Chapter Three

I caught up with her at the horses. She was in the process of saddling a small grey gelding. I watched her for several moments. Are you going to Julah, miss?

She continued what she was doing, sparing me only a brief look. You heard what he said, Kenshin! My brother's in Julah and I'm going after him!

It is a long way to Julah, that it is. You might want some help crossing the Punja, I gave her a hopeful smile. Please, I prayed, let her buy this. She'd going to get in a lot of trouble is she tries doing this without help, and I'd rather ride with her, than trail a few hours behind her.

Is that an offer, Kenshin? She shook her head. I don't need your help!

Now, miss, I continued. The Punja is a very dangerous country. It is very hot and very dry. If you do not know where the oases are, it is very easy to got lost and die of thirst. I pointed southward. You cannot see the edges of it, miss, but it is much worse.

The girl followed my direction. She shook slightly at the expanse of sand and rock and dying weeds. It's awful, she announced. Why is it like that?

I gave her a non-commital gesture. I have heard a story that it was made into a wasteland by the battle of two sorcerors. I do not know if it is true, miss.

She changed the subject. I don't need you, Kenshin!

I am only trying to help. I tried the best smile again, but she seemed to be immune.

She sighed. How much do you want?

Nothing, miss.

Here she turned around to give me the most doubtful look I have ever seen.

I just want to protect you, I explained. I do not want it on my conscience that I let you go into the Punja alone to die.

I can take care of myself! Her tone was challenging.

My face spread into a grin. Of course you can! I untied the rope which bound my own horse, a bay stallion, to a nearby post. I patted his nose familiarly, then pulled my hand quickly away to avoid being bitten.

She laughed. Fine guide you'll be! You can't even handle your horse!

Not wanting to offend, I joined her laughter. Then I unbuckled one of my saddlebags and dug through it, before coming out with a bright blue burnous. Gohei did not give yours back, but you may use mine. I handed her the neatly folded clothing.

She blushed slightly. Thank you, she said, before putting it on.

It looked perfect on her.

Kenshin, I reminded myself, if you are not careful you will put her in danger. Like the other-

How long is the journey to Julah? she inquired, as she mounted.

I mimicked her motion before answering. It may be three weeks, miss. Or it may be three months. The Punja is unpredictable, that it is.

Well, then let's hurry! she announced. And then we did.



We rode for a couple of hours with only a few interruptions. My horse is very sweet-natured, but occaisionally he likes to make me pay attention by pretending to try to throw me off. Sometimes I do not pay as much attention as I ought, and he accidentally succeeds. Mostly I manage to save myself in time. But he's a good horse, really.

After one of these interruptions, I got the feeling that it might have been the last attempt of the day, and I turned to my companion with a smile. You are riding a Southron horse, aren't you? What are the horses like in the North?

She shrugged. Four legs, a mane, a tail. I don't ride much.

I chuckled. You had me fooled.

You're very talkative for a sword-dancer. I thought they were generally, well, sort of surly, living only for the blood they can spill. She blushed faintly, picking at the leather of her reins.

Oh, I am a peaceful man at heart, that I am!

The blush gave way to a smile. She seemed to be cheering up. That was good.

Do you have a name, miss?

she announced. I'm sorry! I didn't realize I had forgotten to give you one! My name is Kaoru Kamiya. Call me Kaoru.

Miss Kaoru, I repeated. And you are looking for your brother?

That's right! I am.

I nodded. Do you know what might have happened to your brother, Miss Kaoru?

She looked away from me, a sadder expression coming over her face. It is like I said. He was stolen five years ago.

So sad. I wanted to cheer her up again, but there were other things I needed to know first. Why is your father not looking for him?

My father is dead, she said softly. And my uncle, my other brothers, even my little nieces . . . all of the Kamiya family except me and my brother.

It was a sad story and a familiar one. How did it happen?

There were raiders. She forced herself to look into my face. Kenshin, we were coming into the South, even as they were coming North. They attacked our caravan.

A little boy alone in the desert. The girls who died to save him, the traders who had taken them all to be sold as slaves, all dead. A dead caravan. Only the little boy . . . and the borjuni who wanted to kill him. I pushed the memory away. They stole your brother, I finished, And killed the others.

Except for me, she agreed.

How did you avoid their notice?

There was defiance in her eyes now. I didn't.

I thought I could see tears in her blue eyes, but it might have been the dust of the desert making her eyes water. Poor little girl, I thought. She would have been no more than a little girl at the time. I knew what the borjuni would have done to her. But you escaped, I offered. You escaped and now you are coming South to find your brother. You are very strong, Miss Kaoru. I'll find your brother for you, I promised silently, if he's alive, I swear it.

she whispered, yes, I am.



When night fell, we made a camp and I provided some rations. I was sorry to feed Kaoru trail rations, which were mostly cumfa, which is an unpleasant oil-preserved meat from a large desert reptile.

Kaoru nibbled at it doubtfully. After several bites, she inquired what it was.

I answered honestly. It's cumfa. They can get up to twenty feet long. Reptiles. The meat keeps well if it's properly preserved. I handed her a bota of water. You can wash the taste out of your mouth with this. Then I smiled. One day I'll cook some real food for you instead. I promise.

You cook? She looked astonished. I thought Southron men were too full of themselves for that. She smiled. Perhaps this won't be so bad, after all.

I didn't tell her that most Southron men would never think of cooking for themselves if there was a woman to cook for them. I didn't want to further ruin her evening. Instead, I changed the subject. How did you know to look for me in the cantina?

I was told that Gohei was likely to know about my brother, and I heard that Kenshin Himura was a friend of Gohei. I was given a description of you: red hair, violet eyes, and a cross-shaped scar.

I touched the scar with one finger. Yes, they would mention that. It is two scars really, Miss Kaoru. The first, I traced the vertical scar, was from a sandtiger. The second, the horizontal, I got in the revolution.

Sandtiger? Revolution?

Sandtigers are creatures of the Punja. They are vicious and deadly. If given the chance, they will eat you. I promised quickly, Do not fear. I will not allow them to hurt you.

I don't need your help, she said, as she had said earlier that afternoon. How did you come to fight one?

Certain that she had forgotten about the revolution, I was perfectly content to tell her the more well-known version of what had happened when I faced a sandtiger. One came upon me alone in the Punja, shortly before I met my Shodo. It pounced and gave me this scar, before I managed to kill it. I shrugged. It was a very long time ago, Miss Kaoru.

Who was your Shodo?

Another answer that was safe to answer. My Shodo was Seijiro Hiko from Alimat. He found me after I killed the sandtiger and accepted me for training. I took the bota from her. It is late now and time to sleep.

Goodnight, Kenshin, she said, before wrapping herself in her bedroll.

Goodnight, Miss Kaoru, I replied, watching as her eyes closed and her sad face grew gentle in sleep.