Chapter One

The storms of the night before gave way to a glorious morning. The sun tried to break through the leaves of the trees as the songbirds chirped about with their harmonious melody. Pools of rain left on the leaves fell to the ground as a gentle wind passed by, some drops landing on Kaoru as she passed though. There would have been a time when she would have smiled at the sight before her. How she enjoyed the purity of nature back when she was a child. But, she was a child no more, she could no longer enjoy the song of the birds or the whispers of the wind. No, they were not for her. She just continued to travel though an area familiar to her, though not heavily traveled. In fact, she never came across anyone since she started her trips here to visit her loved ones. She much liked it that way.

Kaoru found a large tree with an intimidating trunk. A few feet away on the ground was the remnants of a campfire. She smiled and removed her heavy, rain-soaked cloak and a small sack. She opened it and removed a crude lighter. She gathered some large limbs that fell during the night. Most were damp, but a light dosing of oil would make the wood burn, and burn they did. Kaoru rested her sword to the side and removed the rest of her clothing, a western style shirt and pants as well as her undergarments. She then built a little stand above the flames and placed her clothes on it carefully to make sure they would not fall in the fire. She then sat her nude body against the damp bark of the tree. She dug into her sack and pulled out a stale cracker and popped it into her mouth. She would have to hunt today, for there wasn't another town for several hours.

Nibbling on her food, she rested her head back and took in a deep breath. It was a nice day for travelling, she thought to herself, feeling the warm summer sun beam on her weathered flesh. Skin that was once nearly blemish-free was now heavily scarred. Her hands were never soft due to her training with the bokken since her youth, but they had grown callused, yet somehow maintaining their feminine thinness. Her face, once bright and youthful was now dark and matured, though her beauty was still apparent. She was the same, yet different. Her dark mane flowed to her waist, she usually kept it bound in a bun. She let it lay free for the moment, slightly covering her bare body. Kaoru was just beginning to dose off when she heard something rustle in the distance. Her body perked up and she grabbed her shirt from the stand, slipping it over her frame. She picked up her katana and skillfully stalked towards the source of the sound. She ducked towards some bushes and watched intently. Moments later, a fragile figure on a horse slowly trotted through. The person was hooded, the only exposed feature their hands. Kaoru stood, making her presence known.

"State your name and your business here," she proclaimed, still holding her sword, ensuring that was visible as well. The figure stopped his mare and exposed his own sword, but then quickly put one hand in the air.

"I do not wish to intrude. I am only lost, trying to find my way to the village of Uuban," the familiar voice stated. Kaoru narrowed her eyes, trying to remember where she had heard that voice before. She could have sworn it was his voice, but…no, it couldn't be.

"The village you seek is towards the rising sun. Riding should take but two hours," she stated firmly, pointing him into the right direction. Hopefully, that would be enough for him to leave her be. But, it wasn't.

"Were you cooking something," the hooded man asked, pointing to the smoke rising from behind the large tree. Kaoru looked at him with a puzzled expression, then turned around. She sniffed the air. It was her clothes! She ran to the area and saw her cloak, pants and undergarments ablaze. She knew they were lost and only punched the tree in anger. Damn that man. If only he hadn't come this way, she would still have clothes to wear. She hit the tree again, this time making it shake and water fall from the leaves, sprinkling her with cool drops. Kaoru growled and gathered her remaining belongings. She put on her boots, grabbed her sack and fastened her holster to her waist, putting her katana on her left side. Putting out the fire was another story. It had grown large from its new fuel, namely her clothes. She kicked the damp earth onto it, but it did nothing. She then heard the man come from behind her, but when she turned around, she couldn't follow his movements. She turned back to the blaze, only to see it already doused by a large amount of water from the man's canteen.

"Well, it seems the fire is out," he said to her, smiling even though she could not see. Kaoru felt her anger rise, her outlet was to be the stranger…the familiar stranger. She stalked him, her slender body moving in on him. He backed with her every step, not wanted to upset her more.

"You have done more than enough. Now all I have is this shirt and boots to wear. I am practically naked. I cannot travel like this," she spat, preparing to draw her sword. "Though, I'm sure I could use your mare and your clothes."

The hooded man reached for his own sword, but continued to back away. She was still fiery, he thought.

"I will be more than happy to give you my extra pants and cloak, though, I do not have any undergarments that would suit you. I will be happy to purchase them for you when we get to the next town, since you were so kind to direct me," he said, carefully trying to calm her mood. She stopped closing in and chuckled a bit.

"When 'we' go into town? I will not travel with you. Besides, I have business to tend to," she said, looking off towards the north. The hooded traveler walked back to his horse and pulled a bundle of fabric from his saddlebag.

"What business could you possibly have in these parts. Also, how will you get to the next town with nothing but a damp blouse and a sword," he asked, airing out his extra clothing. He walked back over to Kaoru and offered them to her. She eyed them for a moment, then snatched them away and began to dress herself in front of him. The man blushed a bit at her lack of modestly…but, this era was not one of such attributes.

"That is no matter you need to concern yourself with, but I will accept your offer, stranger," she said, putting the cloak over her body. Though it belonged to a male, the clothes fit her nicely. The man was of a very small, feminine frame. She couldn't even tell if he was male or female until he spoke. Still, his voice was alto…and quite soothing if she said so herself.

"Very well. Are were to travel to the north to handle your…business," he asked, mounting his horse. Kaoru smirked and pushed him back on his mare, taking the reigns.

"Yes," she replied as she kicked the horse and made it ride hard into the forest. Soon, they came to a clearing. It was a peaceful area with three large stones protruding from the lush green grass. They were graves, unmarked, but grand none-the-less. Kaoru did not exchange any words with the hooded man as she dismounted and walked over to the headstones. She spoke to each one, bowing and praying. The whole time, not a single tear shed from her eye, but face was full of emotion. She then rose and returned to the horse and continued to the town of Uuban. Both were silent for the duration of trip, for the traveler was afraid to ask her anything. He did not want to know who was buried there. He did not want to offend her by asking to divulge her past. Of course, it was tragic…as most were in this era. The Meiji era fell only eleven short years after it began, bringing about the era of Shinko. For the past six years, all that has been known is death and fighting. They way of the sword had been reduced to meaningless babble, with few people knowing the true art, or even caring. They just killed.

Soon, they were at the town. It was only midday and the main road was fairly empty. It was probably due to the extreme heat, Kaoru rationalized, dismounted once more. Her thighs ached from the hard ride. It had been several months since she had ridden a horse. It was not her most favorite creature, but they got the job done. The hooded man dismounted as well and led his mare to a little inn called Himura Lodging. Kaoru's eyes widened, her heart sinking to her knees.

"I take it you knew who I was for the moment you saw me," Kaoru said, her eyes lowered to the ground, trying to fight her anger.

"I take it you knew who I was as well, that you did," the man said, finally removing his hood. His red hair sparkled in the sunlight, though they did not match the brilliance of his violet eyes, eyes that were cool and demanding. The large cross-like scar on his left cheek confirmed his identity.

Himura Kenshin.

Kaoru's chest heaved heavily, her face turning red as berries. Her hand ached for her to reach for her katana and slash his throat, but she knew not to strike in anger. She looked at his sword and noticed it was not the same Sakabatou he had once carried. It was a katana like her own, made for Batto Jutsu.

"I see you have broken many promises," she spat, eyeing his left hip. Fighting a losing battle to control her anger, she simply turned around and began to walk towards the linen maker in town. Kenshin ran after her. She stopped before he had reached her and balled her fists.

"I have only recently made my way as an inn-keeper, but I have remained quite the Rurouni. Will you please stay with me, so we can talk," Kenshin muttered, only hoping she would stay, knowing there was no real reason for her to do so. She turned to him, her eyes a fiercer than they were before. There was a darkness about her, one he had never known. It was unsettling to him.

"You are dead to me," was all she said as she continued forward. Kenshin watched her walk away from him. A part of him wanted to chase her down, but he felt it wiser to let her go. Kenshin tied up his horse and made his way inside is inn, wondering what happened to the bright-face girl he left in Tokyo.