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Ayako looked up from the book, to her mother across the table. "Three days! Do you suppose Sairo is a big country?"

"It must be," the mother replied, taking a sip of broth. "If they traveled so much and still haven't found all the seishi."

"I wonder if it's pretty like Japan is."

"Well, you'll have to ask your 'neechan when she comes back."

"If she comes back," Ayako thought. Then aloud, she read, "'The next day, Byakko no Miko and her seishi searched the village to see if the next seishi was there.'"
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Suzuno gave a small sigh. Toroki looked at her. "Is something wrong, Suzuno?"

"Toroki, do you think we'll really find the next four seishi?"

He smiled. "Of course."

She gave another small sigh. "It's just that it's been almost four days now! And we have traveled so much."

Toroki put his hand on Suzuno's cheek. "I know it's been hard on you. As a soldier, I'm used to traveling a lot. But you're not accustomed to it."

They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment. Suzuno blushed and lowered her eyes. Toroki gave her cheek a gentle caress, before removing his hand. He turned slightly away. He had to or else he would give into the impulse to kiss her. "Well, lets find the others and see if they have had any luck."

They slowly walked through the village to the place everyone had agreed to meet at dinnertime. "Look! There they are!" Toroki started across the street to where Ekie and Subaru were waiting. Suzuno stopped a moment to look at some pretty fabric at one of the booths, thinking of what a nice kimono it'd make. "Come on, Suzuno! Lets get something to eat."

Suzuno looked up from the fabric. "Hai!" She started across the street. A loud commotion caught her attention and she stopped. She looked around, curious as to where it was coming from and what it was. She heard a rumbling and looked in the direction of the noise.

To her horror a runaway cart was heading right for her. She turned to run towards her seishi. She didn't see the rut in the road, until her foot had already gotten caught in it. She cried out as pain shot through her ankle. Still she tried to crawl out of the way, but it was obvious she wasn't going to make it.

"Toroki!!" Toroki and the others who had already started for the inn, turned and saw what was happening. Toroki cried out as he ran towards Suzuno. Ekie pushed himself off the ground. But before either could get to her, the cart was already there.

"Suzuno!!" Toroki froze in his tracks, Ekie hovered in the air, Subaru covered her eyes. Then all three realised that they didn't feel a change in Suzuno's chi, and Ekie felt another chi. They looked at the spot the cart had passed over. The spot where Suzuno should have been, but wasn't.

"Look," Subaru cried out, point across the street. There was Suzuno, unharmed, in the arms of a young man.

The young man looked down at the young girl in his arms, his eyes glazing over. "Oh, man," he thought. "She's so pretty! And such a small waist and firm thighs!" It took him a moment to notice that she was staring back at him, quite intently. His smile broadened. She moved her face a little closer and the young man was nearly in heaven. He closed his eyes, waiting for the kiss that was surely going to come. His eyes popped open a moment later, when the girl said, "Tokaki?"

Suzuno had leaned in close to the stranger, looking at the white glow on his left cheek. It had turned out to be the symbol "stride". So it had to be Byakko seishi, Tokaki! The young man set her on her feet. Suzuno balanced putting most of the weight on her one foot, since her other foot still felt a little tender. By then the other three had joined them.

The young man looked at them. "Hai. And you are?"

"This is Suzuno," Subaru said. "She is Byakko no Miko."

Tokaki looked at Subaru. His eyes glazed over, his jaw dropped and he started to drool. "Sexy," he whispered. A moment later, he had his arms around her waist and was cuddling up to her. A moment after that, he was sent a short distance with one well placed punch. He lay on the ground, rubbing his cheek and giving a small laugh. Subaru looked at him, shaking her head. "This pervert is a seishi??"
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The mother looked at her younger daughter. "I don't think I like the fact that this man is one of her seishi."
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Suzuno bowed to the young man. "Thank you, Tokaki, for saving me."

Tokaki stared at her a moment. Usually, when he was being a pervert, a young woman would hit him, like the sexy one did. But she wasn't angry at him, despite the fact that he had held her longer than what was appropriate. She must have been aware of what thoughts were going through his head. Did she know? He looked into her eyes, at the sweet, innocent expression. He suddenly felt the need to protect that innocence.

Tokaki was taken aback. He had never thought like that before! Protecting their innocence was something he never thought when looking at an attractive young girl. But there was something about this one. He sighed inwardly. Maybe, it was because she was Byakko no Miko. Or was it something else?

Ekie broke his thoughts. "I believe we were going to dinner. We should get something to eat and see about getting lodgings here for another night."

"We could go to the Temple," Tokaki said. "They will give you food and lodgings. And you won't have to pay for it."

"How is that so," Subaru asked.

"Because it's my temple."

"Your temple," Ekie asked.

"Well, not mine. I was raised there. You see, I was left there, though they don't know who left me. They raised me with the intent of me joining them, but they decided not to, when my powers were revealed. Still, they let me stay there from time to time, when I need time to myself. So come. They'll be thrilled to have Byakko no Miko staying with them.

Suzuno took a step and cried out in pain. Toroki was immediately by her side. "Suzuno, what's wrong?"

"My ankle. I twisted it when I tripped. I didn't realise I had hurt it so badly." She bit her lip, feeling a bit foolish for not noticing her ankle had still hurt. But to have found another seishi, and a very handsome at that, had taken her mind off of it. It wasn't till she tried to walk, that she again felt the pain.

Without a word, Toroki picked Suzuno up and carried her to the temple.
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It was now the mother who was reading. "'It was as Byakko Seishi Tokaki had said. The people of the temple accepted Byakko no Miko with much rejoicing. Her ankle was attended to, and they were invited to stay as long as they wished.'"
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Suzuno sunk a little deeper in the warm water. It had been so long since she had bathed. Across from her was Subaru, also enjoying the water and relaxation. Suzuno gave a small sigh. "We still have three seishi to find. Do you think we'll find them in time, Subaru?"

"Of course. Don't worry so much about it. You were sent here to find them and you will."

"But sometimes I wonder. Why did Byakko pick me? What if I fail? What if Sairo is invaded because I wasn't able to summon Byakko?"

Subaru regarded Suzuno for a moment, her eyes filled with sympathy. "It must be very hard for you. To have so much responsability for one so young. Being Byakko no Miko is a pretty big job. Still, try not to let it all overwelm you. We are here to help you." She leaned forward and put her hand on Suzuno's shoulder. "And always remember this. It is better to try your best and fail, then to not do anything at all."

Suzuno smiled. "Thank you, Subaru."

Meanwhile, outside the room, sat Tokaki, staring at the door. His eyes were glazed over and he was drooling. In his mind were all sorts of uncencored thoughts of the two women inside. Two very naked, very wet women, giggling and doing whatever things came to his mind. Every once in a while a perverted chorkle came out of him. Beside him sat Toroki, who was there mainly for the purpose of making sure Tokaki didn't give in to desire and run in on the girls. As Tokaki sat, drooled, and made his perverted noises, Toroki turned various shades of red at the very thought of Suzuno in there, bathing.

Finally, the door to the room opened, and both women stepped out.

Subaru raised an eyebrow. "And just what are you two doing out here?"

Toroki jumped to his feet. "I...I..I was just making sure you two ladies were undisturbed."

"Is that so?" Subaru hid a smile, as she saw Toroki's face turn another shade of red. It was so obvious that he liked Suzuno. But she had seen him around her, saw the way he acted towards here, and knew he would never be anything but courtious to the girl. He was a very proper young man. 'Unlike that one,' she thought, turning her attention to Tokaki, who was still off in whatever digusting thoughts he was having. 'How could that pervert have been raised in this temple??'

"Ummm. Is it alright if I escort you ladies back to your room?"

Suzuno and Subaru agreed, and each took an offered arm. The three walked off, leaving Tokaki behind. It wasn't until later that night, when Tokaki finally realised that the women had long since left.