Chapter Two: Reverb

After a full day of riding, we managed to reach Kasugayama before it was too late, though the sun had already set. I had the impression of a tall structure rising above a thick set of stone walls and could smell the fishy air from the Sea of Japan, but my first real look at Kenshin's fortified castle would have to wait until daylight. Lord Shingen personally asked a maid to set me up in a room, something she did with blushing and giggling haste. Well, he'd called her an angel for doing so.

"Thank you, Lord Shingen." I suddenly realized those were the first words I had said to him. I ought to have thanked him earlier, but after Aki abandoned me, it had been enough simply to respond to Sasuke's conversational overtures.

"We're not formal here – you may call me Shingen," he said, watching me carefully while I looked around the room. It was about the size of my room at Aki's (a.k.a. your basic dorm room), but I had so few personal items that they wouldn't fill the space anyway. The basic necessities were there: a futon, extra seat cushion and a small writing desk. Most importantly to me, it had a window.

"I'll leave you to unpack," he continued. "Don't worry about making an early morning of it. Tomorrow afternoon, I'll find some work for you to do." Either he was allowing me time to get used to my new situation, or he was in a hurry to find a willing woman. If I had to bet, it would be the latter.

"Meanwhile, time for me to find gentle companionship," he added, as he left.

Ha! Called it.

His voice rumbled outside my room, that come hither tone floating from the corridor as warm and enticing as the smell of fresh baked bread. I couldn't make out his exact words, but when I heard a feminine reply, it appeared that he'd already found his entertainment for the night. Well, that was his prerogative.

He had been kind to me, though I had shown little more than skill with a bow and had only Sasuke's word of recommendation. More likely, I was on trial. The way Shingen had studied me as I settled into the room suggested he was taking his time to evaluate me. I ought to do the same. Aki taught me that everyone puts on a front, then Iekane cauterized that lesson by proving how dangerous early assumptions could be. I certainly had a few characters in my arsenal that I could slip on and off as a situation demanded. Behind that nonchalant façade, Shingen was likely to be smarter than he let on.

It took no time at all to put away the few belongs that I had with me (trust Aki to throw me out without giving me a chance to pack) and position the futon by the window. At the same time, I mentally unpacked my impressions of my new companions. Sasuke and I had always gotten along whenever we encountered each other. He had a logical turn of mind, and I appreciate logic. Yukimura appeared to be his total opposite, but they seemed to be close friends and I trusted Sasuke as much as I trusted anyone.

Right. I don't actually trust anyone. But if I were forced to pick someone to trust, it would be Sasuke. As for Yukimura, like Shingen, I would wait and see what other facets of his personality revealed itself in the future. In the meanwhile, at least I had a place to sleep and I knew where my next meal was coming from.

Didn't I?

Come to think of it, Shingen hadn't mentioned if or when and where there was breakfast around here.

The next morning, I was no closer to determining the time and location of breakfast. I tend to wake up really early, or, more accurately, give up on the concept of trying to sleep once the sun comes up, but having received no further instructions, I was unsure whether to wait for someone to get me, or to explore on my own. Normally, my self-sufficient tendency would choose "explore on my own." But this morning, my self-preservation instinct told me to wait. You don't go wandering around an unfamiliar castle when the owner of said castle is notorious for stabbing people.

My internal debate could have gone on for a while longer, had I not heard a knock…coming from the ceiling?

"Hello?" I looked up in the direction of the knock.

A ceiling tile popped out, then Sasuke appeared, dangling upside down like Spiderman. "Good morning. I didn't see you during breakfast."

There was breakfast and I missed it?

Bigger question: why didn't he use the door?

Sasuke gracefully jumped to the floor, further sealing his resemblance to Spiderman by landing in a Marvel Superhero pose. "Then it occurred to me that you don't know your way around."

"No, I don't. Are you the official guide?" What's wrong with my door? Is something lurking outside? Is Kenshin lurking outside? I eyed it apprehensively, wondering what was lying in wait on the other side.

"I have appointed myself as such," Sasuke said, formal as ever. "I have been the new, er, recruit many times in my life."

"Thank you. I could use a tour. Or a map." Not to mention an explanation for what was wrong with the door. I might have suspected an initiation with the old bucket of water suspended over the door trick, except these doors slid from side to side – it would take a miracle of engineering to pull off that feat.

"Come this way, then," he said, gesturing to the ceiling.

Alright, apparently, I was simply going to have to ask. "Is there a problem with using the door?"

"No. The high road is more fun. Crawl space." With that, he hopped back into the ceiling nearly as soundlessly as he had exited it.

Crawl space?!

Slam came that memory of a small crate … feet pounding on the wooden sides… fingers scraping against the lid until they bled.

A nopetopus skittered across my brain. I actually might have shuddered. "Wow, Sasuke, that sounds like a fun snowy day activity." When hell freezes over. "But I really ought to learn my way around at sea level, or I will constantly be getting lost."

Sasuke appeared again above me, and eyed where I had placed my futon by the window. "Claustrophobia?"

"Logic." I refused to admit to a weakness in front of anyone, even Sasuke.

Cheerfully, he swung back down again, and proceeded to give me a brief tour of the public spaces of the castle, even managing to beg a breakfast from one of the cooks (apparently, "Shingen hired him" was the magic phrase … the cook was female, so, go figure), before finally taking me to a training dojo where a variety of guards, soldiers, and other warriors were sparring, either with wooden swords or in hand to hand combat.

Sasuke and I watched Yukimura spar with (and defeat) another vassal, then we joined him when the match was over. "Katsuhira, have found your feet here?" Yukimura asked me.

"Working on it. It's much bigger than where I was before, with a lot more faces to learn. Oh, and please feel free to call me Katsu." At the moment, I was feeling antagonistic enough toward Aki to reject the name he had given me.

"You'll get used to it here in no time," Yukimura said, before adding that I could call him "Yuki." He then gestured to the various groups of vassals clustering in training formations around the room. "Most of those are Shingen's Akazonae."

"And what Yuki is too modest to mention is that he's their captain," Sasuke said, speaking up for his friend.

Behind Yuki, Shingen was approaching with another man – ok, looks like I was about to officially meet Kenshin. I recognized him as much for that icy, fierce mien, as for those mismatched eyes.

Yuki was still speaking. "Over there, are Kenshin's personal guard." Kenshin and Shingen halted within earshot. Kenshin, still icy (en route to glacial, even), but Shingen had a look of roguish glee on his face. "They worship Kenshin," Yuki continued.

"Yuki-." Sasuke said in a warning tone.

"Almost as if-."

"Yuki!" I added my attempt at warning to Sasuke's.

"He-." Yuki finally got a look at our faces. "He's behind me, isn't he?"

"Yes." Sasuke and I said together.

"Humph," was all that Kenshin said, while Shingen thwapped Yuki on the back of his head, then introduced me as a new messenger.

Alright. Same job, different company. That's called a lateral move.

Kenshin acknowledged me with another "hmph," then went on to address the three of us. "Which one of you shall I kill this morning?"

I wasn't going to volunteer for that.

Sasuke and Yuki both took a step backward, leaving me the lone person standing in front of Kenshin. "You, then."

Thanks, guys.

While Kenshin went to retrieve a couple bamboo practice swords, all other conversation came to a halt. And then…?

"Are they betting on this?" I turned to Shingen and caught him drawing out a coin purse. "Seriously? Who would be stupid enough to bet against Kenshin?"

"They're betting on how quickly he disarms you." He slapped my back, hard enough that it would have knocked me across the room if I hadn't seen it coming and braced myself for impact. "See if you can last for a count of ten."

I held back my instinctive 'that's what she said' reply. Probably not a good idea to snark at the new boss on day one. Shingen went over to talk with the vassal holding the wagers.

Kenshin returned with the swords. "Prepare!"

Was it even possible to be prepared for even a practice bout with the God of War? I drew the sword, then … In a flash too quickly for me to even blink, it was on the ground.

Son of a bi-

There was a groan from nearly everyone in the room, and I turned to see Sasuke raking in the cash. Et tu? He caught my eye, and there was a slightly guilty air in the way he pushed his glasses up his nose.

I can do better than that. I hope. I picked up the sword, eyed Kenshin and said, "Again."

Swish.

Clank.

Dammit.

I picked up the sword. "Again," I said with gritted teeth, and set my stance from the core on down. I refused to drop my sword again.

Swish!

Thwack!

Ow!

But at least I managed to keep my grip on my sword, although I felt the reverb all the way through my arm. Somehow, probably through dumb luck and instinct, I managed to avoid the vertical cut, before –

Swish.

Clank.

"Dead."

He pressed the tip of his sword to my throat.

Resisting the impulse to shake out the numbness in my hand, I reached for the sword, intending to try again, but Kenshin stopped me. "We're finished."

"But-."

He started to walk away, then paused, turned around, and went through a kneel-to-stand kata in slow motion. "Do that."

I picked up my sword and repeated the exercise - kneeling position - rise to one-knee-up position, draw sword- horizontal cut to two-handed downward cut and stand. Once I had seen it in slow motion, I recognized it as one Aki had taught me. It had not been familiar hurtling toward me at warp speed.

"Good." The word was nearly a grunt. Not much of a conversationalist. "Repeat that. All morning." Then he stepped back and looked around the room, apparently searching for… "Yukimura! You owe me a death!"

No matter how curious I was to see how Yuki would fare, I wasn't going to stop my practice to look. One moment of humiliation was enough to make me practice with more intensity than Aki's benign bribery ever had.

Kneel. Knee up. Cut. Down cut. Stand. Kneel. Knee up. Cut. Down cut. Stand. Kneel. Knee up. Cut. Down cut. Stand. I glared down an invisible enemy.

Shingen wandered over to observe my wax on/wax off moment. "You'll get there."

I continued to practice the sequence. "Sorry you lost your bet."

"You can make it up to me by bringing me sweets this afternoon."

That time, I did stop. Surely he didn't expect me to procure a woman for his afternoon delight. Sorry new boss, but pimp is never going to be on my resume. "What!?"

"There's a teahouse that makes the most exquisite chestnut dango. After you deliver my messages you can stop and pick up an assortment."

Ah ok. Hm. As long as I was going to be in the castle town... "Is there a place where I can purchase some clothing? Most of my possessions are still," I waved my hand in the vague direction of the mountains to the south, "and it's unlikely they'll to be sent to me."

"We can do better than that for you," Shingen said. "I'll show you after you're done here." I nodded and returned to practice. He watched me for a moment. "Not so much pressure with your right hand." He took my arm and made a correction to the angle of my elbow and wrist, then readjusted my grip on the sword.

Swish…

I felt the reverb of his touch all the way up my arm, far less painful than slap from a bamboo sword…but far more alarming.