SAMURAI

Chapter 18; Treatment

    The snow was getting heavier. Like cotton gushing from the sky, trees, branches, and twigs turn white. As far as the eye could see, there was only a mass of white clouds. It's freezing weather. I rubbed my palms together, looking for the warmth from the rubbing. 

    To reduce the cold, I moved headlong from tree to tree, drifting from branch to branch while dropping powder snow onto the bush which was also white. Three pairs of black bear eyes and a pair of still awake python eyes gave me a strange look.

    As it got late, there was no movement whatsoever from inside Aya's hut. To dispel boredom, I entered the shack where I was, trying to wake up by sitting in a half-hankafuza meditation position. Sole of the left foot over the right thigh, and tuck the sole of the right foot under the left thigh. 

    The palm of my right hand held the left palm from below. Two palms I put in front of the stomach. Two thumbs touched each other gently. I pulled and breathed out one by one. I summoned heat from my navel. I generated heat from the elements in the body that produced heat. At some breath, some air churned from my stomach. Went up to the chest, to the neck, until the warm air covered my whole body.

    It was getting late at night outside. Insects, moths are still frozen in their nests. The ghosts of Oni and Tengu are covered in blankets.

    I left the door to the hut open. Snow flowers blown by the wind surged in. The presence of Tomoe Aya who was standing in front of me made my meditation stop. She shivered with cold.

    "I need you…." said Aya stammered.

    Her body trembled to withstand the cold. The thick kimono and layered haori could not withstand the freezing weather.

    "Hurry up!" command Aya seeing my body still not moving.

    Without ordering two more times, she left me to return to her hut. One jump, I followed into Aya's hut.

    The bamboo building with a thatched bed was enough for two people. Aya sat next to Megumi who was covered in blankets. Two thick blankets and a thin blanket covered the girl's entire body from her feet to her neck. Megumi's face was as pale as cotton. Her lips were chapped, white as her face. No visible line of blood that adorns his skin. 

    The girl was shivering violently. Her teeth crackled.

    "Drug reactions depend on the weather. Because it was cold outside, Megumi's body pressure dropped drastically. Without warmth, her body would freeze. Body tissues and internal organs will lose their function." 

    Aya squeezed her fingers. A tone of panic swept over the girl who was experimenting with her medicinal ingredients.

    "I'll make a fire for warmth," I said, giving an idea.

    She shocked her head. “Not helpful enough. Her whole body needs warmth."

    Megumi's body shivered. Her hands and feet were pulled, twitching. The eyelid was tightly closed, while teeth were chattering hard.

    Aya was getting panicked. I tried to calm her down. She was deep in thought. Then jumped out of bed. Not paying attention to my presence, she pulled out the three layers of blankets, removing all of Megumi's clothes. In an instant, the girl's body was natural without being covered by a single thread. 

    I turned my face. Aya pulled the blanket, wrapped three blankets around Megumi's body.

    "Quick, take off your clothes!"

    My ears heard it wrong. I just stared at the girl in front of me who gave that disgusting command.

    “Quick, Genta. Take off your clothes all! "

    "Ha? What for?"

    “Megumi's body needs warmth. Your body can warm it."

    I shook my head. "Why not your own body?"

    "Hurry up, Genta. Our time is running out. She will freeze to death."

    "But…." I'm still doubtful.

    Aya snorted. "Don't ever think about it! Don't look for opportunities in the narrowest way. Hurry up and open it! Or I'll force your clothes off."

    Doubtfully, my hand opened my black shirt. Seeing my slow movements, Aya couldn't wait. She pulled my pants down. Like a nurse who used to treat naked male patients, she took off all my clothes without feeling uncomfortable, leaving only the cloth covering my male organs. My face was flushed. 

    For the first time in my life, a woman forced me to take off all my clothes. A long time ago, my mother used to do it if I refused when told to take a shower.

    "Get into that blanket. Hold her. Glue all of your skin with her skin. Use your inner strength too. Give her your body warmth. But, don't ever think dirty!"

    The cold weather bit my naked body, making me not want to be ordered twice. I tucked myself into the blanket that covered Megumi's body. My hand touched the girl's hand. Feels near-freezing cold. The body of this mighty woman shivered in the blanket. 

    Without the slightest dirty thoughts, I embraced her body. Go right, move left, right again. I called out the warm air during meditation that could flow through my body again. I applied it to the outer skin, then distributed it to Megumi's body. I held her tight. The fragrance of jasmine filled my nose.

    "Good," said Aya briefly.

    She left us. Close the door of the hut slowly. At a glance, I saw a gleam of pain in her eyes. Is she jealous? I hope so.

    Just as the doctor Aya predicted, slowly but surely, Megumi's body warmed. I stay closer to her, reducing the body heat I exerted. Megumi's body temperature gradually normalized, even giving off warm air. It was cold outside. Oxygen depleted. My eyes became heavy. I fell asleep while holding Mengumi's body.

    The muttered moans of the three black bears opened my eyes. Megumi is still fast asleep. I pulled my arm slowly, rested my head on the cot. She's still asleep. Her chest fluctuates. I parted the blanket in half, tiptoed out of bed. Before the cold weather bit my body, I quickly put on the black clothes which were scattered on the bamboo floor. 

    I left Megumi who was still sleeping soundly in a thick blanket wrapped around her naked body. The stroke of my sword's wooden door read clearly. "Let her sleep until tomorrow. Her body needs rest when the herbs treat wounds." message Aya. 

    It seemed that the girl had gone somewhere while I was sleeping.

    The night was still dark. The snoring of my friends' animals was also heard. I came down from the treehouse, collecting pieces of wood, inspecting traps, and made fires for cooking. Rice stock and dried meat are still complete. My stomach twisted asking to be filled. After filling my stomach, there was nothing I could do but waited and watched. Took care of Megumi, and waited for Aya.

    When morning broke out, I curled my tired body. The three black bears also squirmed after falling asleep all night. There was no other activity I could do except to make them playmates. I wrestled against three black bears at once. Their strength when combined was not inferior to that of the giant bear inhabitants of European forests. As if they didn't want to lose, the three bears crushed me. 

    The screams and roars of two different types of creatures made the python came closer. Its tail wrapped around the upper limb, its head hangs down. His gray eyes stared at the four of us. He looked like he wanted to join in. 

    However, the three black bears were reluctant to be helped. They roared showing their fangs. The python sulked. His body walked back up the tree, climbed to the top, then perched quietly and stared at us with his tongue occasionally sticking out.

    Before the sun left its journey at the west end, Tomoe Aya strolled home. She walked slowly down the path we made. The long sword and the short sword draped at the waist. The hakama pants and the haori kimono she wore were covered with a thick jacket made from bearskin. 

    My three friends roared. Maybe they recognized the furry jacket Aya was wearing. I calmed them down by throwing the remaining smoked fish. They picked up my present, leaving us roaring with delight.

    "Your three friends don't seem happy with my presence?" Aya said with a smile approaching.

    I sat on a rock under a tree. Aya took the seat next to me. She pushed three rabbit bodies that were already skinned.

    "Maybe it was your jacket," I replied.

    The girl took off her jacket. Examining the thick fur leather jacket. "Ah. Could this be their friend? I stole it from the tent of Jinbo's men. "

    I laughed softly. "Yes, it's a bearskin."

    She quickly rolled up the jacket. I laughed hard seeing the girl’s act beside me. "Don’t worry. My three friends know that you are not the killer of their friend."

    Aya laughed lightly at her movement. I prepared a bonfire. 

    "How is Megumi doing?"

    My face flushed remembering what happened last night. Aya had a cold expression.

    "From last night she was not awake. But her temperature is normal."

    "Very nice. My potion is working well. "

    "When she wakes up, does she remember about last night?"

    Aya shrugged. "Most likely not. Drug reaction is very harsh. Even if she can remember it, it's only vague."

    My heart was relieved. The girl would be very embarrassed if she knows how to treat her nakedness. She could kill me for that.

    "She doesn't eat all day," I said, changing the subject.

    "It is okay. Her body needs complete rest. I'm sure tomorrow morning she will wake up hungry."

    "That's why you brought three rabbits?"

    "Yes. Incidentally, you also cooked rice. Unfortunately, you give all your smoked fish to your friends."

     I laughed lightly. Night hugging this forest area was perfect. I fought the cold air by creating a bonfire. I was sure the pirates already knew where we are. They just waited for the leader to take orders to attack.

    The bonfire was already emitting smoke, burning wood. The bodies of three rabbits that were ready to be burned lay as the hot coals ripened them. Smoke rose. I sprinkled the salt and spices Aya got from the pirate tent. The sweet smell of grilled rabbit meat attracted three of my bear friends and one of my pythons, too. Too bad, there were only three rabbits. They had to be patient with the bones and the rest of the meat we have eaten.

    I turned the roasted rabbit meat back and forth to let it cook. Aya moved the stone seat in front of me. We faced each other, separated by fire. The light from the burning flames made the face of the girl in front of me redden. Her long hair was in a bun up. Children's hair clinging to his long neck. The perfect carving of the curves of the face of this creature created by the Creator made it impossible for me to take my eyes off.

    In the dim embrace of the forest and the warmth of the embers, this granddaughter of Tomoe Gozen had truly become the goddess Aphrodite in my heart.

    "Tell me about your life story," asked Aya.

    I removed my gaze from the pretty face to the ripe rabbit. I took a small knife that cut the ripe rabbit's thigh, giving it to the girl in front of me.

    I started telling the story of my life. About my father, mother, sister, my childhood in Mongol. About adolescence, I spent most of the time in a pool of blood, as well as about my story after helping her. My meeting with Goro and the story of the appearance of Bokku Shigen who saved my head. My meeting with ninja rulers Koga and ninja Iga.

    As my story unfolded, Aya didn't cut a piece with a question. The girl carefully listened to the details.

    After I finished my story, the grandson of Tomoe Gozen, who had never left Japan, bombarded me with questions about other countries. About the beauty of Europe, the Middle East, to the palace of the Goryeo king, and the magnificent residence of the Yuan dynasty ruler.

    I explained what details I had seen during my wanderings. Many times, she took deep breaths, then exhaled so hard that she caused puffs of smoke in the cold air.

    "I'm jealous of your experience. I want to visit the countries that you told me about, "hissed Aya.

    I looked at her closely. She looked back. From the smoke of rabbit meat that was burning, the face of this beautiful girl was also burning with deep curiosity. "I'm willing to take you," I said softly.

    Aya smiled happily. Her gaze shifted to the partially cooked rabbit meat. The right hand holding the wood changes the position of the rabbit's body facing upwards. She took another deep breath. This time it was longer and louder when exhaling.

    "If only that simple," she whispered.

    "It's very simple if you think all the problems are simple."

    She shook her head hard, then laughed bitterly. "If only the world contained only black and white color. There is no repaying the favor, there is no color that causes us to conform to the norm. If only the world contained only life and death."

    "Tell me about your life," I asked.

    Aya pulled the rabbit off the grill, biting it directly into the chest. Its white, small, neat teeth tugged at the tough flesh, chewing it with a bitter bite.

    "Do you know about my family background?"

    "A little bit. You are the granddaughter of Tomoe Gozen, the legend, the greatest female samurai."

    The legend's granddaughter laughed badly. 

    "Yes. That big-name weighed on my life. My mother was separated from my grandmother since she was little. After the last war with the defeat on the part of her lover, my grandmother ran away. At that time, grandmother was pregnant with the rebel's child while living from one place to another avoiding the Shogun's warriors. When the child she was carrying took a breath of air, grandmother entrusted the red baby to one of her samurai friends. 

All these years the samurai family looked after my mother, loved her, gave her a new identity. As an adult, Tomoe Gozen's daughter married one of the rich samurai’s sons. Meanwhile, grandmother herself continued to wander carrying her shattered memories. And she never appeared again in my mother's life.

    With a new identity, my mother lived happily with her new family. Until one day, the Shogun's codex sniffed out the whereabouts of the rebel's descendants. The soldiers captured my mother and father, torturing both of them to admit where Tomoe Gozen was. Of course, my Mom and Dad didn’t know. Father couldn’t stand it. He committed suicide in prison. My mother was released in a miserable state, and devoted herself to the shrine serving souls seeking tranquility."

    "What happened to your mother's adoptive family?"

    The sad stories of defeated rebels are the same. Pull it up to the roots.

    “My mother's adoptive samurai family and my father's earthly family were scorched. The rest were forced to do seppuku."

    I said softly, "How about you?"

    “I was only four years old at that time. What I remembered, one of the soldiers took me to the lord of the samurai. They entrusted me to a samurai clan. Both as adopted children, plus as prisoners."

    "Don't you know anything about grandma's past, your mother too?"

    "Once a rebel remains a rebel. They keep on lurking, sniffing your whereabouts, your family's whereabouts. All activities and your way of life are limited. Life feels free in chains. Pseudo. "

    “But, how can you have such great swordsmanship? Aren't you stuck in that family? "

    "Good question," said Tomoe Aya. 

    She looked at me closely, looking for the honesty in my eyes. "I'm sure you won't reveal my secret, right?"

    I raised two fingers like a knight in swearing.

    Aya continued, “One day when I was thirteen years old, an old woman appeared in my room. She covered my mouth, whispered a message to meet me in the forest near the house. "

    "Tomoe Gozen?" I guessed.

    "Smart!" said Aya. She applauded and annoyed the story I could already guess.

    "Yes. My grandmother appeared in secret. She asked me to meet her every night, alone, in secret in the woods near the house. Of course, I said yes. Once every three days she appeared, teaching me swordsmanship, medicine, and other sciences. The four years I had been under her without anyone knowing about our relationship. Until one day, when I was seventeen years old, my grandmother suddenly disappeared. No message, no farewell. 

    Two years ago, I decided to leave home to look for her. But still never met. I met many people, many groups. The arrival of your troops made our small group eager to test its strength. Too bad, we're too smug. Thirteen members of our group lost their lives. And, you helped me when I was pressed." 

    Tomoe Aya gave a brief sigh. "I don't know why you helped me, sacrificing your career, family, and your future."

    "Because I was fascinated with you!" I replied firmly. "Whether you believe it or not, when I saw you for the first time fighting those soldiers without any fear, that's when I fell in love with you."

    The girl chuckled. She brought her head closer, brought his face closer, looked at my eyes with her eyes. When she found my gaze full of love, she dodged, turned her gaze towards the trees as if looking for something lost in the night.

    The parapet between us had not been told yet. 

    "How did Teacher Bokku Shigen know I was helping the granddaughter of Tomoe Gozen?"

    "Three years I traveled. Met many samurai, tried their skill of martial arts. The Zen priest has a wide network and high knowledge. He knows what the general public doesn't. My grandmother's big name is so legendary that she is considered half a myth. Of course, Bokku Shigen knew about the attack on the Mongol army. He also knows who did it. When he heard that one of the Lieutenants of the Mongol army rescued me, he was interested in looking for you."

    "Why did you end up on this island?"

        Aya's breath sounded heavy. Anger came from the tone of the sentence. "I'm tricked. After leaving the ship, I was adrift in the middle of the ocean. The small boat I was traveling on could not beat the swift currents. Two days later a ship with the flag of the samurai clan helped me. The samurai is on his way home. "

    "The Hiki clan?"

    "Yes. The traitorous samurai clan was interested in my story. I'm stupid too, telling who I am and my background. Maybe because I was tired, and wanted to rest for a while so I sold the big-name Tomoe Gozen at all costs. 

    Knowing that I am a descendant of the legend, Hiki Tomomune, the head of the Hiki Clan entertained me and treated me like a princess. I'm complacent. The months in the residence of the rich and powerful samurai in the capital Kamakura made me feel calm. No one dared to bother. 

    Until, months later, he took me on a journey accompanied by dozens of samurai guards. I said yes. I'm glad he took me along. When the ship approached its destination, dozens of bodyguards seized me. Drugged me. I woke up in that bastard pirate fortress."

    I smiled wryly. 

    Aya snorted in annoyance. "Why did Hiki give you to that golden skull pirate?"

    “Jinbo is obsessed with grandmother's big name. The golden skull pirates are the strongest pirates among the three other pirate groups. Hiki Tomomune knew Jinbo's wish for a long time. That's why he seemed to have a shooting star when he found me adrift. He entertained me, treated me very well because he wanted. And when I let my guard down, he exchanged me with concessions from other pirates. "

    “You in exchange for the promise of four pirate groups to help the Hiki Clan troops when the Ilkhanat attacked the Shogunate? Jinbo unites three pirate groups and promises them the riches of the nearby islands?”

    "Yes. That's about it. "

    "Make sense. After the Ilkhanat forces occupied Japan, he would appoint Hiki Tomomune as Shogun. Hiki with his power will hand over the islands currently controlled by the samurai family to the pirates. "

    "Right! Red skulls will rule Tsushima, Blue and green skulls will rule the Hirado, Taka, and Nokono Islands….”

    The Sashi brothers crossed with So Sukekuni. It's funny to imagine that fat samurai territory being scrambled. If the pirates do not control them, they will also be crushed by the Ilkhanat troops.

    "Iki Island for Jinbo!"

    "Until you guys appeared in Jinbo's lair."

    “When you appeared in your wedding dress, there is a handsome samurai who knew you. I just got to know your name when he said it. Who is he? How does he know you? "

    Tomoe Aya took a deep breath. His face turned cloudy. His breath sounded heavy holding back a pinch of tears that loomed. She tilted her head, laughing badly in the middle of the smothering night.

    “Too long to tell. Also, I'm not in the mood to talk about him." Her voice was hoarse, holding back sobs.

    I couldn’t stand to see the woman I love turned sad because of my question. I shifted my body closer. From behind, I hugged her body. She turned around, crying against my chest. I stroked her long hair. She cried even louder. The black clothes that had not been replaced were soaked with tears.

    I let my question hang along with Aya's sighs.

    I pulled Aya's face away from my chest. I looked closely at those eyes; full of pain. My heart struggled uncertainly. Unable to endure the surge, I kissed her wet eyelids and lashes, sucking them dry. Aya pressed her cheek against mine. Our breaths roared. As I searched for her lips, Aya tugged on her head, staring into my eyes. Her finger touched my lips, rubbed them gently.

    "We'll end it now, OK," she sighed.

    I shooked my head hard. 

    “Genta, to be honest, I don't know if I love you too. Pain and disappointment often came into my life, so I am afraid to hope for something. When desire strengthens, at that moment reality makes me cry. I'm afraid to hurt you."

    I cut it fast. "I'm not afraid you will hurt me. I'm willing to accept that pain as long as I can be with you."

    She shook her head, then pulled her hand from my grasp. Not bothering me anymore, that girl stood up, jumped quickly into the tree. A moment later the shadow of her body disappeared in Megumi's hut.

    I stunned. The bonfire was getting smaller. Rabbit meat was all cooked, but it did not taste good anymore. Twigs and branches dropped snowflakes when the wind blows. Biting cold. I just realized that my body was only wrapped in a shirt.

    Without saying hello to the four new friends sitting in the corners of the tree, I jumped up, grabbed the rope, took one swing. A shack with a cold hard day was better than a bonfire that could no longer keep warm.

    I did not want to suppress the confusion with meditation. I let the taste bite, absorb my energy, accompany my eyes until closed.