Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Dream Weaver ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

AN: Special thanks to my wonderful beta readers, Shrouded View and Possessed1, for your insights and advice.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

Warning: Violence

Dream Weaver

Chapter One

`I'm melting…'

That was the only coherent thought that managed to squeeze itself through Kaoru's over-heated brain as she knelt in the parched earth of her family's kitchen garden attempting to rid it of an overabundance of pesky weeds. The wide-brimmed hat she wore to protect her pale skin from the sun's scorching rays did nothing to protect her from the sweltering heat. Her work clothes, caked in dirt and sweat, clung to her small frame like a second skin. Blue-black hair that stubbornly refused to stay tied in her thick braid seemed more content to hang in her eyes instead. Using the back of her hand to try and brush some of it away, she succeeded only in leaving a streak of dirt across her cheek.

Pausing in her efforts, Kaoru stretched her aching back and moaned in annoyance. She had to clear the garden before she could give the precious vegetables trying to grow there a much needed drink from the river. If they died, there would be little food the help the family survive the winter.

“How the hell do you manage to survive in this blasted heat while everything else around you is dying?” she grumbled to the pesky plants.

With a look of determination bright in her blue eyes, Kaoru once again plunged her small hand shovel into the earth, intent on uprooting a particularly stubborn invader. As she stabbed at the ground, her hand tool suddenly hit a rock buried under the rich soil. The jarring sensation of metal on rock forced a curse to escape her lips.

“Foul, ugly, stupid little plant!” she spat, emphasizing each word by chopping uselessly at the plant in frustration. “You. Will. Not. Escape. ME!”

Thrusting the shovel under the weed once more, Kaoru threw her weight against the handle as she grasped the base of the plant near the earth and pulled with all her might. With agonizing slowness, she felt it loosening and so tugged harder. Suddenly, roots ripped, dirt flew, and she found herself thrown on her bottom as the plant finally released its hold on life. Spluttering dust from her mouth, she let out a cry of victory, fist thrust high in the air in triumph.

An unexpected chuckle startled her and Kaoru turned to see her mother standing behind her smiling, holding out a cup of water. “You didn't always find them so disgusting, Kaoru,” she said, brown eyes twinkling merrily. “At one time, I believe you actually thought them beautiful.”

Kaoru stared at her mother in disbelief. Moving her eyes to the plant in her hand, she studied it with distaste.

“This? Beautiful?” she snorted at the uninspiring yellow flowers that sprouted on short stems from a cluster of flat, jagged leaves.

“Mm-hmm,” her mother hummed. “You used to pick them for me all the time, when you were little.”

“Momma, Momma! Wook what I find fer you!” she heard a young girl call in the echoes of her memory.

In her mind's eye, Kaoru saw her mother appear in the kitchen doorway, belly swollen with the baby she carried. A tiny fist thrust out, in its clutches a bouquet of half wilted, yellow flowers.

“Dey so pitty, Momma! I git fer you and brodder!” the young Kaoru squealed in delight, pointing at her mother's stomach. Her mother accepted the bouquet with a wide smile, inhaling their dirty fragrance as though they were the richest of roses.

As the vision faded, Kaoru laughed quietly at the once-forgotten memory. Plucking a flower off the plant in her hand, Kaoru stood to tuck the flower into the brown hair behind her mother's ear. “A beautiful flower for my beautiful Momma,” she said, smiling as she took the offered glass of water.

Taking a sip, Kaoru let the tepid liquid slip down her parched throat, downing the rest quickly when the realization of just how thirsty she was hit her. She moved to stand next to her mother, whimpering as they surveyed her progress. She had been working since just after sunrise and only completed about half of the garden.

“There's still so much left.” Kaoru rested her head against her mother's shoulder in a gesture of defeat. “I'll never finish.”

“You always say that, and yet you always manage to get it done,” Kaoru's mother chided her. Kneeling down, she fingered some shriveled radish tops with concern. “Right now, these plants need water. The rest of the weeds won't kill the garden overnight, but lack of water just might.”

xxx

Kaoru carefully picked her way across the dry part of the river bed, leading the family's mule toward the water at the center. In some years, spring rains and melting snow would swell the river over its banks, causing dangerous flooding. With the flooding, however, came the renewal of nutrients to the soil that made this area so ideal for agriculture. This year, however, drought had reduced the mighty waterway to a mere stream and the earth cracked, parched and dry.

Kaoru lifted the dozen or so water skins from the mule and, kneeling next to the burbling stream, began filling them with the precious fluid she hoped would save her garden. Dipping each vessel into the river, she let the water fill it before tying it off with a tether and gently setting it next to her on the bank. As she finished, she decided to indulge in the few moments she had to herself.

Stripping off her work boots and stockings, Kaoru lifted her skirts and stepped out slowly into the shallow water.

“Heaven,” she sighed as the liquid ran over her feet and around her ankles. Reaching down, she splashed water over her face and neck before cupping her hands so that she could drink. Closing her eyes, she sighed in contentment. Standing there in the coolness of the running water, she could almost forget how hot the day was.

Opening her eyes, Kaoru surveyed the land around her. Despite the unbearable heat and the damage the drought was causing, the view was still beautiful. The river in which she waded cut through the wide valley bordered on the north and south by towering mountains. Craggy and ancient, they reached to the heavens, their highest peaks perpetually covered in snow. Against the southern range grew a forest, wild, dark and old as the mountains themselves. In the spring, the grass, now brittle and brown, would be a vivid green carpet over the meadows which bordered the river. Wild flowers of every imaginable color would bloom through the green creating a tapestry richer than that of kings.

Kaoru could not imagine a more beautiful place to call home.

The local village was only a few miles to the east of Kaoru's home. Though not enormous in size, it was large enough to serve the farms of the valley with whatever goods they needed.

A slight frown creased Kaoru's smooth forehead as her thoughts turned toward that village and those who lived there. Although she had lived her entire life as part of the community, she had always felt like an outsider. She felt truly accepted by very few of them mostly because she looked different from the brown-hair, brown-eyed people who lived in the valley. With hair black as obsidian, eyes the fathomless blue of midnight, and a stature so small that her head only came as high as the shoulders of other girls her age, she was considered an oddity.

As Kaoru grew older, she came to realize that the people, who had known her all her life, feared her because of these differences. `Moriko,' she heard someone whisper once to their companion as she shopped with her mother in the market. `A child of the forest.'

Other than a few physical traits, there was nothing that set her apart from anyone else, but they were enough to make the other children shy away from her. Had it not been for one brazen orphan boy, Kaoru's childhood would have been lonely, devoid of any friends…

A gentle nudge from the mule pulled Kaoru from her thoughts, remaindering her that it was time to return.

“Can't a girl have just a few minutes to herself?” she sighed quietly. The mule's gentle nickering seemed to answer, “No.”

“All right, all right, Hitoshi. Let's go,” she chuckled.

Kaoru hefted the bulging skins onto the mule's sturdy back. With a click of the tongue and the tug of a rope, she urged the aging work animal back in the direction of the farm and Hitoshi obeyed without complaint, just as he always did.

xxx

Kaoru spent the rest of the afternoon working on the garden pouring the life-giving water around the base of each plant, working slowly and carefully so the water would not just run off uselessly. By the time she had finished, the sun hung low in the sky and muscles she'd forgotten existed ached. Slowly she stood, fighting against the fatigue of limbs that just didn't want to move any more.

Glancing over, she saw the smoke rising from the chimney and hoped she had enough time to clean up before her mother called her to eat. She stowed her tools in the shed attached to the barn and headed toward the house.

Her mother turned when Kaoru walked through the door a smiled empathetically. “How's the garden?”

“Watered,” Kaoru replied, flopping down in a chair and leaning on the kitchen table, the heels of her hands pressed into her forehead. “I'll have to get the rest of the weeds tomorrow and water again.”

“Why don't you go wash. You'll feel better,” Kaida said, resting her hand on her daughter's shoulder. “I already drew the bucket for you.”

Kaoru reached up to squeeze her mother's hand in silent thanks and she willed her legs to stand once more. Shuffling into her room, Kaoru looked longing at her bed and fought the desire to just fall into it, but she was filthy and there was no way she was going to bed that way. She gathered up the clean clothes her mother had already laid out for her and trudged outside toward the bathhouse.

Standing in the doorway, Kaoru stared forlornly at the one bucket of water her mother had drawn, even though she had known not to expect more. She longed to fill the tub and soak her aching muscles, but water was too scarce now for such luxuries. Kaoru peeled the work dress from her skin and began the laborious process of scouring the grime of the day from her body.

“So gross!” she moaned and she scrubbed her skin with the rough cloth, the layer of grim so thick the soap wouldn't lather. “I should have gone to the river for this!”

Scouring until her skin turned pink and she was finally satisfied that every last speck of dirt had been removed, Kaoru dumped the remaining water over her head to rinse, before pulling her clean dress over still-damp skin. She was looking forward to a quiet evening alone with her mother. It would be the last for a while. Tomorrow, Kaoru's father was due home and with him her obnoxious little brother, Yahiko.

“I miss Papa, but ugh…” she groaned, the corners of her mouth turning down at the thought of her brother's incessant teasing and name calling.

As Kaoru crossed the yard, a cacophonous racket came from the forest behind her. She turned to see a flock of crows squawking angrily as they flew from the canopy, likely startled by a large animal.

Kaoru smiled to herself as she watched the birds flying toward the setting sun. Memories of all the legends she had been told when she was younger flitted through her mind. Local folklore held that these woods were enchanted, inhabited by numerous magical creatures. It was said that this forest was the kingdom of fairies and elves. Tales meant to terrify were told to children who listened with both apprehension and excitement to the deeds of the mythical beings who lived among the trees.

Unlike the other children in the village, however, Kaoru had never been frightened by the stories or the forest. She had lived at the edge of these trees all her life and viewed them as companions, silent friends. She'd always felt drawn to explore the shadowy depths, a strange and powerful pull deep in her soul that was impossible to explain to anyone. No matter how many times she was scolded, Kaoru always snuck away whenever an opportunity presented itself for as soon as she entered the shadow of the trees that underlying tug eased and a feeling of contentment would wash over her.

She hadn't entered the forest in five years, however, not since she was twelve when she'd lost herself for hours in quiet, contemplative solitude. She hadn't realized how long she'd been gone and when she'd reemerged, her father's fury was unlike anything she'd experienced. But it wasn't her father's anger that kept Kaoru from returning; it was the fear - open, raw, and terrified - in her mother's eyes. She never wanted to see that look again and so she fought pull, pushing it to the back of her mind.

However, at moments like this, when time seemed to stop around her and she considered the darkness of the trees, that Kaoru found it near impossible to ignore and the incessant tugging on her heart made it difficult to breathe.

Movement from within the forest caught her attention and as she stood there, eyes narrowed in an attempt to catch another glimpse of whatever it had been, a sudden blast of icy wind erupted from the trees, kicking up dust and whipping Kaoru's skirts around her ankles. As suddenly as it had come, the wind reversed direction, the strength of the gale pushing forcibly at her back, causing her to stumble a few feet toward the trees before she fell to her knees. Through the long, raven hair that lashed across her face, Kaoru watched the trees sway hypnotically as they seemed to draw the air back into their depths. Her mind was filled with song, the chant lilting through the waves of the gale that surrounded her in a language so eerily beautiful and, though she could not understand the words, disturbingly familiar that it frightened her.

And yet, as scared as she was, Kaoru couldn't tear her eyes away.

She didn't know how long she sat there, blue eyes wide, entranced by the movement of the trees until she heard her mother's voice calling her distantly. She turned her face away from the forest and looked toward the farmhouse where her mother was running toward her. Both the house and her mother seemed strangely distant and out of focus.

Terrified, Kaoru cried over the roar of the wind the sound of her voice shattering the rest of the spell. “Momma!”

As quickly as it had come, the wind died until it was nothing more than a gentle caress against her skin and her vision came back into focus. When it finally died, Kaoru was left with the frightening feeling that the forest had tried to call her…to summon her, but unlike the past, Kaoru instinctively knew that she would not find solace, but terror should she enter.

Rising to her feet, Kaoru ran toward the house, seeking the comfort of her mother's arms. For the first time in her seventeen years, she felt a shiver of true inexplicable fear make its way down her spine.

xxx

Kaoru awoke the next day in terror, drenched in a sweat that made the thin material of her night shift stick to her uncomfortably. Frightening images had plagued her sleep and now, in the predawn darkness, she closed her eyes and attempted to relax her mind into that semi-lucid state between waking and sleeping, trying to remember the details of her disturbing dreams, to remember the source of the terror. The harder she tried, though, the further the dream retreated, slipping from her memory like water through a sieve. The only thing she could remember was being chased - by what, she had no idea - and blood… so much blood clinging to her, so near and so real she could taste it, smell it.

Raising shaking hands in front of her eyes, Kaoru's heart hammered at the site of the sticky, partially-congealed crimson fluid coating them. She opened to mouth to scream when the vision of blood vanished in the blink of an eye.

Swallowing thickly, she rubbed her now-clean hands over her face. Trying to shake off the fear caused by her vision, Kaoru readied herself for another day. She still had a great deal of work to do, and she couldn't let one nightmare get in the way.

“It's not like I've never had a bad dream before right?” she said aloud, doing her best to push the dream to the back of her mind.

After finishing a hurried breakfast, Kaoru stepped out into the garden ready for another assault on the army of weeds. The sun had barely risen and already she could tell it was going to be another scorching day. There was not a breath of wind, but she could feel a humid heaviness and charge in the air that hadn't been there yesterday. Looking to the brightening sky in hopes of seeing rain clouds, she saw only the same thin wisps that had been there for so many months.

Kaoru sighed. She wasn't even sure she could remember what rain looked and felt like. Closing her eyes, she pleaded to any deity who was willing to listen. “Please… we need the water so badly.”

The faintest breeze caressed her cheek and Kaoru smiled, heart lightening just a little.

xxx

Kaoru worked continuously through the morning, trying with only moderate success to push her fears to the background as flashes of her nightmare returned to her unbidden and unwanted. She watched as dark clouds slowly began to gather over the peaks of the southern mountains.

`Just maybe…' she thought hopefully. Perhaps they would get rain after all. Still, she had made another trip to the river to water the plants again, just in case it did not come.

Early in the afternoon when her work was complete, Kaoru went to change into something cleaner for a trip into town. If she went quickly, she might still have time to make it to the market and back with something special for dinner before her father and brother returned home. She had just started down the road toward the village when she was stopped short by two familiar figures in the distance.

“Papa…” she breathed.

At the sight of her father, she was flooded with relief. To Kaoru, this man represented strength and security. Lifting her skirts, Kaoru ran full speed down the road, seeking protection from the dread that had colored her every moment since the previous night.

When she felt her father's strong arms wrap around her small form, Kaoru finally released the dam holding her emotions in check, sobbing uncontrollably in his embrace.

xxx

Due to the earlier than expected arrival of her father and brother, Kaoru never did make it to the market that day. Much to her excitement, Yahiko had managed to snare a couple of rabbits as they traveled home. Now the savory creatures were skewered on a spit over the fire; what little fat they had dripped into the flames sending an intoxicating aroma into the air. Sitting on a small stool next to the hearth, Kaoru stared absently into the flames, slowly turning the roasting animals to keep them from burning.

As Kaoru studied the colors that danced before her eyes - white, blue, scarlet, bronze - her parents talked in hushed tones while her mother worked on the root vegetable stew that would complete the evening meal. Kaoru knew they were speaking about her and the sudden change in her usual carefree attitude. Her mother was worried and afraid; Kaoru saw it in the frown that was etched on the older woman's face.

Kaoru heard snatches of their whispered conversation as her mother told of the unnerving events of the previous evening. Kaoru's father did his best to reassure his wife that nothing was amiss.

“You weren't here, Koushijiro,” her mother's voice rising so that it was clearly heard across the room. “I stepped out onto the porch and found her kneeling in the yard staring at the forest. The air felt like ice…like the dead of winter.” Kaoru heard her mother's voice crack as she strained to find words to make her husband understand, to make her fear his own. “I called out to her several times, but it was like she was in a trance. When she finally did turn around, her eyes…th-they were…were…white!”

At this, Kaoru's head shot up and she stared at her mother. Though the two women had talked well into the night, each trying to mask their own fear, her mother had not told her this. There were so many things about the previous evening that made no sense. She had been knocked to the ground by gale-force winds, yet her mother said the air had been still… words spoken in a language that she had never heard before…

`And now this. What could it mean?' Kaoru thought, her anxiety mounting.

“It's just like when…” The words were cut off as Kaoru's father pulled her mother close and whispered in her ear. She could see the tremor in her mother's shoulders as she fought off her tears.

`Just like what?' Kaoru wondered but before she could give voice to the question, her father caught her gaze from across the room.

“Kaoru, do not neglect those rabbits or you will burn them,” he chided gently. “It would be a shame to ruin them when they are nearly ready.” Even though he attempted a small smile for his daughter's sake, Kaoru could see the worry that was building behind his eyes.

Confused, Kaoru looked and noticed that she had stopped turning the spit after her mother's declaration. As she slowly began to rotate the animals again, she inspected them carefully and tested the flesh. Popping a small morsel into her mouth, Kaoru tried to squash down the building dread as she savored the rich meat.

“Let's eat,” she tried to declare enthusiastically, but even she could hear the despondency that laced her words.

Yahiko came pelting into the room and flopped down in his chair at the table, nearly falling over backwards in his exuberance. “It's about time. I'm starving!” he declared.

“It never ceases to amaze me how perfect your hearing is when it comes to anything related to food, but when there are chores to be done, you're nowhere to be found,” Kaoru commented snidely, slipping into the chair next to him.

Turning toward his sister, Yahiko replied. “Ha… ha… Actually, I'm amazed you managed not to ruin the food. That's gotta be a first for you eh, ugly? I thought for sure we would end up having rabbit jerky.”

“Shut up, you little brat!” Kaoru spit out scathingly, reaching over to punch him.

“Ow! You're such a wench!”

Nerves strung taut, Kaoru had little patience for dealing with her brother's annoying name-calling and jibes at her cooking skills. As she opened her mouth to send a sharp retort his way, her father's voice boomed through the room.

“That is enough, both of you! This is the first time we have sat down as a family in more than a week. Can't the two of you lay off each other for just a little while so that we can enjoy our food in peace?”

The siblings looked at their father with stunned expressions. It was rare that they heard his voice raised to such a level. It was clear to Kaoru that the things her mother had told him caused more concern than he was letting on. The pair mumbled their apologies and the family tucked into their plates.

Kaoru and her parents ate their meal in near silence. Yahiko, blissfully able to switch gears at the drop of a hat, ignored the heavy mood that had settled over the rest of his family and happily babbled away, describing his first visit to the king's city on the coast.

“It was HUGE!! I've never seen so many buildings crammed together in one place. The market alone is twice as big as our village. And, of course, we had to go to the tax collector. What a grouch. But after that, Father took me down to the docks to see the ships and…w-o-w…are they cool! I wish I could have gone on one…”

Kaoru smiled faintly as Yahiko's eyes glazed over at the memories. His excitement brought back memories of her first journey to the city with her father. She had been near Yahiko's age and, like her brother, had been amazed by the bustle and energy of the city. Never before had she seen so many people in one place. The experience, though exciting, had been overwhelming. She had long ago decided that she preferred the quiet of her rural home to the hustle and bustle of that crowded place. Nature called to her in a way that nothing else did. Even when she was pulling at stubborn weeds, she preferred to have her hands in the earth, to feel the soil sifting through her hands.

Kaoru chewed her food thoughtfully, enjoying the brief respite from her brother's chatter when a faint sound outside reached her ears. Lifting her eyes from her plate, she looked around the table to see if anyone else had heard it.

`It can't be…'

“What's the matter, Kaoru?” her mother asked, seeing Kaoru pause mid-bite.

“Nothing, I just thought I heard…” she drifted off and listened again. “There…did you hear that?”

“Well, it's official. Ugly has lost her mind,” Yahiko declared.

“Shut up, brat, and listen.” Kaoru rose from her place at the table and opened the door stepping out onto the porch. Her nose was immediately assaulted with the damp, musty smell of impending rain. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw lightning flash over the mountains' peaks and thunder murmured distantly.

“Come out here!” Kaoru exclaimed excitedly.

Puzzled about what had gotten into Kaoru, her family joined her on the porch. “By the gods,” her father breathed. “Rain!”

And then they heard something else, something that froze Kaoru's blood…a keening wail of anguish and despair born on the wind of the coming storm. At the chilling sound, the family rushed around to the east side of the house. In the darkness, they could see an eerie glow coming from the direction of the village. Kaoru's heart leapt to her throat at the sight. Bandit raids were not uncommon in small villages. Marauders were usually content to plunder and vandalize, though their community was usually left unbothered. This, however, felt different. Somehow, Kaoru knew, could feel…

Death was coming…

Kaoru's mother rushed inside and returned with two dark cloaks. “Quickly children. Hide in the trees. Kaoru, protect your brother. No matter what you see or hear, do not leave the forest.”

“B-but, Momma, I…” stammered Kaoru, fear clamping itself painfully around her heart. She couldn't go in there. The trees she once saw as her constant companions now loomed before her. She feared their darkness now more than the highwaymen coming to raid her home.

Tears glistened in her eyes as they lingered on Kaoru's face, memorizing. “You must do this Kaoru. I know you are afraid, but you have no need to be.”

Tears were now flowing freely down Kaoru's cheeks.

“There is so much you don't know, little one. So much I should have shared with you, but I thought I had more time,” she whispered, embracing her fiercely. “I'm so sorry…”

Karou's mother turned at the sound of thundering hooves.

“They are coming. Go. Now…RUN!”

The forest was only a few hundred yards away; if they weren't seen, they might have a chance. Kaoru and Yahiko bolted through the garden toward the trees. As she ran, a sickening feeling of déjà vu flooded Kaoru's senses.

Two hundred yards…

Thunder rumbled in the distance.

One hundred yards…

The strangled cries of her parents; the sickening sounds of steel ripping through flesh.

Fifty yards…

She did not hear the approaching horse over the sounds of her own blood pounding in her ears until she was knocked to the ground, breath rushing from her lungs. She looked up just in time to see Yahiko disappear into the trees. Before she had time to feel any relief, she was yanked painfully to her feet by her long ponytail.

"What have we here?"

Forked lightning split the sky, illuminating the face of Kaoru's captor and her fear increased a hundred fold. He was enormous, towering at least fifteen inches over her tiny form. Beady black eyes peered down at her through a mat of greasy hair. His long black beard flecked with the blood of his victims.

"You should have known better than to run, sweetling."

The man's lecherous sneer caused Kaoru's lungs to constrict painfully. As he stepped closer, a wave of nausea nearly overwhelmed her. The metallic scent of blood was wrapped around his own foul odor like a second skin. She attempted to step back, but the hand in her hair held her firmly in place. Kaoru knew she had no chance against his strength. A scream caught in her throat as the giant crushed her tiny frame against him.

Bringing his nose down to her neck, he inhaled deeply. "Young…fresh…" he exhaled slowly, his hot breath oozing over her flesh, "…sweet. I'm going to enjoy this."

Kaoru whimpered slightly as she realized what this man's intentions were, but before the giant could fulfill his promise of pain, another voice sounded in the night.

"Gohei!"

The man holding her stiffened.  When he turned. Kaoru could see nothing but the silhouette of a small man, a scant few inches taller than herself. A cloak of midnight billowed around him. Behind him, flames engulfed the only home she had ever known.

As he drew closer, Kaoru saw that he was unlike any man she had ever seen. Hair as red as fire and his eyes…his eyes were like liquid gold. Despite his diminutive stature, his being radiated a power that commanded both awe and fear. With all the defiance she could muster in her small body, Kaoru met his unwavering gaze. Fighting against the bile rising in her throat at the still too-close stench of the one called Gohei, Kaoru hoped that she looked braver than she felt. Molten eyes looked her over and something she couldn't quite identify flickered quickly through them. A tiny smirk ghosted across the thin line of his mouth, but was gone so quickly, Kaoru wasn't sure she'd seen it at all.

"Let.  Her.  Go," he said darkly, eyes never leaving Kaoru's face. The giant, Gohei, hesitated for a moment, as if deciding whether a moment's defiance would be worth the consequences.  “Now.”  Burning eyes slide toward Kaoru's captor, and though calm, the newcomer's tone left no room for argument.

"Of course, my lord,” Gohei drawled, eyes flashing.  “I'll retrieve the boy.”

"NO!" she screamed, struggling against Gohei's iron grip. "Don't you touch him! I will kill you!"

Gohei snarled and Kaoru felt herself being thrown to the ground. White lights danced before her eyes as her head struck the earth, searing pain streaking through her left cheek. A heavy boot slammed into her side and she cried out as the breath rushed from her lungs.

"That is enough!” The redhead's voice was deadly with warning as the sharp steel of his blade pressed against the thick muscle of Gohei's neck.  “Your lack of…restraint… has already done enough damage this night.  Forget the boy and leave the girl with me.”  Beady, black eyes stared defiantly down at the smaller man even as his head was angled away from the deadly weapon.  Golden eyes narrowed dangerously and the steel pressed tighter.  “Return to the others. I'll deal with you later.”

Dark eyes flashed, but he backed away before turning toward the burning farmhouse. He didn't make it far before the redhead's voice halted him once more.

“Gohei, if you run, I will find you.”

The giant didn't turn. He didn't need to see the other man's eyes to know what lay in them; the threat was clear. Making his way back to his horse, he grabbed the reigns as disappeared into the night.

Kaoru remained with her face turned toward the earth, hand clutched against her aching ribs, blood oozing from the gash on her face that now marred her delicate skin. She heard the whisper of steel as the man re-sheathed his sword and when she felt him kneel beside her, Kaoru curled into herself for protection, bravery vanishing. A gentle hand came to rest on her head. At his touch, strange, tingling warmth began to make its way through Kaoru's body. She felt strong hands gently grip her arms and slowly raise her until she rested on her knees before him. Head bowed low, Kaoru squeezed her eyes shut tightly against the tears she felt there, refusing to cry in front of this man.

"You have no need to fear me, little one. I will not harm you."

Kaoru looked up in surprise and confusion. His voice was gentle, holding none of the commanding edge she had heard earlier. She watched curiously as his eyes began to swirl with a strange violet hue, trying to ignore the painful squeeze on her heart his use of her mother's endearment caused her. Turning away from him, Kaoru surveyed the destruction of her home.

"Why? Why would you do this?" When her eyes came upon her parents' fallen forms in the light of the burning embers, a sob escaped her lips and tears fell unbidden from her blue eyes, leaving trails in the dirt on her face.

"I was sent to find you and set you free from the bonds that bind you here."

Kaoru looked up at him incredulously. “What?”

"This is not who you are," he said, arms sweeping to indicate the now destroyed farm. "You are different, little one. Deep in your heart, you have always known this."

Reaching down, the strange man grasped Kaoru's elbow and helped her to her feet. "Come," he said. "You will ride with me. We have a long journey ahead of us."

"Get away from me," Kaoru bit out icily between clenched teeth, attempting to yank her arm from the man's grasp. "I have no idea what you're talking about but this was…no, is my home. I'm not going anywhere with you!"

Kaoru, trembling with the force of her anger, watched as the man's eyes narrowed dangerously, bleeding back into pools of fiery amber.

"Don't presume you are in a position to choose whether or not you come with me," he growled angrily at her, his gentleness vanishing instantly. "I have searched for you too long to just leave you here. Perhaps a little persuasion is in order? Shall we find your brother?" His grip on her arm tightened painfully.

Rage and fear for Yahiko surged through Kaoru's small body at his words. "You will not hurt him. Let. Me. GO!"

Heat, like a thousand tiny needles, lit Kaoru's blood and focused burning hot on the place where her arm was imprisoned. The man abruptly released his hold as though he had been scalded, tawny eyes widening fractionally in surprise. He looked at his hand thoughtfully, slowly clenching and flexing his fingers.

His eyes softened, searching hers in the darkness. "Very well, I will leave you here a little while longer to say your goodbyes. I will see you soon. Be ready. Until then, Kaoru…"

Confused by his drastic swings in mood, Kaoru instinctively jerked her head away, eyes wide as his hand reached out toward her. Undeterred by her actions, the man cupped her face in his hand and Kaoru felt the pad of his thumb brush across her damaged cheek, soothing away the stinging that lingered there.

And then he was gone, vanishing into the night in a swirl of black, red, and thundering hooves.

Kaoru stumbled over the field to where her parents lay unmoving in the yard. As she knelt by the lifeless form of her mother, her chest tightened painfully, grief like a vise around her heart. Kaoru gathered her mother's bloody body in her arms. Lifting her face to the thundering sky, Kaoru's anguished scream was ripped from her throat as the heavens released their floodgates.

Rain poured down on the scene of death and destruction, extinguishing the fire and washing away the scent of blood. And although the water cleansed the earth, nothing could erase the sorrow that had entered Kaoru's heart.

xxx

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