Hattori Mariko

==Personality== Mariko seems to think herself not brave, even saying that bravery does not come naturally to her. However, when faced with true fear, Mariko is willing to act. Mariko’s bravery can also be a form of brashness. She does not think things through before leaving her old identity behind to become a boy so she could search for her assassins. She is smart, cunning and stubborn, and a feminst. This stubborn nature is shown in the early chapters of Flame in the Mist, when Mariko refuses to voice her true opinions to rebel against one of her guards. It is clear that Mariko wants more from her life. She desires the freedom to be herself, and she is determined to prove she is worth more than her value on the marriage market.

Kenshin
Kenshin, also known as the Dragon of Kai, is her older twin brother. Mariko seems to hold her brother in very high regard. She cares for him very deeply and almost seems at times, as though she wishes she could be him; desiring the freedom he has to be himself. In the second book their relationship becomes strained as their loyalties are divided.

Ōkami
Mariko first sees Ōkami by the watering hole. Mariko thinks he is lazy, but is thrown off her guard when he defeats the giant. Ōkami later saves her from a fall from a cliffside, and realizes that she is a girl. They kiss. "Ranmaru" orders Ōkami to teach Mariko how to swordfight. The Black Clan finds out her true identity when they raid Mariko's home. Ōkami flees with her and ends up leaving her in the Hanami teahouse with Yumi. She leaves the teahouse and tries to find the Black Clans encampment. A forest demon (Tsuneoki) leads her to the camp again, and she becomes a member of the Black Clan. Later that night Ōkami comes into her tent and they spent the night together. Later Kenshin finally finds their camp, and Mariko decides to take her marriage with Prince Raiden in order to rescue Ōkami, and the rest of the black clan.