Chapter 2: Departure

Chapter 2: Departure

Misao expected to feel elated after the encounter in the dojo. Three days later, her rapture evaporated. Little had changed. Every morning followed the regular routine. The only addition came when she delivered his lunch tray. He would catch her by the hand and give her a long, searching look and on one occasion, pulled her to him for another kiss. This evening he had stopped in during the family dinner meal but said nothing.

It wasn't enough, as much as she had hoped and believed that it could be. She pulled Kaoru's letter out one more time and stared at it. Sitting alone in her room, she pulled the single candle which lit her room towards her and held the worn paper over the flame. It was only a moment before the paper was a small pile of delicate ash.

It's not enough. She laughed soundlessly to herself. At the rate Aoshi was going, she would be an old woman when and if he ever proposed. Had she thought that everything would simply start anew? Perhaps she was still the foolish little girl she wanted so desperately to break away from.

She could still escape, but it would be twice as hard now, with the slightly altered attention of the silent Aoshi. Once again, Misao pulled out her travel bag and began to pack. The entire house had just gone to bed. If she waited another hour it would be easy to slip away. The challenge was getting out of Kyoto without being seen. She pulled out a long black scarf and fixed it to cover her nose and mouth. Coiling her hair into a large bun, she secured it with a black lacquered needle that could double as a weapon. Tucking kuni under the leather gauntlets and shin guards of her formal ninja uniform, she took care to keep her ki muted. As impulsive as her decision to depart might be, it helped the element of surprise. There was no way any of the heightened senses of even the former leader could have predicted something she herself hadn't planned.

Misao picked up the candle to blow it out, then paused. It would be rather heartless to leave without any explanation to the others. She pulled out a piece of paper and quickly wrote a message to the Aoiya staff.

To All,

I felt that I had to find myself before I could truly lead you as Okashira. Your love has sustained me this far, and I thank you for it. Now I have to learn about life on my own. I'll return. I know you will want to come after me, but please, let me go. I need this for my own self esteem.

I love you all. Thank you.

She blew out the candle and sat in the darkness.

It was surprisingly easy to slip out of her window and cross through the garden. Listening hard and examining the shadows the quarter-moon threw, she quickly found her way to the outskirts of the city. She passed by three guard dogs who never raised their heads. Reaching the main path to Tokyo, she looked back at the slumbering sprawl of civilization. The last time she had done this, she had been chasing someone. Now she was leaving him behind to chase herself.

Taking a deep breath through her scarf, Misao shifted the bag on her shoulder and turned to the woods. The road was too open, a trap for bandits. It also curved and doubled back until reaching the pass through the mountains. For a traveler on foot and with the right knowledge, cutting straight through the woods was a much faster journey - even if one had to cross streams, rocks, and ground too soft for carts.

A shadow moved. Misao froze and crouched low, ready to sprint. A curious meow followed and a tiny black kitten emerged from beneath the roots of a great maple. Misao giggled and relaxed. Holding her hand out, she let the kitten sniff her fingers cautiously before butting its head against her. Misao picked it up, and noted that it was a girl. Yellow eyes met blue-green with a purr. Misao smiled behind her mask.

"Hey little one, do you want to be my companion on this trip?"

The kitten batted at the end of the scarf which trailed over her shoulder.

"I'll name you Kitai, for hope that I find what I'm looking for."

The newly named feline crawled onto Misao's shoulder and perched with perfect balance as she began walking into the Kyoto forest. To her surprise, by morning she had reached the mountain pass. The last time she had taken the short cut it had taken a full day. Perhaps it was luck, or perhaps her instincts had gotten better. Either way, this was the shortest path to Tokyo and now she was faced with the challenge of traveling the road without being taken notice of. Time to put her talent where her mouth was.

Misao set down her bag and began donning her disguise as Jiei. Twisting her long braid in a long coil back and forth over the top of her head, she pulled out a westerner's low hat with a short brim. After a quick look around, she stripped off the top part of her uniform and wrapped strips of cloth tight across her chest. It didn't quite do the job, but hopefully with the western shirt beneath the boy's kimono, it would cover any signs of her breasts. Transformed into the skinny, curious and seemingly harmless youth out to see the world and visiting relatives in Tokyo.

Jiei stepped out onto the road dressed in the now common combination of eastern and western clothing. The only person in sight was an old man leading a cow in the opposite direction. Slinging her bag casually over one shoulder, the 'boy' began to whistle with a small black kitten perched on her hat. With a bit of an afterthought, she reopened her bag and pulled out a small bento box. Cheerfully munching on breakfast and handing tidbits up to her companion, she continued on through the mountain pass.

"They've probably missed me by now." She muttered.

A couple hours later the sun had begun to cause beads of sweat to trickle down her neck. Western shirts were obnoxious with their close-cut sleeves. Thankfully she could see a small roadside tea shop ahead. Apparently a group had journeyed all night and were resting in a scattered circle around the small but sturdy shack. Pack animals were tethered to the only pine tree by the door. Five rough looking men and a three meek women were conversing with the shop owner when Misao reached the refreshment stand.

"Look lady, don't you have more than noodles and dumplings?"

The small, gray haired woman shook her head and waved her wooden spoon. "I told you already, I'm not a hotel, I'm a tea shop!"

Misao adjusted her hat, making sure that it shaded her eyes. A man with a ragged gi continued to harass the shopkeeper. "All we want is a decent meal. We've been pushing all night through this pass."

The little woman glared at him, "Not my fault! If you don't pay for what you've already eaten, then I'll have to kick you out and call the police."

The man sneered, one of his front teeth missing. "What will they do? We'll be scattered all throughout Kyoto by then."

Misao heard someone approach behind her and stiffened. The steps were slow and measured. She could feel his presence and immediately dampened her own. The person was looking for someone by the way his steps paused. She stood in the center of the small room and could see a flutter of white out of the corner of her eye. Aoshi's attention was fixed on the slumped men sitting at the tables around the edge of the shop.

Heart racing, Misao realized that he was looking for her - dressed as a boy. He was coming dangerously close though his gaze was still on the non-participants of the growing argument between shopkeeper and patron. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she stepped up to the counter and drew her voice from down in her chest.

"May I have some dumplings?"

The old lady smiled, ignoring her other customer. "Why of course my dear. Would you like cold tea with that?"

Misao shrugged. "Yes."

The man's anger doubled at the keeper's indifference. "Hey you! We aren't done here!"

Misao could still sense Aoshi closing in on her. She had to do something to exclude her from his examination of the crowd. She prayed that she could handle what she was about to start. Setting Kitai down on the ground, she waited.

When the lady brought her tea, Misao smiled her thanks and promptly splashed the whole thing into the other man's face. He blinked in shock for an instant as Misao turned back to the old woman and bowed.

"Please forgive me, I could not stand to hear him speak to an ancient one like yourself."

"Why you!" The traveler grabbed Misao by the kimono and threw her out the door. She helped herself along by pushing off of the counter.

Landing gracelessly but avoiding any broken bones, Misao waited for the brute to follow up. He did so, eagerly. Again he took her by the kimono and pulled her close to his tea-dripping face.

"You, little sissy-boy, are going to pay for that."

Misao frowned. "Well, considering that you threw me out of the shop, I can't really oblige."

He hesitated, confused. Misao took advantage of the moment and brought her elbows down on the crook of each of his arms, forcing them to bend. It brought him close enough that she could butt him in the chin with her head. The shock caused him to lose his grip and she hit the ground running, scooping up Kitai as she went. She caught a glimpse of Aoshi talking with the shopkeeper and grinned under the brim of her hat. It worked.

"You brat! Get back here!"

Adjusting the bag on her shoulder, Misao sprinted down the road and quickly outdistanced the small gang of travelers.

She continued sprinting on and off for the next five miles, putting as much distance between her and the tea shop as she could. Pausing for a break, she checked to see if Kitai was still clinging to her bag. The kitten purred and licked her sweaty face. Misao giggled and rubbed her ears.

"That was a close one. He's not going to give up easily either."

Sitting down on a boulder, she began pondering her options. Her original plan was to simply make her way to Kyoto, stop in on the Kenshin-gumi, and then begin exploring the nation. That was a bit overly simplistic, but the general idea. With Aoshi so close behind, things would become much more complicated.

Kitai wandered into the middle of the road, ears perked. Misao cocked her own head and heard the lowing of an ox not far ahead. Adjusting her hat, she continued down the road. Just behind a slight curve she came upon a two wheeled cart loaded with baskets. An elderly man was slowly unloading the sturdy slat containers while the ox stood complaining. Misao hailed him.

"Morning, ancient one, why are you unpacking here?"

The white head of the weaver bobbed. "Morning to you, young one. I have no choice. My axle has cracked, and if I do not take off some weight, it will snap. I must reach the village on the other side of the pass."

Misao dropped her bag to the ground and looked at the fractured axle. It was a clean break, the dry pole had begun to crack in two places perpendicular to the pole before the stress sent a horizontal line through the heart of the axle. She moved to help the old man restack the expertly woven baskets on the side of the road. Fingering one made of strips of bamboo, she asked,

"I may be able to help you - if you are willing to sacrifice one of your works of art."

The man chuckled. "You flatter me, young one. If you can help me reach Otsu, I will give you a ride."

Misao smiled. "Deal!" She picked up one of the small baskets made of thin strips of bamboo and began to take it apart. Taking two strands, she crawled under the oxcart. "Ancient one, do you have any water?" A bamboo container was handed to her. Letting the strips soak for a moment, she began wrapping the fracture as if she were making a leg brace.

Being on her back under the cart gave her a slight warning. She felt the vibrations of an approaching horse and paranoia made her heart jump. She lowered her voice and called out to the weaver.

"Ancient one, I have a favor. If the next person coming by asks who I am, would you call me your assistant?"

The man frowned. "Are you in some kind of trouble, young man?"

"Not with the law - I'm just trying to be independent."

Before the man had time to reply, the horse rounded the bend. Hooves grinding to a halt, Misao drew herself as far as she could under the cart.

"Old one, do you need assistance?" Misao cursed in her head at the sound of Aoshi's voice.

The old man was rearranging the baskets according to size. "No, thank you sir. My, assistant, is taking care of it. We shouldn't be delayed for long."

Aoshi's mount lowered its nose to the ground, sniffing under the cart. Misao tried to wave it away.

"I have a question then."

The weaver moved to pet his ox. "I will answer if I can."

"Have you seen a young man come by any time this morning? Not very tall, thin, and with blue eyes."

The elderly man laughed. "No sir, I have not."

Aoshi was silent for a long moment, his horse finally giving up interest in Misao's prone form. With the sound of squeaking leather, he departed with a short thanks.

Misao waited till she could no longer feel the thudding of feet before she emerged from beneath the cart. Smiling sheepishly at the puzzled basket weaver, she said, "Well I fixed the break. It should last for some time, even if you can't replace it immediately."

"Was that man looking for you?"

Misao began reloading the merchandise. "I believe so. I'm not a run-a-way" Not really. "But he thinks I cannot survive in the world on my own."

The old man began helping with a shake of his head. "The world is a hard place, young one. Do not take so lightly that one's concern."

The two quickly reloaded the cart. Calling Kitai, Misao tossed her bag in the back and sat next to the weaver.