Chapter 10
Senko coughed as the smoke filled her lungs. She heard someone calling her name but she didn't recognize the voice. Then a man jumped through the flames and put a supportive hand around her waist. "You'll be okay Miss Senko that you will. You just have to hang on that you must!"
"Kenshin?" She answered him unbelieving.
"Yes, I am still your bodyguard and as Miss Senko's bodyguard this one must protect you." With that Kenshin lifted Senko off her feet and headed out the way he had come. Senko grabbed Kenshin's gi with all the strength she had left. She could feel the cloth get heavy with moisture as the sweat poured off his body.
Kenshin reached the deck but it too was now engulfed in flames. Kenshin leaped as each time his foot hit the burning wood it crumbled from underneath him. They were almost to the rail when Kenshin shouted: "I'm going to jump off the ship so get ready to hold your breath Miss Senko!" Senko gave an understanding murmur as Kenshin jumped as far as he could from the burning ship. Kenshin hugged Senko close to him and Senko hugged back. "Now hold your breath!" Kenshin informed her as they were about to hit the water. Senko filled her lungs with air and held her breath as they plunged head first into the cold, dark sea.
Senko felt something cold and hard pressing against her face. She felt reluctant to open her eyes but slowly she let them open. The first, and only, thing she saw was Kenshin staring dreamily at the sky. The next thing she noticed was that he was outlined by water.
Kenshin's eyes drifted down at Senko. "Oh good you're awake." He said merrily. Senko sat up carefully and discovered that they were floating on part of the ship. "We are very lucky." Kenshin stated as he stuck his bare feet in the water. His sandals and socks next to him.
Senko sighed staring at his pale feet as they rippled in the water. "This is worse then before."
"Actually" Kenshin pointed a finger straight out in front of him "we are VERY lucky." Senko traced his finger and looked in front of them. She could see land forming in the distance. Her mouth dropped a moment then she started to laugh. She began to laugh so hard that tears came to her eyes. Kenshin smiled back at her. "Oh Kenshin!" She fell onto him and hugged him rocking the boat.
"Miss Senko! Please you're going to make us fall in!" Kenshin yelled as he tried to steady the boat. Senko's face went red and she jerked herself off of him; making the boat rock even more. "Oro!" Kenshin yelled as he fell in.
"Kenshin!" Senko screamed horrified. Kenshin let out a laugh as he skillfully got back on without rocking it.
"That's alright Miss Senko this one was a little hot." They both laughed happily as Kenshin rung out his clothes.
Senko took her first step on land and fell in the sand. "Careful Miss Senko you haven't been on steady ground for many months." Kenshin said as he helped her up. She swayed as they stood together. Kenshin helped her walk and they made their way down the shore.
"It feels so good to be on steady ground again." She said as she could step more confidently. "I can't wait to see my father again!" She tried to leap but when she landed she began to topple over.
"Miss Senko!" Kenshin tried to catch her but was dragged down on top of her when she grabbed him. "Ororororoooooo!" He stuttered. Senko laughed at him.
"Oi! What are you doing?" A voice shouted at them. Kenshin picked up his head and saw a man headed toward them. "Get off her!" The man said angrily when he saw the two lying on the ground.
Kenshin gasped and quickly stood up. "Please calm down." Kenshin said with his hands up in front of him. "We just fell!" Senko placed both hands over her mouth but she continued to laugh.
The man walked up, he had light brown hair and stood a half a head taller than Kenshin. "You fell!" He looked down at Kenshin's sword. "Looking for a little excitement samurai!!"
"Please..." Kenshin started but was interrupted.
"Brother!" Senko shouted after she had gotten a good look at the man. She stood up. "Unmei is it really you!"
"Senko I won't let him hurt you!" He stepped in front of his sister. "Senko how ever did you escape Suiso!" He said as he raised his fist toward Kenshin. Kenshin sighed with his hands still up and opened.
"Unmei! Leave Kenshin alone! He saved me!" Senko said when she realized that her brother was still mad at Kenshin.
"He did."
Kenshin smiled. "Tried, however, this one didn't really do much." He wondered if he could put his hands down yet.
Unmei fell to his knees. "Thank-you! Thank-you for saving my sister I am forever in your dept!"
"That's... that's alright." Kenshin said as he lowered his hands. Unmei jumped up to his feet and Kenshin raised his hands again thinking Unmei was going to attack him but Unmei turned and hugged Senko.
"Senko! I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you." He was crying. "Sister, I have been working and saving up for a boat so that I could follow you but here you are." He held her out at arms length. She too was crying. "We can go home together." He hugged her again.
Kenshin watched them a moment smiling. Quietly he started toward the path that he guessed would lead him to a town. He had done what he had set out to do. "Kenshin wait!" Kenshin stopped and looked behind him. Senko was slowly and unsteadily making her way toward him.
"Miss Senko." He turned and waited for her to reach him with Unmei behind her. "Miss Senko you have your brother now for a bodyguard. You don't need this one anymore."
"But Kenshin." She said sadly. Then she glared at him with a smile. "You think you can just leave a job unfinished?"
"Oro."
"You still have to take me home. Then I will relieve you of your bodyguard duties to me!"
Kenshin smiled. "You don't need this one. You need someone like your brother."
Unmei slapped his hand hard on Kenshin's shoulders. "A young girl as beautiful as her can use more than one bodyguard! Please join us on our journey home."
"Please Kenshin!" Senko pleaded.
"Alright." Kenshin answered with a laugh. Senko smiled and hugged him.
Senko coughed as the smoke filled her lungs. She heard someone calling her name but she didn't recognize the voice. Then a man jumped through the flames and put a supportive hand around her waist. "You'll be okay Miss Senko that you will. You just have to hang on that you must!"
"Kenshin?" She answered him unbelieving.
"Yes, I am still your bodyguard and as Miss Senko's bodyguard this one must protect you." With that Kenshin lifted Senko off her feet and headed out the way he had come. Senko grabbed Kenshin's gi with all the strength she had left. She could feel the cloth get heavy with moisture as the sweat poured off his body.
Kenshin reached the deck but it too was now engulfed in flames. Kenshin leaped as each time his foot hit the burning wood it crumbled from underneath him. They were almost to the rail when Kenshin shouted: "I'm going to jump off the ship so get ready to hold your breath Miss Senko!" Senko gave an understanding murmur as Kenshin jumped as far as he could from the burning ship. Kenshin hugged Senko close to him and Senko hugged back. "Now hold your breath!" Kenshin informed her as they were about to hit the water. Senko filled her lungs with air and held her breath as they plunged head first into the cold, dark sea.
Senko felt something cold and hard pressing against her face. She felt reluctant to open her eyes but slowly she let them open. The first, and only, thing she saw was Kenshin staring dreamily at the sky. The next thing she noticed was that he was outlined by water.
Kenshin's eyes drifted down at Senko. "Oh good you're awake." He said merrily. Senko sat up carefully and discovered that they were floating on part of the ship. "We are very lucky." Kenshin stated as he stuck his bare feet in the water. His sandals and socks next to him.
Senko sighed staring at his pale feet as they rippled in the water. "This is worse then before."
"Actually" Kenshin pointed a finger straight out in front of him "we are VERY lucky." Senko traced his finger and looked in front of them. She could see land forming in the distance. Her mouth dropped a moment then she started to laugh. She began to laugh so hard that tears came to her eyes. Kenshin smiled back at her. "Oh Kenshin!" She fell onto him and hugged him rocking the boat.
"Miss Senko! Please you're going to make us fall in!" Kenshin yelled as he tried to steady the boat. Senko's face went red and she jerked herself off of him; making the boat rock even more. "Oro!" Kenshin yelled as he fell in.
"Kenshin!" Senko screamed horrified. Kenshin let out a laugh as he skillfully got back on without rocking it.
"That's alright Miss Senko this one was a little hot." They both laughed happily as Kenshin rung out his clothes.
Senko took her first step on land and fell in the sand. "Careful Miss Senko you haven't been on steady ground for many months." Kenshin said as he helped her up. She swayed as they stood together. Kenshin helped her walk and they made their way down the shore.
"It feels so good to be on steady ground again." She said as she could step more confidently. "I can't wait to see my father again!" She tried to leap but when she landed she began to topple over.
"Miss Senko!" Kenshin tried to catch her but was dragged down on top of her when she grabbed him. "Ororororoooooo!" He stuttered. Senko laughed at him.
"Oi! What are you doing?" A voice shouted at them. Kenshin picked up his head and saw a man headed toward them. "Get off her!" The man said angrily when he saw the two lying on the ground.
Kenshin gasped and quickly stood up. "Please calm down." Kenshin said with his hands up in front of him. "We just fell!" Senko placed both hands over her mouth but she continued to laugh.
The man walked up, he had light brown hair and stood a half a head taller than Kenshin. "You fell!" He looked down at Kenshin's sword. "Looking for a little excitement samurai!!"
"Please..." Kenshin started but was interrupted.
"Brother!" Senko shouted after she had gotten a good look at the man. She stood up. "Unmei is it really you!"
"Senko I won't let him hurt you!" He stepped in front of his sister. "Senko how ever did you escape Suiso!" He said as he raised his fist toward Kenshin. Kenshin sighed with his hands still up and opened.
"Unmei! Leave Kenshin alone! He saved me!" Senko said when she realized that her brother was still mad at Kenshin.
"He did."
Kenshin smiled. "Tried, however, this one didn't really do much." He wondered if he could put his hands down yet.
Unmei fell to his knees. "Thank-you! Thank-you for saving my sister I am forever in your dept!"
"That's... that's alright." Kenshin said as he lowered his hands. Unmei jumped up to his feet and Kenshin raised his hands again thinking Unmei was going to attack him but Unmei turned and hugged Senko.
"Senko! I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you." He was crying. "Sister, I have been working and saving up for a boat so that I could follow you but here you are." He held her out at arms length. She too was crying. "We can go home together." He hugged her again.
Kenshin watched them a moment smiling. Quietly he started toward the path that he guessed would lead him to a town. He had done what he had set out to do. "Kenshin wait!" Kenshin stopped and looked behind him. Senko was slowly and unsteadily making her way toward him.
"Miss Senko." He turned and waited for her to reach him with Unmei behind her. "Miss Senko you have your brother now for a bodyguard. You don't need this one anymore."
"But Kenshin." She said sadly. Then she glared at him with a smile. "You think you can just leave a job unfinished?"
"Oro."
"You still have to take me home. Then I will relieve you of your bodyguard duties to me!"
Kenshin smiled. "You don't need this one. You need someone like your brother."
Unmei slapped his hand hard on Kenshin's shoulders. "A young girl as beautiful as her can use more than one bodyguard! Please join us on our journey home."
"Please Kenshin!" Senko pleaded.
"Alright." Kenshin answered with a laugh. Senko smiled and hugged him.