5
Damn the Rain

Usually, Kaoru loved the rain.

Rain meant fewer chores and more time to herself. A sodden day as this might have found her curled up with a book, catching up on some sleep, or just lying around enjoying the rare and beautiful feeling of doing nothing.

But now, the rain meant that she couldn't see Kenshin.

At least she wouldn't have to worry about him being thirsty for once.

She sat with her head against the window glass, watching drops of water merge together. Kenshin…one of the Wild People who dwell with dragons in the higher lands. She never heard very many good stories about those kinds of people. Wild tales of them having strange powers, savage dispositions, archaic beliefs, and barbaric customs. No manners, no education, living with beasts. If Kenshin was anything to judge by, those tales couldn't possibly hold even a grain of truth. He was as intelligent as he was handsome. He had excellent manners. Maybe a little too excellent, calling her Kaoru-dono and such.

The rain lulling her, she closed her eyes. His image brushed her dreams. Violet eyes free of pain and unhappiness. No shackles hindered his steps or restricted his hands. He smiled at her, taking her in his arms…kissing her gently…

"Kaoru. Kaoru!"

Kaoru's eyes flew open. She blinked in confusion, a wave of disappointment flowing through her when she looked up to see not that red-headed angel of that guilty dream, but the sour face of her aunt.

"It's time to serve dinner," Aunt Urei said, looking especially irritable. "Straighten up and wash your face. Your uncle has brought a guest."

If Kaoru was unenthusiastic with the thought of yet another dinner guess, the lack was replaced with horror when she saw none other than the road boss Kamishi standing next to her uncle in the next room.

Kaoru was unable to say more than reflexive, polite phrases as her uncle introduced them, explaining that the young man had been out looking for his horses near their barn. They had been spooked by thunder.

Would he tell them that he had seen her at the new road?

Kamishi's eyes were laughing as they looked on Kaoru, a twinkling in them that seemed to say, "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

"Out in the rain like that, the only thing there seemed to be to do was invite him in," Uncle Shiji said cheerfully.

"Of course," was Aunt Urei's dry reply. Evidently, she didn't think any more of the road boss than the prisoners he supervised.

Shiji glared at Urei from behind Kamishi's head, and Kaoru began to become nervous. She had a feeling it would not be a good thing if her uncle liked Kamishi. Not at all.

The feeling persisted throughout that uncomfortable dinner with the road boss as a guest, and it only got worse when Kenshin somehow found his way in as a conversation topic.

Uncle Shiji asked after the road, wanting to know how it was coming along and when it would be done and, curious, he wanted to know if the prisoners gave Kamishi and his partner much trouble.

Kamishi shrugged. "Most of the men on the road gang are short-timers. They don't cause us much trouble because they're afraid of picking up extra time for bad behavior. But we've got this one little guy down there who's full of sand. He's an ornery bas--" Kamishi glanced at Kaoru and his face reddened. "An ornery cuss," he corrected himself. "He acted up the other day and we had to discipline him."

"Of course," Uncle Shiji said, nodding. "You've got to maintain order."

Kaoru felt her mouth open, temper rising. She wanted to cry out that Kenshin had been taunted and harassed until he lost control of his temper, just as any man would. She wanted to point out the road bosses' vulgar and uncouth suggestions of Kenshin's sister, whom he obviously loved if the softness in his voice and his eyes when he spoke of her were anything to judge by. She also wanted to say the beating he received was far, far worse than he could have possibly have deserved.

She shut her mouth and glared at her food instead. Defending Kenshin now wouldn't help him and it would only bring trouble on herself.

Kamishi hung around after supper, to Kaoru's further irritation. He and her uncle sat together, each enjoying a pipe. Aunt Urei pleaded a headache and went to bed early, leaving her niece to clear up and wash the dishes.

She listened to them as she worked though, first to their companionable silence, and then to the tentative, "I…I know I've only just met your niece, Shiji-san, but I was wondering if you would mind if I came calling on her?"

Kaoru froze, held her breath lest she miss her uncle's response.

There was a long, ponderous pause before Uncle Shiji said, "I think it would be all right."

"Thank you, Sir. Would tomorrow night be too soon?" There was a smile in Kamishi's voice.

Kaoru dried her hands on a cloth, twisting the fabric in her hands as she heard her uncle chuckle. "Not at all. I wouldn't want to stand in the way of young love."

Somehow, she managed to put away all the dishes without breaking one. Her hands shook, though she didn't know if her fraying nerves were more from fear or from anger.

It didn't help how happy Shiji was when he told her--as if it were news--the next day. "You should be thankful this young man's come along," he said. "You don't want to be an old maid, do you?"

Kaoru stared at her adoptive uncle. She had tried to love him, had tried to win his approval, since the very day she had been brought into his home from the orphanage, but he had never displayed any sign of affection for her. And now… "Do you?" Uncle Shiji repeated.

"No, Sir," Kaoru whispered, stomach churning. Surely, surely, even if he didn't love her, her uncle wouldn't suggest that she respond to Kamishi's courtship? She'd rather spend the rest of her life slaving for Urei than marry a man like Kamishi.

She thought of Kenshin, beautiful and strong, at peace with himself in spite of circumstances that surrounded him. She knew somehow that he would never deliberately be cruel to another human being… And yet, as much as she cared for him, she knew she could never be his. He was a dragon-brother, a Wild Boy, someone whose people were a danger to her people. He was as far from her reach as the stars in the sky.

But he was the kind of man she would have wanted for a husband. Someone kind. Polite. Mindful of another's feelings. Never a man like Kamishi.

Aunt Urei, too, was less than enthusiastic at the thought of a road boss courting her niece. Kaoru knew that it was much more than the fact that Urei didn't think of Kamishi as a suitable match; it was that Urei was in absolutely no hurry to see Kaoru married off. Not when she had so much use for her here.

But Uncle Shiji, Kaoru could see, was pleased with Kamishi. The man might finally get that son he had always wanted.

And in the end, Uncle Shiji's word was law.

Kenshin huddled against the sodden hillside. He was cold and wet, and the thin blanket wrapped around his shoulders provided very little warmth and scant protection against the wind and rain.

As always when he was in need of comfort, he thought of his sister. Her smile. The softness of her cheek when she pressed it to his every time he came home safely from hunting. He remembered her hands, how they were stout and strong, with squarish fingernails rather than delicate, feminine, oval-shaped ones. Of her long, soft hair and the ribbons she used to braid into it.

And lately, he had also begun thinking of Kaoru, who had come to stay side by side with his sister in his mind. He had only to close his eyes to picture her, sitting warm before a fire, her face and hair bathed in the glow of the flames. He wondered if she ever thought of him as well…

He knew so little about her. All in all, they had probably spent less than two hours together. Yet she filled his thoughts and glided through his dreams. A smile touched his face as he remembered the way she had lifted food to his lips. Tentatively at first, afraid it would offend his dignity, having to be fed. Then she became more accustomed to it, making sure that he ate everything he wanted, with plenty of water to wash it down.

So sweet, she was. What was she doing now?

Kenshin peered into the rain-drenched darkness as he heard Kamishi return to camp.

Shutaro poked his head out of the back of the wagon. "Where did you find the horses?"

"There's a little place up the hill," Kamishi called back over the rain. "There's a family that lives up there. Nice people. Got a pretty niece named Kaoru." Kamishi grinned broadly over his shoulder as he saw to the horses. "I'm going to call on her tomorrow night."

His partner made a crude but appreciative exclamation, grinning.

Kenshin felt rage welling up in his chest as he watched Kamishi climb into the back of the wagon. Kaoru. Kamishi was courting Kaoru. Feelings such as he had never known suffused him, heating his blood so that he no longer felt the cold. Kamishi would be courting Kaoru.

It rained all the next day as well, but Kenshin was glad for the inactivity. He hated to fell the trees, didn't like building the road for the Enemies. It wasn't much better crouching in the mud hour after hour, but the rain was giving his back a chance to heal before he had to go back to work, and he knew better than not to be grateful for that.

After dinner, Kamishi got on his horse and rode up the hill. Kenshin's livid eyes followed him until he was out of sight.

Kaoru had never been so ill at ease in all her life.

She and Kamishi, under the watchful eyes of her aunt and uncle, had been making small talk. The only relief from this was when Aunt Urei served the tea, which almost made Kaoru faint in surprise. Her aunt never played hostess, preferring to sit and talk and leaving that particular role to her niece. There was no doubt that it would be Kaoru clearing up after the guest had gone, but, still, it was nice to have someone waiting on her for a change.

As always, the men found time to talk about the new road. Kamishi bragged about the progress. A good section of the trees had been cleared away now and the ground was reasonably level. Once a section of the hill had been disposed of, they would have almost half of the job complete.

"We'll be working on that hill tomorrow or the next day. It's a job well done, if I do say so myself."

Unable to hold her peace another moment, Kaoru snapped, "I don't see how you can take credit for it. You're not doing any of the work."

"Kaoru!" Uncle Shiji scowled dangerously, but she didn't care. She might care later, but right now, she simply didn't.

"It's true! The prisoners are doing all the work!"

"She's right," Kamishi said quickly. "The prisoners are doing the work." He smiled indulgently. "But you have to realize that the work wouldn't get done at all if my partner and I weren't there to supervise." He turned a charming smile on Aunt Urei. "This cake is wonderful, Ma'am. Would it be rude of me to ask for seconds?"

"It would not," Urei assured him, smiling as she moved to serve him. If she could have done so without drawing scowls from her aunt and uncle, Kaoru would have ran a hand down her face in frustration. It seemed her aunt was beginning to warm up to Kamishi as well. And why not? They were so much alike, the three of them.

God, what was she going to do?