InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Peace Treaty ❯ Travel ( Chapter 8 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Kagome looked at their surroundings. They were in a forest with a thick cover of dried leaves on the ground. The moon was only a few days from full, but the night was overcast, rendering it nothing more than a white smudge in the dark sky. The wooded area was nearly black as pitch. Sesshoumaru, being the exception, with his pale skin and white hair and clothing was clearly visible. Her inability to easily discern their surroundings left her feeling vulnerable.

“Take these beads off.”

“I think not. They are quite fetching on you.”

“I need to defend myself, and I can't see anything.” The amusement in his voice irritated her more than her blindness.

“Are your human senses that weak? I can see clearly. You needn't worry; I'll protect you, though I think we won't be bothered.”

“I can protect myself. Remove them.”

“No.”

“Look,” Kagome said, trying reason, “if you're afraid I'll harm you, I give you my word I will not use my powers against you.”

Sesshoumaru's short laugh was deep and menacing. “Do you seriously believe you could pose a threat to me?”

Kagome straightened and gritted her teeth at the insult. “Let's get rid of these beads and find out,” she growled.

“You're delusional.”

“Take These. Fucking Things. Off Me.”

He moved in a flash of white and was suddenly in front of her, gripping her shoulders. “Did my mother not tell you the behavior expected by Inuyoukai males?”

Kagome stifled a gasp at the shock of his hands on her body. “She did, and I'll tell you the same I told her. I'm NOT a Youkai.”

“Miko, you are treading on dangerous ground. You will respect me-”

“I respect those who earn it,” Kagome said.

“You are not to interrupt me,” he warned, tightening his grip.

Kagome felt his claws pressing through her clothes. “Take your paws off me.”

“Wench, my patience has limits. I don't want to have to beat you, but if you remain so obstinate-”

They were interrupted by the sound of something crashing through the underbrush nearby. In one fluid motion Sesshoumaru lifted Kagome around the waist, hoisted her against him, and leapt into the high branches of the nearest tree. She was taken completely by surprise, and her reaction was to wrap her arms around his neck and try her best not to scream. When she removed her face from his shoulder, she saw he was studying the ground intently.

“Can you see what it is?”

“A bear.”

“Can you really see anything?” All Kagome's eyes observed was a pool of inky blackness.

“I can. I can smell it as well.”

“You're a little jumpy for just a bear, aren't you? I thought you were all powerful and-”

“Silence, miko,” he scolded. He looked at her, faces inches apart. “Are you not aware there is a contract on your life? Until we get into Youkai territory, I must exercise caution.”

“So you're not that powerful then,” she said, hoping he could clearly see the smirk on her face.

Sesshoumaru couldn't believe he was being spoken to in that manner, by a human he could just let drop to her death. Let her drop, but for the pesky fact that her arms were wrapped around his neck in a death grip and her deep blue eyes locked on his. “Miko, so long as I am burdened by you, I plan to avoid trouble rather than seek it.”

“Are we going back to the ground? I'd like you to unhand me.”

He ignored her remark. “Let's give the bear some space. Hang on.”

Sesshoumaru switched his hold on her so he had one arm behind her back, one under her knees, careful to avoid the sharp parts of his armor. Then he leapt again, this time onto another tree limb, landing gracefully. Kagome was amazed and slightly annoyed that he could jump from tree to tree carrying her as if she weighed nothing, with such ease.

She realized this was much better than her earlier experience of being airborne. She shifted her arms and rested her head on his shoulder and surreptitiously smelled him. His scent was very male. Earthy, like wood and musk. She had seldom been around men as an adult, and this new experience was not unpleasant. His arms were strong, and, feeling secure, she settled deeper into them, pushing her face into his warm neck.

Sesshoumaru smiled to himself. She smelled him and bared her neck. Even if she had not meant it, her submissive posture tamped down his urge to do her bodily harm. Perhaps there was hope for his sanity and her life after all. He jumped to another tree, then another, then down to the ground.

Kagome felt them drop down and was disappointed. She by far preferred the strong, capable, and, above all, quiet Sesshoumaru to the rude, arrogant, domineering one. She had spent the last nine years living in a world where women largely were not subservient to men, and she was thoroughly unwilling to put it behind. She straightened and looked at him. His expression was one of superiority, and she felt her contentment turn to coldness and her dander rise. “Put me down. Now.”

He complied by dropping her to the ground. Kagome landed heavily. “Ow! That was unnecessary,” she grumbled rubbing her throbbing backside.

Sesshoumaru settled against a large tree. “Go to sleep, miko. We've a lot of ground to cover tomorrow.”

“I'm not tired.”

“Don't be daft. I saw you during the negotiations; you could scarcely stay awake.”

She could not argue with his description and resigned herself to cooperating, if only to survive the night. “Aren't you going to make a fire? It's getting chilly.”

“It would have to get much colder than this before I'm affected.”

She rolled her eyes, hating his arrogance more with each passing second. “Well, I'm cold now.”

“Come here. I'll keep you warm.”

She was sorely tempted, remembering the delicious warmth of his neck, but her stubborn willfulness won over. “I don't think so.”

“Suit yourself.” He closed his eyes and heard her feeling around the leaves, cursing the darkness.

“Can you, with your oh-so-wonderful eyesight, at least find me some wood so I can have a fire?”

“Find your own wood, miko. I'm not your errand boy.”

He listened to her shuffling in the leaves, cracking sticks. She tripped and fell several times, her ability to swear and the foulness of her mouth surprising him. Finally after several minutes, he heard flint striking metal and the snap of a fire catching. He lazily opened his eyes and saw her huddled near a small, neat fire, warming her hands. “Take care that fire doesn't get away from you.”

“I'm not an idiot, you know. I've done this many times.”

He had to admit, she did seem competent. Perhaps too competent. Though he wasn't interested in a mate who was completely useless, he suspected she would be more pliant if forced to depend on him.

XXXXX

“Get up miko.”

“Tell him I don't wanna go for a ride anymore,” Kagome mumbled in a sing-song voice. She rolled over, obviously still asleep.

A booted foot nudged her none too gently in the ribs. “Miko, its morning. Get up.”

Kagome sat up stiffly and rubbed her back. “Oh I feel like shit.” The hard ground had not made a comfortable bed. It was a cold, grey morning, and the chill had invaded her bones. She started to rekindle her fire, poking at embers, but Sesshoumaru kicked dirt on it. “Hey! What the hell are you doing?”

“There's not time for that. Let's move.”

“But I'm cold.”

“Get up and move then.”

“You bastard,” she said. “Aren't we going to break our fast?”

“I require nothing at this time.”

Jerk, Kagome thought. She was glad she had something in her pouch, even if it was only marginally edible. Sesshoumaru had already begun to walk away, and she had to run to catch up to him.

“I know where we are going, but when will we arrive?”

“We should reach Youkai territory by night fall, that is if you don't slow us down too much. We will be in the Western Lands tomorrow morning, then reach the stronghold before sundown.”

Kagome was determined to keep up with him, but he set a grueling pace. Sometime after midday she began to tire. A few hours later she started to lag. “Can we take a rest?” she asked.

“Didn't you just do that?”

“It was a piss break.”

“There's a lake up ahead. We'll go by air over it. You can rest then.”

Kagome groaned. Traveling by air the previous night was one of the most frightening experiences of her life, hardly restful.

They reached the lake edge as the sky beginning to clear. Kagome refilled her water skin and drank deeply. Sesshoumaru scooped her up in both arms, and they quickly ascended. “Eeeek!” She tightened her grip. “Please don't drop me!”

“Don't be foolish. You seemed to prefer being carried like this last night.”

He was being considerate, and she was grateful. “Thank you,” she whispered as she relaxed against him, shyly wishing his armor gone.

Sesshoumaru quietly growled his approval. Kagome felt a deep rumble, more like a purr, and snuggled her face in the side of his neck. Within minutes her breathing slowed, and he knew she slept. He was beginning to sense a pattern. Too bad it was impractical to take her off the ground whenever she needed reminding of proper behavior. He crossed the lake and went further.

At one point she woke and asked drowsily, “Mmmm...am I getting heavy?”

“Nonsense, miko, you weigh little more than a feather.” He felt her smile, and she quieted once more.

When they finally touched down, Sesshoumaru had tired, having not slept soundly the previous night, and was hungry. The sun was lowering rapidly. He set Kagome back on her feet, and she stretched and yawned. “We'll be in Youkai land within an hour. I'd like to continue for another hour after that, then make camp and I'll hunt.”

XXXXX

Three hours later Kagome was sitting next to a fire, sharpening a long stick. Sesshoumaru had just returned with a small deer and was skinning it. Kagome noticed how his claws separated flesh from bone and shivered. “Would you like me to sharpen you a stick?”

“It is not necessary.”

“Don't you eat your food cooked?” she asked in disbelief.

“I do. But if the kill is fresh, I prefer it raw.” He handed her a piece.

“Uhhg. Can you cook it tonight? That's disgusting.”

“I'm not going to change my habits because you find them disagreeable.”

“Fine, but I can't watch.” She maneuvered her body so she was facing the fire with her back turned to him.

He sighed. Ridiculous humans and their peculiarities.

After they'd finished eating, Kagome cooked the remainder for the next morning. Then she filled her skin by the nearby stream. The water was cold but clear, and as she washed her hands, she longed for a bath. She became thoughtful. “Do you have a...bathhouse at your home?” she asked when she returned to the fire.

“Yes, miko, we bathe.”

“Do you have kitchens and a cook?”

“Yes.”

“What do you eat there?”

“Food.”

“But...” Kagome had a picture in her mind of demons gorging themselves on raw meat. “How big is it, your stronghold?”

“You'll see tomorrow.”

“Where do you live? In a house? With...rooms?”

“Why all questions, miko?” He studied her. “You don't know anything about Youkai, do you?”

“I was taught how to kill you, not how you live,” she admitted.

“I'm sure you'll find it familiar. Now could you be quiet for a while; I'd like to meditate and center my Youki.”

“Oh that's another thing,” she said, remembering a question at the back of her mind. “Why can't I sense your aura? As a miko I should be able to.”

“I am able to hide it.” He closed his eyes.

He was clearly not going to be interesting company. “I'm going to go back down to the stream to wash a little more.”

“Don't go far.”

I'll go as far as I please. The night was clear, and the moon shone brightly. The air was cool, but eating and washing reawakened her, and Sesshoumaru was obviously not given to conversation at the time, so she decided to go for a walk.

She'd walked for twenty minutes and began to go back, when she suddenly caught a strong sense of Youkai. Oh great, she thought, then remembered the beads. All she had was her knife. Her knife to which she was unable to add any charge. Fuck. She got a feeling of from where they were coming and ran in the opposite direction. She could tell they were coming after her. Their auras were getting stronger, and it seemed like they were becoming more numerous.

Then she heard them. They were getting closer. The noise of feet running through leaves, jumping over roots and branches. The sounds of snarling and panting. She tried to run in the direction of the camp, but the Youkai cut her off. She stopped and looked about. She was surrounded. They were boar demons, eight of them. Hideously ugly, they had bristling hair, tusks, and beady eyes, and all armed with short spears and wearing helmets and chest plates.

“A lone Ningen trespassing in our territory? It must be our lucky night,” one of them grunted.

Kagome saw a large, strong-looking stick by her feet and picked it up in her right hand. With her left she whipped her knife out of her pouch. “Well boys, if it's a fight you want...” She breathed deeply and focused. The Youkai laughed at her. One came at her slowly, not believing her a threat. He poked his spear at her, and she brought her stick down hard, knocking it away from the shocked Youkai's hands. Then she spun, sank her knife into his neck and picked up the fallen spear.

Now she was armed but lost the element of surprise. One of the Youkai threw his spear, which she easily deflected. She threw the spear in her hand at the unarmed Youkai, hitting her target square in the face. She rolled, picking up the spear lying on the ground, and stabbed her knife into the back of the knee of the nearest Youkai, severing tendons, causing him in turn to collapse. This gave her an opening through which to escape.

The enraged Youkai couldn't believe what had happened. They thought they were getting an easy meal, but her unexpected ability to fight instead ended with three of them down. The remaining five roared and gave chase. She had quick speed in close combat, but they easily caught her in open pursuit.

Kagome felt a Youkai right behind her and knew she was about to be tackled. When he grabbed her, she was prepared; the Youkai had his throat slit before they even hit the ground. Kagome, now covered in blood, sprang up and began again to run. The other Youkai quickly got in front of her, forcing her to stop. Surrounded again. Her initial burst of adrenalin had gone, and she was beginning to weary.

She took stock of the situation. There were four of them, one of her. They knew they had the advantage and probably would not do anything else stupid. If she could use her powers and charge her knife, she stood a chance. She would be able to pierce their armor. She reached up to slip the strand of beads over her head, but immediately felt clenching pain around her chest. So much for that, she thought ruefully.

Focus, don't panic. She wondered what they would do. Throw spears or close in on her? They probably wouldn't get any closer, since she still had a spear. If more than one threw at once she might get hit. She kept slowly turning, always keeping track of the one at her back.

Then they gave her the opening she needed. She saw the two on either side of her raise their spears to throw. She back flipped out of the way and immediately charged one of the unarmed Youkai. She went low and drove her spear under his chest plate into his abdomen. She started to run again, but was grabbed around the ankles. She kicked to free herself, but it was too late. The other two Youkai were above, spears pointed at her.

“Wait! Don't kill her,” yelled the one holding her legs. “I want to eat her alive.”

Kagome tried to fight the Youkai as he pinned her legs down, but she had dropped her knife and unarmed stood no chance against his bulk and the two spears.

Suddenly there was a bright glare of light whipping toward them. The two standing Youkai were cut in half before they knew what was happening. The Youkai who was straddling her jumped up and met the same fate.

Sesshoumaru saw Kagome lying on the ground, covered in blood. He rushed to her side and realized she was breathing. She bolted up and, instead of the gratitude he was expecting, he was met with fury.

“Where's my knife! Give me my knife,” she said shrilly. “I'm going to FUCKING KILL YOU!”

Sesshoumaru grabbed her upper arms. “Miko, calm down.”

“Get these beads off me! Take them off! I could have been killed!” She was nearing hysteria.

Sesshoumaru shook her gently. “Miko, what happened?”

“I went for a walk and was attacked and could hardly DEFEND MYSELF!”

“I told you specifically not to go anywhere. Did you disobey me?” The shaking was no longer gentle.

“I am not yours to order around!”

He was torn between his instinct to protect his future mate and his desire to wring her neck. “Let's go back to camp,” he said.

“Where's my knife?” Kagome saw the missing object and lunged for it. Sesshoumaru remembered her earlier threat and wrestled it away from her. It was sticky with blood. He then noticed the Youkai with the spear embedded in his gut. “Give it to me. I'll put it away,” she said softly.

He handed her the knife. “Are you harmed? You have blood all over you.”

“I'm fine.” She sullenly wiped off her knife as much as possible on some leaves.

“I guess you got one of them.”

“One? I killed four and hobbled another.”

Sesshoumaru didn't know whether to believe her. Boar Youkai were not the smartest, but they're strong and tough, difficult to kill. They walked back to the camp in angry silence. Kagome washed her face and neck, arms and hands, and rinsed her hair free of blood. Her clothing was beginning to stiffen as the blood dried, but, with the night getting colder and nothing into which to change, she just tried to ignore it. She sat by the fire to dry her hair.

“Miko, you'll be safe so long as you're with me. I won't say it again. Do not wander off. If I catch you leaving my presence again, I'll be forced to punish you.”

His condescension broke her self control. “You demon bastard! I was perfectly capable of dealing with all of them on my own if I had use of my powers. Take these OFF!” She attempted to pull the strand apart, but was seized by crushing suffocation and fell to her knees, coughing and gasping.

“You're going to injure yourself if you insist on such foolish behavior.”

“Then remove them for me. If you are truly so powerful we don't even need them, do we? You just don't want to admit that I'm strong too and can take care of myself. Put your arrogant male pride away and get rid of these beads!”

Sesshoumaru's hand itched to slap her. “Miko, I'll ignore your disrespectful outburst because you've been through enough tonight. No, I'll not remove them. I quite prefer you on a leash. Too bad it didn't come with a muzzle as well.”

“I HATE YOU!” Kagome stalked behind a large rock near the fire. Sesshoumaru heard the distinct sounds of cursing and coughing and guessed what she was up to. He chuckled evilly. At least if he had to put up with her, he could make sure she was the more miserable.