Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Strength & Weakness ❯ A maiden doubting ( Chapter 3 )

AN-Ah, well it's my first Authoress' note for this fanfiction. Thankies to everyone who reviewed so far! It's encouraging! The name of the fic will make more sense as the story progresses. So far, most of you are probably wondering why this is rated R instead of PG-13. But the next chapter is defiantly rated R (not this one, the one after this{#4}). I'll put a warning at the beginning of the next one to remind, in case anyone forgets or didn't read this. Oh well, on with chapter 3!

Strength & Weakness

By Lucifer's Dark Angel

Chapter 3

Yumi groaned and opened her eyes to a very bright sun. She'd been trapped in this cave for a full day. She'd slept all of yesterday, hoping to conserve her energy and giver her ankle a chance to heal. She hadn't eaten anything since she left Kyoto two days ago and she was starving. She had to get something to eat before she was too weak to move at all. Struggling to her feet, Yumi grimaced at the still very-tremendous pain from her ankle. Staggering, she used the rocky walls for support as she slowly walked outside along the edge of the cave. Spotting a bush with some raspberries growing on it not too far away, Yumi grabbed a nearby tree as she fought to make it to the bush on her bad ankle. Upon finally reaching the small bush after a few minutes, Yumi sat on the ground and ate all the berries she could get her hands on. Most were very sour and bitter, but Yumi didn't care; it was food.

After indulging herself in the berries, Yumi felt a little bit better. At least now she had some food in her stomach. Maybe now she could try to figure out where she was and then try and make her way back to the base. Reaching into her pockets, Yumi cursed as she realized her compass was gone. She must have dropped it either when she was running or in the river. With a sullen face, Yumi sighed and tried to decide what to do next. Under the hot sun, she dozed off again after a few minutes.

~

Yumi awoke a few hours later to what she though was night. It was dark around her. However, as she turned her head she realized it was still very much day. Five men, each clothed in brown tops, brown pants, black boots, black jackets, and with knapsacks on their backs stood around her in a small circle. Yumi recognized them as members of an underground society who used captured orphans and homeless people as slaves to build weapons or serve other twisted purposes. Each had a huge smile on his face, as if they'd found the "catch of the day". Yumi shuddered subconsciously, wondering what these men would do to her. Surely they wouldn't leave her here alone. Bu how had they found her? She was miles from any road and in the middle of Shishio-Sama's territory. No one in their right mind would trespass on Shishio-Sama's property. They also certainly weren't employed by Shishio-Sama. Yumi wondered just why they were there.

Yumi didn't have much time to wonder, however, for the man directly to her right seemed to have decided on a course of action and his foot landed hard in Yumi's side. Yumi doubled over in pain, gasping. The man behind her seemed to agree and withdrew a long metal pipe from his knapsack that he used to smash Yumi's ankles with. The first blow to her left ankle didn't hurt much but the second blow to her already injured right felt as if a horse had stepped on it. Yumi screamed, but this only seemed to upset the man on her left. He made his fists into a ball and brought it down hard on Yumi's head. Yumi fell to the ground, gasping. Slowly, she raised herself up on her hands. If only she could rest for a few minutes, then maybe she could get away. However the man in front of her had other plans. He took the pipe from the man behind her and clubbed her on the head with it, breaking the circlet of beads that kept her hair in the tight bun. Yumi feel to the ground, out cold.

All five smiled sinisterly at this. The ma who'd yet to do anything in the scuffle bend down and examined Yumi, making sure she was out cold. When he was positive, he extended his hand out to the man on the left, who handed him three pieces of rope from his knapsack. The man kneeling used one rope to tie Yumi's ankles together, the second to bind her wrists together behind her back, and the third was tied around her stomach and the end was fastened to the man's belt. The man picked up Yumi and slung her body over his beefy shoulder. Then he stood and with a nod to his other comrades, they all walked back into the forest and down a narrow trail to a small village, all the time not saying a word.

~

Yumi awoke in a jail cell, alone and with nothing but the clothes on her back and a small rag that she supposed was a blanket. Yumi shuddered against the cold stone floor as memories of the five men attacking her in the forest came back. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes, but Yumi held them back; determined not to be weak and cry. Slowly, she tried to stand, only to fall back down due to the enormous pain in her ankle. It hurt as much as it had when she'd first acquired the injury. Yumi suspected the metal pipe had done that to her. Rubbing her hand over it, Yumi cringed at the sight of the blood. There was a small puddle on the floor where her ankle had been resting and a trail of drops that lead out the cell doll and up a stone staircase that had probably been made when she was carried down here.

Sighing, Yumi hoped that someone had realized that she was missing by now. Hopefully, a search crew was out looking for her or Shishio-Sama was tracking her path. As more tears welled in her eyes, Yumi wondered if even Shishio-Sama would be able to find her here before she fell victim to these men. Certainly she had been very far from the base when he had landed in that cave, and there was no telling how much further away she had been taken by these men or where she was now. The only thing she knew was that she was helpless.

Her dagger had been taken away along with of her jewelry and possessions. Her hair tie, the blue circlet of beads, had been broken and now was in pieces along the ground of the forest. It was one of her most precious possessions. It was a gift, a gift from Shishio-Sama. It had been the first gift he'd given her, back when she was still and Oiran. She hadn't liked him much, back then. Her admiration and devotion to him had started after her life as an Oiran had ended. True she hadn't been as repulsed by his appearance as others had, but she really didn't consider that something special.

But now, after ten long years by his side, she had found herself beginning to doubt his love for her. She worshiped him and did almost everything for him. That was no different now. However, he no longer seemed to acknowledge those things anymore. There were no more gifts, or thoughtful words. The kisses had stopped and on the nights when he was out and Yumi found herself alone, she cried. It was as if he had suddenly stopped caring about her. Yumi couldn't remember the last time they'd made love.

It seemed to her as if the would around her was falling apart. Maybe Shishio-Sama didn't care about her and had only kept her around to do the trivial tasks he was too mighty to do. Perhaps he'd wanted to get rid of her, but hadn't found his chance yet. Maybe no on was looking for her, and she was stuck her forever. Shishio-Sama was probably working on his master plan to take over the government. The thought that no one in the world cared about her seemed to deepen Yumi's depression. After all, what use was she to someone as great as him? She couldn't fight, she couldn't cook much, she couldn't clean, she couldn't protect herself… The list went on and on. As Yumi sank herself into an even deeper depression, she couldn't help but feel alone. Above, the stars twinkled sadly, as if crying for Yumi out of pity.

A maiden doubting her lover's devotion in the heart of a prison.