The Goblins Fan Forum

- Kids, and their manners these days... - he heard behind his back, as he made his way through the forest of people in the market.

- Good day, constable. - it was the same voice, echoing from further away as the distance between them grew. Ichiro slowed his steps and risked a glance behind: the big brute stayed where he was with a seemingly careless good mood, and was intently sorting through smoked fish as the city patrol passed next to him.

Ichiro breathed a sigh of relief that the man had not followed him, and ducked sideways down a gap between some stalls into a different part of the market. He stayed to look around, but was a lot more wary than before. He finished his rice which was now cold and congealed, and mused to himself about why the man had acted so strangely. He worried, briefly, that the man had recognised him as an impostor - but then he decided that no-one had guessed before and that he was still safe in his disguise. Just in case though, he moved towards a stall selling women's attire, and started casually browsing the kimono and robes for sale there, trying to gauge by sight which size he might need. He smiled politely at the vendor and gestured to a simple grey shift with long sleeves and a narrow white obi, and a matching pair of loose pants. "Excuse me, I am looking for something for my sister. She is a little older than me, about my height. Do you think these would fit her?"

Kai does not remember his past before he was 5, to him, his life both started and ended then! The first thing he remembers is looking out on the street from a little dark ally, not awakening, not afraid, just looking out, feeling like it was something he had done for a long time, had done many times. Suddenly guards came running into the ally, they grabbed him and forced his face to the ground, screams around him awoke his attention to his surroundings, he had not been alone in the ally, a dozen or more beggars were held down alongside him!

Before he knew it, they were all in a line walking towards the center market! Here he heard a voice booming out ÔÇ£By order from your lord, Shogun; Hitmuzu AkaiÔÇÖe-ra, It is today declared that all ill is to be purged from our glorious city, the streets are to be clean in the eye of the sun! Therefore we today start by eradication of the plague that is the thiefÔÇÖs of the shadow, the low of life, the beggars that darkens our everyday life!ÔÇØ

As these words were spoken what he saw stroke terror in his bones! The beggars were brought to a platform in the market, here a man stood and repeated the words, time after time, as beggar after beggar were brought before the Shogun, and beheaded. In what seemed like minutes of eternity, suddenly Kai himself was on the platform, head bend down on the chopping block. He did not know if it was just him, but he felt the seconds spread to hours and all fell silent, but what happened next defined the rest of his life!

The voice spoke out again ÔÇ£But!... Hitmuzu AkaiÔÇÖe-ra, Your lord, Your Shogun! Is a merciful lord, and therefore he declares, that This boy, This boy is no beggar no more, This boy will be send to the temples in the mountains, and become a Monk! That is the grace of your Shogun!ÔÇØ

With that, KaiÔÇÖs hearth started to beat again, heavily and slowly in his cheats, and slowly he was lead down from the platform, away from the markets... But, not to the Temples, not even to the mountains, but to the Shoguns palace! Here, he was shown to a room, and locked in. Hours passed, and Kai did not know what to do, try escape? Stay put? Or? Or what? He did not know and before he made a decision, the door opened, and in front of him stood the Shogun ÔÇ£Do you know who I am boy?ÔÇØ - ÔÇ£You... you are...ÔÇØ ÔÇ£IÔÇÖm the Shogun, Lord of all you can see from the top of this palace, and from this day on, I am also your father!ÔÇØ....


....That was 14 years ago....


In the time that has passed Kai has not once set foot outside the palace, spending all day in the training room, trying to become a Samurai as his step-father, trying to be just as good with the katana, trying to be just as swift in tactics, and just as calm in mind. The late evenings, after dinner, was the only time he saw the Shogun, they talked, the shogun told him how his day had went, not the Shogun, KaiÔÇÖs! he simply told Kai that Kai had been to the market today, or had taken a ride in the hills, and Kai agreed, and gladly told about minor details in his day that had never happened to him, he did so because; the only time he had ever questioned this odd conversations, had also been the day he got slapped by the shogun, yelled at, and then locked in his room for four days with no food and little water! That had taught him not to question his Lord again... and with time, he had come to enjoy the conversations, they were his only escape from the palace, they learned him about the land and... when he wanted to, the Shogun was a nice man...

Fast forward to today ÔÇ£Kai... Kai! Come here boy!ÔÇØ the Shoguns voice called ÔÇ£Yes my Lord!ÔÇØ - ÔÇ£ Here... Put this on!ÔÇØ Kai hesitated, he did not believed his own eyes, he was presented with a full Samurai uniform, complete with sword and everything.. ÔÇ£Come on boy... Put it on...ÔÇØ And so he did... ÔÇ£Good... you look.... good..... Now... this wayÔÇØ The Shogun shoved Kai through the halls of the palace, and suddenly, through the outer hallway, one on the outside of the palace, a bacon, facing the city... shortly they stopped ÔÇ£Look Kai... look on the city for the first timeÔÇØ Kai was speechless, here he stood, for the first time in 14 years, and looked out over the city, and down there, hundreds of people... all looking up on him... it was all so... so... ÔÇ£Well... that must be enough boy... come along...ÔÇØ The Shogun suddenly broke in and shoved him forward.. a single push, and suddenly Kai was in a room he had never seen before, and yet... it was so familiar... it looked just like his room.... -SLAM- The door was closed behind him... locked!... what was happening ÔÇØMy lord.... My lord I donÔÇÖt understand!.... My lord?.... Father?...ÔÇØ

Hours passed... Kai looked out the window, no way he could climb that... the darkness fell... Kai was getting sleepy... *crack*** what was that?......

The vendor leaned nearer. It was a middle aged woman, one trying to look better than she actually can, wearing nice but cheap clothing and jewelry, and strongly painted make-up.

- Yeah, right, your "sister". - She winked. The funny thing is, one could virtually hear the quote marks in her high-pitched, but otherwise friendly voice. She was affecting a bit, obviously just to get all the attention she could - which was, of course, almost nothing, as usual.

She was measuring Ichiro from top to bottom only with her eyes, efficiently like a tailor, and curiously like a market fly.

- It is such a rare sight to see a dashing young man buying clothes for his relatives. I'm sure this "sister" of yours is a special girl, eh? - she trilled with her voice, gracefully picking up the robe* that has been asked about. She held it by the shoulders, letting it fall and stretch out. It looked sweet in its simplicity, and probably fitted Ichiro well. Only, it now looked maybe a little too well fitting, and he was sure had he tried it on, it would have obvious perturbations at chest height, sooner or later.

- Ah, you like it, do you? - asked the vendor, swiftly turning it around, showing the back too, which also looked simple. She laid the cloth back in front, and picked up another one: it was pink, adorned with roses and lillies, a lot more eye-catching among the plain looking sets. And, this even Ichiro had to admit, slightly ridiculous (or maybe frivolous?) compared to the female wear he had seen so far.

- How about this?

---

*Sorry, I'm not good with clothing terms. Insert appropiate words where necessary.

Suddenly, a gloved hand reached below his helmet, closing both his mouth and nose. He couldn't shout, and as the seconds passed he realized he probably couldn't even take a breath...

He'd been dragged slowly away from the window, and onto the big bed. He couldn't see his captor. It was right behind him, maneuvering swiftly so he couldn't reach him, and all that samurai armor wasn't making his task easier, either.

A small, sharp blade glinted in the moonlight, a little nearer to his body than he would probably like it.

- Wait.

This was another voice. Kai tried to move his head or at least his eyes, but he couldn't discern anything in the darkness.

- Something's fishy. We got in all too easy.
- We always get in too easy, duh.
- Maybe. But one would expect that at least the shogun learns.
- ...And your point is?
- Give the boy some air. The night is early, we can afford to avoid mistakes.
- Letting him live is the mistake...
- That was an order.

The grab on Kais face loosened a bit, only so he could inhale some fresh air through his nostrils. As the strain relieved from his lungs he began to cough, the voice muffled to almost dead silence under the hand that held him.

Loud steps echoed in the corridor on the outside, heading towards the room he was in. His current "visitors" freeze for a split second, assessing the situation...

*Mhumeheh* Kai mumbles under the hand... damn... why is he this off balance... if he.. he could tap his foot down to get the guards attention... but... somehow he knows something must be wrong... this all seems to... to... to perfectly screw up... what the hell.... better keep silent he reasons... making a small nod upwards and closing his lips tight under the hand, to show his captives he wants to see them, not yell...

- What...

The one behind Kai seemed to be surprised at the sudden cooperativeness he showed, yet he didn't have time to think long about it.
The footsteps on the doorway stopped, and after the tingling of a keychain and some fiddling with the lock, the great oak door sled sidewards.

It was light outside, the orange of the torches creeped all through the door, only to be disturbed by an elongated shadow as a guard peered in.

- Is everything in order, oh Great Son of the Shogun? - he asked with a pretended voice, and looked into the room. He noticed the boy, and he looked ... disappointed?

Kai realized that he was all alone, and in the full posession of all parts of his body, and - for the moment at least - alive.

ÔÇ£I... IÔÇÖm okay.... Just hit my toe on the floor is all... not used to move in this armor...ÔÇØ KaiÔÇÖs brain is working over drive... what the hell? The guards might know that he is the step-son, but they have not seemed to care before... hmm... ÔÇ£I... I was wondering... Do you know what the point of this training The Shogun has set me in is?... patience maybe?ÔÇØ Kai says in an attempt to sound oblivious of the weirdness of the situation...

Ichiro tried to suppress a blush and partly failed, so resorted to scratching his forehead to hide it. He thought for a moment or two about his response, and decided that there were always other towns, and if this went wrong he could always leave and try the next town over. Hoping the woman was as shrewd as she seemed, he replied carefully:

"She's... very shy. She doesn't go out much, you see. I'm hoping that if I find her some nice clothes, she might be able to fit in a little better. Do...do you understand?"

He looked again at the two robes, and shook his head at the pink one. "It's very pretty, but I think it's too much for her. The grey one might be a... a good start?"

- Why, of course the Son of the Shogun has to be proficient in the martial arts if he wants to be a proper leader. - replied the guard, looking around in the room in the hopes of seeing anything out of ordinary.
- I see everything is in order, may your night be calm! - he bid farewell, and left. Kai heard the key gently turning in the lock. He was a prisoner, again.

As the sound of steps died down the corridor, near to him the shadow on the wall doubled. He could have sworn it was nothing there just mere seconds ago, and he was still unsure whether it's not just his mind playing tricks.

- So, who are you?

The question was clear, silent, and right to the point. This time, noone held any weapons at him, and from this sitting position he still couldn't see anyone either.

The woman started to smile mischievously as the boy began to blush.

- I knew it from the start ... - she added silently, in a tone of voice pretending to be humble, but it was obviously demanding appretiation.
- Looks like somebody is in looooovve ... - she trilled to noone in particular, dancing some steps with still the pink robe in the hands, like if she was at a ball. Then she put down the robe and started to rummage through the accessories.

- So, dare I ask who your "sister" is? A daugther of a merchant? Or one of the nobles? Or a dainty village girl? Or, you know ... one of "those" districts? - She winked again at the last sentence.

*damn* Kai thougth... how to say this.... who are they after? The real me or? someone else? His head spinning with plans to do everything from trying to escape to fight off the shadowy figures... The shogun would be proud of him if he.... no.. the Shogun placed him here... there were no other explanation... so.. either he was the target, and the shogun made it easy... or he was not the target, but the shogun wanted him to look like it... 50/50... damn.... well... he cant fight an opponent he don't know where is, so he must gamble and hope he is not the target...

Slowly Kai raises his hand to the side of his helmet "My name is KaiÔÇÖa-ra..." He says in a silent voice, slowly opening and removing the the mask from his face.... "And for the last 14 years, I've been known in this palace as the son of Hitmuzu AkaiÔÇÖe-ra, Lord of this realm, 11th Shogun in the greatest kingdom under the sun...." He slowly but confident finishes of his sentence as he raises to his feet, hands stretched out one holding the mask in one hand he faces the shadows so to show himself "Before that I was son of no one...." he slowly adds.

Hehe... this is fun... about the "11th Shogun, feel free to change the number up or down so it fits in your world if that position is already taken or to high in this kingdom...
I hope you yourself enjoys the RP'ing Looks, and get some ideas and mood feel from it.... I surely do

- Interesting... - the voice sounded from much nearer, this time coming behind from him. He didn't need to turn around, though. A figure - clad in shades of dark grey - appeared in front of him, observing his face in the flickering light of a torch that has been just lit. It was an assassin, a ninja, much more real and threatening than the clad strawmans Kai had to fight so far. The only feature the boy could notice were the eyes. They were dark brown, cold, but intelligent, holders of unknown depths - perfectly fitting for a ninja, at least how he had thought about them.

- The question is, then, do you happen to know where the real son is?

Ichiro scratched his head again and sighed, thinking to himself that the woman wasn't as shrewd as she claimed to be, equal parts relieved and disappointed that she'd missed his subtle hint entirely. Outwardly, he nodded his head. "You caught me!" he smiled sadly. "She is from my village. But don't shout about it, I think her uncle is shopping here today too, and I don't want to spoil the surprise."

The real son? What? There is now way that.. or.... damn... this makes to much sense in a way to twisted way Kai thought...

"I... I Have lived here for 14 years, each evening talking with the Shogun, each day training in the ways of the Samurai, each day always within these walls.. and not once have I heard even mention of a birth son of the Lord... If one exists, I know nothing...." Kai stops himself.. he DO know something.. he know everything.. the conversations with the shogun! That was not his day they talked about.. it was the day of the real son... all that identified his knowledge of the outside world was in truth what identified the Shoguns son.... damn....

"I might know something anyways... can you help me out of here?"

The woman's eyes flared up at the chance of being caught - her mind was probably already filling up with romantic stories, secret rendezvous and daring escapes from a palace... - in any case, she stopped fiddling with the accessories, and with a swift move laid out different items in front of Ichiro:

Combs of different sizes (small, medium) and material (wood, fishbone, bone, even one with pearls adorned), bows and ribbons, from simple unicolored to ones with intricate designs.

- I tell you, young man, that buying a robe is a hard choice, and so much can go wrong! First of all, it has to be the right size, and trust me - because oh I know - if it doesn't fit you are in big trouble! If it's loose she will think you're holding her fat, if it's too tight she will either think you hold her underweight or she holds herself too fat - no good, no good at all. To know the right size you probably have to see her naked, and measure manually here or there ... hehe ... - *she winked again* - ... and judging by your blush that probably still has to wait. The next question is, what if she doesn't like it? You can't just throw out a gown, especially if it's nice. Moreover, it's not that it is easily hidebale or loseable, she will have a lot of trouble trying to get rid of it.

She leaned nearer conspiratorially.

- If I were you, I wouldn't bother with a robe just yet. How about a nice comb? Or a ribbon? These go well with almost all kind of hair, are simple and ordinary things to make her beautiful...

...and they are cheap. Cheaper than a whole gown, that is. - She added after a short pause. Probably mentioning "from my village" was what did the trick. The voice wasn't condescending, neither sorry - it's just this woman likely had an attitude of "I want to help you no matter what". Which might become annoying for the people after a while, but she was at least sweet with it.

- What colour is her hair? Does she wear it loosely? Or in a knot?

- I'll be honest with you, son. We don't have much time here, and judging by the situation, you have even less. You see, you are meant to die. By our hands. If it doesn't happen, you will die by the soldier's hands, as you failed to do your task.

- So your question whether we can help you out of here is of no consequence. Can you help us? If yes, tell us, be straight to the point and quick. We are wasting time already.

He reached behind and pulled out a sai (fork-like dagger).

- Masaru, give them the owl sign.

Another figure appeared out of nowhere, and went to the window. There was a short ululation, so typical for the owls in the area, Kai has probably heard it thousands of times... only, this time it came from a human.

The man looked deeply in Kai's eyes.

- Talk.

"Heck... I'd rather fight the guards than you...." Kai relaxes a little, yet, anger is shown in his eyes... "Fine... Last evening, when the Shogun came by he talked about what "I" had made the whole day... where "I" was taking 12 guards on a patrol to.. and where "I" would be sleeping.. He does this every night.. and I believe this is the stories of what the real son is doing... So.. If you help me... I tell you where he sleeps.. If you don't, I'm dead anyway, and see no reason not to make sure you also fail your mission...."

Kai is nervous as hell for this gamble.. but he remembers his training, keeps himself calm, and chooses to show his anger instead, as he guess that is his most useful emotion right now...

Ichiro looked disappointed for a moment or two, having hoped that he could acquire some more suitable clothes quietly and easily, but decided not to argue with the woman for now. "Perhaps a ribbon, then, like you say? Her hair is black, she wears it up in a knot... do you think this pink one would suit her? It looks just like the blossoms on the cherry tree outside her house." He looks up and away, remembering the tree, which is in his own garden. He smiles wistfully and looks back to the selection of ribbons and combs. They were very pretty, after all. And he would need all the extra help he could get in looking feminine, if it became necessary.

- Fair thought, fair thought... - said the ninja. - With one little problem. Do you think we can help you out of here? You don't seem to be the nimble type, not with all that useless armor anyway, and we are not here to massacre our way out.

He stepped a little closer, calm like a lake on a windless night.

- And what if you have been lied to this day? So you could give false information to us? What do you have that you're sure is worth to know.

The other ninja was leaning at the window, looking at them both silently, with the arms crossed. This somehow made Kai a little more nervous, while the one with the sai continued:

- I offer you my end of the gamble, though: give us information now, and we leave. We will come back for you as soon as the job is done. If the information is wrong, then things will happen as they should. If you were right, then be prepared to leave with as few as you can. Especially without this ridiculous armor. Oh, and for your sake, be quick.

- You have five seconds to consider your answer. If you help us, the information will suffice.

With an almost unhearable ting, a second sai appeared, in his other hand. It wasn't threatening, it just happened to be there as "a matter of factly" way.

- An excellent choice, I see you have talent in winning the girls heart! - said the vendor sweetly, although Ichiro assumed she would say that even if he has chosen the ugliest one.
- Now, the question is, what material should it be? - she pulled out another, almost identical looking ribbon, and laid both in Ichiro's hand. - The one in your left hand is cloth, you were looking at this, right? It's only two coppers, and I'm sure she will love it. Yes, I know it's a bit cheap and may held poor, but I know how things are in a village... - From her voice, one could deduce that she probably had no idea, and held all villagers ( = not town citizen) poor peasants alike. Whether this was the case indeed or not, it's only known to Ichiro, of course.
- The one in your right hand is silk. Not the finest silk as it's hard to come by these days, but silk, nevertheless. Oh, and it costs a silver.

The silk was wonderful. Something female had awoken in the boy while touching it, the softness and smooth feeling of the silk almost made him crave for more.

"Papa, why did you have to leave me?", Rae asked the wind, as she crouched down under her thin cloak, trying in vain to stay warm. For several days she had walked towards the edge of the forest, hoping to see a road. Now, she was at the end of her food supply, cold, tired, and wanting nothing more than to give up. Leaning back against the tree she turned her mind to the last time she saw her father. The anguish on his face and the fear in his voice had rooted her to the spot more than any harsh words he'd ever spoken to her.

Her father's pack had perplexed her when she'd found it, hidden in the roots of the oldest tree near her home, beneath the scarred shape of two crossed swords in the bark. It contained a note to her, someone name Subaroki-kai, some food, and the handles to a couple of swords. The blades were missing but the note told her to seek out this Subaroki-kai and show him what she knew.

"I'm lost, Papa." She looked up at the gray sky, searching for an answer she knew wasn't there. "What do I do?"

Ichiro stroked the silken ribbon softly and smiled. It's colour was perfect, truly just like the blossoms he was named for at birth. He put down the cloth ribbon without a second thought, and held out the silk one to the vendor. "Yes, this one, definitely. She's worth it." He smiled a little wider, though the woman would no doubt mistake his reason for smiling. When she took the ribbon back, he reached for his coinpurse and tipped out a silver coin, offering it to her. It was one of only few he had, and now he might not be able to afford a dress from another vendor, but he would surely find employment soon.

1..... 2..... 3 seconds pass.... "Fine... The Shogun said; You judgement was good my son! And so, I and my advisers have agreed; You'll take 12 guards to Bau'kai village, 7 miles east of here. here you will wait until tomorrow, when the sun is high, you will go to the center and proclaim to all that you are my son, then, you'll read the proclamation about the traitor up, have your guards find him, and then execute him on the streets.... you got it?" Kai waits... "That was what he said.... I'll await your return!" At the last sentence he looks the ninja straight in the eyes... this time, showing all his determination!

when/if the ninjas leave, Hell start to slowly cut the strips the holds his armor to his body, so that they nearly break, but so he can still keep the armor on as long as he dont move to much.... then he resets the samurai mask to his face and straps the sword to his back... ready to move...

As if on cue, Rae heard the rattling of wheels in the distance.

It was an ox cart, typical to the area because those beasts were strong enough to pull a cart through everything. The girl knew there had to be a road there somewhere, leading through the forest, she has been looking for it until even now. She still couldn't see it, but as the noise became louder she thought she might have a good chance. At least she knew where the noise came from: somewhat south of her, and it seemed to head towards east. One thing was sure: from her current position, she will likely miss it.

- Aww, I'm sure she is. - swooned the woman with dreamy eyes, while she quickly and efficiently folded the long-ish ribbon into a neat bun, and wrapped it with cheap cloth. By the time it had fixed up with a yarn knot, the silver from Ichiro's hand disappeared into one of her purses.

- There you go! - she held the packet back to the boy, which looked a bit frilly, like something ready to be a present, but it was also practical to be put away, if a bit of waste for so much decoration.

- Has anything caught your eye still, ha?

In fact, it did. Well, not among the wares, but among the market people. Namely, a tall, somewhat thin man with scruffy hair and quite a good two days old stubble. He looked familiar... Was it one of the Big Guy's companions?

- Thank you.

That was the only thing the ninja said, and with a sudden move, he thursted the sai in Kai's stomach.

The pain was sharp, but didn't last long. The world went black, and the boy slumped onto the bed.





...





A faint smell of mountain herbs made the boy's eye open. He was lying on his back, naked, weren't for a cloth underwear and a big bandage around his stomach. The smell came from a teapot, which stood on a small desk next to the tatami he was laying on. He tried to reach it, the pain in his body, and the weakness of probably days not moving denied this from him.

Ichiro was jerked out of his little daydream about cherry blossoms by the sight of the familiar man, and frowned sharply. He took the little parcel of ribbon and out it inside his baggy shirt's pocket for safekeeping, then smiled to the woman. "Thank you for your help - I have to go now, I think I see her uncle coming. Please don't tell him, if he asks!" And with that, he bowed quickly and hurried away, deciding to search for lodgings and perhaps an afternoon's paid labour, and come back to the market for clothes another time.

"Thrust... Honor... Great ha!" Argh.... The pain... If he could not reach the teapot he could just as well look around... should he draw attention to his awakened state? why the hell not, he'd already lost 4/5th's of his life in one evening.. the last life in him should not be on someone else terms unless they were beneficial to him... "Hallo" He said in a normal tone....

"Thank you Papa," Rae whispered as she stood up swiftly and grabbed her pack. Angling towards the southeast, she began to run as silently as the leaves on the ground would allow. She leaped over the creeping roots and around trees in her path, her feet seeming to guide her of their own will, yet always towards the sound of that cart.

As if by a miracle, the trees opened up only a few minutes later to reveal a small road. Rae stopped suddenly looking up and down the road before her. She strained to hear the sound of the cart over her slightly labored breathing, hoping to maybe catch the driver and beg a ride to the nearest town. Thinking she heard the rumble of wheels off to her right, she pulled her hood up to cover her face and began to walk, keeping her shoulders hunched and head down. Her father's note had told her to obey her instincts and right now they were screaming at her to stay anonymous and unseen, even though she knew her best chance of survival was to find humanity.

While still in the market, Ichiro couldn't help but feel that he is being followed. He couldn't see him - or them -, yet the feeling was there. Was this his nerves playing up?

He asked for directions regarding lodgings and labour, and he quickly got a lot of information as the market at this time was full of people.

He learned the following:
- Lodgings for poor people and villagers are generaly found at taverns near to the city gate, or in the poor distrticts around Isenawa's bay. There were also some private lodgings too, if he dared to ask for them where it was advertised. These likely had all the pros and cons that made them different from "official" lodgings, like the taverns mentioned.
- Better lodgings that costed more were in the artisan's street, some of the best ones were near to the one but big park the town had to offer. (Indirectly he had learned that there is a park, maybe not the safest for sleeping but at least cheap.)
- He could get some odd coins by trying his luck in the bay, loading up/down cargo, or applying for apprenticeship by the artisans.
- He also saw beggars and street urchins, asking for spare copper. Some of them offered to help carrying luggages or holding the horse while shopping, and all kind of those little things.

- Ah, you are awake.

The voice came from an old man, who was doing something at a table, by the sound of tingling it probably has been food. He came nearer, and soon Kai saw his wrinkled and friendly smiling face.

- Care for some tea? - he asked, while he moved around the boy and poured the hot drink into a cup.

- Ho, who goes there ? - asked a harsh voice, in a somewhat friendly and curious tone.

The ox cart reached her, and has been slowed down to keep the girls pace. There was about a half meter distance between them, and from under the hood she couldn't see who was speaking to her - and likely the speaker couldn't see her properly, either.