The traveler was completely submerged now, in warm dreams. They were dreams of sitting with his master again, before a fire, listening to the many stories he had to tell. Then another memory dream. This time he was with his mother. Her blonde curly hair and chocolate eyes sparkled as if she were really there, and it was like he could truly feel her warm embrace. She always smelled like wheat, barely, all sorts of grain. She was kind, caring, and encouraging, and would play with him, and let him try to help her do the housework. When he dropped the laundry she would only give a warm laugh and a kind smile, letting him do his best to finish the job he'd started. It was such a peaceful existence.<br/><br/>His father too, though seldom around, was always kind and encouraging when he was there. He quickly noticed that his son wasn't quite suited to physical activities like most boys, and tried instead to educate him when he could. Reading, writing, and math soon came easily to him, and surely his father would have taught him more advanced things if he had been around more. But Kosuke's dreams stayed only in his happy memories of his father, mother, and master.<br/><br/>For a brief moment, he was pulled into the memory of the night of the riot. So many people screaming. One man, who had been drunk, slashing him with a short sword. There was a lot of pain, and fear. His master's face was but a blur among the sea of people. Then, a warm light... His wound healed, though the scar couldn't be mended. His master smiling down at his tear-streaked face, then turning to the villagers. "I will take him in!" he called. "He has not yet been tainted by the ways of black magic. Let him learn healing, and protection from me. There is no need for us to bring any further harm to this innocent child!"<br/><br/>Then back to warm memories; learning with his master, the pride of healing another living creature, all the smiling faces he'd seen on his journey. Silently, he rolled over in his sleep. His cloak was doing an adequate job of keeping him dry and warm.