Psalm 37:11
“But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”
Jacobs Ladder
“But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”
Jacobs Ladder
Steam puffed out in billowing clouds from the nostrils of the chocolate-colored arab Jo sat astride. The mare was just another mount issued to him by Kumogakure, just another piece of equipment; but Jo always found some way to make an emotional connection to the animals he was given charge of. Nothing so encumbering as the connection between master and pet, that would be far to crippling; he had to be willing to kill or abandon it at a moments notice. No, it was more like the kind of connection you feel between a coworker you just met last week, You like them well enough, but you wouldn’t miss them if they were gone.
Now, in the early hours of what was promising to be a cold, wet, muddy day of hard riding, Jo was far too busy thinking about the girl (no, young woman) he was leaving behind. Saeko was a black-haired beauty who had absconded with his heart, and his virginity (and he, hers). She also happened to be the daughter of the Sennin of the Main Branch, Takaki Masao. They had divulged the darkness within their souls to each other on new years eve, and found solace in the fact that they loved one another all the same (they had also found something else, but let’s not go into that now). As they lay in bed that night, covered with naught but sheets, nothing between them but the night, she poked fun at him for it being his first time. His father had tried taking him to a brothel once after his mother found some dirty magazines under his bed, but Jo had refused. Sex without love was hollow, and unfulfilling. He didn’t need a string of one-night stands he may-or-may not have to pay for to know that. That night, for the first time in his life, he was perfectly happy.
Now there they were, standing in front of her house, seeing each other for possibly the last time. She joked about how his clothes reminded her of a movie about a pair of homosexual cowboys, and chided him on the expense of the ammunition his pilfered bolter fired. Her words were snide and playfully snarky, but behind her eyes, Jo saw the same worry he was feeling. Would he come back alive? Was this the last time they would ever see each other? Eventually she fell silent, and all words failed them save for three: “I love you.” After a passionate goodbye kiss, Jo turned and picked up his duffle bag and mounted his horse, nearly sitting on a small bottle of hand sanitizer resting on the saddle. Tied around the pump-spout was a small note: “You’re going to need this. I was in Tenouza once and it smelled entirely of urine. –Enjeru”
Thrusting the memory aside, Jo forced himself to focus on the matter at hand. He reached into one of his saddlebags and whistled shrilling to get the gate guards attention. ”Hey! Gennin Narashi Jo, requesting exit for a mission!” He shouted. Who knows where the guard was; atop the wall, hidden in the guardhouse, up shit-creek without a paddle was most likely (if they were pulling guard duty).
