Chapter 4
The four of them quickly left the tavern and headed for the Kamiya Dojo. D needed a place to stay, as well as Misao and Kenshin wanted to inform Karou about what had happened. Sano just tagged along so he wouldn't be left behind though he was worried about Misao just as much as Kenshin was. She was his friend too after all.
"Ah, here we are D-dono, the Kamiya Dojo," Kenshin said as he slid open the door. No sooner was Kenshin through the door did he get whacked over the head with a shanii. Misao and Sano just stepped over Kenshin into the front yard while D stood in the doorway, a little taken aback. A young woman that couldn't have been more than 22 stood just beside the doorway, the angriest look on her face and a broken shanii at her side.
"And where have you Been Kenshin, you were suppose to be back a long time ago to start dinner!" the woman demanded.
"Orroooo, Karou-dono, I ran into a few people and got side tracked," he muttered as he moved so she could see Misao, Sano and D. Karou just stood there in shock at the sight of Misao being in Tokyo and her shock turned to puzzlement as her gaze slid over D. But before Karou could ask a single question a scrabbling sound made everyone turn there heads as a young teenage boy came running around the corner of the dojo to investigate the commotion.
"Hello Kenshin, I see Ugly over there already welcomed you home for being late," he said with a grin on his face. That grin quickly faded when Karou's shanii whacked him over the head also, sending him face down in the dirt.
"Sorry about Yahiko. Now, are you going to introduce your new friend, Kenshin?"
"Ah, yes, this is D-dono"
D gives Karou a low and proper bow which she quickly returns. Giving a quick smile to Sano as a greeting she motions them all inside while sending Kenshin off to cook the dinner.
"Oh, Karou-dono, can you join me in the kitchen for a moment, I wish to talk with you."
Given Kenshin a puzzled look she apologized to D, Misao and Sano before running into the kitchen, pushing past Yahiko who had finally picked himself up off the ground. Stumbling and cursing a little Yahiko joined everyone else in the other room before Sano pulled him aside for a moment, giving Misao and D a chance to talk in private.
(Somewhere outside of Tokyo the night Aoshi was kidnapped…)
Aoshi awoke with a throbbing headache and began to look around at his surroundings. He blinked his eyes a few times to clear them before looking at the room he was in. Hmm.. nothing out of the ordinary, looks like a normal room in a western style hotel. A bed, chair, desk, two lamps, window with shades and a bedside table. Aoshi moved to try and leave the bed to head for the rooms only door but stopped in mid movement. His hands and feet had been bound with thick cords and tied behind him, leaving him stranded on the bed. Just as he began to work on getting out of the bonds the door opened.
"Ah, I see your awake Shinamori-san," said a young woman. Aoshi gave her a quick once over, his face showing only a blank expression while he tried to gain a measure of her. Lets see, she seems to be about twenty one, white hair, frosty blue eyes and fairly tall. She must be a foreigner and from the air of power about her she must be the one who had me brought here. Being a foreigner and with that appearance she could only be Mari de Marquisa. Now I just need to find out what she wants with me… and how to escape…
"I trust you slept well, you've been out for a few hours now," Mari said as she sat beside him on the bed.
"Why was I brought here?"
"Ah, you had been following me, studying me. I don't like that much but I do like you and I admire your skills. Had you been someone else you would have been killed as soon as you were discovered but I've decided to spare you, to give you a gift actually," she said, the last with a secretive grin.
Aoshi just looked at her, his face not giving anything away though his mind was racing. Ok, she wants me, but Misao had been with me, I just hope that she's alright. As if reading his mind Mari spoke with a slight smile.
"Don't worry about the young lady, she wasn't harmed at all, she doesn't even know where you are and I believe that she is with some mutual friends of yours here in Tokyo."
Mutual friends?… She must mean Himura since he's the only "friend" I have here in Tokyo. Good, then she'll be in good hands and might have a chance of finding me if I can't get out of here.
"Well, you must be famished, I'll have one of my servants bring you something to eat. I warn you, don't try to escape, their strength is many times yours, and nothing compared to my own. Have a nice rest Shinamori-san," she said as she turned and left the room, the door locking behind her with a loud click.
Aoshi immediately went back to working on his bonds, thinking only of escaping this weird place and getting back to Misao…
It was almost dawn by time anyone got to sleep in the Kamiya Dojo that night. Misao and D had come to an agreement on payment and had formed a plan to try and find Aoshi. Misao had later explained the whole situation to Karou and Yahiko with D, Sano and Kenshin standing behind her, nodding in agreement.
Kenshin had come too about two hours after falling asleep and was now sitting on the roof of the dojo, keeping an eye on things. A crunching noise off to his left drew his attention, causing him to jump off the roof and land without a sound, going to investigate. Pausing to turn the corner Kenshin didn't have to wait long for his answer as D came around the corner, apparently lost in thought since he passed right by Kenshin.
After relaxing a little Kenshin stepped out of his hiding spot to speak with D, making sure that his feet made some noise as a warning… which turned out to be the wrong thing to do. Before Kenshin could react he felt the press of cold steel against his throat and looked up into D's dark blue eyes.
"Oroo! D-dono, I'm a friend," Kenshin said, a big sweat drop sliding down his forehead. That move had been so fast that he hadn't seen it. This shook Kenshin though he didn't show it, he had never seen anyone move that fast, even his master Hiko.
"You should be more careful Himura-san," D said quietly before replacing his blade on his back. Kenshin took a step back as if to take D's measure again.
"Gomen, D-dono but you were so deep in thought that you walked right past me. I had heard you outside and came to see what the noise was."
With a curt nod D turned away from Kenshin and apparently walked off towards the front of the dojo. Kenshin had to double his pace just to keep up with D's long strides. He suddenly stopped when D's hand went to the hilt of his sword. Going on guard, his hand on his sakaba, Kenshin waited for D to move when a man suddenly stepped out from behind a tree where he had apparently been waiting, the faint smell of cigarette smoke on the air.
"Well, I see you have a new friend, Battousai," the stranger said. Kenshin took his hand away from his sakaba and nodded to D. Turning back to face the man he said only one word.
"Saitoh."
----------------Please R&R!