Oh my goodness I can't wait to post the next chapter! This is so sad... I'm getting into my own stories... Oh! And those of you who reviewed my story, Thank you! It's so encouraging and I also found some awesome new authors ;)

Kiba and Hitomi spent the day in peaceful solitude. She was left to her thoughts while Kiba went out hunting and gathering. He had told her not to move about and she was more than willing to take his advice. She wanted to be healed as quickly as possible and within the arms of Van (of course). She desired to see what Gaea had become and to discover the mystery behind her being brought here.

But, for the time being, she had to remain here in this damp cave and allow her body to heal. Hitomi began to fall back asleep not knowing what else she could do. Sleep was something she most desperately needed.

Hitomi awoke when the sun began to set. She could see shadows forming on the cave walls created by the forest around. Hitomi slowly adjusted herself into an upright position; she now had a clear view of the woodland. There was a breeze that ruffled the leaves and a small stream a few meters from the cave. She saw a stone bowl sitting next to her full of some dark green liquid; no doubt it was for her.

She began to shiver realizing how cold it had become. She took a pelt and wrapped it around her shoulders. Then she heard quick footsteps approaching. Within a few seconds Kiba was standing in front of her with an animal resembling a deer in one hand and herbs in the other. The deer-like carcass's neck was oozing blood where there were deep fang marks.

"Welcome back…" and she smiled wholeheartedly, ignoring the corpse.

"How's your injury?" He stared at her stomach intently, dropped his articles, and then swiftly kneeled beside her. He picked up the bowl and placed it in her palms.

"This is for you. It's a collection of ground herbs from the forest, my mother used to prepare it for me when I was injured. Rub it on the wound and it will heal much quicker."

Hitomi grimaced and did as instructed. She did not watch Kiba prepare the meat; it was far too distressing to watch.

The dusk had brought on even cooler weather and she began to tremble. Kiba noticed and started a fire with the wood he had collected during the day. He began to cook the meat.

Hitomi couldn't be more surprised by his human-like behavior. He either did this regularly or was being extremely considerate of her. She began to wonder about her savior. He was silent and had surely endured pain and yet he was so kind. She hadn't had the chance to ask him anything yet, or rather, she was afraid to ask him. What unpleasant memories would she uncover by asking any questions about his past?

"Hey Kiba? Thank you for all of this. I know you might be trying to make amends for the injury but still."

"I couldn't very well leave you. Plus, you don't even know where you are. Do you?" Hitomi didn't reply to his question. Instead she evaded it with a question of her own.

"…Why did you save me from that man?" He didn't seem to notice her intentions.

"Well, I was out hunting and… well… I was hunting you." He fell silent, most likely expecting some anxious reaction. Hitomi provided no such response so he continued.

"But instead of hunting you I found myself saving you. You were crying out a name while you were unconscious. You looked so helpless and concerned that I couldn't do anything… I couldn't touch you." Hitomi was fascinated rather than fearful.

"And so, here you are. Do you know why those men where searching for you?"

"I'm assuming you heard their conversation as well as I did."

He nodded in response.

"Well they said somebody, their master, brought me here and they want to use me."

"Use you… they want to use you for what though?" Once again Hitomi evaded this question. She herself didn't know the answer but she really didn't need Kiba involved with whatever was going on. She had given him enough trouble already.

What she needed was to find Van. How she would do that, she didn't know. For the time being, if somebody was looking for her, it would be best if few to no people knew who she was, including Kiba.

Hitomi and Kiba said little one another as they ate the prepared dinner of some animals meat she could not name. However, Hitomi could not help but wonder why he persistently stared at her. It was awkward and embarrassing and he appeared not to notice her discomfort. He clearly was not adjusted to company or human manners.

He ate ravenously with a wild look in his luminous eyes. Soon Kiba went off to sleep outside the cave. She felt a twinge of guilt as she imposed upon his solitude and home. She lied on the fur bed, fingering the rose-colored pendant around her neck. It brought her peace of mind and the comfort that she would see all her friends from Gaea once again. That night she dreamt of the baby.

When Hitomi awoke Kiba had already begun his hunt for food. It appeared he did not use his foresight. The curious medicine had worked remarkably well and Hitomi felt well enough to move about.

Gaea was always so extraordinary. You never knew what to expect from the people or plants. There were magical potions, spells, machines (Escaflowne for example) that were completely inconceivable on Earth. There was absolutely no possible cure on her Earth that would have allowed her to be well enough to move the second day after acquiring such an injury.

She wandered about the forest, being careful not overexert herself incase she added further stress to her raw stomach. The floor was covered in a beautiful mosaic of white and pink flowers. The sun brightly shone through the trees and creatures scurried about. This day greatly contrasted the night she had arrived. Life was more than abundant here.

After an hour of meandering, she came to a humble pond. The pond had not any resemblance to the lake she had seen two nights before. It could not be more ordinary or more comforting. It was then that Hitomi decided it was about time she took a bath. She had smelt of animal pelts and smoke for a few days more than she could stand.

Hitomi slipped off her uniform, the only clothes she had, and hung them on a tree branch near by. It felt strange to be bathing outside in a pong but it needed to be done.

The water was fairly clean but extremely cold. She shivered as she soaked and then immersed her head. Surfacing, she examined the shrinking wound on her abdomen that no longer required constant coverage. There were nail marks scraped across her once perfect skin.

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