Chapter 19
He hung on each word she spoke, her sultry voice sending his heart spinning in every direction at once. Her lips mesmerized him when she smiled, forming that cupid's bow he immediately fell in love with. She laughed, something else that made his stomach flip.
His mind could not stop telling him how beautiful she was.
Say something Souji! He shouted in his head.
"Ummm...so you are Susumu-dono's younger sister?" he stuttered.
Seriously Souji...say something CLEVER. Souji berated himself as he stared sheepishly at Kasumi. He had a thousand questions for the woman in front of him, and that was all he could come up with.
He felt his cheeks flush with his own coyness.
As his emerald eyes met her inquisitive mismatched orbs he could not help but send her a beaming smile.
Hachi, I want to kiss her.
"I am." she answered with a soft tremor in her voice, if it was with annoyance or nervousness he could not tell. "Susumu-san isn't much older than me, though he likes acting like he is." her smile turned into a soft, fond twinkle as she spoke of her brother.
Against all logic he felt his smile growing even broader.
"He does that to all of us, always full of cautions and worry."
Kasumi let out a giggle, which rang in Souji's ears as the sweetest sound in the world.
"That is my brother for you, I'm happy I'm not the only one to suffer his over protective mother-hen syndrome."
"He's a good man." Souji chuckled.
This is real, he's right here, we're talking...like normal people. Kasumi's mind was reeling, her heart thumping so hard in her chest that she was sure Okita would notice. His smile was heavenly and she found herself wondering what his lips would taste like. She shook her head, trying to get rid of the thought.
He has someone. She reminded herself, Asuka's large, innocent eyes coming to mind as the words echoed in her chest.
"We will be leaving before noon today, will you be travelling with us?" Okita faked ignorance, not having the courage to expose his knowledge just yet.
"She will certainly not!" the old physician answered before Kasumi could open her mouth.
The old man slowly walked towards his patients, arms burdened with bandages and salves, his face set with concentration as he tried to not drop any of his cargo.
Kasumi glared at him, her eyes squinting as if she would cast a spell on the doctor.
"Unfortunately I will not, my commander has given me very specific orders to not take part in the coming battle." she sighed heavily. "I am injured..."
"Quite badly so..." the old man interrupted her again.
Irritation flashed across her face. "No-one asked you Ojīchan!" she snapped.
"How did you injure yourself Yamazaki-chan?" Okita asked innocently.
Kasumi looked at him for a few moments, her mind clearly deciding how honest her answer should be.
"I broke my arm a few weeks ago, Ojīchan is just fussing." Evading a clear answer, she lied without blinking.
Okita felt frustration rise in his chest at her offhanded statement, he knew exactly why she was there, her hiding the truth made him angry for some an unexplainable reason. Okita prodded some more, asking a similar question again.
"How did you break your arm?"
"Not just her arm Okita-dono, her ribs too, not to mention sprained joints and cuts!" Ojīchan unstoppered a vial smelling of antiseptic and lightly dowsed a small cloth, carefully tending to Okita's cuts and bruises.
Okita winced before turning his gaze back to Kasumi watching in amusement as she turned red, the old man exposing her half lies.
"She says she fell." The old man let out a loud snort. "Some fall that must have been!
"Ojīchan" she complained, irritation now clear in her tone. "Will you stop interrupting me!" her voice raised an octave or two.
"Oh my." The old man muttered close to Okita's ear. "Don't anger this one Okita-dono." the old man smirked. " She might just bite your head off, she can be a real vixen" he laughed.
Kasumi gasped in faux shock and mock-swung a slap in the doctor's direction. "Ojīchannnnnnn!" her indignant cry sounded in the large tent.
Enjoy the show thoroughly, Okita smiled at the physician's boyish grin. "I'll keep that in mind for the future Ishi-sama."
The old man refocused his gaze on Okita, staring intently at the Okita's smile and the glint that the red-haired man didn't realise showed in his eyes.
"Mmmm, the future...who knows what that may hold." the old man winked at Okita before he turned to fetch another ointment. They both watched as the doctor left, quietly muttering to himself with a wide grin on his face.
"He seems quite fond of you Yamazaki-chan" Okita commented.
"He's known me all my life, in some ways he replaced my father." Kasumi fondly watched as the old man exited the tent. "He's can be a real pain, but I cherish him all the same."
Okita fought for words again, he had learnt long ago that the head of the Yamazaki clan had simply disappeared one night, never to be seen again. He had left his three children and wife without a word, soon after Lady Yamazaki had died from an unknown illness, leaving the eldest, Yamakazi Susumu, as the head of the clan. The fact that Kasumi had commented about her childhood so lightly, unsettled him slightly.
"I...I have heard tales of the Yamazaki clan's fate..." Okita struggled to say anything else.
Kasumi shrugged at his words.
"It could have been worse, I remember very little of my father." she smiled, not a trace of heartache in her eyes.
"Besides." she chuckled. "My brother always acts like and old man, I can only cope with one father at a time" she started laughing, a sound Okita couldn't resist as he heard his own chuckle echoing her laughter.
Distracted by each other and their conversation, neither had realised how close they had moved to one another, their shoulders briefly connected and their laughter instantly turned into a burning tension, for long seconds their eyes connected, longing, misunderstood stares hovered between them, their hearts racing in unison as the temperature rose in the small space left between them.
Okita broke eye contact first, his thumping chest warning him that he was on the verge of losing control, his hands twitching as he tried to stop the compulsion to touch her flushed cheeks, a confession burnt at his lips, his heart shouting at him to take the step.
"Will we be seeing you again Yamazaki-chan?" Okita uttered in a low murmur, his head hanging low to avoid her eyes. His heart raced, half afraid of her response.
The fire in Kasumi's cheeks burnt brightly as she looked at him from beneath her long lashes, stealing a glance at the red-haired man. Her heart had lept at his query, hoping that she understood the implied question between his spoken words, that he hoped to meet her again.
"That would be a question to my commander, not myself." she saw Okita's shoulders slump slightly at her answer. "But I am sure we shall meet again." she gave him a bright smile, hoping he would regain his mood from a few moments ago.
"I...would like that." Okita smiled as he once again met her mismatched eyes.
The tension broke as a familiar voice came from the tent entrance.
"I see you have some company Souji-san." Hijikata smiled at Kasumi as he entered, Sanan following close after.
"Most delightful company." Okita answered with a slight frown crawling over his face. He had been so close to asking the questions that plagued him, so close to asking her what he needed to know.
Kasumi had instantly changed at the sound of Hijikata's voice, the cheeky, upfront woman from the previous night replacing the soft, shy side that Okita had seen during their conversation. Her blush had faded when she answered Hijikata.
"This has by far been my favourite visit to the doctor, Okita-dono did a wonderful job of distracting Ojīchan, I came out with nearly unscathed!" she laughed as she lifted herself from the cot, grinning broadly at the Shinsengumi captains.
"I will take my leave gentlemen, I'm sure my commander has a few choice words for me and I would assume that your visit is not just for a cup of tea either" with that she left with a sly wink and a nod, nearly running in her haste to get outside.
"Odd..." Sannan commented as he watched her exit the tent. "It's as though she was running away." he shrugged turning to Okita.
"What did you do Souji-san?" Sannan's mouth quirked with the question, to his surprise he found Okita staring at the space where the Yamakazi girl had exited, his thoughts far away from the present.
He had watched as she exited, her long hair following her nimble body, long strands playfully reflecting the morning light shining outside. With her gone, Okita was convinced the tent had grown darker and gloomier.
"I'm...not sure Sannan-san, we just spoke." his answer came dull from his mouth, disappointment showing in his eyes.
Kasumi stopped a few meters from the tent exit, holding her chest, willing her heart to stop pounding against her ribs.
That was close...
Her lips burnt with the words that lay there, with the dreams of his lips, of his hands.
She shook her head to try and dislodge the thoughts that circled in her mind.
Her mind had quickly fooled her into a false vision of her future with Okita, the way their lips would meet, the way his hands would explore her body, how her body would surrender to him without a thought. A future where she would wake up next to him and smile, staring at his peacefully sleeping face, simple things like sharing a meal came to mind and walking in the streets of Kyoto together.
She let out a loud huff.
Her dreams were simple and mundane, but as unattainable as her being named the next Shogun.
She shook her head once more.
Her brother was waiting for her, she would soon know where he would send her for her recovery, and what her next mission would expect of her.
"What did the doctor say?" Hijikata asked with concern.
"I'll live." Okita shrugged, not bothered by his comrades worried stares, his disappointment affecting him far more than he realised.
Hijikata felt annoyance tick in his eyebrow at Okita's nonchalant answer, one of his closest friends was gravely ill and all he could do was make fun of his situation.
"Okita-dono." Sanan whispered. "I know...Hijikata-dono told me this morning of your...condition."
Okita visibly blanched at Sanan's statement.
"I see..." Okita lifted himself off the cot. "Let's move and get this battle over with, then we can speak."
He left the tent, left his comrades behind, confused at his briskness. He moved to his bedroll as fast as he could without attracting attention. Rolling his bed into it's storage and grabbing his weapons, he wanted nothing more than for this day to last longer, he wanted noon to come later, he begged the sun to give him another chance to talk to Yamazaki Kasumi.
"They should be leaving soon." she said to no-one in particular.
The sun was high, it's futile attempt to burn through the thick cloud cover, going unnoticed by most.
The day had turned into an odd mixture of warmth and cold, the heat from the past week rising from the ground to create an eerie low-lying fog, the haziness made Kasumi nervous as she tried to see past a few meters up the road, her route still unclear because of it.
"This can't be natural, of all the troubles..." she complained grumpily as she swung her arm aimlessly through the intangible screen of white before her.
Kasumi sighed as she patted the dappled horse's neck before lifting herself nimbly onto the back of the steed. She was still annoyed at her brother, her quick departure coming as a surprise as her brother had practically chased her away after giving her orders, clearly eager to see her removed from the potential danger that would come that day. She was not happy to leave, her first contact with Okita making her yearn for more, his smile played in her mind, making her own lips curve and flush.
"Kasumi..." she shook her head, smile beaming. "What is happening to you?"
She nudged the horse with her knees, spurring him forwards in a light trot. She was still surprised and puzzled at her destination, it would have been the last place she imagined her commander sending her, but she was sure there was a reason.
She casually followed the horse's body movements as she rode west, it was noon and though Kasumi was already some ways away from the camp, she could hear the Shinsengumi packing their last belongings and breaking up the temporary base.
She had watched the injured leave earlier, passing her slowly on the sandy road back to Kyoto, Ojīchan leading the way. She had been relieved to see him escort the injured, not wanting him to be at risk during battle they would face soon.
Thinking about the old doctor and his many cures and potions brought another thought to mind, a thought she had tried to bury deep in the recesses of her mind. She didn't want to face the possibility as her hand instinctively reached for the thin scar running along her arm, memories of the vulgar shaman slicing her and gleefully tapping her blood, rolled down her spine making her shiver in disgust.
Yamazaki Crest seared on their chests... Susumu's words rang in her ears.
She had willingly given her blood to the seedy old man, her desperation to help Okita clouding her mind to the possible use the man had for her family's blood. Cold fear grabbed at her chest, making her breath hitch in her throat.
Hachi, please let it not be me.
Could she have betrayed the Shogunate, the Shinsengumi, her own family by trying to save the man she was obsessed with?
The potential repercussions of her actions laid heavily on her shoulders as she set her horse off on a gallop, her own fear and frustration echoed in the thunderous beats of horseshoe on hard soil.
She would have to tell her brother, another, even greater panic clutched at her, her secrets would be exposed.
Should she try to fix this herself...was it even possible?
A mere day ago she had no regret in saving Okita and giving her blood to a stranger, now her mind was plagued by what she had done, still it wasn't regret that plagued her, it was anger at her own negligence. She could have investigated more, been more careful...now, she had made her choice, even if it was selfish, she would have to face whatever came from it, including the wrath of those she held dear.
Okita had been more than agitated when Susumu told his comrades that Kasumi had already left the camp. Harada and Nagakura had both asked after her during breakfast and Susumu was fast in telling them that Kasumi had more important matters to deal with than eating gruel around a campfire.
Okita stared at the eldest Yamazaki, wondering if the spymaster was trying to keep his little sister away from the young men of the Shinsengumi. The thought made him grin to himself.
After numerous questions and pleas, Susumu wouldn't tell them where he had sent his sister, Nagakura complained and Okita felt frustration start to simmer in his stomach, he would have to try and pry the information from the spymaster when they returned to Kyoto. Okita had already decided that he would search for her, he hadn't found the chance or the courage to ask her the questions swirling in his mind, the one certainty he had left with after their conversation was that he wanted her, needed her, his heart had not played tricks on him, it had not lied when it told him that he was in love with her.
Her beauty and grace affected him more than he expected, every single thing he learnt about her made his conviction stronger.
He let out a loved-up sigh as he watched the men in front of him march at a steady pace, the cooler weather making for faster feet, the crunching of stones and sand creating a steady rhythm in the oddly misty afternoon air.
The drumbeat of Shinsengumi feet lulled Okita into a deep introspection, he knew that he should place these feelings for Kasumi to the side, he could do without the distraction while battling, but he found it hard to shun her mismatched stare from his mind. They had to be victorious today, he had to survive so he could find her again. A small smirk crossed his face as he thought of the Souji of yesterday and his overwhelming need to get lost in battle, how he had no hope, she had once again managed to save him from himself with a few simple actions, words and an unearthly beautiful smile.
"Ummm...Okita-dono." Susumu steered his horse next to Okita's, his face clearly showing his concern.
"Yes Yamazaki-san?" Okita gave the man a broad smile.
"You seem remarkably better today." Susumu wagered carefully.
"Indeed." Okita smiled, his mind warning him to tread with caution around the subject. "The doctor gave me a tincture that seems to have alleviated my symptoms greatly." he half lied.
"Really?" Susumu's face turned to puzzlement. " I did not know such a thing existed, it would have made a vast change to my childhood."
It was Okita's turn to look puzzled.
"How so Yamazaki-dono?"
A short silence followed, Susumu clearly struggling with his words and thoughts.
"My mother..." he started. "She lost her life to the disease."
Okita paled at the words that came from his comrade's lips.
Susumu continued, staring numbly into the distance.
"Soon after the Lord Yamazaki disappeared, my mother started showing signs, some even said it was the reason why the Lord had left. It came fast and ravished her mercilessly, she passed within 2 years. It was dreadful to witness her wasting away, her body and mind just fizzled into nothingness, in her last days she did not even resemble herself anymore."
Okita had no words to console his friend, the wounds of his mother's passing clearly still fresh and open, his hand reached for the spymaster, gently patting him on his shoulder.
The fact that Susumu referred to his father as Lord Yamazaki did not go unnoticed by the red-haired shinsengumi, yet another insight into this comrade's past.
"With my mother's illness came another revelation, Kasumi and myself had both inherited the Yamazaki healing and resistance trait, against everyone's wishes we spent many days with our ill mother, neither of us ever gaining as much as a runny nose from our exposure." Susumu paused for a second, shaking his head lightly. "My sister broke her arm and wrist quite badly, it's been 2 weeks since she fell and she is already capable of using the arm."
Okita hadn't thought about her injuries, he was there when Kasumi had fallen those many meters and knew better that Susumu how grave those injuries were, Okita counted the days and came to the shock realisation that any other person would not be able to move, while Kasumi had battled with the Shinsengumi the previous day.
His shock must have been written on his face, Susumu gave a hopeless smile as he raised his eyes to meet Okita's.
"We Yamazaki's take risks because of the trait, we believe that we're invincible." he sighed heavily, his sibling clearly a heavy burden on his thoughts.
"Is she? Invincible?" Okita asked softly, not realising he had only asked about Kasumi and not both of the siblings.
"The world only repays as much as we give to it, only Kasumi will know what she is sacrificing to keep on surviving." Susumu's words hung heavy in the air, the meaning not lost on either of the men.
"Yamazaki-dono!" the shout came from a few meters behind them as an exhausted scout came running towards them, a small dust trail following his dragging feet. He looked worried, confusion spread across his face.
"Tanaka-san?" Susumu enquired as he watched the man stop to catch his breath, his short dark hair riddled with small droplets of sweat. After a few moments of huffing, the man looked up at his commander, his deep brown eyes squinted in apprehension.
"Yamazaki-dono, there are no forces at the border."
"What?" Susumu's voice clipped.
"None Sir, we've scouted along the border, far from our destination, we only found the usual patrols..."
A worried expression flashed across Susumu's face.
"Something is not right, come Tanaka-san."
Susumu nudged his horse forward, indicating to Okita to follow."
They rode to the front of the long column of troops, finding Hijikata leading them, peering into the white wall they rode in to.
"Hijikata-dono" Susumu hailed his leader.
The commander turned at hearing his name, instant concern on his face as he saw Okita and Susumu approach. The commander stopped, allowing the column to march on without him.
"Susumu, Souji, what brings you to the front line?"
"News Sir." Susumu exclaimed. "One of my scouts have returned, he says there are no troops waiting for us at the border."
"What?" Hijikata looked inquiringly at Susumu.
"There was a full contingent marching towards the border two days ago, last night's attack didn't account for even half of those men."
"If I may Susumu-dono." Tanaka had caught up with the men, still huffing for his own breath.
"Hijikata-dono, it is as if they disappeared...we searched miles from the border and found no trace of the forces ever existing."
Hijikata listened intently, his eyes squinting as his mind processed the news and what it meant. After a few tense, quiet moments he turned his attention to the spymaster.
"Susumu? What do you think."
"Hijikata-dono." Susumu paused to organise his thinking. "Two situations come to mind. Firstly, their surprise attack failed, they had suffered too many losses last night and have withdrawn in some mysterious way." Susumu paused, his face plainly showing that the next option was the one he believed to be true. "Secondly, this could all have been an elaborate ruse to distract us, get us away from Kyoto."
Silence
"Hikari-san." Hijikata barked out his lieutenant's name.
The short, bearded man came rushing towards his commander, haori tails flapping in his wake.
"Yes Hijikata-dono?" the man bowed low.
"Find the other captains immediately, send them to me."
"At once Hijikata-dono." the man confirmed before sprinting off, quickly disappearing in the dense fog.
Minutes later all the captains stood huddled on the side of the road, their light blue haori's melding with the colour of the mist surrounding them, making them seem like a group of ghostly soldiers.
Each man pondered quietly, trying to understand the threat they suddenly faced.
"They could also still be hiding and waiting at the border." Tanaka continued, reporting what they had found once again. "We have searched, but with the way they disappeared, they could be using someway to hide..."
"I can't see them just giving up or hiding in the undergrowth..." Hijikata said thoughtfully.
The captains shuffled nervously, the mystery unsettling them all.
"We should split up..." it was the first words Okita spoke since the conversation started. "Send a messenger to Kyoto with a warning, split up here, half goes towards the border, the other half returns to Kyoto...we might make it in time."
The captains stared at Okita, considering his words.
"Susumu, can you send your operatives to Kyoto in time? They proved very effective last night." Hijikata asked the spymaster.
"Yes Hijikata-dono. I will send orders immediately." Susumu couldn't help but feel a bit of pride at the praise his troops had received.
Hijikata turned, facing Okita.
"Okita? Can you handle Kyoto?" memories of his friends' state a day ago haunted his words, worry for his friend's health lining his face. "If this is a diversion, we need keep up appearances, I need to stay on course to the border. It would seem that this damnable mist is an actual benefit, as much as we can't see, they can't see us either"
"I can, I will not fail you Tori-san." Okita patted Hijikata on the shoulder, knowing well what was troubling his friend. An overwhelming relief washed over the red-haired captain as he realised that his commander still trusted and valued him. Hijikata nodded, a brief smile crossing his lips.
"Take Nagakura, Harada and Susumu with you. Heisuke will stay with me since he is injured and I expect the threat is not here. Saito..." Hijikata turned his gaze to the silent captain. "Withdraw as well but at a slower pace, I need you to be ready to head east or west at any time."
"Yes Hijikata-dono" the men chimed in unison.
Hijikata turned to the man at his side. "Sannan-san, join me at the head of the march."
"At once Hijikata-dono." Sannan bowed.
"Go" was all that Hijikata uttered to set the Shinsenguni in to motion, they moved with speed, ordering their troops to turn around, to increase their pace, time was of the essence.
Through the ensuing chaos, Susumu broke away from the lumbering forces, moving swiftly between the men slowly changing direction.
He slipped into the tree line on the side of the road, searching for a place to summon his strength and send another mental message to his operatives, it was a strenuous exercise and he knew that he should not be practicing the technique as often he has, his mind ached at the mere thought of sending his will and words out of his body and to his operatives. He halted in his tracks as he realised he was being followed.
"Susumu-san?" Okita's voice came from the road, close to where Susumu exited.
He considered not answering the call, but Okita knew he was in the leafy cover of the trees and Susumu doubted that his comrade would just let him be.
"Okita-dono?" he replied, calling the first division captain to his side.
"Are you alright? I've found that the trees are good cover to hide your ailments." Okita chuckled, referring to his own trips into the undergrowth during their travels.
"That's not really something to poke fun at Okita-dono."Susumu berated his friend, silently happy to see a glimmer of the old Souji emerge, however inappropriate.
"I'm fine, I..." Susumu broke off his lie and stared intently at his red-haired friend, Okita staring back expectantly.
I need help, I can't do this alone again. Okita is a friend, one with a secret of his own...could I trust him with mine?
He considered his options and quickly ran out of any, Susumu nodded to himself, choosing to share his family's biggest secret with the green-eyed man.
"Actually, I may need your help Okita-dono."
"Yes?"
"I have to contact my people, but it is not an easy or safe task, especially since my body is not as strong as it should be for the...ermmm...method."
A troubled expression came over Okita's brow.
"Are you sure you should do it then? Can't you send a message in some other way?"
"...Unfortunately not, my people don't travel in groups, and some may have travelled quite far since last night, truthfully, it may be impossible to find them in time."
Okita stood for a few moments, his mind clearly processing the new information and affirming Susumu's statement for himself. He nodded.
"Then I am here for you, show me what to do." Okita agreed without any hesitance.
The spymaster smiled inwardly at his friend's clear belief and trust in him, he could always count on the captain to stand by his side.
They found a spot beneath an old oak tree, sitting down, Susumu leaned his back against the rough bark of the tree trunk and let out a deep breath, preparing for his meditation and linking to his operatives.
"Stay next to me Okita-dono, I'll be in a meditative trance, if anything seems wrong to you, you have to wake me, the connection must be severed."
"Right" Okita nodded his understanding.
"And Okita...not a word of what you see here."
Okita nodded once more, understanding that some secrets were worth hiding.
Susumu unclipped his knife from his belt and, without a wince, made a quick slice across his lower arm. He heard Okita suppress a shocked outcry at his actions. The thin red line quickly turned into a small rivulet of blood, the red ran over his skin, over hundreds of similar cut marks, one mark in particular still fresh and puckered.
The blood dripped from his index finger unto the ground, where Susumu drew a symbol with his lifeblood, an inaudible word left his lips as he grew slack, and opened his mind, the world became more and less focussed at the same time, the physical layer falling away slowly until the spymaster could see the thousands of strings that bound all living beings to earth.
He faced a forest of souls swaying and undulating before him, first he had to remove the souls of nature and focus solely on the souls of humans. It was an exhausting task and he could already feel his soul weakening.
As the souls of animals, trees and rivers disappeared from his sight, he saw Okita's thread first, it was brightly coloured like all the other Shinsengumi captains' strings, the deep red showing his strength, compassion and leadership, the infection in his chest left a sickly yellow taint to the twine, it twisted into the fibre and curled around the string was frayed and torn, close to snapping in some parts, but it was protected by a soft blue glow, something Susumu had never encountered before. The glow intensified in the string's weaker spots and contained the illness so it would not spread. Intrigued, Susumu reached out for the thread, the blue glow reminding him of his sister's string colour.
"NO!" he reminded himself. "I'm not here for this." Susumu had to pull himself away, he had little time and the mystery of Okita's soul string would have to wait for another day."
He reluctantly let his hand drop as he pushed onwards, making a mental note to ask Okita a few prying questions later.
The spymaster reached out once more, pushing his energy forward and searching, he found his operatives' marked strings in the mass of souls around them and connected to them one by one, each connection taking a small amount of his strength.
He spoke. With little time and even less strength, he could only utter a few words.
Deception. Return. Kyoto.
Haste.
Each word pulled more life from him, the sounds burnt his ears and seared in his mind, the pain consuming his body, overwhelming.
Soon he felt the strong pull of the earth, calling him back to his origin, promising him a calm, painless sleep. The soil sang it's addictive song as it lured him closer to his end.
He tried to resist, but his body was empty of strength, yearning for rest. He could faintly feel his body sagging against the large oak, the skin on his back scratching against the bark as it slid lower, sinking into the ground.
Jab.
Another sharper, stinging pain brought him back. His jaw thrumming.
His eyes sprang open, breath coming ragged as his panic spiked and then subsided as quickly, his hand shot to his now aching jaw.
Okita's worried eyes looked down at him, his hand still balled in the fist he used to wake Susumu.
"Sorry, I didn't know what to do, so I punched you."
"You could have done it somewhere less visible." Susumu chuckled as he wiped the small trickle of blood from his chin.
"Sorry, I panicked." Okita slumped his head in embarrassment although a light smirk played at the corner of his mouth.
"Hahahah, Okita-dono." the spymaster slapped his friend on the shoulder. "You just saved me, stop apologising."
"I also gave you a very nice bruise there." Okita laughed, his eyebrow in a high arc as he watched the spymaster's jaw already turn a purplish blue.
"Yes" Susumu touched his jaw carefully. "I guess I fell..."
Okita grinned at his friend.
"You're not the first Yamazaki to use that excuse today."
Susumu cleared his throat, a small strangled noise coming from his closed lips.
"I sent her to Kyoto...to the base Okita-dono, she's riding straight into the mouth of the beast."
Okita instantly felt the sick pit of his stomach flare, fear pouncing on him like a panther in the dark.
Susumu grabbed his arm, clutching it desperately, the near dry blood on his hand smearing across Okita's haori, his eyes dilated in quiet panic.
"She will be there first and she'll be alone, I'm afraid she will do something irresponsible."
"We have to leave...now" Okita's voice was soft in it's tension.
The spymaster jumped from his seat, still light-headed he swayed, catching Okita's arm to steady himself.
"Can you travel?" Okita asked worriedly
Susumu gave him a stubborn eye, before straightening himself. "Yes! Let's go."
