I am so sorry everyone! This chapter took me a little while to get done... hope you all enjoy it though! And thank you so much MindIIBody for fixing it up so nicely. : )
Warning: Sudden marriage -winks-
Disclaimer: Do I look like the author of Rurouni Kenshin? No? See, there you go-I don't own it then.
--Chapter 12-Eternal Vows and Conspiracies--
The morning sun drifted across the sky amidst nebulous grey clouds. The pounding of horses' hooves could be heard below as the group pressed forward to a village which lay almost an hour away. No one had bothered to ask Ayame where she had been, feeling it safer to guess rather than ask, none of them wanted their head bitten off by the volatile woman.
Misao sighed as she glanced up at the sky; it looked like it was going to rain. She started as a tiny drop fell on her nose. Shaking her head, she glared up at the obnoxious sky and inwardly told it to keep its rain to itself until they got to the nearby village.
As if in response to her demand, the sky began to darken further as rain fell down. Beginning as a gentle shower, it soon became a constant heavy downpour of silver-grey water.
Aoshi urged his horse on faster, not wishing to be caught in the rain.
Misao's POV
The horses clattered noisily over the wide wooden bridge that crossed a swollen stream. I gazed down into its murky depths, glad that I was up on the horse with Aoshi-sama rather than on the bridge by myself. At least I knew horses were able to swim, and as Aoshi-sama seemed able to control his horse well, I wouldn't need to worry if the bridge decided to break. Why would I think this? Well, the bridge seemed to look in need of a good repair as it looked older than... on second thought, it looks far older than that witch so never mind.
I heaved a tiny sigh of relief as we finally were over it and on solid ground again. I wiped my face with the cloth part of my hand guards to try and recover my blurring vision from the storm. My hair was soaking wet and plastered to my face so I tried to move that too. Finally able to somewhat see in the heavy downpour, I tried to make out the village that was quickly looming up in the distance. It seemed to be large enough, as I spotted two or three inns. They must have a lot of visitors pass through.
I passed that last thought aloud to Aoshi-sama.
"Yes. That is their main occupation." he stated before becoming silent again. Good grief, it was like pulling teeth to get the man to talk. But the curious part was that I really didn't mind. Every time he spoke I seemed to get a thrill of pleasure coursing through my body, the tone of his voice and the knowledge that I finally got him to talk were both pleasurable.
I smiled slightly as I thought about this, and then began to wonder, 'What does Aoshi-sama think of me?'
We stopped before one of the larger inns. An elderly man and woman came out and greeted us. "Welcome to the Kanpeki (1) Inn. How may we help you, Shinomori-sama?"
Okay... apparently they knew Aoshi-sama.
The woman glanced at our party while her husband made the arrangements with Aoshi-sama. At length her bright eyes came to rest on me. A knowing smile came over her face. She beckoned me to come to her.
Sliding out of the saddle, I quickly made my way over to where she stood.
"Come inside, my dear, you shouldn't be out in the wet." she smiled pleasantly at me as I found myself being shooed inside. I looked back quickly and saw the group. Han'nya was standing next to Aoshi, but Shikijo gave me a quick wink. Unfortunately for me, I also had the honor of catching Ayame's discreet glare at me as well.
What was her problem? I had nothing to do with this!
The woman shut the door behind us, and then turned to me-a conspiratorial smile upon her aged features. "Are you interested in Shinomori-sama?"
"Ex-excuse me!" I spluttered, feeling my face turn bright red.
"I thought so." she winked, "Now follow me."
I hesitated for a moment.
"Come on child, I assure you that I do not bite." she laughed.
I laughed at that, and then followed. It couldn't hurt, right? I followed her down a hallway, and then turned a right as she stepped into what looked like a storeroom.
"I know it's here somewhere." she huffed as she dug through several wooden crates full to the brim with packets and herbs.
I sat down and watched her as she quickly sorted out several packets and peered into their contents. She glanced up at me, her bright black eyes searching, "Has he shown any interest in you?"
I felt my face flame again, "I... I don't know..." Resorting to fiddling with my hand guards, I looked up as she laughed again.
"He does then, eh?" she smiled wider, "That makes it so much easier."
"Makes what easier?" I will admit, she had my curiosity perked.
She held forth a tiny cloth packet, and whispered, "Just put two or three pinches of this into his tea, and he'll be all yours."
"Nani!" I yelped as I practically fell over. Feeling grateful that I had been sitting, I stared at her, "What do you mean?"
"I used this on my husband before we were married." she shook her head in remembrance, "He always took forever to do anything, and I was not about to wait until I was forty to be married. This herb made sure that I was married and with child very soon."
I felt like I was going to pass out. What the heck did that woman think I'd do with it?
"I know you both want each other; I saw that look he gave you earlier."
If possible, my face grew even redder. Hesitantly taking the packet, I peered at its contents. It smelled good at least.
"You'd better use four pinches. My husband is much smaller than Shinomori-sama, and not as hard to crack emotionally." she winked.
"Yes ma'am." a small smile crept upon my lips, "I think I will try it." Again, it couldn't hurt, right?
"By the way, the shrine is straight down the road from our inn." she smiled as we made our way out of the room, "I wish you the best of luck."
End of Misao's POV
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Kenshin frowned as he thought about the letter's contents. His violet eyes darkened with amber hues as they swirled and collided with the pre-existing violet shades.
Something was wrong. Kaoru could feel it. Her husband was a master at concealing things, but she had been around him long enough to notice the faint tell-tale signs. Whatever it was that was bothering Kenshin was bad enough to keep him from masking everything. That it self worried Kaoru.
She was also angry and slightly perturbed that he wouldn't share the contents of the letter. Sighing, she turned away and headed for the bedroom. A good night's sleep might help.
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Enishi toyed with his seer's glass orb. She scowled as she noticed what he was doing, her wrinkled face forming deep frown lines. "What are ye doin'? That be not a toy, Yukishiro-san." she huffed as she snatched it quickly out of his grasp.
He smiled widely and allowed her to remove the object. "Tell me, Mura, what do you see in your visions?"
She placed the orb gently down in her lap as she sat on the hard ground, her attention focused on whatever resided amongst it's murky depths. "The snake and weasel fight, but the braver wins. The other will belong to you, Yukishiro-san."
He nodded, "Good, according to plan. What else?"
Mura peered further into the depths, "I see a scarlet tainted sword, carrying the blood of thousands of men throughout the ages, preparing to strike. A crystal flower and a tiny sword hold the scarlet tainted sword back, but only slightly."
Enishi smirked, "We'll just have to take care of that if he won't move, now won't we?"
She merely nodded as she gazed into the orb. He hadn't requested that she see further, so she had no need to tell him the other bit of news. A dry smile crossed her lips; she needn't attach herself to anyone-much less this young whelp. For now, he lined her pockets and kept her fed, which was more than enough for her.
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Misao was worried about the effects of the herbs, but she was willing to give it a shot. Something in her bones told her that it was the right thing to do. Hopefully Aoshi wouldn't notice anything.
Putting the recommended amount of herbs into the steaming cup of tea, she eyed it carefully. It didn't turn another color or smell different-it looked just like a regular cup of tea. She shrugged; at least he wouldn't notice anything just by looking at it.
Slowly, she made her way out of the kitchen, ignoring the inn keeper's wife's calls of good luck. Managing to make it to the room Aoshi occupied without turning back and forgetting the whole thing, she called his name quietly. Fearing he didn't hear her, she prepared to call again when she heard his equally quiet, "Come in."
Misao slid open the shoji and walked inside, closing it after her. She smiled brightly at the man who was currently sitting in the middle of the room meditating. Aoshi didn't bother to look up as she set the cup of tea down beside him. "I brought you some tea, Aoshi-sama."
"I'll drink it later."
Misao's face fell slightly, she had wanted to see the effects-but she apparently had to wait. She sighed softly and left the room.
Aoshi opened his eyes to watch her as she left. Turning his attention from the closed door to the tea, he decided to finish meditating at a later point in time.
Reaching down, he took the small cup and took a sip. It had a slightly different flavor from the tea he was usually served, but as he hadn't been in this region in quite some time-he wasn't able to recall if this was the normal flavor here. After a few minutes, the cup was empty and so was the room.
Misao looked up quickly as the shoji opened quickly. She quickly finished wrapping her yukata about her slim body as Aoshi stepped inside the room.
Her teal blue eyes searched his icy blue orbs in an attempt to figure out whether or not the woman's herbs had worked. As Aoshi stepped forward, the moonlight drifting gently in from the window fell upon his features; a lust-filled gaze was being directed her way. Misao was not that naïve to not notice what was being shown in his eyes.
She gulped, suddenly finding her hands shaking slightly. From fear or excitement, she couldn't tell. "Can I help you, Aoshi-sama?"
A predatory smile graced his lips as he walked forward.
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The moonlight found a couple standing in a shrine, a tired priest presiding over the short ceremony. Misao was a little frightened at how quickly it had worked, but it was worth it to be standing here. She smiled up at him, loving the look of desire in his eyes. The girl wondered if she could detect love swirling in the icy depths, but she figured that she would be able to find out later.
A solemn pair of vows made her Shinomori Misao.
Aoshi had told her that he would not take her outside of marriage, but as he wanted her that night-well, fortunately she had remembered what the elderly woman had told her.
She laughed with delight as he swung her up into his arms and walked back to the inn. Tonight, everything was perfect.
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Ayame growled angrily as she flung her pack against the wall with enough force to cause it to open up, its contents spilling out onto the floor. "How could this have happened?" Rage and fury welled up in her soul and flowed through her veins. "What did that weasel DO to take him from me?"
Again, for the second time, that girl had gotten the better of her. She had captured not only the other member's heart but Aoshi's heart as well. No matter what she did, the feeling of despair, hopelessness and rage surged in her with a deadening grip. Although she wasn't of noble blood this time that didn't mean she wasn't allowed to try and seduce him. Maybe…that was the reason why he didn't want her: because she was not of noble blood. Ayame sighed dismally as she sank down onto the futon. Glaring menacingly down at the bed, she dismissed the idea of sleep. Right now, the idea of sleep wasn't going to cure her maddening pique.
So, to try and at least sooth her irritation at least by a millimeter of it anyways, she went for a walk. Stepping out into the dark skies, she thought again, 'A very LONG walk…'
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Enishi grinned; it was time to set his plan in motion. Calling his entire group together, he told them what he had planned.
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Kenshin slipped his sakabatou into the sheath at his hip. Kaoru stood by, watching quietly as she held a sleeping Kenji. A good night's sleep apparently would not help. She sighed inwardly; her husband could be so difficult at times.
A determined look graced the fiery haired man's features, he would protect his family and the peace that he had worked so hard and sacrificed so much for. He gazed upon his wife and child, burning the image to his memory. Violet eyes that had started to reveal traces of amber returned to the before mentioned color, as tenderness and love for the two swirled within the deep depths.
Kaoru wished with all her heart that she could go with him, but refrained as she knew that he would not let her. Not willing to have him leave with an argument being the last thing between them, she kissed him goodbye and wished him good luck and safety.
She was rewarded by a warm smile. Waving goodbye, she watched her husband leave until she couldn't make out his figure in the distance. Sighing, she turned around and headed back into the house. A small crystalline tear dripped down her face and landed on their child's, making it look like he had cried as well.
However, she didn't plan to stay at home and wait for him. Kaoru was stubborn to a fault, when she wanted something-she would get it. She grinned, at least for the most part.
Megumi wouldn't mind taking care of Kenji for a while, and had, in fact, hinted at doing so. Changing into her training kimono and hakama complete with her favorite haori (1), her most comfortable outfit to train in, she grabbed her bokken and tied it to hang across her back. She then picked up Kenji, locked the house, and turned to march resolutely to Megumi's house.
"Sorry, Kenshin, I need to help as well." Sometimes Kenshin didn't give her enough credit, she mused as she thought over the letter's contents. 'He left that letter in his shirt, and then he must have forgotten to take it out before handing it to me to wash. Heh, first mistake. Normally he does the laundry, so he must have really been distracted by the contents. Well... that and he didn't know that I was going to be doing the laundry.' she smiled, pleased with herself, and then looked puzzled. Who on earth could have sent the letter?
"Battousai:
Remember pain, remember sorrow. You will experience this before long, I assure you.
Remember Tomoe."
She thought again about the letter, and then put two and two together. Realization hit her like a hard jolt, giving wings to her feet as she sped off down the road.
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"I've been looking for you." Enishi leaned against a wall, moonlight turning his white hair silvery and his glasses shone almost unearthly.
The sight of him would have been rather startling, had it not been for the fact that Ayame was a highly trained omitsu and had sensed his ki a little while back. Not like he had even bothered to hide it. Irksome man...
"Why." a statement rather than a question, she didn't feel like playing his games tonight.
Before she could even register her awkward situation, Ayame found herself pressed up against the wall, unable to move. Her jade eyes that had once shone shock, was converted into a full blown glare, "Unhand me."
"I have a proposition for you, Ayame." he smiled broadly as he bent his head down to trail his tongue along her neck.
The woman shivered, and began to damn fate and its sadistic play in her life. "Do not touch me." she hissed, her eyes glinting dangerously in the moon's light.
This caused his smile to widen further, "I have no intention of taking you here, Ayame. You can relax now. I'd just prefer you to not bolt like you were planning on doing."
Summoning all her aggravation into her glare, she sent it towards him with a deadly gleam that promised great pain if he did not unhand her. He remained unaffected.
"I do plan on taking you, of course-but again, not here."
Shock…was one of the feelings that penetrated into her storming rage before panic started to settle in. With her position now, she was defenseless and anything she does would not be helpful in the least. This gave her a feeling of dread and fear…and so she started to feel unsettled.
Enishi roughly covered her mouth with his; it was not gentle like the one she imagined with Aoshi, nor was it romantic in the least. It was full of force but in its own light, seductive as well, but the bruising pressure she felt dissipated any feelings of comfort. There was no use in fighting it, seeing as his hands locked hers harmlessly to her sides while he took his privilegeswith her.
Ayame felt little as to what was going on, she was severely stunned by his actions. The shock did not numb the feeling of a protruding substance entering her mouth. Due to the combination of shock, fury and curiosity, she unintentionally swallowed it, gasping and gagging as she did. When the substance was successfully placed into her body, she felt his now heavy limbs loosen their hold on her. She would have fallen if the man hadn't held her up. Her bright jade eyes clouded over and she tried desperately to recover by blinking rapidly but alas, nothing helped. "Bastard," Was the one word she whispered before she fell into the oblivion that waited for her.
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--END NOTES--
(1)-As I am sure that you all know what a kimono is (if not, look at what Kaoru wears-that dress-like outfit) I'll move on to the hakama. Notice what Kenshin wears-that is a hakama. Imagine a very wide pair of pants with pleats.
A haori is a hip- or thigh- length kimono used as a coat. : P I thought it sounded like a nice touch, so I gave Kaoru one. She does in fact seem to own one in the manga...
Hope you all enjoyed it and I apologize sincerely for the delay! I had to write a paper on Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Sonnets from the Portuguese" (which I highly recommend for those of you who like romantic poems/sonnets) but while I enjoyed reading it... writing a paper on poems isn't the most fun thing in the world to do. And I still have one on Julius Caesar left to finish...
Anyways, as Bugs Bunny would say, "Ain't I a stinker?" Heh, I do apologize for leaving it like that-but things are starting to wrap up and I can't cram it all into one chapter... okay, I could-but it'd be far too long for comfort.