A/n Hello everyone! I did take a bit of a break from writing. I've been a bit under the weather lately and I feel distracted and uninspired. I think I need to go and do some reading. It's been a while from the last time I read a really good book. Any suggestions? Or perhaps some good fanfics you want to spread awareness about?

This is a bit of a filler chapter, I admit, but no worries. I already have the next chapter ready to go. I just have to proofread it and it should be up in the next 2 weeks or so.

Chapter 21

Aoshi shoved his way into the room deep within the Keep. Here, the healers clustered around the giant old chunk of ice that fed magic into the healing waters. Aoshi was less impressed with it than most and he pushed the healers aside to find the small slip of a girl being fussed over by two female healers.

"Aoshi!" she cried when she saw him. His heart ached at the sound of his name on her lips. He fell to his knees beside her and looked down into the icy water to see her arms covered in cuts. Her kimono sleeves were ribbons stained with blood and her arms bore the evidence that she had used them to protect herself. A deep fire in his soul sputtered to life and burned with the rage of a bonfire. How dare someone lay hands on his woman. How could he have let this happen? He was her personal guard. He was so stuck up and worried about being proper that he allowed her to be exposed to danger. He cursed himself up one side and back down again.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Misao kept repeating. "Look, see? It's just some cuts, everyone is overreacting."

"Where is he?" Was he growling? Yes, yes he was. And he didn't care.

Misao looked stricken. "Don't kill him! You'll never get information out of him if he's dead."

"Where is he!" he roared, standing and spinning around to push through the crush of healers to the guards standing at the door. Misao's longtime guard stepped forward. He knew the man had watched over Misao's room for years and he was the one that came to her aide. He would see the man was generously rewarded.

"Sir, he's been taken down to the dungeon." He said.

"Take me to him." He demanded.

… . . …

Aoshi found himself deep under the mountain of the Keep. The Fire side of him begged to leave while the Earth side of him relished the press of so much earth on top of him. Beside him, two guards followed, one Fire and one Water. The dark passage was lit with small burning torches. They were new and smoked slightly. Aiga Keep was not used to keeping prisoners, so the passage was little used. New sconces must have been added now that a prisoner sat in its clutches. There were several very small cells and an Earth solder stood in front of the iron door that held his target.

He made a note to add reinforcements, simple iron would not hold back a Fire. Inside he found the Fire locked in a pillory. He looked up as Aoshi walked in and blanched at the sight of him. The Metal fae reached out and grabbed the man by the hair and yanked his head upward. The wooden pillory bit into the top of his neck, forcing him to arch in an awkward way to keep from being in pain.

"Name," Aoshi demanded.

"N-Nori." He replied.

"Why did you attack the Lady Misao?" At this Nori shut his mouth and looked at Aoshi with shifting eyes. "I will not ask you a second time," Aoshi warned. When the prisoner still didn't answer he turned to the Water solider. "Bring me buckets of water." He'd get the man to talk.

"Yes, sir." The soldier rushed away.

… . . ...

"Kaoru, is there something you want to tell me?"

Kaoru turned to look up at Sano, her brow wrinkled in confusion. "Like what?" She asked. His face mirrored hers confused and suddenly unsure.

"Hell, I don't know, Missy. Something seems off."

Kaoru blinked, He was an Earth fae. Could Sano sense her pregnancy? She fought to keep the look of understanding showing in her face. She kept her brow furrowed and she shook her head. "Not that I know of. I feel fine. Just nervous." She turned deliberately to look out into the distance. The Expanse was slowly falling away. Grasses had started to thin out to be replaced by hard-packed earth, sand, and rock. Out in the distance, a lone mesa jutted up from the flatness. Strange stick-like bushes started to grow And far off, the blue-gray outline of mountains.

Sano scratched the back of his head as he turned to look out at the land with her. "Yeah, we'll be in the Fire Lands by midday." He glanced over at her. "Perhaps you just seem different because your power is draining." He nodded. "Yes, I bet that's it."

Kaoru turned and picked her way carefully across the clumps of grass and rock. "Is it very bad? My power draining?"

Sano shook his head. "Kenshin and the other Fire's live just fine in the Water Kingdom. They just have to be careful about the use of their power. Being in the sun only recharges them slightly, unlike here in their home." He took hold of Kaoru as she paused next to her horse and gave her a hand to help her mount. "You'll feel the same, just slightly worn out perhaps. Rain will not recharge you as much. You'll have to wait for bodies of water for that. There is little moisture in the air so you'll feel like a damn jerky strip. What you want to look out for is Sun Poisoning. The sun is stronger then than what you're used to. Spend too much time in it and you'll cook."

"Thank's Sano. That makes her feel so much better, I'm sure." Kenshin muttered as he rode up beside her on his stallion.

Kaoru could already see the change in her Lord husband. His eyes were shifted over to amber, his hair pulled back severely in a top knot. His mouth was a hard line in his face. His ki was nearly overwhelming. They were only at the very edge of the Fire Lands and already Kenshin was absorbing power from the harsh rays of the sun. Kaoru wondered what her husband would turn into when they were well and truly in the Fire Lands. The great Warlord she had heard about? She clutched the reins tightly to keep her hands from resting on her belly. This was it. If she wasn't strong enough, if her baby wasn't strong enough, then she would lose it. She closed her eyes and prayed to the Water Goddess. She pulled up an image of the sea and recalled the sound of the ocean and the feel of warmth and love as the Goddess wrapped her in power and safety.

She prayed, begged even. Let this child live, let it take after the father and be Fire and survive the hard and deadly land. Let it quicken soon to assure her of life. And she prayed that Kenshin and Sano would remain ignorant until it was too late to turn back.

… . . …

Sano eyed his charge. Her eyes shut, her lips moving just slightly in prayer. He didn't like the idea of dragging the young female through the Fire Lands. If it were up to him he'd tell the damned King to get off his ass and drag himself to the edge of the expanse if he wanted a damn loyalty vow. Their troops were falling into place now and Kenshin called him over with a motion of his hand. Sano urged his horse forward to the front of the line.

"How is she?" He asked.

Sano leaned forward in his saddle and sighed. He knew just as well as he did how the Missy was doing. He just wanted to hear someone else reassure him. "She's fine man. She seems a bit strange but that's just because she's entering a territory that conflicts with her for the first time in her life." Sano sat up straight and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know man, maybe she's scared and hidin' it real well."

"Hmm," Kenshin grumbled. His Fire blood was starting to rage. Sano could see it as well as anyone. The eyes that would soon glow and the general badass attitude would be showing up soon. He could already see it in the Fire Soldiers who were excited to be back in their homelands.

"Keep a good eye on her. If she seems weak, get her in the wagon."

Sano gave him a half-hearted salute. "Better chance of pullin' a horse through a key-hole." He muttered back before turning his horse around and making his way back to his place by the Missy's side. She was finished with her prayers now and Sano started his own.

… . . …

Kaoru thought she was going to be fine. It had been three days and they were well and truly in the Fire Lands. Her time was spent on the back of the horse pointing at so many things she had never seen before for Sano to answer her questions. Spiky, thick, waxy looking plants, some with fleshy leaves and others just cylinder shaped. Trees that grew outward and wide like shrubs instead of up and narrow. And when their horses were spooked by a strange noise that caused them to leap to the side and nearly throw them off, all Kaoru could see was a tight curled up snake.

"Is it making that noise?" Kaoru gasped as soon as her horse became sure-footed and she was well seated in her saddle again. Sano dismounted and was looking over the tack to make sure the straps didn't come loose in the fright. He kept one eye on the snake as it remained motionless.

"Yep, it's got a rattle and the end of its tail. Uses it to warn us to stay away."

"A rattle?" Kaoru asked, unbelieving.

"Aye Better to rattle and scare of off than to have to bite and waste its precious venom." He tightened a strap. "You ever hear that sound, Missy, you watch your step and back away from it."

Kaoru nodded and watched as the noise slowly died away and Kaoru could see that its tail was in fact, strange and segmented. It slowly uncurled and vanished in the thorny shrubs.

There were scorpions of all sizes and colors. Spiders with hair-thin legs and some with claws like a crab. The very sight of them, nearly the size of a man's palm made her shiver. Snake-like insects with what looked like dozens of pointed yellow legs jutting from its black body. It seemed all things had sharp pointy things in which to attack or defend itself. Even the plants were sharp and brutal. The ground turned hard and rocky like busted up concrete. It was a deep red at first but after three days of pressing forward had faded into a sun-bleached tan. And the sun. Oh, the sun.

It was like standing in front of the roasting fires. Hot, burning air all around with no escape. The heat she could handle, but not the dry. The dryness would be her downfall, she already knew it. No sweat beaded on her brow or soaked her clothes. The air was so dry that it evaporated as soon as it reached the surface of her skin. She felt hot and prickly under her clothes. Her skin was turning pink and then soon on the third day, red. Her lips were chapped and starting to crack. The wind brought nothing but more hot air and sand in her eyes. She seemed to always be drinking but her thirst was never quenched. It felt like her life was leaking out through her pores.

The Fire's around her seemed indifferent to the heat and the dry. In fact, they seemed to be far more energetic than thought possible. They talked and laughed and did most of the work willingly. Her Lord Husband also looked far different. His hair very nearly burned under the sun, like flames on his head. His eyes glowed a strange yellow that brought up memories of him from their wedding. They took on a hard, deadly feel. The eyes of a man who had seen and caused death. So much death.

Her own people were dropping like flies. Wobbling in the heat until they all took shelter in the covered wagons. Sano was her only respite. He remained unchanged in the different environment, he only changed in his scrutiny of her and his never-ending nagging for her to go into the wagons. She refused, Fire's looked up to those who were strong, and she was going to prove to them that she was.

Corurin was to be their first stop. Kaoru was excited to see her first Fire City and even more excited at the chance to met up with Megumi, finally. Until then, they camped in the wild as Kenshin rode past many of the smaller villages.

… . . …

As the days wore on, Kaoru knew she had to give in. The heat was an oppressive thing. It made the air thick and hard to breathe. Every intake of breath sucked more moisture from her lungs. Her throat burned, her mouth was dry, her tongue felt like it was swelling to take up all the space in her mouth. Her skin burned and blistered. The sky above them was a blazing white-blue. A hot sky with not a single cloud anywhere. Kaoru wobbled in her saddle. It was just a slight wobble but it was all that was needed for Sano to mutter oaths under his breath as he rushed off his horse and pulled her out of the saddle and into his arms.

"I'm going to throw up," Kaoru grunted, her stomach turning and rolling.

"Nah," Sano said as he marched over to the wagons. "You're too dried up. I should have put you in the wagon yesterday." Again he spat an oath that made Kaoru wince. In one of the wagons, Kaoru saw her handmaidens lounging with fans in their hands. They shot upright when Sano shoved her inside. They took her and pulled her to lay in the center. A cup was pressed to her mouth but it was nearly empty.

"Not too much Missy, or you will throw up," Sano warned as he lowered the flap of the cover. It was dim and stuffy, the pillow under her head and the soft blanket under her body only added to the discomfort of heat. Kaoru felt she would never escape the heat. The would burn up and die like a shriveled husk.

… . . …

Kenshin dismounted when a guard called for a halt in the troop. Kenshin turned to find Sano marching over to him, his jaw was set and his fists were clenched. A quick flick of his eyes told him that Kaoru was off her horse. He walked over to met Sano.

The Fighter promptly took a swing that landed. Caught off guard, Kenshin stumbled and tasted blood in his mouth. Eyes igniting, he whipped back around to find Sano with his hands fisted in his hair as if he would pull it out. Kenshin relaxed his grip on his sword. A single hit meant that Sanosuke was just upset at him. The Fire Lands brought out the fight in everyone, that's why they were such good warriors. He'd taken a few hits from Sano before, and he was sure this wasn't the last one. So he wiped the blood from his lip and let Sano vent.

"Is it Kaoru?"

"Obviously," Sano muttered, his hands scrubbing at his face.

Alarm went through Kenshin and he turned to the direction Sano came but the taller man caught him by the shoulder.

"I put her in the wagon, she's showing the first stages of sun poisonin'." He said, suddenly calm, though his deep Earth eyes raged. "I should have put her in the wagon yesterday when I noticed the red in her skin."

Kenshin paused and then nodded at his friend before turning back to the train of wagons. His steps were hard on the packed dry ground and he found his wife with her handmaidens. The healer was stripping the clothes from her and the women were helping. They paused when he lifted the flap that covered the entrance.

"Continue." He blurted, seeing the lazy look on Kaoru's face and the way she moved as though she were heavy in the drink. The red on her face and arms looked painful, the blisters were starting to burst. They rushed to remove her clothing until she was in her underthings.

"My Lord, I'll have to use some of the water you brought for us." The healer warned

"Yes, yes, that's what I brought it for." Kenshin waved him away. The healer crawled out and Kenshin crawled in. The handmaidens scrambled to make way as Kenshin took his place at the end of the wagon and cradled Kaoru's head in his lap. He was not surprised by her condition. She had burned more and more under the sun and each night he kissed those dry, rough lips. Each morning he asked her to ride in the wagons and each time she refused. Kenshin knew by now that the only way Kaoru would give in to anything would only be if the pain was too much. She drank the painkillers when she was saddle sore only because she nearly collapsed after the first day. She would only get in the wagon after having nearly fallen from her saddle, suffering heat stroke.

Kaoru blinked languidly up at him as he pet the hair from her face. The healer returned and without warning upended a bucket of water over the Lady Kaoru. The girl gasped, reacting violently to the sudden change in temperature. A second bucket was set down inside the wagon and the healer very nearly had to straddle Kaoru to reach her face where he used a cloth to soak her face and hair with water. Her handmaidens were waving their fans like mad women, creating a breeze that soon caused their Lady to shiver intensely.

"Go." She said softly, smiling to show that she was fine. The effect was ruined by the loud chattering of her teeth. "Don't hold up the caravan on my account."

"You stupid, stubborn Water girl." Kenshin bit out. He tried to put all the passion and rage of a burning Fire into his words but they came out weak and wavering. "You damn near make yourself ill to prove that you are what you are not."

Her chapped lips pulled down. "I must be strong to prove-"

"You have to prove nothing!" Kenshin growled, he could feel it now. His blood pulsed hot in his veins. A muscle in his face twitched. That raging part of his nature. The force that allowed his kind to battle with blood lust, to murder and rape and not think twice about it. Anger he had not felt since his youth started to build and he clutched at the female in his arms, wanting to shake her to death. "When will you realize that you have to be true to who you are? What would it prove to anyone if you made yourself sick and weak? It would only prove your stupidity! None of my men expect you to skip along this land as if it were your own. They know their own limitations and damn well know yours as well. No one would think less of you for hiding away from the sun any less than you would think of them for not going into the river. We know what kills us. You are being stubborn and irresponsible!"

Kaoru was in tears now. He could see them leaking from the corners of her eyes to slide down her face to her hair. But he was not done with her yet. "You are to stay in this wagon until we reach our first stop. And you will stay in the wagon when we make way for the King and you will damn well stay in this wagon until we are out of the Fire Lands, do you understand me?"

Kaoru hiccuped. "Yes." She squeaked.

"Good." He barked. He yanked a pillow out from under him and set it under her head before standing, he untied the front flap of the wagon so that air could circulate. The air was hot and dry but a breeze was better than nothing. He crawled out at the front of the wagon, startling the driver before jumping down and marching back to the front of the line. Sano had been petting the horses that pulled the wagon and he broke off and fell into step beside him.

"You had to lay down the law, man. I'm proud of you."

"I feel like a bastard," Kenshin muttered back.

"It's what it takes." Sano countered, hand shoved into his pockets. "I would have roared at the Lady days ago, but it's not my place."

Kenshin glanced at Sano as they reached his horse. "I'm making it your place. I may not always be around. Trips or battles might call me away for weeks or months at a time. I'm counting on you to be my voice with her. Tell her what she needs to hear, even if it hurts her."

Sano bowed his head as Kenshin climbed into the saddle. "Yes, M'lord."

… . . …

Kaoru glanced down at the way her under clothes stuck to her soaked skin. She was completely exposed. Lucky for her no one was around, save her handmaids and the healer, all of them had seen her without her clothes before. But she feared her pregnancy would show. The healer for one would know the signs. Her breasts were already starting to change, the coloring around her nipples were starting to grow large and dark. Quickly she turned to her side and hugged a pillow as if needing comfort after her Lord Husband had his words with her. The healer, if he noticed anything, said nothing as he continued to dunk the cloth into the water and wrung it out on her body, face, and neck.

She wasn't upset with Kenshin. She cried only from the truth of his words. If she was honest with herself, those burning turbulent eyes, the harsh, rough way his voice had sounded stirred feelings deep inside of her. Perhaps she was so used to being the one in charge that it was nice to let go of that control and have someone control her for once.

Nice, only because it was Kenshin, and he was kind and gentle in his control over her. She was not naive enough to not know that there were other men out there who used pain, used mental, physical and emotion torture to control.

He was right. She was stupid and stubborn. Willing to risk what might be the only chance at giving Kenshin a child just so she could prove that she was strong, to prove to herself that she was strong. She wasn't strong, not here. She was the worst sort. This was not about her anymore. This was about Aiga Keep. Keeping it safe for the people who need it the most. The countless hamlets that lived in its shadow, depending on it to keep them safe from the evil that was slowly seeping in. Everyone was certain that the Keep was the dam that was stemming the flow of Drow into the lands. Kaoru knew how to run the Keep. At least she was sure she did. The idea of someone else taking it over scared her more than anything. It was her home, it was her life. It was the hope of everyone in the area.

Kaoru shivered as somehow the healer and handmaids fanned the heat off of her. She fell into exhausted sleep.

… . . …

"Come now Megumi, we all know you're up to something."

Megumi's red lips turned downward as her eyes rolled. "What am I up to, Em?" Megumi asked in a sigh as she tried to walk around him. The hall was empty, everyone was rushing for the midday meal. Classes had that end of the year feel, where the students didn't seem to be paying much attention. Only the Apprentices kept their heads down and the work first and foremost.

"Master Healer Bayle should have never picked you to be Master Apprentice." Ember continued.

Megumi fought against sighing out loud for the second time as she looked over at her fellow Apprentice. Ember was a burning coal in her shoe from the very first day she entered school ten years ago. Classic Fire in looks and temperament. He was well built with sun-touched skin, flaming sandy red hair and murky yellow eyes that looked like dried tree resin. He would have been a good looking young man except he had a way of standing, his hip jutting out to one side and a sneer of a smile that screamed a warning to any sensible person to stay away. At the moment his arms were crossed, putting emphasis on his cocky hip. They had been at each other's throats for so long, neither of them could remember what the first fight had been about.

"No?" Megumi did sigh again, She couldn't help it. The man had been harassing her from the moment she had been named. His harmless banter turning more and more cruel.

"No." Ember reached out and grabbed Megumi by the wrist. The Water fae was forced to step up to him or risk dropping her overly stuffed file of notes. It was heavy and only two hands pressing the folder to her chest felt safe enough to haul it around.

"Em, you let me go right now!" Megumi bit out. Her eyes flashing a storm of emotions. That feeling of power eeked out of him. A fighters Ki, a killer, one who would cause pain for the fun of it. Thoughts of the Fire that raped her engulfed every last corner of her mind and terror started to seep into her soul. No! She was stronger than this. All Fire's felt the same. It didn't mean she was in danger. But her fellow student pulled her against him, his grip on her bruising and scalding hot.

"I bet you did all sort of favors to win yourself that title. Everyone knows Water people are sluts. I bet that's why the old men in charge gave you permission to fuck around, bet they all wanted a taste of you."

Megumi bit down on her tongue, refusing to let the tears show. It wasn't true. She wanted to scream it. They were only taking into account her nature. She wished they hadn't, she wished they ruled her with the same iron fist as everyone else. Changing the rules for her had only made it worse.

He smiled "Isn't that right, Takani?"

"No, you stupid idiot. Now let me go!" She yanked backward but his hold on her was tight.

"What did you do to them to get them to name you? Tell me. Tell me!"

"Emberly!"

Both Ember and Megumi jumped at the bark. The pair of them turned to find one of their teachers standing in the hall. Mrs. Serafine was a woman reaching her elderly years but her eyes were bright and her joints supple. Her hair was graying with streaks of red left. Her skin was wrinkled but clear. She strode over to the pair of them and with a backhanded swing slapped Ember across the face. She then swung forward and slapped him on the other side of the face. Age did nothing to ease the burning a Fire's veins.

"How dare you speak to someone like that. Look at you!" she indicated to the hard grip he had on Megumi's small wrist. "What manner of healer are you?"

Megumi gasped and turned to the Fire man who looked equal amounts horrified and ashamed. He quickly let Megumi go.

"Don't think we haven't noticed your attitude problem." Mrs. Serafine shook a long finger in his face. "You want to spend years in this school and act like that you can march out into the field and join the soldiers, we don't want the likes of you as a healer. Imagine, treating women like that who come to you for care."

All the color drained from Ember's face, the yellow left his eyes. It was as if he morphed into a different person in front of them all. "No, oh no, I'd never treat my patient..." He looked with wild eyes to Megumi. "Never." He noticed the wet look of Megumi's eyes and he shut his mouth and his eyes went downcast. His shoulders hunching forward. "I'm sorry, Megumi."

Megumi swallowed. Ember wasn't a bully. He teased her and she teased him back. They were never nice to each other but never had he hunted her down to cause her grief. He was just a young Fire in a world he was not used to. He was to be a healer, not a fighter. It was against his nature. He was just a thorn in her side. A thorn to a lovely rose.

"It's fine," Megumi muttered.

"No." Ember shook his head. "No, it's not fine. I broke my healer vows."

"Yes, you did." Mrs. Serefine sniffed. "I'm going to inform the Masters and they will think of the proper punishment for you."

"Yes, Ma'am."

His head ducked even lower if that were possible and Megumi suddenly felt sorry. She tried not to, she didn't want to make excuses for him, tried to think of the hurtful things he had just said but it was impossible. She was a Water in the world of Fires. He was Fire, working the profession of a Water. They were both going against their natures.

Megumi hated it. She was sick of it all.

A/n Me thinks Megumi has had enough. She's been disillusioned, I think. Poor woman.
And Kaoru, silly girl. I'm glad someone talked some sense into her. I hope this trip goes by quickly for this stubborn thing.

And Aoshi...oh I don't want to be that prisoner right now. Nope nope.

Thank you, everyone, for reading! Reviews are much loved!