Chapter 5: What One Doesn't Notice
On the morning of the move, camp was strung with nervous tension as warriors fidgeted with their gears and horses pawed the ground. Everyone was high on alert, anxious yet eager about the move.
Sitting atop her steed, Kaoru turned to the plains that used to be filled with tents. The green hills were now empty fields and the only indications that hundreds of soldiers had ever camped out here were crushed patches of grass. Over time, rain would wash away the blood and grass would grow anew, erasing the evidence of their passing and their stay would be nothing but a bruise on nature to be quickly forgotten.
She sat quietly, waiting for the command that would signal the start of their journey. The soft clip clopping alerted her to Aoshi's arrival as her second steered his horse and stopped next to her.
"Everyone and everything is in check and counted for, captain." His eyes gleamed softly as he reported back to her.
With their closeness, honorifics were unnecessary, but because they're still new to the division, Kaoru wanted to keep any unnecessary misunderstandings spreading around to the minimum. So they both slipped into their professional masks to be only taken down at the end of the day – but for now she was the captain and he her faithful second.
Nodding at Aoshi, she twisted on the back of her horse to glance at her unit lined up just behind her. They were positioned at the back of the procession, responsible for defending any attacks from behind and to check for last minute details – at least until their unit rotates.
The sound of a horn ripped through the air and shattered the mounting tension in the air, its bleak cry signaling the start of the move. The units in front took a step forward and the unified steps of many soldiers seemed to shake the ground itself.
Taking a deep breath, Kaoru turned to the front and clamped her legs around her horse. As her stallion begun to move she threw her arm out towards the front, echoing the command that rose like a vicious battle howl.
"Forward march!"
x x x
The soldiers were sweating and panting openly by the time Kenshin decided to stop for a quick break and lunch. Looking back at the path they had travelled by, the colonel was satisfied by the distance they managed to cover. It was a bit taxing for the foot soldiers but as long as they kept moving at this pace they'll be with the fourth division sooner than expected.
Finished with his quick patrol, the colonel moved to a tree that provided brief respite from the scorching sun and sat down. As usual, the colonel picked an inconspicuous spot away from the main group as he settled down with his sword leaning against his chest. His head tilted forward to hide the golden orbs quietly observing the area.
He watched the activity of his division for a while before the warmth in the air and the soft hum of conversations coaxed his body to relax from its tensed position. His eyes begun to flutter then close.
Despite the convincing image of being at rest the warrior was not at all unguarded. Though his eyes rested, his other senses were wide alert, constantly scanning for any signs of danger than might threaten his division. His muscles though relaxed had the poise of a waiting predator, ready to shift and pounce at the first hint of an intruder. Any foolhardy person would notice the danger written all over him, so he was not worried when a new presence approached him.
"Do you always sit away from your division?"
"Do you always stick your nose into other people's business?" he answered with his own question as his eyes opened slowly, revealing the displeasure clearly written within.
The female captain was unfazed by the tensed aura ebbing off of him and walked casually to take her seat beside him. Ignoring the glare that was sure to burn hotter than the flames of hell. The new captain must have no sense of self-preservation to so willingly disturb the tiger in its own den.
"You're not eating." She stated as an observation and not a question.
"I'm-"
"Not hungry, I know." She interrupted with a knowing grin on her face.
Kenshin flashed an irritated glare at the interruption and the smirking captain. The colonel felt a muscle in his jaw tick. The girl is infuriating!
"Why are you here?" he bit out in annoyance, shifting slightly to put some distance between them.
Kaoru looked at him with amusement twinkling in her eyes as she countered smoothly. "Must I have a reason to sit down here?"
"For neglecting your unit, you better have a good reason you're here and not there." He growled menacingly.
The new captain all but tilted an eyebrow at him as she pointedly dragged her gaze from his eyes to the ground he was sitting on in an expression that clearly said 'look who's talking, hypocrite.'
Kenshin fumed, but stayed silently, deciding not to rise to the bait as he waited for the explanation he demanded from her.
Chuckling softly, Kaoru decided not to push her luck further as she turned from Kenshin and looked at the soldiers gathered at the clearing. "They will be fine, I trust them." She smiled and found that she meant it with all her heart.
Kenshin glanced at her as he shifted uncomfortably in his spot. He observed the captain from beneath his bangs, his golden eyes that were so used to piercing the mental barriers of his enemies couldn't see past the simple emotions on her face. The man was more than confused. He was downright frustrated.
How can she trust them so easily? His eyes wandered over to the moving shapes below. How can she merge so easily with others in this conflicting bloody time? Even he found it hard to trust his own division and clearly kept an emotional distance from the rest of his team.
"Trust." He echoed softly, tasting the word on his tongue and disliking it. "Nothing but superficial feelings." It was hard to earn and give but so easily broken. It could harm, betray and break you. He would know.
He could feel her watching him, trying to read the thoughts going through his mind ninety miles per hour. Immediately he clamped down his emotionless barriers and steeled himself. The silence dragged on and on and when he thought the captain was not about to say anything
"But you trust them." Kenshin flinched and looked up sharply.
"Because you wouldn't be leading them now if you didn't would you?" calm blue eyes met his readily.
He frowned, his lips already forming the retort and denial on his mind. It was not trust, only duty.
"They trust you as well colonel." She looked towards his division and surprisingly the colonel felt drawn to follow her example as well.
Just before them, his division sat down in huddles around small fires, nursing small bowls of gruel. Some were laughing, sharing jokes privy to their fire and others were napping, recharging themselves for the tiring trek. They were together, companions hugging each other, linking arms, laughing and snoring together. They were his men. His team.
"They follow you, listen to your orders and fight with you because they trust you." She paused slowly and turned her gaze towards him.
"I trust you."
They lapsed into silence, watching the lively scene before them as the colonel slowly absorbed her words. The wind blew, leaves rustled softly and fires crackled. He didn't know how long he sat there, staring at his people and watching them bond.
Finally, Kaoru stood up and stretched. "I'll be going back to my unit sir."
She bowed and turned to leave.
"It's useless." The captain halted at his soft whisper, turning around slowly with a question on her face.
She who wore her expressions so openly, her heart on her sleeves was oh so naïve. She who gave trust so easily never experienced the cruel reality life could be. The Battousai couldn't help the chilling bark of laughter escaping from his lips. They sent a child to fight in a war. They sent a child to him.
Why?
"No one places trust on the Battousai anymore." He snapped but a strong gust of wind snatched his words away and he couldn't care to repeat himself again as he stood up.
Ignoring the confused expression plastered on her face he roughly brushed past her and walked towards his division. They had enough rest; it was time to move on anyways.
x x x
Under a canopy of leaves, two soldiers sat leaning on a trunk, cradling half eaten bowls of gruel on their laps. Their gears were scattered around them haphazardly as these warriors rested from the afternoon sun. It was a peaceful rest, rarely caught and madly longed for and treasured as two soldiers – one older than the other – sat side by side.
"You're stubborn." The older one with the grizzled beard chuckled, slapping one meaty hand on his thigh in amusement. "You remind me of someone back home."
The younger soldier gave no indications of hearing the older man, but the soldier kept talking anyways. He was used to expect little verbal replies from his companion.
"A man needs something to ground them in this bloody time. It's no longer about our country." The leaves above swung and dislodged in a mad dance, fluttering down like peach blossom petals during springtime and the soldier ceased talking just to observe the serene scene.
One wrinkled, scar worn palm stretched out to capture a fallen leaf and brought its prize close. "A man needs something to fight for." The brown leaf was released back into the air, swept up by a gust of wind and onto a new path. The man sighed and the scars on his weathered face became more pronounced than ever.
Tired eyes slide to the side, watching the face of his silent companion. "You must have something you fight for too."
It was a while before the younger soldier moved, his head shifting sideways to meet the older warrior and even longer before he replied in a soft voice.
"Yes. Yes I do."
To be continued…
What is that? :'D It's a flashback! But who's flashback? I wonder!
Observe! The power of summer! Another update! In one week!
This chapter will be the shortest and chapters will get longer after this C: Chapter 5 can be treated as a transition chapter - transition to more action *U* and to lay down some background information and hints to set off some major bombs in the future.
I was surprised by the response I got last chapter :'D honestly I didn't know this many people cared! Thank you everyone and keep reviewing with your opinions! :'D -skips to happy flowerfield-
~IOD