Another update! :D Thanks for the wonderful reviews again! I'm glad people are enjoying this fanfiction!
In reply to VanillaSalty:
thanks and I hope you continue to enjoy this :D
In reply to Alicechan3: hehehe there shall be more cuteness soon enough! Thanks again for your awesome reviews! :3

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC


Silent as the grave

Chapter Twelve

Winter had drawn in before anyone had noticed and covered the land in a blanket of white once again. It had been many years since they had seen such an amount of snow fall upon the country. It was the same sort of snow that she recalled from years ago.

Mia stepped out of the inn with a silent yawn, almost leaping a mile at the sight of so much snow as it touched her sandaled foot. With a shiver, she watched with a warm smile as Byakko leapt agilely onto the snow, his paws burying down in the snow almost the entire length of his legs but the cat did not seem to mind. It reminded her so much of that time she had first seen Byakko and for that she could never hate the snow that had brought her precious friend to her. Despite the cold she joined the cat in the snow, giggling silently as he pranced around just as the Kusuriuri joined them. The sounds of laughter drew Mia's gaze, looking past the low wall to where children played in the snow, throwing balls of snow at each other in fits of laughter. Liking the idea, she secretly balled up some snow into her hands, ignoring the biting cold at her fingertips before throwing it straight at the Kusuriuri.

He seemed to have thought ahead of her as he easily sidestepped the launched attack, his lips curling slightly at the edges in amusement at her astonished look. She would have to do better than that.

"Come along, there is something I wish to see," he motioned for her to follow.

Pouting almost childishly, Mia followed with Byakko leaping after her, seeming to disappear and reappear in the snow. First they deviated towards a stall where they bought Mia something to keep her warm, Mia wrapped up in several layers of blue and purple clothing made her smile, contently warm whilst being amused that her colours now seemed to match the Kusuriuri's. However that had not been the place he had wished to visit. Instead Mia found herself outside a small estate that seemed almost empty but for three men sat kneeling outside the door talking quietly. As they walked down the path towards them, the three still oblivious to their presence, Mia paused for a moment. Something felt...off. Shivering for reasons other than the cold, Byakko leapt into her waiting arms where she cradled him to her chest.

"Hello," the Kusuriuri suddenly spoke, bowing politely to the three as Mia repeated slightly, the three looking at them in shocked.

"Who are you two?" asked one man with a strange pointed hat atop his head.

"A simple Kusuriuri," he replied, "this is my companion, Mia."

"Why are you here Kusuriuri-san?" another asked, the most outstanding feature about him being the white and crimson pointed cone over his nose.

"Because there may already be a Mononoke here."

Mia stiffened before glaring at the back of his head. So he had led her to yet another Mononoke, she was seriously beginning to question her choice in following him. As silence descended, the sound of someone nearing them drew their attention, an old woman wrapped up in a cloak and holding a lantern came to take them away. And of course as the three vanished after her, the Kusuriuri followed. Pulling a face, Mia trailed after him, not at all pleased by how her good mood had been ruined by a Mononoke exorcism. As they followed into a room, a woman sat at the far end with a smile on her face that did not seem to vanish, the three men bowed respectively to her however the Kusuriuri did not.

"This is where Lady Ruri will decide which of her suitors she will marry!" the man in the hat muttered up at them.

Mia gaped at him before looking sideways at the Kusuriuri, just what was he thinking barging in on something like this?

"Well, no matter," he replied calmly.

"Being a medicine seller, you wouldn't perhaps sell ingredients used for creating incense, such as musk?"

"I do indeed."

She did not like where this was going. As the man began to go on about the incense challenge they would be taking part in, Mia blinked in realisation as he asked the woman, Ruri, if it would be alright for the Kusuriuri to also take part for her hand. For a moment she found herself hoping the woman would refuse...and yet realistically she knew she would not.

"Let it be so."

Oh Mia was so going to throw something at him once they were done here.


With the four sat down around the square table, the rules were explained by the man in the purple hat, confusing the samurai who obviously had no knowledge whatsoever in the field of incense. As the Kusuriuri examined the coloured blocks of varying shapes and sizes, Mia peered over his shoulder from behind. With the first round beginning, a pot of incense was passed round, the aim to discern which scents were the same and which that were not, each variation matching a chapter from a story. Much to Mia's amusement the samurai was clearly unable to discern any difference in the scents. As the scent was passed to the Kusuriuri she couldn't help but lean a little closer to get a whiff for herself. He glanced back at her but said nothing. With the next round brought on, he this time held it a little closer for her to get the scent, repeating this for the next three rounds. However as the fourth round began a strange cry split through the silence outside.

Jumping slightly, Mia glanced outside before looking down at Byakko in surprise to see him struggling in her arms, clearly wishing to follow something outside, his fur on end.

"A Nue's cry," one of the suitors explained.

"N-Nue?"

The other chuckled, "Oh it's just the birds."

Yet it had sounded like no bird Mia had heard of. The final round was held and once again Mia caught the scent also before they all began to mess with their coloured blocks to make up their answer. Mia watched as the Kusuriuri placed three white blocks as the same in the centre and two larger, yellow blocks either side with a long yellow block joining the two. However she knew it was wrong, in fact she recognised the scents easily and couldn't help but take a few blocks for herself, setting up her own answer.

"I will record your answers, I ask you to retire," Ruri spoke up, dismissing them all.

Led outside by the old woman, she continued to lead them towards where they could remain until the winner was discerned. However along with way the three suitors vanished, claiming they needed to relieve themselves. Mia shook her head before looking out across the snowy gardens of the estate with narrowed eyes. For a moment she could see a rock in the distance with a green yukata loosely wrapped around it, however it quickly vanished as she blinked. As the woman bowed to the pair, leaving them in a small room, the Kusuriuri set down his case once again and took out several scales. One of which floated out and landed on Mia's hand. With a silent giggle as it bowed to her, she lightly tossed it up before watching it land beside the others he had already placed, much to her surprise they were already wobbling but tilting in no certain direction.

'What does that mean?' she thought to the Kusuriuri.

"It is hesitating," he answered quietly.

With that he was on his feet and heading towards the main room they had only just come from. Staring at him in shock she sighed silently before scrabbling up after him, Byakko on her heels but still looking somewhat on edge.

Back in the room, the Kusuriuri stood on the table staring at the closed doors where Ruri had been with narrowed eyes however they were not alone for long as the suitors appeared. When asked what he was doing, he merely mimed for them to be quiet. Suddenly the surrounding scales tilted sharply to the left. Spinning round on the table, the Kusuriuri threw seals at the doors before clasping his hands together, prising them apart as the doors slid open. Inside was a horrific sight if the horrified gasps of the suitors was not enough to go by. A pale hand had slid in front of Mia's eyes as the doors had opened however she had caught a glimpse of the carnage. Inside lay a man's mutilated body, blood decorating the entire room like some sick painting. Mia felt like she was going to be sick as she held the hand that covered her eyes. The sound of bells chiming alerted them to the scales moving once again, tilting forwards this time. The Kusuriuri threw seals at the doors again.

"Do not look," he muttered to Mia who obediently shut her eyes as he removed his hand, the doors opening to reveal Ruri sat there, blood pouring from her throat in a fountain, her neck almost bent in half sideways from the lethal wound. Mia refused to look. She may have seen many things in her life but this was by far the worst and she doubted her stomach could handle the sight.

But she knew that Ruri was dead and yet she was shocked to hear the three suitors rummaging through the dead woman's room frantically, and for what? A piece of rotten wood! Judging by the reaction from the Kusuriuri even he was absolutely shocked by their actions however at the sound of the old woman appearing they immediately stopped.

"The Toudaiji is not there. Is something wrong?" clearly the woman's sight was not as good as it used to be however as she neared the doors where the other murder resided the three suitors stood in her way, refusing to let her open it, only relaxing when she had left. Wondering if it was safe to open her eyes, she received confirmation from the Kusuriuri however she was wary in doing so. Slowly opening her eyes, it was to find the door of the fourth suitor's murder shut and a purple cloth covering Ruri's dead body. Taking a deep breath to steady her stomach, Mia stroked Byakko's fur in a way to ease her worries. As the three remaining suitors found the answer to their competition they were annoyed to find that none of their answers had been correct.

"Broom tree? So no one won."

"Actually," the Kusuriuri spoke up suddenly, "someone did."

Mia hid her face behind her hair in embarrassment as they discovered her answer in the corner. All three men stared at her in shock, clearly not understanding how it was possible before chuckling weakly.

"It's unfortunate she did not help you, Kusuriuri-san."

"Quite..."

As they decided on another competition to find a winner, Mia found herself disgusted at their actions, clearly not seeming to care greatly for Ruri's death or even the other suitor's death! She was even more confused when the Kusuriuri agreed to create the scents for the next competition.


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