Her family were descendants of the ones he had seen so many years before with his father. As they walked she told him of legends passed down her family.
"There was a great Inuyoukai that would come to the village once a season for many years. He was honorable as well as strong. The stories tell of his eyes, the color of koban, his hair like moon light. It is said he as well as his descendants watch over my family. When I saw you, I knew, that an Inuyoukai of legend had arrived to protect me"
. . .
Koban- an oval gold coin equal to about one Ryu. It became popular for the use of currency after 1550. For a visual, it's what a feline character in another anime has on his forehead.