In Need Of Supplies [Aiko/Open?]

[ookami]

It had been a much longer journey then he had expected. He had attended to go to the village he had grown up in, however, his path had gone array. Instead, he had made his way to the Western Lands, a journey that had taken most of the day. He was starting to get hungry, and he was sure his companion was as well. He had told her it would not be a long journey...well, he hadn't meant to lie.

Finally, his sharp senses picked up the scents of humans other then Aiko. A village. The kitsune pushed back his crimson gold hair, and paused in his steps. He was a bit nervous, although he wouldn't admit it. He wasn't sure how the village ahead would react to his arrival, him being a demon and all. His tail twitched with this said nervousness. How bad could it be? Besides, he was traveling with a young, human girl. Surely that would give him some brownie points?

"Aiko?" He called, to make sure the girl was still behind him, still following. Most would have just turned to look. But, alas, Kikan's clouded eyes couldn't see a thing. He awaited her reply, glad for the pause. He took a deep breath, calming himself. There was really nothing to worry about, right? Aiko could assure the villagers. And if worst came to worst, they could easily escape. "The village is close."

OOC: Bleh. No muse. D=

[Aiko]

Like a faithful shadow, Aiko pitter-pattered behind the fox demon, her bright eyes downcast and troubled. Kikan had taken her such a long way… hadn’t he said he knew where he was going? Weren’t they headed for the village of his childhood? However, that wasn’t exactly what was troubling her.

The last village had been far from fun, and although she was committed to trailing after her mentor like a dog trailed after his master, who could blame her for being somewhat apprehensive? However, if Kikan said it was alright, it had to be… right? Swallowing hard, she forced herself to look up, though all she could see was the demon’s back. I trust him, she thought truthfully, so I shouldn’t be so scared. But… There was a but she couldn’t quite place, and so she just stumbled after the fox demon.

There was another problem, too. That rabbit that she and Kikan had eaten for breakfast seemed ages away. Hunger rumbled once again in Aiko’s stomach, and she winced with every step she took. She’d been through worse, but hey, she was just a kid. You had to give her a little credit for lasting as long as she did without any complaint except for what her stomach discontentedly grumbled.

When Kikan’s voice came from above her, Aiko snapped her head up sharply. The village was close, was it? The preteen’s stomach churned with apprehension. Not questioning how the fox demon knew this (even she knew demons had strange powers), she murmured, “Do you know how close?” She could not keep a tremor out of her voice when she said “close,” and she swallowed once again. Licking her lips, she tried again. “Do you know how close?” she repeated.

Little did Aiko realize how stupid she must have sounded, acting like Kikan was half-deaf. She didn’t mean it, of course. But still…

Electing to stay behind her guardian in the village, and do exactly as he said (more like a servant than anything, though she hardly realized this), Aiko ducked her head again, concentrating on not stepping on Kikan’s heels.

OOC: Same here. T.T Open's fine, Ookami.

[kalec]

OOC: joining as Sara im going to try my best >.<

A shadow sat closeby were aiko and kitsune were walking, it front of her was her weapion a long staff with a blade at the end, the weapion was stading up with no help from anything not the ground or from a teenage girl, she sat in a meditated state, allround her it was cold, she didnt move at all,she allmost seamed dead, but then her weapion truned to were aiko and kitsune were there was no wind or anything it moved from a differnt force, " good job my freind now begone I dont need to scare this people."she said giting up as a black shadow seamed to cover the weapion then disapear with the weapion. she ten sensed the demon and girl out "perfect," she said as she grabed a few flowers that were close by, she changed her face and voice to sound more kind and nice.

she brushed off her dress and strighted her hair, and prepared for her plan. she clamed her body and cold around her seamed to disapear, she now looked like a clam and nice young woman, she no longer looked like she was planing any thing, she tryed to walk like somone that wasnt ready for a fight, but she was allways ready and could not stop now hopfuly this demon with this girl would not see this.

She slowly walked to were aiko and kitsune was, hopefuly this people would not fingure out what her true plan was, to make a little fight at the village. she smiled at she thought of it, then she got in the range of both of the demon and the girl, she stood in the shadows just for her outline to been seen, she smiled and luaghed a little to make sure to git them to see her. she held the flowers close to her body.

ooc: hopefuly you dont mind me joining or dont like cuase im not good at this but i just wanted that post with some people to post alot so i can git better >.<

[ookami]

"Not far, my friend. In fact, it is just here." Kikan replied, glancing with sightless eyes back at his young friend. She seemed nervous...he wished she wouldn't be. He knew what he was doing, he hoped, bu a little vote of confidence would be nice. At least she was still following, so prehaps she did trust him. Yet she was still nervous. Ah, well, it would go away soon enough, once she saw that not all villages were full of horrid people.

Kikan entered the village, and stopped. There were many scents in the air. Scents of all sorts of people. One, in particular, was drawing him however. He moved towards it, towards the girl standing with the flower. Once he sensed he was close, he stopped, his blind eyes glancing at an odd direction, although his attention was focused on her.

"Excuse me, mam." He said, giving a small half-bow in her direction. Or close to it, at least. "Me and my young friend here are looking for some supplies. Food portions, prehaps an inn...could you prehaps point us in the right direction?" Now that he was closer to the odd being, something about her disturbed him. Something was wrong with her aura...something that suggested a trickster in disguise.

He reached behind, as though safeguarding his young companion. His tail flicked, also becoming a line of defense. If this girl meant trouble, and he wasn't sure if she did or not, he would do what he could to protect Aiko, at least. The girl was not yet a fighter. "If you could just tell us where to go, we will be out of your hair."

[Aiko]

What was this? The lady seemed nice enough, with flowers in her hands and a laugh in her throat. And yet, Kikan seemed almost wary. Even being the naïve youth she was, Aiko knew about wariness. Half the people that spoke with her carried it in their tones, as though they were uncertain if this raggedy little urchin would suddenly leap for their throats. Also, even though she had pattered behind him, he held out his arm to hold her back, and his tail had become almost a shield. The girl had a feeling that the extra limb was more than just embellishment to begin with.

Peering out from behind her valiant guardian, Aiko blinked up at the pretty lady. She was wreathed in shadows, but the younger girl got the feeling that she had a very nice face. As said before, she was a naïve soul, and did not sense any threat from the other woman. However, Kikan seemed pretty leery of her. Thus far, even though their time together had been short, the preteen thought of the demon as her wise protector, a clever knight in shining armor who wasn’t often wrong. And if he was mistrustful, she should be, too.

Remembering the gift the kitsune had given her, Aiko reached for her sash, where she had stowed a certain temporary companion. Wrapping her small hand around the end of this little acquaintance that didn’t bite, she drew it from her side, although she almost dropped it because of the unaccustomed weight. Never before had she used Doka for anything, not when Kikan had not taught her how. But she was training to be a fighter now, wasn’t she? She needed to help her newfound comrade!

Dagger in hand, Aiko stood up straight behind Kikan, trembling just out of view of the woman. She didn’t want to fight any more than she wanted to stick her head in a wolf’s mouth, and her courage would likely fail if it came to a skirmish. But for now, she was, in her own mind, ready.

[kalec]

Sara smiled this would be fun, " hello, travelers." she said bowing she sensed that they knew well at least the demon does, the girl was prob only reacting from the demons actions. She walked out of the shadows and smiled at them both, " what do you need traverlers," she said looking at the girl, " you can put that weapion away I wont hurt you," she said smiling but the town would, she said in her mind.

she was thinking mostly about the girl it was strange she was feeling werid about her. maybe she didnt want to hurt the girl no that wasnt true she realy wanted to hurt them both and take what every money and food they had on them, she was trained to kill not to pitty. she looked at the girl, she looked so funny with that dagger Sara allmost laughed. " so, why does a demon travel with a human, and with one so young," she said looking at the girl. Sara walked closer to them, " why do you think I am going to hurt the girl?" she said to the demon


hhhhhhmmmm this demon was could tell she was going to try to trick them, sigh but did they know why she did, she needed food and money. she looked at them both they didnt look like they had much but no matter she would at least try to take it. then she only looked at the girl why did she feel like she shouldnt hurt this girl, She was told not to care about humans but why did she, maybe its cause she went though alot of pain when she was a child, oh well she didnt care, but this feeling was buging her. she started to smile at the girl.

[ookami]

"Don't put Doka away, Aiko." Kikan said quickly and sharply, giving, for the first time, the young girl a real order. His own hand, the one with which he was not guarding with, fingered his pocket, where he kept his own Doku. His blind gaze was on the girl, or close at least, and he growled just ever slightly. She had not answered his question...she had given Kikan even more reason not to trust her.

Before, he had simply been cautious, now he was downright afraid, at least for his young companion. Not so much for himself, but he had no clue what this women wanted with the two of them, and by now, he was extremly protective of Aiko. Much like an older brother would be. His ears twitched at the women's question. Why was he traveling with Aiko? Why was it any of her business? Why did she care?

"Listen. Me and Aiko just need to get supplies, then leave for our journey. I've taken her on as an apprentice. Why do I think you might hurt her? You're Aura suggests it. I sense a trickster. Do not think I do not know! Fox demons such as myself are tricksters as it is. I know another when I sense it. Even if I cannot see you, I can feel you as clear as daylight." He growled.

"Realize, too, that if you so choose to hurt Aiko, I will have to injure you, or else kill you. A trainer looks out for his apprentice." He added, his tail twitching slightly.

[Aiko]

Well, the exchange between the two older people was rather baffling to Aiko. A trickster? That she could understand. Something about an aura? That she couldn’t. What was Kikan saying, that this woman’s aura suggested she was a trickster? What was an aura, anyway? Was it like a facial expression? That usually was what told her what others were feeling. But this woman was smiling at her. How was a smile the look of a trickster? If the girl wasn’t so deeply trusting of her kitsune traveling companion, she might have gone over with the woman.

But the fact was, Aiko did trust Kikan. And the part of what her teacher had said directly to her, demanding she held onto Doka, was something she understood. Relying on the fox demon to be more dependable than this stranger, she gripped the blade tighter. Trembling nevertheless overtook her hand, no matter how hard she held her dagger companion. And believe me, she was holding it pretty tightly. So tightly was she holding it, in fact, that her knuckles began to turn white, just like her face.

Does she really want to hurt us? Aiko wondered, blanching. What’s she gonna do? Is she just gonna throw rocks, like those boys in that village… or something worse? Oh no! The memory of her dream from that morning came unbidden to mind. That dream in which she had lost her newfound companion in the same way she had lost her parents: in a halo of flame. The shaking intensified, and she swallowed painfully. This is bad, bad, bad! She wants to hurt Kikan!

“Wait! Please wait!” cried Aiko, scurrying out from behind her fox demon protector. Dagger temporarily forgotten in her hand, she raised beseeching eyes to the woman. “Please, just let us go on our way. We won’t bother you. We don’t got anything much, anyway. We just need to get to the village. So please, we don’t have to fight.” The preteen hoped beyond hope that her supplications would be heeded, and that the woman would just let them go.

Obviously, Aiko wasn’t a fighter, in body or in spirit.

[kalec]

hhhhhhhmmm this demon was strange, then sara looked at him deeply, and saw what was weird about him.....he was blind.........Sara smiled and pounited to a building in the village, " that is were you can git all the things you need." she said smiling, then looking at the girl agien, this girl it made her mad, she would have to distory her, or do crazy. " your little human freind here doesnt hold a weapion very well, even the weakest foes could strike her down," she said.


" why do you have a human apprentice...........and how are you a trainer,to somone that can see......your blind, you have a differnt way of fighting," she said smiling. " A blind person fights with all there sense's but there eyes that isnt so good agenst some foes........." she said looking at them.

[ookami]

Kikan stiffened in surprise as he felt the girl rush ahead of him, and listened as she began to speak. He didn't stop her...prehaps her words would even help in this situation. However, he was poised, listening and sensing, for any move the elder women made. "Aiko..." He muttered, surprised, yet proud, of her words. He could tell, in this situation more then ever, that his young apprentice was really a pacifist, not wanting to fight if it could be in any way avoided. Kikan nodded slightly, and stepped beside her, although he refrained from walking in front of her again.

Then the women began to speak, and he felt a pit of anger growing. It was not Aiko's fault that she was not trained, if she had grown up in a village, she may have never learned how to fight! Besides, Kikan had just agreed to train her, just a few hours ago, hadn't he mentioned it? Well, prehaps not, but it seemed pretty obvious.

Her next words made him twitch his tail in annoyance, although he could see the truth in her words. Still, who was she to comment on his fighting style, on his training style? In a way, it seemed as if she was almost speaking of his blindness as a weakness, something that angered him. Although it wasn't exactly what she was doing, it seemed as if she might as well be to Kikan. Its what her comment implied.

"Aiko is a new apprentice. And young. She will learn quick...shes very smart. As it is, no foe will strike her down, for I will prevent that from ever happening, as long as she is traveling with me. As for my training her...who are you to speak? You know not how I fight...do not judge me based on what other blind people have done. I can see better then you think, although not in the sense that you and Aiko can. I can teach Aiko better then any person who can see could. I can teach her how to use her senses to her advantage, how to feel auras...and she will have her own eyes to help her. I was not born blind, I remember what it is to see." He said, his voice cracking as though he was holding back a snarl, which really, he was.

[Aiko]

If she had learned anything from this encounter, it was that Kikan was always right. Aiko realized now that this really was a not-nice lady. After all, this lady was already insulting the young girl’s master! So what if he’s blind? the preteen thought. She didn’t even need to look to see that the kitsune had moved from behind her, though she did catch sight of it in her peripheral vision. It was almost as though the demon’s presence was a tangible thing. If she could sense things like this, who knew what Kikan, who was the wisest person the girl had ever encountered, could do, with or without his sight? Hardly listening to what her master was saying, for she already knew that the fox demon was smarter than she, her mind wandered.

Oh no! Aiko suddenly realized why this lady must be upset with Kikan. It was because of what she had been doing! Oh, why had she said what she did? Why had she been… begging? Oh no, oh no, oh no! She wasn’t supposed to beg! She was done being a beggar! She was supposed to take care of herself! Oh, Kikan and the lady would be so angry with her! It was all her fault. Lowering her eyes, she couldn’t help but dwell on the cold, relentless fact that if it came to a fight, it would have been her fault!

“No, wait!” Aiko cried, bowing her head to the lady and turning briefly to do the same to Kikan. “I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry! I’m very, very sorry! I won’t do it again, I promise!” Then, remembering how the woman had pointed in the direction of the village, she bowed to her once more. “Thank you for showing us the way,” she thanked her, but her heart was hammering. Here she hung in the balance, hoping that her words would reach the woman’s heart and keep a battle at bay.

And all the while, she stood here, completely open to an attack by the strange woman.

[kalec]

"You cute girl, and like I said I wont hurt you, But your master, is a differnt story, he is buging me and I will have to show him what I do with people that bug me, but Not right now, maybe a little bit later," as she said, the flower in her hand froze into ice, a shadow came out of no were and coverd her body, then as the shadow moved away, she was gone, but the flower lay there.


In the Shadows Sara now waited for her time to make a move, she would wait days if she had to. She would keep her word about the girl, but she would kill this trainer of hers. he buged her about

[ookami]

Kikan couldn't help it. As he listened to Aiko apologizing for...well, that was exactly it, he didn't know WHY she was apoligizing. And as he listened to her, he let out a quiet growl. And this one was not directed at the women, but at Aiko. She had no reason for her words, and she was practically letting this women step all over her. Kikan didn't like it, not one bit. Aiko had the habit of doing this, of apolgizing for something only she saw fit to apologize for.

And then Sara was gone, and Kikan put himself back on high alert. He knew she was still out there, probably watching him. His hand strayed back to the hilt of Doku, but it was a subtle move. He would act as though he couldn't feel her eyes on him. As if he figured she was gone, and it was ok for the two travelers to move. "C'mon Aiko. Lets go get those supplies." All of a sudden he felt ashamed. Had she realized his small growl had been directed at her? He shouldn't have done that. Aiko couldn't help what she felt.

[Aiko]

“Um… um… okay…” That strange woman was incredibly frightening! What was all this she was talking about, killing Kikan? He hadn’t done anything! If anything, it had been all of Aiko’s being… well, being Aiko that had made a bad situation worse. And yet the fox demon was just telling her to go to the village, for them to get supplies? What that odd woman had said before she disappeared… even the young, naïve human girl recognized her words as an ominous promise. But that was just about where her cleverness ended.

“Wait, Kikan!” Aiko stammered, a quaver in her voice. “You know, maybe there’s a better village with better supplies. I mean, we don’t have to stop here, do we? I… I think there are better supplies in one of the other villages. I think I remember something.” Well, perhaps she had some wits about her. The girl was wise enough to not voice her suspicions that the threatening woman was waiting for them. What would happen if this nameless threat came out of the shadows and hurt him, not even bringing into consideration anything worse for fear of jinxing the situation?

But then again, if Kikan wasn’t worried, should she be? Shouldn’t she have faith in her mentor?

Still, as though some sharpened, animal instinct still worked within Aiko’s young mind, something screamed danger from all sides, and she was tempted to run off, find a place to hide and wait out the danger. But wherever she was going, Kikan had to come to. If nothing else, her wanderings through the forest had taught her one thing: she wasn’t that great when it came to that mystic skill of survival. And besides, she had to help her blind companion however she could, no matter what small tasks he gave her, no matter how much like a child he treated her.

In her own mind, the pair had become a team, and Aiko didn’t think she could survive without Kikan, so she might as well die, too, if he was to die. However, she preferred to avoid the issue of death, for the both of them.

[kalec]

OOC: you guys can post past me since im kinda hiding, I dont think I have much to post