"READY STANCE!" cried the Daisho Trainer. Lined up to face the old warrior were Ryuhitsu and two other young students, whom he had never met.
Mirumoto Hyru, the current Daisho Master, stood behind the Daisho Trainer with his arms crossed behind his back. Ryu knew it had to be an important occasion for the Master to be present... but, then again, Hyru had taken an unusual interest in Ryuhitsu's teaching.
"Water Form Three, on my count! BEGIN!"
"One!" cried Ryuhitsu and the two other boys as they pulled both of their swords out and held them in the Water stance.
"Two!" cried the Trainer.
Katana forward, wakizashi back. "Two!"
"Three!"
Katana swung upward, wakizashi held ready. "Three!"
"Four!"
Half turn, wakisashi swung forward as if deflecting, katana whirled behind and held."Four!"
"Five!"
Bend knees, leap, spin...
Ryuhitsu knew his mistake before he even hit the ground. Unable to control the katana, which was the normal size for warriors almost a foot taller than him, Ryuhitsu spun around too fast. When he went to slash the katana and follow through with the wakizashi, the motion caused him to land early, and he hit the ground with the blade of his right foot.
Pain shot up his leg, and his falling motion was only accelerated. He hit the ground at the same time as he dropped his swords.Ryuhitsu refused to cry out. Oblivious to Ryuhitsu, the instructor and students continued their form.
Ryu fought back tears of pain as he tried to get to his feet, and failed. His ankle throbbed.
"Ryuhitsu-san."
Ryuhitsu reopened his eyes to see Hyru staring down at him.
"Ryuhitsu-san, are you alright?"
Ryuhitsu grunted the reply: "Yes... sama... just.. my ankle."
"Have you ever hurt it before?"
Ryu nodded. He had pulled his ankle many times before while travelling with his family's caravan through the mountains.
Hyru grinned. "Good. Get up."
Ryu grabbed Hyru's proffered hand and pulled himself to his feet. "My swords... Sama, they are too LARGE for me!"
Ryu crashed to the ground again as Hyru dropped him. He pushed himself upoff his stomach and glared at Hyru. Hyru returned his stare with the biting gaze of a bird of prey.
"You think too much, Ryuko-san." Hyru could see the pain in Ryuhitsu's face at the sound of the name. "You should let yourself flow in the current, not fight it."
Ryu turned over and sat up as Hyru spun around to leave."Sama! Wait!"
"What, Ryuhitsu-san?" Hyru did not turn around.
"Why..." Ryu hesitated, then blurted out, "why do you push me so hard? I am not as large as the other boys, yet my training has been twice as quick!" He cringed as he realized what he had said.
Hyru stopped midstride. "Why?..." Ryu was shocked as Hyru merely lowered his head. "Why, Ryuhitsu-san? Because He told me to. I can not claim to know all his reasons, but I do NOT question them. I CAN not..." The sounds of the boys training seemed to fade as the Daisho Master paused. "...I can not, not even when he told me I could not claim revenge on the man who gave me this scar above my eye. Not when he tells me I am never to marry. Not when he says that I must let my own sister marry a mere merchant. Not even when he makes me push my own nephew, a boy who I would love as much as my own son, if I were allowed, harder than any other boy here."
The words stunned Ryuhitsu far more than any physical blow could. Hyru moved to the door, and looked over his shoulder.
"Why, Ryuhitsu? Because I must."