Katsuki Bakugou. That was his name, and now you knew exactly where you were and who you were dealing with.
His given name came to you in the middle of the night on the third day of your travels, while you lay awake on your little blanket, restless and staring up at the stars. A prominent War General, Bakugou led under Lord Yagi, working on conquering territory against others such as Nobunaga Oda. Yagi got nowhere near as much land, perishing before he could truly get started, as did the majority of those in his regime. You couldn't recall exactly when, as there wasn't too much mentioned, but there was enough for you to go off of to survive.
There still hadn't been any clues to tell you what year you were in. You knew it had to be something between 1500 and 1600, though you didn't truly know if it mattered all that much to know the exact date. Your biggest worry was the customs, particularly this whole 'demon' nonsense they had cooked up. Nothing you said helped your case. In fact, it just seemed to make it worse, especially after a comment you made about wishing you had sunscreen.
Now, it was nearing the middle of the fifth day of travel, and you were sure that you would melt. The other woman in the party, Mina Ashido, had given you with a garment that had sleeves, providing you some reprieve from the blaring sun even if it did make you hotter.
"The Silver River is nearby, we will stop there to allow the horses to get water and refill our provisions as well. Then from there, it is another day to the nearest village, then two more days to the castle." Bakugou spoke in response to your question of location, seeming to be in a decently good mood himself, as the thought of being near water was probably very pleasant to him. "At the river, we can rest, bathe and hopefully catch some fish for dinner."
You gave a tired groan, leaning your head back a bit. "God, I need a bath. The Silver River, you said?"
"Yes," He looked over at you, catching your gaze only for a moment before you quickly looked back down at the bobbing head of Yonaka. "You know it?"
"Erm, well…" You clutched onto the reins in your hands tightly, starting to feel your stomach bubble with nerves. Yes, you knew the river, and you knew the story of it well. The Battle at Silver River was a small battle recorded in history, made more popular by a scroll that had been found detailing it by an artist that had lived in the nearby village. It was said that the village was nearly wiped out by water that was contaminated by bodies from the battle, which floated near enough to the village to cause a problem. It had stuck in your mind by the fact that it had been quite a disgusting thought. Now it was made even more prominent knowing that it was Bakugou's party that had caused it.
It was indicated in record-keeping by Lord Yagi that Bakugou's group had been the ones to win the battle, even though they had been ambushed. Who the enemy group was, you couldn't quite remember, but that didn't matter. The fact that this group was heading to that specific river told you that it had to be time for that battle to occur. The biggest question that sat in your mind was… Should you warn them? If you mention anything, then you would only further be deemed a demon, witch or some type of spy. There had to be a way for you to get across that something would happen without giving it all away and damning yourself further.
"I do know it," You continued, staring off into the forest in the distance where the river resided. "Isn't it… a bit dangerous?"
There was a moment of silence between you, and you could have sworn you could feel Bakugou's eyes glaring holes into your skin. Something had made him suspicious of you, just from that simple statement.
"It can be. But we don't have a choice. The horses need water, and the best place for that is a spot in the forest. Why, Demon? You have something you want to say?"
You bit down onto the inside of your cheek, his accusatory tone making your stomach lurch. I should just tell them… How could I not? It might help them prepare and be… less surprised, at least. They already think I'm a witch or whatever, so either they'll kill me outright or… thank me for trying to help them. I think it'd be best to be optimistic…
"I just… Maybe it isn't the best idea to stop there-" You were cut off as Bakugou moved his horse in front of Yonaka, making him come to an uneasy stop. Bakugou's glare on you was intense, making you nearly want to crawl into a hole and vanish for eternity.
"What are you saying? Is there something there? Like an ambush? How would you know something like that?!"
"I-I don't!" You glanced around you nervously as Kirishima and the yellow-haired Kaminari came to stand on either side of you, both with their own uneasy looks. Yonaka snorted and stomped his feet in agitation at being surrounded, only making your nervousness grow as you were unsure if he would throw you off. "I never said that!"
"It's plain on your face! If you know something, no matter how you know it, you had better tell me. I am not one to avoid torture to get information."
That was true and you knew that well. He had yet to do anything to you, but you knew that he was a ruthless warrior, completely dedicated to his Lord. He was known for doing anything and everything to serve him, even if his methods were… well, violent. Torture was not something he would shy away from, and the thought of having your fingers broken or even cut off wasn't very pleasant. You had very few options at the moment, and the fear growing inside of you told you that it would be better to just spit it out. At least then you'd have the chance of getting out of this without injury.
"F-fine! There will be an ambush…"
"By who?"
"I don't know! But you… you win. Though I don't know how badly any of you are injured or... The horses or anything, but I just know that you win."
Silence fell around you and you could feel their eyes all burrowing into you, stinging your skin as if you were being attacked by hornets. It was embarrassing and terrifying, worried that at any second your head would be sliced right from your shoulders.
"You're sure about this?" Bakugou broke the silence, prompting you to finally pull your eyes up from the black mane of Yonaka. Swallowing hard, you nodded, shifting on the saddle a bit.
"Yes. I know it will happen. I can… See it. Feel it." You bit down onto your bottom lip, thinking maybe playing into these 'powers' would help you seem… useful instead of scary to them. It's risky, but it may just save me.
"What do you think?" Kirishima spoke to Bakugou, his voice more curious than showing any sign of caution. Bakugou let out a heavy sigh, stroking down the length of Yonaka's muzzle as the horse nudged him impatiently.
"We don't have a choice if we don't want to lose the horses. We have to go inside. Does this happen in the daylight, Demon?"
"No, it happens in the middle of the night."
"Then we have a few hours to prepare. Come." With a click of his tongue, Bakugou turned his horse and began back down the path, leading the group forward. You kept your head down, worried that any single movement or word would prompt a nervous reaction out of the group. It didn't help that Kirishima and Kaminari were still beside you, watching you closely. The ease that had built up in the group was gone, and you once again felt like a closely watched dangerous animal. But what else could you do?
Within the hour, you were all under the cool shade of the trees, the wide river running calmly through the area Bakugou had settled on. The bank of the river was flat and large enough for a comfortable sized camp to be made, and the thought of sleeping on plush grass was pleasant enough to make you nearly collapse the instant you hopped off of Yonaka. You didn't get the chance, however, as Bakugou snatched you by the rope that tied your wrists together, pulling you off to the side and away from the rest of the group.
The rope dug into your already sore skin, making you wince and hiss out in discomfort. "O-ow, what are you doing?"
There was no response until Bakugou stopped right at the edge of the river, his crimson glare glancing around anxiously. "You will tell me more about this ambush."
You gave a small shake of your head. "I-I'm sorry, but I can't, I've told you all I know. I just… I know it happens at night and that you win."
"How the devil would you know such a thing?! What proof do you have or anything that shows I can trust you!" He had a tight grip on your upper arm now, his sharp words and glare beginning to make you fear for your safety for the first time in days. Oddly enough, you had seen his softer side that he shared with those closest to him in the party, joking, smiling and even laughing along with them. It was so different compared to this tough and harsh attitude he had directed towards you, and though you could understand why, you couldn't help but hope that maybe he would treat you better with time. You had been unlucky so far.
"I don't have anything! Anything that I may have had you… you destroyed when you broke my phone. All I have is my word. And I swear to you, on my life," Your voice began to tremble, desperately wanting some sort of support and friendship in this harsh world you had stumbled into. "That it will happen and you will win. But that is all that I know!" You needed to somehow prove yourself, and if it meant staking your life against your word, then so be it. How else could you get him to believe you?
Bakugou stared down at you for a moment, the furrow of his brow softening just a tad as he looked you over. You could see that he was looking for any type of weakness, any hint that you were lying. All it did was give you time to look back at him, nearly mesmerized by how damn attractive he was. You wanted so badly for him to smile upon you, to have him reassure you that your word was enough. The fact that you wanted it so badly made you worried, however, as a thought pricked at the back of your mind.
There's no way I'm crushing on him!
Without a word, Bakugou turned his attention back to your wrists, silent as he began to untie your restraints. Confused, you watched on in silence, noticing that he was a bit more… wary of your sore skin. It was obvious that he made it a point to not allow the rope to scrape it further, and once unbound, he used a rough grip on your hand to twist your arm to see the damage. You couldn't resist the blush that was only growing hotter in your cheeks, and you hoped to whatever gods may exist that he would only think it was sunburn.
"If your word proves to be true, then I will not bind you anymore." Bakugou released your hands, allowing you to pull them back closer to your body. "If it proves to be false, then I will tie you to a tree and leave you to die. Do you understand me?"
Your stomach twisted into knots at the threat, the sharpness of his glare making you instantly nod in understanding as to avoid any other punishment. The cock of his eyebrow quickly told you that he wasn't satisfied with just a nod, so you stumbled through words of confirmation the best you could. "Y-yes, Sir… I understand." Taking in a deep breath, you found just a hint of courage, knowing that he was impressed with those that could stand their ground. "I won't betray you."
Bakugou was silent again for a moment before he gave a small nod, looking out at the river as he began to wind the rope around his own hand to store it away. "Get in."
"Huh?" The heat only continued to burn your cheeks, glancing to the river before back up at him. "I-In the river? What for?"
"To bathe, you idiot. This is the only chance you'll get until we get to the castle."
"I-In front of you?! I couldn't possibly-"
"No!" Bakugou snapped, and you could have sworn you saw hints of embarrassment flash across his face before they were overtaken by anger. "I will send Ashido to watch you! You damned perverted fool." As he stormed away, you couldn't help but gasp in surprise at the accusation, glaring after him.
"I-I am not perverted! How was I supposed to know?!" There was no response to you as he vanished around the bushes, leaving you embarrassed and fuming. Within moments, the pink-haired Ashido popped out from the same area, carrying with her a bag and what looked to be extra clothes.
This woman, from what you had seen of her, was incredibly bubbly and warm, always with a smile on her face. At first, she had been quite skeptical of you, but the mere fact that there was another woman around for her to talk to boosted her acceptance for your presence. She had even defended you on more than one occasion, and though you didn't know why she would, you were happy for it.
"[L/n]! Finally, it's time for a bath!" She sat the bag and clothing down near the water, instantly beginning to strip herself of her clothes before you could even get out a peep. Flustered, you could only hug your clothing tighter to your body, feeling quite self-conscious next to the incredibly fit figure of your companion.
"Y-yeah… I think we all need one." You swallowed your embarrassment as she motioned for you to hurry up, finally beginning to follow her lead.
"Seriously! Those boys are getting pretty smelly." Ashido smirked as Kaminari called back from the camp in an incoherent whining tone, which you didn't necessarily have to understand to know what he meant. "I always bring some specially made cleansing material on our longer trips, so that when we get to bathe, it helps a lot!"
"You mean soap?" Your correction was met with a bit of confusion, so you quickly shook your head, needing to remember that you couldn't just spit out the modern-day names for things. "Ah, sorry… Nevermind."
Ashido was quick to shrug it off, stepping into the water once completely nude. "Oh, that's cold! C'mon [L/n], we have to hurry so the boys can bathe too!"