Chapter 3
Kenshin watched over Senko for the next three days. It wasn't very hard, Senko never left her room. In fact she never moved from her spot by the window except when it got too dark to see then she would crawl under her blanket and sleep. Food was brought to the two of them daily and every time the door opened Senko would look to Kenshin with worried eyes. She never did eat very much either.
One day after lunch had been brought to them Kenshin tried to get Senko to eat, like he did everyday. "It's soup today and it smells really good." He said as he pushed the bowl toward her. Senko looked at it as if it were something to be hated and looked back out the window. "You really should eat something; that you should." He said pleading.
"I'm not hungry."
Kenshin sighed. She was so stubborn. Then he got an idea. "I'm sure Unmei would want you to eat, what do you think?"
Senko looked at him then down at her soup. Without a word she picked it up and started to sip it. Kenshin smiled. He would get her well then the next time the ship stopped he would get her out of here and back home.
The next morning Senko was at her window again. "It's a nice day out." Kenshin said to her. Senko didn't move. "We should go up to the deck."
Senko swung her head around so fast it startled Kenshin. "We can't!" She screamed.
"Yes we can. The door isn't locked."
"You don't understand!"
"Oro?"
"If we go up there the sailors will want to fight you! Almost all of them use to be samurai and they are always looking for a fight!"
"Well then we have nothing to worry about!" Kenshin said with a smile. "Because I don't like fighting and won't fight back." Senko gave him a frustrated look. "Come on! Fresh air will do you good!" He said as he lifted her up.
"PUT ME DOWN!"
* * *
Senko breathed deeply once they were up on deck. The air seemed so much better than her stuffy room. She could also see out even farther here, she made a quick scan of the sea and like always saw nothing. "Thank you Kenshin." She said as she took in another breath of air.
"No need to thank me, that's what bodyguards do. They protect the ones they are looking after." Senko smiled. The wind blew and Senko's hair blew in her face, gently she pushed her hair out of her face. Kenshin watched her and put his hand on his left cheek.
Senko happened to catch him out of the corner of her eye mouthing a word as his fingers traced the scar on his cheek. He seemed so sad all of a sudden. "Kenshin?"
"Hm." He said turning to her with a big smile on his face.
"Hey! Aren't you supposed to be below deck?" A big man stomped up to them and Senko ducked behind Kenshin. He was at least two heads taller than Kenshin and almost three times as wide.
Kenshin smiled at the man. "We needed some fresh air. Besides, I don't remember being told that we had to stay down below."
The man's face went beat red. "Get below!" He hollered.
"Don't move." Kenshin whispered to Senko. Kenshin moved away from Senko who was beginning to shake. The sailor's eyes followed Kenshin's movements which is what Kenshin was hoping for. "We're not ready to go down yet." Kenshin said politely.
The man's face turned dark red. "I won't let you speak to me that way!" He pulled the blade at his side free and swung at Kenshin.
Senko closed her eyes and screamed. She fell to her knees and began to sob. "Why? Why did he make me come up here?"
"Are you alright Miss Senko?" Senko opened her eyes. She couldn't believe her eyes but there he was. Kenshin stood over her unharmed and his attacker seemed to be in shock over his missed swing.
"I'll get you for that!" The man screamed as he shook off his shock. He yelled and charged at the two of them. It all happened so quickly that Senko didn't have time to take a breath. It felt like a dream as Kenshin lifted her up and jumped out of the way. Kenshin sat her down gently when his feet hit the wood and Senko still felt as if she was dreaming. Kenshin moved away from Senko he didn't want her to get hurt.
The sailor was furious. "Stop running and draw your sword you coward!"
Kenshin smiled. "I'd rather not. I really don't like fighting."
The man huffed and charged at Kenshin. He would never be able to catch Kenshin but Senko didn't know this. With each swing the man took Senko's heart skipped a beat. After what felt like an eternity to Senko the man began to tire and stopped his attacks. As he stood trying to catch his breath Senko ran to Kenshin with tears in her eyes.
"Please!" She begged. "Please, let's go back to my room." Kenshin hated the fact that he was a cause of those tears.
"Alright." He said kindly. Kenshin turned his back on his attacker, who was still trying to catch his breath, and he and Senko made their way back to her room.
Suiso stood overhead and watched the two walk back to their rooms. He traced his lips with his finger as he thought over what he had just seen. "That man," he thought "will be a great ally." Suiso smiled to himself as he began to think.
Kenshin watched over Senko for the next three days. It wasn't very hard, Senko never left her room. In fact she never moved from her spot by the window except when it got too dark to see then she would crawl under her blanket and sleep. Food was brought to the two of them daily and every time the door opened Senko would look to Kenshin with worried eyes. She never did eat very much either.
One day after lunch had been brought to them Kenshin tried to get Senko to eat, like he did everyday. "It's soup today and it smells really good." He said as he pushed the bowl toward her. Senko looked at it as if it were something to be hated and looked back out the window. "You really should eat something; that you should." He said pleading.
"I'm not hungry."
Kenshin sighed. She was so stubborn. Then he got an idea. "I'm sure Unmei would want you to eat, what do you think?"
Senko looked at him then down at her soup. Without a word she picked it up and started to sip it. Kenshin smiled. He would get her well then the next time the ship stopped he would get her out of here and back home.
The next morning Senko was at her window again. "It's a nice day out." Kenshin said to her. Senko didn't move. "We should go up to the deck."
Senko swung her head around so fast it startled Kenshin. "We can't!" She screamed.
"Yes we can. The door isn't locked."
"You don't understand!"
"Oro?"
"If we go up there the sailors will want to fight you! Almost all of them use to be samurai and they are always looking for a fight!"
"Well then we have nothing to worry about!" Kenshin said with a smile. "Because I don't like fighting and won't fight back." Senko gave him a frustrated look. "Come on! Fresh air will do you good!" He said as he lifted her up.
"PUT ME DOWN!"
* * *
Senko breathed deeply once they were up on deck. The air seemed so much better than her stuffy room. She could also see out even farther here, she made a quick scan of the sea and like always saw nothing. "Thank you Kenshin." She said as she took in another breath of air.
"No need to thank me, that's what bodyguards do. They protect the ones they are looking after." Senko smiled. The wind blew and Senko's hair blew in her face, gently she pushed her hair out of her face. Kenshin watched her and put his hand on his left cheek.
Senko happened to catch him out of the corner of her eye mouthing a word as his fingers traced the scar on his cheek. He seemed so sad all of a sudden. "Kenshin?"
"Hm." He said turning to her with a big smile on his face.
"Hey! Aren't you supposed to be below deck?" A big man stomped up to them and Senko ducked behind Kenshin. He was at least two heads taller than Kenshin and almost three times as wide.
Kenshin smiled at the man. "We needed some fresh air. Besides, I don't remember being told that we had to stay down below."
The man's face went beat red. "Get below!" He hollered.
"Don't move." Kenshin whispered to Senko. Kenshin moved away from Senko who was beginning to shake. The sailor's eyes followed Kenshin's movements which is what Kenshin was hoping for. "We're not ready to go down yet." Kenshin said politely.
The man's face turned dark red. "I won't let you speak to me that way!" He pulled the blade at his side free and swung at Kenshin.
Senko closed her eyes and screamed. She fell to her knees and began to sob. "Why? Why did he make me come up here?"
"Are you alright Miss Senko?" Senko opened her eyes. She couldn't believe her eyes but there he was. Kenshin stood over her unharmed and his attacker seemed to be in shock over his missed swing.
"I'll get you for that!" The man screamed as he shook off his shock. He yelled and charged at the two of them. It all happened so quickly that Senko didn't have time to take a breath. It felt like a dream as Kenshin lifted her up and jumped out of the way. Kenshin sat her down gently when his feet hit the wood and Senko still felt as if she was dreaming. Kenshin moved away from Senko he didn't want her to get hurt.
The sailor was furious. "Stop running and draw your sword you coward!"
Kenshin smiled. "I'd rather not. I really don't like fighting."
The man huffed and charged at Kenshin. He would never be able to catch Kenshin but Senko didn't know this. With each swing the man took Senko's heart skipped a beat. After what felt like an eternity to Senko the man began to tire and stopped his attacks. As he stood trying to catch his breath Senko ran to Kenshin with tears in her eyes.
"Please!" She begged. "Please, let's go back to my room." Kenshin hated the fact that he was a cause of those tears.
"Alright." He said kindly. Kenshin turned his back on his attacker, who was still trying to catch his breath, and he and Senko made their way back to her room.
Suiso stood overhead and watched the two walk back to their rooms. He traced his lips with his finger as he thought over what he had just seen. "That man," he thought "will be a great ally." Suiso smiled to himself as he began to think.