Welcome back! There are more Shinsengumi in this chapter. And no rest for any of them, first Choshu, then Camerons! Well, maybe Soji won't mind so much….unless Alexander gets an urge for some bacon.

So on to business……the men of the Shinsengumi are a matter of historical record. They appear here as realized by Nanae Kurono. I do not own them in any way.

This is probably best rated as 13+ for mild sexual innuendo, samurai-type violence, and foul language.


Chapter 2

Canis lupus lycaon Meets C. l. hodophilax…and Some Fur Flies

Hijikata quietly slid the doors to his quarters shut. He had managed not to run into anyone after getting through the main gate of headquarters and he wanted to keep it that way for a while.

He looked at his desk and sighed. He had only been away four days and a considerable pile of reports had accumulated there. He removed his swords, set them in their rack, and then knelt at his desk. All those hours spent training to be a top notch swordsman and lately it seemed he spent most of his time clutching a brush. He knew that most wars were won off the battlefield, but sometimes it was just too much. Well, this is what you wanted, he thought, so quit your whining.

The first paper in the pile was the monthly accounts; compiled by their new book keeper. Hijikata grunted in approval. The younger brother was a never ending pain in the ass, but the older one was turning out to be a real asset. He was hardworking, meticulous, and respectful. And he wrote with a good hand, too. He set the report aside and made a mental note to try and quietly reward the young man. Some sort of interesting errand, perhaps.

The next three documents were reports from Yamazaki. The first was details on the movements of the steadily increasing number of Choshu clansmen at the Ikeda Inn. Something was going to have to be done about that soon. Second on the stack was a note about recent activity at one of the old mansions near the edge of Kyoto. The clan that owned it was old and reportedly loyal to the Shogun, but one could never tell in these times. A group of ten people had arrived recently, but Yamazaki had been unable to determine their identities. There was a note at the end, asking if the Vice-commander wanted this investigated more closely. He set that report aside; he should talk to Kondo about it first. The final document was a short report about recent anti-Shinsengumi graffiti that had been appearing on walls in back alleys. One side of Hijikata's mouth curved in a slow smile as he read the report. 'Wolves of Mibu', they had been dubbed. He sort of liked the image that conjured. If someone else had not done it, he might have arranged for such a moniker himself, just to foster the perception of a group of deadly hunters guarding the Shogunate.

He toyed with the thought while reaching for the next document. His fingers came in contact with something sticky and when he picked the document up there was a patter as some fine material rained down on the desk. He cautiously dabbed his fingers in it and brought them to his nose. He snorted in disgust. Brown sugar candy! And the paper was sticky with some other type of sweet. Soji! He looked at the paper and groaned in dismay. What had been going on? A martial arts competition! They even had a program. Kondo's name was on the top, but the document was in the less than lovely hand of his page. Soji had penned in the names of the winners and their prizes in the margins. Prizes! Hijikata thumped his fist on his desk, sending paper flying. This was no way to maintain their focus. His eye caught the name of the winner of the foot race. Yamanami! Hijikata stuffed the stem of his pipe between his teeth and lit it. First, it was his angst over Serizawa's death, followed by his infatuations with that abacus and that woman. And now this.

Hijikata exhaled smoke in a long slow breath. But was Sannan the problem? Was his friend getting too soft or did the problem lie with him? Was his drive to serve his superiors as a proper samurai causing him to go too far? Was there even such a thing as too far when it came to the way of the warrior? He sighed; there was a time when he could have discussed this with Sannan or Kondo. But now, the discussion itself could be taken as a sign of weakness. Even Soji, who craved that sort of intimacy, had to be kept at arm's length. If anyone sensed any crack in the armor of his will, it could be exploited to the detriment of the Shinsengumi. No, if a demon was needed in these times to prevent revolution, then a demon he would be, not matter what the cost.

He let his eyes wonder around his quarters as he considered this latest lapse in discipline. Best to just have a word with Kondo and then let it go. His gaze fell on his clothes press and he thought about the slender volume he had hidden there. It would be prudent if I did something about those, he thought. If Soji ever finds them…………


Two days later he was still pondering Yamazaki's report about the new arrivals in Kyoto. The report was now paired with something more disturbing. He had received news about a murder at a temple. A priest and two novices had been killed three nights ago. The priest's cause of death could not be determined, but the two novices had died defending him in a fight. This was exactly the sort of thing the foreigners had wanted to know about. He wondered if the two reports were related. He decided that he would have Yamazaki investigate further and also send word to Osaka. It would take the foreigners a little time to get to Kyoto, so perhaps he could have some more information for them by then. The less they wandered around, the better.

A sudden noise overhead disrupted his musings. There was a loud thump on the roof, followed by a clatter. Through the partially open doors, he saw roof tiles shower into the small yard outside his quarters. He got up to investigate and stepped outside just in time to see a body follow the tiles to the ground. It was Yamazaki. The young spy landed awkwardly, with none of his usual grace. He was staring back up at the roof, his eyes wide. He scrambled back to his feet as the reason for his sudden entrance became apparent. Another figure bounded off the roof. Hijikata caught a flash of dark hair, bare feet, and bare blade. Today she had a knife of some sort. It was shorter than a proper short sword with an outlandish hilt. Her long sword was on her hip, but she made no move to draw it as she advanced on Yamazaki, chattering away in that language she spoke with Cameron. Yamazaki raised his own blade but she batted it aside and it flew out of his hand. She lashed out with her other hand, knocking the spy off balance.

"Gòrach! I liked that hat!" she grasped a handful of his clothing and shook him, "Hey!"

Yamazaki had produced another knife, but she stopped his strike by grabbing his wrist. With a roar she butted him in the face with her forehead. He collapsed limply in her grip. She let his body drop to the ground.

"Most people use the main gate," Hijikata folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the open door.

"Do you know how much surveillance is going on out there? And not by your people, I would say. So I thought this would be the more prudent path. Except this whelp," she nudged Yamazaki with a bare foot, "wouldn't believe that I was here on legitimate business. Did you not tell anyone that we might be coming?"

She sheathed her knife and glared back at Hijikata.

"Mister Hijikata. Is everything all right? I heard……" in a flash Okita had drawn his sword. He was in his uniform, having just finished a patrol. He stood ready, coiled to strike at a word from his leader.

The Vice-commander said nothing, but continued to watch with his arms folded. It would be interesting to see what came of this. However, she had not turned to face Okita, instead she had pivoted towards the other man who had appeared. Saitou. Hijikata almost flinched. How does he do that?

"Do you need assistance Vice-commander?" he asked calmly. He had his hand on his sword, but had not drawn it.

The air seemed to gather weight around them. Hijikata could sense the energy of their respective disciplines gathering like storm clouds.

"Hijikata, you need to stop this," she said softly. She was still facing Saito, but he knew that she was aware of what was at her back. She had gone very still. As she deepened her focus, she seemed to become more substantial, gaining both mass and presence. She lowered her chin as she grasped the hilt of her long sword. She glared at Saitou from under her eyebrows. Her eyes had deepened to a dark, dangerous shade. One side of her lip lifted fractionally as though she would snarl at him. Behind her, Okita also shifted minutely, his pleasant face transforming into something equally disturbing.

"Hmm, yes, I see. Although it would be an honor, I do not think that now is the appropriate time for this," Saito's eyes flicked to a spot in the air near her head. "And you have quite a collection of ghosts in addition to these other," he relaxed his stance and looked expectantly at Hijikata.

She turned her head a little and her eyes slid so that she was looking at Okita over her shoulder.

"Okita, stand down!" Saitou's voice cracked in sudden command, startling Hijikata.

"But, Sir……." he was trembling with bloodlust, eager to be unleashed on this most interesting opponent.

"Let it go, Soji. For now."

"Yes, Vice-commander," he sighed wistfully, as though Hijikata had denied him his favorite sweets and not the opportunity to kill.

She also relaxed, looking vastly relieved. For a moment she closed her eyes. When they opened again, she bowed deeply to Saitou.

"Many thanks, Sir. It is good to see that someone around here has some common sense."

"Hmm, well, next time use the front gate, please. Is there anything else you need from me Vice-commander?"

"No, Saitou. Thank-you."

She watched him go, one eyebrow raised in speculation. Well, she thought, who would have thought to find that particular talent here? He may be useful.

Someone tittered behind her. Unbelievably, it was the young samurai. With his deadly intent gone, he was now as merry as a young child.

"Well, I don't have anything to report that is as interesting as this. I'll just help….oh, Yamazaki left. I guess he is okay then," he giggled again. "Well, I'll be going. It was certainly interesting to meet you……uh?"

"What? Oh, Cameron. Uh, Tomoe Cameron."

"But that is….." his eyes went even wider. "Well what a clever disguise, Miss Cameron. And what a pretty name. I am Okita Soji. Nice to meet you," he waved cheerily and walked away.

Tomoe made a strangled noise and shook her head as though she could not quite believe her eyes.

"Huh, well. Who would have thought it? And you, you were just going to stand there and let me kill them, weren't you?"

"Are you so sure that you would have? If they are too weak to defeat one woman, then I cannot use them here."

She opened her mouth, obviously ready with a retort, but then changed her mind, "I am here with orders for your Commander from Lord Matsudaira. My Mistress sent me ahead to make sure you are ready for us. Umm, excuse me, please," she hopped back up onto the roof, as agile as any spy. After a moment, she dropped back into the yard. She had a small pack, a pair of strange looking boots, tied together by their laces, and her hat. It appeared to have been sliced into two pieces by a knife. She considered the pieces sadly for a moment, and then set them down so she could rummage through the pack.

"Ah, here they are," she produced a small stack of documents.

"Let me see," he held out his hand.

"No," she pointed to the name on them, "Commander Kondo. Are you him?"

"Fine. But wait in here while I get him," he ushered her into his quarters and pointed to the corner near the doors. "Wait there," he stepped out and slammed the doors shut. After a moment they opened again. "Do not leave."

Slam!

The doors opened again. "And do not touch anything!"

The final crack of varnished wood obscured her giggle.

Silence descended. She surveyed them room in the dim light.

Well, she thought, he said 'don't touch', not 'don't look.' One corner contained the small shrine with his swords. There was a desk near the doors, overflowing with papers. Everything else was neatly tucked away. Curious, she took a sniff of the air. He didn't mention smelling either, she thought. And her Ladyship says that will tell you as much as your eyes can. So let's see. Tobacco, ugh, nasty foul stuff, too. What else? She closed her eyes. Under the smoke was the smell of the man himself; the pleasant musky smell of a fit, active man in his prime. That brat from the roof has been in here recently. So, he reports to the Vice-commander, then. That Okita fellow, he has been in here often, too. Probably getting yelled at for being too happy or something. Food and drink, also; he takes many of his meals here. That means that he is either anti-social or very hardworking. She decided that it was probably some combination of the two.

Her long nose twitched as she sought the last elusive scents. The smell of freshly ground herbs was also present. They smelled medicinal, although she was not familiar with them all. Funny, he doesn't seem sick. Also, someone had been eating candy in these rooms recently. He did not seem the type. One other thing. Her eyes snapped open.

"A live pig," she shook her head. "Strange."

She shifted her feet, impatient for his return with Commander Kondo. His question was still echoing in her ears. Just what would have happened? She was sure that one of the two would have fallen under her sword. One of them would have certainly sacrificed himself as a distraction. They had both been aware of her skill, and had responded to it, just as she had responded to theirs. The demon-child or the mystic, who would have made the sacrifice? And would have I survived it? That was not entirely clear to her. I agree with that Saitou fellow though, she thought, it would have been a great thing to cross swords with either one of them.

"What a marvelous, crazy place," she muttered.

"Mister Hijikata," the doors slid open. "Why are you hiding in here on such a nice….oh!" Okita stepped into the room.

"Hello again, Miss Cameron. Why are you standing here alone in the dark?"

"I….uh, well," she blinked stupidly. Here was Okita again, now dressed in a simple pale blue kimono. His swords were gone and he was holding…..a piglet. The little animal grunted as if telling her to hurry up and answer. She gaped for a moment longer. The demon with the sword had been replaced by an effeminate young man with a pig. Finally, she got her voice back, "He…uh, the Vice-commander told me to wait here," she pointed to her feet. "Right here."

"I am sure he did not mean it quite like that."

"I think he meant it exactly like that."

"Well I am here now. I'll just keep you company while you wait for him. We can just open the doors a little. It is such a nice day, don't you think? We can sit here," he settled gracefully to the floor and set the pig down. It immediately scurried over to Hijikata's desk and began to root through the papers on it.

"That's Saizo. You must be very good with a sword. I have never seen Mister Saito back down from a fight before. Whatever he saw must have been very special to make him change his mind."

Tomoe watched the pig, her dismay turning to amusement. Really, when you thought about it, the change in the young man's demeanor was no more unusual than her own.

"Thank-you."

"Hey, Saizo, you should get out of there. Mister Hijikata is not going to approve," the pig ignored him and Okita made no effort to stop it. "So, Tomoe, was it? But you are not Japanese, are you?"

"Well, no. I think that is obvious. It is not my real name," she grinned. "It is too hard for you to pronounce, I think. But that is the name my previous Master used to call me, so it will do just as well, I think."

Truth was, she was not really sure why she had done it. Her given name was not really all that bad, but 'Tomoe' had just popped out.

"Really, how interesting. Hey, Saizo!"

"Umm, I think that it is attracted to the candy or whatever that is on the desk over there. Your Vice-commander does not strike me as the type to have a sweet tooth."

Okita giggled, "No he doesn't. I think it is some brown sugar candy that Commander Kondo and I were eating while we were watching the martial arts competition we had a few days ago. It was really fun!"

"Oh."

"If you get the chance while you are here, I will have to take you into the town. Kyoto's sweets should not be missed. Although, I have heard….." he looked at her with a wistful expression. "Have you ever tried……chocolate?"

Hijikata could hear voices in his quarters as he returned with Commander Kondo. He was not terribly surprised that Soji had returned to see their interesting guest.

"….. when they are done, they are rolled in powdered sugar, or powdered chocolate, or crushed nuts," she made a happy noise. "They are just a little piece of heaven."

They both looked up expectantly as the doors slid open. She rose to her feet.

"Mister Kondo! Look at this. Mister Hijikata met this interesting person while he was in Osaka and didn't say anything to me about it. Did you know?"

The man with Hijikata laughed, "Now Soji, do not be too upset. You have met her now, haven't you?" He turned to their guest.

She bowed deeply and greeted him respectfully, all at once more sober and proper than Hijikata had ever seen her.

"If you will allow me, Sir, I have here for you letter from Lord Matsudaira and two other documents that may be useful in this matter."

"I think it might also be helpful to have Captain Saitou's input on this," Hijikata said. "Soji, would you mind…"

A throat cleared politely at the door and they all turned to see Saitou standing there, "I had a feeling that you might need me, Vice-commander."

She muttered something under her breath, her expression speculative.

"Yes, Mister Saitou, do come in. This is……"

"Tomoe Cameron. I am very pleased to make your acquaintance," she grinned at their expressions upon hearing her personal name. "Well, that is the name my previous Master called me. 'Merely a small tick between the great man before me and the one who would follow,' he would say."

"Meaning the other, better students he'd had," Hijikata said.

"Well, he might have meant that also," her grin turned sheepish. "There were indeed many days when I was an unworthy pupil."

Saito chuckled, "Yes, he may have meant that also. So he knew that you are…….."

"Please excuse me," she interrupted him, "but can we discuss this while…?" she gestured to the inner doors of the room with her chin.

Hijikata scowled, realizing that it was not Yamazaki at his usual post, but someone far less reliable. In a flash, he was at the doors, sliding them open with a crash.

"What are you doing here, brat! Don't you have chores to finish?"

"Vice-commander! Yes, Sir. I am very sorry, Sir."

Although the boy spying at the door had prostrated himself at Hijikata's feet, he was still sneaking peeks at the woman, his eyes wide with curiosity.

"Well then get out of my sight and go do them!" He stepped back into the room and slammed the doors closed.

"Mister Hijikata, why don't you have Tetsu bring us some tea? Wouldn't that be nice?"

"Yes, that is a good idea," Kondo said.

Hijikata snorted in disgust, but he reopened the doors and stepped into the hallway, "Bring us some tea!" he yelled after the retreating boy. "And try not spilling it for once." He stepped back into the room, slamming the doors so hard that the walls shook.

"That's our new page. I think he is just adorable. But sometimes Mister Hijikata is a little hard on him," Okita said.

"Hmm, sounds to me like he is harder on the door frames." She winced inwardly. Idiot, she berated herself, her Ladyship said to watch your mouth, so do so. Do not let this Okita distract you.

Okita giggled. He was watching the Vice-commander as he tried to usher the pig out of his quarters. Hijikata was muttering threats at the small animal. The Commander and Saito both seemed to be trying to hide their amusement. After a few moments the animal headed for its owner's lap.

So, he has a soft spot for the young man, she mused, otherwise I expect that animal would have been a pork bun long before now. But just how soft a spot? Just a short time ago, he seemed perfectly willing to let me fight him and possibly be hurt or get killed. She mused over this while Kondo read the documents she had brought.

"Well, I see then," Kondo looked at her speculatively. He cleared his throat nervously. "Please, let's all sit. So your companions will be arriving tomorrow."

He looked at the other three Shinsengumi, "The Lord Matsudaira has commanded us to give these people whatever assistance they require. He also asks that we house them here so that they will be protected and have the best access to our aid."

He handed two of the documents to Hijikata and then tucked the third away.

"These may be useful to you," he turned to Tomoe. "Would you please brief Captains Okita and Saitou?"

"Yes Sir, of course."

She paused, organizing her thoughts, "First, I may have to repeat a few things that you have already heard, Vice-commander, and I apologize for it. I have been instructed to be very candid with you. My Mistress has ordered this because she wants you to fully understand the danger of the situation. She also feels that it might encourage you to be more forthcoming with any information you may have.

"So, to begin: my companions and I belong to a group whose mission is to…..well we are charged with combating dark forces found throughout the world. We are currently chasing a man and that chase has led us here," she paused, taking in their expressions. "Yes, I realize that this may be hard to believe and probably sounds like something out of a child's tale, but it is the truth. This man we hunt, this Constantine, has killed many people. Constantine not only kills, but he……. How to describe it? The majority of his victims were priests or holy people. He is seeking out people with a certain kind of aura to their life force and he is taking it."

"You mean, he is a kappa?" Okita's eyes were wide with amazement.

"A kappa? A vampiric creature? Well, no, not exactly. He is taking their lives, but not by sucking blood. We have battled vampiric creatures before and this is……..different."

"You see, there are those in the world who would see it constantly in conflict. That is, they would have chaos merely for the sake of chaos. They feed off the negative energy created in this way. It is our sworn duty to prevent this from happening. Several of my comrades in this have been doing this for many years. We are the latest in a long line of people who serve in this way. Through many years…..and many lives we have served as a defense against what would happen if creatures like Constantine were allowed to have their way."

"Many lives….." Okita turned his wide gaze on Saitou. "That is what you Saw?"

"I did. Many have come before her, each a formidable warrior."

"Yes," she looked down at her hands. "That is what I have always been."

"Are you all….?"

"No, not all of us," she stopped, a little uncomfortable under their scrutiny. Their expressions ranged from amazement (Okita and Kondo), to disbelief (Hijikata), to something like pity (Saitou).

The silence was broken by the sound of Hijikata lighting his pipe. After a moment he expelled a puff of smoke, "So how could we possibly be expected to help with this?"

"Oh, there are several ways," she nodded at Saito. "His talents are a definite asset. And information is always useful. We do not know exactly where he is in Kyoto and since we are not familiar with the city, it would not be easy for us to find him without help," she grinned. "We do stand out a little bit too much. So, it is to our benefit to work with someone who can help with intelligence. And possibly supply a force of arms, if it is needed. And if Vice-commander Hijikata's theory about the possible involvement of this rebel group is correct, it will also benefit you. It seems that Constantine may have allied himself with some of your enemies," she wrinkled her nose. The smoke was very annoying. "The other documents I brought may help you. One is a list of all his victims to date. The other is a report on a recent murder in Kyoto. We think the men may have been killed by Constantine."

Hijikata looked at the report she indicated. It was an account of the same murder he had been investigating.

"How did you get this? I had only just found out about it myself. I have been looking into it."

"Well, we have made other contacts in the time we have been here. Would you rely on a single source for your intelligence? Plus, this type of act…..what he does, it creates a resonance. My Mistress is sensitive to such things."

Hijikata frowned at the list of victims, "This list is very extensive. He has been at this a while. You have not been very effective in stopping him."

She eyed the Vice-commander narrowly for a moment, "Well, unfortunately, we were not asked to deal with him until he had killed several times. The first few murders were priests who belonged to the same order as Constantine. His superiors tried to deal with it themselves, but could not. By the time we were invited to help, he was gone and his trail was quite cold. And we were delayed," she paused, a look of sadness coming over her face. "We were betrayed and one of us was killed. It took three months after that to track him here."

She stopped to watch the page's return. He was carrying a tray laden with their tea and looked very nervous.

"So that is what we are doing here. Now what information can you add about this most recent murder? As Mister Evans would say 'quid pro quo'."

Several things happened simultaneously that prevented Hijikata from answering. The page gasped upon hearing a phrase that, although foreign, was still familiar to him. His sudden start caused the tea tray to wobble. And for some reason, Saizo chose that moment to leave Okita's lap and charge at the page. With a loud cry he tried to kick the pig away and, of course, lost his grip on the tray. He winced and shut his eyes, waiting for the crash of porcelain, and the yelling that would follow.

Instead there was a moment of silence followed by a delighted gasp from Okita. Tetsu opened his eyes to see the tea tray suspended in front of him, balanced on one of the foreign woman's hands. She had risen to one foot, the other knee still resting on the ground. A little tea had slopped over the edges of the cups remaining on the tray.

"Vice-commander, I am so sorry," her face was a perfect picture of regret.

One lone cup had fallen off the tray and she had caught it, but some of the tea had spilled on Hijikata. He held his now extinguished pipe in one hand while he lifted his damp (and hot) kimono off his lap with the other. A low growl started deep within his chest, but it was unclear just at whom he was growling; the page, the pig, or the woman. His left eyebrow began to twitch a little, a warning that his temper was about to explode.

Okita stared at her, wide-eyed as though he had just witnessed some wonderful conjuror's trick.

"Boy, get a hold of yourself," he was also staring at her. "Go and get us something to clean up with. And some more tea. Quickly!"

Tetsu complied, realizing that he had been given a chance to escape the wrath of the demon he served. He would have to find a way to talk with this foreigner, maybe she could shed some light on where his father had learned the things he did. The things that had gotten him killed.

She watched as Tetsu retreated, then proceeded to redistribute the remaining tea and then to serve the men. Okita was not sure, but she seemed to be trying really hard not to laugh. He also noticed that she served quite gracefully, someone had taught her very well. This mysterious former Master, he wondered, just who could he be?

Once the tea was served, Saizo returned to his lap and Okita patted him absently as he listed to Hijikata summarize what he had learned about the priest's death. He was only half listening though, his thoughts kept returning to their guest. He had only known her a short while, but had already decided that he liked her. She reminded him of someone, but he could not decide who. While they had talked, he thought maybe that she was like his sister, but then he remembered her deadly focus in the yard. And just a few moments ago she had been up to some mischief on par with anything that Todo, Harada, and Nagakura could dream up.

Hijikata had finished, "Before we were interrupted by the brat, you said that you had been betrayed. Tell us about that."

"There were five of us who started out after him. Constantine was a priest, as I said, and it was one of his superiors who asked for our help after the Church realized that they could not stop him. In the past we have had members of the Church among us, but not now. And what the Church cannot control, it fears. This fear led some of them to try and destroy us. We got close to Constantine at one point and were offered help by some priests. Instead they led us into an ambush," she stopped and Okita could tell that she was reliving it. After a moment she continued but her eyes were still far away. "It was me, Mister Evans, and Mister Hillerman. My Mistress had stayed behind with Mister Cameron to guard her. We were directed to meet them in….ah, well the equivalent of a temple. And there they attacked us. On their own holy ground, they attacked us. Constantine was not as strong as he is now, so all the attackers were human, but we were badly outnumbered. Only Mister Evans and I escaped. We found out afterwards that Constantine turned on his allies and killed those that remained because they failed him."

She stopped again, there was more, but she was not sure if she should tell them.

"I am a relatively new member of this group. Constantine knows Mister Evans and had heard of my Mistress, but not me. Or my sword. As you may have guessed, it was made here. When he ambushed us, it was the first time he saw its power. You may not be aware of it, but its maker is very skilled, the blade gives someone like me an advantage in battle."

"You mean it is magic?" Okita asked.

Hijikata snorted scornfully, "There is no such thing."

"Have you not been listening to me?" she said sharply, but then continued in a more civil tone. "But you are partly right. There is no such thing anymore. Almost. Haven't you ever wondered why all the stories involving magic happen in the past? And the farther back you go the more there seem to be." She paused again, trying to find the right words. "I am sorry, but I am not explaining it very well. Mister Evans always says to think of magic as something drawn out of a well. You have to train hard to do it properly and it is not quite so easy to do, but he says that it is a good way to picture it. There are many of these wells throughout the world, more in some places and less in others. And some wells are deeper than others. In most places in the world, these wells have been mostly emptied or dried up. And without them, yes, there is no magic. Japan it seems, has very deep wells, or they have not been depleted to the same extent as elsewhere. I am not terribly sensitive to such things, but even I could feel it as we got closer. Constantine also realized it when he saw my sword. It retains some residual of the power that went into its making."

"In other words, it is your fault he came here."

She dropped her gaze to her hands, "Perhaps. Mister Evans says that he may have come in any case, he had been moving east when we started after him, but it may have given him another reason. He can tap into the power that lingers here. But," she raised her head. Her eyes had darkened again, "he will not leave here. One way or another, he will be stopped," her hands twitched in her lap. Okita recognized the movement. In her mind, she was drawing her weapon against her enemy.

Hijikata met her gaze and for a moment all was silent. Then he snorted again, "That may well be………"

The sound of doors opening interrupted him. Again. His page had returned with more tea and a cloth to clean things up. Hijikata glared at him, "You certainly took a long time. Well, hurry up!"

"Yes, Sir!" he had dropped to his knees and in his haste to get up; he tripped over his own feet and landed face first on the floor, narrowly missing the new tea tray.

Tomoe watched him but did not say anything. He looked ready to keel over from fright. As clumsy as the boy was, she was starting to feel a little sorry for him. How did he ever manage to find himself in the service of such man? And more interestingly, where did he learn Latin? He recognized the phrase that I used, she thought. She accepted more tea and took a few moments to sip it so she could regroup a little. Although she also believed that it was partly her fault that Constantine was here, it still irked her to hear the accusation.

"So is there anything else you need to tell us?"

"No. Do you have any other questions?" She looked at Commander Kondo. He had said almost nothing.

"No, I do not. Toshi, I will leave it to you arrange everything. You will find that the Vice-commander is very capable."

"Yes, Sir. Thank-you Sir. We are in you debt, for this."

After a few more minutes of silent tea drinking the Commander and Saito excused themselves. Tomoe also stood, a little unsure of what to do next.

Hijikata set his tea cup down, "You should keep to your room as much as possible and do not leave the station. The fewer people that know you are here the better," he said in an obvious dismissal. He got up and walked towards his desk, ignoring her bow.

Well, I have just about had enough of him, she thought. Fine, just get me to my room and I will be glad to stay there. She stood up also and went to pick up her boots, pack, and mangled hat.

"That may be hard at this point. The spy saw me and Mister Okita and Mister Saitou and your page. He has probably already told four or five different people by now. My guess is that by the end of your evening meal, half of the men will know that I am here."

Hijikata turned around, "My men are not gossips."

"Hmmm, I am sure."

"Soji, introduce her to Miss Yamazaki and tell her to find them rooms."

He walked to the doors and opened them wider. He leaned against the frame and began to repack his pipe, "Out!"

She bowed, "Yes, Sir."

He watched them leave, slouched against the door frame. Damned woman! All he needed was another joker in their midst. Still, the trick with the tea had been impressive. He had the feeling that it would not be the last irritating thing she did. And she was probably right; by the end of the day everyone in the headquarters would know that there was a foreigner among them. He was aware that some of men would be less than happy with it too. He hoped that it would not cause dissention. He was tempted to put a guard on her quarters, but then remembered how efficiently she had dispatched his attackers in Osaka. Anyone that messed with her was in for a very unpleasant surprise.


Soji's silvery laugh floated over the soft evening air. Hijikata could see him with Tomoe through the partially open door. Only two rooms were available, so it was decided that the men would take one and Tomoe would share the second with her Mistress when they arrived.

Now Tomoe had added her hearty laugh to Soji's. They appeared to be bent over a game board. Go? Hijikata felt oddly dismayed, he could never get Soji to play with him. He always said that board games were boring and would try to get the Vice-commander to play tag with him instead. The Captain had taken quite a liking to this woman. It disturbed Hijikata more than he cared to admit. Although he had always brushed off the boy's devotion to him, it still bothered him to see that attention focused elsewhere.

Tomoe had removed her hakama and was now, like Soji, just wearing a kimono. She was sprawled on her stomach in front of the board with her bare feet waving in the air. Soji often adopted the same posture when he was reading and eating sweets.

"No, no, the knight doesn't move like that. And you don't whinny when you move it," she groaned in mock frustration and dropped her head into her hand. Hijikata saw her nose twitch.

Her head popped up, "Vice-commander? What can we do for you?"

After enduring his disapproving glare for a few moments, she shrugged and sat up in a more appropriate posture.

"Mister Hijikata, Miss Cameron is teaching me chess. I am sorry, but I do not think that I like it anymore than Go."

Hijikata could see now that they had a chess board sitting on top of the Go board. It was a small set, exquisitely carved out of wood, obviously meant for traveling.

Tomoe noted his interest, "You know chess?"

He grunted in the affirmative, "But I did not come here to play games," he raised the report he was holding. "I just received this. I think it is important. Could we discuss it?"

"Of course, Sir. Can we finish the lesson later Mister Okita?"

"Oh, of course. Do you want me to get you some tea or anything, Mister Hijikata, Miss Cameron?"

"No, Soji."

"No, I am fine thank-you very much," she made a small seated bow.

"Well, all right. I'll just be going then and leave you to your talk. Good night," he gave a little wave and was off.

She sighed wistfully as she watched him go. Hijikata's dismay turned to some other indefinable emotion. Did the interest run both ways?

"I envy him, you know. Everything is so clear to him. It must be nice to devote yourself to something with no doubt, no reservations," Hijikata saw her twitch a little, she had not been aware that she was speaking out loud. Her wistful expression turned sly. "Or should I say someone?"

Hijikata scowled and brandished the report at her.

"Yes, yes," she busied herself rearranging the chess board. "Tell me, please."

"I had a previous report of a small group of people coming to Kyoto recently. Their movements and destination were not consistent with those of the Choshu clansmen who have also been arriving these past few weeks. I had Yamazaki look into it further, but he had no luck in determining their identities. However, Commander Kondo was able to get the information through his contacts at the protector's headquarters. Ten people came here from Edo." He began to list them off, saving the most interesting name for last. As he expected, she gasped upon hearing it.

"You know the name?"

"I do," her hand dropped to the sword at her side, present even now, despite her relaxed behavior. She ran her fingers lightly along the scabbard, "but not the man himself."

"And you know what he is?"

"Yes." Her eyes had unfocussed a little as she thought. Her fingers were now tracing the design on the hilt guard, while her other hand turned the chess board so that the white men faced him.

"He was the one who made that for you?" he gestured with his chin to the sword.

"No, not for me. It was made for my previous Master." her fingers tapped the hilt guard. "Well, except for this. It was made for me by my father. They were both given to me as a gift when I left home."

"Quite the 'gift.' Does that mean he is dead?"

Amazingly, she did not respond to the veiled insult, she still seemed lost in thought.

"No, no, he is alive and well," she fell silent.

Time passed and she remained away in her thoughts. Finally with a grunt she came back to the present. She looked down at the chess board. He had moved a man while she had ruminated.

"Excellent! But no horsey noises, right?"

"Hmmph. So what do you think?"

"He is most definitely the type of person Constantine would seek out. And he has seen my sword, so he already knows something of its maker, as I said earlier. Most sword smiths of his caliber are also priests or at least holy men. Right?"

She moved one of her men.

"Yes, but why would he move here?"

She did not respond until he moved.

"I am not sure, but it was obviously done in secret. For some reason he feels that he will find safety here. We do not know where Constantine was before coming here, maybe it was Edo. Of course, it is possible that the move was made for a completely unrelated reason. I suppose that asking him would be the most direct way to find out, but….."

"That could lead this Constantine right to him. If he has not located him already."

"Exactly. And I am in no position to protect him while I am here alone," she sighed. More time passed, the click of chess men was the only sound in the room.

"Do not think that I am going to let you light that thing in here," she pointed at his pipe.

"Huh?" Hijikata had not realized that he had placed it between his teeth. He withdrew it and stared at it a moment.

"Oh, I see. Well go ahead and chew on it then. But it is awfully hard on the mouthpiece. My father does the same thing when he is thinking," she grinned, "or losing at chess."

He scowled at her, "I am not losing," he also did not appreciate being compared to anyone's father. Thirty was not all that old. "You need to stay focused on this," he tapped the report.

"Yes, yes. I have not forgotten. Well, he is someone Constantine would be interested in. But charging off to his side may not be a prudent move. Could you spare someone to continue surveillance on them?"

Hijikata nodded.

"Good. Someone discrete. You don't want to alert anyone inside or out. Mister Evans and my Mistress should know about this. The decision about how to proceed will be theirs."

"What would you suggest?"

"You mean if it was up to me?"

He nodded.

"Well," she reddened a little, "it may sound terribly ruthless, but he would make excellent…..uh."

"Bait," he finished for her. "Yes, he would be useful as that."

"Yes, but it is not up to me. And that is probably just as well. These are people, not chess men. In any case, I was not brought along for my tactical prowess, but for….." she gestured to her sword and then moved a man. "Check."

In spite of himself, Hijikata laughed, "No, of course not. It is obvious that you are a poor strategist."

"Vice-commander!" she grinned. "I am pleased to see that you do have some sort of a sense of humor. But isn't that against the rules of the Shinsengumi or something? Do not worry, I won't tell."

He laughed shortly again, thinking that it was a good thing that was not the case, or half of his Captains would have to slit their bellies. Well, not half, but definitely three of them.

"But really, I mean it, I am no strategist. I just have the advantage of more practice and probably access to more modern chess theory. See if you can get Mister Evans to play with you and you will see. I generally cannot even get a game out of him. He says that he won't waste his time until I get to be more interesting. But he always gives me scenarios to solve. If you are finished pretending like you have another move, I can show you his latest."

He nodded and gestured his resignation, interested in spite of himself.

"Does Mister Cameron also play?"

"Yes, and my Mistress. It is a good way to pass the time. As you can see, we spend a fair amount of time waiting in our work. My Mistress plays well, I have to work to bear her. And Cameron, well…." she chuckled. "Don't mention it to him. It bothers him a lot more than it did you. What do you think of this?" she gestured to the board.

Hijikata adjusted his pipe as he concentrated on the board. Time passed and before he realized it, he could hear the sound of one of the evening patrols returning. He had spent far too much time here discussing trivia. With a start, he realized that their discussions had not only included chess. She had told him about her father and sister. She was about to become an aunt and was looking forward to it. And, in turn, he had talked about his family in Hino and about how he had come to Kyoto. He realized that her smart mouth was merely a cover. Just like Soji, she distracted attention from the violent side of her nature. And he had seen yet another side of her tonight. He had enjoyed his conversation with this sober young woman. There had been no sign of her smart mouth the entire time.

And just like Soji, she seemed to want to expose his weaknesses. But this devious woman had used a chess board. Soji was less subtle; bringing tea, wanting to take long walks, and giving shoulder rubs that were designed to make him lower his guard.

He scowled and sat back abruptly, "I am leaving, good night."

"Huh? Oh, I did not realize it was so late…." she trailed off. He was already gone. She stared at the board a moment.

Just what brought that on, she wondered. She shook her head and made an exasperated noise. She picked up one of the knights from the board and bounced it up and down on her palm.

"I just do not understand any of you," she sighed.


End notes

I have been told that Tomoe means comma in Japanese. And no, the name is not from that blood spattered drunk that Battousai fellow fell for, it is from Tomoe Gozen. She is believed to have been a woman samurai and is interesting because she is one of only a few who are recorded as using a sword. Most women samurai used the naginata. Check out the great books about Gozen by Jessica Amanda Salmonson if you are interested.

Canis lupus is, of course, the scientific name for wolf. C. l. hodophilax is the name of the sub-species once found on Japan. And sadly, just like the Shinsengumi, they are no longer with us, having gone extinct.