Sagara breathed in deeply, inhaling the sweet fragrance of the night air. He could hear the wind playing about the tops of the pine trees, its voice a lonely echo in the great dark sky. How he had missed the sounds, the sights, the smells of nature, through all those long weeks of convalescence! He had always felt most contented when sleeping under the stars and the moon, even from the time he had roved through the forest as a young boy. Now, however, he was living the life of a camper because it was a necessity, but it didn't subtract in the least from the pleasure it gave him.
He had been a little worried about Natsumi though. How would she react to living the life of an outcast, unable to take residence in town because Sagara feared being discovered by Ishin Shishi supporters? She was adjusting mavellously, however, and didn't even complain about the lack of basic amenities that campers had to bear. In the daytime, however, she would go to town to inquire about Megumi and Sanosuke, while he would search in the forest and along the streams, in case the youngsters, too, had taken refuge in the forest. With all the bloodshed in the cities, it would be no surprise if they had, he decided grimly.
As he approached the place where he had pitched camp last night, however, he felt a strange sensation, as if something was amiss. Cautiously, he stepped forward, looking around their camp. Everything looked just as they had left it in the morning; the camp was in perfect order. But where was Natsumi? Surely she would have been back by now....
He then felt uneasy again, and a deep-rooted instinct, sharpened by years of combat, told him: someone is watching you. He spun around, alert as a cat, looking at each gap in the tangled undergrowth as clearly as he could through the dim light of the moon. There...there was a shoe sticking out from underneath a bush...
Before he could react, a heavy weight dropped onto his back, and he found himself on the ground, straddled by elbows and knees. Sucking in a sharp breath, he rolled over, driving his knee into the midsection of his attacker. His hand reached for his scabbard, but it barely touched the hilt of his sword when he felt cold, sharp iron touching his throat.
He gritted his teeth, looking around. All the members of the ambush had stepped out of their hiding places, and he saw five men in Ishin Shishi uniform standing around him. Another was holding the katana that was pointed at his throat. The man smirked cruelly. "Sagara ....Sagara-taichou," he emphasized the last word mockingly. "Surely you do not think you can escape the grave the Ishin Shishi has prepared for you? You are a very deluded man."
His first thoughts raced to the brave woman who had given up everything to follow him. He should never have brought her with him..."What have you done to Natsumi?" he demanded.
The man snapped his fingers, and the other men began to tie Sagara up, unnecessarily pulling the knots so tight that he could feel the rope cutting into his skin. "What have we done with her? Nothing, of course! In fact, she will be given the seat of honour at the feast when we celebrate your execution."
All the blood drained from Sagara's face. *No, no....Kami-sama, please don't let this be true...* "What do you mean?" he forced himself to ask.
The men all laughed. "You must be as dumb as you look, Sagara," said the man, his mouth widening in an evil grin. "But then again, I should have guessed it from how easily she made you fall for her deception. How DO you think we found you, hidden away in a little corner of the forest like a frightened rat?"
His whole world felt like it was collapsing before him, but he forced his face to remain emotionless. "She saved my life when you shot me."
"If she had left you to die, she wouldn't have received any prize for handing you in, would she? As it is, we are all glad that you hadn't died quietly from shot-wounds. We will receive medals of honour from the Ishin Shishi government for capturing you, and your head will sit on the front gate of Kyoto for all to see."
He turned to his men. "Take him to our camp!"
****************************************************************************
Natsumi felt a trickle of blood slide down her face, but she didn't even bother to lick it. Her head throbbed with the blow she had been given, and she had numerous bruises and cuts from the rough way she had been hauled to the Ishin Shishi camp. Yet, all the bodily pain seemed to fade , consumed as she was by the searing pain in her heart. The words of the Ishin troop leader rang in her head: "Your silence and resistance is useless, fool. We know he will come back, and when he does, we'll have a nice surprise prepared for him. And he will die thinking that you have betrayed him. It will be rather hard for you to prove that you haven't, will it not?"
He had been a little worried about Natsumi though. How would she react to living the life of an outcast, unable to take residence in town because Sagara feared being discovered by Ishin Shishi supporters? She was adjusting mavellously, however, and didn't even complain about the lack of basic amenities that campers had to bear. In the daytime, however, she would go to town to inquire about Megumi and Sanosuke, while he would search in the forest and along the streams, in case the youngsters, too, had taken refuge in the forest. With all the bloodshed in the cities, it would be no surprise if they had, he decided grimly.
As he approached the place where he had pitched camp last night, however, he felt a strange sensation, as if something was amiss. Cautiously, he stepped forward, looking around their camp. Everything looked just as they had left it in the morning; the camp was in perfect order. But where was Natsumi? Surely she would have been back by now....
He then felt uneasy again, and a deep-rooted instinct, sharpened by years of combat, told him: someone is watching you. He spun around, alert as a cat, looking at each gap in the tangled undergrowth as clearly as he could through the dim light of the moon. There...there was a shoe sticking out from underneath a bush...
Before he could react, a heavy weight dropped onto his back, and he found himself on the ground, straddled by elbows and knees. Sucking in a sharp breath, he rolled over, driving his knee into the midsection of his attacker. His hand reached for his scabbard, but it barely touched the hilt of his sword when he felt cold, sharp iron touching his throat.
He gritted his teeth, looking around. All the members of the ambush had stepped out of their hiding places, and he saw five men in Ishin Shishi uniform standing around him. Another was holding the katana that was pointed at his throat. The man smirked cruelly. "Sagara ....Sagara-taichou," he emphasized the last word mockingly. "Surely you do not think you can escape the grave the Ishin Shishi has prepared for you? You are a very deluded man."
His first thoughts raced to the brave woman who had given up everything to follow him. He should never have brought her with him..."What have you done to Natsumi?" he demanded.
The man snapped his fingers, and the other men began to tie Sagara up, unnecessarily pulling the knots so tight that he could feel the rope cutting into his skin. "What have we done with her? Nothing, of course! In fact, she will be given the seat of honour at the feast when we celebrate your execution."
All the blood drained from Sagara's face. *No, no....Kami-sama, please don't let this be true...* "What do you mean?" he forced himself to ask.
The men all laughed. "You must be as dumb as you look, Sagara," said the man, his mouth widening in an evil grin. "But then again, I should have guessed it from how easily she made you fall for her deception. How DO you think we found you, hidden away in a little corner of the forest like a frightened rat?"
His whole world felt like it was collapsing before him, but he forced his face to remain emotionless. "She saved my life when you shot me."
"If she had left you to die, she wouldn't have received any prize for handing you in, would she? As it is, we are all glad that you hadn't died quietly from shot-wounds. We will receive medals of honour from the Ishin Shishi government for capturing you, and your head will sit on the front gate of Kyoto for all to see."
He turned to his men. "Take him to our camp!"
****************************************************************************
Natsumi felt a trickle of blood slide down her face, but she didn't even bother to lick it. Her head throbbed with the blow she had been given, and she had numerous bruises and cuts from the rough way she had been hauled to the Ishin Shishi camp. Yet, all the bodily pain seemed to fade , consumed as she was by the searing pain in her heart. The words of the Ishin troop leader rang in her head: "Your silence and resistance is useless, fool. We know he will come back, and when he does, we'll have a nice surprise prepared for him. And he will die thinking that you have betrayed him. It will be rather hard for you to prove that you haven't, will it not?"