After a short moment of walking in silence, Reiko and Samickle reached his house. Samickle entered first, and Reiko followed suit, closing the door behind her. The lodge was simple and cozy, yet spacious. A large bed was situated at the corner of the room, next to a large bookshelf filled with leather-bound tomes and scrolls. At the other side of the room was a small desk, and a pile of neatly folded clothes.
"Where do you keep the medical supplies?" Reiko asked, glancing around.
Samickle pointed towards the desk. "Second drawer."
"Right, thanks." She made her way to the desk, opening the drawer and rummaging through its contents. There was a wooden box filled with various medical items; bandages, balms, and other essentials.
"Now then... Take off your shirt." Reiko said, turning to face him. "I need to take a look at those wounds."
"...What."
"Your shirt. Take it off." She repeated.
"Why?"
Reiko frowned, crossing her arms. "Don't be ridiculous. How else am I supposed to treat your wounds?"
Samickle's gaze beneath the mask darkened, and he quickly turned away. "I'm fine, really."
Reiko narrowed her eyes at his stubbornness, and strode to his side. "Fine. Just let me at least take care of the worst ones on your neck and shoulders." She pleaded, swiping her wolf mask off from her face. "The bleeding won't stop until we cover them up."
Samickle tensed up, and he averted his gaze. For a while, he said nothing, simply staring at the floor. "...If you insist." He finally muttered, hesitantly sitting on the edge of his bed.
When he showed no intention of removing any of his garments himself, Reiko leaned in, gently tugging his robes open just enough to reveal his neck and part of his upper chest. He was wearing his usual lavender coloured robes and a white yukata underneath, both made out of thick fabric that would keep one reasonably warm in the harsh winters of Kamui. Once Reiko got his robes out of the way, she couldn't prevent her eyes from wandering; His physique was toned and well-sculpted, no doubt the result of years of training. But, the marks left by his fight were clearly visible, deep gouges in the skin. The largest gash was right below his collarbone, where the blood was still fresh. Samickle was a strong and capable warrior, but even the strongest warriors had their weak spots, and Kohu had no doubt aimed for one of them.
Reiko was quick to work, using the damp cloth she had found from the drawer to clean away the blood. She was gentle and thorough, careful not to cause him any pain. It didn't take long before the cloth turned red, and Reiko discarded it and grabbed a roll of bandages instead. Once she had covered the worst of the wounds on his chest and shoulders, her attention shifted onto the gash on his neck.
"It doesn't look that deep, but the area is sensitive." She murmured, lightly tracing her finger along the cut. "Could you take off your mask, so I can-"
"I'd rather not." Samickle muttered, his voice firm.
"Samickle... I won't stare, if that's what you're worried about." Reiko sighed, and glanced up. "I just need to clean the area and bandage the wound." The scar ran just by the edge of his mask, and properly tending the wound like this would be impossible.
Samickle fell silent. The dark expression that had lingered on his eyes remained, and for a moment, he seemed reluctant. Then, he let out a soft sigh and slowly reached to remove the falcon mask, revealing his face. His eyes were cast downward, a shadow of pain looming over him. Reiko's breath hitched in her throat— Samickle was known for his unwavering determination, his unyielding resolve, and yet, right now, he looked utterly defeated.
He looked up, his eyes met hers, and for the briefest moment, Reiko froze. Samickle's eyes were the colour of sunset, a striking orange shade, with a hint of yellow, but the cold, distant expression he wore made him look almost intimidating.
Reiko was acquainted with his human appearance, but he was almost always wearing that mask of his, so she rarely had a chance to see him without it. It was strange, almost like seeing a part of him that was never meant to be shown. He had chiselled, sharp features, with high cheekbones and a straight nose. His brow was furrowed and his lips pressed together in a grim line. There was a long, pink scar that ran across his left cheek, a wound from a fight many moons ago. His long, heather hair fell down his shoulders like a waterfall, partially obscuring his eyes.
Remembering her promise, Reiko quickly averted her gaze. The Oina people were quite a secretive bunch, and sometimes she forgot how significant a gesture revealing one's face was for them; It was an act reserved only for close friends and family members, so she didn't take his trust for granted.
Carefully, Reiko began cleaning the blood away. Her hands were trembling, and she could feel her cheeks warming up. Why was she so nervous all of a sudden? She kept her eyes glued to the gash, focusing on cleaning the dried blood away. It didn't seem like a very deep cut, but there was quite a bit of bleeding nevertheless. She dabbed the wound with a clean piece of cloth, and was surprised to see Samickle flinch, a faint noise escaping his lips. "Sorry!" She gasped, looking up. "Does it hurt?"
First, Samickle didn't respond, his jaw set. "It's fine." He finally muttered, glancing aside. "Go on."
"Well... if you say so." She nodded, and resumed her work. She carefully applied ointment to the wound, and it didn't take long for the balm to do its job, the bleeding slowing down considerably. "Alright, that should do it." Reiko said, grabbing the roll of bandages. "Just one last thing, and I'll be out of your fur."
Samickle glanced down, watching in silence as she bandaged the wound. "...Thank you." He said quietly once she was done, and looked up at her.
Their eyes met once more, and Reiko felt her heart skip a beat. His expression was much softer now, and Reiko found herself lost in those beautiful amber eyes, unable to look away.
When she looked at him, his gaze quickly shifted downwards, his eyelids fluttering closed, as if he was embarrassed. Reiko could feel her heart hammering against her ribcage. Was she imagining things, or was Samickle's expression... shy? She shook her head, trying to push the thought out of her mind. What was wrong with her? Was it her imagination, or was the room getting hotter all of a sudden?
Samickle cleared his throat. "...I can take it from here." He mumbled, reaching to grab the bandages, his fingers brushing against hers.
Reiko flinched, yanking her hand back. "O-okay." She stammered, her cheeks flushed. "I- I should go."
She was about to leave, when she noticed Samickle's mask on the bed, and she couldn't help but smile. "Forgetting something?" She handed him the mask, and got up.
Samickle only nodded in response, his cheeks turning slightly rosy upon her remark.
Reiko made her way to the door, halting for a mere second as she turned to give one last glance at the warrior across the room. "Take care of yourself." And with that, she hurried outside. Her legs felt like they were about to give in at any moment, and her heart was racing, her thoughts jumbled. The air was cold and crisp, and a thick layer of snow covered the ground. Reiko took a few deep breaths, letting the biting wind cool her flushed face.
"...What on earth was that..?" She murmured, placing a hand over her chest. She could feel her heart still racing. "Get a grip, Reiko." She muttered to herself, slipping her wolf mask back on.
Reiko's mind was still reeling, her thoughts scattered, as she made her way down the snowy path and towards her hut. She was deepened into her thoughts when someone bumped into her, almost causing her to lose her balance. Reiko spun around, and came face to face with an angry-looking Kohu. He was clutching his left shoulder, his robe stained red. His grizzly bear mask was hanging from his neck, damaged from the fight with Samickle.
"Out of my way, outsider..!" He snarled, his upper lip twitching.
"Sorry, I-"
Kohu let out a snort, and spat on the ground, the blood splattering on the snow. Then, his gaze shifted to the direction she had come from, peering to the direction of Samickle's home. "...Did you just come out of his place?"
"I- yes, I was-"
Before she could finish, Kohu scoffed. "Don't bother, I know why you were there."
Reiko's face flushed, and she frowned, her eyebrows furrowed. "No, that's not what you think-"
"Tch..! Figures..." He growled, baring his fangs. Without another word, he shoved her aside, and stormed past her. Reiko stood there, frozen, as she watched the wolf-shifter walk away.
A feeling of dread was beginning to creep up her spine. What the hell was going on? Everyone was acting weird. Reiko quickly shook her head. It was probably nothing, she thought. Maybe the cold weather was getting to everyone.
"Reiko!"
This time she was met with a friendly face; Kai was running up to her, panting and out of breath. "I've been looking all over for you!" She stopped and leaned forward, her hands resting on her knees as she struggled to catch her breath.
"Oh, hi!" Reiko gave her friend a smile. "So, how was the meeting? I know I was supposed to wait for you at the square, but Samickle-"
"Samickle?" Kai almost gasped, her eyes behind her deer mask instantly fixating on Reiko. "Did you- Have you heard-"
"Heard what?" Reiko looked at her confused, tilting her head. For whatever reason, her mentioning Samickle had made her friend seemingly nervous.
Kai bit her lip behind her mask, hesitating. "...Oh, never mind. I thought-"
"Come on, don't keep me in the dark here!" Reiko protested. "Tell me what's going on."
"Ah, there she is."
Reiko almost yelped in surprise when she glanced down, meeting the familiar raccoon mask peering up at her. It was Kemu, the elder and current chief of the tribe. This little man had managed to sneak up on them, and was now standing between Reiko and Kai.
"O-oh, hi..!" Reiko managed a small smile, though she felt her stomach churn. "Uh, how are you, Kemu?"
"Very well, thank you. Now, come along." The elderly man motioned at her. "I need to speak with you."
"Oh, okay." Reiko nodded. "Lead the way."
Reiko gave her friend a look of confusion as she followed the tiny old man down the path, heading towards the entrance of the village. Kemu didn't say a word as he walked ahead, leading the way to his cabin. His home was a rather modest little lodge, decorated with various tribal symbols and trophies.
The elder didn't stop until they reached his study, and then he motioned her to take a seat. "Brew us some tea, will you?" He said, and Reiko nodded, making her way to the fireplace.
As she waited for the water to boil, she glanced around. Kemu had a lot of bookshelves, most of them filled with ancient scrolls and texts. He also had a few shelves dedicated to various weapons and hunting trophies. There was a large, stuffed eagle mounted above the fireplace, and next to it hung an old, weathered sword.
Once the herbal tea was ready, Reiko poured two cups and offered one to the elder, who accepted it gratefully. "I have some news for you." Kemu began, taking a sip of his tea. "Mmmm, marvellous..." He muttered, taking a short moment to enjoy the fragrant aroma before placing the cup on the table. "Anyway, where was I..?"
"News, you said?" Reiko asked, taking a seat across from him.
"Yes, yes. Samickle wishes to marry you."
Reiko's jaw dropped, and she almost choked on her tea. "He wishes WHAT?!" Did he just say what she thought he did? "Me?" She let out a wheezing gasp, fighting the urge to cough. "B-but… that's… I'm not even—"
"An Oina?" Elder read her mind. "That's nonsense, dearie." He chuckled. "You may have not been born into this tribe, but you're just as part of it as anyone else in the village."
Reiko swallowed hard, staring down at her cup. Her hands were shaking. Marrying Samickle? It sounded insane. He was always so aloof and serious. Why would he want to marry her? She looked up. "W-why? What does he-?"
"Why not, child? He is a fine warrior, and a skilled hunter. He will provide for you, and you'll never want for nothing." Kemu explained, sounding somewhat amused by Reiko's flustered reaction. "Besides, don't you think it's time you settled down? You've spent the last two winters helping our people. Perhaps it's time for you to find a mate and start a family of your own."
"I- B-but..." Reiko hesitated. She didn't know what to think! Sure, she was honoured that the elders would be willing to accept her as a member of their tribe, but marrying Samickle? Reiko had no idea he even saw her in that way. The whole thing felt surreal. Besides, he was the future chief of the tribe, which also made the situation even more complicated.
Kemu's expression softened. "Look, I'm not saying you should marry him. I'm simply stating what the lad has requested. The final decision is up to you."
Reiko nodded absent-mindedly, her mind reeling. She still couldn't wrap her head around the idea; Why would Samickle want to marry her, from all the people?