Disclaimer: Peacemaker Kurogane belongs to Nanae Chrono.
Chapter One: Journey of the Roushigumi
Honsho, February 10, 1863.
Three days had passed since the Roushigumi, headed by one patriotic Kiyokawa Hachiro, left Edo to pursue their dream of protecting Kyoto. Travelling by foot to the Capital was not an easy journey, but it was one the men were willing to endure in order to help defend the Shogunate and Kyoto from foreign powers, as Kiyokawa so passionately informed them.
"We will show the foreigners what happens when they try and attack us!" Kiyokawa shouted at regular intervals, especially when men began losing morale. This had happened a few times, the most recent being when he had taken a wrong turn and they had walked for what had seemed an eternity, before having to walk all the way back. "Samurai, peasants, merchants, it doesn't matter! We swordsman are now united under one purpose and one purpose only, to defend our great country!"
And then the men would pump their fists in the air, and let out a simultaneous war cry, their legs surging forward with pride and determination. But since it would take them about sixteen days to reach Kyoto, it seemed inevitable that the mood would not be always be so brotherly and unified, one Yamanami Keisuke had observed.
He was proven right when, on the third night of their travel, the men who had volunteered to arrange lodging had accidentally left one person out.
"What an embarrassing mistake."
Kondo Isami sighed, regret shining in his usually warm brown eyes. "To think I forgot someone! And I had been so confident that everyone was covered." He paced restlessly in the small lodging, stopping every now and then to peer out the window at the figure kindling a fire in the yard. "The poor fellow!"
There was a muffled giggle from the direction of Hijikata Toshizo though it was hard to tell if it was him, because Harada Sanosuke and Okita Souji were also bunched up next to him, somehow sharing the one cotton blanket they had been assigned. Kondo and the mild mannered Tokutaro had been the ones to arrange lodgings, and yet, out of two hundred and fifty men, they had forgotten one Kamo Serizawa, a samurai from Mito.
"If only he had been a peasant, or merchant," Kondo grumbled. "Then he wouldn't have been so offended."
"Well, there are so many of us," remarked Okita, the humour in his tone an obvious sign that it was he who had laughed. "I'm surprised only one man was left out."
"Even worse," muttered Kondo wearily. "The fellow must think I targeted him specifically."
"Don't worry, Kondo-san," Okita assured him. "Serizawa-san said himself he was quite happy to sleep outside, didn't he?"
Hijikata snorted.
"...and really, he's luckier than all of us, because he'll be the warmest with that fire."
"Personally, I agree with Kondo-san," Harada muttered, scratching his chest. "He doesn't seem like the kind of man who'd think his situation lucky. Did you forget about yesterday, Souji? He started a fight with someone because he said they looked at him funny! Hell, he broke the man's nose!"
"But he was really drunk," said Okita.
"That's not an excuse," grumbled Hijikata. "If he's a violent drunk, he shouldn't drink. Simple as that."
He frowned. "It's starting to smell like smoke in here."
"Oh," murmured Kondo suddenly, stepping closer towards the window. "That doesn't look too good..."
"What is it?" asked Hijikata, standing up.
"Well, er..." Kondo rubbed the back of his neck as he turned, clearly uncomfortable. "Is it just me, or does that look like a really big fire?"
Okita's eyes widened as Kondo moved away from the window, giving them a clear display of what was going on outside. The fire they were staring at was large and agressive, the flames were leaping up to an abnormal height, and as it was right in the middle of all the yards, it would probably burn all of the residences down. The man who had started it did not seem agitated at all. Instead, he continued to throw wood into the fire, making the flames leap even higher.
Hijikata swore, wrinkling up his nose as the stench of smoke increased. He started to cough. The air inside their room was now suffocating.
Harada lurched to his feet, wearing an expression of disbelief.
"We have to get out there!" he shouted, sliding the fusama open and stumbling outside. "We have to put it out!"
In a daze, Kondo wordlessly followed after him.
Hijikata grabbed the shocked Okita by the back of his gi, and ignoring his indignant protest, shoved through the doorway and firmly slid the screen shut behind them.
The corridor was packed. Men were yelling as they dashed out of their rooms. The place erupted in chaos in just a matter of minutes. Samurai were rushing to and fro, grabbing buckets of water and clambouring onto the rooftops to put out the fire. It was not only them, but also the lodge owners, and nearby farmers.
Oblivious to the danger, Serizawa shouted, "I have it under control, you monkeys! Throw away your buckets and go back to sleep!"
When a goverment officer came onto the scene, ordering him to put out the fire, the samurai struck him with his iron fan.
From the rooftop, Okita looked on in amazement. He'd never seen anything like this before! It was all very surreal. Of course, he would have liked to help put out the fire, but Hijikata had firmly stated that he should just sit there and let the older men handle it.
He peered down at another figure entering the scene below.
"Kondo-san.."
"Serizawa, listen to me!" Kondo yelled at the top of his lungs. "We must put out this fire! I apologise a thousand times for what happened, but if we don't put it out, we'll all be injured and this town will be destroyed! Surely, you don't want that to happen?"
Eventually, the mad samurai was convinced and the fire put out.
Exhausted, soot covered men staggered back to their rooms and fell into their futons, too tired to wash, and too irritated to care. Farmers went back to their homes, the enraged lodge owners were calmed down and they too went back to their rooms.
The yelling subsided, and even Serizawa was squashed into a room with some of his comrades, for fear of him trying something else.
Okita stayed awake for most of the night, unable to sleep. He kept staring in the direction of the window, seeing the fire in his mind, and blinking in astonishment at the night's events. Most of his comrades had been angry, Hijikata had stated how he wanted to rip the samurai apart limb from limb, Harada had expressed his desire to spear him, and even the young Todou Heisuke had trembled in anger, for one moment Souji had been convinced he was going to actually slay the man.
Personally, Okita hadn't felt any anger.
Just astonishment, disbelief, and yes, even a little excitement. In his whole life, he hadn't witnessed a grown man cause such chaos before. And though it was very rude what Serizawa had done, and even frightening, he couldn't help but think what an interesting man he was.
IIIIIIIII
Mibu Village, February 23, 1863.
It was a quiet night in Mibu, except for the loud and animated voices coming from the estate of Gennojo Yagi. None of the villagers were surprised, for only a few hours before, a group of swordsmen had arrived all the way from Edo.
Although there was much noise, the people found themselves drifting off to a sound sleep. It was reassuring to know that brave men were arriving from all the provinces, willing and determined to protect their majestic Capital. For now, the people believed in and trusted them.
Kondo's group of Sheikian Dojo members were exhausted as they sat in one of the main rooms, drinking and dining. Exhausted yet feeling very accomplished. For sixteen days they had travelled, and now their journey had come to an end. And another was just beginning.
"Ah Toshi, we made it!" Kondo said heartily, slapping his friend on the shoulder.
He tilted his head back and drank, setting his cup back down with a flourish. "My feet are so exhausted I can't feel them but," He smiled broadly as he looked around, "It's been a great sixteen days. What do you reckon Toshi, have you had fun?" He chuckled, rubbing his stubbly chin.
Then seeing as there was no response, he prodded him in the side. "Speak up, I can't hear you."
"Leave me alone," Hijikata growled, eating his pickled radishes at abnormal speed.
He was in a decisively bad mood, that afternoon, when the men had stopped to relieve themselves, he had tripped over a tree root and ended up in a thorny bush. His backside had suffered, as a result.
Kondo winked at him, then turned and started chatting with Inou Gensaburo, who was drinking just as enthusiastically as he was.
"I'm going to wake up early to start my sightseeing." Okita was happily informing Harada. "It was so nice of Kiyokawa-san to say we were allowed."
Harada lowered his finished bowl of rice then refilled his cup with sake. He'd refilled it quite a few times over the past half hour, his eyes were beginning to look glassy. But nobody minded it, for he was a harmless drunk.
"Forget that," he whispered, leaning in close, his face flushed. "How weird is it that we have to share this place with the Serizawa group?"
"For once, I agree with you," muttered Hijikata as he sipped his sake. Pressing the cup to his lips, he closed his eyes as heard Serizawa's group next door get louder and louder, one thing was for sure, their group would not succumb to undignified drunkness.
Okita was looking at him in amusement, as though he could hear what he was thinking.
Smirking, Hijikata asked, "Would you like more tea?"
"Souji, be a man and drink some sake," Harada slurred.
"Fortunately, I don't have to drink to feel manly," Okita responded cheerfully. "But I can see how it works for you, Harada-san."
Harada leaned back, in his drunkeness, he was unable to find a good comeback. Disgruntled, he turned his back on Okita and amused himself by counting the number of blossoms on a painting of a cherry tree.
Okita smiled as he turned his attention onto their surroundings. It was certainly nice to be treated like such honorable guests by such wealthy people. Even though this residence was only one of their Yagi estates, it was fine architecture.
They were a bunch of roshi being treated like nobles. And what if they became respectable samurai under the Aizu clan? Then he'd feel only a little more worthy. He wiped a few beads of perspiration from his forehead, it was getting stuffy. Maybe he would go outside and get some fresh air.
Standing up, Okita glanced around at everyone, busy talking and drinking. He was sure they wouldn't mind his absence. He quietly slid the shoji shut behind him. Then straightening the front of his gi, he proceeded down the hall.
He halted outside the section of the hall Serizawa was in, he could hear the man tell his group some daring adventure that concerned him. Souji heard raucious laughter, and briefly wondered what Serizawa had told them. Smiling slightly, he continued on his way down the hall, occasionally glancing at the scenery painted on the walls.
As he neared towards the end of the hallway, the voices of women talking made him stop.
Wasn't this side of the compound given only to the roshi? Maybe they were the cooks. He really shouldn't be heading any further, but for some reason, he felt compelled to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Okita stepped closer and suppressed a giggle as he pressed his ear against the fusama screen.
"Thank you dear but really, you shouldn't have. I would have come in the morning."
Okita recognised the voice as belonging to Yagi Masa. Personally, he liked her, she had been very kind and welcoming to them. Her husband had been rather silent and unfriendly, but Masa had gone to such lengths to prepare their rooms and dinner.
"But you've been so busy," replied another woman, who sounded younger. "It was no trouble for me to come. I know how long the queues can be in the morning."
Okita heard the sound of rummaging. Then Masa said, "Here is the payment. I hope it is enough."
"Don't worry about it, they're just some fruits and vegetables. I know how many men you have to feed now."
"But I couldn't possibly--"
"Please, Masa-han. If I go back with the money, my grandfather will be cross. You know how he is when he's in one of his moods." There was humour in the young woman's tone.
"Oh alright," Masa sounded amused. "You certainly are a sweet one, Meko-chan. Be sure to thank your grandfather for me."
"I will. Well, I'd better go now, or he'll snap at me for making him stand in the cold so long." There was a laugh. "Say hello to your sons from me!"
"Oh I will, dear. You take care of yourself, now."
Okita didn't withdraw from the screen quickly enough and he collided with the young woman and startled her.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, a hand rising to her mouth. "I'm sorry!"
"No, that's alright," Okita said hurriedly. He was embarrassed, he'd been the one eavesdropping, after all.
Masa stepped outside the room, smiling. "Is that Okita-han's voice I hear?"
"Yes, I was just er, looking for you." Okita lied.
"Well you found me."
She beamed at him, then turned to the young woman before she could leave. "Meko-chan, this is the samurai I was telling you about. Okita Souji. The one my boys like. Maybe it's because he resembles my brother Genta. Don't you think they look rather similar?"
They both looked at him intently and Okita's cheeks burned. He wished a hole would swallow him up right then and there.
The young woman smiled. "Yes," she agreed. "But he is missing the scar, and he does not have quite that many wrinkles."
"But he has the same sort of presence and he's good with children too."
Then seeing as Okita looked very flustered, Masa placed a hand on his arm. "Don't look so embarrassed dear, it's a compliment."
"I am pleased to have met you Okita-han," the young woman bowed. Then she added, "Your group is very lucky. Masa-han is a wonderful hostess."
"She flatters me," said Masa, beaming.
"No it's true," Okita said quickly. "We are very grateful." He felt the young woman watching him, and instinctively, met her gaze.
Surprisingly though, she did not avert her eyes. "I wish you good luck," she said softly, then turned and bowed to the older woman. "Good night Masa-han."
"Such a nice girl," commented Masa, ushering Okita back the way he came. "Don't you think?"
"I guess so," said Okita, looking uncomfortable.
Masa smiled kindly. For some reason the young man just seemed to bring out her motherly instincts. "So what did you need me for?"
But before Okita could come up with an answer, a brash voice interrupted them.
"Hello!" hollered a stocky figure as he staggered towards them.
Okita recoiled. The man's face was quite red, he was beathing heavily, and not looking very well at all. Masa's lips pursed together.
"Serizawa-han," she said tightly. "What are you doing out here?"
Oh, thought Okita, recognition dawning on him. Serizawa really did look different when he was drunk.
The Mito samurai let out a loud laugh. "Just comin' to see the pretty ladiess," he slurred, nearly falling over.
Okita frowned. The man was not part of their group, but for him to act in such a disrespecful manner in front of Yagi-san's wife, it was just unacceptable.
"Let me help you, Serizawa-san," he said loudly, grabbing the man's arm.
Masa gave him a grateful look, and quickly hurried off.
Serizawa scowled at the young man pulling him back towards the main room. He was taking him away from the beautiful woman! There wasn't any way he would let anyone get away with something like that. "You mongrel, let go of my arm!" he growled, swinging his fist.
Okita grabbed his wrist before Serizawa could strike him. "Not a good idea," he said softly, eyes dark and narrowed.
Serizawa stared at him. Then--
"Souji, where the hell have you been!"
"Hijikata-san," Okita turned in relief, releasing Serizawa's arm.
His friend scowled. "Kondo's asking where you went."
His gaze flickered to Serizawa, and there was no mistaking the contempt in his face. "What are you doing with this idiot, anyway?"
"Hijikata-san!" Okita admonished, with a hasty glance at Serizawa.
But thankfully, the man was too drunk to notice the insult. He bent over, and started to vomit.
Hijikata was disgusted. "What an embarrassment," he muttered to himself, turning away and walking off. Okita couldn't help but agree, when he reached their room and looked back, Serizawa was still wretching on the floor.