Chapter 2
They left at dawn. Megumi, having decided to stay a little longer to help Misao with Aoshi, saw them off to the end of the street. Yahiko and Sanosuke walked with them for a while, parting ways to head for the tokaido. Kenshin hadn't slept. He dreaded the road to Otsu and the memories it would awaken. He feared people might recognise him as the redheaded youngster who'd fled the city with a gorgeous young woman in a white kimono.
They progressed slowly. Kaoru stopped at every roadside stand or teahouse, chatted with other travellers and stopped here and there to admire the view. Her excitement betrayed her nervousness. Kenshin tried to force himself to enjoy the journey. He attempted to keep the conversation alive a few times but it inevitably fell flat every time. He didn't want to focus on the past, yet he caught himself trying to reconcile the blurry memories of his night escape with Tomoe with the sunny road he was now on countless times. Was this stream where they'd stopped for water? Was this old teahouse where they'd hidden for many hours, fearing that they'd been followed? Was this where the strap of Tomoe's zori had snapped and forced him to carry her for a while? He couldn't tell.
When they reached the first major fork in the road, Kaoru rummaged through her pack to find the directions she'd been given.
"It's this way," said Kenshin, pointing at the path on the left.
"How do you know?" she asked, surprised.
He shrugged, trying to act normal.
"I… Just a feeling. The position of the sun and all that," he explained, rather unconvincingly.
Kaoru finally found the directions.
"You're right." she said, incredulous.
Take the left at the first fork. Go all the way to Ostu. Our contact will take it from there.
Katsura's words echoes in Kenshin's mind.
They walked in silence for the rest of the way. When they reached Otsu, the sun was at its zenith, making Biwako shimmer. They found a grilled catfish stand, bought lunch and found a quiet place to sit near the shore.
"You've been here before," stated Kaoru.
"Yes," he replied.
She smiled.
"That's good! It means we're on the right path."
He gave her the best smile he could muster. How could he possibly tell her that his memories of this place didn't involve a little boy, but a teenager pretending to be a peddling medicineman? That this place was painfully connected to his deceased wife? He could still hear the cranes take flight in the dead of winter, sense the snow falling in fluffy flakes and feel the warmth of her hand in his for the first time… He felt his chest tighten.
"We could call it a day and go back to Kyoto, Kenshin," said Kaoru, sensing that something was amiss. "I've always wanted to see Biwako anyway."
He shook his head.
"No, no. It's alright. I'm curious to see the village. Kaoru-dono, I'm very grateful for this opportunity. I just…"
He didn't know where to take his sentence. He looked at the lake. A fishing boat was coming back, its tairyo flag out. Cheers could be heard from the pier. He envied those people their simple life.
"I just have a lot to process, still," he finally said.
Kaoru visibly relaxed.
"Of course. Shishio's death…"
"Yes. That, too. But Kyoto and its surroundings are deeply connected with my past life. It's been over ten years since I've been here. I'm remember many things I didn't necessarily cared to."
She put a hand on his.
"I understand," she said kindly.
He smiled at her. She didn't understand. Sadly, she never would. And he hoped she never would.
They lingered in Otsu for a little over two hours; Kaoru wanted to see the town and go to the local shrine to make a small offering. Kenshin followed her distractedly, trying his best to cover his face from inquisiting gazes. A few times, he was convinced that he'd been recognised. He fought hard to keep his steps even, his heart calm. He was relieved when they finally left the town and took a less traveled path.
"Here."
Kaoru handed him a small washi enveloppe. He looked up at her.
"What is it?" he asked.
She smiled.
"A little something to make sure everything goes well."
He tilted the envelope and a small piece of embroidered red fabric fell in his palm. He flipped it over and saw the characters for good fortune embroidered below a complex knot.
"I can tell something is bothering you, so I asked the kami to protect you."
He stared at her for a moment then suddenly embraced her. Taken aback, Kaoru froze.
"Kenshin! People are coming!" she said in a nervous voice.
"Thank you," he whispered before letting her go.
Kaoru turned around and started walking at a brisk pace but not quickly enough to prevent Kenshin from noticing how red she had turned.
The afternoon was drawing to a close when they made it to another intersection. The path on the right went up a gentle slope but looked like it had been abandoned some time ago. Kenshin could tell that it had once been well-traveled. He tried to clear it in his mind to see if it would trigger any memories. It didn't. He sped up to catch up with Kaoru who hadn't hesitated to take the path on the left.
"We should be almost there..." she said, looking at the instructions they had been provided.
"There is a settlement ahead," replied Kenshin, pointing.
Kaoru looked up.
"I can't see anything but a hill," she complained. He could tell she was getting tired.
"Don't look straight ahead. Look up. There is smoke."
She followed his finger. Thin columns of smoke were rising straight in the windless sky. The sight seemed to reinvigorate her. They pushed on.
When the reached the crest, a small village came into view. About two dozen houses lined the only road of the hamlet. Roughly at the center, a few souko we surrounded by closely built one story houses. The further they were from the center, the more spaced the habitations were. Rice paddies and small vegetable patches occupied most of the remaining space. This small valley was tucked between steep mountains on the left and a more gentle green sloped on the right. Kenshin assumed there had been a landslide in recent years.
"So?" asked Kaoru, eagerly.
He turned to answer her but before he could even open his mouth, he was interrupted.
"Shinta, is that you?"
The couple turned around to face a young peasant woman carrying a faggot on her back.
"It is you!" she exclaimed.