Dragons Fangs and Tiger Claws {1x1 with DarkMudkip}

"I just found her in here, I'm helping her. We're taking her to Riften so she can get help." He said and finally undid the lock. He gently removed the shackle and looked horrified by the scars and scabs around her neck, "By the Nine..."
 
"How long do you think she was in here?" Minehime asked, moving over to help Shigenaga hoist the woman to her feet. "Who would do something this terrible?" She looked rather upset, and her face was scrunched up from the overwhelming stench of death in the air. "Did she say who she was?"
 
Minehime shook her head, looking at the blank-faced woman with a sad frown. "Let's just get her back home, Otou-sama will know what to do." She said, helping move the woman out, though it wasn't all that hard seeing how light she was.
 
The two set off, trekking through the snow towards Riften, after wrapping the woman in Minehime's cloak of course. It took them a while since they had to move slower, but when they reached home, the two took her to the head Mage to check her out.
 
Minehime headed off to find Masamune, wanting to let him know of their fine as well. "Otou-sama, we found a woman, she looks really sick. She was locked in a cave."
 
Masamune scowled faintly and told Megohime he would be back, following Minehime. "Otou-sama!" Shigenaga rushed out to Kojurou's secret garden, where he usually spent his time, "Mine-sama and I found an emaciated woman in a cave...! She looked like she had been in there a really long time!" Kojurou felt his chest tighten and he shot up, rushing to see this woman, Shigenaga following closely.
 
After being checked over, the woman was let into the bathhouse to clean up, giving fresh clothing and a warm meal, which she scarfed down so fast she burned her mouth and nearly vomited it all up. "Miss, do you know where you are?" The healer asked, waiting patiently in the room, but Jin only concerned herself with the warm bread before her, tearing pieces off and eating them as fast as she could. "Do you have a name?" Again Jin ignored the man, not making eye contact or even showing she had registered his question.
 
"Jin...?" Kojurou's voice cracked as he watched his skeleton of a wife gorge herself; and for good reason. His heart skipped before shattering, not knowing if he was dreaming.
 
"Katakura-dono, do you know this woman?" Jin turned her head when she heard Kojurou's voice, and though she hadn't heard it in fifteen years, she knew instantly, that it was her husband. Tears pooled in her eyes, her frail body shaking as she stood from her chair, wobbling toward Kojurou, before collapsing to her knees from weakness.
 
Kojurou rushed to her and held her gently, scared that if he was anything less than careful she would break or shatter like glass. "It's you...it's really you..." His voice wavered as he fought tears, shutting his eyes tight, "I-I thought you left me...I thought I had done something wrong, something horrid to make you leave me and your son behind..."
 
Jin clung to Kojurou tightly, unable to keep her tears from falling any longer, they fell down her face, accompanied by soft hiccups. "I never would have left you." Her voice was ragged and hoarse, barely audible from lack of use over the fifteen years she had been imprisoned. "I couldn't get away, he made sure I couldn't... Please forgive me for being away for so long." She clenched her jaw, soft sobs escaping her before she started to wail, shaking hard and burying her face in Kojurou's chest.
 
He wept silently, holding her and refusing to let go. "Of course, I will always forgive you, Jin. I love you so much...I'm so glad to have you back..." He said softly. Shigenaga watched from the doorway, confused and mind reeling. This woman he had found and rescued was his long lost mother? He didn't understand, couldn't get his head around it. "Okaa-sama?" The word was foreign and odd, almost uncomfortable to say.
 
Jin's dull golden eyes opened when she heard a young man speak, peering over Kojurou's shoulder to see who it was. The young man was someone she had never met before that day, but he certainly did look like Kojurou. Then something in her mind clicked. "Is that...?"
 
Kojurou nodded, smiling albeit sadly, "Hai...His name is Shigenaga." He replied. Shigenaga stepped closer, looking a little uncomfortable. "Um...Ohayo, Okaa-sama..." He bowed awkwardly, "I'm...glad I saved you..."
 
Jin gave Shigenaga a good look-over, having to half-crawl to her son. "You look just like your father..." She said softly, reaching out to cup his cheek, only to hesitate before pulling her hand away. Although she had great feelings of love for her son, he still somehow felt like a stranger.
 
"Give it time..." Kojurou assured her gently. The doors opened again and Masamune stepped in, freezing for a moment when he saw Jin. "Merciful Talos.." He muttered, "Jin? What in Oblivion happened?"
 
Minehime peeked over Masamune's shoulder, giving a confused, but sympathetic look to Shigenaga. Jin stiffened slightly, her gaze dropping to the floor, getting very quiet before answering. "He goes by Tenkai now... But it was Mitsuhide." Was all she muttered, looking like she was ready to shut down and lock herself away in her mind again.
 
Masamune made a face but gave Kojurou a look. The Housecarl nodded and gently pulled Jin to her feet, "Come, let's get you to bed, yes? Maybe a bath and some fresh clothes? I'll braid your hair, a well...I hope I haven't gone rusty.."
 
Jin gave a numb nod, using Kojurou as a support. "A bath and a warm bed sounds nice." She murmured, aching to feel his fingers in her hair instead of Tenkai's for once.
 
Kojurou gingerly rubbed her back as he took her to their room, leading her into the bathing room and helping her undress and get into the warm waters.
 
Jin crouched in the warm bath waters, slowly scrubbing off the filth from her body, every bone in her body visible. "What is he like? Shigenaga, I mean."
 
"He's polite, diligent, hard working...he follows around Masamune-sama's youngest as her guardian. I think he wishes to be like me in some aspects." He replied as he began to gently brush out her hair, "He's also compassionate and kind, he puts others before himself. He's a hell of a marksman."
 
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