Chapter 3

"Unreachable"

Kouji

Chichiri and I crouched in the underbrush along the carriage path. We had watched the shogun and his party pass into the city to collect their purchase. They would be back soon. My stomach tied itself into tighter and tighter knots. I was terrified that something would go wrong. I couldn't lose Genrou now, not after all this time.

The monk beside me appeared to be the epitome of calm, as usual. He had been rattled after the auction, but that had long ago faded. He put a hand on my arm.

"They're coming no da. Get ready."

I slowly drew my sword as Chichiri crept forward into position. Finally, I could hear the sounds of the horses and creak of the carriage wheels. They seemed to be achingly slow. I closed my eyes and listened, forcing myself to remain still. I didn't want to blow it by moving too early. I was not going to give them an opportunity to escape.

As the sounds grew louder, I opened my eyes and peered under the bushes. Two pairs of boots marched slowly past. The guards. Then two horses passed, closely followed by wagon wheels. I took a deep breath as the last guard passed. I counted to twenty before stealthily creeping behind him. I snaked an arm around his neck, covered his mouth and nose, and silently slit his throat. I stepped over his corpse as it dropped to the ground.

Chaos exploded as Chichiri assaulted the first two guards with chi attacks; the horses began to panic. I ran to the front of the carriage; the monk had the two guards well in hand. I buried a knife into the back of the driver before running back and wrenching the door of the carriage open.

The buyer stared at me in shock; he had just been reaching for the handle. I snarled, grabbed his wrist, and yanked him out of the carriage and face first onto the ground.

"Bastard!" I spat, lifting my sword.

"Stop!" he screamed, rolling onto his stomach and shielding his face with his hands. I stomped a boot on his chest to keep him in place.

"Kouji! Yamette!" Chichiri shouted.

I glared in the monk's direction as he came back around the startled horses. "We come this far, and you want to show him fucking MERCY!"

"He just the last in a long line of people who were part of this no da," Chichiri said softly. "Once we're out of the country, he won't be able to get to us. Just leave him no da. Tasuki needs you right now." He nodded over my shoulder.

My sword dropped from my hand as I turned back to the carriage. In the darkest corner, I could see a crouched figure shivering.

Tears filled my eyes as I crawled into the carriage. "Genrou? Gen-chan? It's me, Gen-chan. I'm here."

At the sound of my voice, I could hear the figure break into panicked, shallow breaths.

"No, it's okay, Genrou," I soothed. "It's Kouji. I won't hurt you. Calm down, shhh . . ." I reached out and touched his shoulder gently.

At the contact, Genrou screamed and slammed into the other door of the carriage, spilling onto the road headfirst.

"Genrou!" I cried.

"Tasuki-kun!" I heard Chichiri shout as he circled the carriage.

I jumped down and knelt next to the shivering figure. I jerked off my coat and draped it around his shoulders, being careful not to touch him again. "Shhh, Gen-chan . . . Otoutu, it's all right. I'm here."

The monk slowly approached us. "I feared this might be his condition no da."

"What do we do now?" I asked. I was vaguely aware that my vision was blurry because tears were pouring down my face.

"We have to calm him down if he's going to travel," the monk answered wearily.

I leaned in close to my friend, the man I'd been searching for. "Genrou," I whispered. "I know you're scared. But it's all over now. You're safe. Chichiri and I won't let anything else happen to you. No one will hurt you. Do you understand, Gen-chan?"

The only answer I received was a continued whimper. He was rocking back and forth, arms cross around his chest and face buried into his arms.

Very slowly, I put an around his shoulder, trying to calm him.

At the touch, he again started to panic and tried to get to his feet. I pulled him back down, wrapping my arms around his and holding him against my chest.

I just have to make him remember, I told myself. He'll snap out of it in a second if he can just remember me.

"Genrou, it's all right!" I shouted over his panicked cries. I buried my face in his dirty red hair and just continued speaking soothing words to him. But nothing made any difference. My voice, my words couldn't get through to him. It was like he was still chained in their horrible dungeons, his mind was locked away from me; and I couldn't reach him.

I sobbed into the back of his neck helplessly as he continued to struggle. After all of these months . . . it almost seemed as if we were too late after all.

I choked back my sobs as Genrou's struggles began to weaken. He was rapidly losing what little strength he had.

"It's all right, Genrou," I soothed, kissing his neck, his hair.

He feebly tried to pull away from my caresses; his torturers had no doubt twisted even the simplest gestures of affection.

I heard the monk beside me. "We'll have to make him sleep no da. It's the only way we'll be able to escape the country quietly."

I looked up through reddened eyes to see Chichiri holding up a little jar.

"We need to make him drink this no da."

My senses slowly started to numb as I wound my fingers into my best friend's hair and tilted his head back.

Chichiri poured the liquid from the jar into Genrou's mouth and quickly clamped his mouth and nose shut. We both held him down as he struggled until he ultimately swallowed the medicine.

As he slumped back into my arms, I spoke soothingly to him as the medicine took effect and lulled him sleep.

I laid him back in my arms and gasped as I finally saw his drawn and bruised face. Chichiri allowed me to hold him, rocking him and crying bitterly for a little while before gently telling me it was time to leave.

I let the monk take his fellow Seishi on his horse as I slowly followed behind them.

To be continued ...