Ranmaru climbed up into the tree on the edge of the Muraji estate, helping the Kitsune up after him. The pair slipped down into the yard, the Kitsune impressively quiet. With the yard itself empty, the pair hurried over to the side of the house, Ranmaru poking his head in to look for Asa. Not seeing her, Ranmaru gestured for the Kitsune to stay put while slipping into the house himself. 

His grip on his bokuto tightening, he slipped deeper into the house. It was all or nothing now, so he wasn’t sticking to the same level of caution as usual. Not to say he wasn’t trying for stealth, however, keeping his footsteps light and peeking around corners before rounding them. With the ground floor proving empty (he’d spotted a lone guard outside the front door), Ranmaru slipped upstairs, trying to calm his quickening heart. 

A creaking step near the top of the stairs caused him to cringe with his entire body, worried that it would bring trouble.

To his relief, it brought, instead, the lovely and rosy cheeked face of Asa poking out from one of the rooms. She took a moment to register it was him, but lit up and ran over to give him a hug.

“You are being very bold today,” Asa said, before a mischievous smile lit up her face, followed immediately by her giving him a kiss. “I am happy to reward bold.”

For a moment he let himself be lost in just holding her. It had been too long, with everything else that had been happening. She certainly showed no interest in breaking out from his embrace either.

“I have less reason to be cautious this time. I can take you home with me,” Ranmaru said, finally breaking the silence.

“Today?” Asa asked, her midnight eyes sparkling. 

“Mhm. I’m not sure how much you will like it where I live, but I have nearly enough money to buy my freedom. We won’t have to be there for long,” Ranmaru replied.

“It is good time... timing. Muraji should return any day now,” Asa said, eyes narrowing as she glared off to one side.

“I heard. That’s why I rushed over here today,” Ranmaru explained. “Do you have anything you need to take? I have a friend who can help us carry your stuff.”

“My things are ready. I have had them ready since many visits ago,” Asa replied. “They are in my room.”

Ranmaru nodded and followed her. It was a bit disheartening to see how empty her room was. Apart from a futon, there was only a small cabinet with a mirror placed on top. Asa had gathered a small bundle of what Ranmaru could only assume were clothes in her arms and gave him a quick nod.

“Should we go to the treasure room and grab some things?” Asa asked.

Ranmaru was about to reply when a sound drifted up from downstairs.

Voices.

One was louder than the others, barking orders. Ranmaru winced at how his plan was unravelling, only to turn and see fear in Asa’s eyes as she shrank into herself.

“He is early,” she whispered.

“Sneaking downstairs might be tricky,” Ranmaru said under his breath, as he hurried across the room and began trying to open the window.

The hot and humid summer air seemed to have warped the wood, and the window was rather stuck. He finally managed to force it open as the sound of voices grew louder, the new arrivals apparently coming up the stairs. 

“Come on, it’s not too steep,” Ranmaru said to Asa as he stepped out onto the tiled roof just outside the window.

He hoped he seemed calmer than he felt, wanting to keep Asa from worrying too much. For her part, she walked over to the window cautiously. She was leaning over to hand Ranmaru her things, to give her two free hands for climbing out the window, when Muraji opened the door to the room.

A look of momentary confusion on his face bought Ranmaru the tiniest sliver of satisfaction, before Ranmaru leaned over and pulled Asa up into his arms.

“Stop right there! Thief!” Muraji shouted.

Ranmaru, struggling a bit to balance while carrying Asa, hurried along the small area of tiled roof as fast as he dared. Internally he gave his prayers to Inari and the Buddhas before hopping from the roof over to the exterior wall of the property. Wobbling a bit on the landing, he looked back to find Muraji climbing out of the window with a sword drawn. 

“I will have your head for this! That woman is mine!” Muraji shouted. 

Ranmaru swallowed nervously and ran along the exterior wall. He found himself wobbling a little as Asa turned her body to glare at Muraji.

“I am my own person!” she shouted, making a gesture that Ranmaru could only assume was offensive among her people. 

It certainly didn’t seem polite by Japanese standards.

Rounding a corner of the compound, Ranmaru now found both the Kitsune and Katagami in sight, even if they were distant from each other.

“Change of plans!” Ranmaru shouted, before glancing back to see Muraji was gaining, with a guard following him along the exterior wall.

Wincing at the thought, Ranmaru decided to take his chances with the drop, rather than risk Muraji catching up to him, and lept from the wall down to the street below. The dirt was a bit muddy here, meaning the landing wasn’t too hard, but carrying Asa in his arms was enough to make the drop painful.

He let Asa down with only a quiet ‘ow’ escaping his lips. 

“Are you okay? That was very high!” Asa asked.

“I’m probably going to regret it, but it hurt less than a sword slash,” Ranmaru said, taking only a moment to accept the pain before hurrying over to Katagami.

Katagami joined them in running when they reached him, the trio hurrying around a corner as quickly as possible.

“I thought you said he was going to be back in a week?” Katagami asked as they ran along the walled streets of wealthy Yamanote.

“That’s what the letter said!” Ranmaru replied, trying to ignore the pain that running was resulting in.

“I received a letter too. It said similarly,” Asa said.

Katagami looked annoyed by the news, but Ranmaru was sure he looked much the same at the moment. No one was happy with this outcome. A glance over his shoulder revealed that Muraji and his men weren’t too far behind, though they didn’t seem to be gaining anymore. Ranmaru could give thanks for small blessings. 

“What’s going to happen to the Kitsune?” Katagami asked.

“Probably going to grab some shiny stuff while the guards are distracted and then run away. They’re sneaky, don’t worry about it,” Ranmaru said.

“Kitsune? Wh-oh yes, foxes. They are unreliable,” Asa added as the trio ducked into an alley.

“Pardon?” Ranmaru asked, barely noticing as a small drop of rain fell on his shoulder. He felt a bit hurt to learn Asa wasn’t fond of foxes.

“Foxes? They are forgetful creatures,” Asa replied. “Many stories about that. Playful and clever, but forgetful.”

“Well, hopefully Ranmaru gets his memory abilities from his human side,” Katagami said as the pair hurried out into a bustling main street.

Outside the shelter of the alleyway, the rain was far more noticeable now as the trio hurried into the crowds. Asa looked lost in thought for a few moments, before turning to Ranmaru again. Before she could say whatever was on her mind, she ended up letting out a gasp.

“Your hair!”

“My-” Ranmaru muttered, before reaching up to rub his forehead. The blackening he put in to blend into crowds was running out as the rain picked up. “Ah, yes. This is my... I’m not sure it’s properly accurate to say it’s ‘natural’, but it's my normal hair colour.”

“You never told her you were part Kitsune?” Katagami asked.

“It was back generations ago,” Ranmaru muttered. 

“Your hair is white!” Asa said, gesturing up at him. “That... must be a big part.”

“Some things happened,” Ranmaru replied. “I can explain another time. When we’re not being chased.”

“Very well... but you are really part fox?” Asa asked.

“A small part,” Ranmaru replied, before leading the trio down a side street again.

It did look like they might have lost Muraji at last, but he didn’t want to make them easy to follow. Constantly checking over his shoulder, he felt calmer each time he saw no sign of their pursuers.

It was a few more blocks of ever muddier streets, with the rain picking up, before anyone in the group spoke again.

“Since we haven’t really been introduced, the name’s Katagami,” the young guard said, smiling towards Asa.

“Lhamu Asa,” she replied with a quick bow.

Ranmaru blinked. “I never asked if you had a family name... now I feel foolish.”

“I guess you both had secrets then,” Katagami said, laughing a little and leaving Ranmaru feeling even more self conscious.

“I still have a couple major ones,” Ranmaru muttered as they started reaching the more working class regions nearer to Yoshiwara.

As they slipped along more familiar roads, something else began to make Ranmaru’s heart quicken: he had Asa with him, and they were almost safe. The idea of just sitting down and calmly enjoying time with her filled his heart with joy. Maybe it was wishful thinking, after all, he didn’t know how she’d respond to those major secrets of his, but he wanted to hold on to some hope while he could.

Of course, the fates decided to throw another moment of panic into his day; rounding a corner to at last reach the southern gate to Yoshiwara, he discovered two of Muraji’s guards standing nearby. The actual gate guards were eyeing them with suspicion, but they were holding back just enough to stay out of trouble. Ranmaru quickly pushed Asa and Katagami into a nearby alleyway. 

“They must have realised where we were going and headed straight here,” Ranmaru muttered, peeking around the corner again.

“How would they know we were going to Yoshiwara?” Katagami asked, staying deep in the alley.

Ranmaru pointed to his hair, which got a slow nod from Katagami.

“A bit of a gamble on their part,” the young guard said.

“Yoshi... wara... that sounds familiar,” Asa mumbled, before her eyes lit up. “Ah yes. A friend of Muraji’s told him to go. To find a woman who talks better Japanese.”

Ranmaru’s gut did a somersault. He had to wonder what Asa knew, even if he also didn’t really want the answers.

“He said she was very beautiful. Proud, but... maybe she would be the wife and I would be the... consort? If he could... wait,” Asa said, having apparently seen the wavering curiosity in Ranmaru’s eyes. “He said she had silver hair, but was young. Is she... is she your sister?”

“S-something like that,” Ranmaru muttered, his cheeks hot. 

The idea of Asa learning about his work, and about his female side... those were both terrifying ideas at the moment, but ones he could deal with. Her learning that Muraji had... well, had had him (or rather, her) was something he wasn’t sure he could bear.

Yet he couldn’t look away as Asa nodded slowly.

“I must meet her then. I must apologise. If I... if I had been less stubborn. Had just learned Japanese at the start... Muraji would have not gone to her. Not touched her with his,” Asa paused, clearly searching for a word, though coming up empty and substituting simply a look of disgust and a harsh tone, “His hands. It is my fault.”

Ranmaru placed his hands on Asa’s forearms, staring into her sorrow filled dark eyes. “It wasn’t your fault. A man like him is never satisfied. He would have... he would have come here either way. Please. Don’t—don’t blame yourself.”

By the end of the statement he was struggling to hold back tears. His efforts apparently weren’t enough, as Asa clearly saw them.

“He... he did not hurt her, did he?” Asa asked, raising a hand to Ranmaru’s cheek. 

Something about the compassion in her eyes left him wondering if she had somehow worked it out. If he’d seemed too invested. It wasn’t the most likely outcome, but... well, it still made Ranmaru nervous.

“She was in good health the last I saw her,” Katagami offered, saving Ranmaru as he struggled with a reply.

Before the conversation could get much more out of Ranmaru’s control there was some shouting from the gate. The trio peaked around the corner, finding a pair of men with amigasa hats at the centre of a dispute between Muraji’s men and the Yoshiwara guards. Clearly Muraji’s men had been looking for Ranmaru and Katagami, and had found those face-covering hats suspicious. The actual Yoshiwara guards looked to be taking that as interference with guests to Yoshiwara. The hand of a guard went to his sword while the other gave a shout for reinforcements. Muraji’s men stood their ground for a few more moments, until three more guards arrived, one carrying a naginata. With that the two men loyal to Muraji left in a huff, stomping off down the muddy main road. 

Once the two men had firmly left the area, Ranmaru let out a breath. The trio then headed over to the gate, Ranmaru and Katagami presenting their identification as employees of an ageya and being allowed to enter with their weapons. Ranmaru did feel a bit defensive about the looks the guards were giving Asa, but kept quiet for now. 

Once through the gate Ranmaru felt a weight off his shoulders. Asa was safe. Or, at least, as safe as he could get her. The fact the rain had stopped at last was also nice.