The night went smoothly from there, hours passed like days to her but to others they must have seemed like minutes, until finally, late into the night there were few remaining in the tavern. The rogue had gone, she’d been sure to watch him when he did finally stand and make a hasty retreat, now there were but a couple of samurai, herself and one other. A man she’d noticed had cast her sparing glances since he’d first walked into the tavern, she ignored him, she was not here to fraternize, there were others matters for her to tend to first.

Akemi ushered the last of the samurai from the tavern and then pulled one of the younger waitresses aside, a pretty girl with a kind smile and strange hair of mixed hues of both black and white. Azalea watched from the corner of her eye, finishing the last of her sake, she’d been sure to drink slow, savouring the clouded wine and not become inebriated. Akemi finished speaking with the waitress and then, casting a nod to Azalea, the women lowered her small cup and stood fluidly from the table, rising with the force of one foot to stand on both without bending her knees out too far, she smoothed down her kimono and took small but quick steps across the floor, her feet were bare though very clean and they sounded softly on the wooden floorboards. She passed the younger waitress, Chiaki, yes, she believed that was her name, a slight nod and eye contact passed between the women as Azalea moved after Akemi out of sight, past a rice paper door and into the kitchen.

They continued through, past another door into a hallway where they ascended stairs and finally, came to pause outside another set of sliding doors. The tavern had a pleasant charm to it, by no means as elegant or large as a Feudal Lord’s manor but with adequate room for both dining and bedrooms.

“Was it difficult to find?” She kept her voice low as she addressed her, staring at the door rather than meeting Akemi’s gaze.

“Naturally, but the effort has been well rewarded,” a soft smiled flittered about Akemi’s lips as she drew the door open, bowed and stepped to one side so that Azalea could enter.

The room was small and dark, completely barren save for a small rug on the floor, on top of which was a table and lighted only by moonbeams, dancing through a closed glass window, she saw the items she’d been waiting all night to acquire. They were swords, two of them, Wakizashi swords, shorter than an average katana, lighter too. They sat crossed over one another in the middle of the table, the handles decorated by a black and blue braid, the scabbard was polished black wood. She reached for them and lifted one in her hands, breathing sharply as she pulled the blade from the sheathe, just enough to see an inch of the blade. The steel was tempered to perfection, silver with a strange, very slight green tinged to it, she could only see its green shimmer when the steel caught the light, a satisfied smile came to her lips as she housed the blade back into its scabbard and laid it back on the table with the other.

“Thank you Akemi,” she whispered her words very softly, “Too long the Ashura blades have been misplaced from the house of Goza…”

Azalea dropped her hands to her obi, she began to unfasten it and let it fall from her waist, parting her kimono, usually she’d have worn many others layers underneath, but there was only one other. She shed her clothes, Akemi was at the door, looking in as the girl undressed, leaving her clothes in a heap on the floor and revealing that underneath, she was already dressed in a completely different fashion.

She wore a shorter kimono, dark blue, nearly black with no pattern on it but a simple base color, her obi was black and thin, a simple piece of material that left the dress somewhat loose. The neck was low, it revealed much of her clavicle and the general length of the kimono was all together too short for any decent woman to be seen wearing. She added a tinge of modesty to the attire with a pair of tight, black pants only as long as her knees. At the back of her obi was a fold of material, she lifted the blades and placed them securely within that fold, the handles pointing out either side, ready to be drawn at a moments notice.

Akemi said nothing, just watched as the young woman began to tie her long hair back, at first glance she could have been mistaken for a street whore, but there was a grace with which she handled the blades, it became clear then – the girl was a kunoichi. She had a pouch strapped about her left thigh, no doubt filled with all sorts of weapons, she pulled a black mask from the pouch that would have covered her face from her eyes down, but she did not affix it yet.

“So then, you shan’t be staying the night?” Akemi’s words were disheartened.

“I must return to Goza by sunset tomorrow,” she replied casually, eyes down, she turned to face the woman and cast her a very slight smile. “Times are changing Akemi, the shogunate may be coming to an end – I can’t let that happen.”

Akemi nodded slowly and sighed, said nothing else and turned from the room, leaving Azalea where she stood, mask in hand, eyes down, staring at her bare feet. She sometimes wondered if she’d chosen the right path in life, she wondered what the life of a normal woman was. She thought on death and change and everything in between and then she took a slow, deep breath and turned to the window.

Times were changing, rumours floated through the air as deadly as arrows, honor was drying up from the land and leaving it in drought. To many it may have seemed hopeless to fight the change, but to beings such as herself, it was all she could do.

__________________