Lifeline
An original fiction by Travis J. DeSantis
Part Three
It was a pleasant surprise when Ryae found that their room had a bathroom with all the modern conveniences. Indoor plumbing was always welcome and the bathtub was extremely inviting. There are very few chances for a slave to bathe and she had almost forgotten what it was like. Happily, Ryae drew herself a bath, the hot water pouring steamily into the as of yet empty tub. As the steam rose, the air in the room grew humid, but still comfortable. Her dress and shawl, now more or less clean, hung to dry on a bar attached to the wall. Ryae wore a white silk bath robe as she waited.
Finally, the bath was ready. Ryae turned off the faucet and removed her robe. Despite the room's heat, Ryae was cold for the few moments she was fully exposed, but warmth was returned to her as she gently lowered herself into the water. She did not start to wash immediately, wanting to soak up the pleasure of what was previously a rare occasion. The lightly shifting water caressed her body and had a comforting, relaxing affect. Ryae soon found herself thinking thoughts she had never had before. As she ran the soup over herself, she thought of him, Kinjo.
Kinjo was very kind and friendly, seemingly over-flowing with good intentions. But could that image be trusted? Could she really trust Kinjo to never harm her in any way? To protect her? To care for her?
Yes, she thought to herself. If he wanted to harm he, he had many opportunities, but did not. This man has already done so much for her. She owed him her life. Ryae felt drawn to him, a strange attraction she could not explain. It wasn't so much romantic or even sexual, but whatever it was, it was strong. It was like that there was something between them, trying to bring them together.
~~~~~
Kinjo climbed the stairs to the apartments above the bar. He would need Ryae to open the door to the room, for his hands were full. On his right hand was balanced a large platter with their dinners and his left supported a package wrapped in canvas paper and simple cord. He knocked on the door with his foot. "Ryae! It's me, open up! I've got dinne~r," his voice rang. Kinjo was quite satisfied with his find and couldn't wait to see the expression on Ryae's face when she got it.
"Kinjo?" Ryae opened the door.
Kinjo hid the package behind his back and held out the platter, bowing exaggeratedly. "Your feast, Milady," he announced in mock-courtly voice. Kinjo immediately entered, moving in the foolish prance of a royal courtier, and placed the platter on a table, still keeping the package out of sight. He could hear Ryae giggle behind him. Turning to face her, Kinjo noticed what he hadn't before. Ryae wore only a short, silk bathrobe and was dripping wet. The material was drawn tight over her body and--Kinjo muttered an oath and averted his gaze, trying to look casual. Ryae however, noticed his embarrassment and prudently covered herself with a heavy towel.
"Sorry, Kinjo. I was just in the bath..." she explained, trailing off.
"No, no. That's okay. No big deal," he said with a hesitant smile. After and awkward silence, he spoke up again. "Well, um, anyway. I got dinner. I hope you like rice."
"What is it? It smells wonderful."
"Just a dish from back in my country."
"Where are you from?"
"It's far to the east, beyond the coast on a group of islands. We call it Nihon, but I believe there's another name for it here in the west. We're very isolated, so I doubt you would have heard of it. In fact, I'm probably the only one of my people out of the borders."
"How sad, you must feel very lonely..."
"Nah, not really. Besides, I've got my sword."
"Um, what does that have to do with it?"
Kinjo sighed. "It's really hard to explain. It's just...well, it's always been there for me. I mean, as early as I can remember. It's...my lifeline."
"This all sounds so strange."
"Yeah, I've never been too sure about it myself. Oh yeah, I almost forgot! Here, this is for you," he said, handing her the package.
Ryae set the package on the table and gingerly untied the cord. She removed the wrapping and held up her gift. The dress Ryae held was of a deep emerald green material cut slightly above the knee and had a moderately low neckline. With is came a wide black leather belt, a tanned fur vest, and ankle-high leather boots. "H, Kinjo...it's beautiful. Thank you," she said softly. Ryae kissed him lightly on the cheek.
"Ah, I kinda figured you could use something new, y'know. I certainly hope it fits," Kinjo said, blushing slightly.
"I'm sure it will. I'll go try it on now." Ryae took her new clothes into the bathroom. When she came back out, Kinjo had set the table with their dinners. She walked out into the middle of the room and did a little turn. "It fits," she giggled.
"Whew, that's good to hear. I was a little worried it would be too small. I hope you don't mind me saying so, but you are kinda petite."
"Oh?" Ryae said solicitously. "How so?"
"Uh, um, well...." Kinjo said, clearing his throat. He was blushing furiously.
"I'm just kidding," Ryae laughed.
Her laughter was like music to my ears, Kinjo thought. He snapped to attention. He couldn't get side tracked like that. No time to think about--"Let's eat, he said, interrupting his own thoughts. Kinjo held out the chair for Ryae to sit down and then he took his own seat. At first, they ate quietly. Kinjo was focused on his enormous portions and Ryae wasn't sure if she should interrupt.
"Kinjo?" she said finally. "Have you ever...been in love before?"
Kinjo stopped eating, but remained looking at his food. "Once," he replied. "It was a very long time ago."
Ryae was taken aback. "Um, what happened?" she asked.
"She died," he said brusquely.
"I'm sorry," she said. There were tears in her eyes. "I...I didn't mean to...it's just, I..."
"Forget it, it's not big deal." His voice was flat and did not waver. But his downcast eyes spoke volumes.
"You loved her a lot, didn't you?" Kinjo said nothing. "What was she like?"
After a pause, "Very much like you. Her name was Mori." Kinjo relaxed noticeably at the sound of her name. His hard set features softened and he rose from his seat. "Excuse me, I'm going to bathe and go to sleep. You can have the bed. Good night, Ryae." Kinjo kicked off his boots and dropped his jacket on the couch, then walked into the bathroom.
Ryae sat, quietly stunned, with her dinner. She was heart-broken that Kinjo was still mourning over the loss of Mori. Ryae wished she could go on like there was nothing wrong, but she couldn't do that. Trying to contend with his feelings for his dead lover and her feelings for him might be too difficult to handle and she didn't want to cause him any more pain.
Ryae could not concentrate on her meal, so she cleared the table and prepared for bed. But she could sleep no more than she could eat. Wearing a blue silk night gown conveniently kept in a closet, Ryae sat on the end of the bed, unable to think of anything but Kinjo. Finally, she made a decision. She got up and walked into the main room to the couch Kinjo was lying on. She sat down on the floor and leaned against the couch, absorbing herself in his features. His sandy blond hair was slightly mussed and was strewn across his face, which was calm and betrayed no emotion. It was a warm night, so Kinjo slept without a shirt, and Ryae watched as his muscular torso heaved slowly with each measured breath. Ryae noted how his arms flexed slightly, even as he slept.
"See anything you like?" he asked suddenly with a grin.
Ryae was blushing furiously. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were awake." She stumbled over the words as she said them.
"I wasn't, but I'm a light sleeper. It's a good habit to get into when you live on the road." Kinjo propped himself up on his elbow. "You okay? Your eyes look kinda haunted," he said with genuine concern.
"No, no...it's nothing," she replied. Ryae was enormously embarrassed having been caught and couldn't bring herself to say anything more.
"Look, um, if it's about what happened at dinner..." After a pause, Kinjo laid his hand on her shoulder.
Finally, the damn broke.
Ryae burst into tears and flung herself into his arms. Sobbing uncontrollably, she buried her face in his shoulder. Kinjo said nothing. He simply held her, trying to comfort her. Eventually, Ryae stopped crying and they sat like that for several moments. Finally, Ryae pushed away from Kinjo, wiping her eyes which were now red. "I'm sorry, Kinjo. I..." Her tone was low and subdued. She chanced a glance at his face. His expression was slightly bemused and he was chuckling softly. Ryae felt her anger rising. "What's so funny!?" she demanded.
"It's nothing," he said, still chuckling. Then quite casually, he laid back down and went to sleep, his arms still around Ryae all the while.
Though not in the least bit uncomfortable, Ryae was unsure of what to do. Should she get up and go back to bed? Should she stay here, in Kinjo's embrace? This strange young man she had met not a day before was now the focus of her life. She admitted to herself that she loved him, he was now her own lifeline.
As if to answer her questions, Kinjo lowered his head and kissed her softly on the cheek. "Relax. We're leaving early tomorrow, so you should get some sleep." He looked into her eyes for a moment, and she could see her own thoughts in his. "It might get chilly, would you mind staying with me for the night?" Instead of speaking her answer, Ryae snuggled up to Kinjo. Taking that as a yes, Kinjo smiled and leaned back. "G'night, Ryae."
"Good night, Kinjo."
