Yay! Wolves! lol
Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine.
Chapter 9: Wolves and A New Pastime
Kaoru walked a crisscrossed pattern through the many smaller buildings that led away from the palace and into the city. It was the first time she had been this far up the mountain, and if she hadn't been so nervous she would have been excited to see the new surroundings and faces. However, the reasons that had sent her into the small metropolis were not recreational, and so she continued on without pausing to take in the sights.
Yesterday she had been given the chance to observe the lord's training hall. It was gigantic, and it made her wonder just what kind of training it had been used for. It was perfect, though, for what she had in mind, and so she felt no need to complain. Maybe later she would question someone about the inhabitants that used to utilize the hall, to get a better understanding about what art it had employed. It would make her feel at ease using her own technique later when she was ready to train again. Her body was in desperate need of a good work out.
After breakfast that morning Misao had followed her to the hall, curious as to what she was doing. Upon finding out that Kaoru was planning on using the hall to air out the late lady's kimono and other possessions, Misao had expressed a concern that until then had been absent from Kaoru's mind.
"With so many precious things freely exposed and left out in the open, maybe you should think about someone to keep watch as they air out tonight."
"You think something might happen to them if I don't?" Shocked at the thought, having assumed that no one there would dare to steal or damage anything that belonged to the lord, Kaoru stared back in confusion.
"Well, I'm not saying anything will, but accidents can happen, milady. I-I don't think anyone would intentionally try to harm the kimono, but… well, I think it a good idea to take precautions."
Misao had seemed suspiciously evasive, refusing to look her in the eye when she spoke, and Kaoru wondered if there was someone around the palace that was not as completely loyal to the lord as everyone else seemed to be. In any case, Misao had pointed her in the direction of the lord's policing unit. More specifically, to a certain wolf she had met her first day there.
At first Misao had insisted she send for the wolf to come to her, but after hearing about how much he hated being called upon by Kenshin to do his bidding, Kaoru thought it might not be the best way to ask a favor of him. So Kaoru had instead decided to call upon him at his house. She wasn't his master, after all, so it wasn't like she could command him to do anything for her. By going to him she thought it seemed a little more respectful, and it also gave him the chance to decline her if he so wished. In that case, Kaoru was ready to stay up in the dojo herself.
The only problem she seemed to be having was finding his house. Another detail she had insisted on was that she go alone, and although Misao didn't seem to mind at all, her directions had not been the greatest. Chewing on her lip and looking around to see if she recognized anything near her as a reference to where she might be, Kaoru sighed, realizing she was lost. That weasel gave me directions like I've lived here my whole life or something. Turning in a circle, trying to find the palace from where she stood, she realized she was heading the wrong way. Saitou's house was on the northern side, and not only was she closer to the southern wall, the street up ahead of her was curving back around on itself.
"Excuse me, my lady." Kaoru pulled her eyes from the small street and directed them quickly at the owner of the voice, lashes blinking at the large elephant standing beside her. Nothing had alerted her to its, his, presence. "May I be of some assistance?"
Sighing with a smile, Kaoru nodded eagerly. "Yes, please. I seem to be lost. Could you direct me towards the Saitou residence?"
The elephant grinned in amusement, or at least she thought he did, before giving her very precise and helpful directions. Thanking him profusely, she headed off down the street he pointed out for her with his trunk. Twenty minutes or so later and she was standing in front of her destination.
It was only then that her nerves decided to jump into overtime, recalling in vivid detail her first encounter with the wolf that was as big as a bear. Though Kenshin had declared her under his care, as a guest of his house (or permanent live-in), Saitou still frightened her. Lord's guest or no, he had little fear of showing her his teeth. And what sharp and long teeth they were.
The better to eat you with.
Rolling her eyes, Kaoru ascended the porch steps and politely knocked on the door.
As she waited, her hands folded neatly in front of her, she absently looked to the left as noises from around the side of the house captured her attention. A quiet clicking inside warned of someone coming to the door, but before she could pull herself away from the distraction, four small wolf cubs came barreling out into the street.
They were small only in comparison to the one wolf she had seen so far, and each was a different size than the other. From a half grown wolf likened to a medium dog to a small cub the size of an adult cat, they stair-stepped down and wrestled like they meant it. Soft growls and high yips of pain came out of the bundle of fur and dust, each biting or tackling and just plain fighting their energy out. If Kaoru hadn't been raised in her father's dojo, she would never have recognized their play for what it was.
Giggling, helpless to do anything but, she watched them tumble across the dirt road, her neck craning completely around to keep them in sight. They were utterly adorable, and she conveniently ignored the truth of why four cubs would be near this house.
"Is there something I may do for you, my lady?"
The door was now open in front of her, a larger wolf occupying the empty space, and Kaoru's heart gave a leap of fear. But as she turned and bowed her head politely, she finally registered that the voice coming from this wolf was definitely female.
"I was told Saitou-san lived here."
"This is indeed the Saitou residence, my lady, but if you are searching for my husband I'm afraid he is not home at the moment."
"Oh." Drat. Now what? "Do you know if he will be back soon?"
"He has gone on a routine patrol, he should be back within the hour." The female wolf, Saitou's wife she assumed, was not quite as big as he, but sleeker and her eyes were much kinder. It put Kaoru at ease and she happily nodded when she offered her tea.
"My name's Kamiya Kaoru." Half-following her into the house, she blurted the statement out, realizing she had not yet introduced herself.
"It is a pleasure, Kamiya-dono. I am Saitou Tokio."
"W-would it be alright if you called me Kaoru?" She didn't know why, but speaking with her made her more aware of propriety than Kenshin ever did. It seemed almost like an overstep to even ask such a question.
"If you wish, Lady Kaoru." There was a clear-cut smile in her tone now, and Kaoru smiled back as she watched her make tea. It was a strange system to see, but it was also amazing that it could be executed so perfectly without mishap. Especially since it was performed mostly with her teeth. Though Kaoru was asked to set out her own teacup.
"They have not been used in a very long time, Lady Kaoru. You might wish to rinse it clean first."
Not long after and they were sitting together on the porch, Tokio's tea in a small bowl for her to lap at occasionally and Kaoru sipping hers from a pretty tea cup with plum blossoms on it. The cubs were now chasing each other in and out of the other houses.
"You will have to excuse my children, Lady Kaoru. They are rambunctious boys and they always seem to sleep better if I let them play their energy out." Head lifting in a very dignified pose, Tokio seemed to frown at the quartet. "Though they will get quite the beating if they destroy Shigure-san's fence again." Raising her voice she yelled over their den of barking and snarling. "Boys! Back to the house!"
Startled yips issued from all, and they hurled themselves straight back at the porch. It was obvious to Kaoru they knew better than to disobey. Lining up in a perfect little line from smallest to biggest, they faced their mother… the youngest with a lolling tongue that forced Kaoru to hide her smile.
"Now boys, I would like you to meet the new lady, Kaoru. Introduce yourselves… and be respectful."
The oldest ducked a regal bow, serious about the way he presented himself. His name was Mishima Eiji. From there the gesture became less and less formal until the youngest didn't bow at all and instead yipped at her in greeting. His name was Tatsuo, and he earned a whap from the one next to him, Tsuyoshi, for being impolite, who in turn was tackled by Tsutomu for hitting the baby. Eiji was left to try and break it up as they all started fighting again.
Laughing, Kaoru turned back to Tokio and voiced her question softly incase it would upset the boys. "Why did the oldest say his name was Mishima? Is he not a Saitou as well?"
Shaking her head, Tokio's features became soft and unreadable. "No. His parents… took their own lives many years ago." Gasping in surprise, Kaoru felt instant sorrow at the thought. Suicide was not something she understood, and it made her sad to think anyone could be so desperate as to end their life. "It is something we have learned to deal with, Lady Kaoru. Many, many of our friends and fellow companions have tired of living this way. We are much less the thriving community we once were."
Megumi did say that they have been around for centuries… I wonder what has kept all of these souls trapped within this place?
"So you… adopted Eiji-chan to live with you?"
"Hajime did, yes. He brought him home without warning, and he has been living with us ever since. The boys adore him, and he is such a sweet child."
"Hajime?"
"My husband."
"Oh, right." She was distracted once again as the youngest wolf cub, Tatsuo, pushed himself into her lap, his open mouth drooling on her hakama.
"Tatsuo-chan." Exasperated, Tokio chastised him softly. "I'm sure the lady does not wish to be bathed in your drool."
"He's fine." Enamored by the young wolf and the coarse fur under her fingers as she steadied his little body on her legs, she reassured his mother. "I don't mind at all."
"Kao-dono, Kao-dono…" His eyes didn't look away, and they were the same golden eyes he had no doubt inherited from his father. They all had golden eyes, except Eiji, but each were a different shade, and Tatsuo's were dark like orchids. He seemed to be fascinated with her, and as the other three surrounded her on the porch she realized they all were.
Tsuyoshi, the next to youngest, rose up on his hind legs to plop his paws on either side of her head from behind, his nose sniffing her ear curiously. Tsutomu nuzzled her elbow, his cold nose running down her forearm to her fingers, which he licked. Eiji sat at her side, civilly keeping his distance, but it was obvious he wished to join in the three younger one's exploration of this human woman in their midst. One of her kind had not been seen in so long they hardly remembered there were such creatures. Giggling, and trying not to jerk too hard when they tickled her, Kaoru held still as they passed judgment.
"You'll have to forgive them, my lady. The young ones are more apt to act like the animals they resemble than us older ones. I suppose it is because they were not human long enough to remember what it was like."
Azure irises widened as the mother wolf's words sunk in, and Kaoru frowned down at the cub in her lap. "You were all… human?"
Dark eyes assessed her critically, and she did not react the same as any of the others that let such secrets known to her. "I'm sorry. I thought you would have already known."
Looking from Tokio, to the delicate tea cup, and then down once more to the wolf cubs, she became somber. "I suppose I did, but… I have not had it confirmed until now." Scratching at Tatsuo's ear, his eyes closing appreciatively, she bit her lip. "How… did this happen to everyone?"
"I am not sure, my lady. Magic of some sort. Very strong magic. Only the master knows everything."
"So I've heard." Resigned to this answer Kaoru pursed her lips, wondering if she would ever have the nerve to ask Kenshin herself what was going on with the palace. Though it would make little difference if he decided not to answer her.
"Kao-dono, play with us." Tsuyoshi pushed against her shoulders, urging her to get off the porch and out into the small yard.
"Yes, Lady Kaoru, please, play with us."
"Kao-dono…"
"You cannot be rough with the lady, boys. You will have to play a nice game."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Saitou came home later to a view he would have never expected. Not only was the new lady that was supposed to be staying at the palace in his yard, but she was playing with his children. His first reaction was immediate disapproval; a natural instinct to keep any anomaly or threat clear of his offspring. He knew nothing of this little girl except that she had captured their master's attention, and anything that boy found interesting he was loathe to accept.
A few steps closer, however, and he was gripped by apprehension and even a touch of fear. They were only playing a game of tag, Kaoru with a blindfold over her eyes as she reached for the four cubs dancing around her, but when she caught Tsuyoshi he knew he wanted her gone. His middle child was the most reckless of the bunch, and proved it by pouncing into her chest when she snagged him around the middle. Falling back on her rump, a small sound of surprise and pain woofing from her lips, she was further pinned when the cub pressed both paws into her collar and began licking her face. Now flat on her back and squirming, it looked for a moment like something less harmless than a mere game.
What if the lord were to hear about this? What if he were to see it? It was no secret he followed the girl around like he was her personal bodyguard. If he was to come upon this sight without knowing the extent of the situation, he would not hesitate to intervene. Already the lord had proven he would tolerate no one threatening or hurting her. Hadn't Saitou himself been warned against simple intimidation? If he were to think his son was hurting her…
Giggling and laughing, Kaoru began fending the cub off with both hands covering her face as Tsuyoshi's tongue lapped at her palms and any skin he could reach between her splayed fingers. She was being very careful with the boy by keeping her weight on her back and not twisting to throw him off, and not once did she slap at him. A few more seconds past and it occurred to Saitou that if something was going to happen it would have already come about. Also… his boys must really like this lady.
Nearly breathless, Kaoru blinked in surprise when the wolf cub suddenly jumped off of her, the others that had joined in to nip at her toes, ears, and hair abandoning her as well. Sitting up carefully she pulled off the blindfold and looked around to see what had caused them to give up. Once again they were lined up in a perfect little row, all facing a larger wolf still pacing towards them on the street. Kaoru recognized him as the one she had faced at the shrine.
"Welcome home, Father." They chorused in unison, all except the youngest. With his lolling tongue and happy demeanor, he bounced once for his greeting.
"Welcome home, Daddy!"
Once again Tsuyoshi whapped the baby, but this time they were kept from jumping into another fight by Saitou's stern command to be still.
"We have a guest. You will behave yourselves."
Tatsuo yipped at their father's announcement and turned with a bounce, racing back over to run into Kaoru's legs. "Kao-dono! Kao-dono!" Laughing at his enthusiasm, Kaoru bent to ruffle his fur. Ignoring the display, Saitou marched past and trotted up the steps where Tokio was bringing him out his own saucer of tea. Settling down next to his wife, Kaoru waiting patiently as she scratched at Tatsuo's ears, he finally looked up and addressed her.
"Is there something the new lady needs of me, or is she merely making a social call?"
Well… he doesn't waste time, does he? Swallowing her sudden nervousness, Kaoru bowed just slightly at the waist. "I was told you are responsible for the safety of everyone who resides here, much like a type of law enforcement. I'm not familiar with… everyone around here but I was… given the impression that there might be a few who are not as peaceful as the rest." Trying to be delicate, Kaoru stumbled over her words. She was also too aware that she needed to try and make her request sound convincing without coming out like an order.
"Are you asking for a bodyguard, my lady?"
Frowning, Kaoru ground her teeth at his mocking tone. "No. I can take care of myself just fine, thank you." He seemed amused by the notion, and she clenched her fist to keep from spiking into a temper. "I plan on utilizing the training hall to air out all of the late lady's possessions, and I would like to make sure they make it back into her pavilion in the same perfect condition that they come out. I was told you might be able to help me make sure of that."
"Such meaningless items are not cause enough for me to pull my men from their posts. We have a more important job to uphold, protecting people, not baubles and clothing."
"I would only need someone to stay the night with them, I can manage on my own during the day. Besides, I don't expect anyone would be foolish enough to come that close to the training hall in broad daylight. Can you not spare even one guard?"
"We are spread thin as is, Lady Kaoru. We do not have the time to waste on your silly trinkets and idiotic sympathies. I must protect the citizenry, not from vandals, but from the outside world. It is easy for us to become part of the food chain, easy for the outside wildlife to exploit our unfamiliarity with their world. Their lives are more important to me than a bunch of kimono. Even if they did belong to our master's mother."
Blue eyes cast downward, Kaoru felt stupid now for even asking. Of course everyone else was more important, and she could not fault him for wanting to protect lives. Not when her own sword style demanded nothing less. It wasn't as if she didn't have a backup plan for his refusal anyway. It just meant one long night for her.
"Very well, Saitou-san. I understand." Bowing again, she scratched one last time at the youngest ears before standing straight. "Thank you for your time, and the tea was wonderful, Tokio-san."
Turning to leave, she missed the moment Saitou's head shot up higher, his features pulling into a deeper frown. "Are you not going to order to me to do your bidding, lady?"
"What?" Stopping mid-stride, Kaoru blinked at him in confusion.
"You came here only to make a simple request? Not to demand?" Nothing like this had ever happened to him before. Not from any noble or guest that had stayed within the house he had served his entire life. No one with a higher ranking than him had ever given him a choice.
"How could I demand anything from you, Saitou-san? I am not a noble lady." Gesturing with a half-sardonic laugh down at her clothing, she let him know just how amusing the mere thought was. "Have you ever seen a noble woman wear anything like this before? Not to mention, allow herself to be covered in dirt? I really doubt it. Not after seeing all those boxes full of kimono that Lord Kenshin's mother used to wear. And even if I am a guest, I don't feel like I could demand anything out of anyone."
"But you could have just asked the lord to command me. You are already aware that I cannot say no."
Snorting Kaoru crossed her arms and looked away with an upturned nose. "I wouldn't ask that little spoiled brat for anything, let alone to make someone do something they obviously don't want to. Besides, you have a good reason. Lives are more important. I was already prepared to do it myself, I just figured you and anyone you have working under you would have a better idea of what you're looking out for. That's all." Shrugging, she uncrossed her arms and let them dangle back at her sides. "Whatever it is that makes the palace servants nervous will be wary of me for awhile anyway. It should be enough for one night."
"Indeed…" I guess she doesn't know yet, about her little follower. Situated now on the porch, it had taken him a few minutes, but Saitou was now able to spot the lord's presence. He was hidden well, even in broad daylight and with his bright red skin and hair, it was still quite hard to find him. I doubt any of those fools she's talking about will come within a mile of the palace with him there keeping an eye on her. Even still… Now that the lord knew she had come all the way into the city simply to request a favor of him, he couldn't refuse her… even if he had still wanted to.
"I… I would like to ask another favor, though." She seemed timid now, and it peeked his interest.
"Oh? What now?"
"Would it be alright if I called again sometime? To visit Tokio-san and play with the boys. I had a lot of fun." Smiling as the four wolf cubs barked in agreement, she started to giggle when they began jumping up and down in excitement at the thought.
"It seems I will be given no chance to deny your request, this time."
"Thank you very much." Beaming now, and waving, she said another goodbye and then she was gone.
"Hajime… you know very well you can spare at least two of the men for her. It won't hurt you at all."
"I'm aware of that, woman." Eyes following the master as he retreated, a meaningful look cast through crimson strands suggesting his lord had known of his scrutiny the entire time, Saitou growled low in his throat. "I had planned on sending two this evening."
"Then why did you say no to her?"
"To see if she would let me." The lord had disappeared now, no doubt following the little girl like a lost puppy. The analogy was most appropriate, Saitou thought, as she seemed to be more like the master than that boy had for the last eight or nine centuries. It did not bode well with the wolf that the supposed lord of their city had ignored his people and duties for as long as he had. "To see where her priorities lie."
"And you were satisfied, dear?"
"She has potential."
"I thought so too."
X
Kenshin was a little miffed. For one thing… he couldn't find Kaoru anywhere. He had tried to make it a habit of leaving the table at meals before she did so that it was not quite so obvious that he was following her around. Not that he needed to justify his actions or hide them from anyone. What he did in his own palace was his business. He only wanted to keep it secret from her because he knew what kind of a fight that would start. It wasn't like he watched her bathe. There just wasn't anything else to do, and Kaoru was the only thing he had found interesting in the last thousand years.
After lunch, however, he had gone to find her like always and found instead that none of her usual spots were occupied. Now, four hours later, he was getting annoyed with his inability to locate one simple little girl. One girl centuries younger than he and completely inexperienced.
Perhaps she left.
It wasn't as if their fighting had stopped, especially after the kimono dispute they had yet to resolve. She had taken to smiling more in the last three days, though, and just that morning she had greeted him without a trace of hesitance or anger. That smile had been warm, innocently gleeful, but not really for him. Something else had pleased her. Something that was no doubt the reason he could not now find her.
Perhaps she really did leave. Maybe she planned a way to escape my attention, and that is why I cannot find her. Maybe she is already halfway back home. The frown lines on his face deepened and that bitterness he had felt towards her before returned. So she had run off. What did he care? It wasn't as if that heartwarming smile of hers had affected him. It wasn't as if he would miss her.
The training hall had been the last place he had thought to look, just to see if she might have left something behind that had belonged to his mother. Almost upon the doors now, his mind already trying to toss her aside, he began to hear noises from within that had not been heard in longer than even the curse knew. For a moment he wondered if his ears were deceiving him. No one but him and his brothers had ever utilized the training hall. Were their ghosts back to haunt him? Were his thoughts of the past tricking him into hearing those long ago echoes?
Clawed fingers trembling, he slowly cracked open one of the shoji, nearly afraid to see what was on the other side. If it were empty, he would know his mind was finally breaking under the pressure of a thousand years of isolation and depression. If they really were there… then his mental deterioration would be further along than he thought.
It was not empty… but his mind was not imagining anything, either. No young boy or man danced around the hall with a sword in hand, playing out the ballet of death they had all been taught. In fact, as he stared, his eyes widening in shock, he could find no death in any of the strokes at all. The technique now being practiced within these walls that knew nothing but chaos and destruction was not meant for killing. Kenshin knew this without a doubt because he had delivered death to many… and this was not how one went about it.
There was strength, though. There was determination. Most of all, there was joy. So this was the meaning behind that smile.
This was… unexpected. It was not, he found, displeasing. Watching the firm way the wooden practice sword in her hand swished through the air with precision, he wondered why he had not realized her discipline before. After all, she was the only child of a samurai. A samurai who owned a dojo and taught others his skill.
Much of her personality made sense to him now. Samurai were trained to be strong willed and independent; their thoughts quick, their actions quicker. She was still young in her experience and training, but she had the makings of a true warrior maiden. Perhaps it was the very reason she had been able to stand before him and feel no fear of his appearance as that child of four.
No. I have stood before many samurai like this, and none of them have reacted like she. Even her father was frightened… though I know that is only because of those stories his village still holds onto. Not to mention I was trying to intimidate all of them. A small smirk pulled at the side of his lip. Either way, she was only a child when she first saw me… not old enough to begin her training. She is different in other ways. Ways that make her practice of a non-killing technique as easy as if she were simply breathing.
Settling himself down on the veranda, his hand pushing the shoji open wider, he transitioned into his favorite pastime easily. Watching her now just got a whole lot more interesting.
X
A/N: Well, it's a little late, but this last week has been completely irritating. No need for me to complain, though. Um, I wanted to put some other stuff in here, but it was getting a little long, and adding it would have made it even longer and drawn out, plus I've got a better idea to make it transition nicer. Saitou's always fun, and the boys were a little too cute, but I wanted them to like Kaoru so they could win their dad over to her side. It seems he has some good reason not to like their lord much, and there just might be a few of the citizens running around under the curse that like him even less. Uh oh. Wonder what that's about. I did downplay Kenshin's reaction to Kaoru's training a little bit, but the next chapter will be better, and he will explain himself, so just be patient. Besides… why wouldn't he like a little warrior maiden? lol Oh, and it also seems samurai have attacked the palace before while under the curse. You guys don't even know how much shit I've got planned. Anyway, please, please, please, leave a review and tell me what you think. Ask questions. Do what you please. Thanks for all who have, and I'll be seeing you…
