She woke suddenly. The second morning in a row. Ready for a fight, she sprung upward and produced her knife.
But it was a false alarm. One of the kids had dropped a large pot on hard stone near the hearth, creating a loud clanging sound. Breathing heavy, Ken slowly calmed. She put the blade away and moved into a lounging position. She rubbed at her tired eyes.
Yuuki reached up and caressed her arm. “It’s okay.”
Everyone looked at her with a combination of fear and curiosity. She tried to ignore them, to play it off as no big deal. “Not used to being around kids.”
She thought she heard one of the old women tell the child to be more careful. With the implication that it would be safer for everyone. Ken clenched her jaw. She wasn’t going to kill anyone over a loud noise. She just—had to r
