—Ransetsu The morning came, quiet and gradual, masked by the cold grayness of clouds and mist. There was no fire in Ken’ishi’s room, so he was grateful for the warm, sleeping body lying next to his. Kiosé slept the sleep of the exhausted, nestled against his shoulder. Even in sleep, her hand clutched the front of his robes. He looked down at her face. While she was sleeping, she was pretty. Her face had none of the weariness and despair that weighed upon her when she was awake, diminishing her beauty. He studied the shape of her face, and found himself comparing her to another face that was burned into his mind. Her ears stuck out a bit more. Her teeth were a bit crooked, but not unpleasantly so. Her throat was smooth and soft, and she had a small mole below one ear and another on the opposite cheek. Then he gritted his teeth and purged thoughts of comparison from his mind. Enough! She was gone! Even so, the sound of her name floated around the periphery of his mind. Enough! Kiosé’s eyes opened, blinked, and looked into his.
