Leonardo held Umō and had her burry her face in his neck as they passed her father’s body. The bandits hadn’t had the chance to mount his head on a pike yet. It lay next to his body, his dead eyes looking up at them as they past.
Leo pressed Umō’s head down. Her fuzzy snout and warm breath tickled his neck but his instinct to protect her kept him from cringing. She already knew her father was dead she didn’t need to see the gory remains. Usagi held Jotaro as they passed but didn’t shelter him from the sight.
Kuroko stayed back but continued to follow them. Leonardo didn’t have to look back to know he was there. The steady footfalls and gentle sobs were enough. The urge to turn around and comfort him was almost overwhelming. It was still a delicate situation. If he came on too hard Kuroko could run off. Leo would never be able to forgive himself.
It was when they reached the road that Kuroko rushed up to Leo to hide behind his leg. Trembling in fear, the young turtle held tight to Leo as they were approached by the villagers. It made Leo wonder what he had been through in his young life. How many times had he suffered from their superstitious hate?
Usagi took charge and moved a few steps forward. “The bandits have been defeated,” he informed them. “The stolen items are all sorted in one room. See to it that they are returned to their rightful owners, if at all possible. It would also be wise to send notice to the local magistrate and Shogun of what happened.”
One of the villagers pointed to Kuroko and asked, “When you defeated the demon, did that thing spawn from it?”
Leonardo brought his hand down to soothe Kuroko as he addressed the villagers. “There was no demon, only a man whose appearance was different. This child is innocent in all of this.”
“Has it put a spell on you?” another asked. “Is that why you are caring for it?”
“No!” Leo shot back. “HE has no magic at all. He’s just a boy who is scared and alone.”
Usagi held up his hands, silencing everyone before there could be conflict. “You do not have to worry about the boy. We will be leaving the village with him…, immediately.”
“He’s not going anywhere,” another villager shouted. “He has to pay for his crimes.”
“This boy has committed no crimes,” Leo shouted back. “His father was the criminal. I killed the one responsible for the crimes.” Leo pointed to the building behind him. “His body is in there. Do with it what you want but you will not have this boy.”
“Like I said,” Usagi said, “we are leaving. We do not wish to cause problems. Your town has enough to worry about with cleaning up the bandits’ mess.” Turning towards Leonardo Usagi said, “Let’s go,” before heading down the road, away from the villagers.
Leo shifted Umō on his shoulder and ushered Kuroko ahead of him as he followed after Usagi. The young turtle didn’t need much encouragement. Fearing the villagers, he had no desire to stay back, behind Leonardo.
They left the village without looking back. Traveling down the path in silence, Leo watched Usagi and Kuroko for any sign of their mood. Usagi stayed quiet as he walked quickly down the path. The greater the distance they put between them and the village, the better. Kuroko looked just as eager to do it.
After a while they slowed down and Leo was able to put Umō down. She and Jotaro ran along the path next to them, caught up in a game of tag. Kuroko had started to struggle with his things and did his best to keep up with Leo.
“Are you getting tired?” Leo asked, looking back at Kuroko.
“No,” Kuroko lifted his chin as he answered. He sped up to a trot in an attempt to catch up only to end up tripping. He fell on his face, his bag the only thing to cushion his fall against the hard ground. Usagi, hearing the fall, stopped and turned around but stayed quiet, letting Leo handle it.
“There is no shame in asking for help,” Leo offered, reaching down to help Kuroko up. “Wouldn’t you rather be free of your burdens so you could run and play with the others? I won’t mind carrying your things for you.”
Getting to his feet, Kuroko shifted his bag on his shoulder and looked at Umō and Jotaro. “They don’t want to play with me.”
Leo tilted his head to the side. “Did you ask them?”
Kuroko’s bottom lip stuck out and he shook his head as he looked away. “I don’t have to.”
“Why don’t you try,” Leo urged. “You never know. They might surprise you.”
“You’ll see,” Kuroko said, glaring up at Leo. “Everyone is going to hate me because of the way I look. They always have.” He handed Leo his bag and father’s swords. “I’ll show you.”
Leo stood and watched as Kuroko ran forward to catch up with Jotaro and Umō. Kuroko didn’t get the chance to ask if he could join them. Umō rushed up to him and placed her hands on his arm. “Tag! You’re it!” With a giggling squeal, Umō ran away.
“Stay close,” Usagi instructed as Kuroko ran to try to catch Jotaro.
A smile spread across Leo’s face. The children have all been through a lot and it was good to see that they were still able to laugh. They continued on their way across the open field. It was amazing at how the children managed to play while keeping up with them.
Leo moved closer to Usagi and laughed. “We’re going to have our hands full when the children get tired.”
“You mean you will have your hands full, Leonardo,” Usagi said with a half-smile. “You wanted them you will carry them.”
“Fair enough,” Leo shrugged. “They are worth it.”
“I hope they do not disappoint.” Usagi looked up at his friend. “Will you try to save every orphaned child we come across?”
“Hopefully there will not be that many,” Leo answered. “But, if I can help, I will.”
“There are thousands of children with stories similar to theirs,” Usagi said. “There is no way you can save them all. It is useless to try.”
Leo thought about the best way to try to get Usagi to understand. “On my world there is a story about a man who walked onto a beach early one morning to find the beach covered in starfish. He knew that once the sun was high enough that its heat would kill all of the starfish. He looked out along the shore and saw that there were thousands of them. It was then that he saw a little girl, picking up the starfish, one by one, and throwing them into the water. The man walked up to the little girl and told her that she would never get them all back into the water before the sun killed them. He said that what she was doing ‘didn’t matter’. The girl picked up one of the starfish, threw it into the water, looked up at the man and said, ‘It mattered to that one’.
“I know I cannot save all of the children in this world. There are children on my world who suffer the same fate or worse. But for these children, I can make a difference. I cannot change the world but I can make a difference in theirs. I will save the ones I can.”
Usagi sighed, “We will not be able to afford to take on any more. We are living the life of a pauper. There will be times we will barely be able to feed ourselves. You need to realize this.”
“I do understand. This is a hard land and that is one of the reasons these children suffer. It’s only for three months,” Leo assured him. “We’ll make it work.”
“I hope so,” Usagi said as he watched the children play. “I will admit that it is nice to see Jotaro playing with someone his own age.” With a slight chuckle he turned to Leo and asked, “What is your family going to say? Will they be alright with you bringing home two children?”
Leo nodded. “I believe they will be.”
They continued down the path for several more hours. The late summer sun was at its zenith but there was a cool breeze that kept the heat from becoming too much. It was a beautiful day. The air was clean and carried the sweet scent of flowers.
They found a Nashi tree that was growing wild. Leonardo had never eaten the round pear like fruit before. Using a small knife they cut the rough skin away and sliced the fruit for the children. It was sweet and crisp, satisfying both their thirst and hunger as they continued to walk.
As predicted, the children tired themselves out. Instead of making Leo carry both children, along with his bag, Usagi suggested that they all rest. The two seasoned warriors sat on either side of the three children with their backs up against a tree. The two fluffy white mammals were a stark contrast to Kuroko’s black scales.
It was a welcome break. Leo had never done so much walking in his life. Usagi reached over the children and playfully shoved Leo. “Having these children is going to make doing other things a little difficult. I was hoping to have more time for just the two of us after we returned Jotaro to his mother.”
Leo chuckled. “I’m sure we’ll find time to do… other things. They were all asleep before we laid them down. They’ll be the same tonight.”
“Umō and Kuroko are going to be sad when they have to say goodbye to Jotaro in a week,” Usagi pointed out.
“I’m more worried about Jotaro,” Leo said, looking down at the children. “At least Kuroko and Umō will have each other.”
“I’m not.” Usagi shook his head. “Jotaro will be happy to be back with his mother.” He reached down and caressed his son’s head. The small bunny’s ear twitched in response but otherwise he stayed asleep.
“Parting will be hard on us all,” Leo observed.
Usagi replied, “It’s for the best. He deserves better than this. Though, I am grateful for the time I have had with him.”
“He will remember it for the rest of his life.” Leo reached up and placed his hand on Usagi’s shoulder. “He may not know the truth but, at least, you are an important part of his life. He admires you.”
A sad smile turned up the edges of Usagi’s lips as he nodded his head. “I at least have that.”
The children napped for about an hour. Jotaro was the first to wake up and he wasn’t about to let the other sleep any longer. When Kuroko and Umō woke up, there was sadness in their eyes. It was going to take some time for them to get used to their new situation. They were still in mourning and Leo was only a kind stranger to them. At least they trusted him.
The children continued to play as they traveled. It kept them occupied and helped the time pass. It was the first time that Jotaro hadn’t begged to be carried. The boundless energy of the trio left Leo envious.
Along the path they came across a man, whose wagon had lost a wheel, spilling the contents of the wagon on the ground. The old lion was in the process of cleaning the scattered fruit from the path as he mumbled to himself.
“Let us help you with that,” Usagi offered as Jotaro and the children set about picking the fruit up.
“Thank you,” the old lion mumbled as he watched the children. “Make sure your little ones don’t eat any of my wares. I’m watching them.”
“They will not. I assure you,” Leo promised as he assessed the damage. The wheel was broken beyond repair, the wood split in half. “I am afraid that this cannot be fixed.”
“I noticed that myself,” the old lion nodded. “Damn my luck.”
“It can’t be all that bad,” Usagi smiled. “At least luck had us coming down the path and not someone who was unsavory.”
The lion let out a hearty laugh. “This is true, Ronan. I guess for that I should be grateful.”
“Where are you headed?” Usagi asked as the last of the fruit was returned to the cart.
“Back to my home,” the lion answered, pointing down the road. “My wife will take this fruit and turn them in to some of the best little cakes you will ever have.”
“I love cake!” Umō exclaimed with a giggle.
“We will help you,” Usagi offered and moved around the wagon. He grabbed hold of the handles and looked back at Leo. “I will pull if you keep it steady on its three remaining wheels.”
Leo nodded. “I think I can manage that.”
“I am called Kenta,” the old lion said as he started walking.
“I am called Miaymoto Usagi,” Usagi replied. “My companion is called Leonardo.”
“What brings you out this way, Ronan?” Kenta asked.
“My home village was damaged by the quake a year ago,” Usagi explained. “Many of the villagers were hurt and most of the crops were destroyed. So I agreed to take my friend’s son, Jotaro with me for a while so that he would not be using up their limited resources. We are on our way now to return him to his family.”
Kenta nodded his head as Usagi spoke. “I remember that quake. We felt it all the way out here. It must have been devastating closer to the source.”
“It was,” Usagi nodded. “This will be my first time back since it had happened. I promised Jotaro’s mother that I would return after a year. I’m sure his mother and father are eager to have him back. They must be beside themselves with worry.”
“It was good of you to take him.” Kenta looked back at Jotaro then up at Usagi. His eyes narrowed for a moment but he didn’t say anything more on the subject. “The sun is setting. Why don’t you stay with me tonight? We do not have much but there is a spare room and it is the least I can do for your help.”
“Thank you,” Usagi accepted. “It will be nice to be able to sleep indoors.”
“I guess it was fortunate for both of us that we happened to meet,” Kenta laughed.
“The fates were looking out for us all,” Usagi agreed.
Kenta led them to his home nestled among several large trees, some with branches heavy with fruit. The distant sound of a river could be heard, making Leo think he had stepped into a small part of paradise.
“Momoka,” Kenta called out. “We have guests.”
The door to the house opened to reveal a lioness. Stepping out of the house, she walked up to greet her husband. “I told you that the wheel looked unstable.” There was good humor in her voice and kindness in her eyes. After kissing Kenta, Momoka looked down at the children and a smile spread across her face. “It’s been a while since there have been children in our home.” Kneeling down she addressed them directly. “Are you hungry?”
The three children nodded in excitement, remembering that Kenta had mentioned cakes.
“Come,” Momoka said as she stood and turned back towards the house. “You can help me make dinner while the men put the fruit away and fix the wagon.”
As Momoka led the children inside, Kenta led the way to the back of the house where Leo and Usagi helped to sort the fruit. There was a mixture of plums and dates in the small wagon that needed to be placed in separate bins.
Once they were done sorting, they set about replacing the wheel on the wagon. Leo couldn’t help but smile as he worked, finding peace in the simplicity of Kenta’s life.
As they were putting the final touches on the wheel, Momoka stepped out of the house. “Wash up. Dinner is ready.”
“Yes, dear,” Kenta replied.
Dinner consisted of rice, fish in broth, and pickled vegetables. It wasn’t much but it was satisfying and delicious. Not once did the lion couple mention Kuroko’s dark skin and they treated him no different from the others. As the evening progressed, Kuroko became more comfortable and opened up. He no longer flinched when someone reached for him.
For dessert, they each had small steamed buns filled with sweet date paste. The children practically inhaled theirs, leaving a sticky mess on their faces.
After dinner they sat around the fire, sharing stories of their travels. Umō had curled up in Momoka’s lap and quickly fell asleep. Jotaro fell asleep leaning against Usagi. He had tried his best to stay up and take part in the conversation, like the grownups. To Leo’s delight, Kuroko had sat next to him and, as he grew tired, had placed his head on Leo’s lap.
“To care for children that are not yours, shows that you have a good heart,” Momoka said as she caressed Umō’s fluffy head. “It isn’t a trait seen often in wandering samurai.”
“I was adopted,” Leo stated. He looked down at Kuroko and smiled. “My father was reluctant at first but quickly learned the joys that came with being a parent. I, on the other hand, am more that eager to be a father. I know it will take time for them to see me as such, if at all, but I will treat them as if they are my own. Just like my father did for me.”
“Children are rewarding.” Kenta smiled as he stood. “I need to go to bed or I will fall asleep where I sit. Let’s get you all settled into the spare room.”
The spare room was small and they had to make due with a few blankets for a bed. The children were placed together furthest from the door. Leo watched them sleep for a moment before joining Usagi on the makeshift bed.
He nuzzled Usagi. “I guess we won’t be doing any of those other activities tonight.”
Usagi chuckled lightly and turned towards Leo. “It would not be appropriate.”
Leo leaned forward to capture Usagi’s lips. “Too bad,” he said into the kiss. “I like the way to taste.” They continued to kiss while their hands roamed. Despite their desire to take it further, Leo and Usagi practiced restraint.
The day might have started out hard but it had ended well. With a content sigh, Leo fell asleep with a smile on his face.
