Rain poured over the forest, crashing into the ground and leaves. The drops echoed through his canine ears as he took deep breaths. 

InuShin grumbled, slowly opened his eyes, and stared up at the sky. Dark clouds hovered above and the tips of the different colored trees framed the sky, slowly moving down towards his feet. Am I dead? He inhaled deeply and ran his thumbs along his fingertips. I don't think so. Galloping horses filled his ears, their hooves clicking with stone paths.

He furrowed his eyebrows, attempted to sit up, but a sharp tension shot through his body, tightening his fists and squeezing his eyes shut. That's right, I was attacked.

"Be careful, your wounds haven't healed yet." A frail voice came from above him.

InuShin rolled to his side and saw the frame of a wooden wagon. The inside was lined with shredded bamboo. He wiggled a little bit and saw a woman sitting in front of him.

Her gray hair reached the small of her back. She turned back to look at him, thin lines crinkled around her mouth and eyes. Piercing green eyes bore into his zaffre ones.

I've never seen eyes like those. Just who is she? He slowly pressed his knuckles into the base of the wagon and pushed himself up, squinting at the pain coursing through his body.

"You don't listen so well, do you?" The woman turned her attention back ahead.

InuShin straightened himself, closed his eyes, and tightened his jaw, inhaling sharply through his nostrils. "There's no time to rest."

"What do you mean?"

"I was being chased by members of the Imperial Guard. They can catch up to me if I don't keep going." His chest heaved with each labored breath. He repositioned himself, leaned against the side of the wagon, glancing down at his leg. The lower part of his hakama was soaked in blood.

"Were they carrying a sword? Dressed the same as you?" She pulled on the reins, beckoning the horses through the trails and gracefully handling the turns.

"Yes, I was falsely banished from the village but the people wanted to kill me. So I ran. As quick as I could." He tilted his head back, resting it against the wood. His soaked silver bangs clung to his forehead and draped over his eyes as he stared half-lidded at the downpour.

"They won't be a problem for you." She steered the horses between a couple of trees.

"What do you mean?"

A bluish-white light engulfed them and the surrounding area. It vanished as quickly as it arrived. The rain ceased and was replaced with sunlight. Birds chirped around them and animals rustled through the fallen leaves.

"Where are we?" He straightened himself and spotted deer in the distance. One of them drank from a river. It was connected to a steep waterfall. A small house sat to the left of the lake, a large wheel dipped into the river, and was connected to the side of the house.

"This is my home, it's a little secluded." She tugged on the reins a little, commanding the horses to slow down. They came to a stop near the home and the old woman climbed down from the seat, unhooking the horses. "Good job." She whispered to them. The horses stretched their muscles a little and trotted away from the wagon deep into the forest. "You should be able to heal and recover here."

"Why are you doing this?" InuShin grabbed the top of the wagon and pulled himself to his feet. He shuffled to the rear of the wagon and slowly lowered himself to the ground. With limped steps, he slowly joined the mysterious woman and looked up towards her. She stood slightly taller than him. "Who are you? Why would you be kind to me?"

"I can tell you have a gentle heart, and despite what you've endured, you still try to show kindness to others." She smiled gently and turned around walking towards the building. "I'm just a passerby that likes to help others in need." She wore an unusual kimono, purple plaid with a white obi. Four-leaf clover patterns wrapped around the obi.

Just who are you? He dragged his leg a little, avoiding extra weight on one of them. "That doesn't answer my question."

She stopped and turned around, staring down at him with a playful grin. "And what will you do about that?"

InuShin furrowed his eyebrows and limped towards her, hands balled into a fist. He pulled his arm back, throwing it as he stumbled forward. The mysterious woman slowly stepped out of the way as he tumbled to the ground.

She crouched beside him and poked his nose. "Good to see you still have energy." She straightened herself, spun on her heels, and continued walking towards the house. "With that, you can pick yourself up and come inside. It's going to rain soon."

He pushed himself off the ground with his fist and looked up at the sky. "No, it's not, there's not a cloud in the sky." Just as the words left his mouth, a large wave of dark clouds blocked the sun and little droplets started to rapidly crash into the ground around him. This can't be a coincidence.

InuShin groggily pushed himself to his feet and shuffled the remainder of the way to the residence. He ascended the stairs, opened the door, and bowed before stepping in.

"Good, you still have your manners." The woman stood in the clay and wooden kitchen, pouring some water into a cup as the steam evaporated over it. "Please, find a seat where you can."

He looked around the small home and spotted a few zabuton in the other room. With a quick glance out the corner of his eye, he shuffled over to the cushion and sat on his posterior, extending his left leg.

The mysterious woman sauntered over to the young man, knelt before him with a cup in her hand, extending it to him. "Drink this, it will help with your wounds."

InuShin lowered his head a little, stared up at her, raising his eyebrow. He shifted his gaze back and forth between the cup and the woman, sniffing the beverage's aroma a little. It smells like ordinary tea.

"It's not poisoned, dearie." She set the cup down, straightened herself, and shuffled back to the kitchen, grabbing a second cup and drinking from it. "It's merely tea. Shincha to be precise."

InuShin slowly reached down, picked up the cup, sniffed the aroma more, and took a small drink. He closed his eyes as the hot liquid slid down his throat and warmed his torso. "This is good."

"Thank you." She returned to the spacious room and took a seat alongside the young man. "I travel all over the place in search of tea and meeting the different beautiful beings around us. It's quite the journey."

He took another sip and gently lowered the cup, his breathing even and calm. "Would you mind telling me your name? I would like to know who I should be grateful for."

"You may call me Duanna, and no. I'm not from around here, as you may have guessed." She took another slow drink, closing her eyes as she savored the flavor. "I'm from all over the place, traveling and helping those in need."

"Is that why you helped me?" He tilted his head a little, canine ear twitching slightly. "What happened to the men that attacked me?"

"They won't be an issue any longer." Duanna took another sip then carefully set her cup down. "How are you feeling? Is the tea helping?"

He took a big drink, finishing the beverage and setting the cup down in front of him. "Actually, I do. A lot better. My body doesn't ache as much."

"Good, I'm glad to hear it." She smiled warmly, grabbed his cup, and returned to her feet, shuffling back into the kitchen. "I have a hot spring behind this building, feel free to use it and rest. I will acquire some new clothes for you."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded slowly and placed the cups in the sink. "Go down the hall, out the door, and you will see it to your right."

InuShin carefully returned to his feet, stepped out of the main room, and peered down the hallway. "This way?" The woman nodded but her back was still to him. He inhaled sharply through his nostrils and moved towards the hallway. His heart beat heavily with each step down the quiet hallway. He reached the door, gently placed a hand on it, and slid it to the side.

The backyard was large, spacious, stretching to the base of the cliff. Different kinds of animals traveled through the yard, freely and happily. The forest line stretched down the left side of the yard, forming a makeshift fence. The right stretched out to the river and waterfall. Near the base of the cliff, sat a small body of water, light steam rolling off of it.

He stepped out onto the grass, the gentle blades pressing against the soles of his feet, and he slowly strolled towards the body of water. His body felt lighter and lighter with each step as he approached the hot water.

I might as well relax a little. InuShin carefully unraveled the straps of his hakama, removing it followed by his haori. He knelt by the water, carefully folded his hakama and then his haori. Once folded, he returned to his feet, removed his fundoshi, and laid it on top of his clothes. 

With a deep breath, InuShin stepped forward into the water, sinking further in until the water reached just above his abdominal muscles. The hot water brushed against his skin, forcing his eyes to close and his shoulders to relax. This feels really nice.

Have you ever relaxed in a hot spring before?

Once, when my father was still alive. He slowly stepped through the water, letting the calm energy flow around him. He found a solid stone, slightly higher than the other, and took a seat, resting his back against the edge. The water brushed his collarbone and neck.

"I'm glad you're enjoying the water." The frail voice broke him for his trance.

InuShin shot his eyes open and noticed Duanna standing next to where his clothes were. She held his old clothes in her hand and a new set replaced them on the ground. A heat rose to his face as he stared at her.

"No need to be embarrassed. They're just clothes. I found a set to replace these old ones. Take your time and relax. When you're ready, feel free to come back inside. I'll have a room set up for you to sleep in." Duanna bowed slowly, turned around, and strolled back towards the home.

He inhaled slowly and watched her for a moment. Strange woman. InuShin dipped his entire body into the water and quickly resurfaced, running his fingers through his hair. He grabbed the back, draped it over his right shoulder, and leaned back against the edge, relaxing his muscles and closing his eyes.

© 2/2/2022 InuShin

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