Chapter 9 -- Wolf among the lambs: Things are not what they seem to be
By Gabi
* wareyaiba literally means "fragile broken sword"
Kuri was amazed by the size of Kyoto. It was so busy! The streets were like dancing rainbows of color as beautiful women in kimono or tall men in gi and hamaka bustled by. It was noisy. A dozen different spoken fragments would have broken into their own conversation, had Kuri not been struck speechless by the city. A hundred different smells accosted her, not all of them pleasant. As they passed through a market, three or four merchants tried to draw her attention to their wares, but she could only shake her head silently and press closer to Soujiro, suddenly shy.
Soujiro led them through streets deftly. There was a practiced ease about the way he bobbed and wove through the crowds, drawing her behind him as if she were a duckling and he was the watchful hen. He wasn't worried about loosing her, as she had a fierce grip on the edge of his sleeve. He was amused by the way she reacted to the city. There was awe in her eyes and she had not recovered sufficiently to speak. Not that they could really have a conversation as he navigated through the everyday bustle of the city. It was probably good that she was currently content to cling and contemplate in amazement. It gave him time to think.
They had left the horse trader's caravan no more than an hour ago on the outskirts of the city and now a plump money pouch bounced inside Soujiro's gi. The full pouch meant one less worry for him, as he seriously doubted their ability to eke out a comfortable existence in Kyoto without proper funding. Since they were properly funded, Soujiro knew that they would at least have a roof over their heads and food to eat when they got hungry. Kuri had been ecstatic when she had seen how much money the horse trader had paid her "brother."
Now as that they were actually in Kyoto, Soujiro was faced with a few problems that were not monetary in nature. First of all, he needed to investigate the circumstances around the two men that had been sent after him. There were several sources in the city that he could approach, men that were loyal enough to Shishio's memory that they would give the boy the information he needed. Shishio's spying network ran wide and deep. Soujiro was sure he would turn up something through his inquiry, and this is where he met his first obstacle: she was clinging gamely to his sleeve.
Soujiro did not want to drag Kuri around the seedier districts in the city looking for information. He also did not want her to know that he was maintaining contact with his former life as a hitokiri, even if it was only once, and there was good reason for it. He suspected that if he made the connection in front of her, it would upset her greatly, and he worried that she would run off again . . .
. . . and leave him alone, he finished in his mind. He was terribly afraid that she would leave him, although the dominant part of his mind ostensibly reasoned that he was only worried about her well being. After all, she had no idea how to take care of herself, really, and no one else to take care of her. Kyoto would swallow up her innocence and spit her our soiled within a few days, if she didn't have someone to watch over her. Yes. That was it. His reasons for wanting her with him were completely logical and unselfish.
Besides, he was sure that whatever he found out from the contacts it would not be pleasant, and he didn't want Kuri to worry. It was another case where information would be shared between them only on a need to know basis. It was safer for her that way, both mentally and physically. He already knew that whoever was after him didn't mind going after her to draw him out. Briefly, he considered dropping her off somewhere where she would be safe for the duration of their stay in Kyoto, but he suspected that if he tried such a trick she'd leave whatever haven he'd found and plunge into the dangerous city to find him, and make sure he had dinner. It was safer from him to keep her close where he could keep an eye on her, despite the danger his presence now drew.
The safest thing, he decided, would be to drop her off in a well populated area of town for a few hours, close to a restaurant full of ninja sure to help a girl in trouble. He could not very well drop her off at the Aoiya itself, because he suspected that with Himura back in Tokyo, his reception would be less than pleasant, no matter what his explanation. He suspected his relationship with Kuri would probably jeopardize her chances of receiving assistance from the Oniwa Banshuu. As nice as they seemed, he finished to himself, they were still ninja and would likely hold grudges, especially their moody and solemn former Okashira.
Yes. It would be best to leave her near the Aoiya while he gathered information, not in it. If she needed help, some genki ninja girl would likely show up to provide it. The Oniwa Banshuu had a way of knowing everything that was going on in Kyoto. They wouldn't allow a girl to be accosted on their doorstop. Besides, if this issue with his attackers escalated, he wanted to save the Aoiya as a hidden card, a safe house where he could theoretically drop Kuri off if he worried that he might not return. From Soujiro's limited experience with the present Okashira, he doubted that she would throw an orphan in distress out on her ear.
Still, that was a last resort. He seriously doubted the situation would escalate into something that dangerous. At present, he was simply going to let Kuri explore a little of Kyoto on her own (a little bit of Kyoto that was located conveniently near that Aoiya) while he attended to some business. However, it was always prudent to have a contingency plan.
All the time he had been contemplating his options, he had been leading them closer and closer to the Aoiya. Now they were quite close, so Soujiro steered them off the beaten path and into an alley that was a shortcut to a street that intersected the one the Aoiya was on. The alley was deserted, which was somewhat odd for a bustling city like Kyoto, but this was not what bristled Soujiro. A sixth sense tingled the back of his neck, and he came to a stop rather suddenly, causing Kuri to stumble into his back. She was quick to squeal out an indignant question, but he hushed her with a twitch of his hand.
"Step back Kuri," he warned, his voice soft as goose down.
She was used to the nuances of his voice by now. This was a tone of command. She stepped backward silently, worry building inside her all the while. She picked at the hem of own sleeves as Soujiro took several slow steps forward, on guard. He knew that there was someone else in the alley. He was not prepared for who stepped out of the shadows.
The man was tall and bony, and although he was obviously quite muscular, he was not bulky. He was sinewy, taunt and tense like a steel cable, always on guard, always ready to take action. He had slitted black eyes and his dark hair was smooth, slicked back against his head, although a few loose tendrils tried to obscure his face. The dark blue uniform he wore was familiar to Kuri, although he lacked the hat. Briefly she wondered if this man was going to challenge Soujiro's katana and try to haul them off to jail, but somehow, she knew that he wasn't an ordinary policeman. There was a causal animal grace about the way that he stood, and the long katana at his side seemed out of place on an officer. She didn't know much about swords, but she was fairly certain that his sword was different than the swords of the policemen she'd seen over the sukiyaki fiasco.
There was also something in the way he stood in front of the two of them, striking a pose that was both casual and dangerous, a pose that said, "I am not worried about you because you could not hurt me if you tried." He lit a cigarette and took a long drag before speaking.
"Konnichiwa, Tenken," he said, his face quirking into a sneer that made him seem much creepier and more threatening to Kuri, "Although I suppose you're not really the Tenken any more, are you? No heaven's sword anymore, more like a broken sword, eh, Wareyaiba?"
"Hai, Fujita-san," Soujiro didn't seemed perturbed at all, his smile was bland and complacent, "How are you? How is Tokio-san?"
The other man apparently didn't care to discuss his personal life, but he apparently did detect the slight motion Soujiro made with his sword hand, "Don't worry Wareyaiba," he sneered, "I didn't come for a fight. If I had wanted to hunt you down, I would have done so before you got away from Kyoto the first time. I do not procrastinate."
Soujiro seemed to consider the point, and then concede, because his back muscles visibly relaxed and he shifted into a more comfortable stance, although Kuri suspected he was still on guard. She didn't think the man in front of them was a man you lowered your guard to ever, no matter what he might say.
The tall man continued, "I'm here on official business, Wareyaiba. Recently, it came to the attention of the government that a large shipment of weaponry that went missing and was attributed to Shishio is still missing, even though we've been through all his known storehouses with a fine-tooth comb. Of course, you realize that this missing weapons shipment is making several members of the cabinet nervous, as it contained many advanced weapons, like gattling guns. I know that you know where the shipment is, Wareyaiba, and you will tell me."
Soujiro inclined his chin slightly and his eyes became slightly hooded, "Or else?"
The man smirked and took another drag on his cigarette before speaking, "Or else I drag you off to jail for the death of an innkeeper and the theft of an indentured servant and haul the servant back to the innkeeper's next of kin," he chuckled and it was a dark sound, "I know you've had fun playing house with your little bunny girl, but you know that I could shatter it in a second. Since the battousai broke you, you're no match for me. I could collar you in a second," he took another drag, "and you know it."
Kuri was fed up with the creepy man, his creepy cryptic words, and his creepy cigarette, and she was not afraid to let him know it. She stepped boldly in front of Soujiro before he knew what she was doing and shouted at the lanky, dangerous policeman.
"You can't threaten Soujiro-kun like that even if you are a policeman! This is the Meiji Era! Just who do you think you are?!"
The man smirked at her display of bravado, and then spoke "Fujita Goro, one time third captain of the Shinsen Gumi, Saitou Hajime," he waited for her astonished response.
Her mouth gaped and she looked quite impressed for about twenty seconds, then she put her hand behind her head and laughed nervously, "I still have no idea who you are," she finally admitted.
Saitou's smirk vanished and his face was deadpan for several seconds. Soujiro looked as if he might topple over, but somehow he managed to maintain his balance. Kuri continued to laugh nervously with her hand behind her head, unaware of what had disturbed them both.
Finally Saitou looked smug again and spoke directly to Soujiro, over Kuri's head, "I guess you did dig her out of some farm dung heap. She really is a brainless country rabbit. What the hell were you thinking when you asked her to come with you?"
Kuri shot Saitou a glance laced with arsenic and her hands balled into fists.
Soujiro sweatdropped, "Actually, Saitou-san, she just started following me."
Saitou turned his attention to the girl again and leered at her, "Well maybe you're not the bunny girl. Maybe you're the dog girl instead since you follow so obediently."
From the expression on her face, Soujrio half expected to see little storm clouds forming above Kuri's head. He did catch her leg muscles tense and was swift enough to restrain her before she attempted to pounce Saitou.
He flicked the ash from his cigarette, "Well, maybe she has some kind of ignorant charm. I don't know. You have strange tastes, Wareyaiba."
Soujiro sweatdropped even as Kuri continued to struggle against him, "Hai, Saitou-san."
Saitou let his sword arm drop again, until it was dangerously close to his katana, "Back to business. Now that you have had time to think, what is your choice, Wareyaiba?"
Kuri seemed to sense that the decision Soujiro made was an important one, so she stopped struggling and let him loose his hold on her. His hand lingered on her back, where Saitou couldn't see it, and she drew in a breath silently. He has still for several seconds and his head was bowed so that his hair obscured his eyes. Finally he spoke, and as he did, his hand pressed lightly against her back, as if he were reassuring himself of something.
"In the mountains not far from here there's a village by a small lake renown for it's fresh water fish," his voice betrayed no emotion other than the pleasant politeness it always had, "Do you know the place I'm speaking of?"
The tall man flicked the ash from his cigarette and nodded.
"Across the lake from the village is a cave. You will know the cave because entrance is dynamited shut. The missing weapons shipment is in there."
Saitou dropped his cigarette and crushed it under his heel, grinding the ash into the gravel of the alley. He looked smug.
"That's all I wanted to know. Keep in mind, if you're not telling the truth, I'll be back and maybe I won't offer so many options next time."
He turned on his heel and started off down the alley. As he left, he threw back one last warning, "Watch yourself Wareyaiba. It was no accident I was able to find you so easily. Someone left an anonymous tip with the local police that the known hitokiri and subversive element Tenken no Soujiro would be arriving in Kyoto today by way of the Tokyo road. I think someone wanted to sic Mibu's Wolf on you, Wareyaiba. You're lucky I have my own agenda," he make a sharp sound that Kuri would later classify as an audible smirk and then continued to walk away.
Kuri was not willing to let him go so easily. She stomped her foot and demanded he come back and explain himself, but he paid her no heed. Soujiro's hand curled over her shoulder and he softly, "Let it go."
She turned expecting him to look forlorn, or wistful, or nostalgic, or something, anything, other than the pleasant benign smile that always tenanted his face. She wanted the façade to slip, just for a second, just for her. She wanted to know what he was thinking and feeling. She wanted to know why his hand had lingered on her back. She wanted him to look at her for even a moment, unguarded and honest, laying all cards flat on the table, like he had the night they had been attacked by the two swordsmen. She wanted him to hold her.
But he did nothing of the sort. His hand dropped from her shoulder and she regarded the blank benign wall of his countenance a little sorrowfully, although she didn't let it show, as if confronting his wall with her own wall somehow made things even, put them on the same level. It didn't make her feel any better.
"It's all right, Kuri-san," he brushed past her lightly, before turning to look over his shoulder at her, "It wasn't anything important. Come along now, I have some things to do."
Try as she might, she could do nothing but silently follow him.
*
Soujiro left her in the middle of a bustling square. She had some qualms about being left alone in the city, but she knew that he wouldn't have left her if she wasn't safe. She also knew that since he was leaving her alone, he was certain to return soon. There was no way he would ditch her in Kyoto, if he would even leave her at all. Kuri had a strong feeling that they were tied together now, and she hoped he felt the same way, no matter what he might say or do. So she let him leave her with nary a word, only a bright smile and a nod that answered his plea for her to stay in the general area so he would be able to find her easily when it was time for them to leave.
After his back disappeared into the bustling crowd, she once again felt herself assaulted by the immensity of the city. There were a hundred things going on, all around her, and a thousand things to look at. She was at loss as to what to look at first when suddenly she spied a beautiful display of colored fabric in a plated window on the other side of the street. Like a butterfly to a flower, she was drawn to the colorful fabric, and at once set off for the window, bobbing and weaving through the crowd as she had seen Soujiro do. She was almost to the other side of the street when she heard an unhappy squeal and a small fast moving bundle collided with her legs. Kuri fell flat on her butt and the thing that had run into her legs landed with a flump in her lap. She barely had time to think before she found herself staring into the wide eyes of a small girl. Before she could speak, the girl's unhappy squeal irrupted into a full-blown sob and she rubbed her eyes with small balled up fists.
Kuri was much distressed by this turn of events and hated to see the small girl cry. However, she couldn't help the child while the sat in the middle of the street, where they were already drawing unwanted attention. Kuri scooped up the child and carried her awkwardly off the street. She sat her down on the wooden sidewalk and then knelt to gently pat her on the back.
"There, there. It's all right. No one is going to hurt you. I want to help you," she made sure her voice was as buoyant and friendly as possible.
The girl sniffled and rubbed her eyes again before peeping out from behind her hands. Kuri decided it would be best to reassure the child of her friendly intentions now.
"Konnichiwa," she smiled and bowed slightly, "Kuri desu. Hajimemashite."
The little girl nodded and let a smile creep onto her face, "Toyotomi Chiyoko desu."
Kuri patted the girl's back again, "Now Chiyoko-chan, what's wrong?"
The little girl looked very solemn, "Okaa-san and Onee-chan are lost."
"How did they get lost?" the girl's seriousness almost made Kuri giggle because she had an idea that the mother and older sister were not the ones who had gotten themselves lost.
"I saw some candies in a window so I stopped to look, and when I turned around they were gone. I ran all around looking for them, but I guess I ran the wrong way, because they're lost now," her lower lip trembled.
Kuri waved her hands as if warding something off, "Maa maa, don't cry. We'll find your mother and sister, I promise!"
Chiyoko's voice trembled, "You promise?"
"Hai hai," she extended her hand to the little girl.
The girl took it and managed another smile.
"Where did your mother and sister get lost?"
The little girl looked confused and her face squinched up as if she were thinking about something hard, "I'm not sure. Somewhere close."
"Hai," Kuri nodded. She had been afraid that the girl would not be able to provide much information. Well, there was nothing else for it. She and the girl were just going to have to hunt for the girl's mother in the near vicinity and hope that they found her, "Ano Chiyoko-chan, what does your mother look like?"
The girl thought for a moment, "She's tall and very pretty. Her hair is really long and it goes to her waist when it's down, but she's wearing it like you do today, Kuri-san."
The description was extremely vague. There was little hope that Kuri herself could pick out the girl's mother, and with the streets so busy, Chiyoko was too small to see much of anything. That meant the only solution to the problem was to get Chiyoko up to her own head level. She squatted in front of the girl, balancing herself with her fingertips, "Up you go, Chiyoko-chan. We're going to find your mother and sister."
The girl looked a little skeptical, but urged on by Kuri's words, she clamored onto her back and locked her arms around her neck. After a bit of wobbling, Kuri managed to shakily stand up. Very soon a problem presented itself, and Kuri managed only a strangled, "Too tight!" before Chiyoko loosened her hold enough for her transportation to breathe.
Once Kuri had recovered her breath, she asked, "Do you see your mother, Chiyoko-chan?"
"Iie," the girl sounded discouraged.
"Don't worry," Kuri lavished cheerfulness on the girl in an attempt to buck her spirits up, "I'm sure we'll find her soon!"
"Hai!" the girl agreed.
And so they set out on their mission to find Chiyoko's mother. Kuri wandered somewhat aimlessly under the direction of light tugs on her ponytail by the girl. After about a half an hour, Kuri was beginning to get extremely discouraged, and the weight of her passenger was beginning to tell in the way she dragged herself along. She was about to suggest they sit down and rest for a while when suddenly Chiyoko yelled right in her ear.
"Okaa-san! Okaa-san! I'm over here!" she let go of Kuri's neck to wave her arms and Kuri had to stumble about underneath her to keep the wiggling girl balanced on her back. Kuri managed to regain her balance enough to let the child dismount, and before she could even turn to see this "okaa-san" Chiyoko was already enfolded deep in the dark red sleeves of a beautiful kimono.
The woman who held Chiyoko was slender and had pale skin. Her hair was black as night and lustrous. It was confined at the nape of her neck by a lovely silk ribbon tied in an intricate knot. Kuri couldn't see her face at first, but when she turned her head Kuri could see that she had beautiful, fine features. Her expression was warm and kind, and she looked so relieved that Kuri thought she could even spot unshed tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. Her eyes were closed, but the lashes were dark and thick, like her hair. She was the most beautiful woman Kuri had ever seen.
She talked to the little girl in soft murmurs for a few moments, then she rose and turned to Kuri, bowing deeply, "Domo arigatou for returning my child. I was terribly worried when she wandered off. Yoneko and I searched all over the square for her."
It was at this point that Kuri noticed another child, slightly taller and slimmer than Chiyoko, peeping out from behind the woman. Unused to the respect and attention she was getting, Kuri blushed deeply and bowed in turn.
"It wasn't anything ma'am," she fidgeted slightly, "She was in trouble. If I were in trouble I could only hope for someone to help me." In the back of her mind a voice softly reassured, You have someone. You have someone to help you, to protect you, to . . .
The woman smiled and it was soft and genuine, "Toyotomi Noriko desu, and these are my daughters, Chiyoko and Yoneko."
Kuri bowed again, as if she couldn't show her subservience to the beautiful and benevolent woman enough, "Kuri desu."
A look of gentle amusement crossed the woman's face at Kuri's repeated bowings, "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance."
Kuri felt awkward in front of the lovely woman, but somehow, the woman's gaze made it all right, made her feel like no matter how awkward she was, it was all right, "The pleasure is all mine."
Suddenly the smallest girl tugged on her mother's sleeve to illicit her attention, "Okaa-san, can we take Kuri-san to tea? Onegai? I want to thank her for helping me find you when you were lost."
"Of course we can, Chiyoko-chan. It's the least we can do to thank her," she turned back to Kuri, "You will come with us, ne, Kuri-san?"
"Ne, ne, Kuri-san?" Chiyoko echoed
The prospect of free food coupled with spending a little more time in the presence of such a kind and beautiful woman was too much for Kuri to refuse.
"I'm honored," she wasn't sure quite what etiquette called for, so she bowed again.
The woman covered her mouth with her hand to conceal the soft smile, so that the serious girl would not be offended.
"Wai!" squealed the younger girl and she barreled into Kuri's legs again, "Kuri-san is my best friend!"
Kuri managed to maintain her balance against this assault, but the little girl didn't stop there.
"Can I have another piggy-back ride?" she asked innocently, her eyes wide.
All Kuri could do was sweatdrop.
*
The teahouse that the woman led them to looked expensive. Kuri didn't know much at all about tea ceremony, but Noriko was so gentle with corrections what Kuri didn't feel awkward and out of place. She guided her the same way she guided her errant younger daughter, and Kuri began to feel very comfortable in the small family's company. After they had seated themselves on the straw mats, Noriko proceeded to small talk, while the girls sat as still and as obedient as statues.
"I hope you don't mind my asking, Kuri-san," Norkio intoned pleasantly, "But why do you wear a gi and hakama?"
Kuri flushed slightly, "How did you know that I'm a girl? You're the second person today!"
Noriko laughed softly before answering, "It's easy to tell. You're a beautiful girl. I hope one day that my girls are as pretty as you are. Boy's clothes can't make you into what you're not. They can't hide who you are. You're naturally very beautiful."
Kuri blushed lightly and it was as if Noriko had touched a stormy part inside her and made it calm. She was pretty. Despite wearing the gi, despite tramping around all over the countryside, despite it all, she was pretty. Maybe then . . .
"I didn't mean to sound nosy," Noriko shook her head, "It's just that you should be wearing a kimono. You're too pretty to go around dressed as a boy," her smile was wistful, "And too young too. You are a beautiful flower, don't let your spring pass you by while you stay tightly budded."
Kuri spoke falteringly, "I'd like to wear a kimono, but I don't have much money. I don't know how to wear one anyway," she shook her head, "I-I-I didn't think I was pretty enough for one. I'm just a poor girl from the country."
Noriko shook her head matter-of-factly, "You are 'not just' anything. You saved one of my treasures today. You're a beautiful, kind, and practical girl and one day you will be a beautiful, kind, and practical woman. I say that it's a waste to see you not wearing a kimono," her voice was soft, yet strong as a willow branch.
Kuri's voice trembled, "Arigatou, Toyotomi-san. You don't know how much what you're saying means to me."
"Call me Noriko, Kuri-san. I can see that part of your life has been very hard, but you haven't lost your joy of life. I can see it in your eyes, and that is more beautiful than any cultured and tended beauty. Don't worry about where you came from. That makes no difference in your worth," she looked wistful again, "If I were your mother I'd be very proud of you."
"Arigatou, Noriko-san, arigatou."
"Kuri-san," her voice was serious, "You said you had very little money. Are you alone in Kyoto? Do you have a place to stay?"
"Hai," she nodded and groped for a way to explain her situation politely to Noriko. However she did it, she felt it would be scandalous to the beautiful woman, and she felt somewhat ashamed for reasons she couldn't understand. Still she tried to explain it as best she could, "I'm travelling with someone. He's on a journey. We're looking for something." It was at this point that Kuri realized that Soujiro had never told her what he was looking for, and she had never pressed him. She hoped that Noriko wouldn't ask her a curious question about that.
Noriko cocked her head sideways and curiosity shined in her eyes, "Are you married already, Kuri-san? You're so young."
Kuri blushed a deep red and realized that she had let it slip that her companion was male. She shook her head and stuttered out a response, "Iie. He's my -- he's a friend. He takes care of me," she smiled thinking of the things they'd been through, "You don't have to worry about me, Noriko-san. He takes good care of me."
The elder woman smiled fondly at her, "I see. I'm glad you have someone to take care of you. It's good to have someone you can depend on, and," she added softly, "Who can depend on you."
Kuri somehow felt validated by Norkio's approval. As she sat looking across the table at the woman, she couldn't help thinking, If I could have chosen my mother, I would have chosen her. Then her thoughts drifted back to Soujiro and she felt her cheeks warm again, then suddenly, her eyes snapped open.
"Noriko-san! What time is it? Can you tell me?"
Noriko took a small gold watch out of her kimono and consulted it before replying, "Half past five."
"Oh no!" Kuri bounced immediately to her feet, "I'm so late! He's probably waiting for me! I hope he didn't leave!" Then she seemed to realize that she had ruined the formal atmosphere of the teahouse. She looked to Noriko terribly afraid of seeing disapproval in her clear green eyes. Noriko was looking at her fondly, slight amusement on her face. She rose as well, so as not to make Kuri feel more awkward.
"I understand, Kuri-san," she laughed, "Remember, I was young once too."
Kuri smiled brightly at Noriko and the woman pressed a piece of paper into her hand, "This is my address. If you need anything while you're in Kyoto, don't hesitate to call on me."
"Arigatou, Noriko-san. You've already helped me so much!" impulsively Kuri leaned forward, and Noriko smiled, enfolding her in the same protective hug she held her younger daughter in before. After a moment, Kuri pulled back and blinked light tears from her eyes.
"Take care of yourself, Kuri."
"Hai, you too Noriko-san. And Chiyoko-chan and Yoneko-chan too! You be good for your mother!"
"Hai hai!" chorused Chiyoko, answering for herself and her shy older sister who simply blushed and nodded.
With one last glance at the happy family, Kuri turned on her heel and dashed out the door intent on catching Soujiro before he tired of waiting for her.
*
His expression was different too. It wasn't the complacent and familiar smile she knew so well. The smile was different, one side quirked higher than the other. He wasn't benign, he looked feral for one single moment, but it was not a look that frightened her, oddly. It was a look of possession, of protection. He was standing with the same sort of animal grace that the policeman had had earlier. At that moment, he might have been deadly to all the other people that bustled along the street around her, but somehow she knew, even as she stood frozen, the central object in his dangerous gaze, somehow she knew that she was safe, terribly safe. Everyone else might be dead, but she was safe.
And she ran to him.
Soujiro regained control of himself quickly, putting the Tenken away, and he wondered at himself. He had no reason to show her the Tenken. The things he had learned that day had been somewhat distressing, but nothing threatening enough to bring out the Tenken. No, the Tenken hadn't been forced out. Perhaps it was his doubt, plaguing him. He was forever worried that once she knew what he was, what he had been, she would run from him in terror. Now the road he faced was anything but pleasant and he wondered if she wanted to make the journey with him. He wondered if she *could* make the journey with him. Or maybe it was something about the way she came springing lightly through the crowd, looking more full of life than he had ever seen her. Or maybe it was just time. Maybe it was all of these reasons and more. It did not seem to be a question that could be answered in simple cause and effect terms.
He was sure that she would run away again, if she ever saw the Tenken slip out from under his mask. She seemed to always crave his honesty, his true self. Perhaps this was some bizarre sense of humor that lived deep in the back of his mind. If she wanted him, she could have him. That voice was bitter. It never thought that she would see him glimmer as the Tenken, and then stand her ground. More than that. She had not run away. She had run to him. This realization shook him to the core.
Run to him. Drawn. Bound together. Something stronger than fear had drawn her. She had run to him. For some reason this deeply satisfied a darker side of his psyche. He had thought that the Tenken half of him was the killer. He had thought that the killer, the dark side, had no emotions other than pleasure. He had separated them too much in his mind. Now he realized that the boy was not just an innocent child who lived only through pure emotions. The boy had a darkness in him too, but it was not an evil darkness. It was a wild darkness, a possessive darkness, a jealous darkness. It was a darkness born from an intense feeling for one person. It was a darkness he'd never known before. It was not the darkness of the Tenken. It was the darkness of a human soul.
She ran to him. He opened his arms to catch her, and even as he did, the strange feeling swelled inside him and he felt extremely satisfied. If she would run to the very worst of him, then she had given herself over. One word pounded in his brain. Mine.
Then in one split second the logical part of it's brain managed to assert itself and push the emotional part, which had grown so strong, deep under. He found his mind reverting back to the familiar and comfortable patterns it always traveled in, and the mask came slipping back over his features.
"Kuri-san? Daijoubu?" his voice was the same softly accented tone she was familiar with.
She pulled back out of his arms and studied his face intently, "Soujiro-kun?"
He looked absolutely normal. Well, he looked like he did all the time, at least. The shell was up and the mask was so convincing that she almost rubbed her eyes. Had it been a trick of the light? She almost cried out in frustration, but she met his calmness with a light voice of her own.
"I'm all right," she smiled and shook her head, "I just thought I saw something."
"It must be the light," he murmured absently and she nodded, "It's dinner time and I'm hungry, shall we go eat?"
"Hooray!" she squealed, falling into her old role, which she seemed to have outgrown. She made no other mention of the strange light in his eyes that evening, and he did not volunteer any information on it either.
*
Their meal was a satisfying one, physically at least. Since they had a good store of money, Kuri ate until she was full and her watchdog nature made sure he ate as well. But it was like they were skirting around poorly concealed gaping holes in the sand, dancing around issues that needed to be resolved. She wondered if he thought that she didn't notice. Of course, then he'd be selling her short just like everyone else did. She didn't want to think that about him. Maybe he just wasn't ready to open up to her.
Since he made it clear that he did not want to discuss his activities that day she made no move to volunteer her own, but after a while, her own sullen silence got to her and she found herself talking about how amazing Kyoto was. She made no mention of Noriko or her daughters. It was as if having a secret from him, no matter how tame, gave her a little power over him, some of the same power he had over her. One part of her mind wanted to giggle and point and squeal, "I finally know something you don't know!" but she held herself. She wanted this to last for at least a few minutes. She'd tell him about Noriko and how nice she'd been in the morning. Maybe then his mind would have cleared and he'd realized how important visiting the woman had been to her. Maybe he'd finally open his eyes to her and see her the way Noriko had.
In any case, that was in the morning. Now it was past dusk and Kuri was quite tired. She was also looking forward to sleeping at an inn. This was going to be the first real bed she had even slept in. This was enough to cheer her to some degree, and her optimism was working again. Everything would work out in the morning. All they needed was a good night's sleep.
Apparently Soujiro already had an inn in mind because once again he led, walking several steps ahead of her at times. She kept close to him, but did not attach herself to his sleeve this time. She wanted to give him some distance.
They were cutting through an alley when one of Kuri's sandals snapped a lace. She bent to retie it and Soujiro let one hand fall to tug on her sleeve.
"Stay here," it was the soft tone, smooth as warm milk.
Her eyes widened and her hands froze, unable to complete the knot to repair her shoe. She watched Soujiro saunter casually down the alley, his hand low over his sword hilt.
"You can come out. I know you're here," his voice was not only pleasant and polite, but it seemed almost delighted, which chilled Kuri.
There was a tense stretch of seconds, and then a tall, lean figure stepped out from the shadows. He wore a crimson gi which somehow seemed to fall wrong over his upper torso. His hakama were a slate gray, although in the moonlight they seemed almost silvery. His face was narrow and thin, yet fine featured, and his dark eyes were slitted. His hair was long, but it was kept high in a warrior's topknot. His fingers were also slender and fine boned, but they moved with a nimbleness, another sort of animal grace. His hand stood ready to draw his sword, in a guard stance of battou-jutsu.
Soujiro spoke again, "I knew this would happen sooner or later. Maa,
what do you have against me?"
Soujiro thought for a moment, "You're sure it was me?" his cheerfulness made Kuri's head swim.
"Aa," he answered softly, "I was there."
Soujiro scratched his head, "Then I suppose that this was inevitable."
"Aa."
"And you won't reconsider?"
The strange man did not answer but simple fell into a different stance.
"Come," he murmured.
Soujiro shrugged and then Kuri saw his body suddenly tense. He was going to make the first move. He was gone in a second, his footfalls throwing up the loose gravel in the alley and making visible impacts in the ground. Then suddenly he wasn't on the ground any longer, but she caught his impact on a nearby wall. He was closer and closer to the other man, who had still not drawn his sword, then suddenly he struck, and there was a clash of steel on steel that glittered in the moonlight. There was another flash of silver and another counter, this one aimed low, which the strange man's long katana still managed to catch. Then Soujiro spun off to the left, and let himself slide to a stop in the gravel.
"Hoki Iado Ryu," he spoke softly, "I learned a great deal about the style today. I had heard that the person after me was a master of the style, but I didn't understand what that meant until now. You're fast. You do your title credit, but I doubt you're fast enough. Shukuchi is faster than the speed of the gods. My Shukuchi has beaten Hiten Mitsurigi Ryu. I doubt your style will be fast enough to counter soon enough," he paused and tapped his foot on the ground as if testing it for the force of his footfalls, "Shall we go again?"
Soujiro moved in a blur again, and soon, Kuri couldn't focus on him at all, just the whirl and clash and clatter of steel dancing in the moonlight. The two paid no attention to her, and soon she realized that the other man didn't even know she was there, because she was crouched in the shadows.
She focused hard on the fight, so hard she almost forgot to breathe. She could only see Soujiro when he struck or when he stopped to make another comment, so she found herself studying his adversary. The tall, lean man seemed somehow familiar to her, although she knew that was impossible. There was no way she could know a samurai, one of Soujiro's enemies. She didn't know anyone in Kyoto, except for that lanky policeman, and this was obviously not him. But something stuck her as extremely familiar, something she couldn't quite place. It hounded her as she squatted in the dark, focused on the pair who still dueled in the gravel and dirt of the alley.
Soujiro let himself stop again, and this time, he let his hand drop lower than usual, "This will decide it. I'm getting tired of playing with you. All you have are the same tricks over and over."
And then he was gone in a blur, charging straight for the stranger, and the stranger turned his head suddenly towards the corner where Kuri crouched as if suddenly aware that someone was there. The full light of the moon bathed the face and Kuri suddenly knew who the figure was.
At this point, Soujiro was so close to striking that she could see him again, katana naked in the moonlight as it sailed around to bite where the samurai had not drawn in defense.
Before she knew what she was doing, she was standing in the moonlight, one thought pounding in her mind, "YAMATE! Yamate Yamate, Onegai!" her shrill cry broke off into a sob because even as she screamed she knew it was too late.
But somehow, her cry reached him, and it shook him, knocking the Tenken out of his role as killer and bringing the ministering boy who was always worried about her welfare to the surface. He was completely distracted for one single moment, and suddenly, the long katana was up and aimed at his shoulder. Instantly, he recovered himself, fighting on instinct alone, and he brought his own katana up and threw the other sword back with a powerful thrust. But the katana had just been a feint, and he realized this as a small, slender hand followed the path of the katana bearing a sleek, deadly dagger. His katana was gone too far in it's arc. He could not bring it up again to defend, but he realized that all of the swordsman's defenses had dropped in an attempt to land the dagger home. Soujiro threw himself to the side and brought his katana up at the same time, raking a long deep cut around the swordsman's back and under his arm. But it was too late. The offense was not enough to drive off his attacker, and he had not thrown himself far enough to be out of the dagger's range. The swordsman pressed down, driving the dagger deep into his shoulder using all of his weight, and suddenly, the dagger snapped, and the hilt went spinning away into the alley.
Soujrio fell back several steps to survey his opponent, and the opponent regarded him for only an instant before skittering off into the darkness to tend his own wound. Soujiro did not have the will to follow him. In fact, he barely had the will to stand. He was afraid the dagger had struck something vital, because he was bleeding profusely. He turned, and it seemed as if he were in slow motion.
"Kuri?" he managed to ask, before the exertion became too much for him and he blacked out.
Kuri raced to his side, not particularly worried about her own safety and her eyes widened when she saw the spreading bloodstain on his chest. She had no idea what to do. She had never been in a situation like this, but she knew this time she couldn't panic. She had to be strong or Soujiro's life would bleed out of him while she fretted.
She knew she had to stop the bleeding, and the only way she knew how to do that was with her hands. Gingerly she pressed her hands onto his shoulder and then leaned all her weight into it. The blood was warm and wet on her hands, and this time, it was no someone else's, it was his.
She could taste salty tears on her cheeks and she wanted to scream in frustration. She had to help him, but she didn't know how. She didn't know if she was doing the right thing even now. She might only be making it worse. She tilted her face up to see the moon, so that she might pray for guidance, when suddenly she saw a shadowy figure walk by the entrance of the alley. This was hope. This was her chance.
"Help me! Help me please!" she cried as loudly as she could, hoping, praying that whoever stood at the entrance of the alley was a friend that would help them.
The only person who answered her summons was a slender eleven-year-old
boy.