Welcome Home
Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2011 4:33 am
Sun shined unmercifully down upon the beaten old road. A quick gust of wind kicked a plume of dust that blew about, and eventually shot past the two figures that walked southbound. A samurai and his pupil, walking in a rather carefree manner came into view over the horizon. The boy watched the ground as they walked, deep within thought. Fidgeting with himself mentally, he attempted to break the silence with a conversation.
"I didn't know you lived near Old South road, Dogura. Why don't you live north?"
The samurai looked down at the boy, and before he could think of an answer, he began to notice the features of the child. He had his mothers nose, hair color, and human ears, but he'd picked up his Sheikan eyes from Dogura's mother. The boy had the samurai's yearn for adventure, and the natural talents of the Shadowclaw. He felt stupid for not having noticed these things before. A mother in the south, never having met his father... It all added up in the end. Finally, the vagabond remembered that he'd been asked a question.
He turned his gaze forward again, and the turned his eyes upward as if thinking carefully of what to say. "It's not that I don't like the north... It's just that with construction still being done north of here, this road isn't traveled often. I don't really like people that much, and it's quite solitary out here. It's quiet."
The boy nodded in understanding. "Why do I get to go to your house for today's training? What can we do over here that we couldn't have done back at the forest?" Suro quizzed. The samurai saw his home come into view, and his mind began racing. He'd been thinking of how to tell Katsuro the truth all day, and he still hadn't arrived at perfect words. The explanation of what had happened the other night was easier than he thought it would be; now this: this would be truly difficult.
Katsuro, I'm your father. No... To straight-forward.
The truth is, I'm your father... No, no, that's not right...
Oh, jeez, he asked another question... I totally missed it.
He looked down at the child, who looked back up to him. He suddenly grinned widely, "I'll race you to the house! Last one there cooks dinner tonight!" The two immediately took off towards the house. The boy smiled as he took the lead, and pumped his legs hard on the path. He looked back to see the samurai gaining fast, and immediately began pushing harder for more speed. The house wasn't far away now- it was a nice looking place, and was an appropriate finish line. Suddenly, Dogura zipped past him, destroying all hopes of having won the race. The man came to a stop in the grass near the house, and turned around to gloat. The boy finally came to a stop, and breathed heavily. He looked at his sensei bitterly, "You knew you were faster!" Dogura smiled slyly, and shook his head.
"Actually, neither of us will be cooking dinner tonight." Suro's eyes lit up, "Oh, is Shiro here? Didn't know y'all lived together." The samurai shook his head, "Evelyn!" He called out. The boy's face changed to shock as the woman emerged from the screen-door. He looked at Dogura, and then back to his mother, and then back to Dogura. It was clear that the boy didn't know what to say.
"Oh... My son..." She stated as she walked briskly towards him. She grabbed him and hugged him tightly. "Ohh... Thank the divines you're safe..." She said as she gripped him. He wrapped his arms around her as well, "Hey mom..." Was all he could say. He looked to Dogura, who smiled warmly back at him. "Dogura... Why is my mom at your house?!" The samurai knew the boy was making the connection that Dogura had hooked up with his mom. It wasn't like that, and he needed to set it straight right away.
"Listen carefully to what I'm about to say... Because it's going to change your life, Katsuro." The samurai stated boldly. The boy listened carefully, his eyes wide with wonder.
"Fourteen years ago, I met a woman whom I fell deeply in love with... I didn't want to stay in the south however... So I left north, unsure about when I would return. I never knew that I had a son."
Katsuro's mouth hung open as he suddenly made the year connection.
<center>"Katsuro Shadowclaw. You're that son."</center>
He looked to his mother, who was again crying. She nodded to him, and he looked back at the man. Dogura smiled warmly at him with eyes the boy hadn't seen before.
"Katsuro... My son... No amount of apologizing can make up for the lost time... But I've truly enjoyed the time we've spent together. Being your teacher... Your father... It's one of the greatest privileges I've had. Continue to train with me, not only as my student, but as my son. My legacy. You're destined for things greater than I could imagine, and you son, are going to be the sole survivor of the Shadowclaw clan."
Katsuro simply stared with an expression that was indescribable. An amazing revelation that he'd never before imagined. Dogura was his father.
"Fate tore our family apart, Katsuro... It is by that same fate that we've come back together. Live here with your mother and I if you wish. You're always welcome home, here in the south."
The blonde-headed boy's chin quivered as he held back the tears. "I-I-" He tried to speak, but the proper words wouldn't for within his mouth. He simply dove at the samurai in an embrace that said: All is forgiven. He cried silently as Evelyn walked up behind him, and hugged him from behind in a parental embrace that the child had never known before. All was right here on the Shadowclaw property in this exact moment.
* * *
Complete shock. I never could have even dreamed that Dogura was my father... That means that all the amazing stuff he can do, I have the potential to do the same. I can strive to be him, or even better! I have a father now! So many options were opened to me so fast... I have a dad now. This is the happiest day of my life.
"I didn't know you lived near Old South road, Dogura. Why don't you live north?"
The samurai looked down at the boy, and before he could think of an answer, he began to notice the features of the child. He had his mothers nose, hair color, and human ears, but he'd picked up his Sheikan eyes from Dogura's mother. The boy had the samurai's yearn for adventure, and the natural talents of the Shadowclaw. He felt stupid for not having noticed these things before. A mother in the south, never having met his father... It all added up in the end. Finally, the vagabond remembered that he'd been asked a question.
He turned his gaze forward again, and the turned his eyes upward as if thinking carefully of what to say. "It's not that I don't like the north... It's just that with construction still being done north of here, this road isn't traveled often. I don't really like people that much, and it's quite solitary out here. It's quiet."
The boy nodded in understanding. "Why do I get to go to your house for today's training? What can we do over here that we couldn't have done back at the forest?" Suro quizzed. The samurai saw his home come into view, and his mind began racing. He'd been thinking of how to tell Katsuro the truth all day, and he still hadn't arrived at perfect words. The explanation of what had happened the other night was easier than he thought it would be; now this: this would be truly difficult.
Katsuro, I'm your father. No... To straight-forward.
The truth is, I'm your father... No, no, that's not right...
Oh, jeez, he asked another question... I totally missed it.
He looked down at the child, who looked back up to him. He suddenly grinned widely, "I'll race you to the house! Last one there cooks dinner tonight!" The two immediately took off towards the house. The boy smiled as he took the lead, and pumped his legs hard on the path. He looked back to see the samurai gaining fast, and immediately began pushing harder for more speed. The house wasn't far away now- it was a nice looking place, and was an appropriate finish line. Suddenly, Dogura zipped past him, destroying all hopes of having won the race. The man came to a stop in the grass near the house, and turned around to gloat. The boy finally came to a stop, and breathed heavily. He looked at his sensei bitterly, "You knew you were faster!" Dogura smiled slyly, and shook his head.
"Actually, neither of us will be cooking dinner tonight." Suro's eyes lit up, "Oh, is Shiro here? Didn't know y'all lived together." The samurai shook his head, "Evelyn!" He called out. The boy's face changed to shock as the woman emerged from the screen-door. He looked at Dogura, and then back to his mother, and then back to Dogura. It was clear that the boy didn't know what to say.
"Oh... My son..." She stated as she walked briskly towards him. She grabbed him and hugged him tightly. "Ohh... Thank the divines you're safe..." She said as she gripped him. He wrapped his arms around her as well, "Hey mom..." Was all he could say. He looked to Dogura, who smiled warmly back at him. "Dogura... Why is my mom at your house?!" The samurai knew the boy was making the connection that Dogura had hooked up with his mom. It wasn't like that, and he needed to set it straight right away.
"Listen carefully to what I'm about to say... Because it's going to change your life, Katsuro." The samurai stated boldly. The boy listened carefully, his eyes wide with wonder.
"Fourteen years ago, I met a woman whom I fell deeply in love with... I didn't want to stay in the south however... So I left north, unsure about when I would return. I never knew that I had a son."
Katsuro's mouth hung open as he suddenly made the year connection.
<center>"Katsuro Shadowclaw. You're that son."</center>
He looked to his mother, who was again crying. She nodded to him, and he looked back at the man. Dogura smiled warmly at him with eyes the boy hadn't seen before.
"Katsuro... My son... No amount of apologizing can make up for the lost time... But I've truly enjoyed the time we've spent together. Being your teacher... Your father... It's one of the greatest privileges I've had. Continue to train with me, not only as my student, but as my son. My legacy. You're destined for things greater than I could imagine, and you son, are going to be the sole survivor of the Shadowclaw clan."
Katsuro simply stared with an expression that was indescribable. An amazing revelation that he'd never before imagined. Dogura was his father.
"Fate tore our family apart, Katsuro... It is by that same fate that we've come back together. Live here with your mother and I if you wish. You're always welcome home, here in the south."
The blonde-headed boy's chin quivered as he held back the tears. "I-I-" He tried to speak, but the proper words wouldn't for within his mouth. He simply dove at the samurai in an embrace that said: All is forgiven. He cried silently as Evelyn walked up behind him, and hugged him from behind in a parental embrace that the child had never known before. All was right here on the Shadowclaw property in this exact moment.
* * *
Complete shock. I never could have even dreamed that Dogura was my father... That means that all the amazing stuff he can do, I have the potential to do the same. I can strive to be him, or even better! I have a father now! So many options were opened to me so fast... I have a dad now. This is the happiest day of my life.