I'm so sorry about the delay. I went camping and if anybody ever tells you sleeping in a canoe is fun their lying.

Thanks for all of the reviews I'm amazed at the response this story is getting. You know who you are thanks.

The price of turmoil

Chapter four:

Aoshi felt the pain in his legs most acutely, and Kaoru's extra mass wasn't helping. He considered telling her to pull her own weight; but he sincerely doubted that he could trust her. It didn't matter, he wouldn't need to run much further, he just needed to put as much distance between them and the Battosai as possible. Panting, he veered to dodge a particularly low tree branch. He wasn't paying much attention to where he was running after all it didn't really matter.

Kaoru closed her eyes against the forest trying desperately to think off a plan. He was moving so fast; blood was still pounding in her ears where he had struck her. After what felt like an eternity, she had it. (An Idea) With great viciousness, she sank her teeth into Aoshi's hand. Warmth flooded her mouth as he cried out and loosened his grip on her. Using all of her strength, she pushed against him, throwing him off balance. Using his body to break the fall, she rapidly disengaged herself from him and took off in the direction from whence they had come.

Kaoru ran blindly through the forest. Dead branches cracked under her feet and the only light illuminating her path was the moon. Turning her head, she glanced behind her no sign of him; slowing her pace, she gave a weak laugh. She couldn't wait to tell Kenshin about this one.

"They won't dare leave to me behind again". Her thoughts were cut short as she saw a flash of movement on her right side. Turning she just saw the leaves rustling, where it had just been. She heard a twig snap. Eyes widening she peered behind her. Nothing she sighed in relief. 'I must still be jumpy', she gave a nervous laugh a tad louder than she would have liked. Slowly she began backing up only to her a branch snap against her arm. She heard a vicious snarling and felt a hot breath on her neck. Turning to face her captor she thought, 'I'm not going without a fight'. Slowly she raised her face only to be greeted with a pair of bright red eyes.

The eyes were attached to a gaping mouth, foaming and lined with teeth. For a moment Kaoru was paralyzed, in front of her resting on a branch was a wolverine. (A wolverine a vicious animal with territories varying from 100-400km even bears are afraid of them they can kill a person in about twenty minutes) Quickly she bent down and retrieved a stick.

"Stay back", she cried, "I've got a stick". She waved it in front of her. However, that wasn't enough to stop the animal from lunging. She cried out as the small, wicked teeth connected with her arm. Thankfully, the area went numb so she could only feel a steady warmth trickling down her arm. She gave another futile swing before abandoning the stick. Keeping her eyes on the still crazed wolverine, she commenced to run backwards. Before she knew it the thing, was on her chest she crumpled under the additional weigh? She positioned her arms so that they were protecting her neck and jugular. However, she could still feel the sting of its teeth.

Suddenly she heard the swish of a sword, it was gone and she was staring up into ice blue eyes.

"I never thought you were so pathetic and you have your own dojo". Had he just saved her to gloat, and she ran a great dojo.

"You bastard!" She managed to gasp. He gave her a wan half smile

"My name is Aoshi". Still smiling he pulled her, roughly, to her feet.

"You...jerk", she gasped before collapsing against him.

Miles away (yes they ran that far) Kenshin's rage was brewing.

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