[the offering of others has kept them alive, but kaede suffers. her thin frame has lost more weight, and the arms she opens to Clover are almost too thin. "we must find a place," she tells him. in the night she wakes and urges him to flee. they run from the samurai, from the kind scarlet man, from the hunter. if they are tracked she does not look back, does not say a word until her body forces a collapse amid strange structures. chickens squawk. pigs root in the abandoned granaries. a herd of horses shy away from the canines. driving rain comes for her and yotsuba now. rivers before them, followed by hills, but the sing of the sea is commanding. kaede raises her hurting head and looks into the face of clover.]

the offering of others has kept them alive, but kaede suffers.

her thin frame has lost more weight, and the arms she opens to Clover are almost too thin. "we must find a place," she tells him.

in the night she wakes and urges him to flee.

they run from the samurai, from the kind scarlet man, from the hunter.

if they are tracked she does not look back, does not say a word until her body forces a collapse amid strange structures.

chickens squawk. pigs root in the abandoned granaries. a herd of horses shy away from the canines.

driving rain comes for her and yotsuba now. rivers before them, followed by hills, but the sing of the sea is commanding.

kaede raises her hurting head and looks into the face of clover.