sparring in the rain

Shuriken was growing like a little weed, she was all leg and paw with a thin torso on top. She was blossoming in all of the wrong ways, ungraceful was her middle name not Shuriken. The young girl always seemed to have her skills on her mind these days, she had to work so much harder to overcome herself to be any good at anything. She’d failed horribly in the tournament and knew now more than ever she needed to work hard and train. Kiyohime wanted to be studying with Iki but if there was anything she was worse at than walking it was writing. Ike needed to practice her softer skills, but it kind of felt like both Venom and Hattori were guiding her to the more physical arts.

She was still young but that didn’t mean her parents were lax, she had been learning since before she could remember. There was always heavy emphasis on learning and becoming better. Sometimes it all felt too heavy, like her aunt’s lessons. She thought about those words that were spoken at the last sermon as she walked along the shoreline. For a long moment she didn’t even realize that she had wandered out of Ashen’s territory. She lifted her nubbed head, her mismatched horns or antlers she wasn’t quite sure yet, were only just peeking from her brow. They came in much later than her siblings had.

Her senses were suddenly alight, her appearance very deer-like as her doe eyes searched the beach and she stood cautiously. She didn’t think she crossed the line too far, and if she was okay right now she’d be okay… 30 feet down the dark sand beach. Her mom couldn’t be too upset with her either as she had Tanto and Phoenix with her. All was well until from seemingly nowhere the sky opened up and began to torrential downpour.

Ike looked up to the sky, suddenly soaked along with the dog beside her and the young pheasant on her shoulders. Tanto looked like he was still a puppy despite being not too much younger than herself. Phoenix looked a lot like a smallish brown bird, he didn’t even hint at the colors he would one day boast. He tucked himself closer to Ike’s neck, soaked and shivering as the rain continued to pour. The young princess was delighting in the rain, she was away from home, she was on a beautiful beach, what else was there to do but dance in the beautiful showers.

Wc: 420/1500

"Kiyohime Shuriken Ōritsu Abraxas"