Post by Edda on Nov 16, 2009 19:26:35 GMT -5
Edda's soft tabi padded down the paths of Zento. Even on this warm island, there was a slight nip in the air as of late, and she cast aside her worn black sandals when Casey made her a pair of warmer shoes. The cherry blossoms whipped and twirled around a little, before settling in the dewy grass. She pulled her jacket tighter, and headed to the tailor shop. Upon entrance, she nodded a hello to the tanners and fur traders, and headed over to Bess, who smiled when she saw Edda, and started counting bolts of cloth. Bess was small and soft spoken. She reminded Edda a bit of Ni'Xuin or Hikiko. Always kind and polite. Quite and calm. Edda accepted the cloth and handed Bess a pouch of gold coins. Next stop was the Satori Healing Garden, where they would turn the cloth into bandages for her. She handed them over and watched them so carefully and delicately cut her cloth into strips and soak them in healing solution. She offered them gold, as she always did, but they just chuckled and shooed her away with her fresh bag of band aids.
She pulled up the collar of her jacket and tipped her kasa to shield her face from the wind as she left. Pulling into a run, she dropped into a wolf form, and felt warmer by the second. She ran through the blue gate to Isamu. To keep her skills sharp, she would come here to pick on the smaller hiryu, and elite ninjas, on the Hotaka plains. She ducked down low in the grass and ferns and crept along. Keeping her eyes peeled for the first sign of a hiryu, and her ears sharp for the sound of their discontented growls. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of red, turned her head acutely, and noticed a tail disappear into the large building where the Army held important events. She grinned to herself and quietly inched closer. Within the building, in the direction the beast had gone, she heard the small wail of what could only be a human baby. At that moment, no one would have known she was not a real wolf, for she cocked her head and stared at the building. If she were to go inside, she would no doubt discover a very small child. She wondered if it was alone. Maybe it was lost, and scared. Cold and hungry. A fleeting thought told her to run in the opposite direction, as fast as she could, and pretend she never heard that helpless little cry. Instead she shook it off, as a twinge of maternal instincts and general empathy started to intrude her thoughts. When Moreta found her as an infant out here, did she just leave her to fend for herself? No.. She made her parents take Edda in as their own. A creature of a different race, a little orphan, it didn't matter to them. They did what was right. And after arguing with herself in her own mind for a few minutes, she decided this was her chance to do the same. She rose into human form, stepped into the shadows, and crept in the direction of the beast and baby. Her stomach clenched a little, as she thought of what she might find. She suddenly wished she hadn't have taken so long in her decision. She quickened her pace the best she could while sticking to the shadows, and headed into the building.
Everything seemed to be getting darker now. The clouds were moving in loudly, grumpily warning the world of a storm. When Edda got inside the building she saw the hiryu pacing around the bottom of the staircase, hissing hungrily. Upon closer examination, she could see it was huge and muscular with large claws. Not like the smaller ones she usually played with. She scanned the room in terror, trying to locate the, still crying, child. Her eyes stopped on a pair of bodies in the corner. She swallowed hard, and walked towards them. She stood over them, still sticking to the shadows, and looked down on them sadly. From what she could make out, it was a man and woman, laying side by side. But they were ripped to shreds, with multiple sized claw marks covering their bodies, and it was hard to be sure. She carefully slipped her fukiya out of her pocket and into the palm of her hand, where she grasped it tightly. Making her way as far around the hiryu as possible, for this beast was clearly not to be messed with. She heard the disturbing purr of an oni in the other room. She slipped quietly past the hiryu and headed upstairs. Under the table at the top, she saw a small bundle of blankets with little arms flailing around inside them. Quietly, she walked over and scooped it up, cradling it in her arms. She didn't hesitate, didn't even stop to look down on it, just slipped it into her empty quiver, dropped back into wolf form and fled the building. She didn't look back, she didn't slow down for anything. She just ran hard, the infant still screeching on her back, and didn't pause for a moment until she ran through the blue gate and her feed thudded softly down the blossom covered paths of Zento.
Unsure of where to go next, she slowed to a walk and went back into human form. The crying had quieted as soon as she was safely out of Isamu. She put her hands in her pockets and casually walked down the road. She figured the temple would be quiet and empty, so she headed in that direction. When she reached the building, she headed inside and up the stairs to the place where Hikiko had once stayed. Slipping the bundle out of her quiver, she gently laid it across the soft bamboo floor and unwrapped it. She looked down upon its face for the first time and saw a beautiful, innocent pair of gray eyes, much like Takumi's. The baby looked up at Edda, wriggling and cooing at her. Her mouth split into a huge smile and she stroked its hair. Hardly taking her eyes off it for a second, she prepared a warm bowl of water and tea tree oil and laid it beside him. She gave him a bath and bundled him up tight in a fresh blanket. She decided she would sleep here with him for tonight, and tomorrow she would figure out a plan. She was sure she could think of something. She set up a small futon and warmed a small bottle of milk for him. After feeding it to him, she set aside all her weapons and armor in her backpack, laid down on her back and laid him on her chest. They both fell asleep within seconds.
She pulled up the collar of her jacket and tipped her kasa to shield her face from the wind as she left. Pulling into a run, she dropped into a wolf form, and felt warmer by the second. She ran through the blue gate to Isamu. To keep her skills sharp, she would come here to pick on the smaller hiryu, and elite ninjas, on the Hotaka plains. She ducked down low in the grass and ferns and crept along. Keeping her eyes peeled for the first sign of a hiryu, and her ears sharp for the sound of their discontented growls. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of red, turned her head acutely, and noticed a tail disappear into the large building where the Army held important events. She grinned to herself and quietly inched closer. Within the building, in the direction the beast had gone, she heard the small wail of what could only be a human baby. At that moment, no one would have known she was not a real wolf, for she cocked her head and stared at the building. If she were to go inside, she would no doubt discover a very small child. She wondered if it was alone. Maybe it was lost, and scared. Cold and hungry. A fleeting thought told her to run in the opposite direction, as fast as she could, and pretend she never heard that helpless little cry. Instead she shook it off, as a twinge of maternal instincts and general empathy started to intrude her thoughts. When Moreta found her as an infant out here, did she just leave her to fend for herself? No.. She made her parents take Edda in as their own. A creature of a different race, a little orphan, it didn't matter to them. They did what was right. And after arguing with herself in her own mind for a few minutes, she decided this was her chance to do the same. She rose into human form, stepped into the shadows, and crept in the direction of the beast and baby. Her stomach clenched a little, as she thought of what she might find. She suddenly wished she hadn't have taken so long in her decision. She quickened her pace the best she could while sticking to the shadows, and headed into the building.
Everything seemed to be getting darker now. The clouds were moving in loudly, grumpily warning the world of a storm. When Edda got inside the building she saw the hiryu pacing around the bottom of the staircase, hissing hungrily. Upon closer examination, she could see it was huge and muscular with large claws. Not like the smaller ones she usually played with. She scanned the room in terror, trying to locate the, still crying, child. Her eyes stopped on a pair of bodies in the corner. She swallowed hard, and walked towards them. She stood over them, still sticking to the shadows, and looked down on them sadly. From what she could make out, it was a man and woman, laying side by side. But they were ripped to shreds, with multiple sized claw marks covering their bodies, and it was hard to be sure. She carefully slipped her fukiya out of her pocket and into the palm of her hand, where she grasped it tightly. Making her way as far around the hiryu as possible, for this beast was clearly not to be messed with. She heard the disturbing purr of an oni in the other room. She slipped quietly past the hiryu and headed upstairs. Under the table at the top, she saw a small bundle of blankets with little arms flailing around inside them. Quietly, she walked over and scooped it up, cradling it in her arms. She didn't hesitate, didn't even stop to look down on it, just slipped it into her empty quiver, dropped back into wolf form and fled the building. She didn't look back, she didn't slow down for anything. She just ran hard, the infant still screeching on her back, and didn't pause for a moment until she ran through the blue gate and her feed thudded softly down the blossom covered paths of Zento.
Unsure of where to go next, she slowed to a walk and went back into human form. The crying had quieted as soon as she was safely out of Isamu. She put her hands in her pockets and casually walked down the road. She figured the temple would be quiet and empty, so she headed in that direction. When she reached the building, she headed inside and up the stairs to the place where Hikiko had once stayed. Slipping the bundle out of her quiver, she gently laid it across the soft bamboo floor and unwrapped it. She looked down upon its face for the first time and saw a beautiful, innocent pair of gray eyes, much like Takumi's. The baby looked up at Edda, wriggling and cooing at her. Her mouth split into a huge smile and she stroked its hair. Hardly taking her eyes off it for a second, she prepared a warm bowl of water and tea tree oil and laid it beside him. She gave him a bath and bundled him up tight in a fresh blanket. She decided she would sleep here with him for tonight, and tomorrow she would figure out a plan. She was sure she could think of something. She set up a small futon and warmed a small bottle of milk for him. After feeding it to him, she set aside all her weapons and armor in her backpack, laid down on her back and laid him on her chest. They both fell asleep within seconds.