Finally out of the forest and reaching the outskirts of a town, Rei collapsed there, in a somewhat rude sitting position unsuitable for a woman. Having gone for days without food or water, Rei felt more parched than famished. It caught her by surprise when she felt a tap on her shoulder. With close to no energy, she slowly looked up, the person proving to be a young girl. The girl held out to her an open container of what looked like water. Widening her eyes, Rei [s]snatched[/s] quickly took the container, spilling some drops in result, and peered in it to see that it really was what she hoped for. Alarming her, the girl then ran off, leaving her there. After watching the girl's running figure disappear as she turned a corner, Rei gulped down the water in the container, and pleasingly felt the cool liquid flowing down her dry throat. She then saw that the girl had also left a rice ball beside her, so she took that and ate it.

Rei noticed two men wearing identical uniforms approaching her, and figured that they were a police force or something of the sort. She stood up, brushing herself off, feeling a bit more energy this time.

"[b]You there, what are you doing?[/b]" One said.

"[b]You do know that you cannot beg for food or money around here, don't you? The law states that you have to have a job, and begging is not one,[/b]" The other spoke, as they came face-to-face with her.

"[b]But I wasn't,[/b]" Rei replied, her voice coming out as a croak as it was still quite dry despite the water she drank.

"[b]Then what was that just now? A girl came to give you food and water?[/b]" the other answered.

"[b]Come with us to the magistrate office for this to be settled. And not another word or we'll cut you down![/b]"

And before she could protest, a hand grabbed her left wrist, gripping it tightly, leading her away.

After quite some time, they stopped pulling her, and the grip on her wrist was now not so tight. It turned out that the two men met with another three of their own, and they were talking to each other. Rei saw that behind the magistrates were three other people, presumably ronin. A brown-haired woman who had her sword unsheathed, a tall, European clothed man, and a man with blood-stained clothing.