Chapter 5 – Not just a Dream

Laughter floated out of a little boy like whimsical wind, swirling around space and carried across the land. His small blonde head was busy peeking under a rock in hopes of finding potato bugs. The sun warmed his back as tiny knees rested in the tall green grass. Far away was his mother, who didn't know he'd disappeared yet. With not a care in the world, the little boy wandered even further. He only stopped again when a red lady bug landed on his arm. It fluttered its red paper-thin wings until it stationed and began a trek towards his wrist.

"Claude honey?! Where are you?"

Not hearing his mother—or perhaps ignoring her calls—K sat down on the grass and let the bug crawl over his finger, then making a bridge so the tiny insect could travel onto his other hand.

It tickled!

Cheerful bales of mirth squealed from him as the tiny insect caused so much delight. So fascinating was the little bug, so red with black dots, that he was lost in his world of exploration. But so lost was he, that in the distance he failed to see a large herd of mammoths coming his way. The ground began to quiver as they got closer but he never looked up until they were within a few yards. Stunned, he felt the thunder under his feet now and looked up wide eyed—seeing a whole herd of mammoths come charging past. In awe he watched them—the magnificent beasts, so abundant with strength and giant tusks.

"Claude!"

This time he heard his mother's urgent voice and his real name; he turned to look but heard a panting orchestra approach. Looking back again he settled his sights on a pack of wolves, all closing in on him. Frightened to the spot, he whimpered with fear.

Without warning one lunged at him.

Hiro carefully applied a salve to a wound on the stranger's leg. It would leave another nasty scar close to one the blonde already had on his upper left thigh. The salve itself was a mixture of gennoshouko, an herb that grew in abundance around here. If applied often, it would help to prevent infections and aid in the process of healing. Hiro had dutifully dressed and tended to every wound he could find, carefully. He'd also rubbed a ground tuberous root all over the man's chest, which gave off a heat that would ward off pneumonia and heat his blood. At first, the man started shivering, his own body trying to heat itself so that hypothermia wouldn't take his life—a good sign.

On top of the topical treatment, Hiro had also covered his patient up with heavy furs and tucked heated rocks, wrapped in leather, all around his body. It had to be like an oven under there.

But the entire time the man lay here in slumber or unconsciousness, Hiro never left his side.

He'd had taken the outsider to a part of the cave used for sick people, it was thought that the farther away an illness was, the less it would spread. Here he had access to all the medicines and by order Yuuji brought him water and supplies. By the light burning from a torch Hiro finished with the leg wound and curiously brushed a finger over the old scar on the stranger's leg. It looked like teeth marks, big deep teeth marks of some wild animal. Hiro wondered how one could survive such an attack.

How did one endure so much pain?

Still touching the scarred skin the man laughed softly, as if he were dreaming. Hiro wondered what the man might be seeing behind his closed eyes. But he looked on perplexed. It was the last sound he expected to hear and he tucked the blankets around the man's leg once more. Placing the salve to the side he rest back on his hunches, watching the stranger's face intriguingly. Expressions floated over the pale face, which was returning to a fresh pink hue again. At first he looked amused, sounds mingling in his throat, but that easy tone changed suddenly to alarm.

The stranger snapped open his eyes.

They were wild with fear.

Hiroshi jumped back and watched the blonde's eyes rove around quickly, unsure. Those eyes landed on him and he gaped. His eyes! It was like looking at two pieces of blue sky. It was a colouring he'd never in his life seen! They were beautiful…he was mesmerized and leaned in to bow with palms together, "Be calm, I am one of Gaia's humble servants…I'm here to help you." Hiro resumed a normal position, "You're in my clan's cave now. I found you in the river blue-eyed visitor. But you're alright now."

The man stared at Hiro, his wild look diminishing a little. He murmured gruffly, "…you… the river?"

Hiro had no idea what the man was trying to say. It was obvious they spoke different languages. But he looked just as human as he was, so there had to be a way to make him understand. "You," Hiro went and pointed at the blonde, "Were in the river." He looked around for the water bladder and poured some onto his palm, sending streams spattering to the dirt floor.

The man blinked at him, brows knotting together from ache and pain. "Is this…a dream?" he voiced tiredly.

It was Hiro's turn to blink, he didn't understand. He tried to communicate again by making a swimming motion with is arms, "River…you, drowning, injured." He grabbed at his throat and made choking sounds and pointed at the man's bleeding temple.

K watched the strange man near him and felt around at the side of his head, tenderly, to the place the brunette pointed to. Hissing, he found the wound, and felt something gooey as well. He inspected his finger to find blood mixed with some substance that reminded him of medicine, he looked back at the smaller man with long wavy brown hair, angular face, steel grey eyes and a perfectly straight nose. He wore no top but sat on legs that were covered in brown leather and yellow deerskins strapped to his legs to act as boots. There was also a braided leather bracelet on his right wrist. He could feel himself calming down from that nightmare of his childhood. This was the first time he'd ever seen a vision of that event—the mammoth that saved him.

"I…" Hiro tried again and pointed to himself then to the blonde, "…found you." Swiftly he watched blue eyes close and the man faced the ceiling with a hard sigh. Had he understood? Something sure stirred him though, because the man started to get up. "Oh no…you shouldn't be moving. You're wounded—"

"—I want to go home," K cut in hoarsely, his throat sore from his ordeal. He shoved off the blankets and went to stand…only his knees buckled.

Hiroshi moved fast, he tried to catch the man, but the foreigner was much bigger than he was. The tall man simply dragged him down like a rag doll. He heard the blonde seething with the pain he'd just set off like fireworks. "You can't just run off yet…don't be so stubborn, I won't hurt you. Although, father will leave you for carrion if you cause trouble," Hiro warned. Bah! He knew the man didn't understand him…this speech barrier was such a pain! He urged the man up and back onto the cot, with no more argument from the stranger. "Please stay covered up," he told the guy, pulling the furs back over the blonde's long unclothed body. Hiro tucked the covers in tightly to accentuate his point.

The shivering commenced again after leaving the oven that was this bed. So K laid back helplessly, flashes of falling into the river coming to mind. He panicked and grabbed the closest thing nearby, the smaller man with the bush of reddish brown hair. It had been a horrendous ordeal and he contemplated about how he fell in, in the first place. But he hadn't fallen in by accident, someone had caused him to! He eyed the man in his grasp frantically, "Someone tried to kill me! I bet I know who it was, he's jealous! So jealous! I can't believe he'd stoop this low…"

In the blonde's strong hands, Hiro's eyes widened in shock. The stranger had such a grip on his arms and held him so close that he could feel his breath caressing his cheek. It was fast too, scared and angry. He wished he knew what the man was saying, he seemed so distraught, and Hiro had to admit he was frightened right now. Gently he pulled away and backed off slowly; instead he retrieved a bladder full of hatomugi. A grass that grew wildly all over but was great for body strength when made into a tea or tonic—he handed it to the blonde man, making a motion to drink. Hiro hoped it would also calm him down.

Hesitant but thirsty, in need of soothing his raw throat, K understood and took the canteen. He drank and spluttered, trying to swallow too fast. He went to wipe his chin. But before he could, the handsome brunette did it for him. Silent but alert, K handed the drink back to his rescuer. Whoever he was, K didn't feel any malice from him but after such tribulation, he did feel cautious and badly out of place. He only then noticed a fire burning nearby and felt the fur covers begin to sooth his chills again. He looked back at the company that was watching over him. Once again he felt himself calm down.

"What's your title?" he asked, deciding not to fight no more and rested back. But he quickly held up a hand as if to say 'stop'. Starting over he pointed to himself and said, "K." He pointed at Hiro. "What's your title?"

Hiro caught on right away and told him his name was Hiroshi. "Home," Hiro explained showcasing around him, spreading out his arms.

"Hir..o…ho..homme," repeated K. Injured or not he was always up for a challenge.

"Yes, that's right!" Hiro cheered and tried to voice out 'K'.

K actually smiled at the Hiro's attempt. Then K thought about his home and his new bride and the person that tried to murder him. He ought to go back and find Ark and teach him what for! But he couldn't move anywhere at the moment. Plus he'd have to follow the river, but then there was that waterfall. His stomach flopped at the thought, feeling himself falling again. Ugh, there had to be a way around it. He would find it! And when he was able he'd return and take back what was his!

Still, he felt saddened beyond his pain…

Sigh. K suddenly felt so tired again and his eyes wouldn't stay open much longer. He heard a faint rustle and Hiroshi telling him something. He didn't know what it was he said, but the man seemed to be trying to show him something by drawing on the wall. K watched Hiro as the drawing took shape. It was a large tree with a person under it and an animal…almost like a wolf. K felt his heart begin to pace. Hiro also put a circle in the sky; K imagined it was the sun. He also drew rippled lines and an odd looking person with a fishing pole.

His heart beat faster…how can this be!? Was Hiroshi somekind of god? K stared at the picture disbelievingly. "How?" he asked incredulously.

Hiro didn't know what K asked him, but he pointed at the man and wolf under his drawn tree, then he pointed at K. "You?" he questioned simply. It was too much of a coincidence for him not to ask. The man looked very much like the one in his dream and then that wolf appeared by the river today and he wasn't dreaming.

K felt Hiro's questioning finger pointed on him but he didn't know what he should say. How could this man know that this was his dream also? How could he know he stood under a tree, watching a man fishing by the river, wishing that he was really there under the warm sun? It was unnerving for K; this represented a power he didn't understand. But he was intrigued by this dream; he wanted to know who that mystery fishing-man was almost desperately at times. The dream had brought him such peace even at the worst of times. Finding his bravery, he leaned over and pointed to the man with the fishing pole on the wall, "You," he said and poked his finger into Hiro's shoulder. Then he pointed to the man and wolf, "Me and spirit," he said and pointed back to himself.

Hiro stood speechless, what kind of magic had the gods unleashed upon him?

They watched each other silently for a moment, until K put his head down. He shut his eyes peacefully, his tired mind and body unable to dwell on the facts about the dream. Somehow it was as if his dream had come true.

"He's kinda big isn't he? I heard a rumour that his eyes are blue like the sky."

"Ssh, you'll wake him up and…he might be hungry and eat us."

"Oh, come on, if Hiroshi believes he's harmless, then why are you acting like someone's about to place you on a spit and roast your sorry butt?"

Shuichi looked at Tatsuha shocked, "How rude."

The spiritual man only scoffed with a delightful smirk, he loved to tease his brothers little boy toy. Eiri didn't think he knew, but he knew alright. "Ok, I'm rude, what else is new? But really you know, the chief is worried that this big guy will bring trouble. And you know…I think he might not be so wrong," Tatsuha claimed whimsically, twirling his talisman around a nimble finger. "The question is what kind of trouble?"

"So you mean he's really going to eat us? Why would Hiro nurse a cannibal?" Shuichi side-glanced at the blonde man tentatively.

Tatsuha laughed and patted Shuichi on the shoulder, "I'm sure he only eats boys with butterfly totems."

Shuichi looked taken aback, his spirit was the butterfly—the totem of metamorphosis and transformation. "Take that back!"

But Tatsuha turned to walk away, hoping to leave Shuichi in a state of ponder…only Hiro stood behind them with crossed arms and a water canteen in his hand. He looked at them both dubiously.

"Oh, Hiroshi…we were just looking in on your yellow-haired friend. He's been sleeping since the sun set last night and is about to do so again. People are wondering if he'd dead. Don't forget we leave for Naniwa in two days, the moon will be full—"

"—I'm not going," Hiro cut Tatsuha off.

Shuichi jumped on this. "What do you mean Hiroshi?! You have to—"

"—I will be there, just, I will travel alone. First I will help K find his family," Hiro explained determinedly. "I just came back from talking it over with my father. He's upset with me…but, I don't care." With a tight jaw Hiro looked up at his best friend and the Uesugi holy man.

Both other men stayed silent and instead tried to mouth the name 'K'. What a strange sound.

Hiro pushed by them only to find that K was watching them all in silence, wide awake. "You see you woke him up," Hiro muttered.

Woke him up?

Shuichi and Tatsuha looked at each other alarmed. As if their tales were on fire, both tore off scared of being cannibalized.

Hiro shook his head at the two idiots and offered K something to drink. "Water?" he offered, pronouncing it slowly. The blonde took the water gratefully.

From a distance Hikaru watched his son tending to the foreigner. He furrowed his brow and wondered why his son was so dedicated to this task. Asking to stay behind and travel alone to Naniwa…the chief shook his head. This stranger worried him, he worried that he would influence Hiro somehow, take him away from his duty. Fill him with more questions than the boy already had. His Hiroshi was smart and he questioned everything, Hikaru feared his son would anger the gods with all this nonsense.

That it would bring ill will to the clan.

But Hiro wouldn't listen to him; instead he wished to help that Yellowhair return to his home. His wife wasn't much help, she wished to see her son 'learn and grow', as she put it. Grow? It didn't make much sense to him at all. Hiro should be concentrating on his ceremony with Ayaka, not traipsing all over the place, returning lost souls to their homes. Why did Hiro have to help everyone? What if something bad happened to him?

Hikaru blamed his son's stubborn and intellectual mammoth spirit and decided there was only one way to be sure Hiro would be alright. He'd send some others along with his son and strode off to find a few people to elect for the job. They would do it whether they wanted to or not.

A/N: Another update since the last one took so long. Weee exams are almost done..so I'll be able to chill and write this out Yay fun!