Chapter Fifteen

So this was Eiyou.

Ouba glanced out of the window of the carriage, her dark blue eyes taking in each and every detail of the bustling Southern capital as they made their way through the busy streets. It had been almost twelve hours since they had left Hengei, with only a short break for a meal and for the tired horses to take on water. Though it had been brief, the pretty scenery deep within Western Kounan had helped to soothe the last of the Princess's ruffled nerves, and it was with a surprising amount of optimism that she absorbed their new surroundings.

Although Kounan was not as big as some of its neighbours, a long period of peace and prosperity had seen it thrive, and there was a sense of ease and contentment in the air as Sayo steered the carriage from one line of traffic to another. Though the people's dress was unlike anything she had seen in Sairou, and despite the fact several of the children who played at street corners lacked sandals on their feet, Ouba found herself touched by their genuine joviality.

"Kounan seems a happy place." She murmured, and at her words her companion stirred from her doze, casting her a quizzical look.

"Hime?"

"I'm sorry – I woke you up, didn't I?" Ouba looked contrite, and Kinka smiled ruefully.

"I should not have been sleeping." She admitted. "I'm supposed to be protecting you, after all. It should be me who apologises to you."

"Don't be silly." Ouba shook her head. "Besides, Kounan is peaceful, isn't it? Otherwise we wouldn't have stopped out in the open to eat earlier on."

"Even so." Kinka spread her hands. "You have my full attention now, in any case. What's bothering you? Something on your mind?"

"No, just thinking, really." Ouba shook her head. "Eiyou is the capital of the South, isn't it? Where Reizeitei-sama's palace is – the heart of Suzaku's land."

"Yes." Kinka nodded. "We've made good time, considering we're a day later than planned. The weather is better in the South, and the roads have been clearer because of it."

She eyed her friend playfully.

"Tonight you'll be sleeping in a palace again." She added. "And Sayo and I will be less worried about your safety, in a place teeming with Imperial guards. Reizeitei-sama is one of your Lord Father's closest allies. Taking this route was a wise thought."

"It may sound spoiled or pretentious, but part of me is glad we'll be stopping at Kounan's court." Ouba admitted. "After what happened in Hengei…"

"I think it's better we don't talk about Hengei." Kinka said firmly, and Ouba frowned.

"You and Sayo have both been like this since we left." She objected. "It's all right, you know. I'm not going to have nightmares."

"Even so, I think it's better." Kinka said frankly. "And besides, we have other things to think of now, Hime. Look. Reizeitei-sama's hospitality seems to be as good as the rumours suggest. It seems the Emperor of Kounan has set out his stall to welcome us to his land, with guardsmen in full regalia."

"Really?" Ouba peered out of the window, and despite herself Kinka laughed.

"Aren't you going to at least pretend to be dignified?" She scolded, amused. "What would your Father say, Ouba-hime, if he thought you were scrabbling at the window trying to see our reception party?"

"I was just curious." Ouba flushed red. "Don't be mean, Kinka. It's been a long journey…at least I'm not crying about being a country away from home."

"True." Kinka relented. "Hey, Sayo's stopped the carriage. I guess that he's greeting the guards himself - it looks like they intend on escorting us through the city and into the palace grounds as Imperial guests."

"How did they know who we were?" Ouba wondered, and Kinka smiled.

"Sayo's livery." She replied simply. "It was agreed between your Lord Father and Reizeitei-sama that Ouba-hime's carriage would be driven by a man wearing blue and black with the insignia of the tiger on his breast. It's a custom often used by Sairou envoys when they come to Reizeitei-sama's court…and the easiest way to attract Imperial attention without revealing who you were."

"Politics are so complicated." Ouba sighed, resting her chin in her hands. "All these things going on behind the scenes are confusing."

"That's why you should leave those to us to worry about." Kinka told her. "At least until we reach Kutou."

"I suppose so." Ouba acknowledged.

"Hime-sama, sorry to interrupt you, but Reizeitei-sama's men intend to ride with us to the palace, and there is a man who wishes to speak to you directly before we do."

Sayo swung open the door at that moment, and Ouba cast him a look of surprise.

"A man? What man? I don't understand."

"Ouba-hime, I'm sorry for the inconvenience and the suddenness of our meeting."

As if he had heard her words, the stranger came forward into her line of sight, bowing his head before her as he did so. He was young, Ouba realised – not much older than she was, if she was to guess, with long dark hair that was pulled together at the nape of his neck in a neat tail fastened with the white ties favoured by nobility. Yet it was the stranger's eyes which most startled her, for they glittered with the same seiran blue she had often seen among her father's courtiers, and for a moment she stared at him, taken completely off guard.

"My name is Kaiga Aoiketsu." The newcomer continued, as the silence threatened to continue. "I am here on behalf of his Highness Kintsusei of Kutou to greet you on your entry to Kounan."

"Of…Kutou?" At this Ouba jerked to attention, staring at the stranger anew. "You're…from the East, Kaiga-dono?"

"Yes, Hime." Aoiketsu agreed. "I act on Kintsusei-heika's behalf as an envoy to Reizeitei-sama's court here in Eiyou. At my Emperor's direct instruction I am to make myself available to accompany you to the East when you leave the Southern court – and to assist in any way I can in making your time in Kounan comfortable."

"I see." Ouba's expression cleared, and she offered him a smile. "I'm sorry, Kaiga-dono. I've been travelling so long I think I must have forgotten my manners. Thank you for taking the time to come and greet me personally. It's a great reassurance to me that Kintsusei-sama has thought so far ahead regarding my comfort and peace of mind."

"It's my pleasure, Hime." Aoiketsu assured her, returning the smile with a warm one of his own. "And I can assure you that such an action is quite a natural one for my Emperor to take. I am sure he holds your well-being as one of his highest concerns, since you are travelling so far for his sake."

Despite herself, Ouba pinkened, feeling slightly guilty as she registered the sincerity in the young man's voice. She had questioned Kintsusei's intentions time and time again, she reminded herself. Yet here was someone in his service who clearly had no fears or doubts in the man to whom he had sworn his fealty.

She cast Kinka a glance.

"This is my companion and lady in waiting, Kei Kinka." She said evenly. "She will, I hope, be able to accompany me all the way to Kutou?"

"I see no reason why not." Aoiketsu dipped his head in acknowledgement of Ouba's companion. "Certainly, Reizeitei-sama anticipated you would bring companions of your own on your journey. My only surprise is that you bring so few – but I can understand the risks of drawing attention to your carriage."

"That was my Father's thought, yes." Ouba agreed.

"Kaiga-dono, have you been in the Emperor's service long?" Kinka asked softly, and Aoiketsu spread his hands.

"You could say my whole life, since my mother was a nobleman's widow who died not long after my birth." He responded simply. "I was raised at court by the Emperor's direct command – educated and trained alongside other war orphans and given the opportunity to serve my country in whatever way I chose. Kintsusei-heika is the Emperor who ended Kutou's civil war, after all. He is a man in whom I have faith."

"That's comforting to hear, from someone who knows Kintsusei-sama well." Ouba said composedly. "Thank you once again, Kaiga-dono. You will be most welcome on our journey East. If the Emperor has been kind enough to take such pains over my safety, I will not shun his gesture."

"As you wish, Hime-sama." Aoiketsu bowed his head again, then withdrew, leaving Ouba and Kinka once more alone.

"He was far too pretty to be an Easterner." Kinka reflected, sitting back in her seat, and Ouba laughed, shaking her head in amusement.

"Kinka-chan! He might hear you, lower your voice!"

"It wasn't that loud an observation." Kinka replied unrepentantly. "Besides, it's true. Did you see his eyes? Those aren't Eastern eyes. Yes, he spoke with an Eastern accent, but I'm telling you – that boy has Western blood in him somewhere. You won't find anyone at Kintsusei-sama's court like that."

"They startled me too." Ouba acknowledged, smoothing her skirts over her knees as Sayo fastened the carriage door. "I thought the same as you – that the indigenous Kutou-jin had dark eyes as a rule. But I don't know much about the tribes in the East, Kinka. Kutou isn't like Sairou in that there aren't so many distinct peoples thanks to their wars and slave trade. But even so…"

"The Meihi in the north and the Hin, such as they were, in the western provinces." Kinka said categorically. "One stolen from Hokkan, the other from Sairou. Kutou have never welcomed diversity…so what's his story?"

"His story?" Ouba looked surprised. "You think he was lying?"

"Actually, I don't." Kinka admitted. "He didn't seem like the kind of person who was good at lying, to be honest with you. I was just curious. Still, though, if his account of Kintsusei-heika is the truth, you can rest a little bit more easily. To provide for an orphaned noble son and raise him to help promote peace within the East is a positive sign. I think your Father's intelligence was correct. Kintsusei-sama is not a monster. And you should probably not be afraid of him."

"Yes, probably." Ouba looked pensive. "But he is still twice my age, and a soldier King to boot. Still, I suppose we'll see. That he's concerned enough to have his agents here alerted for my arrival makes me feel a bit better disposed towards him."

She cast Kinka a glance.

"You don't mind that I said that his envoy could accompany us, do you?"

"Not really." Kinka shook her head. "Since we'll be going into his land, it might be as well to have a local with us. And we've time to get to grips with him at Kounan's court before we do. As you said, you can't shun Kintsusei-sama's gesture. At least this way we'll be fully versed in the kind of person Kaiga Aoiketsu is before we leave Eiyou. And so much to the good."

"I think we might find out much more about Kintsusei-heika, too." Ouba said reflectively. "And the more I know, the more prepared I am."

"Now you sound more like me." Kinka grinned. "And I guess that's the palace, judging by the huge golden gates and the marble columns in every direction. What do you think, Hime? How does it compare with your palace, back in Sairou?"

"It's very elegant." Ouba acknowledged, as the carriage swept through the open gates, guardsmen saluting on each side as they drew into the main courtyard. "Sashi said that Reizeitei-sama was noted for his elegance and beauty as an individual, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised about that. It's beautiful, Kinka-chan – but it isn't home. Still, I'm tired and I could use a chance to wash, eat and sleep in a more comfortable place than we have been doing these past few nights. The inn was fine, but I suppose…I'm too spoiled after all."

"Refined is the word I'd use." Kinka dimpled, as the carriage pulled to a gentle stop once more, Sayo immediately on hand to open the door and extend his arm to help the tired Princess down onto the gleaming cobbles. As she stepped out properly into the Kounan sunshine, Ouba was struck by how many people had come to witness her arrival, and for a moment she felt uncharacteristically shy, hesitating as Sayo helped Kinka down beside her.

"Ouba-hime, welcome to the Palace of Kounan." Aoiketsu's Eastern tones broke through her haze and she turned, offering him a grateful smile as she realised he had read her uncertainty perfectly. "On Reizeitei-sama's orders, a room has been prepared for you and additional quarters alongside for your companions."

He gestured to a broad man in his middle years who had stepped forward, bowing low before them, before raising his face to meet the Princess's gaze.

"Allow me to introduce Haku Shouei-sama, Reizeitei-heika's trusted Prime Minister and advisor in all matters of government." He added.

"The pleasure is entirely mine, Ouba-hime." Haku said gravely. "I am glad that your Honoured Father bestows so much trust in us here that he so specifically singled out Eiyou as a stopping point for you on your travels East."

"Haku-dono, I'm very happy to be here and indebted to you for your graciousness." Something in the minister's sober words reminded Ouba of who and where she was, and her brother's words about pride and honour flitted through her head. "To all of Kounan, in fact. It is my first visit, but I sincerely hope it will not be my last. My family greatly value their political ties with the Southern lands, and I am eager to convey in person my Father and brother's cordial best wishes to your honoured Emperor."

"Then it will be my pleasure to receive them, Ouba-hime."

The words were softly spoken, yet somehow they struck through the buzz of the crowd and as one man the guards and onlookers parted, dropping to their knees as their gesture revealed the tall, slender form of a young man. He was clearly the same age as Aoiketsu, yet with somehow three times as much grace and poise in his bearing as he made his way slowly towards them. Despite herself Ouba remembered Sashi's comments and she felt a flush rise in her cheeks as she realised that this was Reizeitei himself – the often talked about King of Kounan.

"Haku, Aoiketsu, thank you for extending welcome to our guests." He said quietly, his words well-formed and precise, yet somehow without ceremony as he acknowledged each of the two men with a slight, warm nod, gesturing for his courtiers to assume their former stances. "I will now take it upon myself to do so – and to express my hope that the journey here has, as yet, not proven too tiresome?"

Ouba swallowed hard, suddenly bereft of words, and at her discomfort, Reizeitei smiled.

"I'm sorry. I have forgotten the most basic manners in my excitement to greet you." He said contritely, and Ouba's eyes widened as she realised he had taken with ease the responsibility for her sudden lapse in composure. "Of course, I should introduce myself to you formally, should I not? You must forgive me, Ouba-hime. It is not often that foreign Princesses are the honoured guests at my court."

He bowed his head slightly, then,

"I am Reizeitei, Fifth Emperor of Kounan and Suzaku's appointed ruler of the Southern Lands." He said softly. "As Heiboutei-sama's counterpart and ally, I trust that you will consider this place a second home while you are here, and therefore I extend to you the trust which your Honoured Father and I have so long shared."

"Reizeitei-sama, thank you." Ouba found her tongue at last, offering him a smile as she extended her hand to his. "I have heard many good stories of Kounan's hospitality. I shall now be able to write home and advise my family of their truth."

"You are not too weary, I trust, to accompany me for dinner this evening?" Reizeitei questioned. "Your companions too are most welcome, should they see fit. I generally dine in my private quarters, except on special occasions, so you need not worry about being overwhelmed with people. It will simply be myself, my Lady Mother, Lord Haku, of course, and a few others."

He gestured to Aoiketsu, who bowed his head in acknowledgement.

"Aoiketsu has been chosen by Lord Kintsusei to see to your well-being on his behalf, so he will also be present." He added. "The pleasure of your company would be most welcome."

"Then I will accept on my behalf and on the behalf of my companion Kei Kinka." Ouba said evenly. "Though I have already promised Sayo a night of freedom upon arriving here, if you will excuse him. He has been most kind in his attention to us across Sairou's land, and I must not burden him more than is necessary."

"It is settled then." Reizeitei looked pleased. "I will look forward to it."

He glanced at Aoiketsu again.

"Aoi, I would have you inform Hikari for me of tonight's plans, since I will need her to attend this dinner also." He added. "So long as it does not inconvenience her – I realise she is hard at her studies at present, but I think it would be well if she came."

"I'll tell her." Aoiketsu agreed. "Don't worry, Heika. She and I will both be there."

"Then I shall leave you in the good hands of my palace attendants, who will show you to your quarters and answer any need you have." Reizeitei decided. "You are all very welcome in Kounan, Ouba-hime. Very welcome indeed."

"Well, he's not a disappointment, is he?"

As the Princess and her companions were led through the halls of the palace, Kinka drew closer to Ouba, lowering her voice. "Reizeitei-sama. He lives up to the rumours of his appearance…he truly is an honest to God bishounen type."

"Kinka!" Ouba cast her a reproving look. "First Kaiga-dono, now the Emperor himself? We're not at home, you know. We don't want to cause offence."

"I know. It was just an observation." Kinka shrugged. "Perhaps it's something in the southern water. What do you think?"

"Or Suzaku's blood." Ouba murmured. "Reizeitei-sama is the son of Saihitei-sama, isn't he? The Emperor who was born with Suzaku's mark? He was rumoured to be very handsome, too…it must be in his blood."

"Who do you suppose this Hikari is?" Kinka wondered, and Ouba shook her head.

"You know as much as I do." She replied. "Do you think it was wrong of me to dismiss Sayo? After everything…would you have rather I had kept him with us, and not released him to his own devices now we're here?"

"No…I don't feel any danger here." Kinka shook her head. "Everything seems fine to me. But I would like to know all the players, just to be on the safe side."

"Well, the there's one way to find out." Ouba mused. She turned to the nearest attendant, raising her voice.

"His Highness mentioned a lady would be joining us for dinner this evening." She said pleasantly. "But I was not aware that Reizeitei-sama had any female companions at his court. Could you enlighten me? It will be nice to dine in mixed company, after all."

"Yes, Hime." The woman bowed, nodding her head. "Reizeitei-heika was likely referring to Lady Hikari when he made such remarks."

"Hikari…yes. That name is familiar." Ouba agreed. "And she is a close associate of his? How interesting."

"Hikari-hime is the Emperor's sister, Ouba-sama." The woman agreed seriously. "A most blessed and treasured lady to whom all of Kounan bow. It is said she has the power of the God himself buried deep within her heart, and his kindness and benevolence too. She is a truly great person, and someone the Emperor respects most highly."

"His sister." Ouba breathed. "I see. I didn't know he had a sister. Then I will be twice as eager to meet her, since she is as I am – the sibling of a great Prince. Thank you. You have put my mind wholly at rest."

"With pleasure, Hime-sama." The woman bowed, pushing open the door of a huge chamber and indicating respectfully for her companions to enter. "And if I may, these rooms are yours to do with as you please. Anything we can fetch or do for you while you are here, please, you only need ask and it will be done. We have strict instructions from the Emperor himself and we will do whatever is in our power to see that your stay here is passed in comfort and security."

With that she too was gone, and Kinka let out her breath in a rush, glancing around the room as she did so.

"Fit for a princess. Literally." She reflected. "And I imagine my room leads off yours there, as a travelling lady companion's is wont to do in such circumstances. Yes, Hime, I think we can definitely confirm Kounan's record for hospitality."

"Reizeitei-sama was kind to me, too, in the courtyard." Ouba reflected, sinking down onto the immense, softly-covered bed with a sigh. "I froze and couldn't speak, but he responded as though the fault was his, not mine. Father has always said Kounan's Princes are raised with the ultimate honour and I think it's true. Young as he is, he has just as much presence as Father does, somehow."

"Don't start talking like that, or people will think your eyes are straying to the wrong Emperor." Kinka warned, and Ouba blushed.

"I don't mean it that way." She defended herself. "It was just kind of him. That's all. Believe me, I've no thoughts of anything else."

"The Emperor's sister, huh." Kinka moved to the window, gazing out across the courtyard. "It's funny, you know. I could have sworn that Reizeitei-sama's father died before he was born, and that he was an only child as a result. Was I wrong?"

"You keep asking questions just when I'm trying to feel at ease." Ouba scolded. "Now what are you worried about? You said it felt safe here. Are you changing your mind? This is foreign land, true enough, but Reizeitei-sama is Father's ally. Isn't he?"

"Yes. I'm sorry. I need to stop thinking aloud." Kinka apologised. "I suppose all will be made clear sooner or later."

"Do you think the maid was right, when she said that this Princess Hikari had the God's magic inside of her?" Ouba wondered. Kinka shrugged.

"I don't know." She said thoughtfully. "But I think I'd be interested to find out. I'm glad I'm coming with you to dinner tonight, Ouba-sama. I'm rather looking forward to meeting this Hikari-hime."

The snow was beginning to fall once more over the steep slopes of Koku-zan as the young man made his way nimbly between the rocks and pitfalls, plotting his course with pinpoint accuracy despite the fact most of the landscape was still shrouded in a thick white veil. Though a bitter winter wind whipped around him, teasing at his long, straight hair, he did not falter nor shiver, whistling a soft tune under his breath as he pushed forward with his task.

It would become heavy later, he reflected, casting an experienced eye up at the clouds that hung heavy and grey above his head. The signs were all there that a blizzard was in the offing, yet he did not feel afraid. Snow was as natural an element to him as rainwater to water birds, and ever since he could remember he had loved playing in the soft, cloud-like flakes, gathering them up to throw at his childhood friends, or, as they had grown older, pushing the snow into hard packed blocks to form playhouses and other dens and shelters. The snow was, he knew, just another fact of life for the people who lived in these parts, and as such, he had always held it dear in his heart.

For Kishayi, it was simply another day like any other. Winter was, after all, the longest season in Hokkan, and in the mountains in particular, there was seldom more than four months together when the snow did not fall. On these rare occasions, glimpses of the ebony rock that gave the mountain its true name would be seen, but for the most part Koku-zan was blanketed in a haze of white, giving the mountain a sense of mystique to the people who lived nearby. In the cave at the peak, Kishayi knew that treasures had once been hidden. But to him it was Bali's mountain – the one place in all of the ShijinTenchishou where he and his people were guaranteed safety.

He stepped carefully over the village boundary, bringing his hands together instinctively in a prayer of protection as he glanced at the half-obscured stones. Each of them was marked with a distinctive sign that, as youngsters, he and his fellows had all learnt to read, recite and write before anything else. Though he knew that his people had suffered in the past, now they had had their peace returned. And on Koku-zan more than anywhere, the prayers of gratitude were constantly in men's thoughts.

At the furthest perimeter of the slope was a familiar cluster of pine trees, some heavy with patches of white interspersing their dark, near-black branches. Deep within the centre of these trees, there was a copse so thickly overhung with trees that only a few flakes of snow could penetrate to the ground. These trees had also provided a natural shelter for plants and wildlife alike and deep within this place, Kishayi knew, grew several of the herbs that his people used to fashion both their remedies and their holy offerings to Bali during the winter's coldest time. Although few plants grew on the mountain during the long frozen season, Kishayi and his people had never been afraid of starvation. On the contrary, between their pragmatism in fashioning items for trade in the nearby city of Touran, and their faith in Bali's ongoing protection, noone in the village had suffered even the faintest hint of malnutrition since the settlement had first become established.

Kishayi did not remember that day, but he had grown up with the same values nonetheless. And although he was somewhat fearful of Touran and its many strange things, he was not afraid of snow or anything that cold weather had to bring.

As he slipped carefully through the spiky branches, pushing them back one by one, he reflected ruefully on how he was the only member of his tribe who had ever been able to penetrate the copse properly without suffering scratches to his arms and legs. Although he had never been able to explain it as anything more than good fortune, he had always felt safe among the pine trees, and though some of his fellows had teased him when he had voiced it, he had almost felt as though the trees, too, felt safe in his presence.

It was like some unspoken understanding between him and Bali's natural world. And as a result, ever since Kishayi had turned twelve years old, it had been his chief responsibility to retrieve the herbs from the secret grove.

He knelt down on the ground, carefully spreading out the thick sackcloth he had brought with him for the purpose, as he began to examine the surrounding plants carefully for the best and most vibrant looking leaves. Some, he knew, would be better used fresh, whereas some cures required a more mature leaf, the edges just curling and fading from their original green to a more dusky hue. A few of them were beginning to flower, pushing up brave buds despite the chilly weather, and painstakingly he inspected each and every one of these, too, brushing his fingers against the stems as he made up his mind. Sometimes, he knew, just touching them would persuade the blooms to open up and reveal to him whether or not they contained enough pollen to be useful in a cure for fever or a remedy for pine rash, but he had been doing it for long enough to be able to judge the flowers even when closed.

One day, he told himself firmly, he would follow in Mikoyi-sensei's footsteps and become the physician for the village. But for now, it was enough to know that his mother was proud of his progress, and that his people had faith in him to help select some of the most vital things to their village's survival.

He paused for a moment, a shadow flitting across his gaze as he contemplated his mother. To make her proud of him was his dearest wish, yet he knew that no matter what he did, he could not erase the painful things that had haunted the woman's past. She rarely spoke of it, but just sometimes he would see a faraway look in her amethyst eyes, and he would know that she was remembering the husband and the two sons who she had lost so many years before.

Kishayi had never known his father, nor either of his two elder brothers. His sadness at their absence he knew was only the sadness he felt when that look entered his mother's gaze, and it had always sparked in him a resolve to do his best.

She did not have them any more, after all. But she had him, and no matter what it took, he would make her proud.

He set the herbs down on the sackcloth, counting them carefully as he began to tie the stems together into even bundles. Mikoyi would instruct him on which plants to hang where on his return, but for now it was easier to keep them together in like clumps, ready for transportation back to the village. Though the copse was sheltered, his keen hearing could make out the growing heaviness of the snow shower on the outside, and he got to his feet, tying the ends of the cloth together to make a bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

Though he loved snow, and did not fear it, he also knew when it was foolish to linger in a blizzard.

As he parted the branches to step out into the snow, something bright and white assailed his vision and for a moment he faltered, half-thinking it was some trick of winter sunlight dancing across the white-coated ground. Then, as his vision cleared, he made out the faint form of something in the snow, the bright colours somehow at odds with the bleak, alpine surrounds.

For a moment Kishayi hesitated, then, very slowly, he approached the object, a prickle running down his spine as he drew nearer. It was not a thing at all, he realised, apprehension growing inside of him as he registered the thick mop of curly dark hair, and the pale skin of a human being huddled unconscious against the snow. Fear surged through him as he realised that not only was she human but that she was from Outside. Unlike him, with his ash-pale skin and long silver hair, this stranger's hair was as black as the rock that gave Koku-zan it's name, and more, as he crouched anxiously at her side, he realised that her features were more like the people he had seen in Touran than any of his fellow kin.

His first impulse was to flee but, as he registered the pinched, blue look to her features he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to calm down. She was an Outsider, true enough, and he did not know what her purpose was on his mountain. Yet she was no older than he was, and if he turned his back now, she would surely die of exposure.

"And if I left her to die, I might as well not call myself a Meihi." He muttered under his breath, reaching out a tentative hand to touch her neck. Her skin felt cool and clammy, and as he made contact with it, something odd rushed through his body, leaving him momentarily gasping. At first he did not think she had a pulse, but then, faintly he felt it and somehow this reassurance that at least in this she was the same as him seemed to bolster him. He gathered his resolve once more, then, carefully he slid his hands beneath her still body, lifting her up in his arms.

She did not stir, completely lost in her hypothermic stupor, and Kishayi was surprised at how light she felt, clutched to his body like that. Despite his initial fear, suddenly he knew that he did not want her to die, and that, if anyone would know how to help her, it would be his mentor, Mikoyi.

"So I'll take her back to the village." He resolved. "Bakaru would understand – even though she's from Outside, she needs help. Just like Bali did in the past, helping the traveller…I can't abandon the girl to die. Surely Mikoyi-sensei will know what to do."

He glanced at her, biting his lip as he took in her still, limp form. She was dressed like nothing he had ever seen before, not even among the odd people who populated Touran, and absently he wondered what kind of stranger he had chosen to rescue.

Still, he comforted himself, it wouldn't matter for long. He'd take her back, and then Mikoyi would heal her, and then she'd be sent home. And he would be able to rest easy knowing that he'd done his best to help.

"Hang on a while longer." He murmured, knowing that she probably would not hear him but not wanting to make the walk back in silence. "With Bali's grace we'll help you – so just hold on!"

Hakuinden
Volume One: Rekishi
Owari