Suzu rarely spoke to Yue.
It was, Yue felt, unlikely caused by animosity on Suzu's part. She was simply reticent, and found no need to speak when words weren't needed.
In any case, Suzu didn't have the time to talk even if she wanted to. She came in and out of her home on the peak of Hitori Mountain, always occupied by some business or other. There were plenty of spirits seeking her assistance, and Suzu found time in her day to attend to everyone.
Yue was still recovering. Most of her physical wounds were gone by the end of the first week, thanks to the spring water. But she could feel something heavy in her chest, something that haunted her throughout the day.
//
In her dreams, she saw light and shadow swirling in a pond. She saw a great mountain, greater even than Hitori, drenched in blood and ash, murky behind clouds of smoke.
Suzu Tori. That was the mountain god's name- the Bell Bird. They said that when she took over Hitori, the bells tolled from the heavens, and she struck from the sky like a flash of lightning. She killed the tyrants of the mountain, killed everyone in her way, and through the bloodshed created a beacon of peace.
It was beautiful; those dark scenes giving way to verdant fields, a bright sun, the scent of rice on the tip of one's nose. But those scenes vanished as quickly as they came, and Yue heard a sharp cry. It took a moment for her to realize it was her own voice. "Suzu," she heard herself say. "Don't leave..."
//
"Yue. Yue, hey."
Someone held her down with a vice grip. Yue looked around, a bead of sweat dripping down her temple.
"Suzu, you know, you know what happened to me-"
Confusion flitted across Suzu's face. Followed by a twinge of pain. "What are you talking about?"
Yue tried to find an answer, but she couldn't; she didn't know what she was on about.
"Why are you helping me?" Yue said, sitting up and putting some distance between them.
"Because that's what I do," Suzu replied. "I found you badly wounded by the shore of the Sanzu lake. If I left you there, the spirits would've dragged you under and taken you apart piece by piece."
"Why then- why do you know my name?"
"I don't. Didn't. I found you pale and corpselike under a full moon. Just started calling you that, because...well...had to call you something."
"But," Yue thought. "That is my name. That's always been my name."
She shook it off. "I'm sorry for burdening you."
"You're not," Suzu assured. "Once you're better, I'll take you outside, alright? Some fresh air will do you good."