Back on a role, the muse is singing again. I'm reading several amazing books right now that are great writing motivators for me. On to chapter 10!
Kenshin had tried to stay aware of each passing sunrise and nightfall, but that had proven extremely difficult. After only a day of being tied without reprieve, his body grew stiff and painful, which made sleeping almost impossible. When he could manage to pass into exhausted unconsciousness, it was always at different times of the day or night and he could never sure how long he had actually slept. His sense of time was further distorted by the grain bag that covered him every time the wagon stopped, sometimes for hours at a time. Even with all of that, Kenshin might have been able to place a good guess as to how much time had passed. The scant rations of food and water he received though left him feeling weak and disoriented, leaving him unable to focus on anything.
Needless to say, when a voice broke through one of his fitful sleeps and announced that they'd arrived in Edo, he had no idea how long they had been traveling. Maybe one week, maybe two.
There was a flurry of sounds outside the wagon, and Kenshin made an effort to gather his senses, forcing his eyes open and trying to will feeling back into his legs. He heard wood creak as someone stood, saw the mostly brown blur that was Kaga moving his way, and then rough hands were cutting the rope that tied his feet to his hands. The sudden rush of blood that followed had Kenshin sucking back the urge to gasp as the sharp bite of pins and needles coursed up and down his legs. He'd hardly had time to get used to that sensation when he was pulled to his feet, his arms still tied at his sides. He would have collapsed from the pain if Kaga hadn't been holding him up by his shoulders.
"Come on, shake it off, we need you walking." Keeping Kenshin's feet on the floor, Kaga moved the boy's upper body in a circular motion for a minute−like that's gonna help, Kenshin thought sourly− then released his grip on Kenshin's shoulders. To Kenshin's surprise, although his legs still felt as if they were on fire he was able to stand without support. His body shook from the effort, but he supposed that was as much from lack of food as it was cramped muscles.
Kenshin noticed that Kaga seemed full of nervous energy. After jumping from the wagon, his eyes hadn't strayed to Kenshin even once, although he kept one hand resting on the rope around Kenshin's arms. Even as Kaga pulled Kenshin down next to him his eyes darted back and forth, as if searching for something. It struck Kenshin that this was the culmination of their journey and he wondered, not without trepidation, what was going to happen to him now. Maybe Kaga was looking for someone who was supposed to meet them here. Wherever "here" was.
"Here," Kenshin soon discovered, was nothing short of overwhelming. As he emerged from the wagon, his eyes were greeted by vast displays of power. The first thing he noticed was the massive gateway. It was made of ornately carved wood, and wide enough for several horses with carts to easily walk through it abreast. Tall, sloped walls were on either side of the gate. They were so high Kenshin had to tilt his head up to see the top, and they ran for hundreds of feet parallel with the horizon. It seemed impossible that anything could be higher, but rising above the walls Kenshin could see the black-edged tiers of a grandiose pagoda, the spire that tipped it reaching into the sky.
Surrounding the walls was a moat that was even wider than the creek near Hiko's. The opaque blue color of the water suggested it was much deeper than any mere creek. A wooden bridge, slightly less wide than the gateway itself, led from one side of the moat to the gateway, and several people were in the process of crossing.
Hundreds of people were milling about the grounds, some in large groups holding banners, some walking with official-looking purpose back and forth through the gateway, and still others with swords at their sides who wore identical clothing and stood relatively still as they appeared to direct everyone else. Kenshin guessed these were the castle guards –because there was no doubt in his mind, this must be Edo castle. He had heard of nowhere else in Edo that had such grandeur. Why they would come to Edo castle, Kenshin had no idea. He had been fairly certain Yoshinobu and Jisaemon were staunch anti-shougunates. It didn't make sense for them to walk with such nonchalance into the heart of Edo.
As he stared wide-eyed at everything around him, Kenshin caught site of Jisaemon walking purposefully up to one of the gate guards. They entered into an animated conversation, and Kenshin watched their lips closely in the hopes he could understand something. Jisaemon turned and looked directly at him, pointing. Kenshin saw the guard's eyebrows lift, and then there was more talking. Finally, Jisaemon beckoned at Kaga. Keeping Kenshin in front of him, Kaga walked to join the guard and Jisaemon.
"That's him?" The guard asked skeptically.
"Without a doubt," Jisaemon answered. "I would have offed the boy myself, but I thought perhaps he might be of use first. Even one as young as this could know quite a bit." Kenshin wished he knew what they were talking about.
"True, age means nothing." The guard spoke. "It's good you came to us about this. I can take you to see Sakai-sama. He can authorize the correct procedure for this circumstance. Tell the rest of your men to wait outside the gates, and please follow me."
Jisaemon turned and raised a hand at the wagon they'd been traveling in, then faced the guard. "Lead on."
Kenshin's legs had almost returned to normal by now, and he was able to keep up with the quick pace the guard set without difficulty. This was good, because he was walking in front of Kaga, who seemed like he wouldn't hesitate to run Kenshin over if he wasn't moving fast enough.
The guard stopped only once, to say something to one of his colleagues just inside the gate, and then set off without a backwards glance, waving a hand forward to let Jisaemon know that he should follow. "I can't promise you that Sakai-sama won't be occupied, but if you have time you can wait for him." The guard spoke as he walked with unerring surety through the maze that surrounded Edo castle.
"That will be fine." Jisaemon replied. "As it happens, we were making the journey to Edo anyway, so it won't be much of an inconvenience."
Silence descended again, and Kenshin tried to construct a rudimentary map in his head. Although they had taken numerous turns, he saw from the sun's location that the guard was leading them west. Kenshin wished he could use the moat as another marker, but the surrounding walls effectively obscured it.
They passed several houses, and Kenshin thought one of them must be a dojo because there was a group of men outside, all wearing blue hakama and holding katana that they swung in unison. Soon, the large pagoda Kenshin had seen towering over the sloped walls rose impressively on his left, and he stared at it in awe. The tall edifice reminded him of his shishou, dark and imposing. Then Kenshin had to turn his eyes forward because Kaga had stepped on his heel, and he had to stumble clumsily so he wouldn't fall face-first into the dirt.
As they walked further and further from the gate they'd entered, the chatter and noise from the many travelers fell away, to be replaced by the sweet chirp of sparrows and the occasional shout from practicing martial artists. When it seemed as if they were going to walk forever, the guard stopped abruptly in front of another gate, this one with a heavy-looking wood door in front of it.
"Wait here." The guard ordered, and he knocked twice, then entered, closing the door behind him. Kenshin caught a glimpse of elegantly curved roofs and narrow streets overshadowed by dark green fir trees. It had an unassuming beauty, but surely a person with as much command as Saiko-sama must possess would live somewhere more obviously opulent.
The guard returned soon. "Arimura-san, only you and the boy's presence is requested. I will escort your associate back to the gate." Jisaemon nodded his acceptance, leaving Kenshin to stand off to the side by himself. Apparently Jisaemon wasn't worried that he would run. The guard opened the door and motioned that Jisaemon and Kenshin should enter, then turned and left with Kaga.
The room they entered reminded Kenshin of a temple. Light filtered through the paper walls and bounced off the brightly polished wood floor, drawing attention to the fact that the large room was mostly unfurnished. Incense sticks burned at an ancestor shrine in the corner of the room, filing the room with the scent of sandalwood, and two small cabinets sat unobtrusively at the very back. A small table stacked with papers was in the very middle of the room, and sitting at the table was a small man wearing formal hakama and a wide-shouldered jacket of a daimyou. His intimidating glare more than made up for his small stature.
Jisaemon bowed deeply. "Sakai-sama, how are you."
Sakai scowled. "We can dispense with formalities, I don't have time for them. I've got enough work trying to deal with these insurrectionists. They're like ghosts."
"Coincidentally, that's exactly what I'm here about." Jisaemon said. "I believe this boy can make the insurrectionists less ghost-like." Sakai looked at Kenshin skeptically.
"Really? This ragged thing? Please explain."
"As you might know, Satsuma is undecided about where their loyalties lie. My men and I were traveling there for a conference with the Satsuma clans, and we were attacked by this boy who was ranting about expelling the barbarians."
Sakai interrupted Jisaemon with a snort. "Send a mere boy to attack a group of armed men? What sense is there in that?"
"We were ambushed by a group and were only able to capture the boy," Jisaemon said smoothly. "The rest either escaped, or were killed. I felt compelled to bring the boy here though, as I thought useful information about the growing insurrectionist's attacks might be gleaned from him."
Kenshin listened to the conversation with apprehension. Obviously Jisaemon's story was a lie, but what could he say about it? It was his word against a grown man.
Sakai was looking at Kenshin with interest now. "They grow so desperate that they would employ one so young?" He shook his head. "Boy, you probably don't know what you've gotten into. It's too late for that now though." He addressed Jisaemon again. "We're desperate for information. I doubt this boy knows much but maybe he can at least give us a location or two before he dies."
Died? Why would he die?
"Thank you for taking the time and effort to deliver him to us."
Jisaemon bowed low. "I'm happy to serve my Emperor." Kenshin saw his lips turn up in a smile that was hidden from Sakai.
"And he's happy to have you at his service." Sakai responded. "Leave the boy here, we'll deal with him. I'll have my retainer escort you out." A man Kenshin hadn't even noticed slid from behind a shoji panel and stepped forward. Jisaemon gave Kenshin a feral smile as the retainer opened the door to lead him out.
"Sayounara, Kenshin-kun." He said softly, and then the door closed, leaving Kenshin alone with Sakai.
"Do your parents side with the sonnou joui movement?" Sakai broke the heavy silence.
"No! I mean−I don't have any parents. And I didn't attack anyone, I-" Kenshin stopped, and an expression of horrified realization spilled over his face. He was in a catch 22. Jisaemon had portrayed him as the enemy, and Kenshin couldn't deny it. He had originally wanted to assist in an assassination against the shougunate and he was sure that if he said otherwise, Jisaemon would think nothing of having one of his own men sacrificed to claim otherwise.
"You what?" Sakai asked, his glare piercing into Kenshin's eyes.
"Nothing." Kenshin's voice hitched and Sakai sighed. The stern lines around his face fell, leaving him looking old and tired. "Alright, let's get this dirty business out of the way. I'm turning you over to our questioner. I would advise you to tell him everything you know up front. Less painful that way, you'll get an easy death."
"Death?" Kenshin's voice was little more than a squeak. "But I haven't done anything!" Sakai looked at him sympathetically.
"That's what they all say. I'm sorry boy, but this is what happens when you choose the wrong side." He didn't seem sorry at all, and now the guard had returned and was stepping into the room again. "Houjou, take this traitor to the Fujimi keep and tell Kobori-san to question him as soon as possible."
"Yes, sir," The guard looked as if he couldn't imagine why someone such as Kenshin needed to be kept here, but he obeyed orders, positioning Kenshin in front of him as Kaga had done.
"And Houjou?" Sakai added. "See that he gets something to eat first. We wouldn't want to have a possible source of information pass out before we can ask him anything."
Kenshin stumbled several times as they walked, feeling as if he were in a dream. Since when had he become a traitor? He wasn't, was he? And this questioner−what was he going to ask? Kenshin didn't know how he would be able to answer. And Sakai-sama had said he was going to be killed! The thought almost made sick, so he forced himself to stop thinking about it.
Although Kenshin had told Yoshinobu that his shishou would refuse to show interest in his erstwhile deshi's doings, he hoped mightily that he was wrong. Surely his shishou cared at least enough to find out where Kenshin had run off to? Even if some of Yoshinobu and Jisaemon's men were still in Kyoto and told Hiko that Kenshin had joined them, his shishou would know something wasn't right. He had a sixth sense like that. Kenshin clung to the hope like a child to a blanket. It was all he had, and it was keeping him from hysteria for the time being.
Houjou stopped in front of a relatively tall building and unlocked a grated door that swung open to reveal a stairway. He nudged Kenshin forward, and they started up the steps. The climb wasn't that far and shouldn't have been tedious, but Kenshin's legs were quivering by the time they reached the top. It was hard to climb stairs without the help of one's arms for balance.
Several doors lined the hallway at the top of the stairs, and Houjou led Kenshin to one, opening the door and pushing him inside. Houjou lifted his sword and Kenshin flinched, but the man only sliced the ropes from Kenshin's arms. Kenshin rubbed them gratefully. "I will see to it that food and water are brought before Kobori-san comes." Houjou said, and after giving the room a cursory glance he closed the door with a bang.
Kenshin stared at the door for several seconds, then looked around the small cell he was in. There was a pallet on the floor in one corner, but aside from that and several iron rings sticking out from the wall there was nothing.
A barred window let in a generous amount of light, and Kenshin walked to it, standing on tiptoe to see out. The sun was high in the sky, and in the distance he saw a large mountain, capped with snow. Mt. Fuji, Kenshin surmised as he remembered what Sakai had called this building.
The sight just made Kenshin think of Hiko's house in the mountains near Kyoto, and he turned abruptly from the window, going to sit on the pallet with his head in his hands. If he ever got out of this, he would beg shishou for forgiveness. He would bow to the floor if he had to.
Kenshin scrubbed at his face which was inexplicably damp and drew a quavering breath. He had to stay strong. What would his shishou say if he got here and Kenshin was sobbing like a baby? Kenshin drew another breath, steadier this time. Shishou . . . please come.
I'm hoping turning Kenshin into Edo castle came as a surprise. If it didn't . . . well, I tried. Also, while we're on the subject of Edo castle, I tried to be accurate with it (for the most part at least). I used a picture to describe the castle scenes, and Fujimi really is a keep. While Sakai is a daimyou family name, my Sakai-sama is fictional. Next chapter: More Hiko! Questions, comments? By all means, send them in!
literaryrxn: Hiko just wouldn't be himself without the arrogance, would he?
Ayesha: Oh, don't worry about usefulness, I've left my share of generic reviews. FF13, my husband's been playing that lately! It looks pretty cool but I haven't given it a go yet.
ZukoFlame: *pat pat* don't feel terrible! I think you've reviewed almost every chapter anyway. Haha, I'm all about Kenshin and his psychological/physical pain. Makes the story so much more fun.