Chapter Three

They woke to whispered female voices and the sounds of a kitchen, they heard all this but saw none of it they were blind. Kyo growled, Benitora whimpered, and Kyoshiro sat quietly.

"Their awake!" called a soft voice next to Kyoshiro's ear. Automatically he turned blind eyes to the voice. He faintly heard a book closing and felt fabric brush by his hand. Benitora was to his right and he guessed Kyo to be at the end. There was heat before them and he supposed that they had been propped up against the table in front of the fire.

"Get them some water Mahiro," Said the same voice that had been beside Kyoshiro.

"What's going on?" growled Kyo.

"Wait a moment and we'll explain," Said the voice again.

They heard faint bustling about and then the three were served water each by a different hand. When they had drunk their fill the cups were removed, for Kyoshiro and Benitora anyway, Kyo on the other hands was being troublesome.

He didn't want to drink, he wanted answers and was going to make things difficult until he got what he wanted. He refused to drink and allowed a few drops of the sweetened water to drip down his chin. His hands were free but he didn't have a grasp on the area and there could be more people then the three in front of them.

"Damn it," whispered a fierce voice and a hand as calloused as his quickly wiped away the stray drops. "Just drink, it's not poisoned damn it," Kyo snarled but the cup was shoved into his mouth the moment his lips parted. The water was slipped past his teeth and he swallowed. The woman sighed triumphantly and wiping away any left over water pulled back.

"Now that you've had something to drink what do you want to know?" said the voice again.

"What the hell happened to us?" asked Kyo, him being the undisputed leader.

"You're blind."

"Obviously, but how did we become blind?" he snarled at the half answer.

The voice sighed, "It's a side effect of the curse. Any one who enters this clearing is blinded."

"Why?"

"To keep us here," She answered.

Kyo growled low in his throat and Kyoshiro cleared his throat drawing attention to him so that he might continue.

"Let me introduce ourselves first, my name is Kyoshiro, my brothers - Benitora and you've been speaking with Kyo." Benitora nodded and shuffled, Kyo snarled. "Why are you being kept here? And by who?" his voice was much softer and calming compared to Kyo's short growled demands.

"We are the daughters of a powerful man. These are my sisters Mahiro, Yuya and I am Sakuya." Mahiro greeted sightless guests and Yuya grumbled. "Our father did not want his land to be taken and he cursed us to live out our lives here unless three men were to save us."

"We had hoped that you three would be it," said Yuya who was before Kyo. Her voice was different, it was edgy, it was angry and most of all it was just as demanding.

"Why would he do that?" questioned Kyoshiro.

"Our father is a jealous man," answered Sakuya. "He had met with numerous offers of marriage but he refused, so to stop them from coming we were sent here."

"Who is your father?"

"We cannot say we are silenced the moment we speak his name."

"What can we do to help?" begged Kyoshiro, the Sakuya's voice was practically begging for help and Kyoshiro never backed down from giving someone help.

"There are three tasks. One to find a thousand pearls hidden in a field of moss. The other to find the key to a chest that holds our true identities. And the final one is to live under our roof and be able to tell the one sister from all the others. All of this within one season."

"We have to do all that blind?" questioned Benitora finally coming into the conversation. Mahiro placed a gentle hand on his knee and said, "I'm sorry I know it's a task that you will not take. We can take you back to the forest and send you on your way." Her voice was reserved and quiet; obviously they had been disappointed before.

"No!" Benitora cried, "I want to help!"

"What about Lord Nobunaga?" asked Kyoshiro.

"He's expecting us, we have to leave." answered Kyo, he stumbled to his feet and Yuya's hands steadied him. Her hands were small and her nails blunt, he faintly felt her breath against his chest she was no higher then his breastbone.

"I told you they wouldn't have stayed. We should have just taken them back and not have to go through all this." She snarled fiercely.

"Calm down Yuya. I know you were against it, but Mahiro and I needed to try."

"Fine then next time you drag their asses into the house Sakuya, I'm not interested." With that Yuya shoved Kyo into the bench behind him and stormed off.

"I'm sorry about her. Yuya hasn't been happy about this curse."

"I wouldn't expect her to be." replied Kyoshiro, his hand reaching out to Sakuya. She took his hand gracefully in her softer ones and said, "come we'll walk you to the edge of the forest. But once you step past the barrier you cannot look back." she warned.

Mahiro took both Benitora and Kyo and followed her sister. Benitora looped his arm around Mahiro and felt sorrow at their departing. Once at the edge Sakuya gave her warning again and gently pushed the three into the shade. Instantly their sight returned, Kyoshiro and Benitora fought the urge to look back, they glanced at each other but followed Kyo's stalking back.