Sazume waited until late night to put her plan in motion. She had dinner with her parents, but left the table early, under the excuse of still being angry about her father’s decision, and went to her chambers. She didn’t hesitate to jump from the window to the liberty of the garden which surrounded the small fortification. Silently, she sneaked between the trees, running away from the castle. She was willing to find her brother and join his group at any cost, or do her own hunt, alone.
But then she realized she was being followed. Instinctively, she slowed down, keeping herself aware. The moon was hidden behind heavy clouds, and it was too dark to see very far. Still, as any dog-demon, Sazume trusted on her smell sense, which didn’t failed her. She hid behind a tree and stood still, observing.
Soon she heard someone’s steps, heading toward the distant sound of the river that flowed in a deep valley, not far away from there. Whoever the pursuer was, he didn’t smelled familiar, so it couldn’t be one of Ichimaru’s hunters. She observed for a little while, and then heard the crack of a branch under someone’s foot.
Without thinking, she charged against the pursuer, thrilled by the idea of the hunt. She approached the sound’s source, but ended up colliding with her prey, which suddenly appeared from behind a tree. Only when she was close enough she saw it was Kumari. The young noble was pushed away and staggered behind, heading dangerously toward the cliff above the river’s valley, which, for Sazume’s surprise, was closer than she thought.
- Watch out, Kumari!
Sazume stepped forward trying to reach him, and in a reflex he stretched in her direction the sheathed katana that he carried. She grabbed the scabbard, but the sword was pulled out of it by his weight.
- Stay back, my lady! – begged him in despair, fearing that she would fall too, and then fell down into the chasm.
Ignoring his warning, Sazume tried to reach his arm, and ended up having the same fate.
