The Legend Continues
Chapter Five- Quiet Bear
By Sukunami Taka
And if strength should fail you, then remember your heart and those who love you, and you shall prevail against dark enemies in these dark times…
-Excerpt from Himura Kenshin's un-posted letter to his daughter
Hot tears filled the baby blue eyes as her cheeks flushed. The messenger from Shinomori Aoshi shifted uncomfortably before her, eyes carefully focused on the piece of paper held in the girl's very still hands. For Himura Kyoshi, it seemed an eternity as she knelt there, reading and re-reading every last line, until at last she calmed herself to manage not to tremble as she spoke.
"Arigato. It must have been a difficult journey to get this here…." She said in a low voice.
Clearing his throat, the messenger bowed, "The Oniwabanshu pride ourselves with supplying information. If we couldn't even smuggle a letter through, I fear okashira Misao would kill us." He smiled grimly, not with thoughts of the playful threat but of the stark reality that he has seen and which Kyoshi could only imagine with each piece of news.
For several weeks, there had been rumors of a revolution against the current Meiji government, and finally the truth has reached Kyoto. The neo-royalists party has led troops of massive proportions against the capital and several other key cities, taking over the government buildings as newly-elected ministers of the Party work from the inside. There has been several uprisings and barriers brought to the Meiji officials before, many of which were halted by the legendary samurai wanderer Himura Kenshin, but none as stationary and seemingly permanent one as this. The Party's members were not taking over with brute force or fearsomeness, but with words carefully guised and the people were being won over even though peace has reined for over twenty years. The Oni gang however, had gained valuable information that it was not all as it seems and that the Party had carried out acts of massacre and is holding government officials with bribes and threats. Now the government expects Kenshin to step in and right everything, as he did years ago.
Why tousan? What do they want him to do? Those bureaucrats always expect things to be handed to them on a silver platter………
These were the bitter thoughts that went through Kyoshi's mind, thoughts that had collected every time she saw her beloved father accomplish his 'national duties', fears that she had fully understood or come to terms with until now……….
With care, she folded the letter from her mother and turned away. The Oni follower took it as a signal and stood up to leave. As he passed the door, he nodded in respect to a young man who was pausing there. Myojin Yahiko watched sadly as drops of tears fell upon the bowed woman's lap, unbidden yet falling nonetheless……
---
"Leave it outside her door, Suzumi…."
The tawny haired woman stopped, "Demo….."
But Yahiko shook his head, and waved his chopsticks at the tray of food in her hands, "She needs to be alone. When she's hungry she'll eat……"
Though she would have wanted to see Kyoshi, Suzumi obeyed, her light colored kimono swishing around the corner. Her sister, Ayumi, frowned in worry, "She'll be alright, won't she?"
Beside her, her three children continued eating eagerly, little Miyaka smashing her fists into her potatoes, but Makoto's ears perked up even though his head was looking at his bowl. Yahiko sighed, putting down his soup, "I hope so………she just misses Kenshin……." Picking his food up again, he slurped away, but his brown eyes kept straying outside the room where Suzumi had gone…
---
In the dim darkness and comfort of her blankets, Kenshin's young daughter laid awake. Her filling azure eyes stared at the flickering flame next to her, being absorbed by the hypnotic emptiness within the heart of the fire. Then she stirred herself, and took a small note out of her pocket. She had found it in her room the day her father had left, just something he had scribbled down for her……….
Slowly she read, the words forming the picture of her dear mentor and confidante……….
Though I may leave you in body, I am with you in spirit…….be strong, my little samurai, my quiet bear…………
Quiet bear , the meaning of her name………..Kyoshi thought for a long time, before keeping back her treasure, then she looked at the sword at peace beside her body. Her slender fingers traced down the fine wooden sheath, and it gripped onto the firm wrapped handle, a sword worthy of a true samurai, like her father…….it was her other possession that she found with the note, something that she didn't tell even to Yahiko……now she held it close, feeling her father's hand and mind within it, with her….and the tired long-lashed eyes closed, weary from silenced cries…….
