Hiei left the girl in his tiny house, hoping he would not take very long to get supplies from the keeper and get out. The keeper was hardly surprised when he arrived at sunset to fetch supplies and two horses from him. The keeper insisted once that he marry the girl as soon as they got to the next town, or get her to the capital to her cousin. Both were highly unlikely to happen.

He rode one horse, leading the other by its reins. He had not seen anyone of importance thankfully. The procurer was no where to be seen, which he took as a good sign.

When he got closer to his house however, he sensed them. Six energy signatures, all he recognized: the girl, the procurer, and the four bounty hunters in the procurer's employ. He stopped both horses, halting them and tying them up to a nearby tree. A long shot hope that he and the girl would come back her to fetch them later.

As he approached the house, he had the thought that he could simply run, abandon the girl and make for Gandara. The thought came unbidden and just the thought of the thought made him feel sick. He could not fathom leaving her to that fate.

He went up to the edge of the woods, just within sight of the house. There were six horses tied up near her. Hiei was certain they were the procurer's and bounty hunters'. He watched the door open and the procurer shove the girl forward. She stopped dead in her tracks, blocking the doorway with her body

She screamed, "Saif! Hiei! Just go! Just run! The bounty hunters are here, t-" She grunted as she was cut off. She knew who he really was. The procurer shoved her out of the doorway and let her lay there, crumpled up. The procurer stayed behind her, but the four bounty hunters stepped out around them. The procurer yanked her to her feet by the hair and took her wrists, holding them behind her back. "Run! Please, just run!"

It was tempting to say the least, but if he did, she would be killed. He stepped out of the tree line and in plain sight of the house. The girl shook her head and winced.

"You didn't run like last time, impressive," the procurer called out over the distance between them. The smile on his face made Hiei want to run him through with his sword. He didn't move, but Hiei saw the girl wince. Hiei wondered why. "Are you going to surrender this time?" the procurer asked.

Hiei gritted his teeth. If he ran, she was dead. He hated that thought. "You going to kill her if I don't?" Hiei spoke loudly across the distance. He stepped forward, closing the distance between them. If it was just the procurer and one bounty hunter, he could take them. Five of them was impossible. If it somehow happened, she would be killed in the midst of it. She was innocent in all of this mess.

"Oh course," the procurer said calmly. The excited look dancing in his eyes was chilling.

"I'll surrender if you promise not to kill her," Hiei bargained, hoping the procurer would agree to that. "Any of you," his eyes scanned over the other four bounty hunters.

"We won't kill her," the procurer agreed calmly. The girl went to say something and cried out, trying to pull away from the procurer.

"What did you do to her?" Hiei asked sharply.

"She attacked me, broke her wrist in the process," the procurer answered.

The procurer shoved her over to the closest bounty hunter. The bomber. The demon one with the abilities to plant tiny bomb monsters that most could not see into their bodies unless they were spiritually powerful. The bomber held the girl lightly by her right wrist with his right hand and covered her mouth with his left hand. Hiei could see her right wrist was swollen and bruised He also saw the bomber held a tiny bomb monster of his own making set at the top of her wrist, waiting to be sent inside of it and explode. The wound might not be fatal, if she got help in time.

"Seize him," the procurer commanded.

The small one wrapped him up with his coiling fingers completely. He wrapped him completely from shoulders to ankles, so tight it hurt to breathe. The second he got the chance, he would kill this one first.

"Fetch the horses, bind him to one," the procurer ordered.

The two other bounty hunters left silently went into the woods and got their horses. Two were massive beasts meant to carry the massive men, while the other four were normal sized. Hiei was silently thankful that they did not find the other two horses with the supplies from the keeper. The small one let him loose, so the largest one hoisted him up onto the smallest horse, tying him up in the saddle. He endured it all in silence. Once they were away from this town and the girl was safe, he would kill them all and run for it, or die trying. They had to get away first and she had to be safe. That took priority.

The procurer stepped over to him on the horse, checking his bonds himself to make sure he was secure. "Well tied."

He stepped away from Hiei and over to where the bomber stood with the girl. Hiei watched hawkishly as the procurer, the two bigger men, and the small one mounted themselves up, adding supplies from the house to their own.

The small one held the reins of Hiei's horse as the procurer lead his horse up to where the bomber stood with the girl. He kept in plain sight of Hiei. Without a word, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial with violently purple liquid.

Hiei's heart stopped in the instant he recognized what it was. The procurer tossed the vial down to the bomber, who caught it in his right hand. He watched the bomber wrestle the girl so he could hold her by the jaw to wretch her mouth open. He one handedly unstopped the vial and held it up to her mouth.

"No!" Hiei protested, finding his words. "You promised neither of you would kill her."

"He's not the one who will kill her, the nightlock juice is," the procurer replied. "Too bad she isn't part demon after all. Nightlock is toxic to full blooded humans. She'll be dead by morning. Sound familiar?"

"Don't do this," Hiei hissed. "I surrendered."

"It's not your fault she's going to die. It's her uncle's fault. He's the one who lied to me and told her to run off with you," the procurer explained. He stopped talking and nodded over to the bomber.

"Don't drink it!" Hiei shouted at her.

He could not take his eyes off the struggle between the girl and the bomber. She squirmed and tried to close her mouth, even as the bomber poured it into her mouth. Then he forced his hand up to close her mouth. She coughed, but her mouth was closed. Purple froth came out of her nose as she coughed harder and harder. Her face turned red. Then the bomber dragged her coughing and sputtering form towards the house, shoved her through the open door, and shut it on her.