After dinner Granny ushered Chihiro and myself into her surprisingly large bathroom.
Granny pulled out a silver jar; it's outside glowed slightly as she unsealed the lid while I pulled of my shirt.
Chihiro helped her put the strong smelling balm onto my wound. At the bathhouse it looked like it was closing up quickly, but now after our long flight it had opened slightly again and was still quite tender.
The balm was a clear liquid that smelled strongly of thyme and rosemary. I sighed as the cold viscous liquid made contact with my skin; it's coolness instantly calming my back.
Granny clucked her tongue behind me, shaking her head as she looked at my back.
I decided to watch the floor, in truth I didn't really want to remember any of the events leading up to this wound, and I hoped that she wouldn't say anything about it.
Thankfully she didn't and after a couple minutes, and some gauze wrappings later I was free to put on my shirt again and come out of the restroom.
Haku sat at the table with a map lay out in front of him, most likely mapping our course out.
Beside him sitting in a chair on his hind legs was Yawnu, who also seemed to be staring at the map and conversing with Haku with their minds.
Haku looked up as I entered, seeming to relax as he noticed the smile on my face.
The little hare jumped of the chair and came up to me beckoning me to hold him again.
"I don't know why you want me to hold you silly Yawnu, but I guess I don't mind." I said sighing happily as I picked him up and went to sit in the chair he had been sitting in.
I was careful not to touch my back to the chair and sat straight up while looking over Haku's shoulder at the map.
"So this is all of the spirit world?" I asked, it was so big with every land mass noted and every lake inscribed as well. Even the main spirits that inhabited the areas were marked.
He nodded turning to smile at me.
Chihiro came back in with Granny, deep in conversation about balms and different things Granny could whip up.
He traced his long delicate finger from Zeniba's house and moved toward the other edge of the map, showing me the route we would take.
I nodded and absentmindedly stoked Yawnu's soft ears.
"He has finally opened up to me it looks like, a very smart little creature. Gave me a lot of advice on which direction to take and anything that might get in our way." He said smiling as he too stroked the hare's fur.
I looked down at Yawnu, feeling that same feeling as before, an old comfort something that has been long forgotten or long lost.
I stiffened slightly as Haku's hand came to find mine on the middle of Yawnu's back.
His white hand contrasted slightly with my slightly tanned one, and his fingers wound around my small ones before clasping our hands together.
My smile broadened at his actions, and looked at him happily.
"You seem to have a strange affect on me as well." His voice said, so only I could hear.
"Really? If so then you are a master at hiding it." I said giggling a bit.
His thumb stroked the webbing between my fingers as he looked into my eyes, I felt as if I was being pulled toward him and leaned in slightly feeling his body shift as well.
I watched transfixed as our faces came towards each other, his lips soft and gently smiling as they came towards mine.
"Hey you guys want some desert." Chihiro asked walking to the table, causing us to split apart quickly.
My stomach fell and Haku's hand unclasped from mine so stealthily, I wasn't sure if it had been there at all.
I looked at Chihiro and glared, her face changed from excitement to confusion.
Shifting my eyes I tried to roll them to the left to signal that I was motioning towards Haku.
"Oh….sorry, well do you guys Granny wants to know?" She said sheepishly a blush rising on her cheeks.
I nodded my head and so did he.
She left quickly, probably hoping we could go back to wherever we were but I knew we couldn't. The moment was long gone and now Haku's attention was fixed solely on the map.
Yawnu in my lap sat up nudging my stomach.
Looking down I could have sworn I thought I saw a slight edge of sympathy in his chocolate eyes.
Don't worry; it's just a fools dream anyways. I mean I'm half in this world it seems, and he is a river spirit. I must be kidding myself.
I thought, trying to speak with Yawnu in my mind. I didn't hear him respond, but I did feel that he understood as his head inclined slightly.
He nestled back in my lap, licking my hand slightly making me smile a bit despite the frustrated feelings in my mind.
These are the times I wish my father were here, I don't know if he would like me being taken by a boy, a spirit at that, but I wished I knew what his advice would be.
How was it that I could care so much for someone I barely knew, it didn't make sense. I have only known Haku for a couple days and yet it feels like a lifetime.
Granny and Chihiro came back in with deserts, Chihiro sitting down next to me.
She nudged me slightly, as I turned she mouthed sorry and gestured between me and him, most likely wondering if we had gone back to where we were.
I shook my head slightly, and shrugged putting on my best smile in order to cheer her up as we ate.
Desert went by quickly and soon we were all settled on the floor in the living room on individual mats.
Chihiro begin her sneaky self, stole the matt at the end, so he and I could sleep side by side.
I chuckled to myself, at this point too tired from all the events from the past few days to truly notice.
The nap didn't do a ton I guess, I thought smiling slightly as I settled down in my little bed and pulling the blankets over me.
I sighed as I lay there, looking up at the ceiling before turning to my left to hug Chihiro good night.
I turned on my right side, facing Haku as he got into his bed as well.
For some reason my right side was always the most comfortable to sleep in, and I had a sneaking suspicion Chihiro had remembered that and wanted to make sure I was facing him through the night, the little devil.
I closed my eyes sleepily as Haku said goodnight to Chihiro and then to me.
Chihiro bid goodnight as well and turned on her side facing away from me, her favorite side to sleep on.
I mumbled something that resembled a good night and felt myself drifting quickly off to sleep.
There was a slight scraping of matt against floor and I opened my eyes slightly against the offending noise to find Haku had moved his matt closer to mine.
He settled back in and turned toward me leaning above me as he pressed his lips softly to my cheek whispering good night into my ear.
My heart was flipping about in my chest, as I felt myself smiling like a fool closing my eyes once more.
My dreams were filled with blue fields again but this time my father was standing next to me surveying a scene of a dragon standing before us coiling and uncoiling as he watched us.
His sea green mane and white scales looked like Haku's as he watched us.
The three of us stayed the same unmoving, as the world around us seemed to fly by; the sun came over in an arc and then the moon. Shadows of people and odd creatures flitted before us before disappearing again.