AN: If you were paying attention to the last chapter, the scenes in the "mist" should have been familiar. Onward to some chuckles!
Chapter 4: Cooking
Humming cheerfully, Kenshin pulled out his most treasured item to set beside his gathered kindling.
A pan. A beaten, ratty, ugly old pan that would now be used to make simple soups! And cook eggs! And many other wonderful meals! It was a most beauteous thing!
Wrinkling his nose, he sighed inwardly and admitted to himself that maybe, just maybe that was the hunger talking. Nevertheless, it would be useful, and was a fine find from the abandoned hut.
Kenshin piled the kindling, started a fire, then began preparing the fish to be cooked. After a moment, he raised his head and eyed the surrounding area, growing tense. Why did he feel like something had it out for him, suddenly?
Oh, surely not. Such paranoia was unbecoming. He filleted the fish and placed it in the pan. He eyed it for a moment - it wasn't going to be cooked properly, but at least it would be cooked - then turned to his bag. He had a gi to mend, as its sorry state was an embarrassment. He rummaged through his things, locating his last bits of thread and needle, and turned back to his meal, supplies in hand.
He blinked. Hadn't the fish been turned the other way? He eyed it cautiously, then, feeling foolish, stretched his ki senses further out into the forest. There wasn't anyone nearby, on the road or otherwise - just assorted wildlife, like the bird in the tree across the clearing.
He was going insane, then. Obviously that much hunger was good for no one.
He sighed and began stitching, glancing at the fish every once in a while.
On one of the glances, he found the fish facing the way he had originally placed it, because now the pan was turned.
The mending dropped to the ground as he shot straight up, standing at a speed most human minds could not comprehend. Hand clutching his sword, he glanced to the side and sought cover behind a shade dappled tree. All was silent for several minutes.
As nothing more occurred, Kenshin decided to return to his work. If there was something out there, at the speeds it was racing there was no point watching for it - it would show when it wanted to, and it didn't want to now. Besides, much longer and the fish would burn.
Cautiously, he wound his way back to his spot by the fire; with another scan of the area, he resumed stitching. All was quiet as the fish cooked and the young wanderer sewed.
Finishing the last stitch, the rurouni looked up at his meal - and cursed. What moments ago had been a nicely cooking fish was now a large, deformed lump doing a fair impersonation of charcoal. He shot up once more, throwing his gi over his shoulder and away from the flames. Blowing on his hand to chill it momentarily, he then grabbed the pan handle and pulled his meal off the fire to place on the dirt.
He sat fanning it for a few moments, until his eyes widened as the burning small changed to something more sour. Whipping around, his expression changed to horror as he spotted the edge of his newly-mended gi at the flames, catching fire. Pulling it away, he began cursing fluently as he stomped out the flames on his brand new rag.
Life was against him; and on days like this one, it seemed like everything was laughing at him - even that bird in the tree. It looked like it was trying to hold back convulsions. Kenshin glared; the bird keeled over backwards and landed behind the tree with a thud. Kenshin smirked; teach that stupid bird to laugh at him - ha ha ha.
---Behind the tree, the tengu tried not to hyperventilate and failed miserably. Heavens that man was scary, with those narrowed amber eyes. No joke was enough to withstand that look! It wasn't worth it!
---Kenshin remained unaccosted as he ate his charcoal in the quiet.