Never Enough
Never Enough
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Italics are thoughts, for reference.
Kenshin
thanked the postman and walked back towards the dojo, sitting down with his
back to a tree to flip through two different newspapers, a letter for Kaoru
from a distant relation, and…a letter for him? This was certainly a new thing.
The surprise was great enough for him to ignore the shouting between Kaoru and
Yahiko coming from inside. He opened the letter and saw that it was from
“Elizabeth-san…the
Lady of the Sakura…” he murmured to himself before he began to read. When he
was finished, he folded it gently and carefully placed it inside the folds of
his gi before getting up, brushing off the dust from his legs, and removing his
sandals as was customary to step inside the drill hall. Kaoru and Yahiko were
still at it, yelling at the top of their lungs, but Kenshin simply cleared his
throat before they both quieted down.
“What do
you want, Kenshin?” Kaoru asked, exasperated first at her student and then at
Kenshin for interrupting. “Can’t you see we’re busy?”
“Yes,
Kaoru-dono, I can see that,” Kenshin replied, smiling faintly before continuing.
“But I received a letter in the mail today, that I did. It’s from an old friend
of mine. Her name is Elizabeth LeMarc, and she lives in
now. She asked me to come visit her on her estate, and I can bring anyone I
like.”
“We’re
going to
eh?” came Sano’s voice from behind Kenshin. He apparently shortly before had
arrived without them noticing. “Well, I’m up for a little adventure now and
then. Count me in.”
“I hope
Tae-chan doesn’t mind looking after the dojo for as long as we’re gone,” Kaoru
fussed at Kenshin, as they stood outside the train station after finally
arriving in
Sano and Yahiko stood there with them, but both were silent, taking in the
sights.
“I’m sure
it will be alright, Kaoru-dono, that I do,” Kenshin reassured her as he glanced
towards the east…and looked back. “Elizabeth-san!” he cried, taking off at a
run towards tall, beautiful woman blu blue eyes in a slimming gown of black
silk, red hair floating on a small breeze. Her smile was faint, as if
half-hearted, but when she saw Kenshin running towards her, that changed
totally. The smile reached her eyes completely and she embraced him tightly to
her, laughing softly. Sano, Yahiko, and Kaoru had a harder time weaving through
the crowd, and arrived later. Kenshin introduced them as soon as they appeared.
Sano was introduced last, and when he was, he swept into a huge bow before
taking
it. She looked mildly surprised, but did not show any emotion other than that.
She turned away with a coy smile, and began leading them down a path that
eventually led through the countryside up to her estate, that she shared with
her new husband.
“She isn’t
much of a talker, is she Kenshin,” Yahiko remarked quietly to Kenshin as they
followed behind
“No,
Yahiko. She was always fairly quiet when we traveled together, before she found
out that her father had engaged her off to a stranger. I suppose that’s how it
is with female assassins. She’s different now, however. She was never this
silent. She didn’t even say hello…”
They
traveled for a few more moments in silence, listening to the birds call to one
another. That was when Kenshin noticed something odd protruding out from the
silk of the back of
dress…
“
whip, perhaps?” Kenshin though to himself, eyes widening slightly as he
wondered what sort of cruel person would inflict such a painful looking wound
on such a normally gentle woman.
“
worried to herself, a small furrow appearing between her brows. “
to me…”