InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Broken Dreams ❯ On the Road ( Chapter 14 )

Broken Dreams

 

Chapter 14

 

On the Road

 

“Are you sure you're okay?” Kagome asked. Youkai nodded and hefted her pack further onto his shoulder. His own, smaller pack was on his other shoulder. Kagome had offered to let him use her pack so he could carry more supplies back to his cave, but she hadn't figured he would insist on carrying the pack himself.

 

“You have enough trouble holding yourself up with your foot. I'm youkai, I'll be fine,” he said. Kagome shrugged and let is drop. Since she was using one hand to hold her crutch, it would be difficult to carry a pack. Kagome wasn't going to ask him outright if she did have to carry the pack. But if he were going to offer, she wouldn't deny him.

 

Kagome was amazed to find she really did trust the man, or youkai, as it were. The only people Kagome had really trusted recently were Sango, Miroku, and Shippo. Youkai had never shown her his face, or his real name. But then, he implied that his face was horrible, and he didn't remember his real name.

 

Kagome still couldn't understand that. Most people remembered something after a while. She figured there was some sort of enchantment around Youkai that was sealing his memories. That would explain his amnesia. But his disfigurements like his face and arms would still be a mystery. Despite her trust, she realized that she didn't know that much about Youkai.

 

Kagome wondered if the secret to Youkai lay in his first memories, the ones he didn't talk about. Someone or something that had happened in those memories must have caused him to forget. It was possible that Youkai had simply fallen after a fight, hit his head, and forgotten. But that wouldn't explain why he wouldn't talk about his early memories. Also, something told Kagome that his amnesia wasn't an accident.

 

Youkai pulled back the fur curtain and walked outside. Kagome shook her head to disperse her thoughts and followed him. Youkai said it was an hour's journey to the village, so they were in for a long trip. And after the previous night, Kagome wasn't up to a long trip. She had been on edge thanks to the adrenaline rush the youkai attack had gotten. She hadn't gotten a wink of sleep last night. And after yawning what seemed to be every two seconds, the lack of sleep was starting to get to her.

 

“Are you sure you want to come?” Youkai asked, Kagome stifled another yawn and nodded.

 

“Yeah, I want to see this village,” Kagome insisted. She also wanted to see the monk Youkai said he got his charms from. But she didn't tell him that. Youkai either hadn't told her that he was the one with the power, or he didn't know. No matter what the reason, she didn't want to tell him. He might not react in the best way.

 

The journey was rather boring. Youkai never had been very talkative. Plus, Kagome wasn't really sure how to strike up a conversation. Youkai had asked about her past, but she felt that kind of revelation from her would be best saved for off the road. She just hoped that when and if she did tell Youkai, he wouldn't think any less of her for what she had gone through.

 

Not for the first time, Kagome wondered what was going to happen when and if Kouga found her. She and Youkai had agreed that she would come back to the cave with him to finish healing, then she'd come to the village again. Kouga no doubt would be looking for her- he'd find her on his own. Then her life of sex and despair could begin all over again, until the day Kouga died in several centuries. Kagome could barely contain her excitement.

 

Fatigue had reared its ugly head. Youkai hadn't slept either, but he was youkai; he didn't need to sleep as much as a human. But Kagome was lagging behind the tireless creature after just a half hour of traveling. Kagome's eyelids were fluttering as she struggled to stay awake. A few minutes later, Youkai halted to a dead stop. Kagome's head had drooped so low that she was more or less staring at her feet, so she didn't notice Youkai had stopped until she walked right into his back. She jerked up and stepped back, fully alert for a short moment.

 

“Sorry,” Kagome muttered. Youkai turned and looked down at her for a minute before stooping down and sweeping Kagome into his arms. Kagome gasped as Youkai picked her up bridal-style, one arm under her knees and the other around her waist. Youkai reached up and pushed her head back onto his shoulder.

 

“Tired?” he asked. Kagome rolled her eyes.

 

“Not all of us can be Mr. SuperYoukai,” she growled. Youkai chuckled.

 

“SuperYoukai?” he asked confused. Kagome shrugged as he started walking again. The gentle thump that resounded through his body with each step translated into a gentle rocking for the miko in his arms.

 

“Forget it,” Kagome murmured. She closed her eyes and sighed. “Promise you won't drop me?” She asked. She felt Youkai's head move against her hair as he nodded.

 

“I promise,” he replied. Kagome mumbled something unintelligible as she gave it and slipped off into dreamland in Youkai's arms. Youkai kept a steady pace under the weight of the miko and the two packs over his arms, but he slowed down a bit to look down at the sleeping woman.

 

“Why do you do such things to me?” he murmured, staring at her as if her face would reveal the answer to him under enough scrutiny. Kagome seemed so pleasant, so nice, so…familiar. Youkai frowned and looked up. It couldn't be possible, she would tell him if they had known each other in the past. Unless, that past was the same past she didn't talk about…Youkai shook his head and willed away the unpleasant thought that he had been the one to cause Kagome such pain. Given the choice for such a revelation, he'd rather remain in the dark.