Will Always Be There

Ch. III

The rain was pouring hard. They had to stop and take shelter and try to wait it out. Well, Dororo and (name) did anyway. Hyakkimaru ended up standing out in the rain. They only hoped that he wouldn't get sick from it later on.

"Stop staring, you'll creep her out" (name) whispered. She was sitting under the roof of a shrine with her hands on her cheeks, her elbows resting on her knees. Staring at Hyakkimaru.

Dororo, who had been sitting next to her, was staring at a woman who had stopped by to pray. "You're one to talk, you're staring at him" Dororo whispered back.

"Um, you there" the woman called

They both glanced at the girl and noticed that she called out to their companion in the rain.

"Give it up" Dororo stopped her, "he can't hear a word you're saying. He's deaf"

"He's been standing there for half an hour now" (name) said, still not taking her eyes off him

"He's as wet as a drowned rat. He can catch a cold for all I care" Dororo said

"The rain" the lady said, "I think he's listening to the rain"

"Huh? I told you, he can't hear" Dororo said

"I just have a feeling"

(Name) glanced at the girl then turned her gaze back at Hyakkimaru, 'she's wrong' she thought, 'she obviously doesn't know this, but he recently got his sense of feeling back. Which means he's feeling the rain hit his skin for the first time ever. It must feel strange to him'

"You're from a rich family, aren't ya?" Dororo asked making the girl look at him, "pretty words with a lady-like face, you're not some country girl. I'm right aren't I?" He laughed

"Well...The past is the past. I'm just another peddler now" she answered

"Hmm, whatever" (y/n) looked over at the two, "hey, what were you praying so hard about just now?Good business?"

The girl returned to her praying position as she said, "I was praying that my brother would come home soon"

"Where'd he go?"

"To fight a war. It's been 5 years now"

"5 years? If it's been that long, he's probably-"

"Shh!" (Y/n) shushed them when she heard someone gasping and groaning. They looked over to see a man struggling to walk before he fell forward.

Dororo and (y/n) ran to see what had happened. When the (h/c) saw the blood she stopped Dororo but he managed to see the giant slash on the man's back.

"Oh no" (y/n) muttered

"Where are you going?!" Dororo yelled. The girl turned to see Hyakkimaru ran off into the trees.

"Let's go! he'll be slow if he gets hurt now" (y/n) said as she pulled Dororo along, ignoring the call of the girl from the shrine.

"Look he stopped" Dororo said as they saw him in front of them, "why'd you run off?"

"Dororo..." (y/n) whispered

The boy looked up at his sister and saw that her eyes were wide with horror. He looked ahead and gasped. In front of them, laid many bodies. All covered in blood.

"What is this?" Dororo gasped backing away, "how could anyone do such a thing?"

(Y/n) then heard a thump next to her and then someone jumped from behind a tree, sword ready to swing. Luckily, Hyakkimaru blocked it. (Y/n) and Dororo jumped back.