Two hours passed after the demon's death. Although if everything seemed to be ok, Shikuruu and Mamahaha were still in alert. And Nakoruru was sleeping again, not very conscious of what happened. Her blankets were fully covering herself, just making possible to see her quite face. Mamahaha was looking at her like a mother watching her beloved daughter. And for Shikuruu, it was the gaze of someone fallen in love.

For odd reason, he raised his head and looked at the shutter, growling softly. Mamahaha began to flap, hoping her mistress would awake this time.

The reason was little scratchings on the shutter of Nakoruru's bedroom. Scratchings caused by Galford and Adjantis who wanted to awake her.

"Hmm... I think it's her bedroom, not her grandparents's one !" Galford whispered to his friend.

"But how can you be sure of that ?" the werewolf asked, raising an eyebrows. "Do you mean you already slept with her ?"

Galford had a big start. He was about to gulp his tongue because he didn't expected such a question. He glared furiously at Adjantis.

"Stop saying that ! Watch your own business ! Nakoruru is a pure maiden, and she will never allow that ! She's too innocent for this kind of dirty thought ! After all, she's a chaste priestess and she prefers protecting animals to... something like that." Galford whispered, raising his tone.

"Don't feel ashamed Galford ! It's nature !" Adjantis joked.

"Stop ! Nakoruru is not an easy girl ! You'd better to admit she's too shy to express her feelings and more by this way. So, I'm sure she can't stand accepting this kind of mind. I just remember how much she lowers her look sometimes when she speaks with person..." Galford concluded.

"Relax, Galford. I already know that ! Just by seeing her, you can be sure she's too innocent for that ! I was just upsetting you. It's so easy and I can't help. But I think you'll have lot of troubles to be her boyfriend."

Galford was really nervous and quickly changed of topic.

"I remember there was a time where Nakoruru was sleeping in the same bedroom than her sister. The cottage isn't very big. But long time after her father's death, she took his chamber in order to allow Rimururu who usually awake very late to sleep more. I know Nakoruru get up really early. She cares of her family and cooks them something for the breakfast. However for this bedroom, Rimururu said me that Nakoruru mourns sometimes because it makes her remembers of her father." Galford explained.

Poppy took the liberty to lay her feet on the shutter and scratched off. Galford scolded her lightly for that until she stopped.

Meanwhile, Nakoruru awoke due to Mamahaha, Shikuruu and the soft whispers outside. She stretched her delicate members, sighing. Looking at her mistress, Mamahaha made many sweet coos. Nakoruru nodded and asked sweetly Shikuruu to calm down since she will "care" of what was causing all these noises. She threaded her shoes to hide her little white feet. Then, covering her fragile shoulders with her Ainu cloak, she approached near the window, thanks to a lighted candle. Once she was nearby of the shutter, she heard more about these whispers.

"Wh... Who's here ?" She asked shyly, keeping an eye toward the place where she put her kodachi.

"It's me... Galford. I'm with Adjantis. We fled the barn..." A sweet whisper she finally identified.

"Galf... Galford !!!" She stammered and blushed.

Quickly, she looked away from the shutter like if Galford was able to watch her blushing.

"I... I thought he would send Poppy if something bad happened !" She thought for herself.

Nakoruru let few little groans of embarrassment. Suddenly, she realized she had used to dream of Galford unconsciously. As if it was to punish her by making her blush and feel ashamed, her gods accomplished her unconscious desire of seeing Galford by puting him behind her shutter.

"I... I wasn't couscious when I wanted to dream of him. And if I would, I will blush and stop it immediately. What happened to me ? I didn't want..." Nakoruru thought, trying to find the answer of her unconscious feelings and hiding her face nervously. "No, I don't want to see him now ! I'm too nervous..." she prayed silently to her gods.

She used to breathe calmely in order to calm her shame. She wasn't ready to brave Galford's gaze. And the fact she was dressed with a night kimono will surely attract Galford and Adjantis eyes.

Groaning more and blushing like she never done before, she used to hide herself more in her cloak. And once she felt a little better, she approached a hand to open the shutter. She was closing unconsciously her eyes, hoping Galford and Adjantis would never see all signs of her shyness.

"Galford... I'm sure she's naked. That's why we have to open the shutter by ourself before she got dressed ! It's our DUTY of males. I wonder how she looks like when she's..." Adjantis said, something impish in his behavior.

"Nooo !" Galford protested and blushed.

"How can you say that ? Are you gay ?" Adjantis asked while he started to open the shutter instead of Nakoruru, immobilized by her shame and what she heard.

"I..." Galford started, trying to avert Adjantis from opening the shutter.

Too late. The shutter left the two companion to watch inside Nakoruru's bedroom, who was just in front of them, holding her candle. Her eyes closen, she used to think of something else, as to mask her embarrassment.

Disappointed, Adjantis left Galford holding the shutter and didn't find something more funny to say "Hey ! Look Nakoruru ! It's Galford who opened your shutter ! How perverted he is ! Trying to see a young maiden in her night clothes... Galford ! You cad."

Nakoruru opened big confused eyes and blushed more. It was too much for her and she deflected her eyes, praying silently her gods to give her more courage to defeat her shyness.

"Nakoruru... it's not what you are thinking." Galford used to say, afraid to shock his secret love.

"It's not... it's not important Galford-san. I thought you would send Poppy if something bad happened." She finnaly answered, still nervous and watching the floor.

"I'm sorry Nakoruru. But I felt..." Galford started before his sentence was cuted by Adjantis.

"He felt an urgent need to see you." The werewolf said, smiling.

"Oh... I" Nakoruru said, confusedly.

"It's not..." Galford tried to explain to recover himself from all these naughty jokes from the werewolf.

"Galford-san, what happened to make you flee ?" Nakoruru quickly asked to forget the current topic.

"During our sleep, two members of your village entered in the barn. They used to inspect it because of some noises we made. We were forced to flee and I think they found proofs of our rest because of the blankets you gently gave us..." Galford explained.

In the depth of her mind, Nakoruru felt reassured. She started to think Galford was unserious enough to endanger himself by trying to see her. But she was still embarrassed by the need of seeing her seeming to remain within him. What made him prevent her instead of sending Poppy. Galford was really in love and he could't help seeing her. However, Nakoruru felt herseft alarmed since Galford and Adjantis weren't fully safe.

"Kamui !!! Oh... forgive my impoliteness, but it still night and I... I have to make you enter in my modest bedroom." Nakoruru said, lowering more her charming face due to shame. "The forest is too dangerous by night, and I'm afraid few members of my village will open a hunt for you. So you'd better to hide in my bedroom."

"We are sorry to disturb you while you were sleeping Nakoruru. It's true they looking for us." Galford apologized, throwing a sweet gaze to the young maiden.

Nakoruru made the mistake to take a gander to her respondent. Because he succeeded with catching her eyes, he smiled, making the poor little Ainu blushing a little more. She tried desperately to hide her shame until Adjantis asked something more upsetting for her.

"Why are you blushing Nakoruru ?" He asked.

She opened big surprised eyes and looked at him. She stammered but Galford noticed her inconvenience.

"Well, it's really upsetting for a young polite girl, respecting good mores, to be forced to loan her bedroom to hide two friends. We'd better to be good Adjantis. Nakoruru is generous enough, so let's respect her embarrassment. Try to understand her !" He said.

At least, Galford understood her. She smiled at him, shyly. But he didn't know his own presence during the private moment the rest was for her was the most disturbing thing. Since she discovered her feelings toward him were stronger than friendship, Nakoruru was easily perturbed. To hear his name or to think of him or to see him... it was enough to make her more nervous than usually. She was really in love with him, but she didn't want to admit it, even for herself. She felt ashamed due these unknown strong feelings she was unable to understand and worst to express. Yet, Nakoruru found the courage to help Galford and Adjantis to enter by the window in her bedroom.

"Please, don't touch anything and let's speaking more lower. I... I would be really ashamed if my familly would surprise you here." She said shyly.

Galford and Adjantis nodded and they helped Poppy to enter. When Adjantis was in front of Nakoruru, he examined her. He did all what could make her shame growing, chortling about how she was dressed by night. The poor little Nakoruru coiled more into her cloak and did her best to support Adjantis's jokes. She felt ashamed and seemed to wonder why she let them enter in her bedroom. But she remembered outside, the danger would be peeking at them.

"I would never thought you were also delicate under your ample Ainu dress. I guess Galford too will record in his mind a little Nakoruru in her night kimono." Adjantis said, drooling.

Nakoruru groaned softly and blushed again. Galford was pretty embarrassed too and apologized many time to Nakoruru to having disturbed her in such a private moment.

"It's not important Galford-san. I feel stupid, always blushing for so few. I've got a lot of shame when someone use to see me like this... Mamahaha and Shikuruu watch over me when I'm asleep, and so, I feel more secure. And I will ever be grateful to them for that." She replied, watching the floor to avoid their gazes.

At the big surprise of Galford, Shikuruu was pretty furious. He never stopped to growl at him. So much that Nakoruru was forced to calm him, scolding him softly because he was about to awake the whole cottage, what the young girl feared much than anything else.

"He knows my feelings for her... He's jealous. And seeing me in his lair is surely the best way to make him angry. That's sad, because he was always tolerent with me until now." Galford thought.

Nakoruru fixed the candle in a little plate on her night table. Then, she disposed two old chairs to let Galford and Adjantis to sit down. But Adjantis refused politely, saying the floor is better for his abdominal muscles. So, she put a chair for her near Mamahaha's roost and the door. She sit down, envelopping herself in her cloak and throwning shy glances everywhere. She was so nervous. Shikuruu came to sleep nearby her. For odd reason, she kept her dagger close to her. On the chair Nakoruru installed for him, Galford watched her. He was conscious the young girl was very uncomfortable due to their presence here. Poppy was sleeping on his feet and the pups were scattered around. One was sleeping on Galford's legs. The gai-jin looked Nakoruru but he noticed she was always trying to avoid his blue eyes. So, he did his best to make her more comfortable by avoiding to make her blush.

"Relax Nakoruru. We won't do anything bad to you !" Adjantis said, trying to comfort her.

"I know... but I'm too shy." She said shyly, without giving any looks to both of them.

"If you want Nakoruru, we can sleep outside..." Galford started.

"No ! I don't want to endanger you." She said, so surprised of his attention and watching Galford's feet.

"That's sweet Nakoruru." The gai-jin answered, smiling at her.

She smiled shyly, but wasn't able to look at him. She remembered how much she loves him. But she didn't want to admit it, nor to think of him. It ever made her blush. And she was afraid of love because it can make her endanger Nature. Her feelings were torturing her because she was too afraid to express and support them, but their importance couldn't make her forget them. She was nearly sure Galford had a crush on her too. And just by thinking he was probably here to see her and not to train with Hanzo was confirming this. But she didn't want to fall in love. For Nature and because she was too confused and ashamed by the fact she couldn't understand how and why she was in love.

"Eh ! ne faites pas attention à moi ! Si vous voulez faire un calin, je vais me faire oublier..." (Hey ! Don't give any attention to me ! If you want to kiss each other, I'm gonna leave you alone...) Adjantis said before he drank one of his potion.

The effects were instantaneous. Adjantis caved and snored, his throat vulnerable to the coldness of the night. Confused, Nakoruru and Galford stared at each other.

"What's wrong Galford-san ?" Nakoruru asked confusedly.

"I don't know Nakoruru. Maybe he's too tired ?" Galford answered, raising an eye brows while he looked at Adjantis.

Nakoruru stood up and started to install him on her tatami. Then, she put a blanket on him. Galford came to help her, making Shikuruu growled. By a resolute tone, the Ainu maiden asked him to stop. Disappointed, Shikuruu stayed sulky. Nakoruru noticed this new proof of Galford's love for her. If Shikuruu would be nice even in such a situation, maybe it would mean that Galford didn't love her by the way she was thinking. But Shikuruu seemed to sense something buried in Galford : his love. Surprised by her thought again, she flushed. But she thanked Galford for his help.

She came back to her chair and after being sit down, she managed to think of something else. But sometimes, she crossed Galford blue eyes. The gai-jin was sit just in front of her, but they were separated by a good distance. He couldn't help smiling at her, noticing her cheek becoming red. Nakoruru was really so cute, and Galford felt disarmed face to her smile. Many time, she thanked him for his help or for his compliments by her smile. A smile which always had something shy and cute. But Nakoruru was rarely able to maintain it so long, making them more rare and irresistible. Once she realized what she was doing, she used to deflect softly her look. She wasn't very accustomed to be with people. And her shy nature was the reason. Galford remembered the first time he saw her. He used to joke because she was young. She's still, but her deterination to protect Nature is still too strong. It was what impressed Galford. The young maiden was very mature in spite of a huge sentimentality and her innocence.

"Galford.... please stop." Nakoruru whispered.

"Huh ?" Galford wondered.

"You can't stop looking me, Galford-san. And... it... it makes me feel pretty embarrassed." She stammered, her blue eyes prefering look Poppy instead of him.

"You're right Nakoruru... but I will watch you falling asleep..." Galford answered without really being conscious of what he was saying.

Nakoruru had a start and Galford suddenly clarified.

"I meant, I will watch over you." He quickly said. "You can sleep safely, Nakoruru. Nobody will bother you."

"Arigato Galford-san... I will try to rest." Nakoruru said, smiling at him.

Even if she knew Galford will never do anything bad toward her, she was embarrassed of his presence here. After all, she had a crush on him. Closing her eyes, she still saw his smile and she blushed. Galford made all he could to make her feel less ashamed. He used to be silent. So, by dint of blushing, Nakoruru finally fell asleep and hide her face in her cloak. Galford smiled. And when he sensed the slumber coming for him too, he approached his chair near Nakoruru. Shikuruu thrown him a bad look, but wasn't very hostile. Galford petted his head and the wolf finished to tolerate his presence near him. When he came to sit down to his chair, his eyes laid on Nakoruru, sleeping. He smiled and set down a little kiss on her forehead.

"Good night Nakoruru." He whispered.

Then, he sit down and used to finish his night. The candle slowly turned off.