DRIFT

By the time she'd found the room they'd been put up in, Momiji and all the rest had settled down, which meant that before she could even think about a peaceful rest, she had to go through them:

There was Urue's scolding.

Whining from Momiji: "I still can't believe you! I only managed to salvage one of the kanzashi Jiu Feng gave me! Do you realize how―"

Prodding from Achara: "That wound did look awful―"

Congratulations from Okiyo: "Those birds had it coming, I'm just glad it was you who―"

Gushing praise from Hotaru: "Brilliant, incredible, amazing, spectacular―"

And finally a gruff nod from Younousuke while Tekari peeked out from underneath a thick blanket.

"Would all of you just shut the hell up?" she grumbled, kicking out a space for herself on the floor. Whatever they had managed to find had been strung across the room haphazardly, the tatami below obscured by all manner of cloth and masks and makeup and jewelry, not all of which she recognized, which meant Momiji had been more than a little indulgent in her scavenging. "I'm goin' to sleep, so I'd appreciate it if you could all keep your fucking mouths shut for once."

The threat earned her some grumbles and eye rolls, but Momiji shuffled her brother and the fox out to continue their digging, leaving Achara and Tekari behind to quietly sort through the mess. Kagura threw herself to the floor, pulling a discarded robe over her head while Urue found a comfortable spot in the rafters above her, ensuring that no one else would bother her.

It seemed she only needed to shut her eyes before she was thrust into a dream, one she couldn't quite grasp, but might have had before, the colors too vivid, voices too loud, moving too quickly; the beginnings of a storm, thunder rolling in as the sky went dark, shocked by lightning as she was pulled up and up into the maelstrom; she went happily, letting herself be lulled in the calm as she rushed through the clouds, raindrops and ice crystals dancing around her eyes, a rainbow of colors refracted despite the rolling darkness of the storm until she was flung above the clouds; too quick, her head spun, the images fragmented in a world of blinding light; towering crimson pillars thick as the oldest trees, the clouds below all purples and reds above the cyclone as she hung suspended surrounded by gleaming teeth in smiling mouths; someone was speaking, muffled as if underwater, she felt them pull at her, tugging, but when she turned her head it was dark; the storm gone but something rushing in the inky darkness, a stampede, shadows pulsing; two points of warm light gleaming from the smoke and what sounded like snarling…

By the time she opened her eyes again, she couldn't remember what that had been.

A solitary candle was the only thing that lit the room when she woke, Tekari working diligently by its light to mend one of the robes that had been rescued, the instruments huddled shivering by her side. Kagura turned over onto her shoulder to watch the girl work, shaking off sleep but not yet ready to leave her self made cocoon. Above her, Urue was the same, wrapped up in her own wings and swaying silently.

"Everyone went out a few hours ago," Tekari finally said and Kagura sighed for having been found out. "They left some snacks for you."

Probably Achara, Kagura thought as she pulled herself to sit up, rolling her shoulder to be sure that it had fully healed. There was only the residual ache, the reknit muscles bunched too tight and needing to stretch. But the girl was right, beside her there was a small tray with a bowl of rice and what she assumed was soup, a cup with tea that looked like it had long gone cold. At least it was something, would hold her over nicely until she found something a bit more filling. She left the tea but sipped the soup while she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, acclimating to the chill that set to her skin once she pulled herself out from under the covers.

The piles of rescued goods had grown, lazily discarded about the room and covered in dust, some damp, most likely from snow that had melted into the debris. She spotted several of her own kosode strung around and laying haphazardly on the floor, she only managed the energy to stand to poke through everything with her foot, taking stock of what had been found as she cradled the soup bowl in her palm.

"Are you feeling better?"

She gave the girl a gruff hum in response.

Shadows flickered around the room, the night long having set in. She supposed she could go join the others; thinking it over, though, she had little interest in being the center of attention so soon. She'd already made a spectacle of herself, and wasn't quite ready to face the pompous golden eyed stares she was sure to get if she stepped foot in the main hall.

Instead, she sipped her soup and nibbled at her rice as she picked through the piles of cloth, cataloguing as she went, organizing everything into smaller piles of what belonged to who. Tekari continued her work and Urue watched her silently as she preened her wings. Kagura didn't care much for what had been saved of hers, robes that she'd stolen or scavenged that had been altered by Tekari, jewelry that had been gifted by some patron or a lord or some other whatever-title she hadn't cared to remember. Things she could easily do without and would have pawned if given the chance anyway.

But the taller those seven little piles became, the more anxious she became, realizing what hadn't been found.

She pressed a hand between her breasts, feeling for the shard of glass that hung around her neck. A foolish thing to keep, but she didn't have the heart to discard it, and leaving it lost didn't sit quite right, a niggling discomfort between her shoulder blades.

Feeling a little unnerved and her chore done, she dropped onto her makeshift bed with a sigh. She fiddled with her sleeves until her eyes caught the shimmer of silver beneath the balled up robe she'd used for a blanket. The fan Sesshoumaru had―presumably―given her. He hadn't denied that he'd meant for her to get it, but there was still the question of whether he'd chosen it himself; a guard made of steel, the paper all swirling silver and gold… it seemed ostentatious enough for his taste, though she couldn't quite picture him picking through whatever they kept locked away in their vaults to choose something so on the nose.

"That's new," Urue whispered from above, "quite lovely."

Kagura nodded. "It was a gift."

The bat made a discontented sound, probably realizing the implication and Kagura couldn't help but chuckle as she unfolded the fan and closed it again several times for good measure before finally snapping it shut with a grumble and tucked herself into her robes.

For now she'd stay inside, wrapped up and warm, but she didn't look forward to the digging she'd have to do in the morning.

His mother tittered, his uncle laughed, Jaken grumbled, the kit stared, and for some asinine reason his cousins thought he cared at all for their commentary. He didn't need to justify himself to the, but his mother's niggling staring was getting more than irritating.

He'd gone after her because she'd torn down the barrier. He'd pulled her from the water because seeing her drown would be a waste. He'd taken her to the hot springs because he'd been irritated by her shivering and the blood. He'd given her new clothes because she'd be left with nothing but rags once she was done. He'd ordered Karei to bring her a fan because she'd needed one. And he'd asked about Naraku because all of those things together had left him reminiscing and wondering about the past, curiosity loosening his tongue.

In truth, her confession hadn't been all that illuminating. Naraku had always been known for his cruelty, the convoluted schemes he cooked up to prolong the suffering of his enemies. Still, the fact that he'd engineered such a punishment on his own creations irked Sesshoumaru more than he'd care to admit. He'd always assumed that her fear of Naraku had simply been his strength compared to hers, that if she faced him she would be struck down in a battle, not that she would never have the chance of one, that even the possibility of escape wasn't even an option.

And even the thought of it―maybe even worse than the memory of her body eaten away by poison―of her gasping and clutching at her chest as she had that night on the beach, without a wound to mend, nothing but the emptiness in her chest smothering her―because even in that field she'd been calm―was infuriating, blood-boiling―

And then she'd gone and disappeared for two nights.

He knew she was still in the castle, her scent still cloying in the air, her companions still attended the nightly feasts and performances, but Kagura herself had declined to make an appearance.

If he wanted, he could simply go find her. But then that would only raise more questions, would have her laughing at him for worrying over her―she'd been fine the morning they'd spoken, he saw no reason for her to seclude herself away, his mother and the others were more amused than insulted by the show she'd put on, and he thought he'd already made it clear that he wouldn't raise a hand to her again.

Irritated, and irritated about being irritated, he found himself faced with something peculiar.

He had to squint against the afternoon sun, the electric and nearly blinding blue sky far too violent for those who fared better in the dark. The icy wind bit at his cheeks and stung his nose when he inhaled, burning all the way down his throat and in his lungs. With all the others having retreated to their rooms for the day, the castle was quiet, muffled conversation lilted through the halls, but it was the harsh chirp of birdsong that piqued his interest, children's laughter, and the sound of stone scraping over stone.

The stewards had tidied the destruction as best they could, at least enough for the yard to be serviceable, but the damage had been significant, and there was still a sizable pile of stone and timbers left behind that wouldn't be removed until the spring melt. And at the top of that pile―

"What are you doing?"

Kagura's head snapped up from where she crouched over the ruins, cheeks and nose nearly as red as her eyes, ankle deep in the snow that had fallen the night before, and an incredulous look on her face.

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

He wanted to say making a fool of herself, but unsure of her exact intention, he decided against it.

Sesshoumaru turned to look over his shoulder, across the yard the kit and his companions were involved in some game with several of the younger pups, those who had no human form, though it didn't seem to make a difference as they played some hunting game and kicked loose packed snow at each other. None of them paid him any mind as he leapt off the second floor veranda to land at the foot of the debris. Kagura eyed him, but didn't move from her position, one hand braced against an icy rock.

"The stewards will see to the clean up and reconstruction," he said, making the only logical assumption. He had to squint to look up at her. She wore a different coat than the one he'd procured for her, but she looked better than she had the last they'd spoken; well-rested at least.

She laughed. "You've got a real high opinion of me if you think I'm out here cleanin' up the mess."

Emboldened by her mocking tone, he took one firm leap and landed beside her. She flinched and stood, raising a brow at him as she tossed away a piece of timber he hadn't noticed her holding. It fell to the bottom of the mountain of the wreckage with a loud clatter before it finally splintered against the gravel. He crossed his arms between his sleeves and returned her stare, a tact that was apparently too much, as she let out an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes.

"I'm looking for something," she said, ignoring him to crouch among the stones again, pressing her hand into a gap. His eye twitched. He watched the top of her head and suddenly there was a great hiss erupting from inside the heap of rubble, it only lasted a few seconds, and then Kagura stood, shaking her hand of bits of snow, her knuckles red from the chill.

"Willing to freeze again so soon?"

She glanced up at him from beneath her lashes and then made a gesture with her fan, telling him to step back. He did so, a little reluctantly, and she summoned a precise gust strong enough to knock the stones from the top of the pile, sending them tumbling off the side while the smaller ones went sailing clean over the wall and past the barrier into the forest.

"I'll be fine," she huffed, returning to her crouched position and repeating the same motions. "It ain't like I'm gonna' die from it."

No, she wouldn't. But the fact that she'd nearly come very close to it three nights ago should have given her some pause. Then again, she'd always been stubborn.

Kagura paid him little mind as she continued her search, her method more than a little unsophisticated, evidenced by the multiple smashed and splintered trees on the other side of the wall. She'd obviously been at it for some time, and obviously hadn't cared that her method had added more cracks in the wall, she'd already caused plenty damage, a little more hardly meant anything. At least she was keeping most of the debris on the outside.

It was a monotonous task, crouch, stand, clear the stones, repeat. He watched the repetitive motions with an impassive eye, stepping away every time it was needed until he found a safe space behind her; he had nothing pressing to attend to, nor anyone else that he particularly wanted to see. At least her quest was some degree of entertaining, her method was intriguing, as was the hope that sparked in her eyes everytime she held her breath and felt the air whispering through the cracks in the stones, only to be quickly replaced by mounting frustration that slowly intensified after each cycle, manifesting in more damage to the walls and trees beyond it. The children were still running circles around the yard, tossing snow and claws at each other as they laughed and yipped and paid little mind to Kagura's endeavor.

The sun was only a few fingers above the horizon when she suddenly jumped up, leaping to a spot only a step or two above him and shoving stones out of her way with renewed enthusiasm as she crouched amongst the debris.

"There!" she yipped, punching her hand clean through a splintered timber and snapping it in half, he smelled it before her knuckles came back bloody. His stomach lurched and he moved without thinking, meeting her as she whipped around and brandished her prize between them. She'd been too excited to temper her fist, her nerves numbed by the cold, and now she sported several shallow cuts along her knuckles, welling with blood, but he could see no splinters in the wound as he cradled her hand in his and brought it to his face, a good thing, because otherwise he'd have to―

Had her face been so red a moment ago?

She stared at him with wide eyes, her lips parted, she swallowed audibly and it dawned on him what exactly he was doing.

"You've a penchant for bleeding."

She nodded briskly and he loosened his hold, making the action as casual as he could. She slowly pulled her hand back with the thing still curled in her fist. He recognized it for what it was now, made of what looked to be pure gold with a dazzling blue silk tassel looped around her wrist.

"A fan...?"

She nodded, looking past his shoulder as she cradled her hand against her chest.

"...Quite the effort for a simple thing."

"It's, um…" She'd never been one for stumbling over her words, but she said the next part so quickly they all ran together. "It was a gift."

She held it to her breast almost tenderly, her gaze still flitting across anything but him. There was an odd look in her eye, he appraised the fan a a little more critically, the odd way the tarnished gold of the guard caught in the light, a pattern he didn't recognized etched into it, the ethereal glimmer of the silk in the icy sunlight, the way it seemed to glow in her hand. No ordinary paper and metal, and she held it fondly against her breast, so it wasn't too difficult to make the assumption:

"From your god."

Kagura blinked and quickly glanced up at him, her fist tightening. "...Something like that."

Ah. So that's how it was.

Sesshoumaru turned away from her and leapt from the pile of rubble, leaving her staring after him, dumbfounded.

"Y―yo!" she called as he went to walk away, and he heard the sound of pebbles shifting as she slid down to join him, falling into step with him though he didn't acknowledge it. "What was that face for?"

"You've found your trinket," he drawled, "then I'm to assume that you'll stop making more of a mess than you already have."

She snorted. "And here I thought I was helping, seein' as I did clear some of the mess… the piles smaller now, don't you think? I'm just wonderin' why you all of a sudden―"

Kagura lightly stepped in front of him, causing his step to falter, a momentary pause, a distraction that gave just enough of an opening―there was a shout, more of a scream, and―Something cold struck the side of his head.

Everything went deathly silent; the temperature plunged, and even the wind seemed to hold its breath. Kagura's eyes went impossibly wide, her mouth falling open as she eyed the side of his face in shock that must have been mirrored in his own expression. He wasn't injured, the blow had barely smarted, but the wet cold stung his skin as the clumps of snow slid down his neck and beneath the lapel of his kosode, a pinch of it getting stuck inside his ear and wetting his hair. Sesshoumaru turned from the waist, not daring to turn at the neck in case the movement disturbed the precarious bits of ice clinging to him.

He spotted Shippou first, front and center, wide eyed and his tail fluffed in terror, his companions mirroring his fear, the two pups they'd been playing with whined, tails tucked between their legs and shivering. A larger boy cowered behind the kit, and Sesshoumaru knew without question that he'd been the one to let the snowball loose, but he did have to concede an admiration for the boy's bravery, his arm shielding the culprit despite knowing the sound beating they would all receive.

Sesshoumaru took a step―

"Run!"

They scattered at the boy's scream, several slamming into each other with pained grunts in their haste to escape; the pups unsure what action to take, running in circles and eyeing him as if they should throw themselves to the ground, belly up in submission, before thinking better of it and bolting into the castle while their co conspirators scaled the walls and railings and disappeared into the shadows with puffs of smoke.

The wind whistled, and he had the urge to give chase, the energy curling in his tendons, readying to strike, and he would have if not for a strange sound. He turned, catching sight of Kagura shielding her mouth with her fan―the one he'd given her―her shoulders trembling and her eyes crinkled at the corners.

She was―laughing at him?!

His lip curled in a snarl. It had the opposite effect of what he'd intended.

A full blown laugh erupted from her lips, though she tried to hide it behind the fan, she clutched her stomach and he would swear that there were tears in her eyes.

"I fail to see what's so funny," he bit out, fangs clenched together tightly.

Kagura just shook her head, screwing her eyes shut as her laughter faded, leaving her trembling silently and trying to regain her composure behind her shield, but everytime she opened her eyes to look up at him the giggles returned, leaving her breathless and shaking. It didn't stop, the process repeating until her mirth began to warm the air and his anger dripped away, until he was only vaguely inconvenienced by the cold stinging his cheek and neck. It was only a little consoling that she had seemed to take his words from the other night seriously, though he almost wished she hadn't if only to make his fury feel justified.

Finally, she composed herself, having to bite her lips between her teeth to keep herself from breaking again as she stepped up to him, eyeing the side of his face, probably red from the cold.

"You―" she snorted, "you good?"

He wouldn't deign that with a response, choosing to glare at her instead, plotting the ways he'd skin the little bastards. Maybe once he caught the kit he'd make a hat out of―

"No one saw," she said, circling him, edging closer, just a hair's breadth outside of his arm's reach. He stilled. "If that's what you're worried about, those idiots were the only ones out here besides us."

That did little to assuage the grudge he was cultivating.

Kagura chuckled and took a step forward, eyeing him warily. Sesshoumaru stiffened, his current disposition unsure about someone being so close in his personal space but unwilling to accommodate the intrusion. Kagura didn't seem to mind, still eyeing the side of his head with her lip pulled between her teeth. She raised a brow, meeting his gaze for the briefest second before she came to some sort of decision.

He almost flinched when she reached up, her sleeve pulled over her fist, and dabbed at the wetness clinging to his skin, the chunks of ice that had stuck to his hair and clothes. He watched her, stunned, the pressure of her hand warm despite the layers that separated them, the cold leached away with every swipe. He was left standing there, frozen in shock as if he'd only just been struck, while she paid his questioning gaze hardly any mind, her gaze stuck on her task.

The back of her knuckles brushed across his ear lobe and he flinched, breaking the spell.

Kagura pulled her hand back and stepped away. She blinked up at him and looked like she might start to laugh again, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Well, at least you look fine, not like a child's snowball could injure you," she snickered, the smirk on her face growing into a self satisfied grin, "though I can't say the same about your attitude."

He sneered, an insult on the tip of his tongue, but before he'd even taken the breath to voice it he blinked, her smile giving him pause, the briefest second that caused her to laugh again, amused with herself over her little joke. She waved a hand at him.

"Oh, don't look so upset," she rolled her eyes and waved a hand at him as she turned away. "Come on, I don't plan on staying out here forever."

Sesshoumaru watched her back, the haughty quirk in her jaw as she walked, the assuredness of her steps despite the uneven ice and slush, heading towards the veranda. So confident, as she walked away though it hadn't been that long ago that she'd flinched away from him in fear. The difference was stark and left his mind wandering, but then she was walking up the steps, and stopped at the last to turn back to him, that self assured smile still plastered to her face.

"You gonna' stay out there and freeze or what?" she called back, mocking his earlier admonishment.

His feet moved before his mind, and by the time he'd realized what he was doing she'd already turned away again, continuing on her way up another flight of stairs and pausing at the top to check if he was following. He thought he heard her chuckle, the sound echoing down to him as he took each slow and steady step; the air warmed the higher he went, stinging the numb and frozen skin of his face. He crested the stairs and spotted her walking off down a branching hall, the low sun glowing orange, warm beyond the outer paper screens and casting long shadows against the opposite wall, Kagura's figure disappeared into shadow every time she passed behind a pillar, the subsequent return of light nearly blinding as it lit up the shimmering threads sewn into her coat. She finally slowed at a fork in the hall, and turned into an empty room that overlooked the valley.

Sesshoumaru stopped at the threshold, watching as she opened one of the doors to the outside, letting in an icy breeze. He wondered if that was a comfort, if she cared at all for the chill or if the sensation of the wind dancing across her skin was worth more than staying warm.

"So many rooms, and hardly any get used," she mumbled, turning away from the window to kneel down and fiddle with the hibachi in the center of the room. It would do little, with the door open, but he supposed its presence was more about the pretense than anything, even when she revealed a teapot that he hadn't noticed tucked behind the stove. It sloshed, heavy with water as she stoked the coals and set it on top to warm. Kagura looked up at him from beneath her lashes, eyes cut by the sun's rays, gleaming like the red hot coals she'd just stoked as she warmed her hands over the stove.

"I found this place yesterday, figured you'd want to warm up a little, considerin'..." She pulled her lips between her teeth, trying to contain another fit of laughter at his expense. He found he didn't mind it so much, now, but―

She tsked. "You ain't gotta' be so mad all the time, it was just an offer."

He snorted and rolled his eyes, and she looked like she might say something else, but the words drifted away, replaced by a small smile as he stepped inside and softly slid the door shut behind him.

What are they about to do? Talk shit, probably.

Anyway, hey all, my city is on lockdown because of the coronavirus (my country is not, because we're the worst! :))) anyway), despite that I have had very little motivation to get this chapter because of you know… all the dread. Hope you all are safe, washing your hands and social distancing!