[i]Previously in Broken Honor…[/i] [quote] “Jade, you moved! Now we’ll never know why Shura was outside waiting for Ronin!” Mirage cried out. “Wait, Ronin or Rysko? Now I’m confused…” “Just use Ronin. I’ll explain the name switch at some other point, it comes much later in the story. For now, though, I’m going to cook you dinner and you can’t do anything about it.” Ronin grinned evilly as he gathered the pots and pans from their bags. “No, wait, we’re sorry, Ronin!” Mirage got down on her knees and clasped her hands together, pleading with him. “Please, anything but your cooking!” “Should’ve been making dinner while I was talking, Mirage. Not my fault we’re having chicken and fish soup tonight.” Ronin chuckled as he spoke and cooked, and Mirage and Jade together let out a cry of despair, enough to drown out the sorrows of a princess locked away in a tower in a forgotten fairy tale. [/quote] ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [quote] Early the next morning, Jade and Mirage woke to find Ronin’s sleeping bag empty. They searched around the cave, but found no sign of him. With growing worry, the pair ventured outside of their cave. The morning was calm. The storm had subsided, the rock was covered in a small layer of snow, and the morning dew clung to the sparse patches of grass on the mountain. The valley sprawled before the two of them, and together, they stood, breathless at the sight. The blanket of snow covered everything, from rocks to trees. The steep mountain descended below them hundreds of feet, eventually curving into a gentle slope at the bottom of the valley. Along the valley floor was a white forest, the tall pines standing strong after the fierce storm. The floor of the mountains stretched about a mile forward, then it started curving into more mountains. Off to Jade and Mirage’s left and right, the valley spanned hundreds of miles, fading out of view in the light fog below. “Stunning view, isn’t it?” A voice sounding like a smile came from behind the pair. Startled, they both spun around and were surprised to find Ronin standing behind them with his hood drawn back and a small aluminum canister in his hand. He put his left arm around Mirage’s shoulder and his right arm on Jade’s shoulder and turned them back around, enjoying the view with them. “See, this is why I brought you two out here. Up here, we’re far away from the troubles of OffTopic. It’s much more peaceful up here. This time away will do you good, I promise. Plus,” Ronin shook the canister slightly, causing some light clanging to erupt from inside, “I got treats for you guys! Come on back inside the cave and help me pack up, and you guys can have this when we make camp tonight.” Jade and Mirage seemed to bounce with joy, and rushed back inside the cave and hurried to pack up camp. Ronin called after them, “And tell you what! I’ll tell more of my story as we climb!” The two girls practically leaped for joy upon hearing his promise. [/quote] Rysko walked with Shura, heading out of the training school and down the road towards Rysko’s home. Shura was mostly silent, looking ahead and walking with his head held high. Rysko, on the other hand, let his head droop. He stared at his feet as he followed along behind Shura. “Rysko, hold your head high. You have nothing to be ashamed of,” Shura spoke softly to Rysko, to avoid being overheard by other people walking up and down the cobbled road. Rysko glanced up, and glimpsed Shura casting a sideways glance at him before looking back to the road before them. “You were raised to know yourself. Tell me: what can others do that you cannot?” “Everyone else in the school has some sort of ability, while I have none.” Rysko’s voice quivered as he spoke. “Not even Sensei Varvatos-” “But do they have nearly as much skill with their weapons as you do?” Shura turned around and laid a gentle hand on Rysko’s shoulder. “I don’t care what Varvatos thinks. He may not be able to detect your power, but I should know - your power lies dormant, yet to be found.” His face remained impassive and stern, but Rysko thought he detected something else besides that. “Yes, sir…” Rysko’s voice dropped off as he hung his head. “Hold your head high, Rysko. Be proud of who you are and where you come from. Nobody else can say that they have your parents - after all, your our only son.” Shura smiled warmly, a rare sight indeed, and stood back up and walked with Rysko, this time side by side. The weight on Rysko’s heart was lifted, and as a result, Rysko smiled from pure joy. “That’s right! Nobody else gets to call you Father! Just me!” Shura chuckled, and on they went, Rysko skipping along and Shura watching him like a bear watching her cub. Velta was not at the house when Shura and Rysko arrived. Shura assumed that she was still out with the village’s Hunters, as a recent mishap had caused a rift in the group, dividing them and causing them to threaten one another. He and Rysko worked together to cook dinner that evening, and saved what leftovers there were for Velta. However, even after Shura put Rysko to bed and made sure he was sound asleep, she had yet to return. It was past midnight when she returned, worn and exhausted. She waved off his questions, saying that she will answer them after she’s had a decent amount of sleep. Shura fell asleep quickly, while Velta tossed and turned most of the night, unable to rest comfortably. [quote] Ronin clambered over a ledge and stood to his full height, now as tall as his own father. He inspected the overhang that lay before him, quickly determining that it would be enough protection for the night, especially since bad weather wasn’t due for a few more days. “This’ll do for tonight!” He called down over his shoulder. He heard an affirmative grunt from Mirage and a small cry from Jade that he took to mean as a recognition of what he had said. Soon after he began unpacking the supplies the trio would need for that night, Mirage and Jade managed to catch up to him. “Ronin…” Mirage began, her whining voice carrying easily across the rocks, “will we ever reach the top of this mountain? It seems like our climb will never end…” Jade made a few whining cries as well, voicing her agreement with Mirage. “Don’t worry, just a few more days of climbing. Then you’ll get to see my old home. Or at least, what’s left of it. I’m not sure what’s still there.” Ronin spoke without looking up from the bag, but he held up the metal canister he showed them in the morning. “However, feel free to help yourselves to what’s in here, courtesy of Bopsheezi. Be sure to thank him when we get back.” Mirage carefully took the canister and slowly opened it, finding catnip and raptor treats inside. They screamed at the top of their lungs with joy and quickly emptied the canister’s contents. “Ha… Good luck taking care of those two mainiacs in the morning, Ronin. You’ve backed yourself into a tough corner,” Ronin spoke softly to himself while Mirage and Jade were busy having too much fun with their gifts. However, despite what he said, he still smiled at the sight of Mirage and Jade enjoying their time on this trip, even if it was because of a little outside help. [/quote] [spoiler]Sorry that this was delayed so long. I’ve been insanely busy. I recently got a new job, and it’s been pretty nonstop, on top of all the OAFL stuff and a fun D&D campaign I’ve been putting together for a few friends here on OffTopic. Anyway, hopefully Chapter 4 will be out quicker than it took to get this out, but I can’t make any promises on that, because of work.[/spoiler]