Scorpion walked thought the makeshift camp of about thirty women and two burly guards. He was not intimidated by their size, however, even as they tried their hardest to force him into spontaneous combustion with their glares. Scorpion smirked, if only they knew.
Fifteen or less temporary lean-to's in two rows made a path as he headed toward the girl he was charged with protecting for the next four odd months. Some of the older, wiser woman shied at his approach, grabbing a few scrawny teenage girls to follow them to a safety their wizened brains knew came from nothing but distance from this stranger in their midst. The girl, he saw, was made aware of his presence by an wrinkled old crone, who had the nerve to point a shriveled finger in his direction. She turned to see him and smiled.
Scorpion stopped in his tracks. What? A smile? When was the last time anyone had smiled at him? Did this girl even know who he was, how many people had torn apart with only his hands? Surely she was screwy.
He almost took a step back as she made a beeline for him, that damn smile still plastered on her face.
"I thought I was going crazy..." She said as she stopped in front of him. So that explained it, she was outright demented. When Scorpion said nothing, she continued "Noone believed me" She frowned "I knew you were coming for me, I told the women of my dreams of the one called Liu, the need I felt to go to him. Are you here to take me to him?" Her eyes, green in the light of the forest, pleaded with him. For this truth, this longing in her to be fulfilled. He looked around again, noticing the ordinary faces, the common clothing, this life of repetitive nothingness that didn't seem to fit on the face of this girl standing before him. Suddenly he could almost see what Raiden saw in her. She was not born into this life. The monotonous repetition of daily tasks expected of women. No, she was made for something more. Now that he thought about it, she stood out here, among these people. He couldn't bring to mind a single face he had passed on the way through this camp. They all blended together in a blur of brown, flat colors and a meaningless life not fit to be remembered past a spoken eulogy. She was meant for something greater than this. And he would deliver her to that life. His quest had great purpose suddenly, and with that realization he felt the need to speak to her.
"We leave now" He said.
Nodding, she stood a little straighter, lips set in a thin line of firm resolve. She was prepared, he saw, waiting for this day like the other women waited for grain to ripen. He watched as she approached a few of the women, hugged a young girl and then ducked into a tent. When she reemerged, carrying a satchel and a walking stick, she passed the other women without a word.
He made his way out of the camp and she followed, silently. He headed North.