For disclaimer see chapter one.
Neither of the pair had said a word since entering, just sitting across the table wordlessly eating. The fatigue evident in their lethargic movements
The food was edible; she was no real judge of this. Her own stomach had adapted to her cooking a long time ago. She had to conclude it must be, neither of them had protested or keeled over, yet.
The afternoon stretched out until it grew dark once more.
Mousse wordlessly left the house to spend his final night with the other young warriors.
It was hard to let him go, but she knew it had to be done. Even if this night would be far from pleasant for him.
The boy had never experienced jealousy or at least not from the other side. She would leave a spare futon out by the fire.
Akane it appeared had no use for sleep, or speech if it came down to it. She had barely said anything beyond yes , no and please pass the salt.
Something gravely troubled the girl, in her relief she hadn't thought to ask what Mousse had told her.
The presence of another irked her after decades of being alone.
Gently she made the suggestion of sleep to Akane, only to be rebuffed for her efforts; she wondered if taking on a adolescent apprentice was such a good idea, she hadn't had much in the way of practice.
Her first conversation with another woman in years and it had turned heated within a few minutes.
It hadn't taken long for her to be at odds with this girl; at a loss she had tried treating her like Shampoo, which turned out to be a mistake.
Maybe her burden was actually a blessing.
"I'm not going to murder you in your sleep! I have no intention of harming you child."
"I'm not a child"
Pleasant to full anger in less than ten minutes, it turned out Mousse hadn't exaggerated her temper.
"Then don't act like one" Advice she had better take herself,she reflected. Setting this girl up as her enemy would serve no good purpose; a strategic retreat was in order.
The girl could stand there being confrontational but she was going to sit down, it had been a long night and an even longer day. Sitting herself down didn't ease her mind, but it did her feet wonders.
"I've slept enough"
She tried to fill the lull in the argument.
"Why don't you want to sleep, and I would like to get some myself but I can't, you ungrateful reach" Her tiredness was put a grating edge on her voice, she didn't like it much, it was too familiar.
"I don't trust you"
Consoling the girl seemed to be a hopeless task.
"A wise choice, but I mean what I said. I, will. Not. Harm. You."
The stare was impressive, fuelled by agitation. The girl had no good reason to trust anyone here she relented.
"Ranma will come to find me" Akane had faith in the dishonourable boy she'd allow him that.
"That he might, but I doubt it"
"You can't keep me here"
"There's the door Akane, but if Cologne or the others find you. You'll be dead before sundown tomorrow"
She bristled against the comment that had touched a raw nerve for some reason.
"I'm not defenceless. I'm a daughter of the Tendo dojo and a martial artist I can take care of myself"
"Against every single one you might come across out there Akane? "
She stopped halfway to the door.
"I still don't trust you" Akane was at near breaking point. The poor fool had thought they were all friends, Mousse considered her so but the others, it was a pity really. She made a mental note to hide Mousses letters, there were a few other things the girl should find out, but not while she was this fragile.
"I'm not asking you to trust me. Fine stay awake, be nice to have some company on watch, but first tell me this. What do you want?"
"I want answers"
Smart child, the cock of a smile tugged at her lips again, she raised an eyebrow in question.
"Good answer, if lacking in specifics. What do you want to know?"
Akane paused considering the question "I don't even know your name, what is it"
She nodded to the adjacent futon for Akane to join her. "Would you trust me, if I told you?"
Looking downcast she sorrowfully answered "No"
"Good Akane your learning. Don't trust anyone here; especially if they ask you to, everyone has their own agenda"
Akane was close to crying, her trusting nature had taken a battering from recent events "It's not a good thing."she whisphered trying to hold back tears "Are you going to tell me"
"I no longer have a name, I was banished.I have been for a long time, In your tongue what they would call me is the forgotten dead, or nameless one"
Akane looked up expectantly "You must have had one once"
"It's been so long I've forgotten it, I don't think anyone remembers it" She was brash in her reply but the girls expression made her change her mind, who was she going to tell anyway
"By them I was called. No not any more,"Her earring sparkled in her hand against the darkness, it was still as beautiful as the day she received it
"Sophie. I'm called Sophie. He always said I looked like a Sophie"
Akane's voice drifted through the fog of memories "You speak good Japanese."
"I've traveled"She could no longer take her eyes off that small thing, it had been so long since she had thought on it.
"I'm tired take the first watch Akane. Hide if you hear anything suspicious"