Through the darkness, the Doctor's candlelit figure was illuminated. Beneath him was some nameless soldier, unconscious and gasping for breath. The old man held his hand towards me. "If you're going to 'watch over me', then how about you make use of yourself and hand me the scalpel."

The small knife sat easily within the Doctor's reach, but he didn't want me to give it to him for convenience's sake. The Doctor's new favorite game was called 'who will submit to the other first'. And as much as I hated to give him what he wanted, the Doctor had the man's life, and the guts to throw it away just to make a point... So the shiny apparatus was reluctantly delivered into the old man's palm.

Now with a grin, the Doctor plunged the knife into the soldier's lung, draining built up fluids.

After his lungs had been drained, the unnamed soldier started to breathe at a regular pace. The old Doctor looked over him quickly, then nodded. "That should keep him alive for the time being... Probably."

And with that, the Doctor lost his leverage. Without the man's life in the balance, I could start asking questions. "Now. Where is Yasuo?"

After a moment of contemplation, the old man replied as innocently as he could muster. "My patients are none of your concern..."

I stood from my seat, pressuring him. "Yasuo is of my concern. Bring me to him."

He hissed. "I will not!"

Enough of this, I would find him on my own. A candle was lit in another room, Yasuo was probably-

The old man grasped my arm. "He is fine! Leave him to rest!"

No, I wouldn't hear another lie. I jerked my arm out of his grasp and hurried through the cloth door.

Oh.

The candlelight shone on Yasuo's anticlimactic face. He looked untouched, resting peacefully on one of the mats we usually slept on.

What?

I turned to the Doctor, who was waiting expectantly for me to speak. "Why would you do that?" Was all I could muster to ask.

He shrugged and replied, smiling with immense pleasure all the while. "Why would I do what? I told you he was fine."

Words tried to escape my mouth but only came out like a mad mumble. I walked into it. Regain composure, and respond. "You know what you were doing..."

He spoke back quickly, as if by a script. "Really? I was just trying to let our dear soldier rest undisturbed. But I'm just too untrustworthy, am I not?"

"I was with you in the camp. I saw what-"

The old man interrupted me, using his momentum to accuse me further. "You were thrown in the camp, same as I! I see the scars that you hide on your arms. You had an ember stripped away and still act so high above me?"

I... I had no response. The Doctor was prepared for this far beyond me. Though he was older, tonight I was tired, and not just of his games. Retreat and fight another day. "Fine. I'm..." Let it go. "I'm sorry."

This pleased the wretched old man immensely. He failed to hold back a chuckle. "Ha... Well, I hope we can move forward with more trust from now on." I didn't respond. The Doctor chuckled again "Heh... I thought as much..."

I continued my silence.

There was a barren spot on the floor next to Yasuo, next to a pile of papers. I would sit and wait until he awoke.

The Doctor raised his hand towards me but kept himself from speaking. The only profit I could get from this interaction was capitalizing on his false hospitality.

All that I could do now was wait for Yasuo to awake. And wait I did, for what had to be hours, yet he still did not rise from his slumber.

I could hear horses being moved along with crates and men shouting orders. Something was going on. But I wouldn't risk leaving the Doctor with Yasuo to sate my curiosity. It made me anxious, hearing all the ruckus and not knowing what was happening.

But eventually, I was greeted to an answer.

The cloth flaps whipped open into the Doctor's tent. Lee's voice spoke. "Doctor, where's Yasuo and Kenshi?"

There was a mumble of anger from the Doctor. But eventually a reluctant answer. "In the back. Don't touch anything, child."

Footsteps grew eagerly closer.

The cloth flew open as Lee's face emerged into the candlelight. "Hey." His brow furrowed at the sight of Yasuo and I. "Is Yasuo still not awake?"

I looked over to Yasuo. He had rolled over from his back to his side recently. Which meant he wasn't strong enough to awake yet, but at least the damage done to his head wasn't bad enough to restrict his movement capability. "No. He's still asleep. And I bet he will be for some time."

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

"Ah, ok... Well, Kohei has asked for you." Not good. Someone had to keep watch over the Doctor.

I waved my hand, bringing Lee closer to me. I whispered. "Someone needs to stay with Yasuo. You sit here and don't stand for anything. Do you understand?"

He nodded silently. And took my place on the floor.

Finally, I was able to stand on my lazy and tingling legs and go through the cloth door. I winced and closed my eyes at the bright change of light in this room. The Doctor had lit countless candles to work.

I could sense that the Doctor wanted to speak to me, but I left before he could start.

The moonlight was much easier on my eyes. And the smell of freshly dewed grass much easier on my nose than the iron reek of blood from the Doctor's tent.

But I didn't get much time to enjoy getting out of the tent. Between the traffic of men emerged Kohei, waving at me vigorously. Great.

I didn't bother walking and meeting him halfway. He was more than capable to walk a few extra feet.

Finally, he reached me. "Kenshi! What were you doing?"

I needn't explain myself to Kohei, not after he nearly killed Lee and me with the archers. "Nothing. What do you want?"

He didn't like that answer but knew I had more to complain about than him, so he allowed it to pass. "We're taking half our men and having them scout the trail ahead and set up camp over at the nearby city. Then we'll move the injured. I need you to go."

I didn't like it, but I also had no say in it. "So be it."

Kohei pointed over to the edge of the valley, where the formation had already been set. "Good. Now get going."

I nodded and started moving through the wet grass. I could already see Mahiro and Sora's horses next to mine, with what I assumed to be the armored backs of Mahiro and Sora on top of the horses. A small jog later and I had my answer.

Sora was the first to greet me, going straight into questions. "Did you leave Yasuo alone with the Doctor?"

I climbed atop my horse. "No. Lee is watching over him."

Mahiro then interjected. "And what made you think leaving the clumsy one with the injured men was a good idea?"

I brushed it off. "Lee will be careful. He has good intentions, but still hasn't outgrown his childlike awkwardness."

Mahiro wasn't satisfied. "Good intentions don't mean good outcomes."

I didn't have time to defend Lee. "I told him to sit unmoving in one place, there's no way he could do damage."

He nodded. "That's satisfactory." Honestly, I didn't realize anything could be satisfactory for Mahiro. Of course, he hadn't been done speaking yet. "But it still could be a problem. So you should have stayed."

I would've replied, but a shout from the front line interrupted our conversation.

What looked like the Huntsman started speaking from atop his horse.

He galloped back and forth during his zealous speech. "As you all know, we have lost the yokai and have been gifted quite a few injured soldiers! Our leader, Kohei, has decided to stay with the caravan of the injured and left me in charge of the scouting caravan!" There was anger and frustration in his voice. I'm sure, as our specialist Huntsman, he did not like losing to the monster. "We ride!"

With that, he started down the path, us following soon after.

The moonlight was bright and lit the wet path a firey blue. It all felt... Angry. Anger, clouding over the depression of so many things done incorrectly. The road burned with the thought that a different action could've led to such a better outcome.

Or perhaps it was just me.

But there wasn't time to revel in another poor decision. We had a task at hand.

There were no obstacles on the muddy and wet road. Not enough bumps to bother the injured. It was easy to ride with the path clearly blazed through the trees. All seemed fine.

Then, out of the blue came a large crackling from the woods. Men shouted and horses whinnied.

A glistening white tree toppled unto the mud road, blocking our path. The men in front hastily pulled back, barely saving themselves from colliding with the thing.

My eyes drifted down the trunk of the dogwood towards it's splintered bottom. A yokai stood near the carnage, it's torso freshly pierced with a multitude of arrows. The bastard was waiting for us, I realized.

The twelve-foot creature swung it's freakishly long arms towards the closest rider. He took notice just in time, jumping off his horse and sliding across the mud.

The yokai altered its course and it's hand landed atop the back of the soldier's horse, using its momentum to pull the animal off its feet and into the roadside ditch, out of the way. It wasn't looking for horse meat.

Initial shock started wearing off, and we started to gather ourselves. The Huntsman was the first to shout. "Get off your horses!"

Quickly, I followed his orders. The yokai was out of sight as I hit the ground. So I shouted at the horses, trying to make way and see as I moved closer. "Move! Move!"

It was uncomfortable to shuffle past the animals, but I had no other way around.

Too slow.

Shrieking resonated from the front line. I quicken the pace.

After continuing my awkward shuffle, I had reached the front along with a few others. I saw the random soldier that had screamed lying on the ground. His leg was bleeding and bitten into, his hand held a knife, soaked in black blood. The yokai nowhere to be found.

Words shot quickly from my mouth. "Where's the yokai!?"

He was too shocked to respond. All he could give me was a weak point into the forest.

Sora spoke in the panic, adding to the intensity. "The Huntsman went after it." I should have expected.

No volunteers to chase after?

Without hesitation, I started into a dead sprint in the direction the soldier had pointed. The figure of what I thought to be the huntsman ran ever further in the distance. If I wanted to catch up with them, I'd have to be fast.

What seemed like an eternity passed until I got close. The Huntsman was screaming at the fleeing yokai, challenging it. I couldn't stop his pursuit by talking, so I kept my momentum.

With an obscene amount of effort, I caught up to the man. I'm not letting this thing injure one more man. As much as I'd like to join him in fighting the yokai, it would be suicide. There was only one option to keep both of us alive.

Finally, I was in range. Keeping my speed up, with great effort, I pulled my feet from the earth, momentarily soaring through the air.

I collided with the Huntsman, wrapping my arms around him as soon as I impacted.

We slid across the wet ground. Cold mud covering us.

Loud footsteps stomped into the distance. It was long gone in seconds.

I loosened my grip on the Huntsman, allowing him to finally wiggle out. I was too exhausted to bring my face out of the mud as he yelled at me. "What did you do!?"

My breathing started slowing, my heart returning to a regular human's pace. Eventually, I had enough air to reply. "I..." Inhale. Exhale. "I saved you from a gruesome death, is what I did."

He walked in a quick circle, brushing his hands through his long and mud-coated hair. Inside he knew I was right. "Ok... Ok... We keep moving to the town." His face grieved at a mission failed.

I'd be optimistic for once, for his sake. "We'll regain our composure and kill it another day. If its wounds don't kill it before that."

That made him smile somewhat, as much as was capable in this situation. "Yes... Another day."

I lifted myself weakly from my imprint in the mud. "Another day, surely."