Chapter 8. How to train your… Dragon

The adults wouldn't let Kenshin out of the hut. Osumi-san said that it would do him no good to go traipsing outside and get sick again. Besides, she added, they were as good as snowed in, so no one would be going far.

Master agreed with her.

Thus, Kenshin was stuck lying on his bed in the hut. He was fed broth 'til he was getting sick and tired of it. More embarrassingly, Master and Osumi-san also helped him to fulfill his basic needs that he really wasn't strong enough to handle on his own yet.

At first, the attention and cozy warmth of the hut had felt wonderful.

However, as his energy continued to return and there was absolutely no way to spend it, he began to feel increasingly restless. Even talking to the spirit-friend was difficult now that there was always someone watching him. When he had dared to try, it hadn't taken long for Osumi-san to notice him just staring ahead blankly, spaced out. She had become worried and sure that he had relapsed into sickness. Which, of course, wasn't true, but how could he explain that he was just talking to the spirit living inside him?

He couldn't, it simply wasn't an option. After all, if Master – who knew about the ki – couldn't understand the spirit's existence, how could she?

So Kenshin had tried to brush aside her concern as well as he could, and avoided doing anything too odd ever since. But somehow, the constant attention was beginning to feel oddly restricting. It wasn't that he disliked the care and attention. But Osumi-san wouldn't leave the hut for much at all. She just calmly did as she pleased and there was nothing he could do about it, as even Master was careful around her!

Speaking of Master, the older man wasn't up to helping him either, as the swordsman spent most of the day outside and only returned inside to sit by himself in the corner during the evenings.

It was annoying, that's what it was.

If only he was healthy again, he could go outside and do something…

During the early evenings, when the sun had already set but it wasn't late enough to sleep, all three of them were stuck in the small hut together. Mostly, both Kenshin and Master just listened to Osumi-san's chattering, but every now and then Master would answer her questions and the two would have a short conversation. What made those odd, though, was that the swordsman clearly watched his words around her and didn't speak his mind. It was oddly similar to the way Master seemed always to be aware of her, how he kept glancing at her covertly.

It could be that Master was just trying to be really polite and that's why he avoided staring at her, maybe? Mother had always told him that staring was bad manners. But still, somehow Master was taking it to the extreme and never let Osumi-san notice his glances. What was most baffling of it all was that the boy had seen Master looking at her neck or wrists, of all things.

It was just weird.

All this time he had known Master, he had been strong and decisive, always in command and often quite rude. But now, the swordsman was clearly trying very hard to be careful and polite. Why couldn't he behave like himself? What was the problem? What was it about Osumi-san that made Master so cautious? What power did she have over them?

Kenshin shook his head, sipped his broth in silence and continued to watch the play of mutual tension between the two adults.


On evenings when Master felt more like talking, they resumed the reading and writing lessons on the dirt floor of the hut. Osumi-san followed the lessons and offered comments every now and then, but didn't really step in or take over, not even when it was clear that she had opinions and seemed to know how to read already.

But what was really, really, awful, was how the lack of exercise and continuous rest brought back his nightmares. Kenshin woke up night after night, screaming of horrors made up of dying people, screams, shouts, Ine-sama selling people, sickness, being a slave again… It made no sense at all, rather, it was like his mind just added all the horrors he had seen this past year and mixed them together.

One morning, after waking up from a particularly nasty nightmare, Kenshin had curled up crying, heaving up whatever was left in his empty stomach. When he finally calmed down, Osumi-san asked about the nightmares.

He froze in surprise. She wants to know?

Why? It isn't her business.

But if…

No.

And, how could he even tell her? She was – and had been – really kind from the start. But if Master was wary of her, didn't that imply that she couldn't be trusted?

Osumi-san didn't press him for an answer, instead she started preparing breakfast. For a while, Kenshin thought she had let it go. But he really should have realized she really wasn't the sort of woman to let go of anything she felt to be important.

The very next evening, she asked Master about the nightmares, right in front of him! A feeling of utter betrayal washed over Kenshin, and at that moment, he really felt like he understood why the spirit-friend hated people.

Master glanced at him and frowned. "Nightmares are normal for people who have witnessed horrible events. They will go away in time. Kenshin just needs to stay strong and avoid dwelling on them."

Osumi-san narrowed her eyes at Master really nastily, and spoke to Kenshin with a soft voice, her eyes radiating concern. "It would help if you talked about them to someone."

It was that look of concern that made him forgive her, but he still felt stuck, like a grain of rice between the grinding stones. His heart pounded fast in his chest and sweat was starting to gather on his brow when he realized that whatever he did, it would slight the other of the two important adults in his life.

But when he thought about it like that, he realized it was no choice at all. So, feeling a bit apologetic towards her, he said, "Master already knows. They are not new."

And that was that.

But the thing about being stuck inside the hut – recuperating – was that for the first time in his life, Kenshin was constantly bored. He had absolutely nothing to do. The lessons with letters were wonderful, for they would ease the nothingness somewhat during the evenings, but the days were still driving him crazy.

Maybe it was inevitable that the enforced boredom, combined with a child's innate curiosity, finally won over the hesitation of talking to and asking questions from this strange new adult in his life. However, Kenshin really wasn't one to talk about himself. He didn't want to ask about her life either, because knowing people lead to caring. And what he understood from Master's behavior, it was clear that as soon as he was able and the weather would let up, they would leave.

Kenshin really didn't want to let go of the people he cared about, ever again.

So, instead of personal things, he started asking questions relating to what Osumi-san was doing: cooking, cleaning, weaving with her sticks and yarn, and sewing and fixing things.

At first, he curiously watched her and begged to be showed what she did. But as Osumi-san obliged him easily enough, it didn't take long for him to hesitantly ask if he could help. She told him not to worry about it. There was no obligation to help, for Master was helping her with the outside chores, such as bringing in snow for melting, chopping firewood, fetching things from the shed or cellar.

Kenshin wasn't deterred, though. Laying about doing nothing felt wrong and most importantly, he was bored.

In truth, if it was up to him, he would have preferred to help with the outdoor chores, he really would have. They would have gotten him out of the hut. But it was clear that he was stuck inside. This didn't leave him other options, because no matter how girly, it was something to do.

So, he asked and argued until she taught him to sew.

Surprisingly, it was actually kind of fun once he got the hang of it. Especially stitching and fixing the holes was neat. There was a funny trick to it; at first he would have to stitch reinforcement around the hole, and then use yarn to sew a replacement patch in place. Not easy, especially at the beginning when all he managed were huge tangles, but the challenge made it fun.

However, even more interesting was watching Osumi-san cook and asking questions about it. There was a little bit of self-interest there; her food was brilliant and if he could learn to cook, he would never again have to endure food that tasted bad. Besides, it was nice to listen to Osumi-san's happy answers which fast turned into full blown lessons.

Not that she let him help out much. No matter his persistence, he was only given a few simple tasks to keep his hands busy.

It became clear quickly to him that Osumi-san really enjoyed cooking and she admitted it, telling him proudly how it was an art form. To her, it didn't matter that everyone could do it with instructions, because she said that only the real artists could make it into something more.

Having tasted the difference, Kenshin could understand her insistence and pride. He smiled at her and asked to be told more.

She smiled broadly, her ki feeling really warm, and continued her lessons more thoroughly.

The following weeks, Osumi-san showed him how to cook rice so that it wouldn't burn, how to soften dried meat or fish so that it was tender and tasty, and how to boil root vegetables so that they tasted like they were fresh after harvest. Then came the teachings of common seasonings like salt, soy, sugar, vinegar and ginger and how to use them right. The lessons soon became rather complicated and more like mythical quest for gods' divine favor in difficulty, but he absorbed what he could from the enthusiastic babble, feeling happier than in ages.

When Master learned what he had been up to, the swordsman scoffed at him dismissively, but didn't forbid the 'womanly and frivolous' lessons.

But then, when he was deemed well enough, Osumi decided that the time had come to bathe him. Kenshin was stunned – not that he didn't like being clean – but it was middle of winter! He protested vehemently against the idea. She didn't relent, but as Master had conveniently disappeared that morning, there wasn't much he could do to derail her.

Osumi-san seemed to appreciate cleanliness a whole lot more than even mother or old Ine-sama, and the boy really should have realized that it would lead to this craziness, especially as he had seen the way the older woman had washed all of his and Master clothing. But this bathing thing… The circumstances being what they were, the only option was to heat the melted snow water in kettles and then wash inside the house. Not something that people back at home had done often. Even mother had insisted on it only once last winter.

But Osumi-san, she didn't care how slow and pointless it was, or how embarrassing getting bathed was to him. He really was a big boy already and could wash himself. No, none of that mattered to her and she insisted on helping.

Needless to say, there were some arguments voiced about the matter.

However, in the end, Kenshin was clean from the root of his hair to his toes.

After drying him with a towel, Osumi-san fell silent and stared at his red hair that had emerged from under all the travelling grime. She didn't say anything more, just turned around and went to cook with her ki feeling all funny.

For some reason, it was making him feel really bad and unsure. These days, he had almost forgotten that he was different. But now that she knew, was she going to be like other people and hate him for being different? Dread creeping on him, he dressed in his clean spare kimono and settled down to his bedding to watch her putter around.

She had been so nice, taught him so much… almost like a –

No, not that.

But she had been wonderful.

If she started to hate him for being different, it didn't matter. He could forgive her for that, he decided. And in any case, he was almost well again, only a little weak. So, if she drove them away now…

It would hurt, but he and Master would manage just fine.

Then she came back, pulling him from his thoughts. She gave him a bowl of broth to eat and ruffled his hair, whispering softly, almost like she was speaking to herself. "You really are a darling child. It's not your fault that you were born ugly."

Feeling utterly relieved, Kenshin smiled at her.

She doesn't hate me!

And she smiled back.

He was forgiven and everything was okay.


All in all, life was good.

Well, as good as it could be, considering that the three of them were trapped in a small hut, surrounded by snow and had nowhere to go until the passes opened again. But they managed. Of course, there were arguments and lots of opinions, but that was normal, almost homey. Kenshin was very familiar with living in such conditions. However, unsurprisingly, the one who had most issues with it was Master.

The swordsman really didn't do enough chores to justify all the time he spent outside.

Curious to what he was doing, Kenshin took up to following the older man's actions from the slightly opened doorway and tracking his ki to the best of his ability. It seemed that Master was spending most of the days either training or just wandering in the woods. In a way, it was understandable, knowing how the swordsman disliked people, but Kenshin couldn't help but worry and feel bad for being the reason they were stuck.

However, after he witnessed master's sword training from a distance, Kenshin started to desperately wish he could go back to training, too. He really wasn't that weak or sickly anymore, not after all these weeks stuck inside recuperating. So surely it would be possible? The hesitant suggestion during that evening's meal was met with concerned disapproval by Osumi-san and approval by Master.

She didn't make much fuss about it. Only a glance at Master before she relented and admitted that Kenshin really was much better and going outside could do him some good.

The very next day, Kenshin was allowed outside for the first time in weeks. He was warned to take it easy, to use only simple strikes, and Osumi-san reminded time after another that he should immediately return inside if he felt weak or cold. He barely heard her when he eagerly put on both of his kimono, pulled the hakama pants over them, tied the fur boots tightly to his feet and wrapped his hands in the mittens. Even the much hated hat didn't spoil his mood.

He was going outside, finally!

The repeated sword strikes didn't bore him or feel like a chore. Quite the opposite, actually. It was the very best thing that he had done in ages. Master supervised him until he was done with the exercise, nodded in approval and told him that his form hadn't suffered much from the enforced rest. However, Kenshin didn't feel tired yet. He really didn't want to go back inside either. So he looked at Master hopefully, silently wishing for more.

The swordsman raised his brow in amusement, his ki feeling slightly warm and then he scoffed and showed him a new strike to practice. It was the kesagiri – a downwards slash to the shoulder from the right side. It was accompanied by the reverse strike, which was the same but targeted the left shoulder instead. These, with the first one, the karatake, formed all the basic upper body slashes.

Perhaps Kenshin overdid it a bit, because after he was finished with practice, he was shaking. His joy at being back outside and having new strikes to practice had gotten him too enthusiastic to stop. Master had shaken his head at him and helped him back inside, where Osumi-san had taken a look at him and admonished him for not taking it slow enough.

The meal that night was a weird experience, as Osumi-san told Master that he should really start paying attention to the child's capabilities and stop treating his student like a miniature adult. This, unsurprisingly, had roused Master's ire and the swordsman had felt really cold. He had answered that it was not her business how he was training his apprentice.

That was when the argument had truly started.

Osumi-san and Master had yelled at each other for quite some time and then Master had stormed out of the hut. The boy had been scared and tried to hide from the clash of tempers in the corner, trying to curl up really small and staying silent. Osumi-san had huffed and returned to her knitting, and the sounds had slowly calmed him enough for him to fall asleep next to the wall.

The next morning, he had woken up from his bedroll. Master was there and Osumi-san sent him with the swordsman outside for lessons. He did only the three basic strikes until just his arms became tired. Master nodded at him, and ushered him back inside, alone.

That evening, Osumi-san inquired about the practice and then asked him how many strikes he could do.

Kenshin had been baffled at the question, but slightly embarrassedly confessed that didn't know how to count yet. Osumi-san frowned at him for this, and then asked Master about it. Instead of getting angry like he had been prone to earlier, the swordsman looked away and said that he had been intending to get to it.

Osumi laughed, smiled and whispered quite loudly to Kenshin that it probably meant in Master's speech that the older man had forgotten.

Then she took his hand in her own, held out the thumb and asked how many it was. Kenshin obediently told her that it was one. Then two fingers – two. They had continued through the hand… and then to the next one, where he admitted that he wasn't sure what the second finger in his other hand stood for. She smiled at him, and told him it was seven. Next came eight, nine and ten. Then she had showed the first of her fingers and told that together their fingers were eleven.

And that's how the lesson continued.

Kenshin was surprised that it was so easy. He had always thought that counting was hard, but somehow she could explain it in a way that made sense and made it feel very simple. It also helped that he could look at his fingers and see how the numbers repeated a clear pattern: after nineteen came twenty, and then two one – twenty-one. And after all the numbers in twenties came thirty and three one – thirty-one. So, he smiled happily at her in gratitude.

Then Osumi-san asked him how old he was.

Kenshin had paused in thought, trying to catch his earliest memory of the summer spent playing with his brothers and then counting the seasons from there. Even with these new numbers, he just… couldn't be sure. But Osumi-san looked at him in curiosity, and even Master seemed interested, so he finally guessed. "Eight or nine, I think."

Osumi-san praised him for the answer, saying that he was a smart boy. But then she asked in a conspiring voice, loudly, if he knew how old Master was.

Kenshin didn't have the faintest idea, but he felt encouraged enough to reason out a loud. "Old, because Master is big and strong."

Hiko-san scoffed at them, but answered without more prompting, "Not old, twenty-three."

And Osumi-san grinned like she had won something and declared that she knew it – that no one that handsome would be over thirty. Then Kenshin had gotten curious and asked her age. "Twenty-nine years old and not looking for a husband!" she answered proudly and smiled funnily at the Master.

The swordsman reddened a bit and looked away. Kenshin didn't understand; what did the husband bit have to do with anything?

But for some reason, it did hold some meaning, because after that, Master wasn't so wary of her anymore. He even relaxed a little in her company and took to staying near the hut and inside more often.

Osumi-san would smile at Master during the meals, ask if he wanted to have more. Master would politely decline, but he felt bit warmer, like he wasn't so annoyed anymore. The evening conversations and lessons grew to include all three of them, so that both the adults would attempt to teach him or just tell stories to pass the time. There weren't so many arguments anymore, and Master didn't so pointedly avoid Osumi-san, either. Rather, he had started to talk to her more warmly and would occasionally glance at her neck or wrist, openly.

Curiously, Osumi-san didn't take offense, but just smiled when she noticed the looks.

Kenshin felt better and stronger day by day. Master would show him new strikes and told him to run in the snow to get rid of his excess energy. Osumi-san didn't scold Master for that. She also suggested to Kenshin that he should practice his counting by counting the sword strikes. It seemed like a fun idea. It wasn't exactly easy, but when he got to a number he didn't know yet, Master would tell him what it was.

And like that, Kenshin learned all the tens, and then ten and ten which was one hundred. He proudly told of this achievement to Osumi-san; he had managed hundred repetitions of all the three different sword strikes! She smiled at him softly which made him feel really good.

Then of course, Master showed him more strikes.


The days fell into a rhythm. And day by day, Master started to feel warmer. There was this weird tension now between him and Osumi-san. She would smile and tease Master, and the swordsman would sometimes even answer to the barbs with a few of his own. It was almost like being back in the mountain village with his family. But Master wasn't like father and Osumi-san wasn't like mother. They didn't treat Kenshin like he was their son, either.

But somehow they fit together.

Then one day Kenshin was playing in the snow. He had asked if it was okay to do so after practice, because now the sun had melted it a bit and he wanted to build something. Master had given him permission but hadn't stayed to watch; instead, he had headed back inside.

Kenshin rolled balls out of snow and piled those on top of each other. Master's coldness was there in the hut, but it didn't feel exactly cold anymore. Maybe he should take to calling it ki, like Master did?

Speaking of coldness, he hadn't tried talking with his spirit-friend in a while. Hadn't had a chance to do so. This neglect sat ill on Kenshin's conscience, so now that he had some alone time, it was a good chance to do something about it. So, he poked at the coldness to alert the spirit, and then started explaining things. The spirit was a little bit cold to him at first, but after he had shown it memories of what had happened these couple months, they were okay again.

Well, almost.

The spirit was especially interested in the sword strikes, and though it didn't exactly seem to like Osumi-san, it didn't want to be nasty to her, either. No, for some reason, the spirit felt happy about speaking with him.

Maybe it has been feeling lonely? Kenshin pondered, and guiltily resolved to figure out a way to speak to his friend more often and not to abandon it so. After all, he knew how bad it was to be alone and he didn't wish it on anyone, least of all to the spirit friend who had helped him so much.

The snow was easy to mold and he started to build a small hut out of the snowballs. Master's ki trickled weirdly in the hut; he had never felt it move like that. However, it didn't feel bad. So he didn't pay any mind to it and concentrated on more important things, namely his building project.

After finishing the snow hut, it felt too early to stop so he started to build some snow people to live in it.

It was really nice to play like this, Kenshin thought, and he could feel the ideas starting to flow; what the snow people did for their living, imagining names for them, what roles would they play… This was what he had always done with his brothers when they were starting to play.

It felt unaccountably good, so he smiled and explained the game to the spirit so it could help him out. Then, together they started to re-act one of the children's fairytales – well, it started like that but soon changed to include the swordsman-son, rescuing the neighbors from the bandits. And while the spirit was little bit slow on the uptake, how to include new twists in the play, and Kenshin had to move the pieces by himself, it didn't matter.

They were playing together and it was wonderful.

The game continued on and on, and was interrupted by the Master's loud shout. "Come in, Kenshin, you need to eat!"

Looking at the setting sun, it was clear that Kenshin had been out playing for a really long time. It hadn't felt like it, truly. But Master had been inside all that time? With Osumi-san? Without arguing?

And now that he noticed, Master looked odd, almost happy. His ki felt calm… nearly relaxed.

That was odd.

But not very important, not compared to what he had managed to build out of snow. Kenshin looked at his project, and then glanced at Master, who seemed like he wouldn't mind humoring him for a bit, so…

"Master, come look what I made!"

The swordsman came without more prompting, and nodded approvingly at his snow building, the people, the neighbor's house, the horses…

And at that moment, Kenshin felt like everything was right in the world.


One night, Kenshin woke up to quiet murmuring voices.

It was Master and Osumi-san, but they were laying on the same bedroll? Started, he tried to listen to what they were saying. But no matter how hard he tried to focus, he couldn't make out the words. He was dismayed, until he suddenly remembered the trick with coldness that the spirit-friend had shown him earlier.

Now, at the slightest prodding, the spirit friend was eager to help him again.

Maybe it had been bored, too? Well, he could do something about that later, definitely. He just needed to figure out more ways to use the spirit.

But for now, he really wanted to know what Master and Osumi-san were doing.

So, he pushed a drop of coldness to ears.

"… and then, two years ago my husband died. It's been lonely up here without him."

"Hmmmph. It shows."

Giggle.

"I wasn't that bad! It's just that the opportunity doesn't come by often… let alone in such a nice package."

Rustle.

"Come here. And you were exactly that bad and you know it, woman."

Small laugh.

"Maybe so… Why are you alone, then?"

"Hmmm. My Master died. I have been travelling alone since, looking to fulfill my duty to his teachings and the sword of Mitsurugi."

"Oh. So that's why…"

The noises cut out all of sudden, but Kenshin's ears didn't hurt yet. The spirit pushed him a bit, send a petting feel. 'Go ahead. Do it again,' it seemed to say.

Another drop.

"….thank god the night terrors have finally eased off. He's a darling boy, your Kenshin. He seems to be a good student."

"He is. Staying in one place has been good for him, made it easier for him to focus on learning."

"And that surprises you? Children need stability. It goes without saying that they would learn faster when not trying to keep up with their Master's traipsing around the countryside."

"Hmmph. No. But I have a duty."

"You have a duty to that boy, too."

"True."

"At least consider it. The roads will clear out soon and I guess there are advantages for training on the road. Experience is the best teacher, and summer is a good season for it. But try to figure out better options for the next winter."

"Hmmm…. I could go to my Master's old house."

"Why don't you?"

"The old bastard keeps looking over my shoulder from the grave."

"Ah. They have a habit of doing that…."

Silence. Again. But his ears were starting to ache and the adults didn't speak about anything interesting. Master's ki felt relaxed and almost happy, his voice was warm. Kenshin had never heard him speak in such a tone, and he didn't want to interrupt them… so maybe it was okay. He still didn't know why they were sharing a bedroll, but it didn't seem important. Maybe Osumi-san had been feeling cold and Master had let her sleep at his side?

Yes, it made sense.

With that, Kenshin curled to his side, and touched his top hidden in his shirt sleeve. It was nice.


The weather had turned warmer and Osumi-san said that spring was coming. Kenshin had been given new things to train with the sword – they were called Kata, and they were a series of moves like dancing. Master had shown him the first one and it had been almost beautiful to watch. And then they had been doing them together really slowly. He felt clumsy compared to Master, but then again, there was a reason why Master was the Master.

What was baffling was that he wouldn't get tired so easily. The sword didn't weigh so much anymore and he could practice longer. Or maybe it was just that he had grown stronger? It didn't show, though. He was still really small and thin.

He hadn't managed to keep talking to the spirit much, not even a way to use the spirit more. It made him feel guiltier. He knew exactly how horrible it was to be bored and lonely. It wasn't something anyone should suffer, least of all his friend. Not if he could do something about it.

About the only chance he had to use spirit was to listen in to the adults' conversation. However, he really didn't feel doing it often. He wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because Master and Osumi-san never talked about anything interesting? The little bits and pieces he had heard had been all about people they had known, about things they could remember. Only topic even remotely interesting was their talk of him, but that, too, became boring because they talked about children and how children should be raised. They argued about a lot of things. But it didn't sound like they were angry, no. It was just that they didn't agree on things.

It resembled Kenshin's and the spirit's arguments, really.

However, one day that he was back outside with Master, practicing kata, someone new came to visit; a man, not too old and dressed warmly in nice enough clothes. He demanded Master to explain who they were and where was Osumi-san.

Master answered calmly that Osumi-san was inside, and if the man had business with her, he could find her there.

The man looked at Master nastily, but went inside.

"Keep practicing, Kenshin," Master said then and followed the stranger to the hut.

Of course, this being the first interesting thing to happen in ages, Kenshin stopped his practice and curiously sneaked closer to the hut, trying to catch the faint sounds of adult talk that penetrated the hut's wooden walls.

He drew a drop of coldness to his ears….

"…It's not right for a woman to live alone like this. Your proper place is in the village. Of course, it would be more practical if you joined another household."

"And I suppose your family would happen to have a place for me, Ichiro-san?"

"As it happens, yes. You know I am properly married, but neither my father nor my brother have a spouse, at the moment. They have good houses and a steady income. Your skills would be respected and you wouldn't have to be alone."

"Ichiro-san… I thank you for your kindness, but I have to refuse. I am not looking to remarry."

"But think about your status, and your lifestyle. This seclusion of yours isn't right. And Masashi wouldn't have wanted you to live like this. Please, let us help you, Osumi-san."

"No, thank you. I have made my decision. I would prefer for you to leave now."

"You have no options, Osumi-san. You don't have much more left of what Masashi left you! Your reputation is in danger. And living here with that vagabond and that foreign brat? Are you seeking to destroy what remains of your good name?"

"The lady said no. You should honor her will."

"Please leave, Ichiro-san."

"This is madness, Osumi-san! You spit on my kindness!"

Silence. A thud. The door of the hut was slammed open, and the strange man stormed out. He looked really angry, his face was all red and he was breathing heavily.

"This isn't the last you hear of me, woman!" he shouted to the hut.

Kenshin couldn't help but to stare.

What was that about? Why can't Osumi-san live by herself? He frowned and looked after the angry man storming away from Osumi-san's lands.

"I told you to practice your Kata, Kenshin."

Eeeep! Kenshin froze and looked up at Master, who was frowning at him. Desperately, he tried to save the situation by yelping, "Yes, Master!"

Master sighed. "Don't stress your mind about all that. Just focus on your training." He then returned inside.

He was curious, of course, but he really didn't want to be caught again. Especially not now that Master had sounded strained, like he was worried about something.

Still, returning to the basic kata once more, he tried to figure out the conversation he had overheard. He shared the memory with the spirit as well. It thought that the strange man had wanted Osumi-san for something.

It wasn't that he didn't agree. But what could it be? Osumi-san was really kind and a good cook… But why had that man been so insistent?


That night, Kenshin only pretended to go to sleep. He didn't want to miss Master's and Osumi-san's conversation that would surely happen again tonight. But he didn't want to be caught listening in again, so he closed his eyes and tried to breathe steadily like he would have if he really was asleep. Osumi-san puttered around the house and Master stayed in his corner… but then, sometime later, his patience was rewarded when Osumi-san went to bed.

It didn't take long for Master to join her on the futon. They did something together. Kenshin really didn't have any idea what, but it had Master puffing as if working really hard, and Osumi-san made odd noises, too, like she was trying to be quiet. It took a while, but then, exactly like before, Master's ki grew warm and relaxed. The blankets rustled and they fell silent. But only a moment later the steady murmur of voices started.

Perfect.

So Kenshin focused and drew a drop of coldness to his ears.

"… So you are leaving soon?"

"Yes. The spring is coming on fast."

"I will miss you. It has been nice to have polite company."

"Will there be problems with that Ichiro fellow?"

"He has wanted me to marry into his family for ages. It's disgusting, really. He would offer any adult male from his clan to me. I think he already has, actually. He is getting desperate, but I can handle it. I have handled it since Masashi passed away."

"Why is Ichiro so insistent?"

"Because of my father. He is a proper Samurai, as you know… but he has no heirs but me."

"Ah. And he is wealthy?"

"Yes. It all comes down to money, in the end. I ran away from it all; fell in love with Masashi, who liked me for me and my cooking, not for my family connections and money. Father didn't approve. However, he has not yet adopted anyone and I am still his only heir. It's disgustingly simple…"

The silence landed.

So that's why Master was worried. Kenshin frowned in thought. He had gotten answers, yes, but he still wanted to know more, so…

"…That's why I like you. You don't care about any of it. And you have run away from it, too."

"I have?"

"Hiko Seijuuro. Or whoever you are. You were born to good blood and name. It's clear to anyone who uses their eyes. But you, too, have seen too much and didn't like what you saw, so you let go. Am I not right?"

"Hmmph. I should have known. You see much, woman."

"Yes."

"What are you going to do?"

"Nothing, I guess. It's not like they can force me."

"But they can make your life difficult. And it's not easy, living alone. How will you get by?"

"I have been practicing to be a seamstress in the village. And I have my cooking."

"Those skills are not worth much in a small village like this. Most of the women can sew; not many have need or want for good clothing. No opportunity to sell your cooking here, either."

"What would you have me do? Marry that slime?"

Silence, again. Kenshin gritted his teeth. He still wanted to know more. It wasn't fair that Osumi-san was in trouble! But his ears had started hurting. But maybe once more…

"… I guess I could go back to Matsue, to my father. He hasn't cut ties with me yet, as far as I know. But travelling there won't be easy. It's one of the reasons why I haven't done it already. It's not like I have reason to stay here."

"So it's settled."

"What's settled? The roads are crawling with bandits… I have a household here!"

"You will be coming with us. We will escort you to Matsue."

"You will, huh?" Laugh. "Just like that?"

"Of course." Scoff. "You have offered us your hospitality all winter; it's the least I can do to repay your kindness."

Giggle.

"How chivalrous. But alright."


Osumi-san had started going through her possessions and taking aside things that she didn't want to leave behind. Master hadn't commented on it or told Kenshin about it. Instead, he tried to behave like he didn't know what was going on with them. Not even when they would discuss food and supplies and watch the weather. Still, no matter that he wasn't supposed to know the details, it would have been obvious that something was happening.

So, one day he couldn't handle it anymore and asked Osumi-san why she was going through her stuff.

"I will leave with you," she answered and smiled.

"It's not like you didn't know, Kenshin," Master remarked from the wall.

…what?

"You have been eavesdropping on our conversations. I finally realized it."

Kenshin felt stunned. How did Master know? Is he angry? Why hasn't he said anything about it earlier?

"What I am curious about, is how you do it. It isn't possible to hear low-voiced conversations from that distance. Or… it shouldn't be."

No, no… He began to shake in fright.

Master's ki felt calm, but cold. It didn't seem like he was angry, but his face was drawn into a tight frown and he didn't feel happy at all. It was far worse than shouting, and Kenshin couldn't handle it any longer. "The coldness! Just a drop to ears and I hear better. Can't do it for long, it hurts."

Master scoffed, raised his brow in surprise. "You use ki to enhance your hearing?"

He nodded, still terrified. He was desperately hoping that Master wouldn't look so disappointed in him, wouldn't get angry about his curiosity.

"When did you start to do it? How did you even think of such a thing? Are you stupid? You could kill yourself with that! Or lose your hearing! Idiot student!" Master's ki began to bear down on him, pressuring him to answer.

"I…. I…."

What could he say? He couldn't tell Master of his spirit-friend. Master didn't believe in spirits, he had said so himself! Master will think me crazy if I tell him about the spirit-friend... and it was the spirit's idea. But it's wrong to lie. No. No. No. The boy shook. What can I do?

"Hiko! Don't scare the boy! He is obviously terrified!"

"Quiet. This is serious. He could seriously harm himself doing this."

He tried to keep breathing, tried to think. I don't want to lie. I'm not a bad boy, but… but…

"I was curious. I wanted to listen to you and Asano-san," he then managed to tell, and it was a truth, just not all of it.

Masters ki retreated.

Kenshin took a deep breath, feeling relieved. It had been enough, barely.

"So begun this after you met me, but didn't tell of this development to me? Didn't you think that it would be something that I, as your Master, should know about?"

Master sounds… disappointed?

Kenshin shuffled his feet, avoiding the adult's gaze guiltily. He hadn't meant to disappoint; he just didn't think that he should speak of the coldness to anyone.

It isn't something I can tell others. It's not normal. But, but… Master has coldness, too. Maybe he can use it, too? Like me?

"You said that you would teach me swords. I…. didn't think that you would want to know about the coldness," he finally whispered shyly. He felt really bad, ashamed.

A scoff.

"Idiot student."

It was like Master's disappointed tone somehow made the words cut even deeper. Kenshin didn't think he had felt this bad since the sickness and slavers.

"In the future, you will tell me what you do with ki. You won't try anything new without supervision."

He nodded.

"And I mean it, Kenshin. This is something that could seriously harm you."

He dared a glance at Osumi-san. She, too, looked scared and disappointed.

"Also, it's impolite to listen to words not meant for your ears. You should apologize. To me, but especially to Osumi-san."

Master didn't feel so cold. And his voice sounded strange. Kenshin dared a quick look through his slashes. The swordsman had an odd look in his face, and somehow it reminded him a bit of what his father had looked like, when Mother had told him that she had a baby in her stomach. And suddenly, he realized what it was. Pride. Master was proud of him. Worried, scared, angry and disappointed, yes. But also proud of what Kenshin had managed to do with the coldness.

He swallowed, and then whispered, "I'm sorry… Master, Osumi-san."

"Good. Now promise you won't do such a stupid thing again."

"I promise."

Then Master ruffled his hair, and he felt like he was forgiven.


The snow had almost melted from the roads leading down from the mountains to the west coast. They had reached Matsue in two week's travel time, fairly fast all in all. Of course, Hiko would have made it alone in just a few days. Even with Kenshin accompanying him, it would have been much faster than this.

The boy was growing stronger.

But they had been escorting Osumi-san and had to carry some of her most precious possessions, so the delay was perfectly understandable.

She had given them all the food supplies they could ever want and replaced some of the worst worn clothing with new ones she had made during the quiet winter months. What was interesting to notice, though, was that she would have given them these as a gift no matter what. This realization made it easier for Hiko to accept her generosity.

He had his pride, after all.

They hadn't seen or heard more of that Ichiro fellow, but then again, they had left only a few short days after the man had come to spout out his rude demands. It hadn't made sense to wait, and having already decided the travel plan, it had been difficult for all of them to return to the peaceful harmony necessary for living in such tight quarters.

Truthfully, Hiko hadn't believed he was even capable of staying in one place for such a long time, not after all what had happened to him. He had been wandering for years, being sure of just that. But then, when it had been clear that either he would have to leave Kenshin behind or learn to ignore his own discomfort, it hadn't been a clear choice.

Osumi-san hadn't made it too easy on him though, what with her constant flirting and not so subtle smiles. He had no intention of settling down. Family wasn't for men with duty like his. But then, Osumi-san had pinpointed the core of his reluctance, and changed her tone, clearly telling him that she had no intention of marriage… it wasn't a difficult decision. He did enjoy women. He had just wanted to let her work at it. It was no good to let women know that they had won, already. It would only serve to make them impossible to deal with later.

And then there had been the brat's stunt with ki. Hiko had never seen anything like it, hadn't ever seen the spiritual energy used in such a way, either.

But retrospectively, he should have realized it earlier.

The pieces had been there all along; the incident with Asano and running away, but at that time, Hiko hadn't paid too much attention to it. And adding the fact that Asano had been convincing him for days and Kenshin had been going in and out of the camp with chores, so it had been possible that he could have heard of the things normally.

And the boy's ki was almost always moving when they travelled. Only at Osumi-san's place it had been growing calm. Hiko hadn't known what to make of it, but hadn't believed it to be a problem. After all, the annoying "head in the clouds" habit had faded away, too. But then he had caught the brat abandoning the training, ignoring his instructions and skulking near the hut.

He had been immediately suspicious.

Then next night the boy had been faking sleep. Hiko hadn't realized it at the time, but had checked his memory later on the next day, when the boy had been so clearly watching Osumi's packing; stared at her, kept looking at Hiko…

It was obvious then that the boy knew things that he shouldn't have.

So, Hiko had done what any Master would have done and found out how. Listening to the brat's explanation had stunned him, really. Roused his anger, too. But also his pride. It was a clear sign that he had been right to pick up the boy as an apprentice – Kenshin would be perfect. Already breaching the limits of known ki-usage! A fitting legacy for Hiten Mitsurugi, and in the future, for Hiko Seijuurou the 13th.

He would have to find out what more the boy could do with ki, but later.

They reached the castle town of Matsue without problems and escorted Osumi-san to her father's house. Hiko was surprised to learn that Osumi was the daughter of Shiomi family. And what she had been describing as some money actually meant rich. Not that it mattered to Hiko. He had seen wealth and walked away from it. But it was still surprising to realize that he had been sharing a hut and a futon with a lady. She just winked at him when they had made it to the residence next to Matsue castle in the Samurai district and asked from him, "Still not interested in marriage?"

He smirked at her and countered, "Why, are you offering, woman?"

And that had been that.

They met with her father, Isamu, at the gates of the large household. The samurai was an older gentleman with a quick wit, calm demeanor and sly look in the corner of his eye. He welcomed Osumi-san home like a man who had almost believed he had lost his chance, and then in gratefulness asked for the swordsman and his apprentice to stay and enjoy their hospitality for the night.

Kenshin had been in a constant wide-eyed state since they had reached the samurai district of the old town, looking so ridiculous that it was almost funny. The boy's awkwardness had only grown worse at the rich house, as he clearly had no idea how to behave around the servants and blatant wealth. After seeing all that gawking, Hiko quickly resolved to start teaching the brat some proper manners. It wouldn't do for his apprentice to behave like a country bumpkin.

Thankfully, Isamu-san was amused, not offended, by the boy. It was probably because of Osumi-san's clear fond regard of Kenshin over anything else, though.

That evening, the older Samurai asked Hiko to join him for sake. They settled down to drink the warmed fine rice wine in the study, where the old man quickly proceeded to thank Hiko once more for bringing his daughter back home safely. The polite conversation had started from there, but over the course of seemingly benign discussion, the samurai subtly managed to guide the discussion to inquire about Hiko's and Osumi's relationship.

A clever tactic, which made it clear that no matter how accepting and kind the old samurai seemed, he was a dangerous man still. Not someone Hiko wished to have as an opponent, not at all. So Hiko had made it clear, as politely but firmly as possible, that he had no intention of settling down and neither had she. And pushing the matter would only serve to drive her away.

The old samurai had just nodded, seemingly satisfied.

But then, just as Hiko thought he had managed to avoid all the pitfalls, Isamu-san made an offhand remark in a low voice, "I was acquainted with Hiko Seijuuro the 12th. It has been years, since… but I have heard well of his apprentice."

Needless to say, Hiko had paused, utterly startled. Immediately, he had started to find a polite escape from the situation, as he had absolutely no intention of staying near any of the old Bastard's contemporaries.

However, the samurai just continued, seemingly like he hadn't seen Hiko's reaction. "White Death has also done good work clearing the woods and roads of outlaws, taking down dangerous men. But it is surprising to see him to take a student, especially this early."

The criticism was clear in the seemingly benign words, as was the silent comparison to the Bastard. Inwardly, Hiko's temper flared. Just as well, he had no intention to be anything like his Master, and he answered testily, "The boy is a rare diamond in a rough. I don't question the plans of fates and gods."

With those words, he had excused himself, and retired to the guest room assigned to him and Kenshin. It might have been rude beyond all the good manners that had been instilled in him since his youth, but frankly, Hiko didn't give a damn. No one had the right to criticize him or compare him to the old Bastard, not even this rich and influential old Samurai, who also happened to be Osumi's father.

They left early next morning. Osumi was there to see them of, and she hugged Kenshin, telling the boy to take care of himself. Then she had taken Hiko to the side, and told him to come see her if they ever wandered to Matsue again.

He smirked at her, his gaze lingering on her lips for a moment too long in answer.

She smiled, just so and flashed the skin of her pale swan neck in return by tilting her head.

'What a minx,' Hiko thought fondly.


Edited first by Chie in 2013, then again 23.10.2015 by BelovedStranger.