Summary: When a captured assassin escapes, he takes a hostage along as insurance. Now she has to lead him to safety or he will kill her. Will she be able to ever return? AU. BKK. "She was the girl he had watched from across the fence, he would know her anywhere."

Disclaimer: Kenshin doesn't belong to me. He and all the characters of Rurouni Kenshin were created by the fabulous Watsuki Nobuhiro.

Rating: M

Thanks to all my reviewers! I hope you all like this update. Let me know what you think of it.

Excuse any random spelling mistakes. It's 2 am and I really just want to post this, so if I make a few silly mistakes, please don't flame me. Although I don't think I've made any mistakes, but you never know. I'm a great speller. I'm a killer speller.

That's the sugar talking………

The Dance of the Firefly

-

-

Chapter 4: The Spy in the Village

-

-

Recap

He grabbed her wrist and led her out the door. They raced across the muddy roads. Kaoru fell repeatedly. She kept turning backwards to look at her house, and the prisoner was walking too fast.

As she turned around one last time, she knew in her heart that this was perhaps the last time she ever saw her home again. She was caught between the misguided hatred of her father and the undisguised promise of death by the hands of the red-haired stranger who dragged her further and further away from everything she had ever known.

End of Recap

The fighting had spread from the garrison to the village. Swords clashed loudly, almost drowning out the sound of feet running about. People ran wildly in the streets. The squads of bedraggled former soldiers banded together to serve as the 'home guard' by the shogun, were chasing the villagers themselves. Kaoru's heart sank. In all the commotion, nobody would notice the stranger dragging her along. Nobody was going to help her get away from him. Whatever she had to do, she had to do alone.

The prisoner crouched low behind a thick grove of bamboo, peering out between the poles. He flicked his gaze back and forth, as though he were looking for something. Kaoru tried to speak but her voice dried up in her parched throat. Her fingers felt numb. The prisoner held her hand, clamping her fingers tightly, cutting off the blood.

Kaoru looked him over carefully. His hair was matted and hung in clumps around his face. His eyes were veiled. Dirt and sweat seemed to be caked thickly all over his skin. She cringed in disgust. She had never seen a man so dirty. But then, he was a prisoner after all. He'd probably been held in a cell, tied up or chained, or both. How much of an appearance was he supposed to maintain in captivity anyway? Without a warning the prisoner stood and jerked her up, on her feet. He pulled a wakizashi from his belt and silently surveyed the grove. Turning the blade in his hand, he tapped the poles firmly with the hilt of the short sword. Nodding in satisfaction, he swung his arm and sliced across the poles of bamboo directly in front of them.

"What are you doing?" Kaoru asked cautiously. The prisoner was busily hacking away at the grove, creating a small path forward. Despite the incessant felling of bamboo poles, he hadn't let go of her hand.

"We need to get to that road." He gestured to the road beyond the grove.

"Yes, but why are we going through here? There's a road connecting this one to that path in the field behind us."

The prisoner grinned. "Yes, a road peopled with guards from the garrison," he turned to look at her, "you wouldn't want me to be caught, would you?"

Kaoru scowled. It would have been the easiest thing to cross the adjacent road and be apprehended by the garrison soldiers. The prisoner wasn't stupid. And it did nothing to help her situation.

The bamboo grove they had to cross was only a few feet wide but the going was slow since the prisoner would stop and freeze each time he heard a sound. The grove was very dense, bamboo shoots pushed and strained against each other, trying to pull the others down. The prisoner would push them away, and hold them in place, then jerk Kaoru forward so she could cross first. She didn't know what to make of his absent minded chivalry. As she carefully picked her feet through the thicket, she felt a sharp edge cutting across her shin. Wincing, she looked down, but couldn't see anything. She would need to examine her leg more carefully rather than trying to give it a glance as they ran around the village.

There had been a brief respite from the rain when the garrison was attacked, but as the fighting intensified, the rain returned. First, only a few large drops of water had begun to fall, but by and by the drops of rain transformed into a torrent. The streets had barely been drained before they were flooded once more with rain water. Kaoru's hair stuck to her scalp and she shivered as the cold water seeped through her clothes to touch her skin. She looked at the prisoner hopefully but he showed no signs of slowing down. It seemed as though the rain did not bother him in the slightest.

The mud was thick and viscous but even though she tried to drag her feet and slow them down, the prisoner kept marching forward. Kaoru groaned. The prisoner turned. He had tied her hands together with a piece of rope, connecting it to a short length of rope which he held firmly in his hand. He tugged at the rope. Kaoru was jerked forward. Her knees hit the ground and she felt an unpleasant crunch in her leg. She gasped from the pain. Biting back a curse, she glared at him viciously, and shook her head vigorously. She was exhausted and could promise that she had never been angrier in her life. She twisted her fingers around the rope and pulled hard. Limping to one side of the dirt road, she sat down on the stump of a tree. The prisoner walked over to her determinedly. He twisted another knot into the rope making it shorter. Without any warning, he pulled at it viciously.

The rope scraped roughly against her skin. Kaoru winced and looked up at him in annoyance.

"What?" She spat out.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"My hands hurt and I'm tired."

"I don't have the time to sit around. I need to get out of the village tonight." Kenshin said irritably.

Kaoru looked at him wearily. "Fine. Untie my hands. This is no way to treat a human being!"

"The rope stays. I can't have you slacking off."

"In that case, I can't do anything about it. I'm tired." Kaoru turned away. She was risking her life by being so reckless; she knew that. However, if the prisoner became angry enough to let his guard down, perhaps she could still run and find help.

"Get up and start moving. Don't make me repeat what we need to do."

A fresh wave of anger and annoyance swept over her and she rose to her feet, ignoring the pain that seared through her body. "We need to do nothing! You're the one who has to get out of here, not me! And besides, I am tired. In case you haven't noticed, the roads are flooded, my slippers have broken and I have a cut on my leg. I am in no position to walk right now. So, if you want to break my arm, because I refuse to move an inch more, you can go ahead and do it." She sat down once again. Bending at the waist, she wrapped her arms around her stomach and leaned forward, rocking slightly.

The prisoner didn't say anything in response to her outburst. He seemed surprised at first, and then started smiling as if he were amused. He bent and lifted the hem of her kimono. Kaoru instinctively jerked her leg and slapped his hands away.

"What is wrong with you? What are you doing?" She blurted out.

Kenshin sighed. He ran a finger along his brow and shook the water off his temples. Sitting back on his haunches, he glanced at her. "I am trying to see if there's something I can do for your leg. I need your help to leave this village. I can't have you stopping every five minutes. At this rate, I'd be thrown back into the dungeons before I even get to the edge of the district."

"Oh." She replied sheepishly.

"Yes. Oh. I am not trying to molest you or anything. I mean, there's a time and place for things like that." He raised his eyebrows as though he'd said something he hadn't meant to. "But we won't talk about that right now." He leaned forward. "Let me have a look."

He tried to lift the kimono but once again Kaoru stopped him. This time, she clutched his hand, not allowing him to move. Kenshin clicked his tongue in annoyance and look back at her.

"What now?"

Kaoru watched him quietly, as though she was trying to make up her mind about something. Finally she attempted to stand. "I'll walk. I'm alright."

"What? You're not tired anymore? Or you don't have a cut anymore?"

"No. I just…..look, it's alright. Let's just go."

"Were you lying about it, is that it? Stop wasting time like that! I already told you, I need to get out of this village fast!"

Her legs shook as she forced herself to stand. Staring at his face, or rather the mess of hair that hid his eyes, she whispered, "I do not lie. And I'm not lying now. I'll be alright."

"The hell you will. Let me look at it." He bent and gingerly lifted the cloth away. "Tell me where it is."

"On my shin," She replied reluctantly.

He whistled softly. Kaoru sat back on the stump and looked at him sharply.

"What?"

He swept his hair out of his eyes and looked up. Kaoru felt her eyebrows shoot up wildly. His eyes. She had never seen eyes so intense. It was as though someone had melted amethysts and poured them inside his skull. They seemed to gleam and shine. She leaned forward, curious to get a closer look. The prisoner seemed taken aback. He frowned and drew back a little.

Kaoru fought hard not to laugh at the befuddled expression on his face. He watched her as warily as a pigeon watched a cat. He dropped her hem and shuffled back a pace. Kaoru stifled a grin. She pulled a straight face.

"What's wrong?"

"You're too close."

Kaoru smirked. "So?"

"It makes me uncomfortable."

The silence stretched over a few seconds. Kaoru arched an eyebrow elegantly and sat up straight. The prisoner seemed to relax.

"You do realise how strange it is, that I would make you uncomfortable, considering our circumstances?"

"Why is it strange?"

Kaoru laughed bitterly. "You kidnapped me!"

The prisoner looked away. He rubbed the back of his neck slowly. "Do you think I brought you along because I thought you were weak?"

"What else could you have thought? You probably thought this girl has nobody to look for her once she's gone. There's nobody who would miss her or follow you to get her back. You thought that you would be safe if you took her with you."

"Does that make you weak?"

"Doesn't it?"

"I don't know. You should be the judge of that. I saw a girl who wasn't scared of being struck by her father to defend her honour. I saw a girl who had pride in who she was, and she stood up for it. And despite the accusations levelled at her, this girl is heartbroken to be separated from her family. She is willing to give a chance to the man who loathes her. I don't see any weakness there, do you?"

"You're not making any sense."

"You didn't panic. An enemy prisoner broke into your house, but you weren't too worried by it."

"What are you talking about? I was terrified!"

"Well, you did a good job of masking that terror. I couldn't have asked for a better escort to get me out of this place. So there you have it, I know you're not weak. That's the reason why you're here."

"That doesn't make me feel any better."

"That's another matter altogether. I can't do much about your feelings."

"You're insane."

"Am I?" The prisoner scratched his chin. "Maybe I am. I shouldn't be sitting here in the middle of a dirt road talking to you. Much too dangerous, but I don't mind. It's been very long since I spoke to someone. A cell is a lonely place to be in."

Kaoru stared at the prisoner warily. He pursed his lips and stood up. He held his hand out. She stared at the hand stretched towards her. The strange conversation had taken away her fear of the prisoner. She didn't feel afraid of him anymore; instead she felt a queer sense of empathy for him. He seemed slightly mad and pitiable.

"Come on. I've figured where we have to go."

"Have you?" Kaoru stood. The prisoner took her hand once more. They trudged down the road, deeper into the valley. Kaoru turned and looked back at the road they'd come from.

"Wait, what are you doing? This isn't the way out; there are more houses down there."

"I know. I need to find a certain house."

"What kind of house?"

"We have a mole in the village. I have to see him."

"A mole? In this village? That's not possible. This village has always supported the shogun. The shogun has been very kind to us, and he has very loyal supporters here."

The prisoner smirked. "Loyalty can be bought."

Kaoru bristled. "Not in this village!"

The prisoner kept walking. "Everyone has a price. You just need to know what it is."

"Do you have a price?" She retorted.

"Yes." She was stunned by the ready reply. The prisoner stopped and listened. He pulled her down behind a hedge, and peered over it. He scanned the area quickly.

"Alright. I think this is it. There's no mistake this time. Come on."

They crept out from behind the hedge. Kaoru looked around and froze when her eyes rested on the sprawling mansion directly in front of them. She whipped her head first left then right, checking if anyone had seen them. The prisoner started to move forward, but she caught his arm.

"No wait! Wait, there's a mistake! You can't go in there!"

"Why not?" He answered and kept walking, dragging her along. Kaoru dug her heels into the ground and tried to dig her nails into his arm.

"Because that is the house of the district Dan! If you in there, you'll get caught for sure and I will be arrested for aiding an enemy!"

"It's a bit too late for that. You'll be arrested no matter which house I choose to enter now. And if this is the house of the Dan, then all the better, he'll be easier to handle."

"What do you mean, easier to handle?"

"I have a lot of experience with the shogun's vassals. They tend to wet themselves in the face of danger."

"That's a despicable thing to say. It's a lie!"

"Despicable or not, it's what happens. Don't fret, you'll see for yourself."

"He's an official. He's going to kill you and put me to work on the garrison fields again, or worse, put me in jail."

The prisoner merely rolled his eyes. Kaoru kicked, aiming for his shin. The prisoner winced as her foot connected but he kept moving. Kaoru shoved against him, throwing all her weight at him. The prisoner spun around facing her. He dug his fingers into her wrists. Kaoru screamed with pain. Her raw and swollen wrists began to bleed as his fingers rubbed off the thin blood clots that had slowly formed on them.

"Don't try to fight me. You'll lose." He whispered into her ear. Grabbing her elbow, he forced her to march to the gate, up the winding path that led to the house and didn't stop until they were at the door.

Kaoru jerked her hand away roughly. The prisoner looked at her disinterestedly and banged on the door. There was a small bronze bell hanging on the porch. He tapped it with his wakizashi, sending it ringing clearly.

"You're mad. You're an animal, a monster!"

He turned. She could see his amethyst eyes gleam behind his filthy hair. He smiled. "Perhaps. But I think I'm right."

"They're going to catch you and throw you in prison or behead you in the village square."

"Would that please you?"

"Yes! It will please me very much. Very much!"

"You're going to be disappointed." He nonchalantly sat down on the porch, waiting for someone to appear from inside the house. He glanced at her. A slow smile curled his lips as he watched her seething. He sighed dramatically.

"Strange isn't it? There is an attack on the garrison by the rebels, a prisoner escapes and the chief official of the village sends all his guards away. He has no concern for the safety of his own family, but his heart bleeds for the peasants and so he dispatches all his men to their aid. How noble."

Kaoru stepped away from him. Her eyes grew wide in horror. "No…it can't be, not Yukishiro-sama….he wouldn't. His son is fighting the rebels!"

The prisoner watched as her face convulsed. He bent his head. "Everyone has a price."

The door creaked open. The prisoner leapt up and stood straight. His hand rested on the hilt of his katana, a gesture not lost on the man standing at the door.

He peered at the prisoner suspiciously. "Why are you here?"

"I was told I would get help here."

"Are you the prisoner?" The man seemed to shrink behind the door. It was as though he wanted to turn and run but some unseen force outside him was holding him to the door.

The prisoner merely jerked his head. His eyes were revealed. Kaoru watched the man's eyes grow as wide as saucers. His hand fell beside him. He took a step back hesitantly, then bowed and held the door open. The prisoner smirked. He turned and took her arm, pulling her into the house.

The servant glared at her with open hostility and disgust. "What is she doing here?" His voice quivered with indignation.

The prisoner gave him a withering look. "Tell your master to get down here. I don't have all night."

The servant drew himself to his full height. "My master will take his time. You can't give me orders!"

The prisoner turned to look at him. The servant backed away. Losing interest, the prisoner stretched his arms and sat down cross-legged on the floor. He pulled his katana out of his belt and set it down on floor beside him. Kaoru stood uncertainly, aware of the black looks the servant cast her way as he made his exit. She tugged at the rope. The prisoner looked up at her. He glanced at her hands. He beckoned her to come close. Kaoru held her hands out to him. The prisoner slid the wakizashi between her wrists and cut the ropes.

A step creaked. He pivoted and stood. The master of the house stood at a door across the room. He was dressed in the rich silk that was the emblem of the aristocracy. His proud face betrayed no emotion and his hair was held securely by a topknot on his head. The pride of generations of pure breeding and high birth reflected upon his face like the light of fading sun. He strode forward.

Kaoru felt her eyes blur as angry tears streaked her eyes. This house and its owner, the proud defender and representative of the Shogunate was actually a mole, working for the rebels. Tears spilled over onto her cheeks. She wiped them away viciously. It was such a farce! This man was mocking the lives of all those men who were fighting for their way of life. He disrespected the memory of all those who had fallen in the war and for what? So he could amass another fortune. His own son's life held no value for him.

"How could you?" She whispered. She stared at the floor. The prisoner turned to look at her questioningly. But she wasn't looking at him. She was glaring at the man who was striding closer towards them.

"Enishi is fighting in the war. He hasn't been home in a year. How could you disrespect his sacrifice so cheaply? You're shamelessly helping the people he's fighting! Don't you have any shame?"

The man smirked. "Don't pretend to know about things you will never understand. What does a peasant know about war and politics?"

Kaoru sniffed. She stood straight. "I may be a peasant, but I would never sell Enishi out like this! You're helping the men he has gone to fight!"

"And you accompany the Patriots' best assassin like a chattel. Be silent. You are nothing, don't forget that." He turned to the prisoner.

"I trust you didn't have much trouble finding the house?"

The prisoner shook his head. "I was given good instructions."

"And this girl?" He pointed a long manicured finger towards Kaoru.

The prisoner smirked. "I'm taking her as compensation." He grinned. The nobleman wrinkled his nose as though he was disgusted.

"Alright then, here are the things you will need. Papers to show at the border, you will need to memorise the details. I'm enclosing a ring; the guards will recognise you as one of the shogun's men. I have already sent news of your arrival at the check post. You ought to have no problems."

The prisoner silently perused the documents. He slipped the ring onto a finger. The nobleman watched him closely, but the prisoner betrayed no emotions. His face was like a mask, empty.

The nobleman cleared his throat. "Is there anything else?"

The prisoner nodded. "I need clothes, food and a small knife. And some soap and water"

The man nodded. "I'll see what I can arrange." As he turned to go, the prisoner called out to him again.

"Something for the girl to wear as well."

The man gave a stiff nod and disappeared into the dark house. The prisoner folded the papers and thrust them deep inside his sleeve. He sank against a silk screen and rested his elbows on his knees. Kaoru stood rooted to her spot. Her fists were clenched and her eyes were red. She had willed herself to stop crying but the turmoil in her heart was far from over. Such betrayal was inconceivable. Enishi would be shattered if he knew. Despite herself, Kaoru smiled at the memory of the man she loved. Enishi was brave and noble, but most importantly, he was fearless. That was why he had left to fight at the frontline even though he could have stayed home on the pretence of defending the district, like so many other young noblemen had done. But he wasn't a coward like them. He was truthful. He wasn't afraid to risk everything for the sake of his country. He was a hero.

A loud yawn echoed in the room and she broke out of her reverie. The prisoner sat rubbing his eyes.

"Contemplating much?"

"What would you know?" She replied patronizingly.

"More than you'd give me credit for. What're you thinking about?"

"I can't believe Enishi's father would do this! How can he betray us like this? And he feels no shame at all!"

"He's trying to do the best he can, given the circumstances."

"He sold us out!"

"I think you're more upset by the fact that he is this Enishi's father than anything else."

"Well of course! How could he even think of doing something so cowardly, so abominable?"

The prisoner regarded her carefully. He smiled. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't patronise me! I understand perfectly well. And what do you care, he's your mole! You would defend him, wouldn't you?"

"You've never been in a war. You don't know what its like, to kill a man or to watch your comrades die slow deaths right in front of you. Courage becomes different when you're an inch away from death."

"Yes but he is not an inch away from death! He has no excuse!"

"He is trying to secure the future of his children. If the Ishin Shishi win, his children will still retain a place in the new world. He chose life over death. He needs no excuse for that."

Kaoru threw her arms up in frustration. The servant who had let them in appeared once more. He held a towel, a brush and a bar of soap in his hands. He placed them at a careful distance from the prisoner and withdrew. Moments later, he returned, carrying a medium-sized wooden tub. He filled it halfway with warm water and beat a hasty retreat. The prisoner stood and began to pull his gi off.

Kaoru sat down and turned away. She could hear the faint splash of the water as he lowered himself into the tub. The prisoner moaned. He had almost forgotten what clean, warm water felt like. He went lower into the water, till it lapped at his chin. The warm water soothed his tired muscles. He lay still, watching the shadows play across the ceiling. He blinked and heaved himself up. Water spilled over the tub, making a puddle on the wooden floor. He grabbed the brush from the floor and began to scrub the dirt off his body.

Kaoru sat still, with her eyes glued to the wall. The prisoner was making a lot of noise. She could hear the rough scrubbing of the brush. She waited. For someone who kept barking about the lack of time, he was taking forever.

"Aren't you finished yet?" She asked testily. The prisoner raised his head.

"No."

"Hurry up!"

He smiled mischievously. "I might need some help."

Kaoru froze. "What?"

"Come here. You'll have to wash my back, I can't reach."

"You can't ask me to do something like that!"

"Who else do I ask?"

"I'll call the servant."

"I don't trust him."

"Do you trust me? That would be a mistake."

"I'm willing to take a gamble on you. Come here."

"No."

The prisoner sighed. "I need you to cut my hair as well. It keeps falling into my eyes." Kaoru didn't move. "I won't tie you up again. Does that help?"

"No."

He stood. She could tell by the noise the water made as it dripped of his body. She cringed. "Here, if I hold the towel like this, you can't see anything."

Kaoru turned very slowly. The prisoner was sitting in the tub. He held a towel up and plunged it under the water. His chest was bare. She swallowed. He was…perfect. She had worked at the hospital long enough to get over any embarrassment at seeing a man's naked chest. Besides, he was built beautifully. He had a lean, slender frame packed with muscles. She stood. As she approached, he picked up another towel from the floor and placed it across the tub.

Smiling mischievously at her, he said, "Here, this should help as well."

She frowned at him. She pulled a stool close and sat down. She looked around and spotted a small knife sitting amongst the brush and soap. Clasping the hilt tightly, she grabbed a clump of the hair that hung over his eyes. The prisoner jumped. He was surprised by her nonchalance.

"How short do you want it?"

"Just cover my forehead, and if you leave a few strands longer than that, it's alright. Do your best."

Kaoru nodded and set to work. She snipped the longer sections of his hair which made it difficult for him to see properly. As she cut, she studied his face with care. He had very fine features. The skin was taut and without blemishes, save for a scar on his left cheek, but strangely it only seemed to add to his looks. He kept his eyes lowered while she cut which was disappointing since she wanted to see his purple hued eyes again. His eyelashes were long and black. She squirmed slightly. He really had no right to be so attractive. In all honesty, she had never seen a knife and bar of soap do so much for a man.

"I'm done." She stood quickly, wiped her hands on a towel and stepped away from the tub.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" He asked in a quiet voice. She turned. He held the brush up and pointed to his back. She groaned.

"I don't want to trouble you but it's necessary. I can't walk around smelling like a prison cell."

She strode back to the tub and snatched the brush from his hand. Pushing his head forward, she began to scrub his back with a vengeance. The prisoner fidgeted but she soon put an end to that by scrubbing even more vigorously.

"I would like to keep my skin, if you don't mind."

"Oh I don't mind, not in the least. We don't want you smelling bad right?"

The prisoner sighed and resigned himself. Kaoru kept scrubbing back and forth. He pursed his lips and winced every now and then, when the brush would scrape over his reddened skin.

"Okay I think you're finished. You can stop now."

"Oh no. Not yet, you're quite filthy I assure you."

"No, I think it's alright. I can manage." He waited for her to stop but when she didn't, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

"You're done." The prisoner replied brusquely and began to stand. Kaoru yelped. She dropped the brush, fled to the opposite wall and turned her back to the prisoner. She could hear him chuckling softly. It was a very pleasant sound. He wrapped the dry towel around his waist and gingerly ran his fingers across his back. His skin stung a little but at least he was clean. He breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The door slid open and the master of the house stepped in. He had a pile of clothes in his arms, which he dropped unceremoniously at the prisoner's feet. The prisoner knelt and picked up a few articles of clothing. He dressed quickly, and turned to the pile again. There were two plain yet elegant kimonos sitting at the bottom of the pile, dyed blue and dark green. He picked them up and smiled. They would complement the girl's eyes.

"Thank you. These will do very well."

The nobleman gave scornful laugh. "They belonged to my late wife, but I don't think she'd grudge them to someone in need. Even if it is the whore of an Ishin Shishi assassin."

Kaoru gasped. She felt hot tears welling up in her eyes. Her entire being protested against the injustice of it all. The callous slander hurt her more than the bruises on her wrists.

The prisoner remained silent. But his eyes burned a permanent fear into the nobleman's mind. He backed away slowly. The prisoner packed the food into a small cloth bag and handed it to Kaoru. He sheathed the knife and tucked it into his sash. He clasped her hand firmly and walked out the door. The pair quickly made their way out of the house. Kaoru was silent.

The rain had stopped. They spotted a dozen bright lights at the crown of the hill they had descended to reach the Yukishiro mansion. It was probably the guards, returning from the village. They held torches in their hands and were swiftly making their descent. The prisoner turned away from the road and began to march confidently in the opposite direction.

Kaoru tugged at his sleeve. "Please listen. I don't want to go with you. Just let me be. Let me go home."

He ignored her pleas.

"This is my entire world. Don't take me away from it. I can't leave. I made a promise….to someone. I have to stay. Please, I beg you. Let me go!"

He stopped. Kaoru felt a glimmer of hope. The prisoner faced her.

"There is nothing left for you here. You heard him. Before daybreak tomorrow, he is going to spread the word that you ran away with an Ishin Shishi assassin and became his mistress."

Kaoru shook her head. "They won't believe it."

The prisoner sighed. "Do you really believe that?"

"It's a lie."

"How many of them do you think, will care whether it's a lie or not?"

"They won't believe it. I know they won't." Her voice began to crack as the tears threatened to spill over.

"It doesn't matter. I don't want to let you go."

Kaoru snapped her head up and stared at him. "Why would you say something like that?"

He tilted his head to the side, watching her eyes. "I want you to stay with me. I need you to leave this district."

"I don't know the way! I've never been outside the village! I am no help, okay?"

He laughed softly. Placing his hands on her cheeks, he tilted her face up. "I don't need a map, just a companion."

"I won't go!"

"You know how that argument ends. I don't think your arm is up to getting twisted again."

Kaoru bit her lip silently. The walls were slowly closing around her. She looked back at the village, the place where she had lived her entire life. The only place she knew in the whole world. It suddenly seemed so small, and the road she stood upon so vast. She turned away from it and looked at the prisoner uncertainly.

He sighed. "I need you to come with me. They're looking for a prisoner travelling alone. If you come with me, I will be less easy to catch. And besides, right now, if you go back home, your father will kill you. But if you come back later, you can say that I kidnapped you, which I did, and everything will go back to normal. Even if your father doesn't believe you, which he won't, consider the way he found us, but your friends in the village will stand by you." He spoke softly, trying to persuade her in any way possible. Kaoru nibbled on her lip, thinking carefully. He smirked. He had won.

"Where are we going?"

The prisoner smiled. "Kyoto."

Author's Notes

Sorry for the long delay. I hope everyone liked the chapter. If not….feel free to flame me. Meh, I'm so generous!

Okay, Hotshots! Pop quiz!!

When Kaoru asks Kenshin if he has a price, he replies in the affirmative, what do you think he meant by that?

Correct answers get ...hmmmm let's see...Okay, if you get the answer right, I will write a fic with your preferred pairing in whichever genre you want, ok?

Sound good?