Extended Prologue: 6 hours later
"Yame…"
Kiku's tired voice tickled her ear.
"Yes?"
"I'm hungry."
Ayame stopped in her tracks. It had been nearly four hours since Kiku had finally woken up from her sedative state. Reaching the small girl off her back and onto the ground she gave her the best smile she could muster.
"Ok, I'll get you something."
They both sat on some old stumps, left long ago by lumberjacks in the forest. Kiku chewed at some stale dumplings and water whilst Ayame sat there silently, contemplating their next move. She had gone without to give Kiku enough food for a while – she hadn't expected to leave this way.
"…Are we ever going to go home?"
A hard question, but she wasn't going to lie to the child, "I… don't know Kiku. Not for a long time."
Kiku looked sad, "Oh…" her small hands clasped at the edge of her kimono, they were shaking, "Yame… where are we going?"
Another hard question, Ayame walked over to Kiku and knelt down to take the delicate, cold hands into her own warm, calloused fingers.
"We're going somewhere safe. We're going to find a new home… far away from everything here."
A few tears slid down Kiku's porcelain cheeks, and Ayame fought her own… her own childhood had been lost but she had spent her life keeping Kiku's in safe, loving tact. But now she saw it crumble and leave Kiku standing there in the rubbles alone. But Ayame would never allow that, she would be there with Kiku until the day she died – her companion, her guardian, her sister.
Reaching to the side of her top she pulled out a small silver bell. Its metal form was still warm and she pressed it to Kiku's chest.
"See. This is home, understand? We'll take our home with us no matter where we go. Lord Gohda will live in our hearts, through our memories. He'll stay with us for as long as we remember him…"
Kiku clasped her own bell in her hands and shakily wiped away the few stray tears that had slipped out. Ayame was always her strength, never once had she seen Ayame cry. Safe, secure in Ayame's embrace she drifted off and she remained asleep as the lulling motion of footsteps carried her and her home through the forest.
