Truce Among Rivals

Decades the country side of China were at peace. Strangers stopped to help one another, men stopped to help women with the baskets of rice from the rice fields. The country side of China miles away from Mount Fuji seemed perfect for anyone to settle down far from the cities and market places. Though in the past five years war had broken out through the country side of the Huns invading, killing men, raping women and kidnapping children for slavery. Now its two clans who stand in the Huns' way on their way to the Emperior. One clan was nothing but humans while the other had well an erotic bloodline in its forces. The large clan of the erotic breeds were out hunting at the side of their rival clan as they called a truce until the threat was taken care of.

The sun was down as the full bright moon was out casting its bright light over the long grass bladed meadows. The small group of the erotic clan had broken off from the rest then that small group fanned out. Among the small group who disappeared in the grass was small and clad in black clothing of a ninja may have worn from rumors. The small woman stood around 5`3 as her white tail flicked side to side. She was a neko and proud of it. Though her slender ears caught sounds of blades of grass being careful parted. Her brothers and sisters would be more silent than that with their movements.

Aiko, leaped in the air out of the grass as smoke bombs flew from her hands at an odd object in the grass. A large man started coughing as it was a hun trying to sneak up on her. Aiko smirked under her mask as she landed in the grass but she pulled her long thin daggers out from her slender hips. The blade glinted silver as she dashed at the man only to be tackled by his partner. Apperantly they've been scouting her clan. Aiko hit the ground hard with the man on top of her tiny form. Growling as she tried to stab at him but he punched her hard in the gut, thankfully she added padding. Her knee came up hitting him in his balls making him howl loud enough to alert her siblings but yet his howl would alert someone she did not suspect to come to her rescue.

Jundo stood at 5’ 8. The war between the Huns and his country had been going on for ages now with neither side having an advantage over each other except for the casualties suffered by both side. His clan had been at loggerheads with the erotic group since the day he was born and because of the war, his clan and theirs called a truce in order to stamp out the invading Huns.

It was a cool bright night with the full moon shining above the night skies. The air smelled fresh as the wind blew gently against his face. Then dried leaves and some other debris fluttered in the wind as he stood by the stream that shimmered against the moonlight. It was a romantic setting, but war has taken the romance out of everything. People were more concerned with their stomach and the next meal. No one had time for love or indulge in matters of the heart. Looking up at the sky, Jundo wished that the war would end so that life as they knew it would return.

For him the occasional sighting of the erotic was common place since the truce was made. In fact, he enjoyed looking at the erotic clan lady folk. The erotic clan lady folk were a sight to behold. What with their slender features and ears along with their sexy curves, any man would drool. However, these lady folks were not to be trifled with despite their soft and sexy demeanour. He knew it well as he had experienced it first-hand not so long ago. His thoughts were broken by the sounds of someone howling and gnarling fiercely.

In the distant not far from where he stood, he could see the silhouette of a erotic clan member being pinned down by what looked like a Hun. He smiled to know that the howl came from the Hun. Ah, the neko girl must have hurt him bad. Without wasting a moment, he ran towards the scene to give her aid. As he got nearer, he drew his sword and charged at the man who posed a danger to the neko girl.

“Get off her you swine!” he yelled as he swung his sword at the Hun cutting off his arm that held the weapon that would be used to slash her. The Hun screamed in pain, rolling on the ground holding on to his severed arm. Just then another Hun who was out of sight leaped at him but Jundo being a skilled samurai was alert. He swung around avoiding being stabbed kicked the assailant away who crashed into a mud pool. No words were exchanged. Jundo threw his daggers at the Hun who was in the mud pool killing him instantly.

“Are you okay?” he asked her gently when the danger had passed.

Aiko laid there as she struggled though heard someone shouting for the large fur clad man to get off of her. The sight of something silver made her twist her torso to one side as the arm came clean off. The hun rolled off of her but she wrapped her legs around his waist which him rolling forced her on top of him. There she produced a semi circular blade from her back in which she used to make one fluid motion that slit his throat. His blood sprayed out onto her small form but she got to her feet in time to see Jundo taking out the partner of the hun.

She took a deep sniff and knew what clan he belonged to. The fur on her slender but yet long white tail stood on end as there was a hint of growling. The instinct to hate him for saving her but yet her human side or her mother's humans teaching was pushing her to be polite.

"I'm fine...Thank you. His partner took me by surprise." She said softly giving away she was a woman in concealing clothing and mask. Though she turned from Jundo with her picking up her daggers. "Did you see any Huns in the direction you came from?" She asked him but the scent of wet copper growing thicker in the air. To her it felt like her brothers were taking the huns out on their own, sadly she was the youngest in the litter. Her mother's human body couldn't support the full neko litter all at once. Though Aiko turned to face Jundo but in doing so she removed the mask revealing she had long snow white hair but had the traditional facial features of a Chinese family. Her emerald green eyes shined with life and the spirit to fight still.

He smiled warmly at her when she thanked him, he knew that the Neko race was proud and would refuse any help from outside their kind.

“There are Huns everywhere. They seemed to be popping up everywhere like mushrooms.” he said light heartedly. As she removed her mask to face him, Jundo was astounded by the beauty that stood before him. Sure, he had seen other Neko girls but this one was particularly beautiful. Her long white hair fluttered gracefully in the wind, her big emerald eyes that shone and not to mention her curves.

He was almost floored by her beauty and grace. “I am Jundo, may I ask what is your good name?” he asked politely bowing at the same time. Just then, he heard his name in the distance which made him turned to look at who was calling for him. It was his uncle, who had come out of his tent to investigate what the commotion was about. Jundo waved at him signalling that everything was in order and there was nothing to worry about. His uncle nodded and headed back the way he came.

Jundo turned his attention to the Neko girl that had captivated him. “My apologies for the interruption.” he remarked still looking at her from head to toe. “Pray, tell me your name. I would like to be friends with you.”

The wind continued to blow gently despite the tension a few moments ago. The sounds of metal hitting against metal became muted as he focused on her. It was as if she had drawn him to another world, a world where only he and she existed. It made him wonder if he would be able see her every day. After all, they shared the same land space and were always close by. He shook those silly thoughts out of his head, bowed then turned towards his camp assuming that she might not even tell him her name.

She quirked an eye brow wondering why he wanted to know her name since this truve was temporary between their clans. With her hearing his name then his Uncle calling for him. It seems humans didn't travel alone for either sides. With him turning to face her she turned away with her twisting her long hair. With him asking once more about her name she slipped the mask on which alone gave away her eyes.

"When this war ends our clans will be at war...So why bother knowing my name?" she asked as she heard an slightly odd bird call. Smiling under her mask as she turned her back onto Jundo then took off through the grass staying low below the tops of the grass. Little did she know the leader of the huns saw the event where Jundo helped her and her without her mask. Also Jundo was spotted by a man who was going to request his assitance in the future of being part of his guards.

Aiko was heading to a river further south of where Jundo and her were speaking. Her brothers stood tall and proud, covered in blood. They were there to do a head count so far only one was gone which they suspected then the group parted once mroe but Aiko darted north east away from Jundo. Something about him did strike her as interesting but she had a job to do. Her movements were swift as she checked the farm lands, fields and for the rest of the time she spent her days and nights of the war sleeping in trees, hidden in the grass and hunting huns down. Little did she knew in a week time her clan and Jundo's clan will hold a welcome home celebration when word of the huns were gone from the area.

Jundo walked back to his camp knowing full well that the Neko girl won’t give him her name. He was not disappointed at all, still, a name would be nice. The image of her radiant face and her white hair remained in his head. No matter how he tried to shake it off, it kept returning to him. Even at night when he closed his eyes to sleep, he would see her face.

He spent his days hunting down Huns and killing them. He stood guard for many nights for signs of the Huns. Hours turned to days. Soon all Huns that were in the area were slowly eliminated. There was light in the long dark tunnel. The question remained, when the Huns were no longer a threat, would the truce between his clan and hers be broken or would the clan leaders decide that the truce to continue?

Then the news about chasing the Huns off from their land was heard. Everyone in his clan celebrated at their small victory. Their country was still at threat; the Huns would not give up so easily.

The clan leaders had agreed to continue the truce for as long as the Huns were a threat to the security of their country. Despite of that, the clan leaders decided that a celebration on both side was in order. The celebration had a symbolic meaning: chasing off the Huns and the forming of new alliance between the two rival clans. Jundo was elated to hear it and he looked forward to seeing her once more. Perhaps this time, he would be able to get her name? Surely, she would give given the happy occasion and all?

In a remote area far from the two clans, a group of fierce Huns had gathered in numbers. This group was a lot stronger and ruthless than the last. Their leader had learnt how a certain cat like creatures had killed all of his comrades. He had his eye on that clan and it was a matter of time before he would move in and take them by surprise. For now, they would lay low and observed their habits and their war skills. He would study the terrain carefully. This time, he must succeed, failure was not an option.

This group of Hun was led by a ruthless man. In his own village, he was known as the “Smiling Tiger” as he smiles when he killed his enemies. No one was his match, not even the chieftain. One night, he decided that he was the rightful leader of his clan, slew the chieftain and took his place. No one protested. Since his rise, his village had prospered, but he was not satisfied with the meagre land that they have. When he heard that the other clan had failed to secure the land to the West and East, he sneered at their failure. On one of his hunting trips, he chanced upon a remote village not far from where Jundo and Aiko were located, killing all the inhabitants, he took over the village as a base.

Those days of being alone Aiko had hunted down the huns left and right. They were never ending in her area but shortly they did come to an end. Their leaders decided to keep the truce going as her leader was shocked how their people got along in time of wars so he agreed to keep it going. An silent alarm was set off to alert the Nekos far away to return home. Aiko was among the ones further away. It took her a few hours to return to see both clans were celebrating. Smiling under her mask as she entered her clans' walls with her siblings. Like most Aiko took time in bathing before going out in public.

Finally after the blood stains were gone from her hair she stepped out in public wearing a soft blue kimono with her hair pulled up in a bun with wooden japanese hairsticks. Seeing humans among her clan, drunk. It made her smile as she moved away from the loud drunks to a quieter area slightly outside their clan walls.

Her soft white ears tilted back and forth to catch the littliest sounds and comments. By now her brothers found some rather interesting women to talk to. Aiko laid her ears back hearing one of her brothers being smacked for saying something rather crude. Aiko was standing among the soft grass looking out the areas where the huns once traveled. It didn't hit her that in the past their clans were partners when it came to hunts and wars. Her clan was a master in the shadows while Jundo's was the masters of blades. Though Aiko looked to the east where the wind was coming from but when she turned a yellow flower she had in her hair, blew off. For years of training and living in her clan she dressed like a boy but now she had a chance to explore what it was like to be a young woman, no mater of race.

Jundo sat amongst his clan members as they walked towards the spot where the celebration for both clans would be held. He had dressed up nicely for this occasion to impress the one girl that he was smitten with. Although the celebration did not require weapon, Jundo carried it with him anyway, just in case. It was a die-hard habit and for good reason too.

It was a year ago where his family was ambushed when they were celebrating the birth of his third nephew. Everyone was disarmed and when the attack came, they were nearly slaughtered. Thankfully, the enemies that ambushed them were low skilled bandits and they were able to defeat them with minimum casualties. From day onwards, Jundo had sworn never to go to any place without a weapon. He didn’t like the feeling of being helpless and inadequate in a battle.

As his clan reached the venue, they began to mingle with the clan of Nekos. Warm greetings and welcome were heard, later on, some laughter ensued. It would appear that the humans and the Nekos had come to terms and perhaps had forged an alliance. Alliance or not, it was not his concern, at least not in a big way. His eyes scanned group after group of Nekos who came to join the celebration but there was no signs of her. It made him wonder where she could be.

Then, in the far distance, he saw or thought he saw her standing alone in another part of the venue in a blue kimono. He rubbed his eyes to see better and when he was done; he could not see her anymore. Puzzled, he ventured towards where he thought he had seen her. Rustling the grass gently as he walked towards it, he saw her sitting like a pretty picture. Not wanting to startle her and let her attack him, he cleared his throat to announce his arrival.

“Hello, it is nice to see you again.” he began standing a few inches away from her. “I hope you remember me, I am Jundo.” he introduced himself again, “Perhaps, now, you would tell me your name?” he asked hopeful.

With her hair still pulled back from her face she looked out over the grounds where she grew up and played with her older silbings watching over her. Though unlike Jundo she didn't have a bad experience while out on the venue. Though with the grass rushing near her she thought it was a male neko who she befriended and hoped ehr father would allow to marry her someday. Though she was shocked to hear it was Jundo.

"Jundo?" She repeated as she turned looking up at the Samuria seeing he dressed rather nicely. "You know-" She stopped as he continued on about her name. Smiling as she laughed softly seeing this human or man was rather determined to know her. Getting to her feet as she dusted the grass from her rump she looked at him with that soft smile. "My name is Aiko. I'm sorry for not telling you seeing the war wasn't over just yet." She said to him with her looking to the side seeing the two clans were having a good time. She wanted to be by herself wasn't because she didn't like Jundo's clan just being in large groups was something she was not comfortable with for the time being. Though something came to mind as she looked to Jundo with a soft giggle. "You know what I juswt realized my clan pass down the art of the shdows while your clan is master of blades but yet I've heard one of my clan members fighting along side one of your family members. It seems there is a hidden reason for our different skills."

As she got up smiling and telling him her name, Jundo’s heart almost missed a beat by her enchanting ways, at least to him it was. He looked at her as she talked about their clan’s abilities. So far, he had not thought about it the way she did, and since she had brought it up, it got him thinking. It was true that his clan’s mastery of the blade was better than the Neko clan but his clan sucked at the art of the shadows. It too made him wonder why his clan didn’t collaborate with hers. The threat had somehow paved the way for them to work together and with good results too.

Looking at her in her nice blue kimono, Jundo sat down on the ground to rest his tired feet resting his sword on his left shoulder. A gentle wind blew sending her scent his way; it got caught in his nose. It was sweet with a hint of something that he could not place his finger on. Nevertheless, he liked what he smelled, it was then that he fantasise about her.

“You are right about our clans. Why our clans did not have along in the past is beyond me for if we did, our clans can achieve great things. I am inclined to think that this threat by the Huns brought our clan together, and I hope that we can be allies. In fact, I do not mind training you in the ways of the blade in exchange for the ways of the shadows that you are well versed of.” he remarked smiling at her. Jundo would love to train her, and in this way, he would have an excuse to get close to her and hopefully they would further their relationship.

While they were talking, a figure hidden in the dark shadow watched them. He was the Hun’s scout who was sent to access the two clans. Moving quietly thru the bushes, he crept closer so that he could hear what was being discussed. By the time he got within hearing range, he only managed to hear the last few words that Jundo had uttered: “..... of the shadows you are well versed of” The Hun scout remained motionless lurking in the darkness. It was a good chance to gather more information by listening to the human and the Neko girl talk.

The wind was covering up the sounds of the blades being moved by the Scout. Though Aiko smiled as she shook her head. "Family secrets. We makes bombs of all kinds with our own recipes and its passed down from Neko to kitten." She said as she turned from him as the hair sticks was getting rather uncomfortable but she reached up taking the slender sticks out of her hair. With her hair unwinding down to the small of her back she held the sticks as if they could be a weapon themselves if used right. "Though its strange we do live not to far from eachother, celebrate on the ground between our clans' land and now our skills are strong and weak to eachother....In a sense." she said not realizing their clans were being watched over.

Further down the road there was a group of soldiers riding down as they heard a clan of samurias did most of the work on driving the Huns back though among them was the Warlord who wore no armor though his sword hung on his hip with his white steed leading the group towards the celebrating clans. The man looked to see a herd of groomed horses bolting away from his group and seeing this he knew they were close to the rival clans though he wonder who was better a Ninja or Samuria among his house. He may ask for both but little did he know of the Ninja clan women fought as well.

The scout listened intently to the conversation between Jundo and Aiko and noted that the Neko clan was able to make bombs of all sorts. He made it a point to steal the recipe and present it to his Lord. He would certainly be pleased. Then it dawned on him that it would be much better to kidnap a Neko, torture him / her to force the recipe out of. Looking at the Neko girl, he had a feeling that she would not be easy to capture, he must find one that was weak and low in skill. As the two of them conversed, the scout quietly slid pass them heading towards the Neko camp with his bag of darts that would render anyone motionless.

Inch by inch he crawled towards the camp silently. The scout was certain that there would be some Neko who did not join in the celebration and would be easy picking. As he neared the camp, he remained prostrate while observing the few Neko there. His target would be a Neko who was ill or old and weak but to his surprise, old Neko did not appear to be that disappointed him. Despite that fact, he did not give up and waited patiently. And there she was, a lone Neko looking a little fatigue. Following her as she walked towards her tent, the scout drew his darts and aimed at her. The scout was about to throw the dart at her when someone called out to her, he cursed under his breath.

Jundo looked at Aiko when her hair fell to the back of her back. He was dumbfounded for a few seconds for the loosening of her hair made her looked even more beautiful. His jaw almost dropped although he had seen her in that hair style before. At that time, she was in battle gear which did not show her feminine side nor show her perfect curves. It did not help him when another gust of wind blew and send her scent his way.

“I guess you might be right on that point, Aiko san. I have a suggestion though. You might think that it is silly, but most importantly, do you want to hear it?” he asked as his heart pounded in his chest.

Jundo hoped that she’d agree to hear what he had to suggest and also to agree to exchange skills. If that were the case, he would have more time to be with her and develop a rapport. From there on, they would be closer friends. His ultimate goal was to be her man.

The shouting of children playing filled her delicate ears with him addressing a question to her. "What is it, Jundo?" she asked with her turning to face him only to see a cloud of dust in the distance. Curious as her instincts took over to go investigate. Though she looked to Jundo to see his eyes filled with hope and desire. "I'm sorry but I need ot go..." She said as she turned to leave.

To her this didn't feel right to have a cloud of dust suddenly appearing over the hills. Aiko had picked up the hem of her kimono and took off at a run. She darted in and out of the crowds will she came to her tent to see her Grandmother slipping out of the medium sized tent. Aiko who had no fiance or a man of being considered being her husband stayed in a small tent alone. In those silent seconds her kimono slipped off her slender form and was replaced with her form fitting clothing. With he small bombs on her belt and daggers she took off at a run with one of her larger brothers noticing her change of clothing. He didn't think twice as Aiko wasn't the type to be in large crowds.

The Warlord rode closer to see Jundo sitting with a woman running from him he was shocked to seeing the long white hair and the youthful figure. To be young and in love... He thought as he slowed his horse to a walk with his men following close behind him. The clans saw the arlord as most backed away but the elders walked up and addressed him to find out he was looking for a young Samuria to serve him and perhaps the white haired girl to be a bride to his youngest son. He noticed a large black neko moving forward addressing himself as Aiko's father as Aiko was the only one with white hair and was young. The Warlord jumped off not realizing Aiko was in the trees at bit of a distance watching the scene. She felt uneasy as Jundo's father spoke up about his son doing his part in protecting the lands.