One With Nature

Bloody Sword: 2

I watched as the second day of training began for Yang. Today, Yu decided that Yang should try defending since she was attacking all of yesterday.

Surprisingly, she was doing a lot better.

Yang used her own sword to block Yu's own before jumping back to avoid the second sword coming in from the side to cut her. She used her forearm to block a kick from Yu next, but the kick was still strong enough to send her back a few feet.

The Oni groaned and looked at the bruise from the kick before she suddenly raised her sword and blocked a strike from Yu's own sword.

They kept this kind of exchange for a while with Yang getting a few bruises and cuts before it was sunset and I decided it was probably enough.

"Okay, I think we should stop here today," I said from my spot at the side.

"What do you mean 'we'?" Yu asked and I gave her a deadpan look. "Also, we didn't train for as long as yesterday yet."

"Yes, but yesterday was about her attacking rather than you beating her up, so I think the amount of wounds she has should compensate for the time," I said back while crossing my arms.

Yu rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine. We're done today, brat."

Yang relaxed and sighed. I walked up to her and started checking on her. She has cuts and bruises but nothing too serious. Her clothes will need changing, though.

"Can you get her some new clothes?" I asked Yu.

"Why me?"

"Because you're the one who ruined the current ones she has," I said making her flinch. "Also, I can't walk into any human population with the way I look, so..."

"Fine," Yu sighed and placed a hand on her head. "Let's go to the cave so I can get my cloak. There's still people that know my face."

As soon as we reached the cave, I took Yang to the side and began writing Runes on the ground around her. "Training was tough today?" I asked.

Yang frowned. "Yu mean."

"What's that, brat?" Yu asked as she tied her cloak around her shoulders. "You think I'm more mean than the humans who outright try to kill you?" She asked again while pulling her hood over her head.

Yang stayed quiet before turning away. "Yu still mean."

I finished writing the Runes and they started glowing. The glow enveloped Yang and, soon enough, her wounds started healing.

Yu went out for a few hours while I prepared dinner. As an occasion, I was cooking cow meat, which was Yang's favorite.

When Yu came back, she was holding a roll of... silk? I don't really know what that fabric was.

"You're gonna MAKE her clothes?" I asked as Yu went to her table.

"You sound surprised," she commented while placing the fabric roll on the table.

"I just didn't expect you to know something like this," I explained.

Yu sat down and sighed. "I didn't until a few years ago. I learned how to do it to make a gift for Lord Xiang Yu," she suddenly got a dreamy look in her eyes and looked at the ceiling. "He would wear the clothes I made everywhere. Whenever his retainers ask, he would say 'my beloved Yu made this for me and I have nothing but pride in wearing it'. Ah, Lord Xiang Yu."

I had a feeling that I should have covered Yang's eyes... and ears... and make sure she's not around.

"Anyway, do you have the tools to make something?" I asked and Yu gave me an expecting look. "Of course," I groaned as I turned my hand into metal and created scissors and a needle.

After giving them to Yu, I went back to the food as it just finished and moved it away from the fire before giving it to Yang.

"Here you go, and be careful. It's still hot," I said as Yang took the meat. Weirdly enough, she didn't dig in immediately like she usually would. "What's wrong?"

Yang looked at me. "Zack... why I learn to fight?"

"So you can defend yourself."

"Zack... leaving?" She asked a second question, this one catching me off guard.

"What? Why would I-" I stopped as Yang walked closer and hugged me.

"If Zack leave... I go back... to being alone," She sounded kind of broken, almost exactly like I found her.

"I'm not leaving you, I promise," I calmly say while patting her on the back.

"Can you wait until I'm gone to do this?" Yu said as she was cutting the fabric with the scissors.

"If you tell me you never had a moment similar to this with Xiang Yu, I will get on my knees and beg for forgiveness right now," I said and Yu went quiet.

That's what I thought.

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