It's been said that an avid reader makes an avid writer—and since I have forgone being either of the previously mentioned… it is no wonder that I wince at my own recent writings, which have decidedly lost its spark.
Very unfortunate.
It could also be, that this is my first attempt at writing a serious piece—(though in the grand scheme of things, its not exactly a sterling excuse.) In conclusion, I have muddled about this story, wondering if I should go back and change its angle. (aka. Rewrite the whole damn thing) I seem to have much more success at writing pieces with blatant humorous undertones… though it didn't seem to fit the mood for this story—
As it is, I have decided not to—since it would be odiously tedious. Fortunately, I have taken to heart that writing should be everything BUT monotonous (thank you angelstarhikaru for pointing it out—I do decidedly agree with you), and so hopefully, the story itself will start picking up now with a subtle shift in style, closer to one I'm comfortable with. Please let me know if said shift is in any way, awkward. It is likely I would mope over such truths despairingly, but it is far better for everyone in the long run. .
So lay it on me dear readers! (Preferably gently—though a brilliantly written callous one will also be tolerated) I will remain as serious as humanly possible for the sake of finishing this story, (less sarcasm and blatant humor as "AofMC") but must resign to admit that perhaps I'm destined to write lighter pieces and will remain in that realm for the future…
..Pity.
So without further ado… Chapter 3.
Li Laine
Smile at me, if you please.
You have a wondrous smile…
The first coherent thought that occurred to Kaoru was to slug the man; her saintly priestess training, momentarily forgotten, at the ungrateful response to her kindness.
As it were, she was too stunned to do anything, save stare bewildered at the man whose grip on her arm was slowly and effectively, cutting off circulation to her hands. Kaoru worked at speaking, and found that her throat had ceased to function as well—suffocated by his heated glare.
It wasn't, she supposed dryly, that she could have come up with something sufficiently intelligent to say anyway. Was she to apologize for risking her life dragging his disagreeable arse from the stream?
A dubious look in the warrior's direction indicated that it was perhaps, precisely what he thought.
Just as she was beginning to wonder if they would be staring at each other awkwardly for the remainder of the morning, those gleaming gems quickly began to dilate, lose focus, then close. Long arduous lashes fell quickly over his terrifying gaze, cloaking the fascinating shifting color of his eyes.
And then he was unconscious once more.
Kaoru let out a sigh of relief.
Tugging at her wrist experimentally, she salvaged the limb from the warrior's grasp, rubbing delicately at the affronted flesh. Eyeing him suspiciously, she promptly scooted closer to her fire pit, muttering something about blasted, unappreciatative, troublesome men.
Combing agitated fingers through the length of her hair, Kaoru bit her lip. For a moment, she seriously considered walking without the flamed haired man to the next town on the accounts that her efforts were unwarranted, and furthermore unwanted. There was, after all, no point saving someone that simply did not wish to be saved, especially when her own situation was so very dire.
The sun had passed well into the sky, its presence marked by the insufferable temperature it breathed onto the land, before a faint stirring occurred below one lonesome withered tree. There were several impossible feats that Kenshin Himura the Battousai had single handily done in his lifetime. But those seem to pale in comparison to the monumental task of lifting his eyelids, which appeared to have sneakingly gain a few extra thousand pounds since he last used them. An inane pounding drummed ferociously, as if firecrackers had been set off near the region where his temples should have been.
Sharp hawk-like eyes, immediately narrowed, as he sensed another's presence; turning his head ever so slightly, he was surprised to see the form of a female prodding at what would seem to be, a very crude excuse for a fire pit. Her back was to him, and he could gauge nothing else save the fact that she had very long blue-black hair.
Deciding to make himself, known, he was irritated when only a rasping noise was evoked where his voice should have been. But it gained the reaction he hoped for, as the girl quickly spun around, nearly falling over herself in her startlement.
It occurred to him, though he would never be quite sure when later, that she was fairly pretty. The woman standing before him had the most strikingly blue eyes that he had ever seen, even if, he assessed rather callously, the rest of her looked as if the sky had opened up and rained mud on her.
He did not fail to notice the wariness laced within those eyes however. In fact, it would have been veritably impossible, since the sapphires set in her face were all but flashing at him. As if, he mused sadistically, she was afraid he would jump up and eat her on the spot—bones and all. And so, he said the first thing any sensible man would in his situation.
Nothing at all.
Kaoru Kamiya stood, valiantly repressing an insane desire to fidget. It just didn't seem like a good idea – to fidget that is-- in the presence of such a man staring once again, unnervingly in her direction. It was rather like the concept of a wounded rabbit surrounded by the shrieks of raptors—there was certainly no need to draw attention to itself by fidgeting.
The silence between them however, was deafening.
"How do you feel?" She finally ventured, when he made no attempts to continue either in conversation, or odd rumbling sounds.
From the wry look that she received, her answer was self-explanatory. In consolation, Kaoru noted that the man didn't seem so very much enraged as he did in his first bout of semi-consciousness. Perhaps her efforts on his behalf were not completely useless after all. Swallowing uncomfortably, she continued in haste.
"You've been asleep for--" She stopped short, a thoughtful frown creasing her mud smeared features, as her mind came up blank. Exactly how long had he been unconscious? She had the great privilege of drudging up his water bloated body just the evening prior. That however, gave no indication to how long he had been out cold since she had accidentally stumbled upon him.
"Well actually—I'm not quite sure how long you've been unconscious." Kaoru admitted to the stoic man, whose gaze had neither shifted nor wavered since it had come to rest upon her face. "But I had just come upon you yesterday, and you should be well enough to walk."
A pause.
"At least I hope you will be able to walk—since I have no intention of carrying you…"
The dark haired priestess trailed off, wondering if nervous laughter would somehow ease the tension. Idly, dark blue eyes wandered again to the sky, trying to gauge the time of day.
"Come here."
Kaoru's attention snapped back to the man. His words had been simple enough, albeit husky from lack of use, yet its implications rooted the young woman to her spot more effectively than chains or ropes.
"I'd much prefer to stay here thank you." She said defensively.
After a moment, he tilted one shoulder up almost imperceptibly, in a shrug. "If you insist." He said carelessly, though Kaoru noted that something akin to dry amusement played about the corners of his defined mouth.
"I do." Kaoru returned, sounding catty even in her own ears. Kenshin turned to look at her once more, and the priestess was hard pressed to decipher his dead-pan stare. Possibly, it could mean that he thought her a complete prude—that is, if he were thinking about her at all. Considering the alternatives however, Kaoru was generously inclined to let him believe in her pious, innocent nature. Decidedly un-prudish memories of their previous intimate night colored her cheeks an embarrassed rosy hue. Somehow, she was inexplicably glad that the man had been utterly unconscious.
A strained look crossed the man's face, as he shifted his weight to one side, rolling it would seem, on his shoulder.
Kaoru watched his antics anxiously. Heaven forbid that the blasted buffoon open up his wounds again after all the trouble she went through to seal it.
"What in the name of Elydis are you doing?" She demanded; itching to plant her arms at her waist, much in the same fashion that she had seen the older women of Elydis when they were berating their underlings.
The man shot her an unmistakably annoyed look.
"Sitting up."
Kaoru's mouth formed a perfect 'O'— and she quickly reformed its shape into a stern, thin line before the actual 'oh' came through. Rising from her guarded position, she hurried to his side, supporting his shoulder.
"Why didn't you just ask me to help you sit up?"
"I did."
Kaoru leveled him with her most exasperated stare.
"You most certainly did not."
"I asked you to come over here." He replied, as if, 'come here' explained his intentions clearly.
Kaoru snorted in her most unladylike manner. "Yes." She said sarcastically, "Your way with words is astounding."
Kenshin obviously didn't warrant her quip worthy of a reply, because he said nothing as he settled back into the trunk of the tree. His movements fascinatingly close to that of a contented feline creature.
Kaoru scrutinized the man. For all intents and purposes, he didn't seem the least bit suicidal.
Forming her words carefully, as she sensed a possibly delicate subject, she ventured. "Do you… remember anything from last night?"
Suddenly, she felt the weight of heavy golden gems pinning her to the ground. Rather belatedly, she wondered if she couldn't have scooted back a few feet before she broached the subject. After a moment, as if he found—or didn't find, what he was looking for, she felt the pressure of his intense gaze wane.
If she didn't know better, she could have sworn the slight edge laced in his perfectly even voice was humor.
"Jasmines. I remember the smell of Jasmines. Much like-- " Kaoru grimaced—there definitely was amusement— "the way you smell."
Kaoru inwardly recoiled. The lovely purple flowers had been her favorite essence in her scented baths back at the temple, yet she could not believe that he could decipher that smell from the recent metallic stench of blood, and the layers of earthy scents she had acquired from her travels. Blinking rapidly, she willed the rising blood to her cheeks to rush back down where it came from. Clearing her throat noisily, she quickly continued.
"Do you remember anything that was said?"
"No."
There was nothing quite like a good and effective 'no' to kill a conversation, Kaoru decided. Nodding to herself, she rose, returning to her previously abandoned perch several paces away from the man. If he didn't remember that he was less than pleased to have her save him, far be it from her to remind him.
The sound of a rumbling stomach, soft and gurgling pervaded the air. Rather mournfully, Kaoru patted the empty contraption in sympathy; a pained and embarrassed look crossing her features when the warrior raised a brow.
"I haven't had much to eat." She explained needlessly. When the warrior made no response, she continued conversationally. "I do however, have a bit of money—it should be enough for a brief stay at the next town for the both of us."
The man regarded Kaoru with an appraising look. "Where is it that you plan to go?"
"For the moment, just reaching the next town; we can part ways once we're there."
"Where do you plan to go afterwards?"
Kaoru turned to the man with guarded expression. "I'm quite sure it's none of your business."
"Why not?"
"Because," Kaoru said incredulously, biting the word with far more force than necessary to get her point across. "I don't know you at all. I don't even know your name! You could be a mass murderer for all I know."
The man blinked at her, the annoying tinge of male pleasure creeping back into the hard lines of his lips. "Well I'm certainly not going to tell you now."
Kaoru sighed rubbing her temples. "All the better," she quipped. "You probably are a mass murderer. Besides, I can always make one up for you."
Looking to the sky, Kaoru tried to determine how much time had passed since she had woken up. Turning back to the man who was patiently watching her antics with steady golden eyes, she said with some resignation.
"We're going to have to get going—I don't think I can tolerate another night out in the middle of the field with no food. And you certainly aren't going to get better on an empty stomach."
Kenshin nodded, the ruby red strands of his hair flickering with the motion. Reaching out a placating hand in her direction, he raised his brow when she hesitated.
"You certainly don't expect me to stand up by myself do you?"
Kaoru bit her lip, vaguely wondering if patients were supposed to be so troublesome. It didn't help that he was so distractingly handsome. In all the drawings back at the temple, warriors were all portrayed as impossibly unattractive barbarians. And while the invaders had done the drawings justice, the man sitting so benignly before her begged to differ on the matter.
Kenshin Himura watched curiously as the girl walked towards him, her movements stiff and awkward—as if it pained her greatly to come close to him; then just as abruptly she whipped around, marching off in the opposite direction. Kenshin let his outstretched hand drop to his side wondering what the woman was up to.
He watched her gather up her belongings, bits and parts of packaging, crudely wrapped. When she came toward him a second time, it was to take back the coarse cloth covering his torso. In return she handed him his clothes, crumpled, but dry.
When he gave her a questioning look, he was infinitely amused at the color sweeping rapidly into her face.
"It was wet." The girl said, defenses railed up to its maximum height.
Kenshin merely smiled.
By the time Kenshin was leaning heavily upon the girl's slight figure, fully dressed, and she had satisfactorily bundled up her belongings—the sun was already well in the sky, dutifully shining upon the two figures trudging towards the closest village; which in the young priestess' unvoiced opinion, couldn't be close enough.
Off in the distance, a pale hand lowered. "Do you think he will succeed?"
A broad shoulder rose and fell. "He knows the consequences should he fail."