Jæja, þá er komið að því; framhaldið af sögunni um Togashi Hatsu.

Eins og áður, þarf orðskýringar. Sem betur fer eru þær mun færri en seinast =)

Ronin: Meistaralaus samurai. Ronin eru réttarlausir og þar með réttdræpir. Flestir líta niður á þá og þökk sé nokkrum ribböldum er ávalt litið á ronin sem stigamenn, þjófa og vandræðargemlinga. Ekki er óheyrt að bændur í smábæjum taki sig til og losi sig við þessa vandræðagemlinga, oft áður en þessir meistaralausu stríðsmenn ná að sanna hvort þeir eru til góðs eða ills.

Kami: Einskonar smáguðir, kami eru litlu andarnir sem búa á hinum ýmsu stöðum. Td. lítill andi í læk.

Striding down the imperial road, Hatsu finally saw before him a town. For him, this was like an oasis in the desert welcoming him with a cool breeze, because Hatsu’s rations had been running low the last few days, and his feet were rather tired from the long walk.
Entering town, Hatsu was greeted by a cold stare from the guards in town as men without traveling papers often mean trouble. Hatsu grinned slightly at the thought. But after a short while, and a few unneeded questions, Hatsu was allowed to enter town despite not being completely trusted.
The sight of the town was rather poor. The buildings were poorly built with many of the roofs looking like they’re about to collapse. Never the less people were scuffling about and minding their own business. Very few dared make eye contact with the samurai as he walked proudly in the middle of the street. He was toying around with the thought of being a ruthless killer, hostile to all, friendly to none but himself. The thought of it all amused him greatly.
Then, something caught his eye. A large man, ronin samurai clearly purposly bumped into a women of middle age causing her to spill all the food out of her backpack. “<b>Watch it peasant!</b>” The rowdy samurai shouted “<b>or I might just test my steel on you.</b>” At that moment Hatsu was grinding his teeth and clenching his fists. The samurai continued to bark at the peasant, threatening this and that. All the peasant could do was kneel down and push her forehead into the ground. Most of the villagers walked right past the incident, hoping not to draw attention to themselves.
Togashi Hatsu, seeing that no one came to the poor peasants aid, strode there himself. “<b>And what do we have here?</b>” Asked the ronin, in a half mocking voice. Silence was the only thing that came from Hatsu’s mouth. Seeing that the man was armed, the ronin asked “<b>Ohh, so now you’re going to be a hero and…</b>” Hatsu simply stood there, and gazed at the ruffian. “<b>Well, I’ve seen it a lot more…</b>” the ronin’s voice escaped from him, as he suddenly lost his confidence. Hatsu’s silence was far more terrible than his voice and Hatsu knew so personally. A crowd had gathered around the incident, and the ronin looked around himself, feeling the last bit of his confidence failing him.
“<b>You better watch it or…</b>” exclaimed the ronin as he marched away, feeling very obviously cross. “<i>Patience is the key to everything</i>” thought Hatsu to himself, and knelt down on the floor, helping the poor peasant pick up her belongings. “<b>No… samurai, don’t please! The kami will smite you if you…</b>” “<b>If I what?</b>” Hatsu asked. Then a giggle passed through him. “<b>Do not be foolish. He who acts well has nothing to fear from the kami.</b>” A small smile broke Hatsu’s stern look. “<b>But I am a mere peasant,</b>” said the peasant. “<b>Winds blow, nations change, fortunes rise and fall, but the simple folk will always be asked to shoulder the weight. I’m just helping you carry the weight, as we monks should.</b>” “<b>You’re a monk</b>” The peasant asked very surprisingly. “<b>Did I say monk? By the fortunes, I must be more weary than I thought. Would you be so kind as to point me to the nearest inn?</b>” “<b>Of course…</b>” the peasant said, guiding him to a nice inn.
The next day, Hatsu had found his rest and was a whole lot more refreshed. The humble mats always made him sleep the best. And the breakfast Hatsu was enjoying was definitely better than the rice balls he had had to endure on the road. As he was finishing his meal, he saw a familiar sight. The same ronin from the day before, and not surprisingly, he was up to no good again. This time he and two of his pals were scowling a boy who had been playing around with a wooden stick, and landed a solid blow onto the ronin’s table. Yet again the rowdy ronin was shouting obscenities, and yet again Hatsu felt to urge to silence him. Yet again he gave into his desire, and started walking towards the group. “<i>The weakest dogs always bark the loudest,</i>” Hatsu thought to himself.
“<i>You</i>” was the expression that could be read from the ronin’s face. Before he had a chance to yap that mouth of his again, Hatsu said “<b>Leave the poor little boy alone</b>” with an innocent smile on his face. “<b>Exuse me? I think I misheard something. You were telling me to leave this boy alone?</b>” Asked the ronin. “<b>Yes.</b>” It was a simple, yet determined answer. The inn went silent as everyone started to pay attention to the conflict. A while passed, the air filling with excitement as the ronin seemed to be losing his confidence again. “<b>Who do you think you are, samurai?</b>” Asked one of the noisy sidekicks. “<b>Yeah, do you know who this is?</b>” yapped the other one. “<b>mmm,</b>” “<b>yeah. I’m Mitsumoto, a great samurai. I have seen endless battles, fought a hundred duels and won each one.</b>” Explained the ronin, feeling a whole lot more confident, and content with himself. “<i>He had to break the mood…</i>” Thought Hatsu to himself. “<b>One should not think about great and big things, but small and honorable deeds,</b>” Hatsu said proudly. “<b>Ohh, so now you’re all wise?</b>” The ronin asked, with his annoying half mocking voice. Hatsu said nothing, and sat down, leaning back onto his heels. “<b>So you want to taste my steel samurai?</b>” The ronin asked, in a very angered voice with his hand resting upon his daisho. After a brief silence, Hatsu said simply: “<b>I will win.</b>” “<b>You will win?” “I will win” Hatsu answered. “How can you win? We are three of us, and you’re sitting down. If you thought I wouldn’t attack you because you’re sitting, then you thought wrong!</b>” The ronin exclaimed, pulled up his sword and charged Hatsu.
Hatsu had no hesitation in his mind. In fact, he was thinking of Mirumoto’s teaching:
“<i>-no mind-.</i>”
When the ronin was within his sword’s reach, Hatsu started rolling backwards. The ronin thought he’d try to stand up, and leapt forward to bring his sword on him. The ronin thought wrong, as half-way in the roll, Hatsu’s leg shot upwards, hitting the ronin square on the jaw. By the time the ronin had recovered, Hatsu had finished his roll, stood up and placed his hands on his daisho. The two slower sidekicks realized that combat was starting, and pulled up their weapons. The rowdy ronin charged again, shouting a great ki-shout as he did so.
“<i>-no mind-</i>”
As the ronin came closer, Hatsu hardly seemed to change his posture until he was within sword reach. The ronin slashed horizontally with his katana. Hatsu stepped just out of his reach, let the ronin run at him and instantly pulled out his katana, iaijutsu style. All the lights flickered around Hatsu’s blade, as he smoothly disemboweled his opponent.
The two sidekicks now cautiously surrounded the samurai. They wouldn’t give up so easily. “<i>I will win</i>” was the only thought going through Hatsu’s mind. He took up Mirumoto’s third stance, placing his katana along his left leg, and his wakizashi along his right leg. As one of the ronin jumped at him, Hatsu nimbly sidestepped away from the blow, and swiftly raised his wakizashi, separating the ronin’s shoulder from his torso. The man screamed down in agony as he bled to death.
The second one seemed to have more guts than any of the other ronin, and seemed almost sure he’d win. -Almost-
“<i>-no mind-</i>”
Hatsu resumed his previous posture, and faced his adversary. The ronin lept at Hatsu. Again Hatsu sidestepped, but the ronin blocked the wakizashi blow, assuming he’d pull the same stunt twice. Sadly for him this was Mirumoto’s fourth stance. Hatsu’s main blade, his katana then shot up, and separated the ronin’s head from his neck.
“<i>-no mind-</i>“
The deed was done. Blood was spilling in all directions. Even the ceiling was smeared in the foul blood of the ronin. Silence was broken as the boy Hatsu had come with the intention of helping out ghasped greatly and said “<b>Wow! Such great skill!</b>” “<b>hmm?” Hatsu replied. “You were so much better then all three of them!</b>” “<b>Probably not,</b>” Hatsu said in his usual low voice. “<b>Probably not? But you killed them. All three of them! And they didn’t even scratch you! If you weren’t better, then how did you win?</b>” The boy asked, almost offended by Hatsu’s last response. “<b>Simple. I knew I would win, and they did not.</b>”
“<i>hmm… now is probably a good time to get going. The guards will be out in great numbers if I don’t leave now… And I who was hoping to spend another night here… Oh well.</i>” And with those thoughts in his mind, Hatsu wiped his blades clean, sheathed them and walked out of the in carrying all he owned now, owned before and would ever own. Himself.


Eins og ávalt, ekki vera hrædd við að segja hvað ykkur finnst.<br><br>Hellicat
<i>…I am the silence before the strike, the whispers before the howling screams…</i