Chapter Two – A Path Used Long Ago
Kenshin listened to the sound of his feet as they clip clopped. It was almost hypnotic. He tried to think about what he would say when he saw Senko and her family again. He wondered what he would tell Kaoru when he saw her again. He wondered if he was going in the right direction.
Kenshin looked around him trying to bring back some kind of memory of where Senko's home town was. He knew it was near he just wasn't sure where exactly. "Oro..." Kenshin moaned. "I'm just as bad as Sano." He decided to trust his instincts and headed in a random direction.
"I really should have visited sooner." He sighed as he picked his way down the path. "They may not even want to see me after so long." He stopped and even thought about turning back. He shook his head and continued to look for the town. He would hate himself later if he didn't visit.
Kaoru kept her distance from Kenshin knowing full well that he could sense her following him, but he seemed too lost in thought to notice so she kept her distance and made as little noise as possible.
Kenshin was watching his feet when he heard a familiar voice. "Looking for a little excitement samurai!!" Surprised Kenshin looked up and saw a tall man at least a head taller then him. He had light brown hair and a big merry smile on his face. The man was carrying a large bundle of wood which he dropped at the samurai's feet.
"You've gotten taller since the last time we saw each other Unmei; that you have." Kenshin said with a smile.
Unmei gave Kenshin a hard slap on his back and laughed. "That's what happens when eight years fly by! You haven't changed though!"
"No?"
"Naw, man it's really great to see you again!" He hugged Kenshin and when he let go he bent over and picked up his bundle so that Kenshin wouldn't see his tears. He stood up and smiled. "Senko will want to see you but you seem a little lost." Unmei gave a wirily smile.
"That I am." Kenshin said as he put his hand behind his head in embarrassment.
"What kind of wanderer are you!" Unmei laughed again. He had always been a joyful man. "Come on the village is this way!" Unmei led the rest of the way back to the village moving the bundle of wood he was carrying onto his shoulder so he could hold it with one hand.
As they got closer to the village Kenshin could see a little boy running toward them. "Daddy! Daddy!" The little boy said running up to Unmei. Unmei lifted the little boy off his feet with his free hand and the child screamed with delight.
"Kenshin I would like you to meet my son Taku." Taku waved happily at Kenshin and Kenshin waved back. Unmei put Taku down on the ground. "I want you to run home and tell mommy that daddy is visiting Aunt Senko okay?" Taku gave a nod and ran off laughing. "I love that boy. If anything happened to him I'd... I don't know what I would do."
"So Unmei has married and had a child since I left." Kenshin noted.
Unmei and Kenshin continued on their way and soon Kenshin could see Senko in front of her house. She had her back to them and her earth brown hair hung loosely down to her shoulder blades. She was working a small garden and Unmei called to her. "Oi Senko!"
Senko wiped the beads of sweat that had begun to form on her forehead. She straightened her back and then rose to her feet. She turned expecting to see her brother but when her ice blue eyes saw Kenshin her mouth dropped. "Kenshin?" She said unbelieving. She quickly blinked thinking it was just another fantasy but this time he didn't disappear. This time he was still coming toward her. This time, he was real.
Senko ran inside her house. "Father! He's back! He came back! Kenshin's back!" She screamed running through the house looking for her father. Her father slammed the cup he had been drinking out of down with a slam and rose to his feet. He ran out the door with his daughter to see if he had really returned.
Kenshin was almost to the door when the two came out. The father was the first to move. He was a big man with a deep voice. He had hair as black as soot and was taller than Unmei. He walked up to Kenshin just like he had done when they had first met. He got so close to Kenshin that Kenshin had to crane his neck up just to see his head. Then just like last time the man wound his arms around Kenshin's torso and lifted the Rurouni off his feet. He always seemed to lose track of his strength when he hugged Kenshin. Kenshin thought his back would break but the man set him down at last and gave him a hard slap on Kenshin's back knocking the wind from him. "Good to see you again!"
Kenshin sheepishly looked past him and eyed Senko who seemed almost lost. "Hello Miss Senko." Kenshin said breaking the silence. She walked up to him and stood a moment.
Senko looked up at him through her bangs then fell on him. Kenshin let out a surprised gasp and wrapped his arms around her to keep them from falling. "Oh Kenshin I knew you would come back! I knew you didn't forget about me!" She was almost in tears and Kenshin was about to comfort her when he heard another sad, familiar voice from behind him.
"Kenshin, who... who is she?"
Kenshin turned his head and saw Kaoru stricken with grief and shock, eyes watering, behind him.
Kenshin listened to the sound of his feet as they clip clopped. It was almost hypnotic. He tried to think about what he would say when he saw Senko and her family again. He wondered what he would tell Kaoru when he saw her again. He wondered if he was going in the right direction.
Kenshin looked around him trying to bring back some kind of memory of where Senko's home town was. He knew it was near he just wasn't sure where exactly. "Oro..." Kenshin moaned. "I'm just as bad as Sano." He decided to trust his instincts and headed in a random direction.
"I really should have visited sooner." He sighed as he picked his way down the path. "They may not even want to see me after so long." He stopped and even thought about turning back. He shook his head and continued to look for the town. He would hate himself later if he didn't visit.
Kaoru kept her distance from Kenshin knowing full well that he could sense her following him, but he seemed too lost in thought to notice so she kept her distance and made as little noise as possible.
Kenshin was watching his feet when he heard a familiar voice. "Looking for a little excitement samurai!!" Surprised Kenshin looked up and saw a tall man at least a head taller then him. He had light brown hair and a big merry smile on his face. The man was carrying a large bundle of wood which he dropped at the samurai's feet.
"You've gotten taller since the last time we saw each other Unmei; that you have." Kenshin said with a smile.
Unmei gave Kenshin a hard slap on his back and laughed. "That's what happens when eight years fly by! You haven't changed though!"
"No?"
"Naw, man it's really great to see you again!" He hugged Kenshin and when he let go he bent over and picked up his bundle so that Kenshin wouldn't see his tears. He stood up and smiled. "Senko will want to see you but you seem a little lost." Unmei gave a wirily smile.
"That I am." Kenshin said as he put his hand behind his head in embarrassment.
"What kind of wanderer are you!" Unmei laughed again. He had always been a joyful man. "Come on the village is this way!" Unmei led the rest of the way back to the village moving the bundle of wood he was carrying onto his shoulder so he could hold it with one hand.
As they got closer to the village Kenshin could see a little boy running toward them. "Daddy! Daddy!" The little boy said running up to Unmei. Unmei lifted the little boy off his feet with his free hand and the child screamed with delight.
"Kenshin I would like you to meet my son Taku." Taku waved happily at Kenshin and Kenshin waved back. Unmei put Taku down on the ground. "I want you to run home and tell mommy that daddy is visiting Aunt Senko okay?" Taku gave a nod and ran off laughing. "I love that boy. If anything happened to him I'd... I don't know what I would do."
"So Unmei has married and had a child since I left." Kenshin noted.
Unmei and Kenshin continued on their way and soon Kenshin could see Senko in front of her house. She had her back to them and her earth brown hair hung loosely down to her shoulder blades. She was working a small garden and Unmei called to her. "Oi Senko!"
Senko wiped the beads of sweat that had begun to form on her forehead. She straightened her back and then rose to her feet. She turned expecting to see her brother but when her ice blue eyes saw Kenshin her mouth dropped. "Kenshin?" She said unbelieving. She quickly blinked thinking it was just another fantasy but this time he didn't disappear. This time he was still coming toward her. This time, he was real.
Senko ran inside her house. "Father! He's back! He came back! Kenshin's back!" She screamed running through the house looking for her father. Her father slammed the cup he had been drinking out of down with a slam and rose to his feet. He ran out the door with his daughter to see if he had really returned.
Kenshin was almost to the door when the two came out. The father was the first to move. He was a big man with a deep voice. He had hair as black as soot and was taller than Unmei. He walked up to Kenshin just like he had done when they had first met. He got so close to Kenshin that Kenshin had to crane his neck up just to see his head. Then just like last time the man wound his arms around Kenshin's torso and lifted the Rurouni off his feet. He always seemed to lose track of his strength when he hugged Kenshin. Kenshin thought his back would break but the man set him down at last and gave him a hard slap on Kenshin's back knocking the wind from him. "Good to see you again!"
Kenshin sheepishly looked past him and eyed Senko who seemed almost lost. "Hello Miss Senko." Kenshin said breaking the silence. She walked up to him and stood a moment.
Senko looked up at him through her bangs then fell on him. Kenshin let out a surprised gasp and wrapped his arms around her to keep them from falling. "Oh Kenshin I knew you would come back! I knew you didn't forget about me!" She was almost in tears and Kenshin was about to comfort her when he heard another sad, familiar voice from behind him.
"Kenshin, who... who is she?"
Kenshin turned his head and saw Kaoru stricken with grief and shock, eyes watering, behind him.