.:Ren:.
All around her the wind rushed by, the rustle of leaves, the feeling of blood rushing to her head. All of this was first and foremost in her mind before consciousness begged her to wake up.
She would have rather stayed in that uncomfortable sleep, because awake she was in so much pain that blackness ebbed at vision.
Hot, her whole body felt hot, especially just above her heart. It throbbed, like a hammer each time she was jostled. Her vision clear a tiny bit and she could see that she had been thrown over a shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
Looking down at her chest she could see a hook about the size of her fist and three pronged, protruding out of her chest. Her blood had soaked her front nearly to her obi and was turning more black than crimson.
She could feel a knot on her head, she assumed from when she had been dragged, and the sting of scrapes and bruises. She closed her eyes, tired once again.
When next she woke she was still, lying flat on her back, looking up at the trees. Trying to move sent a shock of pain throughout her whole frame, and a whimper escaped her.
She tried to look at her chest and noticed the hook gone now.
"I would say don't scream but..." The voice laughed at her.
"I doubt you could anyway." It was a woman, and as she came into Ren's line of sight she smiled wickedly down at her.
"Do you remember me? Hmm?" The woman bent to one knee and placed a hand on Ren's chest and pressed down with a gleeful smile. Ren's body convulsed and she gasped at the pain.
"I can make you hurt in ways you could dream of, so be a quiet good little girl and you may yet live." The whole time Ren had thought the woman familiar but as she stood and walked to the fire she had going Ren remembered a name.
Tsuyo.
.:Motochika:.
The scene replayed over and over in his mind, and he was glad that the horse was content to follow Yukimura's. She had looked right at him, confused and scared.
Had choked out his name in desperation. He hadn't been able to do anything, hadn't been fast enough, hadn't noticed the danger soon enough, hadn't... He gripped the reins tighter and clenched his teeth, the hollowed out feeling in his stomach made him want to cry.
He had ridden off with Yukimura leaving instructions with his men to get to the ship and sail to Kyushu as quickly as possible.
"Motochika." He heard Yukimura calling him but he could only look forward.
"We'll find her." The younger man said loud enough and with a conviction that Motochika could hear.
"No shit." Was all he could say to the man. Oh yes he would find her, and the ninja who took her wouldn't die until they begged him for death, and Kanenaga...Motochika's dark mood blackened.
He would personally kill the man, with his bare hands, and if Ren was not alright he would wipe Kyushu off the map.
Kasuga and Sasuke had insisted on coming, and Kenshin had told him that he would call up to arms his soldiers. Kojuro had left before all of them. Yoshiaki had stayed with Kenshin to fill him in on what he knew.
Yukimura had been the one to bring Motochika a horse, the younger man hadn't said much but looked grave. Motochika was set on Ren, but in the back of his mind he knew that this was bigger than her, then them.
Kanenaga was starting something and the lords had recognized his invitation for war. He knew, but he would leave all of that to Kenshin, Masamune, the Tiger of Kai, hell even Mori.
He wondered just how smart, how formidable this Kanenaga was. Because the man had hurt Mori Ren, the woman who if she so wished could form alliances with nearly all of the most powerful lords.
She was friends with all of them. He could have started a war with a mere insult, but this man choose not only to insult them but to hurt them. He had succeeded in angering them all.
He wondered in Mori knew about it, and wondered if the man would care.
.:Masamune:.
Kojuro jumped from his horse and ran to the courtyard where Masamune was sitting.
"What has you running like a mad man? That idiot fall into a puddle?" He asked with a smirk. Kojuro took a breath and smoothed his hair back.
"She's been taken by Kanenaga of Kyushu, and..." Masamune's smirk fell and he stood up. Kojuro was far to perturbed for his liking and the man looked startled.
"And?" Masamune asked in a low tone. Kojuro looked at him.
"She was seriously injured." Kojuro went into depth explaining what had happened, and once he had finished he could practically see the rage coming from Masamune.
"Motochika?" He asked even though he knew that he didn't have to. Kojuro nodded.
"Already after her, his men will meet him in Kyushu, Yukimura is with him along with Kasuga and Sasuke. Kenshin and your uncle are planning out an assault and the Tiger of Kai has been asked to meet with them."
Masamune's sword flew out of it sheath and with a howl of frustration, and a tiny bit of fear for the girl he had come to think of as an annoying little sister, he brought it down on a stone garden lamp. It split in two.
"Get the men, we will be in on this too." He said looking to Kojuro, who smirked.
"I thought you'd say that." He said.
.:Ren:.
The passage of time was hard to keep up with, night seemed to blur with the day. Her wound festered, and a fever seemed to be creeping up on her.
Tsuyo gave only enough water to live, only enough food to keep her strong enough. She spoke to her but most of it was unintelligible. She caught things like; willful girl, stupid girl, and the like.
They joined with a group of people sometime in the night and travled in a covered wagon. While in the wagon she felt the fever overtake her, and in her fevered dreams she saw Motochika.
He smiled and spoke to her, held her hand, and kissed her. The sway of the wagon ceased and she felt herself pulled from the wagon into bulky strong arms.
"Moto...chika?" she managed weakly, but the eyes that looked back were not the blue she expected, the hair was red not silver.
"No." He said and proceeded to carry her into a building, she passed out as soon as the shade of its roof covered her face.
.:Kanenaga:.
As Jiroshima entered, with the girl in his arms, Kanenaga felt a tick of annoyance. The large man gently, more gently than would have been thought he could manage, laid the girl on the futon.
She was clearly fevered, the hue of her face ghastly and pale, and her yukata was a painting of gore. Aside from this she still looked to be a pretty girl. Not beautiful, not at all.
"And what pray tell happened, I ordered her to be given to me whole, did I not?" He asked snapping his black fan shut with impatience. Jiroshima who now sat next to the girl bowed deeply.
"Tsuyo seems to have gotten carried away with her retrieval orders my lord." He said in the worlds most even and uninteresting voice.
Ah. Tsuyo.
"Where is that woman?" He asked, feeling a headache coming on.
"Downstairs." Well he would deal with her later. No doubt she had taken the girl in plain sight, that had not been part of the plan. He counted off in his head how many lords would take offense.
"Tell her...she's no longer needed and to wait for my summons." He said. Oh yes, that would rankle her. Jiroshima nodded and then left the room.
"Oh, I almost forgot, call for the physician." Kanenaga said as an afterthought. She couldn't die just yet.
"My lord." Jiroshima said with a nod.
"What an unfortunate first meeting." Kanenaga said in a sickly sweet voice. Her yukata was loose, showing some skin here and there and her breath came in weak gasps. He walked towards her and sat next to her smaller frame.
With his fan he moved a bit of her yukata shamelessly. Foregoing the fan he set it aside and trailed a slim finger up from the valley between her breast to her lips.
"Poor little rabbit." He said smiling in a sick, sly way. His hand cupped her cheek and her eyes fluttered half open.
"Moto...chika." She mumbled before closing her eyes again. Oh, that would not do. Kanenaga's eyes had gone as hard as black diamonds. That would simply not do.
Well I hope that Kanenaga's slimey-ness is coming through as I write him. ^_^