Swordplay

He found them in the training yard. She held a slender pole, the boy held her wooden sword. Both weapons raised, a standstill before action. He pressed his back to the wall, not wanting to interrupt the practice session. He had heard reports from wary servants that his houseguest and her brother could sometimes be found out here in the yard, whacking sticks in mock sword play, but this was the first time he'd seen them in action.

She gave a command, clear to any learner, to attack. Centimus watched the match unfold, admiring this side of her, mentally comparing this bout to his match with her, so many months ago, when more was on the line. This was obviously a training spar. It ended quickly with the boy on his back in the mud, his sandaled feet stuck in the air. Centimus couldn't contain his laugh at the comical scene.

Kaoru's attention snapped to the laughter, finding him there, watching. Her eyes zeroed in on the sword in his hands and she turned to the rising Yahiko, who was shooting her a dirty look and muttering under his breath. Her voice was sharp as she gave another command to him, a bit of a taunting tone Centimus could recognize in any language coming out when the boy complained. With another glare, the boy took up the wooden sword and began a repetitive downward slash with his sword, showing remarkable control and strength, even though he had just lost to Kaoru. The boy obviously had promise, the young woman clearly very skilled.

It was interesting to see them this way, to see her this way. A brash, almost masculine side of this lovely woman coming to the front when given a sword and opponent. She was turning to him, eyes flitting from sword to his face before giving him her transformative smile.

"Kenshin?" her eyes dropped to the sword. The frustration at being unable to speak shone in her face. She at least seemed to be better at understanding. He held out the sword she was fixated on.

"Your sword?" He unsheathed it, conscious of her gaze. "How does it work?" He pulled his own sword out for comparison and held them side by side. He couldn't help but notice how much more elegant the foreign weapon seemed to his.

"Sakabato" she gestured at the sword that had arrived with her. "My father's." Ah. An heirloom. No wonder she seemed focused on it. He touched the dull side, trying to keep the questions racing through his mind simple.

"Why?" She seemed to appreciate his efforts, but the frustration was plain on her face.

"Mou!" she sighed, her voiced frustration pulling a chuckle from him. She was pretty adorable. She glanced over to the sword swinging boy as though considering calling him over to translate. But then, she focused inward, concentrating on the words. His gaze was fastened on her face, watching for as much expression as possible, trying to catch every move, every emotion. Finally, she seemed to have fashioned her words into a simple phrase. "No kill." She gestured to the blunt edge. He felt his eyebrows draw together in puzzlement. A sword designed not to kill? She tried again.

"Kamiya Kasshin Ryu protect life, no kill." She was studying him now, watching for comprehension. "My father, hate kill." A man who hated killing. Disgusted with bringing death? An inventor of a sword style must have had experience killing. She knew the sword he wore was not for show. He had no doubt that she guessed how he had won this house after the wars. Hadn't he sworn off unnecessary killing? Maybe he could understand this man. That didn't explain the sharp edge though.

"And this?" he gestured to the blade. She shrugged. Either she had no words or she truly didn't understand why it was that way.

"Father said he is like sword –"she paused, perhaps translating in her mind? "No kill his choice." He took an involuntary step forward, the two swords at his sides. It was suddenly important that she understand him and eye contact seemed to help.

"I am like your father then. I choose not to kill." Her gaze broke from his to drift to the broadsword in his right hand, pulling out an almost laugh. "I'm a technical pacifist."

Centimus couldn't help the smile that tugged his lips at her head tilted in confusion, her lips pursed in contemplation. Before he could say or do something he might regret later (probably), he tore his gaze away to settle on the boy, still swinging in his repetitive exercise, his boyish voice calling out a different word with each swing. Counting? By the scowl on his face, the boy did not enjoy this exercise, but he continued in it anyway, showing his respect for his teacher.

He remembered that this girl had been an instructor at her father's school. Her brother was also her student, then. He finished his task and began a fighting sequence that he had clearly done before. His moves again were clear and precise, flowing into one another with practiced ease. Kaoru had shifted her attention to the boy as well, focusing on his movements, and now… yelling at him? He shouted back and she stalked over to correct him.

This pair was giving him no end of amusement. This seemed to be how they communicated – hugs and tears in moments of distress, yelling and smacking each other in better times. Their sibling antics pulled more laughter from his chest as he sheathed his broadsword, the sound freezing them in place, eyes on him.

"Miss Kaoru," he called, holding up the strange sword in his left hand. "Please teach me your no kill sword." She approached him with a gleam in her eye, taking the metal sword and sheath from him and handed him the pole she had been using earlier. With deft hands, she set his body in the same stance as Yahiko had earlier, her hands momentarily distracting him before refocusing as she guided the pole into one downward motion. She then stepped back and with hands on her hips, issued her first command as his instructor.

"500 swings!"

Now it was Yahiko's turn to laugh at his expression.

A/N I'm annoyed with Kaoru's broken "English", but it takes a lot of time for adults to learn a new language to a proficient level. As with most language learners, understanding comes before verbal composition, reading before written composition. You have to get past mental translation to actually thinking in that language. Yahiko is doing better simply because he's a kid. Something like 1-2 years talking/understanding, 3-5 years school level proficiency, 5-10 years professional proficiency. Some adults never reach professional proficiency depending on their age and time spent studying the language. Kaoru is pretty clever and educated in her own language, not to mention she has a tutor. She'll be fine before long.