61 Rain And Powder

The bandit leader glared at Sora and I before putting her hands up.

" Would you let us go?" The bandit leader said.

The bandits that who had followed this leader all had tears in their eyes, at least the conscious ones.

" We are just here to earn a copper or two so we don't starve, I don't want my men killed. Please spare them" She said loudly.

" Take me as a prisoner if you must just leave them alone." The bandit leader spoke again, this time with determination.

" Leader!" the bandits sniffled and wailed in unison.

[ HUH!??! ]

I looked over the bandit leaders face and she seemed to be serious. Then I looked over at Sora who just shrugged and waited for me to answer.

" Are you not gonna let us go? I won't let you hurt my friends anymore" She said loudly holding on to her whip.

" No… We will." I said finally.

"But, you must pick up all the stuff that was thrown from my bag and apologise for what you did to my mother's charm," I said as the rain hit my face.

[ This was probably for the best ]

" Pick you your stuff?! What am I a maid?" The bandit leader said angerly.

The bandit leader looked at Sora and I again before she sighed.

She walked over to my bag and unwilling put all the content back in before personally handing me my sword back.

" Leader! Leader!" The bandits all said.

[ They seem to really like her ]

" I am sorry for your mother's charm getting dirty," she said politely as she then handed me my mother's charm that she had picked up earlier.

" What's your name?" I said in response.

"Haia" Haia replied after I moment.

I walked up to Haia and whispered in her ear " I am Yuki Akiyo, cross me again and I will tell my guards to wipe your group out."

I stepped back and I watched as her face paled.

[ Was that scary enough I wonder, I would hate for them to ambush us in our sleep ]

" Hey, Yuta! What did you just tell her?" Sora said smiling his usual smile.

" Nothing much! Let's get out of here" I said to Sora as I grabbed my bag.

The bandits all watched us leave with our heads held high. We walked off the path and into the forest where Kibbles had hidden our money pouch it had taken us several incense sticks of time to make it there.

It was a cave that was cut out of a large tree. The whole place was reasonably quiet and the tree provided shelter from the downpour of rain. After we made sure that we had not be followed we took a well-needed break.

I was shivering while I checked my arms for damage. There were bright purple and green bruises contrasting my pale white skin.

I looked over at Sora who wasn't much better off then I was and began to laugh.

" I didn't think we would be able to get out of there," I said laughing and shivering.

We sat in the hollow and collected some sticks to make a fire, which Kibbles had lit with his abilities.

Since everything was drenched we had no choice but to use some branches we found around to dry off our clothes near the fire. It was awkward for me to say the least as I stripped down to my undergarments.

I sat at the opposite edge from the fire as Sora had stripped down too.

[ Don't peek, act natural, don't peek, act natural!]

I went through my bag to see the medicinal herbs that I had packed had not been damaged. I grabbed some nearby rocks and started to make a paste.

" What are you making?" I heard Sora say as he walked over.

[ Too close! ]

I said as I felt his breath on my shoulder.

" Medical paste" I replied quickly.

I looked up to see Sora's body was completely covered in scars. From below his neck onward it looked like he had been placed in a torture chamber.

I couldn't even begin to count the number of scars I had seen. I gasped in surprise and covered my mouth before apologising for how rude I had been.

" haha pretty ghastly right?" Sora said as he looked down.

" Nah, I was just surprised that is all," I said as I looked at Sora.

I looked at his figure that was lit by the fire and the sound of rain that had picked up and thought to myself that maybe my life had not been so bad.

[ I shouldn't pity Sora ]

"Any new bruises?" I said as I finished up the medical paste.

" Yeah I got knocked on the back pretty hard," Sora said as he turned around. There was a decently sized cut on his back that was red and bleeding slightly.

I picked up some water out of my back and washed the dirt off my hands before I grabbed the medical paste with my fingers and slathered it on his wound. He flinched for a moment as I touched him but he then sat quietly and let me finish.

" Not going to ask me how I ended up so injured?" Sora asked quietly as he faced away.

" Not my place to ask, you will tell me if you want to" I replied.

Sora turned around and watched me put the salve on my arms.

" Hand it over," Sora said with a strange expression.

" Wash your hands if you want to help me!" I said to Sora in response.

[ I don't want dirt in my cuts! ]

He held out his hands so they were just outside the tree hollow and the rain washed off the dirt from his fingers.

" It looks pretty amazing out there," Sora said gently.

" Mm sure does" I replied.

I looked at Soras back as the rain became his background and sighed. The site was as beautiful as it was depressing.

[ Why do bad things always happen to good people ]

I thought as I watched in silence.

Sora stood watching the rain, while I looked at the wounds on his back. Kibbles walked up to my lap and sat down before brushing his body up against me.

" Yuki! I got injured too" Kibbles said with a huff.

[ Sorry Kibbles. ]

I stroked his fur as he settled down in my lap. I looked at Kibble's cute face and smiled wide.

[Thank you for all your hard work! You were amazing against the bandit leader]

" Of course I was," Kibbles said inside my brain as he craned his neck to look me in the eyes.

" Just a few more days until we reach the border," Sora said as he looked over at Kibbles and me.

Sora then walked over to the fire and dried his hands before grabbing the medical paste.

He walked up to me and grabbed the arm that was around Kibbles before he applied the paste.

He was very gentle when he applied it.

The feeling of some else touched me gave me goosebumps.

I couldn't help but blush.

" Yeah a few more days," I said a little depressed.

" Do we have any food in the bag? " Sora replied.

" Mm a few pieces here and there," I said zoning out.

" You get to do whatever you are doing and I get to see my sister! So cheer up!" Sora said as he put my arm down and started putting medicine on the other.

[ My father! ]

I had been so caught up in the adventure I had forgotten why I had left in the first place. Being around Sora was dangerous.

" Woah scary expression you have there!" Sora said snapping me out of my thoughts.

" Sorry" I replied as I clenched a fist.

" Well I hope you find what you are looking for," Sora said breaking the tension in the air.

We ate some of the food I had bought as the sun finally collapsed on the horizon. My skin felt sticky from the humidity and medical solution.

Sora and I didn't talk much, we were both lost in our own missions that were coming up. Kibbles had even less to say as he fell asleep next to the fire.

It was time for bed and my eyes became heavy.

" Goodnight Kibbles, Goodnight Sora," I said as walked to the side of the tree hollow.

Kibbles was snoring soundly.

" Hey, can I sleep next to you?" Sora said as he shivered.

[ What?! ]

" You know for warmth" Sora followed up with. I looked around to see our clothes had still not dried.

[ Oh I see ]

" I guess," I said trying not to panic.

Sora walked to my side and wrapped his arm around me as we huddled in two little balls stealing each other's warmth.

My chest pounded and I tried not to be too embarrassed, his skin wasn't smooth but my cold body welcomed its pleasant feeling as his manly scent rose up in my nose.

[ Think of everything except that! ]

I did math problems in my brain until I finally heard Sora snoring.

His breathing calmed me down and I finally relaxed.

I finally got comfortable and drifted off into a heavy sleep.