Genre: Angst/Action/Adventure (with some humor, romance, and other stuff tossed in)

Rating: Hard R

Disclaimer: I never have, never will, own Rurouni Kenshin. Shoot, I can't even find the manga that supposidy was released in November at the local bookstore! All the characters of Rurouni Kenshin and their characteristics belong to Wasuki.

Forewarning: READ THIS PEOPLE. This is a whole lot darker than my other ficcies, it's R for a reason people. Will most likely include the following: yaoi, character death, graphic violence, torture, a bit of lime, and other stuff I can't think of at the moment. There aren't drugs or language, so that's a plus, ne? This probably falls under the catagory of a "Dark" Fic.

The young woman worked with a diligent patience on the blood spatter youth. Her delicate fingers danced across his bare skin with practiced ease; however, she did not like what she found. Her pretty face was set in a grim frown and her brow was furrowed. She peeled away more of the rough cloth. It was a sight that would set most retching, but she merely glanced it over assessing the damage. She had seen worse, treated worse, although this youth would be lucky if he survived with a debilitating injury for the rest of his life. If he lived at all that was. The young woman knew she was not a miracle worker. Life and death were a thin line. If one was destined to die, then they would. No amount of skill or luck could change that.

He groaned and her heart went out to him. He didn't deserve this. He had done nothing to deserve it. He was a polite young farmer, nothing more, nothing less. He was engaged to be married within a month. He was only fifteen.

Life was short: make the most of it. That's what the woman's mother had always told her as she handed down the secrets to life and healing. When she passed away she had no regrets. The young woman missed her and wondered if she could be so brave as to do the same. Never regret a choice? Never regret a life she couldn't save? She tried, tried to live by what her mother taught her, but eventually she came to realize she was her own person. She had her own opinions, her own views on life. She could choose what to do, or not to do.

Pressing the cloth against the man's chest, she ignored the crimson liquid that seeped through staining her fingers and palms. She could wash them later. After she did her best to patch him up. Yes, after. And he would hopefully live.

As she slid the needle in and out of his gaping chest wound she reflected on the cause of it. She was sure it was a not a vampire. Although the immortals had grown far bolder since gaining a leader they were still not immune to sunlight. They would be tucked away in their cold, stone tombs until the last bloody rays of the sun slid behind the thick forest of trees. Only then would they awake to resume their lives, pursue their interests.

Closing the wound off with knotted thread, she slicked it with salve. The pungent odor filled her nostril and hovered around the small room. It was from a plant that would disinfect and numb the pain. She wondered if the man's body had already slipped into shock. If so he wouldn't be feeling much pain from his dying body. His chest rose and fell with a wet gurgling and she feared one of his lungs had suffered damage. If that was the case then there was little hope.

Rising from her knees she felt her body protest sharply. She had kept that position for at least two hours and now the muscles were cramped up. There was a dull ache in here knees from the constant pressure when she pressed them against the floor of her hut. She gathered her instruments being careful not to get any blood on the clothing beneath her smock. She didn't have time to do laundry, not with the amount of attacks her village had received lately. They had run her to exhaustion, but she refused to give up on anyone. Even if they looked like they were about to die.

Slowly she made her way to the small, cold stream that ran a few yards from her hut. The forest was silent except for the calls of a few small birds. Most of the wildlife was hidden and she could feel the silent tension. Something unnatural stalked the forests. For once she wished her hut were set a little closer to the village. She had never cast her eye out for a man. Men tried to catch her eye for she was a beautiful woman and well proportioned. They would do chores for her or lend other small favors in hopes of gaining praise. She tolerated it for the most part; only employing her sharp tongue when one became particularly persistent. She was a very independent, private person. She had secrets, as did everyone else, however hers were jealously guarded.

Her mind wandered back to her patient. His wounds almost looked like a dog attack, except all the dogs in the village were cowering in there hiding places. The rest of the livestock was extremely restless and very skittish. No one dared to let their animals out of the pens for fear they would bolt. Any beast that fled was never retrieved. It was as if the forest swallowed them up.

She had heard rumors that the vampires used werewolves as their daytime guards and slaves. She was beginning to believe the old legends now. She had never been superstitious, or at least not overly so. But she believed what she saw, and mere wild dogs had not attacked that man. Not with his whole chest torn open and his right arm nearly ripped out of its socket. What she didn't understand was how he managed to escape or why they chose him to attack.

Submerging her hands in the ice water she carefully cleaned her instruments of all blood before drying them with a cloth. It would not do to have them rust. They would be unusable then and she didn't have the resources to replace them. Next she carefully scrubbed her fingers feeling the water freeze her skin and make it tingle.

The fine hairs on the back of her neck rose and she slowly shifted her gaze upwards. The upside down reflection in the stream scared her witless. One of the largest wolves she had ever seen was staring at her from across the way. His coat was reddish-brown and very wild. His eyes were a light, intelligent brown. The eyes of a hunter and predator stared at her with fierce concentration.

She felt her breath catch in her throat and constrict with fear. Her instruments fell from her nerveless fingers and she didn't bother to retrieve them. Fresh blood seeped from between her fingers where her knife had slit the skin when she let it go. The crimson liquid slowly dribbled down her fingers and onto her clothing. She slowly backed away one all four never taking her dark eyes off his light, feral ones.

"What do you want?" She whispered. The words scraped against her dry throat painfully and fear rose in her again when his answer was to pace closer. Her muscles locked up and she froze like a panicked deer. Licking her chapped lips in a nervous gesture she eyed his strong jaws and powerful body. She couldn't outrun him or fight back. It was impossible! The most she could hope for was that if she screamed the villagers would come and scare the beast off. Considering the state of their minds she very much doubted they would.

The brute was nearly up to her now. He cocked his head curiously and she hoped he wasn't thinking how easy she would be to take down. Or how tasty she would be to eat. His black nose sniffed the air before he looked at her again. At close range she noticed little details like how his thick, brown fur with banded with tan and black or that his throat and muzzle were of a lighter shade.

A howl echoed through the forest and his head shot up, ears pricked and alert. She took that chance to run. Stumbling she abandoned her tools and fled for her life. Terror lent her speed she had never possessed before and she flew heedless of obstacles in her path. Only when she reached her hut and barred the door did she see if he followed. There was no trace of him and she trembled, knowing it had not been her imagination. She was completely dead sure that the brown wolf had been a werewolf, but she was confused what he had been doing watching her and sniffing the air. She was almost too afraid to go back and retrieved the drops items. She assured herself that if she went back later he would be gone and all would be well.

A horrible cry made her whirl around heart pounding. She had completely forgotten the man she had left when she went to clean up. He was moaning and thrashing wildly. He had torn the stitches she had worked so hard to put in and blood poured everywhere. Before she could go to him he convulsed and went limp. Swallowing she assured herself it was fine. He wasn't going to jump up and bite her, was he? No, that was just silly. She was anything but silly. She was a practical, logical full-grown doctor who needed to care for her patient.

Gathering her courage and slowly her heart she crept forward. The man's eyes were fluttering beneath his closed lids and he was moaning in agony under his breath. The wound was still seeping blood, but it had slowed. His limbs were twisted from his thrashing, but as she went to straighten out his maimed arm he screamed. Her fingers jerked back like they had been burn although she had yet to actually touch his skin. Biting her lip she realized she needed help. She wondered how brave her would-be suitors were in the face of death and torture.

Looking down she glared at the blood staining her clothing and for the first time she realized that she was bleeding. Fetching some salve she cleaned the wound relieved it was a clean cut. She wouldn't have to have it stitched; keeping the skin pressed together with a tight bandage should do enough. Her body would do the rest. Luckily it was her left hand she injured for she used her right for almost everything.

Changing swiftly she cautiously exited her hut. She stood, trembling slightly, with her dark eyes scanning and her ears straining. She wouldn't be surprised again. She didn't understand how she managed to escape in the first place, but she wasn't planning on testing Death again. That howl had something to do with it. Which meant there were more of them. She was terrified to the marrow of her bones that they would hunt her down. She wouldn't give them the chance. She didn't know what to do, however, her plans did not include giving in.

Skirting deep patches of brush she eyed shady, sun dappled clearing with misgivings. She had grown up in the area; she knew every trail and path. That gave her some confidence. She wondered if wolves could climb trees. The local dogs couldn't, so maybe wolves couldn't either. They were cousins after all. She hadn't actually climbed a tree in years. Then again, she hadn't run in years either, and certainly never like she had wings on her feet!

In what seemed like hours, but was really only a few handfuls of minutes, she reached the village. Some of her fear dissipated as she saw the smoke curl up from the wood fire and heard the reassuring sounds of children playing. She stepped along at a slower pace keeping her eyes moving. The hairs prickled only once more. She restrained herself from running and never even caught a glimpse of her shadow stalker.

As she approached she noticed the villages were crowding around a trio of strangers. A man with a shock of silver hair was talking with the elder making hand gestures and seeming very calm, collected. The man next to him was easily taller and wider than his two companions. His long black hair hung straight. He wore a heavy frown and looked annoyed. The young woman came closer and could see why. Some of the village children had started tugging on him asking questions in quick, eager questions. Although he seemed to be incredibly irritated by their behavior his sharp ebony eyes remained locked on his silver hair companion. The third member was a slight boy. He rested impatiently against a pole with a cross frown on his tanned face. His spiky hair and deep brown eyes marked him as a foreigner. The people of this region had dark eyes and hair, usually black.

She paced forward to get a better look. People respectfully stepped aside to allow her access. She was respected for her healing skills, just as her mother had been. The large man's sharp eyes flickered over to her and she froze for an instant. He seemed to be searching for something. Abruptly he gave a snort before returning his attention to the conversation. For the first time she noticed the large sword that hung in it's dark leather scabbard. The hilt was wrapped in similar dark leather and it looked well worn, but well cared for also.

"We only wish to stay the night." The silver hair man concluded with a serious look. He wasn't as grim as his two companions, but he held a serious, determined aura around him that proclaimed don't mess with me. "Of course, you will be compensated for your hospitality and we will be on our way by morning."

The elder nodded thoughtfully to himself. It was no secret that the village was for the most part isolated. They used money very rarely because they tended to barter and trade with their neighbors for what they required. A tithe was sent to the young woman from each family so she was never in want for her services and future services. More often than not, when she healed a family member, that family would send an extra gift in thanks.

While they didn't really need the money, it was an unwritten rule, a tradition, to be as hospitable to travelers as circumstances allowed. Recently the crops had faired well and before a few weeks prior the livestock had been doing well. They could easily put three strangers up for the night and not strain their resources.

"Very well." He rasped in a hoarse, used voice. Then he caught sight of the young woman. He beckoned her over with a gnarled hand. She glanced at the large man, but he was now speaking in low tones with the silver hair man. Both of them looked slightly bemused. The elder took the young woman's hand and pulled her up in front of them. He bowed and she followed suit suppressing a shiver. The silver hair man had pale turquoise eyes that were half covered with yellow lens. A single earring hung from his right ear.

"This is our healer. She will put you up for the night since her hut has the room."

"But elder…" She started to protest. She didn't want to be left alone with those two men and the boy. Something about them screamed danger. "My patient…"

"You have the room." The elder corrected with a glare. His wrinkled, old face puckered with displeasure. She bowed her head in apology without looking at anyone.

"If the woman does not wish our company…" The larger man started, but his younger companion cut him off. The boy shoved himself off the pole with a scowl, "What's your problem? We were offered a place to stay, let's take it! Gods, it's not a hard choice here."

"Yahiko is right Hiko." The silver hair man remarked in a neutral tone.

The young woman gave another, slight bow letting her black hair fall across her face like a curtain. "It is no problem so long as you are quiet so my patient can get his rest."

"Yeah, so lets go!" The one called Yahiko said impatiently. The young woman frowned. He didn't seem like he even knew what the word quiet meant, but the elder was giving her a look. She bit her tongue lightly. It would be nice to have some company after the scare she had just an hour before. And those two men looked like they were fighters.

As soon as they were away from the crowd of children that insisted on following the silver hair man spoke, his turquoise eyes locked on her.

"You seem frightened. We mean you no harm and truly will be gone by morning. We do not hunt humans."

"Werewolves then?" She blurted out before shutting her mouth with an audible click. She now had the undivided attention of all three and the one named Hiko put a solid hand on her shoulder. She stopped, uncertain how they would react to her careless question.

Hiko frowned harder, "What do you know about werewolves woman?"

"I… I think I saw one today!"

Yahiko snorted and his dark eyes began scanning the forest. There was thick contempt in his young voice, "You're a still alive. Are you sure it wasn't a regular cur from your village?"

Her temper flared. She whirled the boy around to face her and remarked in a measured voice, "Only if a dog is as tall as my chest and looks like a big, brown wolf. There was intelligence in his eyes."

"His?" The silver hair man asked, curious. He watched her man handle the younger one with no real emotion. His hand had drifted to the sword at his waist and his fingers were curling and uncurling around the hilt absently.

"Well, I believe he was male." She paused, wondering how to describe her feeling on the beast. She gave up. Saying something like, he just felt masculine wouldn't convince the men before her. "I got a really good look at him. I think he was going to eat me or something, but a howl interrupted him."

"That still doesn't explain why you are not dead woman." Hiko butted in. A smirk curled around his face and she suddenly felt annoyed with the man.

"Yeah, werewolves never leave witnesses!"

A tremor of fear wormed into her heart. The boy had just confirmed what she feared most. That she was now a target, and one that wouldn't be easily given up. The silver hair man seemed to note her inner turmoil and his cool gaze flicked over his companions reproachfully.

"We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot. My name is Enishi Yukishiro. I am a vampire hunter. This is my companion Seijurou Hiko the thirteenth and this boy is my student Yahiko Myojin. We are in search of a particularly strong vampire that goes by the name of Makoto Shishio. I have already spoken to the people around here, they claim to have no knowledge of such an entity."

The woman thought carefully. A vampire? A powerful vampire named Makoto Shishio.

"I am sorry, I don't know anything about this vampire either. However, there have been several attacks on the villages. At first I thought they were dog bites, but after today… after this afternoon I'm not so sure."

"So you are the healer then? A woman, how unusual." Hiko commented. His remark wasn't the slightest bit offensive. However, the tone he said it in made her bristle with indignation. She decided she had a certain spice she would place in his food before serving it to him. See how smug he was then!

"And you are?" Enishi asked at last. They had each been walking in silence. The woman had been contemplating which spice would be the most uncomfortable and painful. His sudden, suggestive question broke into her thoughts causing her to turn around to look at him. She stumbled over a root and he steadied her. "Megumi."

"No last name?"

She yanked her arm out of his hand and flounced, "If I gave my name to every man who asked they would never go away. Then how would I get my work done?"

An appreciative smirk crossed Hiko's handsome features and he remarked, "You think so highly of yourself."

"Not as highly as you seem to think of yourself!" She snapped back and Yahiko laughed hysterically. Hiko merely looked down at her with that same infuriating smirk.

The rest of the walk went without incident, but Megumi noticed that both men had their hands resting lightly on their sword hilts. She didn't know much about swords, but she could see that the two favored different styles. She wondered how they had ended up together. Enishi had said he was a vampire hunter and Yahiko was his student, so how did Hiko fit into it? The man seemed much older than the other two despite not physically looking the part. He was carrying around some sort of chip on his shoulder, she could tell. You couldn't heal the body without knowing at least a little about the human mind.

Suddenly, as they entered the clearing where her hut lay, Hiko stopped her abruptly. There was a deep scowl on his face and his sword was naked in his hand. The cold steel gleamed with the last rays of the sun. Enishi, likewise, had drawn his sword and slowly slid into a defensive stance. Yahiko, who carried around a wooden sword, had his weapon in hand with a white knuckled grip.

Looking up Megumi felt her stomach flip and she covered her hand with her mouth. Crimson painted the small porch area, coated the walls, and dyed the ground red. Chunks of human flesh, bloody and ragged, lay scattered around the small yard. A scrap of scalp fluttered in the breeze, the dark hair waving gently. Cloth and bones littered the entrance. The sickly sweet smell of carnage drifted up clogging their noses. Megumi gagged, but the other three stared around alertly.

"I think that was your patient." Enishi commented stalking forward on the balls of his feet. Every line and motion of his body was tense yet fluid as he walked among the debris of human body. He entered the hut cautiously and Megumi held her breath. He reemerged and shook his head.

Her heart sunk. And she had worked so hard to save the man too! Some little part of her had hoped… had hoped what? That everything was all fine and dandy when the smell of slaughter hung in the air and the sight of carnage littered the ground. She was suddenly was very angry. That man could have lived! Whatever had done this… she wanted it. Wanted it to pay, and dearly.

"Werewolves. It seems they followed you home."

"But why didn't they eat her? Why didn't they eat him? They just tore him up and left him for the scavengers. What were they trying to prove here?" Yahiko questioned, still tense and clutching his wooden sword tightly. Hiko and Enishi had sheathed theirs, but neither man had relaxed.

"Good questions. I don't know."

Hiko stepped forward, his voice frosty and crisp. The smirk that normally seemed to be gracing his face had retreated before the hard look he wore now. "They were making a point. The point that no one lives after seeing them." He looked pointedly at Megumi with serious, ebony eyes, "You are somehow special to them. They could have easily killed you on your way to the village, or failing that attacked us on the return. It might have cost casualties, but they are very tactical creatures. All it would take is one wolf for it to be all over."

"So what's so special about her anyway?" Yahiko demanded, starting to help his master as the silver hair man bent to clean up.

Megumi felt ill. She had always scoffed at women who fainted, but now she could feel blackness tugging at the edge of her brain. It was too much. The only thing that held that darkness at bay was her white-hot rage. She clenched her fist and took a furious step forward. In a cold, emotionless voice, "Why?"

Enishi, taking note of her angry posture, continued his gory work of gathering pieces of flesh in his fingers. If they did not want to be visited by normal animals during the night they needed to dispose of the remains quickly before total darkness fell. The moon was a mere sliver tonight and would not provide much light. He clumped the blood bits into one hand to make room for more and didn't answer.

"Why what?" Hiko growled, still prowling the perimeter with long, professional strides. He stopped to glare at her and advised, "Woman, look to your own safety. The man is dead. They will target you next."

"So take me with you."

"Absolutely not!" He roared. "It is bad enough we have the Brat tagging along. We don't need a woman too."

"How am I supposed to protect myself! Look at this mess? How much of a chance to you honestly think I would stand? I'm a healer, not a fighter. I don't know the first thing about fighting or werewolves or defending myself or… or anything!" Megumi snarled back.

"Do you have a bucket? We need to soak the ground with water to dispel some of this blood." Enishi interrupted, as if they weren't going for each other's throats. Yahiko didn't pause in his clean up, but he was muttering unsavory things under his breath. About Hiko no doubt.

Numbly she led him to the back where she had a small lean to where she stored all of her large equipment. She hauled out the wooden bucket. It was crudely made with wide gaps, but she had lined the inside with sap to waterproof it.

Enishi silently walked back towards the steam and Megumi felt the need to warn him. She caught up quickly and said dully, "That's where I saw him. The werewolf. He was on the other side of the stream. I dropped my tools down there."

"Then I will get them. Don't worry about me and stay here."

"Hey Megumi, come help us here! This is your place after all!" Yahiko hollered. She broke her gaze after the strange silver hair man and turned to help Yahiko. Her stomach heaved, but she refused to let it do what it wanted. She had seen death and blood before. This should not bother her!

Forcing down her nausea, Enishi returned with her tools and a bucket full of icy water. He doused the ground and she watched the thin liquid make the red turn a washy, rose pink. Another few buckets and the color had washed away to nothing. Luckily, the wolves had dragged the poor man outside before stripping him to the bone. A few sloshes of water cleared the blood off the walls on the outside of the hunt. They disposed of the flesh by throwing it in the bushes a ways off. By the time everything was deemed clean enough Megumi just wanted to cry herself to sleep.

Instead she fixed dinner, not forgetting the special seasoning for Hiko's food. The three men dug in ravenously, but she found the only thing she could manage was some soothing tea. She held the mug in her hands, grateful for the meager heat it provided. She peered down at the greenish liquid before taking a light sip.

"What the hell…!" Hiko hollered as he took in a big bite. The big man searched desperately for something to ease his burning mouth and throat. He made a grab for the water jug, but Yahiko deftly slid it out of his reach with his foot. Enishi ignored this seeming intent on finishing his food. "You vixen, you poisoned my food! But you should know that I wouldn't go down after a mere thing like that. After all, I am the greatest."

Megumi felt a bitter smile cross her face, but she didn't reply.

Enishi finished his food and placed the empty plate down beside him. His keen eyes jumped to her and he sighed. "We owe you an explanation."

She felt like screaming, damn right you do! Instead she poured him some tea and handed it over quietly. He accepted it and sipped it politely. He paused, organizing his thoughts she assumed, before drinking some more tea. She took the opportunity to pour both Yahiko and Hiko a cup. The latter stared at it suspiciously until she barked, "It's not going to bite. If I wanted to knock an ass like you out I would simply hit you over the head. Then again, considering how thick it is, that might not work.

"You see, this all started about twelve or so years ago. My sister, Tomoe, was the best hunter around. She would take any bounty, any challenge. It wasn't pride or arrogance; she simply wanted to help the people. Unfortunately for her she stumbled across Shishio. They had a bitter fight in which she managed to severally injure him with holy water, but before she could finish him he had her killed. Thinking himself safe he allowed his body to do what it needed: collapse. What he didn't know was that I had viewed the whole fight from the shadows. Enraged that he had killed the only person who loved me, my mother, my big sister, I dragged him outside. The dawn was coming and I assumed the sunlight would send him where he belonged. I knew my limitations then, even as I know them now. I couldn't have decapitated him or any of the other methods required to kill a vampire. A twist of fate let him escape the sun with horrible burns covering him. I should have done more." The whole time he was telling this his turquoise eyes were glassy and far away. He spoke without emotion. There was no rage, no hate in his voice. It was a story. It needed to be told.

"It took some time, but after I realized he had escaped divine justice I hurried off after him. Along the way I met Hiko. He can tell you his story if he wishes; it is not my place to tell. We were in a rather large town when we met Yahiko. He blackmailed us into coming along. The three of us have been traveling around aimlessly until we stumbled on a clue. Your werewolves only confirm it."

My werewolves? She snarled to herself. They were hardly hers, and if she had it her way she would see every one of those menaces dead. If she had to do it by her own hands so be it. But what did that have to do with Shishio?

"Shishio and his court now rule the vampire world. They have enslaved werewolves to serve and guard them. The beasts truly have little choice in the matter. Forget all that nonsense about them changing on the full moon. The full moon only serves to boost their power. They are more like shape changers, except they cannot control their transformation at will. During the day they are beast to guard their masters' sleeping places. At night they revert to humans to served their masters' whims."

"So they are slaves?" Megumi asked, confused. What exactly held them captive? The one she had met in the forest seemed to be fierce and strong, in his prime. Yahiko looked equally puzzled, but he was silent.

"The werewolves were a noble clan before they were enslaved." Hiko said pensively, his lids drooping slightly. "It is not in a lupine's nature to be confined or controlled."

"True, but Shishio holds power over them. He had placed magical collars around them. When they are invoked the collars send out a painful shock. If they try to remove it the same thing happens. Only their master can invoke punishment aside from Shishio himself. As I understand it, each vampire in his inner circle has a personal pet, while he controls the bulk of the pack. Those were probably the ones that did the damage this evening." Enishi said slowly, pensively.

Yahiko suddenly fell over with a thump, snoring. Megumi watched impassively as Enishi leaned back against the wall, his strange eyes sliding shut, the empty mug falling from his hand. Hiko had folded up his cloak and was using it as a pillow. When she was sure they were asleep she softly rose to her feet gathering up the used dishes. She washed them in victorious silence before going to bed herself.

They weren't leaving Megumi Takani behind.

A/N: Long bugger -.-;; I wasn't going to actually write this until after the holidays, but it bite me in the face and refused to let go until I started it. Well, now I can't stop. I'll probably update this every two weeks, or maybe a week and a half depending on the amount of reviews *hint hint*. Flames, comments, constructive crit., death threats, howlers, whatever welcome ^_______^