Yes, I finally have a plot thought out! ^.^ I am a happy LadyShiin that I
am. It means you will no longer get odd rambling things and finally some
action - just give me a chapter or two more - and yes there will be Kenshin-
Kaoru interaction ^.~
So please look forward to it and as always: read, enjoy and review!
~LadyShiin
~*~
The dreams came almost every night. They never stayed the exact same each time but shared a common theme: the shadow-woman mumbled in riddles about destiny, Kaoru's connection to 'he' who ever 'he' was and how everything would...could fall into disaster if they did not fight whatever it was that was to come.
It was dark as it always was in her dreams. The lamp flickered and fluctuated as it never had before. It had always remained steady...now the light constantly shifted, dying and then brightening, fading ever so slightly before wavering back into steady light once more.
The shadow-woman had a desperate air about her as she worked -- fingers flying, hands never still as she wove.
The thread yanked viciously almost succeeding in pulling Kaoru off her feet. Stumbling slightly, she fought to remain standing and to keep her balance. Still, she let it draw her nearer towards the tapestry and did not protest, loudly at least. She merely gritted her teeth in annoyance.
Kaoru blinked suddenly.
Something had changed...altered. There was her blue thread wound tightly about he violet-gold one -- as always. But, there was something...different about it.
Blinking again she saw why the tapestry looked unfamiliar. The joined threads had split into other smaller ones. They branched off the main blue- violet-gold thread into several others.
The joined thread before had always ran in one straight line, upwards in a single thread. It had remained whole and complete no matter what. Nothing made it change not even as the background against it shifted in color from white to black.
But peering closely Kaoru saw some threads remained in the white section of the tapestry. Others were in the black -- still some more could be found in the area where white and black melted together to form gray.
"What has happened? It was never like this before."
The shadow-woman did not answer for several moments and Kaoru was not even sure she had heard her speak. So she waited...the shadow-woman did not always answer at once, as she now knew from experience.
Finally the shadow-woman did speak. "Where once there was just one sure destiny now there are many others to contend with. Some good, some bad... This could ruin everything that it could." Her voice was mournful. "Countless destinies, are what they have become. Countless futures and paths that can be taken." She gestured toward the tapestry with a hand.
Kaoru could easily see what she meant. Some of the threads were warped, tangled in tight knots that looked impossible to unravel. Others just ended abruptly usually surrounded by black. Some were torn and dangled from the tapestry limply as dead as anything she had ever seen.
She shivered.
"What caused this?" She asked.
"What causes anything? Fate of course little one. Fate causes, you alter. That is the way of destiny."
"How do I alter anything?" Kaoru felt confused, something that was familiar to her when it came to dealing with the shadow-woman.
"Fate hands you a choice and you either take it or choose another." The shadow-woman tsked softly as if it was commonplace knowledge that Kaoru by all right should have known.
It made sense, Kaoru had to agree. "How do I know which choice is the correct one?"
The shadow-woman gave a bark of laughter. Kaoru flinched at the harsh sound. It was cynical almost. "You don't little one. You don't know which choice or even choices are correct that is the game Fate plays with you...so many questions you ask today." She shook her head. "It is not right for you to ask so many questions, you must remained ignorant of your destiny and that is all I can tell you -- the only question I can give answer to."
"Consider me ignorant then," Kaoru muttered almost bitterly.
Though she could not see it, she could sense the smile the shadow-woman had on her face. "That I do little one and that you must remain. And now you must go -- you have lingered here too long little one. To the waking world you must return."
And the dream faded around her from her memory.
~*~
Kaoru leaned against the fence that kept the horses enclosed in it. The field was huge...several acres if her eyes told her right. A clear rushing creek cut across it and one corner was full of tall, shade-giving trees. Kaoru wondered how big exactly the palace was...the City even. This field alone had enough land to hold a good sized village.
The horses stood in the center of the field, some grazed, others dozed in the bright warm sunlight. Kaoru easily spotted Karuna - she was the only palomino in a herd of roans, bays, chestnuts, blacks and grays.
As she watched the mare tossed her head and broke into a trot circling around the herd. A few horses raised their heads to watch her but mostly they ignored her. Kaoru felt a grin stretch across her lips, Karuna had a mischievous streak to her (as she had come to find out during the times she groomed her. Karuna loved to pick up a brush -- usually the one she was about to use next -- in her teeth and hold it up high so Kaoru had to jump for it).
Karuna came to a stop a few feet away from Fiachra Kenshin's stallion. He was a tall horse nearly seventeen hands high a deep bronze chestnut color with a mane and tail almost the exact shade as Kenshin's eyes.
Judging from the tilt of Karuna's head and body language she was up to something. Kaoru watched as she suddenly darted forward to nip Fiachra's shoulder before springing away a few feet. Her actions all but yelled "let's play" and Kaoru smothered a laugh as she saw Fiachra hadn't moved a foot.
That didn't sit well with Karuna. She nipped him again on the other side this time before racing away, hind legs lashing the air as she bucked. Fiachra took after her this time and they raced around the field, her in the lead at first but him slowly gaining with every stride. Just as they drew even Karuna whirled away from him and came to a stop, her ears perked, looking pleased with herself.
Fiachra returned to grazing and Karuna trotted away head and tail high. She must have heard Kaoru's laugh because her ears swiveled in her direction and she cantered towards her to come to a stop a few feet away from the fence.
Nickering softly she thrust her head against Kaoru's chest and Kaoru rubbed her ears. "Having fun?" She asked.
Karuna stood the attention a few more minutes before turning and trotting away. Finding a patch of grass she liked she settled down to graze.
Kaoru watched her for a few more minutes before to turning away.
~*~
How many weeks had gone by since they had arrived here? Kaoru wondered. Fourteen...fifteen? Time passed easily here and it was very hard to keep track of it. They had all settled in their new home with relative ease.
Seeing Misao or Yahiko was a rare occurrence. Yahiko spent most of his time training with swords -- something that had been denied to him in Kasshin and from the few times Kaoru had seen him practicing she had been impressed. He was very good with them.
Sightings of Misao proved less elusive.
You only had to find where the captain of the guard was - Aoshi - and there would be Misao not far away. It was quite amusing if Kaoru though about it. Misao - who had never shown the slightest interest in any guy before -- had suddenly fallen head over heels with Aoshi - who did not really seem to notice her; something Misao was determined to change.
Kaoru wished her luck. Aoshi was as bad -- if not worse than Kenshin when you tried to talk to him.
Since the incident in the garden Kenshin had been avoiding her -- and yes this time Kaoru was certain he was. She'd catch brief snatches of him the hall and as soon as she tried to catch up to him he would disappear. It was getting very frustrating.
Here in Hiten; Balls, Dances and other things of related matter were almost nonexistent. Kaoru was both glad of them and a bit annoyed. Having to attend a ball with Kenshin would make it easier for her to get him alone and talk to him. Yet she had an intense dislike of partaking in such activities. Most of her memories of balls at Kasshin consisted of eluding drunken nobles who were intent on dragging her to bed with them -- willing or not.
Thinking of it now made Kaoru shudder.
Another thing too tickled at the back of her mind -- what were the terms of her marriage...engagement... Whatever it was called to Kenshin exactly? He never touched her or made any advances in nature of a bedmates or possible lover so it was clear he did not see her that way.
Some kind of trophy perhaps? Kaoru dismissed the idea. She was not what others would call a trophy. A trophy was beautiful (that description was somewhat accurate at least), had good manners or was well versed in etiquette (Kaoru failed at that, her etiquette was dismal and threadbare) and usually held some kind of prestige (once more that was a word that could not be attached to Kaoru. She had been a cast off, half-blood and holding no more prestige than a common servant). No, she was not a trophy in any sense.
But then why demand a Kasshin Royal Blood? Why threaten with war? What could be gained by doing so -- what value did she have to Kenshin that he would resort to such measures in order to obtain her (or one somewhat like her)?
Questions upon more questions...every one needing an answer and yet finding none. Kaoru's frustration with the circumstances surrounding her was growing. And she fully intended to do something about relieving them.
Sooner or later...
~*~
Bright sunlight suddenly filled her room jolting Kaoru from sleep to full wakefulness. Her vision blurred as it sought to get used to the light, she blinked several times. Tsubame bustled about the room with an air of haste as if she was being made to do something in a very contained space of time.
"What's the matter Tsubame?" Her sentence ended in a yawn and Kaoru clapped a hand over her mouth.
"You must get ready quickly." The little girl was practically bouncing on her toes from both nervousness, anticipation and excitement.
"Why?" Another yawn. It was earlier than usual for Tsubame to wake her up. Kaoru wondered why she had done so.
"Everyone is leaving ... well not everyone mostly the king and his guard and those attached to them."
"Right now?" The question sounded stupid even to her own ears but Kaoru was still half-asleep and couldn't really think of a better one to ask at the moment.
"Soon. Very soon." Tsubame replied.
"Why though?" The question sounded smarter than the one before a sign she was beginning to fully wake up.
"The king never spends long in the City." Tsubame said matter of factly.
"Oh." Was all Kaoru could say. She felt herself relax somewhat, there went her fears of the City being attacked by an army or rival country.
"Start getting ready then. I've already packed the things you'll need to take with you." Kaoru felt grateful to her. She highly doubted she would have been able to, much less know what to pack for where ever they were leaving to.
"When do we leave?" Kaoru pushed back the covers of her bed and got out.
"Before the sun gets high in the sky." Tsubame promptly answered.
Kaoru cast a glance outside her window at the sun. It was already starting to rise, she didn't have much time to get ready.
"Here." Tsubame held out a trouser and tunic to Kaoru. At least that settled the question of what Kaoru was to wear.
Kaoru took them with a smile of gratitude.
"I'll be back in a moment with breakfast." Tsubame promised before disappearing.
The trouser and tunic were dark earthy colors. Kaoru supposed it was because wherever they were going would be dirty and bathing and laundry would be hard to do and dark colors did not show stains as easily as lighter colors. She dressed quickly. The tunic was long sleeved and high necked. The trousers were comfortable with odd patches sewn in the inside of the legs, Kaoru thought it was because they would be riding when they left. Carriages were unheard of in Hiten.
Tsubame had left a pair of boots as well. Odd lace up ones with heels that were comfortable yet tough.
Tsubame came back moments later with breakfast. Kaoru barely tasted it as she ate. She only managed to eat half of it and Tsubame took it away once she saw Kaoru would not eat another bite.
Kaoru undid her bedtime braid and pulled her hair back into a high ponytail. Her brushes she tucked into one of the bags Tsubame had left in her room, she wasn't sure if Tsubame had packed other brushes or hair related matter and didn't want to be without one.
As she finished getting ready Tsubame appeared once more to take her bags away. Kaoru wondered if she would be coming along and asked her so. Tsubame answered no -- she was a City-servant and would be staying here.
Kaoru wished she would be coming along. Tsubame was one of the few friends she had made here and it would be odd to be without her.
Outside her rooms the hallways were packed with servants rushing about to prepare for everything. Everything seemed to be spread over a few hours in one single day and Kaoru did not envy them the rush in which they had to get everything prepared. She wondered if Kenshin was the type who just announced they were going out of the blue -- it certainly seemed so from the looks of it.
The stables were even busier than inside the palace. The riding horses that would be going were in the middle of being groomed and tacked up. Pack horses were being outfitted with what gear they would be carrying. It was like carefully controlled chaos, kept tightly reined in but it could explode at any given moment.
Above them the sun climbed higher and higher in the sky and Kaoru fought the urge to not fidget. How much time had passed since Tsubame had awoken her? Not much she was certain, but then again it wouldn't be that long until they had to leave so not much could in all actuality be quite a lot.
There was a murmur from behind her and she turned to see Kenshin walking toward her with a gathering of the guard who she supposed would be coming along with them. She felt some relief to see Misao and Yahiko among them. Okina and Megumi were there as well. All were dressed as she was in tunic and riding pants.
The horses were lead out -- some sixty in all. They were a jumbled flash of color to Kaoru's eyes and she somehow found herself standing beside Karuna. Feeling as if she was disconnected from it all Kaoru put a foot in the stirrup and swung aboard. The mare pranced slightly underneath her, mouthing at the bit. Kaoru stroked her neck absentmindedly with a hand.
Beside her Kenshin sat on Fiachra. The stallion's neck was tense and bowed a foreleg pawing restlessly into the ground. Suddenly he threw his head up and let out a shrill ringing neigh. When the sound died away into the air Kaoru saw Kenshin had raised his arm.
"Let's go."
It took a moment for her to realize he had said it in Hiten and not her own tongue -- which everyone around her seemed to have adopted when addressing her or speaking when near her. The fact that she could understand (some of) the words being spoken around her made her nervousness ease. But then again if she couldn't at least speak some of it by now Megumi would have her head.
As one the horses broke into a trot. The sound of their hooves echoed loudly in the air around her adding to the feeling of it being all very surreal. They spilled from the palace and into the City streets. People gathered at the edges to watch them go and wave.
They were leaving.
Kaoru was going back into the country she barely knew and was leaving the only thing she considered familiar in this entire place. The land stretched out before her as they broke into a gallop -- alien and unfamiliar once again.
~*~
So please look forward to it and as always: read, enjoy and review!
~LadyShiin
~*~
The dreams came almost every night. They never stayed the exact same each time but shared a common theme: the shadow-woman mumbled in riddles about destiny, Kaoru's connection to 'he' who ever 'he' was and how everything would...could fall into disaster if they did not fight whatever it was that was to come.
It was dark as it always was in her dreams. The lamp flickered and fluctuated as it never had before. It had always remained steady...now the light constantly shifted, dying and then brightening, fading ever so slightly before wavering back into steady light once more.
The shadow-woman had a desperate air about her as she worked -- fingers flying, hands never still as she wove.
The thread yanked viciously almost succeeding in pulling Kaoru off her feet. Stumbling slightly, she fought to remain standing and to keep her balance. Still, she let it draw her nearer towards the tapestry and did not protest, loudly at least. She merely gritted her teeth in annoyance.
Kaoru blinked suddenly.
Something had changed...altered. There was her blue thread wound tightly about he violet-gold one -- as always. But, there was something...different about it.
Blinking again she saw why the tapestry looked unfamiliar. The joined threads had split into other smaller ones. They branched off the main blue- violet-gold thread into several others.
The joined thread before had always ran in one straight line, upwards in a single thread. It had remained whole and complete no matter what. Nothing made it change not even as the background against it shifted in color from white to black.
But peering closely Kaoru saw some threads remained in the white section of the tapestry. Others were in the black -- still some more could be found in the area where white and black melted together to form gray.
"What has happened? It was never like this before."
The shadow-woman did not answer for several moments and Kaoru was not even sure she had heard her speak. So she waited...the shadow-woman did not always answer at once, as she now knew from experience.
Finally the shadow-woman did speak. "Where once there was just one sure destiny now there are many others to contend with. Some good, some bad... This could ruin everything that it could." Her voice was mournful. "Countless destinies, are what they have become. Countless futures and paths that can be taken." She gestured toward the tapestry with a hand.
Kaoru could easily see what she meant. Some of the threads were warped, tangled in tight knots that looked impossible to unravel. Others just ended abruptly usually surrounded by black. Some were torn and dangled from the tapestry limply as dead as anything she had ever seen.
She shivered.
"What caused this?" She asked.
"What causes anything? Fate of course little one. Fate causes, you alter. That is the way of destiny."
"How do I alter anything?" Kaoru felt confused, something that was familiar to her when it came to dealing with the shadow-woman.
"Fate hands you a choice and you either take it or choose another." The shadow-woman tsked softly as if it was commonplace knowledge that Kaoru by all right should have known.
It made sense, Kaoru had to agree. "How do I know which choice is the correct one?"
The shadow-woman gave a bark of laughter. Kaoru flinched at the harsh sound. It was cynical almost. "You don't little one. You don't know which choice or even choices are correct that is the game Fate plays with you...so many questions you ask today." She shook her head. "It is not right for you to ask so many questions, you must remained ignorant of your destiny and that is all I can tell you -- the only question I can give answer to."
"Consider me ignorant then," Kaoru muttered almost bitterly.
Though she could not see it, she could sense the smile the shadow-woman had on her face. "That I do little one and that you must remain. And now you must go -- you have lingered here too long little one. To the waking world you must return."
And the dream faded around her from her memory.
~*~
Kaoru leaned against the fence that kept the horses enclosed in it. The field was huge...several acres if her eyes told her right. A clear rushing creek cut across it and one corner was full of tall, shade-giving trees. Kaoru wondered how big exactly the palace was...the City even. This field alone had enough land to hold a good sized village.
The horses stood in the center of the field, some grazed, others dozed in the bright warm sunlight. Kaoru easily spotted Karuna - she was the only palomino in a herd of roans, bays, chestnuts, blacks and grays.
As she watched the mare tossed her head and broke into a trot circling around the herd. A few horses raised their heads to watch her but mostly they ignored her. Kaoru felt a grin stretch across her lips, Karuna had a mischievous streak to her (as she had come to find out during the times she groomed her. Karuna loved to pick up a brush -- usually the one she was about to use next -- in her teeth and hold it up high so Kaoru had to jump for it).
Karuna came to a stop a few feet away from Fiachra Kenshin's stallion. He was a tall horse nearly seventeen hands high a deep bronze chestnut color with a mane and tail almost the exact shade as Kenshin's eyes.
Judging from the tilt of Karuna's head and body language she was up to something. Kaoru watched as she suddenly darted forward to nip Fiachra's shoulder before springing away a few feet. Her actions all but yelled "let's play" and Kaoru smothered a laugh as she saw Fiachra hadn't moved a foot.
That didn't sit well with Karuna. She nipped him again on the other side this time before racing away, hind legs lashing the air as she bucked. Fiachra took after her this time and they raced around the field, her in the lead at first but him slowly gaining with every stride. Just as they drew even Karuna whirled away from him and came to a stop, her ears perked, looking pleased with herself.
Fiachra returned to grazing and Karuna trotted away head and tail high. She must have heard Kaoru's laugh because her ears swiveled in her direction and she cantered towards her to come to a stop a few feet away from the fence.
Nickering softly she thrust her head against Kaoru's chest and Kaoru rubbed her ears. "Having fun?" She asked.
Karuna stood the attention a few more minutes before turning and trotting away. Finding a patch of grass she liked she settled down to graze.
Kaoru watched her for a few more minutes before to turning away.
~*~
How many weeks had gone by since they had arrived here? Kaoru wondered. Fourteen...fifteen? Time passed easily here and it was very hard to keep track of it. They had all settled in their new home with relative ease.
Seeing Misao or Yahiko was a rare occurrence. Yahiko spent most of his time training with swords -- something that had been denied to him in Kasshin and from the few times Kaoru had seen him practicing she had been impressed. He was very good with them.
Sightings of Misao proved less elusive.
You only had to find where the captain of the guard was - Aoshi - and there would be Misao not far away. It was quite amusing if Kaoru though about it. Misao - who had never shown the slightest interest in any guy before -- had suddenly fallen head over heels with Aoshi - who did not really seem to notice her; something Misao was determined to change.
Kaoru wished her luck. Aoshi was as bad -- if not worse than Kenshin when you tried to talk to him.
Since the incident in the garden Kenshin had been avoiding her -- and yes this time Kaoru was certain he was. She'd catch brief snatches of him the hall and as soon as she tried to catch up to him he would disappear. It was getting very frustrating.
Here in Hiten; Balls, Dances and other things of related matter were almost nonexistent. Kaoru was both glad of them and a bit annoyed. Having to attend a ball with Kenshin would make it easier for her to get him alone and talk to him. Yet she had an intense dislike of partaking in such activities. Most of her memories of balls at Kasshin consisted of eluding drunken nobles who were intent on dragging her to bed with them -- willing or not.
Thinking of it now made Kaoru shudder.
Another thing too tickled at the back of her mind -- what were the terms of her marriage...engagement... Whatever it was called to Kenshin exactly? He never touched her or made any advances in nature of a bedmates or possible lover so it was clear he did not see her that way.
Some kind of trophy perhaps? Kaoru dismissed the idea. She was not what others would call a trophy. A trophy was beautiful (that description was somewhat accurate at least), had good manners or was well versed in etiquette (Kaoru failed at that, her etiquette was dismal and threadbare) and usually held some kind of prestige (once more that was a word that could not be attached to Kaoru. She had been a cast off, half-blood and holding no more prestige than a common servant). No, she was not a trophy in any sense.
But then why demand a Kasshin Royal Blood? Why threaten with war? What could be gained by doing so -- what value did she have to Kenshin that he would resort to such measures in order to obtain her (or one somewhat like her)?
Questions upon more questions...every one needing an answer and yet finding none. Kaoru's frustration with the circumstances surrounding her was growing. And she fully intended to do something about relieving them.
Sooner or later...
~*~
Bright sunlight suddenly filled her room jolting Kaoru from sleep to full wakefulness. Her vision blurred as it sought to get used to the light, she blinked several times. Tsubame bustled about the room with an air of haste as if she was being made to do something in a very contained space of time.
"What's the matter Tsubame?" Her sentence ended in a yawn and Kaoru clapped a hand over her mouth.
"You must get ready quickly." The little girl was practically bouncing on her toes from both nervousness, anticipation and excitement.
"Why?" Another yawn. It was earlier than usual for Tsubame to wake her up. Kaoru wondered why she had done so.
"Everyone is leaving ... well not everyone mostly the king and his guard and those attached to them."
"Right now?" The question sounded stupid even to her own ears but Kaoru was still half-asleep and couldn't really think of a better one to ask at the moment.
"Soon. Very soon." Tsubame replied.
"Why though?" The question sounded smarter than the one before a sign she was beginning to fully wake up.
"The king never spends long in the City." Tsubame said matter of factly.
"Oh." Was all Kaoru could say. She felt herself relax somewhat, there went her fears of the City being attacked by an army or rival country.
"Start getting ready then. I've already packed the things you'll need to take with you." Kaoru felt grateful to her. She highly doubted she would have been able to, much less know what to pack for where ever they were leaving to.
"When do we leave?" Kaoru pushed back the covers of her bed and got out.
"Before the sun gets high in the sky." Tsubame promptly answered.
Kaoru cast a glance outside her window at the sun. It was already starting to rise, she didn't have much time to get ready.
"Here." Tsubame held out a trouser and tunic to Kaoru. At least that settled the question of what Kaoru was to wear.
Kaoru took them with a smile of gratitude.
"I'll be back in a moment with breakfast." Tsubame promised before disappearing.
The trouser and tunic were dark earthy colors. Kaoru supposed it was because wherever they were going would be dirty and bathing and laundry would be hard to do and dark colors did not show stains as easily as lighter colors. She dressed quickly. The tunic was long sleeved and high necked. The trousers were comfortable with odd patches sewn in the inside of the legs, Kaoru thought it was because they would be riding when they left. Carriages were unheard of in Hiten.
Tsubame had left a pair of boots as well. Odd lace up ones with heels that were comfortable yet tough.
Tsubame came back moments later with breakfast. Kaoru barely tasted it as she ate. She only managed to eat half of it and Tsubame took it away once she saw Kaoru would not eat another bite.
Kaoru undid her bedtime braid and pulled her hair back into a high ponytail. Her brushes she tucked into one of the bags Tsubame had left in her room, she wasn't sure if Tsubame had packed other brushes or hair related matter and didn't want to be without one.
As she finished getting ready Tsubame appeared once more to take her bags away. Kaoru wondered if she would be coming along and asked her so. Tsubame answered no -- she was a City-servant and would be staying here.
Kaoru wished she would be coming along. Tsubame was one of the few friends she had made here and it would be odd to be without her.
Outside her rooms the hallways were packed with servants rushing about to prepare for everything. Everything seemed to be spread over a few hours in one single day and Kaoru did not envy them the rush in which they had to get everything prepared. She wondered if Kenshin was the type who just announced they were going out of the blue -- it certainly seemed so from the looks of it.
The stables were even busier than inside the palace. The riding horses that would be going were in the middle of being groomed and tacked up. Pack horses were being outfitted with what gear they would be carrying. It was like carefully controlled chaos, kept tightly reined in but it could explode at any given moment.
Above them the sun climbed higher and higher in the sky and Kaoru fought the urge to not fidget. How much time had passed since Tsubame had awoken her? Not much she was certain, but then again it wouldn't be that long until they had to leave so not much could in all actuality be quite a lot.
There was a murmur from behind her and she turned to see Kenshin walking toward her with a gathering of the guard who she supposed would be coming along with them. She felt some relief to see Misao and Yahiko among them. Okina and Megumi were there as well. All were dressed as she was in tunic and riding pants.
The horses were lead out -- some sixty in all. They were a jumbled flash of color to Kaoru's eyes and she somehow found herself standing beside Karuna. Feeling as if she was disconnected from it all Kaoru put a foot in the stirrup and swung aboard. The mare pranced slightly underneath her, mouthing at the bit. Kaoru stroked her neck absentmindedly with a hand.
Beside her Kenshin sat on Fiachra. The stallion's neck was tense and bowed a foreleg pawing restlessly into the ground. Suddenly he threw his head up and let out a shrill ringing neigh. When the sound died away into the air Kaoru saw Kenshin had raised his arm.
"Let's go."
It took a moment for her to realize he had said it in Hiten and not her own tongue -- which everyone around her seemed to have adopted when addressing her or speaking when near her. The fact that she could understand (some of) the words being spoken around her made her nervousness ease. But then again if she couldn't at least speak some of it by now Megumi would have her head.
As one the horses broke into a trot. The sound of their hooves echoed loudly in the air around her adding to the feeling of it being all very surreal. They spilled from the palace and into the City streets. People gathered at the edges to watch them go and wave.
They were leaving.
Kaoru was going back into the country she barely knew and was leaving the only thing she considered familiar in this entire place. The land stretched out before her as they broke into a gallop -- alien and unfamiliar once again.
~*~