Tender Sea

Chapter 16

It was midnight when three strangers strode into Takumi village. A stern looking man in his forties with short brown hair, peppered with grey, and dark brown eyes, led the two others in. On his right stood a younger male in his teens, with cropped brown hair and the same dark eyes, looking rather ordinary, and to his left was a slightly older looking woman, sharing the same brown hair cut to her shoulders and slightly lighter shaded eyes. From the traits they shared it was easy to assume they were family. "Quickly, Chie, Hiro. The inn is nearby." The older man ordered gently.

"Hai, Otou-san," His children replied as they quickened their pace. They made their way to a building exuding warm light and stepped through the door, the soft tinkering of a bell alerting the owners of their arrival.

"Welcome." And elderly man said with a small yawn. He hadn't expected anyone else to come tonight so it was a good thing he was a light sleeper, "How can I help you?"

"We need a room for the night," the father explained.

"We have plenty of space tonight, would you like to separate rooms or stay together?" He watched as the parent shared a look with his children.

"Together." He decided, placing a couple of coins on the table.

"Room 14," The innkeeper said, taking the money and handing them a key, "It's a four bed room on the second floor." The man gave him a brief nod and left for his room with his son following behind.

"Thank you." Chie said quietly with a smile, before catching up with her family.

"Make sure you keep out of trouble," their father reminded with a stern look. They were standing outside of the inn in the early afternoon, "And make sure to be back by sunset."

"Hai, Otou-san." The two children replied in sync. He gave them a nod of farewell before ambling down the road to his own destination, a sake bar.

"So what are you going to do, Mi-Chie?" Hiro asked, catching himself at the end of the sentence.

"I'm going to go shopping for some sealing equipment and see what else I can find along the way," She answered, "Feel free to do whatever you want, just be careful alright."

Chie warned.

"Right." He nodded before making his way to a small bookshop, leaving the elder sibling alone. From there she made her way down bustling streets, passing multiple stores and scrutinizing their wares. Takumi village had truly earned its name as the village of artisans. She had a hefty amount of ryo she could spend but would be careful to be sure that each purchase was worth it.

"Over there! Young lady!" A rough voice called, "How about a beautiful hairpin to match your own beauty?" It was flattering for sure, and to keep up her ordinary façade, Chie decided to see his wares. The man did not disappoint, each ornament had been beautifully crafted, from the delicate looking combs to the ornate pins. She spotted a floral hairpin, decorated with several white blossoms that hung down from threads, and picked it up. It would be a nice gift, she decided. That thought led her to do a bit more of her gift shopping here. Chie picked up another pin, which had soft, warm-looking blooms bursting at the end, and a dark wooden comb, decorated with golds and reds.

"Could I get these?" She asked, handing showing them to the vendor.

"Of course. Are they going to be gifts?" He asked, calculating the total.

"Yes," Chie smiled warmly, "I came to the village with my father and brother on one of his delivery trips, while my mother stayed at home. Her body is ill so I hope a gift can help her get better faster."

"She must be happy to have such a thoughtful daughter." The vendor responded, "The total comes to 17,000 ryo." A bit pricey, but for the quality she was getting Chie happily handed over the money. "Thanks for your patronage." She nodded her head in his direction and began to leave when he caught her attention again. "Wait, have this as well, as a gift." He pushed an extra pin into her hand.