Ch 4: On the Run - Pt 3: On the Road Again

Our first stop was Masato and Yuuna's home at the top of a short hill at the edge of the village about a mile past the community garden. The two of them packed a small overnight bag, and we loaded various supplies into a simple horse-drawn carriage with a cloth enclosure covering the back of the wagon. Among the items were some food, small equipment including what appeared to be a fire set much like the one I tried to purchase from the gypsy woman, and the box from the shop.

The three of us sat closely on the driver's bench with Masato in the middle since he held the reigns. There was only one horse, and it moved at a slow and steady pace. I was not sure if the weight was a little too much from the extra person or if Masato simply did not see any need to rush. Whatever the case, I was grateful to both him and Yuuna, and there was no room to complain.

We rode like this for a couple hours until the sun was about halfway hidden behind the horizon line. Masato tugged a on the reigns, bringing the horse to a stop. He then wiggled Yuuna's shoulder until she woke up and lifted her head from his own shoulder. They seem close.

Masato turned to me. "We'll have to camp here for the night. The town is still a few hours out, but we should make it by late morning if we get an early start."

"Okay. Thanks again, Masato." I stepped down off the platform.

"Don't mention it." He hopped off behind me. "Now help me get the fire started so we can eat."

A grumble came from the person descending the other side of the passenger's seat. "Hehe. That sounds good to me."

While I started the fire, Masato was moving stuff around in the wagon. Yuuna brought over a chilled container and wooden skewers, and she was sticking several cubes of meat onto each one. Though I did not know for sure what they were from, they had characteristics like beef.

"Hey, Aoi, you never told me why you are running." Her focus remained on her task. "What happened after you went home earlier? Is your fight with your father that serious?"

My body involuntarily recoiled from a sting in my chest. "I, uh... I never had a chance to make up with him..."

Yuuna paused with the next cube barely pierced and glanced at me before resuming. "How come? Is it something you can talk about? Does it have something to do with those men I saw?"

"Yes..." I felt my body trembling from within, but I had to answer her honestly. It was the least she deserved. "Those men killed my parents."

"What?!" Yuuna dropped the last skewer on the ground and hurriedly wiped it off. "For real?!"

I stared into her copper eyes and braced myself. "Yes. The truth is some men have been searching for my family for a long time. We've had to abandon our home too many times to count." My gaze shifted to the fire. "These past few years, we were able to stay safely in the forest near your hometown, and I was convinced we lost them. I got restless and left my parents to see the town, but when I got back, my father was dead, and my mother was on her last breath."

Footsteps crunched on the ground near us. "Sounds like some serious stuff there. I didn't realize I was signing up to take care of someone else's orphaned kid." Masato squatted down, completing the triangle around the fire.

"Father. That's horribly insensitive of you." Yuuna's treatment of Masato sometimes seemed more like that of a wife than a daughter. "I am deeply sorry and horrified to hear what became of your parents, Aoi. I... I'm not sure what to say..." Her voice drifted, and she held a stick of meat over the fire, likely trying to distract her mind just as much as cook her dinner.

Masato picked a couple of the healthier helpings off the tray. "I apologize, Aoi. I didn't mean it that way." He passed one to me. "I've never handled these types of things very well. I prefer to make light of them so I can avoid being dragged down."

"It's okay." I accepted the kabob and stuck it in the flames. I liked my meat cooked a little more than most. "I can't say I would have anything better to offer if I was on your end."

I could tell Yuuna wanted to ask more about what happened or why from the way she fidgeted and peeked at me, but she never said anything. Unsure of where to go from there, we ate our meal and sat in silence until it was time to get some rest. Masato had made room in the carriage for the three of us, but I insisted on sleeping outside. In the morning, we got right to it and enjoyed a simple breakfast consisting of a piece of bread and a manzana on the move.