When everyone was ready, we started moving again, east, towards Edo and the Shinsengumi. Haruhi wouldn't let go of Chizuru's hand, happy to be with her again. Contrary to the past days, we weren't walking in silence. The kid had a lot to say to Chizuru and she told her all about Kaoru, Souji, her training, Osaka, our journey and the Kitsune. Chizuru was smiling and sometimes laughing at the girl's stories and it warmed my heart to see her so joyful. I feared that when I would find her, she would be in the state that Kaoru faked for days but she seemed so happy that it was contagious... Never would I leave her again.
« Yasha-san. » I told Koan « If you feel more at ease in your natural form, I have no objection. My wife won't be scared. »
« Thank you, Saito-san » he replied « but I think it is safer for me to keep a human form now that we are approaching Edo. We could meet a lot of travelers and we are soon going to get back on the Tokaido route. »
I nodded and reported my gaze on my wife, walking ahead of me, her hand moving back and forth into Haruhi's. What a relief to have her back... I was a bit annoyed with all the hairpins and the Kazama kamon on the back of her kimono and haori but that was a detail. He could try to put his brand on her, she was mine. She had always been mine and I wasn't willing to hand her away as long as she would have me.
« And I thought I would trip and fall but Hajime's rope was always helping me getting higher and you know what ? There was a hot spring ! » I heard Haruhi's excited voice explain to Chizuru.
« Really ? » she replied with a smile.
« Yeah ! It was the first time I saw one ! And it was so nice ! I bathed with Mika and we played in the water. »
I sensed Koan stiffening at the mention of his daughter's name. He still wasn't over her defection. He didn't say anything though and I didn't know what to say either. We kept watching the two of them until Koan eventually opened his mouth.
« Haruhi » he called « walk with me, we'll play with the butterflies. »
Haruhi's face painted with a giant smile and she joined Koan. Chizuru stopped walking a bit until I was next to her. She grabbed my hand and I was a little surprised by that contact but the surprise didn't last long. I closed my fingers on hers, savoring the softness of her skin. She didn't say a thing for a while and we just kept walking peacefully.
« You don't have to hide it from me, you know. » she eventually said.
« What do you mean ? » I asked her, looking at her from below my sandogasa.
The dawn was peaking through the trees and I had put my hat back to protect me.
« That you drank the Ochimizu. » she said softly.
« I wasn't hiding it. » I said in my toneless voice.
« You weren't telling me either. » she objected with a smile.
I stayed silent. It was true that I intended to hide it from her as long as I could, out of fear that she could reject me. I didn't want her pity.
« You couldn't have healed that fast from all the wounds you had if it wasn't for the Ochimizu. » she explained « but I am glad you took it and that you are still alive... Maybe that's selfish of me... Telling you that I am glad that you suffer so much just because I want to keep you with me... »
« It's not selfish. » I shook my head « If you were in the position I was then, I would have wanted you to drink it too if it was the only way for you to keep living. »
« Thank you, Hajime. » she said, resting her head on my shoulder « Thank you for taking it. Thank you for finding me. »
You thank me... For taking it... You do not see me like a monster... How can I be so blessed with you ? Even when I was human, I fed my sword with so many springs of blood that I can't even remember how many people I ended. I killed too many to count, enemies and allies alike. And you... The first time you got my blade on your throat, your eyes showed nothing but respect... Not contempt... You knew I was a murderer and yet, you never feared me. You always told me I was protecting you even though I could have killed you in a blink if given the order... Now I'm putting you in even greater danger and you thank me... With all my sins, why did my karma decide that I was worth having you ?
« Hajime ? » she asked « what are you thinking about ? »
« It's nothing. » I replied, unable to put words to explain to her all the thoughts that went through my head. « Did Kazama hurt you ? »
« No. » she shook her head « Well, I think he could have but he wouldn't have dared in front of Amagiri and he stayed with us the whole time. »
« I see. » I said, relieved.
« Amagiri is a very kind man, you know. » she continued « He taught me a lot. »
« What did he teach you ? » I asked.
« About Oni, about my family and my clan... » She noticed that I frowned and she blushed « sorry ! You're probably fed up with Oni right now... »
« Never apologize for speaking to me, Chizuru. » I said calmly « I want to know everything you might say. »
In fact, I could listen to anything as long as I could hear it in your voice. I missed it for so long...
« Alright... » she paused, trying to find where to start « My village has been destroyed by humans because they refused to participate in a war. My brother and I were saved by Kodo but he never was my father... He kept me because I was more valuable and sent my brother to the Nagumo clan. This way, we had more chances to survive... »
« Yukimura Kodo isn't your father ? » I asked, surprised.
« No... My parents are both dead. Kodo kept me in Edo, waiting for me to get an appropriate age to marry and he was supposed to offer me to Kazama. We had been promised to one another since we were kids. Apparently, I met him before, a long time ago, but I can't recall. »
That made sense. Daimyo usually arranged marriages a long time before the actual wedding and Chizuru and Kazama were prince and princess.
« So I'm the bad guy then, for snatching you away. » I simply said.
« I guess you can see it that way » she chuckled « but I don't think I resisted that much... If I recall, I've been rather insistent. »
« Have you ? » I smiled « I never noticed. »
She chuckled some more and my smile grew wider. She was here, full of joy and life, and I loved her more than ever.
« So, where was I before you rudely interrupted me... » she said playfully.
« I think that's the first time I hear someone complain that I speak too much. » I smirked « but you were speaking about your arranged marriage. »
« Yeah, well, so... Kodo wasn't my father. My parents were Yukimura Ginko and Amagiri Fujitaka. »
« Amagiri ? » I repeated with surprise.
« Yeah. Amagiri Kyujuu's half-brother, a pure blood demon. Amagiri were part of the Yukimura clan before but Kyujuu wasn't there when the village was destroyed because he was sent in the west as tutor for Kazama Chikage who also lost his father at that time. He stayed with Kazama ever since. »
I nodded. That's why the demon was on Chizuru's side despite the fact that he was allied with Kazama. He was Chizuru's uncle.
« Amagiri's presence protected me. Although he's not pure-blood and is lower ranked than Kazama, the latter has a lot of respect for him. Kazama was often annoyed that Amagiri was always there but he stayed anyway. I think if he wasn't there, maybe Kazama would have forced himself on me. »
« I will have to thank him. » I nodded.
She stayed silent, listening to the sound of the forest awakening. We had walked for hours and were now closer to Edo. Hakone was far behind us. We only needed less than a day to reach the Shinsengumi and put Chizuru to safety.
« Do you wish to rest ? » I asked her.
« I'm fine. » she shook her head « Do you need to ? With the sun coming up, you must be tired. »
I saw that Koan and Haruhi both heard my question and I sighed, divining their shared wish. It was less risky anyway now, we could take a moment to sleep or eat something.
« Let's rest for a few hours. » I said, putting my bag on the ground.
We all round up and I made a fire which Koan hid. It was more for warmth than for light with the sun up. Haruhi ate a bit of dried meat that we prepared a few days ago and Chizuru took some too. I laid down on the forest floor, my sandogasa on my face, to take a bit of sleep, and my head moved slightly when Chizuru came to put her lap underneath it. Hidden under my hat, I was smiling from ear to ear.