The Hunter

Chapter Ten

Three days came and went before Kohaku opened his eyes with no trace of fever in them. Rin breathed a quiet sigh of relief and set down the cloth she'd been using to wipe the sweat from his brow. His gaze darted about the room, taking in the thatched roof and the barren walls before eventually coming to rest on her.

"Where are we?" he asked weakly.

"In a small village not far from where we were attacked," she answered, careful to keep her voice calm. She couldn't let on how worried she'd been, how close he'd come to...

"The healer treated the wound on your arm and the villagers allowed us to stay in this empty hut until you recovered."

Kohaku lifted his head to study the dilapidated single-room abode. Though it wasn't large, it was dry and warm and theirs for the time being. The generosity of the villagers had been far greater than he ever could have expected. The small movement of lifting his head left him feeling drained and dizzy and he wearily set it back down. It was only then that he realized it'd probably been some days since he'd last enjoyed a meal.

"Say, is there anything to eat? I'm famished."

Luckily, food was one thing they had plenty of. The villagers had been dropping off daily parcels of pickled vegetables and cooked rice for the morning meal. Once she'd helped him to sit upright, Rin handed him a bowl of rice overlaid with the vegetables and some grilled fish. He dove into it, hardly stopping to chew before swallowing it into his stomach.

"Slow down! Your body can't handle you eating that fast. Not yet anyway."

Heeding her words of caution, Kohaku took his time chewing his next few bites.

"How long have we been here?"

"Nearly a week. You were delirious for most of it."

"You stayed…?"

He sounded just as mystified by her decision not to run as she was. Rin reached down to retrieve his empty bowl and to hid her face from his probing gaze. In the long hours he'd spent racked by fever she'd considered leaving more than once. With that much of a head start, he probably never would have found her. Once she even got as far as the door before a pained moan brought her rushing back to his side.

Never in her life had she worried about another person more and it was during those long days and sleepless nights that she made an alarming discovery. Her actions went beyond simply repaying a debt. She was caring for him because she cared for him.

"I'm sorry, Rin," Kohaku said, sounding genuinely abashed, "I didn't mean to cause you so much trouble."

She turned at the sound of her name on his lips.

"So you remember," she breathed, quietly setting their bowls aside. He'd been half conscious when she'd told him. She was almost certain he'd forgotten.

Kohaku nodded, "I couldn't possibly forget."

Not sure what to make of his words, she tucked them into the back of her mind to mull over later. Was it possible he felt something for her too? She wondered this as he smiled up at her and then quickly turned away.

No, it was foolish to hope to find something that wasn't there. Besides, he'd already told her what fate awaited her at the end of their journey and the childish affections of a simple girl would not change that.

With his body still weak from fighting the fever, it didn't take long for Kohaku to return his head to the futon on the floor. She waited until he'd drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep and then crept silently out the door.

xXx

Rin moved quickly down the road that led out of the village. Her mission was simple – retrieve Kohaku's weapons. She hadn't thought to bring them after the attack, but with Kohaku's recovery well underway they would soon resume travelling and being armed was a necessity.

The forest wasn't as far as she remembered it being, though picking her way through the trees and brush was no easy task. She eventually made it to the riverbank where she'd nearly met her end and looked upon the corpses of the wolves. Seeing them made it all very real somehow. The carcases were teeming with flies and other insects, reminding her of just how close she'd come to being food herself.

Holding her nose against the smell of rotting wolf flesh, Rin knelt down and retrieved Kohaku's knife from the chest of the lead wolf. It slid out easily enough and she washed it in the river. After a moment's consideration, she slipped it into the waistband of her obi and hid it from sight. She would never again be without a weapon.

She had more difficulty retrieving Kohaku's sword as he'd plunged it straight through a wolf's body. Bracing her foot against the beast's ribcage, she managed to jerk and wiggle the weapon enough for it to pop free. The suddenness with which the wolf's body released it sent her stumbling back into a tree.

She cursed softly as she pushed her hair back off her face. At least there was no one around to see her falling about like a drunken idiot. With that thought her eyes glanced at the spot where the richly-dressed stranger had stood mere days before. Her memory of him was vivid – tall, broad shouldered and regal looking. She'd admired the strong angles of his face and the stunning wave of silver hair that settled over his shoulder. His eyes were the easiest to recall - piercing, intelligent and the colour of honey. Never in her whole life would she forget those eyes.

Just as on that day, there was no trace of him now. Were it not for the two wolf bodies sliced to pieces, she would have doubted if he were real at all.

The gods were on her side for the journey home. She met no other soul until she was at the border of the small mountain village they'd imposed upon. A few of the villagers nodded at her in greeting or smiled as she passed and for a brief moment she remembered what it was like to belong. She would give almost anything to have that life again.

She entered the hut at the end of the road and found Kohaku awake and staring gloomily into the fire. He looked up as she entered and breathed her name with a heavy sigh of relief.

"I thought you had left for good," he confessed.

She shook her head and knelt down next to him, offering up his sword.

"I went back to get this. We will need it for the road ahead," she explained as he took it from her.

"You went all the way back just for this? Rin, you could have been hurt! What if there were more wolves or bandits?"

"You almost sound concerned," she scoffed. "I'm not the only whore in Japan. Rest assured you could find another to be your gift easily enough."

A blush darkened his cheeks as he slid the short sword into its sheath. He set it on the floor next to the futon and fingered the holder for his knife.

"Did you happen to find my knife?"

To avoid having to meet his gaze, she busied herself adding some wood to the fire and shook her head.

"No. The sword was heavy enough to carry."

He laughed a little and swiped a hand across his face.

"Right, sorry. It doesn't matter anyhow. We'll be fine with this," he determined with a nod at his sword.

A soft knock sounded at the door and they looked up to find the old healer woman standing in the entryway. She had stopped by a few times since their arrival to check on Kohaku's wounds. Tonight she carried a small satchel of herbs at her side and two bowls of rice with fish in her hands.

While they took their time nibbling at the donburi, the old woman unwrapped the bandages on Kohaku's arm. She inspected it thoroughly, murmuring and nodding to herself every now and then. When she was finished she bandaged it up tight and offered him a thin smile.

"It looks to be healing well. Keep it dry and favour this arm until it is fully healed. It may take another week, so be patient."

Kohaku looked less than pleased by this news, but nodded his head in understanding.

The old woman didn't linger, staying only long enough to give Rin some herbs and instructions on how to use them in case the wound should re-open. Satiated with a bell full of rice, Kohaku lay back against his futon and invited Rin to lie beside him. Tired after her day's long journey, she offered up no resistance and curled up against his side. His arm wrapped around her with easy familiarity and she rested her head in the nook between his shoulder and chest. It felt nice to be close to him and to hear the reassuringly strong rhythm of his heart in her ear.

"You could have left," he said softly, turning his face towards hers. "Even after you delivered me here you could have run off. I never would have found you."

When she didn't answer, his body shifted next to hers and he rose up onto his elbow. His eyes searched hers, the look in them dark and questioning. She was suddenly aware of every part of him – from the radiating warmth of his body to the faint caress of his breath against her skin.

"Thank you for staying," he whispered, wearing an uncertain smile.

The intensity of his gaze set her heart racing until it was pounding so loud she was certain he could hear it. He stroked his thumb lightly across her cheek and then leaned forward to touch his mouth to hers. Her body came alive in a rush of fire that shot down her spine to the very tips of her toes. She'd been kissed before, by drunks, by men at the brothel, even once by a boy in her village behind his house - but never had a kiss consumed her like his. Just as suddenly Kohaku drew back, smiled at her, and rested his head back down against the floor leaving her struggling to catch her breath as the heat slowly receded from her veins.

It was a dangerous game she was playing. Being here with him, just like this, almost made it feel real. In quiet moments it was easy to pretend that they were nothing more than a simple farming couple. But she understood better than most how dangerous dreams such as those could. She was a fool if she expected anything to come of this, she knew that, but as she lay back down and his fingertips sleepily traced the length of her spine she found her eyes drifting closed. For tonight at least, she was content to pretend.

* Donburi is a common Japanese dish made of plain rice topped with meat, fish or vegetables and served in a bowl. Today it is common to have it served with beef, pork (katsu), tempura, or grilled eel.

Author's Note: Thank you everyone for sending me such wonderful reviews this week. I enjoyed reading them all and will most definitely write back! I do respond to reviews so if you'd like me to, please log in so I can. I hope you enjoyed the new chapter and that the wait wasn't too long.

Until next time,

Langus