A moment or two passed as Yuki felt too stunned to answer the shrine maiden. All that was left to listen to in the dull, waking world was the constant hum of the cicadas amidst the nearby tree line. That, and the slight moans of an unconscious Ryoma, of course.
The shrine maiden heard the tinge of anguish from Ryoma and turned to him. She said, “I see he’s hurt again.” She turned her gaze back to Yuki, a stern expression across her face, and asked, “Are you sure you’re not responsible for his woes, kappa? This is the second time you’ve been around his injured body.” As she said this, she reached for her salt pocket.
“N-no, I didn’t hurt Ryoma!” Yuki exclaimed. “I promise, it was another demon that injured him, honest!” Yuki covered his eyes with his webbed hands, shaking all the while. If the end was indeed fast approaching for the little kappa, he sure as anything didn’t want to see it coming.
After what seemed like an eternity waiting for the pain which would ferry him to oblivion, Yuki realized he wasn’t yet burning after all. He eventually unshielded his eyes and saw the shrine maiden staring at him with a most inquisitive countenance. She then asked, “What did you call him?”
“R-Ryoma.” Yuki hesitantly said. “That’s his name; Ryoma Amami.” The shrine maiden recovered her hand from near her pocket, returning it to the gohei – the staff – she carried. She sighed and said, “If he told you his name, then I assume the two of you must be closer than I anticipated. I’m sorry to have assumed the worst from you, kappa.” Then, she giggled and continued, “I can’t believe I’m speaking so casually to a demon.”
Yuki let his guard down finally and said, “You don’t need to apologize. I understand not trusting me, after all; most kappa are a lot nastier than myself. Oh, and by the way, I have a name. I’d prefer to be called Yuki than simply kappa.” The shrine maiden’s jaw dropped. She asked, “You have a name?! I’ve heard of very few demons being named before, and I’ve studied them my whole life!”
Not missing a beat now as he felt as though the two were speaking on equal ground, Yuki said, “That’s right, my name is Yuki. I’m called that because I can control ice and snow.” The ofuda then appeared in his chest for the shrine maiden to see. “It’s because of this talisman that I have this power. It belonged to Ryoma, but I don’t think he minds that I hold onto it. He even gave me the name after seeing my talents at work!”
“Really?!” The shrine maiden asked. “In that case, the two of you must be incredibly close. How long have you known each other, anyway?” Yuki chuckled and said, “I met him the same night I met you, actually. He fell from a window of the imperial palace into the nearby river, the area I found myself floating around when we all entered this world. From there, I dragged him downstream until I found someone who could help treat his wounds. That’s how I found you.”
Ryoma moaned once more. Yuki’s attention snapped back to him, then returned to the shrine maiden as he asked, “Speaking of healing him, do you think you could do it again? I know it’s rather rude of me to ask you twice within such a short time, but he could really use your help. I’m afraid I have no talent in aiding others in this regard.” He then bowed down to the shrine maiden, water pouring from his head, and said, “Please, I beg of you. Help Ryoma. Please heal my friend.”
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The shrine maiden thought back to when she first encountered Yuki and Ryoma. The kappa had brought the half-dead man to the shed where she happened to be and begged then as well, complete with the same bowing motion and cascade from his dish. From what she knew of demons, that should’ve left him completely vulnerable as the water on his head was the source of his power. With that knowledge, and given her propensity to help others, she didn’t hesitate to heal the samurai.
The oddest aspect of the shrine maiden’s first healing came from the fact that no venom coursed through Ryoma’s veins. Although it was clear to her that his ailment was due to a snake bite (and an unusually large bite, at that), he didn’t seem to be suffering from the effects of venom. Or rather, he had been plagued with some sort of toxins circulating through his body at some point, but it had since exited his system entirely. With no other explanation, she simply assumed that the river water had washed out the sickness.
When it was time for her to depart, the shrine maiden looked at Yuki and said, “He’ll survive, but he needs more rest. He can stay here as long as he likes. The residents won’t mind.” Yuki cocked his head to the side and asked, “What about the poison? How did you rid him of that?” She shook her head and said, “I didn’t. There was no trace of venom left in him. It’s a good thing, too, as I’m ill-equipped to deal with such an injury. He’ll be fine. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must be going.” Yuki thanked her and she went along her way.
But now, in the present, it seemed that Ryoma was injured once more, and so, the shrine maiden went to work again on treating him. First, she asked, “Yuki, could you pour fresh water on his wound to disinfect it?” Yuki complied and lowered his head over the samurai’s side, letting loose what little water he had left over. From there, the shrine maiden procured a sarashi from her non-salted pocket and began wrapping it around Ryoma’s torso with Yuki’s help hoisting him up.
Not too long after, the shrine maiden finished tending to Ryoma’s wound. She looked at him and said, “I hope you won’t mind me borrowing your weapon.” Then, she unsheathed his katana and used its edge to cut the wrapping, tucking the loose end firmly into the layers. “That should do it.” She said, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must be going now.”
Yuki didn’t hesitate this time, however, and blurted out, “Wait a minute!” Such audacity caught both him and the shrine maiden off-guard. “Sorry,” he said, “I didn’t mean to talk to you so brusquely. But, please, before you go, Ryoma and I wanted to at least know your name and where we could find you. He’s been desperately hoping that he could thank you for saving him, but we never knew where you were going or even what to call you. So please, would you give me that information?”
The shrine maiden smiled weakly but genuinely and said, “Of course, Yuki. I wouldn’t mind you visiting me at my shrine at all. I could use another friend or two right now, anyway.” She drifted off at the tail end of her sentence and looked down, lost in thought. Then, however, she jolted back upright and turned her attention once more to the kappa. She said, “My name is Himiko Hoshi. It’s a pleasure to formally meet you, Yuki.”
“Likewise.” Yuki said. Himiko then gave him directions on where to find her shrine and finally said, “Now, I really must be going. Take care, Yuki, and be sure to visit me as soon as Ryoma wakes up.” He nodded, and so, she departed for her shrine, leaving Yuki to sit and bask in the rising sun, waiting for the samurai to recover.