InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ On The Sea ❯ The talk ( Chapter 8 )

It was two days later, after the many protests of Miroku, that Kagome was allowed to leave the infirmary and get back to work. Things went smoothly, as Kagome had assured Miroku they would. There were no fights, no more bruises, just plain hard work. And the work was hard. Kagome as the cabin boy had A LOT of work to do and it varied from scrubbing decks to cleaning out the galley pots. By the end of the day Kagome was sore, and aching but she would never admit it out loud, not in front of the guys anyway. So two weeks passed in a relatively calm manner.

"One more to go." Kagome mumbled to herself as she cleaned out the last of the galley pots. Much to Kagome's displeasure she had found out that there were in fact seven humongous galley pots and each were equally dirty as the first. It took Kagome a good two hours to clean them and during that time she talked to the every cheerful Ayame.

"How's it going in there Kage?" Ayame called over her shoulder from where she stood chopping carrots.

Kagome grunted, she was covered head to foot in grease. `Oh what I would give for a bath.' Kagome thought longingly.

"Almost done!" Kagome called back. "I hope"

Ayame chuckled at Kagome's last statement. She had learned after a couple of days that the young Kage had quite a tongue and a sharp wit. It hadn't taken long for the two of them to become friends, both were alike in many ways.

"You know Kage sometimes I think you would make a better woman; you're too smart to be a man." Ayame chuckled as she continued preparing the meal.

Jake had been called up to talk to the captain so the two were alone.

(A/n: ~~~ I wonder what they could be talking about ^_~)

Kagome laughed wryly and shook her head. `If she only knew.' Kagome thought with a small smirk.

"I resent that." Kagome grumbled as she scrubbed furiously at the charred bottom of the pot.

"What do you guys put in this thing anyway?" Kagome called to Ayame with a disgusted snort.

"Hey now I don't hear you guys complaining when its time fer chow!" Ayame retorted hotly.

"Heh heh he." Kagome chuckled nervously. It was true, as soon as it was time for chow (food time!) the men scarfed down the food without a second thought.

"That's what I thought." Ayame snorted.

The galley was filled with a comfortable silence between the two friends, the only sounds to be heard were the swishing sounds of the brush as it grazed over the pots bottom and the small crunch the knife made when cutting through the vegetables.

Kagome bit her lip in frustration. She had known Ayame for quite some time now and they had grown quite close. Yet, as hard as she tried she couldn't get up the courage to tell Ayame of her secret (Although she desperately wanted to tell SOMEONE ) let alone ask the question that had been plaguing her mind. Kagome shook her head and built up her resolve. She was going to ask.

"Hey Ayame, I've got a question." Kagome said carefully.

Ayame turned with a knowing smile on her face. She could tell that the lad had been dying to ask her this question for quite some time now. She could see it in his eyes.

"Aye?"

"Well, ya see, you're a woman and er that is I just always kind of thought that women weren't. . .allowed on board a ship and I was just wondering. . ."

"Ye were wondering how it is that I am here, eh?" Ayame finished for Kagome.

"Aye."

"Well that's a long story mate, and maybe when we have more time I'll tell ye. But the short of it `tis that Women on board a ship don't bring bad luck. `Tis just a silly superstition. And Captain Inuyasha and his crew don't believe in superstitions." Ayame said with a smile.

Kagome blinked. So Inuyasha had actually allowed a woman on board? The man was getting more and more interesting by the day. Pirates where generally the most superstitious people on the planet let alone out on the open sea.

"Sides there's other women aboard, ye just don't get to see them." Kagome's eyes widened in shock.

"And their not fer the likes of ye matie, so don't even think of it. Their nothing but good fer nothing whores who are supposed ta pleasure the captain and the higher ups."

"You mean, Captain Inuyasha-"

"Aww no laddie! Captain Inuyasha don't take any pleasure from them. He don't like them one bit, he sees them fer what they really are. He's a good man. A little bit of an ass sometimes but a good man none the less." Ayame said with a nod.

Kagome stood up and put her arms on the rim of the pot, her head resting on her arms and she peered curiously at Ayame. Oh how she wanted to tell her the secret that had been plaguing her for quite some time now . . . but she just . . . couldn't.

"Hey Ayame?"

"Hnn"

"Why does Captain Sesshoumaru hate Inuyasha so much?" Kagome asked weakly. `Damn, I'm such a wuss.' Kagome thought grumpily

Ayame smiled. "Now that's an interesting story. Ye see, Captain Sesshoumaru is noble born and bread he comes from the great line `o the Iakuoy. Now Sesshoumaru's father was a good leader, awesome fighter and great Captain, he just had one weakness." Ayame paused.

Kagome looked up curiously at her.

"He had an awful lust fer women. So much so that every time they would set port he would have a' least five women on each arm."

"Well one day, The Captain had to set port at a small island of the coast of . . . I believe it was Hamma, aye, twas Hamma. Well anyway, The captain and a couple o' his most trusted crew went to explore the small Island. They weren't expecting to be attacked by angry natives."

"The Captain and his mates fought the natives off easily; they were great fighters they were. . ." Ayame said with a nod " So they were going to slaughter the whole lot of the natives that had attacked them when a young slip of a girl ran into the melee."

Ayame smiled.

"The girl, she must've been sixteen at the most then, went straight up to the Captain and begged for his mercy upon her people. Apparently the Captain was blown away by her courage and compassion that he agreed, that is, if she would come with them back to the ship."

Kagome gaped, open mouthed.

"So the girl agreed, `cause she cared so much for her people. She went aboard the ship with the Captain and in return the Captain let her people live."

"Well, it wasn't long until the Captain, err had his way with the girl. It `twas said that the two were deeply in love with each other. Now keep in mind this was after the death of Sesshoumaru's mother and Sesshoumaru was still a wee lad."

"So it wasn't long `till the girl, I believe her name was Lynn, had her first child with the Captain. It was a boy, they named him Inuyasha."

Kagome's eyes widened.

" They were all happy living together. The captain returned to his home and began a new life with his wife and sons. It twas when Lynn was pregnant with the Captain's second child that disaster struck. Lynn had a miscarriage and the child unborn and unnamed died in her womb. Bringing her with it."

Kagome gasped. "That's horrible!"

"Aye tis, the Captain was so overcome with grief that he shut out the rest of the world, including his two sons."

"It was only a year after Lynn died that the Captain died as well. . . he truly loved her."

Kagome nodded her head in understandment.

"Sesshoumaru blamed his father's death on Inuyasha and his mother. He had resented that his father had loved any woman after his own mother's death and a filthy peasant at that."

"He thinks of Inuyasha as a `Half-breed' not worthy of his or anyone else's time."

"Well that's just wrong! It aint Inuyasha's fault!" Kagome objected.

"Aye, I know."

Kagome couldn't help but to feel pity for Inuyasha, his only remaining family hated him for something that wasn't his fault. You can't control whose family you are born in to. Yet as much as she tried she couldn't bring herself to hate or be angry with Captain Sesshoumaru. She was sure he was hurt when his father chose a peasant over him. And her heart went out to both brothers. She hoped with time that they would overcome their differences and forgive each other. Maybe that was too much to hope for but a girl can dream cant she?

"Arr, lookit the time now matie. Hurry up and get out `o that pot, we got dinner to cook and it certainly aint going to be Kage stew." Jake grumbled as he came down the stairs that led to the galley.

"Aye sir that was just what I was doing." Kagome retorted as she climbed over the lip of the pot.

"Now go freshen up in back there Kage, ye smell `orrible!" Ayame said wrinkling her nose as Kage walked past her.

Kagome smiled

"I know, I smell like yer cooking." She said impishly as she ducked a flying carrot aimed for her head.

"Why you `lil" Ayame laughed as Kagome ran towards the back of the galley.

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Kagome couldn't sleep. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't. Usually it was the soft lulling rocking of the ship that helped her get to sleep, or even the soft snores of her fellow crewmates. But tonight, an un-ease hung about her, in the very air she breathed and it was starting to get to her. It didn't help that her secrets kept plaguing her, and she desperately wanted to tell someone about it. Someone who would understand, someone who wouldn't hate her afterwards.

With a sigh Kagome rolled swiftly out of her hammock and onto the hard wooden floor, she was quiet as a mouse as she crept out of the barracks and up the stairs to the main deck. As soon as Kagome emerged from below deck a feeling of relief swept through her being. She didn't know what it was about the night that seemed to sooth her, maybe it was the way the wind whistled through the sails, or the soft creaking of the ships ropes and boards that chased away all her anxieties. It was as if the night itself was a comfort to her soul, the remedy she needed.

A soft smile played upon Kagome's lips as she crept towards the stern of the ship. It was much quieter at night then during the day. Men were still working aboard the ship but there were no loud calls or shouts, no grunts or thumps. Just the wind whispering through the sails and the soft rocking of the ship as the waves splashed against its sides. Kagome let out a relieved sigh as she gripped the smooth wooden rail of the ship and gazed out onto the dark ocean.

The sky was a deep black with speckles of stars scattered across it. The only light to be found was that of the moon which hung perfectly full in the night sky. Kagome peered into the darkness, letting the soft creaking of the ships sounds fill her. The light of the moon played across the waters surface, reflecting in its constantly moving depths. The sea looked like a deep blue/black, and sparkled in the light of the moon and stars. Kagome took a deep breath and let the salty fresh smell of the sea fill her. It was moments like these that made up the reasons why she loved the Sea.

Kagome was so entranced with the open sea and the stars and the moon that she didn't notice the figure approaching her from behind until the warmth of an arm was pressed against her side.

Kagome turned wide eyed to see Inuyasha standing beside her, his eyes almost glassy as he stared out onto the same sea as she did.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Inuyasha asked softly as he continued to gaze at the rolling sea.

Kagome turned her attention back to the sea she had been so entranced with only moments before.

"Aye." She whispered.

"What are you doing out here Kage?" Inuyasha asked, turning his piercing golden eyes to her.

Kagome didn't turn to meet his eyes as she leaned forward on the railing.

"Couldn't sleep." She mumbled softly.

Inuyasha nodded and sighed as he turned his back away from the sea and leaned comfortably on the railing.

"Aye, I know the feeling."

Kagome's lips turned upwards at that.

"Ah, so the tough little cabin boy can smile, eh?" Inuyasha said hoarsely as a smirk grew on his lips.

"Aye, when I want to." Kagome responded easily as she turned to look at Inuyasha.

"That's good t' know." He said with a smirk. "And here I was thinking you were a tough ol' Seadog that didn't have a sense of humor."

"Oh look who's talking." Kagome laughed.

Inuyasha cocked an eyebrow. "I have no idea what you are talking about boy."

"Ha! I'm sure you don't Captain. You strut around the ship all serious and business like, almost never smiling one would think that youre turning into . .." Kagome gasped and covered her mouth to stop the flow of words from coming out.

Inuyasha was staring blankly at her now. His golden eyes bored into her own.

`Shit shit shit shit shit. Way to go Kagome, go insult the psychotic captain that is just looking for an excuse to get you killed.'

"I-I'm sorry sir, I-I didn't mean it. . ." Kagome whispered earnestly, taking a step backwards.

Inuyasha's solemn face softened a little and he took a step forward.

"You called me. . . "

Kagome winced.

". . .Captain" Inuyasha finished.

Kagome blinked in shock, was that why he was acting so strange? She had thought he would be mad at her for insulting him. But no, it was because she called him Captain. Kagome hadn't been thinking about it too much at the time, she hadn't understood the significance, it had just kind of slipped out. Was he mad?

"I, um that is, I didn't . . . I'm sorry?" Kagome asked hesitantly.

Inuyasha smirked at her response.

"This entire voyage you have been calling me `Sir' but not once have you called me Captain, and I understood your loyalty to Sesshoumaru. In fact, I almost envied it. You risked your life for him back there on the island . . . not many of my crew would do that for me. I must admit its kind of shocking that you. . ." Inuyasha trailed off.

Kagome's eyes widened.

"Whoa whoa, wait a second! Yeah, I called you Captain but- but that doesn't mean that I'm not faithful towards Captain Sesshoumaru anymore! He is my Captain. . . and so. . ."

Kagome swallowed nervously.

". . . are you." She finished.

Inuyasha smiled and shook his head.

"Whatever you say boy."

Kagome frowned and let out a sigh. `let him think what he wants, as long as he isn't mad at me. . .'

"Oh and about that Strutting around board stuff. . ." Inuyasha said as he turned to her with a glare.

The gods must have been with Kagome that night because as soon as the words left his mouth thunder boomed over head and lighting cracked through the sky as rain poured down from over head.

"Shit!" Inuyasha cursed as he ran towards the bell to sound the alarm.

"ALL HANDS ON DECK!!" He bellowed.

The scent of a storm flitted through Kagome's nostrils, this was going to be the big one.

"Kage! Quickly get the others!" Inuyasha shouted his order.

"Aye, Captain!" Kagome called back as she raced down below deck, missing the smile that graced Inuyasha's lips.

". . .Captain, I like the sound of that." Inuyasha whispered to himself as he watched Kagome disappear below deck.

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