Chapter 6

"Oh, that's so much better."

Wearing a high white towel turban, Tamara, the weary traveller, flopped onto one of the sumptuous couches and snuggled into the long white robe Chiyome had given her,

"And wherever did you find these? They're adorable!"

With a chuckle, she waggled her feet which were more than happy in a pair of ''Hello Kitty' slippers.

"Shhh. they're my secret."

Chiyome grinned across from where she was balancing a laptop across her knees,

"Totally out of keeping with my leather thing, but hey." She shrugged, "They ARE adorable aren't they?"

"Well at least I know what to get you for your birthday now."

Hunter appeared, and after handing a glass of wine to Tamara, he sat opposite her on a fellow couch and smirked at Chiyome who had raised an eyebrow, even though she continued to type,

"Hello Kitty slippers…the leather version."

"Better order two pairs," Tamara said,  "I'm definitely going to steal them otherwise..cheers…"

She raised her glass then took a decent mouthful, knowing it was bound to be good.

"Aaah..thank god. I feel clean again."

She sighed, setting her long silver blonde hair free from its fluffy wrapping and letting it fall where it may.

"It's nice, this place," her gaze wandered briefly over the large space before landing on Hunter as he toyed with his wine,

"Has Harunobu had the place long? Mayfair real estate doesn't come up all that often I should imagine."

Hunter knew Tamara was trying to make the best of the situation, when in all probability her heart wished to be in her little cottage.

Her recently ransacked cottage, he reminded himself.

Truth of the matter was, that not even he knew exactly all the details of Harunobu's agenda this time, but successive lifetimes of trust saw him unperturbed by events,

"It doesn't. Harunobu bought this ..hmm…two lifetimes ago? We were here in London…"

He stopped, realising his reminiscing might not be for Tamara's ears, then remembered she knew that side of Takeda Corps CEO all to well.

"It's another 'Studio.'" He added airquotes and kept a perfectly straight face.

"Ohh."

Tamara blinked, thankful she hadn't a mouthful of wine, or she may have choked.

She knew the Tiger had somewhere in Tokyo called 'The Studio.', which was for his more erotic entertainments, but even so, she couldn't help a slight blush.

"It hasn't been used for anything like that for a long time now." His deep voice reassured her, "More for private meetings, and you know he's not fond of hotels."

Tamara only nodded and carefully took another sip of wine.

"Heads up. He must have known you were talking about him."

And with a few taps to her keyboard, Chiyome nodded and smiled,

"Harunobu sir, nice to see you."

"And you, Chiyome, turn me around so I can speak to all of you." The deep rumble commanded as he grinned at the dark haired beauty so many miles away.

With a nod, she set the laptop on the coffee table, and joined Tamara on the couch, knowing the blue eyed immortal was about to get somewhat of a surprise.

For Tamara, that voice brought a smile as it reached her ears. It was strange, she thought, that even after so many reincarnations, that voice was still as rich and familiar as when she first heard it.

She looked up at Chiyome as she sat beside her, then to Hunter as he refilled her wine glass before squeezing his muscular frame in next to her as she nodded her thanks.

It was then her eyes finally went to the laptop, and the image certainly wasn't one she was expecting. The background was unmistakable, the sculpted slopes of Mount Fuji, headed towards its snowy peak beyond the window, a view she knew from The Retreat at Kofu, no, what was more surprising was the Tiger himself.

"Harunobu…are you….naked…?"

She leant forwards to peer into the screen as either side of her, Hunter and Chiyome said in chorus 'Skin is clothing too.' before chuckling at each other.

From the other side of the screen,  an eyebrow twitched upwards before the owner also chuckled,

"Quite right."

Then Harunobu leant forwards himself to peer back at Tamara,

"Seems like you're offering quite a view yourself, little one" he smiled a very predatory smile.

Following where his focus was, Tamara looked downwards to see her robe was only just holding back her modesty, and deftly balancing her wine, she sat back, with a blush, hastily drawing the robe's edges together close to her neck,

"That's enough of that, old Tiger." She teased, with half a smirk, then took a sip of her wine before continuing,

"Do I finally get to know what this favour is then?"

The change of subject may have been swift, but she knew all too well, that Harunobu didn't just feel comfortable in, well, nothing, he also enjoyed extolling its values.

At length.

Even as a Samurai Clan Lord, he had startled more than one maid or gardener, prowling the grounds in his 'natural' form. Come to think of it, it was kind of a 'Takeda thing' she mused, as she wondered where exactly to look within the screen.

Harunobu took a moment to look Tamara over appreciatively, in a distinctly feline way, then the red headed Tiger nodded, disappeared for a moment, and returned with a photograph, which after giving a cursory glance, he held up to fill half the screen,

"This is Logan Alexander Forbes…"

Tamara almost choked on her wine, and hastily wiped her mouth before managing,

"Excuse me? …How many names?"

The only reply was the weight of both Hunter and Chiyome's stares, and she shrugged, reclasping her robe at the neck,

"Sorry, you were saying?"

"He's researching something, but as it's taking so long, I would like you to help him for me."

Glowing amber eyes came in closer to the screen for a second as he added, "I'd be very grateful, Tamara." And yes, there was a waggle of the eyebrows.

He may have reconciled his feelings towards the time traveller, but Tiger's have an inherently playful streak.

Particularly this Tiger, especially when it came to playing with beautiful women. It was his nature.

This really was the Takeda CEO asking nicely, Tamara thought, usually, he just gave commands, a habit he had never seemed to grow out of, and she raised an eyebrow at the picture of the man, who even from his image looked...

…posh…

...in a haughty kind of academic way.

She nodded, returning her eyes to the Tiger with a grim expression,

"Researching what exactly?"

Harunobu studied Tamara for a moment, seeing her reaction to the image, and turned it around briefly to look at it, before tossing it to one side and returning his gaze to hers,

"A talisman. One I believe actually exists. One I have heard repeated in whispers for centuries. And the fact a good many persist with the details of it staying the same, I am convinced it is real. And I very much wish to find it."

"Ummm...OK…."

Tamara started to look suspicious.

Harunobu using words such as 'wish' when she knew he was a man who tended to take what he wanted. Him asking her nicely, and calling it a 'favour', it just didn't seem like the character she knew so well.

Alarm bells began to make themselves heard in her head, as she tried to read his expression through the laptop screen in front of her,

"I know you have a thing for collecting antiques, but what makes this one thing so special?"

Not that she didn't mind doing Harunobu's bidding, but she was sure he had plenty of people he could set to the task.

From Kofu, glanced at Hunter, and waited for his Security Chief's returned nod of understanding, before sitting back, revealing more, much more, of his muscled shoulders and torso.

He might have had successive regenerations, but still, his six foot six body rippled with the same fitness and agility as when he had been a Clan Lord, and while he waited for Hunter to return, he grinned at Tamara,

"It's only now I appreciate this world you came from back to us. It really must have been a shock to your system, little one."

After throwing a questioning look at the silent exchange been Harunobu and Hunter, and wondering where the athletic man had disappeared to, Tamara's focus was drawn back to the screen, although she had to hide behind her wine glass in the face of so much skin,

"The shock was the dislocated shoulder, gashed arm, cracked ribs and bashed up ankle." She replied, remembering only vaguely the days drifting in and out of consciousness.

Her arrival into the Sengoku era was to fall through the branches of a cherry tree to land on top of, well, more precisely, end up in the lap of, Lord Sanada Yukimura, one of Lord Shingen's generals.

There was a snickering from Harunobu as he knocked back his sake, the finely crafted cup looking more like a thimble in his large hands,

"I don't think Yukimura was ever allowed to forget the woman who fell out of the skies, taking him down in one go where hundreds in battle had not."

Returning to sit on the arm of the couch, Hunter nodded at Harunobu as he folded his arms across his chest,

"All clear…it's secure." He said, ignoring Tamara's questioning look.

"I do like this century's technology." The Tiger grinned, then leant forwards once more, looking more intensely at Tamara,

"The talisman is about so big…" He held his thumb and forefinger apart to show the size, "…and from what I can gather, it allows the wearer to go between realms."

Tamara was glued to every word as suddenly this wasn't some petty trinket,

"You mean rift space?"

"Precisely, and, among other things, it can open…and more importantly close, portals."

This was big, really big. Thoughts began to swirl inside her head at the thought.

An object such as that could tip the tide against Kōshi Tsuzo…

"Umm…Harunobu…forgive me, but this isn't really a talisman is it? It's more a sort of key…"

She paused to take another sip of her wine as her mind swirled, "And, ummm…you still haven't actually said why you need me, exactly..not that I'm not happy to oblige..but…"

The Chief of Security sitting next to her, went to say something, but Harunobu raised his hand,

"It's ok, Hunter. I will tell her."

Instantly frowning, Tamara ganced up at Hunter who returned her look with no helpful hints whatsoveer in his expression, and her head flicked back to the Tiger,

"Tell me what?" Her voice now had the sharper edge of a demand.

"One thing at a time, little one,"
Harunobu smirked softly, trying to reassure her,

"Firstly, yes, 'key' is probably more accurate, but I can hardly ask an everyday librarian to go looking for a key to between realms can I?"

There was a brief chuckle "I might be one of the richest men in the world, but even paying Logan a lifetime of money wouldn't see him take the task seriously. 'Talisman' is much easier a term, hmm? Besides, he has far too much integrity, he would have refused me outright I'm sure, but a relic? An artetfact? That, I knew would pique his interest, he's quite an Indiana Jones fan, I believe."

He leant to one side, disappearing breifly from view, to return with another cup of sake, which he downed in one go and before savoured  continuing.

Although Chiyome was listening, she had switched to a tablet and was organising several files from a secure data package from Tora, The Takeda Global Media channel, knowing in advance where some of this conversation was heading.

There was also one set of pictures which she knew were going to upset Tamara, so she kept what she was doing discreetly from her view.

For Tamara, it was strange, but there was a definite shift in atmosphere within the spacious lounge. She couldn't put her finger on what it was, but it was almost as if there were more shadows, or more contrast…or maybe she should just put down the wine glass and concentrate.

Of course, it didn't affect her system, but the thought was there.

Her gaze went back to Harunobu as she leant forwards once more and gave him a stern look,

"You're still not really telling me anything old Tiger."

Harunobu sighed and frowned at her, anyone else speaking so abruptly to him would have drawn the Tiger's claws, but after looking back in silence for a few moments, he nodded,

"You can see the truth in written words."

He said flatly, then his expression softened, "I want you…I ask you….if you would go through Logan's research and narrow it down to something more definite."

Still peering closely at the laptop, the silver blonde time traveller took on board Harunobu's words, then nodded back.

He was right.

It was something the immortaility had brought with it, she could read just about anything and the words, the very ink perhaps, revealed their truth behind them.

Or their falsehood.

Now, at least, his request began to make more sense, and sitting back, she retrieved her wine as several more questions appeared in her head.

"Why now, Harunobu? I mean, couldn't I just get the stuff sent to me and work from home? I could connect the landline to Tora for a secure channel and download it. I don't need to see the original you know."

Quite pleased with her ususally fluffy brain for organising itself, she took a decent mouthful of wine as congratulations.

Drawn into the conversation by Tamara's words, Chiyome looked first at Harunobu, then Hunter and back to the head of Takeda Corp.

It was no more than a questioning look, but what Tamara suggested was easy enough to install, and she knewn how much Tamara would rather be out of London and back in her home, even if it had been remodelled.

Hunter also thought Tamara's suggestion was plausible, a way to make her happy, and he knew more than most what she had been through. Not even half a day had pased being back in England before she was being called upon again.

In Kofu, Harunobu listened and watched the exchange between the others in silence.

"No."

The rumble of authority in his voice from that one word he knew would get their attention, and in his customary fashion, he crossed his large, muscular arms around his middle and clothing or not, it was the power of a Clan Lord which had projected into that single sound.

With both Hunter and Chiyome agreeing with her, Tamara was quite taken aback when Harunobu wouldn't even consider the idea. She knew that look, that stance.

But she still pouted back at him.

"Why not?"

Her usually sunny features darkened, "And come to think of it, why now? Why the urgency?"

She glared at him in a way which would have reached him in Kofu without the help of any technology.

"Because your cottage was ransacked and I believe Kōshi Tsuzo is already coming backwards and forwards...

...And he will be after you, Tamara."

Although his stance never changed, his eyes softened,

"I want to keep you safe, little one."

With one sentence, everything around Tamara went dark for a moment, her blood turned to viscous ice, her mind catching on key words as they rumbled from halfway around the planet,

'Cottage….

         ransacked…

                    Kōshi Tsuzo...

                                  ...after you.'

The rest was a burble of noise as the room seemed to shimmer in front of her eyes.

A hand went to her heart, she wasn't sure if it had stopped, or if it was simply beating so fast she couldn't feel it anymore.

Now things started to fall into place...

…but still, she couldn't speak as fear gripped her, an emotion she hadn't felt on this level since…

Hunter deftly caught the wine glass as it slipped from Tamara's fingers, and as he placed it on the coffee table, he glared at Harunobu.

He wasn't about to say anything outright, but he thought the Tiger could have been kinder.

The final details were just as much news to him as well, and already his mind was beginning to think of protective rotas.

As Chiyome saw Tamara's reaction, her heart wrenched along with hers. There was no way really, to soften the blow, and she brought up the pictures of the wrecked cottage, but also the repairs that had been done.

"Tamara."

She said softly, giving her a nudge, but still holding the tablet to her chest,

"You don't have to look if you don't want to. All the damage has been repaired, but….we still don't know if anything dear to you is missing. Once we're happy it's secure, Hunter and I will drive you out there…OK?"

There wasn't even a flicker that Tamara had heard her, and she cast a glance to Harunobu who also still sat in exactly the same place…Nothing.

Her eyes drifted to Hunter, who gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head, and she watched him place a hand on Tamara's shoulder.

"Tamara…"

To Hunter, the fear, its keen shift of energy, was palpable to his senses. It was all very well Harunobu not sugar coating the news, but he was in Kofu…

"Tamara…"

Using his skill in sonics to find a bridge to her mind, he then commanded it,

"Look at me."

Her head may have turned to his command, her eyes may have lifted to his, but everything within was numb, blank, and she looked at him from behind a sightless gaze.

"So soon…"

The words tumbled from Tamara's lips on their own, and although she didn't register it, a series of concerned looks were exchanged around her.

Barely three years had passed since that presence, that name, and all the twisted darkness which came with it was in her life. It felt like she had barely breathed relief and yet…

...no...

            …not again…

His parting words still gave her nightmares, and saw her more than once cradled in Harunobu's arms in a mess of tears she could never show to anyone else,

"Mother of my legacy…"

He had smirked at her and in reflex, she hugged her ribs and shut her eyes despite Hunter's strength of will, and behind her eyelids, in the darkness, the eyes of Kōshi Tsuzo filled the void, their blue depths similar to her own, but filled with the conviciton of his intent.

Outwardly, she shuddered, as the memory of his fingers on her skin had made her scream. He had seen her powerless, helpless…

The roiling black threatened to consume her as she reeled about within her head..

"Nooooo…."

The word was barely a breath as everything was sending her towards passing out.

Lifting his gaze from Tamara, Hunter risked scowling at Harunobu, but he caught the Tiger's expression just in time. He may have still been sitting there, arms crossed and looking all powerful, but within those amber eyes, despite being only in the form of pixels, he saw the depths of the man's pain.

With a nod, he glanced briefly at Chiyome, who was trying to speak softly to Tamara, but with the hold upon her shoulder, his senes told him she was lost somewhere inside herself and he could only guess at the images which she saw.

He, Harunobu, knew.

He knew full well what he had done.

But it had to be said. He only wished he was there to hold her through the shock of all those buried memories being dragged back to the surface.

In all his lifetimes, however, there was still the leader, the Lord, and he put his heart to one side and raised his voice across the miles,

"WHERE'S MY WARRIOR ?"

He barked at her, "Where's the one who begged me to go to battle? Face the hundreds before she even had her gifts?"

There was a pause, and seeing no reaction, he continued as the weight of Hunter and Chiyome's stares bored right through the screen at him,

"WHERE'S MY WARRIOR?"

He repeated, a deep rumbling growl of command within his voice,

"Lady Tamara, who decided on her own to attack the oncoming tide, and then the one who faced even more as we fought the thousands of those hellish creatures…

L A D Y  T A K E D A!"

At his last words even Hunter and Chiyome jumped.

Did she hear? Vaguely, the tugging of a familiar voice, so full of authority, its power something she had known, embraced for so many years.

The words though?

No. Not really, more a murmuring presence in the darkness of horrors that were assaulting her.
until the last….

A title which had not fallen to her ears since centuries past…

"I'm no Lady, Lord Shingen.."

Blinking, Tamara's eyes refocused, disorientated for a second as to where she was, then she frowned at the image on the screen who was smugly chuckling, and unaware of what words had passed her lips, her gaze flicked from left to right to see both Hunter and Chiyome chuckling also.

"What?" Somewhere between perplexed and cross, she glared at Harunobu…

"What's so fecking funny all of a sudden?"

"Lady Takeda…"

Harunobu purred from Kofu.

Reaching for her wine, Tamara paused, sure it had been in her hand the last time she…

"I'm no…oh…"

Picking up her wine, a weak smile tried to perch on the edges of her lips, as all three laughed around her.

Suddenly, the room seemed brighter again with the sound, and finally noticing Hunter's hand on her shoulder, she looked up at him, "Thank you Hunter.'

"Don't thank me, my lady, thank the Tiger of Kai, " he nodded towards the laptop, "Seems his reach is long acrosstime, as well as distance."

Still very much the projection of his past, Harinobu only tipped his head a little, concern still apparent in his eyes,

"There's my little one…" he grinned, relieved she had come around,

"Chiyome, Hunter, I…"

He was interrupted by a voice his side of the connection..

"Come back to bed, Boo Boo, I'm bored…"

From Clan Lord to predator was no more than a wicked smirk appearing as he lifted his eyes briefly, then chuckled a low, rumbling purr at those in London,

"Seems my skills are in demand this evening."

He waggled his eyebrows.

Joined by Hunter and Chiyome, the three of them leant forwards as one,

"Boo Boo?"

They chorused, then looked at each other, snickered and looked back at the screen.

"I will speak to you all tomorrow, have a good night…I will."

And with that he stood up, giving the latop a full frontal view of him in such a closeup of his…'endowments', it toppled over backwards.

Another chorus erupted in Mayfair as the screen was filled with Harunobu's well…it was just filled…

"Ewwwww ... Aaargh!!"

All three shrank back from the image, but before anything else could be said, an upside down face full of smirk appeared.

"Hehe…"

The Tiger chuckled, then stabbed the connection closed,

"Now, then, let's relieve that…"

Tamara opened her eyes, closed her eyes, but that was a picture which didn't seem to want to dissipate, even as the screen went dark.

Releasing Tamara, Hunter headed to get another bottle of wine,

"I have to say…"

He paused to lean in the doorway to the kitchen and look back at the two squirming women,

"That even as a man…"

He turned to continue on his journey so they couldn't see his expression,

"…that's a whole lot of tiger to take.."

From the depths of fear and near catatonia, to blushing and giggling like a naughty child, Tamara leant against Chiyome,

"He's got a point…"

She snickered, patting her rosy cheeks with one hand.

Chiyome with a grin,  instantly quipped,

"That's what she said…"

And after her and Tamara stared at each other for a second, they both fell back into the couch laughing till their sides threatened to split.

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