Apparently, for Yamato, tea solves everything, Kerowyn thought, amused, sitting on a cushion as Kenshin poured her out a dark cup-full. Well, I could use the wake-up.

If she reached out with her mind, she could still catch the edge of Darkwind and Elspeth giggling over Kenshin's pole-axed look. :I can't believe we thought he might be a blood-path mage,: Elspeth had told the Captain privately as the two mages left. :Head over heels. We're not going to be able to get those two apart with a crowbar!: Another burst of laughter shook through her thoughts; more relief than humor. Elspeth might be as willing to take on a dozen enemies of Valdemar before breakfast as any Herald, but like anyone who'd survived the late unlamented Ancar, she was painfully glad not to be dealing with another mage powered by blood sacrifice.

:Though I felt... it was as if he sensed the bond forming, and fought to prevent it. Has that ever happened before, Captain?: Darkwind had asked, half his mind already on what he'd need to do to get his still-sleeping bondbird ready for the trip. :One almost bound, trying to avoid that fate?:

:Ah...: Kero had frowned, thinking.

:Tell them yes, and not to worry about it,: Sayvel had told her privately. :Something tells me this is one of those "private matters" Yamato are so fond of, and Elspeth's already stepped on her tongue enough for one night.:

:I suppose a lifebond would be private...: Kerowyn thought reluctantly.

:That's the problem, Chosen. Whatever Himura and Kaoru are caught up in, it's not a lifebond.:

:Not a- then what the hells is it?:

:Don't know,: Sayvel admitted. :It Felt like something empathic; seemed to jolt through Kaoru's wild Gift. But lifebonds happen fast. Usually at first sight. They may not be evident for a good long while - Talia and Dirk went years before he finally broke down and realized he needed her - but they're there. Two auras blended together as one; kill one, the other's got a hole that can bleed it to death. This... whatever it is, it needed time to build. Like one of those red bridges Yamato put over rivers; at first it just looks like a set of wooden jackstraws, then the crew pulls together and you've suddenly got an arch that'll hold an army.:

Kerowyn nodded. :But definitely not a lifebond.:

:No.: Sayvel's voice had turned wry. :Believe me, I've seen plenty.: She'd sighed. :Would you tell them? It's true, as far as it goes - and we've got enough problems without them mixing in.:

Do we ever, Kero thought now. One of which was the ex-Heir turned Herald-Mage, soon to be on her way to Hardorn, blithely convinced that because a man could love, he couldn't be a blood-mage. Gods, to believe the world was that simple. When was I that young?

:I don't know. Eight?: Sayvel said dryly. :It's not all Elspeth's fault, you know. Companions influence their Heralds, and Gwena's - well, Gwena. She has a very... straightforward... view of the world, sometimes.:

Yes; Herald Dirk had mentioned that more than once. While all Companions had fairly firm ethics, a few tended to see things in very black-and-white terms. Good. Evil. And damn little middle ground in between. :Influence us, hmm?:

She heard a faint, horsy snort from the dojo courtyard, where Sayvel was keeping a still-shaky Megumi company. :I'm a snarly sort for a Companion. Ask anyone. And you spent more than a year fighting Need out of your head. You knew your family - or at least Tarma, Kethry, and Warrl - loved and approved of you just the way you were. You didn't have a traitor father who tried to kill your mother to make up for, or looks that reminded everyone of the bastard every time you turned around, or ferociously bad manners drilled into you by that Imperial spy Hulda that made you a "problem" for everyone to "solve". Being Chosen was not the be-all and end-all of your world. You don't influence.:

Kerowyn smiled wryly. :Thanks. I think.:

:You're welcome,: Sayvel said, just as dryly.

Following Kaoru's lead, Kerowyn wrapped her hand around the bottom of the handle-less cup, feeling the warmth seep through pottery into her bones. Very quiet people, sometimes. Not that she minded the silence meant to accompany that first, thoughtful sip of tea. It gave her a chance to look around this gathering room between the dojo and clinic, meant for use by both families; one of the few places big enough for Sanosuke to kneel down comfortably. Which he was right now, on a straw mat decked with stray white hairs testifying it was usually Megumi's.

Clean and simple. Measured straw mats on the floor, padding polished wood against feet. Flower arrangement in a little niche to the side, a sprightly flow of green leaves and weeping blue flowers. A small green-glass lantern set on a lacquered stand between them, giving just enough light so everyone could see. And against one wall... Kerowyn had to hide the urge to drool. Gods, Tarma would have loved this place!

Books. A whole case of them, most spines marked with the black ink-slashes of Yamato signs, some of the newer ones clearly lettered in modified Valdemaran script. A substantial library by samurai standards... and for most kingdoms, a small ransom.

The Yamato hadn't landed in Valdemar empty-handed. Besides portable wealth of silver, gems, and horses, that quietly violent people had brought with them three jealously-guarded secrets. Silk-making. Sword-making. And book-making.

:How do they do it?: Sayvel wondered, as she had at least once a week since the Yamato had all but dropped in on their heads. :I know part of it has to do with them using paper instead of vellum or parchment, and I know they have inks we don't use - but how do they make books so fast? No scribe can copy out work as fast as they do. Add in the art - it's just impossible!:

:What's impossible is how alike all the copies look,: Kero pointed out. :Scribes and artists just don't make every bit the same. Yet they do.: She couldn't help turning the idea over yet again herself; one of the first things the Yamato had offered for sale were maps, copied and updated from all the information on Valdemar they could verify with the Bardic Circle. Very useful. And to a former mercenary, very frightening. The idea of enemies of Valdemar getting their hands on several detailed maps knotted her gut. :If we could just figure out why the bookmakers and the woodcarvers work hand in glove, I think we'd be halfway there.:

However they did it, Yamato loved books. It was a matter of honor not to be a "brushless" person, as they put it. A samurai could dress in silks and swing a sword however he wanted, but if he couldn't read and write, he was no better than an unbonded mercenary.

And scruffy as he tries to look, Kenshin can write, Kerowyn thought coolly.

:Another nail in his coffin,: Sayvel said darkly. :Ronin and rurouni are wanderers because no clan wants them in their service. Which usually means they can't read. Or they've got a past nobody dares take on. You realize Kaoru's the only reason he's not running like hell?:

A flicker of smile bent Kero's lips. :That, and he's smart enough to know we'd be on him in a heartbeat.: "Healer Gensai. How much do you know?"

"Enough to know I probably shouldn't be here while you discuss the situation." Gensai drained his cup and motioned to Yahiko. "Come along, young man. Let's not complicate matters."

The dark-eyed youngster twisted away, face like a thundercloud. "If Kenshin's in trouble, I'm staying!"

"What you don't know, they can't Truth Spell out of you," the elderly Healer pointed out. "As it is, what you do know could make things difficult for all of us. Though I doubt there's a Herald besides your teacher who knows enough to ask the right questions."

Kerowyn kept a twitch of pure, unadulterated curiosity off her face. The right questions, hmm? It fit with what she'd seen from Yamagata; the man might not lie, but he'd definitely avoid some topics unless someone asked him directly.

And when it comes to Himura, Gensai thinks he knows what the right questions are. Very interesting.

"He's right, Yahiko," Kaoru said firmly. "Weaponsmaster Kerowyn's one of the toughest, fairest Heralds I've ever met. If anyone can fix this-" She faltered, rallied. "It'll be all right. I promise."

:And if it's not, I'll kick a few doors down,: Sanosuke put in. :Come on, kid. Trust me.:

Kerowyn listened to Yahiko grumble his way down the hall with Gensai with half an ear, attention focused on the quiet man kneeling in the shadows on the other side of the lantern. Good spot. I have to work to read him. But I don't think he picked it on purpose; just found it by habit. Old campaigner, no question. He probably doesn't even think about things like that anymore. "Annoying as Mindspeech can be, and it is annoying as hells to have things come back and talk in your head, it can come in handy. Especially when you're trying to get a lot of information from a lot of different people in a very short time. For example, the time it takes to ride from a burned-out shrine to this dojo."

Kenshin didn't stiffen. He didn't even twitch.

But you know exactly where you've laid your sword down, don't you? To the hair.

"Kaoru," Kerowyn said neutrally. "Given what Chief Tostig told me, it's been a busy two weeks."

"Yes. Well-" Kaoru started.

"I know you had good reasons for not asking your fellow Heralds for help." Kerowyn kept her face expressionless. Not too hard; inwardly she was caught between raw annoyance at having this situation dumped in her lap, and reluctant glee that Kamiya had the independence and spirit to pull it off this long. Need to have another talk with Selenay and Talia about expecting more than their Heralds can reasonably give. Mercenaries cross cultures all the time, but they know what they're getting into, and most of their fellow swords are in the same damn boat. Elspeth deals with the Hawkbrothers, sure - but she's been either in a Vale trying to learn and fit in, or here in Valdemar trying to make sure we don't stomp too hard on our allies' toes. This young one's been walking the knife edge of two worlds, and she's got to have damn sore feet. She should have asked for help.

But the Monarch's Own had apparently seen something that had to be handled delicately, for the good of the kingdom, and there just weren't that many Heralds who had any clue about what set Yamato off. And Kerowyn knew herself how hard it was not to give Talia what she asked for.

Admit it; if Kaoru were a merc, you'd be proud of her. She took a bad job and she did it with style. A born teacher. If she can just keep herself in one piece a few more years, she'll finally grow into that sword-style.

:Just as well she is the only heir to this school, and that odd low-grade Empathy of hers makes it better for her to stay here in the dojo rather than the Collegium,: Sayvel put in. :I still don't know why we can't get it shielded, but right now it's just as well we haven't. There's no way you could make this work if we didn't have a Herald in a spot to keep an eye on him.:

:Hush. I'm still working the kinks out.: "However. I'm here now, the situation has drawn some very public attention, and we're all going to have do some fast work to keep this from blowing up in our faces. So why don't I sum up what I know, and you three can fill in the gaps."

Kenshin inclined his head. "That would seem sensible."

Braced for impact. Can't blame you. "According to Tostig, the first time he ran into you was when you were... ahem... dumping off about twenty thugs at his guard station with Kaoru's help." She gave Kaoru a measured glance. "I like to hear about it when someone tries to kill a Herald, Kamiya. But as I said, given the circumstances, I know why you didn't mention it." And why we're meeting in here, instead of your dojo. Didn't want me catching the repairs to your floor, hmm?

:I almost feel sorry for the poor bastards,: Sayvel snickered. :Use that reputation to terrify the local Yamato, then have the real one show up...:

:Served them right.: Though she was careful to keep that thought off her face. If Kenshin was who the evidence said he was, she did not want the man to feel cornered. "The second time," Kerowyn went on, "was the aftermath of your little visit to the local yakuza." She narrowed her eyes at Kenshin. "Did you really visit five different houses before you found Kaoru and the boy at Tanishi's? How in the hells did you get out in one piece?"

"This one's not a Mindspeaker, to find others by the touch of thoughts alone," Kenshin shrugged. "And a certain politeness can go a long way."

Politeness backed up with a trail of unconscious bodies. Tostig reported the local Yamato thugs had been very subdued for the next few days. "And third," Kerowyn said dryly, "was after you had your... duel... with Companion Sanosuke."

:That was my fault.: Sanosuke's mind-voice sounded sheepish as any young Herald-trainee caught doing something painfully stupid in the salle. :One of Tostig's men - told me a rumor about Kenshin. So I challenged him.: The white head ducked, the scar on his back rippling as he twitched uncomfortably. :I was wrong.:

"You were in pain, and grieving a loss," Kenshin said gently. "Had I fallen into hands as unfriendly as you found Yamato to be, and been treated the same, I too would have wished to wash away the memory."

:He says, after kicking my tail over half the riverbank,: Sanosuke shot back.

"You've been in Yamato?" Kerowyn asked pointedly.

:Yeah.: The tightness in the Companion's voice said he did not want to talk about it. :Long story short, don't go near the Pelagirs on Search. You never know where you'll end up.:

:He went on Search and came back without his Chosen?: Kero asked Sayvel privately.

:Sometimes we get false alarms. Like Eldan said, it's a long story,: her Companion replied. :Short version - thirteen years ago Sanosuke went out on Search and disappeared. Mindspeaking couldn't Hear him, FarSight couldn't See him, and all the ForeSeers could tell us was he was hurt, but he'd be back. Over a year later he stumbled into Haven with that scar on his back. And he wasn't - quite - right anymore. The MindHealers did what they could, but he's been angry ever since. Kaoru's the first one who got him to reach out again. She recognized the Yamato sign for "wicked" when she saw him on the Field, and just wouldn't stop BeSpeaking him until he started snapping back at her. She's the one who got him to start working with the Guard here. Said if he could meet the children, maybe he'd finally Heal.: Sayvel whickered softly. :It seems to have worked.:

That, or getting socked in the jaw by a human a quarter his size rattled some brains loose. "All together, Tostig seems to have put together enough facts of his own to ask for your help with Kurogasa," Kerowyn summed up. "Very quick man, Chief Tostig. Quick enough to realize what the hitokiri Udo Jin-e called you... wasn't Kenshin."

Stillness. The man was a pool of stillness.

"I followed your trail in that clearing," Kerowyn said levelly. "I saw where you started to fight him. Where he wounded you. Where you bled, when he paralyzed Kaoru's lungs. And where you decided to kill him." Kerowyn rocked back on her heels, sighing. "Elspeth's an Adept, and I taught her myself about magic before we ever knew she had the Gift. Still, most of the mages she's dealt with have either been Quenten's friends - who I doubt she's ever really sparred with, we just haven't had time from one magical or diplomatic crisis to the next - Hawkbrothers, an Imperial spy she flattened in Hardorn, or one particular Adept who was our sworn enemy. She's never even been on the sidelines of a full Duel Arcane like my grandmother fought, or the pure nastiness that gets going when two Masterclass mages duel it out. And given that the last Herald-Mage in Valdemar was Vanyel, who records say was one hell of a swordsman, and Elspeth herself was carrying Need when she started working magic, she's missed one critical fact. Mages don't start formal duels with swordsmen."

Kaoru's knuckles were white on the edge of her tunic. Sanosuke's muscles were bunched, as if he wanted nothing more than to jump off the mat and kick something.

Kenshin... was still.

Kerowyn waited a second. Gave him an infinitesimal nod. "You've broken no laws in Valdemar, or Sanosuke would have stomped you flat. So I'll tell you right up front: the worst that can happen to you - the very worst I, personally, will let anyone do to you - is that you'll be escorted to the border of your choice, and asked not to come back." She let another breath pass. "Who are you?"

"Sessha is Himura Kenshin. A rurouni, that I am." Violet eyes were low, avoiding hers. "But ten years ago, in Kyoto, sessha was known as... Hitokiri Battousai."

Kaoru was pale as Megumi's coat. Sanosuke gave the ex-mercenary a look of grim wariness. And Kerowyn...

Kerowyn was doing her level best not to let loose a Shin'a'in battle-cry in pure glee. A hitokiri. My gods, we've got a live one!

A live source of tactical and strategic information she couldn't find anywhere else. Who apparently had the humanity and honor, despite his bloody profession, to save a Herald's life.

Who'd just admitted what he was. Without coercion.

Sheka. He thinks he can get past me if he has to. Kerowyn reviewed the trail of his fight with Jin-e in her mind. He just might be right.

"Kenshin," Kaoru said in an urgent undertone.

"The Herald-Captain is an intelligent and persistent woman," Kenshin said levelly. "And it is not as if sessha's description is unknown."

:Oh, come on,: Sanosuke objected. :You can't be the only redheaded swordsman in all of Yamato...: White ears swung forward as Kenshin gave him a wry look. :You're kidding!:

"Until sessha reached a fairly large settlement in Rethwellan, sessha had never seen ningen with red hair," Kenshin said bluntly. "Ever."

Ningen. People, Kerowyn thought, hiding a frown. Why did he say that?

:Because he hadn't seen other redheaded people?: Sayvel put in privately. :I don't think he's lying.:

:No,: Kero agreed. :He's not lying. But something about that seems off.:

"That's why you burn it," Kaoru said, half to herself. "I never find any of your hairs lying around." Catching Kero's interested glance, she blushed. "Anou - when I offered him a place to stay - well, you know most guys-"

"Couldn't find a broom if their lives depended on it," Kerowyn said easily. Kaoru's not as scatterbrained as she looks. Hair's the next best thing to blood for a blood-path mage to use to work nastiness on an enemy. And when you've got hair your enemies can be sure is yours - brrr. No wonder he still burns it. Old habits are hard to break. "How in the Havens did you wind up in Rethwellan?"

Red silk shrugged. "It was the closest land to the Pelagirs."

"And you ended up in the Pelagirs...?" Kero prompted, then waved him to a stop when she saw the gleam of mischief in violet. Bright Lady, the man could probably drive poor, patient Sun-Priest Karal into starting up the Karsite witch-burnings all over again. "Why don't you start from the beginning. Preferably Kyoto." Sanosuke protected you. Kaoru hid you. You can't be evil.

How did a man like you end up as a hitokiri?

Kenshin nodded once. "How much do you know of Yamato, and the Revolution?"

"Pretend I don't know anything, and give me the short version." Kero leaned back a little. "I know your people planned for the long term, sending out a party with Koshijirou to find someplace safe to hide if their enemies won."

"But they did not. Not then." Kenshin gathered his thoughts. "As you say, the Revolution started years ago, and was planned for years before that. The Shogunate that ruled Yamato in the Emperor's name had become less and less effective; the excesses they allowed foreigners of Chi'in, the Eastern Empire, and other lands, more outrageous. At last the daimyo, the great names, of Choshu and Satsuma declared they could bear no more. And the land overturned in war.

"I cannot speak to the shape of that war. My part was not, has never been, that of a planner of battles. I came to Katsura Kogoro's service angry with the injustice of the world, believing in the Ishin Shishi claim that all people would become equal, wrapped in the confidence that we would reshape the future with our hopes and blades. I truly believed that the deaths I wrought were necessary, clearing away the old to create the new." Kenshin looked into the distance, smiling faintly at that past self. "I was very young."

Katsura Kogoro, Kerowyn thought, storing details with furious haste. Leader of Choshu before they ran. One of those who died so they could get here. So Battousai worked for Choshu- no, wait. He didn't say Katsura's house, the way Yamato do. He said Katsura, specifically.

:And he's using "I",: Sayvel noted. :This is the man without the mask. Interesting.:

"For five years, I fought as the sword and shield of the Ishin Shishi. Until the battle of Toba Fushimi was won, and the Shogunate routed... and Hitokiri Battousai left his sword on the field and vanished." Kenshin sighed softly. "All that was left was the rurouni, Himura Kenshin, who never wished to draw blood again." Violet lifted slightly, just touching the edge of her gaze. "Katsura - knew I had grown sick of death years before. Yet he needed me, so I stayed. Once he did not... he released me. And so I vanished into the night, wishing never to be known again."

Kaoru's mind-voice was a tentative whisper. :Something horrible happened to him, didn't it?:

:Probably,: Kerowyn agreed bluntly. :Probably a lot of somethings. Fighting off invaders is bad enough. Civil war - he's got to have holes in him Selenay's MindHealers have never seen before. You sure you're up to having him here? Battle-scarred veterans are not easy to handle.: Something else to gently thump one Empath over the head with; Talia might know veterans, but she knew Valdemar's veterans. People who might have seen as much blood and horror as any hitokiri - but who also saw MindHealers as a matter of course.

Eyes like that... careful as he was to hide it, the Skybolt's captain knew wounds when she saw them. Kenshin hadn't seen a MindHealer. Kenshin hadn't dared.

Determination radiated from Kaoru. :He's staying!:

:It's not a lifebond, but it's definitely some kind of emotional link,: Sayvel said privately. :You might as well be yelling at a tornado.:

Terrific. Well, at least she was warned that neither of these two was likely to be completely rational. Which would fit right in with half the Skybolts I've known, Kero thought wryly. "So - you just wandered around Yamato with that?" She nodded at the sheathed sakabatou.

"For some years, yes." Violet darkened. "And then the Mage-Storms came."

Kerowyn grimaced at the thought. No mages meant the Yamato wouldn't have been flattened the way some of the Alliance had been. But it also meant no way to protect nodes from going haywire, no way to weather-work the vicious physical storms that had wracked every land... and no way to predict the Change-Circles.

Unless you used blood-magic.

"Kappa, tengu, youma, what you call Change-Creatures - they are not unknown in Yamato. It is a land of wild magic, and we know how to deal with such warpings when they turn to ill. But... to have such creatures appear, in the midst of towns and villages, and start to slay... and feed..." Kenshin sipped his tea, face paler than usual.

Kerowyn swallowed dryly. "Creatures that used to be human, you mean."

"Aa." Kenshin winced. "Sessha had tried to forget, that I had. To use only the small Gifts, that do not need death to power them. To strike bloodlessly, and never with more force than was needed to stop the fight. But to see that-" His right hand moved, as if seizing air.

And closed on a pair of iron sheaths.

Daisho, Kerowyn recognized, throttling the instinct that might have sent her across the lantern for his throat. The man was setting the paired swords of a samurai down, not preparing to strike; laying them with a trooper's care beside his sakabatou, with a bittersweet smile that treasured the works of a smith's art that saved his life, and yet still was painfully aware of what that beauty cost. "Where did you Fetch them from?"

:Kaoru's room,: Sanosuke stuck in. :Nobody looks in there. Too scary.:

"And just what would your corner of the stables look like if the Palace didn't have stable help?" Kaoru demanded.

:Messy,: the Companion admitted cheerfully. :Hey, I don't have hands. What do you expect?:

"The Change-Circles were bad enough, but then Chi'in decided that since we had no mages, no great magics, that were destroyed by the storms, then we must be the cause. They invaded." Kenshin shrugged. "And the government of Meiji, new and untried, had a great deal of difficulty driving them out. Many died. Many suffered. And many, who had been quick to cry for change, now clamored that the ways of the Shogunate were tested and true, and should return. They found their champion in Saigo Takamori and his allies, the ronin and hitokiri who could not thrive in Meiji's peace."

"But Takamori was an Ishin Shishi," Kerowyn stated neutrally. I've heard Yamagata's explanation of this, as far as it went. Mostly growls about "traitors" and "ungrateful".

"Who could not accept that to free ourselves of the Shogunate's injustice, we must also cast aside many of the privileges samurai claimed as right," Kenshin declared. "We are a proud people, Herald-Captain. It is not easy for a man or woman raised to believe they have the right to slay those who offend them to learn to stay their hand. Even if it is learned, it grates on the soul. If the Mage-Storms had not come, if we had had even a few more years of peace, for our people to adapt to the newness, for our children to learn new thoughts..."

"It's not your fault," Kaoru put in.

"But if sessha had stayed-"

"It's not! Listen to me." Kaoru's jaw set. "You did what any of us would do. You tried to take violence out of the equation. You're a fighter, not a diplomat. That was Katsura's job, right? You left his service, which means he let you go. And that means he thought it was the best idea."

Katsura. Now there's a man I wish I'd met. Even secondhand, he sounds like he was one of the sanest war-leaders out there, Selenay included. And if he thought it was better for one of his men to disappear... Kerowyn arched an eyebrow. "Your reputation's that frightening."

:Try Demon-caller Vanyel-stories among the Karsites before Solaris took power,: Sanosuke stuck in. :Gensai never tells his granddaughters "be good or the Battousai will get you", but there's a lot of Edoko who do. Kyotoko aren't as bad, but they know the stories, not the legends. And those are scary enough.:

"Sessha... did not hear of the battles, at their start," Kenshin went on reluctantly. "I was far away, aiding folk of a northern village in trapping a litter of Changed cold-drakes. Magic had made them smaller, barely the length of a man. But their powers were undimmed, and they hunted as a pack-" A shift of shoulders, and he set the memory aside. "Sessha was quite surprised when the village miko seized me by the ear and dragged me aside, that I was. She had the gift of the future; ForeSight, you call it. And what she had seen-" His fists clenched. "Blood. Kyoto and Edo burning. Choshu and Satsuma destroyed as if they had never been, the bones of their children bleaching in the wind."

Kerowyn frowned. And here's the part that Yamagata always tries to gloss over. "Takamori would have done that?"

"Not Saigo-san, no. His ally. Whose name I do not know. But he... he too was hitokiri. I felt him, that last day, when I fought my way to Katsura's side." Violet eyes met hers, alight with startling sparks of amber. "I remember only pieces of that day. There was so much death, such a desperate struggle to gather all of our people we could before Choshu linked power with Satsuma to Jump. Two clans and allies from others, spread in two cities and two outer domains; four Jumps to link as one. A nightmare. Our miko had ForeSight enough to warn Katsura months before, but even so there was barely enough time..."

Kerowyn waited, giving him time to compose himself. He was in the thick of it, all right. Come to think of it, didn't Yamagata say something about the Jump almost failing? That it almost didn't come together, but Katsura somehow pulled more power in at the last moment- Oh.

:Fought his way in,: Sayvel agreed grimly. :If he's as good as you think, add a pile of death-energies to the Jump, and that would do it.:

"Katsura ordered me to go," Kenshin said quietly. "I wished to stay. I did not wish to leave him to a lone death, without a second to ease the pain. But... the last he asked of me, the last he ever asked, was to go. To guard his people. And above all, to not allow myself to be taken."

Because mages can use each other, Kerowyn thought starkly. And good as you are, no one's good enough to fight a whole army.

"I was... one of the last to enter the Jump. Rearguard. And so I was one of the first to feel it, when the Seinan hitokiri tried to seize the power away from us. To shred the Jump, so none of us would survive. We patched it, we hitokiri who remained, though most of us died in the doing. But there was one gap left. And that one, I seized." The swordsman looked aside. "The rest, I truly do not recall, save that there was pain and light and a desperate grasp for the fabric of this world out of the eddies of the other." A sigh left his lips. "The next sessha remembers is waking on some very hard rocks, in a place it took a long time to learn was called the Pelagirs. Sessha was... cold. And empty. But alive." Kenshin smiled weakly. "Sessha found shelter and water, made fire enough to warm them, and waited for the backlash headache to fade enough to see. It took many days. But then, Shishou always said sessha was too stubborn to die."

Kerowyn tried not to stare. Dropped on my head out of a battlefield with no food, no supplies beyond what I had on me, and a blinding backlash headache. In the middle of magic-torn hills even the Tayledras don't walk alone. I'm not sure I could have made it.

:Explains part of the scruffiness,: Sayvel observed. :But if he was in the Pelagirs - well. Someone should have noticed.:

:Several someones,: Kerowyn agreed. :Remind me to check which Clan is out there.:

"How did you talk to the Hawkbrothers?" Kaoru wondered, echoing her thoughts. "You're not a Mindspeaker, and I know you don't have Tayledras."

"Sessha avoided the Hawkbrothers, that I did," Kenshin said dryly. "Gaijin mages, coupled with outsize birds whose very ki whispered of magic in their veins? Sessha stayed very still and quiet when they were about."

"Dropped out of a hole in the sky made by blood-magic, and they didn't find you?" Kerowyn crossed her arms skeptically.

Kenshin didn't quite snort. "If sessha couldn't damp ki, I would not have lived this long, that I would not."

"With a backlash headache?" Kaoru persisted.

"It's not the first one sessha has had, that it isn't," Kesshin said frankly. "Shishou was very thorough." The hints of amber had vanished; now only tired violet looked at them. "It took time, but sessha worked my way out of the hills to lower ground, trading labor and herb-healing for food and knowledge of the local tongues. With more time, sessha found enough Change-Circles to grasp the pattern of where I was in relation to where the Jump had meant to go. Roughly. So sessha wandered here, to Haven, where I hoped to hear rumors of what might have become of Choshu." He turned his hands palm-up, nails catching an odd glint of light before the shadows of his sleeves hid them once more. "And the rest you know, Kerowyn-dono."

Found Haven by looking at the pattern of the Change-Circles, Kerowyn thought, stunned. No, you are definitely not as dumb as you try to look.

Please. Kaoru's blue eyes were as open as a Mindheard plea. Please, see what I see. Please don't turn him away.

Kerowyn took a deep breath. Let it sigh out. "All right. I haven't heard anything that would lead us to jail you, much less throw you out of Valdemar."

"But?" Kenshin said neutrally.

"But behave," Kerowyn replied bluntly. "Keep those-" she jabbed her chin toward the daisho, "-out of sight. I'm going to have to talk to some people, and it'll go a lot easier if I can tell them you're sticking to non-lethal force." She rose, setting the cup aside. "Speaking of. I take it the shrine was too far to Fetch your swords, but next time someone tries to kill a Herald, you should detour enough to get them first-"

"It was not too far."

Kerowyn gave him a look askance. Then why didn't you, you idiot?

"Jin-e was skilled, Kerowyn-dono." Violet was deep and guileless. "But not that skilled."

I am not running, Kerowyn told the little prickle running up and down her spine as she left the room. I'm just leaving, I'm not running...

:I notice you're not saying you're not scared,: Sayvel pointed out.

:Hells, yes, I'm scared,: Kero shot back, shutting the outer door behind her. :That man's death on two feet, just as much as Tarma ever was, and he doesn't trust me yet. Can't say I blame him, either. If he did what I think he did to stop that Final Strike - I can think of half a dozen Heralds who would have run him through then and there.:

:You're right,: Sayvel admitted. :We like to think we know about expediency, but-:

:You get spoiled, here in Valdemar,: Kero finished, pulling on her boots. :We're so good at our job, we Heralds, we tend to catch bad problems before they get worse. And the hard choices usually end with us deciding to die.: A wry smile bent her lips as she walked to the courtyard well. :And here's someone who knows about hard choices.: "Healer Gensai."

Pouring out water into a carry-bucket for his herb garden in the thin light before dawn, Gensai straightened. "I thought you might not be finished yet, Herald-Captain."

Start small, Kerowyn told herself. "I'd be interested in knowing just what happened between those two youngsters." She gave him a knowing look. "Given that, if I was hearing those curses right, Himura has a strong suspicion you're responsible."

"No more than that poor young man is himself, staying on the road alone so many years," Gensai said matter-of-factly, glancing over the garden to plot out just how many buckets he'd need. "You should have seen his clan-channels. Knotted up like old rope! I've seen some ronin in bad shape down the years, but-" The Healer caught her narrowed eyes, and shrugged. "He was an accident waiting to happen, Weaponsmaster. I thought it'd be best if he happened here."

"Not good enough," Kero said flatly. "That's a Herald in there, Gensai. My student. Now what in all the hells is a clan-channel?"

Gensai sighed. Set the well-bucket back in its place on the edge. Untied his sleeves, letting them fall back over his arms. "Do you know why we pity ronin, Captain?"

"You're clannish people, and they're cut loose without a place," Kero stated. "What else?"

"They die."

They- he can't be serious. Kero weighed the Healer's stance, his expression, every last leaking hint of thought. He is serious. "Keep talking," she said neutrally.

"I imagine the Heralds have noticed we of Yamato all have a trace of Gifts?" Gensai waited for her nod. "It has a price. The energies within us can be - irregular. Especially among samurai. If your clan-channels are closed, if all that you are is sealed within yourself, those Gifts can ebb or surge with little warning. So we need each other. Clan, family - it's not just the most important thing in our lives, Captain. Our clan is our life. To be without clan, without another soul to share energies and emotions with... it's a slow and ugly way to die."

"Say I believe that," Kero said skeptically. "You're a Healer. Why not bind him to you? Why Kamiya-" She stopped. "No."

"Oh, yes," Gensai said gravely. "She may have been born here in Valdemar, but she is samurai. And with her father dead, she's all of Kamiya there is left." He smiled suddenly. "Besides, there's a great deal of instinct involved in bonding. Who's a young man going to let touch his aura, hmm? A dried-up old grandfather like me, or the sweet young swordswoman whose life he just saved?"

Kero chuckled. "No contest." She let the humor slip away. "Though given you were a friend of her father's, I'm not sure Koshijirou would be all that happy with you right now."

"Oh, I think he would, once he'd gotten over the shock," Gensai said soberly. "I think he'd be very pleased indeed. We spoke often about Kaoru's future after I came to Haven; sometimes I wonder if he didn't have a premonition..." He sighed. "She's half-gaijin, you know. So long as her only potential suitors were of Valdemar, it didn't matter, but once the clans were here... well, that... that could make things difficult, with most samurai."

Snooty as damn hidebound Holderkin, Kerowyn thought, keeping the distaste off her face. "And you don't think Himura would have the same problem?"

"If he had, the bond never would have happened," Gensai stated. "It won't take where there's hate, Captain. Only affection. Friendship. Or at least the will to try. Oh, he may look like something the wind blew in, but of all the prospects in all the clans... I'm going to be burning incense at the family tablets for the next month, at least. Koshijirou must have called in some serious favors among the spirits to arrange this kind of luck."

Luck? Kerowyn searched for the words to let him down gently. "Kamiya wanted to build a sword-style that wouldn't kill..."

"And the one thing he wanted above all else, was to be sure Kaoru never bonded to a man who was not worthy of her. Who did not understand-" Gensai's voice dropped, "-what a terrible thing it is, to wield a killer's blade."

Kerowyn stiffened. Regarded the small man before her with new respect. "How long have you known?"

The elderly Healer let out a quiet breath. "Since I saw him giving my granddaughters piggy-back rides, the morning after he brought young Kaoru home. There aren't many samurai strong enough to play children's games, I'll have you know. Couple that with the red hair, and the scar... he may be able to damp his ki enough to pass your Heralds, but that poor young man can no more hide than a gryphon in a flock of chickens."

Kerowyn fought the urge to gape. "You feel sorry for him?"

"Sorry. No, not sorry." Gensai dipped his fingers in still water. "We're two sides of the same coin, Healers and hitokiri. I just never felt the call of the blade."

"You're a Healer. He's a killer," Kero said bluntly. "How in the Havens can you say you're the same?"

"You're a Mindspeaker, yes? Link with a Healer killing an infection sometime." The older man regarded her with warm sympathy. "We're ruthless, we Healers. Oh, we hide it well. So well many of us never know what we truly are. We smile, and we scold, and we cajole, and every once in a while we chase down patients, shaking our fists. And you laugh, and believe the mask, because we're so kind to you. So needed." He shook his head. "Yet all the time, we're more vicious and bloodthirsty than most mercenaries will ever be. Wounds, infection, death; those are our enemies, and we search them out and destroy them. No matter how small, no matter where they hide, no matter how they plead for mercy. There's no quarter asked, and none given. When we step in something is going to die. And we do it all to defend those we care for." He watched her take that in, and nodded. "That, Herald-Captain, is a hitokiri."

She's gone. Kaoru let out an explosive sigh, listening to Sano's hoof-falls as they left the engawa for the courtyard. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Hai. Kaoru-dono, please-"

"You've been in a fight. I felt you tear through the ropes on me. I'm hoping Kerowyn thinks you just used a knife. Let me see."

Kenshin's fingers clenched. Reluctantly uncurled in her grip.

Even after almost two weeks, Kaoru's breath still caught in her throat. 'Tousan told me, but I couldn't really believe...

Instead of nails, pale claws graced the swordsman's fingers; translucent as a white cat's, with a hint of the silvery sheen of a Companion's hooves.

Probably for some of the same reasons, Kaoru thought. Hanyou live in energy. But it doesn't bleach them. Which doesn't make sense - hold on. Firebirds live in energy too, don't they? They'd have to, to spread fires the way they can. And they don't bleach. Not unless they're like Adept Firesong's bondbird, who lives in node-magic with the rest of the Tayledras. Maybe it's more like what Healers use? But then again - Sun-Priest Karal's Altra is something like a Companion, and he's got red markings. She stroked her fingers along the graceful curves, remembering their warm smoothness against her cheek. So gentle in that touch, when they could be so terrible in anger. Alone, those claws could shred flesh and blood like knives. With Kenshin's will and Gift to back them, one slash could take down small trees.

At least we don't have to spend a lot of time chopping firewood around here lately...

"Kaoru-dono?"

Kaoru started. Right. You were supposed to be checking. "Anou... they look okay to me-"

"It is all right if you merely wish to look, that it is." Kenshin's smile was close-lipped as always, politely not showing any telltale flash of fang. "It must be startling to live with merely the tales of Yamato, then have those tales begin to live and breathe about you." He glanced away. "At least you have not shot arrows at this one."

Not like the Rethwellans did. She hadn't gotten all the details of Kenshin's first disastrous encounter with those farmers out of him, before he'd learned to hide his claws, but she could fill in the blanks of what he hadn't said.

He didn't expect an attack. He walked in just as he would to any village, not hiding what he was. Why should he? Red hair. Anyone in Yamato would know he has youkai blood in his veins.

She reached out a hand to touch it, marveling again at the silky softness. More like fox fur than human hair, thick bangs gleaming with all the shades of flame over eyes and ears before the leather tie subdued waist-length locks into one thick tail down his back.

Her fingers sought a little deeper, sifting through red bangs to trace the hidden sweep of a pointed ear. While Kenshin's eyes and hair shouted youkai to the world, his ears still had the subtler arch of a youkai's humanoid shape. Easy to hide, unlike those rarer hanyou whose ears mimicked the great beasts that were youkai's other forms. At least you were lucky in that, Kaoru thought sadly.

Not that Kenshin would probably consider it lucky. Not after being tentatively welcomed, offered care like any lost traveler - the first friendly care he'd seen since the Jump had gone wrong-

Then driven off by those same folk, suddenly intent on killing him.

"They were just scared. They know living near the Pelagirs is risky. And everyone's heard stories about what happened to people who got caught in the Change-Circles. Especially east of Hardorn. How they - sometimes still looked human. But weren't. Not where it mattered." Kaoru swallowed dryly. "A lot of those stories are true."

"Sessha - knows. But it hurt, being feared. And to realize we will likely always be feared, here where we had sought safe refuge. Sessha can see why Yamagata-san settled Maboroshi as fast as could be done. At least there, where we may choose which gaijin come and go, those of us who are hanyou who wish to live openly may. But sessha fears for the children. Those who do not yet know they are hanyou. How will we explain? How will we raise them to be proud of what they are, with this fear breathing about them?" Red hair glimmered as Kenshin shook his head. "Fear without leads to fear within. And that will create the monsters your people seek to destroy, that it will."

"Not if I can help it." It hurt, not saying any more than that. She wanted to tell him Kerowyn wasn't the only Herald willing to let a former hitokiri alone; wanted to spill every detail of her meetings with Talia and a very few other Heralds, as she delicately laid bare what her boarder was inadvertently teaching her about his very private people. Wanted to blurt out that he was safe, no one would drive him from Haven, Selenay herself wanted him here-

But if he knew that, he would run. And the Heralds would lose their best chance to come to terms with what they'd thought was just a legend.

A legend Kerowyn doesn't know about. Yet. Kaoru held out a hand for the small pouch of tools he kept in his sleeve. "Start at the edges, work out to the tip?"

She lost herself in the careful strokes of stone against silvery translucence, wearing away jagged edges to the sharpness of fresh claw beneath. Kenshin was perfectly capable of doing this himself; most adult hanyou looked after their own claws, just as a warrior did his sword, and for much the same reasons.

Though 'Tousan said something about family doing this together, sometimes. Parents and children. Young adults trying to figure out if they're serious about pairing. Lovemates...

Kaoru glanced away, trying not to flush. She was doing this for the children. For one child in particular. Gensai-isha's daughter-in-law had been born hanyou, love-child of a minor youkai and the ningen Healer who had once succored him, and the Gensai family themselves had as many hanyou in their lineage as most samurai. While Ayame was old enough for most Yamato to count her safely in the ranks of ningen, her younger sister Suzume might still change. And an adult hanyou was a lot easier to practice on than a squirming two-year-old whose claws were just coming in.

A very patient adult hanyou, Kaoru thought, as Kenshin's hand twitched at a careless stroke. "Sorry." She examined the damage, made a few more careful passes to smooth out the rough spot. "I wonder if this is what a trondi'irn feels like, taking care of their gryphon friends."

"Now those," Kenshin admitted, "sessha should very much like to see. There are none in Yamato."

Kaoru's brows climbed. "You're sure?"

"Sessha has thought through every tale Shishou told, every book ever read, every traveler's tale heard in roadside inns. Gryphons are no creatures of the Kami-born Isles. Perhaps they never have been." He paused, frowning. "Though there are tales of creatures that might be gryphons, guarding gold in the deserts of Chi'in."

"Doesn't sound like the gryphons I know. Not that I really know them," Kaoru added hastily. "Treyvan and Hydona spend most of their time in the Mage's Collegium, and I was only there for the class on magic and fakery. Karal's pretty nice for a Sun-Priest." Now she did blush. "Anou... I know we've had Sun-Priests in Valdemar for years, and Karse is part of the Alliance now, but 'Tousan was in the Guard when they were still torturing Heralds when they caught them. As soon as Megumi Chose me, he marched right over to the Collegium with half his books on Karse tactics."

"The act of a wise and compassionate samurai." Kenshin reclaimed his fingers with a sigh of relief. "But you said they have children?"

"Lytha and Jerven," Kaoru nodded, brushing off the stone. "They're cute. Well, they used to be cute," she amended. "Lytha's probably just getting to pretty by gryphon standards, given that Jerven's starting to get an attitude like Yahiko's."

:Worse,: Megumi put in from her shelter in the courtyard. :Makes me wish I had wings. Just for a quarter of a candle-mark.: A distinct image of horsy teeth closing on a feathered tail came with the thought. :I don't know how Gwena puts up with them. Though I swear it has something to do with how she always acts like she knows something the rest of us don't.:

Like Companion, like Chosen, Kaoru thought wryly. Though this time it wasn't just Elspeth who seemed to know something she hadn't, but Kerowyn as well... "I thought-" Kaoru swallowed. "You said a hitokiri was an assassin."

She felt the sigh in his fingers. "Jin-e was hitokiri. And an assassin. As... sessha was. Once."

Do not thump, do not thump, do not, Kaoru chanted to herself. Gods, give me patience - and I want it right now!

"It is - easy, to be both. Efficient. One snuffs out the life of one's enemy, and seizes that energy to do even greater harm. Or to save one's own self. Or those about one. Sessha has... done all of that, at one time or another."

She gulped back a sob. It hurts. Oh kami, it hurts. "So you're... a blood-mage."

"I am one who was taught to use the strength of death," Kenshin said quietly. "As I was taught to use the strength of any energy about me, if the need were great."

Kaoru blinked. "Any energy?" she repeated, confused. "But - you don't have Mage-Gift-"

"I do not." Fangs caught his lip between them a moment, as Kenshin set his thoughts in order. "Kaoru-dono. Correct sessha if I am wrong. But it seems those mages sessha has crossed paths with in Rethwellan, and Valdemar, are taught much like those of the Eastern Empire, whose training in turn closely matches those of Chi'in. And what one has read of those mages, and seen on the battlefield, leads one to believe they are taught but two paths of magic: the inward path of the Mage-Gift, and the dark outward path of blood sacrifice."

She nodded, almost not daring to breathe. Is he saying-?

"There is another way."

Blue eyes widened.

"No; truth," Kenshin said, almost soundlessly. "Only the truth, for one who dares so much to find it." He glanced down, then up again. "There is a wider way. One which can be practiced without slaying the soul. Satsujin-ken."

Murderous sword technique, Kaoru thought. What 'Tousan tried to turn inside-out, to build katsujin-ken; swords that give life. The techniques that let me strengthen my Gift, use Truth Spell with less effort- She drew in a sharp breath. "Truth Spell."

"Is a true magic to summon the little air creatures, shaped by techniques the Heralds have passed down for centuries, and fed by the energy of your Mindspeech," Kenshin nodded. "It is the very edge of what we know in Yamato; that while Mage-Gift is the strongest, the most controllable way to call and shape magic to will, it is not the only way. Any Gift that allows one to touch and mold energy will do. Fire-Starting, for acts of destruction. Mindspeech, for all the magic of illusion and soul. And the most common among our people, the one we have trained widest and deepest, to kill and Heal and carry us through impossible feats... is Fetching."

Kaoru couldn't look away. "You can Heal?"

"It costs me," Kenshin admitted. "But yes. If I have hunted, or if I am on the battlefield... hai, I can Heal." He hesitated, drew breath, and went on. "And... I have hunted to do so, Kaoru-dono. And would again. There are illnesses that strike Chi'in and Yamato that you have never seen here. The White Death, that you call Hammer Lung, a sickness of the lungs that always kills. The pox, that can blind when it does not kill. Or even simple wounds and sicknesses gone untouched too long, when the samurai commanded the Healers elsewhere..." He squared his shoulders. "Sessha is trained to the sword, Kaoru-dono. If one must fight, must kill - then a hitokiri tries to honor that kill. To strike once, and be done with it. Without hate. Without suffering." He searched her gaze, violet eyes sparkling with the faintest hints of amber. "And that is where Jin-e lost his way."

If we don't stop Kurogasa's murders, more people will suffer, Kenshin had said, when Sanosuke had asked why he would help guard Tani, a man who knew all too well who he had been. Including Kurogasa himself.

Honor the kill. Kaoru drew a shaky breath. She'd heard those words used to refer to hunting, but to human beings...

"Sessha disgusts you." Red bangs hid his gaze. "One could be gone within the hour-"

"No!" Kaoru clamped down on his fingers, drawing a stifled yip. "You idiot! How far do you think you could get with Kerowyn on your trail? She knows swordsmen. She knows mages. And she wouldn't just be after you for Valdemar; she'd be mad. You're staying right here!"

"Oro..."

I want him to stay right here, Kaoru realized, stunned. I want - I don't understand!

:It's your Gift, Chosen,: Megumi said privately. :It seems to have snuck right through his shields and made itself comfortable.:

:But I'm a Herald!: Kaoru almost wailed. :I shouldn't-:

:He hasn't done anything except defensive magic. Blood-mage or not, none of us can fault him for that.: Megumi's tone softened. :And... you didn't hear what I just overheard, from Gensai. Kenshin needs you, Kaoru. He needs someone to care about, or one of these days his own Gifts will kill him.:

Right; 'Tousan had said something about that once. That samurai couldn't stay ronin forever. That part of the reason he'd joined the Guard was to find fellow warriors he could trust, to balance him.

:Now that that's settled,: Megumi spoke to both of them, too casually, :would somebody tell this big oaf to head back to the Field where he belongs?:

:Ah, c'mon, Megumi,: Sanosuke's voice held a rough charm. :I don't bite.:

:I do.:

Silence. Kenshin stifled a snicker in his sleeve.

:Oh sure, laugh it up, rurouni. Just you wait. Don't think I don't know what you two are going to get up to the minute I walk out these gates!:

A red brow arched. "Sessha's going to bed, Sanosuke."

:Exactly.: The implication dripped off the thought.

"But - anou - alone - sleep," Kenshin sputtered.

Kaoru flushed red, then white, then red again. "What? I'm not a geisha, so I'm not pretty enough? I'll have you know the locals call me the Rose of Kenjutsu!"

"Sessha's sure they do, Kaoru-dono-"

"And? So?" Kaoru demanded, nose a bare thumb-length from his as she glowered into startled violet. "And what's with the dono, anyway? You're not in Rethwellan, you can have a little pride-"

Sweat gleamed on Kenshin's brow. "Sessha's not going to win this one." He bowed swiftly. "Good night, Kaoru-dono. Or good morning."

"Just hold on-"

She was talking to empty air.

"Argh!"

:You really did want him to stay, didn't you?: Megumi sent her sympathy. :You do need sleep, you know.:

:I know. I know! I'm just so confused... and he said he wouldn't leave, but he's still afraid to stay. I wouldn't want to - wouldn't want to make him feel he has to stay. But...: Kaoru let the protest die off, and headed for her own futon.

But I didn't want to be alone.

:You're not alone, Chosen,: Kaoru heard as sleep settled in. :Sanosuke's alone.:

:Yeah... s'too bad,: Kaoru thought back, snuggling under the covers. :S'nice guy under all that kicking...:

:Hmm...:

Kaoru's eyes shot open. :"Hmm"? What hmm?:

:Just a thought. Probably nothing.:

:Megumi!:

:Sleep, Chosen. Do you want to face Kerowyn and whoever else might get dragged into this on a sleepless night?:

:You're plotting something!:

:I'm just looking at possibilities,: Megumi said defensively. :Slim possibilities. Very unlikely. Don't worry about it.:

:Famous last words.: Evoking old meditation exercises, Kaoru drove herself into oblivion.

The last thing she heard was Megumi snickering.

Ronin - "wave man", masterless samurai.

Rurouni - "wandering swordsman"; Watsuki created this word.

Kappa - water-spirits like monkeys with turtle shells that strangle travelers, but can be bribed by cucumbers.

Tengu - "goblins"; there are at least two kinds.

Youma - "devils".

Youkai - "demons"; supernatural creatures.

Satsujin-ken - Murderous sword technique.

'Tousan - father.

Geisha - "art person". Skilled entertainers and conversationalists, trained in dance, song, tea ceremonies, and other arts, often objects of romance. The line between geisha, oiran (courtesans), and tayu (elite prostitutes) can be fuzzy depending on what time in history you're looking at.

Kenjutsu - sword arts.