The True One

The pain she felt was oddly familiar. It stung like an old friend, almost comforting in some ways. The cold numbness still kept her until nothing was left. Empty and blank as the winter sky. Tears had long been dried up, the earth taking them long before this. She was truly and utterly alone. Even the goddess left her. 

She swayed with the movement of Pinecone, her hair tangled and caught in her clothes. The tribe moved in silence, mourning with her, yet also ignoring that pain that hung over them all. Another loss, another day. To most here, it was simply another name they would mutter in their prayers. To Kaeruko however, her whole world had vanished. Renatsu did his best to look for them. She knew that deep down. The scouts had looked far and wide, risking running into the chaos marching ever-steadily towards them. Yet no signs of them. Not a piece of clothing, a strand of hair, nothing. Familiar pain. It was all familiar now. 

"Poor thing… I cannot imagine how hard this is for her." Himeko whispered to her husband, holding onto a sleeping Chihiro as they walked. Hitsugaiya had carried Kaeruko back after her fruitless search. She had passed out from exhaustion. Of course, nobody blamed her or even dared to question why she did what she did. She had nothing left after all, and out of them all, the goddess truly had forsaken her. Himeko did her best to take care of her, of course. But there was only so much one could do to mend a heart so broken and empty. 

"She will survive. She is not one to accept pity. She will mourn and we will be there for her, however it is degrading to pity her too much Hime." Hitsugaiya said stoically, looking forward towards the white-scape in front of them. They were escaping from the woods sooner than anticipated. It had only taken a week rather than the three weeks they thought it would take. Whispers were that the priestess had sacrificed Kumako, an offering to ensure the rest of them got out safely. Others suggested that the woods took them and pushed the rest of them out as soon as possible. Whatever force was behind their quick escape, Everyone was thankful for Kumako's sacrifice. No one would say that to Kaeruko's face, but she knew very well that was how people left. She was no fool, and Hitsugaiya knew as much. 

"It seems so cold to just leave her be. Her mother and father were killed by chaos, and now her only sibling was taken…" 

"Hime." He warned, his voice quiet so as not to wake Chihiro. "She will be okay. She knows we are here for her, and she will come around when she is ready." 

"I suppose so…" Himeko glanced back towards Kaeruko, hoping to see some signs of life in her eyes. Yet nothing was there still, unchanged from when she first awoke after that fateful night. "Do you truly think that Kumako is the reason for our escape?" 

"I don't know. I hope not, to be frank. It would be cruel if the goddess was asking for any more sacrifices. We have given so much already. It would almost be cruel if such a senseless death was just to appease a goddess who cares not for us." 

"I suppose that is true. I just wish there was some way we could comfort Kaeruko.." 

Silence fell over the group once more. The area ahead of them was clear, though it was obvious that it once belonged to humanity. Remnants of homes and stone outlines littered the ground, relics of a former life no doubt waiting to get found. It was an ideal location to settle and regroup. It was far enough from the chaos that they would be safe for a time. The blessing of escaping the woods was enough to maintain them for a bit. 

"Everyone set up here. We will secure the borders. Tonight we will come together to mourn the loss of Kumako." Renatsu announced in a booming voice. It was an act, of course. His heart was broken, as much as any one heart could handle. He had failed, and that failure was the beginning chapter of his leadership. A promise hummed around in his head, one that he now knew would never be fulfilled. The tribe hustled about quickly. A lot of work had to be completed before nightfall. Yurtas were to be set up, meals cooked, sheows settled and fences built to ensure they were safe. Children ran around, exploring the safe area as the priestess went around the rim of their new temporary home, blessing the area so that there would be some protection from the dangers of the outside world. Fire were lit, and soon a small town was built upon the corpse of the old one. Sheow greedily ate their hay, happy to finally have the weight off of their backs. Kaeruko aided Himeko and Hitsugaiya in establishing their yurta. It was decided without a word that she would stay with them. There was no point to waste materials for her own yurta, after all. She did not speak a word the whole time. 

By nightfall, the area was brimming with life. The smell of meat cooking and music being played seemed to warm the very soil of the earth itself. Snow melted and yet the ground was not wet and muddy, but firm and dry. Himeko handed Kaeruko a bowl filled with soup. A warm broth made from sheow bone, boiled until nothing was left. Inside the broth was hearty potatoes that one of the scouts had found, carrots, and onion alongside with sheow meat cut into small cubes. It was seasoned with garlic and rosemary. Kaeruko looked down at the soup, holding its warmth close to herself. 

"This is a lot… are you sure we should eat this much?" Kaeru asked. Himeko looked down at her in surprise, however that soon melted into a warm smile. 

"Do not worry about that. Eat up. After traveling, we need our strength." She said, bending down and kissing her forehead affectionately. She then sat down herself and sighed deeply, enjoying the meal as well. 

"Kaerukone! Are you talking again?" Chihiro asked eagerly, jumping up and running over to her. Hitsugaiya went to scold his daughter, however Kaeru placed the bowl down and opened her arms for her, embracing her warmly. 

"Sorry it took me so long. I didn't mean to worry you, little one." Kaeru said as Chihiro kissed her cheek affectionately. "Sometimes it just takes awhile for adults to think. That is all. Go eat your dinner now. Your mother worked hard on it." Chihiro nodded and happily went to eat her soup. 

"That's okay, Kaerukone. Sometimes it happens." The young one reassured, with a mouthful of potato. 

"I am sorry for being a burden to you both as well. Thank you for taking care of me during this." Kaeruko said softly. Himeko however shook her head. 

"Do not apologize, you are not a burden at all. You are family, Kaeru. We are here for you, always." Hitsugaiya said firmly. "Now eat up. It will be a late night tonight, and you will need your strength." 

They ate together in a comfortable silence. The fire seemed extra warm, and the soup extra tasty. The potatoes were soft, and the meat almost melted in the mouth. It was seasoned to perfection. 

"Rosemary represents peace and relief from stress, the scent enough to relax even the most tense of times. Garlic represents a ward from evil and strength, as you can taste within the strength of its flavor. Potatoes are from the earth, a sign of stability. Carrots for clarity and color. A simple yet effective soup. I am impressed, Himeko." A familiar voice came from behind Kaeruko. She looked back in surprise, to see the priestess standing behind her. "Apologies. I snuck up on you, didn't I? I got so engrossed in this wonderful soup that dear Himeko had made. Is this recipe from your grandmother?" The priestess asked with a gentle smile. 

"Yes, priestess. Thank you for your compliments, I am deeply honored." Himeko said, bowing her head in reverence as was standard. "I am surprised by your visit… I would assume--" 

"That I would be busy preparing for Kumako's ceremony of passing. Yes, I am aware. I came to collect Kaeruko to prepare her for the ceremony, as well as to thank you all for taking her in. We are all family, and you bring great honor to our tribe through your kindness and understanding." The priestess bowed before placing a hand on Kaeruko's shoulder. "You may bring your food with you. I am afraid this cannot wait. I will see you all at the ceremony." She bowed again and seemed to disappear without a sound. Kaeruko looked at Hitsugaiya and Himeko. She wanted to say something, yet the words could not take shape in her mind. She stood up and took her bowl with her outside, where the priestess was waiting. They walked together silently to the center of town, inside of the tera. Kaeruko hesitated for only a moment at the entrance. The red gate created looming monstrously over her head as she stepped inside. 

The tera was beautiful. Golden silks and jade statues laid across the altar shone in the glowing candlelight. Offerings of rice wine and plums in ornate bowls. To the side was a large shelf, filled to the brim with plants, herbs, and other items Kaeruko could not quite place a name to. The priestess prayed before the altar for a moment before she turned to Kaeruko and removed her hood. Perhaps for the first time Kaeruko looked the priestess in the eyes. 

She looked ageless. No lines creased her amber eyes. Her hair was dark and silky, woven into a beautiful plait that Kaeruko could not figure out how it was managed. Her lips were pale and pink, and her nose was a bit long and flat at the end. She was beautiful. The red tattoos that Kaeru had seen many times before no longer seemed to glow or radiate with mystic power, but just seemed like normal tattoos carved into her skin. She seemed like a stranger, yet also like a dear friend she had known all her life. 

"You seem surprised. This may be the first time you have looked at me so closely." The priestess giggled, a sound that Kaeruko never thought she would hear from that hooded figure. 

"It is, priestess… I do not think that I have ever been able to look at your face… I always thought you'd be--" 

"Older, wrinkled, and wise looking? Graceful in age and stature. Of course you would." The priestess motioned towards the bowl Kaeruko was holding. "Eat up. Before it gets cold. I have to speak with you, so it would be better for you to just listen anyways." Kaeru spoke not a word after that and began to eat, staring only at the holy figure glowing in the light. 

"I want to begin with something that perhaps may be quite obvious to you. The fact that we escaped those forsaken woods so quickly was directly the result of your younger sibling disappearing." The words stung at Kaeruko's heart. Yet she did not stop eating. "Kumako disappeared and seemingly left no trace, at least, that is what everyone believes. In reality that is not true. They left a trail that was as easy for me to follow as crumbs left by a child." Her heart was beating faster now. "Unfortunately, they were in a place unreachable by any of us. I felt it necessary to tell you that truth, given what tonight's ceremony will do. Please believe if we could have gotten them back, we would have. The next truth I must impart on you is that the ceremony we are conducting tonight is not that of a lost soul. I wish I could tell you more, however the potency of the magic will die if I do so. You will come to understand it soon however, and I ask that you take what happens with open arms." She walked closer to Kaeruko. "Lastly… Kaeruko, I want you to know my real name. My name is Kaminoko." 

"Kaminoko… The goddess child…?" Kaeru felt as if in a haze. Words spun and spun into a blur in her mind. Nothing made sense. The soup was warm. 

"Very good, but not quite. I am not a goddess. I am but a child of the goddess in name. My body and soul are very human, as you have seen. I bleed as anyone else would. The tattoos laid upon my body were the goddess's gift to me, so that I could see what others could not. I am one with the magic laid in the earth and sky. I can see the souls of our tribe, the souls of the trees surrounding us, the very essence of everything in this world. I am not telling you this to confuse you, child frog. Within the names we are given a blessing, a strength. From my naming I was chosen to be a priestess. Although, unlike my name, your name is not truly yours." 

Silence. The clink of the spoon against the soup bowl. She ate the last potato, chewing carefully before bringing the bowl to her lips and drinking the broth. She placed the bowl down and clumsily wiped her face with her sleeve. She did not look up or speak a word. 

"Kaeruko… I am sorry to bear such news to you." More silence followed. "I perhaps should explain more… Your name is Kaeruko, on a surface level. However unlike most of us, your name is not engraved upon your soul. You were born without a name, as was your sibling. Your parents gave you these names as a way to fill that void, in hopes you both could find your happiness within our tribe, within this life. Yet it seems as if the goddess has other plans." 

"What does this have to do with anything? Not to be rude, but I do not care about names or whatever it is you are prattling on about. I care about my younger sibling who is gone." Kaeruko spat, a sudden fire shining in her eyes. "They are dead! Mom and Dad are dead! Everyone I care about is gone and you mutter stupid nonsense as if that will help! I don't care about any of that, and I don't care about the stupid goddess who left us to suffer! Our tribe is dying, don't you see? We are all dying at the hands of her selfishness. Chaos is coming, it is coming faster than we can run away! Grandpa Jaino died trying to fight it! Don't pretend he didn't, we all know the truth! We all know that you are playing this game, trying to hide the truth from us all but I am not stupid! Uncle Renatsu knows too, he knows he is going to die soon as well because there is nothing any of us can do to stop this! Fuck." Kaeruko collapsed on the ground, tears falling down her face then. It came like a flood, unleashing all of the pain, frustration, anger, fear that she had felt since her father was killed. "Kuma… Kuma is gone. I failed…" Suddenly arms wrapped around her. The priestess smiled warmly at her, petting her head. 

"Oh my dear… This must have been so scary, so lonely. You know so little. You may not understand it now, however you were created for something so much grander than what you think. Your entire family is so much more than what you have been led to believe thus far. The goddess has chosen you and your family as her conduits. You are holy, as holy as I am. Perhaps even more so." Kaeruko sobbed into her, grabbing onto her robes desperately. 

"Kuma… Where is kuma… What happened to them…" She cried. Crying and crying so desperately. 

-

"Dearest family. We have gathered here today to pray that our family member, Kumako, is taken into the arms of the goddess." Her voice once again was that of bells and chimes in the wind. Kaeruko stood next to her, staring blankly out at the crowd, with the blessed robes placed over her head and hiding her face from the hungry searching eyes of her tribe. Snow did not fall, but rain soaked her robe through to her very bones. 

Suddenly she felt warm. The chill left her, melting and warping into a searing heat. She wanted to scream, yet her throat was dry, as if all of the moisture in her mouth was gone. She blindly reached out, desperately for a familiar hand. In the same moment it was like she was plunged deep into water. It was salty, and burned her eyes and lungs. She tried to move, yet she was pushing against a force she could not win against. She fell, she was falling deeper and deeper until she felt something wrap around her feet. She was pulled down, faster than she could react. Then she could breathe again. She gasped for breath, coughing out water and clinging to the solid ground that appeared beneath her. She opened her eyes, looking for who had saved her. Yet in front of her stood a completely unfamiliar figure.

"What a clumsy way to come here." The boy before her said. He was small, but Kaeruko couldn't quite make out his features. "You almost drowned. You should thank me for saving you, human." He said, huffing deeply and sitting down on the ground. Now that she was closer, Kaeru could see he had a strange black spot over his eye and almost lavender colored hair. She had never seen someone who looked like this. "Go on, say thank you. Unless you cannot understand me. That would be pathetic." 

"Thank you." Kaeruko wheezed out, feeling her voice strain from the pain. The boy smiled down at her. 

"Good human. I am glad that you have come to your senses. So, why have you come here?" He said, tapping his knee impatiently. 

"Where..?" Kaeru began to ask before she found herself coughing again. It hurt so much. As if a light had gone off, the girl's eyes widened. They were lavender as well. 

"Oh my… did you end up here by accident? That is rather unfortunate for you… Well… You are lucky that I am the one who found you. Stand up." He ordered, and Kaeru found herself standing up without having a say of her own. "My name is Inga. I am an all powerful spirit who is here to help. I love humans you see, love love love them! You are all so funny and pathetic." He twirled as she said that, though there was something unnatural about the way that he moved. "You are strange though. Most humans don't just end up here on their own. Someone must have sent you, even if you are unaware." He spoke confidently. His voice was almost whiny, but it was not annoying. It almost sounded like a whistle without the breath. 

"I don't know how I got here… I don't know anything." Kaeru said, wanting to cry. She had no tears left, but that did not change the urge she felt from the bottom of her soul. Inga walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her. 

"I see… You truly pathetic thing… You are very warm." He said suddenly, cuddling up closer to her. Kaeru looked down at the smaller spirit, eventually wrapping her arms around him. It was comforting. It almost felt like Kuma was there… "There, there, human. Inga will help you out, so please do not be sad." 

"Can you really help…?" Kaeru asked, her voice suddenly feeling better. It was like with that hug, she was whole again. She felt strong, as if the trauma her poor had just been through was taken from her. Inga smiled a toothy grin. He stepped back and bowed, as if he was about to put on some grand show for her and only her. 

"Of course! At a price, naturally. I cannot do anything for free. Rather, I really don't like to. Just consider my little gift of healing to be a show of what I am capable of." He smiled proudly. "Just name what it is you would like and I will give you my price." 

"My sibling… Kumako. I need to find them again. Can you help me? Everyone has given up but… but…" 

"You feel they are alive? Well this is boring. You don't really need my help with that. They are coming back to you on their own. Something else. Give me something else to do!" Inga whined, looking annoyed. Kaeru however felt nothing but relief. Kuma was alive…. For some reason, when this spirit spoke it was the truth. There was no way around that. It was the absolute truth. She thought, for no certain amount of time before suddenly it hit her. 

"I want you to help us defeat the chaos that is killing us all." She said, confidence filling her voice like it never had before. Inga stopped his tantrum and grinned. He then laughed, loudly to the point of almost hurting her ears. 

"What a grand request! Oh that sounds like so much fun. I will help you, human. My only request for payment is that I can travel with you. Does that seem fair?" 

"That is more than fair." Kaeru nodded. Inga grinned and suddenly raised his hand. 

"Very well. The pact shall be sealed in blood then. I'll be sending you back now. You will always find me nearby. Bye bye, Kaeru~" He said, as his hand shot through Kaeru's stomach. 

-

When Kaeru awoke she was warm. It was comfortable and quiet. She really did not want to get up, even as voices around her seemed to force her from her comfortable sleep. She found herself sighing deeply, stirring just a bit before memories seemed to come flooding back. She shot up, eyes wide and a fevered daze washed over her cheeks. She felt sick. Her body ached and shivered once the warmth of the blankets left her, and she no longer could tell if she was okay or not. Nothing seemed real. Everything swam around her, mixing and moving unnaturally. A voice called out near her. It took a second for it to become clear. 

"..ru… Kaeru… KAERU!" Suddenly she looked over to the voice that spoke to her. Renatsu was sitting next to her, holding her hand tightly as if he had been worried. He looked tired, his eyes surrounded by dark circles and his face seeming to droop more than normal. "Oh thank the goddess you are finally awake, Kaeruko… You had us all very worried." He said, hugging her tightly. Although, she didn't feel as if she could really respond to him. She had little idea as to what was going on. Last thing she remembered was that strange boy, and the searing pain going through her chest. It was hard to tell if that had been real or not, although she supposed it didn't matter. She was here, at home, with her family. At least, with one of her family members. 

"What happened? I cannot really remember anything too clearly. I feel sick.." She muttered, and Renatsu handed her a cold cup of water. She took it and drank quickly. It felt nice, the cool water sliding down her throat as if she hadn't had anything to drink in months. She had almost forgotten how much she loved the taste of cold water. 

"You passed out during the ceremony. Came up with a high fever. We almost lost you… The priestess has been here with you everyday since. It's been nearly a week since you last woke up." He said, sighing deeply. A week had passed. It was odd to think about. So much time had fluttered by, and yet she barely felt as if any time had passed at all. That dream… it felt so real. At least, she thought it may have been a dream. It was hard to say now. Could she have come up with such a violent and scary place? She sincerely hoped not. To return to a dream like that would be hellish. Suddenly, a detail stuck out to her. 

"Last woke up? I woke up before this..?" She asked, tilting her head slightly in question. 

"Yes." The priestess walked up to her then, pressing a wet and cold cloth to her head. "You woke up screaming for Kumako. I do not think that you were truly awake though. At least, it certainly did not seem like you were really with us. We gave you some herbs to calm you down and you slept for another week." 

"So I have been sleeping for nearly two weeks…" That was a long time to be out. She couldn't imagine anyone sleeping for that long… or living to tell the tale. She bowed her head down, ready to thank them for the care they gave her until she realized that was a bad idea. She was far too dizzy to bend down to give thanks. "Thank you.. I can't believe it… It does not feel like I slept for two weeks." 

"That is because this was not a natural sleep, my dear. But do not worry about that now. You are awake, and that is all that matters. You should continue to rest up as much as you can. You will need your strength in the coming days. Would you like something to eat? We have rice prepared. It is a bit cold, but that might be easier for you to eat anyways." The priestess offered a bowl of cold rice sitting next to her. Kaeruko nodded and reached her hands out. Suddenly however she paused. Her skin.. It was covered in something. She strained her eyes, looking at her arm carefully. It looked like.. 

"So you finally noticed that. You have been marked, like I have. Though it is not exactly the same, it seems as though a spirit saved you. You are quite lucky. Most would have died if they were in your position. A spirit's energy is coursing through your veins now, and you have come out the other side of it stronger." The priestess smiled warmly. "Or rather, in less fancy terms, you are a priestess like I am now! How lucky, yes?" 

Kaeruko certainly did not feel lucky or like she could comprehend half of what was being said to her right now. All that mattered was that rice in that bowl, and the fact that she desperately wanted more of that water. Perhaps it had been a dream, or perhaps there had been some truth in what had happened. That spirit.. Inga, had he truly saved her? She remembered the promise that was made between them. She promised him that he could come to the human realm, in exchange for the ability to fight the chaos. It seemed to click so easily in her head then. She had fulfilled her end of the bargain. Now, he was here, somewhere. He was in the human world as she was, and he would help them defeat the chaos. She quickly ate her rice, thinking long and hard about everything. If this was true… then she truly did have a lot of work to do. Once she finished her fill of food and took a deep breath. Her long hair felt as itchy and gross on her back. She needed to bathe desperately. 

"Can you draw me a bath? I feel so gross.." She asked, rather nicely. The priestess nodded and went off to have someone make a bathe for her. Renatsu looked carefully down at his niece, unsure of what to say. So much had happened and yet… she seemed renewed. Though tired and barely awake, she had an energy around her that was hard to name. He felt oddly small next to her. "What's wrong?" 

"Ah, sorry. I suppose I am just a bit tired. I am glad you are feeling better now. You had me scared for a little while there." Renatsu laughed, although something about his laughter seemed more hollow than normal. 

"I am sorry. I did not mean to worry you." She said, smiling calmly before she reached her hand out, asking to be helped up. Her arm was covered in markings of light purple. Swirling gracefully down her arm, the edges seemed to float almost like butterflies. "Let me take a bath, and then I will explain what happened as best I can. I am sure Kaminoko would like to hear about it as well." Renatsu was taken aback at hearing the priestess's name. It was not common practice to use such a sacred name so openly. Kaeruko was a bit shocked herself, however it seemed far more natural. They were equals now. She had a right to use her name. At least, it felt like she had this right from deep within her soul. 

"Sure. That sounds good." Renatsu helped her towards the outside of the yurta. Nobody was around at the moment, despite the sun being high in the sky. Kaeru did not doubt they were afraid that whatever she had been sick with was spreadable. They had already lost too many people to illness. It made sense that they would not want to risk losing anyone else. Renatsu walked her towards the bathhouse. It was empty, and rather steamy. In the water an arrangement of flowers and the like floated peacefully. It smelt nice, like lavender. Kaeru wasn't sure she had ever seen the bathhouse look so… well, nice. 

"I prepared it for you, special." Kaminoko said, smiling and extending her hand towards her. "Renatsu, I will ask that you step out. We have to talk for a bit." Renatsu nodded and backed away, glancing only once more at the two before he disappeared outside. Kaminoko walked up to Kaeruko and took her hands, pulling her closer. She quietly undressed her, and then helped her step into the bath. The moment her body became submerged under the water, Kaeru sighed. The markings on her body began to glow, ever so gently. It should have been surprising, but Kaeru almost expected it. Now that she could see it properly, her entire body was covered. Swirls and butterflies came together, circling around her stomach and extending back towards her legs. They were different from Kaminnoko's marks, which were far more jagged and geometric. 

"Thank you. This is nice." She said, looking up at Kaminoko who had undressed herself and entered into the bath as well. 

"Of course.. You seem calm. Calmer than I expected." 

"I… feel as if I expected this to happen. I cannot quite explain it, but none of this is really surprising. So much has happened, so perhaps I am just used to the strange and unexpected." Kaeru laughed a bit, circling her finger around a chamomile flower floating at the surface of the water. 

"That makes sense…. You have been through a lot. I admire you for how gracefully you are handling this. Yet I also am a bit jealous. My own ascension… it was far less pretty." Kaminoko mused, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. "These marks appeared on my skin via burning. It hurt for months, and I could not speak or move for almost a year. Once I awoke fully, I was a mess. Yet you have come back from it as if nothing happened." 

"Ascension… Is that what this is called?" 

"Oh, yes. I should explain. The binding of a spirit to you is called ascension. It turns your body into a celestial vessel. We ourselves are not spirits, but we have the capabilities to emulate the spirit in which we have been bonded. It also means we are closer to the goddess, as she is the lord of spirits. The marks on your body is proof of that bond you now have. You are lucky… many die in the process, and yet you walked through it as if it were nothing." Kaminoko giggled a bit, as if she was a child gossiping with her dear friend. She looked… more human now. Far less mystical than she had previously. It truly felt like suddenly they were equals, true equals. 

"I am not quite sure how it happened, but I am glad that it took such a short amount of time. I have far too much to do." She mused, sinking deeper into the warm water. "The chaos isn't going to stop on its own. We have to fight it. You know that, don't you." 

"Unfortunately, I do. Why bring that up however? I surely thought you would be more worried about Kumako." Neither woman moved much as they spoke. 

"They will come back on their own. I do not have to worry about them. What we do have to worry about is the chaos that is creeping closer to us everyday. We are ill prepared to fight against it as we are now. That must change." She suddenly sat up, her eyes gleaming with determination. "I am going to prepare our tribe for the war that is coming. We will survive it and come out victorious. The time for running away has stopped." 

"It seems as if you have a plan." Kaminoko smiled. 

"I do. Will you be able to let me lead us?" Kaeruko asked. A moment of quiet settled between them. 

"Yes. I do think we will be able to do that." 

"Thank you." 

"Did you find your name?" A pause. 

"No. Not yet." 

"I see. Well, rest for now. Here, let me help you wash up. We will get you ready for the tribe to see."