August 21st

Sunlight peered through an open window within the room, its rays warming Kagome's face, and stirring from a well-rested sleep, her eyes fluttered open. Sometime during the night, the futon must have fallen away, the blankets in disarray around her. Soft cooing and movement from beside her drew her attention to a small baby kitsune, his large green eyes staring back at her, a small smile etched across his porcelain face.

"Good morning sweetie. How long were you awake?" She cooed, hugging the child close to her, her fingers combing through his auburn hair and twitching fox ears.

As much as she wanted to drift back to sleep, she couldn't help but smell a mouthwatering aroma drift into the room. The sounds of feet pitter pattering outside the shoji screen door and the familiar sounds of an iron pot bubbling with delicious food urged her into a seated position.

Judging by Yuuta's folded blanket beside Kagome's hiking bag, he must have gotten up much earlier. Yawning, she looked around the room, her eyes gazing up towards the open small window. The sun was high in the sky, and if she had to guess, it was probably somewhere around the afternoon.

'Our plans were to get up at first light and set off. I didn't mean to sleep in…'

Setting Shippo into the basket beside her, she picked herself off the bed and removed her kimono, bending down to retrieve a clean garment from her bag and dressed herself. After tying the dark blue obi securely around her waist, she checked herself, smoothing out the wrinkles before bending down to fold and roll the futon up, placing it up against the wall.

With that taken care of, she reached for Shippo's carrier and wrapped it around her body, lifting Shippo during the duration of her wrap until he was snug against her, his ears and tail concealed. Unfortunately, there was no helping her hair at all, her long ebony strands somewhat messy and in need of a thorough cleanse. Not wanting to deal with the strands falling over her face, she reached into her bag and withdrew her brush and hair tie, combing her hair until she styled it into a high ponytail.

Satisfied she looked half decent, she exited the room, sliding the door closed behind her. Upon leaving, she noticed Kintaro's mother working diligently at the Kamado Stove, tossing a few vegetables into the boiling pot before stirring the rice in her wooden steam pot. "Good morning," She softly called.

Not noticing the child behind her and knelt before the burners, she turned and greeted the young girl with a smile. "Good morning, my dear. Did you sleep well?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes. Thank you again." Realizing there was no sign of anyone else within the hut, Kagome glanced around. "Where is my husband?" She asked, still not used to calling Yuuta by such a name. Then again, it was kind of fun, pretending.

"Kintaro and my husband went to gather vegetables from the fields for lunch. Your husband left earlier to help. They should be back soon," She explained, stirring the rice carefully. "He is such a hardworking man. You are lucky to have him."

"Is there anything you need help with?"

She nodded. "Lunch is almost done, but will you help set the table? The bowls are in the cabinet."

Approaching the cabinet, Kagome retrieved five wooden bowls, plates and utensils and placed them carefully onto the low rising table. Once they were placed, she heard her child cooing against her, and smiling, she hugged him against her. "You must be hungry, huh?"

Seeing the young woman embrace her baby, the woman couldn't help but smile tenderly, moving away from the stove towards her. Wiping her hands onto her kimono, she looked at the child. "I didn't get a good look at him last night. May I?"

Kagome nodded.

Bending down so she was eye level with the child, she noticed his large green eyes staring back at her. They were as vibrant as a polished gem with small amethyst specks surrounding his irises. "Kintaro was right. Your baby has usual and beautiful green eyes. Is this a trait passed down in your family?" She asked, receiving a nod from Kagome after. "I noticed you have bright blue eyes."

"I get it from my father's side of the family. He had blue eyes as well, but my mother's eyes are brown. I suppose the trait carried over onto Shippo, but I'm surprised his eyes are green."

She nodded in understanding. "Such a rare trait, but certainly beautiful. You must receive many compliments and questions about it."

"Not really, then again, I haven't done much traveling," Kagome admitted softly.

Before long, the table was set with the delicious cuisine, steamed rice and vegetables once again, but despite that, it looked delicious. As Kagome helped her carry the rice pot over towards the end of the table, they heard familiar voices pour into the hut.

Yuuta stepped in, his physique drenched in sweat as he wiped his forehead, his cheeks slightly red from the effort in the fields. Normally, his strenuous efforts focused more on carpentry than anything else or swordsmanship but bending down in the fields for only a short amount of time certainly was rigorous. "Looks like it's going to be a scorcher today. I doubt we'll get any rain," He commented, approaching the table before plopping down beside Kagome.

Accepting a dry rag from the woman, Kagome reached over and dabbed the cloth against his face, hoping to dry away his sweat. "You are usually a morning person. Why didn't you wake me up? I could have helped you."

He leaned away slightly from her touch, his eyes fixed upon the rag before taking it from her hand. Wiping the cloth against his neck, freeing himself from the rest of the sweat accumulating on his cheeks and forehead, he placed it upon his lap, his legs crossed over the other. "It's alright. You were up with the baby last night, and you haven't had a decent night's sleep…"

"Thank you," She smiled.

He nodded, smoothing back his bangs from his forehead, acknowledging the father and son as they joined them at the table, the little boy moving to sit on the other side of Kagome. "Once we've eaten, we should head out."

"You didn't work too hard in the fields, did you?" She asked. She knew farming wasn't really something he specialized in, but he seemed alright, if not a bit hot from the sweltering heat outside.

"No. I only helped carry the baskets and store the rest of the crops in storage," He replied, accepting a bowl of water from Kagome.

"I worked hard Kagome!" Kintaro exclaimed beside her. "I worked really hard!" He couldn't help but lean back and squint his eyes at Yuuta.

Kagome giggled. She wasn't oblivious to the child's attachment towards her. It was painfully obvious he was a bit jealous of Yuuta, wanting to receive the same affection from her as well. "Oh, you must have! I can tell! You are so big and strong," She replied, touching his arm gently.

"Like your husband?" He asked, perking up at her compliment.

"Not likely…" Yuuta murmured under his breath, but he only received a slight pinch on his thigh from the woman beside him. He hadn't anticipated her fingers anywhere near his legs, let alone his thigh, and he tensed at her touch.

Leaning close to him, Kagome whispered into his ear, removing her hand from his leg, much to his relief. "Be nice."

The mother of Kintaro couldn't help but giggle at the sight, pouring her husband a bowl of water before filling his bowl and plate of rice and vegetables. "The two of you remind me of me and my husband before we married."

The rest of their lunch carried on in long conversation, discussing various topics regarding their village, the perks of traveling back and forth from Edo to Hitomi Village, and seeing the sights of the beautiful mountains along the way. Somehow, the conversation drifted to how Kintaro's mother and father first met, and for them, it was love at first sight, back when they were just children growing up together.

No sooner had they eaten, and after feeding Shippo the milk from Clover, who was tied outside the hut, both Yuuta and Kagome packed up their belongings. The family followed them towards the exit of the village, the sweltering heat blazing down upon them.

"Regardless of what you do, I wish the best for your village," The husband replied, his wife moving to stand beside him. "While I may not have met with the Daimyo personally, I've heard he is a kind man who listens to the concerns of his people. There's a chance if you visit Edo Village, you may be granted an audience with him. However, keep in mind, there are many others who wish to meet with him as well."

Yuuta nodded at this, shifting his gaze towards Kagome, who appeared lost in thought, most likely thinking about their village back home.

"Do you really have to go, Kagome?" Kintaro asked, arousing her from her thoughts suddenly when he took her hand, not wanting her to leave.

"Well I have to. How else will I get our message delivered to help the village?" She teased, smiling at the boy.

"You can always stay here with us and your husband can keep on going…." He replied, as if it were the simplest idea he could think of. Kintaro looked at the taller and robust man, meeting his eyes faintly before looking back up at Kagome pleadingly.

Despite Yuuta appearing unfazed by the child's dislike for him, Kintaro's father otherwise found the situation rather hilarious, slapping his knee completely amused by his son's words and behavior for the woman. His son was bold, taking after him too well; it seemed he really took a liking to Yuuta's wife.

Kagome sweat dropped, feeling Yuuta's gaze watching her silently. "That does sound tempting…"

"So, you will stay?"

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I can't. My village is counting on me."

Kintaro released her hand, nodding his head dismally but also in understanding. Perhaps he was hoping too much for something that just came into his life, as brief as it was. "Oh…"

Bending down in front of him, she ruffled his hair, grinning. "But maybe I can come back and visit. We have to pass through your village on our way back home after our trip."

"Really?" His eyes lit up at her words, and he turned towards his parents. "Father, is it okay for them to stay the night when they come back through?" At his nod, he turned back to Kagome smiling widely. "I'll wait here for you! You have to promise to come back and see me and my family!"

Smiling at his enthusiasm, Kagome nodded and held out her pinky finger, though he only stared at it in confusion. "I pinky promise. This means I cannot go back on my promise."

Understanding, he interlocked his pinky with hers and they shook on it, both smiling as they came to their agreement. "Don't forget."

Standing up, she and Yuuta bowed respectively to the family, and with one final wave to Kintaro, who seemed crestfallen to see them leave, they turned and left the village, Yuuta tugging on the ropes with Clover following behind them.

An hour after Kagome and Yuuta left Hitomi Village, a horse pulling a wooden cart, filled with an abundant of barrels and cloth sacks, sauntered through the village. Upon the back of the cart, two young women sat, perched upon their knees as they looked out across the village, watching the peasants who attended their menial tasks. The driver was also a female, her black hair pulled high into a long ponytail, tied by a white tie.

Dressed in a similar fashion, their short thigh-length kosodes ranged from greens to blues and even a bright magenta, the sleeves of their garments no longer than their elbows and narrower than what was customary among women; it was a fashion which no other villager in the surrounding area wore, and despite its slight indecency, revealing a great bit of legs, nothing was said as the horse pulled to a complete stop.

Overtop their kosodes, plain sleeveless beige vests were worn over top, tied at the front with a black obi, it's length much shorter than their kosodes beneath. Within their obis, small short blades were strapped, and easy to unsheathe, should any reason pass during their travels.

Atop their heads, they wore large straw hats, which helped block the harsh rays of the blistering sun shining down upon them. Black tabi cloth adorned their feet, and thin brown leather encompassed the entirety of their ankles rising just below their knees and tied off by a thick piece of cloth, course straw sandals completed their look.

As their driver leapt from the front of the wagon, her retreating form disappearing into one of the huts before them, the two girls released a sigh. They'd been traveling for days it seemed, and right now, this was the last stop left until they returned to their village.

Rui, a young girl with shoulder-length brown hair, her fringe resting just above her large brown eyes, only sighed. Mercilessly, she waved her uchiwa in front of her face, the fan doing little to no good as it only threw hot air at her. Sweat fell from her brow, her reddened cheeks exposed to the harsh rays as she released a pained moan. "This heat is unbearable!"

Chiyoko nodded. "I just hope Itsuko doesn't take too long." Unlike her companion who was dressed in a lightly colored magenta kosode, she was dressed in a blue kosode, her brown hair tied up into a half ponytail. The remainder of her long locks fell along her upper back, and white band was wrapped around her forehead absorbing most of the sweat accumulating onto her brow, as well as holding back a few stray bangs from falling over her eyes.

Rui leaned against the rails of the cart, her eyes scanning the villagers with slight disinterest. When she noticed a familiar face standing amidst a stand filled with an assortment of pottery, she perked up. "Hey. If my eyes aren't deceiving me, that's Kintaro."

Chiyoko looked up at this, following her friend's stare. "Wonder what he's looking at?" She asked, noticing the little boy staring at his hand.

Sharing a brief glance, they nodded and leapt from the cart, their cushioned feet guiding them towards the little boy a short distance away. When they arrived before him, their height exceeding him a great deal, he remained oblivious to them.

"Hey Kintaro!" Rui exclaimed, her hands placed upon her knees as she smiled gleefully at him. "You've gotten a bit bigger since we last saw you."

Chiyoko nodded at this. The last they visited this village was three months back, and despite their repetitive cycles around Musashi Province on their frequent business trips, she agreed with Rui. When she noticed the child still caught up in his own musings, his eyes staring widely at his hand held up in front of his face, she shared a glance with her companion once more. "Hey, are you alright? Is there something wrong with you hand, kiddo?"

"She held my hand…" Kintaro's voice softly muttered, answering their question surprisingly.

She held his hand? Who? Now that they were looking closer, they realized the little boy had a dreamy look upon his face, his eyes sparkling as if some divine being had blessed him only recently.

"Who held your hand?" Rui asked, her head tilted to the side confusedly.

"Kagome."

Rui blinked. "Who's Kagome?"

Lowering his hand to his side, he looked at the two girls beside him, his face flushing a bright red before looking away shyly. "This pretty girl who came to our village and stayed overnight," He explained, his lips quirking into a smile.

"Oh really?" Chiyoko asked, arching a delicate brow before smiling amusedly.

He nodded. "She didn't have a place to stay, so she stayed with me and my parents…"

Rui smirked. "What's she like?" It seemed the little boy had developed a crush on a passing woman. How cute.

Faintly recalling her image, he smiled brightly. "She has long raven hair and the brightest blue eyes I ever saw."

"Blue eyes?" They asked curiously. How strange. In all their travels, they'd never come upon anyone with such eyes, other than the usual brown. Was it possible this girl came from overseas?

After knocking softly on the outside door of the hut, Itsuko stepped inside, taking in the poorly furnished living quarters of the family. As she looked around, her eyes widened at the side of a Kamado Stove on the far-right side of the hut, it's exterior greatly resembling that of their own back in their village. The last she visited, the family did not have one, but besides that, it was a great investment made.

"Oh, hello!" Came an older woman's voice from the other side of the hut. "I didn't realize we had a visitor," She exclaimed, sliding the shoji screen door shut behind her as she approached the young woman. "Please come inside. Make yourself at home."

"Thank you," Itsuko replied, moving further within before looking around the room curiously once more. "Is your husband not here?"

"I'm afraid he's out in the fields working. But I shall fetch him. I presume you're here for pick up?"

She nodded. "Yes. My girls and I have just arrived and this will be our last stop before we return back to our village. We've got a supply of meat in our cart prepared for you and your family."

Smiling at this, the woman nodded. "I see. It will only be a moment, but I will fetch my husband. Please, make yourself at home."

Itsuko shook her head, her smile remaining. "It's quite alright. I'll come with you. I've been sitting in the cart the remainder of the day and I could stretch my legs a little."

Understanding, the woman beckoned her after. Exiting the hut, their feet guided them across the path and past Itsuko's companions, who were caught up in conversation with Kintaro, completely oblivious. As they pressed further, the fields largely coming into view, they found the husband entirely shirtless within the fields, hunched over on one of his shovels before turning at their approach.

It took him a moment to recognize Itsuko, as he received a dry piece of cloth from his wife and wiped the sweat from his face. Sweat dripped from his head and back, his skin somewhat bright red from the intense exposure outside. After drying his face, he smiled at the young girl. "I didn't expect your arrival for a few more days. I reckon you're here for the goods?"

Itsuko nodded. "Yes. We've made good timing and this is our last stop for the day," Came her reply. "I hope we haven't arrived at a terrible time?"

"Not at all," He exclaimed, handing off his shovel to another man in the fields before leading her back towards the huts. "Come with me. I've stored everything in the shed behind our hut."

Distancing themselves from the fields, Itsuko followed the older man and his wife back towards the huts, and along the way, she paused briefly, her eyes turning towards her two female companions near the road. "Hey slackers, we have a cart to unload. Move along."

Jumping at her voice, Rui and Chiyoko nodded, waving to the child before quickly running towards the cart, hefting large bundles of supplies in their arms before following after their leader. They rounded the hut, following the couple as the older man unlocked a somewhat large building, before sliding open the doors.

As they waited for the older man to go inside, they watched as he pulled out five large bundles and one large crate from the shed, handing half of the assortment to Itsuko before reaching out for the bundles of meat from the two girls appreciatively. Once the items were secured within and away from the smoldering heat shining down upon them, he secured the shed once more, locking it before following the girls around the other side of the hut and towards their cart.

While Rui and Chiyoko placed their bundles into the back of the cart, along with other necessities they traded with other villagers during the course of their two-week journey, Itsuko bowed respectively to the older couple and their son, Kintaro. "We would like to thank you for trading with us."

"Not at all," The father replied, smiling merrily at the young woman, as her two companions bowed beside her. "Our voyage to Edo Village has certainly been worth it, especially for our village. You've supplied us with enough meat to last us for weeks, not to mention the amount of leather and goods you've given to us before."

"It was nothing, really," Itsuko replied smiling.

These three girls often traded with villages near their home within the province, traveling the lands southeast, southwest and northwest. Since Edo Village was closest to Hitomi Village, it's distance much farther than the young girls' village, it made sense to trade with Hitomi Village. This family in particular, they met with the following year, both have helped each other out, and in return, both villages have prospered from the trades. Because Edo Village was well beyond their own territory, having only visited a couple times in the past, Hitomi Village made up the lost time for them, using their money they offered to buy the necessary equipment and items needed back home, in return for savory meat and any other essentials the village might need.

Satisfied with their newly acquired items, Itsuko bowed once more appreciatively towards the family before handing them a sack filled with silver and a small piece of parchment with many letters scribbled within; it was a list for the items needed next time when they made their travels, and the money which the family would use to purchase said items from Edo Village. "I threw in a little extra silver for you and your village. Use it to buy as much rice as you like."

Smiles graced their faces and they bowed to the young girls. "Your generosity is too much. Thank you!"

"Our Lord is very appreciative of your services. We hope we can continue to rely on you in the future," Itsuko replied. "Tell me what you will need in three months' time, and we will do our best to meet your needs," She asked, pulling out a small tome from her kosode pocket before removing a small container filled with an ink and brush from her necklace.

After writing down a small list of necessities needed for their village, which wasn't too much, Itsuko decided to throw in meat at the bottom of the parchment. Pleased with everything, she smiled at the family, bowing once more and returned to the driver's seat of the cart, her two companions quickly jumping into the back. With everything ready and prepared to make the voyage back home, they waved to the family, urging their horse forward and out of the village.

A shrilling bleat escaped Clover, it's entire form lying upon the grassy terrain before Kagome and Shippo. Its gray fur was matted against its skin, the harsh rays of the sun shining down upon it as it laid beneath the shade of a tree. Its pink tongue stuck out from its mouth, it's body heaving as it struggled for breath.

Kagome frowned at the poor creature, sweat perspiring against her brow and cheeks as she stood within the clearing near the road. "I feel your pain, Clover. It's way too hot…" She felt the top of her head burning, her cheeks likely reddened from the exposure, and she couldn't help but saunter towards the shade of one of the trees near Clover. Seating herself against the trunk of the tree, the leaves sheltering her from the blinding sun, she cradled Shippo against her, his face contorted with uneasiness.

Despite only traveling for an hour and a half, they had no other choice but to stop and rest, their supply of water suddenly low. Since they hadn't crossed any streams, or any other travelers on the road, Kagome and Shippo took shelter beneath the trees while Yuuta searched the terrain and woods for any signs of water. So far, he'd been absent for well over forty minutes.

"It's too hot…" Kagome voiced, wiping her head free of sweat.

If only she'd had the common sense to pack sunscreen or at least a hat or pair of sunglasses. Although they'd only just left Hitomi Village a short while ago that afternoon, she was exhausted, thirsty and overall fed up with the unbearable heat. She half wanted the clouds to block the sun and pour an onslaught of cold rain upon them, but judging by the weather, it likely wouldn't rain today.

"So tired…" Noticing strange hexagonal shapes appearing in her vision, the outer brims of her vision darkening slowly, she realized she was on the verge of passing out. Where was Yuuta? Did he find any lakes or streams yet?

Chiyoko sorted through the bundles in the cart, opening a few of them briefly as she surveyed the quality of their trades. There was cloth, materials needed for their weapons and armor, leather and there were also bundles filled with seeds and ingredients needed for salves, potions and medicines. A particular crate caught her eye, but before she could open it and inspect its wares, Itsuko, who had noticed her curiosity towards their goods, snapped back in warning.

"Don't open all of those. I had the family order us a great deal of nitrate powder. The last thing we need is a fatal accident on this journey," She warned, watching as Chiyoko quickly closed the lid, her eyes wide with worry before pushing it back against the water barrel beside her.

"So, what did the family request for next time?" Chiyoko asked, leaning her back against the cart as it continued further down the road North.

Itsuko removed the parchment from her kosode and briefly glanced over it, her free hand holding onto the reins. "Nothing really outstanding, besides seeds and cloth. I'll throw in more meat for them, since it's rather easy for us to attain."

Rui was leaned up against the rails of the cart, her arms hanging off the sides as she groaned. "I can't wait to get back. I'm looking forward to taking a dip in the stream…"

Chiyoko nodded from beside her, straightening her straw hat over her head. "I just want to lay down in my own futon. We've been traveling for two weeks, going from village to village trading…"

Pulling away from the railing and leaning her back against the cart, Rui pulled out her Uchiwa and fanned herself. "That sounds nice too…"

"I'm glad we made this deal with the villagers of Hitomi Village. Just think, now we don't have to make the distance to Edo," Itsuko replied from the front of the cart, hoping to ease her companions in the back. "We should be thankful our Lord has thought of this idea. It's cut off three days of time for all of us."

Chiyoko agreed. "Yeah. We've supplied ourselves with over hundreds of goods. I'm sure our village will be more than satisfied. We're doing so well as it is, I couldn't imagine it getting any better."

Rui couldn't help but glance at Itsuko before leaning into Chiyoko beside her. "I bet she's disappointed we won't be going to Edo Village anymore…"

"What do you mean?" Chiyoko softly asked.

Rui smirked. "If I remember correctly, that soldier took a liking to her during our last visit," She explained, recalling their visit to the prosperous village many months back.

Understanding crossed her face, and as she and Rui looked back at Itsuko in the driver's seat, they couldn't help but giggle at the thought. As much as Itsuko revealed an expressionless side when it came to her emotions, she was after all, a hopeless romantic. "Oh, I remember now. It was love at first sight, wasn't it?"

"I wonder if she's still sending letters to him," Rui asked, falling into a fit of giggles.

Hearing their muffled voices and laughter behind her, Itsuko glanced back curiously. "What are you two whispering about?"

"Nothing!" Came their reply, followed after by another fit of giggling.

Eyeing them suspiciously, she shrugged, turning back toward the road in front of them. Unexpectedly, the wheel of their cart hit a small hole in the road, jostling the cart suddenly and causing the two girls in the back to shriek in surprise. "Oh, that was a big one…" She laughed, sweat dropping suddenly as she felt the glares of her companions in the back.

"Watch where you're driving, Itsuko!" Rui complained, the unexpected bumps churning her stomach.

"Sorry about that."

Both Rui and Chiyoko moved away from each other in the cart, their backs pressed against the opposite rails as they slouched down, both waving the straw fans against them in hopes of acquiring a flow of cool wind; unfortunately, only hot air greeted them.

"I don't know how much longer I can take being in this heat!"

Chiyoko only blinked at Rui across from her, the young girl's cheeks as red as a cherry tomato; she was sure her face look similar as well. "Well we did volunteer for this job."

Rui frowned. "Tell me again why we did that?"

"We volunteered so that we could show that we can take up more responsibility and receive recognition for our hard effort," Came Itsuko's reply. "This was your idea Rui, so I don't want to hear your complaints."

"And how has that been holding up for us?" Rui asked, lowering her uchiwa upon her lap. "We've been doing this for months, and we still haven't gotten promoted."

Despite her complaints, they realized their friend wasn't wrong in her thinking. Despite leaving at first night every morning and traveling the lands of the Province, they had yet to receive any summons to their Lord, despite the occasional thank you here and there.

"We're not good enough…" Rui sighed.

"Don't start thinking that way," Itsuko replied, looking back once more. "We work just as hard as everyone else does. The Lord appreciates all that we do, and we help the village more than you think. Even the smallest help can really impact us."

Picking up her uchiwa once more, Rui waved it mercilessly in front of her face, and sadly, only received hot air against her face. "Well this fan isn't helping me in the slightest!"

Itsuko and Chiyoko only laughed at their youngest companion.

"Well, we should be fortunate that the heat is only coming down on us on our way home and not throughout our travels," Chiyoko replied.

"We're half a day away from our village. It won't be long before we cross the mountains just ahead," Itsuko replied, pointing North West of the road. "Could you imagine sitting in the back of this wagon, in this heat, every single day?"

Rui shuddered at the thought. The last thing she wanted was for her ivory skin to roast under the harsh rays. As she inspected her arms and legs carefully, she couldn't help but notice a slight redness appear upon them. "Where's the blankets? We're going to need them…"

"If you pull out the blanket, you'll only make yourself more uncomfortable," Chiyoko exclaimed with a shake of her head.

Rui sighed. "The moment we come across a stream, we have to at least take a dip. My skin can't handle any more of this."

As Itsuko held onto the reins, she pulled on the ropes, guiding the horse off the road and North West towards the mountains ahead. Since there was a likely stream in this direction, not to mention a secret route which led through a valley through the mountains, it was the quickest path back to their village.

Leading the cart further across the terrain, her companions falling into comfortable conversation behind her, Itsuko couldn't help but turn her head suddenly, a strange noise filling her ears. What was that? It sounded close. She suddenly pulled on the reins, causing the cart to jostle once more, much to her friends' confusion.

"Now what?" Rui complained, glancing back at Itsuko in confusion. "Why did we stop?"

Itsuko held a hand up, her ears listening in to the distinct sounds of something crying nearby. "Do you hear that?"

They blinked, turning their heads curiously at their surroundings. After a moment of silence, they heard the noise Itsuko referred to. It didn't sound like a demon, or that of an animal. In fact, it sounded human, surprisingly.

"It sounds like a baby," Came Chiyoko's reply.

"All the way out here?" Rui asked worryingly. "There's no other villages around…"

Itsuko narrowed her gaze, her eyes traveling back towards the roads they just turned off. "It sounds like it coming down the path over there." Without another word, she turned the horse back onto the path, following the noise until they arrived upon an open area where numerous trees and a large forest greeted them.

Rui and Chiyoko peered out from the wagon, standing on its jostling platform as they searched the surroundings. If there was a baby nearby, then there must have been others as well. "I don't see anything."

"It's close," Itsuko explained, urging the horse further down the road. After following the path North, some short ways, they suddenly pulled the horse to a complete stop, their gazes sighting someone just ahead. "Look!"

Rui squinted, noticing the faint outline of a woman seated just beneath a tree, the sounds of wailing from a child much louder than before. "I see her. Do you think she's okay? She's not moving…"

Realizing something was wrong, Itsuko leaped from the cart, the other two girls quickly following behind before approaching the woman. Bending down to inspect her for injuries, they realized she was unharmed, her baby wrapped in a cloth carrier against her crying incessantly. "She's fainted!"

Rui gasped, and knelt beside her, touching her forehead worryingly. "What is she doing all the way out here and by herself?" It was dangerous enough traveling alone, but with a baby? It was almost unheard of.

Itsuko didn't know the reason, but right now, this woman's life was in danger. Fortunately, she was still breathing, but any longer out in this heat, she was sure the affects would suffocate her child and their lives would fall in danger. "Grab the water barrel from the back of the cart quickly!" She ordered.

Doing as they were instructed, the girls leaped to their feet and ran towards the cart, hefting the barrel with both their strengths combined before returning to the fainted woman's side. Placing it down carefully, Rui pulled open the wooden lid, before dipping a small wooden bowl within.

Noticing a furry animal laying down near them, its tongue sticking out and its body entirely matted against its skin, Chiyoko called out to the girls. "Looks like this goat isn't going to make it…"

"Forget the goat. This is more important," Rui exclaimed, holding the bowl up to the young woman's mouth in hopes the contents of the water would slip past her lips.

Yet as they hoped to arouse the young girl, Itsuko trying her best to untie the baby from the cloth carrier, the sudden sounds of grass crunching beneath boots was immediately heard. All at once, they reached for their blades, jumping to their feet before turning with their blades pointed at a suspicious individual, his entire countenance looming dangerously close to them, resembling nothing more than a bandit.

"Stay where you are," Yuuta threatened, his sword drawn and his eyes glowering at the three suspicious females.