Mugen angled off the path, finding a small clearing and looking around with satisfaction. "This should be good for the night."

"I will gather wood for a fire," said Jin.

"You do that." Mugen watched the samurai go, then turned to Fuu. "I'm out of here. You'll be okay now-you've got pretty boy to keep you company."

Fuu gazed up at him. "But you promised you would help me find the samurai who smells of sunflowers."

Mugen stared at her in disbelief. She actually expected him to keep a promise? In his entire life, he had never even known anyone who made a promise. This girl might look at him as if he was just as good as anybody else, but he knew better. He hadn't survived his childhood on Ryukyu and made it off the island by lying to himself. He knew he was trash but it didn't matter. His needs were simple-food when he was hungry, a place to sleep when he was tired, and sex whenever and wherever he could find it. As long as he kept to himself, no one could hurt him. It had worked for him ever since the day they marked him as a criminal and he wasn't about to change now. He rubbed his wrists absently and Fuu laid a gentle finger on one of the tattoos.

"Do they hurt?"

"No." Mugen dropped his hands. "Don't touch me."

She looked at him sadly and he felt as if he were drowning in her eyes. He was torn in a way he had never known, wanting to leave, wanting to stay, trying to ignore a small voice in the back of his mind that whispered if he left now no one was ever going to look at him like that again. He had been hated and despised for so long, he had put so much energy into walling himself off from other people, that he didn't care now if someone saw something good in him. She was just imagining it anyway if she thought she saw something honorable in him, something that would make him do the right thing. There was nothing in him to see and he told himself fiercely to walk away and leave her to the samurai, Jin.

Mugen frowned. If he did go, he would never have a chance to kill Jin. He really should do that first….but if he killed the man, Fuu would be all alone unless he stayed….he could stay for a while and kill Jin later, but if he did that he would be around this girl every day and he didn't want that….He wondered if she would give up her idea of searching for the smelly samurai if he killed Jin now and she didn't have anyone to go with her.

No. She couldn't stay in this town even if she wanted to, not after sneaking into a prison and throwing bombs at local officials. But there was more than that. The Ryukyuan recognized determination when he saw it. She looked the way he felt the day he finally escaped the island. Once he had been marked, he should have been trapped there forever but he had found a ship to stow away on, hiding in the cargo hold and never coming out until they docked in Japan a week later. He had been almost dead of thirst but he still thought it was the best decision he had ever made. Now he could see that same resolve in Fuu. Whoever this man was, she would do anything to find him. She was too reckless, and coming from him that was saying something. How long would she last if she went off on her own? He thought of the tea house and the men bending her over a table, threatening her with a sword. What would happen to her if she got in a mess like that again and he wasn't there?

As this last thought crossed Mugen's mind, all his confusion fell away. Fuu was the most aggravating person he had ever met and he was sure she was going to cause him nothing but trouble, but he wanted her to be safe. If he had to use meaningless words and not kill Jin yet to protect her, that's what he would do. He took a deep breath and said gruffly, "I'll stay, all right?"

Her face lit up. "And keep your promise?"

"And keep my promise." He dropped to the ground, sprawling on his side and scowling at the girl as she sat next to him, smiling brightly.

"It's too bad we don't have anything to eat," she said, "but I do have a little money. We can probably buy some food tomorrow…."

Mugen relaxed as Fuu chattered on. She was annoying, there was no doubt about that, and she wasn't much to look at either, but something in his wounded spirit was calmed by her shining brown eyes. Maybe being around her for a while wouldn't be so bad after all.