InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Lost Art of War ❯ Departure ( Chapter 4 )

 

 

 

 

 

The Lost Art of War

By Sasori and Shiro Hikage

 

Chapter 3:Departure

“Standing on the defensive indicates insufficient strength; attacking, a super abundance of strength.”

-Excerpt from Sun Tzu's Art of War.

 

The girl averted her gaze from the sun rising in the east to the direction they had been traveling. They were heading west. Further west; to the sea. The smell of waves was stronger now. Balmy trade winds drifted through the pines, raising her hair in a dance with salty breezes. She inhaled as the scent of her unshed tears blew past her. They would find her, she was sure of it.

~

 

The group had just finished cleaning up the campsite and were saddling their horses and loading the packs onto the pack animals. She rose from her seat on a fallen tree to ready her horse. It was the smallest of the bunch, still three or four heads taller than her, but she managed. It was a dark brown mare with a white stripe going down its forehead. Its mane was nearly black, bleached from grazing in sunny pastures, and she often liked running her fingers through it. Her horse had, like most animals excluding Jaken (if you counted him as a toad that is) had quickly taken a liking to her.

 

The saddle was heavy, and she lifted it with a grunt. She would not appear weak in front of them. Her appointed horse, sensing her distress, lowered itself slightly so she could heave the weighty saddle above her head and onto its back. She squeaked when she felt herself falling backwards, only to have a hand steady her. Rin looked apprehensively over her shoulder only to see the chatty Saran standing behind her. He grinned at her, reaching over her to the take saddle that threatened her equilibrium. Her cheeks lit up at his proximity, as she was unaccustomed to being so close to such an attractive man, though it went unnoticed. He gently nudged her aside, securing the saddle to the horse with ease before leaving to tend to his own.

 

She had yet to discover any ulterior motive he might have for being so friendly. His sociable demeanor had yet to change and she was beginning to wonder why he was sent on this mission at all. Surely his purpose was not to make small talk with a prisoner in his strange language. He obviously was of a higher rank than the others; she had seen him shouting orders, so he had to be involved somehow.

 

The rest of his companions, however, did not share his attitude and often sent nasty glares in her direction. Their opinion of her was shallow.

 

They had wrongly assumed that, as the heir to the western territories she would be a docile as most ladies of the court, born into a life of lavish. They had expected her to complain at the meager rations of a soldier, not aware of her upbringing. They assumed that she was pampered and carted about like a doll in a palanquin. She surprised them when the first time she mounted the dark horse they had offered her with ease and rode with a grace their soldiers lacked. They did not notice her calloused hands or toned body. They had incorrectly thought her a spoiled princess.

 

~

They reached their destination midday, a small village on the coast. The others left to charter a boat while Saran was left to guard the young woman.

 

Saran helped her from her horse and beckoned her to follow him. He took her to the beach to wait as the boat was loaded; she nodded appreciatively and left him standing in the shade of the trees.

 

Slipping out of her worn geta, her toes curled into the dark sands reveling in the feel of it. Her smile was soft as the summer sky as she remembered when Sesshoumaru had taken her to a similar beach in her youth. Her footprints left in the sand were smaller then; her freedom greater. Even before her kidnapping she was a captive to the castle. Now a young woman, she was to be taught the ways of the court; it wasn't “proper” for a lady of the court let alone the heiress to gallivant about the countryside on perilous quests. She longed for the days when she had once trailed after her lord across the dunes of Tottori and the sunny fields of Okayama.

 

A wave pulled back and she ran towards the sea in a race to catch it before it chased her back to the sands, the waters tickling her ankles playfully as they caught her. She almost forgot she was a prisoner to the foreign youkai, but as she looked up with laughter in her eyes she remembered as she saw her silent guard where the forest and sand meet. The waters retreated and the smile in her eyes floated away with it.

 

She closed her eyes and wished she was free again, spending her nights by dying embers; a beautiful miko and ethereal youkai her loyal sentries as she slept. Her eyes fluttered open; still Saran stood watching her and she nearly cried, but the wave had stolen her tears as well.

 

~

 

 

Her mood wasn't something she'd define as “cheerful” as she sailed away form her country. She sat perched on a large crate, swinging her legs back and forth out of habit. Why couldn't Jaken be the heir to the west? He never got kidnapped! Though one could attribute that to his poor hygiene and toady features…

 

Why didn't Lord Sesshoumaru wait to name an heir until he had a son? He could have adopted her without giving her any titles and she would have been pleased. Wasn't it completely unorthodox to have a female heiress anyhow? Why was she named heiress when she had the lifespan of a human?

 

Another thing that had been bothering her was the men on the ship. They weren't foreigners. The entire crew was Japanese, and judging from where they had departed, they were from a fishing village situated on the very lands that she would one day inherit. Traitorous fools, the lot of them. She wondered how many kobans had been placed in view of their money hungry eyes before they folded. Ten? Fifty? A hundred? It didn't really matter; their greed would melt away with their flesh when he found them.

 

She had briefly thought to negotiate with the captain, a fleeting thought. She would not negotiate with a fool. `The youkai would probably kill him if he helped her anyhow', she thought darkly.

 

As the day went on, unpleasantly in Rin's opinion, she became increasingly irritable. Rin glowered at the third sailor that had eyed her with immoral intentions. Though she was not skilled at fighting, she knew enough to take an average human out. She smiled. Her captors had not searched her for weapons; she still had the pink lacquered tanto Sesshoumaru gave her when she came of age. She would not allow common filth to defile her.

 

A small room had been assigned for her but she didn't like it. The air was stale and unpleasant, cobwebs decorated her ceiling, and it was too dark for her liking. It only served to remind her of her captivity. Instead she preferred sitting on the platform halfway up the mast. She had even taken her bedroll and a “borrowed” fur to keep the chill off.

 

From there she could see for miles. The sea stretched on further than any field of flowers she had ever imagined. The swaying of the mast as the boat glided over the blue expanse lulled her to peaceful dreams of her protectors.

 

From her perch she looked to the stars, searching for the direction the boat was headed. Still west; were they going to the continent? Though she was not fluent in Chinese, she remembered snippets from her studies. These youkai did not speak the language. Where were they from? Who were they? And why had the taken her?

 

~

 

It was nightfall by the time they reached the fishing village where Yu-Wen had docked. Kagome, still harboring broken bones, had rode Ah-Un for the entirety of the trip while the rest of the group traveled on foot. She had been surprised when Sesshoumaru had ordered the beast to carry her, seeing as he had been furious with her a week prior. Not that she could blame him, she was angry with herself. All the years she spent diligently honing her miko powers and what did she have to show for it, a kidnapped teenager and a village that only saw her as a shadow of a woman from the past. Her mood darkened in sync with the approaching storm.

Kagome winced as Ah-Un tromped over a rather rocky area on the hill, the pain jarring her from unwanted memories. Unwanted memoirs of previous journeys, times once forgotten, battles fought and comrades lost.

Glancing up she spotted Yu-Wen's ship, noting that it had many similarities with the European ships of the time but was much larger than any she had seen in her textbooks. The kanji for wind graced each of the three sails; the black dye used matching that of the weather. The crew could be seen cleaning and making minor repairs necessary before they sailed.

Yu-Wen stood at the top of the ramp that led to the main deck of the Ai. He was a rather tall man, most likely taller than any of the members in their small party. His shoulders were broad and well muscled, as were his arms from the hard work of a sailor. The captain's face was weathered, but not unattractively so, crows' feet spanning from wise emerald eyes. His black hair fading to gray with age was kept neat, tied in a high ponytail. His skin was scarred in many places and tanned from years under sunny skies. Yu-Wen's attire was simple, light cream-colored cotton cheongsam with a brown sash that held two impressive dao.

“Age has done you well Yu-Wen, time has barely touched you since we last met”, Zen complimented.

“I can't say the same for you boy, you certainly have grown” Yu-Wen responded before turning to the young lord. “Climb on up, we can't leave tonight though, the sea is too rough” Yu-Wen said motioning for them to board the stately ship. Sesshoumaru looked annoyed at the delay but said nothing.

Sesshoumaru, Zen and Zhao-Kai followed the Capitan to his quarters to discuss travel routes while the servants set up the rooms and filling them with their master's belongings.

Kagome parted with Ah-Un after leaving him at his designated sleeping area and immediately retired to her cabin. Her ribs hurt and she was worn from traveling all day. She was lucky to be out of bed at all.

~

Her eyes mirrored that of the ocean the dawn of their departure. The sea was gray and choppy with shades of silver on the horizon as sunrise approached behind could-ridden skies. The woman's disposition was as poor as the weather, leaning heavily on the starboard rail of the Ai, her gaze forlorn like the unsettling waters below her. The capture of the girl had taken its toll on her. Even with Sesshoumaru's recent assurances that she wasn't at fault, she still felt otherwise.

Before her thoughts went further down the road to depression, a familiar voice reached her ears over the sounds of waves crashing against the ship.

“We will get her back” Sesshoumaru stated, realizing the extent in which his previous accusations of her worthlessness had taken its toll.

She looked hauntingly beautiful in that moment with the restless open water as her backdrop. When she looked over her shoulder her lengthy hair rose in a wild torrent of ebony, exposing the back of the earl gray kimono and draping moonbeam-shaded obi she wore. Her eyes, through they still held much sadness, still burned with determination.

She nodded briskly in agreement. Not an apology, but it would do. At least it didn't seem like Rin would be kept from her when she was retrieved.

“Come, we must check on your injuries”, Sesshoumaru said, returning to his cabin and expecting her to follow naturally. Hesitantly she trailed after him, down the hallway to one of the larger cabins, leaving the dim sunlight behind her replaced by the soft glow the candles emitted.

Expecting his kind healer she was surprised that he was the only one present when she entered his room. “Um, where's your healer?”

“She remained at the castle, were to too distracted to notice on the journey here?” He replied striding over to one of the many chests stacked neatly on one side of the room. Moving a rather heavy one to the side, he unlatched the chest beneath it, pulling out several jars with odd colored balms in them and bandages.

“Sit miko.”

She bristled at the command but complied, taking a seat on a zabuton near his silk covered futon.

“Undress” Sesshoumaru ordered as he knelt in front of her.

“No way”, she screeched crossing her arms in defiance “I'll change my own bandages!”

He rolled his eyes at her modesty before swiftly grabbing hold of her obi and yanking. The kimono loosened, the collar slumping to past her shoulders to rest on her crossed arms.

“Would you rather one of Yu-Wen's men to tend to your injuries? I'm sure they'd be happy to oblige. Or perhaps the bitch my mother sent with us?”

“But…”she started, only to be interrupted.

“I suppose that means I should call for one of the sailors?”

Quieting, she uncrossed her arms and let the garment fall from her shoulders to the cabin floor. Abashed, a light blush dusted her cheeks as he began unraveling the old bandages that covered her torso, setting them in a crumpled pile by her side.

Dark bruises marred the creamy peach skin above her ribs from the impact with the tree. A long gash led from her hip to the underside of her left breast had scabbed over, and likely would scar and leave her self-conscious. All of the minor wounds had healed during her stay in the castle due to her miko powers.

Dipping his fingers in one of the jars, he gently applied a generous amount of the salve to the gash, the miko gasping as the cold balm touched her skin. Capping the jar, he opened the other and applied it in the same manner to her bruises. When he finished he picked up the clean bandages, wrapping them tightly around her torso and securing them at her shoulder.

“Um, thank you”, she stated softly as she pulled the kimono back over her shoulders, and re-tied the obi.

“Hn”

~

“Just don't destroy the ship”, Yu-Wen yelled after the two from behind the helm, acquiescing to their request to use the deck as their temporary training ground. He hadn't seen a woman so eager to train since Xue Fang in her early days, let alone a human woman.

After a week of bed rest she was completely healed of her injuries, Kagome had requested to be taught in the ways of unarmed and armed combat in preparation of battles to come. Sesshoumaru had readily agreed that her training was long overdue, and would be beneficial to their small band of capable fighters. Though she was an accomplished priestess, it would not be enough when facing such adversaries.

Kagome had changed out of the elegant silk kimono she had been so kindly provided, and had borrowed one of the younger sailor's plain uniforms, not wanting to dirty the expensive garment. Her ebony hair was pulled into a high ponytail to keep it from blocking her vision, falling in dark contrast against the back of the beige haori. She no longer was pale from sickness and depression, and glowed radiantly in the midmorning sunlight. The clothing she had donned did nothing to dampen her beauty, and she was often had the eyes of the eyes of the crew following her movements eagerly.

“We will begin with basic hand to hand combat, starting with common punches, parries and blocks before moving on to simple katas as the day progresses”, Sesshoumaru explained to his new pupil. Kagome nodded briskly, impatient and ready to get on with the training.

After a brief explanation of the different instances in which the actions were used, they went through a series of exercises, Sesshoumaru correcting her stance occasionally or adjusting the angle of her arm. Kagome proved to be a quick learner, and soon perfected the proper stances, punches and blocks that were necessary to move on to the katas.

The crew avidly watched the pair, praying to the gods that the miko's billowy haori would open further from the strenuous exercising. Yet another set of eyes jealously glared at the miko, upset that she had the privilege to be within such a close proximity with the object of her affections. Etsu had always pined for attention of the eye-catching Lord of the West, but never received as much as a fleeting glance. She was notorious for her beauty, and was unrivaled throughout the lands; she was unaccustomed to being ignored. Then this ningen woman comes along and somehow gains the attention of the entire crew and Sesshoumaru. Bristling visibly at the thought of being bested by a human, she stormed off to her cabin.

Zen, who was also paying attention to the two for lack of anything better to do, smirked wryly at his masters' gentle handling of the girl. He had seen Sesshoumaru train new recruits at the castle and none of them had left the session unscathed. The miko however, was only pushed softly to the ground from time to time. Though he was sure the training would get rougher after she learned the basics.

 

~

 

Ravenous after her first training session, the miko made a mad dash for the galley praying that the chef would take pity on her growling stomach and give her an early dinner.  Her muscles ached in protest as she scampered down the stairs, she choose to ignore them for now, her need for food taking priority above all else. Turning the corner, she collided with dinner…literally.  

 

What a way to make a first impression she thought dryly as she took in the cook soaked in the soup of the day. She watched, horror-struck, as the broth dripped from his shoulder-length hair.

 

"I'm so sorry!”

 

“Its ok Miko-sama, I can make it again”, he assured her. “My hair is tastier because of it.”

 

“Why don't you go clean up, I'll wipe this up and make dinner”, she offered, leaving no room for arguments as she pushed him away from the kitchens.

 

“If you say so Miko-sama”, he consented as he left her in the hall.

 

Kagome busied herself in the kitchens, feeling more herself than she had in years. She hadn't cooked for so many since the celebration after Naraku's defeat. Reminiscent, her hands darted to the spice cabinets pulling out jars and adding them by memory to the pot to make a soup base for the noodles. After the well had closed she learned how to make ramen for her hanyou friend, but hadn't made it since he followed her soul's previous owner to hell. She just hoped the crew liked it as much as Inuyasha did. Her eyes watered, and it wasn't the pepper n the air.

 

The crew loved her more when the tasted her cooking, one even going so far as to joke about marriage. She ate with them, and her night was happier because of it. They all laughed and joked well after the ramen was gone. It reminded her that though the days when her friends sat merrily around campfires in their adolescence had long passed that she could still laugh like the teenager she used to be.

 

 

~

 

Distracted by a week of training, she realized she was not privy to where they were going or who had kidnapped Rin. It annoyed her that though she played a role, she knew less than even the youngest sailor about the plan!

 

“I think I have the right to know where we are going and who took Rin!” Kagome demanded; anger present in her voice and loud footsteps as she brazenly threw open the door to his cabin.

 

“Very well, I shall tell you”, Sesshoumaru calmly retorted.

 

His reply left her staring dumbly at the entrance of his room, her mouth agape, as she was just about to start her rant anew.

 

Ignoring the rather comical look on the miko's face, he rolled up the maps Zhao-Kai had just delivered and set them aside. He motioned for the woman to sit on one of the plush cushions in front of the low lying table, and once she was situated he began the tales of the battles of Bun'ei and Koan.