Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Daughter of the Forest RK Style ❯ To Make the Wrongs to Rights ( Chapter 4 )

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

A/N: Keep in mind that this story is going to have a lot of OOCiness. So please do not kill me. Also I would like to mention that I have tried to pick characters that fit the character profile more than the relational profile. Siblings may be split up so do beware. Italics mean mental conversations.
To say that father was furious the next day would be an understatement. When he found out that the prisoner had escaped and that the guards had been found sleeping, he did an extensive investigation. My father prides himself in running one of the best security systems in all of Erin, and this event hurt his ego. My father sent out his best men to find the runaway and everyone in the palace was interrogated.

When I woke up this morning I had been asked to help Eriko with more mundane tasks in the kitchen. She told me that she still didn’t trust me to boil water and that unless Tae was willing to eat my food, she wouldn’t let me set a hand near the oven. Of course this angers me, but I don’t blame her. I might not be willing to admit to anyone that my cooking is awful, but I know it for the truth.

Eriko, noticing that I was extremely tired of peeling potatoes in the back room alone, decided that it wouldn’t be too much of a hazard to set me up a chair and table in the kitchen with the rest of them. I am very thankful for this, being that I was starting to go stir crazy in that room all alone. One can only take so much solitude before wanting to scream.

“Can you believe what happened?” one of the girls says to the girl beside me, interrupting my thoughts.

“I know! Poor boys! I heard that they got a real talkin’ to. I wouldn’ doubt that they’ll have lost their jobs now. Fallen asleep like tha’ and all is jus’ askin’ for trouble!” the other girl responded excitedly, yet surprisingly quiet.

“I know,” the first girl responds back in shared excitement, “though I can’t help but feel sorry for them. Ya have to agree tha’ its strange tha’ all of ‘em fell asleep together.”

“It is kinda strange, ain’ it?” the second girl replies back, “It does make ya wonder.”

The second girl now turns towards me and asks, “What do ya think, Kaoru?”
I was about to tell the girls that it wasn’t any of their business what I thought, but Eriko cuts in and says, “Now ya girls should know better than to talk about tha’ in a time like this! Talk like tha’ could lead ya all to a nice lil talk with Lord Koshijiro, and I’m quite sure ya’d like to avoid tha’ now wouldn’ ya?

The girls just nod their heads in obvious fear of Eriko’s statement and go back to their work. Eriko looks back at me and gives me a look that said, “Just ignore them” before returning to what she was doing in the kitchen. One could say that I was relieved that the topic wasn’t brought up again so that no one could mention anything about a strange girl last night. I have never been one to lie well, so that discussion could mean the end for my brother and I. There is no way we could escape our father’s wrath if that bit of information leaked out.

Everybody was on high alert and it wasn’t a wonder that at dinner time guards were on constant surveillance. This meant guards at every corner and all the food was to be tested before any one of us could touch it. My father would not take chances with our safety and therefore stressed over every possible thing that could go wrong.

You would think that I would be used to the unnerving glances and overall uncomfortable environment dinner with my father brought, but I never had anything to hide before. I can feel my father evaluating me, and it scars me to death. I don’t dare look at my father in fear that if I do, he may find out my little secret. I cannot chance that, so I decide to eat my food quietly and keep my eyes on my plate. Every once in a while I look at my brother Soujiro or Souzou who are sitting across from me, but besides that I keep to myself.

The silence is brought to an end when my father says matter of factly, “So, I hear that you came home late this morning Soujiro. Why were you out at that hour?”

Soujiro just looks back at our father calmly like always and replies, “Nothing that would cause you any concern, father. Why the sudden interest in my affairs? Last I checked you didn’t quite care to concern yourself over me.”

Our father becomes quiet all of a sudden. I can tell that he is angry, but there is more to his expression. I feel as if he is enjoying this game Soujiro is playing with him. It’s almost like they are playing a game of chess, and are just waiting for the other to slip so they can call checkmate.

After giving some thought to his response, he says in a perfect imitation of Soujiro’s tone, “Isn’t a father allowed to inquire on his son’s whereabouts every once in a while? A father does worry time to time.”

Our father just smirks at his little statement, just as a man playing chess might when he thinks that his opponent will be checkmated within the next couple of moves.

You can only imagine the anger my father feels as he looks back at my brother and not a single feature on his face changes. Soujiro just stares back at our father and says as calmly as ever, “Of course he does, but I seriously doubt that your question is made in fatherly concern. I think it’s best to be honest with one another, don’t you agree?”

Our father still glaring at my brother barks back, “Well, then I’m sure you have nothing to hide and will tell me what you were doing.”

Soujiro still unfazed replies, “And what will you do if I don’t tell you? Torture me like you would an enemy soldier? How would that look to your allies?”

If I had thought our father mad before, how wrong I was. Our father now ready to bash my brother’s head in, takes a deep breath, and says with as much control as he can manage, “So be it. I will get you to talk eventually. I’ll see to that.”

At that our father walks out of the room in a fit of rage screaming back at the servants to let no one disturb him. Once our father was clear out of the hall and nearly to his room, Okubo says with a sad tone, “Now Soujiro, why do you always have to do that? Father has good reason to question, so why not just answer him?”

Before Soujiro could answer, Okita snaps back, “Because he’s guilty, that’s why? It’s obvious that he’s the culprit and if no one else will say it, I will!”

At this time Tae and I just sit at the table watching my brothers attack one another. I can see the shock and horror on Tae’s face and decide that the conversation must be stopped.

“That’s enough!” I say in anger. “I can’t stand to see you guys at each other’s throats like this nor can I stand back and let Tae sit here and watch this. Frankly I’m not going to sit here and watch you “men” fight one another over something like this. What is so important that you must yell at one another in the middle of dinner in front of a guest? Tae and I are going to bed and if you all are so inclined to fight some more, please, don’t put us in the middle of it. Come on Tae, let’s go.”

As Tae and I are about to rise out of our seats and leave, Okubo says in a saddened tone, “I’m sorry Kaoru, Tae, for our behavior. It isn’t fair to put you ladies in the middle of this. You’re right Kaoru, our behavior toward one another is unjust. I’m sorry Soujiro; we should not have talked to you thus. I hope you can forgive us.”

As Okubo said this, Souzou, Okita, Shougo, Tsunan, and Soujiro looked down at the table in embarrassment. They were so caught up in what was going on between them that they didn’t realize that Tae and I were uncomfortable. Of course I could not stay mad at them and I told them that I forgave them before Tae and I left to retire.

As Tae and I make our way to our rooms, I can’t help but remember a conversation Soujiro and I had a long time ago. In this instant I remember what Soujiro had said about an evil coming and I fear what may come. If we can’t stay unified now, how are we going to do so if the evil my brother mentioned shows up? All I can do is hope and pray that we will be strong enough to come together and fight whatever comes our way.

*******

Things were not the same after that dinner… There is an unspoken tension between my father and Soujiro that is splitting the family. Our father will not speak a word to Soujiro and hardly gives Soujiro any notice what so ever. Our father has always been quite outspoken about the fact that Soujiro was all but disowned by him but this has never affected Soujiro. In Soujiro’s mind, he never was or ever would be the son of Lord Koshijiro.

Okubo, Shougo, and I try to stay out of the feud, but it seems that some of my other brothers don’t care to do so. Souzou and Okita would be seen with my father everyday after practice talking about how to handle the situation with Soujiro. They believe that Soujiro had something to do with the breach of security and they are hard pressed to make Soujiro talk. Sometimes I would see Tsunan with my father and brothers, but I can tell that he does not share their opinions. He would sit there and give his opinion every once in a while, but I can tell that he was talking in order to save face rather than join them in catching Soujiro.

As for the rest of us, my father, Souzou and Okita have the philosophy of “either they’re with us or against us.” Though no one suspects me to have any part with the escaped prisoner, they consider me to be a sympathizer along side Okubo and Shougo. Our father gave Okubo a hard time about not joining him, but Okubo just claimed that he had no right to get between my father and Soujiro’s personal affairs. This angered my father, but he was much too angry at Soujiro to deal with Okubo.

For the most part, all I can do is watch my family split up. Okubo, Shougo, and I; on Soujiro’s side, while Souzou, Okita and Tsunan; on our father’s side. Of course, in all actuality there is only one side; formed of Souzou, Okita and my father, but that doesn’t matter much. We are put into categories nonetheless.

Everybody in the house can feel the tension rising and all are quite uncomfortable about it. It was a good thing that I promised to spend time with Tae. If I had not promised to take her out on medical runs and have cooking lessons with her, I’m sure I would have gone insane. Currently the only sane people in the household not caught up in the affairs of the house are Tae and Eriko who ended up spending most of their time keeping my mind off of the war going on around me.

Tae decided to make a project out of me and for the past week made it her mission to teach me how to cook and prepare food fit for a royal table. Everyday Tae and I would steal the tiny kitchen in the servant’s quarters and spend all morning cooking. Eriko liked to join us saying that watching my attempt to cook made the new girls she was training look like world-class chiefs. I got angry with her when she told me that, but the only reaction I got out of Eriko was more teasing and Tae giggling in the background. I swear that they are only teaching me to cook so they could make fun of me.

“Ok, Kaoru. Yesterday you learned how to prepare a salad, and I think it’s time that you learn how to use the fire. How do mashed potatoes sound?” Tae says enthusiastically.

At the mention of mashed potatoes, Eriko replies quite seriously, “Are ya sure lass? Last time she did tha’ she almost burnt the whole place down!”

I cry out defensively, “That’s not fair! That was a while ago and it wasn’t like you actually told me what I was supposed to do!”

Eriko while laughing replies, “Now, now lass. No need to get emotional. Just voicing a concern, tha’s all.” Eriko now turns back to Tae and says, “Well, if ya don’ mind, I’d better be leavin’ before the little lass here burns down the place and tries to kill me.”

At that Eriko walks out of the hut laughing while Tae starts giggling. I stare at Tae with a look that speaks of my lack of amusement before she returns to being serious once again. How this girl is able to go from happy to serious so quick, I don’t understand, but I can only imagine how useful that ability might be. To say that I am in awe by it would be a gross understatement.

As I am boiling the water and peeling the potatoes Tae asks in a soft voice, “Can I ask you a question, Kaoru?”

“Of course, what’s bothering you?” quite taken aback. Tae and I have talked many times before but never has she ever asked me straight out if she could ask me something.

“It’s about your brother. Is he always this busy?” Tae says in a saddened tone.

“He usually is busy, but lately he has abnormally been so. Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know. It’s just that ever since I’ve been here, he hasn’t talked to me much. I’ve been kind of worried that he might have second thoughts about him and I…”

“Don’t be silly. Of course he’s still interested in you. Things have just been chaotic lately. I’m sure that once everything has died down he’ll spend more time with you.”

At that Tae looks up at me, and smiles in relief. “You really think so?” she says with a twinkle in her eye.

“I don’t think so, I know so. My brother is a man of his word. When he says something he means it.”

Tae just sits there blushing profusely before she replies back, “You’re probably right. I shouldn’t doubt him so easily.”
Tae and I continue to peel our potatoes in silence until my brother Soujiro storms into the room. From his appearance he looks as if he had traveled a long distance, but shows no outwardly signs such as labored breathing. Living with a man like Soujiro teaches one how to check for signs of weariness beyond the physical. Soujiro could run for miles yet look like he had been lounging around all day.

“Kaoru, I need to talk with you in private.” Soujiro said hastily.

“Of course we can. Sit down. Tae, if you don’t mind…” I say sympathetically.

“I’ll let you two talk by yourselves.” Tae replies while making her way towards the door.

“Thanks, Tae,” I reply in relief.

As Tae exits the hut, Soujiro sits at the table while I get up and draw him a glass of water. His clothes are folded in such a way that I know he had been riding that day. I figure that water was exactly what he needs at the moment.

Soujiro takes the water graciously and takes a sip before mentally saying, “I told you that you needed to take no more part in the Britain, but I fear that I have no one else to turn to. The Christian can’t take care of all the boy’s wounds and needs assistance. You’re the only one I can trust to do so.”

I just stare back at Soujiro and reply, “Need you ask me? Have I ever turned down a call for assistance? Of course I will help the boy. When do we leave?”

Soujiro just stares back at me and replies, “I figured that you’d help, I just thought it might be polite to ask anyways,” Soujiro smirks, “As for when we are to leave, I must ask father. We should be leaving by tomorrow morning at the latest.”

At this I just nod and say, “Well, I better get prepared then. I’m not going to have you waiting on my account. Just call for me when you’re ready.”

Soujiro nods back at me before turning towards the door and leaving. As soon as I clean up the mess that was left from Tae and I cooking, I walk back upstairs to my room and pack my things. I can’t wait to get out of the house and see the Britain that I helped save.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next chapter “A Time of Healing” will hopefully be out in a couple of days. I’m trying to get as much written as I can before school starts.

My thanks to all those who have reviewed, I enjoy reading your comments. They make me all happy inside. Read and review please. I can’t stress that enough. I would like to get to know all of my readers out there and hopefully get some input as to what you guys enjoy. It may be based off of a book, but I also have some freedom as to how I write my characters.