A/N: Heehee. Yup you guessed it lily, it's Kenshin to the rescue!. MP, omochi welcome back!. Koneko-dono, and willow. here you go .Chapter IV! ) and willow. you're making me blush
OOOHH. bows low to Artemis, Goddess of the Moon and offers this chapter in her name ..hehehe the bolwick is my original character, got the idea of a lizard because I saw one running across the wall as I was writing. The Hydra though, I think I've heard that name before, but I don't think it was a three-headed snake, that was mine. I was fresh out of names at that time. heehee(c",) and please tell me what you think of the chapter ender now..
Nim. o just wanna clear things out, the old lady saw only one person in her vision, but because the villagers were desperate, they were willing to take chances on anybody. (c",)
errrr about the story.. not much action in this chapter, but I do have to make K&K's first meeting "special" winks so you guys read on and review ok (c",)
KENSHIN the DRAGON HUNTER Chapter IV: Kenshin and Kaoru
Kenshin looked at the beautiful, young girl he just rescued. She was still unconscious because of the blow she received from that snake. He thought of the moment he first saw her. It was by the lake, and she was taking her shirt off, and Kenshin, not wanting to be seen, just stood still. Of course that time, he thought that she was just a young boy cooling himself off… until she removed the bandage on "his" chest… Kenshin blushed at the memory, something he never did before, even as women stood stark naked before him.
He could have turned away then, but something about her kept him from doing that. He watched her every move. He liked the way her body moved with such grace, and the way her hair was blown by the slight breeze. He liked even more the way she held her face up to the sky, smiling. "She looked so beautiful" Kenshin thought. Now, having her this close, Kenshin realized that she was even more beautiful than before.
The girl moaned and Kenshin again felt that same heart wrenching feeling he got when he saw her small body being thrown and slammed against a tree. "Darn! I shouldn't have left her!" Kenshin reprimanded himself. It took a lot of effort for him to tear himself away from the sight of her, but as she looked so tranquil, Kenshin decided to leave her to her solitude. Or more like he was taking too much pleasure in the view, too much for comfort that is, so he left.
His thoughts were still of that mysterious beauty that he walked some distance away before he noticed the tracks of the giant snake. "One of the Hydra's scout, no doubt about it!" he thought as he hurriedly followed it.
"Please," Kenshin found himself praying for the girl by the lake, "please be safe!"
He could see the Hydra scout moving swiftly towards her with its mouth wide open, but he was too far to save her. Something in him felt an intolerable pain at the thought of that young woman dying.
He saw her move, quickly dodging the snake's bite! "Good girl" Kenshin thought, thankful… only momentarily though, for the girl did not see the snake's tail!
Kenshin was furious at the snake and fearful for the girl. He jumped between them, and it took him less than ten seconds to deliver twenty slashes, mutilating the bothersome monster with his sword.
Kenshin landed on the ground panting. Angry, confused, afraid… He took one deep breath before turning to see how the girl fared. He felt relieved when he saw her chest rising and falling in an even rhythm. "Good" he thought, "she's breathing."
He stroked her ribs slowly, feeling for any irregular angulations that might suggest fracture or dislocation. Fortunately, her bones were smooth. "So is her skin" Kenshin thought to his surprise! He gave himself a mental shake, then carried the unconscious girl very gently to a nearby cave.
After bandaging her bruised ribs, Keshin said quietly "Looks like she'll be out for a few hours" so he set off to gather some firewood for the night. He was just passing by and he didn't plan on staying the night here, but it seems now he has no choice.
Kaoru felt herself waking up slowly from what seemed like a dreamless sleep. She suddenly felt a contracting pain on her chest and the room everything started to spin. She closed her eyes again trying to control the nausea that was threatening to take over her.
When she felt a little better, she again opened her eyes, and this time everything was steady. She looked around and saw a man sitting by the fire, the red of his hair enhanced by the dancing flames. "Red hair… That's right! The giant snake, he saved me from it! I guess he did this too." Kaoru thought, holding her well-bandaged rib.
Kaoru was about to get up, and thank him, but the man turned slightly, offering Kaoru a view of the cross-shaped scar on his left cheek.
No! Kaoru couldn't believe it! She's heard of this man from Dargove and the other dragons. He's the one they fear the most, for even if he is the youngest amongst dragon hunters, he is the most skilled, and the most lethal. "There is something that drives him to hunt our kind without mercy" Dargove once said of this man.
Kaoru looked back at him again, alone by the fire, he doesn't look that dangerous, or evil at all! But then the image of Dargove bleeding and dying entered her mind and she began get up cautiously, the pain on her ribs grew with every movement she made. Still, she got up and went for his sword, which was leaning on a big stone beside her.
It was an odd sword unlike the others she'd been accustomed to, and heavy as well. Kaoru didn't really know what she planned to do with the sword, all she knew was that felt more comfortable if he didn't have a weapon… and she did!
Kenshin was aware that the girl was awake and holding his sword, but he made no effort to stop her or defend himself if she decided to attack him. Of course, he had an unfair advantage. He knew the extent of the girl's injury therefore, he knew that she couldn't do much of anything with his sword, let alone carry it. The pain would be unbearable.
He heard her try to stand up, but she gasped, and his guess was that she fell. Kenshin finally turned around to take look at her, something he's been avoiding all night. When he finally did, he was astounded by what he saw. The girl did not fall! Instead she was standing, leaning against his sword for support. She was gritting her teeth and breathing very fast, indicating that her pain was great. Kenshin could not stand it any longer and went to help her, but she backed away.
Kaoru pushed herself to ignore the pain as she stood up but the pain was too intense and her gasp had caught his attention. Kaoru waited as he turned around. When she finally saw his face fully, she was amazed at how young and handsome and almost regal he looked! "Was this the face of a heartless killer?" she asked herself. He saw him take a step closer to her and she backed away.
"Some things appear differently that what they really are" Dargove had told her over and over again as she had been in danger too many times for thinking that a small animal or a beautiful flower was harmless, but they had nearly cost her her very own life!
She looked at his eyes and saw it narrowing. "Is he angry at me for backing away?" Kaoru asked herself, "or is that hurt I see?"
"Why…?" the man spoke with a soft, smooth voice. "Why do you fear me?" He asked sounding genuinely interested in her answer.
"Why not!" Kaoru replied. "Your reputation do precede you, dragon hunter!"
Kenshin smiled, he couldn't help himself. "Then unless you are a dragon, you have nothing to be afraid of." Kenshin said softly, thinking that those words would calm her down. But he was wrong, she looked no longer confused, but angry.
"So it's true what people say about you! You are a merciless monster who hunts for gold, at least that's what they say!" Kaoru said, angry at his open admittance to killing dragons.
"Well" Kenshin began. "What do YOU say?"
Kaoru's lips curved slightly, but her eyes were glistening with resentment. "I think you are a merciless monster who hunts, but not for gold… no! You hunt and kill dragons for the sheer pleasure of it. You're no different from that fiend Shishio who has the gall to call himself king!" Kaoru spoke vehemently. For some reason, this man let out a bestial side of her.
Kenshin heard this comparison of him and Shishio more than once before, and of all those times, it only irritated him. But hearing it from this girl, no, woman, it infuriated him! "You dare judge me! What about you!" Kenshin said his tone rising.
"Me?" the girl asked.
"Yes you! You guise yourself as a man and leave your doomed village to save yourself from the Hydra! How dishonorable do you think that is for your family, for yourself!"
"Hydra" she said softly, almost as if she didn't hear the rest of what Kenshin said except for that word. "I have to go, the village is in danger! I have… aaahhh!" Kaoru cried holding her ribs and sinking to the floor.
Kenshin reached out and caught her in time. "Are you alright?" He asked quietly. Kaoru nodded, too confused with the rush of emotions his nearness was giving her, to speak.
"You're trying to save the village?" He asked as he carried her to the fire. Kaoru bit her lip, not because of the pain, but because she could not tell this dragon hunter that she was about to go get a dragon to help with the Hydra. He set her down tenderly near the fire, making Kaoru forget for a moment what this man is.
"How did you know about me acting out as a boy and about the Hydra coming to the village?" Kaoru asked finding her voice and speaking softly even as she tried to sound more sternly. She couldn't stay angry with him for long, as he was being so kind.
Kenshin was quiet for a while, tending the fire which was already ablaze. Kaoru waited for his response, sensing he was having a bit of difficulty in answering. "About the Hydra," he finally spoke, "That's easy! The giant snake that attacked you, that was a Hydra scout. Whenever the Hydra is commanded to destroy a village, it usually sends a scout to check the area out, and also to make sure no one escapes. The Hydra itself will appear in a day or two to finish the job."
The man paused, and then looked at Kaoru for a long time making her blush. He smiled remembering how he himself had done that with just the thought of this woman. "About the other thing… I… saw you by the lake" he said straightforwardly not knowing any other way to say it. "I did not want to be noticed so I kept still. I thought you were a boy, I'm sorry."
Kaoru's first reaction was anger, but then she realized, she was dressed as a boy, and she made great efforts to LOOK like a boy. She couldn't really blame him if he did think she was a boy! "What does he think of me now that he knows?" Kauro couldn't help asking herself, not really understanding why, but blushing even more!
Luckily, all the time he spoke of her on the lake, he took his eyes off her and kept them on the flames. Kaoru could not understand this man. "How could someone be so fierce yet be so gentle, and kind too at the same time?" Kaoru thought. "Why did you save me?" she asked wanting to know more about this enigma of a man.
Kenshin shook his head and stood up. What was supposed to say .That he couldn't leave someone in danger? That he couldn't help himself, he just helps people? "It's better to just be silent" he thought. "Besides, she would never understand me, or the life I've gone through, or even the reasons I have for killing."
"Are you hungry?" He asked her instead.
"Are you changing the topic?" she asked him back. He did not speak and so she sighed. "Alright, may I have some water please?" she said.
He turned around, surprised again for probably the hundredth time in the short while he's know this woman. She was smiling sweetly this time and said "It's ok we all have our share of secrets."
He smiled too and filled a cup with water from his deer's-hide water bag. "Here" he said handing it to her.
"Thank you" she said as she drank from it. Kenshin smiled again as he watched her stroke her hair with one hand. He was enjoying himself, and his sharp senses missed the fact that she was actually taking out a small rolled up paper tied in her thick black tresses.
She's practiced this trick so many times with Dargove that it came naturally to her. She handed the cup back to the red-haired dragon hunter. "Please" she said, "have the rest of the water."
"That's alright, you have it" he answered, but she persisted saying "It is customary, from my hometown to honor the host by offering him the last drink. Please, it's a sign of… gratitude."
Kenshin took the cup, smiled and drank, realizing too late that there was something in it!
"What did you put in this?" Kenshin said as his body began to feel heavy and his sight darkened.
"Don't worry, it's just sleeping potion, you'll probably be up by tomorrow afternoon" Kaoru said softly then stood up slowly and started to leave.
"Wait!" Kenshin said, kneeling on the floor, not wanting her to go yet. "Tell me your name at least!"
"You remain unnamed dragon hunter, so will I" Kaoru said.
"My name is… Ken… shin…" the man said, his body lower to the ground now, but still fighting the potion flowing through his system. "Your name… my lady…?"
"It's Kaoru" Kaoru said, but a little too late. The man was already flat on the ground, deep in sleep.
..to be continued(c",)