Hitokiri Battousai, Rurouni
By
TigerWolf
~ Part Two ~
The morning was still young and the sun had just risen over the horizon. One could hear the faint chirping of the birds, and the sounds of a city just awakening. The Kohagi Inn was mostly silent. One could hear movements downstairs from those who were preparing the food for the ones who would soon be up. Up in the Battousai's room, a girl sat upright on the futon that she found herself in. Not making a sound she scanned the room to take in her new surroundings, and that's when her eyes fell on the sleeping Battousai, who was leaning against the wall. His head was bowed lightly and his red hair was masking parts of his face, but she could still see a trail of dried blood on his cheek.
She stood up and straightened out her hakama and gi. She picked up her wakizashi, placed it back in the folds of her gi and put her katana at her waist. Then she stopped, looking from the door to the window like she was deciding which way she should leave the room from. She shook her head and headed for the door, quietly sliding it open. She was about to leave when someone grabbed her wrist firmly. She looked up to see that it was the Battousai. He shook his head no and gently but firmly tugged her back into his room. The girl looked at him for a second, decided to comply and walked over to a stand that held a bowl and a pitcher of water. She poured some of the water in the bowl and picked up a white washcloth. She knelt down in front of the Battousai, for he already sat down in the middle of the room. She wetted the wash cloth and brought it up to the Battousai's cheek to wash away the dried blood. He jumped slightly at her actions, but then relaxed and just stared at her, silent and unmoving as she tended to his wound.
"What is your name?" Battousai asked.
"Kaoru, Kamiya Kaoru." She replied while dabbing the wash cloth to his wound. "Yours?"
"Himura Kenshin." Kaoru had finished cleaning the wound, put an ointment on it, and then put a bandage over it.
"It will scar, you know."
"Yes it will. How did you know that man?"
"His name was Kiyosato. He was to marry a woman named Tomoe. Tomoe was a strong and beautiful girl. I met her a week ago while saving her from a rapist. She gave me shelter and food for a few days, and in that time I became a friend of hers. He told me about her fiancée Kiyosato, and how he went to serve the Shinsengumi to prove his honor to Tomoe. But she never wanted him to go, and was so worried for his life. She asked me if I would find him, give him a white plum blossom, and ask him to return. And so I did. I found him working for Shigekura Jubee and gave him the blossom, and told him to go back to Tomoe. But he was stubborn on his idea of proving his honor. He told me he would stay alive for her. I found that hard to believe, for one can not choose if one dies or not, and told him to not go out last night. He did not listen. I found him gone, and the others said he went out for guard that night. And I think you know the rest of the story."
There was a long pause. "Why are you a Rurouni?" Himura asked.
"Why are you a Hitokiri?" She replied. Then she stood to place the bowl with now bloody water and cloth back on the stand. He glared at her back for answering his question with a question, but he understood the meaning. "Am I free to leave, or do the Ishinshishi now decide what to do with me?
"I will talk to Master Katsura Kogoro about you later today. You may wander around the grounds, but do not attempt to leave." She nodded in understanding.
She smiled at him, walked to the door of the room and slid it open. Before stepping out of the room, she turned her head to him, gave a beautiful smile and said, "Thank you Himura." And then she walked down the hall. Himura stood there for a moment looking at the design on the door where she just was, then turned to freshen up before leaving for breakfast.
/~~\
Kaoru walked down the staircase and at the bottom she met an older woman. "So, is it not the girl Himura brought back last night? I am the owner of Kohagi Inn, Okam." She said while looking Kaoru over.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Kaoru, and I thank you for letting me stay here the night." She said with a polite bow.
"It was not my decision. Himura was the one who brought you here, for otherwise you would not be here. I am sorry that he brought you here. Hopefully you will be allowed to leave."
"I will leave, so do not worry over that." Kaoru said with a smile. "Where could I get something to eat?"
"Well, the men are in the dinning room right now, but you can eat in the kitchen if you like."
"Thank you. That would be very kind of you."
/~~\
Himura walked into the dinning room and knelt down to his spot at the end of one of the two lines of men who where eating. A woman hurried up to him and placed some rice, fish and egg in front of him. He started to eat his food.
"Himura, I heard you brought a woman back with you last night." The man to his left said.
"I did Iidzuka." Himura replied flatly between bits of his food.
"I never would take you to bring back a whore."
"She is not a whore. She got involved in my mission last night."
"Really?" Iidzuka replied doubtfully. Himura said nothing, and kept eating. Then there was a commotion outside the room in the hall. "Please, no." could be heard faintly. Then a smacking sound was heard.
"Get your hands off her, the girl said no." the firm voice of a woman said.
"And what are you going to do about it?" Then a loud grunt was heard and a man fell through the open doorway, between the two rows of men who were eating. Himura and a few other men were about to stand up when a girl stood in the doorway.
"Kaoru!" Himura said loudly. Then a girl came and stood by her. She held her hand to her cheek that was starting to swell. Her kimono was a bit ruffled and it also showed that she was one of the girls who worked at the inn
"When a girl says no, you should listen. I have killed men for less; instead I leave you to these men." Then she turned to the girl and started to escort her out.
"You incompetent woman!" The man yelled as he stood, drew his katana and charged at Kaoru. Kaoru pushed the other girl down to the floor of the hallway as she heard the man draw his sword. She turned and blocked his katana as it made a downward attack at her with her own katana. Then as she drew her wakizashi, she elbowed him across his face which made him fall backward. Then she straightened out her arm that now held her wakizashi and as he fell backwards she slashed him across his face.
He was on the floor and holding his now bloody face. He was about to make a stand again but Himura stood over him. "The Lady is right you should have listened to her." And with that he slit his throat. Himura wiped his katana and put it away, and Kaoru did the same. Then she turned around and helped the girl to her feet. Then the two walked off.
"I take it that was the girl you brought back last night, Himura." Iidzuka said. Himura nodded. "What interesting taste you have. Its not like you did not deserve it though." Himura just walked out of the room with that said.
/~~\
A/N
Thank you, every one of you for the reviews. I am so happy you people like my story. And I am so happy to know I am not the only one who did not like Tomoe all that much. ^_^ I'm not alone!!! yeahhhh. ^_^ ok back to what I was saying. Yue, I hope your question about Kaoru's relationship with Kiyosato is answered.
Ok, to let you know about my postings. I am going to post once a week, that is what I am shooting for, there will be times I will be posting more often. Also I had a question to ask all of you. Since my spelling and grammar is not the best, I know I have to have it edited. My friend edits my stories, and she does it pretty fast normally less then 24 hours. But I am always anxious to post. Do you mind if I post the unedited chapter first then put the edited version up within a 24 hour period?
With that said this chapter is not edited yet, the edited version will be up soon. Part One is also edited.
Thank you all so much.
-TigerWolf
Edited by May-Chan