Dark Nights of Kyoto by kaoruhana

Hand Delivered Letters

Mid October 1868

The letter came hand-delivered by Satow-san himself. His face was grim when Kagome received him, and she anxiously led him into her parlor calling Sango to bring them tea and to alert Kane of his presence.

“Not Kane.”  Satow-san clarified before Sango could leave. Kagome grew more anxious now. If he didn’t want Kane to know, the news was meant for her ears only. Please, she hoped, let it be good news. Let it be something that he doesn’t want to concern Kane with.

“Mori-dono,” Satow-san stated his face softening in sympathetic lines which only served to frighten her further, “your husband will be returning home soon.” Kagome relaxed the fingers she had been clenching on her lap, though her fear didn’t completely abate. Instead, now she had questions as her thoughts began to fly in different directions. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her tone of voice, though she knew that she didn’t succeed.  

“Should I know something about his return?”

Kagome hoped Satow-san wouldn’t ask her to clarify. She wouldn’t be able to ask him what was really on her mind. She wouldn’t be able to ask if it was her husband returning or her husband’s body returning. She hated thinking these thoughts because they were pessimistic. But, she couldn’t help them when she was alone and bad news reached her ears. It seemed Satow-san understood her unasked questions because he merely inclined his head as he pushed the letter towards her.

 “Mori-dono will return soon. He suffered an injury to his shoulder however. When I left, the doctors were unsure what lasting effects the injury would have however.” He tapped the letter. “Please read this, and I will answer any questions you have afterwards.”

With shaky hands, Kagome opened the letter. She wished that Satow-san didn’t have to see this sign of weakness from her, but she knew that she couldn’t hide it. The letter she realized was not in her husband’s handwriting, but it was clearly dictated by him as shown by the phrasing. He explained that he had been injured in his sword arm. There was no need to amputate a limb, but something had been damaged and his ability to use the arm was something the doctors weren’t sure he would regain. He was tired of the war, he wanted to come home.

He wanted to come home to somewhere peaceful where he was loved. And he wanted to see his son again.

Tears came to her eyes now and she hid her face in her hands. Her husband was safe, and he was coming home. She was grateful for that. She just wished that he didn’t have to have participated in the war. It had hurt him, and for the first time in what seemed forever, she wasn’t sure she could heal him.

She was only grateful that Sango didn’t see her tears when she finally came in with the tea.