Chapter Text
“It’s a cold one today,” Ringo shivered, his footsteps heavy as he trudged through the falling snow. They had been hiking for days through heavy snow drifts, but something was different about today. The precipitation pelting his face felt like pellets of ice, the windchill so fierce it burned his face and hands before settling into his bones. The rōnin acted as if he didn’t hear Ringo, bespectacled eyes focused on the path before him.
They continued in silence for some time, Ringo stumbling over the banks of snow as his master pressed on without falter. The wind increased in intensity, but the rōnin showed no signs of relenting. His will is greater than the forces of nature, Ringo thought with admiration.
Still bamboo forests widened into dense groves of conifers as they trekked on. The crunching of snow underfoot and the howling of the wind were the only sounds for hours. Then Ringo's ears picked up something else. The whisper of a stream nearby. As they continued, the murmur rose in volume until it crescendoed into a crashing, thunderous roar.
The treeline gave way to a frozen bank outlined by a swollen river. The water swirled as it bellowed over the riverbed, whitecaps crowning the top.
“We cross here.” Mizu’s low voice was matter-of-fact as she stopped, turning her head slightly as she scanned the bank.
Ringo looked at his master in incredulity. “Master?”
She extended an arm from under her cloak, gesturing toward slick rocks peeking out of the rapids a few meters down. “These will get us over the worst of it.”
“But they’re slippery! Covered in ice…And the water is so high.”
Mizu narrowed her eyes. “To fulfill one’s goals, one cannot fear risk.”
Ringo audibly gulped but Mizu ignored him and tilted her head toward the rocks. She stood for a few minutes, calculating the easiest and safest way to cross. She noticed a slightly wider boulder among the jagged pieces. It was in no means flat, but a wider stone meant more of a foothold. It was also relatively close to shore, a perfect stepping off point. From there she picked out other suitable rocks –– one with a flat top, a square-shaped rock, an oval one, until she found a tentative path through the raging waters.
The last rock would be the one that posed the most risk. While it was wide enough to hold someone’s foot, it was by no means flat. Mizu could already see the ice forming on its curved back. Had this been in the middle of the river, it would be out of the question to use. However, since it was quite close to the other shore, she’d merely use it as a jumping-off point, launching her to the other side.
With a nod, she straightened up, adjusting her obi to ensure her katana was securely in place. She turned to Ringo and began to explain the plan: “Start at that wider stone, there. Continue to the flat rock, the square rock, then the oval rock. The last is that wide one. Pay close attention to it. While it appears safe due to its width, notice its rounded back. This makes it the most dangerous. A misplaced step could send you tumbling into the water. Jump quickly; use your momentum to launch yourself to the other shore.”
Ringo’s eyes rounded and his voice shook. “Tumbling into the water? I’d die…”
Mizu sighed, her face austere. “Use momentum to your advantage and you will be fine. Revenge does not hesitate.”
Her apprentice squared his shoulders, narrowing his almond-shaped eyes. “Revenge does not hesitate.”
Mizu nodded before turning back toward the roaring river before her. She touched her sword again, then her forearm, and took a deep breath before making the first step. The rōnin leapt off the wide boulder with ease, being mindful to step lightly to avoid slipping. The next few rocks also proved to be simple enough, but his foot skidded on the second to last rock. The small slip made it more difficult to generate the momentum needed to spring off the last rock. Arms pinwheeling, Mizu barely made it to the other snowy bank before she ungracefully collapsed onto the snow.
Only slightly embarrassed, the rōnin quickly got back to his feet, turning back to watch Ringo. The cook hesitated, eyes anxious as he watched the rushing water before him. Mizu gave him a look before tracing the path she’d just traversed with her eyes. She nodded briefly.
The apprentice took a deep breath before he took the first leap. His foot skidded on the wide rock and his arms shot up as he fought for balance. But before he could fall he leapt again, foot shooting off the flat rock to the next few. He prepared for the final jump, but like Mizu was surprised by the slickness of the penultimate rock. Ringo stumbled, unable to push off properly and fell short. He panicked as he felt the icy water envelope his body. He saw Mizu grab for his clothing, but his heaviness and the forward momentum from his fall was too much for the slim rōnin. With a splash, he fell into the icy river alongside his apprentice.
The current took hold of them, swirling them down the rapids as they tried to fight against it, arms and legs churning. Ringo gasped as he felt a rock blaze past his leg and Mizu grunted as her shoulder hit a passing branch. The waves bombarded Ringo again and again, soaking his face, its rigidness stealing his breath.
This will be the end, he thought.
Suddenly he was flung forward, elbows gripping the edge of the river. He scrabbled, unable to find purchase on the slippery landscape. His legs kicked hard against the water, pushing him forward and finally he was able to roll onto the shore. He coughed for a few seconds, expelling the water from his lungs. Then he put the pieces together and realized how he had escaped the rapids.
Ringo turned around, water still spilling from his mouth to see the rōnin clinging to a large boulder in the middle of the river. Water slicked his hair back, battered his pale face. His blue eyes fluttered, mouth drawn a tight line. Despite the determination on Mizu’s face, Ringo could tell that she was fading and fast.
He froze, knowing that if he tried to reach out and grab her, they’d both fall in again. Clumsily, he snatched his hook prosthetics from his backpack, putting it on quickly. If he was to save Mizu, he’d need them. The apprentice turned around, looking for anything he could use to get her to safety. He found a long branch not too far away, collapsed due to the snowfall. Sprinting over, he grasped it in one of his hooks, putting the other arm underneath his arm. Groaning with the effort of dragging the heavy branch, he lugged it over to the riverside.
He extended it toward the soaked rōnin, guiding with his right hook and stabilizing it with the space under his left arm. Mizu grasped it instantly, and with a deep grunt, Ringo pulled back. He tripped over his feet, stumbling backward, but the quick movement swung his master to safety. Mizu collapsed to her knees, and hunched over for a few minutes, coughing out water from her lungs. She remained still for a few moments after, stooping down over the snow as she caught her breath.
Ringo gulped, practically feeling the frustration drifting off the rōnin in waves. How could he have screwed up so badly? Had he not slipped, they would have never gotten into this mess, drenched from head to toe in the bitter cold. Their safety wouldn't last long; they needed to get dry and warm soon or they would succumb to frostbite.
Mizu finally spoke, her voice huskier than usual. “Thank you.”
Ringo started. He hadn’t been expecting this. “You’re…welcome? Master.”
He paused before adding, “Thank you for saving me. You are a very honorable samurai.”
Mizu rolled her eyes, finally looking up at him.
“I told you I’m not a samurai.”