Nanashi watched, sitting on the front steps, almost bored. She watched and sensed and waited for something, anything to happen. She so tense and stiff and bored, unsure what if all to do. She wanted to pace, but she needed to save her energy in case in came to a fight. Hiei relayed to her from Kotone that when the huntresses came, it would grow colder in the surrounding area at first, signalling their approach. Then they would look like her, teal hair and probably similar colored clothing. She thought about the exchanges she witnessed between Hiei and Asa. Something was not quite being said aloud, which a nerved her. She shook her head, trying to clear it. They had their plan. Kotone needed to delivered the child and then they needed to get out like everyone else.

Hiei had also passed along information gleaned from Izo's mind. He never stayed with the woods demons, like the letter he had sent her said. He was recruited last minute by the shinobi and he went with them instead to destroy the outpost by the ice mountains.

She gasped, shocked out of her reminiscing, sensing and then seeing a small band of people approaching, five in total. She near mentally reached for Hiei, but noticed it was not colder, at all. The colors on them, from what she could see of them, was mixed. She saw vibrant red and black among them. She summoned up her wind dragon, making wings on her back. Instead of flying directly towards them, she went to the left, hovering right above the tree line to make it harder for any of the strangers to see her. She landed in a tree softly, watching the group, of five now she was certain, approach below her. She felt her temper flare when she realized they were five of the shinobi Izo had been with. All five of them looked just as haggard as Izo and Kotone had been. When they were almost upon her, she dropped from the tree in front of them.

The leader, whose name she recalled was Risho from Izo's memories, was in the front. She reached her hand up, slapping him as hard as she could across the face. He staggered back, shocked at her surprise appearance and strike. "You," she swore. She struck him again and again. "You bastard, you would have killed my son, you son of a bitch."

"Nanashi," a familiar voice called out to her. She turned towards to the sound of the voice, seeing Jin standing there before her. She knew from Izo's memories he was with the shinobi now, and even held a good deal of hatred towards her for ghosting him in favor of Hiei all those years ago. The sight of him, disheveled though he was made both her heart flutter and her stomach flip.

She looked away from him and gave Risho one punch to his shoulder, a half hearted one at that, before backing away from him. "You have some nerve showing your faces here," she growled directly at Risho. "I know you took on my son as one of your own and then turned around and ordered his death when he refused to let you kill Kotone."

Risho tried to stare her down, but it came off as feeble with his beaten looking state. "How do you know?" Jin asked, stepping up next to Risho. The way he was staring at her made her feel unsure of herself.

"They came to the castle, earlier today. Izo rescued her from the likes of you, but passed out, too weak to run with Kotone anymore. He was trying to make it to the capital with her. He's feverish and she's in labor," Nanashi explained, looking at Risho instead of Jin. "Lucky they made it this far, no thanks to any of you."

Risho's nose quivered. "They only made it this far because that runaway bitch drew the ice maidens down on us instead the two of them," he bite back. Nanashi stared him down, not blinking. "We fled the same night they did, but the ice maiden huntresses came after us instead of her."

Nanashi shook her head. "That's not possible. My husband- Hiei, read Izo's and Kotone's minds and relayed information onto me. None of you touched her. Only Izo did. The huntresses wouldn't come after you otherwise. That's what you, and Touya, said to Izo." She nodded over at Touya standing there for good measure.

Risho shook his head. "We were wrong," he confessed. "Our trails must have mixed with hers enough that they came down on us. Perhaps your son's ice dragon was too difficult for the ice maiden to track, so they went after ours instead a few days after we left the outpost Maeshu sent us to destroy. They ambushed us, looking for her. They killed Bakken first. He took one down with him at least. I another one. Still, five remain. They would have killed all of us had Gama not given his blood, and ultimately his life to immobilize the remaining five so we could get away."

Nanashi swallowed at that, shaking her head. "I..." she started. "You can't be here then," she decided. "You'll bring them down on us, and you yourself were willing to kill my son over that."

"My lady, we can't run anymore," the young woman with them stepped up next to Jin. Airi. Izo's friend. Jin's daughter. There was no way Jin could deny her as his own, the resemblance between the two of them was undeniable. "We're exhausted, ready to drop ourselves." Airi dropped to her knees. Risho stared at her, but did not say anything. "Please. Just supplies at the very least, please, my lady." She raised her hands up, pleading.

Nanashi looked down at Airi, shaking her head. Jin looked between Airi and Nanashi. He dropped to his own knees. "Please," he add in. "We'll leave right after, won't even go near the castle. They may just pass you right by."

Risho looked disappointed at the sight of the two of them. Nanashi felt herself waiver. The woods demons had at least given Izo and Kotone supplies. Haru, the stocky ice demon dropped to his knees in silent plea. Touya followed suit. The last two left standing were Risho and Nanashi.

Risho looked at her, meeting her eyes. "You touched me, woman," he pointed out. "You came down to us and struck me. You've mixed your trail with mine. And as we've discovered, that's enough for those women to come down on you as well. You brought the risk of them coming after you and everyone else in that castle of yours now. You can either help us or turn us away, but they will come for you now just as easily as they did for us. And your actually helping the girl and your son."

She scowled at him, wanting to strike him anew, even as she realized with a sinking feeling he was right. She touched him. She doomed herself, even as Hiei had tried so hard to prevent that as much as possible. She weighed what to do now in her mind. She considered one possiblity where she abandoned the castle with Hiei and the others in it. She could flee with the shinobi now, less risk to Hiei and the others. Or...

"You can come into the castle, the lot of you," she offered. "I'll shelter you and feed you. As soon as Kotone has delivered and can flee to the capital, you go with us, helping to protect them and us. You all have to place her under your protection."

Risho shook his head, not willing to take that offer. "I place Kotone under my protection," Airi rushed out, standing up.

"I place Kotone under my protection," Jin said, rising up next to her.

"As do I. Kotone is under my protection." Touya agreed.

"Aye," Haru answered. "Kotone can have my protection."

Risho looked betrayed. "Our protection of her in exchange? So be it."

Nanashi nodded, keeping her breathing steady. "Come into the castle then," she said, turning back and jogging to lead even more stray demons into the Alaric Castle.