Kagome found the treehouse surprisingly comfortable. It was constructed of bamboo, palm fronds, timber and vines, and was settled in the branches of a massive tree. Due to space constraints among said branches, the dwelling had several levels, with rooms built atop each other like a messy stack of blocks. Ladders or ramps connected each level, with the main floor being kitchen and parlor combined into one large space. The windows were covered with sliding bamboo screens to open or close against the weather, and smaller doors gave privacy to the bedchambers. By the time the sun was setting, Kagome and her mother had cleaned all of the rooms, made dinner, and settled their belongings in their respective areas.
Tomo had had gone off with Naraku to hunt the blue tailed bird he was certain he'd spied earlier, and they'd returned just as darkness began to fall. It was none too soon, because the night sounds of the wild animals began in earnest. The roar of some creature that sounded angry and hungry reverberated through the night, causing Hana to give a shiver of foreboding.
If Kagome was uneasy about the ship and crew leaving them to continue on its journey, she ignored it. She was here to find Hojo, and she would not let a little isolation and nerves stop her now!
Besides, Naraku, for all his creepy ogling was well able to protect them, she was sure. He had also assured them that the treehouse was very safe once it was closed up. They had parceled up the various rooms, with Kagome choosing the one at the uppermost level. Her mother had objected, being reluctant to have her daughter away from her in this scary land. However, the lower bedrooms were small, and to double up would be uncomfortable for everyone involved. So it was that the young girl had a room to herself.
It had two big windows with hinged covers, and she'd tied them up to the hooks in the ceiling in order to allow the gentle breeze from the ocean to cool the space. There was no one but the many birds she'd seen flitting about to see her as she loosened her hair and allowed it to fall to her waist.
She made short work of her clothing, choosing a cotton tank and boy shorts for comfort. She stood at the window, enjoying the view. The breeze toyed with her hair, and she drew in a deep breath of the sweet scents of flowers and the tang of the ocean.
Hojo, where are you? Are you safe? Are you thinking of me? Hang on, I'm coming for you.
A knock at her door made Kagome turn in surprise. She picked up a robe and draped it over her shoulders answering the door. "Naraku-san," she said warily. What was he doing here?
"I merely came to ensure that you're comfortable for the night, and aren't afraid," he replied easily enough.
"I'm fine, nothing to worry about," she told him. She wanted him gone. He gave her the creeps.
"Perhaps I should check for snakes, or spiders? They are rampant in jungles like these," he suggested, raking his eyes over what he could see of her through the crack in the door.
Kagome took a deep breath. She hated spiders! After a short mental debate, she stepped back and opened the door. "Alright, you can check."
He smirked at her and did a cursory inspection, checking in the corners and under the bamboo framed bed. "All clear," he announced.
"Yes, well…thank you for checking, Naraku-san," Kagome said, hoping to see him leave.
Instead, he stepped closer to her, and his voice took on a deeper tone as he spoke. "You must call me Naraku, Kagome. Surely after all this time you can see it is acceptable?"
She could see nothing of the sort. Naraku was Hojo's friend, and she had never been comfortable around him. But she was also painfully aware that he was her only real hope of locating Hojo, and she didn't want to antagonize him or appear rude.
"I really think you should go Naraku," she answered, agreeing for the sake of the mission.
He narrowed his eyes then. "You do realize that it is very likely that Hojo is lost, or most likely de-"
"STOP!" she cried. "I will not listen to this. He is your friend, you should have more faith."
"Faith only goes so far in the face of reality, Kagome," he told her. "If he is gone, then you are free to choose another. I know that I am older than you, but I assure you that I am more than capable of taking care of you. Very good care of you."
Kagome was incensed. How dare he!
She flung the door wide and turned snapping blue eyes to him. "You will leave NOW and you will never speak to me of this again. Is that clear?" Anger radiated off of her in waves.
Far from being intimidated, Naraku stepped closer to her. He even went so far as to reach out to touch her.
"I will scream for my family!" she snarled. "I mean it! I hired you. You are my employee only. Do your job and stay away from me."
His black eyes widened at her words. He might have continued, but she drew breath for that promised scream and he backed off. Giving her a terse nod, he stepped through the door. Kagome went to slam it but he caught it easily with his hand.
"Be careful, little girl. This place is dangerous. It's far too easy for harm to befall those who aren't careful," he purred. "And I'm the only one who knows their way around here, aren't I?"
He left her gaping at him, and it was some moments before she could shut the door. She stumbled on wobbly feet to the bed, where she collapsed in near tears. Had he just threatened her family?
################
He was very near the large window, watching the woman with the ocean eyes. She couldn't see him; he made sure of that. He'd moved noiselessly, making his way from branch to branch and tree to tree until he was just outside of the window. He sniffed silently, and amid the familiar scents of the jungle— the flowers, the damp soil, the underlying decay of plant and animal, the proximity of a tree monkey— he smelled something new, he smelled her. Bright and sweet and exotic. Something he'd never scented before; but an essence that drew him mercilessly.
He had remained silent, watching as she stood at the window and then later as she dealt with the man. He had been fully prepared to leap through the window and kill the male, should he touch her. The smell of her fear and tears was a burning in his nose, obscuring her normal fragrance.
Now, he observed as she fought to pull herself together. She swiped the tears away with an impatient hand, before lying down on the thin mattress. He was pleased. She was intelligent and strong and didn't back down from a threat. He was even more attracted to her at the realization.
He could tell when she fell asleep, for her breathing changed and her body relaxed. Heart pounding, he slid down to the branch on which her room rested. It had once been his mother's.
His fingers curled over the edge of the wall and he sniffed. Hot sensation rushed through him. Her smell was beautiful, and it made him feel almost the way he did when he breathed the smoke burning from the special negaru plant. He wanted to bury himself in that delicious, compelling scent, his face and nose close to her skin and in the warmest parts of her curves. He closed his eyes for a moment, steadying his breathing. He couldn't make a sound or she might waken.
Heart pounding, he stood next to her bed, in the shadows and looked at her sleeping. He curled his hands into fists to keep from touching her. She shifted, and whimpered in her sleep. He squeezed his eyes closed. He tried to slow his breathing, tried to relax. But he needed contact. Her pain called to him, her fear moving him to comfort her. His hand trembled as though palsied as he reached out and touched, ever so gently, that warm pale skin.