Thanks for all of the encouragement, and I must say, I really like the idea that my story is coming off as a fairy-tale of its own (though obviously since it's based off of one, lol). Of course, I'm all for the cutesy stuff, but I always like to try and keep some kind of reality… so mine's probably more like a drama fairy-tale. XD
Disclaimer: I own no dragon-shaped men. Or men-shaped dragons for that matter. lol
Chapter 12: Forest Fight
Kaoru was crying! She couldn't believe it! She hadn't cried since her mother had died twelve years before. Tears were for children and people who were too weak to control their emotions. They were definitely not for warriors or strong individuals such as herself.
At least, that was what she had told herself for the last twelve years. Crying had only ever hurt her father, and so it was something she had given up on. It had never solved anything for her as it instead only succeeded in making her feel worthless and horrible.
Sniffling, Kaoru stopped to lean against a tree and she trembled and shivered as she wiped at her face with a sleeve. More and more tears were spilling from her lashes and she couldn't get them to stop. Some were for the aches and pains demanding she pay them attention all over her body such as the blood that was now congealing on her left hand. Most of them, she knew, were for the hurtful words spoken to her several minutes before. She was nothing but an inconvenience… a problem that wasn't worth the effort to keep around.
It was true that most of their conversations had been fights and quarrels, but somewhere in between those arguments Kaoru had decided that she liked the lord. He could be very kind when he wanted to be, and he didn't even mind that she trained. Which was more than she could say for most other people she knew. He stuck by his decisions, too. If he didn't like something he didn't change his mind just because someone else said that he should. Though this was annoying for her, she liked that he wasn't easily subject to the whims of others. Too many people she knew from the village were wishy-washy, and she had always hated the way they conformed to the majority so easily. Of course, the lord did not seem to like making any allowances, and that was not exactly a good trait, either. Her reasons for liking him didn't seem to be exactly ideal, she conceded, but she couldn't help her interest in him. It was as if a part of her instinctually knew that he was a good person underneath all of his posing, and she had been hoping to get the chance to find other traits about him that were respectable.
It didn't matter now. Whether her instinct was right or wrong he didn't want to let her find out. They had too many things they didn't agree on, and it was apparent they wouldn't ever get along well enough to share the ones they did have in common.
This heartache was the final culmination of that prickly feeling she had been ignoring for the past few weeks, she realized. It made her wish she had recognized it before. Maybe then she could have done some things differently and they wouldn't now be at such odds with each other. Perhaps she wouldn't be on her way back to the palace to pack for home.
Pressing her face into the bark of the tree, Kaoru squeezed her eyes shut to try and stall the two thick tears that inevitably escaped to drip down her chin. She was so conflicted. Home was the place she had been missing since she had arrived. The place she had ached to see since being pulled away from its familiarity. Now that she would be going, because there was no doubt in her mind that he would let her, she wanted to stay. Kaoru wanted to stay with her new friends and enjoy the companionship she had always been without. Her father was all that was there for her at home, and although she had enjoyed his company and would always love him… even he was continuing his life without her. Fathers and daughters were meant to part and live separate lives. She wanted to stay with her friends.
But she didn't want to stay somewhere she was unwanted and only a hassle. Tomorrow she would say her goodbyes and go back home where she belonged.
The tears were starting to slow by the time she began walking again, but the ache in her chest throbbed and twisted with each step as it reminded her that she wasn't wanted. Tripping over a branch hidden beneath the snow she caught herself with both hands and whimpered when her left one seared with agony as it submerged into the fiery cold. It was nearly too dark to see as there was only a soft glow from the rising moon to reflect off the snow's shiny surface. Feeling herself start to break down with despair as she wanted more than anything to just give up and lie there until she was found, she sputtered with fresh tears.
Flopping down on her side she curled her tortured hand into her chest and cradled it close to keep it from more harm. She never would have thought broken off nails would hurt so much. Absently stroking her thumb over an exposed collarbone, she unconsciously sought the chain of her necklace for solace in any shape or form. Nothing met her hunting touch, though, and with a frown she moved her hand further inside her kimono for more range. It quickly became obvious that she was no longer wearing the silver chain.
I've lost it! But where?! With a sinking sensation in her gut she thought of the cliff, the fall, and the argument with Kenshin. There were too many instances when it could have come off. It was more than likely long gone by now, but… that necklace was the only thing she had ever treasured. She couldn't just leave it out in the snow, in the dark, for something else to find or break it. Gasping over her unsteady breathing she wiped at her face again and stood shakily to turn back.
There were many shadows dotting the forest by now and concealing much of her surroundings. The creature behind her, however, did not want to be hidden, it seemed, as it stood unabashedly in a beam of light to allow its shaggy body to be illuminated. Surprised, Kaoru involuntarily took a step back.
"You wouldn't be looking for something, now would you, my lady?" It was slightly shocking to hear it speak, as it seemed more beastlike than any of the other animal people she had met so far. A high pitched cackle of laughter rippled through the trees around her, hinting that there were more, and she nervously jumped forward this time. The one in the middle tilted his head to the side and a shot of light reflected off of a shiny pink piece of glass near its mouth.
"My necklace." Voice softened by tears, her words were barely a whisper, and the dog looking creature giggled himself which caused the others to follow along. In a moment of insight Kaoru wondered if they weren't the hyena animals she had heard about that like to laugh at their prey before they kill them.
"You shouldn't be so careless, my lady. Pretty baubles like these might attract the wrong crowd."
Swallowing over the anxiety that was raising the fine hairs on the back of her neck, Kaoru forced herself to walk towards him even though every instinct in her said to run. "I'll keep that in mind." Reaching out her uninjured hand hesitantly, she jerked again when he danced playfully out of her range. The shiny chain resting between his teeth swayed to and fro merrily.
"Ah, ah, ah… you shouldn't be so hasty. It's rude. I haven't finished talking yet."
Grinding her teeth her already raw emotions raged back into fire and she narrowed her eyes. "Forgive me. It has gotten late and I am anxious to be on my way. Please… continue."
They all laughed again and the leader, or what she was assuming was their leader, hopped around with his amusement. "Spunk. Yes, that was what we had heard the new lady had. Lots and lots of spunk. Enough to annoy that little noble brat." Kaoru's frown darkened as they openly insulted their lord. "We like annoying him. It is great, great fun."
"Good for you."
Their laughter abruptly stopped and the main hyena faced her with a snarl. "Good for us it definitely is since we now have his precious little lady in our company. Won't the spoiled little lord be so angry when he realizes she's gone missing?"
The nasty suspicion that had slowly been growing in her belly abruptly soured, and she cast her eyes around to try and measure the amount of enemies she was faced with. "What good do you think kidnapping me will do you? The lord and I aren't exactly on speaking terms anymore." There were at least ten or more that she could see, and that was about nine too many for her to handle safely. Especially with her hand the way it was.
"Who said anything about kidnapping, dear lady? We are going to kill and eat you."
"What?" Relaxing from her defensive stance in disbelief, Kaoru stared at the hyena in a daze.
"Oh yes. You see, we like living this way and you are a threat to us. Any and all threats must be eliminated."
"But… I've never done anything to you. I didn't even know anything about you until now."
"No, but you are a newcomer and newcomers are not allowed. They threaten the life of the curse. We like this curse. We want it to stay."
"What curse? What the hell are you talking about?"
"The curse that is keeping us alive and in these forms."
"But how could I break it? I don't even know anything about it."
"No one knows much, except for the lord. You are here because of the lord. He must think you can break the curse. We cannot let you." Circling around behind her as he spoke, the main hyena snipped at her heels to herd her into the center. "And so… goodbye, my lady."
Barking, yipping, and snarling met this announcement and their laughter intermingled as the others all showed their pleasure at the idea of killing her. For one wild moment she wondered if by eating her that meant they were cannibals. Had they been cannibals when they were still human? Standing directly in the center of the pool of light her breathing started to labor in her lungs as the leader slunk backwards and the ones hiding in the shadows skulked forward. Eerie globes of light shown briefly all around her before they stepped out of the darkness and she counted way more than the original ten she had thought. Their faces were lowered close to the snow so that they were looking up at her with menacing growls and shows of teeth. How strange, to be saved from the cliff only to be eaten by a group of hyena.
A loud snarl announced the attack of the first, and Kaoru picked her timing just right to dodge and slam her elbow against the side of its jaw. It yelped and fell to the ground but she was already fending off another. In too short of a time she knew she would be overwhelmed.
Two very distinctive growls were suddenly heard over the top of the din and one of them was a large feline roar that caused many of them to pause. Then everything happened so fast she was unsure which direction her two chaperones had come from. Yahiko leapt straight through to the center of them and attacked the one closest to her before tumbling into the legs of others. Sano was overpowering two hyena at once with just his size alone and the noises that were coming from his throat were unlike anything she had ever heard before.
"Yahiko!" Worried for the young tiger she watched him sink his teeth into the neck of the one he was wrestling with while his back legs kicked into its exposed belly. Streaks of blood splattered onto the trodden snow and the hyena screamed in alarm, but before she could step any closer there was another jumping at her from the side.
Even though every part of her body resisted the idea, she ducked back to avoid the full brunt of its weight. Sharp claws dug into her shoulder as she misjudged the distance and with a gasp and then a grunt she spun and landed on her face. It was laughing again, a high cackle that frightened and warned all at once, and out of the corner of her eye she could see it had already gained its feet and was ready to strike. Too dazed and sore to move quickly enough, she clenched her eyes shut and waited for the bite of its jagged teeth.
The tiger cried out a second time in anger and Kaoru felt something slam into her side before rolling off. There were now two bodies jostling one another as they fought. Trying to keep away from the tussle Kaoru scooted hurriedly away, but kept her wide eyes on them as she had to keep dodging their flailing legs. Something was wrong this time, however, and Kaoru cried out when the hyena quickly dominated the battle by maiming the tiger and shredding his front paw. Frantic to save the boy, Kaoru dug at something sticking up from the snow, yanked out the same heavy branch that had tripped her before, and smashed it ruthlessly across the hyena's face to dislodge its grip from the tiger. Yapping shrilly, it scrambled up from where it fell and stumbled off to hide.
"Yahiko! Yahiko, are you okay?" Crouched protectively over him, Kaoru pushed her left hand under his jaw to demand his attention while her other hand still gripped the splintered wood defensively.
"I'm fine, Lady… give me a second… and I'll get the rest…" Pushing against the peak of his shoulder blades, Kaoru held him down with a shake of her head.
"Stubborn little boy. You're too hurt to be of any help now."
He growled at her in disagreement, but when he tried to stand a high cry of pain mewled from his mouth and he dropped back into the snow.
"No more kitty to protect you now, little lady." Taunting and hungry, the voice crept up behind her, and with a crush of snow Kaoru could hear it leap for her unprotected back. Twisting skillfully, she jabbed it in the side of the head with the splintered end of her branch and sneered as it screamed.
"I don't need anyone to protect me from you filth!" Not exactly a lie, but not exactly the truth either. At least I've implanted a bit of doubt in their minds, though. Straddling the young tiger to guard him from all sides, she held the stick in her good hand and let her left rest as a last resort. Too much use and it would be worthless with the way it was burning.
The slight pause her declaration made was enough for Sano to jump up beside them with his teeth bared threateningly. "Hurting the little miss will give you more than just me to answer to! Don't be stupid and call down his wrath upon you!" Wherever the hell he is! What a perfect time to be sulking! Growling in frustration and anger, Sano eyed the rabble of hyena. There was no way just the two of them could hold them all off. The lord was being an idiot, sending them after her instead of coming himself. She hadn't slapped them, after all.
"That noble boy is a joke." The lead hyena came strutting back with the necklace still dangling from his mouth. "He's grown soft and weak over the centuries. He cares nothing for anyone but himself. He's not our master, nor is he yours, Sanosuke. Give up and we'll let you walk away."
"And Lady Kaoru?"
"She stays of course, and the little tiger. He looks like a good appetizer for our main course."
"Piss off! I'm not going anywhere without the little lady or the kid!"
"Don't be a fool. You're outnumbered."
"And you're outclassed. Come on, missy, we can take 'em."
Leaping to the side Sano barreled into the closest cluster to the right. Crouching low and setting her feet firmly, Kaoru refused to move and leave Yahiko without a guard. The leader took this as an invitation to jump at her before she had fully readied herself, and Kaoru could see straight down the back of his throat as he opened his mouth to latch on. Clenching her teeth, Kaoru waited for the attack with her weapon lowered to the ground and hoped she would not bust the pink bauble of her necklace when she struck him under the jaw.
A loud, surprised yelp squeezed from his throat when he was almost on top of her and the midair hyena jerked suddenly backwards. Flying through the air away from her, he crashed into the low hanging branches surrounding them until his journey was finally cut short by a large tree trunk. Grunting loudly, his body thumped onto the ground where it lay still.
"How dare you trash even think to touch her!"
The strength of his voice carried much power, cruelty, and frightening danger, and it pulled Kaoru's eyes away from the crumpled leader to look up at the lord's imposing back. Crimson wings were spread wide in intimidation, his muscles were tensed in preparation, and though she could not see his front she could hear the light hiss issuing between his teeth. The show of menace was more than enough for the hyena he was facing to prance uncertainly away.
"Don't be cowards." The leader was fighting to gain his feet and his voice was raspy but biting. "He doesn't even have his sword. What good is he without it?"
This seemed to be good enough for them, though Kaoru couldn't understand why, and their courage returned to bring them slowly closer until they were caging him in from all sides but his back. That was reserved for her, and with a crease of her brow she realized he was defending her in much the same way she was defending Yahiko.
Now all she had to worry about was behind her, and as she turned away from the lord to look for Sano her gaze caught sight of reflections from many more eyes coming towards them out of the woods. There were too many for all of them to handle, even with Kenshin there. Hopelessness dropped like rotten food into her stomach, but she ground her jaw against the drowning emotion and refused to let it take her. Crouching lower over the boy to shield him she prepared herself to be overcome. Yahiko sensed her trepidation immediately.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Shaking her head, she didn't answer.
"Come on! Is this the best you got?!" Sano was still going strong, but he couldn't see what she did. He didn't know how utterly useless their fight was becoming.
Suddenly there was something racing at him from behind. It was sprinting with such speed she felt for sure she wouldn't be able to warn him in time. Opening her mouth to scream, she had barely voiced her concern before the black panther was diving out of the shadows and tackling its prey.
Going long, it flattened the hyena next to the large mongrel instead and its mighty rumble of anger was low in its throat as it turned to crush the next. To the right something else had entered the fray. A large snake was twining itself around and around the mangy hyena in its grip with its long tongue flitting in and out of its mouth as it whispered words she could not completely understand. Then three large birds fell from the sky to swoop down and confuse the ranks and give openings to their companions as they crept up from behind.
Then she found someone she recognized. A large wolf and his followers were diving into the multitude of dog-like scavengers that the lord was taking on single-handedly. Now completely outmaneuvered, it didn't take long for the reinforcements to rout out the hyena and send many of them tripping back into the woods while the others were subjugated on the spot. For a moment she could not understand the stabbing feeling of panic in her mind as she watched, because they had clearly won and she was now safe, but as the lord finally stepped through the masses and slammed one talon-toed foot down on top of the leader's head, she recognized her own misgivings for what they were.
"Wait!" Everyone stopped in surprise and gave her a quick glance. The lord only did not fully meet her gaze, but his ear did tilt in her direction to show she had his attention. "Don't kill them." The silence was suddenly very deafening and then the snake spoke what they were all thinking.
"And why ssshould we not, milady? They have taken great pleasssure in tormenting many othersss besidesss just you."
"Well, because… they're still people, too. Just like you and me."
"They gave up their humanity a long time ago, mistress." One of the birds landed with a click on a branch behind the snake, and now that she could see him well she realized he was a great-horned owl.
"But they deserve to learn from their mistakes. They should be punished, yes, but… not killed."
"Lady Kaoru, they have had more than eight centuries to learn from their mistakes. I will not tolerate…" Saitou cut off as one red-scaled hand from the lord lifted for silence and his ears pinned back on a frown.
"Do as the lady says. Let them go." Reluctantly the hyena were released and without hesitation they disappeared into the trees. The one under the lord's foot however was saved for last, and Kenshin placed more weight on the hyena's jaw as he leaned forward just to listen to him whimper as he struggled.
"With all do respect, my lord. This scum has done more than enough to earn worse than a simple death." Watching them go with hatred in his eyes, it was the raven that spoke and Kaoru briefly recognized him as the one Misao called Aoshi.
"Do you question my decision?"
"…No, my lord." From the tone of his voice, though, Kaoru could tell that he did.
Ignoring the raven in favor of the enemy, Kenshin bent closer to the lead hyena and whispered low to make sure he was not heard by anyone else. "You will be dealt with according to your crime, Takeda." Taking back the necklace still clutched in his mouth, Kenshin let him up with a kick and then turned a look on Saitou. For a moment the city guard's lead wolf did nothing but glare back before he finally nodded and sat down to wait.
Meanwhile, Kaoru was now focused on the tiger, since it seemed the lord was going to grant her this one last request. Grimacing at the thought, she bent to examine Yahiko's paw and winced sympathetically at all the blood and torn tissue. Untangling herself quickly from her large haori, she ripped at the sleeve of her training kimono and yanked it off to leave one whole arm bare. Shredding the material into strips, she hurriedly wrapped the bleeding appendage and pulled it tight to stall the blood flow. He growled at her a couple of times, but she rubbed his head and smiled when she was finished.
"Thank you very much, Yahiko-kun. You saved my life. I am in your debt now."
"It was nothing." Teeth clenched together over his pain, he was trying to act all tough and indifferent, but Kaoru couldn't help but ruffle his fur again.
"Saving a life is always something." Pulling her haori back over her shoulders to retain what warmth she still had, she looked up quickly when something flashed next to her face. It was the necklace and one clawed hand was holding it out to her in offering. As she stared at its bright pink glass sparkling in the moonlight she blinked and suddenly recalled another moment in time when it had been offered to her in such a way. Another clawed hand had given it to her, or perhaps… it was the same one.
"It's so pretty! Thank you, Kenshin!" Raising both hands to lift it from his one she held it up as high as she could and smiled the world at the figure towering over her.
"I'm glad you are pleased, little one." Once again he smiled in that way that suggested he had not smiled in a very long time.
"The chain was broken." Snapping herself from her trance, Kaoru gasped in a breath and looked up the arm at Kenshin's face. He was looking away. "I will find a replacement for you… before you go."
Something thick plopped onto the snow below before she could find an appropriate reply, and her attention shifted between the large splatter of blood on the ground below and the arm that was stretched outward towards her. "You're hurt."
Dropping the necklace into her palm, he stepped away. "It's nothing. Look after young Yahiko. He did very well."
The large, leathery wings at his back abruptly snapped open before she could argue, and his amber eyes swept from the raven to the wolf. Jerking his head to the north, he indicated they were to follow him. "Make sure the lady is escorted safely back to the palace." One buffeting wing beat took him air born, and then he was disappearing over the trees.
"Did you hear that? Lord Kenshin said I did well!" Excitement peppered the young tiger's voice, and it was one of those moments when Kaoru could see the child that was still in him. "I did well, Lady Kaoru! That's what he said!"
"So you did. Isn't that what I was saying a few minutes ago?" Unabashed, Yahiko kept on and it brought a smile to her lips. "Well come on, my little hero. Let's get you back to the palace. Perhaps Tae-san will fix you a victory plate for celebration."
"Hey! How many times do I have to tell you? I'm not little!"
"Yeah, yeah. Littler than me, Yahiko-chan."
X
"I was almost afraid you had grown even softer than I had thought, my lord." Pacing around the bodies of the dead hyena, Saitou sniffed the air and searched for any fortunate, or unfortunate, survivors.
"Kaoru-dono is very young and innocent. This type of punishment is not suited for her eyes." Kenshin's arms were crossed as he waited for their report, and he ignored the blood dripping off his elbow as well as the biting pain above his knee.
"Hmph. Though she didn't have a problem beating a couple of them senseless it seems."
"Self-defense is not the same as the brutal combat we are used to."
"…No, I suppose you are right."
Spiraling in from above, Aoshi alighted on a branch next to Kenshin's shoulder. "Okina-san and the others have located the stragglers. They are taking care of them now."
"Good work, Okashira."
"Thank you, my lord."
"Dispose of the bodies and make sure you do not disturb the surrounding wildlife. I don't want any wild predators tracking their way back to us." Surprised by this sudden forethought and concern, Saitou tilted his head to the side, but nodded. "You are dismissed."
X
Kaoru sat back with a sigh as she finished bandaging Yahiko's forepaw under Megumi's attentive guidance. "There you are, Yahiko-kun. You'll be as good as new in a few weeks."
"I'm so glad." Voice soft and sweet with worry, Tsubame leaned into Kaoru's leg and closed her eyes.
"He was a very brave young man, Tsubame-san. You should be proud." Smiling at the confliction that contorted Yahiko's face at being called young and brave in the same sentence, she patted him on the head and then stretched. Her entire left arm from fingertip to elbow was wrapped in soft linen and the throbbing pain of her fingernails was now only a dull ache after a dose of Megumi's painkilling tonic. It felt a little strange and restrictive, but there was no help for it. The nail from her longest finger was completely gone and there was only tender, torn flesh left behind. The rest of her arm didn't look much better.
There were a few other minor scrapes on her body from the fall, and then the gash in her shoulder from one of the hyena attacks, but nothing, she had been assured, that would not heal safely. She would need to change the bandages and keep them clean regularly, but other than that there was nothing to worry about. Lips jerking downward as she remembered she wouldn't be there regularly to do just that, she cleaned up the mess they had made.
"You're not really going to leave, are you Lady Kaoru?"
Looking up at Yahiko's questioning face, she bit her lip as Megumi and Tsubame turned to her with a gasp. Sano's tail swished as he lay in the corner, and one eye opened to watch.
"I think it would probably be best, Yahiko-kun. You heard what… was said." Frowning, she returned her attention to the supplies.
"But… the lord was just angry. Everybody says stuff they don't mean when they're angry."
"No, Yahiko-kun. There was nothing untrue about his words." I am an inconvenience. Just look at all of the trouble I've caused today alone. I've gotten myself hurt, Yahiko hurt, Kenshin hurt, and probably others as well. I have no place here, and… I know my own worth. The effort my presence has torn from everyone is unfair. "And besides, he's angry all the time because of me. If I go, then maybe he won't be angry anymore."
I doubt that, missy. He'll probably be angrier than before… and not even know why. Snorting softly in his corner, Sano let his eye fall shut. It had taken him long enough, but he could now see what Misao had seen about the young master and it was the same frustration and confusion that Sano himself felt towards the fox. Their lord was attracted to this little woman and he didn't know the first thing he needed to do about it.
"Are you leaving in the morning, then?" Kaoru shot her gaze across the room to Sano.
Sighing, she nodded. "Yes."
Without opening his eyes, Sano adjusted his position and flipped an ear. "The young master was hurt, too."
"I… I saw." Fidgeting, Kaoru played with the sleeve of her borrowed haori. She would have to leave it behind, too.
Popping open an eye he stared pointedly at the fox while Kaoru was busy avoiding everyone's gaze. "I doubt he's taken care of his injuries."
Fox eyes glinting, Megumi smiled slyly back and hopped up with a wink that made Sano grin smugly. It was times like these when he knew him and the vixen were perfect for each other.
"You are certainly right, Sano. Surprisingly." The smile on his face disappeared and she chuckled to herself at the small victory. "I should be attending to him. Would you mind helping me before you leave, dear? It'll be easier with a real set of hands."
"Uh…" Feeling as if she had been roped into the situation, Kaoru stuttered. "I mean… I doubt he would be very happy with me…"
"Oh he can surely put up with your presence long enough to bandage a couple of small wounds. It won't kill him."
Lips trembling as Megumi led the way out, Kaoru clutched the small pocket inside her kimono that her necklace now lay in. I'm not worried about him… I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it.
X
A/N: lol So, I hope that this is a better explanation for Kaoru's feelings. At least a little, anyway. I know that I didn't give much reason or show many instances where they were actually getting along, but as to why that was, well, you'll see that in the next chapter. I did want to focus on how tense their relationship was, and truthfully, it's not really love yet, either, that Kaoru feels, but a subconscious knowledge that he might be someone she could get along with. Possibly because she has known him before and knows that he is a good person. Of course, she doesn't remember that… although it seems she is recalling a certain moment in this chapter. I won't say anymore, because I have a bad tendency to give things away that I shouldn't. Hope to see you in the next… that is already done, by the way and waiting… Please leave a review. I appreciate them.