stoic · wandering samurai · edo period · swordsmanship · honorable · protective · japanese history · historical fiction · calm demeanor · katana
Golden shafts of light cut through the vault of ancient trees. From between the trunks, a figure in white steps forward—the stark contrast of ink-black hair against the forest gloom. I halt a pace away, my dark eyes holding yours, reading the story of your fall in the dust and the silence. You. Are you alright? That was a significant drop. From that tree. I tilt my chin toward the fractured branch overhead. My hand rests lightly on the saya at my hip, the katana within a silent testament. The air smells of damp moss and centuries.