Chapter 17 - No Feelings, No Guilt

Kakashi was having a very pleasant dream.

They lived in a large, sun filled house together, undisturbed and far away from everything. There were plants forming a deep green tapestry of living things that made the air fragrant and fresh. There were small colorful birds that flew in through the open windows chirping happily, to drink from the little creeks that ran through the rooms. His ninken lived on the third floor with their families, a never ending stream of yapping puppies tumbling down the stairs like little balls of wool to visit them and beg for treats.

Sakura's main project was the little boy who lived in the forest. He was very shy, but they had managed to draw him close to the house with food offerings and had even once caught a glimpse of his silver hair in the underwoods. He seemed to favor salty snacks but Sakura was still trying out different things since she wanted him to be able to taste as many flavors as she knew herself.

Kakashi had no project. He liked to spend most of his time with Sakura in their large bed, talking, reading and making love. He had all the time in the world to look at every inch of her and to decide which part he wanted to worship next. He wanted to do nothing but look at her, hold her, smell her, tease her, please her...

He was so in love. How was it possible he had not known this feeling before?

"Should we wake him?" a muffled voice said. Were his ninken trying to play a friendly prank on him again? Kakashi smiled. He usually played along.

"No," another voice answered, "let him rest, we will try and deal with the situation ourselves."

Even better. Kakashi sighed contently and snuggled closer to the warm body in his arms. She smelled so good, like a freshly plucked flower with petals moist from morning dew. He reached out to touch her soft, peachy skin, slowly tracing the curve of her hip and waist. He leaned forward to put his lips on hers and… annoyed, he pulled down his mask for better access ... her lips were wet and yielding, and he realized kissing her was something he wanted to do more often, so he could taste her sweetness for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

"Mhhhhhhh," she sighed, opening her mouth to let his tongue in.

Her breasts fit his hands perfectly, her small nipples hardening as he rubbed them. But when he tried to move his mouth there, he hit his head rather painfully - and realized that this wasn't a dream at all.

Kakashi found himself in his narrow, hard bunk bed in the semi-dark, not in a sunlit room with a huge comfortable bed full of puppies. He also realized that even just moving his head took an effort, telling him his chakra depletion was severe and thorough, like he knew it from the aftermath of using the Sharingan in a serious fight.

But the probably biggest surprise was that just like in his dream, he was making out with Sakura, resulting in an urgently pulsating hard-on, chakra depletion or not.

"Don't stop," Sakura panted when he froze, confused about what was going on. Then he remembered how she had come to him. Into the Anbu headquarters. So very daring.

But he had to stop.

"Sakura," he said, finding his voice hoarse and strained and his hands shaking when he retrieved them from her body, "I don't think…"

"Good," she interrupted him by putting a finger to his lips, "don't think. Just don't think. I won't think either."

She pressed into him, grabbing his head with both hands to continue kissing. That was dangerous. Kissing her was very arousing to begin with, but when she took the initiative like this, he wanted to submit entirely to that awesome strength of hers and cease thinking indeed.

But he could not.

"You are thinking," she remarked out of breath after detaching from him. "Okay... Tell me what you're thinking."

Thinking? He was resisting, not thinking. He wanted her very much, so much he thought he would explode. She was the only thing he cared for in this village at the moment and yet… and yet...

"Is it because of Sasuke," she asked.

It wasn't really a question, but a statement. Of course if was because of Sasuke, and then again not at all. He cupped her face in both hands, squinting at her lovely features. The light coming in from the corridor through the glass above the dorm door was very faint. Ah, how he wished to be back in the dreamworld, where the sunlight had left no room for darkness and secrets.

"Partially," he answered her, wishing that not-thinking were a real option.

Kakashi had slept with a married woman before - with zero remorse. In his opinion, a woman had a right to do what she wanted. If she wanted to cheat, who was he to stop her? Besides, the husband had been a wife-beating asshole with a drinking problem and she had deserved a bit of fun.

But of course, this was different. The Uchiha tragedy still weighed heavy on Kakashi's soul, even though he had not had an active part in it. Sasuke was… infuriating, rude, had never shown even a sliver of gratitude - but he was still someone Kakashi needed to protect for Itachi's sake, he had no choice. So the question was: how much more important was Sakura's happiness to him than Sasuke's?

But far more confusing were his own feelings.

"My marriage isn't exactly functional," Sakura said timidly into the silence between them. "God knows what goes on in Sasuke's head, he never talks and he doesn't make me… he's not… with him, I don't...," she sounded endearingly shy, like the well-raised girl from a good family that she was.

Kakashi could have insisted she finish her sentence - and maybe he should have - but the message seemed clear enough to him. Sakura was trying to say she wanted sex because Sasuke failed to please her that way.

"I… want to… with you," Sakura added even more shily.

There was a very brief moment during which Kakashi felt something like bitterness, but he pushed that silly feeling away. He was a fool to think his own happiness mattered even in the least in this constellation. Just sex? This was exactly what he needed to hear, wasn't it? He could do just sex without thinking about it twice, he tried to convince himself. He could consider it a one off service for someone who deserved every ounce of happiness she could get. No feelings, no guilt.

"I understand," Kakashi said, making sure he sounded as carefree as he possibly could, "but first, I have a favor to ask."

"A… favor?" Sakura sounded unsure and a little scared. Silly girl. She was probably thinking about the wrong kind of thing. As if he'd ever do anything to her she didn't want him to do.

"Nothing to worry about," he said and put a stray lock of pink hair behind her ear, "I just need your help with another genjutsu."

"Oh," she said, sounding relieved, "of course!"

"But this time, it's going to be me wielding it," he continued.

"Oh," Sakura said again. "Okay?"

"It will help me regain my memories," he assured her. Well, that's what he hoped would happen. He needed to convince his own mind that the enemy was gone so it would let go of the defenses that were keeping him from accessing certain memories and he was certain that having Sakura there would help.

"Of course," she said, "I am more than happy to help you. Do you want to do it now?"

"No," he smiled expectantly, "now we do something else."

"Oh," she said a third time, sounding shy again. "Only if your chakra depletion isn't too severe..."

"Are you still on birth control?" Kakashi asked. He had seen the pills in her bathroom, but he had to be sure.

"Y...yes", Sakura stammered. "Please don't tell anybody."

"Not a single person comes to mind that I would want to tell," Kakashi laughed.

"I don't want a baby yet," she dropped her voice very low at that confession, as if it were an indecent statement.

Yet. But soon?

Again, Kakashi felt a moment of bitterness at only being that man, the one you turned to for fun before the "yet" became "now", but he should know better than to be the fool who hoped for the impossible.

"You have a right to decide such things on your own," he said, setting his mind firmly on his want for her, the excitement that was building up at the prospect of having her. While 'dreaming', he had started to undress her and now was the time to continue. Slowly, he opened her sleeveless qipao dress further, button after button, watching how her breathing quickened, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She had not been wearing a bra the last time they had been intimate, but now she was, a functional, plain type befitting her no-nonsense character. He pushed it up and away. The small breasts that he freed looked juicy like apples and he bent down to do what he had wanted to do before hitting his head.

He had inwardly scoffed at her previous comment about his chakra depletion, but the arm that he had used to push himself up to look down at her suddenly started to shake so violently, he had to quickly lower himself so she wouldn't notice. Luckily, his mouth was not affected by his weakness. Using his tongue, he caressed her erect nipples for a bit, then used his lips to suck them, first carefully, then a little harder, taking his cues from the cute little sounds that she made. He took his time with the breasts, exploring their dimensions and texture thoroughly. He found the left one was just a tiny little bit smaller than the right, which made it his instant favorite. Realizing there were other parts of her he had not gotten to know yet he moved his lips down to her belly button. It was shaped like a little seashell and he licked it with the devotion it deserved.

"Mhhhmhmhm," Sakura moaned.

The scent of her arousal hit his nostrils and his mouth longed to taste it. There was no particular haste though, so he explored her hips, then the soft skin of her loins first and finally pulled down her panties with his teeth. Noticing a cute little swirly lock in her pubic hair, he moved his mouth over to her mound to nibble at the flesh, a place only amateurs neglected.

"Mmmmhmhmhmmh," she moaned even louder.

Kakashi briefly wondered how much noise the door was able to cancel out - probably not a lot - and what they would do it somebody nosy like Yamato walked in on them, but he was too distracted by the glistening wetness of her womanhood to really care. Extending his tongue, he began to lap at the thick sweet juices, rewarded by even more moaning from her. A woman's folds were such a wondrous thing, all of them different in shape, but all of them like flowers that opened up to the sun when treated the right way.

Kakashi began alternating between sucking her nub, licking down the length of her slit and circling his tongue around her entrance and before long, Sakura grabbed his hair with both hands and exclaimed: "Oh my goooooood."

She clamped her legs around his ears forcefully when her orgasm shook her, holding him in place with her strength. He was right where he wanted to be, lapping up the extra juices that flowed from her with a growing hunger. Besides, he knew how easy it was to make a woman come again once she was as stimulated as this. As soon as her legs relaxed around him a little, he took up the sucking and licking again.

It took a bit longer the second time, but thanks to a bit of extra attention on specific parts, her body jerked again soon and he smiled at how unsuccessfully she tried to stifle her ecstatic sounds with her fist. He looked up at her enraptured face with the tightly shut eyes while the waves of pleasure washed over her, feeling quite satisfied with himself. Why was it that she was so ready to be pleased, so quick to reach the peak with hardly any effort from him?

As he was looking at her, she opened her eyes to look down unexpectedly, his heart shuddering for a moment because of the expression in them, but then she pulled at his hair demandingly, forcing him to move up - so that she could give him their hottest kiss yet, licking her own juices off his lips and chin in the process.

"Thank you," she whispered, tracing his jaw with the tip of her fingers.

Kakashi had not even consciously realized he wasn't wearing his mask anymore, which was in itself a shock to him. For a short moment, he felt extremely exposed, but this was Sakura, whom he had known for so long, whom he trusted. It was okay.

"You are so handsome," Sakura breathed, drinking in his features, hitting him right in the stomach with that statement.

He had already realized he was in trouble on that rooftop a few days ago, but the extent of it was only becoming clear to him now. Why lie to himself? It was useless. He had developed feelings for her that he had not even known existed. He craved for her attention and her affection like one thirsted for water after a journey through the desert. He had needed a dream to realize - a dream full of sunshine and reciprocal love - a dream painful in its contrast to reality.

"Hey," she said with concern, "are you okay?"

Not okay. Not at all okay. He put his head down on the pillow. She was someone he could never have the way he wanted her.

"Is it because you are still exhausted?" she asked, gently stroking his hair, "of course you are. What kind of doctor am I not to give you enough time to rest… But you know, the thought of losing you… it was too painful."

Her hand had travelled down his body, timidly touching his strutting readiness, rubbing her hand up and down the length of it, almost a question. Granted, using chakra during sex came with a lot of benefits, but he was definitely ready for more even without any left. It was like his body wanted to claim her at least once, even if it was the last thing he did.

"Ride me," he said hoarsely.

Sakura drew in a sharp breath, but her hand did not cease to touch him. Now, she shifted her attention to his trousers, easily removed since there was only an elastic band holding them up. He was not wearing any underpants. Sakura studied his nakedness for a moment, quiet as if she needed a minute to collect her courage.

"Yes, I want to. Very much," she whispered and moved to straddle him.

There was little space for her head because of the bed above his, she had to bend forward, bringing their bodies into very close proximity. There was only her in his world now and he wished it would stay this way forever. After pulling up his shirt over his head, she grabbed his ears again to look deeply into his eyes. Her hot core rested against the full length of him, warm and alluring. Shifting her hips, she began to slide forward and backward, watching his face very closely.

"Do you like this?" she asked.

"Yes," he groaned, "of course I do."

"Don't judge me," she said, "I think I'm very bad at this kind of thing. I know nothing about men."

He managed to lift his own hands to grab her head and pull her down into a passionate kiss. What silly notion was this again? Why was she always so insecure about herself? Her wetness already coated his entire shaft, the gliding becoming quicker, the pressure mounting.

"I want to be inside of you," he whispered into her ear, his voice thick with desire, "if you allow me."

"Sorry," she gulped and with one shaking hand, she grasped his length to guide his tip to the right place.

Kakashi wanted to bury himself to the hilt inside of her with one firm stroke, but when he found her entrance surprisingly tight, he pushed very slowly, leaving her time to adjust and relax. She began to moan again after he had halfway entered her and it became instantly more challenging not to let go of all restraint. She was the sexiest, most desirable woman he had ever been with and the feeling of her tight, hot walls around him was maddening.

But he knew this might well be the one and only time he got to have her and therefore, he had to make it last.

Slowly, very slowly he sank into her, eventually filling her up completely. He wanted to shout in ecstasy at the feeling of jointness. He would have wanted to stay like this the whole night, moving as little as possible, but Sakura began to rock her hips in small circles, her whole body beginning to tremble above him.

"So… deep," she gasped.

The feeling was intoxicating. Very soon, he felt her orgasm build with small tremors deep within her, fast becoming stronger and more pronounced. She bit into his shoulders to muffle her cries, her walls beginning to clench around him forcefully, almost driving him over the edge. Not losing a beat, she began moving again as soon as it subsided with a look of rapt concentration on her face.

"Slow down," he groaned, but she didn't seem to listen. She moved faster and faster, letting him slip out almost completely before taking him in again all the way. It was a frantic rhythm of lust, her eyes glazing over as she sought her fulfilment. The second time she came, he couldn't hold back any longer either. He exploded within her with a shout, feeling like his very soul was milked out of him gush after gush. A feeling of ecstasy mixed with a keen regret that it was already over flooded him.

"I told you I'm not good at this," she sighed, collapsing against his chest, "I'm sorry for not slowing down. I couldn't."

"Why…," he sighed, "why do you always find fault with yourself?"

"M.. maybe you had different expectations," she suggested, moving a hand to his chest to trace an imaginary line on his skin.

Expectations? Yes. He had a whole set of expectations, especially concerning the future, expectations to keep practicing with her every day so that he learned about everything she liked and to teach her about everything he liked. At this moment, he feared he did not know how to stop wanting her. Being able to have her once only meant he wanted her more.

But this was going to be his secret, his secret alone. And maybe it didn't matter because he wouldn't be around to see her anyway.

"I liked it a lot," she blurted out. "Is it okay to say this?"

"Of course," he said in response, having to smile a little at how she was becoming ever more daring in what she expressed, then realizing that she seemed to be expecting a confirmation from him too.

Ah, but what to say? I am deeply in love with you. I want you to be mine. Leave him.

"Talk to Sasuke", was what he said instead, "you need to sort this out with him."

And then, because he realized this could be misunderstood and he didn't want that: "I mean... it's really not very hard to please you. Just tell him what you like."

Great - and now he blushed? It was her cute and a little naughty smile that did this to him.

"I don't know what I like," she admitted. "Or didn't know until you taught me."

Kakashi closed his eyes, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Who would have thought he'd ever become a teacher for this kind of thing too? Sakura shifted away to the side, their bodies no longer intimately connected.

"Transform into an Anbu if you want to walk out of here undiscovered, wearing a bird mask is best, there are a few of those and they're sometimes hard to distinguish," he managed to say before his weariness overtook him completely.

"I'm not leaving yet," she said, almost sounding offended.

That struck him as strange, but he needed to sleep very urgently now, the kind of sleep that could take him out for days. The last thing he felt before his awareness left him was Sakura's warm hand grasping for his to interlink their fingers.

###

Unable to turn her eyes away from Kakashi's unmasked face after he had fallen asleep, Sakura felt a pang of guilt. But it was hard for guilt to find a hold in a body humming with passion. Amazing that she had needed to turn twenty-four to experience such lust. Shocking that she could be this selfish when it came to seeking her own pleasure. Even more shocking that she felt accomplished... but he had liked it too, she was certain, even if he had not said so directly.

Tenderly, she traced Kakashi's brow with her knuckles. He had always made her feel good, more than anybody else and she felt very grateful for it. She thought she would like to be someone he cherished in similar ways. Ergo, she had to stop staring at his features like a creepy person and consider his sensitivities. Kakashi must be hiding his face for a reason - and it certainly wasn't because he was ugly or had buckteeth, as Naruto had once suggested. Should she pull up his mask to afford him some privacy? After staring for a good time more, she did - gently pulling the elastic fabric up and over his nose.

He did not budge an inch. His exhaustion must be so much greater than he had wanted to admit. Sakura had used her healing powers to cure the effects of torture while he had slept before and now, she called chakra into her hands once again to send into his body. His very delicious body. It was more like an energy boost than healing… there were no injuries like in Sasuke's case, not a single one.

After a while, it was enough. Sakura yawned extensively and stretched, her joints popping. It was difficult to know what the time was, she wasn't wearing a watch and there was no natural light this deep underground, but from the way her stomach was rumbling, it was at least dinner time or beyond. But how to get something into her stomach? Waking Kakashi up was out of the question. She didn't want to leave yet. That left her with one other option…

Using her hands, she washed between her legs at the washbasin and then began to practice transformation jutsu, checking her altered appearance in the mirror. The most important aspect of change was her telltale hair - she finally settled on an unruly mop of brown curls that wasn't too difficult to do. Far more tricky was the Anbu mask - for whatever strange reason, her attempts kept looking like Kakashi's kitsune mask and not like a bird, as if her imagination could not conjure up anything different than what she saw dangling from a hook on the wall.

Eventually, she managed a mask with a resemblance of a beak in the middle - good enough - and walked to the door to step outside. The corridor was just as empty and dimly lit as it had been when she had first arrived. However, she had come down here through hidden back tunnels, led by Pakkun. Without her canine guide, she had to be careful not to get lost - and decided to use a felt pen she had in her pocket to draw little marks on the walls so she would find back to Kakashi's room.

Maybe it was later then she had thought - everywhere she went, it was empty and she heard no sounds apart from the humming of the ventilation system. Luckily, it didn't take Sakura too long to locate the kitchen. But what kind of kitchen was this? There was no proper food in the fridge, only water in bottles and ampullae with liquid in different colors. At least there was some fruit, though the selection was poor. Grabbing a bruised looking tangerine, Sakura peeled it at lightning speed and then devoured it, the juice running down her chin. Only more hungry, she grabbed a second one, but before she could even peel it, a faint noise outside set her heart racing.

Quickly, Sakura pulled down the mask - not a second too late. A young man entered, seeming strangely familiar. He was handsome enough, medium height, with brownish, short-cut hair, a straight, somewhat long nose and pronounced cheekbones, but his expression was thoroughly unpleasant, almost as if he had bitten into a lemon. When her eyes caught sight of the mask dangling from his belt, she snorted incredulously. Frog mask! Of all people!

"Do I know you?" he asked suspiciously, looking her up and down. She was suddenly unsure whether the Anbu wore their masks inside the headquarters like people said or whether she was already much too suspicious.

"No," she answered nonchalantly. "I'm new."

"Didn't hear about a new recruit," frog mask said and shrugged. "Where is your room?"

"It's room 42," she said. It seemed to be the safest possible answer, besides, it was the truth.

"That's Kakashi Sensei's room," Kaeru exclaimed.

"Oh, I must have gotten it wrong then!" she grinned. Not. Frog mask's scowl deepened.

"What's your speciality?" he challenged her.

"Genjutsu," she replied. And because she had learned a lot from Tsunade about men and how annoying most of them were, she got ready for his challenge that would most certainly come. Indeed, she felt his clumsy Genjutsu like a slap to the face mere seconds later, giving her ample warning to defend herself with a release while slipping in her counterarrack. A brightening of the light, he looked up to the ceiling and bam, she had him.

"Why don't you climb on the table, stand on one leg and crow like a rooster?" she said sweetly.

Frog mask blinked and obeyed.

"It's not even fun when it's this easy," Sakura sighed and released him from the Genjutsu.

"You're good," he acknowledged with an impressed nod after he had jumped down from the table, his face and ears red from embarrassment. "I see why they recruited you into Anbu."

… only her character was completely unsuitable for someone in the black ops division. Kakashi had told her, many years ago when she had still been a Genin and had been curious who was eligible and who was not. The Anbu favored the ones with little to no emotions, those easily turned into precise killing machines.

Partially why she really didn't like the organisation and wished Kakashi had nothing to do with them.

"Are you hungry?" Frog mask grinned with a side-glance at the tangerine peel on the counter and the smile made his face transform in such an unexpected way, Sakura simply stared at him for a few seconds.

He pulled out a paper wrapped bundle from underneath his uniform, looking at it almost tenderly. "My sister sent me a few snacks from her village. You're in for a treat!"

"She's not in Konoha?" Sakura asked.

Frog mask shook his head. "She got married to a fisherman from the Land of Water. First chance she got to escape, she did."

Sakura frowned. Who would want to escape Konoha? It was perfect here, she didn't know a single person who didn't like the village.

"We grew up in the orphanage," frog mask explained, probably guessing she must be confused about his sister's tastes. "My talent for becoming a shinobi was evident from early on, but she really wasn't suited for fighting… she had a hard time there."

"I'm sorry," Sakura said, "you must miss her."

Frog mask cocked his head to think for a moment. "Yeah, I do," he then agreed and put the bundle on the table, where he started to carefully unwrap it. It contained a series of other wrapped packages with neat writing on them.

"These are my favorite," he exclaimed and opened one reading Shiroebi Yuzu Kosho Senbei.

"You do not need to sh…"

"Nonsense," frog mask said, "we Anbu look out for each other."

Sakura took one of the thin and crisp crackers and took a bite underneath the mask. Delicious!

"You can come ask me for help anytime," he offered generously, "I know it can be pretty tough at the beginning. Especially knowing which of the rules to follow by the letter! I got into trouble quite a few time. Kakashi Sensei seems like such a laid back person, but don't let yourself be deceived!"

He offered her more rice crackers and opened another package with dried fish in it. Who would have thought she might one day come to like this frog mask?

"He's extremely fair though," he continued, and then, another scowl crossed his features. "And righteous. Don't believe anything else you hear."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, suddenly very alert.

"Ah, you know… it's classified information. But I was there and saw what happened when he had to fight those… machines…"

Oh come on, tell me more! Sakura screamed inwardly.

"Kabuto was there too, wasn't he," she said, trying to make her voice sound neutral.

"Oh, you know him?" frog mask frowned. "Very capable ninja, super lousy character."

"Tell me about it," Sakura sighed, feeling how the anger from earlier today boiled up again. "Watch him carefully, I think he has some sinister plan that involves Kakashi. Sensei," she quickly added the last bit when frog mask looked at her askance.

"I can't tell you more, it's classified," she said apologetically. That's what one said to appear important around here.

"I understand," frog mask nodded, looking thoughtful. "I will protect Kakashi Sensei even better from now on. And I will make sure nobody speaks ill of him ever again! As if he'd go get his Sharingan back to use it for evil deeds!"

"Excuse me?" Sakura's mouth hung open.

"Yeah, so that's what happened," frog mask shrugged. "He used a Mangekyō Sharingan in both eyes during the fight."

I'll be damned, Sakura thought, feeling hot and cold at the same time. That's impossible. But no wonder Kabuto had said Kakashi was in trouble. The blood seal… it was one thing and she would want to examine it more carefully the next time Kakashi came to see her at the hospital, but a Sharingan?

She had to go see Tsunade. Tonight.

"I need to go," Sakura said and jumped down from the counter.

"Yeah, it's late," frog mask nodded. "It was nice meeting you! I'd like to be on a team with you."

"O… okay," Sakura stammered, not quite sure how to deal with his friendliness that was so unexpected and different from how she had gotten to know him.

"I'm glad I came here instead of waking up Kakashi," frog mask mused. "Or I might not have gotten to speak to you."

"Oh, you should let him rest, he was pretty exhausted," Sakura blurted out, dammit, "... is what Captain Yamato told me."

"Yeah, I know, Captain Yamato told me the same. But I wanted to surprise him."

With what! Sakura screamed inwardly, why are these conversations so exhausting!

"With what?" she snapped, suddenly tired of dancing around important information like moths around an open flame.

"Ah, didn't Captain Yamato tell you about the visitor? That's strange."

What visitor!

"She claimed she knows the Uchiha and when she was told he's inconvenienced, she demanded to speak to Kakashi Sensei, saying he would be even more delighted to see her."

"Someone from outside the village?" Sakura was getting very curious now. "Do you know what she looks like?"

"Yes, I was there," frog mask nodded. "Crimson eyes, ugly red hair, short and spiky on one side. Ah... and glasses."

Karin?!

"We cannot let her in without someone vouching for her, that's why I thought we should wake up Kakashi Sensei, even though he's recuperating. The weather is turning and we really shouldn't let a mother with a small child wait outside the village doors in the wet and cold."

A child?!

"I think I know her too. Let me go and see Lady Tsunade," Sakura said, suddenly feeling an inexplicable chill. "I agree with you, a mother with a small child should not have to wait outside the village doors in bad weather."

A braver person than her would have asked what the child looked like, but she would find out soon enough, wouldn't she.

She was quite certain she didn't want to know.