Chapter Twenty

Into the Mountains

Kenshin's POV

He circled her like a predator closing in on his prey. His muscles rolled across his shoulders and rippled down his back as he crept from one gnarled tree to another. His footsteps were masterfully silent and his body perfectly concealed in the shadows of the heavy foliage. He was the perfect hunter. Quick, soundless, and invisible. Molten golden eyes focused on the deliciously oblivious girl navigating the forest on high alert. Surely, she could feel the intensity of his gaze upon her. Kenshin allowed a wolfish grin to slid passed his lips as she paused just a few feet away from him. Kaoru tilted her head to the side to increase her hearing. He swallowed thickly as she stood perfectly poised before him. She was the embodiment of grace when that bamboo sword was in those delicate hands. Kenshin receded a little farther back into the shadows as her magnificent sapphire eyes pierced the darkness. Could it be that she had sensed his presence so fast? Her feet shifted just slightly as she turned to peer deeper into his hiding spot. A look of pure concentration captured her beautiful face as she took a single, hesitant step in his direction. Her nose wrinkled cutely in uncertainty. Kaoru held her bamboo sword steadily and confidently in front of her, ready to put up a good fight if the situation so called for it. He waited patiently for her next move, curious to see just how much of their training she had retained.

The impending snow storm that had been hurled down from the mountains had only lasted the duration of two weeks. For fourteen days Kenshin and Kaoru had been trapped inside that little hut together. As expected the wintery weather had caused rather treacherous conditions for travel. Naturally he had taken that time coped up inside to prepare her for the training that she would undergo once the storm had ended. He had focused on the details then, like the proper way to hold a sword and some basic swinging practices. Finally, at the turn of the third week the snow had melted away, and a rather warm spring was ushered into the valley. For the following two weeks Kenshin had worked hard to teach Kaoru everything she would need to know to fight off a typical samurai. Kaoru had turned out to be an impeccable student. She caught on very quickly and wasn't afraid to throw in the extra work to perfect her technique. Kenshin had accounted for her training to take much longer, and perhaps it would have if she hadn't had prior knowledge of simple sword fighting. He was surprised to learn that she had once lead a family dojo. Her sword style was very basic and Kaoru herself was a bit rusty. However, with a little practice and some professional advice she was able to pick up where she had left off at her family dojo, and become twice as good as she had been. He taught her quite a few new moves with both her offense and defense.

As Kaoru crept closer to him, Kenshin placed a hand over his own bamboo stick tucked into his obi belt. Just as she was about to reach him, Kenshin slipped around the trunk of the tree and launched a behind attack. He withdrew his sword and with calculated precision swung it at Kaoru. With lightning speed Kaoru turned on her heel, drawing her sword, and reinforcing it with the palm of her hand as she absorbed the impact of his blow. A deafening clack bounced off the trees, and echoed throughout the forest sending a flock of birds fleeing for their lives. Kenshin smiled proudly as he propelled himself off of her sword. He landed a few feet away from her. Kaoru did not allow her momentary victory to distract her. Instead she repositioned her sword and eyed him carefully—anticipating his next move. It was just how he had taught her to handle such a situation. Without warning Kenshin dove to the right and took another shot at her. Once again, she matched his movement and circled his sword with her own before pushing him away. Not giving him the chance to recover Kaoru swung for his shoulder. Her sword was quick and precise. Had he been an average warrior she would have left behind a nasty wound.

Kenshin brought his sword up to his shoulder blocking her shot. She rebounded off of him with a twirl and aimed for the other shoulder. Kenshin dogged her sword and made a jab at her stomach. Kaoru seemed to have read his moves and knocked his blade away before she retreated a few feet away. Falling into a defensive stance Kaoru had him entranced by her fierce beauty. She had had one foot strategically placed in front of the other, her thin arms delicately supporting the weight of her sword. Her body was disciplined as she maintained her composure. Gently her slim shoulders rose and fell with the rhythm of her chest, but even as she was catching her breath she never once took her gaze off of him. Her smoldering dark blue eyes were upon him, calculating and analyzing his body for any hints of his next move. In this moment she wasn't a doctor, but a deadly warrior. Her small hands tightened around the bamboo stick and the only hint of her attack was her running start. Without hesitation Kaoru leaped forward and struck the back of his leg, knocking the great Battousai off balance. She used the distraction off falling to make her final strike. Kaoru knocked the bamboo sword from his hands, and the two of them landed on the half-frozen ground with Kaoru straddling Kenshin's waist. Her sword rested against his throat as she pinned him to the ground. She had won. Before initiating the deadly winning blow Kaoru's petal pink lips twisted into a sugar sweet smile, and the warm sound of her laughter filled his ears. Kaoru set the pretend sword aside and looked down at Kenshin with a breath-taking sparkle in her eyes "I won." She stated in a sing-song voice.

Kenshin's heart swelled with pride with the thought that this extraordinary woman was his Kaoru. She was incredible "Yes, you certainly did win. You were amazing." He replied raising his hand to her face to brush a few stray hairs behind her ear.

A soft pink blush dusted across her cheeks "Thank you." Kaoru murmured as she placed her hands against his chest, and leaned forward to press a quick, timid kiss against his lips. She pulled back "I had a great teacher."

Kaoru's POV

With her training completed Kaoru and Kenshin spent the next four days resting and gathering supplies for their trip through the mountain pass. They would have to pack lightly as their trip through the pass would only be a two-day travel, and packing too heavily would not only slow them down, but attract bandits as well. Finally, the morning came when they would make their decent out of the valley. With make-shift backpacks tied carefully onto their backs, they passed through the threshold of the tiny, abandoned hut for the last time.

Stepping out into the cool morning air Kaoru inhaled the fresh scent of the rainwater and musky forest. A rain shower had passed over late the night before, leaving behind a clear blue sky. Kaoru took a quick sweep of the property. For such a long time, she had thought of the simple hut as their home. It felt strange to just leave it behind, never to return or even look back. Kenshin filed out of the door behind her, and sealed the hut shut. Having noticed her faint reluctance to leave, Kenshin placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Kaoru peeked up at him curiously "Are you ready to go?" He asked. Kaoru responded with a single, certain nod. The thought of leaving that place left her heart and stomach feeling a little homesick. Yet, at the same time she peered into the mountain side with a desire to find a new home. With any luck, they would locate Katsura's hidden base within the next couple of days "Then let's be going." A half-hearted smile made its way on to her face as they ventured into the forest. She would love to see her friends again… Sano and Ayame. Surely, they would be glad to be reunited once again. Kaoru wondered how they were doing. She considered the fact that Ayame was probably taking care of any medical unit they had managed to throw together. She had been very adamant about learning the duties of a doctor, and had become an excellent nurse. Her smile faltered, her life in Kyoto felt as though it had happened a lifetime ago.

Many things had taken place in that tea house. Some things were bad, others were good. It was in the tea house that she had been attacked twice, once by Shishio and a second time by Saito. However, she didn't allow those specific events to sour the memories of her time spent within the walls of Katsura's base, because it was there that she met good friends like Ayame and Sano… It was there that she had met Kenshin. It was there that their love had first taken bloom. Looking back Kaoru could pin point the exact moment that their lives became destined to intertwin. It was there beside the koi pond, when Kaoru had nearly fell in. He had caught her in his arms and their eyes met. Something was set into motion at that precise moment. Neither one of them had expected it, but after love had set off that spark in their hearts there was no putting out the fire. Kaoru smiled as she fondly remembered their first kiss all those months ago. That kiss was perhaps when she had really realized that love was growing between them. She recalled how sure Kenshin had been. He must have known from the beginning that they were experiencing something so pure, and so undeniable that neither one of them had a chance at fighting it. Of course, she had never had any true intentions to fight against their obvious attraction. It would have been useless anyhow, because she had fallen hard and fast. Loving him had always felt just as natural as breathing.

Kaoru glanced to Kenshin who was walking alongside of her, and was quickly drawn from her trip into the past. Kenshin was wearing a deadly serious look "Kenshin?" Kaoru asked confused by his sudden attentiveness. Following his eyes Kaoru scanned the path ahead of them. There didn't appear to be anything there "Ken—"

He swiftly interrupted her "I think it might be best to find a place to settle in for the night." He suggested his tone carrying the same warmth that she had become accustomed to, yet his eyes lacking their usual gleam.

"That sounds fine." Kaoru agreed quietly. It was true that they had been walking all day, and they had covered a lot of ground, but the sun had just barely touched the tree tops. They could have at least gotten a few more hours of travel before having to settle in for the night. Something wasn't right, and Kaoru wasn't a bit fooled by his façade. Kenshin had noticed something that she hadn't, and he didn't seem like he was going to let his guard down for a second. With that in mind she eyed the road ahead of them warily.

Kenshin lead them to small clearing just a short walk away from the trail, and the two of them began sitting up a make-shift camp. Kaoru took to searching for some viable firewood while sticking close to the camp site. Meanwhile Kenshin was digging out a shallow pit and lining it with some stones. Once she had collect enough twigs and sticks to fill up her arms, she headed over to Kenshin to drop off the load of firewood "Thank you." Kenshin murmured as she sat the pile carefully beside him. Kaoru replied with a half-hearted smile.

For a while Kaoru watched Kenshin as he aligned the sticks and twigs in the firepit. His back was turned to her, and as she privately examined the way his muscles rolled down his back with his attentive movements a memory surfaced within her mind. A memory of terrible, jagged scars marring nearly every inch of his back. She had meant to ask him that night he had let her doctor the wound Saito had inflicted on him. However, she had been a bit distracted by a rather intoxicating kiss. Now, in the peaceful silence they were currently sharing, Kaoru had a perfect chance to ask him about those scars "Kenshin." Kaoru began timidly. She had never pried into his life, mostly because it always seemed to make him uncomfortable.

"Hmm." He replied as he picked up two stones and started hitting them together. Hoping to make a spark.

Kaoru hesitated for just a moment before making up her mind. Licking her lips and clearing her throat she found the courage to ask "You have a bunch of strange scars all over your back, I was just wondering how you got them." She asked just as he managed to get the fire going. noticed curiously how his shoulders stiffened, and immediately regretted her question "You don't have to tell me." Kaoru interjected feeling awful about prying.

Turning away from the now raging fire, Kenshin looked at her with something akin to shame on his face "It's okay, I'll tell you about those scars." Kenshin said with a faint sigh as he stood to his feet. In a few short steps, he had moved to where she sat a few feet away from the firepit. Kenshin settled into the dead grass beside her and adverted his gaze to the crackling fire "I knew you had seen them that night…" He began with uncertainty lingering in his voice "It was only a matter of time before you had asked about them." Kenshin placed his palms flat against the ground behind him and leaned into them "They were given to me by a slave driver." Kaoru's heart froze solid in her chest. Slave driver? Surely that didn't mean what she feared it did. Kenshin didn't dare to look at her.

"Kenshin…" She couldn't form the question. She simply couldn't ask if he had been enslaved.

His eyes flickered to her with a melancholy amethyst gleam "I won't make you ask." He murmured having read the clear message of conflict upon her face "I was very young when I was forced into the slave trade. I only served a few years before being freed, but I was a very soft-hearted child. I cried often and no one wants to buy a crying child, which made the slave merchant angry." Kenshin inhaled deeply as he seemed to be reliving some of those beatings. Before she could stop herself, Kaoru stretched her hand toward him, and placed it over one of his. Without a word Kenshin grasped her hand and held it tightly within his fingers. She wanted nothing more than to wrap him up in her embrace, but feared that the moment she drew him into her arms he would fall apart at the seams. He simply appeared very fragile at the moment. Kenshin turned his head and frowned deeply "Kaoru." Her name fell from his lips as the softest whisper she had ever heard. Kenshin raised his free hand to her face and swiped his thumb underneath her eye. Leaning back Kaoru looked at the tear rolling down his calloused thumb "There's no need to cry for me. That is just a part of my life that lead to much greater things. Like you."

Without a single word Kenshin pulled her into his arms. Kaoru buried her head into his chest and breathed in deeply "I'm so sorry Kenshin." She cried just barely able to contain the rest of her tears.

Kenshin guided her into his lap and cradled her against his body "Kaoru I truly don't deserve you." His hand massaged tiny circles into her back as he continued "You have such a beautiful heart full of such love and compassion. I love you…" He whispered the last part just as he placed a kiss into her hair.

Kenshin's POV

Eventually Kaoru fell asleep there in his arms. Her head was nestled into the crook of his shoulder, and her body curled tightly against his. Her breathing was steady and even. One of his arms was wrapped loosely around her thin waist while his free hand stroked her silken midnight hair. She was so adorable. Many nights he had watched over her as she slept soundly. Kaoru gave off the sweetest sense of tranquility when she was asleep, and he found it rather addictive. Giving into his secret addiction Kenshin gently stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, thoroughly enjoying the breathy, little sigh it invoked.

"So, you have returned, and with a cute girl no less." Kenshin had sensed his presence long before he had announced it.

"There's no point in hiding master, why don't you come out from behind that tree."

The man scoffed "Tch, it's good to see you haven't become rusty." Hiko said stepping out into the light of the fire.

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please leave any comments in the box below. Happy Reading!