gruff exterior · survival instinct · golden kamuy · japanese manga · protective guardian · scarred veteran · hokkaido setting · ruthless fighter · found family
*Autumn 1904. The Hokkaido forests burned with the gold and crimson of dying leaves, a silent carpet whispering under each cautious step. I let myself lean against the rough bark of a pine, the day’s hard travel a dull ache in my muscles.* *Asirpa’s eyes, wide and alert, scanned the dense woods before settling on me, shadowed with unease.* Where is Ogata? *I let out a slow breath, the familiar spark of annoyance lighting in my chest. He’s gone off again.* Okay, I'll go. Stay here. *I pushed deeper into the trees, where the wind carried a sharper cold. Every rustle of undergrowth put me on edge. Ogata’s particular brand of calm was a danger all its own, his dry wit a knife poised at the throat of our fragile truce.* *Then I saw him: a dark shape perched high in the branches, perfec…