Wolf and Keeper

Chapter 7: Unbeaten Paths, Part I

Sen sat on the steps as Emi and Hachirou readied their things to leave when he saw Yuzuha storming towards him with more purpose than he felt any situation warranted. She stopped in front of him, sheathed naginata in hand, and looked down at him, "I'm coming with you."

Her declaration made Sen blink up at her in surprise, "You... what?"

"Got mud in your ears? I'm coming with you," she frowned down at him. "I'm not someone who likes to be in debt and since I don't have any money, I figured my muscle would be more than enough."

"Sounds good," Sen turned in abject horror to the sound of another voice and saw Aoi leaning casually against the doorframe of one of the burned-down houses. "Hope you don't mind if I tag along. I'm going the same way you all are."

Sen was ready to scream at the idea of having even more people in the party, and it only intensified when Emi clapped her hands excitedly, "Oh, how wonderful! The more the merrier!"

Sen felt Hashi gently tap his shoulder, and when he turned, he was met with his friend's broad smile. He felt the tension building in his shoulders relax and his fists that had bundled tightly on his knees relaxed. If Hashi was okay with this, he supposed that he could find a way to cope as well. He stood up as Emi hurried over and excitedly began chatting with Yuzuha, who seemed beyond taken aback by the nun's sudden burst of energy.

Aoi wandered over to Sen and crossed his arms as he looked at him, "Your friends mentioned that your friend here was sick."

"Hashi is, yes," Sen nodded as the large yokai lumbered over to him and looked down at the ronin, who smiled up at him.

"Mind if I take a look?" Aoi asked and held out his hand. Hashi hesitated for a moment before handing the ronin his arm. He flipped his hand over and looked at the long ashy tendrils stretching out from across his palm and up the veins of his arm. "I've seen sicknesses like this on other yokai," he nodded as he allowed Hashi to take his arm back, "and I can't say that it's ended well."

Sen felt his hand tense up at his side again as Emi hurried over and quickly came between them, "Shall we be off?" her cheerful tone pulled Sen from his thoughts and made Hashi give an approving grunt as the group all began to head towards the center of the town.

"So, why are you coming with us?" Yuzuha asked Aoi after they had passed through the gates and made their way back onto the main road. "You don't seem like the type to just join a group."

"Neither do you," Aoi shrugged as he pulled his arms into his kosode and cast a bored look at Yuzuha.

Hashi gave a quiet snort and looked down at Sen, who looked back up at him with a small knowing smile. Both of them knew that this was going to be an interesting voyage if these two were already at odds with one another.

"Do you have a problem with me, old man?"

"Me? It sounds like you have a problem with me."

Sen saw the corner of Emi's mouth quirk down as she turned over her shoulder, "Can you two just answer one another's question? This seems like a rather silly thing to be arguing over so early in jour journey."

"Yeah," Sen called from behind them, "I am rather interested to hear exactly why the two of you decided to join up with a group of strangers that you barely know."

Aoi answered first, "As I said, we're going the same way, but if I'm going to be honest... I'm also looking for someone. I'm traveling across Nihon hoping to find him. You're heading in my direction, so I figured tagging along with a conspicuous group of armed and altruistic travelers was the way to do it." When he finished, he turned his attention to Yuzuha and raised an eyebrow, "Your turn, my lady."