Lost in thought, you looked at the bloody threads running through the clear water as you cleaned your hands. The blood danced like the quartz antennae of a spider lily, beauty and cruelty combined.

The water was still warm, slightly reddish from all the blood it had absorbed. It was a miracle that the samurai was still alive. He had been bleeding the whole journey and by the time it had stopped his lips were blue.

The arrows had pierced his back, but had not made it to the other side. That was the only reason he had survived, otherwise his heart and lungs would certainly have been punctured.

Now he was asleep, or still, his entire upper body covered in bandages. All the ointments and painkillers you had were used up. It would be difficult to find a new replacement.

"Here.", with a smile, Yuriko held a bowl of steaming stew under your nose.

Vegetables and meat were swimming in it. She placed a smaller bowl of rice next to it.

"That's kind.", as was customary with the Japanese, the three of you ate on the floor, gathered around the hob.

The fire crackled, almost about to go out. Only one last ember lit up with the gentle breeze.

"Will he survive?", Tanaka returned.

His face was sweaty, his hands dirty and swollen. He had taken care of the horse that had faithfully carried you and the samurai to this house.

After a thorough wash, the black coat was as shiny as iron and the eyes looked calmer. Now it was grazing behind the house next to an ox and another horse that belonged to the couple.

You had toyed with the idea of giving them the horse as a thank you. One could always use a stallion like this. However, you could also use a horse, especially as you had no intention of fleeing from the Mongols on foot.

"I don't know.", you took a bite of the rice.

It was the first real food to fill your stomach in months. It was warm but not hot and tasted thick like soup. As you chewed on a piece of meat, you thought it was rabbit or venison.

The vegetable was unfamiliar to you, but it resembled the turnips that the Mongols had brought from China.

"Bamboo.", said Yuriko in response to your puzzled face. "The sprouts are edible steamed."

With an understandable nod, you took another spoonful. You could already feel your stomach filling up but you didn't want to stop eating. It was a matter of luck when you would get something like this again next time.

"I think he's running a fever.", you finally said and put the bowl down. "But I don't know if my resources are enough. And I don't know the plants here very well."

"Tea should help.", said Yuriko, tilting her head curiously. "Tell me, how do you know so much about medicine? You're not a Mongolian doctor, are you?"

You smiled.

"I am not a Mongol.", you repeated as you had many times before.

"You're wearing their clothes.", Tanaka pointed with a nod of his head to the light armour that was covered in blood.

You had been wiping your hands on your knees the whole time. The trousers were also completely ruined.

"They gave me what was available.", you said and thought for a moment. "I was to serve Khotun Kahn."

Surprise showed on their faces. With raised eyebrows, the couple exchanged glances with each other.

"As his concubine?", Tanaka asked. "I've heard that the Mongols don't have such official ranks. They just take what they want."

Thinking, you took some more of the stew. Your stomach felt like it was swelling up.

"That's true. They have a lot of women, voluntarily or not. But I wasn't like that. I took care of the slaves."

A sound of understanding escaped her lips.

"So you were their plague doctor.", Tanaka thought aloud.

You frowned.

"What is that?"

"Someone who takes care of the common people to prevent epidemics.", Yuriko gave you some rice. "So you were a slave too?"

You thought for a moment.

"More or less. I was allowed to move around freely on the ship. But only to a limited extent, chained and supervised. And if a Mongol was ill, he had to be helped first."

"Hmm...", Tanaka looked you up and down. "Then you must be very good at what you do."

A faint smile curled your lips, combining pride and shame.

"There were lives I saved.", you swallowed hard, all of a sudden the rice tasted oversalted. "And those I could no longer save."

Silence spread over the conversation. As if of their own accord, your eyes wandered over your shoulder into the other room.

A shadow had spread out where the samurai lay. Yuriko had wrapped him in blankets and put a cold cloth on his forehead. He still hadn't woken up once, not even when you had stitched the wounds on his back without anaesthetic.

Only the slight rise and fall of his chest revealed that he was still alive.

"But how do you know so much about medicine?", Yuriko finally asked to break the silence.

Torn from your thoughts, you looked at her. Her black hair was already starting to turn a little grey. She wasn't old, but she wasn't young either.

At that moment, you had to think of your mum, who would have been about her age. If only you had known where she was. Whether she was alive.

"My mother was a midwife.", you said, and you took another bite to fill your stomach until you couldn't take any more. "At least that's the only thing I remember. Whenever there were sick women in the village, they came to her. She helped to bring children into the world and tended to the wounds of the mothers after the birth."

"And your father?", Tanaka asked.

You shook your head.

"I don't remember. Perhaps he died in the Mongol attack. Or fled, like many."

He frowned.

"You asked me about a strange place. A place where there are people like you."

"Hm. Maybe it's just a legend."

"It is.", his gaze softened. "But every legend has some truth, doesn't it?"