'Something smells nice...' thought a voice in the dark as slowly the obscured muffling of other nose within the darkness became louder. There was a distant sound of bubbling, the sound of something wooden scraping around in a viscous liquid filled metal pot. As well as humming... somebody seemed to be humming around the original voice which gave a hesitant seconds questioning to itself. 'There's a person here...?' The voice verified as sensation began to move across the body of the voice, it's hands slowly reaching up to it's neck instinctively for the assurance if a scarf wrapped around it as it heard footsteps grew nearer to it... And then-

SQUELCH

"IT'S COLD!!" Rue shot up from where he lay, a wet cloth now falling off his head as Aria jumped back in shock at his current cry of bewilderment.

"A-Ah- Uhm... I'm... I'm sorry..." Aria stuttered out a response whilst backing up as the bewildered Rue looked around in a frantic, a look of fear on his face.

"Wh-Where am I?! Who's there?!" He yelled, gradually starting to get into a more defensive stance as he went to get to his feet, however-

The boy's eyes then widened as he got up, his teeth gritting in pain as he quickly found himself lurched over on his feet, his hand up against his stomach as Aria panicked from beside him.

"Pl-Please don't try to move so much yet! You are still pretty injured..." Aria explained as Rue winced a little, looking over to where the sound of Aria's voice came from with an exhale of pain. "I-uhm... You may not remember but... I found you last night... You passed out and when I tried to move you I found out you were pretty heavily wounded so I... I decided to treat your wounds here..." Aria explained slowly as Rue gave a cautious expression towards Aria... However as he seemed to faintly recall what had happened the night before, it was then his defences lowered as he then looked back down, the tension in his body lowering.

"So you were the person from last night..." he uttered to himself. "Where is my sword?" He then went on to ask as Aria looked back.

"Ah you mean the sword that was next to you? I placed it to the back of them room near the wall... It was hard to carry you back so I had to make two trips... You are lucky that none of the other scavengers found it-"

"You carried me back by yourself?" Rue cut in as Aria nodded.

"Yes, I may not seem it, but I'm pretty strong!" Aria responded as Rue gave her a curious expression.

"You don't sound much older than me-"

"I'm twelve years old..." Aria answered as Rue gave a thoughtful expression.

"A year younger than me huh? So they really do make kids work young round these parts..." Rue summarised to himself as he found himself interrupted by Aria then grabbing his hand, something in which made him jump. "What- What are you doing?!" He stammered as Aria gave a small laugh.

"We need to lie you down again before your wound reopens..." Aria noted as Rue gave a puzzled expression.

"Reopens?" He asked when Aria then pointed at his chest, which started to feel as though something warm was seeping over it.

"Like that..." she noted as the pain shortly followed after she noted the red patch of blood appearing on the clean bandages she had put onto him.

"AHHHH-"

Aria finished up making her medicines, placing them within a small cupboard to the side of her shelf, humming a small tune to herself as Rue lay down on the small wooden medical bench that had been padded up with blankets for him, still rather dazed with his surroundings. He couldn't see where he was, but by the sounds and smells around him, it felt like a family home... It was strange, he hadn't been around such an atmosphere in quite a while... And yet, there also seemed to be something lacking... Something that made this hut he he had been in a little empty as Rue gave and uncomfortable glance up to where Aria was humming.

"Do you live here alone?" He decided to ask as Aria stopped humming momentarily, placing the final bottle of medicine within her cupboard. She stared at the medicine only momentarily, before she slowly lowered her hand from it, shutting the cupboard door.

"Yes, I'm the only one who lives here... My family passed away a few years ago..." Aria explained as the boys eyes narrowed faintly upon hearing it. It seemed that his inclination was correct.

"I'm sorry to hear..." he replied as Aria then shook her head, walking over in his direction, now holding a few other supplies.

"It isn't anything you need to apologise for..." she replied, putting down a basket of supplies from beside him. before she then lifted up another wet cloth. "I'm going to change the wet cloth on you so don't panic..." she informed him as Rue nodded silently, allowing Aria to change the cloth from upon his head.

"Actually there's been something I've been wanting to ask..." Aria changed topic slightly, placing the cloth upon his head.

"Hmm?"

"How was it that you got injured?" She asked as Rue gave a slightly worn out expression as he recalled. "It seems pretty bad... Did you fall-?"

"It was wolves..." Rue responded as Aria jumped a little in shock to his response.

"Wolves?!" She exclaimed in disbelief as Rue nodded.

"At least that's what I think they were... They attacked me whilst I was buy the river, so I couldn't hear them coming..." Rue explained as Aria wriggled her fingers a little as she tried to come to terms with his explanation.

"B-but even if you could, wolves are still... Even I couldn't fight off wolves..." Aria stammered as Rue shrugged a little.

"They aren't much of a hassle when you know they are there..." he went on as Aria shook her head a little.

"But still you-" she began, when she then paused as she found herself now staring at his almost empty looking eyes. There was a momentary silence as she fidgeted with her fingers a little...

"What was it that you were doing out in the fields like that...? It doesn't seem like you are from here..." Aria then noted as Rue gave a faintly startled expression upon hearing her ask this... His mouth opened faintly as though something was going to slip out.... When his eyes then narrowed a little.

"It... Doesn't matter too much... I just need to go somewhere..." Rue explained, brushing off her question as Aria's fingers twitched slightly.

"Can you... really get there... When your eyes are like that...?" Aria questioned him as the boy looked back at her, for a moment his expression seeming empty... As though his reply to that question did not matter. He went to answer, however...

KNOCK, KNOCK KNOCK

Both he and Aria jumped as Aria turned to face the door, quickly getting to her feet.

"Str- strange, hardly anyone visits this place.." she muttered, slowly making her way to the door... When she then flinched, taking two loud steps back with a gasp, the noise catching Rue's attention.

"E-eh, what is it?" He began, putting up his defences when Aria then suddenly raced over to him clumsily, shushing him, much to his shock.

"Shhh! If someone see's you, we will be in big trouble. Outsiders aren't allowed to stay without seeing village chief first!" Aria whispered, hastily, grabbing a blanket from the side.

"Eh...?" Rue questioned slowly with a raised eyebrow as Aria dropped the blanket upon his head in a rush.

"Just stay hidden..." she told him as more knocking came from the door. "Coming!" She yelled-

"Wait what-"

"Shh!"

Aria ran over to the door, dusting herself off and neatening her mask before she answered it... When she then took a deep breath, opening up the door.

"Yes, what is the problem?" She asked as the door opened... And the opening of the door revealed Nurse Reeno's face, looking down at her quite grumpily, as Aria jumped a little upon her sudden appearance. "H-head nurse, good morning..." she stammered as Nurse Reeno narrowed her eyes faintly at Aria curiously.

"There was quite a bit of banging and muttering just now..." Nurse Reeno began as Aria laughed it off nervously.

"Y-Yes I fell over on my way up here again! You know me!" Aria explained as Nurse Reeno remained unsure with this response... nonetheless she moved on with the conversation.

"In any case, we need you at the clinic... We have a few patients in today and I need assistance with the bookings..." Nurse Reeno went on as her eyebrow then narrowed... Slowly Nurse Reeno leaned sideways a little, Aria slowly watching her in puzzlement for a second, when she then realised what the nurse was trying to do.

"Er- erm Mam-"

"I don't recognise that person... Is he an outsider...?" nurse Reeno commented, her eyes narrowing as Aria spluttered a little, looking back to Rue who now had his arms up, froze in the position he was trying to drag the blanket that was falling off him back down with a faintly nervous smile...

"Ah... Sorry, you kind of put it on weirdly and it just slid off..." Rue explained awkwardly as Aria brought her hands to her chest timidly as Nurse Reeno's shock changed to that of her usual firm frown... As she then looked to Aria who flinched a little...

"Clench down on your teeth a little, this may hurt.." Nurse Reeno uttered, starting to unravel the bandages around Rue's chest as Rue took a deep breath, complying with the old woman. He winced a little as started taking the bandaging off from the wound that was trying to heal as she went to taking a closer look at the still rather unhealed wound on his chest.

"Well at least you did an alright job at stopping any infection... Though we are going to need a few herbs in order to make this heal properly..." Nurse Reeno critiqued Aria's work before giving Aria a rather sharp expression. "Make yourself useful, go find me a medicine with aloe and viscon root in it!" She then snapped at Aria, who jumped at the nurses requests, quickly running off.

"Y-yes-!"

"Oh and grab some new bandages too. We can't just leave him in bloody bandages!" Nurse Reeno then added ,before she then looked back to Rue's wounds. "You say that this was wolves huh?" She then questioned Rue who went from looking in the direction in which he could hear Aria running about, to directing his attention to the nurse.

"...Yeah... I got attacked by them last night..." Rue explained as Nurse Reeno gave him a rather curious expression.

"Wolves here cannot be found unless you are wandering through through the upper highlands of the mountain ranges... Did walk all the way to the village whilst injured?" She asked as Rue looked down to the direction of his wound.

"I knew I was hurt... But I didn't think it was that bad..." he mentioned as Nurse Reeno seemed slightly surprised by this remark.

"You didn't think it was bad?" She repeated when her eyes then narrowed faintly. "It only takes a small splinter to get the kids around here crying for help..." she pointed out quietly to herself, when they then heard a clatter from beside them along with a small cry...

Aria quickly began picking up some of the equipment she had dropped whilst looking through her cupboard, hastily apologising as the nurse watched her with a dull expression.

"She is quite the clutz..." she pointed out to Rue who nodded slowly to her words, when Nurse Reeno looked away whilst shaking her head with a sigh. "Honestly, even brining an outsider within the village without consulting before or after anybody, what was she thinking..." she tutted as her words caught Rue's attention.

"Is that some kind of rule of the village?" He asked as Nurse rolled her shoulders little, trying to get comfortable.

"Somewhat... It's mostly used these days as a defence, so that no spies or thieves can raid the village..." Nurse Reeno explained before her eyes glanced slightly to Aria. "However it is also a belief of many that this land is a sacred place... If outsiders come here without the blessing of the leader, it can bring the land great misfortune... Even curses..." she went on as Rue seemed to give a slightly unsettled expression to the old ladies words, his eyes wincing faintly upon her last sentence...

"I see... I'm sorry if I bring any upset. I'll head off before I can cause any trouble-"

"You are already here now... Besides, I wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon until that wounds healed up a little... I'll speak to the village chief and let him know" Nurse Reeno cut in his words, leaving Rue a little surprised.

"I-is that really okay?" He double checked as the nurse gave a gave inhale to herself.

"Though it was very clumsily done, I can't say I disagree with that girls actions..." she mentioned whilst looking over to Aria who finally found the medicine she was asked to get. "She's all over the place, but at the very least she has done herself proud as a nurse... I doubt even a man as stubborn as the village chief would want to leave a child for dead on the outskirts of the village..." she went on as Rue could only give a slightly relieved expression to her words...

"I see... thank you..." he thanked her as Nurse Reeno nodded, a slight curve in her lips appearing to resemble a smile.

"It's good to see a child with good manners..." she noted when she then paused  mid nod, a more serious look appearing on her face when she then looked to Rue.

"Though I do remember.... I'll need to know where you were from to tell our village leader... Not just that, but I am certain that people at your home are worried about you... Where is it that you come from?" nurse Reeno inquired as immediately the look of relief on the boys face vanished, his hand reaching gripping tightly to the scarf that was now at his side. His expression became rather pained and empty.

"Even if I told you... It's not as if anyone is waiting for me to return there... Or that there is a place for you to find..." Rue replied, his words catching Nurse Reeno by surprise as she realised that she may have hit a sore spot for the child... A faint concern brought her to push on with her questioning however-

"Nurse, I have the medicine and bandages here..." Aria noted, holding the supplies up to her as Nurse Reeno looked over to the stuff in Aria's hands... Before then with some disconcertment she swiftly moved on.