All you could do was stand by and watch silently as the small camp was packed up, the fire smothered and leaving you all in darkness. The moon gave very little light from between the full branches of the trees above you, and though your companions were skilled at moving about in the dark, you felt as if it were swallowing you. It wasn't until Bakugou gripped your upper arm that you were aware of what direction to go, following him as you walked carefully as to not trip. Unable to resist your curiosity and worry, you whispered to him. "They didn't take anything or hurt anyone badly, did they?"

"We're fine." Was the only response you received from Bakugou, in a short snap that instantly told you to keep silent. Though, as you reached the area where the horses had been kept, you felt his grip on your arm grow tighter, almost painfully so, and it was joined by a soft string of curses that you could hardly make out.

Besides the towering Yonaka, Bakugou's horse lay slaughtered on the ground, along with Kaminari's horse. The yellow-haired man was already kneeling beside his horse, carefully removing all remaining possessions with a deeply furrowed brow.

"I think they had tried to kill them all, Sir, but this is as far as they got before they either ran off or came to join the main attack," Kirishima spoke softly, coming to stand beside his leader. Bakugou was silent as he released your arm, walking over to kneel beside his fallen friend. After giving a soft stroke to her cheek, he began to follow in Kaminari's example, removing what he needed from the body.

Standing there behind him, you felt completely lost, unsure of what to do or say to him. You still didn't know him all that well, but from the stiffness of his movements and the harsh silence, you knew that he was upset. The sigh that left Kirishima's lips only confirmed your suspicion, turning your gaze to him as he approached his horse, who was still huffing and stomping uncomfortably. Feeling a bit useless, you followed him, comforting Yonaka as the large animal nudged you for attention. "Will he be okay?" You spoke softly in hopes that Bakugou wouldn't hear you, and if he did, he didn't bother to silence you.

Kirishima looked down at you before over at his leader, giving a small nod. "Yeah. He was very close to that horse, he trained her since she was a brand new foal. But it's part of what we are doing. People and beasts die. There's nothing you can do, even if it is unfair. A bit of advice, though, if you don't want to get caught in his mess of anger… don't ask him about it."

Nodding, you turned your attention completely to the black horse before you, checking him for any injuries that you may not have seen further away. Although you wanted to comfort the blonde man still kneeling on the ground, you knew better than to go against the word of someone who knew him best. You knew that you had no right to attempt to comfort him, as you were just a stranger, but that didn't stop you from feeling bad for him. You could tell from your days of travel that he truly did adore that horse, even spending time away from the group with her, as she grew anxious without his presence. It was sad, and although you tried to stop it, you couldn't resist the hot tears that rolled down your cheeks.

After standing beside Yonaka for a while, you were surprised as Bakugou approached the large horse, fitting him with the salvaged supplies from his mare. Quickly wiping any remaining tears from your cheeks, you looked up at him. "Are you going to take Yonaka?"

"We both are," Bakugou spoke with an odd softness, even his expression calm without a single frown line. You figured that perhaps he was going through a moment of shock or that he was just all around numb from the experience. Still, both the calmness and the words brought heat to your face, as you would be sharing a horse with him for the remainder of the trip.

"A-ah, okay…" You waited silently until Yonaka was all set, and when Bakugou gave you a silent gesture to get up onto the horse, you followed command. You struggled at first, your limbs weak from the rush and energy you had exerted. Still, you were able to get on without any assistance, and you scooted your body as close to the front of the saddle as you could. With practiced skill, Bakugou pulled himself up as well, sitting behind you. He took it upon himself to push and pull your body into a comfortable position for you both, and though you wanted to scream out in embarrassment, you allowed him to without question.

Reaching around you, he took Yonaka's reigns into his hands, giving a sharp click of his tongue to urge the horse forward. You felt so much more secure on the horse with Bakugou's body supporting you. With your back pressed tightly against his torso, his arms on either side of you and legs firmly against your hips, you felt cocooned in his natural warmth, nearly putting you to sleep in an instant. You felt like he would be angry if you suddenly slumped against him, however, so you struggled to keep your eyes open until you were all out of the forest.

Curious, you took a quick glance back behind you, finding that Kaminari and Ashido were in the same position as the two of you, now on Ashido's beautiful mare, the white patches of the Paint horse stained with red now visible in the moonlight. It was obvious that Ashido had attempted to rid her horse of the blood, but fully cleaning the animal would have to wait until they were safe again. The entire group was silent, the typical vibrant excitement of winning a battle that you expected nowhere to be found. At that moment, you wondered how much worse it would have been had you not said something, but you didn't dare to question such a thing out loud.

What you couldn't resist, however, was a yawn forcing its way out of your mouth, though you did cover your lips and keep it as silent as you could. Embarrassed, you hung your head a bit, though you didn't have a chance to apologize as Bakugou spoke quietly.

"You can sleep. We will be traveling now at double time, with minimal rest off the horses. So rest… You'll need it for when we reach the castle."

"You… don't mind me leaning on you?"

"No."

Fiddling with your nails nervously for a moment, you took his invitation without another word, carefully leaning yourself back against him. Within the moment of your head resting on his shoulder, your eyes nearly forced themselves closed, and you found your mind swirling into blackness.

You weren't sure how long you dreamed of blood and the screams of the dead, but when you finally awoke, you felt just as exhausted as before. You were starving, thirsty and your neck was sore from whatever position you had been in. At first, the blinding light of the sun made you wince, bringing your hands up to cover your face as you gave a soft groan.

"Finally awake, are you?"

Bakugou's voice pulling your mind out of the foggy haze of restless sleep, you finally noticed the familiar bobbing of your body with Yonaka's movements and Bakugou's heat against your back. In fact, you were too hot, the heat of the day and his body making you feel like you were in an oven. Your skin felt sticky and sweaty, though you had grown used to it by now. That didn't mean that you liked it by any means, but you had no choice but to tolerate it.

"Yeah… how long was I asleep?"

"You've been sleeping for almost a day and a half. I thought you were never going to wake up, you stupid Demon." Bakugou brought a flask up in front of you, and you quickly took it to take a large drink of the cool water inside. It soothed your burning throat, unable to resist a sigh of relief when you pulled it from your lips.

"Damn that's good… I've been out that long?" Closing the flask, you handed it back to him, only able to listen as he reattached it to the side of your horse.

"Yes. We even took you off Yonaka twice and you didn't move."

"The battle must have taken a lot out of me… even though I didn't do or lose anything. I'm sure you think that's pathetic…"

There was silence for a moment between you, though you felt him heave a heavy sigh before responding. "Battle, no matter who or how it affects, is hard to deal with. You have never seen such a skirmish before, I can understand the mental toll it must have taken on you. But yes, you're pathetic."

The hint of teasing you could hear behind his insult brought a small smile to your lips, and you hummed softly in agreement. "Well… how close are we to the castle?"

"We will reach it by nightfall. You can see it, there in the distance, up against the mountains."

Curious, you brought your hand up to your forehead, shielding your eyes from the sun as you peered out into the distance. Sure enough, you could see the form of a tall castle with a surrounding town, peacefully awaiting the return of its warriors. "Oh, I see it. It looks nice."

"My Lord fought hard to win this territory. He would be flattered by your compliments."

"Really? He seems like a kind person."

"Hm…" Bakugou gave a small grunt in agreement, though the tone of his voice changed to something more akin to annoyance. "Often too kind."

Unsure if his annoyance was directed at you or the topic of his Lord, you decided to drop the subject, falling silent again. After being asleep for so long, you found that the day went by quickly, and by dusk, you were approaching the city gates. The group was not questioned by the guards when you approached, though you could feel the eyes on you from all around. Even as you traveled through the towns to reach the castle, people bowed and greeted the warriors with respect, but eyed you with confusion and distrust. You weren't even dressed in your modern-day clothing anymore, yet people could still tell that you were some type of odd outsider. Perhaps it was the way you carried yourself or the expressions on your face? Either way, it was annoying, and you nearly felt the urge to hide your face behind your hands just so you wouldn't see the glares.

When you reached the stables, Bakugou hopped off Yonaka first, before waiting for you to get down. You did so carefully, your legs weak from constant riding on horseback and your extended sleep. There was no support from him, as expected, so you steadied yourself against Yonaka for a moment while taking in your surroundings. The stables were made up of one large building, with large fenced areas where the horses could roam. There were many out and about, though one caught your eye as it eagerly approached the fence. It greatly resembled Bakugou's fallen palomino horse, though it was younger.

As Bakugou barked instructions at two young servants, he approached the horse, stroking down the length of its nose to calm it. Before you could truly question his actions, a presence at your side startled you, even making you jump and have to stifle a squeal.

"How did my sweet Yonaka treat you?" Tsuyu questioned you curiously, peering up at you with those dark eyes. Taking a breath to calm yourself, you placed a hand to your chest, giving a small nod.

"H-he did great. He's a wonderful horse." You smiled as Tsuyu did, watching as she pet Yonaka's neck affectionately. The petite woman was no longer dressed in her dark clothing you had met her in. Instead, she was clad in a brightly colored pale green kimono with pink accents and a cherry blossom pattern. Her hair was no longer up, but was instead down and tied into a cute bow shape at the bottom near her hips. The hairstyle was adorable, and it made the woman look completely innocent, though you knew better than to believe such a thing. Although she was being friendly, you knew that she was still watching you closely for any signs of danger.

Tsuyu allowed Yonaka to be led away by a servant boy to be unburdened by supplies and cared for, turning her full attention back to you. "The others need their time to recover, so I will be watching over you for now. I'm sure Lord Bakugou will want to take you to meet our clan leader before night falls, but we can't allow you to see him like this." She gestured to your dirtied clothing and all-around horrible appearance. "You look a mess."

"A-Ah, yes, I do," You attempted to fix your clothing to no avail, sighing in defeat. "I feel disgusting."

"Come, we'll get you cleaned up and in new garments." With a simple gesture of her hand, Tsuyu prompted you to start walking. Legs still feeling weak and sore, you followed the direction she had pointed to, unable to help a glance over at Bakugou. He merely looked at you for a moment before his gaze moved to Tsuyu, giving a simple nod before turning his attention back to the horse before him. You gave a small sigh once out of his range of hearing, eyes on the floor.

"I feel so bad… His horse got killed by an ambush. I think he's really sad about it…"

Tsuyu gave a small hum in agreement, walking beside you. "Yes. That other horse was her foal. That is why she seemed so distressed. Her mother was not there… But don't fret, it happens and Lord Bakugou will be able to manage the younglings problems. He is quite good with horses, you see."

Deciding there was no point in pressing the matter further, you took the chance to take in your surroundings. Currently walking alongside a white building with many traditional shoji sliding doors, you were happy for the shade provided to you by the extended roof, which covered the otherwise open engawa that was wide with pristine wood, so slick you felt as if you could slip at any second. As you both rounded a corner, you were met with a beautiful garden and pond area, the calming sound of running water soothing your anxiety.

The two of you crossed a bridge over a small flowing creek and walked for a bit longer until you reached a smaller building that seemed separated from the rest. A bathhouse, you assumed, which was quickly made obvious by the steam rising from the roof and the smoke from windows at the base of the building. You had never before taken a traditional bath using fire under a tub, and for a moment you grew nervous.

"I-is this a public bathhouse?"

Curious as to your concerns, Tsuyu looked up at you. "Hm? Oh, well yes, but it is quite nice with partitions. It's more private than you think." She led you inside, and though it embarrassed you, the thought of getting a true bath was something you couldn't resist. You were surprised to find that your particular bath was already steaming and ready for you, and with Tsuyu waiting right outside your area, you stripped faster than what you thought was possible. There was a bucket with water and a rag beside you, and you understood that you first needed to wipe your body clean with that before getting in the main bath. The water in the bucket was cold, but you had to admit it felt good against your hot skin.

Once the bucket was empty and you had effectively dumped the entire thing over your head, you climbed into the welcoming steaming water in the round large tub. You found that you fit perfectly up to your shoulders as long as your knees were bent, but there was no way to stretch out completely. You didn't mind, soaking in the feeling of the water that worked to soothe your sore and stiff body.

I had better enjoy this… You thought to yourself, staring up at the ceiling. This could be the last real bath I ever have… If Lord Yagi doesn't take my presence well, I'll probably be killed right away… I just hope I can make a good case for myself. Or if not me, maybe Bakugou can…

You knew it was foolish to put your faith in a man who would sooner kill you than risk his Lord or his companions, but what else could you do? He was the only one who had any say in your future, and if he didn't stand up for you, then you knew that you would perish.

All you could do was wait and hope that it would turn out in your favor.