Chihiro entered the palace doors sopping wet. Despite Jinsoku's speed, they hadn't been able to outrun the storm on the way back. She thought about her conversation with the fox spirit. Feelings she'd long repressed welled up in her, threatening to tear her apart. She wouldn't let those feelings beat her today though. Gathering herself together, she called out for a servant. A weasel approached, her fur a glossy brown. Another twinge of sadness filled Chihiro, thinking of Rin, but she shoved that feeling aside. "I need a change of clothes, and a screen, immediately please."
"Of course, mistress," the weasel answered, and slipped away. Chihiro almost laughed. If only her friends could see her now. She finally allowed herself to think about the chain of events which had led her to this point. For six years of her life, she'd led a mostly normal human life. Sure, she had a "big imagination", as her parents put it, but she kept her secret well, hiding her thoughts and memories in a journal. Then their house had gone down in flames, with her parents in it. That was a huge blow. Knowing that because she still wasn't technically an adult, Chihiro had known that her only options were to run or be put into the system. She ran. Her goal was to go back through that tunnel she'd traveled when she was ten, but the way had been blocked. So for two and a half years she tried to figure out if there was somewhere else that had a portal. She finally found one quite by accident, in a Japanese garden. When she popped out in the spirit world, nothing was familiar. It was by chance, or perhaps fate, which led her to the palace. Princess Tejina had been kind and taken Chihiro in, and even offered the human work for food and a place to stay. Still, Chihiro was fearful that perhaps Yubaba wouldn't appreciate her presence if the witch found out she was here, so she made a name for herself, one that had a secret meaning to her.
Of all the spirits she longed to see, HE was foremost in her mind. But she'd seen neither hide nor hair of him in the three years she'd been apprenticed to the Princess enchanter. She hadn't had time to go look for him either though, and it's not as if he knew she was here...at least she didn't see how he could know she was here. If he'd known, he would have surely come, wouldn't he? Despite the doubts that plagued her regarding the mysterious Haku, she still held his memory tightly in her heart. Strange that her affections for him had not only stuck with her all these years, but had blossomed into full blown infatuation. Yet she couldn't rid herself of her feelings, so she simply lived day to day, burying her love inside. It wouldn't do to be distracted while she worked, after all. The weasel returned with the set of clothes, and another servant brought a screen. Chihiro thanked them, and dressed hastily, then went to see the Princess.
Princess Tejina was an enchantress of exceptional talent, but she was no sorceress. Her appearance was that of a tall, willowy woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. Chihiro had no idea what kind of spirit she really was, but she didn't care either. The Princess had been kind to her when she could have easily killed her, or worse. Chihiro entered through some gossamer curtains to where the Princess resided most of the time. Instead of a rich throne with outlandish comforts, the area looked more like a workshop, with shelving, tables, tools, and accoutrements such as one would find for an enchanter. This area gave Chihiro a sense of peace because it reminded her of Kamaji's boiler room. There was even a furnace, though it wasn't nearly as large as the one at the bathhouse. Tejina was bent over a large kettle, stirring. "Good evening, my Lady, I've come back from delivery," Chihiro told her, handing over the coin purse. Chihiro never kept the tips for herself. She had everything she could possibly want, material-wise.
"Ah, RyusÄchi! Did you get caught in the rain?" The Princess asked as she dropped the purse onto the bench next to her. That was another thing Chihiro liked about the woman, that the only reason Tejina did this work was because she enjoyed it. Chihiro enjoyed enchanting as well, for she had learned under the Princess, and had in fact gotten quite good at it, despite the fact that she was human.
"Only a little, my Lady. What are you working on now?"
"Tch, how many times do I have to ask you to call me Tejina?"
"At least a dozen more," grinned Chihiro. "You know it wouldn't do for the other servants to see an employee being so informal."
"Hmmm, that doesn't mean I have to like it. To answer your question, though, I'm putting together some ingredients for a pretty powerful enchantment, going to an infamous witch. She wants the perimeter of her establishment sprinkled with a barrier spell, meant to keep out demons. Apparently, she's been having issues with some of the foul creatures trying to enter."
"Shouldn't a powerful witch be able to put up a barrier strong enough to keep out such things?"
"Normally, yes, but she thinks there may be someone on the inside, so to speak, who is helping to weaken her barrier."
"So she's hoping that another barrier spell, made by the most powerful enchantress, will make her establishment impervious."
"That's the idea," Tejina replied brightly. Then the Princess turned and Chihiro saw concern in the woman's eyes.
"What is it, are you alright?"
"I'm not going to lie to you...if you weren't in my employ, I'd be worried about you going to do this particular errand. This witch is temperamental, and has been known to turn humans into pigs."
Chihiro shifted uneasily but she thought that surely Yubaba couldn't be the only witch who didn't warm up to humans. "What would you have me do?"
"Just be careful. Watch your tongue and be especially respectful." Tejina smiled and said, "Im sure you'll be fine. Jinsoku will lead you to your destination, though since this will be a long journey, I implore you to stop somewhere for the evening. You will have money for food and board. Unlike our usual deliveries, you will need to stay and assist with the spell until the witch is satisfied with the results, so I don't expect you to rush back. Also, you might want to take a small gift for her, to smooth over any potential disagreements. Now, why don't you rest in your room tonight, then start off early in the morning. I'm sure the storm will be gone by then."