Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ A Simple Twist of Fate ❯ Chapter 6

 

Slowly but surely, I'm getting the chapters uploaded. Life is crazy, this past week being Valentine's. No love for me though, but it's all good. S tick with me though, and I promise I'll finally have some new stuff up soon.

 

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The water lapped gently against his hands submerged in its depths. Kenshin was reminded of the feeling of serenity he had felt two days prior when he had been accomplishing the same chore. He almost imagined he was washing the years of blood off his hands. However, it would take more than a few days doing laundry to cleanse his soul. He looked over at his companion. Her fingers limply held the sheet in her hands, her dark blue eyes staring off into space, a dreamy smile on her full lips. What did she think about? He wondered.

 

He shook his head, suppressing his chuckle and returned to the linen in his hands. The young woman was such a paradox. A bundle of nerves one moment, not saying anything; the next, bouncing off the walls, her laughter making him feel things he had never thought to feel again. She reminded him of Tomoe, but he pushed the thought aside, not wanting to dwell on a woman who was long dead and buried.

 

He glanced once more at Kaoru. She had returned to the task at hand, the small bar of soap moving over the fabric. A long tendril of her ebony hair had fallen free of her ponytail and he resisted the urge to reach over and brush it away. Abruptly she looked up at him, her cobalt eyes questioning. He offered her a smile, slightly embarrassed at having been caught staring at her.

 

“Kenshin?”

 

He sat back slightly on his heels. “I thought afterwards I would make good on my promise from yesterday, that I did.”

 

She frowned slightly. “Promise?”

 

“About going to the village.”

 

Her eyes lit up and she clapped her hands together. He braced himself for the inevitable hug, but she held herself back. Perhaps she had not been as unaffected by her actions yesterday as he had first thought. “We'll go while we wait for the laundry to dry.”

 

“Okay.” She returned to the sheet and attacked it with a new fervor.

 

Kenshin rose and moved to the line to hang the linen in his hands. Perhaps he could try and track down Sanosuke while he was in town. Briefly he worried about Hiko sending for him if the king discovered he was close by. Then again, the man had sent him on this task. A frown marred his brow as he paused. He wondered once more why he had been sent on this errand. Sano could have an idea. The man had ties to the underworld that were extremely reliant and surprisingly accurate. He mighthave an idea of why this young woman would need protection.

 

Then there was the question of who she needed protecting from. There had not been a dire threat to the kingdom in over ten years, not since Shishio's reign had come to an end.

 

The thought had him straightening as he narrowed his eyes. He had been responsible for the demise of the sorcerer's reign. However, the man's body had never been unearthed. Could he possibly be the new threat that Hiko had alluded to? Coming full circle, Kenshin returned to the one thought that plagued him ever since he had come to the realization yesterday. Who was Kaoru that she needed protection?

 

Soft footsteps made him tense before he recalled her presence. He turned to her, studying her with different eyes. Kaoru glanced up at him and hesitated. “Kenshin?”

 

He gave himself a mental shake, releasing the natural rise of protectiveness that had swept over him. He grinned at her. “Are you finished, Kaoru-dono?”

 

She nodded. “I am.” She peered up into his face. “Are you sure you're up for the trip?”

 

He blinked his violet eyes in surprise. “Of course. Why wouldn't I be?”

 

She shifted a bit uncomfortably. “You seem kind of tense. Maybe we should postpone the trip until tomorrow.”

 

He shook his head adamantly, discomfited that she had been able to read him so easily. He was a man who had not survived because his enemies could read his emotions. “I promised and we will go today.”

 

She returned his smile. “Okay.”

 

“Shall we then?”

 

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They walked in comfortable silence towards the village, both lost in their own thoughts. Kaoru risked a glance at him. He strode in step next to her. Her eyes strode down towards the sword at his side. “How long have you wielded a blade?” She asked after a moment.

 

The amethyst gaze swung towards her though he didn't break his stride. “Since I was a young boy.” He answered cryptically.

 

She was immediately reminded of Aoshi and she studied him out of her peripheral vision as her mind rapidly tried to think of a question he would be forced to answer. “Did your father teach you?”

 

“No.”

 

Kaoru pressed her lips together and wrapped her arms about her body. The empty basket bounced against her thigh. “Where did you learn your technique?” She asked a bit tersely.

 

“The mountains.”

 

She waited for him to continue. When he didn't she fought the urge to sulk. If they were going to get married, she felt as though she needed to know these things. Sighing in frustration, she looked at him, ready to demand answers. The look on the man's face had her stopping.

 

“You're laughing at me.”

 

Kenshin turned around and shook his head. “I'm not.” He insisted, holding his hands out in a peace offering. However his face belied his feelings. His lips were curled at the corners, his violet eyes lit up with his mirth.

 

“You are!”

 

He shook his head. “You ask so many questions that you do. Why are you determined to know so much about me?”

 

“Why not?” She demanded. “I should know these things about my…companion.” She had nearly confessed her hopes aloud, but caught herself in time.

 

He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully and brushed red hair from his face as he studied her. “Then I suppose I should be able to ask my fair share of questions.”

 

Kaoru opened her mouth to protest, and then closed it. It was only fair. But what could he possibly want to know about her? She wasn't interesting, not like he was. “I've never traveled anywhere. There's nothing to know about me.”

 

He took a step towards her. “Why do you say that?”

 

She was thrown by what she read in his face. He appeared concerned and almost sad she felt that way. Kaoru shrugged and moved away from him, taking a few steps closer to their destination. “It's true. I spent my whole life in the woods. End of story.”

 

He moved behind her. “Tae is not your mother?”

 

She shook her head. “No.”

 

“What happened to your parents?”

 

“What happened to yours?” She spun around.

 

Kenshin held up a hand, once more to placate her. There was a moment of silence. Kaoru broke the mood by moving away. She walked away from him, her mind in turmoil. A few moments later he fell in step beside her once more. She glanced furtively at him and saw a pensive look on his face.

 

“My parents were killed by slave traders.” He told her after a tense minute. “Somehow I managed to getaway and was saved from witnessing much of the carnage. But I was alone and I was young.”

 

Kaoru nibbled on her bottom lip, torn by what she should do. Console him or wait to hear more? “There was a man who found me. He took me under his wing for reasons even still I cannot fully comprehend. He taught me the sword technique I have spent years mastering.”

 

Silence descended between them. “I'm sorry.” She murmured. Neither said anything else and Kaoru fought off the urge to shiver. Somehow the warm sun could not penetrate the chill she felt and she regretted now having opened the forum. “Will you ever pass on your technique?”

 

“No.” He retorted without a moment of hesitation.

 

She gazed at him curiously. “Why not? It's become your legacy hasn't it? Why wouldn't you want to pass it on?”

 

Something flashed in his eyes and was gone before Kaoru even had a moment to register she had witnessed anything. He smiled slyly at her. “Who passed his technique onto you?”

 

She licked her lips, desperately trying to think of a way to escape the question. “Who says I have one?” She asked quickly, trying to stall him.

 

He didn't answer and Kaoru thought perhaps she might be off the hook. “What did happen to your parents, Kaoru-dono?” He asked after another quiet minute.

 

For some reason, she found this question easier to deal with. “I don't know.” She answered truthfully. “I've only known Tae.”

 

There was a moment of hesitation. “At what point was that?”

 

“During the wars I think. I know they were what initially led Tae to flee the village.”

 

“The wars?” She sensed his genuine surprise.

 

She nodded and kicked absently at a branch. “She was fleeing a broken heart. Somehow I came to be in her guardianship.”

 

“How?”

 

Kaoru shook her head. “She has never really said. Only that she felt an obligation to take care of me.” She smiled warmly as she thought of her would be mother. “Of course she feels more than that. I know that despite her rules she only wants what is best for me.”

 

The trees began to thin and she caught sight of the wall that separated the village from the forest. They were approaching one of the smaller side gates, one she was quite familiar with, unlike the main gate she had used with Tae on the few random times she had accompanied the older woman. She felt a momentary sense of panic. What if Tae and Megumi had come to this market? She nibbled on her lip, her pace slowing. Megumi had stated she was seeing Alsacia. The woman lived near the palace and the castle was over a half-day's ride in the other direction.

 

“Kaoru-dono?”

 

Her name brought her out of her momentary anxiety. Her blue eyes blinked at the man at her side. “What?”

 

“I asked what you thought might have happened to your parents.”

 

She blinked several times again, trying to comprehend his question. In her fleeting terror of running into her guardian, she had forgotten she was in the middle of a conversation. A blush crept up her neck and she smiled in embarrassment. “Forgive me.” She stammered.

 

His fingers brushed her shoulder and Kaoru glanced up at him. His eyes searched her face for a second before he smiled gently. “There is nothing to forgive.”

 

Now she felt shy and silly and she glanced at the ground. “Thank you for coming with me. It's always nice to have a change of scenery.”

 

“Then perhaps we should enter. We didn't come all this way to stand outside, that we did not.”

 

Kenshin's smile reflected her own and she timidly accept the arm he held out to her. She felt almost like a princess being swept off to a ball, except she was just a peasant on the arm of a traveler. But for now, it was enough for her.

 

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Market was not something he was unfamiliar with. Kenshin had passed through numerous villages in his years of wandering. They were all virtually the same. Rows upon rows of people attempting to carve out a living, attempting to convince passersby why his apples were best or why the sleeve of blue cotton was the better priced. Yet something about watching Kaoru's cerulean eyes light up when she saw something she liked stirred something deep within his soul. He was struck by her capriciousness for life and fell just a little bit more.

 

“Peaches!” He heard her call out. “I haven't had ripe peaches in so long.”

 

Kenshin looked up to where she stood, a pale fuzzy fruit in her fingers. “Only three coppers for the pretty lady.” The old man told her. Hten he smiled a toothy grin. “Perhaps two if you care to meet my son.”

 

Something twisted in his gut to hear the proposal and he swiftly moved to the young woman's side. But Kaoru merely laughed and replaced the fruit. “Not today.” She murmured wistfully. They moved to the next stall and Kenshin made a mental note to get her a peach before they left.

 

He moved behind her, his violet eyes straying from side to side, looking for anything suspicious. He had no clue what he was searching for, still not even positive that Kaoru was his objective. The woman claimed to have been raised completely in the woods. He glanced at her trying to deduce her age. She was innocent; there was no denying that. But she held herself with such an honest self-assurance that belied the youth he might have first attached to her. He studied her as she dickered over a few eggs.

 

Kenshin studied her. He would surmise she was in her late teens, but not much older. “A pretty shawl for your lady?”

 

The question broke through his observations. He turned to look at the woman. She was older, possibly that same age as Tae, with graying brown hair. She held out a shawl of brilliant blues and greens. He shook his head and offered her an apologetic smile. “Come now!” The older woman chimed rising from her seat. “It would most befit your lovely woman. Or any woman!” She pressed.

 

Feeling somewhat caught he took a step away and shook his head again. “Fit for a princess, or even a queen!” She cried. The comment gave him pause. Someone else pushed in between him and the vendor and the shawl was sold to someone else. But Kenshin hardly noticed. He turned his attention to Kaoru.

 

She was counting out the few coins she had, handing them over in exchange for the eggs. There was no way that it could be possible. The woman looked up, the trade at an end. Her blue eyes searched for him and he couldn't deny how his heart leapt when they spotted him and a look of joy and relief swept over her stunning face. She waved shyly and approached him. “I bought some eggs.”

 

He looked down at the basket she held out for him to see. “I thought I could make something with them for dinner.”

 

He held back his grimace. Too vividly he recalled her attempt at dinner the night before. She had stated she wasn't a good cook, but he thought she could make something edible. He still wasn't sure what she had endeavored to create, but he had barely been able to keep it down. “Maybe I could make dinner tonight.” He offered.

 

Kaoru opened her mouth to protest and he placed a hand up to quiet her. “I insist. It is the least I can do, that it is, since you have been so generous to offer me a place to stay for these few days.” He told her, hoping she would find no offense in his statement.

 

Her azure eyes studied him for another moment before she relented. “I think I might see if I can get some cheese too.”

 

He watched her go, allowing her some freedom to move about the market as she willed, but not letting her out of his sight. He moved across the way and looked at the stall in front of him. A tired looking girl looked up at him and offered him a weary smile. She was younger than Kaoru, but at an age where she could start searching for a husband. Kenshin looked back up at Kaoru, his thoughts whirling madly about his head.

 

So many questions and every moment another sprung to mind. In the end it all boiled down to one pertinent inquiry. Who was Kaoru and why did she need protecting? But if the theory that had begun to take shape in his mind was true, then it could mean that Hiko possibly knew as well. He stepped closer to her, his eye caught by a display of simple silver chains. If she were a princess, there would have to be some piece of jewelry that would be passed along. Otherwise any woman of the right age could step forward. He attempted to recall what the heirloom for the Kamiya family might have been, but could not recall.

 

Kenshin sighed when it wouldn't come and looked up once more to where Kaoru had wandered. She stood now in front of a display of fabrics, her fingers caressing the material longingly. Distantly he wondered if she was better with a thread and needle than she was at cooking. He couldn't help the wry chuckle that escaped his lips. Somehow her lack of talent in the kitchen made her more endearing. He looked around, his violet eyes straying to the stand of peaches. A surprise for her, he decided, recalling her delight when she first spotted them. A smile slowly spread across his mouth and he slyly turned around hoping her attention would be elsewhere. He moved towards the fruit stall and then stopped short

 

A strange man had approached her, coming to stand just to her left. Kaoru stood in between them, her profile blocking the face of the man. However, the platinum blonde hair was unmistakable. The woman glanced at the stranger seemingly in surprise. He said something else and Kaoru shook her head laughing. Who was he to speak so candidly to her?

 

A strange feeling came over him as he watched the blonde and Kaoru interact. Suddenly the blue eyes glanced over at him, a look of apprehension on her face. Something was said to her and she insistently shook her head. Could this be the mysterious teacher who had taken the time to show her how to wield a weapon? Immediately he directed his attention to the stall in front of him, but he couldn't help but notice the intense conversation between the two. The woman started to walk away, but the blonde grabbed her arm. Kenshin took a step towards the pair, intent on breaking it up. He stopped when the stranger touched her cheek.

 

He might have been doused in frigid water, the cold fury washed over him so swiftly. He was only beginning to wonder who she might be, her alluring beauty haunting him with every step. But deep within the confines of the forest, with no one else around, he could deny his attraction easily. However, to see someone so casually touch her made his skin crawl.

 

Abruptly, Kaoru stepped away from the blonde, a slight blush to her cheeks, and Kenshin finally caught a glimpse of the man's features. He froze as it registered and looked away blinking, his jealousy overwhelmed by surprise. He looked once more. The woman moved towards him, but the blonde was gone. Could it be? Was that particular blonde really just speaking with Kaoru? And if so, what more did that entail for Kenshin? The man had been deeply intertwined in Shishio's plans nearly ten years ago. That was without even delving into the personal rivalry that existing between the two men over a woman who had died a decade ago. What the hell was Enishi doing here? Now? Talking to her?

 

“What's bothering you?”

 

The question brought him out of his reverie. “Oro?” He blinked at her stupidly.

 

“Did you find something for yourself?”

 

“Who was that?” The question was blurted before he even had a chance to take it back. So many thoughts ran rampant through his mind, but above else was the lingering suspicion at how casual Kaoru had been with the man. Was he her teacher looking for a lesson? He desperately tried to recall the man's moves from ten years ago. It could have been the same technique Kaoru had been using earlier. Her style had seemed familiar, though he would need to find some way for her to show him more moves.

 

Kenshin focused on her again, the rage deep within him simmering. Its intensity surprised him. He hadn't been riled up about anything for a long time. “To whom were you talking to?” He asked again, his voice sounding somewhat calmer than before.

 

The brilliant blue eyes in front of him blinked. She shrugged and casually glanced over her shoulder. “I just bought some cheese.”

 

“After that.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

Kenshin detected the lie in her tone and studied her silently. “You were just talking with someone, a man.” He retorted, not even caring about concealing his anger.

 

The woman gazed at him strangely, her azure eyes wary and took a step away from him. He immediately cursed himself for raising the forbidden emotion to the surface and quietly prayed for calm. “It was just a merchant.”

 

The lie penetrated his defenses and he felt his rage rise again. Why did she tell him something that was so obviously untrue? She was usually so honest, merely sidestepping any questions she didn't feel comfortable answering. It was only the second time she had ever deliberately lied to him. The first was when he had initially inquired about her ability. Knowing how unnatural it was for a woman to wield a weapon, he could only surmise the two was related. It meant Enishi was her teacher. How long had they been conversing and did the blonde even suspect her identity, something Kenshin was only beginning to become aware of? And if he did know, what did it entail for Kaoru?

 

He couldn't say anything and offered her a weak smile instead. Without a word he moved away from her. Quickly he bought the peaches she had been admiring earlier. Kaoru was still standing where he had left her, a confused look evident in her crystal blue eyes. Tentatively he held one out for her as a peace offering. “For you.”

 

She glanced down at the fuzzy fruit and smiled at him shyly. It made his heart race and he glanced down at the ground, ashamed at his earlier behavior. He had been running from that way of life for so long. Kenshin had long thought he had suppressed those sentiments. How could this young woman have gotten under his skin so fast? “Do you have everything?” She asked.

 

He nodded. “Shall we return home?”

 

She nodded and her smile broadened, lighting up her entire face. She took his hand, wrapping her arm through his. Kenshin looked down at her for a moment and relaxed. They wandered out of the market and reached the edge of the woods. Kenshin cast a glance over his shoulder, looking to see if anyone was watching. He paused and Kaoru looked up at him, her question apparent in her azure eyes. He skimmed the shadows, unable to see anyone or anything, yet unable to shake the feeling of being watched. With a sigh, he wrapped his arm about her back and turned her back towards the trees

 

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So there it is for ya'll. Let me know what you think and how you feel about the events that are slowly beginning to unfold. Thanks for taking the time to read. Love and kisses until next time.