When she awoke, it felt as though every muscle in her body was on fire and she bit down on her lip to keep in a cry of pain. Her vision was still blurred, yet she could make out that she was bent over the side of a horse, moving along at a regular pace. She moaned in irritation and felt a hand on her back. " Woah there buddy. Ya took a pretty bad blow from that wolf. I'd take it easy fer a sec if I were you…" Her blue orbs stared up at the one she assumed had saved her. He was a young man, probably nineteen or so, with deep hazel eyes and bright red hair. He had a toothy grin yet he seemed nice enough. She moved her mouth to speak to him, though she immediately felt like throwing up from what she assumed was the blood loss. " Hey now, what'd I just say to ya? Stop tryin to move around or you're gonna hurt yerself some more!" Her top lip curled in discomfort, irritated that she was unable to talk at that moment. She lay there silently for a moment before conjuring up enough strength to speak. " You…You saved me?" He stared back at her for a moment before sighing, then smiling a bit. " Of course I did, I couldn't very well just leave ya there t' die now could I? I may be a bandit, but I ain't that heartless…" She squinted up at him, taking as good of a look as she could manage. A bandit? She would admit he wasn't exactly dressed like a prince, but a bandit? And If he was indeed one, shouldn't he have been robbing her as opposed to saving her life? As much sense as it didn't make, she was in no position to complain. She tried to meet his gaze again when she managed to spit out a quiet, " Thank you…"
Once again he would look down at her with that questioning expression on his face. " Yer welcome I guess… So… What are ya doin' in these parts? It's not exactly safe t' be travlin' around here by yerself." This question had caught her somewhat off guard. What was she doing here? It was a difficult question to answer. It wasn't as if she could tell this man that she'd read an old book and been sucked inside. That was too insane a story to tell anyone. He would surely think she was mad and probably throw her off his horse then and there. " I was with my friend and I…got lost… I guess I just kind of ended up here." He nodded as if to show he understood. " Well that sure does suck fer you. So I guess that means ya have no place to sleep tonight then, is that right?" A slight shade of pink crept into her pale cheeks as she nodded. " Well I guess I can't let ya just fend fer yourself… Especially not when yer hurt… You can stay at my place til you're better, a'right dude?" She nodded lightly as she cocked an eyebrow. " Dude?" " yeah didn't you hear me, man?" Maybe it was just her, but she becoming to be under the impression that he thought she was a ma. She wouldn't exactly blame him at that point, considering how she looked. Baggy shirt and pants, short hair, and small breasts. She scoffed lightly. She knew she wasn't exactly the epidemy of femininity, but really.
He arched an eyebrow at her as she silently fumed about being mistaken for a boy. " Um…you ok there?" Her train of thought broke there as she glanced up at him and nodded. " Fine. Yeah, it would be great if you'd let me stay with you for a couple days…uh…buddy.." " Well a'right then. Since you're conscious now, why don't you get behind me? I don't want to look like I swing the wrong way er nothing'…" She blushed again as if offended, though she smiled and nodded. He then slowed the horse so that she could lift herself up to sir behind him, though she was slightly afraid to hold onto him as if somehow that by itself would let him know she was female. This man may have helped her, but god only knows what the situation would have been like if he had known she was not a man. She held onto him as tightly as was necessary to keep her from falling off the horse as they trotted up the mountain to what must have been his stronghold. Her jaw dropped a bit as she observed it. For a bandit, he must have been doing pretty well for himself considering what where he lived looked like.
After he had put his horse away, they made their way to large door and the man knocked on it loudly. A few moments later, a voice came from within. " Who goes there??" " It's Genrou ya moron, open the door!" Genrou? Was that his name? She must really be in China… The door opened wide suddenly and a man greeted them a smile. " Genrou! It's been too long buddy!" The man Genrou then linked arms with the other inside and they…Well, they danced around in a circle… " Ya just saw me ya fool!!" A sweat drop formed on her forehead. This was all a little too weird for her taste, but what else was she to do? The two men walked inside, almost forgetting she was standing there. Genrou motioned for her to enter as well, as they made their way upstairs and to a small room. She assumed it was something like their medical inventory, considering it was filled with bandages and what she assumed was ointments. The other man, now known as Kouji, pointed at a table. " Why don't you have a seat? I'll take a look at that bite of yours…" She lifted her hands and waved them as if o say 'no'. Even though they were small, there would be no way he would miss her breasts if he was treating a wound on her shoulder. " No, no that's alright….uh…I can do it myself…." She extended a hand for the bandages and asked them to leave, which they did though they it was odd for a man to be modest. She removed her dirtied shirt and cleaned the bite as best she could without crying out from the pain. She bandaged it quickly and left the room, but the two men were no where to be seen.
She managed to find her way back to the stairs, hearing voices from the floor below. She made her way to what appeared to be the dining hall, considering it was full of men eating dinner. Hardly any of them even casted a glance in her direction, as if she belonged there. She glared at them for what she assumed they were thinking. Her blue gaze found Genrou and Kouji at a table neat the end, laughing away and shoveling food into their mouths. This is when her stomach told her how hungry she was. It growled so loudly she was almost surprised that she was the only one who heard it. Kouji finally noticed her, and waved for her to join them. She did this swiftly, not liking feeling adrift in the middle of a large group of men. She slid into a seat next to them and stayed silent. " Not exactly talkative eh? Well you gotta be hungry…" Genrou lifted a nearby plate and set it in front of her. It was covered in chicken and chunks of burned rice, but she was so hungry she couldn't have cared less. She shoveled the food down her throat almost as quickly and appallingly as they did. They both stared at her wide eyed for a moment before bursting into laughter. " Boy for a little guy you sure can pack it away!" She blushed then and put down her chopsticks. Genrou's eyes widened for a moment before he fixed his gaze on her. " hey kid…" oh no! oh god! He knew she was a girl! What did she do? Had she made a face or motion that had given her away? " I just realized… I never asked you what yer name is…" She sighed in relief as he questioned her, although suddenly she could think of no male names. Bob? No that was American, no good. Uh uh uh…. " H-Hayate….My name is Hayate…" She grinned nervously although he obviously believed her. " Well Hayate, good to have ya. After we finish up here, I'll show ya to yer room."
After he had put his horse away, they made their way to large door and the man knocked on it loudly. A few moments later, a voice came from within. " Who goes there??" " It's Genrou ya moron, open the door!" Genrou? Was that his name? She must really be in China… The door opened wide suddenly and a man greeted them a smile. " Genrou! It's been too long buddy!" The man Genrou then linked arms with the other inside and they…Well, they danced around in a circle… " Ya just saw me ya fool!!" A sweat drop formed on her forehead. This was all a little too weird for her taste, but what else was she to do? The two men walked inside, almost forgetting she was standing there. Genrou motioned for her to enter as well, as they made their way upstairs and to a small room. She assumed it was something like their medical inventory, considering it was filled with bandages and what she assumed was ointments. The other man, now known as Kouji, pointed at a table. " Why don't you have a seat? I'll take a look at that bite of yours…" She lifted her hands and waved them as if o say 'no'. Even though they were small, there would be no way he would miss her breasts if he was treating a wound on her shoulder. " No, no that's alright….uh…I can do it myself…." She extended a hand for the bandages and asked them to leave, which they did though they it was odd for a man to be modest. She removed her dirtied shirt and cleaned the bite as best she could without crying out from the pain. She bandaged it quickly and left the room, but the two men were no where to be seen.
She managed to find her way back to the stairs, hearing voices from the floor below. She made her way to what appeared to be the dining hall, considering it was full of men eating dinner. Hardly any of them even casted a glance in her direction, as if she belonged there. She glared at them for what she assumed they were thinking. Her blue gaze found Genrou and Kouji at a table neat the end, laughing away and shoveling food into their mouths. This is when her stomach told her how hungry she was. It growled so loudly she was almost surprised that she was the only one who heard it. Kouji finally noticed her, and waved for her to join them. She did this swiftly, not liking feeling adrift in the middle of a large group of men. She slid into a seat next to them and stayed silent. " Not exactly talkative eh? Well you gotta be hungry…" Genrou lifted a nearby plate and set it in front of her. It was covered in chicken and chunks of burned rice, but she was so hungry she couldn't have cared less. She shoveled the food down her throat almost as quickly and appallingly as they did. They both stared at her wide eyed for a moment before bursting into laughter. " Boy for a little guy you sure can pack it away!" She blushed then and put down her chopsticks. Genrou's eyes widened for a moment before he fixed his gaze on her. " hey kid…" oh no! oh god! He knew she was a girl! What did she do? Had she made a face or motion that had given her away? " I just realized… I never asked you what yer name is…" She sighed in relief as he questioned her, although suddenly she could think of no male names. Bob? No that was American, no good. Uh uh uh…. " H-Hayate….My name is Hayate…" She grinned nervously although he obviously believed her. " Well Hayate, good to have ya. After we finish up here, I'll show ya to yer room."
