The Dance of the Firefly

Chapter 6

Enishi stared at the retreating form of the train, watching as it ran further and further away from him. What was Kaoru doing on that train? What on earth had happened while he was gone? He clenched his fists. It must have something to do with her father. He swore under his breath. If that brute had laid a hand on her, he'd kill him. He'd lost count of the times he would find some bruise or wound on her hands and arms, lamenting the tale of her agony. She would always stop him from doing something about it.

"He's my father Enishi. I won't have you hurt him for anything."

"He doesn't deserve the respect you give him. He's an animal Kaoru!"

"Please don't say things like that…I know it's hard but I feel that deep down, he's also getting tired of this. I think he's very lonely and he might change."

"And pigs will fly."

Her pained expression at his sarcastic words would make him regret it immediately and he'd quickly say something to make her think of other things but he never had much faith in the old scoundrel. He knew what he was capable of. He frowned. But, he had already arranged for Kaoru to be brought to his family seat if something bad happened. He had told his father about Kaoru and also asked him to keep an eye on things while he was gone…then how did this happen?

He turned slowly and began to walk back towards the entrance to the railroad station where a servant was probably waiting with a carriage. He ignored the press of peasants as they came scurrying forward to hoist themselves into the next train. The whistle blew loudly and the platform was flooded with steam from the engine. Enishi walked as though in a daze, realizing that his father's calm acceptance of a peasant girl as the future bride of his son was a sham, that the comforting words he had spoken to him at his departure were a lie. His father had never intended to do anything for Kaoru. It was just a ploy to get him to quickly leave the village.

His fingers curled into fists and his jaw tightened. He quickly picked up the pace and marched briskly to the gate of the station. Sure enough, the carriage was ready, a servant sat at the head of the carriage, gently flicking the ends of the whip over the backs of the horses, a liveried groom stood on the ground, with his hand on the door of the carriage, ready to swing it open as the young master appeared. He didn't know why…but his blood boiled at the sight. The liveried grooms, the imported carriage, the trappings of a decaying house, the snobbery of privileged blood – he felt like taking a torch and setting fire to it all. His nails dug into his palm and he felt heat coursing through his veins.

"Enishi? What's wrong?" The silvery voice of a young girl cut across his thoughts. He turned, frowning, irritated with the interruption. The girl stared at him for a few moments before giggling. She covered her mouth prettily with her small hand and looked up at him through lowered eyelashes.

"My word, you do look vicious when you're angry. What happened?" Her eyes danced as she took in his countenance. Enishi looked away. This was another problem. His mother had passed away some years ago. In accordance with her final wishes, the family had sent for a spinster maternal aunt to take care of the broken household left behind. Enishi had been sceptical about her arrival. Her presence was intrusive and unwelcome as far as he was concerned. He tried to stay away from her as much as possible but she still managed to intrude into his daily existence and pester him as much as she dared.

Her transparent schemes to make him meet "eligible" daughters of noblemen were enough to make him declare that he would leave the family home for good if she didn't stop. But here we were back to the same old story. Here was a war waging and all she could think about was entertaining the daughters of her friends. And he got saddled with the job of bringing this frivolous creature back home – as though he had nothing better to do! What a waste of time!

"Nothing. Let's go." He was about to climb into the carriage when he noticed the girl staring at him pointedly. He rolled his eyes and sighed. Holding his hand out to her, he helped her into the carriage and followed her inside. As the carriage lurched forward, the girl looked outside and launched into a monologue about the charm of the countryside and village life. Enishi plastered a smile on his face and tuned her out. They had at least half an hour before they reached the mansion of the district dan, his father.

Kaoru….what would he do without her? She meant the world to him. So brave and beautiful – a lesser girl would have collapsed under the weight of sorrow and pain destiny had seen fit to give her but not Kaoru. She always found a reason to smile and a reason to hope. She would tell him that she drew strength from his love but he knew it was the other way around. He didn't have half the courage she did. He drew courage from her, from her faith in him. Kaoru wanted to believe him when he said he would fix everything but he knew she doubted that it would happen. He saw the fear and the doubt in her eyes. The gulf between a nobleman's son and the daughter of a peasant was far too wide to even fathom crossing. Even then…she had told him, even back then….

He pulled her into his arms and held her face in his hands. "You are going to be my bride one day. Lord it over the rest of the village then." He bent his head to plant small, lingering kisses on her neck. Kaoru wrapped her arms around him tighter and buried her face in his shoulder.

"Enishi…your family might not want me. I have nothing to give you – no title, no lineage, no fortune, nothing." She mumbled almost as though she didn't want him to hear her.

"Nothing to give? Are you crazy?" He held her face up. "You have these gorgeous eyes," he dropped a kiss on her eyelid, "funny little ears," he bit the lobes of her ears naughtily, making her laugh. "And you have this laugh…so joyous, so wonderful. There's not another girl in this world that can make me feel as you do. You make giddy Kaoru, make me crazy. I feel…like I'm drunk on opium when you're near me and I know that I have to have you or I'll die."

She had looked away. She had said nothing but he saw the fear in her eyes. So he crushed her mouth with his lips, telling her with his lips what she wouldn't believe in words, devouring the sweetness of her mouth, coaxing her to let him in, sweeping the roof of her mouth with his tongue as she surrendered in his arms. He kissed her with a ferocity that frightened her because her hands were suddenly stopping him, her arms blocking his hands, her body twisting away from his, her lips nervously saying 'no'. "Enishi, we can't, it's wrong. Stop please….I'm not ready for this."

He stopped. Pulled back. Looked at her. She was scared. His precious Kaoru was scared of him. He didn't blame her…he was a little scared of his loss of control too. When had kissing her become so dangerous? When did he become possessed of the idea of having her, taking her, making her his forever….forever starting now, right now, not a moment later. He bit his lip. Suddenly he was noticing things about her that he was certain he hadn't seen before. The black mole on the left side of her neck, just begging to be kissed. The way she was breathing right now…what would it sound like if her breathing became laboured? The thin band of dark black circling the sapphire of her eyes, the tiny green vein that showed on the translucent skin of her wrist, the curve of her breasts as they strained against her clothes….maybe it was better for him to leave for the frontier now.

It was dangerous being around Kaoru. He knew he didn't have the strength to stop asking her. He would keep asking, she would refuse…but perhaps, one day, in a moment of weakness, she might acquiesce. And then….he would take her, ready or not, right or wrong…and if that happened…she would never forgive him. He had to stay away from her. He had to leave to fight anyway…he might as well leave a few weeks earlier.

He shut his eyes as the girl's chatter refused to die down. How was he to know that leaving would make things worse for Kaoru? Maybe she had been so troubled that she had decided to leave the village, and with him gone, maybe that was the only option open to her. He clenched his fingers into a fist. He should have been here. She needed him! Where would he go look for her now?

The carriage stopped. He alighted, helped the young woman down and delivered her into the hands of an elderly maid.

"Please take the young lady to my aunt." Having said so, he turned on his heel and began to walk back towards the gates of the mansion. He didn't notice the warning in the old lady's face, as she nervously cast a glance backwards where the lord of the mansion had appeared to receive his son. He didn't notice his father standing on the porch, looking down at him with stormy eyes.

"What task is so important that draws you away from the side of a father who has waited so long to see his son?" It was a voice accustomed to command, a voice steeped in pride and disdain. The voice of a nobleman. Enishi stopped in his tracks. He slowly turned. He had promised not to lose his temper when he questioned his father about Kaoru. He personally didn't care but he knew that Kaoru would not like him to disrespect his elders. It was something that mattered a lot to her and he would respect that above everything else.

"Father." He bowed stiffly. "I am happy to see you well."

"I would be happier still if those words were true."

Enishi remained silent. How could he try to convince his father that he cared when he wasn't sure himself if the respect he showed him was not just mere posturing and the result of long years of training? What he knew about his father didn't inspire much respect – he siphoned money from tax collections, he had a mistress, he frequented gambling dens and inevitably brothels and all his tenants wanted him dead. Would he respect such a man if he wasn't his son? Definitely not.

"Anyway, come inside. I am keen to hear about the war." He turned and stepped back inside, not bothering to check if Enishi followed or not. Enishi scowled and followed him inside to a room that might have been a library had his father had any taste for learning. His father sat imperiously in a fabulous beaten leather armchair that Enishi didn't recognise.

"Is that chair new?" He asked curiously. His father smiled proudly. He stroked the soft leather lovingly and nodded.

"I see you approve. Isn't she a beauty? I simply could not resist. She was shipped in last week. It took an entire wagon to bring her parts here, and then the carpenter put it together."

Enishi felt his frown grow deeper. "Great. The entire country is languishing in want and hunger, and you go buy yourself a chair…a chair you don't need."

"Don't presume you can tell me how to spend my money."

"It's hardly your money Father. It's an inheritance left to you, and most of it siphoned off from taxes that belong to the Shogun. The farmer who tills your fields probably has more right to it than you do. What did you ever do to earn it?"

"Listen to this boy! I do not need to earn it. I am a nobleman. It is my birthright - the right of my lineage and yours too. But of course, why would you understand? You are willing to dishonour our ancestors and our entire clan by bringing a peasant into this house!" His mouth twisted as his entire body convulsed with rage. "Did you think I would allow it?"

Enishi looked at him in disbelief. His father continued. "The daughter of a peasant becoming a part of this house, have you lost your mind?"

The subtle movement of his jaw clenching in barely controlled anger went unnoticed by his father. "I don't care if she's a peasant."

The lord pointed a finger at him. "You will not disgrace this house by allying with a peasant."

Enishi gave his eyes a slight roll and threw himself into a chair. His actions made it clear that he really didn't care what his father said anymore. "I don't think you heard me. I don't care if she's a peasant. I love her and I mean to marry her."

Enishi watched as his father stared at him in fury and then through tremendous focus, he contained his anger and pushed it deep inside him. The lord leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. "She must be quite remarkable for you to be so taken with her. Tell me, what other talents does she have that you simply cannot do without her?"

Enishi scowled. He didn't like the tone his father took and he knew nothing good would come of it.

"You know, back in the day, when I was your age, there was a this girl from the village that I was interested in. She was fresh faced, young, beautiful and no less than a tigress in bed." He smirked. Enishi felt sick. He looked away.

"Don't finish whatever it is you wanted to say. I don't want to hear it. I should have known. Your mind can't process anything that goes beyond gold and a meaningless roll in the sheets."

The lord laughed shamelessly. "That's the beauty of it. Whether you like it or not, the truth is that girls like this Kaoru are meant to provide sport for men like us. Even if you want to ignore this truth, it doesn't mean others will do so as well."

Enishi shot a glance upwards. "Others? What do you mean 'others'?"

The lord laughed softly. "You really have no idea what happened do you?

Enishi stood. A chill ran down his spine and he fought a shudder as he looked into his father's eyes. "Tell me."

The lord leaned back in his chair, enjoying the torment that was so clearly visible in his son's face. It was time to strip away the wool settled over his eyes. By the time he finished, Enishi would be ready to kill the girl the second he laid eyes on her. "Your Kaoru… has run away…with a prisoner from the garrison…she has become the mistress of an Ishin Shishi assassin."

oOoOoOo

Kenshin kept his eyes shut as the first drops of tear water fell upon his forehead. The girl hurriedly wiped them away from his forehead even as she continued to sob pitifully as the train pulled away from the station. Her body jerked with the strain of trying to hold the tears in, her breath broke as she bit her lips, trying to drown her sobs in her throat, hoping that he wouldn't notice. He opened his eyes but didn't stir. By and by, as the miles raced past and the evening turned to twilight, her sobbing subsided. She pulled her hands away from her eyes and curled them into fists. She pressed them down into her knees, trying to gather strength. Finally, she stared out of the window with red eyes.

He wondered if he should say something. She was in obvious pain. So…there had been a man. Enishi….if he had heard correctly. Enishi….now where had he heard this name before? He just couldn't put his finger on it. He frowned. He had heard this name somewhere and now he couldn't remember where or when….wait….he remembered. It was at the house of the mole. Of course! That was his name! She had been so nervous entering the house and when she had found out that the owner of the house was the Ishin Shishi mole, she had been furious! Because of Enishi….because Enishi was fighting the rebels…that was it.

She was involved with a man called Enishi and this man's father had assisted the enemy in escaping – the enemy Enishi was fighting. Well, that certainly wasn't a comfortable situation to be in.

He stole a glance at her. She seemed beaten, defeated. He frowned. She didn't look right like this. Sitting there, staring out of the window looking so forlorn – somehow this picture rankled. It felt wrong. He had seen her smile once, and that's the only thing that fit. He shifted his position. Kaoru looked down, startled.

"What happened?" Her eyes grew wide as she watched his lips curl into a familiar smirk. He shook his head slightly, and his bangs fell into his eyes once more. Drawing his shoulders back, he placed a hand on her knee and stood. Grabbing the bedroll, he pulled it back a few paces and dropped down upon it. Settling his wrists upon his knees, he sat and stared at her.

Kaoru squirmed uncomfortably. She wasn't used to anyone staring at her so pointedly. It was downright indecent. She looked away in irritation, hoping that he would notice and stop his incessant staring. She frowned.

"What are you staring at?"

Kenshin quirked an eyebrow up. "Finally – she speaks. I thought you'd left your tongue behind in the village."

Kaoru turned to the window. "What do you want?"

"Who was that man?"

Kaoru turned stiff. She clenched her fingers, a gesture that didn't go unnoticed by the man sitting opposite her. He watched as she bunched her fingers into fists in the cloth of her kimono. "What man?"

"You know what I'm talking about. The man at the window."

Kaoru carefully steadied her breathing before answering. She shook her head earnestly. "There was nobody there. You're imagining things."

Kenshin laughed. "You know better than to try that with me kid."

"I'm not a kid!" Kaoru retorted.

"Yes, you are."

"You don't look at me like I'm a kid. You don't even treat me like one."

Kenshin wavered a bit. He smirked. This was quickly becoming interesting. He leaned forward, his voice soft and dangerous. "And just how do I look at you?"

Kaoru lowered her eyes. She knew better than to answer such a loaded question. The sound of his laughter forced her to look up again. He was grinning.

"I can't remember the last time I saw a girl turn into a tomato. You really are a kid. Now come on, who was he?"

Kaoru didn't look at him. Her thoughts had turned to Enishi again. She shut her eyes. It was only a matter of time before he reached home and then his father would tell him….and he would believe him….or would he? Everything was against her. How could she blame him if he really did believe all the rumours that would inevitably start floating about? Enishi….

"Hey, what happened?" Kenshin's voice suddenly was close, too close. His breath tickled her ear and she turned to find his face mere inches away from her own. Her eyes grew wide. He touched her face with his fingers. She pulled back and drew away from him skittishly. Only then did she realize that he wasn't looking at her but at his fingertips. They were glistening with moisture.

"You're crying again." He looked up at her, his face suddenly angry. "Why are you crying Kaoru?"

Kaoru slammed a fist into the bench she was sitting on. "Why do you care? It doesn't matter. Stop pretending to sympathise with me." She stood and walked to the door of the railcar, stumbling as the movement of the railcar unsettled her feet. She held on to the railing near the door, ignoring him as he came to stand opposite her.

"I don't care. I'm just curious. And if some amorous idiot is going to be following you, I need to know whether it's alright to kill him or not." He leaned against the side of the railcar.

Kaoru snapped her head towards him. "Don't talk like that."

Kenshin looked back at her with a challenge in his eyes. "So I kill him then?"

Kaoru smirked. "Enishi is an astounding swordsman. I doubt you'd be able to even land a hit."

Kenshin raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? I have half a mind to go back just to see if you're right."

Kaoru stiffened. "Really?"

He snorted. "Of course not. I have to get to Kyoto." He suddenly turned his head and held up a hand, signalling Kaoru to be silent. He frowned and grabbed her hand, pulling her further inside the railcar.

"What are you doing? Stop pulling me. What's going on?" Kaoru protested as he dragged her deeper and deeper into the railcar. They passed an odd assortment of passengers as they moved into the next car. Kaoru wondered if they were going to walk the length of the train when Kenshin suddenly pulled her up and told her to sit behind what looked like an upturned berth.

"Stay here. Don't make a sound and don't answer if someone comes calling for passengers. Okay?"

"Wait," she grabbed his sleeve, "Where are you going?"

"There's fighting going on outside. I'm just going to check on it." He stroked her face with his fingers. "Stay here." He smiled as he left, leaving Kaoru curious and anxious to know what had happened outside. Fighting? How come she couldn't hear anything? As though in answer to her query, the train suddenly slowed down and gradually lurched to a standstill. She could now hear the clang of swords and in the distance, sounds of men on horses. She shivered and hoped Kenshin would come back.

She yelped as an arrowhead pierced the steel of the railcar and embedded itself two inches away from her body. She exhaled. Just what had she gotten herself into?

Author's Note

Hope you all like this update. Please let me know what you think because I haven't written anything for this fic in over a year. And I am once again writing three fics at once. Not the best of ideas but have to move them along, you know.

Please review! Thank you!