Chapter 8
"Kenshin!" Kenmei called out when he saw him wandering the streets. "The Captain gave the order to leave!" Kenshin groaned. Late again.
Kenshin noticed the rather overly happy smile plastered on Suiso's face when he was back on the ship. "I'm glad to see that you've returned Kenshin." Suiso said when he spotted him. "I've always wondered. How you got that cross shape scar... on your left cheek." Suiso reached out to touch it but Kenshin backed up just out of reach of Suiso's fingers. Suiso laughed and looked over at the two men who had just boarded. They had Senko with them. "Senko! I thought you'd be glad to hear that I've decided to take you home! Your father should have all of the money by now."
Senko's face brightened. "Home?" She couldn't believe it. Kenshin looked with caution at Suiso, something wasn't right.
The weeks passed and soon land could be seen once again in the horizon. Suiso started to personally escort Senko up on deck to look at her homeland getting larger everyday. Kenshin was scrubbing the deck as he did everyday watching Suiso and Senko when Suiso called to him. "Kenshin why don't you come over here and keep Senko company? I have to check something with the navigator." Suiso walked off leaving Kenshin speechless.
Suiso had made sure Kenshin had spent no time together with Senko since the day Kenshin had told Senko to return to her room. Now he was letting them be alone. Kenshin walked up to Senko. "Hello Miss Senko. I'm glad you're okay; that I am."
Senko gave a wide smile back. "Oh Kenshin! I'm going home!"
"Yes soon you will be home safe and sound." Kenshin looked out over the water. He had hoped on getting Senko home with her father paying for her safe return but at least she will be home. Suddenly Kenshin was surprised by Senko rapping her arms around him and burying her head in his gi. Kenshin could feel the cloth getting wet from her tears. "Miss Senko what's wrong?"
"I'm so sorry! I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"Miss..."
"No! Don't call me that. I don't deserve to be called Miss. I did all of this to you." She looked up and touched his hair that had begun to grow out slightly. "Your hair. Your embarrassment. Your eyes." She whispered.
Kenshin let a small sigh escape his lips. "This is not your fault. I came of my own free will; that I did. Hair?" Kenshin laughed. "Hair will grow back, un-like lives. I was not embarrassed I was only disappointed that I could not protect you like a good bodyguard should. My eyes." Kenshin paused a moment. "I did that to myself." He answered gravely.
She placed her head on his chest again and cried. Suiso watched gleefully. "Good. He still cares for her."
In two days time the ship docked in Senko's home town. Suiso kept Kenshin very busy. Kenshin suspected that Suiso didn't want him sneaking off now that his trump card was being freed. That's what made Kenshin so uneasy. Why would Suiso let Senko go? He must have something else that would make Kenshin remain.
The ship set sail near dusk. The man Kenshin had seen leading Senko away earlier handed Suiso a bag full of money. Suiso counted it happily, over and over again. Kenshin let out a sigh it seems that everything went well. Kenshin left to watch the land disappear in the distance. Kenshin leaned on the rail and looked out at the water. Something still didn't feel right. "Senko." Kenshin whispered and headed to Senko's room.
Kenshin opened the door to the room and was horrified by the scene before him. Suiso sat with Senko's arms bound between his legs. His sword placed gently to her neck. On both sides of him stood some of the crew; Kenmei included. "I knew it wouldn't take you very long to find out Battòsai." Suiso said pleased with himself.
Kenshin stood unmoving. Suiso smiled. "I just don't understand why you want to put up this act of being some... some nobody wanderer!"
"You were to give Senko back to her father once they had paid the ransom." Kenshin said calmly.
"That's not the point here Battòsai!" Suiso snapped. "I want to know are you him? Your answer?"
"I have no use for that shameful name anymore." Both Kenmei's and Senko's eyes widened as Kenshin admitted to being the Battòsai.
"It can't be!" Kenmei thought wildly. "This man can't be the Battòsai!"
Kenshin stood motionless with cold amber eyes. "Release Miss Senko. You've gotten your money. You don't need her anymore."
Suiso grinned. "Really? Of course I don't need her. So I guess that I can just do this!" Suiso slowly slid his blade across Senko's throat. Senko let out a single sob. Kenshin reached for his blade. "DON'T MOVE!" Suiso screamed at Kenshin. A trickle of Senko's blood slid down Suiso's blade. "Tell me Battòsai, can you think of a reason for me to keep her?" He said with a smile. "I am quite certain that she is the only reason you have kept quiet for so long. As long as I have her in danger you won't do a thing? That's a pretty good reason for me to keep her. Don't you agree?"
Kenshin stood and let his hand drop from his blade. His head hung he thought a moment. "If." Kenshin said raising his head. "If I agree to stay with you and do as you bid would you release Miss Senko?"
Senko's eyes widened once more from surprise. "Please." She thought. "Please don't do this. Please don't do this to yourself."
Suiso let out a hardy laugh pressing his sword even closer to Senko's veins. "You think I would trust the word of a man slayer!" He laughed again. "Don't you dare take me as a fool!"
"No, not the word of a man slayer. The word of a wanderer."
Suiso frowned. "You want me to believe that you would surrender to me if I were to let her go." He snorted. "I think I shall keep her for insurance. Now my ship will go down in history! I will be known as the fearless Captain that made even the almighty Battòsai bow down to me!"
"Kenshin!" Kenmei called out when he saw him wandering the streets. "The Captain gave the order to leave!" Kenshin groaned. Late again.
Kenshin noticed the rather overly happy smile plastered on Suiso's face when he was back on the ship. "I'm glad to see that you've returned Kenshin." Suiso said when he spotted him. "I've always wondered. How you got that cross shape scar... on your left cheek." Suiso reached out to touch it but Kenshin backed up just out of reach of Suiso's fingers. Suiso laughed and looked over at the two men who had just boarded. They had Senko with them. "Senko! I thought you'd be glad to hear that I've decided to take you home! Your father should have all of the money by now."
Senko's face brightened. "Home?" She couldn't believe it. Kenshin looked with caution at Suiso, something wasn't right.
The weeks passed and soon land could be seen once again in the horizon. Suiso started to personally escort Senko up on deck to look at her homeland getting larger everyday. Kenshin was scrubbing the deck as he did everyday watching Suiso and Senko when Suiso called to him. "Kenshin why don't you come over here and keep Senko company? I have to check something with the navigator." Suiso walked off leaving Kenshin speechless.
Suiso had made sure Kenshin had spent no time together with Senko since the day Kenshin had told Senko to return to her room. Now he was letting them be alone. Kenshin walked up to Senko. "Hello Miss Senko. I'm glad you're okay; that I am."
Senko gave a wide smile back. "Oh Kenshin! I'm going home!"
"Yes soon you will be home safe and sound." Kenshin looked out over the water. He had hoped on getting Senko home with her father paying for her safe return but at least she will be home. Suddenly Kenshin was surprised by Senko rapping her arms around him and burying her head in his gi. Kenshin could feel the cloth getting wet from her tears. "Miss Senko what's wrong?"
"I'm so sorry! I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"Miss..."
"No! Don't call me that. I don't deserve to be called Miss. I did all of this to you." She looked up and touched his hair that had begun to grow out slightly. "Your hair. Your embarrassment. Your eyes." She whispered.
Kenshin let a small sigh escape his lips. "This is not your fault. I came of my own free will; that I did. Hair?" Kenshin laughed. "Hair will grow back, un-like lives. I was not embarrassed I was only disappointed that I could not protect you like a good bodyguard should. My eyes." Kenshin paused a moment. "I did that to myself." He answered gravely.
She placed her head on his chest again and cried. Suiso watched gleefully. "Good. He still cares for her."
In two days time the ship docked in Senko's home town. Suiso kept Kenshin very busy. Kenshin suspected that Suiso didn't want him sneaking off now that his trump card was being freed. That's what made Kenshin so uneasy. Why would Suiso let Senko go? He must have something else that would make Kenshin remain.
The ship set sail near dusk. The man Kenshin had seen leading Senko away earlier handed Suiso a bag full of money. Suiso counted it happily, over and over again. Kenshin let out a sigh it seems that everything went well. Kenshin left to watch the land disappear in the distance. Kenshin leaned on the rail and looked out at the water. Something still didn't feel right. "Senko." Kenshin whispered and headed to Senko's room.
Kenshin opened the door to the room and was horrified by the scene before him. Suiso sat with Senko's arms bound between his legs. His sword placed gently to her neck. On both sides of him stood some of the crew; Kenmei included. "I knew it wouldn't take you very long to find out Battòsai." Suiso said pleased with himself.
Kenshin stood unmoving. Suiso smiled. "I just don't understand why you want to put up this act of being some... some nobody wanderer!"
"You were to give Senko back to her father once they had paid the ransom." Kenshin said calmly.
"That's not the point here Battòsai!" Suiso snapped. "I want to know are you him? Your answer?"
"I have no use for that shameful name anymore." Both Kenmei's and Senko's eyes widened as Kenshin admitted to being the Battòsai.
"It can't be!" Kenmei thought wildly. "This man can't be the Battòsai!"
Kenshin stood motionless with cold amber eyes. "Release Miss Senko. You've gotten your money. You don't need her anymore."
Suiso grinned. "Really? Of course I don't need her. So I guess that I can just do this!" Suiso slowly slid his blade across Senko's throat. Senko let out a single sob. Kenshin reached for his blade. "DON'T MOVE!" Suiso screamed at Kenshin. A trickle of Senko's blood slid down Suiso's blade. "Tell me Battòsai, can you think of a reason for me to keep her?" He said with a smile. "I am quite certain that she is the only reason you have kept quiet for so long. As long as I have her in danger you won't do a thing? That's a pretty good reason for me to keep her. Don't you agree?"
Kenshin stood and let his hand drop from his blade. His head hung he thought a moment. "If." Kenshin said raising his head. "If I agree to stay with you and do as you bid would you release Miss Senko?"
Senko's eyes widened once more from surprise. "Please." She thought. "Please don't do this. Please don't do this to yourself."
Suiso let out a hardy laugh pressing his sword even closer to Senko's veins. "You think I would trust the word of a man slayer!" He laughed again. "Don't you dare take me as a fool!"
"No, not the word of a man slayer. The word of a wanderer."
Suiso frowned. "You want me to believe that you would surrender to me if I were to let her go." He snorted. "I think I shall keep her for insurance. Now my ship will go down in history! I will be known as the fearless Captain that made even the almighty Battòsai bow down to me!"