InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Heart of a Thief ❯ To the Castle ( Chapter 10 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Tilimiel 
A new chapter unfolds in Kuromu and Shikaeru's lives as they take up residence with a different sort of host.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Angst / Romance / Psychological / Hentai | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 05.03.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.2K | Visits: 125 | Status: Work In Progress
A new chapter unfolds in Kuromu and Shikaeru's lives as they take up residence with a different sort of host.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Angst / Romance / Psychological / Hentai | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 05.03.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.2K | Visits: 125 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I own nothing InuYasha-related and make no profit from this fic.
Chapter 10: To the Castle
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A lithe man stood on the icy hillside as casually as if he were standing on dry, level ground. He regarded them with eyes that were a shadowy gray color that glinted in the moon's light. “Who are you?” Shikaeru asked defensively.
“Don't worry, I try not to get tangled in the affairs and politics of the thief clans so I'm not really on either side of whatever dispute is going on. I have no reason to hinder your escape from the others, though I am curious as to what could have caused such a sudden upset. Usually that clan is very stable and it seems quite out of place for there to be an abrupt change in leadership, and especially in that manner,” he answered, voice beginning to trail off as he fell into thought. “And my name, yes. If you have to address me in that way, you can call me Kagarou.”
Kuromu watched the man as his eyes seemed to be focusing on something far off in the distance, as if there was an old memory he was trying to catch a glimpse of. He had to admit; the man was just a little closer to `strange' than `normal.' He had skin as pale as the moon and white hair that fell a little ways past his shoulders, but he did not seem any older than thirty. His clothing was all made of white materials and the only thing that kept his image from practically disappearing into the snow was the rich darkness of his eyes. They seemed quite mysterious, yet almost dangerous, in the way the darkness seemed to have fathomless depths. Kuromu shook himself loose of the near trance he had fallen into when he let himself fall into the trap of the man's gaze. He had a feeling that it was more than just mere coincidence that those eyes had a hypnotizing affect.
Shikaeru, whose mood bad begun to progress in a somewhat volatile - though mainly angered - direction, seemed to have been able avoid the issue altogether. She was too busy taking small glances around as if looking for something to take her frustration out on to be caught up in the stranger's gaze for long. “My n-name is Onigumo,” a badly shivering Kuromu said out of courtesy for the man who had already told them his name, hoping to move things along quickly. “And t-this is Shikaeru. W-we should p-probably get moving before they c-catch up with us.” He took a glance towards the top of the hill in a nervous attempt to gather a certain feeling of security back to him.
“Where are you two going to go? It wouldn't be easy to travel at night like this, especially with your lack of provisions, but I might be able to help you to a place that would be safe,” Kagarou said with an open voice.
“Thanks for the offer. Kuromu, what do you think?” Shikaeru asked, turning to look at him.
“You wanna know what I think? I think I'm freezing to death out here!” he answered, finally reaching a breaking point.
“That is a matter to take into consideration,” Kagarou muttered as Shikaeru returned Kuromu's glare with an apologetic glance.
Kagarou whistled into the seemingly empty night. A moment later, a group of six horsemen appeared from the trees. He spoke to the others in a language neither Kuromu nor Shikaeru recognized before two of the riders dismounted and brought out some spare sets of clothing from their saddlebags. They helped Shikaeru and Kuromu up to flatter ground and soon had them clothed in a way that was much more suited to the weather. The two each found a rider to pair up with and as soon as all were mounted and ready, they took off at a swift gate that seemed half way between and trot and a lope. The horses kicked up small clouds of powdery snow in their wakes as they made their way through several valley's until a castle came into view, albeit strategically hidden among the trees and by a rocky outcropping.
Kuromu's body felt as if it were humming as the cold and warmth were battling for dominance over his body. It oddly began to lull him towards sleep and he allowed his heavy eyelids to close. But no sooner had he closed his eyes as he heard Kagarou call out to him. He lifted his head tiredly to try to hear what the man was saying. “Don't fall asleep,” Kagarou warned as he brought his horse closer to Kuromu. “Sleep will be your enemy until we can get you inside and fully warmed.”
“But I don't feel that cold,” Kuromu mumbled as his eyes begged to be closed.
“That is only a trick of the winter,” Kagarou said sharply, snapping Kuromu back to a better semblance of alertness. “Stay awake. Don't close your eyes, don't fall asleep. Do you understand me?”
Kuromu nodded even as his cheeks began to feel hot and flushed, the steady beating of the horses' hooves tempting him to slip out of consciousness. The wound their way up the hill until they reached an entrance into the castle grounds. Heavy doors made of thick wood adorned with spikes opened just wide enough to let them in before closing with a reverberating `thud' as the last horse made its way through them. A fog of voices and other noises came to Kuromu's blurring senses, but still he tried to remain awake.
Someone helped him off the horse and he followed them inside the castle, stumbling as he was met by a short flight of stairs near the entrance. He managed to get to the top as he noted ornate embellishments were spread lavishly throughout the halls and rooms. The lord of the castle must be wealthy, thought Kuromu as he was guided into a room with a fireplace. The heat of the fire against his skin made him realize just how cold he was. I have to stay awake, I have to… stay, stay awake. I have to be stronger than this, I need to do this.
He sat down against a wall as he felt heat beginning to return to his limbs. “How are you doing?” came Shikaeru's voice as she sat down beside him.
“Could be better,” he mumbled.
“They are getting a few things ready for us but it won't be long before they're done.”
He gave a weak hum in response, his eyes not opening when he urged them to. Someone said something to Shikaeru and the din of voices faded away until he could hear the crackling of the fire. “Kuromu?” Shikaeru whispered. “You're gonna have to move some to get over to the futon, and I'm not going to settle with you just falling asleep against the wall here.”
“So cruel,” he muttered as his brow furrowed.
“You're not getting up, are you?”
A slight shake of his head answered her. She sighed, accepting defeat, before getting to her feet. The sound of wood scraping against wood broke through the near silence. It stopped when it had come right beside him and he opened his eyes just far enough to see what she was doing. One of the futons had been moved considerably closer to him, and he noticed a slightly irritate Shikaeru standing in front of him. She's been getting angrier more easily these past few days, he noted. “Up,” she stated firmly.
She only gave him a moment to attempt some sort of response before she took hold of his arms and pulled him upwards. His eyes opened all the way in surprise as he found himself practically back on his feet. When did she get that strong? He leaned back against the wall to keep from slipping back down to the floor. “Come on,” she said a little more gently.
She guided him over the short way to the futon and helped him lie down slowly so he wouldn't hurt himself by just collapsing onto it. She could have sworn he had fallen asleep even before his head at touched the pillow. The soldier's in on this, isn't he? You've never been this tired before, not after that short of a run, and I doubt the fight with Genkotsu took that much out of you. I should have known, with all the fevers you were having… I swear, if I could get my hands on him, I'd kill him for you.
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Dawn spread the early sun's rays across the snows, causing the ice crystals to shine like diamonds. Shikaeru pulled herself from sleep earlier than she would have liked and readied herself for the day. She had never pictured herself to be taking on the role of diplomat, but she didn't want to bother Kuromu and someone needed to meet with the lord of the castle, or at least someone like that. She found Kagarou and he offered to talk with the lord, named Hakujou, for them. An hour or so later, after making sure Kagarou had all the details right and she had gotten some breakfast together to take back to the room, she began to walk back through the castle, exploring a little on her way to check on Kuromu.
She wondered how word of Lord Hakujou hadn't reached the clan, especially since he seemed to be more than just a little wealthy. She finally straightened out her meandering path after a while and went more directly back to the room. She had begun to feel guilty about leaving Kuromu on his own for so long. She was relieved to find him still spread out on the futon, sleeping - for once - peacefully. She let him sleep a while longer as she ate her breakfast, her mind on the occurrences of the past few days. I still can't believe Danuko's… gone. This doesn't even feel real, sitting here as if there's nothing strange about randomly coming to this lord's castle, who I know absolutely nothing about. And all while Kuromu's starting to have a whole new bunch of problems cropping up all at once. Great, fantastic. Life's just gorgeous. Stupid, stupid, stupid… You couldn't have come up with something else to do? You could have just tried to loop back and find a side entrance to the caves. That way you could have gotten some supplies and wouldn't have to worry about staying in a place where you don't know for certain if its only a matter of time or not before they decide to kill you. Smart, real smart, Shikaeru…
A soft knock pulled her from her thoughts and she went to the door, sliding it open a bit, to see who it was. Kagarou waited just outside, looking friendly but still chillingly pale. “Is Onigumo up yet?” he asked, unable to peer inside past Shikaeru.
“Not yet. Do you need to talk to him? I could always wake him up if it's needed.”
“Thank you, but I can just wait until later. Could you tell him I'd like to get a chance to talk with him later when he wakes up.”
“You wanted to talk with me?” came a tired, slightly slurred voice behind Shikaeru.
She turned and saw Kuromu somehow managing to pull himself up from the futon and walk to the door. “Yes, Shikaeru had mentioned to me earlier that you were an excellent archer but didn't have a bow with you. There's a small town not too far from here and I wondered if you wanted to go there to buy one.”
“That sounds good, but I don't really have much money.”
“Don't worry about that. We can get something worked out so it won't be a problem. Do you think you could be ready soon?”
Kuromu nodded and, as much as Shikaeru hated the idea of him going out after everything that had happened to him so recently, it wasn't long before he had gone down to the castle grounds to meet Kagarou. Kuromu spotted Kagarou as the man led out two horses whose spotless coats were so white it almost made the snow look gray. Their elegant heads were held high as they restlessly danced about in the small space they could, making them seem almost like wild horses that had been captured only days before. They both had icy blue eyes that regarded their surroundings like those of noble blood looking out upon their lands and people. “This is Aisuchi,” Kagarou said as he handed the stallion's reins to Kuromu.
Aisuchi scrutinized Kuromu as if deciding whether he was worthy enough to be respected. Kuromu had only ridden a horse a few times in his life, and had never been the one holding the reins. He had always been with someone else who knew exactly what to do to control the horse, but now he was faced with the task of having to not only ride but attempt to stay in control of a pretentious stallion that was far too intelligent for Kuromu's liking. Aisuchi gave an indignant snort at Kuromu for his hesitation. Kuromu pulled himself up into the saddle despite the feeling of unease that demanded that he stay on the ground. “Don't be too concerned with what to do,” Kagarou mentioned as if reading Kuromu's mind. “Aisuchi knows what to do and shouldn't give you any problems.”
Great. I don't know what sounds worse, having to try to control Aisuchi by myself or letting him do whatever he wants. Aisuchi shifted underneath him as Kuromu got his feet in the stirrups, going through several failed attempts to shorten the left one before finally getting the two sides even. He glanced downward and found a new reason for nervousness. He hadn't expected the ground to look so far away from where he was, given that Aisuchi's back had only came up to his shoulder when he stood beside the horse. In the end, he decided he didn't care exactly how high up he was as long as he didn't have to find out by falling. “Ready?” Kagarou asked, mounted on a horse that could have been Aisuchi's mirror image.
Kuromu only nodded and felt his stomach tighten as Aisuchi started forward to follow Kagarou's horse as he headed for the main gate. Every step the horse took jarred Kuromu as he held onto the reins in one hand and the front of the saddle in the other. He wondered if the whole way was going to be that rough or if it would only be in the beginning because Aisuchi was walking on stone. As they exited the main gate and reached the snowy ground, Kagarou brought his horse to a trot. Aisuchi followed suit and Kuromu got an answer to his question. I was right, it isn't going to be that bumpy the whole time; it's gonna be worse, came Kuromu's thoughts as he began to ponder how long it was going to be before he was bumped from the saddle.
Fortunately, Kagarou brought the horses back to a walk when they found themselves in a part of the forest where the trees grew as thick as the snow obscuring the trail. The horses waded through it without protest, accustomed to the task, despite the upward slope of the ground. The slower pace finally gave Kuromu the chance to look around without the fear of falling. Outside the heavy growth of the forest, the snowy hills rippled around them like waves stirred by some creature as it swam through the white ocean. The sky was a crisp blue mottled with silver clouds that dispersed near the horizon where the sun would be setting when they returned. “I have never seen any horses like these before,” Kuromu finally mentioned when the trees cut off his view of the landscape and the question begged to be asked.
“I wouldn't think you would have,” Kagarou answered as he held his horse back so that it could walk beside Aisuchi. “These horses are the product of years of carefully, selective breeding and wouldn't be found elsewhere as Lord Hakujou is trying to protect their bloodline.”
“Why is it that he's so concerned about their bloodline?” Kuromu asked.
“Well, these horses have been bred specifically for certain traits that are rarely found all together in any given horse. One of the most easily seen traits is their color of their coats. That brilliant white has been cultivated so that the horses will blend in more easily with the snow. It is difficult to remain hidden if you are traveling with a dark horse in the middle of winter. There are other traits like their intelligence, strength, and jumping capabilities as well. The horses are intelligent enough to be able to be taught several commands, such as to lie down or buck off a rider if someone is trying to steal them. The snow makes travel difficult so it is key that these horses are strong enough to make their way through the snows with as little effort as possible. Having that ability allows them to more easily outrun or catch up to another rider, and I know it all too well as that trait has saved my life on more than one occasion.'
Aisuchi scrutinized Kuromu as if deciding whether he was worthy enough to be respected. Kuromu had only ridden a horse a few times in his life, and had never been the one holding the reins. He had always been with someone else who knew exactly what to do to control the horse, but now he was faced with the task of having to not only ride but attempt to stay in control of a pretentious stallion that was far too intelligent for Kuromu's liking. Aisuchi gave an indignant snort at Kuromu for his hesitation. Kuromu pulled himself up into the saddle despite the feeling of unease that demanded that he stay on the ground. “Don't be too concerned with what to do,” Kagarou mentioned as if reading Kuromu's mind. “Aisuchi knows what to do and shouldn't give you any problems.”
Great. I don't know what sounds worse, having to try to control Aisuchi by myself or letting him do whatever he wants. Aisuchi shifted underneath him as Kuromu got his feet in the stirrups, going through several failed attempts to shorten the left one before finally getting the two sides even. He glanced downward and found a new reason for nervousness. He hadn't expected the ground to look so far away from where he was, given that Aisuchi's back had only came up to his shoulder when he stood beside the horse. In the end, he decided he didn't care exactly how high up he was as long as he didn't have to find out by falling. “Ready?” Kagarou asked, mounted on a horse that could have been Aisuchi's mirror image.
Kuromu only nodded and felt his stomach tighten as Aisuchi started forward to follow Kagarou's horse as he headed for the main gate. Every step the horse took jarred Kuromu as he held onto the reins in one hand and the front of the saddle in the other. He wondered if the whole way was going to be that rough or if it would only be in the beginning because Aisuchi was walking on stone. As they exited the main gate and reached the snowy ground, Kagarou brought his horse to a trot. Aisuchi followed suit and Kuromu got an answer to his question. I was right, it isn't going to be that bumpy the whole time; it's gonna be worse, came Kuromu's thoughts as he began to ponder how long it was going to be before he was bumped from the saddle.
Fortunately, Kagarou brought the horses back to a walk when they found themselves in a part of the forest where the trees grew as thick as the snow obscuring the trail. The horses waded through it without protest, accustomed to the task, despite the upward slope of the ground. The slower pace finally gave Kuromu the chance to look around without the fear of falling. Outside the heavy growth of the forest, the snowy hills rippled around them like waves stirred by some creature as it swam through the white ocean. The sky was a crisp blue mottled with silver clouds that dispersed near the horizon where the sun would be setting when they returned. “I have never seen any horses like these before,” Kuromu finally mentioned when the trees cut off his view of the landscape and the question begged to be asked.
“I wouldn't think you would have,” Kagarou answered as he held his horse back so that it could walk beside Aisuchi. “These horses are the product of years of carefully, selective breeding and wouldn't be found elsewhere as Lord Hakujou is trying to protect their bloodline.”
“Why is it that he's so concerned about their bloodline?” Kuromu asked.
“Well, these horses have been bred specifically for certain traits that are rarely found all together in any given horse. One of the most easily seen traits is their color of their coats. That brilliant white has been cultivated so that the horses will blend in more easily with the snow. It is difficult to remain hidden if you are traveling with a dark horse in the middle of winter. There are other traits like their intelligence, strength, and jumping capabilities as well. The horses are intelligent enough to be able to be taught several commands, such as to lie down or buck off a rider if someone is trying to steal them. The snow makes travel difficult so it is key that these horses are strong enough to make their way through the snows with as little effort as possible. Having that ability allows them to more easily outrun or catch up to another rider, and I know it all too well as that trait has saved my life on more than one occasion.'
`And these horses are naturally very good jumpers. In these thick woods, it might not always be possible to find a route around an object blocking their path, such as a fallen tree, so they've been bred so that issue won't be so much of a problem. There are still other traits, some of which only Lord Hakujou knows. These horses are such an asset to us that we would be devastated without them and certainly wouldn't be able to maintain our position of power for long without their aid. Naturally, Lord Hakujou is very protective of them.”
”How often do people try to steal them? They must be worth a lot of money if someone wanted to sell them, and this area is known for its population of thieves, as I know firsthand.”
”There have been several attempts in the past, but no one has ever been successful. All who have tried were killed in the process, and not just by the guards. The horses have killed several of the people who attempted to take them. Even Aisuchi once badly wounded a man trying to take him before the guards got there and took care of him. Needless to say, word eventually got around about killer horses so people became much more wary about trying to take them.”
Kuromu glanced down at Aisuchi, not sure whether to be glad or not that he had accepted him so quickly.
”How often do people try to steal them? They must be worth a lot of money if someone wanted to sell them, and this area is known for its population of thieves, as I know firsthand.”
”There have been several attempts in the past, but no one has ever been successful. All who have tried were killed in the process, and not just by the guards. The horses have killed several of the people who attempted to take them. Even Aisuchi once badly wounded a man trying to take him before the guards got there and took care of him. Needless to say, word eventually got around about killer horses so people became much more wary about trying to take them.”
Kuromu glanced down at Aisuchi, not sure whether to be glad or not that he had accepted him so quickly.