Disclaimer: I do hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for this absurd adventure... especially for the one who's been busy. A nod of recognition is bent towards Rumiko Takahashi for her creative prowess.


Chapter 49: Dark Circles

"You should rest," Kouga decreed.

"It's still early," she argued. The wolf-youkai had vanquished the moth demon immediately after breakfast, and they'd just finished lunch. "I don't need a nap!"

He startled her by reaching over to touch her face, gently brushing his thumb under her eye. "Those dark circles say otherwise."

"But...!"

Kouga growled softly. "I know you didn't sleep well last night."

The nightmares. In her dreams, birds-of-paradise had carried Kouga away, leaving her surrounded by giant centipedes. Her fitful rest had been interrupted more than once by her bedmate's grumbling assurances that she was safe. "Fine," she relented.

Once she was tucked into the hammock, he bounded off, and she idly watched as he darted back and forth, reorganizing their supplies. What on earth is he doing? Kouga climbed up, down, and all over the rock face surrounding the waterfall, then disappeared for a time atop the cliff. Hunting, already? However, he didn't return with meat, just odds and ends. It wasn't until he returned from a foraging trip with an armload of firewood and disappeared inside the cave hidden behind the waterfall that she realized. He's making his den.

Eventually, her weariness caught up with her, and the gentle sway of the hammock lulled her to sleep. When she woke, it was impossible to guess the time of day, for the sky was overcast, and fitful gusts of wind rattled through the trees. The absence of bird noise in the surrounding jungle gave the change in weather an ominous feel, and she sat up, mumbling, "Is it going to storm?"

By the time she found her feet, Kouga appeared and looked her up and down. "Come on... it's gonna be spitting rain any minute."

"Where?"

"Where else?" he asked with a satisfied smirk. "Our den's ready."


End Note: This chapter was written for the Live Journal community fanfic(underscore)bakeoff and their Secret Ingredient for October 2011—Absent. Posted on October 17, 2011. 300 words.