Part 2: Bakumatsu
Chapter 7
Kenshin awoke to the feeling of movement and lack of air. His eyes snapped open, and he fought frantically to find air in the cold and darkness around him. His head broke the surface, and cool night air flooded into his starved lungs. He had to fight to stay on the surface, and with cold and numb limbs he swam to the edge of the river.
After dragging himself from the freezing water, he lay panting on the riverbank. His chest heaved up and down, gratefully drawing in air. He tried to ignore the pounding in his skull, but to no avail. He gingerly touched a large lump on the back of his head, where he had been apparently hit hard enough to make him lose consciousness. His stomach was churning, a rotten taste in his mouth. He coughed, and a little bit of water splashed onto the dirt beside his head.
When he'd found the strength to Kenshin sat up, and then forced himself to his feet. He regretted it an instant later when he fell back to his knees, gagging violently. He lost the battle, and threw up river water and gunk onto the hard ground.
Wiping his mouth, his stomach not churning as much as it had been a moment ago, he looked up and around himself. 'Where am I?'
There was no one around, even to his strong senses. He stood again, leaning against a nearby tree for support. His left shoulder protested the movement, and he looked down to see the angry red slash through his skin. The blood had been washed away by the river, but the skin around it showed that it was irritated, and could possibly be a threat for infection.
As he moved his other shoulder stung, and he turned his head to see the broken end of a dart sticking out of his skin. He reached back, wincing as his left shoulder scolded him for the movement, and pulled the dart out. A single small cry of pain escaped his mouth, but nothing more.
He examined the dart silently, and sighed. 'So that was the reason for my sluggishness.' He had been poisoned, but it seemed to have worked its course now.
He looked up at the night sky, thinking on ways to get back to Kyoto before he collapsed from exhaustion, blood loss, and possibly the effects of infection. He suddenly brightened. 'I can finally shift!'
He was then faced with another dilemma. When he shifted his clothing would not come with him, he would have to fashion a pack of some sort that he could carry around his neck. His swords had been lost in the river.
He removed his hakama and gi, wringing them out gingerly, wary of his wounds. He then tied them into a strange sort of pack that he hung around his neck. He then focused, and began to change. As the larger body of a horse overtook his own he felt flesh knitting and wounds being cleansed. Power and warmth flooded through him, he no longer felt cold, sick, or worried about getting back.
Opening pale violet eyes to the darkness, he was a little dismayed to find that his night vision, in a word, sucked. He could barely see at all, his night vision had been better when he was a human. Other than that, he was warm, and definitely stronger than he had been. However, he was still tired, so he decided to use the night to sleep, and get moving in the light of the day, when he could see better.
Folding his long slender legs he settled by a tree, laying his head on the ground. Heaving a sigh, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. His sensitive kept picking up the sounds of the night around him, and for a long time he lay there in the dark, just trying to tune things out. Eventually he succeeded and slipped into a restless sleep.
Kenshin awoke rather abruptly at dawn, bolting upright. He stood trembling on slender legs, slowing his breathing gradually. He wasn't quite sure what had awoken him, but it was now light enough to move onward.
He walked slowly at first, letting his still racing heart calm. Once he was back to calm, he broke into a gentle trot, and then into a canter. He smiled inwardly, speeding up more and more. Stretching out his body, he entered a full gallop, flying over the ground. He felt free again, and he let out a whinny of happiness.
Almost instantly an answering call rang out. He slid to a halt rather quickly, throwing his head up to find the caller. He hesitantly let out another whinny, and again there was an answer.
A black mare galloped into the area, proud head held high and hooves thundering on the ground. Kenshin blinked, resisting the urge to tilt his big crimson head slightly. As the mare took a good look at him she slid to a halt, her deep black eyes growing wide. Kenshin frowned inwardly. 'Human emotions…'
The mare moved closer, her nose out in front of her as she attempted to smell him. He stood stock still, allowing her to do so. She hesitantly put her nose against his horn, and he moved his head down, allowing her better access to the slender appendage.
"Are you… a shifter?"
The voice startled him, and he snorted wildly, jumping away before rational thought took hold of him. He shook his head slightly, and then nodded. "Hai, I am."
The black mare whickered. "I was wondering. I have never seen that color before in horses, and that horn of yours…"
Kenshin looked down slightly. "Yea, I guess I'm just cursed with being different."
The mare whickered again. "What's your name?"
Kenshin blinked, hesitated, and then spoke. "Kenshin."
She nodded to him slightly. "Akina, a pleasure to meet you. I would ask if you would like to shift back and talk in a bit more civilized manner, but seeing as we are both shifted…" She trailed off, and Kenshin felt like he could blush even though he was in horse shape.
"Actually, you could help me, and then we could meet each other later." Kenshin offered.
Akina tilted her big black head. "Oh really? What can I help you with?"
He sighed. "I was separated from my group, and I'm trying to find my way back to Kyoto, but I'm afraid I'm not quite sure where it is."
Akina whirled on her hind legs, looking at him over her flanks. "Well come on, I know the way. That's where I came from!"
Kenshin felt relief spread through him and he trotted over to Akina's side. "Arigatou!"
She snorted. "Race you."
He grinned inwardly, stomping a hoof. "You're on!"
They both took off as fast as they could go, Kenshin stretching out his stride and pouring his heart into the race. Akina raced beside him like a shadow, tossing her head excitedly. As they ran they became the only two in the world, just them and the ground beneath their hooves, and Kenshin felt free once more.
"There it is. Can you go on from here?" Akina asked, panting heavily beside him. Rain was now falling steadily around them, a moderate shower.
The crimson stallion nodded. "Hai, I can. Arigatou Akina, I owe you."
"You owe me a talk and a nice dinner at a restaurant," the mare said with a firm stomp of a front hoof.
Kenshin smiled inwardly again. "Alright. But how will I know that it's you?"
She gave an almost grin to him. "Well, why don't you shift back and then I'll see what you look like. I'll find you, if you meet me down by the market."
"Shift…back?" Kenshin murmured.
Akina whinnied, raising her head into the air. "I didn't mean in front of me silly, go over there. I'll even turn my back if you want."
Kenshin turned and trotted behind the trees, releasing his horse shape and pulling on his still damp clothes. He shivered in the cold cloth, hoping that still being in them wouldn't leave him at risk for a cold or anything. Being out in the rain made it to where his hair was wet again, and he was colder still.
He walked out to where Akina was still standing, wrapping his arms around himself in an attempt to keep warmer. The black mare moved closer, putting her warm body close against his side. "You poor thing, it's positively chilly out here without your fur… I should have let you go closer before you shifted…"
Kenshin shook his head. "It's okay. I probably would have shifted anyway when I got this close."
A black eye scrutinized him silently. "My but you are a different one… Such red hair, and those eyes…" Kenshin blushed, looking down. "Oh come now, let me see those eyes again." Akina protested, butting his shoulder with her forehead.
Kenshin looked back up at her, and her eyes softened. "There we are. Such a rare shade of violet. Beautiful." When Kenshin's eyes flickered down again she tilted her head. "Why so shy?"
"I've… never had anyone talk to me like this before." Kenshin murmured. "People are afraid of me; they never take any time to be nice to me, or even consider talking to me."
Akina nudged him again. "Well don't worry; I'll be your friend. Now, why don't you go and get out of this rain. I'll meet you by the market place in two days, near sunset."
Kenshin nodded, walking towards Kyoto. He turned to wave goodbye and thank the mare once more, but like a shadow, she had vanished.
