Nanashi stood across the small clearing, seeing Hiei standing across from her. He was panting, but so was she. Kaze's nanny sat in front of tree with Kaze on her lap, watching them nearby. He had just turned three, and was already on the cusp of learning to fight himself. First he needed to watch, to see how it was done. He was watching the two of them now, at Hiei's insistence. He was watching them intently instead of cuddling with his nanny like he normally would. Hiei told Kaze to watch, and he obeyed without a fuss.
"Again," Hiei instructed tirelessly.
Nanashi sighed, raising her fists up to a fighting stance. She felt so out of practice with fighting, almost embarrassingly so. That did not slow Hiei down though. He ran towards her, demonstrating basic attacks while she demonstrated basic defenses. Kaze was to learn by watching them both. Even though it was only training for Kaze to watch, Hiei did not hold back any strength, but did go slower than he normally would have so Kaze could better learn. Had Hiei been fighting at his normal, ridiculously fast speed, Nanashi would have hardly been able to stand when he was through with her.
Unexpectedly, Hiei let up and went stark still, turning his gaze East and frowning. Then the nanny with Kaze tensed up. Kaze looked the same direction as Hiei did. "What is it?" Nanashi asked, annoyed that she could not sense anything quite yet. Hiei was always the fastest at it, rivaling other demons when it came to sensing things. Then she sensed someone or something coming towards them. She turned to face the nanny. "Get Kaze out of here," she ordered.
The women nodded once. "Yes, my lady," she answered. She was up and on her feet, running towards the castle. Kaze did not cry out, much to Nanashi's relief. He must have realized it could be dangerous for him to do so in that moment. She watched them go, hating the sight of it. Hopefully what it was that coming towards them was nothing serious and she could see him again soon enough.
Hiei had his hand on his sword on his side, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. Nanashi summoned up her wind dragon around her neck, watching and waiting equally carefully. She frowned in surprised when she saw a slim woman with a round stomach running towards them. The woman skidded to a halt before them a few paces away, weary eyes watching Hiei's hand on his sword intently. Her teal hair looked like it was in need of a good washing and brushing. Her clothes reminded her of someone else's, but she could not quite put her finger on who that was.
The woman raised her hands up in the air slowly. She looked at Nanashi now. She nodded her head back the way she came from. She then brought her hands in front of her chest, making a pleading gesture. She nodded back the way she come. She sucked in a breath, hand coming to her pregnant belly.
"She wants us to help her," Nanashi realized. "Over there somewhere." Louder, she asked, "Who are you and why do you need help?"
The woman opened her mouth and closed it again. She shook her head and gestured with her hand to come towards her.
"Don't go near her," Hiei said.
"It might be a trap," she echoed.
The woman put her hands together up to her chest again.
"Tell us who you are, first," Nanashi insisted. She looked over at Hiei. Can you..." she glanced at his forehead, keeping herself from smiling as she saw the light purple shine underneath his headband.
Hiei's eyes went wide a moment later. "Don't touch her, but get her to the castle," he told Nanashi.
"What?" she asked.
"Her name is Kotone. She's an ice maiden. She can't speak. Izo rescued her. He's passed out in the woods back there," Hiei rushed to explain before he ran behind the woman.
Nanashi gaped after him, not quite sure what to make of his words. "Izo..." she breathed. She turned to the woman. Part of her wanted to run after Hiei to get to Izo. She stepped slowly towards the woman, this Kotone. "You're with my son?" she asked.
Kotone looked at her, skittishly. She shook her head. She turned and took off running South.
"Wait," Nanashi called after, giving chase.
Hiei was there before the woman could get very far with an unconscious Izo sprawled over his back. He halted in front of Kotone, making her stop in her tracks. "Come with us," Hiei insisted. Nanashi noticed then his headband was off and His Jagan Eye was shining brightly. It gave her the chills to look at it. "You'll have a better chance surviving and making it to the capital if we help you."
Kotone shook her head, looking between Hiei and Nanashi.
Nanashi stepped towards her. "Do not touch her. Do not touch either of them," he rushed out.
Nanashi blinked at him. "Why can't I touch them?"
Hiei huffed. "Faster if I show you."
He looked straight out her, giving her that quick warning. She saw flashes of memories from Kotone in her mind, making her gasp. She covered her eyes, feeling unsteady on her feet. "He was helping you?" Nanashi said breathlessly over at Kotone. Kotone put a hand on her stomach. She shook her head. "Neither of you have seen the huntresses. Maybe you're in the clear by reaching this far South-"
"No, they're not," Hiei interrupted her. "Not enough days have passed. If they find her trail, worse his mixed with hers, they'll head for here. We have no choice. I've heard what they can do growing up in the wilds of the North. Even I avoided them. We and everyone in the castle must flee from here until the huntresses give up the hunt or kill her and anyone who touches her." He huffed, eyes closed, Jagan Eye wide open and shiny. He opened his eyes. "I told everyone there to get supplies and run."
"Run? What about us? What about Kaze? And Asa?" Nanashi looked back over to the castle. If she had known the last time she saw him they would be on the run, she would have gone with him and his nanny. She thought of Asa, who was getting older, even for an elf. She complained often of back pain and knee pain.
"He'll be fine. He seems to understand more than you give him credit for," Hiei explained. "His nanny will be with him. Hopefully so will Asa." He shot a sharp look over at Kotone and swore. The ice maiden was quivering. "You can't run from us, girl," he warned her. "In a matter of hours, it'll be impossible for you to move. Yours and your son's only hope of survival is to stay with us," he seethed.
"Why? What's happening?" Nanashi asked, worried.
Hiei shook his head. "She's just started going into labor."
Kotone shook her vigorously.
"Yes, you're about a month too soon. But you're exhausted, starving, and irritated from riding dragon back for days on end. Besides, when Izo fell on top of you, it was the finally straw to shock your system," Hiei explained for her.
Kotone shook her head even harder. She grimaced, letting out a guttural cry, grabbing her center. Nanashi looked on her pityingly, noticing her front was wet. She brought her hands to her eyes, covering them.
"Do not cry," Hiei told her harshly.
"Hiei," Nanashi said, annoyed with his harsh tone. She stepped over to Kotone, hoping to sooth her. She raised a hand to comfort her, but drew it back when she heard Hiei speak.
"You cannot touch her," he growled. "And if she cries, she'll spill tear gems from her eyes. They can track her with those." He turned his gaze to Kotone. "I need to get Izo to Asa before she runs. She's agreed to stay behind to check on him. Then she's to run as well. Follow Nanashi to the castle or I will drag into the castle myself."
Kotone whimpered, withdrawing from him. Both she and Nanashi watched him flit away with Izo still unconscious on his back. "He means it," Nanashi told Kotone. "He'll drag you back. Be dignified and walk." She turned, walking towards the castle. "Come on," she said, looking back. She kept walking, wanting to run to go check on Izo, but knew she had to go slow enough for Kotone to keep up with her.
Slower than she wished, Nanashi reached the castle with Kotone in tow. She lead her into the castle, finding it eerily empty. She sensed for Hiei, leading Kotone into the castle to find him. He was with Izo and Asa in Izo's old bedroom. She heard them arguing.
"Don't be ridiculous," Hiei insisted. "You're not staying. Just tell me what to do for him and give him beyond the herbs you've already given him, take Nanashi, and go."
"You are a fool if you think you can take care of both a sick and hungry teenager and a hungry woman who just started going through labor," Asa clapped back.
Nanashi saw them standing before each other, Izo laying on his old couch by his fire place, blanket strewn over him. He was thinner and paler than he should be. The sight of it made her heart flutter with cold rage. The shinobi leader had ordered his death for helping Kotone. The woods demons shuttered their gates against him. It felt like she could embrace the fall of an angel over this and not care.
Asa whipped her head around, seeing Nanashi and Kotone standing next to her. Kotone hung by the open door, half hiding in the hallway. She was staring at Asa, her ears in particular. Likely this was the first time she had seen a full elf, or any elf for that matter. Hiei had no noticeable elvish features, besides a slimmer build than most demons. No wonder he thought he was a full blooded demon for over half his life.
Asa's eyes honed in on Kotone. "That's the ice maiden?" she asked.
Nanashi nodded, "yes. She's rather skittish and her labor just started-" Asa moved fast for an older lady, cutting around Nanashi without touching. She clasped Kotone by the shoulder. "Asa!" Nanashi exclaimed. "Don't touch her," she rushed out, shocked by the elf's move.
Asa stepped back from Kotone, who was shaking her and blinking rapidly. She looked up at Asa in disbelief. Asa turned back to Hiei, looking smug. "Oh no, look at that, I've accidentally touched the ice maiden. I guess I can't ferry Nanashi away from the castle while you try your hand at delivering a high risk new born," Asa's tone dripped with sarcasm.
Hiei stared at her, eyes dark. "Why would you do that? You were supposed to get Nanashi out."
Asa shook her head, casting a side long glance at Nanashi. "You know that part of your plan would never work. No matter how much you wish for it. Besides, I'm old. I can't move as fast I used to." To Kotone, she said soothingly, "come to the bed, sweetness. I've delivered more children in various situations than he has won fights in the fighting pits." Kotone allowed her dejectedly to lead her to Izo's old bed and helping her shyly remove her soiled clothes. Hiei was kind enough to look away, but to throw her an old shirt of Izo's buried in his wardrobe. It was long enough to be slightly modest on her.
Hiei looked livid. "That's a lot of children," he grumbled.
"You won all your fights in your day," Asa complemented. "I delivered Izo, Hikari, and Kaze even. The first two were the hardest. The last, surprisingly easy."
"Asa, you can't stay here," Nanashi said, watching the scene unfold. "You can't stay here. If the ice maidens come, you won't be able to fight them off."
"Hiei plans on staying, he can protect me," Asa answered, helping Kotone lay down on the bed to examine her. "Although he should really run and take Izo with him. Surely the son and grandson of an ice maiden would reignite a hunt for him as well."
Kotone gasped at that, suddenly panicking on the bed. Asa was on her, holding her shoulders, trying to calm her down and keep her on the bed. Hiei looked down at her, Jagan Eye glowing. "It's true, but your safer here than you are out in the woods crying." Hiei looked over at Nanashi. He kept his face blank, but she could tell whatever Kotone had thought to him cut him to the quick. "You need to leave," he said in a soft voice, looking over at her.
"No," she shook her head resolutely.
"Nanashi-" he started.
"No. I'll touch her if you try to make me leave you all right now," she threatened in a tight voice.
Asa looked over at Hiei, the two of them exchanging a look.
Hiei hissed through his teeth. "You didn't let me finish." He stared at her hard, unblinking. "You need to leave this room. You need to go watch out the front for the ice maiden huntresses. You need to watch for them and come warn me immediately if you see them coming," he instructed, tone a little off.
She looked from him, to Izo, to Asa and Kotone. She felt colder at the idea of leaving them. "I can do that," she agreed. "Asa," she looked over at her surrogate mother. "Is Izo going to be okay?"
"Mmm," Asa hummed, looking over at her. "Yes, he just needs rest. I also gave him broth and herbs to help him recover his strength. He just needs a few days rest to recover."
Hiei added in, "he might not get it. As soon as she can run, we're running," he said, nodding down towards Kotone.
Nanashi looked down at Kotone, curled up on the bed, looking so shy and out of place. Softly, Nanashi requested, "could you maybe help her wash up or something?"
Asa brushed her hand over Kotone's face, pushing stray hairs aside. "Would you like that, dearie?"
Kotone looked glum, nodding.
"She's also starving and wants something to eat," Hiei pointed out. "She just doesn't want to ask. She feels like she's been too much of a burden for just existing.
"Oh no, sweetie, no. Never be sad for existing," Asa soothed at her. "If Izo sought to help you, we can as well." Asa looked over at Nanashi, requesting, "can you go to the kitchen and fetch some more broth and herbs for me. Or tea and well watered down porridge if you can manage it."
Nanashi perked up at the instruction to suddenly be helpful. "Right," she nodded, turning for the door.
"Then go and be on the look out for the huntresses," Hiei told her.
"Right," she nodded to him.
She rushed through the castle to the kitchen, finding it so eerie that the castle was empty. She made up porridge, tea, broth, even a bit of plain toast, and snagged an apple up. The last two were foods she recalled craving when she had been pregnant herself back in the day. It was probably too much food, but she figured it might be a long labor or Kotone might be particular about what she wanted.
Nanashi delivered the food on a tray to Izo's room, hoping Izo might be awake by then. He was still passed out on his couch, sleeping obliviously. She wished she could go over there and touch him. She delivered the tray to Kotone, who watched the food being delivered like it was her most favorite meal. She reached for the bread first, taking a large bite out of it.
"Slowly, slowly," Asa soothed. "You need energy for your labor, but just a little bit at a time."
Kotone slowed down, taking smaller bites. Nanashi looked her over, noticing her hair looked wetter and cleaner now. Asa had Izo's hair brush in hand, brushing the woman's hair for her.
"Nanashi, go watch for the huntresses," Hiei told her. "You see them, you warn me, immediately."
"Right," she nodded, leaving the room to go watch from the front door.