Soul Bound

Found

   "I'll be back by the hour, please take good care of my daughter." Shigure said softly to Mikan, one of his shrine maidens. He grabbed his hat and staff and knelt down to his daughter's level. She was a pretty little girl with big greenish brown eyes and long wavy brown hair. She was only seven years old.
    "I'll he home soon, my love."

He patted her head and stood up straight. "Bye bye, papa!" She exclaimed. He smiled wide. "Bye bye, Emiko!" He made his way out the door. He had to take a short trip to the village to grab some things, but mostly he just wanted to take a walk.
   It was a beautiful day, and the fresh air was perfect for Shigure. He smiled and breathed in, stopping every now and again to look at the flowers or animals.
   As he walked, some bushes rustled near him. He stopped abruptly.
   "Huh?" Shigure stared suspiciously at the bush for a moment, but nothing happened. He shrugged. It must have been an animal or something. He almost continued on when the bush rustled again.
   "What in the world?" He crept closer, his heart thumping in his ears. What if it was something really bad? He had a daughter to care for.
   He took a deep breath and the poked the staff into the bush, causing it to rustle again. He jumped slightly. Something was definitely there.
   Shigure took one more deep breath and parted the bushes. The smell of blood wafted up into the air. There lay the figure of a little boy. He was curled up in the bush. His eyes were closed and his eyebrows were furrowed into a pained expression. He had shaggy black hair that looked fluffy and knotted , as well as fox ears and a black and scarlet tail. His arms were hugged close to him, his hands cupped around something. His clothes were torn and the fabric looked uncomfortable.
   "A kitsune...!" Shigure said aloud. The small creature opened his eyes and looked up at him, revealing beautiful red and golden irises. His eyes widened. Shigure flashed a nervous smile. Even if this kitsune was a child, it was still dangerous. The boy scurried out from the bush frantically, still holding his arms close to him. He growled at Shigure, who had begun to tremble slightly.
   Blood dripped from the kitsune's stomach area, and he had a multitude of scratches and cuts. It was then that Shigure realized where the blood smell was coming from. The boy winced, his defensive demeanor faltering for a moment.
   "Oh my, you're hurt..." Shigure said softly. He took a step closer to the boy, reaching out a hand. The kitsune growled again, taking a step back. More blood splattered across the grass and he wheezed. Shigure looked into his eyes with a calm and gentle expression, taking a few more steps toward the boy.
   "I can help you." He said. In that moment, there was a connection. The boy's expression changed into something softer as he slid to his knees. He brought his arms away from his chest, releasing what he was holding. A tiny, unharmed bird hopped out of his hands.
   "That's what you were holding? Were you protecting it?" Shigure asked. The boy hesitated for a moment. He nodded slowly.
   "I see..." Shigure gave him a gentle smile. The kitsune looked away, his eyebrows furrowed. He used one of his now free hands to press against his still bleeding wound. He whined.
   "That must be painful." Shigure said. The child gave him a look of annoyance.
   "Ah, pardon me, of course it hurts. Silly me." Shigure chuckled. He stood, offering a hand to the boy.
   "Come with me. I can carry you back to my shrine where I can tend to your wounds."
   The boy stared up at Shigure wearily, weighing his options. He had no where else to go, and if he didn't go with him, he would die here anyway. He took Shigure's hand.
   Shigure helped him up and turned around, bending down. "Hop on, I'll take you back as fast as I can."
   The boy carefully climbed on, and Shigure stood, gripping the child's legs. He started to run quickly back to the shrine.