A Wanderer's Sword:

A Sequel to "Broken Hearts"

Ch. 13

A Deadly Battle

Sensei took nearly a week to recover his memory, and up till the very moment that he remembered everything he treated Kaoru with the dearest care. To Kaoru he seemed like totally different man. Even though he was still recovering from his injury he insisted to wait on Kaoru endlessly.

"The middle of nowhere is no place for a woman like you…" Sensei had said on the sixth day looking about the hut with frustration.

"Excuse me!" Kaoru asked indignantly.

"No!" he said shaking his head blushing worriedly. "I don't mean it that way! I just mean it's no place for a baby." He looked around at the mess with a frown on his face. "Just why are you and I living here?"

Kaoru was silent for a while, slowly brushing up the damp straw with a broom. She finally spoke, "Let me put it this way…it wasn't a choice of mine." She smiled meekly and continued to brush at the filthy ground.

Sensei stood still for a long time thinking it over. He finally decided he didn't get it, "So…what again?" He scratched his head contemplatively.

"Mr. Sensei…I don't know how to say this but…" Kaoru said looking up with a mix of anger, frustration, and sympathy, "but…you and your gang they—"

But she was interrupted by Yuske who came stumbling into the hut out of breath, "Uh…boss…"

Sensei frowned at him with confusion and then turned to Kaoru for help. "This is one of your men, Mr. Sensei, I don't know his name though." Kaoru said quietly.

Yuske continued hurriedly, "Yeah boss…we've got a problem…"

"Yes…" Sensei urged.

"Himura's on our tail…we've got to move out."

"Himura? Who is Himura?"

Yuske looked at him puzzled, he obviously didn't realize quite how much Sensei had forgotten. "This woman's husband, the one we're after, the whole reason we're out in this damn forest!" he said pointing at Kaoru angrily.

"What!" Sensei said. He looked at Kaoru, then at Yuske, then again at Kaoru. "I don't understand." he finally said.

There was a long pause in which Kaoru stared at the ground hoping beyond hope that he wouldn't remember, Yuske made nervous movements towards the door, and Sensei scratched his head thinking hard.

After a long time Sensei looked at Kaoru again, narrowing his eyes in concentration. He began to murmur things to himself, it seemed every wheel in his brain was moving at full speed. "Kaoru…Himura's woman…after Himura…Himura…where have I—" he looked up, "Junpei!"

"But what do I do?" Sensei yelled down at her starting to panic. "I've never delivered a baby before."

"Well I've never had one before!" she screamed up at him. "Now that we have that settled could you please do something useful!"

"But what!"

"I don't know…" she paused. "Get some towels or rags…and some water—hot water…and…and…some help!"

He nodded. "Okay!" and dashed out the door.

Kenshin reached the edge of the new camp within three hours and crept silently amongst the brush. There seemed to be a bunch of hustle and bustle going on near a makeshift hut about fifty yards away. The tents and smaller huts seemed rather abandoned at the moment, and only two men stood guard, one about six feet from Kenshin and leaning lazily against a tree, and the other about ten yards to the right of the main hut.

Kenshin slowly and silently tiptoed behind the first man and took out his sword carefully. With the hilt of the sword he swung down hard on the back of the mans skull and he fell heavily down in the dirt. "Night, night." Kenshin whispered rather unusually and sneaked away towards the other guard; if the first guard did wake up soon he wouldn't be able to see anyway.

"Who's there!" yelled the other one, as a twig broke under Kenshin's foot. Kenshin was rather out of practice and rather frustrated with the fact that this man was very alert. "I know there's someone out there, show yourself!" he said drawing his sword.

Luckily a rabbit decided to pop out of a bush right in front of the guard. "Oh…" the guard said relieved, "just a little rabbit."

Kenshin crept behind the man and prepared to wallop him one. He didn't think this was at all fair but he needed to get close to Kaoru before he stirred up any trouble. He lifted his sword hilt high above his head and—

SWISH!

Kenshin winced as the man's sword sliced open his skin; he had spun around so quickly that not even Kenshin could have reacted in time. Their swords clashed loudly in a second strike, sending sparks through the air.

"So…" said Yuske happily. "we meet at last."

SWISH! CLANG! CRACK!

"Hiten…Mitsurugi Ryu…Son Sen…" Kenshin yelled as he slashed him repeatedly.

Their swords blazed through the air as fast as bullets and shone like silver flags. "Do I know you?" Kenshin said nearly out of breath.

"No…" Yuske said disappearing from where he stood. "…but I know you." he said reappearing behind him. "The woman we have is your wife…but I am afraid you won't ever see her alive again."

"AAAHHHH!" Kenshin yelled as he ran for him. He had no time for this, he needed to get to Kaoru; he had a feeling something was going on by the way that no one seemed to pay any attention to their battle. "Hiten…Mitsurugi…Ryu…Tsui…Sen!"

Kenshin bounded into the air and flew into the sky, high above Yuske, the wind blowing madly through his hair. Suddenly gravity realized that it was time to do it's job and he began to slip downward. He held his sword tight for the impact and landed it directly on Yuske's right shoulder.

Yuske fell to the earth in a pile of pain and agony, his shoulder out of its socket and blood all over his face. Kenshin stared down at him, breathing heavily. Yuske looked up frightened, "Please don't kill me…" he begged pathetically.

"Kill you I shall not." Kenshin said patiently. "But I would appreciate it if you told me where I could find my wife, that I would."

CLICK

The cold end of a barrel touched the back of Kenshin's head. "That won't be necessary…" Sensei said to Yuske who had opened his mouth to tell him. "He won't be alive to see his wife, or his baby."

BANG!

The gun shot rang through the whole camp, echoing angrily in Kaoru's ears. She screamed, for she new as her heart fell, so did Kenshin's bloody body fall limply to the ground.

TO BE CONTINUED?