InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Red Riding Hood ❯ Forest's Embrace ( Chapter 6 )

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

***** Chapter 5 *****


Kagome was slow to wake that next day. Her body trying to regain its strength and her mind trying to fight off the fear and wariness she felt. During her dreams after Sesshoumaru had left her that first time, she had a series of her own dreams involving him. Him chasing her, him tearing her apart. Her running from him to somewhere beyond the woods, beyond the village where she’d always lived. Terrified for her life the entire time, though now he wasn’t directly responsible for these images.

When she did manage to open her eyes all the way she shot up in her cot. What time was it?! It had to be past midday already! Quickly she looked out the window, trying to guess the time, yes, probably past midday already! Why had her grandmother allowed her sleep so late?!

Franticly Kagome looked about the little cottage to see her grandmother sitting at her table, eyes closed. “I see you are awake now.” she said, her voice sounding quite weak to her granddaughter.

Kagome didn’t realize that the weakness was quite an exaggeration on the older woman’s part. Kaede wasn’t one who enjoyed deception, but in this instance she believed her intentions were for the good.

Kagome’s eyes clouded with worry in an instant, and Kaede had to repress a smile as she opened her one eye only part way. “I fear my sweet grandchild that I am feeling far worse this day.”

Kagome got off of her cot instantly, pushing her blanket aside with great haste. “What ails you?” she wondered aloud, looking at her grandmother’s slouched form, confused to the depths of her soul. She had seemed decent the night before, had Sesshoumaru influenced this somehow?
No, Sesshoumaru’s objective was to hunt Kagome, it had nothing to do with her grandmother, of that she was certain. Still, her fear of him had instantly put the blame on the vampire.

“I can not say for certain, my bones ache, and my stomach is unsettled. I am hungry, but I can not gather the strength necessary to cook for myself, let alone the both of us.” She sighed dramatically, closing her eye for a moment.

Instantly guilt assailed Kagome. Her mother had prepared enough food for Kaede to have for both her evening meal and her fast-breaking. Were she more careful the food would still exist and Kaede would not be plagued so.

Making up her mind Kagome allowed her concern into her voice, “Then I will cook for you. What do you wish for me to prepare?”

Kaede suppressed a smirk, and instead sighed. “You will not like to know this, child, but I’ve no food in my own home. You’ll have to travel to the village to retrieve food to cook. I‘d give you the money, but I doubt you‘ll want to go.” Kaede sighed again loudly and looked away from her granddaughter, for dramatic effect.

Kagome blinked, that’d take a long while, but, as long as she finished before the sun set... “It’s alright. I’ll go for you.” Kagome hadn’t been to the village in several months. It was relatively close to them, but it required going through the forest. At that particular moment she didn’t want to go anywhere near that place. Still, as long as the sun was up...

Kaede was inordinately pleased and smiled slightly, forcing the full smile from revealing itself. “Truly? If you insist...” Kaede listed several things that she needed from the village, and Kagome sweat dropped, the list was very long. 12 eggs, flour, milk, and a dozen other things. How was she supposed to carry all of that? It would take her hours to find all of these things as it was!

No one would claim that Kaede was not one of the smartest around, and she assessed her granddaughter’s mood easily. The girl was thinking about backing out on her word, which was something Kagome hated doing. She was going to have to pull out some more tricks. Again she sighed dramatically, then standing up, putting on a great show of doing so, Kaede groaned out. “I suppose that is too much to ask, I’ll just have to go to the village myself. I do hope I suffer no injury while walking.”

Kagome didn’t realize she’d moved when she did, but instantly she was holding her grandmother’s shoulders, nudging her back into a sitting position. She had to go, there was no question about it, she couldn’t allow her sick grandmother to walk to the village. How could she hope to live with herself if she did?

The strings of her conscience pulling at her, she got her grandmother back down, “I’ll go, don’t worry a thing over it.” her voice was full of a kindness that she didn’t even realize was there.

Kaede did realize it, however, and worried over the decision she was making on her granddaughter’s behalf. Kagome could well be the most powerful miko alive, but was she cut out to be one? Was she made of stuff stern enough to handle all the downfalls of being such a thing? Did it matter?
No, it didn’t, Kagome was born to be a miko, and one of great worth. She could do so much for the world, and not just their little village even. It was the right decision, and this way their legacy would go on, their family had always bred powerful miko and monk children, sad to say though, that Kagome was the only one of her offspring to have any hint of that power.

Yes, this was the right decision, and she would stick by it.

Kagome pulled on the ugly red hooded cloak her grandmother had made for her. The air was chill, she could feel it in the house. She would need the thing, and need it to hide the bit of blood that had seeped onto her dress. She must’ve reopened her wound sometime during last nights activities, and now she was stained slightly by her blood. Fortunately it was only a small portion that could be replaced, painstakingly, but replaced all the same.

Fastening the cloak with her brooch Kagome stepped out of the door. She hesitated only a moment, when she saw the forest. It was a death trap, the thing, should she venture there during the night she was certain now that it would devour her whole, leaving nothing of her left. The forest itself was an evil monster in her mind, waiting for her to enter, beckoning her, no less fearsome in day than night.

Her grandmother’s groan woke her from her fearful imaginings and she set out, slowly at first, but then with some bit of confidence. She’d be alright, she was sure of it. The forest just felt like an evil monster, the true monster was sleeping now, unable to be graced by the sun’s warmth.

“When you close your eyes, little human, my face will be there,” Kagome’s heart skidded to an abrupt stop in her chest, and her feet mimicked it, stopping just outside of the forest. Was that thought her own? Yes, it had to be, Sesshoumaru was asleep, she was just so afraid... “you will be mine, and I think I may keep you.”

Now that was frightening. She was remembering her first dream that night. Sesshoumaru couldn’t be here now, he couldn’t be in the forest waiting for her, vampires could not venture into the sun...

Still, that was no really reassuring thought, as the forest stared at her menacingly, ready for her, spreading it’s dark arms, waving them to her in an almost seductive way.

A warning she recognized was tearing her skull in two, this warning was one she’d experienced from childhood, and when she felt it, she knew there was danger. Inuyasha must have pushed himself into her mind to force the warning away, for now she recognized that it had always been there when he was near, just not nearly as profound as it was now.

But... The alternative was to return to her grandmother’s home, and with nothing in her arms to show. No, she had to go, she had to. Fear was wrapping tentacles around her legs now , however, and the pain in her head was starting to intensify. How could she hope to do this alone?
“Kagome!”

At the sound of her name she nearly jumped clean into the forest she so feared. She was sure she had felt to forest reach when she had, felt it tug at her dress and try to pull her into it’s dark depths.

After a second though she turned and looked into the face of the very perverted monk who had saved her only the night before. Relief instantly washed over her and she sighed a breath so full of relief even Miroku recognized it for what it was.

He cocked an eyebrow at her, her grandmother’s cottage behind his back, and he stood facing the very forest he knew she shouldn’t be going near. “What are you doing here? The forest isn’t safe for you.”

His voice hinted at scolding, but Kagome could sense the fear in him, it was in his eyes, hidden deep, but she knew it was there. Sesshoumaru had made this former monk fear for her, and for good reason too.

“I-” she stopped, the warnings in her mind left her in a dark woosh just as she was about to explain. The sudden leave of them brought her to her knees, or it would have, if the monk hadn’t had the fastest reflexes she’d seen in any human.

Gently the monk put Kagome down on the ground, supporting her back with his hands. The sudden fall of the young girl had startled him so much that he hadn’t even touched her inappropriately.

Well, that was alright, he intended to woo this little woman. It was the only safe thing for her, Inuyasha would turn her into something evil, and Kagome would die an early death of starvation and depression. The only thing he could do in good conscious was keep her safe with him. She was too pure for the life of a vampire.

He looked down at her again, she seemed pale to him, too, and was shaking slightly. Too pure, and too weak, never would she be able to live that life. Nor would he allow it.

“Kagome, are you feeling alright? What happened?” Miroku took her chin in his left hand, leaving his right one to support her back. Gently he looked at her face as she suddenly smiled.

“There was a danger.” she said shaking off his hands and standing up on her own. Much to the monk’s obvious disappointment. “I sensed it, I felt it, and I swear, I almost saw it.” Her voice sounded weak to her, and to her monk companion, but after a moment she felt the strength return. “Now the danger is gone. You chased it away, I think.”

Miroku frowned. He had sensed nothing of the sort coming from the forest, but he had stayed awake the majority of the night. This made his senses weaker, but he was sure now that there was no threat in the forest at the moment. “Are you sure there was danger? Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha can not come out during the day.”

Kagome nodded her head, she was sure that there had been danger just as sure as she was that there was grass beneath her feet. “Danger, definitely, but it’s gone now.”

A figure watched them from the trees just beyond their human sights. Oh, there was danger, but the danger had not fled. The danger had simply taken advantage of a distracted miko woman’s mind, and forced all thoughts and feelings of danger away. This danger, was not afraid of the sunlight, as many thought him to be, and this danger would hunt, but not until the night fell.

No, he’d allow the old woman to scheme on his behalf, thinking her granddaughter strong, when in truth, nothing in the world had he found to be stronger than he. The danger smirked, showing all his glowing teeth. The granddmother of his prey would feel quite a fool, and probably cry when she found out about her precious heir’s demise.

Stealthily and silently, the danger moved himself, watching as the monk agreed to help Kagome with her chores, and agreed to carry the majority of what would be her burden. Then he slipped away, heading towards the village to await their arrival.