Apprentice
Chapter 17
Aoiya Blues
The Kenshin-gumi's arrival at the Aoiya was not as usual. There was no Misao bouncing out to greet them. Kenshin discovered he missed that, in spite of her tendency to tease and annoy him at times. Kaoru and Megumi said quick greetings to the staff and went upstairs. Aoshi politely invited the men for some refreshments.
As soon as their things had been settled in their respective rooms, and they had refreshed themselves, fed and changed the baby, the two women went to the private wing of the Aoiya to find Misao.
"We're here, Misao, please open the door," called Kaoru through the door. "Megumi is with me."
The Aoiya had been rebuilt and added on to in a more Western style since it had almost burned down during the fires started by Fuji, Shishio's huge henchman.
"Come in," said a child's voice. As they entered the common area of the suit of rooms, they saw Yuki sitting on a Western style chair reading a book.
"How is your okaasan?" asked Kaoru after greeting the girl.
"She's sick," Yuki said shortly. "But she gets better after a while."
"So we heard," Megumi told her. "Would you like to watch Souzou for me while I go see your mother? He's asleep, I'm just going to lay him down on this cushion."
Yuki shrugged, and replied "Hai," and went back to her book.
"Charming child," said Megumi sarcastically as they went down the short hallway. "She's got her father's devastating wit."
Kaoru grinned behind her hand. "I noticed. Although she is a very bright child, from what I Misao has told me."
"Pretty thing too," begrudged Megumi. "There's a lethal combination."
"It's worked out well for you, Megumi," said Kaoru, smiling at her good friend. The days when they were rivals where long past, but Kaoru had always envied her older friend her classic beauty and grace. To be blessed with both beauty and brains was something she couldn't help but envy at times.
"Thank you, Kaoru," Megumi sounded a little surprised at the compliment. "Believe me, there was a time when I thought of beauty as nothing but a curse."
Kaoru patted her arm briefly. "I know," she replied quietly.
The door to the sitting room adjoining the bedroom opened to a pale and slightly haggard Misao, dressed in her sleeping robe.
"Come in," she croaked. "Please sit down."
"Oh, poor Misao!" said Kaoru, impulsively hugging her friend.
"Morning sickness?" asked Megumi, not unsympathetically.
"Why do they call it that?" asked Misao miserably. "It lasts all day!"
Kaoru giggled in spite of herself. "I know," she said, rolling her eyes. "Some man must have named it that."
"Here," said Megumi, handing Misao a small packet. "Something that will help."
"What is it?" asked Misao, opening it and sniffing it suspiciously.
"Dried and powdered ginger," replied Megumi. "It does wonders to settle the stomach, and helps with dizziness. Put it in boiling water and drink it as a strong tea." (This is absolutely true, by the way. Works for motion sickness, also. And totally safe, even for kids. Tastes okay too, especially with honey.)
"Thank you, Megumi," said Misao, "I'll send for hot water and try it right away. Did you bring the baby?"
"Yes, he's too little to leave just yet," said Megumi. "Yuki-chan is watching him, he's asleep in the parlor on a pillow."
"I want to see him," said Misao, "Let's go out there."
They went out. "Yuki-chan, please go down to the kitchen and have them send up hot water, tea, and something to eat. I'm sure you must be hungry," said Misao to them. "I'm forgetting my manners."
"Hai," said Yuki, climbing down from the chair and closing her book. She left quickly.
"She's not exactly happy about the new baby," sighed Misao. "She's so jealous of her father's affections."
"That's normal, I suppose," replied Kaoru. She briefly wondered how Kenji- chan would react if her and Kenshin had another child and found she couldn't guess. She shrugged mentally. Kenji was a hard child to anticipate, she thought. One could never tell how he'd react to anything.
Megumi went to pick up Souzou, who was stirring on his cushion on the floor.
"He looks just like the tori-atama!" exclaimed Misao, misery temporarily forgotten.
"Why does everyone keep saying that?" asked Megumi, rolling her eyes, but smiling. "Who else would he look like?"
Misao put her hands out. "May I hold him?" she asked.
"Of course," said Megumi. She walked over and placed the baby in Misao's lap.
"Oh, he's so cute!" exclaimed Misao.
It was true. Souzou was at that age when babies have lost that unfinished look of early infancy and truly become irresistible, at least to most people.
"I wonder what this baby will look like?" sighed Misao.
"Yuki-chan is lovely," said Kaoru. "I can't imagine any child of yours and Aoshi-san's being other than very beautiful."
"Thank you, Kaoru," said Misao. "Aoshi is so handsome, isn't he?" She sighed, with a dreamy look on her face.
Kaoru and Megumi shot each other a knowing look as Misao played with Souzou. They were thinking the same thing. Misao still thought the sun rose and set on Shinomouri Aoshi and probably would until the day she died.
"So, when are you and Kenshin going to see Kenji?' Misao asked.
"Sano, Kenshin and I are going to walk up tomorrow," replied Kaoru. She sounded excited already at the prospect of seeing her son again. "We'll stay a day or so and then bring Kenji back here. Who knows, we might even persuade Hiko-san to come down for the celebration."
"I'll be staying here," Megumi said, "I can't possibly take Souzou up there," she said by way of explanation.
"No, of course not," said Misao absently. "You and I will spend the time together then, Megumi. We'll have fun. There's so much to do in Kyoto!"
A knock at the door signaled the arrival of refreshments. Omasu came in bringing a large tray.
"Sit down with us, Omasu-kun," said Misao, patting a chair next to her.
"Thank you," said the tall and graceful ninja woman, putting the tray on a small table and sitting down. She was wearing a pale yellow kimono that set off her chestnut brown hair and pale green-brown eyes to advantage. "She's so lovely," thought Kaoru, briefly, "I wonder why she's never married? She probably thinks she's too old now."
"We were just discussing Kaoru seeing Kenji tomorrow," said Misao to her older "sister" as she thought of Omasu and Okon, both.
"He's doing very well," said Omasu, making and pouring tea for everyone. "Hiko-san says that Kenji is a very talented student," she said, suddenly coy.
"Omasu has been taking your letters up to Hiko-san for us," Misao informed Kaoru.
"I see," Kaoru said, "Thank you for that, Omasu-kun."
"Oh, it was nothing," the woman replied kindly, deftly handing out small bowls of soba, cakes and tea.
"Omasu-kun has been taking your letters to Hiko-san up the mountain for years now," said Misao. "She doesn't mind doing this favor for you, do you, Omasu?"
Omasu blushed furiously and quietly replied, "No, not at all, Misao-chan."
Kaoru and Megumi exchanged a knowing look. Kaoru could almost see fox-ears appearing on her friend's glossy black head.
"So, Omasu-san," Megumi began, "why hasn't a lovely woman such as yourself ever married? If I may ask," she finished, archly, raising her brows up to her fringe of dark bangs.
Omasu fidgeted slightly under Megumi's piercing cinnamon gaze. "I-I really can't say," she demurred, quickly swallowing some tea.
"I see," said Megumi, likewise sipping her tea.
"Well, Misao-chan, Kaoru-san, Megumi-sensei, I must excuse myself, I have urgent matters to attend to," Omasu said suddenly, rising from her chair gracefully.
"Would you like to come with us tomorrow, Omasu-kun?" asked Kaoru innocently as the tall woman reached for the door.
Omasu froze. "I-I, well, I don't know," she replied, hesistantly, looking at Misao.
"You may certainly go if you wish," said Misao, distracted still by Souzou wiggling on her lap. "Someone else can take your shift."
"Arigato, Misao-chan," said Omasu quietly. "When are you leaving in the morning?" she asked Kaoru.
"Daybreak, I imagine," said Kaoru.
"I'll be there," Omasu said as she exited through the door.
(AN: I know this is a very "girly" chapter. I'm a female, deal with it. Yes, Megumi has divined that Omasu is indeed Hiko's mistress. You didn't think he was celibate, did you? You must be kidding! Hiko?)
Chapter 17
Aoiya Blues
The Kenshin-gumi's arrival at the Aoiya was not as usual. There was no Misao bouncing out to greet them. Kenshin discovered he missed that, in spite of her tendency to tease and annoy him at times. Kaoru and Megumi said quick greetings to the staff and went upstairs. Aoshi politely invited the men for some refreshments.
As soon as their things had been settled in their respective rooms, and they had refreshed themselves, fed and changed the baby, the two women went to the private wing of the Aoiya to find Misao.
"We're here, Misao, please open the door," called Kaoru through the door. "Megumi is with me."
The Aoiya had been rebuilt and added on to in a more Western style since it had almost burned down during the fires started by Fuji, Shishio's huge henchman.
"Come in," said a child's voice. As they entered the common area of the suit of rooms, they saw Yuki sitting on a Western style chair reading a book.
"How is your okaasan?" asked Kaoru after greeting the girl.
"She's sick," Yuki said shortly. "But she gets better after a while."
"So we heard," Megumi told her. "Would you like to watch Souzou for me while I go see your mother? He's asleep, I'm just going to lay him down on this cushion."
Yuki shrugged, and replied "Hai," and went back to her book.
"Charming child," said Megumi sarcastically as they went down the short hallway. "She's got her father's devastating wit."
Kaoru grinned behind her hand. "I noticed. Although she is a very bright child, from what I Misao has told me."
"Pretty thing too," begrudged Megumi. "There's a lethal combination."
"It's worked out well for you, Megumi," said Kaoru, smiling at her good friend. The days when they were rivals where long past, but Kaoru had always envied her older friend her classic beauty and grace. To be blessed with both beauty and brains was something she couldn't help but envy at times.
"Thank you, Kaoru," Megumi sounded a little surprised at the compliment. "Believe me, there was a time when I thought of beauty as nothing but a curse."
Kaoru patted her arm briefly. "I know," she replied quietly.
The door to the sitting room adjoining the bedroom opened to a pale and slightly haggard Misao, dressed in her sleeping robe.
"Come in," she croaked. "Please sit down."
"Oh, poor Misao!" said Kaoru, impulsively hugging her friend.
"Morning sickness?" asked Megumi, not unsympathetically.
"Why do they call it that?" asked Misao miserably. "It lasts all day!"
Kaoru giggled in spite of herself. "I know," she said, rolling her eyes. "Some man must have named it that."
"Here," said Megumi, handing Misao a small packet. "Something that will help."
"What is it?" asked Misao, opening it and sniffing it suspiciously.
"Dried and powdered ginger," replied Megumi. "It does wonders to settle the stomach, and helps with dizziness. Put it in boiling water and drink it as a strong tea." (This is absolutely true, by the way. Works for motion sickness, also. And totally safe, even for kids. Tastes okay too, especially with honey.)
"Thank you, Megumi," said Misao, "I'll send for hot water and try it right away. Did you bring the baby?"
"Yes, he's too little to leave just yet," said Megumi. "Yuki-chan is watching him, he's asleep in the parlor on a pillow."
"I want to see him," said Misao, "Let's go out there."
They went out. "Yuki-chan, please go down to the kitchen and have them send up hot water, tea, and something to eat. I'm sure you must be hungry," said Misao to them. "I'm forgetting my manners."
"Hai," said Yuki, climbing down from the chair and closing her book. She left quickly.
"She's not exactly happy about the new baby," sighed Misao. "She's so jealous of her father's affections."
"That's normal, I suppose," replied Kaoru. She briefly wondered how Kenji- chan would react if her and Kenshin had another child and found she couldn't guess. She shrugged mentally. Kenji was a hard child to anticipate, she thought. One could never tell how he'd react to anything.
Megumi went to pick up Souzou, who was stirring on his cushion on the floor.
"He looks just like the tori-atama!" exclaimed Misao, misery temporarily forgotten.
"Why does everyone keep saying that?" asked Megumi, rolling her eyes, but smiling. "Who else would he look like?"
Misao put her hands out. "May I hold him?" she asked.
"Of course," said Megumi. She walked over and placed the baby in Misao's lap.
"Oh, he's so cute!" exclaimed Misao.
It was true. Souzou was at that age when babies have lost that unfinished look of early infancy and truly become irresistible, at least to most people.
"I wonder what this baby will look like?" sighed Misao.
"Yuki-chan is lovely," said Kaoru. "I can't imagine any child of yours and Aoshi-san's being other than very beautiful."
"Thank you, Kaoru," said Misao. "Aoshi is so handsome, isn't he?" She sighed, with a dreamy look on her face.
Kaoru and Megumi shot each other a knowing look as Misao played with Souzou. They were thinking the same thing. Misao still thought the sun rose and set on Shinomouri Aoshi and probably would until the day she died.
"So, when are you and Kenshin going to see Kenji?' Misao asked.
"Sano, Kenshin and I are going to walk up tomorrow," replied Kaoru. She sounded excited already at the prospect of seeing her son again. "We'll stay a day or so and then bring Kenji back here. Who knows, we might even persuade Hiko-san to come down for the celebration."
"I'll be staying here," Megumi said, "I can't possibly take Souzou up there," she said by way of explanation.
"No, of course not," said Misao absently. "You and I will spend the time together then, Megumi. We'll have fun. There's so much to do in Kyoto!"
A knock at the door signaled the arrival of refreshments. Omasu came in bringing a large tray.
"Sit down with us, Omasu-kun," said Misao, patting a chair next to her.
"Thank you," said the tall and graceful ninja woman, putting the tray on a small table and sitting down. She was wearing a pale yellow kimono that set off her chestnut brown hair and pale green-brown eyes to advantage. "She's so lovely," thought Kaoru, briefly, "I wonder why she's never married? She probably thinks she's too old now."
"We were just discussing Kaoru seeing Kenji tomorrow," said Misao to her older "sister" as she thought of Omasu and Okon, both.
"He's doing very well," said Omasu, making and pouring tea for everyone. "Hiko-san says that Kenji is a very talented student," she said, suddenly coy.
"Omasu has been taking your letters up to Hiko-san for us," Misao informed Kaoru.
"I see," Kaoru said, "Thank you for that, Omasu-kun."
"Oh, it was nothing," the woman replied kindly, deftly handing out small bowls of soba, cakes and tea.
"Omasu-kun has been taking your letters to Hiko-san up the mountain for years now," said Misao. "She doesn't mind doing this favor for you, do you, Omasu?"
Omasu blushed furiously and quietly replied, "No, not at all, Misao-chan."
Kaoru and Megumi exchanged a knowing look. Kaoru could almost see fox-ears appearing on her friend's glossy black head.
"So, Omasu-san," Megumi began, "why hasn't a lovely woman such as yourself ever married? If I may ask," she finished, archly, raising her brows up to her fringe of dark bangs.
Omasu fidgeted slightly under Megumi's piercing cinnamon gaze. "I-I really can't say," she demurred, quickly swallowing some tea.
"I see," said Megumi, likewise sipping her tea.
"Well, Misao-chan, Kaoru-san, Megumi-sensei, I must excuse myself, I have urgent matters to attend to," Omasu said suddenly, rising from her chair gracefully.
"Would you like to come with us tomorrow, Omasu-kun?" asked Kaoru innocently as the tall woman reached for the door.
Omasu froze. "I-I, well, I don't know," she replied, hesistantly, looking at Misao.
"You may certainly go if you wish," said Misao, distracted still by Souzou wiggling on her lap. "Someone else can take your shift."
"Arigato, Misao-chan," said Omasu quietly. "When are you leaving in the morning?" she asked Kaoru.
"Daybreak, I imagine," said Kaoru.
"I'll be there," Omasu said as she exited through the door.
(AN: I know this is a very "girly" chapter. I'm a female, deal with it. Yes, Megumi has divined that Omasu is indeed Hiko's mistress. You didn't think he was celibate, did you? You must be kidding! Hiko?)
