the drum?» Itsuki suddenly asked.
Kara glanced at him and raised her eyebrow:
«At the pagoda?»
«Yes. I’ve spoken to the monk after your little prayer and the storm…» Itsuki said with a gentle smile. «The man thinks you’ve been heard by the gods no less.»
«I’m not sure if I really believe in gods, Inei… Itsuki…»
«Call me whatever you like, Nakano. They are both my names, as are many others.» Itsuki chuckled. «As for the gods… I think you are twisting the truth a little. After all, you have so many on your body. Dragon, Phoenix… they are gods… Your raven is also a servant of the gods… and the phrase on your arm…»
«Yes, you’re right… Gods favour the strong.» Kara sighed, looking down. «I guess… I look up and see the skies, wishing the gods could hear me? Or, maybe… I don’t know…»
She suddenly pulled her knees up to her chin and hugged her legs, shrinking to a little ball as if to protect herself.
«You know, I’ve had a lot of time to watch you, Nakano. You have more strength in you than many other people I know. I understand why Lord Ryuu took you here. I understand what demons might haunt your soul.» Itsuki smiled gently. «And I want you to know that if you need, I am always here. You can always talk to me.»
«I have. Though, we didn’t use words before.» Kara smiled back.
«Ah! Well, that would be my fault.»
«Don’t. Everything is alright. I enjoyed your company nevertheless.»
«I hope you won’t get tired of me, because from now on we are going to be spending much more time together. And I must warn you – I am a very strict teacher.»
«I don’t mind, Master Itsuki. I love learning new things.» Kara smiled again. «I just hope I will be able to keep up, considering I am not fully healed yet.»
«Don’t worry. At first I will be teaching you some things that are not as physical.»
«If you are about what a real shinobi actually does, I know some of that…»
«Oh, really? Enlighten me.» Itsuki sounded flirty, when he wasn’t hiding behind that mask of his, and Kara liked his expression. He seemed open, happy even. It could be a result of him being a little drunk from sake and wine, but he looked genuine.
Kara laughed with him and told him everything she knew about the shinobi she read about in her world, and very soon she found out that for the most part her knowledge was quite extensive. But he still corrected her on some things and started telling about others that she knew nothing about.
In that long and deep conversation they spent most of the night, before Kara started dozing off. Itsuki convinced her to go to bed and returned to his usual self – a masked and hooded silent warrior who will be looking after her while she slept. Though Kara didn’t know – he actually slept through the night, although he stayed vigilant even in his sleep. He was used to staying in the far corner of her room, hidden in the shadows and ready to come to her aid if anything happens.
He also knew that this would be the last night he would be able to spend next to her, and this brought a faint sense of dread into his soul.
4
* * *
The next morning Kara woke up to a neat stack of dark shinobi clothing next to her bed. Itsuki sat in the corner – just like before, but this time he seemed sleeping, because his eyes were closed. As Kara stood up to get dressed, the man opened his eyes and jumped to his feet. The young woman noticed that he was about to leave and smirked.
«Stay. You’ve already seen me naked. What’s the point in leaving, if you’ve seen it all…» she said to him.
Itsuki, however, turned away.
«It doesn’t mean I shouldn’t respect your privacy.» He said.
«I don’t mind.» She shrugged with a smile on her lips. «Unless, of course, my ugly scar makes me less attractive than before…»
Itsuki didn’t answer and Kara dressed up in silence. When she finished, she felt Itsuki near and turned to him.
With a strange expression in his eyes, he checked her clothes and nodded.
«Let’s go and find out how well you are with your body.» He said and walked out of the room.
Kara followed, feeling very strange.
He took her to the gardens again – to the parts that had lots of various stones and paths that could be easily used for training.
For the next few hours he demanded she would balance and jump and run, showing him how well she knew the basics and what she could improve. Even though her wound was still giving her a hard time, she didn’t complain once.
As they returned to the castle, Itsuki was silent, but Kara knew – there was something more behind that silence than just her performance during what he called assessment.
«So did I do good?» she finally asked, tired of the silence between them.
«Better than I anticipated. Tomorrow we will try sparring.» Itsuki replied. «I’ve seen you in battle with a demon, but I must know how you fight a human as well.»
«Can I ask you something?»
«Sure.»
«Did Lord Ryuu tell you what he saw when he met me?»
«Yes. He was surprised when you asked him and his men to leave. Most people he encountered – either ran, or attacked. He also told me how you killed one of his men with a drumstick. And then how you killed three others in various ways. He was quite impressed.»
«I’m able to turn almost anything into a weapon, when my life depends on it. Even a drumstick…» Kara sighed.
«I believe you. Lord Ryuu, by the way, kept the second one as a memento of your first encounter.»
«Did he?»
«Like I said – he was very impressed.» Itsuki glanced at her with a twitched eyebrow.
«That’s strange, because you don’t seem to be.» Kara smirked, trying to get some emotion in reply.
«If I don’t show it, it doesn’t mean it’s not there, Nakano. You will have more opportunities to impress us all, I assure you. But for the moment, we must concentrate on your training.»
«So what’s next then?»
«Well…» Itsuki turned to the far corner of the courtyard, which was out of limits for her before. «Have you ever ridden a horse?»
«Frequently. Before my world fell.» Kara saw the stables with many different horses that varied in height and colour.
«Good. Then you will choose yourself
