When she awoke, Hisa lay on the floor of a sparsely furnished shack. She glanced to her right, finding an elderly woman kneeling beside her. Hisa started, yelping like a puppy at the sight of the smiling face. The old woman silently patted a stack of clean clothes to her left. Hisa nodded, understanding.

"Thank you," she said as the old woman stood and left the room, her footsteps like whispering flower petals. Hisa waited until she was sure she was alone. She breathed in the crisp scent of fresh linen, clean air. She began dressing herself, a tunic, belt...had the elderly woman really bathed her while she was unconscious? The thought sent blood rushing to Hisa's cheeks. She secured the belt, unnecessary panic gripping her when she couldn't find her sword. The elderly woman returned, holding the cleaned sword up for Hisa to take. "I cannot thank you enough," Hisa admitted, bowing low to the woman.

Hisa left the shack, stepping into the dirt road that seemed to run straight through the village. The sun was just rising over the horizon, and as she took in her surroundings, she recognized the scenery, and that meant −

"Hisa!" a female voice hollered.

Hisa turned to see a familiar woman running towards her. Wearing similar garments, Kohana Saito, in all her feminine beauty, stops in front of Hisa, holding out her arms for an embrace.

Hisa obliges, holding her dearest friend.

"I thought I lost you back there," Kohana admitted, brushing pale pink curls from her face. Her grey eyes shone like starlight, and her lovely smile flashed across her features. "So what happened?"

Hisa and Kohana start their way out of town, and Hisa fills her friend in on the events of the past day. Interrupting only to ask questions and the occasional scoff and gasp, Kohana listened intently. When Hisa ceased her tale, Kohana pursed her lips. "Gonna see him again?" she asked, elbowing Hisa in the ribs.

Rubbing at the pain in her side, Hisa smiled deviously. "Yeah, and this time I won't lose to him," she said.

"Not him," Kohana corrected. "Lieutenant Kunji."

"Renji. Renji, Kohana."

"He could be Lieutenant Dirt-Brains, as long as he's cute, ugh!" Kohana's hands fluttered around her hair. "Tattoos, Shinigami, high rank. Didn't bother to ask him to drinks?"

"You know," Hisa said, watching her friend. "You disgust me."

"Oh, don't start that. You gotta find a guy, Hisa. Wandering around by yourself, that's not fun."

Hisa huffed. "Unfortunately, I'm not alone. I have you."

"Wouldn't mind some eye-candy around here," Kohana continued. "Maybe District One will hold some interest for us."

"Just you, Kohana."

The women continued walking along a path that streaked south towards District One. As they walked and Kohana babbled, Hisa couldn't help but remember the help that the Lieutenant had offered her, and had taken her to a safe place to heal. She bet that even if she had struggled, the Lieutenant wouldn't have just left her there. She was grateful, even if she hated to admit it.

It took longer than Hisa would have liked, but by nightfall, they arrived in District One, coming to a bar to enjoy what little social life the women had. By the end of the night, Kohana had drunk too much sake, and, perhaps it was the sake, Hisa thought she saw a flash of red hair out of the corner of her eye.