Dawn of the Samurai

She blushed and kept her head down. "I wonder why that is. I work so that I can live here. Tonight I sleep in a warm barn. The family are kind to me."

 

"I'm sorry that I seemed rude to you earlier. I had to go ask the gods for forgiveness for my sins. I never did get your name."

 

"Don't worry. It seems I am no one important and most people dismiss me as an outcast. I'm Maiko. May I have the honour of knowing your name?"

 

"Koza. Koza Ishida. Although most people call me Koza the Blood Demon nowadays. It's a long story."

 

"Well I will call you Koza Ishida. I'm sorry that people seem to be so cruel to you. I'm sure it's unwarranted. Where are you sleeping tonight? Are you staying on the farm?"

 

"I'll be staying here tonight. I stopped here to get directions on how to get to the capital."

 

"Why are you traveling to the capital? Do you require any help?"

 

"It would be nice to have someone to talk to on the way. It's a preety long story as to why I'm going, though. Would you like to hear it?"

 

"Well the light is fading so it's time to quit for the night. Why don't you come with me and tell me?"

 

"Alright." He said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

 

"Being a warrior is all well and good, but you seem to be suffering after time in the fields. Let me help you. I'll get your bowl of rice for you and you can rest."

 

"I admit I'm not used to working. I used to be a nobleman up until nine years ago..."

 

Maiko passed him a bowl full of rice. She had given him some of hers and hoped that he did not notice. "A nobleman? So what brought you so low that you had to work in the fields with us peasants?" Maiko sat near to him and passed him a bowl of tea.

 

"It all started nine years ago. I had come home one day to find that my family had been murdered and the house ablaze. The magistrate had found me there and arrested me for murder. For nine long years, I sat in prison, awaiting my execution when one day, my chance for freedom revealed itself. A guard had dropped his sword, so I grabbed it and fought my way out, killing anyone that tried to stop me. Ever since then, I've been looking for the person who really killed my family and framed me for the crime. I'm certain now from what the magistrate had told me before I killed him that someone in the government was responsible. The only question left is why."

 

"That is terrible. You were falsely accused and languished in jail. Have you any clues to the identity of the person who did this and what will you do when you catch them?"

 

"Just that they are one of the higher ups in the government. When I do find them, though, they shall pay in blood for what they did. Only then can the spirits of my family rest."

 

"I see. Well they are lucky that you are there to avenge them. No one would miss me as I have no one. I travel from place to place working. I have no home and no family but I can survive. I will sleep soon as we will be awake early tomorrow."

 

"No family, huh? How would you like to be a member of the Ishida family?"

 

Maiko looked at him confused. "What...what do you mean? I can only join your family if you adopt me or if......you don't even know me."

 

"I'm saying that I want to adopt you as my sister, but I understand if you don't want to be related to a fugitive."