From: RuriHari@aol.com Wow my midterms are letting me take a breather and stop to post these really rough chapters of In the Heart of the Wolf ^^;; Chapters 2 and 3 are done and I'm not sure if I posted ch 1 so I'll post that too ^^;; its been so long I forgot :P notes and rant to come after chapter 3 except for... disclaimer! Saitou nor are any of the RK characters are mine, except for my version of "Tokio" and her family. This time portrayals of characters are not coincidental ^^;; Previously on In the Heart of the Wolf: A very distraught Saitou appears at the Kaimya door one cold fall night with a plea for help: to find his missing wife, Tokio. He relates the story of how he found his wife gone to Kenshin and asks for his help... *Chapter 2: Days to Remember (Tokio)* When I first saw him I was a bit afraid at the sight of his face, but his eyes... well, to use the over used term, they were the windows to his soul. I saw a loneliness in his eyes that I supposed that people over looked or could not see when face to face with a man like him. He was a friend of a friend of the family that had come by to visit. And I was out with the village children. I was not at home when they arrived but they were outside the door when I came back with the children. By the way he stood and talked, he seemed well learned, very polite, and a very perceptive man. At that moment the children decided that they had waited long enough to use their prizes from the faire so they began to play with them. Their actions made me laugh as they tried to use their prizes to make music. To any other person on the street it would have been noise, but to me it was music. I laughed with them as they sang and skipped. I could feel... I could feel him watching me, but not in a way that would scare me. It was as if he was trying to remember me. After trying not to show that I knew that he was looking at me, I turned and with my clapping and dancing laughed in his direction. I laughed at him. And at that moment I saw in his eyes the surprise of being caught... Perhaps it was his soul that attracted me to him, but then again as always, many other things can attract a person to another. Looking past his cold mask I saw a man. True I was young, even for him. He was almost thirty and I was barely eighteen, but it thrilled me to see what other emotion I could spark in his eyes. I wondered if a man that polite and cold could feel. For my sister’s sixteen birthday he came, and by this time I was frustrated that I was the one that did all the talking. He would respond to me politely. I had never met anybody who could agravate me so. So with the help of Natsu, I managed to have him alone in our one garden which was my father’s pride. My father would spend hours tending to the flowers. One day he had turned to me and said, ‘Tokio, watch how a man treats a flower or a plant.’ ‘Why should I?’ I had asked. ‘Because, Tokio, one day men will come to you, and you will be presented with so much that you tend to ignore the small details. You may be charmed by his looks or his wealth, but watch how he treats a flower or how he treats servants. Watch him closely.’ Such irony it was that we both were left in the garden. Natsu had left quickly being called away by some unheard voice calling her to the kitchen. She had made such a show of it that I was almost embarrased. But then... an opportunity like this could never happen again, not with this man. I glanced at him after Natsu had left in a whirlwind of words. He looked surprised. He looked at me and then quickly looked away, but not fast enough for me to see uncertainty in his eyes. So we walked silently back towards the garden gate. Each step taking me closer, but not any closer to him. “Saitou-san.” I said. I almost winced at how the sound of those words had cut through the silence. I wanted to take them back. “Hmmm?” he asked not looking at me. “Thank you for coming today.” I said. “On behalf of my sister and my family.” I added quickly. “You’re welcome Takagi-san.” he said politely. Ah! That polite voice again! We lapsed back into silence. I screamed inwardly. What use was my schooling? What could I say to him that no other woman has tried to say to him. The weather? How to arrange flowers? How the seasons change? The difference between Tokyo and Kyoto? How red and gold was the new rage in color schemes? No! No! None of what I had learned mattered. I knew that any sort of talk like that with this man would bore him and I would be bored trying to maintain that conversation. As we neared the garden gate I gave up hope of having a conversation alone with this man. So I walked next to him silently. He stopped and picked up a flower from the gravel path. He looked at it as he dusted off the petals and presented it to me. “Spring flowers are the most beautiful flowers don’t you think?” I could not read the expression in his eyes. I took the flower and with a small soft smile I said, “Yes, they are.” What attracts a man to a woman? What does he have that no other man has? I never understood those questions until now. I realized that I knew nothing about Saitou-san. Well nothing important that no one else knew. I knew he worked for the police and that the Daimyo respects him. That’s it the Daimyo! I can talk to him! He would know something about Saitou-san. I quickly wrapped a shawl around my shoulders and walked to my father’s office. If it was one thing to be the oldest daughter, it was that my father doted on me. “Tokio what are you doing here?” my father asked. “That’s a great way to greet your daughter,” I said. “Well its true, you never come here with out a purpose.” I laughed, “Caught again. I guess saying ‘because I came to see my father to tell him I love him’ won’t work.” “It does a bit.” he said. “So what is it that you need?” My fingers had trailed along the mahogany of his bookcase and on the edge of his desk. I picked up a stone and looked at it intently. “Is... is it possible that I can talk to the Daimyo?” I asked as I looked at the stone. “Whatever for?” he asked me. I looked down, “Its because he may know something that I need to know.” “Tokio you’ll have to be a bit more specific. Matsudiara-sama is very busy, he has to travel back and forth from the castle. He can’t drop his schedule to visit.” he told me. This did not bode well for me. “When do you think he can have time?” I asked. My father shook his head, “I don’t know.” I looked up at him, “At least try.” He looked at me as if I had lost my mind but smiled and said, “I will try.” he said. I smiled at him and left his office. When I got to the street my smile fell and I knew that it seemed impossible for me to find out anything about Saitou. I should just let it go. Besides, when was the last time he came to visit? I sighed, “Look at the age difference.” I muttered, “He’s probably way older than me, probably already married.” I headed home in low spirits. “Tokio-chan, I did it.” my father said as he entered the room a few days later. “Did what?” I asked as I looked up from my embriodery. “What you asked for.” he said, “I got the Daimyo to come.” “You did?!” I exclaimed quickly rising from my place. “Thank you!” “I don’t know why you wanted this, but I did as you asked, because you know that I can’t deny anything that you ask.” he said. I bowed, “I am so grateful father, thank you from the bottom of my heart.” “Whatever it is that you have to do I hope you accomplish it when he comes.” I smiled at him, “Don’t worry oto-san.” I said with as much bravery as I could muster. contine to ch 3... Rurichan ^^ --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- GRAB THE GATOR! FREE SOFTWARE DOES ALL THE TYPING FOR YOU! Tired of filling out forms and remembering passwords? Gator fills in forms and passwords with just one click! Comes with $50 in free coupons! Click Here ------------------------------------------------------------------------