Silver Tears & Crimson Blades
Chapter 3: A new friend and a judgment proven wrong.
--Last Chapter--
They noticed the fire in the cave above them and Kagome was flooded with questions about Toboe. "Kagome what was that." "What is she?" "Why did she protect the monster?" Kagome held her hands up and the questions stopped. "Toboe is Toboe." was all she said as she got into her sleeping bag and rolled so that her back was to them. What she didn't hear as she drifted off was Cloud's final words for the night. "Her friend is a monster."
--Now--
Toboe was up with the dawn and she looked at the encampment below her cave and growled. Fenrir lifted his head at her growl and rumbled his question. "I am fine but I don't trust those humans." Kagome felt the dark aura and woke with her hand on her bow. She crawled out of the tent she shared with Yuffie and looked up to see Toboe watching them. Kagome walked towards the river that Red had pointed out when they arrived. She wasn't surprised to find Toboe waiting for her with the monster nearby. "You look well Kagome."Toboe chuckled when Kagome stuck her tongue out at her. "As do you. So will you join us or will you stay on this mountain?" She asked as she removed her clothes and dove into the water. Toboe stripped her clothing off and walked in after her.
Kagome noticed that the monster wandered into the water after her friend and he seemed contented when she touched him. "He is pretty, but if you stay you'll have to get him to stop eating Chocobos their cute." Kagome explained to Toboe what a Chocobo was. "They are prey Kagome. Nothing more or less but what they are."She held out her hand and the monster swam to her and she picked up some sand and began to clean him. "Does he have a name?"Kagome asked as she started to wash herself. "Fenrir"was all Toboe said as she finished him and started on her own hide. As they were rinsing off Kagome noticed the still forming scales. "What happened?" she gasped "Humans"was the growled reply. "we will go with you. If he doesn't go I won't either."Was all she said as she picked up her dirty clothes and walked naked back to her caves hidden lower entrance. Kagome saw Toboe's long prehensile tail wrapped around her hips as she walked hiding her heat and her thigh-length hair covered the rest of her tanned hide. "Toboe I only wish you would allow yourself to love someone and be loved in return." She mumbled before getting out and drying off.
Kagome walked back to camp after changing into the clothes she had brought with her and she was startled by Vincent's voice. "Good morning Kagome" she laid her hand over her heart as she smiled at him. "Good Morning Vincent" She said as she went and put her clothes away. She waived to Red and Yuffie as she packed up her stuff. Cloud and the others gathered around the camp fire for breakfast. It was a young boar that Red had hunted down. As they ate Yuffie couldn't contain her questions anymore. "Kagome when I went to wake you a while ago you were gone where did you go?" Kagome sighed. "I went to take a bath in the river and ran into Toboe." This got the groups attention. "She is coming with us and she is bringing Fenrir along." Cloud growled and Kagome continued before he could open his mouth. "It will get him off this mountain and away from the Chocobos Cloud." He nodded stiffly and she smiled at him. It took several more hours before they were ready to travel as Yuffie wanted to gather a lot of berries they could sell to the villagers below for a bit of profit and try to earn a bit more money.
Kagome heard pounding hooves and turned to see several boar's driven out of the forest; by the monster across the clearing Kagome admired the wild beauty of the animal and its predatory grace. Toboe came running from the other side sword unsheathed and the head boar charged her and she beheaded it in a single swing as Fenrir pounced and snapped the neck and back of the second together they drove the young and others into the small ravine. Red felt his beast's nature rise to admire the woman's hunting style, her eyes met his and she smiled. His heart skipped a beat as she twirled with her sword, dancing as she laughed. Red saw what Kagome meant by her friend was a warrior but yet a woman, he charged towards her when the mother boar came charging from the bushes behind her.
Red tapped into his speed meteria and lept over the small ravine and closed the distance between them in the span of a few heart beats. Toboe saw the change of expression on the Wolf-creature's face and saw him run towards her, his fangs bared but she could see his eyes weren't watching her but something behind her. Toboe turned at the exact moment Red passed her and the two beast collided. She heard Kagome's new friends screaming out a name. "Red!" "Red are you ok?" They were running towards them and the spell holding her still broke as the boar's death bellow was heard. Toboe walked towards the Wolf-creature and knelt to his level, her eyes meeting his. "you saved me, when your companions clearly hate my very presence... Thank you. I am Toboe."Red was shocked Toboe was just like Kagome in the fact that she took his appearance in stride and looked him in the eye. "I am called Red13, or Red for short. My companions don't normally judge so quickly or harshly." He tried to stand but his left fore-paw nearly brought him down,Toboe caught him by the shoulders.
"That boar got you good." She said as she looked the wound over as Kagome slid next to them and his friends gathered around. "Oww, that's got to hurt." Kagome mumbled as she glanced at him for permission before gently brushing his fur aside and looking at the wound with an experienced eye. Red was shocked and was glad no one could tell he was blushing under his fur when he realized Toboe was still holding him up. "I bet we could heal him together." Toboe said as they looked at one another before gauging the wound together. Kagome nodded and she looked at Red. "This might sting for a moment Red." Toboe shifted and setting her knee between Red's paws on his right side, she slid her arm around his back and stroked his left side. "We have to clean it before we can heal it or anything in the wound will get into your blood." Kagome asked Yuffie to run back to camp and grab her blue bag.
When the teenager returned she warned Red it was going to hurt, she began cleaning it. Afterward when she finished she apologized to him with tears in her eyes. Toboe growled and Kagome shook her head and wiped her eyes. "Ok its time to heal." Toboe leaned into Red a bit and set her right hand over the wound, Kagome setting hers over Toboe's. Kagome closed her eyes and faintly began to glow blue, while Toboe shimmered silver tipped black. Red felt a combination of warmth and heat spread through his body, the two stopped glowing and removed their hands. Red and the others looked on in shock where the wound was unblemished fur glinted in the light. "wow! How did you do that?" Yuffie yipped as Toboe released Red and got to her feet. " I will be back I need to clean the boars and get them ready to travel, as well as finish packing my things from my cave." Red saw her smile at him as she left the circle and the monster appeared and followed her to the dead boars. "I told you Toboe wasn't bad." Kagome spoke as she looked down. "I can heal certain people on my own, But Toboe can use her power to expand my ability to heal. Think of it as a song I can sing one note and Toboe allows me to change the resonance to make many more notes."They all nodded understanding what she meant. Toboe cleaned the boars with ease throwing all the unusable parts to Fenrir there was no use carrying useless parts and things. She dug out and stacked a pit with wood and speared the meat on long skewering sticks that she set aflame with Tifa's help. "Smoked meat keeps a long time and it tastes good on the road."
Toboe said as she let Kagome turn the spit so she could go get other stuff. She and Fenrir took off into the forest back towards their cave the raptor making it up the cliff face in a single leap. " At least we are getting to see the world Fenrir." The raptor crooned as she stroked his snout, Toboe packed her bags and gathered the fire rat bridle and saddle bags that she had brought with her from her own world, Toboe slid the reigns and halter onto his head and tightened the buckles slightly. Fenrir shook his head and the weight settled, Toboe tried to set a padded hide on his back but he shook it off so she tried just the saddle bags and he didn't seem to mind. Toboe packed the rest of the furs and climbed on to his back on the ledge, Fenrir lept down and bolted across the the forest his nine foot frame at ease in his long stride. Kagome watched Toboe ride Fenrir into the clearing and past Cloud who was helping to finish cutting and packing away the food for the journey. Toboe rode proudly, the beast beneath her portrayed a deadly combatant, Kagome wondered if Toboe would ever find anyone who could love her completely. Kagome knew Toboe could only love someone who could understand her need to fight, she was a demon and loved to fight. "We will be ready to leave in the hour Toboe." Red said as Toboe dismounted and turned to look at the creature.
"Ok if anyone wants to get a bath now is a good time while lunch is cooking." Kagome said as she stirred a large pot over the fire. The guys except Cid all left for the river and Toboe laughed evilly. "Toboe what brought on the laughter?" The crimson haired youkai looked at the priestess. "Cold Water." was all she said and Cid laughed. "Your cruel Toboe." The demoness just laughed as she stole a piece of meat from one of the spits and ate it. "Toboe! Stop eating that! Its for the road." Red laughed to see the friendship that obviously bound the two women. Kagome raised her wooden spoon and chased Toboe and the woman took off running laughing at her black haired friend. It was right then as the guys came back Toboe kicked off a rock and darted towards the slightly shivering men. Toboe's long jacket flared behind her as she ran, her long powerful legs opened the gap between the friends. "Toboe slow down your cheating!"
The crimson haired woman turned sharply and Kagome barely missed grabbing her duster. "Your just slow Kagome." Toboe stopped dead on looking up to the sky, her eyes tracing the horizon. Kagome skidded to a stop beside her. "What is it Toboe?" They were out of hearing range of everyone save Red and Vincent, so neither woman noticed the crimson or amber eyes watching them. "I smell rain on the wind, and the clouds are beginning to gather in the north. We need to leave right after lunch if we want a chance of out running this storm." The two looked at one another and Red scented the wind, Toboe was right there was a lot of moisture in the air and the wind was picking up. Red nodded at Vincent and they both wondered who and what was Toboe really. They ate lunch, Yuffie was shocked by the crimson haired woman as she traded dirty jokes with Cid. Or when she gently teased Kagome over the fact the black haired woman was a foot shorter then her. She heard Tifa bust out laughing when Kagome started talking back to Toboe on the merits of her personality. "Ok, Ok holy one, I get it. Thou shall not make fun of the short people." Kagome face-palmed before shaking her head at her friend.
"You need a hobby Toboe." Kagome said as she shook her head, Toboe smirked and replied. "I have one, picking fights." That set the group into laughter. They finished packing it up and Toboe remounted Fenrir and the group set off down the mountain side, Kagome walking beside the monster to talk to her friend. "Toboe?" The demoness made a noise to let her know she was listening. "Do you think we will ever get home and see the others again?" Toboe lowered her head and her bangs covered her eyes. "I'm not sure Kagome, I do miss the others. Even that be-damned monk but I miss my clan and the other youkai." The group heard every thing though they didn't understand her the last word, but they assumed that when she spoke of her clan she meant her family. "I miss Inu-yasha." Kagome said as they passed the fork in the road. " I miss them so much. My mother must be so worried." She said as she lowered her head. Toboe looked into the forest canopy.
"Your mother trusts us, Kagome. Someone once told me that A mother's magic is the ability to know if her child is safe or not, but their curse is the worry when they leave the nest." Kagome smiled she remembered telling Toboe that some time ago when they were younger. "your right Toboe, Thanks." The woman smiled at her best friend. "anytime Kag-chan." Toboe stopped Fenrir about a quarter mile from the village. "I don't think its wise if Fenrir and I enter the village." Kagome saw her wisdom in this and looked at the others. "She's right." Kagome said. "I'll lead her around the village and we will meet you on the main road leading out of town, by the bridge." Red said as everyone looked back at him. "Why you Red?" Cloud said as he looked at his furry companion. "I have four legs and a need to stretch my legs and she is mounted on a beast built for speed."
Cloud looked down in embarrassment. "The airship is on the other side of the bridge so its logical to meet you at that spot." They group nodded and Kagome looked at her friend, noticing her friends dual-colored gaze was locked on the red-furred male, Kagome could see a kindness that Toboe only showed to herself and those of her own race. "Ok we will see you at the bridge. The goddess be with you." Tifa said and Red darted off and Toboe nudged her mount into following the creature's flaming tail. They heard a howl of enjoyment from the two as they vanished after a moment.
"wow their fast." Yuffie said as she listened for any sound of running. "Toboe is not like anyone I have ever met before and neither are you Kagome." The priestess smiled at the other woman. "Thank you Tifa, you guys are some of the best people I have ever met." They group walked on and within about twenty minutes reached the town, the elder was pleased that they had removed the monster that he unknowingly to them slipped a bonus into their pay bag. When they left the village Kagome waived and the blacksmith's wife waived back. They covered the distance towards the bridge at a good pace, the humor light and pleasant as they traveled to rejoin their companions.
For Toboe the run with Red gave her a sense of pleasure that she had thought she had lost without Entei. "your fast Red, thank you for coming with me on this little romp." For Red he couldn't control the fact he wanted to learn more about her and her world. They arrived at the bridge about an hour later and both knew it would take awhile for the others to catch up. Toboe dismounted and took the gear off of Fenrir in order to let him rest, as she sat down next to Red. "Red." He turned his head to look at the woman who's hair was the same color as his friends cloak. "Can I touch you? I promise to be gentle." He got up and walked in front of her and sat down. "Go ahead." Toboe stretched out her hands and gently touched his muzzle and traced her way up to the sides of his face, Red couldn't believe it. She was touching him and it felt so good, Her hands stroked down his neck to his shoulders.
Her fingers dove into his fur and weaved them selves into his mane, gentle yet firm as she stroked and scratched. A low pleased growl emerged from his chest and throat as she massaged his neck and traced his ears. "Please excuse my rash comments. But your beautiful." Red turned his head in shame at her words. "I am not beautiful, but thank you for saying so." Toboe gently cupped his face and turned it towards her, her long fingers stroking under his scarred eye. "I think you are. There is no greater beauty in any world then that of one who has stood proudly on a battlefield." Toboe leaned forwards and gently kissed his muzzle, her eyes meeting his shining with honesty. Red scooted towards her and leaned his head into her shoulder in shock. This woman saw the heart of a warrior in the form of a beast, Red didn't notice that a single tear dripped from his eye to her neck.
"I want you to know something." Toboe made a soft sound as she stroked his mane. "My real name is Nanaki." Toboe smiled and snuggled her face against his fur. "Nanaki, strong name." They separated and he sat at her side and she told him little bits about her world, that she loved to howl at the moon and sing. Red promised that he would howl with her some time in the near future.