Rejoice! New chapter! I'm not quite sure what's going to happen, so
suggestions are appreciated.
Disclaimer: You get the idea. I don't own anything. I'm just a broke freshman with no way to support herself. Boo hoo.
The trek through the forest would have been lovely, if Kenshin were able to see anything. Instead, he concentrated on the steps of his strange captors, trying to match his steps with theirs, and successfully managing to walk without difficulty. It was kind of fun really, it reminded him of when his Shishou would make him fight blindfold. Back then he had not the skills he had now, honed to perfection after many years of use.
"We will pause for the night." A familiar voice sounded in the silence, which nearly surprised Kenshin. These people were masters of walking in silence. Kenshin had felt a change in the weather, and recognized the failing of the light through the blindfold. But with the way these people were able to go on walking for hours without rest, Kenshin surmised that they would just keep walking.
The blindfold was taken from Kenshin's eyes, and he was a bit disoriented by the change of surroundings.
"It was kind of you to remove my blindfold, Haldir-donno."
Haldir didn't exactly understand what the 'donno' endearment was, but he shrugged it off to ask at a later time. "We would not make you climb without sight." He gestured towards a rope ladder hanging out of a tree.
"Oro?" Kenshin asked out of habit, following the rope up with his eyes to what looked like a platform in the trees. "We are sleeping up there?"
Haldir answered with a nod and an explanation, "Our people prefer the safety of the trees rather than the ground. It is a more strategic position if we happen to have more intruders. Although the intruders we usually anticipate are those with the intent to kill." He explained.
"Why would they do that?" Kenshin asked, grabbing the rope ladder and climbing easily to the top after the other elves had climbed up. Haldir followed.
"The Orcs." He shook his head as he reached to top of the Flet. "It is best that we do not speak of such things at the moment. I suggest you do not attempt escape, we elves are light sleepers, and can shoot even a mouse in the dark. It would also not be wise to get lost in Lothlorien."
"I don't intend to Haldir-donno," He smiled, trying to hold back a some of the things he would have said in his older days. Probably something concerning his god-like speed, but he shook it off and decided it was best not to anger anyone. His past was behind him. "I just want to make it safely through these woods, and on my way. If that means speaking with your Lord and Lady, I think I should be on my best behavior then, ne?"
"By the way Mr. Himura," Haldir asked as he set his bow and quiver up against the trunk of the tree that the Flet surrounded, and took his position there himself, "You said before that you had no real destination. Why then do you wander? Do you not have a home?"
Kenshin leaned against the opposite side of the tree trunk, his sword at it's ever present position on his shoulder. It had been a habit to sleep in this way during the revolution, perhaps he had better stop. It wasn't as if he had to be ready for any knives in the dark, even though he had been captured. From what he could tell, they were just guardians doing their duty to protect their homeland. "I never really did have a home. Wandering also gives me the opportunity to save and protect as many people as possible."
"Protect? Save? What reason do you have to go around saving complete strangers?" The golden haired guardian asked.
"Atonement," was the wanderer's only reply. Haldir did not press the matter further. From Himura's tone of voice, it sounded as if the conversation dug up unpleasant memories. Haldir drifted into a light, trance-like sleep while the red haired rurouni closed his eyes, and found peace in the sounds of the night.
If I can find peace like this after thinking about my past, if it is only for a fleeting moment, then that means I am one step further away from the life of a hitokiri. How am I doing Tomoe-san? He wondered to himself, closing himself and surrendering to the tides of sleep that carried him away from the conscious world.
A.N's: Waaii! How did you like it? I'm trying to focus more on his transition from hitokiri to rurouni. A bit more nostalgia and angst in this chapter than in the last. Well, if only a little bit. I hope they aren't to OOC. Same as before, all flames will be fed to Ted the Balrog with soy sauce. Especially nasty ones will be fed to Momiji the rabbit with big pointy teeth.
Disclaimer: You get the idea. I don't own anything. I'm just a broke freshman with no way to support herself. Boo hoo.
The trek through the forest would have been lovely, if Kenshin were able to see anything. Instead, he concentrated on the steps of his strange captors, trying to match his steps with theirs, and successfully managing to walk without difficulty. It was kind of fun really, it reminded him of when his Shishou would make him fight blindfold. Back then he had not the skills he had now, honed to perfection after many years of use.
"We will pause for the night." A familiar voice sounded in the silence, which nearly surprised Kenshin. These people were masters of walking in silence. Kenshin had felt a change in the weather, and recognized the failing of the light through the blindfold. But with the way these people were able to go on walking for hours without rest, Kenshin surmised that they would just keep walking.
The blindfold was taken from Kenshin's eyes, and he was a bit disoriented by the change of surroundings.
"It was kind of you to remove my blindfold, Haldir-donno."
Haldir didn't exactly understand what the 'donno' endearment was, but he shrugged it off to ask at a later time. "We would not make you climb without sight." He gestured towards a rope ladder hanging out of a tree.
"Oro?" Kenshin asked out of habit, following the rope up with his eyes to what looked like a platform in the trees. "We are sleeping up there?"
Haldir answered with a nod and an explanation, "Our people prefer the safety of the trees rather than the ground. It is a more strategic position if we happen to have more intruders. Although the intruders we usually anticipate are those with the intent to kill." He explained.
"Why would they do that?" Kenshin asked, grabbing the rope ladder and climbing easily to the top after the other elves had climbed up. Haldir followed.
"The Orcs." He shook his head as he reached to top of the Flet. "It is best that we do not speak of such things at the moment. I suggest you do not attempt escape, we elves are light sleepers, and can shoot even a mouse in the dark. It would also not be wise to get lost in Lothlorien."
"I don't intend to Haldir-donno," He smiled, trying to hold back a some of the things he would have said in his older days. Probably something concerning his god-like speed, but he shook it off and decided it was best not to anger anyone. His past was behind him. "I just want to make it safely through these woods, and on my way. If that means speaking with your Lord and Lady, I think I should be on my best behavior then, ne?"
"By the way Mr. Himura," Haldir asked as he set his bow and quiver up against the trunk of the tree that the Flet surrounded, and took his position there himself, "You said before that you had no real destination. Why then do you wander? Do you not have a home?"
Kenshin leaned against the opposite side of the tree trunk, his sword at it's ever present position on his shoulder. It had been a habit to sleep in this way during the revolution, perhaps he had better stop. It wasn't as if he had to be ready for any knives in the dark, even though he had been captured. From what he could tell, they were just guardians doing their duty to protect their homeland. "I never really did have a home. Wandering also gives me the opportunity to save and protect as many people as possible."
"Protect? Save? What reason do you have to go around saving complete strangers?" The golden haired guardian asked.
"Atonement," was the wanderer's only reply. Haldir did not press the matter further. From Himura's tone of voice, it sounded as if the conversation dug up unpleasant memories. Haldir drifted into a light, trance-like sleep while the red haired rurouni closed his eyes, and found peace in the sounds of the night.
If I can find peace like this after thinking about my past, if it is only for a fleeting moment, then that means I am one step further away from the life of a hitokiri. How am I doing Tomoe-san? He wondered to himself, closing himself and surrendering to the tides of sleep that carried him away from the conscious world.
A.N's: Waaii! How did you like it? I'm trying to focus more on his transition from hitokiri to rurouni. A bit more nostalgia and angst in this chapter than in the last. Well, if only a little bit. I hope they aren't to OOC. Same as before, all flames will be fed to Ted the Balrog with soy sauce. Especially nasty ones will be fed to Momiji the rabbit with big pointy teeth.