dependable on hindsight, now she wasn't even certain. As for both Kisuke and Yuki, she knew very very much that they were anything but. Those didn't even need much of anything to really know the fact.

Inside was simply a humble establishment, ran by an old man with his wife. No one else had been around for this. Masami went to him, and kindly asked the keys. In a way that didn't seem to harbour any ill intentions at this point and she paid him.

"Kazuho passed you money."

"What makes you think he will not, we're siblings?" Although she could tell that the two of them shared few features together, he had high cheekbones. Hers was a little on the rounder side, with a chiselled face tampered by softer features. She was of a stockier build, while Kazuho had been lean.

Junri didn't mention anything, for siblings sometimes were not related by blood. And sometimes, even real siblings might not always be with the other.

"You might as well come out." Yuki came out, holding her umbrella over Kisuke.

"You knew that they were never going to stay." Masami gave her one look, which was known that it won't be any different.

"I have known them for years, of course they wouldn't." She replied with the strong sensation that she knew them and knew them well. "They rarely listen to the people who is providing for them, or covering their expenses what makes you think that they'll listen to me when I'm just another freeloader."

"I still prefer Hajime."

"Agree, no matter how ridiculous; he pulls his weight." Junri raised her eyebrow against the girl, but she will just lead them inside.

Inside where the inn owners had the chance, both were mothered and well received. Yuki enjoyed a chance to take a bath, while Kisuke was fed. Both had taken quite nicely to them. While Yuki simply stared along with Junri.

"Well, I hope they won't break their hearts," Masami said.

Junri said. "More of how they should not see that side of them." Since they didn't even need to pay for them once this was settled. They both sign but do think that their situation is still an improvement rather than anything else. They could have been sleeping on the streets, gotten themselves into big trouble or possibly worse.

Chapter end