Retaliation came hard and fast in the most dishonourable way. This day, I understood why the Captains called Itō a snake. I wondered if any of those suffixes – san or sama – could be twisted around to insult; he'd deserved all of them; - sod would be particularly fitting.
I was nearly naked when they appeared in the bath house – I'd been in the process of getting dressed after a much-needed soak. So far the panties were the only thing I wore. The captain in charge of watching me always remained outside, of course. So it was the best moment to get me, and subdue me to their will. Three men, snickering in the silence. Gaping like a fish, I took a look at the sliding door, only to see Heisuke's feet, unmoving, upon the wooden floor.
Damn! I hoped they had not damaged him too badly. For now, though, I had to think of my own life.
"How dare you," I ground out, soaked hair cascading down my back. I pulled a few strands hastily in front of my breasts – a siren attempt – before they smirked, and advanced upon me. Anger rose within me so suddenly that I exploded, running at the first man with my claws out. Well, nails. My attacker recoiled, surprised by the feral cry that tore out of my throat. Even naked, I was a force to reckon with.
My elbow greeted his face before he could pull his knife. My knee … his groin. Before he fell to the floor, I was already spinning around to tackle the leg from the second man. He skidded onto the floor with a surprised 'oof', but not without landing a harsh blow to my ribs. I cried out, my breath short.
Unfortunately, the third man had recovered from the initial surprise; he grabbed be from behind. His fat, gross hands slid along naked skin, pinching my thigh. I clawed at his hand in desperation, panic bubbling in my chest at the unwelcome contact. "Let go, I growled," watching the second thug climb to his feet. He leered at me, taking in my naked body with a lustful look.
I should have panicked at the thought, but adrenalin was now flooding my veins. Red… A red veil descended before my eyes, and I lashed out. My head snapped backwards with such force that I broke my attacker's nose. His arms went limp, and I twisted him around with an aikido move, sending him flying into the second attacker. They toppled over each other, and I swooped down on them like a wild animal. I grabbed a face. Cries rose in the bathhouse as my knee collided with it.
I felt, more than I registered, blow and slices upon my skin. I was too far gone to care, too enraged to let it stop me. My elbow greeted his temple; he grabbed my foot, causing me to fall down with a cry. Pain exploded in my elbow. Fuck. Even wounded, they were still bulkier and stronger than me. I should have run … should have. I clawed my opponent's hand skin raw, painting my nails red. I couldn't even discern if the cries were human or not, they saturated my ears.
A swift kick freed eventually me from my attacker, and I skidded on the tiles in hopes to get away … only to land, head first, into someone else. I screamed, ready to attack once more but a set of strong arms circled me, warm fingers encasing my wrists.
"Kitsu ! Kitsu !"
That voice… I knew that voice. But my body was in fight or flight mode, and my legs started kicking again. A muffled grunt told me my knee had connected with something.
"Stop struggling damn it, I've got you !"
I froze, blinking out of my murderous haze. What …?
"You're safe," he said. Then once more, much lower. "You're safe, now."
Stunned, I felt my legs turn to jelly, and my arms wrap around a solid body. I was granted a quick, if awkward embrace before a second set of hurried footsteps echoed on the tiled floor. The man tensed, his head whipping around, sending his long raven ponytail swishing over my head.
"Take her," the voice growled, rumbling all the way into my chest. No … no! I didn't want to leave that safety. I squeezed hard, eyes swimming with tears, until another set of arms grabbed my shoulders. The first man fled my embrace, leaving me bereft when a vest landed upon my back, its scent familiar. A heavy arm squeezed my shaking body close.
"It is over, Frances-Chan. Come, Toshi will deal with them."
What? My head snapped to the bath house. Blood splattered over the tiles, painting the room crimson. Hijikata knelt before the three attackers, grey hakama soaked, his expression grim. One of them moaned in pain, but his eyes showed no mercy. Whatever was about to happen to those men would be gruesome. Whatever would happen to me, though… I had no clue.
The fact that, five seconds earlier, I was hugging Hijikata as if my life depended on it didn't even faze me. The warrior that knelt upon the tiles, now, was unapproachable. Would I be punished ? Would our fight within the ranks mean death ?
I shivered, realising how cold my body was compared to the warm haori that rested upon my shoulders. Kondō-san wrapped the vest tightly, tucking it in under my arms with such gentleness that I nearly dissolved into tears. Then he dragged me to his room, and sat me before the ibachi – the brazier - before he called for Chizuru. My brain refused to kick in, so I stared in the flames, relishing in the silence. How much time passed? No idea.
At some point, I felt Chizuru's hand upon my wrist, and jerked off violently.
"Sumimasen," she said, bowing low. "I bring a kimono and a juban."
I blinked, then nodded. Kondō-san escaped the room, then closed the shōji in silence. It was just the two of us, Chizuru and I. She asked me to stand, and I rose on wobbly legs. The shock was slowly getting to me, and my body started shaking. The haori dropped from my shoulders, and Chizuru gasped. I could feel the bruises forming, my elbow hurt like hell and I felt the throbbing pain of the slice upon my inner thigh.
Chizuru worked her magic upon me, bandaging the place where that blasted knife had cut me – it didn't need stitches – and rubbing some ointment in other places. I didn't even flinch from the pain; my whole body hurt. Her hands were shy, her attention gentle. But I couldn't stop shaking. A familiar voice suddenly rose from outside the door. Kondō and Hijikata conversed discreetly enough that words couldn't be discerned. Yet, I was surprised to find them soothing.
Chizuru pulled my arms out for the juban. She tied it with a cord, then passed a sober dark kimono over it, and tied it – again! – with an unassuming Obi that probably belonged to a man. The layers engulfed me warmly, but I still felt so cold, inside, that I shook like a leaf. The little lady gave me a worried glance, and threw the haori vest over my shoulders before she helped me sit. Then, she took my hand, squeezed, and opened the shōji.
"Kondō-san, Hijikata-san," she bowed. "I have tended to her wounds."
I watched them, unable to stop the trembling of my limbs even though the brasero was barely a foot away. Kondō-san smiled at Chizuru, thanking her profusely. But Hijikata's eyes were fixed upon me, rage swirling in their depths. His anger was so mighty, so impressive that I lowered my gaze to the flames, ashamed of my own weakness. Yet, I was totally spent, and unable to face the intensity of the Vice Commander.
Would he hold me responsible ? I had, after all, provoked the attack by failing at hiding myself. I heard the shuffle of fabric as they walked in, the swish of the door closing, and the slight muffled noise the tatami mat made when they settled upon their respective seats.
Eyes glued to the embers, I barely distinguished the bottom of Hijikata's hakama. The blood spoiling it, though, couldn't be missed. Mine or theirs ? The throbbing in my thigh was getting annoying, especially with the shaking. From my elbow, I just felt a giant bruise…
Silence swirled in the room for a moment; none of them seemed eager to break it. Until the shōji opened again, and Chizuru walked in with tea, and some medicine. I took the proffered powder in one gulp, washing it down with scalding tea. The bitterness settled upon my tongue and I grimaced, causing Kondō-san to chuckle.
"See, she's not the only one that dislikes it."
Hijikata grunted in annoyance – it felt like a recurrent joke at the expense of his family medicine – but the heart wasn't in it. Still, the interaction shook me out of my daze, and I lifted my eyes to them.
"Arigato gozaimas. To you both, for coming to my rescue."
"You needed no help," The Oni Commander said, his voice dangerous. I cringed; this was where I got scolded, or worse, right ? Kondō-san grabbed his cup of tea, but gave me a very serious look above the rim of his cup.
"Indeed not. Your wrath was akin to a spirit of the forest."
There was a question there; what are you, really ? The answer was simple enough, and I, shaken as I was, just hoped for companionship. Hence my genuine response.
"I'm only a well trained human."
They both nodded, taking the confession for what it was; a sign of trust. Had Itō attacked me in spite of his suspicions ? Did he risk the sacrifice his men without remorse to a Kitsune ? Had he even told them he suspected I was a supranatural creature, or just sent them in ? The shock of what had nearly happened to me was starting to seep in, and I suddenly felt so exhausted that staying upright was a struggle.
"I will conduct interrogations," Hijikata said. "Then, those men will choose between honourable death, or execution."
My eyes widened, the shaking getting so intense that I nearly stuttered.
"Seppuku ?"
"Hai," he sighed heavily. "This is the only way."
What else ? What could I possibly say, when I knew that three men were about to die for attacking me ? The modern woman screamed from it; the ancient one, more primal, the terrified part of me rationalised that they had chosen their lot. My mind just couldn't cope. Hijikata made to stand but before he could exit the room, Kondō lifted his hand to stop him.
"Forgive me for asking, Frances-Chan, but we need to know. Have they … have you …?"
Rouge was creeping up Kondō's cheeks, and my heart yearned to help him find the words. I just had no idea where this was going.
"Did they take your maidenhood ?" Hijikata interrupted curtly, his eyes averted.
My mouth probably formed an 'O' of surprise; the three of us were blushing, now. Yes, even the Demon Vice Commander, which meant he was more human than his reputation. Still, I shook my head.
"No. I'll die before I allow anyone to touch me without my consent."
Hijikata nodded briskly, then abruptly left the room. In a hurry to handle the mess, or too flustered about our discussion ?
There was probably no need to tell them I'd lost it ten years prior to my very first boyfriend, or that I enjoyed the deed. Or that, once upon a time – 1804 – I had married a surgeon on a Man-O-War. I wondered if they'd guessed my age. Those guys aged so gracefully, they all looked in their twenties or even less. But I had the advantage to be reconstructed, cell by cell, every time the magic of the necklace dropped me on a mission. I, also, didn't look much over twenty.
Well, we're all cheating.
Kondō grabbed my sleeve and I watched his finger flex upon the kimono, wondering about this strange gesture of proximity. We, Europeans, would touch a shoulder. When the man pulled me up by the elbow, pain exploded along my arm. I hissed, collecting a series of 'Gomen Nasai' that I brushed aside. The bruise would fade, eventually, and the muscles heal.
The Captain led me to my room, his features tense. I swore he was suffering on my behalf, so I pulled up a brave face when I was barely registering where my feet landed. The adrenalin had worn off a long time ago, shock and exhaustion taking over. The futon was already in place – Chizuru ? –and I allowed Kondō-san to help me untie the obi. It was a strange affair, for he wouldn't look at me, but the kimono eventually loosened.
As I slipped under the cover, ready to sleep for a thousand years, my brain emitted one last spark.
"Heisuke ?", I exclaimed, horrified that I had forgotten the young captain.
"He's got a hard skull. Don't worry about him."
There was certainty in Kondō's voice, and a reassuring wave that caused my eyes to close at once. I swore I was sleeping before he left the room.
The next morning
None of the highest-ranking chiefs were present at breakfast the next day. Not that it mattered much.
I settled upon the floor with a wince – the damn cut on my thigh was annoying – and proceeded to eat whatever food Saito and Chizuru had prepared. Tofu, for sure, was a strange dish to my French palate but they mastered it fairly well.
The captains gave me a few insistent looks, probably checking on my injuries. The kimono covered most of them, aside from a bruise on the underside of my jaw. Other than that, nothing too dramatic. I was still shaken though. I had never fought so brutally without my armour on. Never felt so exposed. Both Hijikata and Kondō had probably gotten a good look at my nearly naked form; it as humiliating.
The late arrival of Heisuke sent a wave of relief in my chest.
"Heisuke-kun !" I exclaimed. "Are you all right?"
My enquiry had the opposite effect than expected for the young man threw his hands on the tatami mat and bowed low.
"Sumimasen, Kitsu-san. Can you ever forgive me?"
I blinked several times, wondering if he was pulling my leg or not. Though, the grimness of the other captains, Okita included, cause me to frown.
"I don't understand why you apologise. You were assigned to prevent me from escaping. You couldn't expect an attack from the outside."
My words turned his face sombre, and I cringed. Cultural shock indeed. What the hell was I supposed to say ? At last, Heisuke provided me with a part of the answer.
"Hijikata-san warned me you might be attacked, but I got sloppy. Your singing distracted me."
Ah, right. I always sing in a bathroom. Loreena Mc Kennit, if I recalled.
"He did?" There was an odd feeling in my chest at the idea that the Demon Vice Commander might have asked his captains to watch out for me. But Okita's snicker caused me to crash land at full speed.
"Typical Hijikata. He'd rather kill you himself than allow someone else to do it." Chizuru gasped, and Saitō shook his head at Sōji. "It is a question of honour," the silent captain said.
"I'm not following you… I think."
Saitō didn't even grace me with a response. Shinpachi sighed, grumbling about women under his breath until Harada slapped the back of his skull. His comrade shot him an offended look, but shut his mouth to allow him to explain:
"As you are our prisoner, you also are our responsibility. You being attacked under the Shinsengumi's roof is an insult."
My tongue played over my upper teeth as I considered his words. So, Heisuke had dishonoured the captains by failing at the task appointed to him. And by trying to make him feel better, I denied his responsibility. I nodded in understanding, and eventually bowed to him.
"Your apology is accepted, Heisuke-san. I shall trust you in the future."
The young man beamed at me, bowing and thanking me again when the shōji slid open.
"You are far too forgiving, Kitsu-san."
Hijikata's scowl should have been intimidating, but the memory of his blushed cheeks, yesterday evening, softened the blow. Chizuru, though, has already run out to fetch his tray as if the devil himself was on her tail.
"Three against one isn't quite a fair fight," I retorted with warmth.
"One was enough," the commander retorted sombrely, "because Heisuke was too distracted."
Was there any point in defending Heisuke, really ? And I had just been taught how it insulted him anyway, so I conceded: "I shall not argue against you, commander. You know much better than I how to handle your troops."
Hijikata said nothing, but the look he gave me was nearly surprised. He sat in his spot with a sigh. "Three of our men will be performing Seppuku, three days from now, at sunset."
"Why not today ?" Okita asked, looking bored as he picked rice grains in his empty bowl. I shuddered at his nonchalant tone, did that man live for bloodshed, or was it just an act ? I had trouble figuring him out.
"Because they are too incapacitated to perform right now," Hijikata retorted, picking up a cup of tea. Several cries greeted that statement, and playful banter ensued.
"You've unleashed your demon over them ?"
"Way to go, Hijikata-san."
For a moment, I thought the commander was about to keep them all in the dark; I certainly wouldn't be the one to object. But when he set his cup on the tray, his eyes pinned me into place.
"It wasn't my deed," he stated.
All eyes turned to me, and I dipped my head into my own bowl of miso soup. Stunned silence ensued, and I was grateful the Commander used it to call his captains to attention.
"I expect all of you to attend. Except you, Yukimura."
The little lady deflated beside Harada, probably relieved that she wouldn't have to attend a bloodbath. I, on the other side…
"But Kitsu...", Heisuke started.
"… is the offended party." Hijikata responded, his voice echoing in the dining room like a herald of doom. And when he turned to me, a shiver ran up my spine. "The choice is yours." I took a deep breath, and set the miso soup on my platter. Many eyes rested upon me, serious gazes on faces that had seen too few winters.
"I will attend. If those men must die because of me, I shall honour their sacrifice."
My hand shook, and I hid it in the kimono's extended sleeve. A wave of nausea suddenly hit me, and I considered the food laid out before me with disgust. Three people, dead, because I existed. Why had the Valar brought me here, uh?
I retreated to my room uneasily. Stayed inside, slumbering, with aching muscles and painful joints. My whole left arm was impossible to move; she shock had caused the muscles to seize, and it would take a few days before I regained my mobility.
What a mess !