The worries swirl in my head as I ride back into Calco. People are muttering as I pass them, but I'm not paying attention to them. As I come around the corner to see the inn, I can sense Noriko is there, watching and waiting for me. The wind says she's waiting at the window of the room she stayed in last night. I see motion as we get closer, and then there's suddenly a loud cry.

"Izark!" Noriko is leaning out of the window and as if she's a fisherman's wife she's already scolding me before we're even together again.

My mouth hangs open as I stare at her like every other person on the street is. This isn't what I want. How can I get her to hide when she must be so publicly obvious? And then, to my poor eyes and heart's almost incomprehension, she's climbing to stand in the window and ...jumping out?!

Without even knowing I've done it, I'm off the horse and in the air to catch her, landing and putting her on the ground. "Noriko!" I scold back. "Don't do that! Not only are you yelling in public, you aren't being yourself. What are you doing?"

Noriko has hold of my jacket front and she hasn't stopped scolding either. She points to my sleeve - it's torn to pieces. She points to the hem of my jacket. It's ragged and I didn't even know. All of my clothes are full of holes from the falling rocks. It's no wonder Niva gave me such a look. Both of us have made more of a scene than I can bear. No one in Calco will ever forget us now.

And true to herself now, Noriko is pulling me by my jacket until her head is buried in my chest and her tears flood out of her as she sobs. The Teacher and the water fountain all at once. I sigh at her, irritated, but also understanding. She still has all of last night to cry out still, too, as well as whatever worries her imagination and my clothing have given her. I put my hand on her head, but we can't stay out here in public to continue making this strange scene.

I push Noriko away and she quickly understands, also going to embarrassment with me. But the damage is done. The innkeeper's wife stands in the doorway glaring at me, her eyes also taking in my clothing. Behind her the mayor and doctor have come to see what the fuss is. My face flushes even more and Noriko is apologizing to me through her tears.

I take her wrist in my hand and pull her into the inn. The innkeeper's wife moves out of the way to let us in and closes the door behind us. I put my hands on Noriko's shoulders. "Sorry, Noriko. I'm okay," I say to calm her and everyone else who is glaring at me. She ducks her head but gives a nod. I release her to face the others.

The innkeeper's wife is first. I'm scolded by another woman for destroying my clothes when Noriko was already worried for me all morning. When I've finally pacified her, it's the Mayor's turn to scold me in his loud voice. As usual, he can't believe that I survived if I look like this, nor can he believe I've defeated the thieves until I pull out a broach that I brought as proof. I also suggest that they send men to collect Niva and the remaining thieves. That will tell them more than any words of mine.

After the mayor has huffed and puffed and the doctor has put out his steam, he does send men in a wagon to collect the thieves and the treasures of the hideout. I can finally do what I need to do next. I ask for my bag and they tell me that Noriko's been keeping it for me. I look at her, but she isn't looking at me and her face is unhappy still. She's also perhaps holding it in until we're alone. I sigh to myself and ask her for my bag with signs.

She nods and leads me up the stairs to her room. I close the door behind us as she moves to pick up the bag from where it sits under the window. Noriko only looks out that window sadly as I pull out another set of clothing and change out of the now-rags. I sigh about that, too. I just bought those from the merchant and am back to little clothing.

I'm counting up the cost of what must be bought before we can go and the 5,000 zol won't be enough. I was hoping to save what I obtained from the hideout for while we're on the road. We'll need to stay out of sight for some time so that whoever comes looking for us here can't follow us.

As I begin to buckle my belt on, Noriko finally turns to face me. "Izark," she waves at the window half-heartedly. "I'm sorry." Still she can't look at me and I can see she's feeling miserable now. It was surely impulse, but I can't understand it even still. She fought me so hard at the top of the cliff. What's changed?

Not looking at her either, I finish clasping my belt trying to know how to face her. "Noriko," I start hesitantly, but stop. She said my name at the same time. I wait. She bows a small bow, clasping her hands in front of her, and bites her lip. "Noriko, I'm sorry you were worried. I needed to finish that job. I was never in danger from that. But someone knows who we are and that we're here. Soon others will come looking for us. We must leave and stay away from people."

I pause, then ask, but it isn't really to her, "Can you please not make others look at you so much? It scares me that they may learn things they shouldn't." I know she can't understand me. Maybe while we're hiding, she'll learn enough for me to explain it to her.

I wait for her. When she has the courage to look into my face again, I say words I know she can understand. "Tomorrow, Noriko Izark go." I'll have to wait for the villagers to go that distance and come again before I'll be paid. It's longer than I want, but I have no choice. If we have to we can run and leave the payment behind.

"[Wh-what?]" she sounds both surprised and like she can't believe what I've just said to her. Her eyes are blinking and she tries to understand. "Noriko go [with] Izark?"

It's as if she thought I would leave her here in anger for her behavior, or it's part of her worry of the morning, that I was gone and wouldn't come back. My expression softens in compassion again. I don't hate her, and I wouldn't have been so cruel as to have left her here without saying something. She doesn't know that I can't let her leave my side yet and I still don't want to tell her why. I nod. "Tomorrow," I promise.

Noriko drops her face into her hands and begins to cry again. Her sobs are so desperate she doesn't have the strength to stand. She sinks to her knees and I hear a muffled, "Thank you, Izark," from where she is bowed over her knees.

I look out the window, my heart trying to not hurt with her so much. She's been stolen from her family for only three days. It must have been very hard to think that the only person she's relied on for that long to live in this very strange place was going to walk out of her life. I can't afford to feel that compassion: some day I will.

-o-o-o-

When the mayor and I walked out that early morning to go get the horse and so he could point out the direction I needed to go to find the hideout, we passed the graveyard. We paused to watch. I couldn't hold back the murmur that I wish I'd been well enough so they hadn't had to die.

The mayor had actually been quiet at that comment. I turned to him and told him that I would be taking Noriko back to the coast and perhaps back to her home island, in the hopes she still had family there to take care of her. He agreed with me that would be best for her as well.

I was relieved we could leave Calco early the next morning and with more than I'd thought. The villagers were so happy to have the thieves in custody that they gave some of the jewelry with unknown owners to Noriko. One merchant was willing to give us an extra bag for her, and another a book, pen, and ink she can use in public - to her delight, and others gave me food for our travels for at least a little while.

I did have to pay the clothing merchant for another few sets of clothing. I bought more for me than her. If being around the Awakening is going to make me ruin clothing, I shouldn't short myself, although I can only carry so much. I also bought her bedding because I don't intend on going into another town for a long time.

She'll have to become stronger to survive sleeping outdoors at night, but this past night she was cheerful as we set up the camp. This morning she's doing her part to break it down and even on her own is cleaning it up so that it looks like we were never here.

It's times like this I wish I could understand her enough to ask her why she does that. What things did she learn on her own world? How much is just her own personality? And how much is it that seemingly odd understanding without knowing she has of the dangers we're in? I keep reading into her actions the last one, but I suspect if I were to ask her it would be one of the other two. I wish I could know for sure. So for now, I help her learn her new words.

We talk more than normal for me, and it seems often more than normal for her, too. She does like to just watch the scenery as we pass it by. The little joys I get in seeing things she also appreciates, but because everything is new to her eyes, I'm getting to see it newly again as well. Many things I'm able to have a new and different appreciation of because of her.

At those times, I'm able to relax with her and enjoy her warmth in front of me as we ride on the horse. (The mayor said I could have it when I pointed out Noriko was going to have to do a lot of walking to reach the ocean again.)

When she dozes off and slumps against me to rest, I'm uncomfortable. It's normal for me to not touch, nor be touched by people. And she is the Awakening. I still don't know if having her physically touching me, or this close, can affect me in ways I don't want. When it's bad, I'll wake her back up and make her study her words again. It would be good if there was something else to distract her, but I don't know what it would be.

Sometimes I can sigh at myself and let her be. She struggles to be strong enough to travel all day after taking down a camp, and then set one up again at night. A nap is necessary to her some days. She also hasn't ridden a horse until now, she told me, and that takes strength just for that.

I smile behind her back. She's learning many things here. Then I sigh. It only makes the Teacher stronger, I'm sure. That might not be so good, but there isn't anything I can do other than what I'm doing. I'm constantly hoping it won't turn back against me some day.

I've fought against her learning one thing for about a week when she finally comes to me one more time. She calmly asks, "Please," and many of her words. Then she disappears. The wind tells me where she is. We've already gathered the sticks for the fire, but she's gathering more. She's gone long enough I've made the fire and started water to boil (she'll only drink boiled water, still careful about what she puts into her).

When she returns she asks again, "Please." This time she has in hand a stout stick the length of her knife and another the length of a sword. It's been three days since she gave me the lecture as the Teacher. I resisted that one, having my own history to give me strength against it, but she still wants to learn how to defend herself using the knife properly. I've spent the time doing my own thinking.

I was taught how to use a sword by a woman who comes from a clan of warriors. Her name is Gaya il Pisca. I ran from her, too, for many days, before I had to give in and let her teach me just so she would stop stalking me. I was surprised when the first thing she taught me was not how to swing a sword, but the teachings of the clan master. That more than anything made me willing to learn to hold and use a blade. If Noriko can understand those teachings and believe them enough to live them, then perhaps I will teach her. I still don't want it, though.

I sigh at her, then take the sword-length stick that she's holding out for me. I motion for her to come to where there is earth to draw in. I poke a hole in the dirt, then draw a circle from it around and back to it. The first lesson of the Grey Bird master is: "All paths eventually return to their origin." Can Noriko understand this teaching? I look up at her from where I'm crouched to draw.

Noriko nods and looks like she understands. She moves to the next part of the bare earth to draw. I'm often amazed at how well she draws. They're crude drawings, but I've never wondered what it was that was drawn. She draws herself, then the knife with the point down next to her, then a bandit. It actually looks similar to one of the ones I fought in Calco. I know it's her because she always draws herself as a girl in a short dress with short hair and wearing shoes.

As I ponder that drawing, Noriko moves to draw another one. The second drawing is her picture of me. Usually that means a male figure with long hair, a bandanna, the long coat, and the pants. Sometimes she adds the boots, but not today. She then draws a bandit in front of me and another behind me at a distance. She glances at me to see if I've understood that much. I give a small nod.

She draws herself in that space she left, facing the bandit, her back to mine. I sigh and smile at the same time again. She's always doing that to me. Making me want to say, "I don't need it," and reminding me at the same moment that in her sight I did need it. A drawing of the knife goes point down again between her and the bandit she faces.

I think she's understanding what I want her to understand, saying what I want to hear if I'm going to teach her. The knife is a shield, not a weapon. If we use blades in defense, we are defended. If we use them to cause injury, we will be injured.

I put my hand on my sword, then point to it. Noriko nods. I draw the sword, point down between myself and the bandit in front of me. I want her to understand that from the beginning that's how I use the sword. I can't help hovering over the knife picture. I also protect her with the sword, but...in this case we're talking about how she'll use it, so I leave it. She protected me in the moment I needed it to keep us both safe.

"Thank you, Noriko," I say soberly. If she'll continue to use her strength to protect us both in what little ways she can, I'll be very grateful.

"[You're welcome], Izark," she answers me, understanding. She blinks and runs her hand through her hair, then smiles a little. She does that when she's thought of an additional thing that she finds humorous, but at the same time sobering.

Her finger returns to draw other stick men around us both. I understand she's abbreviating the drawing now. They are all still bandits. Then she draws my sword between us and all of those new bandits. I've reminded her that when there are many enemies, only I'll be able to handle them. She recognizes her own limitations.

I smile back at her. "[Yes], Noriko." (I use some of her words since they were easy to learn.) She smiles brightly at me, happy with this lesson if it will get her what she wants. I'm sufficiently satisfied.

The second lesson is the other part of what the master taught his clan. I move to draw a new picture. I draw the picture for "strong" - the arm held up to show a strong bicep - then point to my chest and try to show that strength comes from within ourselves. She puzzles that one out. I wish I could say it, because it is so much more than that, but we don't have the words yet.

I want to say them because they are the words that Gaya won me over with. "Those who choose the martial path must first master the power of gentleness." I was confused by that, although I liked how it sounded. It was her summary that made it clearer. "These teachings tell us that a true battle isn't about beating your opponent by force. It's about learning how to get along with everyone."

She admitted she never fully understood what that meant, but I did. It was the way I already wanted to live my life and had been working hard to learn to do. I was so surprised to learn that others had seen it that way as well, but had been strong, even to being warriors. It made me less afraid of my strength, more willing to learn how to control it and use it for good for others.

Gaya encouraged me to become a wandering swordsman instead of working the caravans. When we ended that caravan's journey, she stayed in that city to open a shop. I stopped working for caravans and learned to be a warrior in the way I wanted to be one. I've been grateful for Gaya and the Grey Bird master since that time.

I can only teach it to Noriko in this way. The little strengths inside become the external strengths. When we are gentle, we can do the most good. When we can wish to befriend everyone first, we can find the strength to defend those who need it, and the strength to stop fighting when we should. I don't need to kill and prefer not to, because I can choose to be gentle, which is what I want to be.

Noriko nods she understands, but sighs sadly. She crosses out the strength sign, then erases it and draws it partially, swings her stick, draws more, swings her stick again, and repeats until the full strength sign is drawn again.

I shake my head at her. Yes, strength of arm is built up, but you have to first recognize your own inner strengths - or what you wish to have as your own inner strength. She already has the gentleness, the desire to be kind and useful that she needs to meet this teaching. I try to tell her what I want her to understand is already inside of her. She doesn't see it. We'll need more common words for the understanding to flow from me to her.

I rise and motion to the pictures. Noriko erases them and stands where I put her. I show her how to hold the "hilt" of the stick knife correctly, then stand next to her and, like Gaya did for me, I show her how to make each motion that must be learned for a blade to become a proper defense without harming the wielder or the opponent that should only be discouraged, not killed.

She will someday have to learn to kill because she's picked up the blade, but for now simple defense is enough. I learned that sometimes defending oneself means killing someone who won't believe otherwise. I hope she's never with me when Keimos confronts me again. If I lose, she will also, because she'll never be able to kill him, and he'll fight until he dies.

For thieves and bandits, she'll be okay, I think. Her determination that first battle night says it very clearly. That makes me think of a question. I ask her if she actually used the knife in Calco. She shakes her head. She didn't have to. That's good. It's better to not use it when you have no training.