Cinnamon and Jasmine

CINNAMON AND JASMINE

CHAPTER TWO

\"TIME TO WAKE UP!\" The voice bellowed through the valley. There were two small huts in view. One for Fu and one for Mugen and Jin.

The night before, the man had shown them the entire property and gave them detailed instructions for the proper way to do each job.

\"It\'s not even daylight yet!\" Mugen\'s voice waived from the left hut.

\"It\'s almost dawn, time to start the day. Food is in the kitchen, come on or it will be gone.\" Ku walked back toward his house.

\"That\'s not fair,\" Fu sighed into her arm, laying on her stomach still. \"I\'m so hungry, but so sleepy...aghh.\" She groaned as she made herself sit up. Her samurai in her heart and mind giving her strength.

Not so across from her though.

Mugen made a low growl as he heard Jin shuffling around to find his shoes. He knew if the other was awake, then he\'d have to be too. Couldn\'t appear to be weak. He peaked a closed eye open just enough to briefly see the bare back of the ronin.

He had not put his gi on yet, he must have took it off. It was hot last night. The sky was a lot brighter out than Mugen had assumed, and he could see deep red wounds on the milky white skin. They were clearly whip slashes.

//Is that from...when we were in that place being tortured?//
Mugen felt a strange feeling he had never felt before, but chased it away. He smiled, his own back must have hundreds of tiny scars from that damn spiked chair he was in.
//Maybe not \'tiny\' scars...But those looked infected.//
He sighed sitting up, the ronin was now fully clothed and slipping out the door.

//Who cares anyway? //
A red coat flipped over a shoulder and the coffee skinned one was out too.

- - - - -

\"Dumplings!\" Fu squealed popping two into her watering mouth. \"Mmm..\" She shifted happily on her knees.

All four of them sat around a somewhat large homemade table. It was lined with simple, but still good food. Mugen and Fu continued to eat at breakneck speed, while Jin only took a few bites before setting it to the side. Not missing a beat Mugen scooped the plate up for himself. Jin couldn\'t hold back the smile, so he covered his mouth with his hand.

Ku noticed the pale ones lack of appetite but decided not to probe the matter.
\"Well, I assume you two have your lists, and Mugen you remember what I told you. I wrote what to do and how to do it. I will continue my own duties as well. We\'ll meet back here when you hear the bell at lunch.\" He sat up collecting his plate, heading out of the room.

\"Great...\" Mugen sighed.

\"We should get going.\" Jin stood as well.

- - - - -

\"Nice piggy...nice...ahhhh!\" Fu screamed as the large animal knocked her into the mud. She sat up thoroughly disgusted, when rumbling laughter broke her thoughts.
\"Shut up Mugen!\" She fumed, stomping back into the shed to get more feed.

The man in question had a heavy plow tied to an ox, and one behind him, fastened around his waist. He was just using Fu\'s woes as a way to cope with his own. He looked over to see Jin, with the same set up as him, silently working.

//How the fuck can he be so calm about this?//
His mind wandered as the rocky soil covered his feet over and over.
//Agh. You\'re doing it again. Stop thinking about that baka.//
He forced himself to concentrate on the ox, and not the pale man haunting his mind.

Jin was inwardly screaming. Biting his tongue to keep it from having a voice. Each step made the material of his gi, and the ropes rub hard against the wounds on his back. That damn whip. It was probably used for years, collecting the blood and germs of many. It was no small wonder the gashes soon became infected.
//It\'s no ones concern but your own. Stop complaining.//
He continued to scold himself to keep going.

- - - - -

\"The bell!\" Fu said, as though it were the coming of the Buddha himself.

It had been hours, and while they accomplished most of the duties, there was still more than half to go. Each was dirty, sweaty, and very annoyed looking. They walked silently down the dirt path towards the main house.

- - - - -

\"You three are doing good for your first day. The fields look nice...I actually think the pigs are warming up to you Fu.\" Ku smiled taking a big bite of the stew he had prepared.

\"Yeah a little, but I still can\'t stand the smell. They are cute though\" She had to admit.

\"As bad as it is, the smell becomes more bearable as time passes. And you two, the fields are all done. That\'s amazing...It would have took four of my usuals two days to do it.\" Ku beamed, Mugen smiled back, pleased on some level to be praised for something he worked so hard on. Jin kept his head down, picking at the food. He hadn\'t take a bite yet.

\"You...Ronin? Are you not hungry, or just not like my food? You barely ate this morning.\"

\"The quality of it is fine. I am mearly not hungry.\" He still did not look up.

\"If you don\'t want it I\'ll take it.\" Mugen asked shamelessly. Fu gave him a glare, she was going to ask him first.

\"It\'s yours then.\" He slid the plate to his side. Mugen took it, but didn\'t let the shaking pale hand go unnoticed. He eyed the man up for a second before focusing on the new food, returning Fu\'s glare with a victory smile.

\"Well, I\'m done. I\'m gonna start out again. Same thing as this morning, but this bell will be dinner. Fu will you clean everything up? Maybe you would enjoy the home and kitchen work more than the pigs?\" Ku smiled. He had never planned for Fu to have to work so hard, he just wanted to see if her reasons for being with two men that dangerous were good enough.
//If she\'s willing to do all she did today for it, then I have to back her up.//

\"Really you mean it?\" She was glowing.
//No more mud or pigs?!//

\"Yes.\"

\"Oh thank you, thank you so much!\" She jumped up and hugged the man happily, turning to stick her tongue out at Mugen who gaped in defeat.

\"I suppose you two will take over Miss Fu\'s duties. I\'ll prepare a new list tomorrow, I\'ll spit them evenly. No complaints...\" Ku smiled at Fu one more time before exiting the room.

\"You lucky little bitch.\" Mugen said getting up quickly.

\"See ya plow boy, enjoy the manure!\" She laughed as hard as she could, starting to collect plates.

Jin got up slowly and left without saying a word. Fu stared concerned at him, but she had to concern herself with her work now...
//It\'s the only thing that will make time pass on quicker. So I can start to look for him.//

- - - - -

\"Man...I\'m...Starting to love that fucking bell...\" Mugen panted as he sat the bucket down. He had just attempted to wash away the grime left by the horse and cow stalls. Even though the smell was off him, he couldn\'t get it out of his nose. Jin had done the same and was starting back when he fell to one of his knees.

Mugen looked up but didn\'t say anything. Jin stayed that way for a moment before quickly standing and continuing as if nothing happened.
//What the hell was that?//

- - - - -

\"In honor of your first day here, my special mochi. It\'s only for the best of company or holidays, so today seems good.\" Ku laughed as Fu and Mugen took no pause in diving in. It was all Jin could do not to vomit.

He folded his arms and put his head down. The pain flowing through his body, mixed with fatigue made him want to cry. Never had he experienced such pain.
//T-this was only the first day...//
He thought hopelessly when a large hand on his shoulder caused him to tense immediately.

\"Are you all right?\"

He didn\'t answer, using all his will to fight the heat creeping to his cheeks. As he quickly glanced he noticed even Mugen and Fu were staring at him, Fu with chopstick resting on her lower lip.

Jin frowned heavily and brushed the hand off him. \"I\'m fine. Please, escuse me.\" He tried to stand up and leave but his legs would not obey, he would have fell onto the table if Ku hadn\'t caught him. The man\'s hand grabbed tightly onto Jin\'s back and the ronin screamed out in pain.

Ku, loosened his grip, and Jin fell to the ground on his ass. He grabbed his arms and tried to still the terrible pain now throbbing where the mans hand had been. Mugen could hold his tongue no more.

\"It\'s your fucking back isn\'t it? I seen them this morning, they looked infected.\" He stood. Ku and Fu stared in confusion, Jin starred at him like he had seen a ghost.

\"Let me see them.\" Ku asked in a very soft voice.

\"Like I said it\'s none of your concern. I\'ll be all right, just leave me alone.\" Jin tried to keep some poise.

\"The hell with that...\" Mugen walked over and knelt beside the shocked ronin. Without asking he ripped the gi off and tossed it to the side. Jin glared as hard as he could, cheeks now gently kissed with pink.

\"What the fuck are you doing?!\" Jin spat trying to push the man away. Mugen continued, taking into note how weak and lacking the mans attempts were. He was ill. He got to a position where he could see the man\'s back and winced slightly. He felt Jin tense up but relax a little as his cool hand caressed the unwounded flesh slowly.

The wounds had once been precise, but now had widened and broke open. The skin around them was bruised and purple. The yellow tint of infection highlighted them all. Mugen glanced to the ripped cloth on the floor, it was covered in a thin layer of blood.

\"You\'re a stupid son of a bitch Jin.\" Mugen sighed getting up.

Jin gave up trying to answer. The removal of the thick cloth helped more than he imagined, he just tried to take in as much of that as he could. The ronin only partially felt the Ryu-kyuian\'s hand press firmly against his forehead, before he closed his eyes under the contact.

\"He\'s got a fever too.\" Mugen looked up at Fu, who went to the water basin.

\"Oh my...\" Ku remarked as he walked behind the two, seeing the extent of the wounds for the first time. \"I am so sorry. If I had known he was injured in such a way...\" Ku began but Mugen cut him off.

\"Don\'t worry, no one knew. He\'s that ice-block-kinda-samurai-hardass. Wouldn\'t tell anyone anyway.\" Mugen smiled.

//Why the hell do I care if that guy fells guilty? Why am I on the floor, somewhat embracing Jin?!//
His hand still on the slightly wet forehead. His mind raced like that for what seemed like hours when a small gasp of pain below him snapped him back.

\"We need to get him to a bed.\"

\"I\'ll carry him. You go to the shed and retrieve the small blue wooden box. It has medicinal items in it.\"

Mugen nodded, and suprisingly reluctantly let go of Jin.
//What the fuck are you doing now, rooster?//

- - - - -

\"That should take care of the fever, and start to heal the infection. But I have nothing for the pain. I\'m sorry.\" Ku nodded solemnly. He tucked the last of the bandage in before warmly smoothing it over with his hand.

\"How long do you think it will take?\" Mugen never let his eyes leave the ronin\'s pain drawn face.

\"Five, maybe six weeks. It\'s hard to tell. Could be sooner. Could be more.\" Ku stood closing the small wooded box that contained the herbs he had lay over the wounds before wrapping.

\"That long huh?\" Fu sighed. She didn\'t want to lose one of her best men, and she didn\'t want to wait. She sighed again, thinking the government will probably keep searching for at least that long anyway.

\"It\'s best to just let him rest now. It\'s late anyway, and Mugen...Looks like you\'ll be taking over his and Fu\'s old share.\" Ku had to smile, maybe it would lighten the mood of the room.

\"W-what?!\" He felt his heart sink.

\"Yep. Well, I\'ll take half of it, so you won\'t have too much. I chose quality of quantity here.\" The smile was met with another.

\"All right then, goodnight you guys...I\'m totally drained.\" Fu waved sleepily before walking out of Mugen and Jin\'s hut.

\"Mugen...I suggest you sleep. There\'s nothing more we can do now. You\'ll need your rest for tomorrow.\" Ku smiled and bowed leaving.

\"Yeah I should sleep...I am pretty tired.\" Mugen spoke aloud, sitting on his futon staring at the ronin laying on his stomach next to him.
//But I won\'t be able to sleep...//
He smiled, finally allowing himself the pleasure of just mindlessly starring at the pale man.

END CHAPTER TWO
12:41PM