Kaoru weaved her way through the crowd, searching for the food. She felt a small prick at her lower back, and froze mid-step. She felt someone's breath on the back of her neck, and her stomach tightened with apprehension.
"You move, and this knife will find a home in your liver." A rasping voice whispered behind her. She gritted her teeth, and despite the man's warning, she tried to dart off. A hand caught her arm and twisted it behind her back. She drew a sharp intake of breath.
"You're lucky I'm feeling merciful tonight. Besides, I need you to lure Battousai to where I need him. So I can kill him." He chuckled, a low menacing chuckle, his breath rancid in her nose. She sneezed furiously.
"Shut up and come on." He snarled and pushed her out a different entrance, the one opposite of where Kenshin and Sano sat, unaware. This was what Kenshin had been afraid of.
When he had shoved her out the door, he spun her around and supplied a forceful blow to her head. She blacked out immediately, mercifully numb to the pain.
Ten minutes had gone by and there was no sign Kaoru coming back. Kenshin fidgeted in his seat.
"Something's wrong Sano. Terribly wrong. I can feel it. That strange man has taken her somewhere." He stood quickly, causing the table to tip in his haste. Sano caught it with one hand and tipped it back into place while draining the last of the sake.
"Well then, what are you waiting for?" But Kenshin was already moving towards the opposite door.
"Why that door?" Sano asked as he caught up to him, "They could've left through the other"
"No, I've been watching that door since Kaoru left, that I have. They didn't leave through that one"
"Hey! Kenshin, Sano, wait up!" Yahiko cried as he pushed through the crowds to reach them.
They never slowed their pace, knowing he would catch up despite the circumstances. Stepping out into the darkness, Kenshin searched desperately with his eyes. But there was no sign of either Kaoru or the strange man.
Kaoru struggled against the bonds that held her hands and feet at bay, wishing desperately that Kenshin would find some way to track them.
She had awoken only a few moments ago to find herself bound and gagged on the ground in a small clearing. It was dark, muggy, and she could hear her captor's breath rattling behind her.
"Ah! So you're awake, my lovely Kaoru. Feeling better after that little bump I gave you?" He chuckled menacingly.
"Mmgh," she mumbled at the large man, feeling very vulnerable.
"Here. Let me take that wad of cloth out so you can frighten me with hollow threats," he said sarcastically.
"YOU JERK!" Kaoru screamed she was free of the gag. "I can't believe you are trying this! I'll be missed!" she said shaking with rage. "Who do you think you are, doing this to me"
"I am Kyossa, an assassin for... never mind." He spoke huskily, trailing his finger along her bare cheek.
She squirmed, trying to escape from his touch.
He firmly grabbed her by the shoulders and brought his lips to hers forcefully, throwing her off-balance and restraining her from speaking further. When he released her from his grasp, she crawled away on her elbows and knees, turning only to spit in his face. She smirked inwardly at the irony of her predicament. Only today had she and Kenshin told each other of their love, and here this disgusting man was soiling her.
Disdainfully he wiped the spit from his eye, grinning wildly.
"What do you think you're doing?" Kaoru screeched at the top of her lungs, panting furiously and shaking with thinly veiled and barely controlled rage.
He scooted over to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her towards him again. He brought his lips close to her ear, whispering softly.
"You still don't see? I am luring Battousai to me, so I can kill him. You're just an extra treat on the side." He laughed hysterically.
She didn't reply, but only stared back in horror. When she finally found her voice, she began to squirm farther away from him.
"Never. You'll never kill Kenshin! You'll never have me!" She shrieked as he grabbed her again and trailed kisses down her bare neck.
She wrenched away from him, and he looked up and grinned.
"Besides," she breathed, "if you're an assassin for someone, you can't be doing this for anything other than money"
"I wasn't an assassin for him for long. I killed a few opposing politicians for him, but soon grew tired of his whiny voice. No man should have a voice like his." Kyossa smiled, "But now the man won't have to worry about anyone, so I'm going to kill Battousai for my own reasons"
"So how do you expect Kenshin to find you if he doesn't know where you've gone?" Kaoru sniffed.
"My, my, you are clearly underestimating your precious Kenshin's abilities. Don't worry, I left behind a small but noticeable clue"
"Kenshin, Sano, look!" Yahiko called, waving them over to where he crouched on the ground, "I found something"
Kenshin kneeled beside him and picked up the silver ribbon lying on the ground. Slowly he brought it to his nose, breathing in her lingering scent. He glided it against his face remembering the silky softness of her kimono against his sword-worn fingers. A single tear flooded his eye, and he quickly brushed it away.
"Hey Kenshin, there's some broken branches and bruised leaves this way into the forest." Sano said as he peered into the dark grove.
Kenshin hastily wrapped the sash around his sword's sheath and stood, looking past Sano.
"Alright then, let's go." Kenshin said briskly, and plunged into the forest, Sano and Yahiko only two steps behind.
Is it just me, or did Sano actually sound smart there -points up- -grins widely-