I grumbled as I brushed my hair out. Dawn had not yet arrived, but I was awake. My chores demanded that I rise early. I looked out the window into the Monastery courtyard. Everything was still. It would be at least another hour before anything scurried across the courtyard. As it was, it was too cold for anything, even an ice mouse, to be outside. Everything had yet to wake. Last night, just after I put Konomi to bed, Wu bought another person back. He looked the most like the other people who lived here, aside from the blue eyes and blonde hair. He was very tall, taller than Cole was by about three inches. I believe he called himself Zane. His eyes held a profound mystery, as if there was something inside him that he didn't even know about himself. He was an eerie kind of lovely. I don't know how to properly describe him. Already I knew he was strange, maybe even wrong, like the kids born to mothers who had gotten sick during their pregnancies. Wu tells me not to call them wrong children, but I don't know what else to say. Wrong is much more merciful than the word we call them in Kahnan. The people around me refer to them as 'benrui'. There is no English equal, and I don't want to try and describe it.

Sensei Wu told me that he thought that Zane was the elemental Master of Ice. From what I had observed so far, the Element suited him well. He looked like the embodiment of a gentle winter. His eyes were the color of ice, and his hair was nearly white. I wasn't sure if the color was natural, it didn't look like it was. He also had very pale skin, almost more than mine, but not quite. Perhaps it was out of shyness, but he seemed very solemn last night. He hardly spoke a word to anyone, not even Jay could get him to speak. I did notice though that when I spoke Kahnan, he seemed to listen intently, like he knew what I was saying. He always seemed on the verge of speaking, but didn't speak a word last night. He was completely and utterly silent. However, in his silence, one could easily hear what he had to say. His face was expressive if you paid attention.

After I had done up my hair in a way to keep it out of my face, I lit a match for my lantern. Once lit, I walked as silently as I could to the room Wu had converted to a makeshift hospital room for me. I kept all of my supplies there. It was the smallest room in the Monastery, but it was enough. Cole had helped me put up more shelves to fit more supplies. I walked around the room, lighting candles as I went. Even though the rest of the world lived in one of comfort, technology, electricity, we did not. Here in Heian, were primitive; we lacked what others saw as common. Most of Heian lacked things like electricity, running water and heat. We survived through will power, and for some, by doing some nasty, horrendous things…. At one time, so Wu tells me, Garmadon was a commanding presence here, before he was cursed at least. Most of the town in those days loved and respected him and he did the same. But then he went off to train under Chen, and everything went sour. It was actually around the time that Garmadon was cursed that Heian's downfall began. Not all of Heian is bad though. Wu was born here, and he's overseen the downfall of this country for longer than I have been alive. He's not a bad man, the entire village respects him, except for my mother of course. If it has anything to do with me, she does not like it. Then there's my father. He was the best blacksmith anyone in the village had ever seen. He was also a less than talented apothecary. Everyone wanted to see him, not because of his talent, but because of his gentle and warm demeanor. There wasn't a human alive that my father couldn't calm down. I got all of my good qualities from him

When I had lit all of the candles that had been mounted on the walls, I got to work. Harvest started yesterday, and that meant I had to do much more. Right now, I was working on drying and preserving some of my herbs so that I would not run out in the winter and early spring. I wasn't even done harvesting quite yet, some of what I was growing still needed time. Even in here I was growing herbs and other plants. I had an aloe vera plant that Wu had brought back for me from a past trip, a personal rosemary plant and a tiny cactus that would give fruit in early spring. I had more of course, but I honestly don't think I have time to list them all, and besides that would be very tedious on your part. Trust me, you don't want to know.

I knew for certain that I was running low on tomaka oil. I couldn't do much about that, the flowers I was growing hadn't bloomed yet. They bloom right before the first snowfall. I still had a good while to go. I didn't know how I'd make it last, I used it as a base for almost everything. Tomaka oil wasn't used for preserving like alcohol, instead, it is used to extract the medicinal properties from dried plants. So it's serious when I run low on them.

Just as I had prepared myself to work, I heard soft, quick footfalls, and turned to see who it was. In the doorway, Konomi was peering just past the doorway. His big brown eyes watching me closely. "Mama," He whispered quickly.

"Yeah, Koi?" I say just as quietly. "What do you need?"

"I'm hungry!" He said. "I want breakfast!"

"Can you wait?" I asked. "Mom's a bit-"

"Please?" Konomi begged. "I'm hungry!"

I sigh. Konomi was so much like his father. Just as insistent, and relentless. "Okay, Koi, come on." I say reaching for his hand. Even though he was six, and constantly proclaimed that he was, in fact, a 'big boy', he still liked to hold my hand. I certainly wasn't complaining. I wanted my only son to want to be close to me forever. Konomi was my driving force, my reason for living.

We quietly crept into the kitchen and I began making Konomi, my little Koi, some breakfast. Ever since Cole got here, Wu and I had stopped eating traditional Heianian foods, and switched over to things that he, and Jay prefered. But today was my turn to cook. I would make something traditional weather they liked it or not!

But we had no food.

When did I forget to go get food? When did I forget to trade? I quickly went back in my room and checked how much money I had.

I had none.

Usually, I had money socked away from the poorer people who would come to me for healing. My mother is an apothecary, but she doesn't like people. She's an apothecary because her mother and father were, and they forced her. It's obvious that she hates her job. But she and I are the only two left. People would rather go to a heartless beast than a family disgrace. People would only come to me if they had no other choice and really didn't want to die. I was alright with that. Money is money, and I have a son to provide for. I sigh dejectedly and look at Konomi. "Breakfast is going to have to wait, Koi."

He whined, throwing his head back. "Why?" He said in a growlish sort of tone.

"Because we don't have any food. I'm going to have to go get some today. Tell you what, Koi," I said. "Go outside and see if Kocha and Misi have laid any eggs. If you get back inside before anyone else wakes up, whatever eggs they laid you can have." Konomi ran out the door so fast, I don't think I've ever seen him move that quickly.

He came back in excitedly, holding three large chicken eggs in his hand. "Misi laid three today!" Just then, the door to my left slid open and Cole stepped through it. Konomi groaned. "Do I have to share?"

"Not this time. I told you that if you got back in before anyone else came out, you'd get all the eggs. Cole came out after you got back."

"Yes!"

I don't know where Konomi got his desire for food. He'd never once gone to bed hungry except for the night I first brought him here. But regardless of that, Konomi was always careful with his food, sometimes he would preserve it. He never did it quite right, but he always got close. Though I am also at a loss as to where he learned to preserve food, I mean honestly, he's six years old. I know for a fact no one in the village would have taught him, children of a disgrace are just as bad as the disgrace itself. But he does it anyway, and proves to everyone that he is a weird little kid. This place doesn't like weird. My entire family, by that I mean my husband, son and myself, have always been looked down upon. I could have prevented all of that. I could have lived a beautiful life with a man my father chose for me, a life of peace, one where I wouldn't worry where my next meal would come from, or when… But nope, I eloped with a rehomed street urchin. I've wondered for a while if Konomi might have gotten his desire to keep food safe from his father. He was always preserving things like potatoes, carrots, peppers and meat. He was always scared of going hungry. But I still don't know where Konomi would have learned to do it, his father was gone long before he was born.

So I cooked Konomi's breakfast and the moment I was done, the eggs were gone. Konomi seemed to be hungry all the time. Even after we had just had a large meal, he'd ask for something to eat. The weird thing is he never seemed to gain weight. Ever. But that was okay. He never really lost weight either, so I didn't mind.

"So what was that about?" Cole asked, stretching.

"Hm? Oh… Konomi was hungry. I say if he goes to get Misi ci- I mean and Kocha's eggs, he gets them."

Even though my English was still horrendous, Cole picked up enough to understand. "Anything left?" He asked. I shook my head.

"No food," I sighed.

Cole sighed back. Like Konomi, I knew Cole loved food. Though unlike Konomi, Cole ate in excess. Observing him, I could tell it was from nervousness or stress. He didn't eat all the time, but when he was upset, he ate like there was no tomorrow. But he worked so hard, he rarely gained weight, so I never worried about him getting sick. "So when are we going to go get more?"

"No we." I said. "Too dangerous for you to go, you stay." I said. "When Wu is up, I go."

"Why's it too dangerous?"

"Village no like you. They might hurt you." I said, trying to piece together a sentence.

"I'm strong though. I can take 'em." He said patting his flexed arm.

I shook my head, smiling. "Won't let you." I said. "Stay here."

"Fine." He said with a playful sigh. "Guess I'll just have to throw Jay around today during training."

"I'd rather you not throw Jay around during training." Jay said walking out to greet us. "So what's for breakfast today?"

"Air." Cole said. "We're out of food."

"How did we run out of food?"

"Forgot to buy some." I said raising my hand. "I go to buy some when Wu is up."

Jay just shrugged. "Hey, Cole." Jay started.

"Yeah?"

"I've been thinking all night about how we can prank Zane to wake him up. Wanna join?" He said maniacally rubbing his hands together.

"No," I said. "No jokes. Leave Zane be."

"Aw, Kiyuo! Please?"

"No." I said simply. "Make Zane feel welcome. He is…." For a moment I forgot the plural English word for you. "Your! Your, brother."

Jay and Cole exchanged amused glances as I struggled for words. Jay said something quietly to Cole, covering his mouth so I couldn't see what he said. Cole broke out in a cackle that scared the life out of me. "What did he say?" I ask.

Cole shook his head and waved his hand, like that would blow the comment away. "Just something stupid." He said shooting Jay a playful stare.

For a while, we continue to talk. We shared jokes, talked about their training and about what might happen next. Wu told me that Zane was the final apprentice he would take on, which relieved me. After a while, I left Jay and Cole to talk and. went about my chores and responsibilities. I cleaned the kitchen and scrubbed the floor. Jay and Cole had been in the kitchen for less than 10 minutes and yet, it was a mess. I swept the floors around the rest of the monastery and I cleaned up the room that Konomi and I shared. When Wu finally woke up, I jumped at the chance to go get food. "We ran out?"

"Yes, we did." I said. "I don't know how I let it happen, I guess I've just been so busy, and I-"

"Slow down, Kiyuo." Wu said. "You are busy, and our guests are pigs to say the least." He said. "Calm down, it's okay. You've been providing for us for a good while, but now that no one is willing to come to you, you can't. Don't worry. You know I have a small, but steady income. It should be enough for now."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Wu said reassuringly. "Take this, go get some more." He said dropping coins into my hand.

I nodded, taking a deep breath and went. I went back to the room that Konomi and I shared, I grabbed my satchel and my coat. Winter was approaching, and I began wondering how we'd make it on Wu's meager income. People tended to get injured during Heian's long, brutal winters, perhaps I would begin gaining back what I had lost.

As I gathered my things, Konomi came running into the room. "You're going to town?" He asked, his voice excited.

I rarely let Konomi venture into Jamanekai Village. The people there treated him like he was Okar spawn. Okar is the patron of the disgraced, the evil, his wife the patron of murderers and thieves. Our home does not take kindly to those who fall under their rule. Because of this, I rarely let my son come with me. "Yes, I am."

"Can I go this time?" He begged, running to the edge of the bed. "I wanna go! I wanna go! I saved up money by selling fish!"

"You've been selling fish? Where are you getting fish?"

"Cole and I have been going fishing!" Of course. Cole and Konomi had grown very close since his arrival. "It's almost Omso! I want to buy an offering for my dad!"

I opened my mouth to speak and then closed it again. "Konomi, you never even knew your father."

"But he's an ancestor!"

"I don't even know if he's dead. For all I know he's out there living a happy life with a new wife and a new son."

"You don't want me to offer?"

"Yes, I want you to offer! Are you insane?" I said rustling his hair. "Offer to your grandfather instead. There are two things about him that are absolutely true. One, he lived a great life, was a good man and took care of all those who came to him. Secondly, he's dead." The last part made Konomi chuckle. "You're only supposed to offer to Rikani and family who have passed."

Konomi nodded. He was young. In time he'd learn to celebrate properly… It was about time I taught him. "Koi, you know how dangerous the village is for you." I said.

"I know," He sighed.

I looked at him, and felt terrible for making him stay. I glanced around. "What would you say if I had Cole go with us?" I said looking down at him. I knew exactly how dangerous it was for Cole to accompany us. I would look like a fool asking him if he wanted to go so quickly after I told him he had to stay.

"AH! Really? Cole too! This is going to be-" I assume he said "amazing" or "great" but he ran out of the room so quickly that I didn't hear the end of his sentence. In about 0.5 he was back, dragging Cole behind him.

"What's happening? He was talking so quickly I couldn't catch everything." Cole said quickly.

"Told Koi if you go to town, he can go too." Cole nodded in understanding. "Want to go with us?" I asked. "You don't have to."

"But I thought it was too dangerous for someone like me to go into town!" He bent over me -he was so freaking tall- jokingly mocking me.

"I know," I sighed. "I know what I said. But he," I said nodding toward Konomi. "Wants to go. You can protect us."

Cole looked at my son and grinned. He loved Konomi. One day, he'd make an excellent father. "Sure!" He said. "I'll go, if you think it's going to help."

"It will!" Konomi said brightly.

"You just want to go get candy." Cole smiled and tousled his hair. Konomi tried swatting his hand away. Cole chuckled. "But I have better intentions. I get out of training!" He cheered. I giggled. "When do we go?"

"Now." I said. "Coat, shoes. Hurry." I said calmly.

The two nodded, and Konomi took off running. Cole walked out of the room whistling, his hands on his head. I walked behind him a ways and collected my thoughts. Going to the village put my life, Cole's life and Konomi's life in danger. I don't know how the people will react. They never do the same thing twice. They're unruly and unpredictable. I had warned Konomi countless times of the danger. He knew, but didn't care. I slipped on my shoes and coat as I walked out the door. Jay saw us leaving. "Hey! Where are you going?"

"Into town." Cole said simply.

"Really? Can I go?"

"No!" We heard Sensei Wu cry from across the courtyard.

"Why not?" Jay yelled back. "Cole gets to go!"

"Cole," Wu said poking his head out of the door on the opposite side of the monastery "Is double your size and triple your strength. He is going to protect Kiyuo." He then noticed Konomi. "Are you taking him too?"

"Yes." I said. "I think Cole will be able to take care of us both!" I said quickly in Kahnan.

"Don't worry, Sensei! I'm tough!" Cole said flexing his arms. I looked at Konomi, who was laughing.

Zane peered out of one of the sliding doors, his face blank. Even through the blankness, his eyes shimmered. "Be safe!" He called. It took me a moment to realize that he'd spoken in Kahnan.

"Thank you! Train hard, Zane!"

A minute smile appeared on his face as he nodded. Then we all turned to leave and made the tedious journey to the village. We talked and laughed on our way down, sharing jokes and stories. When we reached the bottom of the mountain, I turned sharply to the left, as that was where my garden plot was. It certainly wasn't the most fertile, or the biggest producer of food, but like I said, if I worked hard, it provided what we needed. I made the short trip from the main path to the field, Konomi and Cole in tow. When I reached the field, I was horrified by what I saw.

The little field had been destroyed. Bits of fruit and leaves lay scattered across the dirt. That was going to provide me my winter store. Everything was gone. "What happened?" Konomi murmured.

"Someone's ruined it…" I said.

"Surprised?" I heard someone call from behind me.

I turned to see one of the most detestable humans on the face of the planet. "What did you do, Kai?" I snapped, trying to keep my anger at bay.

The smug look on his face told me just how much joy he took in seeing my anger. "Not surprised to see you and your kiami of a son down here groveling in the dust."

"I'm not a-"

"Konomi, shush!" I said pulling him behind me. "He is not a kiami. My son is-"

"The son of a deserter, an iama."

"You don't know anything about him!"

"I know enough," He said, running his hand through his dark brown hair. "That beast of an urchin couldn't do anything for you and up and left when he realized that."

"He loved me! That's more than I can say about you! Your own parents hated you so much that they up and abandoned you and your sister!"

Kai's lip curled in a snarl. "They didn't abandon us!"

"I know they did!" I snapped

Kai's face darkened into a scowl. He began rushing towards me. "You son of a b-"

"Okay! Enough!" After a few moments of sitting idly by, Cole leaped in and shielded me behind him.

"Get out of the way, you ugly thing! It's no surprise that a gross creature like you would be protecting something as useless as her! Evil has to stick together!" Kai waved his hands rapidly. He hadn't stopped to think if Cole could even understand him. Cole glanced back at me, giving a questioning look.

"Insulting you." I said gesturing toward Kai.

Cole looked back at Kai. He should have intimidated, but he just kept yelling. "That's enough!" Cole roared, finally starting to get angry. Kai flinched, but quickly regained his composure. He began walking toward Cole, but Cole firmly pushed him back.

Kai recoiled at his touch. He certainly wasn't scared of getting every last wisp of breath beaten from his lungs; he almost looked as though he was afraid that the color of Cole's skin was contagious. "Don't touch me, beast!"

I weaved around Cole and pushed him back. "He is not a beast! Do not insult him! He," I said motioning to Cole. Cole attempted to grab my wrist and pull me back, but Cole was never a quick person. "Is more of a man than you could ever be! All you'll be is the the son of a dead traitor!"

Smack!

I didn't even see him swing. I didn't even see Kai move, but I know it was him that hit me. "You don't know anything about my father. I don't even know anything about my father!" He spat. "I have his legacy, and I will carry it. And you? What about you? You could have been something great, just like your mother-"

"If my mother is what this place considers great, than I want no part of it!" I looked Kai up and down. "I could be worse. At least I know my father loved me!"

Smack!

Man, I wasn't making this easy on myself. "Kiyuo stop!" Cole finally got a hold on my wrist. "We need to leave!"

"Fine." I said surrendering. With that, I let Cole step in front of me. He gave Kai a look of ice and fire together. For only a moment, there was fear in his eyes. Even so, he did not back down. I grabbed my son and pushed him along in front of me.

Once we were out of earshot and back on the path into town, the first words Konomi uttered were: "Kai's a bitch, mom!" In English no less!

"Konomi!" I snapped. Cole tried not to laugh, his lips struggling to keep from smiling.

"He is not wrong," Cole said after a few long moments, finally allowing himself to laugh.

To be completely honest, I didn't even know exactly what that meant, but I knew it was an insult and a vulgar one at that. I caught Cole try to give Konomi a low five without me noticing. I decided not to say anything.

So where was Nya in all of this? Had she helped Kai destroy that plot, or was it just him She was Kai's younger sister. She had a mindset similar to Kai's but she was not as cruel. Sure, she'd been one root of my misery, but Kai was far, far worse. Just as I was about to slip into deep thought, Cole spoke. "So what do we have to get first?"

"Greens," I said quietly. My cheek began to ache.

"You okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine, this is normal."

"This is normal?" Cole stopped short for a moment.

I nodded. "Time I came into town before this, I got punched, not smacked."

Cole was visibly upset. He looked like he might sucker punch the next person that walked past him. "Back home, women are not treated like this."

"Not just me," I said. "Many, many people." I breathed.

We were nearing the village. I began hardening myself. I told myself to remain expressionless, calm and quiet. I took Konomi's hand.

When we passed into the village, we were immediately met with stares, scowls and faces of awe. People -men in particular- began approaching us and mocked us. They followed us, taunted us, a few spat on us. "I'm going to kill someone," Cole growled quietly.

"Just keep walking, this always happens."

Just as we were about to cross into the marketplace, someone snatched Konomi and threw him to the ground. One man held him firmly, another began picking up large stones and prepared to throw them at Konomi. Hysterically, my son began screaming, and begged them to let him go. The man had time to throw only two stones before Cole had thrown the two men across the walkway. Fast as lightning, the two men were replaced and launched themselves at Cole, landing punches on him. One grabbed him, but Cole pushed him back and sent him tumbling. Fast as he could, Cole picked Konomi up and held him tight. We took off running, my son sobbing in his arms.

"Come on, Kiyuo!" My father called. "We have to go to market and find some things for mom!"

I looked up from my game with my only friend, Isara. "But dad! I was about to win!"

"There might be a treat involved if you go!" I looked back at Isara.

"Share, okay!" She giggled.

I got up and scurried to my father's side. Even though I was 12, I still wanted to hold onto my father. "I will!" And with that, we turned to leave.

The walk to the marketplace was a short one. We had lived close to it for my entire life, and my father and I went and walked around it almost daily. "What were you and Isara giggling about back there?"

"Her mom's having another baby," I said.

"That's funny to you two?" He smiled, raising one eyebrow.

"We were talking about getting married."

"Ah," My father chuckled. This hadn't been the first time I'd mentioned this to him. I never talked about 'girly' things with mom, only my father. "Silly girl, that's a ways off yet."

"I know, but I really want it!" I said squeezing his hand tighter.

"Every girl does until they have it."

"Even mom?"

"Especially her!" With that, we laughed. My father hadn't ever really deeply loved my mother, but he did love me, and we were inseparable.

When we walked into the market, we had to squeeze past other people. Something was going on. We could hear shouting at the front of the throng, but I knew dad didn't want to go that way. He began pulling me in a different direction.

But I wanted to see.

I let go of his hand, and slipped backwards into the the crowd. "Kiyuo?" My father turned immediately, and for only a second our eyes locked before I slinked off to my left.

My father tried to catch up to me, but I was smaller and quicker. I was at the front in no time. I couldn't see past the people in front of me, so I had to squat down and look between their legs. I watched as a boy my age knelt before a guard who was armed with a whip. The guard was announcing his crime to the crowd. This was typical, Jamanekai always watched whippings and executions. Any form of public punishment was watched. This boy in particular had attempted to steal something -the guard hadn't mentioned what- and was going to be whipped fifteen times for it. I examined him closely. His shirt had been torn off and his wrists were bound behind his back. His ribes showed, he obviously hadn't been properly eating. His face was hidden by his shoulder length hair.

The punishment ensued. The cracking of a whip merged with the bitter howls that escaped the boy's lungs. It ended faster than I thought it would. As the crowd began to wane, an man -perhaps the boy's father- walked up to him and stood him up. The boy could barely stand, his face was pale, even more so than snow. His brown eyes were hysteric and scared. I then realized something. He would be coming to my home soon for treatment. I would be healing this boy.

I sprinted home as fast as I could, darting past my father in the process. I got home before he did. "Mom! Mom! Someone got whipped!" I cried running through the door of our house, completely ignoring Isara in the yard.

"What?"

"Someone got whipped! We have to get ready for him!"

She sighed. She'd always hated her job, and by this time, I was doing a lot of it. This was something she'd leave for me to heal. She'd watch of course, but if she didn't have to intervene, she wouldn't. She walked past me, and got to work. We unfolded a table for our medicine, and unrolled a mat to lay the boy on. Only moments later, he was being carried through the door of our home. He was brought into our small room and laid face down on the mat. I washed my hands in a little bucket of water nearby and set out. His back was covered in irritated open wounds, blood flowed freely. I first removed all of the debris that made its way into the slices in his skin. Then I grabbed a small bucket from the table. I also grabbed a branch. "Bite down on this," I said calmly to the boy. "It's going to hurt, but it will pass quickly."

The boy didn't say anything, only bit down on the branch. I took a brush and dipped into the oily green contents of the bucket. I then began spreading the liquid across the boy's back. He let out a sharp gasp and bit down hard on the stick. I continued until my mother stopped me. "You're not good enough at stitches to do this," She said and shooed me off.

About an hour later, my mother exited the room, carrying some bloodied supplies. I walked quietly over to the baskets in the back room and took out some of the leftover cooked rice from yesterday and took some soy sauce and a stale biscuit. I brought it all to him. I set it in front of him and sat against the wall. He looked up at me, his eyes resentful. "I don't want your charity." He snapped. "I can get food on my own."

"I know, I watched you get some earlier."

"Very funny!" He spat.

"Please, just eat it. You're so skinny.:"

His gaze changed from resentful to annoyed. Carefully, he raised his arms and pushed himself up onto his knees. He definitely shouldn't have been moving, and he knew it. Every time he moved too quickly, he'd inhale sharply or groan quietly. I held the bowl out to him. He snached the food from me faster than greased lightning and didn't even bother with the chopsticks. He ate with his hands. When it was gone, he was gasping for breath. In his haste to eat, he had forgotten to breathe. This spoke to me loudly. When was the last time he'd eaten? "You just going to stare at me all night?"

"I'm sorry," I said lowering my eyes. After a few long moments, I looked up again. "What's your name?"

"What's it to you?"

"Just curious." I said brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "My name is Kiyuo." I said.

The boy looked up at me, his eyes filled with curiosity. "Morro," he said.

We rushed home with food, a crying Konomi still in Cole's arms. After Cole snatched Konomi, we practically had to run into the market and grab what was closest to us and run. I didn't even realize we hadn't paid until we were halfway up the mountain. Every so often I would hear something and whip around, fearing that someone had finally come to kill me.

When we finally got home, I rushed to put everything away. When I finished, Cole and Konomi were gone. For once, the monastery was completely quiet. I walked quietly into my room and found Cole sitting against the wall on the bed, Konomi sitting in his lap with his eyes closed. I walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, and held out my arms for my son. Carefully, Cole passed him to me, and just as I had a hold on him, he opened his eyes -well, eye. One rock had hit him just below his eye, and it was starting to swell. The other hit him on his chest. I knew he'd be okay, the rocks hadn't cut him, he had no open wounds. "Do you see?" I choked out. "Why I didn't want you going? If Cole had not been with us, you would have-" I stopped, unable to even fathom it. "You would have died today if he had not been there."

"I won't go back," He promised. "I won't go back."

I pulled my son close and closed my eyes. "Thank you." I murmured. "I love you, you know that, don't you?"

He nodded, but didn't look at me. He closed his eyes again and fell asleep. After about twenty minutes, the monastery came back to life. Jay and Wu and Zane returned from wherever they had gone. I wanted to go and see them, but I couldn't yet. "Cole, are you okay?" I asked turning to him.

"Fine, fine." Said waving his hands. "Don't worry, they didn't hit me very hard." That was a blatant lie. His lip had been cut open and bruises littered his face and probably his shoulders too.

"You a terrible liar."

He shrugged. "My dad always told me the same thing."

"Come," I said. "We need to fix you up." Without waiting for a response, I walked to the back of the monastery and began fishing out what I had left to treat him.

With shaky hands, I examined his face, cleaning it as I went. "I'm so sorry." I said quietly.

"For what?" He asked, furrowing his brow.

"This!" I said gesturing to all of him. "I shouldn't have asked you to go."

"You were doing what you thought was right." He said quietly. He flinched back when I applied an antibacterial to one of the cuts on his face.

"But I knew this could happen I-"

"If I hadn't gone, your son would be dead." He said. "So this," He said gesturing to his face. "Is a small price to pay for his life. I'm not mad, and I'm alive. Everything's fine."

"Everything's not fine! Look at you!"

Cole sighed and shook his head, his eyebrows raised high. "Believe it or not, this is not the first time this has happened."

"Really? You a fighter or something?"

Cole chuckled. "No, nothing like that. You see, before I came here, I was a college student. It was kinda wild. I mean, I was only there for two days, but I still saw a fair share of fights. This is mild compared to that."

"What were you studying?"

When I asked, he got tense. "Music."

"Really? You never seemed…." I didn't know what to say. "Musical, is that the word?"

He nodded solemnly. "Yeah." He then snapped out of his sadness. "Yeah, that's right."

"You okay?" I asked. "You're acting weird."

"Fine," He said brushing off the comment. "Music just brings back some really bad memories."

"That's unfortunate." I said.

"Yeah." he said. "But don't worry about it, it's not your problem."

"Okay." Even though I said I wouldn't worry, I definitely would be.

Thankfully, his lip wouldn't need stitches. He wouldn't need any at all. After he'd ben treated, I let him go. After he was gone, I went to see Jay, Zane and Wu. When I got there, Jay was smiling brightly, talking about being a hero. Wu looked on silently, Zane talking quietly beside him. After a moment, he saw me and walked over and greeted me warmly. "How was the trip?"

"Bad."

"They always are," He said quietly. "What did you bring home?"

"Would you believe me if I told you I have no idea?"

"Why wouldn't you know?"

"Well, I- well," I told him what happened when we went to Jamanekai Village.

"They tried to stone him?"

"Yes. If Cole hadn't been there, I don't know what would have happened, I-I probably would have been killed too." I shook my head. "I can't even protect my own son… What kind of mother does that make me?"

"Kiyuo," Wu said, gently placing his hand on my shoulders, "You are an excellent mother. You tried to tell him how dangerous it was for him to go down there."

"But I let him go with me before, and they didn't try and kill him."

"I don't know why they decided to do it, Kiyuo, I don't." He said calmly. "But look," He said motioning to everyone. "You are safe, Konomi is safe. Everything is going to be okay."

I looked at everyone and knew that he was right. Jay sat beside Cole laughing while Zane sat listening intently. After a few minutes, Konomi waddled out of the hallway and went to sit by Cole. He smiled and laughed as if today hadn't happened. I knew then that I was safe.