Kaoru placed a scarf over her head, wrapped it around her neck, and knotted it under her chin.
She threw a warm haori on over her kimono. Tomoe's visit heralded the start of winter. Like a yuki-onna of legend, she appeared to have brought the frost and snow with her. Kaoru grabbed her umbrella before leaving the farmhouse. If the heavy grey blanket of clouds that smothered the Kansai Region was anything to go by, there might be snow later, or at least icy rain.
The main road leading into the village was a frigid river of mud. If Kaoru hadn't been wearing her platform getas, she would have to wash her tabi socks and soak her feet in hot water when she returned from running errands. Her neighbor, Emi-San, who never ceased to be amused by Kaoru's lack of domestic skills, was teaching her how to knit and gave her the idea to make something to give Kenshin as a New Year's present. Kaoru had settled on a scarf (nothing too ambitious), and Musa-San's store had yarn in the perfect shade of indigo to match Kenshin's eyes.
Musa-San was kind enough to have set aside a ball of that yarn for Kaoru and accept a wooden tanuki amulet Himura had carved for Musa-San's five-year-old son, Haji, as payment.
Kaoru bowed to the shopkeeper. "Thank you," she said. The yarn was so soft that she couldn't help reaching into her shopping basket and running her fingers over it. "I hope Haji-Kun likes his new toy." Kenshin was certainly going to love a new scarf knitted from this beautiful wool.
Three men, two of them local farmers, standing by the counter whistled at Kaoru as she passed them. Kaoru turned her head to glare at them, but her heart skipped a beat. The third man, the one with the sword at his hip, had been among the thugs Enishi sent to kidnap her from the temple. He'd held that sword to Kaoru's throat. Kaoru knew she should run home but curiosity compelled her to stay and linger, to listen in on the men's conversation while pretending to look at some bolts of cotton.
"Who is that girl?" the swordsman asked the two farmers.
Kaoru froze up, pink cotton bunched up in her fist. They were looking at her.
"She and her husband moved here this summer," said one of the farmers. "They came from Kyoto but the girl has an Edo accent. She flounces around like she's Amaterasu herself and the husband's one scary little bastard. He's got blood red hair and crossed scars on his face. He's got a fancy katana that looks like it's worth a fortune."
"Are you going to buy some of that, Kaoru-San?" Haru, Masa-San's assistant, peeked over Kaoru's shoulder.
Kaoru released the pink cotton. "I'll take three meters," she said. She could make herself a new obi from that fabric.
Haru cut the fabric Kaoru required. Kaoru rummaged through her money pouch, hoping to find enough to pay for it. Please forgive me, Kenshin. I hadn't expected to spend so much today. Shit! She was a few mon short.
"You can pay the rest next time," said Haru.
Kaoru gave him a grateful bow. After Haru wrapped up the fabric, Kaoru made her way to the door.
The swordsman bowed to Kaoru as she passed. "Good day, Kaoru-San," he said.
Kaoru ran home as fast as the muddy road and her platform getas would allow her. She wasn't a saint, not in this life nor any she might have lived before, but she couldn't have earned enough bad karma to deserve all this. Did Enishi send his thug to threaten her? If so, how did he find out she was here?
Tomoe, that treacherous bitch, was the best explanation. After Kaoru was kind enough to invite her into her home, she takes advantage of Kaoru's politeness and Kenshin's lingering affection for her to betray them. May King Enma and all his demons torment the false whore in Hell.
It began to snow by the time Kaoru made it back to the farmhouse. Kenshin was sweeping the fresh-fallen snow off the front step. He put down his broom and ran to Kaoru.
"What's wrong, Kaoru-Dono?" he asked.
Kaoru told him everything. About the ruffians in Musa-San's store, how one of them had attacked her at the shrine, and how that thug recognized her as well. And how Tomoe and Enishi were probably behind it.
Kenshin took Kaoru into his arms. "It's all this unworthy one's fault." He stroked Kaoru's hair. Her shawl had slid off her head.
"No, no." Kaoru caressed his scarred cheek. She could never fault Kenshin for his unfailing ability to give people the benefit of the doubt, even when they didn't deserve it. This was one of the qualities that had made her fall in love with him. "That she demon had us both."
Kaoru had never liked nor trusted Tomoe. As far as she was concerned, her cousin's wife had only ever brought trouble. But she never expected Tomoe would do something like this. Kaoru took a deep breath. Maybe she was getting ahead of herself? "What if they find us here?"
"Don't worry, Kaoru-Dono," said Kenshin. "This one will keep you safe." He dried Kaoru's tears with his sleeve.
She smiled. Kenshin was the most feared swordsman in all of Japan, and she was the heiress of Kamiya-Kasshin-Ryu. They could handle some washed-up ronīn. Enishi's thug would be an idiot to mess with them.
"Let's go inside," said Kaoru. Shivering outside in the cold wouldn't do them any good. "Wouldn't a nice, hot bath be wonderful on a day like this?" Their ofuro could fit two people. Kaoru giggled. And she still had some of her mugwort tea left. It was good to be alive, wasn't it?
Kenshin lowered his eyes and blushed. He didn't need much persuasion to abandon his sweeping and follow her into the house.
After a very enjoyable bath and a pleasant evening spent sipping warm sake by the fire, Kaoru and Kenshin dozed off in each other's arms. Kaoru, who'd made certain to drink her mugwort tea after the bath, rested her head on Kenshin's chest. It rose and fell with his breathing and the gentle beating of his heart filled her ears. His qi was usually tense, like a taught bowstring, but now he was relaxed. Kaoru was grateful to have brought him even this little bit of peace.
Something rustled in the rafters. Kenshin shifted in his futon. The bowstring was pulled taught again.
"Go back to sleep, Anata." Kaoru rolled over and snuggled closer to Kenshin. When she made their futons, she'd placed hot stones between the sheets to make them nice and toasty. Why would anyone want to leave their cozy embrace on such a cold night? "It's probably the squirrels again."
The little demons, who had no fear of Kenshin's broom, kept getting into the attic and eating from the food storage. They were a nuisance but could wait until the morning.
The ladder they used to get up to the attic creaked. Kenshin pulled Kaoru close to him. Before Kaoru could ask him what was wrong, Kenshin held a finger to her lips. His free hand reached under the futon for his sword.
Kaoru sat up. Should she go look for her naginata or would it take too much time and make too much noise?
Thankfully, Kenshin, who was the very definition of stealth, didn't have to slow himself down with these considerations. The blade of his katana sliced through the darkness, the sound making Kaoru grit her teeth. A scream, then a hot spray of blood, and a body landed on the futon next to Kaoru, who froze up. Kenshin's voice broke her out of her trance.
"Kaoru-Dono," he said. "Go get the magistrate."The local magistrate was Uramura-San, who lived about half a mile away. Kenshin stoked the fire and lit an oil lamp. In the flickering light, his eyes were Battousai's fierce gold instead of Kenshin's usual gentle violet.
Kaoru used the oil lamp to search for her haori, shawl, and getas. It also helped her find her naginata, which she kept hidden under a loose floorboard. Their intruder might have some buddies waiting outside.
The full moon, shinning on virgin snow, illuminated Kaoru's way through the woods and fields to Uramura-San's house. She held her assembled naginata in readiness incase a foe jumped out at her from behind a tree but she reached her destination without any trouble. Kaoru pounded on the door, begging to be let in.
Uramura-San's wife, a plump, pleasant-looking, middle aged woman, opened the door and gasped. Kaoru shivered on the engawa, waiting to be invited in. What must she look like to Uramura-San's wife? A strange young woman with a weapon showing up at her house in the middle of the night. Better come right out and explain herself.
"My husband..." said Kaoru. "He killed a man. There was an intruder."
"Come in, please," said Uramura-San's wife, who introduced herself as Uramura Haruka.
Kaoru drank tea with Haruka-San and warmed her feet by the fire while Uramura-San went and rounded up the village night watchmen.
When they returned, she led them back to the farmhouse.
"Don't worry, Miss," said Uramura-San. He gallantly threw his straw cloak over Kaoru's shoulders. Kaoru pulled it closer to her body. "If your intruder has any accomplices hiding in the area, my men and I will round them up."
"But what about my husband?" said Kaoru. Would they execute Kenshin for murder even though he only killed that man in self defense?
"We won't bother prosecuting him. Cutting down some bandit isn't a crime. It's a service to the community." Uramura-San laughed. "The country might be going to Hell but honest people still have the right to sleep soundly in their beds. And a man still has the right to protect his pretty, young wife." He chucked Kaoru under the chin.
Kaoru sighed with relief. At least Kenshin wouldn't have to face the gallows.
They tredged through the fresh fallen snow to the farmhouse, where Kenshin waited for them. Uramura-San and the night watchmen bowed to him as befitted a hero. One was so bold as to clap him on the back while the others went inside and carried out the dead man's body.
"Well done, Himura-San," he said. "His Lordship, Sejiro-Hiko the Thirteenth thanks you for the service you've done in ridding his lands of this filth."
Kaoru and Kenshin shared a look. Lord Hiko was definitely going to call them to account.
A few days later, Lord Hiko sent a palanquin to bring them to his castle. Kaoru put on her best silk kimono, the pale yellow-one Kenshin bought her in Edo, which was usually among the treasures she kept hidden under the floorboards. She sat by Kenshin's side while he and Lord Hiko discussed what should be done next.
"Thank you for putting us up," said Kenshin, bowing to his master and adopted father. "But we'll have to leave."
"Where will you go?" asked Lord Hiko.
Kaoru and Kenshin had discussed this question at length. They obviously couldn't continue staying in the farmhouse and Kyoto still wasn't safe either. After much consideration, there was only one place they could go.
Kaoru smiled. "The last place they'd expect," she said. Why would one of the Inshin-Shishi's most feared assassins hide out in the Shogunate of Edo? If he had in-laws to protect him?