The ashes were carried through the air by the wailing wind while Nyoko and Haruki paced through the ruins of the town. There were few people among them - it appeared that despite the amount of damage done on houses, the casualties were few. And yet, though the city lay burned, its people didn't seem to give up on hope, helping each other through a difficult time. A small smile appeared on Nyoko's lips as she watched a woman cook a meal for a group of children, a number of her not her own, but all of them grateful.<br/><br/>They kept their efforts up till the evening came, helping whoever needed it. Even despite being warriors, neither was useless in times where not a sword, but a pair of hands to rebuild, not destroy, was needed. Till nightfall came, they didn't stop once.<br/><br/>Haruki refused to settle in a tent that was offered to them by the captain of the armed force - a man that bowed a lot, to mention - and instead set himself to rest near the city walls, where he felt safer than in a tent, only borrowing a blanket that was offered to him. Nyoko wasn't too fond of the idea, but after all, what Haruki did, she followed; all alone, she wouldn't feel safe in the ruins of a town, burned by the Black Blades. The omnious presence of the darkness still lingered in the air, and thus, she scruffed a thick blanket underneath her head and covered her own self, watching as Haruki cleaned his katana before a small fire once again.<br/><br/>It wouldn't be like a few days ago. She really hoped they'd stay a few days...<br/><br/>Except for Haruki's missing sleeves, no reminder of 'then' was to be seen - Blake was sure a good healer. But she could see Haruki just as tense and restless. She only hoped that he wouldn't follow the trail that led north. The spirit girl warned them off it, too... It surely wasn't just blabbering, then, was it?<br/><br/>With those thoughts in her head, she fell asleep, the strands of her crimson hair spread around her head like a cloud in the sunset.<br/><br/>An owl's hoot awoke her amid the night. It was a deep, scary sound - she sprang straight up as her ears caught it, and in confusion looked around herself. The sky was an inky black, only specks of stars shining here and there around the moon's crescent, and from the small fire that Haruki set was just a few embers in a small scoop of ash. Dark. All around was dark. She sighed, running a hand through her eyes, and casting a few glances in either direction to look around. Would've gone back to sleep soon after that, too - if not for the strange sight of Haruki's empty place. He wasn't sleeping next to her.