Muika's Cabin

"For all you've done, I can not call you merely Yamato, Sir Yamato." Iyuki regretfully shook his head, unable to call the wild man by familiar terms.

Okura's acceptance! Aha, this was good. Gathering a few buckets in better spirits, Iyuki was back in no time with a bunch of water. Unfortunately he was back way too fast and had to watch with a queasy stomach as Yamato continued to gut the deer. Setting the buckets down after about a minute of uneasy watching, he started looking around for potatoes and other such items for the stew. It was one thing to cut meat and another to see it taken straight from the animal itself. Maybe he should turn vegetarian... Noticing a lack of vegetables, Iyuki realized he'd have his work cut out for him. A few old containers of herbs, barely noticeable smells allowed him to pick out which were which and he grabbed them. This was going to be hard, but a stash of mushrooms gave him something to work with.

"Lady Okura, I shall need a pot to put the items in once I cut them. Sir Yamato, we shall want pieces about this big in cubes. Use about a tenth of the deer, I can always add more items to this later. Gamey animals need more cooking, I have heard, to get rid of certain tastes." Iyuki flinched at his orders, feeling bad for that and held out his fingers showing about inch. Starting to slice the mushrooms, he talked lowly to himself.

"Mushrooms for base stock, but no other vegetables will be hard... She has some powders to make up for it but that won't be enough. It will be less stew more broth this way. But broth can be made again to make it last longer..."

Setting down the last piece of wood that would be necessary, Muika started on making the actual fire. She didn't own a lighter, so it had to be done from scratch, thankfully though she had what she needed to start one.

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"Lady Okura, I shall need a pot to put the items in once I cut them.

Muika heard Iyuki address her again, before he began speaking to Yamato.

"There's a pot in the cabin in the bottom cupboard." She said once Iyuki had finished speaking. Seriously what were with those overly-formal titles...She just couldn't get used to it.

"And you can just call me Muika..." She muttered as the fire came to a start, not even thinking if Iyuki could hear her or not -- not that it would help as he'd politely refused to calling Yamato by just his name.

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"For all you've done, I can not call you merely Yamato, Sir Yamato."

Suit yourself, I guess. All I did was kill a deer...

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"Lady Okura, I shall need a pot to put the items in once I cut them. Sir Yamato, we shall want pieces about this big in cubes. Use about a tenth of the deer, I can always add more items to this later. Gamey animals need more cooking, I have heard, to get rid of certain tastes."

Yamato tried to figure out what a 'tenth' meant, having not been formally educated in mathematics. He guessed it had to do with the number 10, and so he shrugged it off and just started to cut pieces the size in which Iyuki had specified. He didn't want to appear stupid in front of Iyuki or Muika, and when he realized that, he was surprised. He felt that any sort of friendship would end as soon as his past caught up with him or they found out who he really was.

Yamato nodded in assent even though he didn't know what Iyuki meant by removing certain flavors, or what 'gamey' meant. The statement about broth lasting longer did appeal to him though. He at least knew the difference because of mom's good cooking a long time ago.

He was still a bloody, smelly mess because nobody had told him to wash up as he prepared the meat, and his bloody arms and fingers become only bloodier, not aware that he was inflicting small cuts on himself. Some of his own blood mixed with animal blood started to drip onto the wooden board. The hollowed out bone and skin mockery of a deer still lay on the ground with deer eyes wide open from the shock of having it's throat cut open and legs broken, spread more like a rug. It looked nice there, Yamato thought, and would serve as a reminder for the other demons that thought about messing with him today.

He then indicated with a simple hand gesture that he wanted Iyuki to verify whether or not he had cut enough deer meat. It looked more like double than what Iyuki had specified.

Iyuki ignored Lady Okura's comments, grabbing the pot with experienced hands and finding some bottled water and a largish bowl. She had a lot, so it should be fine. Just to be sure though he'd stock her back up. Lake water might be fine for these two, but he doubted he could stand it even if he wanted to drink it. The microbials or whatever might not agree with him...

The pot filled and now heating, Iyuki looked over to Sir Yamato. He was covered in blood, hopefully only the deer's, but the man had obviously not washed up before doing the cutting. Iyuki hoped the meat could be saved. "S-Sir Yamato! The buckets right there are for washing a bit, you should clean your hands and arms and maybe a bit of your face.. Its not sanitary. If it would please you, that is. There is soap there next to the buckets, if you will? I can handle this part, you've done enough for now. Thank you."

Iyuki's voice sounded hopeful and he gave a small smile to Sir Yamato as he rambled on a bit in his horror. Maybe the wild man would do it and maybe not.

Taking a few bottles of water next to him, Iyuki took some of the meat as there was a lot more than he asked, and started rinsing it off with the bottled water. This was painful... "Lady Muika, could you help Sir Yamato? I can handle the food for now."

"Nn? Yeah, sure." Muika replied, standing up from her place in front of the fire before walking over to where Yamato was. She only owned a couple of towels, from the looks of the blood on him he'd probably need one to wipe whatever the water wouldn't get off.

"I'll go get a towel for you." She said before going inside her cabin.

"Towel...towel..." She muttered to herself as she looked through the box she kept them and various other things in. "Here it is." She grabbed one of the faded, blue towels that was buried at the bottom of the box and stood, not even noticing a photograph that'd caught itself in it fabric fall to the wooden floor as she exited the building.

"Here, it's old but it'll work." She said, approaching Yamato once more.

When Iyuki told him that he needed to wash, Yamato realized that he had genuinely forgotten to do so. It wasn't as though he felt it necessary to wash before preparing a meal, only that it was one of the few comforts he had when wandering the countryside. Soap was almost completely alien to him, having not used it in years. Yamato did find it odd that this nobleman continued to act so polite to him despite what Yamato took as a mistake on his part. Those noblemen that he knew didn't take too kindly to mistakes, taking whatever chance they could get to kick Yamato back in the mud. Nen protected him then, but he was to grow into a nobleman like the others eventually.

Yamato punched the surface of the water in one of the buckets with his left hand, not violently, but still causing some of the water to splash out. He then yanked at the soap and started to labor on his left arm in constant quick and rough motions as though he his arm was a washboard. He repeated the same process, but keeping in mind how much he displaced earler, acted a bit gentler at submerging his right arm. Regardless of how much he scrubbed, some of the caked blood remained quite stubborn on his black arm hairs.

His arms and hands were mostly clean now, but the soap had taken a toll and his left hand was still bleeding for the self-inflicted cuts he made while cutting the meat. They appeared to be quite deep, but it didn't seem to bother Yamato at all when the soap entered those gashes. Somewhat satisfied that his job was done as he verified the back and palms of his calloused hands despite they were still bleeding quite steadily into a thin stream that dripped from his hands. He started to use the same bloody, but soapy water he used to wash his arms to wash his face and break off some of the chunks of blood stuck in his hair, using the same vigor he had for his arms.

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"Here, it's old but it'll work."

"Thank you." His right hand had taken the towel, but as he joined it to his bleeding left hand, the faded blue became stained with red. Yamato did his best with the towel, now that he was pretty wet, to dry himself and scrape a little bit more of the caked blood on his hands, forearms and forehead.

"Do you know how to make jerky Iyuki? If you still want me to help you cook, I can. Otherwise I think I'll sit by the fire for a bit."
The cold water and feeling of being washed against the soft wind breeze did make Yamato feel a bit tired.

Lady Okura was so nice, helping both of these two travelers out in their time of need. Even if she had been the victim of his greed, she still was kind and caring. Both her and Sir Yamato were shining rubies in the rough, caring for one such as he. Iyuki's thoughts didn't match reality sometimes, and while he finished up cleaning the meat and tossing it into the pot he tried not to think about the cuts showing up on Sir Yamato's hands.

There was no human blood in the food, there was no human blood in the food. As Iyuki watched though, more and more cuts showed up and deeper. Soap went into them and he was confused by the lack of reaction Sir Yamato was having. "Sir Yamato, doesn't that hurt? My Lady, do you have any wound treatments here? I regret to inform you both that I have left mine back at my room in the city. Also do you need more water Sir Yamato?"

By now the watery mix was cooking, with nothing more for Iyuki to do. Lady Okura had gotten a towel for the man, and he was left with the easy task of just making sure their dinner didn't burn. He could go get water...

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"Do you know how to make jerky Iyuki? If you still want me to help you cook, I can. Otherwise I think I'll sit by the fire for a bit."

Sir Yamato looked tired after his wash. This was something Iyuki could do! If...he knew how. "I regret to say that I do not know how. However, my mind is clear and sharp. If you tell me the steps I can be your hands, Sir Yamato. Cooking is my one true passion in this cold world and I would love to learn!"

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"Thank you."

"Mm." Muika nodded in response, she was still on guard but on the inside she was quite...unsure of the situation. She was an outsider, she wasn't used to socializing with people like this.

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"Sir Yamato, doesn't that hurt? My Lady, do you have any wound treatments here? I regret to inform you both that I have left mine back at my room in the city. Also do you need more water Sir Yamato?"

"I do." She replied, still feeling weird answering to such titles, before turning towards her cabin door again and going inside, coming out a moment later with what Yamato would need to nurse his injured hands.

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"Do you know how to make jerky Iyuki? If you still want me to help you cook, I can. Otherwise I think I'll sit by the fire for a bit."

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"I regret to say that I do not know how. However, my mind is clear and sharp. If you tell me the steps I can be your hands, Sir Yamato. Cooking is my one true passion in this cold world and I would love to learn!"

While they exchanged words, Muika glanced up at the trees and the sky, thinking she'd need to stock up again next time she went into the city. She had some money hidden away, certainly enough for a few more bandages.

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"Sir Yamato, doesn't that hurt? My Lady, do you have any wound treatments here? I regret to inform you both that I have left mine back at my room in the city. Also do you need more water Sir Yamato?"

Yamato simply shook his head, for he didn't know what Iyuki meant when he asked if he was hurt; he was just washing his hands. His previous engagement with the deer had caused some bruises, but they seemed negligible. "No, I think that's enough water for now. I'll wash in the river later." Yamato didn't want to admit it either, but the caked blood on his forearms almost felt like a second skin to him, and he felt nakeder without it now.

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"I regret to say that I do not know how. However, my mind is clear and sharp. If you tell me the steps I can be your hands, Sir Yamato. Cooking is my one true passion in this cold world and I would love to learn!"

Now this was really strange to Yamato. This was the first time in a while that someone was willing to learn something under his instruction. Sure he wasn't schooled, but he still had a wealth of information and wisdom to share for those who could listen. He was also curious as to why Iyuki could claim that it was a 'cold world' when his dress and manner still indicated otherwise. What happened that he was now here of all places?

In fact, he still didn't know how Muika got here either, or how the two had met. They didn't exchange much words, maybe because he was here, but if they were on familiar terms, he expected a bit more than an exchange of orders.

"It's really not that complicated. Take off your coat, roll up your sleeves and grab my hammer." Yamato didn't know what a meat tenderizer was to better suit the task. The hammer head was a bit bloody on both sides. Yamato then cleared his throat as he took the hammer from his belt. "I want you to cut the meat into semi-thick strips. Don't worry about making them thin. I want you to smash them." Yamato grinned. "I want you to smash them so hard that they flatten and have not a single drop of blood or water left in them. Coat them with salt to make sure that it stays that way."

He then noticed that Muika had her attention elsewhere. "You both know that I stumbled upon here for supplies, so, what brings you both here to the cabin?" Yamato said in a more authoritative tone, having briefly taught the simple lesson of making jerky. He looked forward to seeing the vigor Iyuki could dish out.

It looked like Sir Yamato was in no need of the bandages. Or he didn't want them. Iyuki was not one to insist if it was possible, and since the good sir was okay seeming he felt like he could let it go.

Lady Okura was very quiet. It was odd, though he hadn't known her long. A few hours at best... Maybe she was upset at him for all his orders?! Instantly trite, Iyuki could not meet the Great Lady's eyes. It was good Sir Yamato started instructing him in what to do. He accepted the hammer, cleaning it off first in the bucket he left near his leg with some hand sanitizer he also kept in his pocket. Realizing what the orders Sir Yamato entailed, Iyuki looked at his nice coat, his nice over shirt, his nice vest... It'd all have to go. Stripping down to the bare undershirt, Iyuki set the rest in a nice pile inside the door of the cabin. He'd have to wash up afterwards too. He didn't want to speak, for fear his voice would show his sadness at hurting the Great Lady.

Shirt sleeves rolled up, Iyuki started cutting in thick strips. The lines of the meat were almost perfect, though it shouldn't please him as much as it did. He really liked to cook and this was proof of his practice! Cutting a bit, Iyuki then started hammering it out. It was a lot harder than it looked and soon the young man had a bit of sweat going.

"I... regret to say that I am a mere trespasser here. I found this cabin on a job I was requested to do and almost gave this Great Lady up to horrendous people most foul. In penance, I have chosen to stay on as her steward and butler to repay for my transgressions. I do not know the Great Lady's story or history. I shall get back to my work, as this takes my breath away. Please Sir Yamato and Great Lady, continue your stories while I labor for us." Iyuki's face was quite sad as he remembered his actions, mere hour or hours ago. Talking took too much concentration away from the work though, so he was content to listen for a bit. The work was refreshing in its own way.

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"You both know that I stumbled upon here for supplies, so, what brings you both here to the cabin?"

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"I... regret to say that I am a mere trespasser here. I found this cabin on a job I was requested to do and almost gave this Great Lady up to horrendous people most foul. In penance, I have chosen to stay on as her steward and butler to repay for my transgressions. I do not know the Great Lady's story or history. I shall get back to my work, as this takes my breath away. Please Sir Yamato and Great Lady, continue your stories while I labor for us."

She was "Great Lady" now? If she weren't as in control of her emotions as she was, she knew her eye probably would have twitched at the title. Then what Iyuki said had hit her. Butler?! When had they agreed on something as ludicrous as that!?

Muika, shaking off her thoughts, turned to face Yamato, "I live here." She said before moving over near the fire, setting the first aid supplies she'd been holding on the ground before taking a seat.

Then again, she guessed it was obvious she lived here; having clothing and supplies here and all. Yamato wanted to know how she'd ended up there -- which was something she couldn't or well, wouldn't, tell him. She couldn't involve anyone else, she didn't want to endanger any more people. Yamato could assume as he wished, finding a girl living on her own in the middle of the woods with little wealth -- he could very well assume she just wanted to get away from everything. Though, moving out into the woods was probably a bit extreme for that assumption.

She was a guarded, untrusting individual due to circumstances she wasn't comfortable talking about. Unconsciously, her gaze went down to look at the small scars on her left hand, obviously made by her own nails. She flexed her fingers inward and outward, thankful fabric hid the other scar around her wrist.

"Nn!" It was then she'd realized she'd been lost in thought, she shook her head slightly, bringing her right hand up to rub her blinded eye as if to clear it. "Sorry."

Iyuki was just the man who seemed chock full of surprises. Yamato had assumed that it was just the coat, but as Iyuki peeled off quite a bit until only his undershirt remained. Even then, Yamato knew that the undershirt was about the same quality as his shirt had been before it had been stained by blood. Yamato was pleased to see the sweat now appear on the man's brow; sweat was evidence of hard work.

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"I... regret to say that I am a mere trespasser here. I found this cabin on a job I was requested to do and almost gave this Great Lady up to horrendous people most foul. In penance, I have chosen to stay on as her steward and butler to repay for my transgressions. I do not know the Great Lady's story or history. I shall get back to my work, as this takes my breath away. Please Sir Yamato and Great Lady, continue your stories while I labor for us."

Yamato once again felt somewhat stupid in the presence of this man; he had a hard time with his fancy wordplay. Words like 'horrendous', 'foul', 'penance', 'steward', and 'transgressions' were far more artful than what Yamato was used to, which was the everyday farmer talk. He gathered what he could that Iyuki chose to Muika's slave because he almost delivered her into evil.

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"I live here."

Muika continued to be pretty curt, which intrigued Yamato, but considering that she was a young master, she probably wouldn't have much to say her servant or to strangers that looked like him. Maybe she had been in the right crowd before, and now her falling out left her with only one faithful servant. Maybe this was all a set up by Iyuki to be with her. Iyuki, you devil you!

She seemed to be lost in thought, but said no more as once again Yamato was drawn to her blinded eye. She apologized for it, but now Yamato felt the want to try harder to make his new relationships grow into something more. He didn't feel he needed to distrust these people, at least not until there was a reason to. For the first time in an eternity, Yamato felt that he was accepted. Friends were rare.

"Alright then, I shall pass the time by telling you a story about the rifle on my back, as I used to kill the deer that we are cooking right now. It belonged to my grandfather on my father's side. During the time of World War II, he had been conscripted against his will in the United States. He had been assigned as the general's advisor to raid a village in order to increase troop morale and lower enemy morale. My grandfather refused, killing out of cold blood the general that gave the order, and ran to warn the village before the camp realized what was going on. He had rescued many people from that village because of his selfless act, and without a word to express himself, survived. The war soon ended and those that had tried to pursue him eventually gave up. He wooed a woman that knew no word of english, but my grandfather's love was so strong that their marriage lasted until he finally passed away."

Oh no! Iyuki really had done something wrong. Great Majesty Okura was now... so very upset she wasn't saying more than a few words at a time! He missed her thoughtful look and only heard the sorry she said. What could she be apologizing for?

"Do not apologize Great Majesty Okura. There is no need to say such to a low person as myself." With harder swings, Iyuki took his great sadness out on the meat, making sure that though his shirt will be forever stained and his Great Lady's heart in turmoil, that there would be jerky for Lord Yamato.

His breathing labored, Iyuki continued pounding at the meat and tossing it in the salt bucket he made up earlier until Yamato finished his story. Stopping for a small rest, Iyuki gave a deep bow to Yamato. "Your Grandfather was a great man, which could only be expected of one such as yourself, Lord Yamato."

Needing a bit more time to relax, Iyuki looked at his Great Lady (He was really getting into the role of being a servant to her), and spoke up. "This unworthy one shall take a break, and tell a story as well. My mother long ago told me the story of the blue black monster to scare me when I was little. It started when I was but a babe in her belly, not yet fully formed. She was on a walk to soothe her poor back which was tired of the bedrest the doctors had ordered. You see I was a child late in her life, at the age of 37. She was small as well and it had been a rough pregnancy. As she wandered through the woods near her parents house, a sound came upon her of crashing trees. As she turned to look, there was nothing there. Only awful hand prints never formed from a human showed on the ground, and an awful feeling in her stomach. Her terror was such that it took a kick from the child in her belly to send her running. She knew that her and her child would not make it if it caught her, and that gave her aching body the strength to run. The sounds of brush moving, smaller trees being pushed aside, followed her until at last her legs gave out. As she fell, she caught a glimpse of the thing. An awful monster, white of face and with an elongated blue black body. It was as if it had taken form of nightmares. She grabbed a stick, preparing to fight for her life as it leaned over her prone body.

It's mouth opened and it was almost close enough to shove the stick as far in as she could when a flash of black appeared. With that flash, her vision of the monster disappeared. Terrified, she somehow got to feet and ran back to the house. When a search party went out later to look for the creature or signs of it, none could be found. Except for the missing trees that my Grandfather had sworn were there, no trace was found."

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"Do not apologize Great Majesty Okura. There is no need to say such to a low person as myself."

"No, it's-" Muika shook her head, "I just got lost in thought."

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"Alright then, I shall pass the time by telling you a story about the rifle on my back, as I used to kill the deer that we are cooking right now. It belonged to my grandfather on my father's side. During the time of World War II, he had been conscripted against his will in the United States. He had been assigned as the general's advisor to raid a village in order to increase troop morale and lower enemy morale. My grandfather refused, killing out of cold blood the general that gave the order, and ran to warn the village before the camp realized what was going on. He had rescued many people from that village because of his selfless act, and without a word to express himself, survived. The war soon ended and those that had tried to pursue him eventually gave up. He wooed a woman that knew no word of english, but my grandfather's love was so strong that their marriage lasted until he finally passed away."

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"Your Grandfather was a great man, which could only be expected of one such as yourself, Lord Yamato."

Muika listened, and just like Iyuki said -- Yamato's grandfather sounded like a great man. He'd worked hard through life, helped others and eventually had his happy ending with someone he loved. It sounded like the ideal life aside from fighting in wars and such.

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"This unworthy one shall take a break, and tell a story as well. My mother long ago told me the story of the blue black monster to scare me when I was little. It started when I was but a babe in her belly, not yet fully formed. She was on a walk to soothe her poor back which was tired of the bedrest the doctors had ordered. You see I was a child late in her life, at the age of 37. She was small as well and it had been a rough pregnancy. As she wandered through the woods near her parents house, a sound came upon her of crashing trees. As she turned to look, there was nothing there. Only awful hand prints never formed from a human showed on the ground, and an awful feeling in her stomach. Her terror was such that it took a kick from the child in her belly to send her running. She knew that her and her child would not make it if it caught her, and that gave her aching body the strength to run. The sounds of brush moving, smaller trees being pushed aside, followed her until at last her legs gave out. As she fell, she caught a glimpse of the thing. An awful monster, white of face and with an elongated blue black body. It was as if it had taken form of nightmares. She grabbed a stick, preparing to fight for her life as it leaned over her prone body.

It's mouth opened and it was almost close enough to shove the stick as far in as she could when a flash of black appeared. With that flash, her vision of the monster disappeared. Terrified, she somehow got to feet and ran back to the house. When a search party went out later to look for the creature or signs of it, none could be found. Except for the missing trees that my Grandfather had sworn were there, no trace was found."

Again, Muika listened to Iyuki's story about his mother -- her attention though had been fully grasped when he'd mentioned a monster with a black body and a white face. Those sounded like the things she killed sometimes, when she was practicing her skills in combat. She glanced down at the chain and gem around her wrist before her eyes returned to Yamato and Iyuki.

She wanted to ask but, it wasn't an appropriate question. These two seemed like fairly normal people...if she started talking about monsters would certainly earn her some odd glances.

Her thoughts then drifted to whether or not she should say anything about herself. These two had, it seemed...unfair not to say anything after they had...She didn't owe them any story really but it still felt...wrong not to give them something.

"I...lived in the city when I was young, my mother died when I was around three and later on when I was around I saw my father commit suicide." That portion of her life mattered little to her, she didn't mind sharing that as it wasn't any big secret. "I ran away after that and lived on the streets for a few months, I know it's probably dumb but I didn't want to be taken away...I didn't want to go to some orphanage, a few months after that though I was-" She stopped, averting her gaze. "Sorry..."

She wasn't used to telling people these things, and had almost been unable to stop before it was too late...by stopping there she knew she'd probably left them with more curiosity than they desired but she didn't trust them. She wasn't going to involve them, despite Iyuki already being involved she refused to say anymore than that. Her hands clenched, her fingers tightly gripping the fabric of her skirt as she tried to avoid eye contact with them.

"Your Grandfather was a great man, which could only be expected of one such as yourself, Lord Yamato."

Yamato didn't quite now how to respond, so he just let it pass as Iyuki took a break from his work and started to tell his own tale. He was glad that Iyuki admired the acts of his grandfather but was uncomfortable with the comparison between his grandfather and himself. Sure, he carried his grandfather's rifle, but it acted only as a reminder of what he could not be. He was an animal killer. When Iyuki promoted his status from Sir to Lord, Yamato fell a bit deeper in despair. There was only one Lord, and that was the Creator of All Things. The Creator sent animal demons to punish him for his sins for taking the lives of so many innocent creatures out of curiosity and love. He slung the rifle over his back again to get rid of the reminder.

As he heard Iyuki's story, Yamato had to admit to himself that Iyuki was a much better storyteller than he was. He was curious about the demon mentioned in the story; he remembered Nen sometimes told family stories about creatures that seemed just like the one Iyuki had mentioned. It could be real, after all, his animal demons were very much real. He didn't want to scare either Iyuki or Muika.

Yamato was even more surprised as Muika started to speak. He was relieved that they all started to talk a bit more freely about things, even if it was only to pass the time. It was nice, being around people again. Yamato did not want to admit that he had been lonely wandering alone on the countryside, even more alone than when he toiled in the fields by himself in his origin town of Hayato those many years ago.

However, Muika's story was a lot more sad, and Yamato could not hide that while he was engaged to the story, felt a real pang of sadness. He couldn't imagine not having a family, even if they acted strangely around him to ensure the safety of their own animals and that he eventually ran away from them. Without his mother and father, he would not have many good stories to tell, or the strength to carry on as his own as a hunter. There was a proud tradition that he carried, even if he did not deserve it.

She stopped abruptly and apologized, but even Yamato knew it was for good reason.

"There's no need to be sorry. Storytellers know best when to stop."

Yamato checked over the stew that they were making briefly; it was starting to smell good. Still, he couldn't shake off the feeling that he should say more.

"I also ran away, but it was when I had come of age." Yamato shut his eyes and thought of Nen. "You see, the only one who held me back was a girl. She had given me such hope, but gave her heart to another, my best friend of over ten years. After that, I lost both, and I had no reason to stay." Yamato then shrugged and smiled. "However, I don't regret my decision. My love for her is long gone, and being the way I am, as a wanderer and hunter, has shaped me into what I am today, lively and strong." Unlike the story of his grandfather, Yamato had omitted quite a bit from this story.

"I can see why you would come here, to this cabin. It is a beautiful place to settle. No good would have come from an orphanage. You have done well making a path for yourself to follow."

Part way through Great Lady Okura's story, which Iyuki was more than happy to hear, he realized he needed to check the broth. It smelled like it was cooking nicely, but it was missing something in its smell. Luckily the meat was now pounded and put in salt, and he finished up with a relieved smile to himself. That was much harder than Yamato gave it credit for. Still, Iyuki felt bad for his new Great Lady. Her father... That was so very sad. He wanted to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but with his blood covered status he instead sighed. Washing his hands, he spoke softly. "I am sorry Great Lady Okura. You did not deserve that sadness. Forgive my rudeness, but I must wash for the soup needs tending."

Taking one bottle of water, he dumped one of the less dirty buckets and then washed his hands and arms up with the soap quickly. His shirt was beyond repair and he looked at Lord Yamato and Great Lady Okura for a moment before deciding they were not paying attention. He tossed the stained white shirt nearby, but decided to finish listening to Lord Yamato's new story before getting his coat and such from inside.

"That is...very sad. I am sorry to hear that Lord Yamato, have you ever thought of going back though? Just to see how those loved ones are now?" It seemed all three were run aways, all in different ways. Iyuki's sounded way more selfish than the Great Lady's, while also way more Naive than Lord Yamato's.

"I...also am alone. I wanted to see the world beyond the borders of the city I was raised in, so I left. I have not yet gone back to see those I love. I wonder if they think about me still? It has been four years... It is not as sad as either of your stories, and I must admit it is quite selfish what I did." Something Lord Yamato said about Great Lady Okura made him think that she wasn't saying it all. She had mentioned something earlier about a group after her, and while she looked younger than she was, she couldn't be too young. On top of that, while the cabin was worn it didn't look too old. Not at least six or seven years old if she was on the low end of his estimated for her age.

Realizing he was still topless, Iyuki turned beat red and went towards the house quickly to grab his other clothes. Getting his coat and vest and such on was a quick job though he noticed a picture on the floor. Picking it up it, he assumed it was Great Lady Okura's.

The image was of a much younger her, probably about nine years old. She had her arms stretched above her head as if she were cheering; her expression one of happiness. Some man was beside her, smiling contently into the camera while one hand rested on one of her small shoulders.

It was probably her father! This must be a cherished picture, much loved... Well Iyuki knew what he had to do. Putting it in his pocket, he'd finish it later.

Coming back out, Iyuki realized with a start that it was rude of him to leave so suddenly and he bowed low to both of them. "I apologize Great ones! I just needed my coat. Now I will tend to the soup."

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"There's no need to be sorry. Storytellers know best when to stop."

Muika nodded, she was glad she had stopped if she'd caught herself any later than she had it wouldn't have been easy to explain.

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"I also ran away, but it was when I had come of age."

"You see, the only one who held me back was a girl. She had given me such hope, but gave her heart to another, my best friend of over ten years. After that, I lost both, and I had no reason to stay."

"However, I don't regret my decision. My love for her is long gone, and being the way I am, as a wanderer and hunter, has shaped me into what I am today, lively and strong."

It must have hurt a lot, to have a friend only to lose them to someone else you cared deeply for. She didn't know what it was like to have friends herself, true friends anyway, but she knew friendship was an important factor in normal people's lives and to lose it...well, it was one thing that could truly damage a person.

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"I am sorry Great Lady Okura. You did not deserve that sadness. Forgive my rudeness, but I must wash for the soup needs tending."

Muika just gave a nod, she didn't really feel sad explaining that portion of her life with them. Thinking back on it, she guessed it would be something people would normally be heartbroken over but she felt....nothing towards the moments of her life. Was that wrong of her to feel that way? She couldn't answer that.

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"I...also am alone. I wanted to see the world beyond the borders of the city I was raised in, so I left. I have not yet gone back to see those I love. I wonder if they think about me still? It has been four years... It is not as sad as either of your stories, and I must admit it is quite selfish what I did."

She could understand that, growing up somewhere and wanting to leave -- it was only natural in her understanding of things. "If...they cared for you then I'm sure they still think about you."

After having said that, she noticed Iyuki turn red, probably due to his missing clothing he'd taken off to handle the food. Her assumption was partially confirmed when he'd immediately taken his clothing and headed inside her cabin, coming out a moment later with his clothes returned to their rightful place among him.

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"I apologize Great ones! I just needed my coat. Now I will tend to the soup."

Muika shook her head, "It's fine." She could understand feeling uncomfortable without the presence of clothing...

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"That is...very sad. I am sorry to hear that Lord Yamato, have you ever thought of going back though? Just to see how those loved ones are now?"

Yamato shook his head, perhaps with more fervor than a man should considering he told only the good part of the story. If he ever went back to the town of Hayato, they would surely kill him. Running away from the town had probably solidified their suspicions that he was the Hayato Pet Killer. Not to mention he had inadvertently killed Nentsu's father just before he left, which alone demanded death. Nen was an opponent Yamato he could never fight.

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"I...also am alone. I wanted to see the world beyond the borders of the city I was raised in, so I left. I have not yet gone back to see those I love. I wonder if they think about me still? It has been four years... It is not as sad as either of your stories, and I must admit it is quite selfish what I did."

Yamato didn't think that his story was selfish, because it seemed different from his own sinful curiosity. He had felt it when he had romantic feelings for Nen, praying to God and trying to rationalize that his 'true love' was Chiri. He had soon replaced his romantic curiosity with a warped version of his great love and curiosity for animals, despite the fact of how they reacted around him and his history of inflicting pain on them. He took them in, toying with them until they died.

Before he could tell Iyuki that he there was nothing wrong with his curiosity, at least in the form he experienced, Iyuki turned beat red and went towards the house in a hurry. Yamato did not understand why. He had not noticed that he had felt uncomfortable being topless. Yamato also had gotten used to his new title, and though it still kinda nagged at him, Iyuki seemed like a decent man worthy of his respect.

"I don't believe it is selfish, to want to see the world beyond. While I believe I can never return where I came from," Yamato, with his thick index and middle finger, tapped right above his heart, but before he said anything else, he sighed through his mouth and nose because it always sounded so lame. "This is my home."

Yamato paused. "It is quite a rare thing, I think, maybe, that three runaways happen to meet at the same place. I'm glad that it happened, though our time together might be short." Yamato sighed again and slapped his knee, chuckling at himself all the while. "Well, that's enough sap from me. My friend was always the better poet. I'll leave you two alone for a while to wash up by the river, so you can discuss what you needed to before I arrived. I'm sure the stew will be done by then."

Iyuki felt best with his layers, but the shirt was missing and now it felt a bit odd. He shifted around uncomfortably, before dealing with the soup. It was cooking nicely, though it was heating up a bit too fast. He moved it, using his coat as heating pads. There! Now it should just cook nicely and he shouldn't have to mess with it more until it was done.

Great Lady Okura did have a really good point. They probably thought of him a lot... He should at least send something back home to them. Maybe a souvenir? That would show them where he was and that he was fine. Writing a letter would be too much. They probably were happier without him there to get in their way. His parents had been lovey dovey even up till he left, it was possible they got their second wind... Oh no! He felt queasy and stopped that train of thought. If he had a sibling when he got back, so be it but his mind was NOT going there!

"Lord Yamato, everything is selfish I think. What do we, we do for ourselves in some way. Someone else's happiness brings us happiness." Iyuki looked down, knowing he was guiltier than most. No matter how much he tried to dress it up, everything he did was for himself. Even helping these two was repaying a debt he thought he had towards Great Lady Okura and it brought him happiness to help these two too. However Lord Yamato's pointing at his heart had a small smile form on Iyuki's face.

It was an odd coincidence, and Iyuki decided to think on it after nodding at Yamato. "Have a nice bath, Lord Yamato. If you need something, I shall be here and ready to answer any call."

"Great Lady Okura? I have... a question."

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"It is quite a rare thing, I think, maybe, that three runaways happen to meet at the same place. I'm glad that it happened, though our time together might be short."

Muika couldn't help but think about that, it did seem like something that would hardly ever happen. It was...strange to say the least, but she wasn't against it...she just didn't want innocent people dragged into her fight where they could get themselves hurt or even killed.

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"Well, that's enough sap from me. My friend was always the better poet. I'll leave you two alone for a while to wash up by the river, so you can discuss what you needed to before I arrived. I'm sure the stew will be done by then."

She nodded, letting Yamato go about his way to the river while she returned her gaze to the fire and started thinking.

Would she ever get passed her distrust for others? She wanted to but...considering the circumstances that brought that distrust in her would make it difficult.

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"Great Lady Okura? I have... a question."

Muika turned her attention from the fire to Iyuki, "What is it?" She asked, her tone more stoic and questioning rather than guarded for once.

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"Someone else's happiness brings us happiness."

Yamato used to believe that, but Nentsu's happiness only brought Yamato great pain. His happiness caused animals great pain too.

However, Yamato trusted that his two new friends wouldn't blindside him without really thinking about it. They didn't seem like the kind of people that would break a deal. He grabbed the soap and headed down the river, whistling. Over the course of his travels, he had gotten used to ambushes by animal demons, but he didn't really expect any. He would have brought the grotesque which was the deer carcass with him, but he wanted to protect his friends as well in case any demon animals got the idea to attack him by proxy.

He shed off his shirt and took off his wooden sandals, dunking his feet into the stream as he sat on the shore; Yamato loved the feeling as the heat escaped into the soothing cold. Yamato listened to the sound of nature, and for once, it sounded peaceful. However, he kept the rifle close to his side in case an attack came.

"I...am wondering if I am in any major danger from this job. If I have some bits of information, I may be able to better protect myself and you, Great Lady Okura. Even if my powers serve no useful purpose in weaponry and even if I am but a weakling when it comes to fighting otherwise, I will defend you and myself." Iyuki looked off into the direction that Yamato had gone, the final light of the day slowly fading. However the lack of cell phone alarms bothered Iyuki and he reached into one of his back pockets, pulling out a crushed phone. His face fell from the almost emotionless look with a few smiles, to one of horror before his head dropped almost to his chest.

"It is six months until I renew my contract... I've already gone through all my insured copies..."

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"I...am wondering if I am in any major danger from this job. If I have some bits of information, I may be able to better protect myself and you, Great Lady Okura. Even if my powers serve no useful purpose in weaponry and even if I am but a weakling when it comes to fighting otherwise, I will defend you and myself."

Powers? Not once had any of them spoke of possessing abilities beyond normal human beings...Normally, Muika would have considered him to be talking of physical power, but he'd mentioned how it'd had no useful purpose in weaponry...Whether or not she should ask him began to weigh on her mind.

"I won't lie so yes, because you're involved now...does mean you're in danger." She replied, her eyes moving to the fire again. "Which was what I wanted to discuss with you...While you think you owe me...To be honest I feel like I owe you more. I don't like seeing outsiders get involved. They were after me and involved you in order to find me so...in the end I'm the reason for your involvement.

Which is why I was going to give you this proposition: -" She stopped to take a small breath...she wasn't used to helping others, she wasn't used to others in general, so asking this was difficult for her. "Let me be the one to guard you. I've been dealing with them for years now, I know how they work. It's not fair to you that they involved you when you had nothing to do with this."

She paused, debating whether or not to tell Iyuki what he'd truly become involved in. In the end...he had a right to know.

"Later tonight, I'll explain who they are and what they do. It's a long story...and not an easy one to really tell, but you have the right to know."

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"It is six months until I renew my contract... I've already gone through all my insured copies..."

She wasn't exactly sure what he meant, she'd never owned a phone so she wasn't sure about the requirements and contracts of one, but she supposed from what Iyuki was saying that he wouldn't be able to get a new one anytime soon.

"You....mentioned powers earlier...." She said, "What exactly did you mean by that?" She was cautious, because if Iyuki wasn't talking about what she'd been assuming, then she'd just end up looking like a fool.

After relaxing for a time, Yamato stood up and stripped himself of his bloodstained clothes. As Yamato scrubbed himself with the blood stained towel, the scars become more defined. They were still covered by thick black hairs, but Yamato's skin looked a lot tougher, thicker and a bit lighter wherever the scars were, and there were many. Most of them were slashes cut deep in his forearms and chest, and many of the scars overlapped like a lattice. The scars were a sort of armor; the nerves there were as dead as his hands. There were other unique scars that Yamato also secretly felt kind of proud about. Bite marks from rabid wolves and dogs, bruises by trampling, v-marks caused by beaks biting, and even a puncture would caused by the tusk of a wild boar.

No matter how much he scrubbed off the caked blood, the new blood dripping from his hand reminded him of the futility of his exercise in cleaning himself. As long as he lived, his creator would cause him to bleed. Relatively clean now despite his unshaven appearance, Yamato started to scrub his clothes, whistling a soft tune. They seemed a bit fresher now as he put them on. Yamato wondered when he should go back after this lengthy process, but those two seemed they had a lot to talk about, so he stood sentry as the light of day faded with the rifle in his hands.

Iyuki hadn't even realized he admitted he had abilities, the man was so relaxed around this place that he had let the years of guarding down. It wasn't just the company, it was the forest around him. Despite how scary the woods were to someone unused to them, it felt oddly soothing to see the wind blow the trees. Still, it wasn't anywhere he wanted to live for long periods of time. Visiting was just fine!

As the man leaned back, hair falling off of his face, he had to turn his face to Lady Okura. It felt rude to keep talking without looking at her, but it also felt rude to look her in the eye. His boundaries were saying to keep himself distant, you need to be careful How would a good servant serve their master if they couldn't look at them properly, other than in times of distress though?!

He held his eyes up long enough to hear her words, noticing again the eye that seemed like it couldn't see. It had a glazed look and though it moved with her other eye, it had that far off quality. Either it was seeing something he could never hope to, or it wasn't seeing at all. "It was my greed, Lady Okura. They did not go through anyone I was used to to ask me, in fact my business shut down at least three years ago. I should have never accepted it in the first place."

"Still, I can not turn this down offer. I won't underestimate you because of your size. Your eyes earlier showed me enough, you were prepared to kill. A good servant would say that it was your job due to my debt, but I am not so forward. We can wait if its what you desire. It is your past, Lady Okura." It took him seconds to pull his spectacles from his pocket and put them on his eyes, looking over at Lady Okura, holding dark bangs back with one hand. The hair was a bit too long at the moment, in serious need of a trim. The colors-that-weren't popped up. His eyes and mind didn't have words for them, but he assigned names to them that worked as well as could be had.

The 'color' Lady Okura had before had changed drastically. Whatever it was before, now it was a deep blue-purple-red-orange. Now he couldn't imagine her being any other one, and vaguely this sense of disconnect bothered him. It had also gained a halo, that years of work had taught him to recognize as an 'ally' color. It wouldn't tell him who was safe, but who he thought of as safe. The trees, this late in the day, started getting their night and sleeping colors. The fire was alive with all and no colors and movement of a halo made Iyuki twitch. He caught a glimpse of the Yamato color, a bright red-green-black-brown. It too had a halo and was visible even from a distance. Deciding it couldn't hurt, he pulled the spectacles down the bridge of his nose. His eyes watered from seeing the usual world again, and he covered them with his fingers. His voice rose so it could carry to Yamato easily.

"I see ...colors? It is hard to explain, so I will keep it simple. I auras of people, at least that is what I think it is. I also see the aura of living things, things that I think aren't living, and things I know never were. I can follow auras of those to their owners, if they have one, sometimes I can even see sicknesses, if it is caused by ghosts or such. I can also...see ghosts, but that has nothing to do with my powers. At least I think it doesn't." Pausing, not for dramatic effect but for courage, Iyuki powered through after removing the blinding fingers. He had to see what her reaction would be to this.

"I can also see those things from my mother's story. As long as I pretend not to notice them, most are too stupid to bother me. I've seen them eat ghosts alive, and the screams keep me up still. I've tried looking at them through my glasses as well, and they have this weird set of colors." Trying to bring them to mind, Iyuki pushed the glasses up and looked at Lady Muika fully. It was a bit shocking to notice the similarity.

"Actually, your colors remind me of them. And Yamato's. They sort of blend colors that can't be blended by our normal eyes. But yours are more organic, colored colors, while theirs are shade of monochrome and silvers. My parents had singular ones, whereas these are mottled..." It was the best way to describe it, the only words he had to. How could one describe something you could only see to someone blind using senses you shared? Still, it was weird! Feeling a bit scared, he took the glasses off and shoved them into his pocket with a worried frown.

"I hope that doesn't sound crazy to you, Lady Okura. It sounds so awfully insane though. I promise I am sane!"