Disclaimer: **In John Wayne voice** It ain't mine, pardner... I'm just borrowing it for a while.
Summary: In the old west, the seishi join forces to stop an evil man who has more secrets than the Secret Service.
Author's Note: Due to the fact that I have been watching waaaaaaaaay too many western movies and television shows in my current state of crippleness, this idea just had to be tried. I don't know if anything will come of it, but hey... it's all for fun anyway, right?
Warnings: Shounen ai Saihitei/Ryuuen. If you don't like shounen ai… ah, too bad ^___^
The Magnificent SevenBy Kei-chan
Chapter 1: "Dammit, I'm not worth killing yourselves over!"
-------------
It was the start of another evening. Time to don the dress, pull up the hair, and go to work. Time to carry the beer to the tables, avoid the grabbing hands, ignore the lewd comments... get the crappy pay.
Ryuuen sighed, walked to the closet. The dresses hung there, waiting for a beautiful woman to wear them, waiting for Kourin. But, Kourin wasn't there anymore, Ryuuen was, and Ryuuen told her he'd take care of things. He ran a hand along the line of delicately sewn dresses Kourin had painstakingly made herself. Somehow, I don't think this is what she had in mind, he thought. He knew that a stunt like this could easily get him shot, but he had a debt to pay.
"Gotta pay all our debts, Ryuu," she had told him on her deathbed. Even now, if he closed his eyes, he could see her pale, ghostly face, rose-colored eyes unfocused and cloudy, and the sweat glistening off her forehead as she faded away, still gripping his hand tightly. A smile on her face was the last thing he saw before he collapsed on the floor, the tears feeling like they would never end.
It had been six months since Kourin's death. The tuberculosis had eaten away at her until she was nothing but a shell of what his dear sister had been. She worked in the saloon until she was too weak to get out of bed in the morning. Then, Ryuuen had taken care of her, feeding her, mopping her burning forehead with cool water, talking to her.
Ryuuen shook his head. He had a job to get to, he didn't have time to remember horrible things. Two days and he'd have enough to pay the bastard back. Two days and he'd be free. Two days until Kourin could finally be laid to rest.
He reached into his closet, grabbed a dress. It was violet, his favorite color, and matched his hair perfectly. The darker, richer violet trim that lined the dress's collar, cuffs, and hem made his pale, flawless skin practically glow. Lucky for him, Kourin had always liked higher collar dresses. If she hadn't, he would have been in trouble.
Standing at the mirror, he gathered his long, luxuriant violet hair in his hands and pulled it up on top of his head. He shoved several hairpins in it, making sure the curls stayed atop his head, leaving a few escape to frame his stunning face. He swept his makeup on minimally, careful to not cover up his beauty mark right below his left eye. It was shocking how much he and Kourin looked alike, even with him being a year older. The only thing he had to alter to become her was stuff the brazier with tissues. That and he had to make sure his voice was higher than usual.
Finally, he was finished getting ready. One final check in the mirror, and Ryuuen saw he looked very much the poor waitress who worked in the saloon. "All right, Kourin," he said. "Let's go to work."
The saloon was busy tonight. To Ryuuen, it seemed the whole town was getting drunk. He bustled back and forth, despising the restriction of the dress, carrying drinks to tables. A few of the rowdier men had attempted to grope him, but Ryuuen knew that Kourin never allowed that, and neither did he. He disposed of them easily, slugging them in the face. Kourin had already had an image of being a tough no-hands girl, so Ryuuen wasn't doing anything different by beating up the men who tried to grab him.
In a corner of the bar, sitting by himself at a table, was a man. Ryuuen had taken him a drink, noticed how the man was definitely a loner. He sat with his head down, eyes hidden in the shadow of his black hat. Ryuuen hadn't missed the wash of chestnut hair that flowed over the man's shoulders and down his back, it was absolutely beautiful. He was wearing expensive looking black pants, a clean white shirt with a black and white vest over it, and a floor length black duster.
The man at the table watched Ryuuen with a fascinated curiosity. He wasn't used to watching girls, usually didn't, but something about her seemed to command his attention. His eyes wandered over her. Her hair was an extraordinary violet color, and when she had given him his drink, her eyes were wide and kind. They gazed at him, rosy with a few specks of gold, and, to his surprise, she winked. It was a beautiful gesture, one of the kindest he had received for a long time. He also noticed the beauty mark under her left eye. She was slender, and her skin was flawlessly pale. The waitress carried herself with a graceful air, easily side stepping any hands that came her way. The ones she didn't avoid, she punched. She was strong, he could see, very strong. But she was also kind and courteous.
He ordered another beer, sipping this one, letting the time pass. A while later, he wasn't even sure how long he had sat there and watched her, she came up and grinned down at him.
"Well, since that beer's warm, do you want me to get rid of it for ya?" she asked.
The man looked down, saw his half drank beer sitting there. He touched the side of the glass, felt that it was now the temperature of the room. "Uh," he stumbled for words. "Sure, thank you." He rolled his eyes at himself. Boy, you're a genius with words, he thought sarcastically.
She picked up the glass, set it on her tray and carried it back to the bar. The bartender spoke with her, cast a glance at where the man sat. She nodded and walked back to him.
"Well stranger, it's closin' time," she informed him.
He reached into his pocket. "How much for the beer?"
"Fifty cents," she replied. He placed the coins in her hand, with an added fifty cents as a tip.
She went to walk away, then looked down at her hand. "You're giving me a fifty cent tip?"
He nodded, then looked serious. "Is it not enough?"
"Not enough? Are you crazy? This is more in tips than I make in a week!" she cried. She stared down at them again, then back up to him, an angry look on her face. "Are you expecting something for this? 'Cause I'm tellin' ya right now, I'm not a whore. You gotta go down to Ratty's for that."
The man shook his head vehemently, a horrified expression on his face. "No! Of course not! It's just, there hasn't been anyone who's been kind to me for so long, and to see a friendly face, I just thought it'd be nice to give you a tip."
"Wow." She suddenly seemed to remember something, and looked over the bar, where the bartender was glaring in their direction. "Ooh, you need to go. Taylor is really finicky about customers hanging around after closing."
He stood up. "All right then. By the way, I'm Saihitei Seishuku." He held his hand out, and the girl shook it.
"I'm Ryuuen Chou," she said, her voice quiet. "But people around here call me Kourin."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss," he said. "But I guess I best be going. Can you tell me where the hotel is?"
She looked at him, seemed to size him up. "If you wait outside a few moments, I'll walk you to it. It's on the way back to my place."
He nodded, and left the bar. Ryuuen stared after him, felt his heart sink. What am I doing? I told him my real name. This isn't good... But another part of him sighed deeply. But I'm allowed to be happy too, aren't I? And with the tip from Saihitei, he now had enough money to pay back Hammond, and get the hell out of this town. Until that man learns that I'm really a guy and blows my head off, he reminded himself.
When Taylor cleared his throat, Ryuuen remembered he was still standing in the middle of the saloon, staring out the door. He jumped, walked over to the bar and handed Taylor the fifty cents for Saihitei's drinks.
"Good night?" he drawled, smiling.
Ryuuen turned to him, felt the overwhelming urge to bust his lip open. "Yeah, it was. By the way, Taylor. I quit."
"You what?!"
Ryuuen smiled a winning smile. "That's right. I'm leaving this God-forsaken town tomorrow, and never coming back!"
"You can't quit, Kourin!" he said.
"And why not? You can't make me stay," he challenged, letting his voice grow deeper. "I quit, Taylor, and that is that."
Taylor's fat, pudgy face turned bright red. "Why you two-bit, trashbag whore! You quit now and I'll make sure you never work in this town again!"
Ryuuen grinned. "Wouldn't have it any other way. Sayonara, asshole." He strolled out of the bar, feeling like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. I hate this town, I hate this town, he thought as he walked out of the saloon, and didn't look back.
"You quit your job?"
The low baritone voice caught him off guard, made him jump. He turned to see Saihitei leaning against the wall, practically invisible in his black pants, and long black duster in the dark of the night.
"Yeah. I'm leaving here," he admitted. "I hate this town with all my being, and I refuse to live the rest of my life here."
Saihitei pushed himself away from the wall, crossed his arms across his chest. "How old are you?" he asked.
"Twenty."
"And you're leaving this town by yourself?"
Ryuuen frowned. "I am quite capable of taking care of myself, Mr. Seishuku, and I take offense to you making the assumption that I can't."
He took a step backward, raised his arms in surrender. "I apologize Miss Chou. I meant no offence. Will you still show me the hotel?"
"Sure, right this way."
Saihitei offered his arm to Ryuuen, who took it. He knew it would be odd if he didn't accept, so he laced his slender hand through Saihitei's muscled arm.
"So," Saihitei started in a conversational voice. "Where are you heading when you leave?"
Ryuuen shrugged. "West. Maybe Montana. I haven't really thought about where I'm going. Just as long as it's far away from this hell hole."
"Is this place really that bad?" Saihitei looked down in surprise when Ryuuen snorted. "So it is that bad?"
The young woman on his arm turned her face up, and he saw sadness in her beautiful eyes. "This place had held nothing but heartache and pain for me, Mr. Seishuku. Other people may like it here, but I never could."
He was silent as he thought about her answer. This girl must have gone through rough times. But, I still don't get why I'm so interested in her. I've never liked girls, only guys... so what does this mean?"
As the two walked down the dirt road toward the hotel, Saihitei heard a voice calling for Ryuuen... using the other name she had given him.
"Kourin! Hey, Kourin!"
"Oh no," she whispered, stopping abruptly.
Saihitei looked down, frowned. "Something wrong?"
The young woman took a deep breath, unhooked her hand from Saihitei's arm, and turned around. He almost missed the contact of her hand. "Oh, just a little bit," she answered, fixing a beaming smile on her face. "Kishuku! What are doing back in town?"
A man rushed up to him, dressed in brown pants and a brown duster. He threw his hat back off his head, grinned down at Ryuuen. "I missed you, so I came back." He wrapped his arms around her waist, attempted to lean and down and kiss her. Saihitei watched in amusement as Ryuuen punched him in the face. The man called "Kishuku" stumbled back, holding his cheek. "What the hell did you do that for?"
Ryuuen glared at him. "You bastard! You think you can just leave town without a word and come waltzing back in two years later and expect things to be the same? I don't think so!"
Saihitei didn't like the man. He had a controlling look about him, and Ryuuen didn't seem to be the type of girl to allow him that much control.
Kishuku looked at Saihitei, who was standing silently behind Ryuuen, a disapproving look on his face. "Who's this joker?"
"He's someone I met at the saloon. I was showing him where the hotel is."
Glaring, Kishuku stepped up to Saihitei. "Stay away from Kourin. She doesn't need someone like you."
Saihitei raised his eyebrows, stared down at the shorter man. He was threatening him? What was that all about? "Oh, but she needs someone like you?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest again.
Ryuuen threw himself between the two men, held her hands up. "Gentlemen, gentlemen, please. You aren't fighting over me."
"Oh, but we are, Kourin," Kishuku said, grabbing her roughly by the arm. "Remember? You're my girl, we promised each other we'd never separate."
Ryuuen wrenched her arm free, moved a little closer to Saihitei. "That maybe so, Kishuku, but you were the one that left, remember? How can you expect me to wait for two years?"
Kishuku grabbed her arms again, and she cried out in pain. "No, Kourin... No! We promised!"
Saihitei had seen enough. He stepped up, grabbed Kishuku's hands and pulled them away from Ryuuen's arms. "You don't ever hurt a woman. I don't care who you are."
Kishuku leaned forward, grinned maliciously. "What say you to settling this tomorrow at dawn? Behind the stables? We'll see then who can do what."
Saihitei nodded, not really wanting to get into a gunfight with this man, but not seeing any other choice. "You got it."
"No!" Ryuuen yelled. "You are NOT going to kill each other over me!" She had tears in her eyes, and was looking from Kishuku to Saihitei. "Oh, guys are so damned stupid!" She threw her arms up, then took off at a run down the road, disappearing around the corner.
"Hope you're happy," Saihitei commented.
"Shut up!" Kishuku sneered. "I'll see you in the morning."
------------
Ryuuen sat in his room he rented above the general store. He was slumped in a chair, arms crossed over his chest, and a frown on his face. The one thing he hadn't expected was for Kishuku to come back into town a few days before he was leaving. Kourin had tried to stay alive simply for Kishuku. She knew he would be back, but Ryuuen had expected him to long gone.
Kishuku and Kourin had been together for a year and a half before he left. Ryuuen shuddered as he remembered the reason for his leaving; Kourin's cries of pain as a man they thought they knew well raped her, Kishuku's rage as he shot the man several times in the chest and head. He had fled to save his own life, promising Kourin that he'd back. It wasn't long after that when Kourin fell ill. All through her sick days, she would tell herself that Kishuku would be back tomorrow, and things would be okay.
Ryuuen punched the arm of the chair he was sitting in. "Goddamn it, Kishuku!" He knew he had to stop the duel, but he also knew that only way to do that was to reveal who he was, and risk his own life. His mind wandered to Saihitei, the man who had been kind to him. I don't want to hurt him, he thought, but I have to tell them. He stood up, paced the room. Saihitei was handsome, sweet, kind, everything Ryuuen had looked for in a guy. Yeah, but c'mon Ryuu... how many other men do you know that also liked guys? You'd be shot in an instant. He sighed heavily.
A knock at the door brought him out of his reverie. He walked to the door, opened it.
"Kishuku? You're back in town?"
The man on the other side looked haggard, beaten, and was entirely too drunk. "Ishee here?" he asked.
"No," Ryuuen said. "Kourin isn't here right now. She was really upset when she came in. Said you grabbed her in the street." He hated lying to the man who had once been his best friend. They had told each other everything. Then the shit hit the fan, and Ryuuen lost him, just as Kourin had.
Kishuku leaned heavily against the doorframe. "I dint mean to hurt her. I just mished her sho much, ya know?"
Ryuuen nodded. "Yeah, I know. You better go home and sober up Kish."
He frowned. "Ryuu, it'sh been sho long. Can jusht come in and talk to you?" he asked.
Ryuuen sighed. "Kish. You're drunk. If you come in and we talk, you'll end up passing out on my floor. Kourin will kill me if you're here when she gets back."
Kishuku nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I'll shee her tomorrow," he said, and staggered off down the hall.
"I hope he doesn't fall down the steps," Ryuuen muttered to himself. He closed the door, walked to the mirror. Right now, he was dressed in his usual clothes, suede chaps, white ruffled shirt, vest. His hair was in a single braid down his back, the curls all brushed out.
By day, he was Ryuuen Chou, cowboy and loving brother of Kourin. When people asked him why Kourin never came out during the day, he'd tell them she was cleaning or doing some other chore. It had only been six months since Kourin's death. Ryuuen had carried her body out of the town in the dead of night and buried on her favorite hill overlooking the town. No one knew, he couldn't tell anyone.
It was late, and Ryuuen was exhausted. Too many things had happened this evening, and he had to wake up early to stop a gunfight.
His decision was made. He would reveal his identity to Kishuku and Saihitei, and hopefully explain why before they shot him dead. Either way, he could save them from killing each other.
He changed into his bedclothes and settled down to go to sleep. Unfortunately, sleep didn't find him for a long while and he simply laid in bed, remembering his life when Kourin was still alive. When he finally did drift off, he was plagued by nightmares of Kishuku and Saihitei with bloody holes in their chests, and their stare as lifeless as Kourin's had been.
-----------
It was morning. The sun was shining brightly, it was warm, and most people were in high spirits. Behind the stables, however, a storm was raging. Kishuku and Saihitei were standing facing each other. While Kishuku looked like a crazed dog, Saihitei was the picture of calm.
Ryuuen raced down the street, holding his skirts up for better mobility. If they're dead already, I'm going into the afterlife after them! he thought. He turned the corner, and, seeing the two men just about to draw their guns, bellowed in the loudest voice he could muster, "STOOOOOP!"
His yell startled the two men, caused them to turn to look at him. Kishuku was the first to speak.
"Stay outta this, Kourin!"
Ryuuen took a few steps forward, let his voice fall into its lower, natural tone. "No, Kishuku. It's time for you to know the truth, both of you."
"Kourin, what are you talking about? And what's wrong with your voice?" Kishuku stared at him, confusion evident on his face.
Ryuuen sighed. He reached back, and unbuttoned the dress he was wearing. Kishuku's eyes went wide as he did so. "Kourin, what the hell are you doing?!"
Once the dress was unbuttoned, Ryuuen let it fall to the ground. He was wearing his tan pants, and a white shirt underneath. He stepped out of the dress and raised his hands. "It's a long story," he said.
Saihitei's eyes almost bugged out of this head. "Ryuuen... you're a guy?"
"Ryuuen, what's this all about? Where's Kourin?"
The violet-haired man looked at Kishuku sadly. "God, Kish, I'm so sorry. I wanted to tell you last night, but it was in the middle of the street and I couldn't. Kourin's dead."
"Kourin's what?"
Ryuuen took another step forward, closed the distance between him and the two men. "She died six months ago from TB. She held on as long she could, but it wasn't long enough."
The stricken look on Kishuku's face was enough to send Ryuuen in tears. "Is this some kind of sick joke?" he asked, his voice barely above whisper.
Ryuuen looked down. "No... I wish it was. She waited for you, Kish. She always knew you'd come back for her. She tried, with all her strength." He hastily wiped his tears away. "She loved you, you know."
Kishuku fell to his knees on the ground. "You've been masquerading as Kourin for six months? Ryuu, why?"
"She made me promise to pay back all our debts. Hammond gave us a roof over our heads when our parents died, but nothing comes without a cost. For Kourin, it cost her her life. For me, I lost my sister, and my best friend. Don't you see Kishuku? I had no choice!"
"So you made it so that Kourin never died." His voice was bitter, full of anger and hurt. "Why are worried about paying that bastard back?"
"She made me promise. After everything that happened... she just wanted our debt to paid and us to be free."
Kishuku took a few steps toward Ryuuen. He reached out and grabbed the man by a shoulder. "She made you promise," he echoed. "That girl always did have a bigger heart than most. I can't believe this. Why didn't you find a way to contact me?"
"Because I never expected you to come back, Kishuku! Besides, no one knows that Kourin is dead." Ryuuen was still crying, but he felt better. Keeping Kourin's death a secret for six months took its toll on him, especially on the harder days. He had had no one to talk to.
"No one? You didn't tell anyone?!"
Ryuuen opened his mouth to respond, but a gunshot echoed in the area behind the stables. He ducked, throwing his arms protectively over his head. "What the –"?
"Kishuku Sou! You are under arrest for the murder of James Hammond. Drop your guns!"
Kishuku stood up, stared at the sheriff in horror. He cast a helpless glance in Ryuuen's direction, then reached to take off his belt. But before his hands touched the leather, a tall figure was standing in front of him.
"Saihitei? What are you doing?"
Saihitei looked down at him, understanding evident in his eyes. "Kishuku. I realize that we didn't get off to a great start, and now I understand why. After all you've been through, you can't give in to these men."
Kishuku stared up at Saihitei. "After all the names I called you?"
The man grinned. "Sticks and stones, my friend. Ryuuen," he turned to the violet-haired man. "Are you coming with us?"
Ryuuen didn't hesitate saying yes. "I'll meet you guys at the top of the southern hill. Kishuku, you know which one." He spun around and began running.
"Wait!" Saihitei cried. "Where are you going?"
"To get something very important!"
Saihitei turned to Kishuku. "Does he always do that?"
Kishuku nodded. "Uh, yeah. We better beat hell out of here before we're both shot."
The sheriff drew his guns when he saw Ryuuen run off. The stranger was standing in front of Sou, so he was unable to get a clean shot. "Sou! There's no where to go!"
"That's what you think sheriff! I was right!" he called back.
"I don't care! The law's the law!" He held his gun out when the stranger began to run toward the stables. Then paused when he saw that Sou had disappeared. "What the hell? Spread out! Find Sou and bring in the other for obstruction of justice!"
The sheriff's deputies fanned out, leaving the sheriff standing there, still staring at the place Sou had been. Where in God's green earth did he go? he thought.
------------
Saihitei followed Kishuku out of town. They were riding hard, but Kishuku seemed to know exactly where he was going. And me? Why am I following? I just made myself an outlaw helping this man. He rounded a bend in the path, keeping Kishuku in sight. It's Ryuuen, the thought struck. I want to find out why he dressed as a woman... and why he was so kind me...
Kishuku had slowed down, so Saihitei did the same, coming up along side him. "Is this where we're going?"
The other man nodded. "Now we wait for Ryuu." He turned his eyes toward Saihitei. "Why did you help me back there? You're an outlaw now."
Saihitei shrugged. "Whatever happened, I don't think it's worth killing you over. Ryuuen seemed especially adamant about stopping us from killing each other, so I didn't think it would be right of me to let them hang you."
The clopping of hooves sounded. Kishuku looked tense, ready to flee, but Saihitei's hand on his arm stilled him. "Only one horse. It's Ryuuen."
The smaller man came around the corner at a full gallop, his violet braid flowing out behind him. "Follow me," he said, slowing his horse to a walk and going past them. He led them up the hill to the large oak tree that sat there. A makeshift cross stood up-right near the trunk.
Kishuku felt tears well up in his eyes. He looked at Ryuuen. "Kourin?"
Ryuuen nodded. He tilted his head toward Saihitei. "Let's leave them alone."
Saihitei dismounted, joined Ryuuen on the ground. The two walked away from the tree where Kishuku was kneeling. When they were out of ear-shot, Ryuuen sat down on a rock.
"Mr. Seishuku, I am so sorry I lied to you last night."
Saihitei raised a hand. "Ryuuen it's all right. Please, call me Saihitei. So, do you wanna tell me the story? I feel a bit out of the loop."
Ryuuen sighed. "It's a long story... so prepare yourself. I was a year older than my sister, Kourin. When I was ten – she was nine – our parents were killed in the gold mine collapse of 1817. We were taken in by a man who was kind for the first five years. He taught us both how to read and write, taught me to ride, and track. After I turned 15, though, things changed. He became a monster, enslaving us both. Kourin was made to be a servant in the house, and I was sent to the mines. The same mines that killed my parents. Do you know what it's like? Fearing for your life every moment of everyday?" He didn't wait for answer from Saihitei before continuing.
"Three years it went on. Finally, I when I hit eighteen, I asked him if we could leave. Kourin wanted to get married to Kishuku and move into their own place, and I wanted to get a decent job instead of working in those hellish mines. He said we were in his debt, that we owed him our lives for taking us in. Then, he had his men hold me down, and he left his son rape Kourin. Kishuku had been outside, and he heard her screams. He burst through the door, shooting James dead. He would have killed James's father too, if Kourin hadn't stopped him."
Saihitei was horrified. "She stopped him?" So that's what Kishuku meant when he said he was right to the sheriff, he thought.
Ryuuen nodded, swallowing hard. "Kourin hated to see anyone die. She wasn't happy about Kish shooting James, but she never said anything. She promised the man that we would pay him back. He took her word and let us go. Kish left right after, vowing to return for Kourin. He had to run or he would have been killed. A year later, Kourin got sick.
"When she died, she made me promise that I would pay him back. The only way I knew that it would work was to make sure Kourin never died. If that bastard had found out, he probably would have killed me. So, I became Kourin, working her job in the saloon, getting together the money to pay him back."
Saihitei felt the overwhelming urge to hug Ryuuen. The young man had been through so much, and could only now finally bury his sister. What if he doesn't want hugged? He reached out and touched Ryuuen's hand, then squeezed it when he didn't pull away.
Ryuuen looked up. Saihitei had taken his hat off, and Ryuuen saw that his eyes were the color of liquid amber. They were beautiful. "So, you can forgive me for deceiving you?"
He chuckled. "Of course I can. You had very good reason to do what you did."
Ryuuen leaned against Saihitei, hoping that the man didn't shove him away too soon. What the hell am I doing? He's going to shoot me! Instead, he felt a strong, warm arm go around his shoulders and pull him closer. My God, thought Ryuuen. He's hugging me. The feel of it made his stomach flip, and a giddiness seem to take over him. He fought back the automatic response of giggling, and simply closed his eyes.
Saihitei felt Ryuuen relax against him. He needed that, definitely, he thought. Maybe I did, too.
After a moment, Ryuuen pulled away, wiped the tears off his cheeks. "Ah, sorry about that."
The other man smiled warmly down at him. "No need to be sorry. You've been through a lot. It must have been awful not being able to tell anyone about it."
"Yeah," replied Ryuuen. "I really needed that. Thank you."
"Anytime," he said. Whoa, his mind screeched to a halt. You sure you wanna say it like that? You might scare him off...
But Ryuuen was gazing up at him, his amazing eyes on his own. "I –" he began, but Kishuku had approached them.
"Hey," he greeted quietly. His face was red and blotchy, and Ryuuen knew he had been crying. He jumped off the rock and hugged Kishuku.
"I'm sorry, Kishuku."
Kishuku hugged Ryuuen back. "It's all right, Ryuu. You did what you had to do. But now, we need to get a move on. The sheriff's men are going to be looking for us."
"Yeah, and I have to get this money to Hammond," Ryuuen replied.
Saihitei grabbed Ryuuen by the shoulder tightly. "Did you say Hammond?"
"Yeah." Ryuuen looked at him, raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Something wrong?"
Saihitei's face had gone pale, and he tightened his grip on Ryuuen's shoulder. "That's the man that took you in? Charles Hammond?"
He nodded. "Yes, Sai, what's wrong?"
The taller man swallowed hard. "That's the man that killed my mother, and turned my father into a monster."
Kishuku stared at him. "His son raped Kourin."
"Ryuuen, why do you want to pay that man back in money?" Saihitei asked him. "Do you know how many lives he's ruined?"
"I don't!" Ryuuen yelled, angry at everything. "I want to grab him by the neck and choke the life out of him! But I can't!"
"Why not?" Saihitei demanded. "What's keeping you?"
"Kourin is! She made me promise to pay off our debt!"
Saihitei grabbed him by the arms, pulled him toward. His face was inches from Ryuuen's, and Ryuuen could see pure hate that glowed in his eyes. "You do NOT owe him anything. HE owes YOU everything. He took away your life, you said it yourself. And, from the things I've heard him say, he caused that collapse in 1817 that killed your parents!"
There was a moment when everyone was silent. Ryuuen was staring at Saihitei, who still looked pale, and Kishuku was standing with his shoulders hunched.
Ryuuen's head snapped up when he heard hoof beats in the distance. He shook both men. "They're coming, let's go."
They mounted their horses and galloped off, heading for the open prairie. Once there, they'd have to be extremely cautious or they'd be dead by morning. Indian tribes roamed the prairies. Some were friendly… and some were not.
To be continuuuuuuuued… ^___^
Well… whaddya all think so far? Worth continuing?