Debt collection (Setsurou)

[Ichiro Daisuke]

((An old epilogue I owed for Setsurou, this depicts events following Kyuden Suzume.))

The night was nearly silent, the crackling of a fire the only thing that could be heard as Setsurou walked through the remains of the camp. It hadn't been a hard fight. The ashigaru sentries posted around the camp hadn't heard a thing as he killed them one by one, dragging them into the darkness to never be heard from again. The husband, or at least Setsurou assumed that was what he was, hadn't been a problem either, but then again, an axe in the back when you aren't expecting it usually took the fight out of a man.

It was the wife that would haunt him, a slender young woman bearing the mons of the Otomo clearly visible on her kimono. She had screamed when he appeared to slaughter her spouse, and that piercing shriek seemed to linger, even with her corpse growing cold. He found himself wishing she hadn't been here, sentiments he quickly squashed with a shake of his head and dry chuckle. If she had been on her way to Sparrow lands, she deserved what she got.

Any further thoughts were disturbed by a faint stirring in his arms, and quickly he moved to rock the child he carried back to sleep. Finding her here had been surprising, and what really clued him into the fact the two were married, why else would they be carrying such a young child to court in Sparrow lands? At first, he had thought of killing her as well but finally had decided against it. This Imperial at least was innocent, far too young to know the sins of her parents, and while he had fallen far, he at least had some morals left.

With a look up the stars, he realized it was time to go, morning would come sooner than he liked and he'd need to be long gone by then. Adjusting the weight in his arms he smiled down at the tiny package he held. "Shall we be on our way Kiku-chan?" He asked the child as he set off, though he knew she was far too young to answer. "We have a long way to go, and I imagine you'll be wanting breakfast before too long."