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Usagi tried to rise, but his limbs shook. A hand came down, grabbed him, and placed him up against the pole he'd just been chained to. Usagi peeled his shut eyes open to watch Tomoe Ame and Gennesuke make a wall of flesh, sword, and battle cry between him and the battle in the street.
Then Tomoe Ame whistled. The horses returned. One ran up to her. She mounted.
Gen stepped into the way of his beast grabbing its tack. He then grabbed Usagi and lifted him up onto his mount before him. Then he mounted himself. Usagi cried out, "Wait, the healer! Tomoe, get the healer."
"Where is he?"
"The building with its door open!"
Tomoe ran over two ninja on her steed on her way to the door. The goat healer appeared in its frame and she pulled the old goat up behind her. Then she gave a cry; she kicked her steed's sides and left at a gallop. The other Samurai followed her out in a stampede.
. . .
Meanwhile, Lord Noriyuki sat in the tall grass on a hill some distance from the village. The old hound Samurai, instead of taking part in the plan he'd given Tomoe Ame, sat beside him. On his other side was the young healer-apprentice. Behind them, a horse lay in the grass. The beast seemed quite happy at the reprieve.
Noriyuki, however, had a slight frown and his gaze pinned and almost unblinking pointed toward the village. Suddenly, he grinned. He pointed one, black, hairy finger toward the cluster of buildings. "Look, the horses!"
The hound stiffened. "Then up you go, my lord." He rose. Noriyuki stood beside him, and the young healer beside him. The small goat had his brow furrowed.
Then the hound got the horse up and Noriyuki onto the horse and the goat kid behind him. Then the hound swung up behind them both. The horse was then guided into a walk that became a trot that became a gallop that became a run, so they stayed just ahead of the all out running steeds behind them. And thus, they became the head of the column of Samurai, and one rescued bounty hunter and one rescued Yojimbo.
Soon they brought their mounts speed down again. They now had to concentrate on not breaking their steeds legs and keeping the foe just far enough behind them. The Samurai also moved their lord, the young healer apprentice, and goat healer himself around from Samurai mount to Samurai mount to keep the steeds that carried them from growing too weary, but Gen seemed loathe to hand off Usagi to anyone else. He only snorted when they asked.
. . .
When the sun rose, the Samurai saw the ninja had not followed them. They stopped and dismounted and set up camp. The healer tended to Usagi's limbs while an excited Noriyuki watched. "Usagi san! I said we had to rescue you, and we did! You're alright! Well, you mostly seem alright! Are you alright?"
Usagi closed his eyes as he lay in the grass. He tried to concentrate on being as limp as possible, which was difficult, because he currently felt his flesh from just beneath the skin to the marrow of his bone was made of wood. "I am not in danger of dying from any wounds that I know of with this fine healer looking after me Lord Noriyuki. I should be fine soon. Thank you for the rescue, but you should not have sent your Samurai to do that. You should have gone on to the city with them where you would be much safer."
Usagi would have said this anyway, but despite saying this to the panda cub, he was acutely aware, even with his eyes closed, of Tomoe Ame standing with her arms crossed near enough her shadow fell over him. Lord Noriyuki responded instead of retainer, however, "I know. Tomoe Ame said the same thing. But I wanted to rescue you Usagi San! You are my friend."
The Yojimbo smiled. "Thank you, Lord Noriyuki. I am most honored."
Nearby, Tomoe Ame cracked a smile too.
. . .
The goat healer stripped Usagi of the extra kimonos, and even his own, before rubbing him with a liniment. The smell of the latter was such, Gennesuke stood down wind from them, though he remained within a few strides. To help with the smell for his patient's sake, and with the assurance of Lord Noriyuki it would be paid for, the goat healer placed drops of sweet-smelling oil in a bit of cloth near Usagi's nose.
This comforted the Ronin during the truly painful part of the treatment. There was grim satisfaction to him that the tight muscles that were failing him so badly now were being massaged into submission. However, it was a painful process. Afterward, though, there came relief. With that relief Usagi fell asleep.
Even the bright sunlight shining over his face, warming him along with the liniment and chill in the air could not prevent it. Usagi fell into sleep as quickly and unequivocally as falling off a cliff. Gen noticed first and smiled down upon him.
God Bless
ScribeofHeroes