Turn, Turn, The King Turns
The Bush Warbler Can't Keep Up

Run, Run, The Bush Warbler Runs.
But It Can't Catch Up.

Down, Down,
The Bush Warbler Falls Down

Roll, Roll,
The Warbler Rolls Down

Those words echoed in her head like the chimes that hung outside the merchant's cart. The young girl stood silently, her Bo staff fastened to her back securely, so no one would steal it in the busy city capital. The streets where filled with farmers from surrounded villages attempting to sell their produce, meet, fish, and poultry.

Aoi turned her head as two children ran up to her, bumping into her slightly before running off in a game of tag. She quickly checked her pockets to make sure they hadn't stolen anything, and they didn't, which was obvious.

As sure as she was about the head band resting in her bag, was that the children would never target people who they knew would be able to find them. The kids where smart, maybe not scholar material, but smart enough to survive, and in the world they where living in, that was all that was important.

With a gentle swoop she picked up a small peach from one of the merchants stands and placed it in her pocket, reaching out with her other hand and handing the old man a small bag of tea. It was the art of trade, after all, Aoi couldn't afford to be spending Ryo with her debts to the local gangs. Even if she could defeat them all quickly, that would be to violent, and it would most likely be something her brother would frown upon.

So as she walked through the once again crowded streets, wondering when the people would tire of their existence as the petty market people of Nichinan, she took the peach from her pocket and squeezed it slightly in her hands before handing to another vendor and retrieving a small pack of bandages in return.

This was her goal, the art of trading was a tricky one. You had to be able to know what each person wanted and how to get that by using what you had. Eventually it all evened out and you got what you desired. That's how life worked, some times. Aoi mused over these thoughts as she continued on her way down the crowded streets.

As she walked through the streets, watching the incoming merchants and farmers. She stopped as she noticed a traveling acrobatic group had set up and where preforming. They where flying through the air in dazzling speeds, their outfits where simple, but entrancing all the same. Aoi knew they must have trained for hours upon days to get to the point they where at now.

She turned as she noticed quit an interesting scene down the street involving a small dainty vendor and a rather large unruly man. Apparently the small woman had knocked down several tomatoes. It was sad, the man had plenty of Tomatoes left, and he had already sold plenty, and the woman had just arrived, and had not sold anything.

Aoi couldn't stand it, she took a step foreword, then another, making her way to wards the large man. The fourteen year old small girl watched as the woman began to shovel tomatoes onto his cart. She took a step foreword until she was only five yards away from the man. In a fluid movement she unlatched her Bo staff and was in front of the man.

The Bo staff was at his neck. '' Now don't you think you're going a little over board over some rotten tomatoes? '' she asked as she looked down the rather brown tomatoes he had been trying to sell. '' If you ask me, she did you a favor, spilling over all those tomatoes, they look like their a breading ground for worms ''.

There was when the known immigrant eyes would avert towards hers gazing within them. He would merely bring his hand along her cheek and a peaceful smile was all that was emitted off of his face. That was when the young black man's words would flow with his dreads that were swaying in the breeze and the aftermath that had occurred from the female who was about to slay the man. It was a simple reason why she didn't want his sword, but there was something bout her that he would allow her to know and that was.....

"It's not so as do you need my sword...I want to protect you and your children. Also show them the world outside of this place, because the world can be a harsh place everywhere. Maybe a outside view of all things would work in finding a peaceful home as I am seeking out myself," mused the young warrior known as Tatsu. He was merely being the honorable man, but he wasn't sure how she took it hopefully she would really take into consideration of his way of doing things. There the one known as Tatsu would give her a comforting smile and lean towards her placing a kiss upon her forehead. With his lips parting from her brow, there would be a small whisper that would send chills down her spine..."Don't worry I won't let anything happen to you...Trust me."

The black man's words seemingly struck a chord in her, but he knew it was no reason for him to even attempt to help her anymore. Swiftly turning away and walking from the store, he didn't mutter anything else. Just decided to go off and head to a new place. Thus was the life of one who was constantly hunted for his kin. He was a mere black man that had been living within the confinements of the Japan area, but mostly out for revenge upon the following who had killed off his parents. He was a loner...


"Then don't worry bout it. I shall take my leave," stated the warrior as he would swiftly continue away from the small shop. He offered his help and wasn't going to force himself upon her. If things happened to her it was her fault and not his own. That was the way he lived and would continue to live that way.