InuYasha Fan Fiction / Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ In the Arms of the Enemy ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

I hate, hate, hate technology. Computers are buggers. But what's an author/authoress to do..*sigh*.

Don't have much to say..so on with the chapter!

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In the Arms of the Enemy

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Chapter 2

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She fought back the tears. She would not cry. She would not give them the perverse satsifaction of seeing her tears. She swallowed around the lump in her throat, and put on a strong face.

"Well, well, look what we have here. Battosai himself, and his little whore." The man holding her hair gave a sharp pull, and she whimpered slightly. A part of her wanted to scream out against the statement and slap him, but another wanted to slump tp the floor or die. Possibly both. So she settled for remaining still and silent.

"Release her," he spoke, voice dangerously low, his hand resting on the handle of his katana. His words left no room for debate, and she watched as he positioned himself in a fighting stance.

The captain tilted his head backwards and looked down his nose at him. Based on his actions, she could tell he wasn't afraid, cocky more like. He chuckled, and made a motion for his comrads. They lined up, around ten, in a well practiced battle routine. The man across from them made no move.

"I give you a final warning."

She began to panic, as the leader of the troop pulled out a dagger and held it to her throat. Angling the sharp side, he dragged it upwards, along the underside of her chin, to the side of her face, and then her temple. A red line appeared, where it had shaved away part of her skin. She swallowed, and closed her eyes, as he returned the dagger to her throat. His head bent down, and he dragged his lips against her cheek, leaving a moist trail of saliva.

She whimpered again, and screwed her eyes shut further, as small amounts of moisture began to form in the corners of her eyes. His hand roamed her body, and she twitched away as best she could. He brought it along collarbone, slipping her kimono off her shoulder. She opened her eyes, and they widened, as the lone warrior charged them, murder in his eyes.

He brought his sword out and easily made his was through the first two opponents. The captain, having stopped his movements, threw her to the ground and drew his own katana. She landed on her side, winded, but her eyes quickly fell back upon her rescuer. She watched, with both horror and fascination, as the blood from their wounds fell upon his face and clothes. Now that she looked, she could see the remains of dried blood from a time before their meeting.

One by one, the small army of the captain was cut down, until only he and Battosai remained. Her eyes scanned the bloody grass, the bodies of men paralyzed in death, frozen in twisted positions and angles. It was all she could do to swallow, as her blood rushed through her veins. Strangely enough, the bloodshed didn't affect her. It was the death. The overwhelming smell of crimson tears, the sickly sweet colours of cloth and liquid.

The sound of metal on metal brought her head to her left, where Battosai and the captain stood, their swords shaking slightly, as they tested the other's strength. She sat up on her side slowly, shakily, her hands holding her up as even then her strength threatened to give out. She watched with wide eyes as the captain advanced, Battosai blocking his movements, and parrying it afterwards with a thrust of his own. The sword slid easily through the fleshy material of the captain's throat, as blood began to spray in every direction.

She vaguely noted the splatter of warm liquid on her face, down her cheek and above her eyes. She squinted, but her gaze remained on Battosai's face. He withdrew his sword, his head low, bangs covering his eyes. She watched as he calmly wiped his sword clean, the captain falling to the floor with a gurgling choke, and sheathed his katana. A small breeze blew through the battlefield, and his bangs danced with the winds. The look in his eyes was forever engraved into her mind. Guilt, tragedy, denial. Horror. He turned to walk away, and she scrambled to her feet, wobbling slightly.

She tried to call his name, but she realized she didn't know it. So she settled for running after him.

"Sir," she spoke, her voice hoarse. He didn't hear. Or didn't acknowledge.

She ran ahead of him, and turned to face him, careful to avoid eye contact. Bowing low, she took her sleeve in her hand, and wiped the drying blood from her face.

"Thank you for saving me," she offered her thanks, her head bowed. He continued walking, but he passed on her side. Shocked, she turned and looked at him, or rather, the back of his head. He stopped moving, his hair swaying.

"May I have your name?" she asked, her voice small and quiet. He shuffled a bit, as if readjusting his clothes, and she held her breath.

"Himura. Kenshin Himura."

He resumed walking, and a small smile came to her face. She watched as he faded into the trees ahead, as another breeze came through the area. She raised a soft hand to her hair, holding it in place, as her tie unraveled, and danced in the air. She didn't bother reaching for it, though, rather watched as it sailed away. As it flew further and further from her into the skies above, she couldn't help but feel the small rush of calm spread over her. The silk tie was her old life, and as it went farther and farther away, she smiled. She would start anew.

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Her stomach rumbled impatiently, and she rubbed it longingly. She hadn't ate since breakfast, and the thought of food was very welcoming. But if she returned too soon, he would see her and she wouldn't be able to leave. The sun had set long before, and she threw weary glances over her shoulder. She had retrieved a sword from one of the fallen Imperialists, and had cleaned it thoroughly in a nearby river. Having said a small prayer for forgiveness and peace, she took it with her, as a form of defense. Even if she was a bit rough, she knew the basics and could defend herself if needed.

So now she crouched, behind a large tree, the sword at her side tied into her kimono. She watched the silhouette move behind the reed curtains in the dim candlelight. A pang of hurt rang in her heart, but she pushed it back. Now was not the time for emotions. The light went out, and she waited for roughly ten minutes, before silently making her way towards the front door.

The wood creaked softly, not loud enough to alert anyone, and she slid through the front door. Slipping off her sandles, she walked down the hallway to the spare room. Walking inside, she grabbed a medium sized bag made of dried bamboo, and packed spare clothes from the makeshift drawers. Extra shirts, kimonos, and dress pants went in along with socks, a spare set of sandals, and underclothes.

Grabbing a hat from the corner, she held it in her right hand, as she exited the room, casting it one more glance, before heading to the pantry. Packing enough food for a few days' journey, she grabbed a water canteen and tied it to her bag, filling it with fresh water from the day before. Leacing that room, she headed towards the front door, absently passing the bedroom. She peeked in, her husband sleeping silently. She swallowed, and lowered her head, a small tear sliding down her face. Wiping it hastily, she continued to the front door.

Picking up a small lantern, she lighted it, and slipped into her sandals. Placed the hat on her head, and making sure her sword was fastened securely, she retrieved the lantern and, with one last backwards glance, left.

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Hey, I'm sorry this chapter's so short..I had other things to do today, so I figured I may as well update this before I go..It's better than nothing I suppose =P

Well at least I'm getting views o.O So thanks for checking the story out!

Next chapter coming soon =)

Ciao