Tomoe lay in the grass near the river, weakened and wounded. He had been fleeing the armed men who had ambushed him, his sword broken in the heat of the battle that had nearly cost him his life. As he lay there, exhausted and close to death, a sudden sound caught his attention. It was the sound of quiet steps approaching him.

Tomoe began to recall the events of the past days as he suddenly opened his eyes. He remembered being rescued while half-dead on the river bank and then being treated and nursed for several days in a row. While he had been recovering, he had felt so weak and tired, unable to really comprehend what was going on around him. But now Tomoe was surprised to find that he was awake and in a bed, not in a coffin where he had expected to be.