Lone Rabbit and Child - Part II

First Published: July 1985 by Thoughts and Images

• Miyamoto Usagi
• Lord Noriyuki
• Ame Tomoe
• Neko Ninja
• Lord Hikiji
• Lord Hebi

Usagi allays the young lord Noriyuki's fears; Tomoe lives. However as night falls, it becomes Noriyuki's choice as to whether she will continue to live. She grows more ill as the air around them grows colder. They dare not light a fire for fear of attracting unwanted attention. They must either stay here and watch her die, or go to a nearby town and risk discovery.

Noriyuki chooses the latter and so, days later in a small village, Tomoe wakes from her fever-dream. Immediately she berates Usagi for endangering her lord and seems about to do the same with her master, who shows her that while he may be young, he is still fit to be the Geishu lord and so make his own choices.

For the past several days while waiting for Tomoe to recover, Usagi had dressed Noriyuki in peasant garb to make them less conspicuous. It seems the disguise has paid off and they leave Tomoe to recoup and continue the journey.

Not far out of town, while crossing a bridge, Usagi and Noriyuki are once again set upon by shinobi. Usagi fights bravely, slaughtering them until they are only one. This last Neko Ninja blinds Usagi with dust before moving in for the kill. Only able to evade for so long, Usagi's death seems certain until Noriyuki, forgotten by the two warriors, runs the ninja through.

At that moment, horsemen approach, announcing that they are retainers of Noriyuki from the Edo mansion. A week later, a rejuvinated Tomoe rejoins her lord. Immediately, she enquires as to the whereabouts of the long-eared ronin and is told that he left not long after the lord's safety was ensured. Taking a horse, she rides to the edge of the Diamyate to thank Usagi on Noriyuki's behalf.

Meanwhile, in the caste of Lord Hikiji, Lord Hebi reports to his master that their plans have been thwarted by a ronin called Miyamoto Usagi. It seems that Hikiji is not at all pleased and we see a strange scar over his left eye which looks a lot like Usagis.

Last change: 19. May 2003

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Usagi Yojimbo, including all prominent characters featured in the stories and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Stan Sakai and Usagi Studios. Usagi Yojimbo is a registered trademark of Stan Sakai. Names, characters, places, and incidents featured in this publication either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events, institutions, or locales, without satiric content, is coincidental.