Author's Note: Yep, I'm going for all the way to chapter 15 today. I remember when I wrote an Inuyasha fan fiction and its sequel and demanding that my readers leave five reviews before I would post another chapter. Now, I'm more excited to get along in this story to see what happens next and share it with everyone else! Since this is being written without a great deal of forethought, I don't know how it will end, and I am really letting the story write itself as it goes, so I'm pretty much in the same boat as my readers. We'll all see what awaits at the end!

Chapter 14. Neya - Peaceful Days Coming and Going

Traveling had been slow with all the people they had. Many of the women with them were unused to the long walks, so the breaks were numerous. What had taken the bandits and merchant a little over a week transporting them, and Utsuho and the rest two weeks on foot, would likely take them a month at the rate they were going.

This did not stop them from deciding to go all the way back, because each of them had agreed it was too dangerous for a large group of defenseless women unaccustomed to traveling to be bay themselves. It was best to see through their duty to the end, to which the villagers were extraordinarily grateful.

The calm weather and easy-going walking was doing nothing to ease her thoughts, on the other hand. Neya still owed Utsuho an order, and she was wracking her brain over what he would ask. That he had yet to ask possibly bothered her even more—the suspense would kill her. As soon as she thought she had completely forgotten about it so she could relax, it popped up once more. The situation was not helped by Utsuho's slightly off-kilter behavior lately. Every time she spoke to him in what she believed to be a normal manner, he reacted more suddenly, as if surprised she was talking to him. Not only that, he would look at her for a few seconds, swivel his head back around to the other side and only then reply to her. After that, he would not look at her at all.

Neya supposed that they would be at least a little bit weird given she had come to him as a prostitute while he acted the part of a customer. That had been a…different kind of night for the both of them. Although nothing had occurred, the situation had been abnormal for them nonetheless. She only hoped the awkwardness would end soon.

xXx

On the ninth day of walking as they settled for the night, Neya was assigned to water duty. That was part of what was different with all these women—where it used to be just her doing most of the cooking, now they alternated cooking, getting water, gathering firewood, and finding ingredients.

The pot of cast iron metal bumped idly against her thighs as she walked around, searching for a source of fresh water. Alerted by the crunching of twigs and leaves, Neya saw Utsuho approaching.

"Utsuho-san?"

"I've been sent to find mushrooms," he said while smiling.

The two walked side-by-side, scanning the area. Every time he found a patch of mushrooms, he would examine them and pick the ones he knew to not be poisonous. Several minutes later brought them to the best place. What they discovered was a spring nestled into a small rock formation. Moss grew on the rocks, mushrooms clumped together in various places, and moonlight filtering through tree leaves upon the clearing.

Neya soaked in the beauty of the seclusive place. How nice it would be to sit there with Minamo-chan and Nao, splashing their feet in the water simply enjoying the day as sunlight, not moonlight, trickled through gently among the shade. Recalling herself from her daydreaming, Neya strolled to the water's edge to dip the pot into the clear water.

"It's so beautiful," she said aloud.

"Mm, it is a nice little private place," he off-handedly agreed.

"Too bad we are just passing through for the night. I'd love to stay here longer," Neya continued to wistfully remark.

"Me too," said Utsuho. "Hey, Nee-chan," Utsuho went on just as casually.

"Hm?"

"You remember the victor's prize for that game of Truth or Dare, right?"

Neya faced the trickster. Of course she remembered. It had been plaguing her thoughts for days what he would ask of her. Hopefully it was not anything too embarrassing link drinking tea through her nose was or something. "Yeah, I remember," she cautiously replied.

"Well, I've decided…" he said, that foxy grin making his teeth appear to glint from the darkness of night, his opened eyes peering out at her.

'I've got a bad feeling about this.'

Author's After-note: Yes, super short! I know. Periods like this I have no idea what to write.