The Hunter
Chapter Twenty-Six
In the few short hours that had passed since breakfast, the sky had darkened considerably. A frigid wind rushed through the naked trees to whip at her sleeves and make her eyes water. Rin wiped the moisture from her eyes with the back of her hand and then stooped to pick up another stick.
When the campfire began to run low, Kohaku had volunteered to search for more firewood. He seemed determine to prove himself useful, or at the very least helpful enough to not be worth killing. She'd joined him with a quick glance at her brothers that suggested it would be best if they didn't follow. For once they'd listened and so it was just the two of them, alone amongst the trees, scrounging for dry wood.
"Do you think we have enough?"
She looked down at the meagre pile in her arms and suppressed a shiver. Her ears were burning from the wind and her fingers had long since gone numb. Never in her life had she experienced bone-jarring cold like this.
Kohaku bent low and snatched a stick off the forest floor to add to his own pile. "The cold getting to you already?" he teased, fixing her with a crooked smile. "All that time in Edo must've turned you soft."
"I don't know what you're talking about," she sniffed, stubbornly adding another stick to her collection.
"The Rin I know once spent an entire night shivering at the mouth of a cave because she was too stubborn to sit within arm's length of a warm fire."
He raised an eyebrow in challenge, his mouth twitching with a suppressed grin. She scoffed and turned her back to hide the blush that rose to her cheeks.
"As I recall," she replied archly, "it was you I was avoiding, not the fire."
He limped the few short steps to her side and added his collection of wood to the small pile in her arms.
"Were you truly so afraid of me?" he asked, his gaze suddenly probing and serious.
She shrank back and floundered for an answer. She hadn't been afraid of him that night. In fact, she'd never been afraid of him. Perhaps it'd been naïve of her, but there was something about the way his eyes had always looked so openly into hers that'd reassured her from their first moments together.
His brow furrowed and his eyes darted back and forth between hers, trying to read some hidden truth in them.
"No," she spoke softly and gave a slight shake of her head. "I've never been afraid of you."
Relief washed over his features like a wave, stripping away the anxiety and doubt. A tentative smile trembled across his lips and he opened his mouth as if to say more but quickly closed it again.
"These won't be enough," he reasoned with a dismissive glance at the meagre bundle of sticks in her outstretched arms. "If we're going to keep the fire going, we'll need something bigger."
He turned about, studying the trees in their vicinity. "Something like that for instance!"
He gestured to an impressively large oak that stood a short distance away. The branches had long since been stripped of their leaves and the trunk was wide enough that two grown men would struggle to join hands around it. Her eyes lifted to the tree's peak, swaying high above their heads, and then settled dubiously on Kohaku.
"How do you plan on cutting it down, exactly?"
"Just watch," he promised cryptically.
Moving her to a safe distance, he retrieved the sickle from his belt and began to swing it in slow, wide circles above his head. In one fluid motion, he released his hold on the top of the chain, sending it sailing towards the tree. It sliced cleanly through the trunk and with a loud crack the oak came crashing to the forest floor.
Looking rather pleased with himself, Kohaku retrieved his sickle and tucked it back into his belt.
"I figure if it can slice a demon in half, why not a tree? Come on," he said, guiding her towards it, "you can rest a bit while I chop it up."
She didn't argue and promptly sat atop the downed tree. Her pile of sticks found a new home on the ground while she stuffed her hands deep into her sleeves to warm them. Kohaku set to work with his sickle, cutting the trunk into pieces that were small enough to carry.
"I heard you talking with your brothers before," he said between swings. "I'm sorry about your village."
Their gazes met in an expression of wordless sympathy and she exhaled a soft sigh. The news had been difficult to hear, but it was nothing more than she'd expected. If anything, she felt relieved to finally know the truth.
"Maybe it's a good thing," she suggested, keeping her eyes on her toes. "It means we can start over. My brothers and I have the chance to build a life somewhere new."
Kohaku continued chopping, each downward stroke of his blade splitting the wood with a solid 'thunk'.
"Where will you go?" he asked, pausing to wipe the sweat from his brow with the back of his sleeve.
With the events of the morning she hadn't had time to stop and think about their next step. For more than a year she'd survived on the singular goal of returning home and reuniting with her family. Now that half of her dream had come true, the sudden ambiguity of what awaited them unsettled her. Should they return to the burnt out remains of their village and start over, or begin again somewhere new?
Her shoulders lifted into a half-hearted shrug and she slowly shook her head, "I don't know."
"Why don't you come to my village?" he offered. "You'd all be welcome."
There was a time when she'd dreamed of what it would be like to go there, to meet his sister Sango and the other demon slayers, to see the place where he'd grown up and learned how to fight. She'd imagined going there as someone important to him, someone he wanted to introduce his family to, not as an act of charity or to assuage his guilty conscience.
"You don't need to decide now," Kohaku rushed, cutting off whatever half-hearted protest she was about to make. "Just promise you'll consider it."
She nodded, her eyes narrowing uncertainly. It wasn't her decision alone anymore. There were her brothers to think about, too, and she doubted either of them would look kindly on Kohaku's offer even if it was made with the best of intentions.
"If the Shogun's attack succeeded, what will happen to your village?"
In all the excitement of the past day she hadn't considered what the ramifications for his village might be. Without the favour of the daimyo they wouldn't survive the winter, Kohaku had made that clear. If the daimyo was dead, if Sesshomaru was gone…
The realization pierced through her heart like an arrow. It didn't seem possible when she thought of how he'd moved so effortlessly that morning in the woods, cutting down two wolves with barely a lift of his finger. But even his demon strength couldn't have been enough against an army armed to the teeth and looking to kill.
Rin sucked in a sharp, cold breath as the realization that Sesshomau was gone washed over her. Their tenuous relationship had ended with no semblance of closure. A day ago – was it only that long? – the daimyo of Dewa province had kissed her in his teahouse while dawn rose over Edo. That kiss, that moment, had been so full of possibility. It was the first time she'd considered consigning Kohaku to the past and giving her heart to another.
Her eyes slid to the demon slayer as guilt bloomed in her chest. She hadn't done anything wrong, but somehow it felt as though her face were burning with shame.
"My village will be fine," Kohaku reassured her and with two quick strokes he reduced another section of wood into pieces small enough to carry. "There's enough rice to last the winter and after that we'll…figure something out. We're survivors, it's what we do."
She offered him a tight-lipped smile then turned her face away. Surviving…that's what she'd been doing when he found her – struggling and surviving one day to the next. Both of them were survivors in their own way, the only difference was that his peace of mind had been purchased at the cost of her freedom. She wondered if he would find another girl once things became dire. It was easy to forget morals and good intentions when the lives of your friends and family were at stake.
"I suppose you could always travel to Kyoto and find another girl to sell."
His hand stayed and he fixed her with a pained look.
"Once was enough," he replied, his voice like gravel. "What I did to you was…it was unforgiveable."
Finding herself unable to meet his gaze, she wordlessly collected her pile of sticks up into her arms.
"I think it's time we head back."
He nodded uneasily, looking as though he wanted to say more but in the end said nothing. He loaded his arms up with several pieces of wood and they began to walk back to the camp. A weighted silence stretched between them until she eventually confided in him about the letter just to relieve the tension.
His feet slowed and his brows lifted in a genuine look of surprise, "Who wrote it?"
His question struck her with a disappointment that settled deep in the pit of her stomach. Though she'd known it was impossible, a small part of her had hoped it'd been him. That in the months they were apart he'd cared enough to seek out her brothers on his own and work to reunite them. What better sign could she have asked of his feelings for her than that? Expelling a disappointed sigh, she admitted that she didn't know and went quiet once more.
"I might be able to figure out more if I see the letter," Kohaku offered, trying his best to be helpful. "I do know a thing or two about tracking after all."
She smiled at that, a little more genuinely this time, and agreed to show it to him later. They continued walking until the trees began to thin and the smell of the campfire smoke hung on the air. With their campsite in view, her pace slowed until she came to a stop.
Kohaku stopped as well, his expression a mixture of curiosity and concern, "What is it?"
Her brow furrowed and she tilted her head to the side, scrutinizing him carefully. "Why did you come back to the kamiyashiki?"
He blushed beneath her probing gaze and nervously shifted his weight from foot to foot.
"I've been going over it in my head," she explained, shaking it slowly back and forth, "And I can't piece it together. How did you know about the attack? And why were you in Edo? Did you even leave?"
"Can we talk about this later?" He glanced meaningfully at the heavy load of wood in his arms and then at the camp waiting for them just a short distance away.
"No. We can talk about this now."
Looking defeated, Kohaku leaned back against the nearest tree for support.
"After bringing you to...that place…" He swallowed thickly as though he were unable to voice the words. When he spoke again his voice was rough but strong. "I left that very morning and didn't return until the day before you saw me at the kamiyashiki."
"Why come back at all?" she demanded as the wind tousled her hair and burned her cheeks.
"I came back for you. You deserved your freedom and I owed it to you to make sure you got it. I went to the daimyo with some money. He wouldn't even consider it."
She went very still, feeling as though the air had been kicked out of her lungs. The bundle of sticks in her arms went crashing to the forest floor and she leaned heavily against the nearest tree for support. The sudden rushing sound in her ears drowned everything out until the insistent pressure of Kohaku's hands on either side of her face brought the world back into focus.
"Rin! What's wrong? Are you alright?" he demanded, his eyes raking anxiously over her features.
She nodded meekly, her hand grabbing hold of his wrist for support. His pulse hammered against her thumb in a rapid, reassuring beat. Kohaku had been so close and she'd had no idea. Sesshomaru had never said a word and why would he when he could continue his charade? For the first time she began to hate him, not because of his lies, or because of Kohaku, but for what he'd taken from her – the chance to finally be free.
"Did he tell you why?"
Kohaku hesitated and shook his head. Instinct told her he was holding something back, but she was in no frame of mind to push for answers. She had enough to deal with at the moment. She wanted to thank him for trying, to apologize for not knowing he was there and for questioning his motives, but her throat felt tight and her mouth dry.
"The attack…"
She pushed the words passed her lips, her gaze wide and searching.
"I was in an izakaya when I overheard some soldiers bragging about it. I had to make sure you were okay, so I went back to the kamiyashiki andscaled the garden wall. I planned to wait and then find you in the chaos, or force one of the servants to help me find you, but then you opened the door…"
A heartfelt 'thank you' hung on her lips but he didn't give her a chance to speak.
"There's something else," Kohaku added hurriedly, suddenly nervous.
She shook her head, not certain she could handle any more. His eyes softened as he looked at her and his calloused thumb travelled lightly over her cheek.
"You have to understand that I had a duty to my village and my family. I couldn't afford to lose focus. There was no room for error, no place for my personal feelings to get involved."
He sucked in a heavy breath and his eyes travelled over her features as though he were committing each one to memory.
"But every day it became harder. I tried to deny it – kami knows I tried," he confessed, his words thick with emotion. "I just–I don't want you to make any decisions thinking…well…thinking that I-"
Kohaku stopped suddenly and closed his eyes in silent defeat. He dropped his hands to his sides and took a step back. It was only then that she realized how close they'd been standing, their bodies practically touching.
"Storm's headed this way."
At the sound of Takanori's voice, Rin exhaled the breath she'd been holding in a cloud of white condensation. Her brother lingered behind Kohaku wearing an expression that was as stormy as the skies above their heads. How long had he been standing there? How much had he heard?
"We don't have long," he said, speaking only to her. "Pack up whatever you need. If we leave now we can make it back to Edo before it hits."
"We can't go back to Edo," Kohaku determined, taking a step away from her to face her brother. Takanori regarded him as if he were an insect that had just crawled out of a hole in the ground. He crossed his arms and stared hard at the injured demon slayer, his raised brow demanding an explanation.
"If he's still alive, the daimyo might come looking for Rin. She is technically still his property."
"And whose fault is that?"
Kohaku winced at her brother's words and Rin offered him a sympathetic look. She'd never seen him so unsure of himself. He was a far cry from the smooth-talking boy who'd had an entire izakaya eating out of his hand and throwing their money into his pockets in under an hour.
"It's not worth the risk," she interjected, offering him a reprieve. "We should go north."
"Fine," Takanori muttered. "There will be another village up the road. If we leave now, we may make it before the snow falls. Take only what you need. We must travel light."
Without another word, he stalked off towards the fire where Ryo was in the process of packing up their things. Kohaku blew out a breath and raked his hands through his hair. He turned away and braced his arm against the nearest tree, the tension making his shoulders ride up close to his ears.
"He really doesn't like me much, does he?" he remarked, casting a resigned look at her over his shoulder.
Whatever Kohaku had been trying to tell her, it seemed clear he had no intention of continuing their conversation now. Setting aside her curiosity and disappointment, she stepped forward and caught his eye.
"Neither did I," she reminded him, "at least at first."
He begrudgingly smiled at the reminder of their early days together and pushed off the tree with a faint grimace of pain.
"Is it getting worse?"
He brushed off her concern with a wave of his hand and straightened his shoulders.
"I'm fine. We better go before your brother decides to see what's taking us so long."
Rin eyed him warily, watching his faint limp as he headed in the direction of the camp. The way he'd avoided her eyes when he'd answered left her feeling uneasy. Were his injuries worse than he'd let on? She watched him closely, noting that he showed no outward signs of discomfort. Still, it couldn't hurt to keep an eye on him just in case.
Kohaku moved about the camp as inconspicuously as possible, packing up bags and dousing the remnants of the fire.
So much for that firewood, he thought, clutching at his side in sympathy. The ribs beneath his skin ached with every movement but he couldn't afford to let on just how badly he was hurt. Feeling the older brother's eye on him, he dropped his hand from his side and resumed packing the bag in front of him. When he was finished, he got to his feet and found Takanori waiting for him.
"Here, you can carry this," he ordered, thrusting a heavy bag into his arms. Kohaku suppressed a pained groan and slung the bag over his shoulder.
"And one more thing…"
He waited expectantly for whatever was sure to come next. He half expected another fist to his gut, but the older of the two brothers leaned in close instead and breathed a quiet warning.
"I'm only going to say this once," he said evenly. "Stay the hell away from my sister."
Author's Note: Hello again! Thank you everyone for the kind reviews and messages of support. I'm so thrilled to read each and every one of your messages. I hope you enjoyed the new chapter. It went in a very different direction than what I'd originally intended for it. I'm not certain whether that's good or bad. It's a touch angsty, but I hope you'll forgive me if we get a bit of Kohaku/Rin fluff next chapter ;) As always, I'm eager to hear your thoughts!
Until next time,
Langus