Meetings

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, but I do own the character Iaei.

I think that I spelled names right, but I am not sure if they are all right, if I have misspelled something give me a note in a review. Thanks!

It was a very fine evening in the early summer. The

residents of the Kamia dojo, along with Dr.Gensai's

granddaughters were on their way back to the dojo after

having dinner at the Akabeko. They were walking along when

the youngest girl, Suzume, saw a brightly colored ribbon

flutter by, and into the street.

"Pritty wibbon!" squealed the little girl, and she let go

of Kaoru's hand and ran after the ribbon. Kenshin, who had

the other girl on his shoulders, quickly gave her to Kaoru

and went after Suzume. Kaoru and Yahiko followed, but

slower. Kenshin spotted Suzume, who had caught the ribbon,

standing in the middle of the road. Unfortunately for her,

there was a wave of people hurrying towards the spot where

she was standing. Kenshin and the others tried to get to

her, but the people overtook her. They hurried into the

crowed to try and get to the spot where she had last been,

so they could get her before she was run over. Kenshin got

to that place first and SMACK! He ran directly into

someone.

Both people staggered backwards, and there was a clink and

a thud as whatever the other person was carrying hit the

ground.

"Oh!" said a woman's voice "I am sorry sir, I wasn't

looking where I was going."

"Its o.k. miss, I wasn't looking were I was going ether."

Said Kenshin.

"By the way, do you know who this girl belongs to?" asked

the woman. Kenshin looked up to see Suzume on the woman's

shoulders. Just then Kaoru and Yahiko go to where Kenshin

was.

"Uncle Kenny!" said the little girl, "Look at my pretty

wibbon!"

"Yes, it is nice." said Kenshin, as he took the Suzume from

the woman.

"Thank you very much for finding her!" Said Kaoru.

"It was no problem, I just didn't want her to get hurt."

Replied the woman as she picked up what she had been

carrying. Kaoru assumed that it was food or something, she

just wondered why it was so long. Kaoru had never seen the

woman before in town. She looked a slightly older than

Kaoru, and was dressed in a plain blue kimono. Her black

hair was pulled into a low ponytail, with the exception of

a small section of hair on the left of her face that seemed

to have escaped her ponytail. She was about the same height

as Kenshin, and Kaoru noticed quickly that this woman had

bright green eyes.

"Well, good bye!" said the woman, and she sidestepped the

group and continued down the road. They watched her walk

for a bit and Kenshin noticed that she didn't have any

shoes. On their way home they dropped Ayame and Suzume off,

and continued on. As they neared the dojo they saw the girl

walking down the road leading out of town.

"Is she seriously going to keep walking?" said Kaoru "Its

getting late, doesn't she know that is dangerous to travel

that road after dark?"

"It sure looks like she intends to continue." Said Kenshin.

"Well, she shouldn't! If she needs a place to stay, she can

stay at the dojo." Said Kaoru, and she ran after the woman.

The girl heard Kaoru calling and turned with a puzzled look

on her face.

"Yes, can I help you?" she asked.

"Actualy, I was wondering if you needed a place to stay for

the night." Said Kaoru, when she had caught up.

"Oh, no thank you. I am trying to get to the next town, and

I am going to keep walking."she replied simply.

"But you wont make it before dark, and it is dangerous to

travel down this road at night." Said Kaoru.

"Well, if it is as far as you say, then if I keep going

I'll get there quicker."

"But its dangerous, please stay, just one night!?" The

woman heard the pleading in the others voice.

'Well, I suppose I could stay for just one night. I haven't

had a real sleep in a while.' She thought.

"Well, I suppose I could stay for one night." She said.

"Great!" said Kaoru, "By the way, my name is Kaoru." The

woman hesitated, then replied.

"My name is Iaei."