I do realize that this story is a little choppy. I'm afraid I don't have a beta reader… I do all of my own editing so of course I'm going to miss a lot of things. I'm trying to train myself, though. Sometimes I don't know whether I'm getting better or worse. Right now, my main focus is detail and creativity. I never was very good at grammar and sentence structure, and like my little brother put it… for someone who writes a lot, I speak bad English. lol But here's the next chapter, and I hope you still like the story.
Disclaimer: RK is not mine.
Chapter 2: Moments in the Past
Kaoru woke the next morning with a sensation of forgetfulness. She knew she had dreamed but it was far away now, and no matter how hard she reached for it, it scuttled just beyond her hunting fingers.
Though she could remember none of it, she was still experiencing its aftereffects. It had not been the nice dream of flying she sometimes had, or the talking animal ones that made her laugh. This time her dream did not make her smile or wake wishing that she were still asleep. Instead it left her feeling confused and brought back that eerie atmosphere her father had conjured before he had left. In fact, as she lay on her back staring up at the half-gloom of her ceiling, she blamed him for her strange thoughts. Never had she ever believed one word of the stories she'd been told since childhood. For one, if there truly was a beast living in the palace that fed on human blood then how come their village was still alive? How come they were flourishing in its shadow? It was a full weeks journey to any other village, and as the closest, they would be the easiest to prey upon.
Blinking, she sighed and rolled onto her side to pick at the threadbare material of her futon. The dream had been vivid and yet concealing, as if she knew she should be able to remember it clearly and was somehow unable to. She hadn't been scared exactly, she wouldn't even classify the dream as a nightmare, but it unsettled her. It was like hearing a creak from the floorboards from behind, and when inspected, the room is found to be empty.
Stuffing her face full into the pillow, she groaned. She hated this feeling. It was like being a child again. Only one night in the house alone and she was already acting like a scaredy-cat. Father will be gone for a fortnight, I can't start out like this or I'll be jumping at my own shadow within days. Groaning again she pushed herself up on her hands and knees, stretching her arms and back muscles as stray hairs from her braid curtained her face and tickled her skin. Something light and metal shifted inside her yukata, brushing at the collar before falling free to yank at her neck, and she smiled at the necklace. It was the only feminine piece of jewelry she owned.
Father had told her it was a gift from her mother. Kaoru herself didn't remember the moment, but it made her happy to look at it. It wasn't gaudy or expensive in appearance, nor even exactly well crafted, but the chain was made up of twisted links of the purest silver. She only knew that because a merchant at the market had once seen it and exclaimed in delight at how beautiful it was. Rare, he had said, though it was a shame that the bauble hanging from it was so poorly constructed and fastened. Kaoru had been offended but had said nothing to the man about his rudeness. In truth, the less worth people thought it was the less likely it was to be stolen.
Kaoru thought the little lone ornament was perfect. From a distance it looked like a plain pink piece of glass, with no shape or meaning. Up close, Kaoru thought it took on the form of a flower petal. Though she didn't know why she should imagine it so, she just liked the idea of it representing a delicate sakura blossom. They were supposed to be lucky, after all, and she wanted that luck to one day help her and her father.
It was attached to the chain by a thin piece of silver wire that bent and wrapped around the glass piece to hold it in place and make sure it did not come loose. Not once did it pierce the glass, nor was there one nick on it from a careless hand. This told Kaoru that whoever had done this was gentle and attentive. The craftsman had cared if something was to happen to it.
For as long as she'd had it she had cherished it just as much, if only to honor that person's compassionate nature.
Sitting back on her haunches the necklace plopped onto her chest, resting warm and delicate on the swell of one breast. It was time to get up and make herself breakfast, if she was hoping to get any food. Then she'd start in on the chores. After lunch it would be straight into her training exercises. Stifling a yawn, she stood to change into her training gear.
It was mid-afternoon and halfway through a difficult kata when she felt the presence of another near the house. There was sound of quiet shuffling to accompany the feeling, and like a cat stalking its prey she snuck to the door of the training hall and peeked around the corner to size up her opponent. Whatever she had expected it had not been her father, his weary form dropping the pack on the engawa as he sat down to untie his sandals.
"Father!" Running out to greet him, she felt worry first and foremost for the look of defeat and failure on his face. "What's wrong? What are you doing back so soon?"
"Never mind that for now." Sadness closed his eyes at the thought. "Come sit here with your father for a few moments while he rests."
Confused, Kaoru sat next to him, leaning into his side when his arm wrapped around her shoulders and squeezed. "But Father… why are you back home?" Head coming to rest on his collarbone, she gasped at the sight of dried blood on his chest. "Daddy, your hurt!" Parting his kimono she frowned at the four scratch marks spearing sideways across his skin. Each one was complemented by a large red welt and thin lines of blood oozing from the broken flesh.
"Were you attacked? Are you hurt anywhere else?"
"I'm perfectly fine, aijou. It doesn't pain me."
"But did you clean it? You haven't even bandaged it or anything." Standing up quickly, Kaoru darted back into the house. "Wait there. I'll be back with some hot water and bandages."
Sighing, Koshijirou returned his gaze to the mountain, the misery in his heart doubling as each second passed. The sun would be setting all too soon, the days much too short as winter approached. In the morning… he would have to take his daughter away.
"Here, Father, shrug out of your kimono so I can clean that before it gets infected."
Perhaps an infection would be a blessing. Doing as she asked, he stared up at the sky over her head. My heart is already dying… and fourteen days are nothing. Why could I have not just given him those fourteen days to begin with? He didn't hurt her before. What reason did I have to think he would hurt her later?
I was being so selfish. I was terrified at the thought of letting her go. After her beautiful mother died… I clung to Kaoru like I was the child. I have been the one needing comfort, and for my self-centeredness she will be paying the price. Fourteen days truly are nothing in comparison to eternity.
"What happened, Father? These look like claw marks."
"I don't think it was intentional, aijou. He was angry at the time."
"Who was angry?" Frowning up at her father, her hand stopped with the bandage cloth pulled tight. "Father, these are not blade marks."
Koshijirou sighed deeply, once again defeated in his wish for a few moments of normalcy with his daughter. She would not leave it alone until he answered her questions, and that meant telling her everything that had and was to happen.
"No, Kaoru-chan, they were not made by a blade… nor even by a man."
"Was it a wolf then? You told me they would attack grown men, but I thought…" Trailing off as he lifted a hand for silence, she felt worry as he shook his head slowly.
"Nor were they made by an animal. Daughter," Grabbing her by both shoulders he gazed seriously into her eyes, watching as she stilled in confused anxiety. "I know that you hold nothing by the stories you have heard from others, and perhaps that is good. This allows you to make your own decisions and conclusions about a situation. I envy this in you, because it was your mother you inherited this from and not myself."
"Dad," Swallowing, Kaoru leaned away from his intently searching eyes, disturbed by the gravity of the situation. "what are you talking about?"
"I told you stories when you were little. Do you remember?" She nodded, looking as if she were not quite sure if she remembered in detail but knowing that he had all the same. "They were the stories I grew up with, the ones that I was told when I was a child of the village. Your mother, she told you different stories. She was a child of another village and she knew things that we do not."
"Are you… talking about the lord of the palace?"
"That's right."
Letting her features drop into disbelief, Kaoru huffed. "Don't be silly, Father. I thought we had already talked about this." Suddenly frowning she stood up to tower over the top of him. "If you're trying to tell me you came back because of some silly superstition I'm going to be mad."
"Aijou, listen to me… it's not superstition."
"Yes it is." Picking up the bowl of water Kaoru stepped up onto the engawa to walk back in the house. "I can't believe you're buying into that crap."
"Do you remember hearing of the disappearance?" Kaoru paused and looked over her shoulder curiously. Nobody talked about the child that had disappeared. "Of the child, thirteen years ago?"
"Of course, but… no one I've asked would tell me anything… and I'm not even sure I believe it was the fault of some demon creature living in that old palace."
"He may not have been the reason the child disappeared, but he does have a lot to do with the story."
"But Father, how do you even know any of it was true? You know how people talk. The truth can't even travel the length of the village without coming out looking like a skeleton."
"You're right, Kaoru, nobody knows the truth about what really happened that day except for four people… and your mother is no longer around. I know the truth, little girl, because I'm your father… and the child that went missing was you." He wouldn't look at her as he said it, his head ducking away from her widening eyes instead.
"Me?"
"Thirteen years ago you disappeared from your bed and was gone all day and well into the night. Naturally your mother and I were distraught, but no one would help us look for you. No one wanted to go into the forest… especially near the palace. So I searched for you alone but I couldn't find you, and by nighttime I was afraid I would have to give up."
By this time Kaoru was sitting next to him again, her face attentive as she hung on every word. "But… I'm here."
"Yes, aijou, you are, and for that I am the most grateful father in the world." He lifted a hand to cup her cheekbone, smiling sadly at her bewilderment.
"What happened? I… I don't remember any of this. How did I get home? Why was I gone?"
"You told me later you wished to go for a walk." Half-chuckling in amusement, he shook his head and looked back to the mountain side. "I was so angry with you I didn't know what to say, but your mother simply told you to ask first next time. She always knew how to handle you better than I. As to what happened… I really couldn't tell you. You must have gotten lost. I'm just grateful you weren't attacked by any wild animals." Trailing off, his eyes stayed fixated forward on the form of the palace nearly lost behind trees.
"Father." Gently calling him back to the present, he sucked in a breath and dropped his head.
"It was late when you… were returned. I remember it clearly, as if it happened only yesterday. Your mother was crying, as only a woman can for their child. I… I could feel nothing. My whole world was numb, and I found myself noticing details that were so insignificant and unimportant. The crickets chirping outside in the grass; the stillness that only night brings; the scent of old wood and moisture; how lonely the old palace looked surrounded by all those dark trees. The more I saw, the more I noticed, the angrier I became. None of this mattered to me. Why should I see any of this when all I wanted was my daughter, safe and back home?" Both hands fisted into his hakama, the knuckles white and trembling as he fought his emotions.
"Daddy?"
"It was with those same heightened senses that I heard the soft sound of feet. There. Right there." One hand loosened long enough to point a few feet in front of them, at the tree line of the forest. "I ran back here, so hopeful and terrified by what I would find that I swore, that no matter how or by who you were returned I would do anything. Anything." Again he shuddered, disturbed by past events, and Kaoru reached out to grab his hand. For some reason she felt he would need this comfort more than she.
"When I rounded the corner of the engawa I couldn't believe my eyes. After all those stories, nothing prepared me for the truth. At first he seemed to be just a man holding your sleeping form, and I was ready to gratefully thank this stranger for returning you. But as he lay you on the engawa I saw the great claws on his hands, the deep red of his skin, and as he stepped back, rocks and stray twigs cracked and ground under his talon-toed feet. I must have made a noise, because he looked at me with sharp eyes. It was dark and I couldn't make out the details of his face. Nothing except his eyes. Those golden eyes… and the horns sprouting from his hair." Gripping her hand tightly, Koshijirou turned at last to look her in the eye.
"Kaoru… for the words I spoke to him, I apologize. They are the reason for both of our misery."
"What…" Kaoru's voice faltered, unable to comprehend all that was being told to her. This man… the story… it was all true? But that's not right… they said he fed on human children. So why would he bring me back alive? "What did you say to him?"
"He was turning to leave just as quickly as he had come, but honor drove me to offer him compensation for your safe return. I had promised myself I would do anything, and if anything meant being in the dept of him… of the palace lord… then so be it. At first he denied wanting anything, but your mother insisted. She was not as afraid of him as I was, you see. Her village grew up on different stories than we did. I was ready to accept his generosity, but she was determined to return it.
"It took him only a few moments, but he… aijou he…" Face crumpling in an appearance of weakness that Kaoru had never seen from her father before, he brought her hand to his forehead to hide his despair. "He wanted only to spend more time with you. One day, he said. One day a year until your eighteenth birthday. On that one day each year he would keep you at the palace. He promised to keep you from harm and return you after dusk. I agreed, though reluctantly. Your mother thought it a wonderful idea." He laughed then, the sound short and watery. "She grew up on such different stories than we."
"But father… I've never… you've never sent me to the palace. I've never gone." Trying to find the loophole, wanting all of it to be untrue, she grasped at the inconsistencies of his story.
"No. You are right, aijou. A few months later your mother died of the sickness, and I… couldn't let you go. And now it is my fault. All my fault."
"What's your fault?" Hesitantly rubbing his shoulder she tried to comfort him, this man who was always so strong and unafraid falling apart before her eyes.
"He came to me… last night as I camped. He wanted to know why you never came. Kaoru… it's been thirteen years and he hasn't changed. He hasn't aged a day!"
"And… what did he want?" It was strange, but after hearing the truth that there truly was a creature living in the palace that resembled a man and didn't age, and that creature had at one time saved her, made her feel calm. It was as if she could not react in the same hysterics her father was now in the grips of, and the worse he became, the calmer she felt.
"He wants his fourteen days." Kaoru opened her mouth to no doubt respond as he had, but he stopped her. "From me, aijou. I am to pay him back for those fourteen days you were not there and were supposed to be. You are… to live with him at the palace, and I… am only allowed fourteen days to visit you."
Taking a breath, she swallowed hard. "Forever?"
"Yes, Kaoru. Forever."
"Oh." It was all she could manage, the calm shielding her mind almost oppressively thick. "Is there… nothing else we can do?"
"If I do not bring you tomorrow he will give me fourteen days before coming to find you himself."
"So then… nothing will change his mind. This will happen either way."
"I am afraid it is so. Please forgive me, Kaoru. You now have to pay the price for my mistake."
His distress was rising and Kaoru felt sympathy and compassion for the father that had tried to protect her. The decisions he had made were all in her best interest, and she could feel no resentment towards him for anything. He was only human, after all, and humans made mistakes. The only fear pulling at her heart now was for him. Koshijirou may have claimed the roll of her father, but over the years Kaoru had looked after him just as much. Her mother had left them in the care of each other, and he was her responsibility as she was his. If leaving meant canceling out any bad karma his dishonor had caused then she would gladly go. Only, she was worried he might not care for himself in the way he needed.
Already it was essential to go across the mountain and find new students. Because of this new development his food would surely go further with one less mouth to feed… but would be feel inclined to try? She hated the thought of leaving him all alone. It frightened her because she did not want to think of him suffering in her absence, but she shuddered to think what the beast would do if she were not to arrive. He had promised not to hurt her, but that did not mean he wouldn't hurt her father.
"Then I suppose I must go." Though he had spent the last thirty minutes trying to explain why she would now be forced to leave their home, her father still looked shocked and hurt by her agreement. "But Father, you have to promise me you'll still make the trip to the other village. You need students and the boys around here are too wrapped up in their violent stories to do the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu any good."
"Kaoru, that doesn't matter anymore…"
"Yes it certainly does." Fighting against her drowning swell of emotions, she shoved her stubbornness and anger to the forefront to try and act as normal as was possible to help her father. "Not only do you have a responsibility to make sure your heritage is passed down to a worthy successor, you also have to make sure you survive the winter so you can teach it. Just because I'm going to go live in some run-down old castle it doesn't give you the excuse to slack off. You need food to eat so you can continue training, which means you need money to buy that food and an income to supply that money. So don't even worry about unpacking because after you walk me to the palace you're going straight to the next village just like we had planned to begin with."
"Child… you know you were going to be my successor." It was the saddest thing she had ever heard, his heart in each syllable of the words as his defeat echoed in the finality of her departure.
"Well… it's not like I'm going to be slacking off either, you know." Crossing her arms as if indignant, she glared. "I'll just bring all of my training gear. I don't know what this… person thinks he's getting but he's just going to have to settle for me. I can almost guarantee I'll be unlike any woman he's ever met before. He'll probably send me back within a week." Grinning at the thought of scaring the biggest monster in all of their bedtime stories, she laughed softly as her father finally chuckled.
Leaning against his side she stared at the ground where soft patches of warm sunshine littered the yard. "I don't want you to be so upset, Dad. I don't blame you for anything. I love you and I want to know you'll be ok. Fourteen days may not sound like a lot, but… if that's all we get then I want to make sure we get every single one of them. Which means you have to take care of yourself so you can come visit me, and besides… maybe… if I'm nice to him he might just let me visit you."
Koshijirou took a deep breath, his arms encircling his daughter tightly. She was so much stronger than him. She wasn't upset or angry, even after learning the rest of her life had been decided because of a debt he'd failed to pay in the past. So he would be strong for her. Sighing, he dropped his head onto the top of hers, taking in a moment that would stay with him forever.
The last couple of days were a silent embarrassment for him. If she had been in his place she would not have acted as weak and emotional. Chuckling, ignoring the tug on his sleeve as she silently asked for an explanation, he felt amusement towards himself for being so pathetic. A woman, a child, his child, had more guts, brains, and strength than he.
"Daddy… are you alright?" She was worried now, about his laughter, he realized.
"Yes, aijou, I'm fine." It was a lie, but for now it would do.
"Good. I want you to promise me you won't give up. Promise me you'll do everything I've told you to and that you'll come visit me when you have the time. I don't care when, just as long as you come by so I can make sure you're fine." He smiled down at her, gently adoring of her demands and the manner in which she was commanding him to follow. "Promise?"
"Yes, yes. I promise, aijou. Anything to keep my daughter happy."
"Great. How about we do a little sparring to celebrate?" Pulling away in feigned excitement, she stood with a bounce. "And then you can cook me your specialty for supper. Oh, I'm so happy I don't have to eat my own cooking again tonight. Three meals in a row is just too much." Stretching her arms high above her head as she walked back towards the training hall she started laughing in great delight as her arms dropped back to her sides. "I take it back! If he expects me to cook it'll probably only take two days before he sends me packing!"
Koshijirou watched her withdraw into the dojo, half chuckling at her devilish glee. Casting his eyes back towards the mountain one last time he frowned in abrupt displeasure as his thoughts caught up with the truth behind her teasing. He had better plan on taking care of my daughter better than that. I'll be checking up on her too on my visits. Beast, curse, lord or no… I will not be a happy father if she is in poor condition or spirits. This had better be understood… lord of the palace.
X
A/N: I wanted to keep Kaoru in strong spirits but also try to keep that "holy shit" reaction. Obviously, she doesn't remember anything, and also, so you don't get confused, she doesn't remember her dream either. Kaoru's mother married her father and moved to the village they live in while her father was born and raised there, so she didn't grow up hearing their little evil stories about the palace… though it does seem they had their own legend about something. -evil laugh- This was kind of an explainer chapter, so the next one will move us forward. Plus, it was needed to get her father back on his feet and out of the doldrums. I never thought of her dad as some weakling, but unfortunately it was needed a little bit. He is about to lose his daughter after all. I need him to be strong in later chapters though, so I left him in a little bit of protective father mode where 'don't care if you're some thousand year old cursed, spoiled, lord child, I'll still kick your ass if you hurt my little girl.' Fathers are the greatest when they're like that.
Love you Dad.
Leave a review, encouragement is a great motivator. Just saying.
