A Wanderer's Sword:

A Sequel to "Broken Hearts"

Ch. 8

The Rescued And The Captive

"What the hell are you looking at!" the drunken man yelled at a passerby. The red-faced gang around him laughed hysterically as the poor young girl flinched. "Lost your way, honey?" he continued cruelly. "Ol' Sensei will take you home dear. Ha! Ha! We'll have a good ol' time! Won't we boys!"

"Sure boss." said a tall gangly man to his left, his eyes glazed over with intoxication. "We could show this little pretty quite a few things. What do you say Yuske?"

A teenage boy barely 17 snickered and grabbed the girl's arm making her drop her things as she struggled to get free. "I say she isn't worth the trouble! Look she barely has breasts--"

"I think you should let that girl alone, that I do!" came an angry voice from behind Yuske.

The group of drunks turned lazily around to see Kenshin standing behind them, his sword drawn, although it was hardly necessary because the first to turn on him stumbled pathetically and landed fast first into the dirt beside his feet.

"This is none of your business!" Sensei yelled out in his direction, blinking madly in the bright spring sunlight.

"It is my business to protect anyone I can from the likes of you, that it is!" Kenshin yelled.

Sensei swayed towards the girl, putting an arm around her shoulder. "We weren't doing nothing to the girl! She simply asked us for directions. Didn't she boys?" The crowd nodded their heads in unison; a few shouts were let out as well.

"Is this true?" Kenshin asked the teary eyed girl politely.

She looked around at the men surrounding her nervously. They all gave her menacing looks, if she could even find her voice it was evident that they would not let her rat them out. She shook her head slowly, tears pouring more profusely down her cheeks.

"Get away from her!" came another voice. Yahiko looked up angrily at the drunken crowd swinging at them madly with his wooden katana. "You may be able to Kenshin, but you can't fool me! Come with me!" He said holding out his hand to the timid jet black haired girl. The crowd growled angrily at him but he didn't back down. Slowly the girl stretched out her hand and Yahiko pulled her away from her aggressors.

"You should avoid this area; a lot of drunks hang out here…My name's Yahiko." He said thrusting his hand out at her awkwardly. "What's yours?"

"My—my name's Kira." she said quietly. "Thank—thank you for he—helping me." She looked up apprehensively at Kenshin.

"Are you okay Miss Kira?" he asked her kindly.

Kira looked at Yahiko for help. "This is Kenshin Himura." Yahiko said encouraging her to say hello.

"Hello Mr. Himura." She said politely.

"You can call me Kenshin, that you can. So, Kira, where are you going?"

"I—I don't have anywhere to go." She said shyly.

"Where is your family?" Yahiko asked.

"I don't…" but she broke off tears forming again in her eyes.

"Why don't you come stay at the dojo?" Yahiko offered. "What do you think Kenshin?"

He looked up at Kenshin imploringly. Kenshin shrugged his shoulders nervously. "Uhh…I don't know if Kaoru—"

"If I'll what?" came a voice from behind them. Kaoru came walking up to Kenshin slowly.

"Oh!" Kenshin said turning abruptly. "Kaoru you should be at the dojo."

Kira looked at Yahiko once again as Kaoru spoke. "Who is this? Another friend of Yahiko's?"

"Kaoru!" Yahiko yelled at her angrily.

"This is Miss Kira…Yahiko was wondering if she could stay at the dojo a while. She found herself in a little trouble just now, that she did." Kenshin said placing a hand on Kaoru's shoulder. He turned to Kira. "Kira this is my wife Kaoru."

"Kira would you like some more to eat?" Kaoru asked with a smile.

"No…I couldn't." Kira said shaking her head vigorously.

"Go ahead it's okay Kira." Yahiko said nodded. "There's plenty."

"Okay…" she whispered barely hearable.

"That Sensei's a creep." Yahiko suddenly blurted out.

"He's a deeply depressed man." Kenshin said sadly.

"It doesn't help he gets drunk with that gang of his and goes stumbling around the streets stirring up trouble." Kaoru added passionately.

"Whoa calm down Kaoru you'll go into labor!" Sano said surprised.

"Shut-up Sano!" Kaoru said rebuking, then she turned to Kira with a smile. "Don't mind him, he just comes here for food and occasionally has something annoying to say."

Kira giggled, and Kenshin smiled, "You have a very pretty smile Kira. It would be nice to see you smile more often, that it would. I'm sure Yahiko agrees, don't you Yahiko?"

Yahiko suddenly looked up; he had been absentmindedly starring into Kira's sparkling blue-green eyes. "What!"

"I think someone has a crush!" Kaoru teased him.

Both Kira and Yahiko blushed and turned away. Kaoru was surprised not to hear Yahiko yell at her or call her ugly. The entire table was quiet for a long time, as well.

Kaoru was sleeping happily in her room dreaming of the summertime when a sudden noise made her awake with a start. She sat up slowly, the blankets slipping down her rounded belly. "Kenshin?" she called out. The blankets beside her were wrinkled but he was nowhere to be seen.

CLANK! BAM!

Kaoru sat up straight her heart beating wildly. "Who's there!"

A dark shadow outside the sliding doors to her right moved unsteadily. The black figure of a tall man crept closer and closer to the doors. Kaoru could barely breathe for fright of being heard. She watched the shape closely as it swaggered ever closer.

Suddenly the doors slammed open and a man came stumbling inside. "You…you're going to pay Kenshin—" he suddenly spotted her. He stood up straight, blinking and rubbing his eyes. "So…Kenshin has a woman—a pregnant woman at that!"

He slowly pulled out a tanto and pulled it up to her pale face. Kaoru shook terribly and her voice trembled, "What—do—you want!"

"Well…" he said standing up and pretending to ponder it. "First, I'd like to teach Kenshin a lesson for messing with my affairs. Then maybe give that little punk Yahiko a good beating. And last but definitely most important I'd like to avenge my kid brother's death."

"Y—your br—brother took his own life!" Kaoru yelled at him her confidence growing as she realized the man was dead drunk. "He couldn't stand his own defeat and all Kenshin did was give him mercy after he tried to kill me!"

"Well then I guess I'll have to finish ol' Junpei's work for him, now won't I?" He yelled. He suddenly grabbed her arm and started to drag her across the floor.

"KENSHIN! HELP!" she screamed. But no one came.

TO BE CONTINUED

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