InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Leiko ❯ The Samurai and the New Moon ( Chapter 9 )

Chapter Nine

The Samurai

and

the New Moon

 

Leiko shot out of the warm waters of the spring and shook her head, sending water droplets flying. Keiyo leapt from a nearby boulder and splashed water on Leiko and Kari. Leiko laughed then looked towards the setting sun. The sky was splashed with lavender, orange, and pink. It would be dark soon and with the demise of the day's sunlight, so would Leiko's powers leave her for the duration of the night. She dove beneath the water and move through the water.

Yamainu would keep an even more watchful eye on her now that it was a new moon. Garou had already proved that he wouldn't let his mistress out of his sight for one moment. The black wolf lay on the bank watching the three of them bathing. Leiko turned in the water so that her feet were touching the steaming bottom of the spring. She launch herself upwards and shot out of the water. Her naked body felt the shock as the cold night air caressed her scarred flesh.

Before she started her decent to connect with the warm water once more, Leiko flipped so that she landed on the solid ground where Garou laid. He let out a mighty yawn and licked his lips. Leiko sat down beside him and ran her fingers through his dry fur. He huffed as her wet locks dripped water onto his sensitive nose. When Garou rose to his feet and shook himself off furiously, Leiko laughed.

"I'm shocked that Yamainu hasn't come check on you yet." Keiyo said, grinning devilishly at Leiko.

Kari chuckled as she submerged herself in the welcoming liquid. Leiko glared at the cougar demon. She didn't like where the flow of conversation was going.

"He loves you." Keiyo said flattly.

Leiko rose to her feet, turning on her heel. "No, he doesn't...Not like that Keiyo." she said.

Keiyo snorted as she scaled the boulder for another jump. Leiko stuck her tongue out at her and moved the bushes aside to make her way back to the campsite. Garou followed closely behind his mistress. She'd washed her clothes when they had stopped for the night and had made Keiyo lay them out by the fire to dry. Leiko didn't smell Yamainu anywhere around so she figured it was okay to fetch her clothes.

She stepped out of the shelter of the bushes and up to the fire. The welcoming flames warmed her wet flesh. Leiko stood close to the crackling flames, letting them dry her before she dressed. As she stood there night began. Leiko felt her body begin to weaken as the shadows lengthened. Her hair began to darken and her nails began to reform to their normal length. She closed her eyes, knowing that when she opened them again that they would be violet once more. Her hearing, sence of smell, and any inhuman strenght she had possessed was now gone.

Leiko opened her eyes and sighed heavily. She was human again. It felt like a part of her was missing now. Leiko stiffened when someone lay their hands on her bare shoulders. She whirled to face Yamainu. His brown eyes burned with hunger as he drank in the sight of her bare flesh being washed in the bright fire light.

 

***

 

Keiyo and Kari stared after Leiko as she walked back to the campsite. They shared a knowing glance. Keiyo dove into the water as Kari climbed out of the hot spring. The cougar demon came up sputtering.

"She just doesn't want to see that he loves her." Keiyo said as she,too, climbed out of the steaming water.

"Oh, she sees it." Kari said as she put on her dress. "Leiko isn't the type of person to make herself believe things like that. Something has hurt her to make her distance herself."

Keiyo cocked her head to one side. "You've seen how she let's Yamainu hold her and how they sleep side-by-side during the night." the cougar demon insisted.

"Never mind, Keiyo." Kari said, wringing out her now silver hair.

Keiyo shrugged and dressed as well. They made their way back to camp. Before Keiyo could step out into the firelight, Kari jerked her back into the concealing shadows. Keiyo stared in wide-eyed facination as she drank in the scene before her.

 

***

 

Leiko stared up at Yamainu as his strong hands rested on her shoulders. She cursed herself for not hearing him approach, but knew that such a feat was impossible in her human form. He moved one hand up to her face and ran his claws down her cheek. The feel of his claws on her bare flesh brought back memories of their first kiss. As if he were thinking along the same lines, Yamainu placed the claws of his other hand into the depressions on her arm. He leaned forward and kissed her gently. She kissed back with gentle pressure, letting her fingers glide across his bare chest.

His tanned skin was still damp from his own dip farther to the north of the great spring. Leiko let her fingers find the scar that Tenma's archer had left a month before. Yamainu pressed his musclar body against hers. He let his hand travel down her cheek, to her neck, and down her arm. When it came to rest near one of her shaply breasts, Leiko's breath caught in her throat. Yamainu moved his hands away and pulled his lips from hers.

He looked down into the violet eyes that he had always known to be silver. "I'm sorry, Leiko." he said in a husky voice. "I...just couldn't help it."

Leiko bent down to retrieve her clothes, quickly dressing least she bring on a new wave of desire in the wolf youkai. She tossed her long, black hair over her shoulder once she was dressed and turned to him. He was looking into the flames. Leiko looked up at the dark sky and then at Yamainu.

"It's okay." she said. "It's just...to soon...for that kind of thing."

Yamainu closed the distance now between them and took her hands into his own. "I'll wait for the day that you are willing to warm my furs." he said softly, a small smile playing at his lips.

Leiko smiled as well. He'd said something about her warming his furs the very first time they had met. She moved her face close enough so that their lips almost touched. Yamainu sucked in his breath as her soft lips hovered near his.

"Soon, my dear wolf." she said softly.

Yamainu looked away from her abruptly and pulled her behind him. She stared into the dark trees around them, but saw nothing. A figure, silhouetted against the lightless sky moved towards them. When the firelight touched the features of the stranger, Yamainu relaxed slightly. It was nothing more than a young man in dusty traveller's clothing and a beat-up sword.

"A real samurai." Leiko said, breathlessly.