When Miroku awoke, it was to a throbbing pain in his temple as he sat up & groaned. Looking around, he saw he was on a futon in an unfamiliar hut, with no one else in the room. He rose to his feet, swaying slightly as he felt a rush to his head, & left the room of the hut, slowly making his way through the rest of the place. "Is anyone here?" He called out softly. He stopped in his tracks before h turned the corner as someone came around it & smiled at him.
"It is good to see you have awaken, Lord Monk," the servant spoke softly, still smiling. "When the Lord of the home brought you to us, saying that he had knocked you quite hard, we were worried that you might not wake up for a while since he has been known to put people to sleep for long periods of time."
"I... See..."
"Do you have any pain in your head? Would you like some medicinal drink to help tame it?"
"I-I'm fine for now. Listen, I came to this town in search of Lady Yamahoshi, please tell me that she resides in this hut."
"Oh she does Lord Monk-"
"Miroku. Please, call me by name."
The servant girl nodded. "Yes Lord Miroku... But as I was saying, Lady Yamahoshi does indeed still reside in this hut, but she is not here right now. She will return soon though. She went to the market for some eggs & chickens since a dog got into our chicken coop two nights ago.
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Miroku looked at the boy in his lap that was playing with his sutra beads, tugging lightly, but not enough to break them. "He does look like me Yamahoshi," Miroku said as he looked up at the woman with brown hair & gray eyes. She had returned a few hours ago & after they talked, he was allowed to meet his son. "Thank you for letting me know I had a child."
"I thought you at least deserved to know Miroku," Yamahoshi said as she ran her fingers through her hiar to brush some out of her face. "I wish you hadn't come to see me though. My father was in an outrage when a boy from the village came to him & told him you were looking for me."
"I didn't get you in any trouble did I?"
"No, but he did yell a lot. He's afraid that you will take me away from here so that you can help raise our son."
"I would have no right to though."
"Trust me, dear miroku. I wouldn't mind one bit if you took me away from here."
"You wouldn't? Why not? Your family seems to be well off."
"We may be well off, but I am not allowed to do anything. I am confined to this hut day in & out. If father were to find out I went to the market today, he would go on a rampage. I think it would be nice to be able to travel once in a while."
"You like to travel?" Yamahoshi nodded. "Yamahoshi, I travel with a small band of friends around the lands. Perhaps tonight you & I could take Aiji with us & leave this town. You could join with us."
"I'd like that Miroku," Yamahoshi said with a smile.