The clang of metal against metal rang out in the large clearing as the two swords met, the echoing melody of their clash spreading throughout the surrounding forest.
"Watch out for her parry!" a voice called, joining the reverberating tune as it reflected off the nearby trees. Kohaku De Higurashi lounged on his side in the thick grass, his objective gaze scrutinizing the combatants as they swung their heavy broadswords. He nodded with satisfaction as his sister, tiny compared with Sota's height and broad shoulders, easily deflected a thrust of her brother's. Kohaku chuckled low in his throat, his brown eyes twinkling merrily. She was good. She knew the limitations of her sword and her strength well; she was patient and observant. This made her a very dangerous opponent despite her size.
Kagome finished an arc, the impact of the weapons jarring her arm. She stepped back, panting. A trickle of perspiration ran from her hairline down her cheek, sparkling in the sun like a diamond. She brushed a strand of brown hair from her forehead with her free arm.
A perfect smile lit Sota's boyish face. "Come, come. You cannot tell me that you tire after so few exchanges!" A cold grin stretched across her shapely lips. "I tell you no such thing, Brother. Only to guard your blind side." Kagome lunged and then feinted right. Sota caught the blow with some effort and countered with an arc overhead.
Kagome sidestepped the swing and Sota's blade crashed into the ground. As he pulled it up, a clump of dirt came with it, impaled on the tip of his blade. "You know she's too quick for you, Sota," Kohaku called. Kagome laughed at the dirt on Sota's sword. "Don't take your anger out on the ground, Sota. Your opponent stands before you, not below you."
Sota came after Kagome with two quick lunges. She easily parried the blows and drove forward with an arc of her own, then retreated and stood staring at Sota. "Little sister, you're growing up," Sota commented. "Don't goad her, Sota," Kohaku advised, too late.
Kagome suddenly charged her brother, hitting him in the stomach with her shoulder. The impact knocked him onto his back. Breathless, Sota lay stunned for a moment. Before he could recover, Kagome stepped on the wrist of his sword arm and placed the tip of her weapon to Sota's neck. "Yield or die," she stated.
"I yield to the Herald of Death!" Sota hollered good-naturedly.
Kagome lifted her foot from his wrist and withdrew her sword. She gently kicked his arm with her booted foot. "I hate it when you call me 'little sister'." Sota sat up, rubbing his wrist. "I won't make that mistake again." Kagome stepped back, offering her brother a hand. Sota clasped it and she helped him to his feet. "That was a good move," Sota commented. "But a little reckless." "It beat you," Kagome replied, bending to pick up a cloth from the lush grass.
"If I had raised my sword, you would have run right into it." "But you didn't," Kagome said, wiping the cloth smoothly over her blade. "Don't criticize my move just because it landed you on your buttocks. You yielded. I won. There are no 'ifs'." "She has a point," Kohaku agreed, stepping up beside Kagome. "She beat you and I'm afraid it grates on your nerves." "Nonsense!" Sota exclaimed, brushing the grass from his yellow tunic. "I simply –"
"Herald!" a tiny voice called from the forest, interrupting Sota.
Kagome's head shot up and she saw her page, Shippo, crashing through the bushes in his hurry to reach her. His brown cotton smock caught on a branch, but he quickly yanked it free and continued toward her, gasping, "Herald!" Kagome placed her hand on his shoulder. "Take a breath, Shippo, and tell me what's happened."
"We…" he started, breathlessly. "A deep breath," Kagome urged. Shippo drew in a long breath and blurted out, "We've caught an Englishman, m'lady!" Kagome raised an anxious gaze to Kohaku before moving to retrace Shippo's path. She heard the heavy footfalls of her brothers as they followed her into their camp. The scent of venison wafted to her on a light breeze and her stomach rumbled despite her anxiety. She maneuvered through the sporadically placed tents like an expert, dodging a barking dog, stepping around two men who were absorbed in a game of chess.
She slowed upon seeing Miroku Houshi, her advance scout, approaching. "You found him?" she asked. "Aye, m'lady," Miroku replied.
It always unnerved Kagome to speak with Miroku, for while he was the best scout she had, looking into his face was like gazing into an emotionless abyss. His eyes were black, so black that she could not discern the pupil from the iris. Miroku had never done anything to earn her suspicion; on the contrary, he was a loyal fighter, as good at staffplay as he was at disappearing into the shadows, but there was something cold about him that set off every warning within Kagome. He loved the sun, so his skin remained tan, far more so than she was. His skill at infiltrating The West was what had earned him Kagome's respect; his command of the Western language surpassed even her own. "Where?" she demanded. "Northwest of here," he answered. "He said he was separated from his army. Lost."
Kagome moved past him, eager to see her enemy. As she neared the prisoner tents, she noticed that, suspiciously, more than a few of her men were seated near one tent. Each head was bent over their work, the men diligently sharpening weapons or polishing armor until it sparkled like a gem. Kagome knew they were eagerly awaiting the outcome of the interrogation. It had been almost two weeks since they had seen any battle, and they were eager to confront the West.
"What can I do, Herald?" Shippo wondered. Kagome stopped and the boy ran up before her. He was panting vigorously and Kagome knew he had run the entire way to keep up with them. She smiled at him and patted his unruly hair before carefully handing her sword and bow to him. "Take this to my tent. Then find Mel to look after it."
Shippo's brown eyes widened as he stared at the blade. "Aye, m'lady," he whispered reverently. He gazed at it a moment longer before heading toward her tent at a slow, careful walk. Kagome exchanged a grim look with Sota before continuing. Two guards stood outside the tent, looking more like stone gargoyles poised on the pillars of a church than like men. They were clothed in chain mail, white tunics washing over the metal links that protected their bodies. Kagome shoved the tent flap aside and entered.
The prisoner was tied to a large, planted stake, bound hand and foot. Small in build, and dressed in a leather jerkin, the Westernman reminded Kagome more of a squire than a foot soldier. His jaw was set with determination, his dark eyes cautious and distrustful. He assessed Sota and Kohaku with a swift glance and his lip curled. When his gaze turned to Kagome, his eyes widened in surprise. He was not dirty. His cheeks were not sunken from lack of food, nor were his lips parched from lack of water.
"He is not lost," she muttered. She didn't think the prisoner would understand her Eastern words but murmured just in case. "I agree," Kohaku stated.
Kagome stepped toward the prisoner. Sota followed protectively and stood beside her. "What lord do you serve?" Kagome asked the man in perfect Western. His brow furrowed in confusion and his gaze slowly traveled over her body appreciatively. She straightened slightly as his insolent, laughing gaze locked with her eyes. Sota slapped the man's impudent face and the blow twisted the man's head to the side. A silver chain around the prisoner's neck glinted in the candlelight.
Kagome stepped forward and the man gazed down at her with defiant eyes as she peeled his jerkin aside. There, hanging from the chain, was a medallion of a silver dog over a navy crescent moon. Kagome stared at the pendant for a long moment. Her teeth clenched slightly and her hand trembled with anger as she reached out, encircling the pendant with her fingers. Its cold metal bit into her palm as if it were alive.
"He's closer than we thought," Sota sneered at seeing the crest. Kagome nodded. "Much closer." She dropped the medallion to the man's chest. Her blue eyes lifted slowly to meet his gaze. "Bring me the truth powder, Sota," Kagome said. She watched recognition wash over the prisoner's face, followed closely by fear and disbelief.
"The Herald of Death ," he gasped. "He will tell us where the Western army is camped. I will have the Prince of Demons before tomorrow's dawn.