The sun finally rose enough for Kanbei to entirely wake up, and he managed to stifle a groan as he felt his arm throb in pain. He turned his head, and was startled that his clothes felt heavier than usual, and it took him a moment to discern why from the haze of pain. The clothes smelled different, but who else...?

Kyuuzou?

Impossible.

He looked over towards where he heard the sound of the river and saw Kyuuzou over there, getting a drink. It took Kanbei a long moment to process what he was seeing.

Why was Kyuuzou naked from the waist up? What happened to his shirt and coat? He felt pressure around his arm and tried to move it, but before he could, he heard a voice say,

"Don't be stupid. Don't move your arm."

Irked by that, but understanding the prudence of that remark, he relaxed his arm, and turned his head back to look up at the tree above him.

"It's good you're awake."

"Why did you take care of me?"

"You can't die."

"Our duel..." Kanbei said with a note of wry amusement and slight exasperation at himself for thinking that Kyuuzou would do anything for other than purely selfish reasons. He did the same thing, after all.

"We're going back to the village."

Being an invalid and not stupid enough to provoke Kyuuzou, he stood up shakily on his own, using his sheathed sword to prop himself up. Undignified, yes, but neccesary. As he stood, he felt the extra weight fall from him, and looked down.

'So that's where his coat was...' he thought idly. He watched as Kyuuzou picked it up and nonchalantly threw it on himself again with a fluid gesture that Kanbei was temporarily envious of. He knew he wouldn't be able to move that way for a while.

"Can you walk?"

"Yes."

"Good."

Kyuuzou turned and started walking, albeit a little more slowly than usual, but far enough in front to keep alert without having to worry about being distracted by Kanbei. Every now and then he would stop, and wait for a laboring Kanbei to catch up, carefully alert as he watched the wounded de facto leader of their group approach. The two eventually made it out into a clearing, where they found a few abandoned houses from when the village had moved entirely into the main complex.

"You will rest here."

Kanbei nodded, not knowing just how tired his eyes were as he sat down on the floor of the house. He didn't realize he had fallen asleep until he felt someone pick up his arm. He groggily opened one eye and saw an intent Kyuuzou unwrapping his wounded arm and frowning at its state. Kyuuzou left again, briefly, coming back with some wood. He made a fire and took a needle from a pocket of his jacket, and heated it up.

"This will hurt," he told Kanbei as he cauterized the wound.

Kanbei grimaced, his right hand curling into a fist so tightly that his nails punctured the skin.

Kyuuzou drew away after what seemed like an eternity and looked over his handiwork, pleased. he used some cloth he had found in the house and bandaged the wound, ignoring how Kanbei was looking at him, already past the pain.

He stood, his coat swooshing out around him, and he looked at Kanbei, waiting.

"The village is not much farther."

To his surprise as well as Kanbei's, he offered his hand to help Kanbei up. Kanbei stood on his own, ignoring the help, and Kyuuzou turned,letting his hand fall as he stepped out into the sunlight. Kanbei heard the sound of Kyuuzou's swords being drawn and grabbed his sword, and exited the house. Kanbei heard the whir of mechanics laid open, and smelled the grease that leaked from the wounds of the Nobuseri. Kanbei exited, and watched the battle unfold with a strategists eyes. Kyuuzou was doing admirably for a man who had not slept in more than 24 hours, defending himself and defeating his opponents with the lightning quickness that made Kanbei itch to try his luck at challenging him again. He had not met a warrior worthy of his skills before he met Kyuuzou. It took all of a few moments to defeat his assailants, leaving none left alive. Kyuuzou turned to Kanbei, his eyes not condemning, but with a hint of concern beneath the cold, distant emptiness that usually filled them.

"Come."

He turned towards the village again and Kanbei followed, unhappy to be reliant on anyone else for help. But he knew that his left arm would be useless until it mended. He hated helplessness as much as the next samurai, if not more. He saw Kyuuzou stop only a short distance away from the village, and became wary; however, he felt, heard, saw, smelt nothing. There was just him and Kyuuzou, and the village only a short ways off.

"It seems as if our duel will have to wait."

Kanbei gave a small,wry smile as he stood next to Kyuuzou.

"Unfortunately."

There was a long, surprisingly awkward silence between the two.

"Thank you," Kanbei said after struggling with his warrior's pride.

Kyuuzou just looked at him, but Kanbei thought he saw a "you're welcome" in Kyuuzou's usually expressionless eyes. Kanbei took a step towards the village but was stopped by Kyuuzou catching his good arm.

He looked back, mildly interested, but was not ready for the question he saw in Kyuuzou's eyes, a question Kyuuzou didn't even know he was asking. Kyuuzou released Kanbei's arm, not understanding why he had done that and then walked past Kanbei.

"They will be relieved to see you."

Kanbei was surprised for the first time in a long time. He had been pursued, wanted, before, but this...this was different. This was beyond the simple desire to be the better warrior, though it had started that way. How did it manage to develop into something so completely different?

He shrugged and put the question to the back of his mind to ponder at a later date, when his body didn't hurt so much and when he had time to talk to Kyuuzou...if Kyuuzou would even answer the questions he had to ask him. He followed Kyuuzou, becoming more weary with each step, back into the main village.