A/N: Sorry to make you wait so long for an update. I'll try to do better
with the next one.
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. I don't own the faeries either; they belong to their respective cultural traditions.
*~*~*
Brief Glossary:
Fae: can mean faeries themselves, but I use it to refer to faerie's energy.
*~*~*
Hunter's Moon
Chapter Two
Inuyasha regarded the girl before him impassively. She was perhaps fifteen or so, he guessed, but he had never been that good at judging the age of humans. Her black hair was slicked against her chilled, damp skin. Her eyes were wide with fear.
*At least she has some sense. . .* a familiar, bitter voice whispered in his heart, but he pushed it away.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded.
"I--There was--I was. . ." Her voice caught in her throat, and she drew a deep, shuddering breath. A tear slid down her already wet cheek.
Why the hell was she crying? The sound made him flatten his ears.
"Hey," Inuyasha barked at the girl. "The Ghost Lantern is gone. You shouldn't run from those, you know. They can't do anything to you if you don't acknowledge them, but if you run away, or chase them, or watch them too much, they get more powerful. It was really stupid to run from them. You're lucky I don't like their kind in my forest. . ." He let that thought trail off meaningfully.
"You saved me?" the girl asked, climbing slowly to her feet. She was a mess, with her clothing torn, her skin glistening dimly with rainwater, dirt and leaves clinging to her from her fall. The look she gave him was disbelieving.
"Did you think I was going to eat you?" he scoffed.
The girl's silence was answer enough.
"Keh, I don't eat humans," he said, turning away from her.
*Since when. . .* that little voice piped acerbically. *I seem to recall a time. . .* Inuyasha ignored it again. Listening only encouraged her.
"Wait!" the girl called out before he left, surprising him.
"What?"
"I'm lost," she told him, catching his arm in her hands. The dog looked down at that contact, and she pulled away as though burned, but the fear scent that had radiated from her was already fading. Inuyasha blinked, there was no way she could be that trusting. She could not possibly be asking him to lead her out of his forest.
The girl's gaze was tentative, yet hopeful. She really did want him to help her.
"Well," she said after a long moment's pause. "Are you going to show me the way or not?"
Inuyasha snorted, then sniffed the air. He could still smell the Ghost Lanterns, lingering at the edges of his territory, and other, fouler things that had been drawn by the girl's fear and her mad dash. His power would keep them at bay, but she would be helpless if he left her on her own. Her dark eyes were pleading, reminding him of other eyes, and a pang of guilt tightened in his throat.
"Fine," he said at last, shrugging off her hand and tearing away from her look. "Let's go."
"Thank you," she said fervently. "I don't know what I'd do without your help."
"Keh," the faerie dog muttered. "I just don't want you wandering around my forest. Who knows what trouble you'd invite?"
The girl's gaze dropped to the wet ground. Water dripped sadly from the tip of her nose. She was shivering. Her scent changed, no longer afraid, but rather an elusive, despairing thing. He did not like this smell. Nor did he like the way she shook.
Inuyasha sighed, recalling how frail human flesh was. He shrugged out of his cloak and dropped it around her. The girl lifted her face in surprise.
*You just can't help yourself, can you?* the little voice whispered, almost aloud.
"Are you coming?" he asked gruffly, fighting to ignore the presence growing over his shoulder. She could wait. He would deal with her after he'd got rid of this girl.
The girl nodded, still wide eyed as she looked down at his red cloak hanging too-long from her shoulders. Her fingers trailed over the fabric hesitantly, as though it were an animal that might bite her. Then she pulled it tight against the rain.
She followed him quietly for a time, scanning the woods around them warily. Inuyasha wondered briefly if she felt the spirits that hid just out of sight. Some humans were sensitive to such things, though they normally dismissed the feelings, not knowing what to make of them. She might be such a one. He dismissed the thought quickly, though. If she were able to feel the fae around her, then she would be more frightened of him.
The collar he wore pulsed with the deep, furious magic of the Hunter Lord.
Night grew thicker around them, the shadows between the trees growing heavier, until even Inuyasha's eyes could not pierce them entirely. Things huddled in the shadows, UnSeelie creatures mostly, some of them so delicate that any light at all would banish them. Inuyasha knew such creatures, and didn't fear them. For everything else that passed, he was one of the last White Dogs.
"Inuyasha," the girl said, her voice breaking into his thoughts. A frisson of recognition traveled the length of his spine when she said his name.
"What?"
"I'm Kagome."
Inuyasha snorted. "You shouldn't tell your name to things like me. It's dangerous."
"But I know yours," the girl explained. "It seems unfair not to tell you mine."
"Kagome," Inuyasha said, feeling out the girl's name. Naming was an important part of faerie magic. Inuyasha had no intention of using this human's name against her, but he felt uncomfortable knowing it. His will was not always his own. It proved that the girl trusted him far more than she ought to.
The girl smiled when he said her name. Her rich brown eyes lightened, as did her smell. "Good. Now we're introduced."
Soon they came to the brook that marked the edge of Inuyasha's forest. A bridge spanned the narrow waterway. On the other side, the lights of a village could be seen, puddles of brightness through the rain. His nose found smoke, iron and livestock; all the scents of humanity, lifting the small hairs on the back of his neck uncomfortably. He felt the presence of several tame dogs, pathetic creatures who had given up their nobility for easy meals and scratched ears.
The girl looked up when he stopped, looking up at the houses and barns in surprise. "How did we get here so quickly?"
"You think I don't know the fastest trails through my own forest?" Inuyasha asked her girl archly. "Go on, your home is there."
Kagome nodded, opening her mouth to speak, but before the words were out of her mouth, Inuyasha turned away from her, searching the trees behind them for the creature he felt lurking there. "Go," he told the girl harshly, and heard her footsteps cross the bridge.
"What do you want?" he shouted harshly at the shadows. Instead of leaving, it moved closer. The ephemeral form of a woman molded itself out of the darkness, her eyes heavy with sadness and betrayal. Stains covered the front of her clothing, trails of red leading to the perpetually bleeding wound on her neck.
*Would you send me away, Inuyasha?* the woman's sorrowful voice echoed in his thoughts. Her pale lips did not move as she spoke. The rain did not touch her, nor did the wind move her jet-black hair.
"I cannot, even if I would," Inuyasha said wearily. "Leave the girl alone though."
*Why? Are you afraid I'll warn her?*
"How many times must I apologize for want I did, Kikyo?" he asked the ghost, unable to stop the guilt that rose up at the sight of her still, pale face. "How much will it take for you to rest in peace?"
*You know the answer to that question, Inuyasha* the dead woman responded.
Inuyasha drooped under her unwavering stare. What she asked was impossible. He touched the collar around his throat, a habit acquired from years of wearing the blasted thing against his skin. His life was not his own to give.
"I'm sorry," he said to the darkness, offering another worthless repentance. Kikyo shook her head, fading away.
*That's not enough. . .* she said, and was gone.
*~*~*
A/N: Until next time, review.
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. I don't own the faeries either; they belong to their respective cultural traditions.
*~*~*
Brief Glossary:
Fae: can mean faeries themselves, but I use it to refer to faerie's energy.
*~*~*
Hunter's Moon
Chapter Two
Inuyasha regarded the girl before him impassively. She was perhaps fifteen or so, he guessed, but he had never been that good at judging the age of humans. Her black hair was slicked against her chilled, damp skin. Her eyes were wide with fear.
*At least she has some sense. . .* a familiar, bitter voice whispered in his heart, but he pushed it away.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded.
"I--There was--I was. . ." Her voice caught in her throat, and she drew a deep, shuddering breath. A tear slid down her already wet cheek.
Why the hell was she crying? The sound made him flatten his ears.
"Hey," Inuyasha barked at the girl. "The Ghost Lantern is gone. You shouldn't run from those, you know. They can't do anything to you if you don't acknowledge them, but if you run away, or chase them, or watch them too much, they get more powerful. It was really stupid to run from them. You're lucky I don't like their kind in my forest. . ." He let that thought trail off meaningfully.
"You saved me?" the girl asked, climbing slowly to her feet. She was a mess, with her clothing torn, her skin glistening dimly with rainwater, dirt and leaves clinging to her from her fall. The look she gave him was disbelieving.
"Did you think I was going to eat you?" he scoffed.
The girl's silence was answer enough.
"Keh, I don't eat humans," he said, turning away from her.
*Since when. . .* that little voice piped acerbically. *I seem to recall a time. . .* Inuyasha ignored it again. Listening only encouraged her.
"Wait!" the girl called out before he left, surprising him.
"What?"
"I'm lost," she told him, catching his arm in her hands. The dog looked down at that contact, and she pulled away as though burned, but the fear scent that had radiated from her was already fading. Inuyasha blinked, there was no way she could be that trusting. She could not possibly be asking him to lead her out of his forest.
The girl's gaze was tentative, yet hopeful. She really did want him to help her.
"Well," she said after a long moment's pause. "Are you going to show me the way or not?"
Inuyasha snorted, then sniffed the air. He could still smell the Ghost Lanterns, lingering at the edges of his territory, and other, fouler things that had been drawn by the girl's fear and her mad dash. His power would keep them at bay, but she would be helpless if he left her on her own. Her dark eyes were pleading, reminding him of other eyes, and a pang of guilt tightened in his throat.
"Fine," he said at last, shrugging off her hand and tearing away from her look. "Let's go."
"Thank you," she said fervently. "I don't know what I'd do without your help."
"Keh," the faerie dog muttered. "I just don't want you wandering around my forest. Who knows what trouble you'd invite?"
The girl's gaze dropped to the wet ground. Water dripped sadly from the tip of her nose. She was shivering. Her scent changed, no longer afraid, but rather an elusive, despairing thing. He did not like this smell. Nor did he like the way she shook.
Inuyasha sighed, recalling how frail human flesh was. He shrugged out of his cloak and dropped it around her. The girl lifted her face in surprise.
*You just can't help yourself, can you?* the little voice whispered, almost aloud.
"Are you coming?" he asked gruffly, fighting to ignore the presence growing over his shoulder. She could wait. He would deal with her after he'd got rid of this girl.
The girl nodded, still wide eyed as she looked down at his red cloak hanging too-long from her shoulders. Her fingers trailed over the fabric hesitantly, as though it were an animal that might bite her. Then she pulled it tight against the rain.
She followed him quietly for a time, scanning the woods around them warily. Inuyasha wondered briefly if she felt the spirits that hid just out of sight. Some humans were sensitive to such things, though they normally dismissed the feelings, not knowing what to make of them. She might be such a one. He dismissed the thought quickly, though. If she were able to feel the fae around her, then she would be more frightened of him.
The collar he wore pulsed with the deep, furious magic of the Hunter Lord.
Night grew thicker around them, the shadows between the trees growing heavier, until even Inuyasha's eyes could not pierce them entirely. Things huddled in the shadows, UnSeelie creatures mostly, some of them so delicate that any light at all would banish them. Inuyasha knew such creatures, and didn't fear them. For everything else that passed, he was one of the last White Dogs.
"Inuyasha," the girl said, her voice breaking into his thoughts. A frisson of recognition traveled the length of his spine when she said his name.
"What?"
"I'm Kagome."
Inuyasha snorted. "You shouldn't tell your name to things like me. It's dangerous."
"But I know yours," the girl explained. "It seems unfair not to tell you mine."
"Kagome," Inuyasha said, feeling out the girl's name. Naming was an important part of faerie magic. Inuyasha had no intention of using this human's name against her, but he felt uncomfortable knowing it. His will was not always his own. It proved that the girl trusted him far more than she ought to.
The girl smiled when he said her name. Her rich brown eyes lightened, as did her smell. "Good. Now we're introduced."
Soon they came to the brook that marked the edge of Inuyasha's forest. A bridge spanned the narrow waterway. On the other side, the lights of a village could be seen, puddles of brightness through the rain. His nose found smoke, iron and livestock; all the scents of humanity, lifting the small hairs on the back of his neck uncomfortably. He felt the presence of several tame dogs, pathetic creatures who had given up their nobility for easy meals and scratched ears.
The girl looked up when he stopped, looking up at the houses and barns in surprise. "How did we get here so quickly?"
"You think I don't know the fastest trails through my own forest?" Inuyasha asked her girl archly. "Go on, your home is there."
Kagome nodded, opening her mouth to speak, but before the words were out of her mouth, Inuyasha turned away from her, searching the trees behind them for the creature he felt lurking there. "Go," he told the girl harshly, and heard her footsteps cross the bridge.
"What do you want?" he shouted harshly at the shadows. Instead of leaving, it moved closer. The ephemeral form of a woman molded itself out of the darkness, her eyes heavy with sadness and betrayal. Stains covered the front of her clothing, trails of red leading to the perpetually bleeding wound on her neck.
*Would you send me away, Inuyasha?* the woman's sorrowful voice echoed in his thoughts. Her pale lips did not move as she spoke. The rain did not touch her, nor did the wind move her jet-black hair.
"I cannot, even if I would," Inuyasha said wearily. "Leave the girl alone though."
*Why? Are you afraid I'll warn her?*
"How many times must I apologize for want I did, Kikyo?" he asked the ghost, unable to stop the guilt that rose up at the sight of her still, pale face. "How much will it take for you to rest in peace?"
*You know the answer to that question, Inuyasha* the dead woman responded.
Inuyasha drooped under her unwavering stare. What she asked was impossible. He touched the collar around his throat, a habit acquired from years of wearing the blasted thing against his skin. His life was not his own to give.
"I'm sorry," he said to the darkness, offering another worthless repentance. Kikyo shook her head, fading away.
*That's not enough. . .* she said, and was gone.
*~*~*
A/N: Until next time, review.