Through the forest a figure trod. White furr pressed against his body, the heat welling up around him as he lept up onto a branch as a figure passed under him, just missing him.
"Please, can't we just stay in an Inn tonight, for once??" The girl whined to the boy who was her traveling companion... a monk.
He sighed and closed his eyes wearily. "Fine, fine." He said, drawing a purse from his robes and counting the money that lay within.
The boy's face seemed familiar to the figure in the tree. Where had he- oh! Yes... decades ago, he had battled with a bouzu with almost the exact features... only this boy had the sence to keep his hair. By the looks of the relationship between them, the white fur-clad person in question figured that this girl was the monk's aid in the heir to his mission... or at least of sorts.
Bah. He thought. We can't have that can we? After all the effort he had gone through to curse them to begin with- he might as well finnesh the job. Now wasn't the time, though. After the duo was far enough away, he lept down with great agility and started toward the same village Miroku and Reikin where heading, but through a more- direct- and speedier fashon.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Reikin sighed dreamily as she leaned back in the proper bath. It had been a long time since she had been in a civilised building for the night. She was going to milk it for all of it's worth. "Keep that fire hot! And if I catch you peaking..." She called outside of the small 'bath house' she was in.
Miroku sighed. His sleaves where tied back and he whiped the sweat from his brow as he began fanning the small fire that heated her bath-water. Why did he do this? Why? Oh yeah... He then remembered his ultimate goal. Besides, it was in his nature to be cordial. Damn ethics.
When Reikin had finneshed, Miroku went to the room where he sat, arms crossed while she got changed behind a screen. He watched her sillouette intently (what ealse could he do? He was a male, and it was in his nature to be "curious".) But found it a bit of a let down, though. From behind the screen, Reikin addressed Miroku, startling him, slightly, causing him to blush and turn away innocently.
"Hey- you know what?"
"... uh, no not as such-" he said, face still crimson.
"It's been exactly half a year since we've met." she said, softly.
Uh oh. Anniversaries. What did that mean? "... so?" He said, trying to sound uninterested but failing miserably.
"Well... I thought that maybe we could go out tonight." A pause followed, then she added, "I'll pay for once."
Miroku tilted his head. Since when had she had money? Had she just been freeloading off of him all this time? Teh, it didn't matter. "What ever you want." He said, chearfully. Hey, if she was in a good mood, it ment she wasn't complaining... and that made her much more attractive.
"Well- I had this money-" She said, as though answering Miroku's thoughts, "That I had borrowed from Chichue [[a respectible way of saying "Father"]] and was saving it for something special..."
Miroku could name a few things that followed 'special' dinners...
She stepped out from behind her shelter, exposing a beutiful silk kamono. It was long and golden-yellow with a pattern of black and green bamboo shoots twisting up from the bottom and on her sleaves. toward the middle the design changed to white, red and black herons flying magestically. The sash around the middle was a light blue and also the red from under the herons' throats tied tightly with a green cord. Her hair was up in a tight twist.
Miroku gaped.
She cleared her throat.
He closed his mouth. He opened it again, felt loss for words, and closed it again.
"...as I was saying, if we are going some place fancy--"
"H-hai?" Miroku couldn't pull his eyes away from the Hime. [[fyi, hai means "yes". I hope you all knew that, otherwise I laugh at you. Gomen, I'm mean today. =^-^=]]
"-- You're going to need something nicer to wear than that tattered robe! Sheesh! I wouldn't even want to be seen with servants wearing something so old! When was the last time you washed that thing?? I'll meet you outside and we'll go shopping." She put her nose up and strutted out the door.
Miroku watched her leave, then looked down at his robes. What was wronge with them? They where perfectly fine If you asked him. He grabbed his sleave and sniffed. "Oh."
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
He followed her to the main market street where she lead him into a shop, thrust some cloathing in his arms and shoved him behind a curtain. "And no complaints! If we're going out, you have to look half decent!"
He rolled his eyes and put them on. It was at this point that he made a mental note to die from his curse befor he got married. He put the new robes on.
"Come out! Show me!" She twittered.
"No." he said firmly.
"Pansy!" She giggled.
"Fine, I'm a pansy. I'm not comming out in this." The outfit she had picked was just so- so- so tasteless! He shook his head and put his black robes back on, not bothering with the kesa for now. "Listen. I'll pick the outfit- suprise you- and meet you where we'll eat."
After a complaint, she agreed, but he had to pay for what ever he picked out. Fine, he thought, at least I won't look like an idiot- red indeed.
* * * * * * * * * * *
About fifteen minutes passed and Reikin sat in the restaurant alone and annoyed. He was taking his time, wasn't he?
She then stood up and walked to the porch in the rear, briefly taking in the night breeze. She smiled. The wind- it made her think of- she cut off, shaking the thought from her head and turned back toward her table. She paused. Someone had seated themselves there without bothering to see if she was finneshed! The nerve!
She stomped up to him, only to realise that she recognised the earings that lined the newcommer's ears as he sipped a small dish of sake, and smiled at her without looking up. "Hou-houshi?" She said. It was now her turn to gape.
He straightened up. "Surprise." He was wearing a black silk kamono style shirt with a light ribbon-shaped design in white that decorated it in a tasteful fashon. On top of that he wore a plain navy-blue jacket that was also made from something that looked awfully expensive. His hair was down, brushed back in a dignified way that brushed just above his shoulders. His violet eyes flashed at her as he invited her to sit down. "Is this to your pleasing, my lady?" He said, sarcastically.
"........... sure.......... it's..........uh, nice." Her face went red and they sat in silence for a few minutes befor Miroku ordered their meal for them.
A hush fell over their table, and Reikin shifted uneasily on her mat. He gazed out the window, seemingly indifferent to their setting as he slowely drained the drink befor him. They both then reached for the sashimi at the same time, their chopsticks touching. Miroku turned and their eyes met for a moment.
Suddenly, they both started laughing. Miroku withdrew his hand and allowed her to retreave her food as he watched her, a smile on his lips.
"What's gotten into you?" she said, still chuckling a little.
He looked out the window again, shaking his head. "I don't know, what's gotten into you, sitting there, looking so damn beutiful?"
After a pause, it sunk in. "Was that... a compliment I just heard?"
"Maybe." Without moving his elbow, he set the drink down, the grin still planted firmly on his face. "Take it as you will."
Later that evening, they finnished up supper and made their way out into the moonlight filled street of the town. They chatted idly while walking, neither knowing just where, exactly, they where headed. The road turned from cobblestone to dirt and they soon came to a small bridge that passed over a stream. Miroku followed Reikin up, and leaned on the rail backward while she gaised down into the water.
"I- I've been thinking..." she bagan softly.
"Oh have you? That's new."
She glared and pouted. "Fine, if you don't want to hear-"
Miroku sighed and waved a hand at her, smiling. "Hey! I was just joking!"
A silence befell them once again, and the water slowely rushed below. It might have been the liquier, but suddenly Miroku began humming softly, leaning forward to watch the water from the other side of the bridge. A light evening wind whipped through, and Reikin shivered slightly, looking now up toward the treetops.
"You cold? We can always go b-"
"No... it's okay." She interupted. "I like it..."
"The wind?" He said, looking at her over his shoulder. His look softened.
"Mmm. What do you think of when you feel it? What goes through your mind?" She said, attempting to seem philosophical.
He watched her for a minute, then turned again, his gaize settling down onto his right fist which he leaned on the railing. "Need you ask?" His voice was dark and soft.
She looked down, slightly embarrased. "I- I'm not afraid of it. I mean..." She then tried to desperatly change the subject. "I- when I feal the wind..."
He turned around and cut her off, surprising her as his face became inches from hers. His eyes narrowed, showing pain, his eyebrows furrowed. His reached up to her hair as he leaned forward...
Abruptly, his head was turned sharply, a red mark on his cheak as the sound of the slap echoed through the empty country side. Reikin turned, head drooped. "Keep it. I want you to keep the pendant." She said softly, then brushed past him without looking up and headed back toward the inn.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Reikin entered, closing the door behind her and removing her shoes. The inn keeper ahead of her looked up. "Ah. And where is your gentleman friend?" He said, smiling and placing the rag he had been cleaning the counter with in front of him.
"..... I don't know." She answered politaly, then adding quietly, "and don't care..."
The man cocked his head. A fight? "Maybe you should go to bed... things will be better in the morning, I'm sure." His look assured her, and she smiled weakly back.
"Maybe."
He watched her go. It didn't matter when the Bouzu came back... his buisness would be done by then. The man smirked, shoving a shadowed shape under the front desk with his foot. "Ku ku ku ku ku"
* * * * * * * * * * *
Meanwhile, Miroku stood on the bridge, not daring to follow the girl. Had he crossed his boundries again? He shook his head. You never know with women. They where so confusing!
The breaze whipped by him. What had she said? What did it remind her of? She never had finnished her thought. Ah, well, it didn't really matter now. Suddenly, the wind's direction changed and Miroku looked up sharply. A deep forboding gripped his stomach and he turned. "Rei-" He took a few steps forward. "Something's wronge..." he whispered, then began running down the path toward the Inn. Something was seriously wronge.
