The Special Gift

Part 1, Chapter 3

He bent down to her and helped her up. "Your leg isn't going to get better if you're walking on it." Ichigo said after he got her up. "Yes I know that but if we don't start looking soon we won't find our dads." Mink said. "I'll think of something or would you like me to take you home." Ichigo said. "I'm not going home yet." Mink said looking at him. Ichigo looked at her and knew she wasn't changing her mind. "Okay. I'll get some wood and see what I can do." Ichigo said. He helps Mink into the cave before picking up the fruit and giving it to her. When he was sure she wouldn't move again he left. He walked around for hours before he found what he was looking for. He picked up the wood and started his long walk back to the cave. As he got closer to the cave he stopped when he heard a scream. After hearing it he ran back to the cave. When he saw the cave he could see mink coming out. He smiled when he saw what she was getting away from. He walked to mink as she fell to the ground. "Mink calm down. Its' okay, this cub bear is a friend." Ichigo said smiling as he helped her up. Mink looked at him before speaking. "Okay, we got to work on our communication a little." Mink said then Ichigo smiled.

They went back into the cave with the bear cub as Ichigo helped Mink. After Mink sat down with the bear cub Ichigo began working on the wood he found. He doesn't know how long it will take but he was going to try to make Mink some crutches. Ichigo could hear Mink playing with the cub as she waited for him to finish. After a few hours he was done and he looked over his work before speaking. "There all done." He said then looked at Mink. She was asleep with the bear cub. Ichigo looked out of the cave to see it was dark; he looked back to Mink. She had her head lying on the bear cub's back as she slept. Ichigo put more wood on the fire before lying down to sleep. He made sure the crutches were away from the fire before closing his eyes. Mink woke up with the bear cub and saw Ichigo was still asleep. He did look cold to her so she put the jacket on him as he slept. She saw the crutches and picked them up before leaving the cave. "You need a name," Mink said to the cub as she sat down at a tree. Mink thought for a moment before speaking. "Let's call you Mint." She said; the bear cub then started jumping around. "I can see you like it." Mink said giggling. By this time Ichigo was awake and looking for Mink when he heard her Giggling; he followed her voice. He saw her sitting near a tree with the bear and walked over to her. Mink saw him coming. "Hello. What are you doing?" Mink asked looking at him. "I've been looking for you," Ichigo said sitting next to her. "What are you doing out here?" "I'm just looking around," Mink said. Ichigo watched as she looked out into the trees. "Well let's get back to the cave." He said helping her up. "Okay and I named the bear cub mint." She said walking in front of Ichigo with her crutches. "Mint?" Ichigo asked smiling. "Yes," Mink said looking back at him. "Okay. We'll start looking for our fathers in a little while." Ichigo said as they walked into the cave.

An hour later Ichigo was picking up Minks backpack when he looked over to her. She was in her own little world as she looked up at the sky; he walked over to her. "What are you thinking about?" he asked. "Just think of home but no time for that now. It's time to leave." Mink said. "I can still take you back," Ichigo said moving closer to her. "No, if I go back now mom would never let me out of her sight," Mink said half smiling. Ichigo waited for a minute before speaking. "Well then let's go." He said. "Which way do we go first?" Mink asked. "We need to go south to the big tree. From there it will be easy to get around." Ichigo said as they started walking. They walked for hours and Mink was getting tired. "Can we stop?" Mink asked. "We got about two more miles to go," Ichigo said. "I can't walk anymore," Mink said stopping. Ichigo walked back to her. "We don't have far to go. I'm sure you can make it." Ichigo said as he looked at Mint sitting next to Mink. "My feet hurt. I can't do anymore." Mink said looking down. Ichigo sighed before moving closer to her. Mink looked up at him before he picked her up with the crutches. "Let's go Mint," Ichigo said then the bear cub followed. After about fifteen minutes they were looking up a big tree with Mink still in Ichigo's arms.

Ichigo sat her down at the tree then watched as Mint sat next to her. "I'm going up to have a look around. Stay here with mint." Ichigo said before climbing up the tree. When he made it to the top of the tree he looked around. He saw treetops all around and saw villages. "What's taking him so long?" Mink said looking up the tree. Mint raised her head with her ears flexing before standing to look out into the woods. "What is it mint?" Mink said looking around. Mink could hear footsteps coming to her; she then yelled up the tree. "Ichigo!"