They were bound to her chest with a long strip of cloth as best they could be but now that there was no shirt between them there was definitely a curve to Kai's chest that the other men didn't have. She pulled her ruined shirt up to cover her chest in a gesture that was more feminine than anything he'd ever seen from her.

Nami stared at her, his one good eye wide with surprise. It wasn't quite sinking in and Kai was bright red, so he focused on the still-fresh wound on her arm. It had opened again and was oozing blood, something that seemed more urgent than questions about what a pair of breasts was doing in a mountain bandit fortress. Her mouth opened and closed soundlessly as she tried to think of something to say but she couldn't seem to get anything out.

"We should wrap that up," Nami said, ignoring her chest as best he could. "You're just gonna keep opening it if you don't." He poured some water into a basin and brought it over to the bed, then nodded for Kai to sit down. She was still holding the shirt in front of her chest and he shook his head. "You might as well put that down. It's not like I ain't seen a pair before."

"That's-" She inhaled sharply as he pressed a wet cloth to her arm. Nami had been shot by an arrow before so he knew the pain she was feeling but he pressed it harder to make it bleed. The cloth turned as red as her shirt and she tried to pull away. "Hey, that hurts!"

"It's supposed to," Nami said. "But it helps clean it out. Just in case there's poison on it."

"Between you and Kashira, you'd think every arrow that comes out of this mountain is gonna kill me." Some of her earlier bravado had returned but it somehow seemed halfhearted. "Give me long enough I'm gonna believe it myself."

"It just grazed you, you know. If it had really hit you it probably would've killed you. You're small enough it would've gone right through you." Finally he took the cloth away and rinsed it in the basin, then wiped away the blood from around the wound. From somewhere on his person he produced a roll of cloth and proceeded to wrap Kai's arm as carefully as Genrou had done. "Starting tomorrow you're gonna wear some sort of armor before you go on the road."

"Where am I supposed to get armor?"

"We've got plenty," Nami said, finishing bandaging her arm with a neat knot. "I'm sure we can find something you can wear."

"Kashira doesn't wear armor," Kai said stubbornly as he stood up. She picked up her shirt from her lap and pulled it on over one shoulder. It wasn't going as smoothly as she would have liked, but lifting her injured arm was obviously painful.

"That's because he doesn't need it. He's strong and fast, even faster than you. Besides, he's got guys like you to push him out of the way, doesn't he?" Nami realized a little late that he'd referred to Kai as a guy but it didn't seem to matter much. She might be a girl, but she definitely wasn't delicate and retiring.

"I was only doing what I had to so I could protect him." Kai took her old shirt from the table and gingerly put it on, setting aside the torn one, then stood up. "Please don't tell anyone," Kai said, cinching her sash around her waist. With her shirt back on, she looked mostly like a boy again but the damage was done. She'd always look like a dressed-up girl to Nami now. "Especially not Kashira."

"I'm not gonna do that," Nami said with a heavy sigh. "I don't need the thought of a girl gettin' driven off a mountain by a group of bandits on my conscience."

"So you wouldn't have cared if they were driving off a boy?" A lopsided grin found its way to her face and Nami rubbed his forehead in a way that reminded Kai of her father. "Let's just pretend you never saw anything."

"Could you?"

"Probably not." Her smile stayed but the air between them was silent for a long moment. Neither of them quite knew what to say and Kai cleared her throat. "This isn't going to make things weird, is it?"

"Weirder than this?" Nami picked up the basin and started to the door with it. "I don't know how things could get weirder than this. C'mon. I'm gonna dump this out and fill it with fresh. You come with me and we'll check out some armor."

"Sure. I've gotta run down and get some water anyway." At this, Nami stopped in his tracks and Kai bumped into his back.

"And how're you gonna go get water with that arm?" He looked back at Kai, whose face was once again petulant. Maybe it'll be easier than I thought to keep pretending she's a boy. "You should rest it. End of story."

"I can carry a bucket in my left hand just as easily as my right." She lifted her arm and flexed the growing muscles. "Don't worry about me."

"Who's worried? I just don't want to be stuck hauling a bucket of water up the hill when you say you can't do it." Kai looked like she was about to argue with him and he narrowed his eye. "Just rest your arm for now. You're only gonna make it worse if you try to work with it like that."

"You sound just like Kashira."

"Good. He knows what he's talking about." They started walking again, past the main room that held the weapons and into a second room where there were more weapons and some armor piled on tables. "Now we just gotta find some that'll fit you." Nami looked around, trying to determine where he should begin. "You're still kind of a runt, so metal's out of the question," he said, more to himself than to Kai. "Leather'll do for now."

"I'm not used to wearing anything like that," Kai said. "It'll just slow me down."

"You need to slow down for a while."

"I don't run on my arm, Aniki."

"So you'll get stronger." Nami turned to her with a set of leather plates in his hands. "Isn't that what you want?" She didn't answer and he brought the plates to her. "Raise your arms." Kai sighed and raised her left arm, giving him a weary look. "Oh, right. Sorry. This stuff's too heavy for you anyway." He tossed some more armor out of the way and nodded. After a pause, he held up some armor that looked like it might fit Kai. "We'll take this with us. You can try it on later."

Whether it was because she was agreeing with him or the exhaustion of being injured was catching up with her, Kai nodded and followed Nami back down the hall to their room. He closed the door behind him and tossed the armor onto the table, then pointed at the bed.

"Lay down and get some rest until it's time for dinner." Kai looked at him, surprised by the gesture and Nami scowled at her. "What's with the look?"

"You're letting me sleep on your bed?" Nami expected her to say she didn't want him to feel sorry for her but instead of arguing with him she sat down on the bed and kicked off her boots. Her eyes looked tired and glassy and he glanced at her arm. It was a relief to see that she hadn't bled through the bandage.

He really must be tired, Nami thought. He's...she's...not even putting up a fight. He opened his mouth to tell her not to get too used to it, then noticed she had already dozed off. In a moment of brotherly concern for her that was almost out of character for him, he picked up the blanket Kai always slept under and tossed it over her. "Last thing I need is for you to catch a cold too." There was, of course, no answer and he considered leaving the lamp burning but decided against it. He had to get around the room too. Besides, it didn't seem like Kai was going to be bothered by the light. Nami stepped out of the room and went for the weapons room so he could clean his sword. She'd be fine on her own for a while, or so he hoped.

000

When Kai didn't show up for dinner, Genrou couldn't help worrying about the boy. Nami had already come down and the liquor was being poured while they waited for dinner to be prepared and brought out to them. Things weren't running smoothly without Kai and everyone seemed to know it. Unable to wonder any longer, he stood up and nodded over to the sleeping quarters.

"I'll be right back," he said to Kouji. "I wanna makes sure that nothin's happened to him."

"Nami said he was sleeping."

"Yeah, but when've ya ever known the kid to miss out on food? Like I said, I'll be right back." Genrou stood up from the table and went out into the hall with a wave of his hand. Kouji shrugged and picked up his cup of sake.

Once he was away from the dining hall Genrou started walking faster. He really had never known Kai to miss a meal and as much as the boy had been bleeding when he'd been shot he had a nasty feeling that it was probably still looking bad. Not only that, but if it really had been the Mt. Kaou crew that shot him he wasn't entirely convinced that there wasn't some slow-acting poison on the arrow.

Before he realized it, Genrou was nearly running toward Kai and Nami's room. The thought, even the remotest possibility, that the boy was lying dead in his bed while everyone else was eating dinner made him feel cold and a little sick. He rounded the corner and a wave of relief washed over him when he saw Kai come out of his room, rubbing his eyes with his left hand.

"There ya are," Genrou said, his head spinning as the tension drained away. "I mi-" Horrified at how close he'd come to saying that he'd missed him, Genrou grinned to cover his confusion over why he would even think about saying something like that in the first place. "I thought you weren't gonna be comin' out."

"Sorry. I just kind of passed out." Kai gave him a grin that he was certain was covering something of its own but he didn't want to ask what it was. "Is there any food left for me?"

"Sure, we ain't even started dinner for real. Even if we had, we woulda saved some for ya. Gotta eat to keep your strength up." Genrou slapped him on the shoulder in what he hoped was an encouraging way. Instead Kai's eyes watered and he cringed forward. "Huh? What's wrong?"

"N-nothing," Kai managed, trying to keep his hand from moving up to cradle his injured arm. It hit Genrou then and he held his hands in front of his chest.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to, y'know, hit ya there." Kai's eyes closed for a moment and Genrou looked away, angry with himself for hurting the boy without thinking. "Dammit. Ya take an arrow for me and the best I can do for ya is to smack ya around."

"It's all right," Kai said as the pain began to subside into a dull throb and he slowly straightened. "It isn't like you meant to do it." He forced a smile onto his face. "If you did it on purpose I might be tempted to punch you and call it my favor." This made Genrou laugh out loud, a boisterous sound in the empty hallway that he didn't care if the others heard.

"You're pretty funny, y'know."

"Thanks," Kai said. "I'm also starving." A genuine smile took the place of his pained one. "Don't worry about me arguing about not serving tonight. It feels like someone's tearing my arm off."

"Still ain't feelin' dizzy or anything are ya? I mean, it just hurts, right?"

"Yeah," Kai said sarcastically. "It just hurts like hell."

"That's uh, that's not what I meant." Genrou scratched the back of his head and Kai smiled again. "I just meant-"

"I know what you meant," Kai said. "And thanks for worrying about me."

"Worryin' about you?" Genrou stopped in his tracks and arched one eyebrow at Kai. "Who said anything about worryin' about you?" Kai shrugged with one arm and kept walking.

"You came after me."

"I-" Realizing he was right, Genrou frowned at the boy's back for a moment before hurrying to catch up with him. He hadn't meant to worry about Kai, it had just happened. But I'd be worried about any one of my guys if they got hit with an arrow, he reassured himself. That's nothin' new. "Anyway," he said, continuing as if Kai had never brought up the subject, "There's plenty of food and booze for ya. Nothin' like booze to make the pain go away."

"You can say that again," Kai said. "Bring it on."

"That's the spirit!" Genrou grinned. He almost slapped Kai on the back again but stopped himself just in time. "We're celebratin' tonight!"

"What're we celebrating?" Not waiting for a reply, Kai went into the dining hall and was immediately greeted by cheers from the rest of the bandits. He laughed and waved them off with his good arm and Goh poured some liquor for him as soon as he sat down. Genrou watched them with an almost paternal look that dissipated when his eyes settled on Kai's face.

You, he thought. We're celebratin' you.

000

After the increasingly raucous dinner, Kai and Nami walked back to their room. Kai was more than a little drunk but she seemed to be walking steadily enough that he didn't have to support her. The alcohol seemed to have helped take her mind off her arm because she was swinging it instead of holding it stiffly to her side. He was glad to see it.

"Do I still get to sleep on your bed tonight?" It was a question Nami had been waiting for her to ask and he sighed heavily.

"Just tonight. And don't get any blood on my sheets." He wasn't joking. If the girl wanted to dress up and play a boy, he was going to treat her like one. After all, if he didn't she would have to leave the mountain and he didn't want to be responsible for taking away the place where she herself had said she felt safe.

When they got back into their room and had the door secured, Kai changed into her sleeping attire for the first time Nami could remember. Usually she changed after he was asleep or before he came back into the room and now he knew why. This time she simply turned her back to him and took off her shirt. Just as he had before, Nami ignored her and took off his armor. When she turned around, the slight curve to her chest was noticeably larger and he frowned.

"I took off the binding," she said, noticing his look. "No need to sleep in them anymore, right?"

"What if someone comes in?" To this, Kai shrugged and went over to the bed. A slight wobble had worked its way into her walk and he decided to leave her alone. He exchanged her blanket for his and laid on the floor in her usual spot. Nami took up more room than Kai by far but he didn't complain about it. A promise was a promise. Once the light was out, Nami asked the one thing she hadn't explained earlier."So are you gonna tell me why?"

"Why?" Kai sighed heavily. He didn't miss a beat, though, and Nami was glad she already knew what he was talking about. "Because I was tired."

"Tired? Of what?"

"My parents died when I was just a kid and I stole things to survive. It wasn't easy, and some days there wasn't much to take. I didn't really have a home, just a room I'd rent when I could manage it. And then I saw Kashira in town sometimes and he looked so cool. I overheard someone saying he was a mountain bandit leader so I asked around about the Mt. Leikaku bandits. You sounded like a good bunch and I thought maybe I could be one of you if I was a boy." Kai leaned on the door frame and a sharp report of pain from her right arm made her stand up straight again. "So I cut off my hair, stole a set of boys' clothes and came up here."

"So that's your story," Nami said, giving Kai's general direction a searching look. She didn't seem to be lying, but then again he'd also believed her before when she said she was a boy. The sheets rustled as she moved into a more comfortable position.

"More or less," she said. "I mean, everybody's got a long story, right? Mine's probably not much different than yours or Kouji Aniki's when you get right down to it. We do what we have to and then we end up here." There was a smile in her voice. "It's just a little lie, it's not hurting anyone, right?"

"Guess not." Something clicked in his head and Nami looked at her. "So you've been going outside at night to bathe?"

"Yeah," Kai said, her smile turning into a grin. "Sneaking past the guards is the tricky part but I've always been good at climbing. And there's a nice little pool at the bottom of the waterfall. It's freezing but at least I don't have to worry about guys walking in on me."

"How are you gonna get out there with your arm like that? There's no way you're gonna be able to climb a tree or anything else." Nami could tell from the silence that overtook the room that Kai hadn't thought of this and he sighed. "Don't even think of asking me to help you."

"I wasn't," she said. "But what if you just kind of hung around outside the bath? You know, to warn me if anyone is coming."

"In the middle of the night?" Nami laughed and Kai sighed, a long-suffering sound that Nami remembered well from his childhood.

"Or maybe I'll just dab myself with a wet cloth."

"You can stop trying to give me a guilt trip," Nami said, pulling the blanket over himself. "It's not working."

"But Aniki..."

"Nope."

000

In his room, Genrou sank onto his bed and sighed. He hadn't realized just how tense he was until he was away from the others and he rubbed his shoulder. Immediately his thoughts went to Mei, who was excellent at rubbing the stress out of his neck and shoulders, and he wondered if it would be an inopportune time to leave the fortress. He didn't feel like taking anyone with him, but after an attempt on his life he had a feeling Kouji at least would want to go with him.

Genrou closed his eyes and fell backward on the bed, thinking about what had happened. The adrenaline that had pumped through his body when he realized that someone had tried to kill him was gone, as was the knot of worry he'd felt when he saw Kai bleeding. His mind traveled lazily to the boy and the way he'd pushed him. It felt as if he'd used every last bit of his strength, strength that Genrou wouldn't have thought he possessed.

I really do owe the kid my life, he thought. It also came to him that anyone else might have used it as an opportunity to move up in the group but Kai actually seemed disappointed because he wanted to do his chores. No, not that he wanted to do the chores but because he felt like he would be letting down the others by not doing them. It was the same as when he had been locked out in the rain. He just wants to be important to us. Just like I did when I was a kid. Gotta figure out a way to let him know he's one of us, like Kashira did for me. Something else found its way to the front of his mind and he looked up at the ceiling. I really was worryin' about him, wasn't I?

He already knew the answer to this and it both concerned him and seemed so obvious. There were plenty of reasons to be worried about someone who had been shot, and he really would have worried about any one of the other bandits. Still, there was something about it that seemed different but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. An image of the boy holding his arm and trying to stop the bleeding followed the thoughts of his concern and he wondered if the kid knew how lucky he was.

The urge to go down the mountain and visit the teahouse had disappeared and Genrou sat up to take off his earrings. He tried to put Kai out of his mind and focus on the best way to deal with the Mt. Kaou guys. Even though they hadn't found the shooter, he knew it was them. Nothing was stopping them from going up to the fortress on Mt. Kaou and launching a full-on assault but he wanted proof before he did that.

Kashira never would have made a move without proof, he told himself as he put away his jewelry and started to unbutton his outer shirt. Even though he had been dead for a long time, Genrou still based a number of things on what he thought Hakurou would have done. Even now, the man who had welcomed him to Mt. Leikaku and given him his name was his ideal and he lived every day in the hopes that he was living up to Hakurou's expectations.

I'm protectin' the mountain, just like ya told me, he said to Hakurou's memory. And that means protectin' my guys too. I've gotta figure somethin' out. What, though? Genrou finished undressing and dropped into bed again. All of a sudden he was extremely tired. It ain't like I've gotta come up with a plan tonight, he thought. Tomorrow's good enough.

Even as he thought it, Genrou found himself hoping that it would really be the case. But sleep came quickly for him and his thoughts, both uncomfortable and comfortable disappeared. There was plenty of time to worry about it in the morning.