"Those who have never made a mistake are in danger."
With her gentle hands she took a towel and began to dry his hair. while her fingers delicately combed his hair, he closed his eyes, and again his mind managed to escape and return to times he should bury. he could see her on the other side of that river, stretching her hands towards him with a smile, welcoming him, he tried to approach and cross, but the bridge that once stood there no longer existed and the river had grown making it impossible for him to cross.
Then he would return, as migrating birds returning to their nests and his eyes would meet those of this girl, he had never seen eyes like hers and he could only wonder if they had ever witnessed misfortune, hunger and pain, because when he looked at her he could not guess it, not like the gazes of the dead, of those who perished under his sword. Not like the gaze of Tomoe who waits for him in that infinite place with a smile on her lips, stretching out her hand to welcome him.
Attempting to get up, Kaoru stands up with him to help him with his clothes, but he gently pushes her away doing it by himself. The warmth of the room intoxicated his senses and staggering he leaned all his weight on her, who helps him to sit up again, "you are still very weak, let me do it hmm?" she said smiling. kenshin sat up, letting her dress him, she ran her fingers through his hair, "do you want to leave it like this, or shall we tie it up?" she said turning to his back while her fingers danced through his hair.
In the life of a samurai, hair is an essential sign, tied in a high ponytail is a sign that the samurai is still active, tied in a low ponytail, or simply cut off is a sign of inactivity.
As he left the bathing room, kaoru took his hand to guide him through the dojo to a large room overlooking a beautifully lit garden, while looking at her pink palm holding his, he wondered how long it had been since a woman had treated him with such kindness.
"this will be your room, we are very happy to have you. you must be tired, i had your food brought here so you can rest."
near the futon there was a small table, on it a bowl of steaming rice was waiting for him, a small glass with a bottle of sake, fried fish and soup. kaoru disappeared from the room and with it the light and the sweet smell.
he slowly approached and sat down, he felt a strange calmness in that place. the sound of the birds outside, the wind blowing against the bell. there were no cries of pain, no cries for help. the wind did not bring the scent of war in his arms. it seemed like a dream, he pinched his arm that rested on the table, and frowning he confirmed that he was not dreaming, that it was happening.
His stomach crunched at the aroma of the food, he started with the rice, the chopsticks didn't matter and he gobbled like a hungry child at each plate. abruptly the doors of the shoji opened, kaoru brought the chopsticks, feeling trapped his cheeks tinged pink.
Kaoru smiled "I'm glad the food is to your liking", Kenshin could not hide his embarrassment and hid his hands full of rice behind his back. She walked over and sat down across from him. "You don't have to be ashamed, you know" she started saying while taking out a handkerchief "you've been sleeping for two days, it's normal to be hungry". kaoru stretched out his hand asking for hers, kenshin without looking at her showed them, and she gently wiped them.
She came closer to his side. "Can you use the chopsticks?" she asked him almost in a whisper, kenshin took the chopsticks and began to eat again. kaoru encouraged him, but asked him to eat a little slower because if he ate too fast he could get sick and his wounds would reopen.
Kaoru turned to look at him, only to find that he had surrendered to the food. He went over to cover him with a blanket, while he analyzed every faction of this unknown man who had come to his dojo badly wounded, with not only a scar on his cheek, but all over his body.
"Those who have never made a mistake are in danger."
the sound of laughter and bamboo swords clattering woke him up, he sat up, his bandages were stained but there was already much less blood, he held his abdomen with one of his hands as he stood up, tied his hair in a low ponytail and left the room.
In front of him kaoru was training with a little boy and those giggles he heard were two little girls playing around an old man who was sitting in one of the hallways watching the practice.
was this what they call family?