The Hunter

Chapter Eleven

Once Kohaku regained his strength, they left the village that had so generously taken them in and continued on their journey to Edo. Departing was bittersweet; they'd known from the beginning that it wouldn't last, but in no time at all that place had felt like home.

They were quiet as they trekked side-by-side down the narrow road leading away from the village. Rin glanced at Kohaku out of the corner of her eye and pursed her lips. His kiss had taken her by surprise and for days afterward she found herself watching him expectantly, waiting for the moment when he would try again. Only, he hadn't. In fact, he'd hardly touched her since that day.

It took several nights of lying awake before she realized that perhaps his kiss had been nothing more than a gesture of gratitude. Maybe his feelings hadn't changed. What signs had he given her really?

A frown pulled at her lips and Rin studied the clouds of dust billowing about her ankles as she walked. It was foolish to confuse Kohaku's kindness and good humour for affection, she knew that, but the realization that she meant nothing more to him than she ever had left her feeling oddly disappointed.

Sighing softly, Rin looked up and realized that Kohaku was no longer ahead of her. She stopped short and looked ahead to the bridge that traversed the river and the path beyond, but he was on neither. Wondering if perhaps he'd gone down to the river to replenish their water supply, she stepped off the path and picked her way across the slippery rocks of the riverbank.

A short ways down she found him standing next to a small pool. He was in the process of removing his boots and other armour. Rin glanced dubiously at the frigid water and then back at Kohaku. Surely he didn't plan to- She watched, mouth agape, as he stalked naked and fearless into the waiting waters. He made a face and a strangled, gasping cry before slipping beneath the surface. She winced in sympathy but couldn't blame him for wanting a bath – there hadn't been any opportunity to bathe since the onsen at Touji-ba and it could be days before they found another suitable place.

"Cold?" she asked when Kohaku's head reappeared.

"Not in the slightest," he shot back with a grin. He shook off the last of his shivers and scrubbed his hands through his wet hair. When he was finished, the dark strands stuck out at funny angles making him look like a very cold, very wet hedgehog. Rin put a hand over her mouth to stifle a snicker.

"You coming?" he asked, tilting his head at the water.

Eager to be clean as well, Rin set down her bags and retrieved a bar of soap from her satchel. The soap was a parting gift, graciously given to her by one of the village women. It was simple, made out of nothing more than hemp and dried flowers, but to a girl who was used to having nothing to call her own it meant the world.

Hoping the excitement of using her new gift would distract her from the sting of the icy waters, she quickly undressed and joined Kohaku in the river. The water was even colder than she'd expected; it sucked the breath out of her lungs like a sharp blow to the stomach. It took a moment to recover, but once the initial shock wore off she began to lather the soap over her arms. Hazarding a glance at Kohaku, she saw him scratching at the edge of his bandages.

"Does it hurt?" she asked as she made her way over to him.

He glanced up and looked surprised to find her next to him. "It's fine," he said, even as his fingers probed the bandages some more. "No need to worry."

She gave him a look of censure and pulled his arm closer, "Here, let me take a look."

She felt his eyes lingering on her as she slowly un-wrapped the bandages to reveal the wound underneath. It was healing well despite a bit of redness and swelling. He tested the muscles, gingerly flexing his wrist up and down. The bite would leave a nasty scar to be sure, but it didn't seem to affect his mobility.

"What do you think?"

Kohaku leaned imperceptibly closer and she felt the change immediately. Her breath quickened and her cheeks turned pink.

"It-it looks good. I should get some fresh bandages," she muttered.

The cold air outside the pool came as a welcome relief. She retrieved the pouch of herbs the old woman had given her, along with some fresh bandages from their bags and then slipped once more into the cool waters. Kohaku was the perfect patient as she laid out the herbs in layers over top of the wound, just as the old woman had shown her.

"You learned a lot from that healer," he commented, watching her closely.

Rin felt her cheeks flush in response. "She was kind enough to teach me."

Picking up the roll of fresh linen, she wrapped the bandage securely around his arm. When the final knot was tied into place she lifted her eyes to his and noticed for the first time the flecks of gold hidden in their warm brown depths.

"Rin…" He spoke her name softly as his hand slipped over hers, "Why did you stay?"

"I don't know. Guilt I guess," she lied, pulling away.

He caught her by the chin and turned her head to face him. He leaned in until his lips were dangerously close, his expression questioning. Terrified of what it would mean if he kissed her again, she turned her head and felt the warmth of his breath against her cheek. Shivers that had nothing to do with the cold water rippled over her flesh.

"Shall I wash your back?" she offered when the silence became too much. Kohaku agreed with a nod and moved to the centre of the pool so she could settle behind him. She began at his shoulders since she'd long wondered how the taut muscles would feel beneath her fingertips. Taking her time, she massaged the rich, hemp scented suds into his bronzed skin and gently kneaded out any knots. A soft sigh escaped his lips and he bowed his head, relaxing ever so slightly.

Not content to stop there, Rin slipped the tie from his hair and dragged her fingers across his scalp. She worked up a thick lather, making sure not to miss any spots. It was only once she moved around to his front that she realized his eyes were closed. The man who was always on guard had let his defences down for her.

Suppressing a smile, she explored the defined planes of his chest with her soap covered hands. Her fingertips slipped over one raised, silver scar and then another. She first noticed them when they'd bathed in the onsen together, but this was the first chance she'd had to study them up close. There were at least a dozen, some jagged and deep, others faint. Most were about the width of a katana blade. She wondered how many of his wounds were from fighting demons and how many were from fighting the more human-type of monsters.

Her finger gently traced one of the larger scars that cut across the centre of his chest, just above his heart. The question of how he'd received such a mark sat on the tip of her tongue, but the light touch of Kohaku's hand over hers swept her words away.

"May I?" he asked, relieving her of the soap.

She turned round and he took his time, moving the bar slowly between her shoulders blades and then down her back. His touch was firm but not hard, applying just the right amount of pressure to ease her travel weary muscles. He didn't dare be so bold as to wash the front of her body, as she had, but he dedicated no small amount of time to running his fingers through her long, dark hair. By the time they reached her scalp she felt like a puddle of melted candle wax, fluid, pliant and completely impressionable.

"All done," he announced a short while later with a hint of reluctance.

Their gazes met and locked, stealing the very breath from her lungs. He wore a tentative smile as his fingers tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The look in his eyes told her what he wanted and her body responded with a racing heart and a tell-tale flush that crept up her neck. They were like two flames, she and him - bright and dangerous and dancing in burning circles around one another. He could consume her so easily if he wished it. In that moment, it would have taken hardly anything at all for her to give herself over to him.

But it was Kohaku who pulled away first. He dipped his body beneath the water's icy surface and the connection was broken. Rin pulled in a deep breath and struggled to regain her composure. The brothel had taught her a hundred ways to bend a man's will to suit her needs, but she'd never learned how to protect herself from the same. Did he have any idea the power he held over her?

Kohaku got out of the pool and grabbed his shirt off a nearby tree. He kept his back to her as he slipped it over his shoulders and then pulled on his pants.

"We should go," he said soberly as he slipped their bags over his shoulders. "We'll need to find a place to stay before nightfall."

Caught off guard by his abrupt change in attitude, Rin could do little more than nod.

"I'll give you some privacy."

The words sounded forced to his ears, tainted by an edge he didn't intend but couldn't help. He focused on the hollow sound of his footsteps as they crossed the wooden bridge and then the crunch of the dirt beneath his shoes once he hit the path. He walked twenty paces and then twenty more before finally stopping to wait.

His shoulder found purchase on a nearby tree and he was content to lean against it for support. He just needed… No, what he needed and what he wanted were two different things entirely. He needed to remain focused on the mission and on his village, but what he wanted was her – all of her, every part of her, until the day he died. He'd never felt anything like it and it was slowly driving him mad.

Sighing heavily, he ran a hand through his damp hair and checked back over his shoulder. He could see her just barely through the trees, tying the obi at her waist. Despite the cool air his hands burned with the memory of how it'd felt to touch her; from the gentle curve of her waist to the sloped edge of her clavicle her skin had been as pale and as soft as silk. She was crossing the bridge now, her geta clacking against the wood. He shook his head to clear it, desperate to regain control.

But control had been hard to come by since he'd tasted her. In a moment of weakness, emboldened by his victory over death and awash with relief that she'd chosen to stay, he'd taken what he wanted and now was left yearning for more. Every time he imagined some new way to rationalize giving in to temptation, his guilt was there to stop him. From the day she'd been torn from her village Rin had seen nothing but the worst in men. The very nature of his mission meant that he was no better than any of the others, yet he thought he deserved her? Thought himself entitled to take advantage? It wasn't him. He was better than that.

But all the logic in the world didn't stop his heart from beating just a little harder whenever he caught sight of her elusive smile. It was shaky ground he was on now. If they were to have any hope of making it to Edo, he would have to keep his distance – not only for her sake, but for his own as well. Deep down he knew that if he gave in and crossed that line there would be no going back for either of them.

xXx

The inn was located on the outskirts of a small town. It wasn't especially large or nice, but it had rooms available for the night. Kohaku led her inside and she studied some of the woodworking the owners had laid out while he negotiated on a price with the innkeeper.

With a stern look the innkeeper demanded to know the nature of their relationship. Rin stiffened and waited anxiously for Kohaku's answer. They hadn't devised a plan on their journey from the river. In fact, the walk had been done entirely in silence with him moving several paces ahead of her at all times. Her mind had gone over their last moments together in the pool a dozen times, but she was no closer to understanding his perplexing change in mood.

"She is my wife," Kohaku said simply. "We married not two months ago."

Rin started and the small wooden figure she'd been admiring clattered to the floor. His wife?

She hurriedly retrieved the figurine and set it back on the shelf. The innkeeper narrowed his eyes at her and she bowed in apology. Whether he believed their story or not didn't seem to matter. In the end, he tucked Kohaku's money into his shirt and led them to a room.

The space was small and neat with few embellishments. Fresh tatami had recently been laid out on the floor and Rin breathed in the greenness of its scent with a hint of delight. Her family had put fresh tatami in their home - just once - when she was a child. She could still remember the way the smell lingered, always there to greet you when you came in after a long day. Suffering from a sudden surge of homesickness, she quietly set her bags down on the floor.

Kohaku briefly thanked the innkeeper for his hospitality and then strolled over to the room's single window. He gazed out of it a moment before turning to ask, "Is the room to your liking?"

Rin nodded in agreement and joined him at the window. Beyond it was a picturesque tsubo-niwa garden about the size of three tatami. Some autumn leaves clung stubbornly to the garden's single maple tree, but the verdant mossy landscape and glass-like pond were decorated in a fine layer of crimson and gold.

"Did they have gardens like these where you're from?" Kohaku asked.

She shook her head. "No, we were just a small farming village. We didn't have the luxury of creating such beautiful spaces. Mother always wanted one, of course, but father insisted her efforts were better spent growing herbs and vegetables. He was right, but I could tell how badly my mother wanted to see flowers blooming instead."

"What about your brothers?"

She hardly needed prodding anymore. Now that the door to the past had been opened she had no way to close it again. Remembering how her brothers used to wrestle each other in the back garden after a long day in the fields almost made them seem alive again.

"My brothers were not like you. The only weapons they knew how to wield were the implements they used in the fields. Perhaps if they had known more our village might have been spared that day, but before the raid we'd only ever known peace."

Kohaku's expression darkened and a worried crease formed between his brows. "Did they have families of their own?" he asked gravely.

"My oldest brother, Takuya, lived a few houses away with his wife and young babe. My other brothers, Ryo and Takanori, were of a marrying age but had not yet chosen wives. They used to tease me and say that they couldn't marry until their plain younger sister found a family of her own to belong to, but they still insisted on chasing away any boys who came to our door."

A brief smile drifted across her lips at the memory. Some days it felt like everything would return to what it'd once been if she simply found her way home. Hope of someday returning had kept her alive during those long, dark months in Kyoto. But the truth seemed inescapable now - even if she made it back, nothing would ever be the same again. Like the village she'd grown up in and the brothers she'd cherished, her old life was gone forever.

Defeat and grief swelled inside of her until they overwhelmed her completely. Her knees buckled but Kohaku was there to catch her before she could fall to the floor. He pulled her into his arms and a violent sob tore through her. For the first time since the attack on her village, her frustration and sorrow and regret came pouring out of her. She hadn't wanted to break in front of him, but there was no stopping the torrent now.

Her tears soaked his shirt as he held her tight and muttered reassurances in her ear. His words held no meaning, none that she could decipher, but their tone was soothing. She focused on his voice, the steady rhythm of the heart beating in his chest, and the soft strokes of his hand against the back of her head. In time, he calmed her to the point where her sobs quieted into hiccups and then faded altogether. When she had recovered, Kohaku cradled her face between his hands and wiped the last of the tears from her cheeks. His gaze settled on her lips and he hesitated for the length of a heartbeat before lowering his mouth to hers.

His kiss was soft and warm and she welcomed it. She grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled him closer, opening her mouth under his. His fingers slipped into her hair and a soft moan sounded in his throat. He was losing himself too, she realized, and her body suddenly ached with want.

Her hands pulled eagerly at his shirt and explored the hard flesh underneath. He was so very warm and solid beneath his clothes. She felt the curves of his chest and the valleys of his stomach with her fingertips, then worked loose the ties of his pants. In that same instant Kohaku's hand grabbed hers and the moment was over. He was breathing heavily, his cheeks flushed with excitement, but couldn't meet her eyes as he said, "We can't..."

The fire in her veins extinguished as quickly as if he'd thrown a bucket of cold water on her. Stung by his rejection, she jerked her hands from his and turned her back. Behind her she heard the soft rustle of linen as Kohaku tucked in his shirt and re-tied his pants. When he was finished, his hands settled gently atop her shoulders.

"It is not that I don't want-" He broke off and sighed heavily.

She shrugged his hands off her shoulders, frustrated by the effect his touch had on her ability to think rationally.

"I understand," she replied coolly, "No explanation is necessary."

"Rin-" He sounded positively exasperated.

She ignored him and busied herself with unpacking some essentials from their bags. Whether it was due to cowardice or a keen sense of self-preservation, he knew enough to give her space. He lingered by the window a long while staring out at the garden and then departed without a word. He didn't return again until the moon was high in the sky and the tears had dried on her cheeks.

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who continues to support this story by reading chapters and sending me reviews. I enjoy reading them all and I'm so happy to know how many of you are enjoying this fic. I realize it took a little longer for this week's chapter to come out. I apologize for that - it's been a busy week! To make up for it, this one is a bit longer and has a lot more drama. I hope you liked it!

Until next time,

Langus