Dum, dum dum dum, dum, DUUUUMMMMM! Yes, yes, I know I haven't gotten one out in FOREVER!!! I've been really busy with my job... plus I just got back from a two-week trip to the beach, and have a nice sunburn to prove it. Hope you guys like this chapter!
Chapter Five: Flight of the Fifth Feather
"There's someone here to see you."
Cor blinked, glancing up from the sketch she was doing in the morning room of Teakin Inn, setting the pad beside her, "Kikuyu, what do you mean?" "What do you think? There's someone here to see you." The geisha sat down beside her on the mat, an amused smile passing across her painted face, "Curious man. Asked for you by your street name, said he had something to return to you..."
"HIM?" Cor thought silently, as she shook her head, "There must be some mistake." "On the contrary. It is you making the mistake. You know the rules; no men should know the location of this place. Either he stalked you, which was extremely careless of you, or you told him where you were staying. Either way, Kurash is not likely to be happy about this."
She closed her eyes against the slanted light that entered the room, hesitating for a moment before replying, "Tell him I'll meet him outside in fifteen minutes. It's best to deal with him now, rather than have both him and I suffer Kurash's anger." Kikuyu nodded, bowing slightly, "Yes... Vishina." She muttered, slightly taunting as she left the room.
She stood, placing her day kimono over her shoulders and tying it loosely with the obi, tossing her hair absent-mindedly over her shoulder as she made her way down the hall.
Saitou smirked softly, watching her come out, "I was half afraid you would burn in the sun." Her face remained emotionless, "Was there something you wanted to give me." "You dropped this." Cor's eyes grew slightly wide as he extended his palm towards her, one of her favorite hair ornaments nestled in the palm.
As she reached for it, he retracted his hand, "Were you insulted by my comment last night?" "Why would I be?" She responded, hand dropping to her side. "Because... I saw it in your face. I want to know the same as you. Why were you so insulted? Most of your kind would simply laugh then go further into seduction. Trust me, I've been with many to know."
Cor remained silent for a moment, then spoke, "Please return it to me." "It's quite lovely... perhaps I should keep it."
"Vishina, is this man giving you any trouble?" Mishio's voice rang out from behind the two, a slight hint of confusion tinting the edges of her speech. "No..." she responded quietly, glancing back at her friend. "Or perhaps I am." He said with a slight smirk, "Your friend here will not even give me a simple answer."
She turned to him once again, "Just please give it back to me." "He took something of yours?" Mishio frowned at Saitou as she walked up beside the other, her instant dislike for the man continuing, "I suggest you give it back to her." "And if I do not?"
"Then I shall have something to say." Mishio's eyes widened as the tall man brushed past her, grey eyes fixed on the all-too-familiar individual in front of him. "L- Lord Kurash..." she muttered, bowing slightly, Cor doing likewise.
"None of that right now, my dears." He said in his silken voice, "I have some business to attend to. Return to the Inn." The two quickly turned to do so, and he lay a firm but gentle hand on Cor's shoulder, "Not you, stay here."
Saitou watched all this with slight amusement, a cold fire burning in his eyes, "How you have fallen, so very far..." "I believe myself to be held high among others in my new position. It's been too long, Saitou."
Cor simply stared, the two knew each other? Backing up against the wall, she quietly watched the scene unfold before her.
"On the contrary, far too short a time." "Ah, I must admit, I was looking forward to never glancing on your face again..." "Oh, Kurash, I didn't know you cared."
The two men stood silent for a moment, the cold fire reflecting in Kurash's eyes, but seeming to burn with a greater intensity.
Finally he spoke, "What business do you have with my Vishina here? I do not take kindly to men taking from my little dears what I have given them. Do give it back." Saitou did not let his eyes leave the others, but extended his hand with the ornament in it towards Cor. She took a tentative step forward, reaching to take it...
Grabbing her arm, Saitou twisted it around, emitting a sharp cry of pain from the girl, sliding the cold metal blade of a dagger against her throat, "Take one step, Kurash, and you will have to find a nice little girl off the streets to replace this one."
Hand on his katana, the other's eyes flashed red briefly, "DO NOT CROSS ME, SAITOU!" "Ah, but you took so willingly from me... I can but return the favor." He said with a shake of his head, stepping back slowly.
Kurash simply stared, ignoring the cries of the crowd on the street, "You will learn, Hajime, you will learn..." he said slowly, retreating back into the Inn.
Saitou's smirk of victory quickly faded as he glanced down at the struggling girl, "Now now... be quiet and come willingly and we won't have any more drama unfold, huh?" "Please shut up." "Not likely." Darting into the nearest alleyway, he jerked her along roughly with him.
She winced as his fingers dug into her flesh, sure that an unseemly bruise would be well on it's way to developing, but determined not to show any sign of pain... of weakness. What this sick monster had in mind... she didn't want to know.
"I'm only taking you on a little side trip... don't worry, I'm sure you'll see your dear Kurash again eventually... it doesn't matter to you if he has a sword impaled through his stomach, does it?" She gave him a dirty glare in response. He shook his head, "We should be there in an hour... a friend of mine has offered, whether he knows it or not, to look after you for a while, since I'll be gone on business..."
"NO! NOT PLEASE! NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!"
"She seems to be taking it well..." Cor observed. The read head sighed, "Miss... um, Miss, I'm very sorry for this."
"YOU'LL BE SORRY WHEN I'M DONE WITH YOU!!! BRINGING A PROSTITUTE INTO MY HOME!!!!"
The so-said simply raised a brow at her, "I'm standing right here, you know. Perhaps I think the same of women who practice the sword as you think of me and mine..."
Kaoru whirled on her, a faint line twitching in her forehead. Kenshin sighed, "Miss Kaoru... please, it shall only be for a little while, and I'm sure Miss..." he glanced at Cor, slightly embarrassed, "I never caught your name." "I do not go by it. Call me Elenter, Vishina." "A very strange name, Miss Elenter." "I'm from the West."
"Ai, I guessed." He glanced at Kaoru as she stormed out, a troubled look in his eyes, "She'll warm up eventually, she will..."
"I does not matter to me one way or another." She responded quietly. Kenshin quirked a small smile, "I'm very sorry about all this... although I do not know the reason to keep you here, I will, that I must..." She said nothing, choosing instead to walk outside, to the yard of the dojo.
Glancing around quickly, she crept up towards the gate, getting ready to make a run for it...
When a flash of blue and red suddenly swiped in front of her, a strong hand grasping onto her arm. "I'm afraid, Miss Elenter, I cannot let you leave. Saitou made his wishes really clear, that he did." Her eyes blazed, "Damn him, and damn you, you bastard!" Pulling her arm quickly from her grasps, she ran back towards the dojo, throwing herself into her temporary room and breaking down in sobs on the floor.
The redhead stood quietly outside her door, pity flashing across his eyes, 'No bird should be kept in a cage..." Silently he made his way back to the kitchen. "I can only hope Saitou knows what he's doing." "I just hope I know what I'm doing." Saitou shook his head slightly, glancing back at the dojo one last time before heading down the road, "She'll be ok..."
I KNOW! I KNOW! IT'S BEEN FOREVER!!!!! I'VE JUST BEEN SO BUSY! SORRY SORRY SORRY! P.S. This chapter sucks.