"She, Shampoo, she"

Satisfied and smirking Sophie helped herself to some more rice

"I figured as much, she gave up didn't she"

Everything slowed as she watched her new companion, she didn't know how to judge the trembling girls reaction, and old and new feelings welled in her heart, ones that needed to be reburied.

Tomorrow was the best time for them; everything was easier with a tiger's smile and a cold heart.

"Don't worry she doesn't know, or at least I don't think she does, or ever will while Cologne is alive. Let alone understand the consequences of her actions, Cologne does though, of that I'm certain. She helped write most of our laws after all,"

Akane looked up with shining eyes, that breath taking innocence still shining through them. Maybe the girl should stay here and train for a little while longer than she had planned. After all throwing her to the wolves without at least some preparation would be cruel, and Mousse could use someone around his own age to talk to.

"Mousse?" The girl was studiously running through questions, reading them off a mental list now, attentively waiting for the answers, she half expected her to pull out a note book and pen.

"No. No one knows that she abandoned her quest, Colognes been very careful about that, remember everyone thinks that this ended a long time ago. Ingenious really, once it was 'done' no one paid any interest."

Wondering when the boy would stir she calculated the situation.

Mousse was a good boy, honest, after a fashion and few knew him as she did. The first thing the boy would do is try to free his 'beloved', and then die for it. No he couldn't be directly involved.

"and I have no intention of telling Mousse. Nor will you "A ominous infliction was followed in her eyes.

"What Mousse and the rest of the village knows is a fantasy, a half truth, the rest can never be known publicly"

"Why not! If it will stop all this." The pensive note in Akane's voice reminded her how truly young she was.

"This is a privet matter, that's the end of it" She added with a decisive air , she paused obviously waiting for a response, too angry to think of one Akane remained silently steaming at the unfairness of it all.

"If that is all that matters to you fine, tell him and everyone else. It makes little difference if you get what you want does it? But then again that depends Akane. Can you bear the cost, can you bear her death? Because that is what she'll be condemned to by you, in a rather archaic and brutal fashion."

Maybe neither child should be involved, she had known danger, and there was too much at stake for Akane or Mousse blindly blunder in.

Akane appeared to ponder on the advice she had been given. Should she take this woman's word for it? It was pleasing to see that the girl could learn and listen occasionally, maybe she could be let further in, but how much of the truth she could handle was a key question

"I am deadly serious Akane. I told you a price and a warning. You come back and everyone knows you've betrayed your honour and your tribe. There's no forgiveness, only an example to be made"

Standing up sharply Sophie strode away, at the door she called out "Here endeth the lesson, for now. Think on it Akane, I'll ask for your choice later"

The girls choice had better be the right one; she no longer had the stomach for blood on her hands.

Oblivious to the oncoming storm Mousse lay deathly still by the fireside…..

The doors were open as far as they could go the window creaked in protest against being propped up with the worn fighting staff. Slowly the smoke drifted out leaving a stale smell where ever it touched. As the air began to clear Sophie doused the smouldering pan with a wet blanket, the fires hissed from the water that dropped from the remains of her sleeves.

"You've been cursed with a natural talent for this"

Akane strained to hear the sarcasm in the comment and shivered in her wet clothes, Sophie practically throw her into the brook and scrubbed her arms fiercely in the current. Around them the room lay in ruins half from the debacle of her cooking the rest from Sophie's forceful abduction. Guiltily she glanced at the table and the ugly scorch marks on the once pristine surface.

"Now I know why she calls you kitchen destroyer." The words hurt worse than if she's been slapped

"If you had continued with the recipe we'd have all been dead by now," The inquisitive look was back once more. Sophie's unnerving glares still made her nervous. "Well that make my decision of you staying here a lot easier Akane" The admonishing words were the first Sophie had said since hearing her heard her scream.

She wanted to help pick up the debris that littered the kitchen but her hands felt to heavy to respond. The icy fire in her hands hadn't eased, as the swelling in her fingers made them feel separate from her hands. Even when Sophie threw them under into the streams cool water it hadn't stopped, it only made burning blisters form on her palms. All she'd done was try and be helpful and now she was going to be thrown out.

"I'm sorry about the kitchen I tried to make everyone some snacks" Agitated and prickly Sophie cut her off wordlessly and strode to the locked door ignoring further apologies.

"Where did I hide it this time..Vase, sword, flower pot.. Ah tea pot." Sophies agitation was growing with each second.

Scolded and feeling small and alone tear pricked her eyes, she wanted the ground to swallow her. It was stupid why did she keep trying to cook she was never any good everything always went wrong, but she had felt it something was right and then….

"Oh gods take it!"

A blow with her fore arm swiftly broke the heavy lock

"I don't know why I bother to even look. Akane in here now" She didn't want to move but followed through the forbidden door to see.

"Wow" Even through anxiety the sight stole her breath away. Light and colour, its shining brilliance illuminated every inch of the room, even Sophie's rough hands we illuminated by the rainbow of lights as she threw objects from one of the smaller chests.

A small pot skidded across the stone to her feet

"Put this on your arms, I know it stinks but it will take away the burning sensation"

The older woman was not exaggerating the foul stench, it turned her stomach as she tried to slather the sticky brown liquid over her hands. The burning sensation flared and then eased, her hands still shook from the shock .

Sophie touched her arms softly turning them over, rotating her joints with a gentleness she had though only doctor Tofu had she continued rubbing the revolting mixture over the missed spots .

"That concoction of yours will leave some burns but they'll heal quickly with that mess on. Close your eyes" the tone was calmer now as she continued massaging the salve into skin. Confused Akane did so, and felt each of her fingers being moved in turn

"How many fingers did I move Akane?"

Puzzled she answered as Sophie methodically moved more fingers and questioned, after what felt like hours she was pulled into a tender embrace. Out of habit she wanted to struggle and lash out until she felt Sophie's tears on her hair.

"You gave me quite a scare little apprentice, for a moment I was worried that the potion had penetrated your skin, you could have lost your fingers you silly girl"

Pride didn't feel so important any more, if the woman had yelled at her, angrily screamed she could have dealt with it, but this gentle cooing made unbidden tears prick in her own eyes again. She tried to muffle them and rub them away but more flowed in response as Sophie held her closer and spoke to her as though she was a small child

"I'm sorry for dragging you outside so roughly, I needed to minimise the damage quickly. I'd forgotten that I'd left those ingredients there I should have been more carful" It was odd to feel someone stroking her hair again only her mother had done that.

"Now I'm going to make you some tea to ease the pain and something to help you sleep, will you drink it for me?"

Dumbly she felt her head nod as she was picked up once more and carried through to the futons where a worried Mousse paced.

"Mousse is going to stay close by and he is not to leave for a moment" The sideways glance at the boy as she set Akane down on the futon wasn't needed she could already feel his eyes scanning over every inch of her as Ranma had sometimes done.

" If you loose feeling in any of your fingers send him to me straight away" Sophie returned shortly to deposit another jar of the salve into Mousses hands with strict instructions to apply it to Akane and make sure she drank every drop of the two drinks before disappearing once more beyond the now broken door.

The pain in her arm eased slowly with each passing minute, Mousse handed her some of his sleeveless tops and shorts to wear and left asking her to call him when she was done changing.

Her last remaining shreds of dignity prevented her for asking for help. Eventually she kicked her tattered clothes into a corner and called out. Mousse helped her lay down having arranged the futon in the coolest corner of the room. Glancing back at the door she wondered if he had spoke with Sophie but he gave no indication from the stony expression he wore.

Wincing against swelling she told herself the pain was a good thing, at least she could still feel her arms. It hadn't hurt this much when she burned her arms helping Ranma learn the Hiryű Shōten.

The third futon was still empty she didn't know how to feel about this and tried to glance back towards the doorway. Seeing her stiffen Mousse placed a gentle hand on her shoulder

"Sensei just doesn't like anyone to see her when she's upset."

It wasn't long before Mousse fell into a dreamless sleep beside her .Chuckling softly she listened to his faint snores, they almost sounded like the quacks of the duck he transformed into.

The quiet breathing reminded her of home and P-chan, as her eyes gently closed she mused that Mousse was going to have to write the letter home now. She ran through all the thing she wanted to tell everyone and drifted off.

She didn't even wake when Mousse drew her into his own embrace next to him, a faint smile pulled his lips when sighed against him in her sleep.