“Healer Gensai. How much do you know?”
“Enough to know I probably shouldn’t be here while you discuss the situation.” Gensai drained his cup and motioned to Yahiko. “Come along, young man. Let’s not complicate matters.”
The dark-eyed youngster twisted away, face like a thundercloud. “If Kenshin’s in trouble, I’m staying!”
“What you don’t know, they can’t Truth Spell out of you,” the elderly Healer pointed out. “As it is, what you do know could make things difficult for all of us. Though I doubt there’s a Herald besides your teacher who knows enough to ask the right questions.”
Kerowyn kept a twitch of pure, unadulterated curiosity off her face. The right questions, hmm? It fit with what she’d seen from Yamagata; the man might not lie, but he’d definitely avoid some topics unless someone asked him directly.
And when it comes to Himura, Gensai thinks he knows what the right questions are. Very interesting.
“He’s right, Yahiko,” Kaoru said firmly. “Weaponsmaster Kerowyn’s one of the toughest, fairest Heralds I’ve ever met. If anyone can fix this-” She faltered, rallied. “It’ll be all right. I promise.”
:And if it’s not, I’ll kick a few doors down,: Sanosuke put in. :Come on, kid. Trust me.:
Kerowyn listened to Yahiko grumble his way down the hall with Gensai with half an ear, attention focused on the quiet man kneeling in the shadows on the other side of the lantern. Good spot. I have to work to read him. But I don’t think he picked it on purpose; just found it by habit. Old campaigner, no question. He probably doesn’t even think about things like that anymore. “Annoying as Mindspeech can be, and it is annoying as hells to have things come back and talk in your head, it can come in handy. Especially when you’re trying to get a lot of information from a lot of different people in a very short time. For example, the time it takes to ride from a burned-out shrine to this dojo.”
Kenshin didn’t stiffen. He didn’t even twitch.
But you know exactly where you’ve laid your sword down, don’t you? To the hair.
Finally down to principals. 🙂
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But you know exactly where you’ve laid your sword down, don’t you? To the hair.
Of course he does. He isn’t alive today despite several people’s best efforts by ignoring little things like that.
Kenshin didn’t stiffen. He didn’t even twitch.
Sorry, Kerowyn, but that one has a very good poker face. And is difficult to actually intimidate.
Still, I think Kerowyn will be able to come up with at least some of the right questions at this moment. Probably figure more of them later. Along with acquiring the desire to yank her hair out while her Companion very unhelpfully reminds her it could be worse – someone else could be trying to sort out this mess and making it even worse.
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Heh. Though the fact he has that poker face in itself tells her an awful lot!
And yes. It could definitely be worse!
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