The sky turned red as the village finally seemed within reach. The fields were so wide and vast that it felt like there was nothing but golden grain.

With every breath, the air seemed to get saltier and the wind colder. Shivering, you felt goose bumps creeping up your arms. With a trembling sigh, you rested your cheek against Jin's back and let your gaze wander.

Water. Nothing but water and stones.

You had secretly hoped that from this distance you would be able to see the island Tanaka had spoken of. But apart from bare rock, there wasn't much to see.

Nobu was trotting along the sandy road between the fields when your attention was drawn to the village. The huts were simple, made of wood and the roofs weighed down with stones. Boats could be seen both on the shore and on the water.

But something seemed strange. Frowning, you lifted your head over Jin's shoulder to get a better look.

"Jin.", you patted him on the side.

Torn from his thoughts, he abruptly stopped the horse. Snorting, Nobu rammed his hooves into the dirt. The stop came so suddenly that you were almost pushed out of the saddle with Jin.

His arm reached out to hold you. Without thinking about it, you clung to him. Your fingers joined together. The beat of your heart hammered briefly in your throat.

"What is it?", he asked, audibly taken by surprise.

"Something's wrong...", you mumbled, your eyes still searching the village.

Jin frowned, trying to recognise something in the distance. Your feeling must be better than mine, he admitted.

"What do you see?"

"Nothing.", slowly you let yourself slide off Nobu's back but Jin still held your fingers tightly in his.

"Nothing?", he glanced down to the village again.

"Yes. Don't you think that's weird? I mean... there are no people down there, are there?"

Now he seemed to understand. Once again, he looked at the village from a distance. This time he frowned sceptically.

"There are boats on the water.", he pointed out to sea.

"But do you see people in the boats?"

Nobu snorted.

"No...", Jin looked round in the saddle in all directions. "We should be careful."

"We should approach the village from another side.", you climbed back onto Nobu's back. "Maybe along the coast."

Jin got the stallion running again.

"There is no escape route along the coast.", he remarked. "We're approaching from inland."

You had to smile.

"Escape route? I thought a samurai didn't flee."

He snorted.

"He doesn't. But I'm no longer a samurai. All the samurai of Tsushima died on the beach that night. I'm just Jin Sakai."

You lifted your chin with an understanding hum.

"Jin Sakai.", you purred with a teasing smile on your lips. "Lord Sakai, nephew of Lord Shimura."

He rolled his eyes, half annoyed and half laughing.

"And what did the title and the blood get me?", he asked back, just as teasingly.

He let Nobu run between the tall strands of grain. Even though the stallion had a coat as black as the ravens, he literally melted into the fields and so did his two riders.

It was impressive what nature could create under the guidance of human hands. Never before had you seen plants that grew so high that two whole people and a horse could hide in them.

But when you got right down to it, you had never really seen much of the world. The Mongol ships had no windows. And if you had solid ground under your feet it was only to stitch up wounds and heal illnesses.

"If you weren't Lord Sakai, we wouldn't have met that night.", you suddenly realised. "If your honour had not required you to fight on the beach, I would have fled without you."

His lips curled into a slight grin at your words. But it disappeared the next moment. Instead, he looked dismayed.

"You would have found another samurai to save.", he said with a shrug.

"I wouldn't have.", the words came without you thinking about it.

Confused, he glanced over his shoulder. Dark eyes were looking at you.

"You didn't have to save me.", he said. "So why wouldn't you have saved anyone else?"

You didn't know the answer to that question. But somehow it was obvious.

"The young samurai asked me to.", you couldn't hold his gaze any longer and looked away.

But all there was to see was grain.

"You saved me at the request of a stranger?"

"No... yes.", your fingers clung to his waist. "I wanted to know who could be so great that a dying man would mention him with his dying breath."

Jin's grip tightened around the reins again. He seemed to be trembling slightly.

"And...?", he finally asked without looking at you. "Was I worth it?"

Taking a deep breath, you closed your eyes, wrapped your arms around him and pressed your face into his back.

"I have many regrets in life.", you whispered against the curve of his spine. "But you... I have no regrets."

All at once, all the tension seemed to fall away from him. His breathing became lighter and he loosened the reins again. Instead, he placed one of his hands on yours and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm far from perfect, Amaterasu.", he whispered, more to himself than to you. "But you... Samurai live by code and honour. Since you... It becomes harder for me every hour to do what I must than what I want..."

Something tightened in your chest.

"Forgive me.", you whispered.

Something was burning in the corners of your eyes. But Jin just shook his head full of raven-black hair.

"Don't apologise.", he squeezed your hand again, this time tighter. "In the end... I will have no honour or die. Nothing matters anymore. Except to take you to your family."

This time his words were like a knife in your chest. It was as if blood was dripping over your skin, burning the pain into your soul.

Family.

Did you even know what that really was?