Hospitality of the Northern Dragon (Zhuo Jina)

[Chimosa Hake]

The wind and snow were cutting right through his clothes as the wanderer pushed on. Every step came at great difficulty as he forced himself further on. He had long passed his second wind, third wind and the end of his endurance. Chimosa Hake was tightly wrapped into a cloak that protected him from some of the cold but wasn't nearly enough to keep him warm to survive. Shivering underneath his customary robes and wrapped in his cloak, Hake pushed further into the blizzard.

They had been on route to Ashina, on the border of Dewa and Mutsu. Things had gone quite well and the trade agreement had been signed. Shimotsuke would trade their rice for Ashina's winter cloths and furs. Everyone was happy and both parties had left satisfied. Hake had been present only because of his recent run in with one of the Daimyo's retainers, who had put together the group that would double as trade envoy. On the way back from Ashina, they had been hit by a sudden blizzard and Hake was cut off from the rest of the group. Not knowing where he was or how safe he was, he had headed straight south until another blizzard had pushed him of course again.

Now, with visibility to a minimum and already two days passed, Hake had no clue where he was. His horse had died right under him at some point, Hake had slept in a cave for a few hours hoping the blizzard would end but had pushed on again once the morning had come, or at least, once he had stopped being able to sleep. His nose and lips were frozen and starting to turn blue and it was difficult to distinguish between Hake's pale skin and the snow that was covering it. Completely alone, unaware of his own location or the direction in which he was going and most likely in the middle of bandit territory, Hake was terribly afraid.

If tears didn't freeze right in the corner of his eyes, he would have been crying, weeping unashamed at his own predicament. Yes, life had not been easy before for Hake and he had to survive, but he had friends and people who were there to help him through it. But now there was nobody but the mother wind and father snow to slowly whittle away at the last of his physical reserves. As he lifted his foot up to try another step, the snow seemed too strong to push aside and Hake's foot was caught behind it. Overbalanced, Hake simply collapsed forward in the snow with a soft thud. More exhausted than ever, Hake was cold, but only for a moment, then warmth started to come over him as he passed out.

[Zhuo Jina]

The blizzard had come on so fast that Jina wasn't completely prepared. She had been out on patrol for a few days when the storm kicked up and had taken refuge in a citizens home for a night. Being a part of the Date had some serious advantages. Luckily, the home had a horse stable, since the family kept horses of their own so Huī had a place to keep warm.

When the sky brightened, presumably from the sunrise, Jina knew that she had to continue with her patrols. Even in weather like this, she knew they could be expecting guests, welcomed or not. She decided to leave Huī and return for him later, leaving the family with some money to take care of him for the time being, giving her name to them so they could get in touch with her if she couldn't find the home again.

She wasn't far off course from her regular patrols, but it was still a struggle during a storm like this. She had been out in the cold for an hour when a few feet in front of her, she saw a piece of cloth which was darker than the snow.

As she approached, she could see that it wasn't a piece of cloth, but a whole person! Jina gasped, letting freezing air rush into her lungs. She hurried through the snow, her attempted speed actually slowing the motion.

Jina pushed her arms beneath the body and, taking most of her strength, pulled it from the snow into her lap. It was a man, she thought, but his skin was frosty and his lips were a purple color. He didn't move when she rolled him, but could feel his heart beating lightly against her arm.

She knew that the man didn't have much time. It was then that she was glad she had done those training exercises to increase her strength. Jina hauled the man onto her back as the blizzard whipped around her. The wind stung her face, and her breath was heavy. 

Scared to lose him, she headed straight back for the house. Only once did she fall, but she didn't stop for more than a moment. It wasn't more than 45 minutes, walking with the wind, did she come upon the smell of a fire.

Picking up her pace, Jina hurried to the door of the home and knocked with her food, not even bothering to put the man down. The man of the house opened the door and his mouth fell open.

"May I bring him in?" Jina's breathing was labored and once the man nodded, she rushed inside. She wet the floor with the snow falling from her body, and his. She laid him next to the fire, still unmoving.

She sighed and just waited for what seemed like hours. She didn't move from his side but instead asked the mother to bring hot cloths and to prepare rice when he awoke. She assured them that they would receive proper compensation when the storm passed, but it seemed that they had no concern for the money.

[Chimosa Hake]

Hake registered, at some level of consciousness, that he was being moved. Some bear was most likely nibbling away at him and it was moving him. Or his dead body was being stored in a cave as bear dessert later on. It mattered not to the pale and exhausted man. His body was already beyond help and he would never walk under the sun again. Behind his eyelids, the light changed and things became brighter. He was going towards heaven now, the end of all things good, according to the foreign priests. Hake remained motionless as he picked up words but didn't register them.

His body was basking in a hot glow and he could feel the hard surface underneath his body. If this was the heaven of all good the priests spoke of, it wasn't very comfortable. In front of the fire, registering how the temperature of his body was far from the warmth that came from the light before him, the raven haired man started shivering. His teeth clattered together as he tried to wrap himself around himself. To Jina, it would look only like small movements but both were signs of life. The warmth of the fire was starting to thaw what ice had formed on Hake's face and the droplets ran down his face to the ground.

His forehead felt wet and warm and he could feel how the cold ice was being removed from his face by the warmth that moved over him. His eyes cracked open, barely more than a slit and he saw the flickering movement of the light before him. It took him a while to register it was fire, rather than lights moving around in front of him. Fire didn't sound like much of a heavenly thing. His eyes opened a little further and his vision extended beyond the flames to the wall around the hearth and some of the items that always accompanied a fire. Quietly, barely more than a whisper, Hake opened his mouth. "Thank you."

This single whisper, aimed at the fire more-so than at anyone who might be near him, required most of Hake's energy and he fell asleep again. But if whoever had made the fire had been close enough they would know Hake wasn't about to die yet, although he would need to be warmed up more. There was always a chance for him to die in his sleep if he remained too cold, even in front of a fire. It wasn't unheard of for people to freeze in front of a fire, if things were bad enough as they were.

[Zhuo Jina]

The shock of hearing the frozen man speak brought Jina to her feet. She quickly began speaking back but noticed that the man had fallen back asleep. Knowing that she had to work fast, she had the family gather all of the cloth, blankets and other warming objects to her.

She stripped the man of the now-wet clothes and began to layer cloth after cloth after blanket on top of him. She panicked as she worked and hoped that the "thank you" was not the man's dying words. When there seemed sufficient coverage, almost 4 inches of warming blankets, she stopped. Finally, she asked the family for a single pillow and took the last blanket and began resting next to the man.

Hoping that she would have revived him with the heat, Jina's eyes fluttered to sleep. It must be well past dark by now and though she was scared that she wouldn't be there if the man did pass, she couldn't stop her body.

Her shallow breathing was interrupted once as she awoke to the fire collapsing on itself. It had burned fairly low and she threw a few more logs on it. After doing this, she checked the man. He was breathing. That was good. His skin had begun to get it's color back and his lips were more pink than blue. All good signs.

[Chimosa Hake]

It was nice and hot now, where Hake was. He remained asleep for a long time before ever opening his eyes, but his breathing remained steady. By the time the fire crackled, Hake managed to open his eyes long enough to understand he was somewhere near a fire, most likely in a house. Somehow, he felt like he had seen these things already once before. When a person came closer to look on him, Hake tried to focus on them. "Water." If it was brought to him he would take a few sips and fall back asleep.

His dreams were filled with white falling from above him and pooling up below him. Then the white massed together into a giant bear that took Hake's leg in his mouth and tugged him backwards towards a dark spot in the white. Both snow-bear and Hake disappeared in the darkness and started falling. As they fell, the warmth became hotter and hotter and then unbearable as it started to burn at Hake's skin. In his dream, he screamed in pain.

While usually a very talkative person, Hake's brush with death and exhaustion kept him asleep again for several hours as his skin returned to its normal, sickly pale, color. He shifted in his sleep a few times due to his dreams, another good sign since normally frozen people don't move around, and finally woke up again with a sudden scream of pain, finding himself staring at the roof of the building, sweating. His head was pounding and his entire body felt sweaty and wet. But the fire had only been a dream. Wondering where he was and how he had gotten there, Hake made an attempt at sitting up which resulted in some grunting and no movement what so ever.

"Hello?" Hake spoke, unsure if anyone was even there. His limited field of vision allowed him to see the roof, the fireplace and the wall opposite the fireplace. The rest of the room was beyond his weakened body's ability to see.

[Zhuo Jina]

When the man had asked for water, Jina had given him a few sips before he fell back asleep. She sighed, but he was speaking and that was good news. She was much less worried at this point.

The man slept for several more hours before she heard him speak again, "Hello?" She once again rushed over to him, moving her body into his vision.

"Yes? Yes I'm here. Do you need anything?" She pulled a few of the blankets off and put her hand near his neck. "I'm going to check your liveliness" She meant heartbeat, but since she wasn't trained in medicine, only knew it by a common name. Her mother had often done this as a child, usually to see if Jina was feeling fear, strength or weakness. His pulse felt stronger than the last time she checked, and she relaxed once more. She smiled, "You're doing well."

[Chimosa Hake]

Hake was glad to see another person. It did help to reassure him of the state of him being dead. Things were better. "I'm...ok, thanks." The woman's hands were all over him the moment he seemed awake and the experience was a little disturbing, although not unpleasant. Hake waited for the woman to finish what she was doing and was glad to hear the woman deemed him 'well'. He didn't really feel like it, though. "Can I have some water?" Once again he drank a little of the water presented to him and then slipped back into a recovering sleep.

A few hours later, Hake woke up again and looked around once more, taking in more details of the room. He managed to push himself up into a seated position this time, although it made his head spin when he did so. He wasn't sure if the spinning head came from his endeavor or from his physical state of being. Hake blinked several times as he did his best to recollect his memory of the past... what? How long had it been?

Hake waited, sitting up, for the person to come to check on him. Once she was with him, he would, albeit quietly, try to get some answers from the woman. "Where am I? I don't remember finding a house before collapsing. Did a bear bring me here? How long have I been out?" For a recently almost frozen to death person, Hake was glad to know he retained his ability to flood someone with questions when needed.

[Zhuo Jina]

After a few more hours, the man pushed himself into a seated position. His head swayed slightly for a moment, almost as if he were dizzy. He collected himself for a minute and Jina sat facing him during this time.

One he had recovered, he began bombarding her with questions. "Where am I? I don't remember finding a house before collapsing. Did a bear bring me here? How long have I been out?"

She grinned awkwardly at the question about the bear but continued to listen until the man seemed out of breath. "You're in the home of an unbelievably kind family. I found you half-dead while I went out for a patrol, you're very lucky. You've been here for three days, though you didn't move for almost two." After she finished answering, she stayed quiet. The man was probably in a bit of shock and she didn't want to rush him.

She sat there, twiddling with the hilt of her sword. She still had her defenses up even though this man was weak. She didn't know who he was, where he came from, or what he was capable of (even with this little strength).

It was then that she asked the wife to cook for the man. She happily obliged, bringing a steaming bowl of rice and beef to him. She told Jina to let her know if the man needed anything else. Jina once again thanked them for all that they are doing.

[Chimosa Hake]

Hake was surprised at the news. Three days? It had only seemed like a few hours to him. He remembered drinking some water at some point and he figured it must have been this lady helping him. "You saved my life then. Thank you for that. My name is Chimosa Hake and I'm in your debt. And in this family's debt." Hake tried to bow towards the woman but moving his head like that made things spin and he decided to lie down again, closing his eyes until his head stopped spinning. By the time he opened them again, he could smell the meat roasting on the fire. It brought water to his mouth.

"That smells delicious." Hake spoke softly in melodious tones as he accepted the food from the woman. Feeling his stomach rumble at the smell of food, Hake managed to use the chopsticks provided to eat the rice and the meat, taking only small bites at a time. He savored every bite of it, finding it tasted wonderful. Satisfied and with a full stomach, Hake lay himself back to rest, this time staring at the ceiling for a while before drifting off to sleep again.

------------------- Recovery timeskip --------------------

Two days later, Hake was walking around the room, albeit slowly, as he found himself back up to strength, for what limited strength he had. The family had taken care of him without asking any questions or demanding payment and Hake had accepted their kindness. Now, however, with the snowstorm having blown over, it was time for Hake to leave. "You mentioned you were on patrol, yes? That means you come from somewhere. Would you be able to guide me to civilization? I should be able to find my way from there, hopefully." Hake spoke to the woman who had saved him as he pulled on his boots and tied his hakama with the beige-brown waistband that kept it in place before pulling his robes over the whole package.

[Zhuo Jina]

"Yes, I am a swordsman for the army of the Oshu region, the Date. I was boarded here because of the storm too, and I am glad I found you. Before I take you anywhere..." She looked down at her swords and touched the demon pendant enlaid in the metal. "I need to know who you are, where you come from and why you were in Oshu."

Truthfully, she was fearful that she had saved an enemy of the Date and did not want to be reprimanded. That was something she was always terrified of, ever since she was a girl. 

She had saved him and he said that he was in her debt. He didn't seem to recognize the Date armor that she wore, but she realized that it was usually citizens who did. Any who did not live in Oshu appeared not to recognize that she was a member of the Date.

Jina looked back at Hake, her eyes showed her wariness. She was skeptical but his alibi seemed to fit, so far.

[Chimosa Hake]

Hake's eyes widened at the news of her being a Date soldier. He had gone north the whole time he thought he was going south. "I'm in Oshu?! He stood, perplexed, looking at the woman with the weapons. It didn't pass his attention that she was casually holding her weapons and that made him smile just a little. When he managed to gather his wits about him again, Hake spoke. "There is no need for those. I am a trade envoy from Shimotsuke to the Ashina territory. We were sent to broker a deal for our wares as the local market in Shimotsuke has already collapsed when it comes to our grain and rice. Once we left the Ashina lands, the blizzard came and I lost my friends in the storm. And then I lost my horse and a few hours after that, I think, you found me. There's no need to worry. I'm not a spy of any sort."

Hake waved that silly notion away as he smiled again at Jina. "I only ask for an escort to civilization. From there I will be able to make my way back to Shimotsuke and attend my own funeral. I hope they won't try to exorcise me when I arrive." Making light of a situation was usually not how people reacted when they learned they were being interrogated by an official from a Daimyo territory far up north from where they were supposed to be. But to Hake it was a simple decision. If he made fun of things, perhaps the soldier would see it that way as well.

If not, Hake's rescue would mean little as the woman would either arrest him and bring him in for questioning, which would most likely lead to Hake's death the moment they started or to kill him here, which would also lead to his death, making his earlier rescue a little useless. "I just need someone to point in the right direction, possible together with a caravan of well traveled people who can make sure I don't get lost again."

[Zhuo Jina]

"Lucky for you, you don't look like a warrior." She grinned widely and let go of her weapons. The man did not seem nervous at all and it didn't seem like he had anything to hide. There was a small sadness in her from hearing the news about his failed trading (and his proposed punishment). He seemed lighthearted about the whole situation, which was good news for him again.

She let go of her weapons and chuckled a bit. She was glad she had made the right decision in saving this man. "There's no need for you to continue on your own. While I cannot take you south from here, as that is not my patrol territory, I can take you to Yonezawa, the main city outside of the Date camp. From there, you are free to go."

She smiled at the man, glad that he was now at least given a chance to live. "If you are in danger of losing your life because of a trade mistake, I offer you the chance to go through Date training to see if you are fit for our faction. You seem intelligent, and as a small army, we welcome anyone willing to aid our cause."

[Chimosa Hake]

Hake couldn't help but chuckle at the remark about his warrior physique. If it came to it, Hake would lose in a physical contest against even a child or a woman. "Very perceptive, lady... I don't seem to recall your name. My apologies." Hake rubbed his temples with his hands, trying to determine if he had forgotten the woman's name or if he simply hadn't gotten it yet. He noticed the woman let go of her weapons and he let out a breath of relief. He hadn't planned on getting cut down over nothing like this.

"Yonezawa. I've heard the name before. That should be fine. I'll be able to find my way down south from there." Hake wrapped his robe around him and pulled over the thick fur cloak before walking to the door, opening it to let the cold wind in. Not wanting to freeze the good people of this home, he quickly stepped outside. The blizzard had stopped but the frosty winds remained. The ground was covered with a thick pack of snow but it was less cold than the last time he had been out, or at least it felt that way.

He waited for the woman to join him. "So then? Which way are we going? I have no idea where we are or which would would be north or south." Hake smiled at the woman as he let his mind run over the idea of joining the Date. He had heard about them and their leader but nothing about it really spoke to Hake. Sure, they were the people taking care of the people, peasant samurai, sort of speak, but still, the idea did not work for Hake. He kept his opinion to himself, however.

"It's rare to see a woman in the army. That must be quite a tale. Would you mind telling it to me? All that talking will keep us warm on the road ahead."

[Zhuo Jina]

"I'm Zhuo Jina, from China." She began walking with him as she began her tale. She had bundled up before stepping outside into the nippy temperatures and was pretty used to the cold winter of Oshu. "It is a rather interesting story." She grinned, remembering it herself.

"I grew up in a small village in China, the land country to the west of here. Once I was of age, I was set to marry a man that my father new from the army. After we were wed, he was gone often. More often than when he was around." 

Her tale continued, recapping various things that happened including how she had gotten to Japan. "Pirates from this country attacked the city that I lived in with my husband. Lucky for me, they took me hostage and after a while, brought me here." She continued, "I was a mercenary before joining the Date. I haven't always been a woman of strength, but I suppose army blood runs strong in me. Even my ancestors all had a war to fight in.....

I guess this is mine."

After a few more hours of chatting, they found a road which had been traveled since the blizzard. The snow was brown and dirty, foot prints and cart tracks made depressions in the hard white blanket. "This is the road we will take. It won't be long now."

[Chimosa Hake]

China. Interesting. That wasn't too far off for a foreigner, considering some of the westerners came from much further away. They trudged through the snow as the woman spoke. Hake kept himself wrapped up in his clothes to combat most of the cold. Almost as soon as they started walking, Hake's breath became labored and his speed was quite slow from the start. What would have probably been only an hour, two at most, for normal, healthy people traveling took Hake and Jina several hours to reach.

"That is indeed an impressive tale. It's good to see women getting somewhere in life. You don't see that everyday." Zhuo Jina. A name Hake would do his best to remember. They reached a road in the snow, although Hake wouldn't have been able to tell there was one had other people not threaded it before. The snow was all muddy and brown as they set on it, following the tracks before them. "So how is army life for you? I can imagine it can be difficult sometimes for a woman. You don't have any problems with the men?"

The sun moved across the sky as they talked and walked. While Hake's breath had been labored from the start of their journey, it seemed that only now was he getting to the end of his stamina. Some of his steps missed and he stumbled more often than before, requiring Jina's aid to move further ahead. "Perhaps we could take a moment to rest. I need to sit down for a bit." Hake panted, his hands on his knees, keeping his balance as he tried to catch his breath.

[Zhuo Jina]

Jina nodded when the man asked for a moments rest. She was actually pretty impressed with how far he had made it already and had no problems with giving him a bit to relax.

When they sat down off the side of the road, Jina started a small fire and warmed them a bit, even with the wind blowing, a large rock standing near the fire kept it from blowing out. 

"Men know not to disrespect me." She pointed to her swords, "they wouldn't survive long if they tried to make a move. While I don't particularly like violence, I would protect myself until my last breath."

After they had warmed for a while, the two set out back on the road. Jina hoped that they could get to the city before nightfall, as they were moving much slower than expected. 

[Chimosa Hake]

Hake was glad for the stop, his panting having reached a dangerous level. He was feeling light headed from the lack of proper oxygen he was getting and he leaned against a tree, using it for support, as he caught his breath. When the oncoming faint seemed to subside, Hake sat himself down on a fallen tree, after brushing the snow off of it. The moment he sat down he could feel the tree soaking the back of his cloak, robe and underlying clothes. He was particularly glad for the small fire, even though the wind and the general coldness of the area lowered its effectiveness.

"I'm sure that those are two good reasons not to get any ideas in a man's head. Have you needed them very often? Outside of actual fights, I mean." Hake smiled as he rubbed his hands together before hiding them deep within his opposing sleeves again. At least in there they were protected from the initial cold. When it seemed Hake had recovered mostly from the wait, they headed out again, trudging further through the snow.

On the road, Hake found himself a somewhat straight piece of old wood that now doubled as his walking stick. It was about the same length as him and it helped quite a bit in keeping up a somewhat faster pace. Although the hand that was holding the staff was freezing, the rest of Hake's body seemed warmer from the exercise. The panting of his breath quickly returned but Hake, already used to it always being there, simply moved further along the road, walking next to Jina. His talking became less and he grew quiet since talking only used up energy Hake didn't have to spare.

[Zhuo Jina]

Jina wasn't stressed by having to help this man to safety. She was glad that they had only taken one break so far, since it seemed his strength was coming back. The man's stamina clearly wasn't high even at full strength, so she felt confident in their progress.

She often reminded him that they were almost there. Soon enough, as the road crested at the horizon, the site of the city could be seen even in the distance. Cheerily, Jina pointed this out to Hake and hoped that he smiled from inside his cloak.

She was sure that they looked like a wretched couple, a cold, panting man with a walking stick and a Date soldier. Jina didn't really care what the people thought of it, she was glad to be helping him.

"Luckily, I haven't had to use them for...defense against men's advances. I've been quite lucky in that respect. Though, my husband was never really attracted to me anyway..."

[Chimosa Hake]

It was good for Hake to hear that they were almost there, even if only until the next time he could hear it. When finally the road seemed to end in a city on the horizon. Hake let out a deep breath and nodded, leaning on his staff. There seemed to be somewhat of a spring in his step with their goal finally physically in sight and he pushed on, pulling himself up on his stick with every step. "You've been lucky indeed. Usually soldiers aren't known for their manners." The remark about her husband confused Hake for a bit but he remained silent about it.

As they walked closer to the city, Hake turned once more to Jina, finding himself with more energy than before. "What can you tell me about the city? Any places I should avoid or somewhere I have to go first? Where should I go or who should I talk to in order to secure passage back home?" Hake hoped to gain some information from the woman before reaching the city as it would allow him to move with more purpose through the city once there. It would save a lot of time for Hake. He hoped he hadn't been written off as deceased by the village. Well, he hoped they hadn't sold his stuff yet, as that might create some problems upon returning.

[Zhuo Jina]

"On the east side of the city, there are escorts. They will take you where you need to go, for a price. I've heard the cheapest ones are somewhat shifty...so you might want to just pay the higher price." 

Jina chattered on about the places to eat and the different shops. She told him about the "rules" of the city, and warned him of the Date patrols. "You're right, not all soldiers are as..honorable as you would hope. Don't get yourself caught in a back alley, even if you're doing nothing wrong.."

"There have been some horrible stories."

The city inched closer with each step until they were about a hundred yards from the gates. "If there is anything you need from me, please let me know now. Otherwise, we may never see one another again."

[Chimosa Hake]

While it was in no way reassuring to have someone tell you that even the people supposed to keep the peace were a danger to people, it was to be expected from a city occupied by a military force. The men figured they could do as they wanted whenever nobody was looking and from there things only got out of hand. People would need to be hurt before the higher ups would take notice and react. And by then it was already too late for some people. Hake shook his head. "I'll be sure to keep a look out and not be caught in back alleys alone. Thank you."

Hake had taken a mental note of some of the shops that had been mentioned, as well as a good place to eat. As they came closer to the gates of the city, Hake looked at Jina, who seemed to show a touch of negativity there. "Jina-san. You never know where life might take us. Maybe next time we meet, your dragon might have commanded you to attack down south and take all the unclaimed lands in Mutsu, Shimotsuke and Shimosa. In these times nothing is certain. But, yes, there is something you could still help me with. I'd like to pay the family for letting me stay there. I was hoping, perhaps, you could bring it to them on your next patrol?"

Hake reached inside of his coat and clothes and lifted out a small pouch, from which he started to count a small sum of money, not much but probably more than what he would have to pay if he had simply lived with the family for those five days they had been there. "It's the only thing I can do for them." He said as he held the money out to woman soldier of Date.

[Zhuo Jina]

Jina knew that this was a matter of honor. In fact, she had just planned to request the funds from her officer, but accepted the man's money with a smile. 

"I would be more than happy to take this to them. You are a good man, and I hope you do well from here. You know where to contact me if you need something, I will do my best to assist as long as the Big Bo-....Lord Date allows it."

She put the money in a small coin purse, counting as she dropped it in. The money was actually more than she had planned to give the family. Glad that they would be fully compensated for their help, she bowed respectfully toward the man in front of her.

"Come and see me if you plan on joining up with the Date. I'll put in a good word."

"Zai jian" She smiled. In her home country, this phrase is one that is said when two people are leaving each other. It roughly translates to "We will meet again" and this is exactly how she felt about this man, Hake. She hoped to meet him again.

[Chimosa Hake]

Hake was glad to know the woman would take care of the money. Even if she decided to keep the money for herself, like most people would do, Hake knew the money went to the right place. Whether it paid the woman who saved his life or the family who provided him with the food and place to rest to recover didn't matter. He just hoped the woman was honest enough. He waited for a moment as Jina counted the money into her own purse, making sure she didn't miss anything. He smiled when she promised to put in a good word for him should he ever want to join the Date. It wasn't a bad deal, having a person on the inside who knew you enough to vouch for you.

"I will keep that in mind, Jina-san. I am ever in your debt. If you're ever near Shimotsuke and looking for help, you can always find me there. And, if you ever feel like fighting for someone besides the Date..." Hake smiled at the woman, leaving her to finish his sentence. While he didn't doubt her loyalty to the Date cause, you never knew how the future might turn out. With that, Hake bowed deeply to the woman that saved his life and brought him to this place, from where he could return home again.

"Zaj Djan." While his chinese was quite bastardized, he returned the greeting to Jina before turning away from her. Trudging through the snowy streets of the village, Hake went to look for a place to stay. First, some sake, to warm up and forget that he almost died in the middle of nowhere with nobody knowing any better. Second, arrange transportation homeward. Third, make sure everything was still fine in Shimotsuke after his extended absence there. Not that the people in Shimotsuke weren't able to take care of things on their own.