I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

Thanks for reviewing Chichiri's Wanderer (OMG! I'm soooo sorry. I was really tired when I last updated and my blurring vision must have messed me up. I'm so sorry. You get quadruple the normal thank as an attempt to make up for it! And yes, Soi is a very naught person. Lol) Bishiglomper (about the quickness, one was intentional, one was out of stupidity. The whole thing with Chichiri I left out because it'll be explained in detail later, you know how in books something happens and doesn't get explained, that's like with this. The thing with Soi was a slip up on my part. I really should have further explained that XP Thanks for pointing out that it was a bit too quick though!) and Lyn (Aw, thank you so much. I'm glad I'm doing a good job with defining my character because sometimes I worry about that, not necessarily on this story either).

Chapter 7

Keara shivered at the cold climate of Hokkan, 'Why does it have too feel like late fall here?' When she felt something slip around her shoulders she turned and saw Chichiri pulling away his hands.

"No need for you to catch cold no da," the monk told her with a smile.

Keara gave him a thankful smile and held the kesa in place with the fingers on her good hand. The material might have been thin, but it offered some protection from the chilling air.

"How's your finger no da?" With a small nod Chichiri knew she meant that it was alright.

It wasn't long until they reached a prairie with grazing sheep. Tamahome saved a small boy who was about to fall off of wild horse; earning the gratitude of his mother and a place to stay the night.

Keara wandered outside the tent, Chichiri's kesa still draped around her shoulders. It had been a while since she had last stretched and she knew that if she didn't soon she be completely out of shape by the time she returned to her world.

As she sat outside the tent and stretched out her muscles she listened in on the conversation half the group was having with the elder about the shinzaho. It seemed that no one really knew much of anything about it as three people from the village argued about how it had come to be.

With a sigh Keara lay her head and chest on her outstretched legs. 'All this banter makes me question this things existence, even if Taiitsukun said it was real.'

When she had finished stretching she walked out to a large clear area so that she could have room to practice. She knew all to well that she could not practice everything since the ground was nothing like the floor mats gymnasts used, which had springs in them.

Before she began she took of her tunic, tucked her shirt into her pants and carefully folded the kesa before placing the items on the ground a bit behind her. She glanced down at her finger and frowned. Mitsukake had told her he could mend the bone in moments, but she had told him not too as she was aware that he could only use his ability once a day and she didn't know if something dire would occur in which his ability would be needed.

With a shrug she started out on practicing her routine, doing all that she deemed she could on given her location.

vvvv

"So you're saying someone else is among their ranks?" A male with blond hair that went past his shoulders and fierce blue eyes asked. A blue cape like material covered his right side showing little of his blue armor.

"Yes Nakago sir," Soi said calmly. "I couldn't make much of her since I had only realized she was there as I departed. She seemed like a normal girl, but something about her, even in that brief moment I laid eyes on her, that seemed to counter the idea."

"What do you mean?"

Soi thought a moment as she tried to form the right words, "She almost seemed other worldly. The air about her was like that of our miko, except without the 'high' power she posses with her position." The words sounded odd, even to her, but by the look on Nakago's face she knew he understood.

"She can't be a miko, that much is known," Nakago said, "She has made me curious. Next you see of her I want you to bring her here, alive."

"Yes sir," Soi said as she bowed out of the tent. 'First the Suzaku no miko and now this girl, what's going on?'

They would be in Hokkan tomorrow and the Suzaku no miko, her seshi's and the 'other worldly' girl would undoubtedly arrive soon after.

vvvv

Chichiri and Tasuki watched as Keara did a roundolf-back-handspring into a back flip in the pike position (legs are out strait and not bent in the least with ones arms wrapped around them) three times before stopping. Tasuki's face was etched with surprise and even Chichiri's masked face showed the same emotion.

Keara stopped moments later and turned towards them; she had felt eyes upon her but she had felt it so many times before that she had paid it little heed. She gave a wave before jogging up to them with a small smile.

"How do you do stuff like that and not worry about falling and breaking anything?" Tasuki asked.

Keara simply shrugged at the question. She'd been doing gymnastics from when she was a child and she supposed she just got used to the dangers that many of her maneuvers held.

"That was amazing no da," Chichiri said in awe. "Aren't you dizzy from all that no da?"

With the shake of her head she answered his question. "Did Mitsukake heal your finger?" Tasuki asked.

Keara shook her head once more, causing Tasuki's eyes to widen, "You mean you did all that with a broken finger!"

Keara nodded her head and made a face as if to say 'ya, and the point is?'

"You're crazy," Tasuki said with a shake of his head before walking away.

"It must have hurt no da," Chichiri said as he picked up Keara's hand and examined the bound finger. He let it go not long later, "Doesn't look like you hurt it any though no da."

Keara gave a silent laugh. All of the monks 'no da's' were beginning to amuse her to no end, where as before they had gotten on her nerves slightly.

"What's so funny no da?" Chichiri asked with a puzzled expression.

Keara shook her head before shivering. She had forgotten how cold it was because she had been warm from training.

"Here," Chichiri put the blanket that had been draped over his shoulders over hers. At her look he added, "I'll get another one no da."

With a nod Keara held the blanket close, taking in the warmth that Chichiri had left in it. The monk disappeared into the tent from which he had exited not long ago to ask for another blanket.

Keara smiled and walked up to the things he had put on the ground before practicing and picked them up, dusting off any dirt that clung to them. By the time she was finished Chichiri was walking out of the tent with another blanket around his shoulders.

'Arigato,' Keara mouthed as he handed the monk back his kesa.

"You're welcome no da," Chichiri said with a smile as he took his kesa back.

vvvvv

Keara rubbed her eyes sleepily as she leaned against a tree. I had been several hours since they had first arrived at the small village of sheep herders and it had been a very long day. Chichiri and Tasuki sat quietly at one side of the tree and she was on the other.

With a weak smile she looked down at the drawing in her hands. It was of chibi Chichiri running while yelling 'Daa!' as a phoenix chased him about with his staff in its talons and kesa around its neck.

The monk was an interesting character, but then again all the seshi's were interesting in their own ways. However there was something about the monk in particular that made her feel at ease in this strange place when she was sure that, on a normal occasion, she would have been frightened beyond compression and being without a voice she would have been too lost to be found.

Her eye lids felt heavy and she fought little against the strong urge to sleep. Within moment she was gone from the material world, her sketch book laying in her lap, and into the world of dreams.

"It's getting late Tasuki," Chichiri said as he looked up to the moon. "We should get some rest for tomorrows travel no da."

Tasuki yawned, "Ya I guess." He stood and stretched out his muscles before yawning again, this time loudly.

"Keara no-" Chichiri stopped mid sentence as he peered around the tree and found the teen fast asleep. He smiled under his mask as he crawled the small distance to her side. "Asleep already no da."

The open sketch book caught his interest and he chuckled lightly at the drawing. He didn't understand why he would be chased by Suzaku, or be running away from him for that matter, but the picture held a sense of humor and relief from his regular duties.

With a shake of his head he closed the sketch book and handed the it to Tasuki, "Put this with the rest of Keara's things no da." He then carefully put one arm under her knee's and the other behind her back before gingerly picking her up, being careful not to wake her.

'She's so light,' Chichiri thought as he carried her to the tent they would be using for the night. 'Is that healthy?'

Chichiri and Tasuki see Keara going her stunts, about time. Lol. Hope I got Tasuki's reaction better this time than last time.

But Nakago now knows of her! And he wants her captured! This can't bode well for our mute friend.

Please review.

Thanks!