"Maybe if I could catch you while you were mounted," Ranma said. He half-suspected he could have, but that wasn't the time to experiment. "Are you going to make a decision or aren't you?"
Akanyo fumed angrily.
"The challenge has been made, Hida Ranma," Akanyo said. "In front of witnesses. I cannot withdraw so easily. And I WILL have my honor redeemed."
"Your choice then?" Ranma insisted.
"Iaijutsu," Akane said rapidly. He was a Crab after all, and Unicorns were faster than Crabs. "First blood."
"You're sane enough to know some of your limits at least," Ranma snapped angrily as he deposited his wakizashi and walked back to face her.
This was an irritating situation, and one he should have handled better. All he needed was for this to become a sore point with the Unicorn, she would probably devote all her time to "regaining her honor."
"I merely have no wish to make a widow out of your life so soon after your wedding," she said. "I'm certain she'll do that for herself just fine." At that Ranma froze and turned quiet.
Akanyo swallowed, realizing that she may have overstepped herself. A loudly blustering Crab was normal...when one turned as quiet as a tomb...well at least he'd take her seriously now.
"This between you and me, Unicorn," he said, leaving the obvious continuance out of it.
"Then let's get to this!" Akanyo said, trying to bluff away her nervousness. Korin shook his head in disbelief as he watched the two samurai face each other.
"It's so obvious," he said. ((AN: Yes, that line's straight out of Seven Samurai))
Akanyo gathered her focus well enough, and the two samurai sized each other up in prepration for the strike.
Ranma was decently impressed with her skill...more than he thought he'd be. This Akanyo at least had skill and experience to back much of her bluster up. However, it was countered by a fatalistic streak that Akane, an eternal optimist, would never have possessed.
The tomboy he knew in Nerima at least had the excuse that growing up happened much slower in the world of modern amenities. She had been inexperienced emotionally, like he had, and they had both made many mistakes. Akane probably would have grown up okay given a couple more years to mature, or had she already, he shrugged and didn't think about it. That was then, this was now.
Akanyo, however, while possessing much more skill than Akane, was even more emotionally stubborn, childish, and pessimistic. A combination that had no excuse for a warrior of her age in the realm of Rokugan.
So Akanyo both impressed him with her skill, and infuriated him with her behavior. And his opinion was confirmed when her patience broke quickly and the duel was resolved.
Akanyo stared pridefully as she reached up felt the blood trickling from her cheek.
See other episodes by Thrythlind
(Posted Mon, 11 Nov 2002 22:04)
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