Levity

The little hamlet the procession was scheduled to stop at was relatively peaceful. It was known for the restorative properties of its natural hot springs. Spring blessed the town with fair weather and ample rain to allow their crops to flourish. The entire countryside was in bloom. The sakura trees were starting to lose their petals as the momo trees started to reveal orange-pink blossoms.

There were several small inns that ringed the mountain that provided the springs but only 1 large enough to accommodate the large group of travellers. The townspeople heard the pounding of hooves and poked their heads out of their windows to see what the fuss was about. Several young children stopped their games to chase after the mercenaries as they rode past, laughing and waving.

Soon enough, they all dismounted, both the princess and the yojimbo looking disheveled and flustered from the earlier fight. Having made arrangements, they had their lodgings, the people divided into groups, with the mercenaries having to rotate through watch. With everything accounted for, it was time to clean themselves up, and relax from the long, tiring journey, if only for a short while.

"Ara-ara," the princess began, peering over at Momo. "Just what are you planning to do?" she asked, clad in silk robes with bathing bucket in hand.

The yojimbo was still at a loss, she was uncomfortable without the robes of her station. Momo smiled, still clad in her slightly stained robes and clutching her saya in her hand. "Bathe, my Lady. I am.. disheveled from our journey here." her bathing bucket was in her opposite hand. "I'm to stay with you and protect you... the others cannot see you exposed so."

"I understand that much," she replied, leading the way into the changing room. "However, I was referring to your sword. I can understand being reluctant to part from your toys though," the princess admitted, glancing at the scabbard. Discarding her silken robes, Tsumami revealed her voluptuous form as she began neatly folding the clothing away before placing it in the basket. "I hear it is rare that any assassin would ever stoop so low as to try and slay their mark while in bath," she pointed out. "Perhaps out of fear for falling for their mark," the mischievous princess smiled.

"Better to be prepared, my Lady," Momo replied politely as she removed her own robe, setting her katana down long enough to fold the garment neatly. The more daunting task was unbinding her chest. It took her a few minutes to remove the bandage that flattened her otherwise athletic form. She grabbed her katana again before hurrying carefully after the princess, becoming increasingly annoyed by the way her bosom bounced as she did. She sighed and continued until she reached the woman.

Her lean abdomen and well-muscled back were covered with scars. Years of sword training had blessed her with few womanly curves save her oddly ample bosom.

"Ara-ara~" the princess began in surprise. "You must have been hiding those," she laughed. Setting her things down, she offered Momo a seat. "I'll wash your back, and as soon as we are clean, we can relax together in the onsen." However, there were other things on her mind. Scheming, planning, she wondered just how the yojimbo would react to her suggestions. Or, should she even make them? The risk alone was all too tempting.

Momo sat down besides the princess, first taking great care in washing the dried blood from her scabbard. She caressed the saya lovingly as she cleaned it and set it down on the stone beside her. She reached up and finished unpinning her back length chestnut locks, letting it fall. "I hope the blood will wash out of my hair," she sighed. "Please allow me to wash your back first, my Lady."

"Ah, if you say so," the princess sighed. Taking a seat, she wet herself with the bucket first and began to lather her body. As the soap bubbled, her womanly curves vanished under their fluff as she made to clean herself, letting Momo care for her back. "Is accompanying me and keeping my body safe all you have in mind, by the way?" Tsumami pondered. "There's more we could do together," she seductively hinted at her, eyes glinting with glee.

Momo washed the princess's back, displeased to be the center of the woman's amusement, but was careful to be gentle. "My Lady, any thing else would be improper," she gently started to massage the princess's back with slightly callused hands but practiced hands. "You have some stress from the carriage ride in your shoulders." She added softly, working her fingers in smooth soapy circles up to Tsumami's shoulders and neck.

The yojimbo was listening beyond the bubble of the hot spring to the other noises that surrounded them. The birds chirped and some where in the hamlet, a dog barked. Much closer and on the other side of the dark wooden fence, were men's voices. She picked out Daichi's at once and fought the urge to listen in.

"Mmmmmm," the princess hummed to herself, all to pleased with the attentions the swordswoman lavished over her. It had to end all too soon however. "That is correct, it would be improper of us to do anything else," she observed, rinsing with the bucket to reveal herself once more. The main attraction was the hot springs themselves after all. "Your turn," Tsumami offered. Once behind the yojimbo, her hands got to work - soaping up her back was the quick and easy part of course. "You're so tense," she teased, gently working into Momo's back with her hands, gently unknotting those tough muscles. "Maybe you should relax? Just a bit?" the princess offered yet again.

They could both hear faint, tempestuous snippets of the young master amongst the mercenaries.

Momo sighed and rolled her shoulders to crack her neck in an attempt to relax. "I will try, Sakakibara-san." She took several deep breaths, centering herself with her breathing and trying to listen to the sounds of the mercenary conversation just beyond the fence. She opened her eyes and looked curiously at the fence dividing the springs. "Ano.. perhaps, we should enter the springs, my Lady? Your hands have worked wonders." She sighed appreciatively.

" - size of melons," the words of a mercenary traveled across the breeze. " - and gobble it all up," another remarked.

"Yes, we should, and thank you," the princess politely smiled. Walking over to the hot springs, she first tested the waters with a delicate toe before gently sliding in. With a weary sigh the young woman reclined, her bosom floating up in the cloudy water. Eyes closed as she relaxed, Tsumami asked, "Are you sure? Not even a peek?" The suggestion was all too tempting of course. On the other side of that bamboo wall was a collection of manly men, strong and firm from years on the battlefield. And of course, there was a treasure among them too - the young master himself.

" - rub oil all over," yet another voice eagerly spoke up. " - take turns pounding away - " It was hard to tell just what they were talking about.

"Yes - hold down and -, all of us - take turns pounding," the two suddenly heard the young master's voice.

Momo doused herself with cold water and clutched her saya to her chest. Staring longingly at the fence she bit her lower lip, conflicted, before she spoke again, sinking into the warm water, "I wish to keep my employment, my Lady, and my head." Tsumumi was trying to get her in trouble for her amusement and she did not particularly care for the game. It was unfair, that she was forbidden her wants but that was her lot.

Her heart fluttered wildly hearing her Daichi speaking such lewd things. Sinful images filled her mind and she gripped her saya tighter to refocus her attentions to the sounds of the hot spring around them and to what the princess was doing.

"And as his bride to be, I wish for the young master to be happy," Tsumami leisurely pointed out as she almost melted into the onsen's hot, soothing waters. Intentional or not, the lance in Momo twisted. "That means, of course, you keeping both your employment, and your head, if you haven't realized that already," the princess pointed out to her. Pausing for a moment to think, a twinkle came to her eyes. "What if, you tried to stop me, and couldn't?" she began to mischievously grin.

Already, the placid surface of the water broke as she surfaced in all her glory.

"Eh?" Momo watched Tsumami as she surfaced. Confused as to her intent and the reference of her employment keeping the master happy. "What do you mean?" She slowly started after the princess, getting an inkling of what trouble the woman might cause. As though ignoring the question, the princess plucked herself a thin, reedy length of bamboo, and finding herself a spot, knelt in front of the wall between hot springs.

"Ara, ara~" Pressing it in between the far greater shafts of bamboo tied together, she had found what she was looking for. Turning back to Momo with a smile, she scooted to the side. "Go ahead, take a peek. It's your duty to oversee his health, is it not?" Tsumami added, hoping to draw in the swordswoman.

The corner of Momo's mouth twitched as she shook her head "no", turning a deep shade of scarlet. "Hime!" She hissed, "You shouldn't!" She swam over to the princess, wanting to drag her away but could not touch the woman in that fashion unless to save her life or with permission. "Yamato-san is surrounded by our best guards, he is in good hands. They all are good with their swords." She insisted and paled at the unintentional innuendo. She clutched the scabbard, unsure of herself.

"Yes, they're absolute wonderful with their swords," the princess took another peek, her words completely breathless as she nearly swooned. Turning to look back at at the swordswoman again, cheeks bright with delight, she whispered, "Aren't you wondering if he truly went unscathed after that little fight? All that clothing helps to hide wounds," Tsumami remarked, knowing all too well that would get Momo's attention.

"I... I am but... I can't invade his privacy like that. I respect him too much to do that to him," Momo said quietly and sat down on the edge of the pool facing away from the fence. Still clinging to her sword's scabbard. "If he wishes me to help dress the wounds, I will see but I will wait for the order. Please stop peeking on him, my lady," she requested softly.

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong. You see, there's these tall, strong, well built men all around him too," the princess explained to her. "If not the young master, perhaps them? Just a tiny peeeeeeek?" the princess tried to coax the swordswoman.

Momo shook her head no again. "No, my Lady." She knew it was true, her brothers in arms were attractive and strong but she would not spy on them. She might have to chose a husband among them one day if her Lord permitted it and some things she would rather find out when it was time, but not now. With a sigh, the princess strode away from the bamboo wall and slipped into the onsen once more.