Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Daughter of the Forest RK Style ❯ A Bloody Stranger ( Chapter 3 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

The rest of the night was filled with much celebration and music. My father had hired a group of traveling folk to play for us that night and not a single person in the great hall was sitting. Normally I would have been hard pressed not to join the others dancing, but my brother Okita would hear none of that. Eventually he talked me into dancing with him, and soon enough I had danced with every man in the hall. Throughout the night my brothers Soujiro and Okubo watched me with a glint in their eyes that spoke of their amusement. I would have been mad, but I was having too much fun to give them much notice.
Time flew by and it seemed like no one would retire any time soon, until a group of ten armed men came into the hall pulling a young man behind them. I couldn’t see the man very well due to all the people surrounding me, and my lack of height; all I could see was a man of middle height with dark black hair and many cuts and bruises. He looked like a man of Britain, but I could not be sure. I moved through the crowd as much as I could in hopes of seeing the man better.
“What is the meaning of this?” my father yelled at the armed men, “Can’t you see that we’re in the middle of a celebration?”
“I’m sorry, my Lord,” one of the men said while bowing in apology, “We found him in the woods attempting to get through the castle’s defenses. Not very smart, being that he got lost in the forest. Though a fair fighter, he nearly killed one of the guards when we found him.”
“Can this not wait?” my father retorted quite angrily.
“I fear not,” the soldier said sympathetically, “we found this on him.”
The man walked up to my father and handed my father something that looked like a wooden carving. My father looked at it and then down at the prisoner as if trying to solve a puzzle.
“I see,” my father said very matter of fact like. He stood up from where he was sitting and said addressing his guests, “I am sorry that I must end this celebration early, but as you can see, I have some urgent matters to attend to. I think it best that everyone retire… goodnight.”
As my father said this, everyone started leaving for their respective rooms. As I was about to leave my brother Soujiro pulled me behind a curtain and said, “I know that you’re just as curious as I am.”
I just sat there in total silence too scared to say a word in fear that I might miss something. There is something about this man that is quite different from any other prisoner my father’s men had ever captured before. The first thing that I notice is the fact that even though this man might have given quite a fight, he is no seasoned warrior. He is quite scrawny and much too fair skinned to be a soldier. I seriously doubt that he has ever worked a hard day’s labor before. Why this man decided to storm the castle by himself, I’d never know.
Another thing I notice is how none responsive this man is toward the guards. I can tell that he is quite alert of his surroundings yet, he does not respond to the men as they talk about him. My suspicion about him being a Britain seems to be getting more likely by the second. Why else would he not respond to the men’s insults?
My father most obviously thought as I did and spoke firmly in English, “Who are you and who sent you?”
The man lifted his head in shock and replied back in English, “Why should I tell you?”
At this my father walked over to the man, who was now highly restrained by my father’s men, and said with a smirk on his face, “If I were you, I would speak up. I have ways of getting information that are quite, how do you say it… unpleasant? I’m sure I could spare you the pain if you are willing to speak up now, that is.”
At that the man scowled at my father and looked him straight in the eye. If I hadn’t been watching the scene as attentively as I was I am quite sure that I would have missed the man’s next action. For at that moment the prisoner looked down at the floor and spit on my father’s feet.
The prisoner growled in anger now gazing back at in my father’s eyes, “I would never betray those I give my loyalty, especially not for a filthy Irishman like you.”
My father filled with rage barked at his men, “Get this man out of my sight. I will deal with him later. He will pay for his actions.”
As my father’s men left with the man in their arms my father walked out of the hall and up the stairs toward his room. It was at that moment that I feared my father more than I ever had before. He was so cold and brutal that I couldn’t quite understand what it was that my mother could have ever seen in him. I don’t know how I will be able to face my father again knowing how he treated this prisoner.
While my thoughts continued like this, Soujiro mentally told me, “Before we speak any further we need to get out of this room.”
I nodded in understanding and followed my brother quietly up to the roof. Though I had been up here several times with him and normally felt safe up here, I couldn’t shake off the fear that I felt down stairs. I knew that things would never be the same again and that all innocence I might have once felt were gone forever.
My brother stared at me and finally said, “You fear for the man just like I do, I can feel it. I have to do something Kaoru, before father kills him.”
I sudden chill filled me and I couldn’t help but ask, “How can you? He is in the dungeon. It’s much too dangerous a mission to attempt on your own!”
My brother just stared at me with his ever-lasting smile still plastered to his face. “That is true, but it is a risk I’m willing to take. If I don’t at least try, how would I ever be able to face my children knowing that I let this man die?”
“But, Soujiro, what if you get caught?” I said with obvious fear in my eyes.
“That is a risk I must take, though I was hoping that maybe you could help me with something.”
“What do you need?”
“I was hoping that you could make a powerful sleeping draft that I might be able to slip into the guard’s drinks so that I could go into the dungeon undetected and break the prisoner out.”
There was silence for a couple of minutes while I thought about what my brother was asking. What could be strong enough to knock someone out? Sure, I have put a lot of people to sleep, but nothing that was so strong that they weren’t conscience. Then a thought hit me. What if I used the potion I used on Yoshi when I had to amputate his arm? If I used a higher concentration of it, that might just work.
“There is something that might work.” I said hesitantly, “Its potency is strong and when mixed with ale, it is almost undetectable, but it isn’t something that I can just prepare the night before. If you want my help I will have to prepare the drinks for you.”
“I can not allow that!” Soujiro said in concern, “I can not put my little sister in harm’s way. I would never be able to live with myself if anything were to happen to you.”
“If you want my help you will let me join you. It is my choice and whatever comes is my doing, not yours. I’m not little anymore, I’m fourteen now and can take care of myself,” I said firmly.
“You’re right Kaoru; you are old enough to make your own decisions. Are you sure that this is what you want to do? If we get caught, I cannot protect you,” he replied with sadness in his tone.
“I’m sure!” I said quite confidently, “When will we break the prisoner out.”
“The longer he stays in the dungeon the less likely we will get him out alive. Is tomorrow night alright for you?”
“I will be ready.”
“Good, I will meet you here eleven o’clock tomorrow night that way we will have plenty of time to prepare before the changing of the guard.”
As I was about to leave the roof I heard Soujiro say, “I couldn’t do this without you. Thank you.”
I just nod and make my way back into the house. If I am going to be prepared to help Soujiro tomorrow I will need all the rest I can get.
*******
The next day flew by really quickly. Between preparing the herbs for our midnight draft and seeing to the departing visitors, I had little time to think about anything else.
Though my day was busy, it wasn’t all that bad. My brother Okubo’s fiancé, Tae, decided to stay at the castle for a while, saying that she wanted to learn the business of the house; I knew that she wanted to spend more time with my brother, but I didn’t much care.
I was quite surprised that instead of following my brother around all day, like I thought she would, Tae asked if she could follow me around the house. That whole day, Tae and I talked about various topics. I found out that she is a very good cook; one of the best in Sidhe Dove. She happily made a deal with me that if she taught me how to cook, I would take her out on my various medical runs.
Now the day has gone and night has come in its wake. Everyone has retired to their rooms yet I am wide awake waiting for my brother to meet me out on the roof. It’s gotten extremely cold at night, as of late, and I can’t help but shiver and pull my scarf tighter around my shoulders.
A few minutes pass before I see my brother walk up to me with a guard’s uniform on. How he got it, I don’t know, but I’m not going to ask. As I stand up to greet him he says mentally, “Are you ready?”
I look back at him and nod as I follow him down the stairs to the kitchen. Every night one of the kitchen girls would go to the guards and give them some ale to keep them warm. I have heard that one of the girls, Keiko, does more than just give them ale, but you can’t believe every rumor that comes out of the kitchen.
My job is to go into the kitchen unnoticed get the ale from one the girls, add the herbs and then serve the guards the spiked drink. This might sound easy, but I am quite nervous about it. Though I have dressed down in the usual kitchen girl ware, I was still worried that one of the girls might recognize me. I know just about everyone in the kingdom, so not being detected will be quite difficult.
As my brother and I are about to reach the back door to the kitchen he asks, “Are you sure you can do this? It’s not too late to turn back now.”
I turn back to my brother and reply, “Don’t worry about me. I can do this. Plus, if I don’t that boy will continue to get tortured in there. I can’t stand back and watch that happen.”
My brother just gives me a smile that lit up his eyes and says, “I just wanted to make sure you feel the same way. I’ll meet you in the hallway.”
At that, my brother walks away and I enter the kitchen; getting the drinks easily. No one is in the room except two girls talking to one another on the other side of the room. As I enter one of the new girls walks over to me and asks, “Can I help you with something?”
“No thanks,” I respond, “I’m just going to give the guards their ale and then go home.”
The girl smiles at me and says lightly, “Like one of ‘em, huh?”
I just blush in embarrassment not knowing what to say to that. As I was about to speak the girl laughs, “Don’t worry, I won’ tell.”
I smile back and take my leave with the three cups of ale in hand. Once I get out of the kitchen I walk to a small corridor and take out my bags of herbs. I stir in the herbs carefully and then continue down the hallway to meet the guards. As I pass the hallway I can see my brother in the corner of my eye watching me from a corridor nearby.
As I approach the guards I hand them their ale. One of the men looks at me, “I don’t recognize you. Are you new?”
I look down at my feet in fear that if they saw my face they will know who I am. Keeping my head down, I reply in a voice quite foreign to me, “Just started yesterday.”
“Quite the shy one, aren’t ya. Don’t worry, we don’t bite,” the taller of the three men whispers.
I smile and reply, “I’m sorry, it’s not you guys. This is all new to me.”
The other guy who had been silent until now says nodding, “I understand. The first few weeks are always hard, but I’m sure you’ll get used to it in no time. A pretty lil thing like you shouldn’ have any problems fittin’ in.”
“I would love to keep on chatting with you guys, but I need to go back to the kitchen,” I say giggling.
The third guy just nods and watches me walk back towards the kitchen. As soon as the guy’s glare was off of me I walk into the next available corridor to wait for the ale to take its affect. In a matter of minutes the men start to get drowsy and fall asleep. The draft was strong and within thirty minutes or so all the men are now out snoring.
My brother and I walk over to the dungeon door and as I was about to go down the stairs with him he stops me and says, “I can do the rest. Go back upstairs and sleep. The less you know tomorrow the better.”
I take my leave, too tired to put up a fight. At least now I can sleep knowing that one less man will be tortured in my father’s dungeon. The very last thought that hits my mind before I fall asleep is, “I hope that girl in the kitchen doesn’t recognize me later on.”
Sorry this chapter took longer to come out. It was my birthday on the 20th so I was a little busy. It was my 21st so no one was allowing me to go online and post an update. I kind of don’t blame them though.
Hope you all enjoyed the chapter and thanks to all those who posted a reply. Those who haven’t, please do so. All comments are welcome. Don’t be shy people!