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The dark-haired woman breathed a faint sigh of relief as Kenichi managed to haul himself to his feet. He seemed to be alright, despite what looked to have been a rather nasty fall. Lending her shoulder and a hand, she allowed herself to serve as a makeshift support until he was fully upright and balanced again, then gingerly handed over his crutch once he had the space and the footing to properly make use of it.

Hearing his answer, she breathed a faint, somewhat disappointed sigh. A cat, was it? There [i]were[/i] quite a few [i]bakeneko[/i] who liked to frolic around the hillside near the shrine, enticed by the food offerings she frequently left for them. Unfortunately, they didn't always respect good manners when there wasn't someone around who could keep them in line, and ever since her mentor had passed away, they'd grown quite ornery and sometimes even downright mean. While the agreement between the townsfolk and the [i]youkai[/i] of the valley still stood - or at least, still [i]should[/i] have stood - they tended to play some rather cruel jokes on villagers when nobody else was watching.

[color=#19CACA]"I'm terribly sorry. I'll properly scold them for you,"[/color] She lowered her head, giving a series of brisk, rather embarrassed bows. After all, if she was more like a proper shrine maiden, proper enough to earn their respect, then surely he wouldn't have been inconvenienced or hurt in such a manner.

Seeing as he already seemed quite exhausted from the climb up the stairs from the village, she didn't have the heart to refuse him. But at the same time, she also couldn't give any hint of the missive she'd recieved. If there was anyone's discretion that she could trust absolutely, it was the doctor's, but nevertheless it wouldn't do to go sowing panic until she knew more about what was happening. She'd let him rest for a few minutes, then make some excuse and go see elder Takamori. Surely, he would know what the meaning of this message was, and what needed to be done.

So, putting on an only slightly forced smile, she nodded and motioned through the gates for him to follow. [color=#19CACA]"Of course, it's no trouble at all. Though, I'm afraid that I don't have any tea or hospitality prepared for you at the moment. I wasn't expecting visitors this early... If I might ask, what brings you all the way up here, Masaki-sensei?"[/color]

Inwardly, she shriveled up a bit. She really hoped she wasn't being too icy or unwelcoming, but with such a heavy burden weighing on her mind, she couldn't quite keep her anxiety from slipping into her voice and demeanor. Normally, she'd have been glad to have a guest - or at least, to have Masaki-sensei visit. He was a tremendously kind person, and no matter how often she tried to repay him, she still felt like she owed him for his gentleness and generosity. That being the case, she needed to show a better face here! It wouldn't do at all to slight him when he was going out of his way to visit her. Ah, if only she'd had a little more time, or if it wasn't today, or...

And so, another small worry was added to Oyuki's growing collection.[/indent]