Mmmm….What is that smell, I thought to myself. I had only regained consciousness for a few seconds before I smelled something that made my mouth water. I wasn’t quite sure where I was and so I cautiously sat up.

“Ow…” I felt a sharp pain in the back of my right shoulder and I had also begun to feel extremely dizzy, “What the...oh.” I began but then finished the thought in my head. That’s right, when I was escaping one of soldiers shot me in the back, stupid coward. I sniffed the air once more and began to open my eyes to see where the smell was coming from. Before searching for the food I looked at where I was, (what, I wasn’t completely focused on food). I was lying in a cot on the floor with a light blanket draped over me. I turned my head to the right and saw in the corner of the room a person, hunched over a small cooking fire with a pot over it. He was stirring it and humming to himself quietly.

“Uh..umm…exscu–ah!” I tried to get his attention but when I tried to get up out of the cot the wound on my shoulder flared and I cried out in pain. The person who was stirring the food in the pot turned around to face me when he heard me.

“Hey, you really shouldn’t move so much. You were hurt pretty bad,” his voice was smooth and calming, “but it looks like you’re awake now so that’s a good thing,” he smiled kindly at me. He had said it with such relief I almost didn’t believe that he had never met me once before that moment. I was so shocked that he had been that concerned for a complete stranger that I didn’t even protest to him laying me back down onto the cot.

“Who...Who are you?” I asked him as he placed a cool rag on my forehead.

“My name is Kaze, and you?” he asked as he went back over to the cooking pot.

“Me? My name is….” I realized that I didn’t know how far the wanted poster had spread to and so I thought that I shouldn’t give him my name.

“Hm? You seem reluctant to tell me what your name is,” Kaze scooped up some of the food from the pot, beef stew, and put it in a bowl. “How about some food in exchange for a name?” He propped me up against the wall with his arm and put the bowl of stew under my nose. I could smell the fresh beef in the stew and it made my mouth water so much I had to swallow so I wouldn’t drool. I decided that I would risk giving my name. As long as I only give him my first name he won’t be able to glean any other information, right? I thought.

“M...Mizuki…” I replied quietly.

“Good girl,” Kaze said and asked me if I could eat on my own.

“I think I can manage that…” I told him. And I sat up and began to eat the food.

“So, your name’s Mizuki….Where are you from?” Kaze asked while I was eating. I was reluctant to answer because I still wasn’t sure about the wanted posters yet but I figured it would be rude to not tell him anything. So I told him that I was from Fire Clan territory and left it at that. I could tell that Kaze wanted to ask more but he kept quiet after that. He probably figured I wasn’t going to tell him if he asked.

I finished eating then asked, “Where is this place?” I put down my bowl and waited for Kaze to respond.

“You are currently in my house which is in Wind Clan territory. Specifically you are in a small town known as Izuna,” he replied.

“....Izuna…” I said, I had heard that name somewhere before but I didn’t quite remember. And then I had a flashback to what Hisui had told me. ‘Izuna told the authorities that you were the leader of the group and gave them a description of you. I tried to stop her but…’ “Izuna...that...that damn bastard! How dare she do th–” I was so angry that I had reopened my wounds and collapsed again from the pain.

**********

When I woke up a while later it was afternoon and my wound no longer hurt when I moved and so I got up to stretch my legs. When I took a step forward Kaze apparently heard me and came into the room.

“You really shouldn’t be moving,” he said from the doorway of the room.

“I feel fine, I heal fast,” I replied.

“Sure…” he said, rolling his eyes.

“So, you know I can’t pay you for this, right?” I asked. I did have money but I would need it to buy a horse and some other things in town.

“Don’t worry about it,” Kaze said waving his hand at the problem.

“What do you mean?” I asked. I had never heard of the concept of helping someone without expecting to get something in return, or I had forgotten about it.

“You didn’t request to be treated or anything, I saw you injured and collapsed in front of my house and chose to take you inside and treat you. How can I expect you to pay me for doing something that you didn’t ask me to do?” he asked with complete honesty. I was baffled. He began to walk out of the room as if the matter were settled. I decided that what he had said meant that I was just going to be in debt to him for saving me.

“W–wait. I have to do something. It’s not a habit of mine to be in debt to people,” I said, following him as he left the room.

“What do you mean ‘I have to do something’? I told you that you didn’t have to pay me,” he said. He continued to walk so I continued to follow him.

“I refuse,” I stated simply.

“What?” at this he stopped to turn around and look at me to see if I was serious. I was.

“I said I refuse to do nothing and be in debt to you later,” I replied, further explaining myself.

“I told you that I don’t need you to pay me,” he insisted, trying to make me understand.

“Fine, I don’t have to pay you with money but just make me do something,” I continued to insist. I didn’t want to be in debt to anyone.

“Will you stop if I tell you do something?” Kaze asked.

“Yes.”

“Fine, I need to go to get supplies from the market but I’m too busy with work, take some money and go buy the things I need,” he said simply.

“That’s it?” I asked for confirmation.

“That’s it,” Kaze confirmed.

“Alright then, give me the money and a list of the things you need,” I said. He left me there and came back a few moments later.

“Here,” he said, and handed me a list and a bag with money in it. He showed me out the door and I left to go to the market.

**********