Argh, we haven't come up with a name yet.
Her hands trembled as she smoothed out the folds of her formal death kimono. She had hoped it wouldn't come to this. She hesitated, gazing up at the few stars that lit the sky this dreary night. The moon was a mere sliver, wan and pale, seeming to frown on her. She would hopefully become another one of those stars soon, with all her dead ancestors.
Slowly, she picked up her short sword, praying silently for the strength she would need for her seppuku. She wasn't meant to do this. Her life was not supposed to end this way..
And then, as if in an answer to her prayers, she heard, or rather, felt, soft footfalls behind her. She turned her head slightly.
"Kenshin.."
"Suzu, what. what are you doing?"
"The honourable thing to do."
"You shouldn't have to do this."
"There's no other way." The short sword fell to the floor. Suzu's voice was barely audible, ".There's no other way, Kenshin."
Kenshin kneeled beside her, "Tell me what happened."
"My father has arranged a marriage for me. I'm to leave for Nagasaki at dawn. If I don't go, I'll bring dishonour to my family. But, if I go." Suzu looked away. "I love you, Kenshin."
Kenshin softly brushed a hand against her cheek. "I know.."
Suzu pulled away from his hand. "Don't," she whispered. "If someone sees us.."
Kenshin sighed, dropping his hand. "Who. who are you to marry?"
She choked back a sob. "Captain Tamano, the. the ruler of Zataiko."
Kenshin started visibly. "Your enemy! But. to make peace between the two lands, then?"
The lord's daughter nodded, tears escaping from her eyes, and she turned from the samurai.
Kenshin hesitated before reaching into his robes and pulling out a jade amulet strung on rawhide. He held it out to her. "Here. I. I want you to have this. I want you to have it to remind you every day of how much I love you."
"Kenshin, I. thank you." Carefully, she took the amulet from him, cherishing it. Kenshin left her in silence. Moment's later, Suzu's maid, Chimmoko, walked out into the private garden.
"Lady Suzu, please come in and change. It's very late, and your father wishes you to leave at dawn."
"Leave me, Chimmoko, I'll be in when I'm ready."
"Hai, Lady, just one more thing.. You must start anew in Nagasaki; forget him, Lady Suzu, you must." After Chimmoko left, Suzu gathered her things and went inside, to prepare for her trip.
Chimmoko walked back into the well-built house to see Kenshin ghost out in front of her. She started visibly, and then bowed as she realized whom it was.
"Kenshin-san! Please forgive me! I was merely telling her that-"
Kenshin silenced her with a hand. "Chimmoko, be at peace. I know what she must do. I. she must be protected. She is an important figure. I. I want to be a part of the assemblage to see her off tomorrow's dawn. Will you be able to make it so?"
Chimmoko hesitated, and then finally nodded. "I will try, Kenshin- san. That is all I can do for now. Wait here."
And so Kenshin waited. He waited and waited, until he thought he could wait no longer, and then he waited some more. Finally, just as he was ready to give up and walk home, Chimmoko appeared. Kenshin stood immediately. "What has been decided?"
She waited what seemed like an eternity before answering. "Hai, Kenshin-san.."
"Thank you, Chimmoko. This means a great deal to me, seeing her off safely."
"However, Kenshin-san, it is imperative that she does not recognize you."
"How am I to disguise myself?"
"Your robes will be of a different colour, and I will dye your hair black with a bath of stickle root tea. But we must act quickly! .Please, follow me!" Chimmoko hurried off into the darkness, Kenshin following blindly. Chimmoko led him to the small servants' home, several feet away from the main complex. "Please wait here, Kenshin-san," Chimmoko disappeared into the tiny building, only to emerge a few moments later, holding a plain grey kimono and white tabi. "I'll go and prepare the dye. Please change into these so that the dye won't stain your clothing." She handed the clothing to him, bowed quickly, and left again.
Donning the grey robes, he waited impatiently for her to return. When she did, she held a bamboo basket, patched with seaweed, holding a black- coloured liquid.
"Wet your hair with this, Kenshin-san, and leave it in for a quarter of an hour, or until it dries."
"Am I to wear this kimono?"
"If you wish, but if the dye stains it, come to me, and I'll give you another." Chimmoko bowed to him and left, hurrying off into the darkness.
Carefully, Kenshin let his hair down, sliding it into the black liquid. He shivered. It was cold. He left it in for a couple of minutes before taking it out, spilling some on his robe. "K'so!"
Chimmoko heard his curse, hurrying out with a fresh kimono, this one royal blue in colour.
Kenshin looked up at her, his blush a shade of crimson so deep it would shame three sunsets. "Thank you, Chimmoko."
Chimmoko bowed wordlessly and left, waiting patiently in the servants' quarters.
The dye had taken to Kenshin's hair beautifully, leaving it a shiny black shade. It took only a few minutes to dry. Kenshin pulled it back effortlessly, and then changed his robes.
"Chimmoko, I'm finished," he whispered, watching the sliding door to the servants' quarters.
There was a pause, and then Chimmoko emerged silently, carefully.
"Kenshin-san, if it pleases you, you may stay here tonight. You must leave before dawn. If anyone asks your name, tell them you are Uraga Mitsu." Chimmoko hurried him into the building.
"Chimmoko, who is Uraga?" Kenshin asked once inside.
"Uraga was a wanderer who traveled through here some time ago. Don't worry, no one will give you any trouble."
"I thank you, Chimmoko, that I do," Kenshin said, finding a suitable futon. Kenshin lay down, though he knew he would get no sleep that night. "Good-night, Chimmoko."
No sleep came.
Well before dawn rose above the grassy knolls, Chimmoko came to wake Kenshin. However, Kenshin was already awake, watching Chimmoko pick her way carefully toward him. He got up just as she reached him.
"Good, Kenshin-san, you are already up. We must move quickly, because the procession will be getting ready soon."
Kenshin followed her back through the trees, going so far that by the time they got to their destination, the pinkness signifying dawn was showing above the trees.
They came upon a bound and gagged man lying on the ground.
"What's this?" Kenshin demanded.
Chimmoko shrugged. "I had to get rid of *someone* to put you in."
Kenshin paused momentarily. "Is this Uraga-san?" he asked, his questioning gaze focused on her.
She shrugged. "There are only so many people in the farewell procession, Kenshin-san."
He glared, irked that Chimmoko did not answer his question. "Well, is it him or not?"
Still she remained silent. Forcefully, Kenshin grabbed Chimmoko by the shoulders, shaking her. Suddenly it seemed he had realized what he was doing. He stopped abruptly, releasing her. "Chimmoko, I. I'm sorry! I just lost my temper. But I need to know who this man is. It's very important, that it is," Kenshin's eyes were pleading.
Chimmoko just stood there, stunned into silence. Her eyes met Kenshin's, and she knew she had to answer. "No, Kenshin-san, this is not Uraga," Chimmoko spoke slowly. "This is one of Tamano's men. Captain Tamano sent him here to watch for you at the procession."
"And. if he had found me there?" Kenshin asked gravely.
"He was told to. 'dispose' of you accordingly." Chimmoko looked away, unable to meet Kenshin's gaze any longer.
Her hands trembled as she smoothed out the folds of her formal death kimono. She had hoped it wouldn't come to this. She hesitated, gazing up at the few stars that lit the sky this dreary night. The moon was a mere sliver, wan and pale, seeming to frown on her. She would hopefully become another one of those stars soon, with all her dead ancestors.
Slowly, she picked up her short sword, praying silently for the strength she would need for her seppuku. She wasn't meant to do this. Her life was not supposed to end this way..
And then, as if in an answer to her prayers, she heard, or rather, felt, soft footfalls behind her. She turned her head slightly.
"Kenshin.."
"Suzu, what. what are you doing?"
"The honourable thing to do."
"You shouldn't have to do this."
"There's no other way." The short sword fell to the floor. Suzu's voice was barely audible, ".There's no other way, Kenshin."
Kenshin kneeled beside her, "Tell me what happened."
"My father has arranged a marriage for me. I'm to leave for Nagasaki at dawn. If I don't go, I'll bring dishonour to my family. But, if I go." Suzu looked away. "I love you, Kenshin."
Kenshin softly brushed a hand against her cheek. "I know.."
Suzu pulled away from his hand. "Don't," she whispered. "If someone sees us.."
Kenshin sighed, dropping his hand. "Who. who are you to marry?"
She choked back a sob. "Captain Tamano, the. the ruler of Zataiko."
Kenshin started visibly. "Your enemy! But. to make peace between the two lands, then?"
The lord's daughter nodded, tears escaping from her eyes, and she turned from the samurai.
Kenshin hesitated before reaching into his robes and pulling out a jade amulet strung on rawhide. He held it out to her. "Here. I. I want you to have this. I want you to have it to remind you every day of how much I love you."
"Kenshin, I. thank you." Carefully, she took the amulet from him, cherishing it. Kenshin left her in silence. Moment's later, Suzu's maid, Chimmoko, walked out into the private garden.
"Lady Suzu, please come in and change. It's very late, and your father wishes you to leave at dawn."
"Leave me, Chimmoko, I'll be in when I'm ready."
"Hai, Lady, just one more thing.. You must start anew in Nagasaki; forget him, Lady Suzu, you must." After Chimmoko left, Suzu gathered her things and went inside, to prepare for her trip.
Chimmoko walked back into the well-built house to see Kenshin ghost out in front of her. She started visibly, and then bowed as she realized whom it was.
"Kenshin-san! Please forgive me! I was merely telling her that-"
Kenshin silenced her with a hand. "Chimmoko, be at peace. I know what she must do. I. she must be protected. She is an important figure. I. I want to be a part of the assemblage to see her off tomorrow's dawn. Will you be able to make it so?"
Chimmoko hesitated, and then finally nodded. "I will try, Kenshin- san. That is all I can do for now. Wait here."
And so Kenshin waited. He waited and waited, until he thought he could wait no longer, and then he waited some more. Finally, just as he was ready to give up and walk home, Chimmoko appeared. Kenshin stood immediately. "What has been decided?"
She waited what seemed like an eternity before answering. "Hai, Kenshin-san.."
"Thank you, Chimmoko. This means a great deal to me, seeing her off safely."
"However, Kenshin-san, it is imperative that she does not recognize you."
"How am I to disguise myself?"
"Your robes will be of a different colour, and I will dye your hair black with a bath of stickle root tea. But we must act quickly! .Please, follow me!" Chimmoko hurried off into the darkness, Kenshin following blindly. Chimmoko led him to the small servants' home, several feet away from the main complex. "Please wait here, Kenshin-san," Chimmoko disappeared into the tiny building, only to emerge a few moments later, holding a plain grey kimono and white tabi. "I'll go and prepare the dye. Please change into these so that the dye won't stain your clothing." She handed the clothing to him, bowed quickly, and left again.
Donning the grey robes, he waited impatiently for her to return. When she did, she held a bamboo basket, patched with seaweed, holding a black- coloured liquid.
"Wet your hair with this, Kenshin-san, and leave it in for a quarter of an hour, or until it dries."
"Am I to wear this kimono?"
"If you wish, but if the dye stains it, come to me, and I'll give you another." Chimmoko bowed to him and left, hurrying off into the darkness.
Carefully, Kenshin let his hair down, sliding it into the black liquid. He shivered. It was cold. He left it in for a couple of minutes before taking it out, spilling some on his robe. "K'so!"
Chimmoko heard his curse, hurrying out with a fresh kimono, this one royal blue in colour.
Kenshin looked up at her, his blush a shade of crimson so deep it would shame three sunsets. "Thank you, Chimmoko."
Chimmoko bowed wordlessly and left, waiting patiently in the servants' quarters.
The dye had taken to Kenshin's hair beautifully, leaving it a shiny black shade. It took only a few minutes to dry. Kenshin pulled it back effortlessly, and then changed his robes.
"Chimmoko, I'm finished," he whispered, watching the sliding door to the servants' quarters.
There was a pause, and then Chimmoko emerged silently, carefully.
"Kenshin-san, if it pleases you, you may stay here tonight. You must leave before dawn. If anyone asks your name, tell them you are Uraga Mitsu." Chimmoko hurried him into the building.
"Chimmoko, who is Uraga?" Kenshin asked once inside.
"Uraga was a wanderer who traveled through here some time ago. Don't worry, no one will give you any trouble."
"I thank you, Chimmoko, that I do," Kenshin said, finding a suitable futon. Kenshin lay down, though he knew he would get no sleep that night. "Good-night, Chimmoko."
No sleep came.
Well before dawn rose above the grassy knolls, Chimmoko came to wake Kenshin. However, Kenshin was already awake, watching Chimmoko pick her way carefully toward him. He got up just as she reached him.
"Good, Kenshin-san, you are already up. We must move quickly, because the procession will be getting ready soon."
Kenshin followed her back through the trees, going so far that by the time they got to their destination, the pinkness signifying dawn was showing above the trees.
They came upon a bound and gagged man lying on the ground.
"What's this?" Kenshin demanded.
Chimmoko shrugged. "I had to get rid of *someone* to put you in."
Kenshin paused momentarily. "Is this Uraga-san?" he asked, his questioning gaze focused on her.
She shrugged. "There are only so many people in the farewell procession, Kenshin-san."
He glared, irked that Chimmoko did not answer his question. "Well, is it him or not?"
Still she remained silent. Forcefully, Kenshin grabbed Chimmoko by the shoulders, shaking her. Suddenly it seemed he had realized what he was doing. He stopped abruptly, releasing her. "Chimmoko, I. I'm sorry! I just lost my temper. But I need to know who this man is. It's very important, that it is," Kenshin's eyes were pleading.
Chimmoko just stood there, stunned into silence. Her eyes met Kenshin's, and she knew she had to answer. "No, Kenshin-san, this is not Uraga," Chimmoko spoke slowly. "This is one of Tamano's men. Captain Tamano sent him here to watch for you at the procession."
"And. if he had found me there?" Kenshin asked gravely.
"He was told to. 'dispose' of you accordingly." Chimmoko looked away, unable to meet Kenshin's gaze any longer.