Disclaimer: I own Aki. BWAHAHAHA! She'll never get away!
Authors note: Ok, first of all I'd like to apologise... (Ranidia, you are right... I am a evil. :) hehe, my sisters call me that all the time. Forgive me? ) threatening not to post any more for a few more reviews is cheap... even for me... *grins* truth is, I like writing this story too much.... anyways, enjoy this chapter, I had a hard time writing it, because it's more or less of a filler, coming up to the next chapter (which I wrote way before this one, so it'll be posted pretty quickly after this). :)
Chapter six
~~~~~~~~~~Back at the village the next morning ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aki stifled a yawn. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept so profoundly. It was still early, nevertheless, everyone would start coming out soon, to disturb the morning dew that lay sparkling on the grass below her perch. Aki grinned, and began to meticulously stretch her muscles with practiced grace, allowing the curve of her back to stretch itself against the base of the tree.
Stretching done, she went back to her slumped form, dangling a leg off the branch, allowing it to follow the gentle breeze around her, swinging it to and fro. It was a normal morning, the forest was alive with its usual inhabitants, bustling away, indicating that there was no trouble nearby. Silence normally meant danger, anywhere. Inuyasha had been sure to teach his daughter that as a pup.
Aki allowed her eyes to wander along the hillsides, and rooftops of the village, only stoping to inspect her newly acquired wardrobe. It was a little worn around the edges, and plain, but for the little patches here and there, but nevertheless, comfortable... and to Aki's relief, conservative. "Unlike..." she preferred not to dwell on that. But the embarrassment of the previous days events, still left a rosy blush to her face. But, even blushing could work to your advantage once and a while, for the it gave her an innocent appeal, and the villagers had been more kindly towards her.
"Satomi?"
Aki started to finger the sleeve, rubbing the material with the base of her fingers...
"Satomi? Are ye all right?"
Aki sat up in a flash, having heard her adopted name, failing to recognise it at first... Looking downward she spied Kaede, with her gentle, but firm, gaze up towards her. Aki flashed her a sheepish grin, one conveniently adopted from her uncle Shippo...
"I'm fine, thank you." Aki called back, pleased, that at least she didn't have to lie. "Funny... I guess there was some truth in that old saying that things look better in the mornings..." she thought.
As silence began to linger between them, Aki, grudgingly left her perch to leap down to Keade's side.
"Do ye always sleep in trees?" Kaede asked.
"No, just last night." Aki replied slyly, as he fixed the folds of her kimono, "So... I guess, you have work to do, I can help..." Aki, responded, suddenly feeling a little awkward. She couldn't just expect to stay without helping out a little.
"Aye..." Kaede answered, however, her attention seemed to have had wandered, "Satomi? Why are do ye have red toe nails?" She had never seen such a thing... Aki almost face faulted, as she looked down at her crimson toes. "Wow, I did a really bad job... they're all chipped..." she thought, as she inspected them a little. But what she said was... "Red? What are you talking about? There's nothing on them? Crazy humans..." she began to mutter, turning her back on Kaede before making a leap for the concealing foliage in her tree.
"Damn... I've got to get this off..." she whined under her breath to herself as she seated herself comfortably, before taking the dull task of scraping the nail polish off of her toes... "I hope Kaede's the only one who noticed... I don't know if I want to explain the wonders of nail polish..."
On the ground Kaede gazed upward in Satomi's direction, even though she couldn't actually see her. She couldn't even her the light scraping sounds coming from above. Shaking her head, she decided to leave her for now, but she couldn't stop the nagging feeling that she had seen something similar before...
"Ye are getting too old." she thought to herself as she made her way through the village to begin her daily tasks.
~~~~~~~~~~Somewhere else~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Inuyasha had herded his companions within hours of falling asleep. They got up groggily, but said nothing, it was hard to feel grateful for the little sleep the hanyou had allowed them.
Now, they were zooming in the general direction of Kaede's village. Miroku, slumped behind Sango and Shippo, on Kirara's back, was even too tired to grope Sango. Instead they held on wearily, hoping that there really was something there... or else they had no objections in having Kagome sit Inuyasha into a coma, to give them a chance to recover, before he drags them back on their quest.
Kagome, on the other hand, was held securely on Inuyasha's back. She couldn't even stay awake, it was all she could do to wake up, and hitch a ride, before promptly falling asleep against the hanyou. Inuyasha sighed, as Kagome's head lolled slightly before burying itself snugly into the base of his neck. He wouldn't mind, he liked watching Kagome sleep, however...
Inuyasha came to a jolting stop, making Kagome lurch forward, crushing her body hard against Inuyasha, waking her up with a start.
"What is it!?!" came her bewildered cry, suddenly ready for attack... for why else would he stop like that?
"Kagome." Inuyasha schooled his voice, "I don't care that you sleep... but..." he sighed before twisting his neck around to look at her properly, "could you keep from drooling on my neck?!?"
Kagome flushed. "I don't..." but she was never allowed to finish, as he gave her a blank stare... "Damn... she looks so... pathetic." he thought, as he studied her, from the groggy expression to dishevelled hair and puffy eyes.
Feeling a pang of guilt, he swung her around to stand in front of him before using his sleeve to wipe her chin. Ignoring Kagome's deep blush he mumbled, "Feh, just forget it." softly before swinging onto his back and promptly hoping into the air.
If the others had noticed the little discourse before them, they said nothing. Feeling far to drained to care. They just continued onward in silence.
As for Kagome, she was too tired herself to dwell on it. She fell asleep again, although this time she managed to refrain from drooling.
~~~~~~~~~~That afternoon at the village~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aki gave a slight squeal as she sunk into the cold water or the river. The chilly water made her skin pimple lightly all over, making her shudder a little. Nevertheless, it was welcome, she was a little sweaty, and dirty, having worked in the village all day... "When you offer help, they sure take you up to your word..." she thought. There had been a lot of work to do in the fields, weeding, planting, harvesting a little... she hadn't seen much of Kaede, she had been busy helping a woman deliver her baby, and that was just as well. Anything to keep her distracted... and forget about her little observation that morning.
Aki brought a foot out of the water, inspecting her paintless toes. It was really for the best. It wasn't a very good job. But Aki didn't bring her foot back down, looking onward to her toes, as if reminiscing about something... "I must have painted them when..." she shook her head harshly, sending her sodden hair flying around her head.
Whatever it was she didn't want to think about it...
Authors note: Meh... I must say... I did like writing the drooling bit. ;)
Authors note: Ok, first of all I'd like to apologise... (Ranidia, you are right... I am a evil. :) hehe, my sisters call me that all the time. Forgive me? ) threatening not to post any more for a few more reviews is cheap... even for me... *grins* truth is, I like writing this story too much.... anyways, enjoy this chapter, I had a hard time writing it, because it's more or less of a filler, coming up to the next chapter (which I wrote way before this one, so it'll be posted pretty quickly after this). :)
Chapter six
~~~~~~~~~~Back at the village the next morning ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aki stifled a yawn. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept so profoundly. It was still early, nevertheless, everyone would start coming out soon, to disturb the morning dew that lay sparkling on the grass below her perch. Aki grinned, and began to meticulously stretch her muscles with practiced grace, allowing the curve of her back to stretch itself against the base of the tree.
Stretching done, she went back to her slumped form, dangling a leg off the branch, allowing it to follow the gentle breeze around her, swinging it to and fro. It was a normal morning, the forest was alive with its usual inhabitants, bustling away, indicating that there was no trouble nearby. Silence normally meant danger, anywhere. Inuyasha had been sure to teach his daughter that as a pup.
Aki allowed her eyes to wander along the hillsides, and rooftops of the village, only stoping to inspect her newly acquired wardrobe. It was a little worn around the edges, and plain, but for the little patches here and there, but nevertheless, comfortable... and to Aki's relief, conservative. "Unlike..." she preferred not to dwell on that. But the embarrassment of the previous days events, still left a rosy blush to her face. But, even blushing could work to your advantage once and a while, for the it gave her an innocent appeal, and the villagers had been more kindly towards her.
"Satomi?"
Aki started to finger the sleeve, rubbing the material with the base of her fingers...
"Satomi? Are ye all right?"
Aki sat up in a flash, having heard her adopted name, failing to recognise it at first... Looking downward she spied Kaede, with her gentle, but firm, gaze up towards her. Aki flashed her a sheepish grin, one conveniently adopted from her uncle Shippo...
"I'm fine, thank you." Aki called back, pleased, that at least she didn't have to lie. "Funny... I guess there was some truth in that old saying that things look better in the mornings..." she thought.
As silence began to linger between them, Aki, grudgingly left her perch to leap down to Keade's side.
"Do ye always sleep in trees?" Kaede asked.
"No, just last night." Aki replied slyly, as he fixed the folds of her kimono, "So... I guess, you have work to do, I can help..." Aki, responded, suddenly feeling a little awkward. She couldn't just expect to stay without helping out a little.
"Aye..." Kaede answered, however, her attention seemed to have had wandered, "Satomi? Why are do ye have red toe nails?" She had never seen such a thing... Aki almost face faulted, as she looked down at her crimson toes. "Wow, I did a really bad job... they're all chipped..." she thought, as she inspected them a little. But what she said was... "Red? What are you talking about? There's nothing on them? Crazy humans..." she began to mutter, turning her back on Kaede before making a leap for the concealing foliage in her tree.
"Damn... I've got to get this off..." she whined under her breath to herself as she seated herself comfortably, before taking the dull task of scraping the nail polish off of her toes... "I hope Kaede's the only one who noticed... I don't know if I want to explain the wonders of nail polish..."
On the ground Kaede gazed upward in Satomi's direction, even though she couldn't actually see her. She couldn't even her the light scraping sounds coming from above. Shaking her head, she decided to leave her for now, but she couldn't stop the nagging feeling that she had seen something similar before...
"Ye are getting too old." she thought to herself as she made her way through the village to begin her daily tasks.
~~~~~~~~~~Somewhere else~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Inuyasha had herded his companions within hours of falling asleep. They got up groggily, but said nothing, it was hard to feel grateful for the little sleep the hanyou had allowed them.
Now, they were zooming in the general direction of Kaede's village. Miroku, slumped behind Sango and Shippo, on Kirara's back, was even too tired to grope Sango. Instead they held on wearily, hoping that there really was something there... or else they had no objections in having Kagome sit Inuyasha into a coma, to give them a chance to recover, before he drags them back on their quest.
Kagome, on the other hand, was held securely on Inuyasha's back. She couldn't even stay awake, it was all she could do to wake up, and hitch a ride, before promptly falling asleep against the hanyou. Inuyasha sighed, as Kagome's head lolled slightly before burying itself snugly into the base of his neck. He wouldn't mind, he liked watching Kagome sleep, however...
Inuyasha came to a jolting stop, making Kagome lurch forward, crushing her body hard against Inuyasha, waking her up with a start.
"What is it!?!" came her bewildered cry, suddenly ready for attack... for why else would he stop like that?
"Kagome." Inuyasha schooled his voice, "I don't care that you sleep... but..." he sighed before twisting his neck around to look at her properly, "could you keep from drooling on my neck?!?"
Kagome flushed. "I don't..." but she was never allowed to finish, as he gave her a blank stare... "Damn... she looks so... pathetic." he thought, as he studied her, from the groggy expression to dishevelled hair and puffy eyes.
Feeling a pang of guilt, he swung her around to stand in front of him before using his sleeve to wipe her chin. Ignoring Kagome's deep blush he mumbled, "Feh, just forget it." softly before swinging onto his back and promptly hoping into the air.
If the others had noticed the little discourse before them, they said nothing. Feeling far to drained to care. They just continued onward in silence.
As for Kagome, she was too tired herself to dwell on it. She fell asleep again, although this time she managed to refrain from drooling.
~~~~~~~~~~That afternoon at the village~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aki gave a slight squeal as she sunk into the cold water or the river. The chilly water made her skin pimple lightly all over, making her shudder a little. Nevertheless, it was welcome, she was a little sweaty, and dirty, having worked in the village all day... "When you offer help, they sure take you up to your word..." she thought. There had been a lot of work to do in the fields, weeding, planting, harvesting a little... she hadn't seen much of Kaede, she had been busy helping a woman deliver her baby, and that was just as well. Anything to keep her distracted... and forget about her little observation that morning.
Aki brought a foot out of the water, inspecting her paintless toes. It was really for the best. It wasn't a very good job. But Aki didn't bring her foot back down, looking onward to her toes, as if reminiscing about something... "I must have painted them when..." she shook her head harshly, sending her sodden hair flying around her head.
Whatever it was she didn't want to think about it...
Authors note: Meh... I must say... I did like writing the drooling bit. ;)