31 Days: A school of morality
Aug. 2nd, 2005 10:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
petronia(http://www.livejournal.com/users/petronia/tag/31days)
Ahaha, oh man, the weird angles commence. This has nothing to do with the discussion on![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lcseifhoan's lj - frankly I suspect the analogous scene must occur somewhere in the prequels, if only because my gut feeling is that it needed writing. Pre-series, obviously.
I no longer remember how much of the history was exposited in the anime (leaving aside my own summaries and those of others). If this piece is confusing or if I've made random glaring anachronisms - people rode horses without stirrups in the Sengoku era, am I remembering right? - please to comment. ^^;
***
He found Kenshin in the courtyard, in the shadow of the stables: a white stocky form moving under the beasts' trustful gaze. He was adjusting the harness on his favorite bay, which was saddled to ride. Several retainers accompanied him, leading their own mounts by the bridle.
Kagetora came to a halt a few paces away. Dread burdened his belly with lead; it seemed to him suddenly that he could approach no further. After a moment he sank to one knee in the scattered hay and dust.
"My lord," someone said, and stopped short. There was a murmured command. Kagetora kept his eyes on the ground in front of him. At length Kenshin's boots – already caked with mud despite the hour – entered his field of vision, and the white-grey hem of his cloak. There they marked a pause.
The weight of a hand on his hair came as a surprise. Involuntarily he lifted his face. Kenshin gazed down at him, his expression grave.
"Ride with me," he said.
***
Clouds scudded across the sky, pale with October. The wind blew sharp and bracing in their faces.
Near the water's edge Kenshin wheeled his mount, the bay pawing and cantering in a tight circle over the shingle. Kagetora spurred his horse down the bank to join him. Slate pebbles clattered under the animals' hooves in sharp reports.
The sea north of Echigo was wild and grey. No smooth and shining beach of sand this; the littoral was formed of sharp cliffs and jutting boulders, islands that stood offshore like rock turrets, barren but for tufts of grass, battered by waves in great sprays of white foam. Yet it had a desolate beauty that caught at the heart and would not let go.
"The land does not exist for its lord and master," said Kenshin. "It awaits only the one befitting it."
He had eyes that were dark brown and rheumy, often narrowed against the sun. At moments they were capable of unparalleled sharpness. This was the gaze he turned on Kagetora. It was as if Kenshin saw, not Kagetora as he stood before him, but someone of far greater inherent worth; someone deserving. He could barely breathe. Wildly he thought, I will make it truth, Father, as long as you allow me.
"I do not intend to return you to Sagami," Kenshin said. "Your brother may renege on the oath made by his father, but I will not renege on mine." Then his eyes softened, and he said, "I do not know if you wish to return to your blood kin. I would not deny them to you. But my choice stands, so long as you are willing to call me Father. For I have need of you."
At first he did not understand the words. Then they were lost beneath the pounding of his heart. He dismounted, taking Kenshin's gloved hand and pressing it to his lips.
"I would follow you until the ends of the earth, my lord," he said. "To my death, gladly, and beyond."
Kenshin smiled, and clasped his hand.
"I would not have it so," he said. "You must live."
***
Ahaha, oh man, the weird angles commence. This has nothing to do with the discussion on
lcseifhoan's lj - frankly I suspect the analogous scene must occur somewhere in the prequels, if only because my gut feeling is that it needed writing. Pre-series, obviously.I no longer remember how much of the history was exposited in the anime (leaving aside my own summaries and those of others). If this piece is confusing or if I've made random glaring anachronisms - people rode horses without stirrups in the Sengoku era, am I remembering right? - please to comment. ^^;
***
He found Kenshin in the courtyard, in the shadow of the stables: a white stocky form moving under the beasts' trustful gaze. He was adjusting the harness on his favorite bay, which was saddled to ride. Several retainers accompanied him, leading their own mounts by the bridle.
Kagetora came to a halt a few paces away. Dread burdened his belly with lead; it seemed to him suddenly that he could approach no further. After a moment he sank to one knee in the scattered hay and dust.
"My lord," someone said, and stopped short. There was a murmured command. Kagetora kept his eyes on the ground in front of him. At length Kenshin's boots – already caked with mud despite the hour – entered his field of vision, and the white-grey hem of his cloak. There they marked a pause.
The weight of a hand on his hair came as a surprise. Involuntarily he lifted his face. Kenshin gazed down at him, his expression grave.
"Ride with me," he said.
***
Clouds scudded across the sky, pale with October. The wind blew sharp and bracing in their faces.
Near the water's edge Kenshin wheeled his mount, the bay pawing and cantering in a tight circle over the shingle. Kagetora spurred his horse down the bank to join him. Slate pebbles clattered under the animals' hooves in sharp reports.
The sea north of Echigo was wild and grey. No smooth and shining beach of sand this; the littoral was formed of sharp cliffs and jutting boulders, islands that stood offshore like rock turrets, barren but for tufts of grass, battered by waves in great sprays of white foam. Yet it had a desolate beauty that caught at the heart and would not let go.
"The land does not exist for its lord and master," said Kenshin. "It awaits only the one befitting it."
He had eyes that were dark brown and rheumy, often narrowed against the sun. At moments they were capable of unparalleled sharpness. This was the gaze he turned on Kagetora. It was as if Kenshin saw, not Kagetora as he stood before him, but someone of far greater inherent worth; someone deserving. He could barely breathe. Wildly he thought, I will make it truth, Father, as long as you allow me.
"I do not intend to return you to Sagami," Kenshin said. "Your brother may renege on the oath made by his father, but I will not renege on mine." Then his eyes softened, and he said, "I do not know if you wish to return to your blood kin. I would not deny them to you. But my choice stands, so long as you are willing to call me Father. For I have need of you."
At first he did not understand the words. Then they were lost beneath the pounding of his heart. He dismounted, taking Kenshin's gloved hand and pressing it to his lips.
"I would follow you until the ends of the earth, my lord," he said. "To my death, gladly, and beyond."
Kenshin smiled, and clasped his hand.
"I would not have it so," he said. "You must live."
***
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-08-03 07:02 am (UTC)Kenshin smiled, and clasped his hand.
"I would not have it so," he said. "You must live."
but of course it is to his death and beyond. oh man.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-04 04:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-04 02:54 am (UTC)Well, maybe I more like the prequel story more than Takaya's story... (but I also love when he is in Sekigeishu ... and the last scene of Takaya-Naoe at volume 40)
You're good story teller! ^^ We can know how respect Kagetora to his stepfather *hearts*.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-04 04:18 am (UTC)I'm fond of the Sekigeishu as well. XD
no subject
Date: 2005-08-07 07:40 am (UTC)Not that it's relevent to your piece, but as far as I can tell, stirrups were used in the Sengoku period. Though Japanese stirrups are a bit different from their Western equivalents.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-08 09:47 pm (UTC)Glad you enjoyed the fic.