It was a few months later that Hoshiko learned of the downfall of the demon slayer village. She couldn't believe her ears. Something didn't seem right though she couldn't put her finger on it. She put it out of her mind for now. Since leaving the village, she had moved from village to village, never staying very long. The children of the villages seem to become quite attached to her for some reason. She doesn't try to understand it though.
Thankfully, a very kind seamstress made her a new set of robes so she was able to discard the old bloody ones. She even made her a few extra pairs!
Hoshiko found herself entering another village but this one had a strange feel to it. Once again, she can't explain the feeling so she ignores it for now. It would appear her timing was quite well as this village was in dire need of protecting. It would seem a pack of wolf demons and their wolves have been attacking the village. The villagers told her they feared the attacks will only escalate. Hoshiko agreed to stay slightly longer than usual to solve the problem. She immediately stuck a few sutra unto the huts closest to the entrance and any other entry points into the village she could find.
She then just relaxed the rest of the day. It wasn't until the third or so day that the wolf demons attacked. It was only two demons and about five or six wolves that came. Hoshiko quickly dispatched of them sans one wolf demon to use as a messenger to tell his pack they're to leave this village alone from here on out. Frightened, the relatively young demon nodded and ran away. Hoshiko watched on numbly. Wanting to wash the sweat from her person, she turned and headed to the river that ran through the village. When she got there, she saw a little girl standing in it with her kimono bunched up and trying to catch fish.
Hoshiko watched on in amusement before speaking up.
"You won't catch many fish that way," she spoke, amusement still lacing her tone.
The girl looked up abruptly and then ran away. Hoshiko raised a brow at this.
"What a peculiar child," she thought to herself.
The next few days passed and the village saw no sign of the wolf demons, however, Hoshiko had briefly tangled with a wolf demon in the past and she knew they weren't done yet. So much as she didn't want to, she stayed.
During her stay, she slowly started making friends with the little girl who seemed to be mute. That didn't bother Hoshiko though. She truly believes what helped the girl warm up to her was the fact that Hoshiko stopped the villagers from abusing the girl. One extremely stern and outraged lecture later, the little girl and Hoshiko were sitting together in a peaceful silence. After asking one of the elders, Hoshiko eventually found out the little girl's name was Rin.