A/N: What did he give her? What did he give her? THat's one reason this update is late. Hard to make a chapter when you can't think of what he could give her. That, and school, and reading fanfics and all this other nonsense. But, I would like to continue. Please. Enjoy this.

Nomads

Kaoru gazed awkwardly at the small sack-like object that Kenshin had pulled from under the pillow. How could he hide it under there? How could he know that she deserved what he was giving her? Kaoru was slow to take the bag until Kenshin shoved it closer to her. " Please, take it Miss," he pleaded. Kaoru had no choice and took it carefully unwrapping the pure silk to reveal a navy blue color lined with gold. It was a simple ribbon and it wasn't one you could buy on the streets.

" A peacemaker's ribbon? But why are you giving this to me...?"

" To show truth," he stated. Kaoru continued to unfold pieces of cloth further into the sack. It had several pieces...no scraps of parchment. They were yellow and torn and had splotched ink on them. " Please, read." He pushed on her. Kaoru made sure to pull up every one of them for a grand total of six. Each of them had an assortment of strange senatnces on them. Out of place fragments:

if the world could mean... that was the first one. The second was the beginning of a sentance.

My desires are clear, but it is hard to describe... a desire? Kaoru went to the next one, Kenshin taking the scraps and waiting patiently for her to go over them.

it worries me to wonder what others will...

I am a mere shadow to a princess like her.

That was the ending one, so she could piece the end and the beginning. Trying the last two, Kaoru fit them together like puzzle pieces.

think about this infatuation to a princess not of mine, and..

The last one...

anything maybe she could love me too, but..

" Kenshin, what is this?" she asked and read the pieces putting them together again. reading it aloud. " ' My desires are clear, but it is hard to describe. it worries me to wonder what others will think about this infatuation of a princess not of mine, and if the world could mean anything maybe she could love me too, but I am but a mere shadow to a princess like her.' "

Kenshin smiled and turned away. " I'm not a princess Kenshin so...it doesn't matter. It's pretty though. " Kenshin's smile downgraded only slightly as he took the pieces of paper with footsteps approaching.

"Kao?" the hyper voice asked. Kenshin stood gathering his things, a sword on the other side of the bed knowing that he was leaving. He pocketted the small bag and aimed his head to where Kaoru might be. He sensed her lying, but it was unsure. It was only a sense.

Someone came up from behind him putting hands to his shoulders. Megumi had such a warm feeling to her. " Ken-san, please be careful. I trust them whole-heartedly but I'm still concerned," she whispered. The red head nodded, knowing that they were all hiding behind something, some lie or another to protect themselves. There was a feeling that Kaoru was hiding the harshest secrets of them all.

" Sir Kenshin," a more monotone voice called. He shot his head up to general direction. " Are you ready?" The male voice asked. Kenshin nodded and began forward somebody linking arms with him.

"Yes?"

"It's just me." Kaoru stated. " We don't want to take chances of anyone getting lost. We still have a ways to go before getting to the captiol."

" You need not go for the captiol. If you are returning me to Hiko then you take me to the camp. It should be only three-fourths of the way there." He informed. They were outside and going through town. Kenshin blushed slightly knowing Kaoru was still linked arms with him. People most surely thought that they were married or something along those lines.

" Sir Kenshin?" the hyper voice that had called out to Kaoru asked," do you like battling?" Kenshin raised a brow at her question while she let out a yelp of pain which was most likely from Kaoru because of her far reach still attatched to him. "

" What was that for!" she demanded, right in his ear.

" You don't ask such a personal question! Not to a warrior." Kaoru said in etiquette.

There was a small chuckle from the knight. " I do not mind answering most questions your friend may have Miss Kaoru. I would not." He stated clasping the sword in his hand ever tighter at what he'd just allowed. He wasn't too fond of people digging into his past, yet he felt like there was an attatchment to Kaoru that he couldn't quite get. She was one person you never forget because there was no one else like her.

" You sure?" the hyper voice asked.

The man from before clearing his throat. " I'm sure that Sir Kenshin knows Kaoru, but maybe it's best he know who else he is traveling with. Not to feel like we are complete strangers," the monotone voice stated.

"Yeah...I guess that would make sense," Kaoru agreed. " My friends are the greatest you'll ever have. They're very good at their...jobs..." she wasn't suppose to tell him that, and there must have been some tension among the group because of the awkward silence.

" Well, Sir Kenshin," the hyper voice said to him," I'm Makimachi Misao. Ninja extrodinaire!" she exclaimed letting out yet another yelp of pain." What was that for Aoshi-sama!" she whined.

" You need to lower your voice," the monotone Kenshin registered as ' Aoshi '. " Do you want every bandit and thieve in the country to find us?" he hissed. Kenshin understood how this was really that important of a secret to keep safe. He told himself to be as quiet as he could.

" There is another..." he said listening to the five sets of footsteps. " They are young, and oddly quiet for the age."

" His name is Myojin Yahiko. He's been following us for sometime. He's a servent I suppose."

" Shut up ugly.." Kaoru detached from Kenshin at that insult. Before a brawl was capable of started Kenshin surely stated to Yahiko.

" This woman is one of the most beautiful I'm sure," Kenshin said matter-of-factly.

" How do you know? You're kinda blind." Yahiko said, stating the obvious.

There was a really large yell from the boy Kenshin registering that he was hit by more than one of the members. There was also a sigh from Aoshi knowing that his group was rather annoying. " You seem displeased Aoshi, that you do." Kenshin said speedin up to find Aoshi. His strides were larger then Kenshin's.

" Sometimes I wonder what Kami-sama had in mind." he said low.

" Sessha thinks that too sometimes. You get use to it after some time," he shrugged listening closer to everything around him. Their footsteps were not the only ones around. " Aoshi? Is there something else close to us?" the red-head mused aloud. There was quiet for a moment and Kenshin thought of the group he was in. Their names had began ringing bells. Yahiko was a noble's son. Enishi's cousins on his mother's side which meant that Yahiko was related to Enishi. Then, Aoshi and MIsao were on the Oniwabanshuu for the royal family. Kaoru was an off one. The only Kaoru that Kenshin knew was the princess. The way she beat around the bush and was vague with answers must have meant something along those lines. If the Oniwabanshuu were around; especially the leader, it meant something like that.

" Himura?"

" Hai?"

" There are footsteps. Not that many. They don't seem too friendly." His voice seemed confident though. There was silence from the entire group.

" What are they Aoshi-sama?"

" Unsure. Bandits travel loudly sometimes. Or it could be Eviarian guards patrolling, either way it's not that pleasent."

Kenshin listened further and turned. He knew Megumi didn't want him to remove the bandages before time was due. He also knew the risks of doing so; but he had to know if there was any danger to this little group that they didn't need.

None of the group stopped him as he handed over the bandages to the nearest person. His eyes opened to blurred sights and burning lights breaking through the tree tops. Across all the brush as he looked however, there was something faint coming on the other fork of the Camill road.

" Himura?"

" Shuuuu..." he listebned closer and put his hand under his tsuba and readied to unsheath it as the group had turn off the road and sliced at the trees. " I would arm yourslef subtly. We don't the danger we may be facing," he warned and tighened grip as they got really close. His eyes became more clear to the people, and they were armed. Dangerous may not be the exact word to say. The red-head loosened his ahnd from his sword waiting as they were comfronted by the group. Large was the word, but it was not people, but a wagon. " Nomads...false alarm." Kenshin put his sword away and turned.

" People!" a girl's voice yelled.

Kenshin looked back over. A male lead the wagon, and he did have a sword at his waist. There was a girl poking from the wagon looking with a smile as she waved and gave a cough. " Oi! Wait!" she yelled out yet again. More friendly than you would see in people during the war. Kenshin was face-to-face with the male looking back and helping the woman down.

The two were very alike, though male taller. The lady, late teens-early twenties, was paler then you would see. She tightened a shawl on her shoulder and looked at the red-head. " Ohayou," she said, " gomen if we have intruded. We are...sort of lost."

" It's fine. Do you even know which road you're on?"

"Um...well...that's kinda why we're lost..." the lady said looking back to the male. " Shougo, you said you thought Camill right?"

' Shougo ' nodded, but he wasn't too sure.

" You are correct Shougo; and where are you headed?" Kenshin asked turning to his friends to make sure that they approved of them.

" We are going to the army base." Shougo said.

" How convienent. I didn't know that you were in there."

Kenshin stared at Shougo and his companion wondering, They didn't look either Eviarian or Anthollian.Shougo looked back to the lady who tightened the shawl. She did the talking it seemed.

" We're actually going because he's being nominated by the Three Crest to have his golden peacemaker's ribbon. I'm so prud of my brother." She said like a fangirl. Shougo hardly seemed to care and turned his head away.

" Well, I suppose it wouldn't be so horrible for you to travel with us. As long as my friend's don't mind," he turned to them, and no one seemed too objective. Misao was the first to bound out to them and hold a hang to the lady who cringed back.

" What's your name? Where are you from. What's your favorite color? Hi, I'm Misao!" she said shaking the girl's hand who was taken aback by Misao's friendly behavior.

" I'm Amakusa Magdaria and I'm from Celtia, Jubeyn. And I like...teal...? she answered while Misao shook away. Kaoru took her by the shoulder and oushed her back.

" Hey Magdaria; I'm Kaoru. This is Aoshi, Misao," she said unpleasently at the blushing Misao, " Yahiko, and you've met Kenshin." They all bowed respectivaly to the two who bowed back.

" It's lovely to meet you; I'm glad you don't mind us coming, we've been alone for about a week. Glad to know you're sure where you're going. General Hiko doesn't know how to give direction."

" I will agree with that," Kenshin laughed walking away. Shougo put his little sister back into the wagon and began following their new companions down the road. Kaoru, Misao and Magdaria started into a large conversation. They found out that Magdaria was religious. They found that she was a Christian and that her name was biblical. Her actually name was Sayo. She always toyed with her cross as she spoke and coughed often. When they asked why they found that it was because she was ill for unknown reason. That was the other reason that they were traveling to get her assistance at the base. No matter what was wrong with her though, she was extremely pleasent and fun to talk too.

--

When they reached the base the next morning early, they all were at the gate brining Kenshin in. The troops were up nd eating in the mess hall that the group passed. They were in a waiting room guarded by troops. The fine doors glimmering in the gold and small sunlight coming through the blinds. The man, General Hiko, called out for the groups to come in at the same time along with a tremendous yawn.

They saw that he had just woken, hair alittle haphazardly as he brushed it down with his hand and taking a cup of coffee looking at the groups. Kenshin was on his knees bowing deeply and Hiko stood. " Well, I'll be damned. You're alive. Kami-sama, I never thought that I'd see you again Kenshin." Hiko stood from behind the desk and let Kenshin up. He looked to Kaoru and enveloped her in a hug. " Kaoru, you have grown haven't you? Lovely to see you as well. I need to do some training with you. I wonder if you've gotten rusty Your Majesty."

Both Shougo and Magdaria did a double take them kept it on Kaoru when he said that.

" I probably have to your standards Hiko. I probably have..." she drawled of anf looked to the two who both bowed to her. " Please. I'm like you. Please don't do that!" she begged. They looked to one another.

" Yes Your Majesty!" they yelled. Kaoru slapped her forehead.

She looked to Hiko and Kenshin conversing. He knew now and she hated saying that earlier. She must have left the wrong impression. She hoped that maybe she didn't hurt him too much. It didn't seem like; but he probably hide it well.

A/N: Weird ending, but I wanted to bring in Magdaria and Shougo. I hope you like it. Do you think that Kenshin is mad at Kaoru? Tell me. KenSan out!