Tengu

A TGS-based story

by C.S. Hayden

Characters from the "Gargoyles" show are the property of Disney and Buena Vista Television. All other characters are from The Gargoyles Saga fanfiction series and the story "Yama's Path" by Kimberly Towle. Scene from "Much Ado About Nothing" by William Shakespeare.

Part IV:

"Hide me!" Ariana blurted out as she burst into the schoolroom. She had a split-second view of Kirin standing there, bared to the waist and wearing some kind of draped pants with a naked blade in his hands before she slid neatly under the cloth-covered table on the far side of the room.

The wooden floor thumped and creaked as Kirin slammed his foot down and continued his workout. Ariana could hear the controlled cadence of his breathing and the guttural exclamations as he finished each kata form. His sword hissed through the air like the swish of a fine silk dress.

"Kirin-san!" came a female voice. "Kirin-san, has Ariana come through here?"

"Not to my knowledge, Kiyo-san," he snorted, his feet continuing to beat out a pattern on the floorboards. "You would certainly know if she did – the troublesome thing leaves more chaos in her wake than a typhoon." He stopped moving. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, we were entertaining ourselves by making her up like a Tengu maiden." Kiyo giggled vapidly. "Bana finally found the varnish to set her hair but Ari-chan seems to have gotten lost on her way back from the outhouse."

"Hmmph." Kirin took a deep breath and slammed his two-toed feet down into another stance. "Well, I have been practicing for the past hour and I have not seen her pass by."

"You will tell her that we're looking for her?"

"Of course." He continued on with his exercises for several minutes while Ariana lay still beneath the table, straining her ears for any sign that she might be discovered. She watched as Kirin's toes approached. "She's gone," he reported. "Come out from under there."

"No," she said, puffing her lower lip out in a pout in spite of the fact that he couldn't see her.

"Why not?"

She whined petulantly. "I don't want anyone to see me like this."

"I've seen you covered in mud and worse," he pointed out reasonably. "How bad could it possibly be?" Before he finished speaking, Kirin had lifted up the edge of the table. His eyes widened for a moment. "Sweet Buddha, what did they do to you?"

Sulking unhappily, Ariana crawled out. "O-tama suggested spending some time with the other females might help cool things off," she explained. "How was I to know that they were going to tart me up like some kind of two-bit imitation geisha? I feel like I should be hanging around some street corner on the Ginza!"

She stood up so Kirin could get the full effect. The Tengu females had urged her to try on Miza's best kimono, an orange and green outfit that clashed horribly with her own red skin. They had spent the better part of an hour teasing, tugging, and twisting her waist length hair into an elaborate hairdo and then proceeded to jab her scalp countless times as they inserted gaudy hair ornaments to further decorate it. Ariana didn't want to think what her face looked like with all the rice powder and kohl they put on it.

Kirin's eyes began to water and his lip twisted but he somehow managed to keep from laughing. "Offhand," he ventured carefully, "I'd say that this look is not you."

"They were going to VARNISH my hair!" she wailed indignantly.

"So Kiyo said." Coming closer, Kirin plucked an antique hair pin festooned with a garish silk butterfly from her hair. "I can see Bana's hand in this," he commented as he began to methodically rid her of her ornaments. "She had quite a head of hair when she was younger. She used to deck herself out like a festival float."

"Well, I wish she'd left mine alone!" She sighed and tried to help him but Kirin batted her hands away.

"It's all right, Ari-chan," he said gently. "I'm no hairdresser but I can at least undo what was done to you. Come here and sit down." He kicked a cushion over with one foot and Ariana sank gratefully down on it. "I can't imagine what they were thinking."

"Me neither," Ariana groaned. "I was ugly enough to start with but this color is terrible on me and my scalp is pulled so tight that I can't even blink and I don't want to think what my face looks like with all this grease and powder on it."

Kirin said nothing but she could hear his low soft chuckle behind her.

"I suppose it is kind of funny," she admitted. "I mean, my mother and Angela used to do the same thing when I was younger." She smiled in spite of herself. "I had the prettiest robin's egg blue kimono with pink and white cherry blossoms up the sleeves and around the hem. Mother would let me wear a strand of pearls in my hair or perhaps some flowers. She said anything more was overdone and tawdry."

"Lady Sata was right," he commented. "A flower needs nothing more than the dewdrops on its petals to enhance its beauty."

"That's very Zen. Is it a quote?"

"No, merely an observation." Finished with the ornaments, Kirin began to take out the black lacquered combs that were keeping her hair in place. She sighed in relief as he gently uncoiled her locks and laid them over her shoulders. "That's better," he said, running his fingers through it to check for any last pins. "Your hair doesn't need any elaborate embellishments, Ari-chan. It has its own beauty."

"I don't suppose you have a comb?" she asked wistfully.

"I've never had a use for one," he said as he got up and went around the screen in the corner. "It's impossible to comb my hair with these horns in the way."

"I can tell – you have tangles that I want to take a machete to."

Kirin came back around with a basin of water and a clean cloth. "Do me a favor and wash your face. You look…" he wrinkled his nose in concentration as he searched for a word, "…unnatural."

She gave him a baleful glare. "That's very tactful of you, thanks."

"Yes, it was." Kirin stepped around the table and went back to his practice area. Discreetly, Ariana watched as he began to busy himself with cleaning his sword. She hadn't noticed before but he had a matched set of four – tachi, katana, wakizashi, and tanto – in a black lacquered rack. While he was occupied, she slipped around the corner and shed Miza's kimono. Since she hadn't wanted to be trapped in that outfit, she'd kept on her shorts underneath and had kept her shirt tucked in one of the pockets.

Not wanting to put her black shirt over the ghastly white powder on her face, Ariana crossed her wings modestly over her chest and went back out to wash. Kirin was still intent on his swords, or so she thought. In the middle of scrubbing her face with a bag of rice bran soap, she heard a faint strangled sound. She didn't dare open her eyes so she simply asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Are you insane?" Kirin hissed. "What if someone comes in? You're practically naked!"

"Hardly," Ariana retorted. "I only took off my shirt to put on Miza's kimono. If you weren't so busy having a fit, you'd see I've got a bra and shorts on. All the naughty bits are covered, you big prude." She rinsed her face with several handfuls of water and patted it dry with the cloth, only to open her eyes to find Kirin staring at her from across the room.

He huffed indignantly and looked away. "What kind of female wears red undergarments? It is no wonder that the Three were intrigued – it looked like you were wearing nothing underneath when you had on Mozu's tunic."

"I'm a red gargoyle, duh." Ariana rolled her eyes at him. "As for the guys, I'm not responsible for what THEY think, although…" She cocked her head pertly. "…it is interesting that you took a peek as well."

Kirin growled and curled his lip at her.

"So, did I get all of it?" she asked, lifting her chin and turning her head this way and that. "I don't have a mirror to check."

Glancing at her, he glowered and rose to his feet, padding across the room to plop down besides her. He scowled as he took the cloth from her and gently ran it around the curve of her jaw. "Why did you have your clothes on under the kimono? Isn't that uncomfortable?"

"Hey, the way they were talking, I didn't think I'd get them back." She smirked. "Apparently, Doryo finds my clothes too 'provocative' and they give the Three the wrong impression. Bana kept hinting that it would be more seemly if I dressed more like a Tengu maiden."

"Those shorts reveal an indecent amount of leg," Kirin snorted. "I can see her point."

"Fashion advice from a guy wearing M.C. Hammer pants?" she pointed out, gesturing at the baggy garment he had on. "I think not." Even though she was making a joke at his expense, Ariana couldn't help admiring the firm muscular tone of his upper body. His arms were knotted and sinewy from years of wielding the heavy tachi and practicing martial arts. She knew that he was at least a generation older or more but except for some faint scarring from sword fighting, there were few signs of aging.

Sitting back on his haunches, Kirin crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. "I do not know this 'Hammer' person but this is called a 'dhoti.' It's a type of wrapped loincloth that Indian sailors brought to Osaka and it is very popular with fishermen. I like the ease of movement." His fur-tipped tail twitched irritably.

"And on you, it looks cute," she purred, leaning forward in full flirt mode. She was gratified to see the inside of his ears turn a rosy pink color.

He huffed indignantly and tossed the towel on the table. "You're clean. Hurry and dress." Stalking behind the screen, he began to toss things around and mutter angrily to himself.

Ariana snickered as she pulled her shirt over her head and threaded her wings through the holes in the back. "Awwww," she teased, "I think you're embarrassed."

"Nonsense," Kirin said as he came back out, tucking his belt in around his usual grey tunic. He held out her palmtop. "You might as well put this in your pocket. It might be useful."

Ariana lifted a brow ridge at him as she took it. "Isn't this against the rules?"

"Since you seem to like getting in trouble, you might as well do it thoroughly." He crossed his arms and looked away as he said it, but he looked back as she began to giggle. "What?"

"Nothing," she answered with a wry grin, "but my brother's been saying that to me for as long as I can remember."

The chatter of excited voices interrupted them. Kirin pulled a sliding panel aside and ushered her outside. "I think the ladies have decided to backtrack on your trail," he commented. "Perhaps this would be a good time to check on Wariguri's warehouse office, neh?"

"Definitely!" Ariana bolted and headed for the bluffs. She paused at the edge, waiting for Kirin to catch up, and grabbed his hand as they both launched into the air.

"What's this?" Kirin asked, holding up their hands. "You're not blindfolded, you know."

"I know," she said with a carefree shrug, "but I got used to it."

"Ah." He huffed half-heartedly but he tightened his fingers gently. "It is just as well," he said finally to fill the awkward gap in the conversation. "It is usually foggy down in the warehouse district – their vicinity to the docks, no doubt."

Ariana bit back a knowing smirk. She had overheard enough the night before to know that Kirin was only making excuses. "Fog can be tricky to fly in," she commented. "Are you sure you know the way?"

"I often fly over the docks when I go up the coast to go fishing," Kirin answered back. "It's always useful to see what fish are running."

"Running?" Ariana asked, releasing his hand so she could swoop down below to look up at him with her best wide-eyed, empty-headed expression. "Shouldn't they be swimming instead?"

Looking down his ridged nose at her, Kirin stared at her for few seconds before slowly smiling. "Really, Ari-chan," he chided her gently; "I know you're smarter than that. Making those insipid anime eyes and playing the empty-headed ingénue does not impress me."

"Hey, it always works for Sailor Moon."

Kirin groaned. "That's one thing that I haven't missed living with the Tengu," he commented. "Almost all the young females that I was teaching at Ishimura were addicted to that wretched program." He raised his eyebrows at her amused expression. "Oh, no… not you too--?"

"Uh-huh." She grinned impishly. "I've been a card-carrying member of the Eternal Sailor Senshi Scouts since the nineties. I even have my own skimpy little Super Sailor fuku." Giggling, she looped over him. "Now there's an outfit would give Doryo fits!"

Huffing indignantly, Kirin gave her a long, speculative look but said nothing as they crested the mountains and began the long glide down to Kobe. By the way that he kept glancing at her and fighting the urge to smirk, she could tell he was trying to visualize her in that outfit. Finally, he blurted out, "You really have one of those idiotic sailor suits?"

"Yes," Ariana drawled out, "with a tiny blue skirt and a big red bow for my hair."  She watched his furry eyebrows go up and down and then added, "If you don't believe me, Graeme probably has pictures."

"Your brother," he asked incredulously, "has PICTURES?"

"Of course," she teased, "who do you think I got to dress up as Tuxedo Mask?"

Shaking his head, Kirin canted west-southwest instead of going into town and headed for the ocean. He had been right about the fog; it was so thick that only the tang of salt in the air told Ariana where they were going. They dropped beneath the cloud cover just over the piers. Huge cargo ships, tugboats, and fishing vessels jockeyed for position at the centuries old seaport. Passing a red Eiffel-esque tower that looked like it was spun out of sugar instead of steel, Kirin turned back inland, but only for a few blocks.

"Where are we going?" Ariana called as she followed him.

"I found the address for this yesterday," Kirin answered back. "Wariguri has a contract with a research and development lab out here. It turned up in some financial documents."

"Really? What made you want to check it out?"

"It was that motorcycle that you wrecked," he said, flashing a rare grin. "They had a pair of Kawasaki ninja bikes listed amongst their company vehicles when they submitted a chit to be reimbursed for fuel."

"Sometimes it's all in the details." Ariana grinned back. "Good catch!"

"Here," Kirin said pulling up short between two buildings, "they've rented the northwest corner of this warehouse across the street." They soared up to the rooftops and found a good spying post in a thicket of antennas and air vents.

"Yeah, I see the bike that was chasing me from here."  Ariana said, pointing at the sleek motorcycle parked in the open double-wide doorway. "They look busy – what are they loading in the back of that SUV?"

"Some metal cases," Kirin observed, "camping equipment, and supplies." He narrowed his eyes. "Should we try to get closer, do you think?"

"I don't know," she answered back. "Big guys like you aren't known for being sneaky."

"True, but I haven't lived among the Tengu for twenty years without learning a few of their tricks." He stood up, lightly resting his fingertips on her shoulders. "There's a light on in one of the upper floors. It could be an office."

"Let's do a fly-by and check it out."

Putting action to words, Ariana slipped neatly over the side and drifted across the street like a ghost. The people loading the vehicle below never looked up but she got a good look at them. There were four of them, three Japanese men and one Caucasian who seemed comfortable with his associates, speaking Japanese with only a slight accent. She recognized one of the men as the one whose motorcycle she had stolen; he was wearing the red jacket that had been draped over the bike. Circling the building, she took a good look at the lit window that Kirin had spotted. The light was coming from a high density computer monitor that tinted everything in the room a bright teal.

"That's interesting," Ariana commented and looped around for a second look to check for security systems. There didn't appear to be any obvious monitoring devices so she hovered in close and latched on to the brickwork with her talons.

Kirin landed on the roof just above her and watched as she slipped the window locks. "Be careful," he hissed. "That's too small for me to get through!"

"Keep an eye on those guys," Ariana whispered back. "I'm just going to check things out."

Slipping into the room, Ariana froze at the sound of voices below. They didn't seem to be coming upstairs so she focused her attention on the computer. "Finally," she breathed triumphantly, "a browser with an English language function!" She leaned and squinted at the screen. There was some kind of geophysical map up with an overlay of multi-colored squiggly lines. In the corner of the map, there was an icon that looked like a block of granite with a crack in it. A hammer and chisel were crossed over it and two words were printed beneath it in tiny letters.

"Ishikiri Geotech," Ariana read slowly. She chewed her lip for a moment and then took out her computer. "Lessee," she wondered out loud, "I've seen Graeme do this before – ah, here!" One of the panels on the back of the palmtop opened and a digital uplink cable was inside. She found the appropriate port on the office computer and hooked her palmtop up to it.

Chewing her lip, Ariana went through the menu to find one of Graeme's personal programs. "Ah, there you are! L&P -- loot and pillage." She couldn't help smirking – this particular program of her brother's caused Thailog no end of trouble over the past three years when the cloned gargoyle had been trying to take over Xanatos' business empire through the New York criminal underground. All it took was inputting a few specific keywords and the modified search protocols would scour the hard drive for all pertinent files.

"Okay… Wariguri, Rokko mountains, silver, mining, probes, testing, and…" She paused and pursed her lips thoughtfully. "What the heck, gargoyles and tengu. Search parameters entered and –" she clicked the enter button, "—working."

While the download was going on, Ariana crept to the door and cracked it open. There wasn't a lot to see – a long narrow workshop area below with a long line of glass-enclosed offices above. There was more here than just the workstation that she was raiding. Rows of computer towers were visible through the windows along the upper floor. The bottom of the warehouse appeared to be taken up with manufacturing. There were some office cubes  with computers but mostly it was work stations with various machines. She could see a table with some of the probes that they'd found near Tengu Rock. There was a plastic crate on the floor next to them – they appeared to be packing them up for some reason.

A harsh metallic creak warned her of someone coming up the stairs. Quickly, Ariana closed the door and went to retrieve her palmtop. The download wasn't complete but she didn't dare risk discovery. She chose another of Graeme's special programs and activated it. The approaching footsteps changed to a rough scuffing on the cheap linoleum.

"C'mon, c'mon!" she chanted between clenched teeth. The second that the tiny program window flashed 'Done,' Ariana jerked the uplink cable from the hard drive and shot out of the office window, pausing just long enough to shut it behind her.

"Are you all right?" Kirin hissed. "I saw them all head inside!"

"Yeah, but let's go find someplace with some light, okay?" Ariana skimmed over a couple of rooftops before she found a spot she liked and that still had a view of the warehouse. "I hacked into their hard drive. Let's see what I got."

"You did what?" Kirin gaped at her, his barbels swinging wildly. "But how? You weren't in there that long!"

Ariana grinned and held up the palmtop. "Hey, this is one of Graeme's computers. He always puts a few of his special tools on the menu." She pointed to the email program that showed that it was transmitting. "His loot-and-pillage program is a highly evasive search engine that collects and transfers files. We use it a lot in Manhattan when we're fighting crime."

"Won't they know that you've been in their computer?"

"That's why I downloaded 'scuttle' into their system. It follows the L&S program and tidies up after it." She smirked. "It's a helpful little worm virus."

"Your brother has too much time on his hands," Kirin commented dryly. "He needs a female."

"His girlfriend's in London actually," Ariana commented absently as she scanned the listings on the L&S retrieval log. "Once Lucy gets here, I don't expect to see her or Graeme for the rest of the visit."

"Ah." He settled in next to her. "No doubt you will be too busy to miss him, Ari-chan. Your absence has surely driven the young males in Ishimura mad by now."

"I doubt any of them know that I'm gone," she said with a shrug. "Guys aren't interested in me, never have been."

"Why not?"

"Dude, I have a face like a boot," she answered sarcastically. "What guy would want me?"

"Ari-chan," he said lightly, "I have the ears of a cow, the horns of a deer, the mane of a lion, the feet of a goat and the lips of a fish. If anything, I am an expert on being unattractive." He deftly turned her face to look him in the eyes. "Compared to me, you are beauty beyond compare."

"Flatterer." Ariana ducked her head away but she couldn't help smiling. "About half of these entries are in Japanese -- do you want to look them over?" she asked as she handed over the palmtop. "The files should be already copied to Graeme's server so he'll be able to look over them for the technical stuff."

"Hmm," he said as he chewed thoughtfully on one of his barbels, "this is an interesting mix of stuff. There are some tech reports, inventory, even some emails in here. How does this retrieval program work?"

"You just type in whatever keywords you want and it culls out those items from the hard drive." Ariana shrugged. "Don't ask me how it works – Graeme came up with it."

"It's in an itemized list," Kirin mused as he scrolled down. "You asked about gargoyles and tengu?"

"Call it a whim." She leaned against his arm. "Something didn't come up, did it?"

"Surprisingly enough, yes." He tapped a line and a separate window popped up. "There's some talk of a place called Gargoyle World." Squinting at the tiny lines of type, he growled. "This is near Ishimura?"

"Yeah, but Goliath and Elisa helped Kai and the rest of the Ishimurans escape from there. The guy that built it, I forget his name, went bankrupt and left the country. We had some dealings with him in Manhattan."

"This email is signed 'Taro.' We taught bushido to a Taro family for generations."

Ariana snapped her fingers. "Yeah, that's the one. He got involved with the American branch of the Yakuza." She held up her right hand and wiggled it. "He must have messed up somehow because the last time I saw him, he was missing a finger."

"The Yakuza are most unforgiving," Kirin commented.

"Hopefully, he learned from it," she answered back. "What's his email about?"

"Apparently, he's one of the principal stockholders at Wariguri. Someone questioned his business sense after the debacle of Gargoyle World and he responds that it gave him certain insight into dealing with us." He frowned and unconsciously, Ariana frowned with him. "Does that mean that the Tengu have been discovered, do you think?"

"Copy that and email that directly to Graeme," she suggested. "His addy is greenbeak@xanatech.com. He'll want to bring that to Owen's attention."

"Owen?"

"He works for Xanatos – his right hand man, you might say. If Wariguri is using Xanatech technology and Taro is involved in Wariguri, that means there's something else going on. Owen's going to want to know about anything that might implicate Xanatos in something shady." She smirked. "Nobody crosses Xanatos while Owen's around."

"Ah." Kirin moved the stylus over the screen and completed the task quickly.

Amused at how fast the Ishimuran teacher had picked up on using the computer, Ariana watched as he began to scan through the files. His eyes were lit with an avid enthusiasm that she'd often seen in Graeme when he would return from his university classes, excited about some new thing or another. She tried to follow along but the most of the files that Kirin was examining were written in Japanese and all that did was make her head swim.

Yawning, Ariana closed her eyes for a moment. She'd been on her share of stakeouts with Elisa and other members of her clan but at least in Manhattan, there was an underlying current of danger involved. She gave a little sigh and found something comfortable to lean against.

* * * * *

"Ariana," Kirin said in a quiet yet urgent voice, "Ari-chan, we need to go. Our quarry is moving."

"Hmmph?" She blinked groggily and rubbed the side of her face where it had gotten all sweaty. "What happened?"

Kirin shrugged. "I watched. You slept." He slowly stood, his eyes focused on the street below. "They're getting in the truck. I think they may be headed back up into the mountains." He spread his wings and water dripped off their leathery surface.

"You're all wet," Ariana observed, making a face.

"It rained." He paced along the edge of the building. "They're on the move – come!"

Flipping her wings out, Ariana prepared to follow but then she noticed an odd thing – she was dry. She ran a hand over her hair and down her clothing. While Kirin was thoroughly soaked on wings and back, she hadn't been rained on at all. She looked back at the rooftop where they'd been sitting and began to smile. There was a dry spot roughly the same size as Kirin's outspread wings.

"Wow," she said softly to herself. It was such a sweet and unexpected gesture that she felt an irrational urge to cry.

Kirin swooped up the side of the building and hovered overhead. "Are you going to daydream all night?" he demanded harshly. He glanced briefly at the pavement, then at her and scowled. "They're nearly to the end of the street!"

"All right, all right!" she answered back, not buying his tough guy act for a minute. "Don't get your fundoshi in a bunch!"

* * * * *

They caught up to the SUV easily and soared up to an easy surveillance altitude over the city. Ariana couldn't help glancing at Kirin anxiously. He was acting grumpy and aloof again, carefully keeping his distance. It was almost as if he was a little afraid of her, and Ariana had to admit that she was feeling a little unsure about him as well. He was probably only being protective, she told herself reasonably; Takamatsu himself said Kirin was her chaperone. Japanese gargoyles were all about duty and coming from Ishimura, Kirin had been drilled in bushido since he'd been hatched. It was foolish to think that he had any kind of romantic feelings for her, not with his age and her face. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts of any more girlish fantasies, and focused on the matter at hand.

"So, did you find out anything else in the files?" she called out as they ducked some power lines.

"Taro's name came up in a few more documents," Kirin replied. "He seems to have done well in America because he's made investments in a number of Japanese technology-based companies."

"Really?" Ariana clicked her tongue against the arched roof of her beak. "Legitimate businesses?"

"They seem to be but I have been out of touch for a long time," Kirin admitted. "I went ahead and sent them ahead to your brother."

"What about these guys we're following?"

"I found a memo to Wariguri," Kirin said slowly. "They have to move up their schedule due to some conflict with the local conservation group. I believe these people are going to do something with those probes we found near the temple." He frowned. "Even though this 'ground-piercing radar' is alleged to be noninvasive, I find their choice of test site and its closeness to our territory unsettling. Even their business name makes me nervous."

"Ishikiri Geotech?"

"The word ishikiri means stone-cutter, Ari-chan," he answered solemnly. "It's a most inhospitable word when one is a gargoyle."

"No kidding," she agreed. "Remind me to tell you about all the trouble we had with the Quarrymen back in New York." She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, there was a hammer on the Ishikiri logo. That was part of the Quarrymen logo."

"It is a common tool – perhaps it is merely a coincidence."

"There was a Caucasian down there at the warehouse. Did he get in the SUV with the others?"

Kirin glanced down at the vehicle below them.  "Yes, I believe so."

Instinctively, Ariana reached over and tapped the time tracker strapped on her left arm, activating the communicator function. "C'mon, Graeme," she grumbled as she enter the response sequence.

"What's wrong?" Kirin asked curiously.

"Something is making the hair on the back of my neck stand up," she replied absently. "That's always a bad sign."

"Ah." He chuckled. "I was unaware that there was such a thing as intuitive hair."

"Wiseass."

Graeme's voice crackled to life. "Ari, what did you send me?" he demanded over her comlink. "The LGX-1000 was not designed to transfer such huge files. It's still downloading over here!"

"Kirin and I raided the offices of a place called Ishikiri Geotech. That means 'stone-cutter' in Japanese."

"Like in—?"

"Quarrymen, yeah."

"Damn, I thought we were clear of those guys."

"Seems not," Ariana said, shifting her wings to stay on course. "Remember that guy Taro? He took over the crime syndicate in Little Tokyo and teamed up with Thailog for a while."

"The guy that Yama went after?"

"Yeah, well, he turned up here. He's gone corporate."

"Reeeeeeeeeally?" Graeme drawled out. "Hmm."

"What are the odds of the Quarrymen starting back up again?"

"I do not understand," Kirin spoke up, since he had been following their conversation. "Why are these 'Quarrymen' of such concern?"

"When we first came to New York," Graeme began, "it was right after the Manhattan clan was forced to go public. Gargoyle hysteria was all over the media."

Ariana nodded. "Most people shrugged it off but this extremist group, the Quarrymen, started up. They had financial backing and their leader, Jon Canmore, came from a long line of gargoyle hunters. Their weapon of choice was an electrified hammer."

"Stung like bloody hell," Graeme chimed in.

"During the daytime, they'd go around smashing statues, anything frozen in stone that might be one of us. At night, they'd hunt us with high-tech weapons, laser-sighted rocket launchers, the works."

Kirin reached up and began to slowly rub the back of his neck. "Your intuitive hair is catching," he commented. "I begin to see your point."

Smiling back at him, Ariana continued, "Anyway, we helped Aunt Elisa and the NYPD bring them down but ex-Quarrymen have a bad habit of popping back up."

"Yeah, Lucy's clan had a few run-ins with them in England," Graeme said seriously. "Look, I'll do some checking around on this Taro guy. There was some bad blood between him and Yama years ago – Kai might know something. Owen's been in contact and he's got his troubleshooter from Xanatech Japan already checking into Wariguri. You'll remember him – Sohma Ichiro, tall thin guy with hair always in his eyes?"

"Oh, yeah." Ariana laughed. "Very bishie."

Kirin raised his furry eyebrows expressively but said nothing.

"You watch your back, Ari," Graeme said, his voice fading as they moved into the mountains.  "I'll message you later."

"All right." She reset her time tracker and concentrated on tracking the SUV as it disappeared into tree-covered stretch of highway.

"'Bishie?'"  Kirin asked wryly. "What is that?"

"It's just a figure of speech – it's the way the Ishimura girls rate guys." Ariana caught the curious look he was giving her. "Tak is majorly bishie, not that I'd ever want him to know. His head's swelled enough as it is."

"Ah." He frowned slightly.

"You, on the other hand, are buff." Ariana bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at the self-conscious little smile on Kirin's face. "I like you that way."

"Really?" His voice was hesitant.

"Oh, yeah… a tall, thin, androgynous version of you?" Ariana chuckled. "That would scare the crap out of me."

Kirin began to laugh and her joke broke the tension between them. They were able to get back to the business of tailing the survey crew again. The white SUV followed the winding asphalt road that skirted the foothills and was clearly headed for the campgrounds below Dairyuji Temple. As they hovered above the treetops, they watched as the four men drove up to an RV already there and go inside. Ariana frowned as she noted the cluster of antennas and the small satellite dish on the roof of the recreational vehicle.

"We have company," Kirin announced, pointing to the east.

Tic, Tak and Toe flew in low, skirting the edge of the forest. The tallest young male waved and called out, "We've been wondering where you two got off to!"

"Shhh!" Ariana said, putting her finger to her lips. "They'll hear you!"

"Come, all of you," Kirin said decisively and led them up to a rocky outcropping halfway up the mountain from the campground. They could still see the RV but far enough away so they could talk normally. "Ariana and I have tracked some people from Kobe to here. We think they may be planning to do something with those probes we found the other night."

Tic nodded. "Goro and I spotted a couple of men prowling around below Tengu Rock when we went out to collect clay earlier. The elders have called a meeting so we decided to come back for a look."

"Talk, talk, talk," Tak snorted derisively. "That's all they ever do." He cast a resentful look at Ariana and looked away, folding his arms over his chest. He had apologized to her for his behavior the night before but with a poor grace. It was clear to Ariana that Takakura was used to getting his own way.

"How's the eye?" Ariana asked, cocking a brow ridge at Tak.

He ran a hand through his dark hair and shrugged. "It's fine. I suppose I should be thankful you didn't break my nose."

Tic laughed. "Kami knows it's a much bigger target!" Toe snickered.

"Ha, ha," Tak shot back at his rookery brothers. "Sensei was right about you, Ari-chan. You do hit hard for a girl."

"I hit hard for anybody," she corrected him. "So, no hard feelings?"

"I'll get over it," Tak replied. "If anything, it was worth it if just to hear Bana giving Doryo and the other elders a piece of her mind."

"Oh?" She winced. "I kind of ditched her and the other females earlier. Are they very mad?"

"Miza was more worried about her good kimono," Toe spoke up unexpectedly, "but she found it on sensei's garment stand. O-tama calmed the others down. They really wanted to show off their handiwork."

"I'm sure they meant well," Ariana said with wryly, "but I'm just not comfortable being someone else's dress-up doll."

"Bana was certainly disappointed," Tic commented with a chuckle, "and when Bana's unhappy, she lets everyone know it. She was telling the elders that there HAS to be a better selection of girls in Ishimura."

"'Ari-chan is a lovely girl,'" Toe said, mimicking Bana's unctuous tones uncannily, "but she is too headstrong! An Ishimuran girl would be more cooperative!'" The bridge of his nose turned bright pink and he ducked his head shyly.

"Oh, shards!" Ariana moaned and hung her head, resting it on her folded arms which were on top of her knees as she sat next to Kirin. "I'm just screwing up right and left tonight."

Kirin patted her shoulder. "Do not worry," he said gently. "The elders have been complacent far too long. Takamatsu and O-tama will use your disruptive presence to their advantage."

She glared at him. "There you go again – complementing and insulting me at the same time."

He bowed slightly. "It's a talent."

"Wiseass." She attempted to glare back at Kirin but she couldn't help smiling and neither could he.

Clearing his throat, Tak asked, "So why'd you two go off alone this evening?" He gave them a sly smile. "The females were speculating about why there were clothes all over the schoolroom."

Kirin growled at his insinuation but Ariana merely rolled her eyes. "When we didn't find anything at the head offices, Kirin discovered that Wariguri contracted some other guys to do their dirty work. That motorcycle that chased me the other night was at their warehouse near the Kobe docks."

"So these are the guys that did that?" Tic whistled. "What do you suppose they're planning to do tonight?"

"At some point, they're going to do some testing," Kirin said thoughtfully. "Mozu, go down there and have a listen, will you?" The bird-headed Tengu nodded and glided off.

"Will he be all right?" Ariana asked anxiously.

"Don't worry about Mozu," Tic assured her. "He's quiet like O-tama. She can sneak up on a mouse."

"At least Featherhead doesn't trip up over his own feet like you do," Tak commented. "When are you going to grow into those paddles?"

"When are you going to grow a brain?"

While the two Tengu boys squabbled, Ariana focused her attention on the brown speck that was spiraling down to the campground. Toe seemed to know what he was doing; if she hadn't kept her eyes on him, she wouldn't have been able to spot him at all. His dark brown coloring melted into the shadows around the RV. She squinted to keep track of him but it only made her vision blur more. Rubbing the bridge of her nose, she closed her eyes for a moment.

* * * * *

"Ari-chan?" A gentle shake roused her and Ariana opened her eyes to find herself leaning against Kirin's chest. He and the Three were all looking at her curiously. Toe had returned and was standing just beyond Tak.

"Oh, damn… I did it again," she muttered. Their faces blurred for a moment and she closed her eyes.

"Yes," Kirin said anxiously, "you fell asleep again. Is this normal, Ari-chan?"

There was a brief scraping of talons on stone and then the touch of cool fingers on her face. "Her pulse is erratic and her skin is very clammy," Toe murmured, "This is not good." His shyness disappeared as his healer training took over. "She was unconscious before?"

"We were watching them load the car at the warehouse. Very boring, I nearly nodded off myself."

"Sleeping together all ready, sensei? Oooooo…"

"Shut up, Tak," both Tic and Toe snapped.

Forcing her eyes open, Ariana reached over and checked her armband. She switched on its medical function and winced as it took a blood sample. "Somebody look at the display for me," she murmured, almost too tired to speak. "If there's something wrong with me, it'll come up in bright yellow."

Kirin shifted her around in his arms. It was then that she realized that she'd somehow wound up in his lap. If she wasn't so tired, she'd be embarrassed. "There's a number in yellow," he reported anxiously. "72 mg/dL – what does it mean?"

"My blood sugar's low, that's all. I haven't had anything to eat tonight," she answered, looking up at him. The worried expression on his face was almost adorable. "Well, you try being cinched up with a tight obi and see if you feel like eating! That reading's fine for humans but gargoyles have higher levels of blood glucose." She smirked but only the corner of her mouth turned up. "That's why I carry junk food around with me. Graeme and I both have always had a problem with it."

Tic dug around in his belt pouch. "Here," he said handing Toe a paper-wrapped bundle. "I brought some rice balls with me. Miza had some umeboshi and rice leftover from dinner so I made some for a snack."

"Eat this, Ari-chan," Toe said gently, wrapping the triangular shaped treat from the paper. "The pickled plum in it will restore your energy." Her hand shook so he held it for her as she took the first bites.

"Will she be all right?" Kirin asked over her head.

"Yes," Toe answered, "but she should really have some protein. The rice ball won't last her very long."

"All right." Kirin turned his head, looking out towards the campground. "You said that they're settling in for the night?"

"Yes," Toe replied. "Two of them said something about taking a nap before the test, whatever that is, and the others were fooling with some equipment."

"When did this happen?" Ariana asked as she slid out of Kirin's lap and sat up. The carbohydrates and sugar from the rice ball had taken effect quickly to make her feel much more awake.

"Mozu came back and told us," Tak commented wryly, "but that's when you swayed a bit and then toppled over into Kirin-san's lap like a falling tree." He gestured with his hands. "ssssshhaa-BOOM!"

Ariana winced at Kirin. "Sorry."

"Don't make a habit of it," he told her sternly. Glancing back at the campground, he seemed to come to a decision. "You three stay here and keep an eye on things. Ariana and I will be back shortly." He stood and helped her to her feet.

"Where are you two going?" Tak asked.

"To the river," Kirin replied, "to catch a fish." He glared at her. "What a bothersome wench you are, Ari-chan."

Tic snorted. "Don't let him fool you," he called as they turned to leave. "Sensei loves an excuse to fish."

* * * * *

Truer words were never spoken. Within minutes of landing at the river, Kirin had deftly scooped out four glistening brown trout by the age-old method of reaching under the water and tickling them into his grip. Ariana had watched Brianna, Griff's mate, use a similar technique when they had been visiting the London clan but she herself had never quite managed it. Instead, she built a small fire while he fished and found a flat rock to cook the fish on. Ariana didn't know if Kirin planned on eating it raw but trout was not her idea of a sushi fish.

"That was well thought of," Kirin commented as they finished up the fish cooked on the hot rock. "I thought you were a city girl."

"Oh, I've done my share of roughing it," she replied airily. "It's not so bad, as long as you can get a hot bath every now and then." She sniffed her fingers critically. "I wonder if there's some mint growing around here. I smell fishy."

Kirin tossed the last of his fish bones into the bushes. "I don't know about mint," he said, rubbing his own hands together, "but if a bath is what you want, the hot springs are not far from here."

"I don't know," Ariana said, chewing on her lip. "We are on a stake out, after all. The guys are expecting us back." It was a tempting thought however; she still wasn't feeling quite herself and a good soak would put her right in no time.

"The Three are perfectly capable of watching a vehicle of sleeping humans," Kirin commented. "Do you wish to smell like trout all night?"

"Well….," she drawled ruefully, "I suppose not."

Standing up, Kirin padded over to the water's edge and picked up a double handful of wet sand. He dropped it over the glowing embers of their fire, smothering it as wisps of steam escaped.

Ariana poked it with a stick, stirring the coals until she was sure it was out. It was a merely a delaying tactic. On one hand, she had a bad feeling about the people from Ishikiri; on the other, there was a certain naughty thrill in Kirin's suggestion. As a miko, Midori was playing it safe but she had plenty of stories about her rookery sisters' amorous adventures. It made Ariana wonder if she shouldn't take advantage of this opportunity. She looked up and Kirin held out his hand to her.

"Well?" He smiled nervously.

She nodded. "Hot springs, it is."

The river that wound its way through the Rokko Mountains was composed of many twisting tributaries that led to the main waterway. Kirin headed upriver and at the second minor branching, turned northeast, climbing higher into the mountains. Ariana stayed close, letting him break the trail for her. The sound of bubbling water grew closer and there was a strong scent of minerals in the air.

"You guys don't come here very often, do you?" Ariana commented, gingerly stepping past a prickly vine. "The trail's kind of overgrown."

"We generally fly in," Kirin grunted as he held a branch up for her. "However, the Three would have spotted us and then we would have had company."

She smiled as she passed him. "Oh-ho! You wanted me all to yourself?"

"Don't be ridiculous." His words didn't have the same acerbic ring as before.

Coming to the top of the trail, Ariana stopped and stared. The hot springs were situated in a deep ravine, half-sheltered by a high-arching grotto that went a small distance into the mountain. A narrow waterfall ran in rivulets down a sheer wall and a massive grey granite slab formed a natural partition in the bathing pool. The water went from a dark blue-green in the deepest part to a vibrant turquoise in the shallows.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Kirin commented over her shoulder.

"Yeah," she breathed as she took it all in. "It's beautiful."

"Here," he said as he led the way down the path, "the females like to stay to the right side of the boulder. It's shallower on that side, and there's a ledge under the water to sit on." He pulled aside a low branch to reveal an open-sided hut. There were shelves and pegs to put clothing and a low bench to sit on. "You can put your things there if you like."

"Any towels?"

"I'm afraid not," Kirin replied. "Hikers sometimes find their way in here."

"Oh, well," Ariana sighed, bluffing her way through. "I'm sure I don't have anything that you haven't seen before."

Huffing, he refused to comment on that and instead said, "I'll be on the other side." He did a low glide over the water and landed somewhere on the far side of the boulder. He disappeared into the trees.

Ariana flopped onto the bench. "Okay, Ari… what now?" She thought about it while she took off her clothes. Since gargoyles lived in clans, they didn't have the same hang-ups about nudity that most humans did but they did observe the social niceties. According to Midori, being invited to bathe together was considered to be a provocative courtship ritual among Ishimura gargoyles. It was a sign of trust between equals.

She shook her head and folded up her shirt to put with her shorts. "What are you thinking?" she told herself. "He's not interested in you. Stop that!"

There was an enormous splash. Ariana lifted up the branch just enough to look out. Kirin's antlered head broke the surface of the water. His wet hair lay like a dark gold ribbon past his wings. He smiled unexpectedly and laid back into the water, floating on his back with his wings spread wide.

"I'll be damned," she said, grinning, "He's a big water baby."

As she watched him, Ariana realized that he was deliberately not looking in her direction. He was being almost too polite. She raised one brow ridge and smirked as she planned her grand entrance. Kirin drifted over to the waterfall where the water was no doubt cooler and let the water run over his face. She'd never have a better chance.

"Well?" Ariana asked coquettishly as she posed against the worn granite boulder that formed a natural divider in the bathing pool. She stretched one arm languorously over her head with the other hand cradling her elbow. The tiny hands on her wing spurs were just big enough to cover her breasts while giving them a nice push-up effect as well. She'd kept on her bikini bottoms for modesty; communal bathing was perfectly acceptable in Japan but privately Ariana wasn't quite sure how far to push the envelope with Kirin.

Speechless, he stared at her as the inside of his ears turned a rosy pink. He was standing chest deep in the water and as he came towards her, she noted with some amusement that he'd left on his Japanese-style loincloth. Apparently, he was as unsure about her as she was of him. His glowing eyes flicked over her and he growled low in his chest, not so much a ferocious snarl but rather an anticipatory purr. He stopped a wings length away and continued to gaze her with a curious hunger in his eyes.

Ariana kept waiting for Kirin to say something until finally the silence began to get on her nerves. While her arms were up, Ariana began to twist her hair around her horns to keep it out of the water. She drew her wings together more securely over her chest as she lowered herself into the water. Kirin noticed the movement and smirked.

"Oh, shut up," she snapped as she tucked the last of her hair between her horns.

"What an interesting hair style that is," he commented, pointed to her head. "I don't believe Bana could top that."

"Hey, it takes forever to dry," she shot back. "If I didn't have long hair, no one would ever be able to tell me apart from Graeme."

Kirin fell back into the water with a splash and started laughing. His chuckles turned the surface of the water into a washboard of ripples.

Ariana felt vaguely hurt. She sat down on the underwater ledge, crossed her arms over her chest, and settled in for a royal sulk.

Backstroking out into the center of the pool, Kirin swam into view, still chuckling. "You misunderstand me, Ari-chan," he said. "After the show I just had, I find the notion of anyone mistaking you for your brother to be ridiculous. The only thing remotely masculine about you is the way you fight and even then you do it with a certain female ruthlessness, vicious wench."

"Oh, well," she sighed dramatically, "I do the best with what little bosom I have."

"You're going to make me regret ever saying that, aren't you?"

"You've got that right," she sniffed indignantly but she couldn't hide her smirk. She watched as Kirin lazily swam back over to his side of the pool. Not many gargoyles were comfortable in the water but he seemed perfectly at ease. "So," she said lightly to make conversation, "you really like to swim, huh?"

"My father was a fisherman," Kirin commented absently. "He taught me how to swim when I was a hatchling."

Ariana smiled at this voluntary information about his past. "Oh? I thought that Ishimura didn't do the whole parent thing. Their rookery is communal, isn't it?"

"Oh, it is, but it was very obvious who my parents were, even though it was never acknowledged. Most Ishimuran gargoyles have dark hair but my mother had fiery red-gold hair and a long ridged nose. It's entirely possible that she was originally Tengu."

"Really?"

"According to Takamatsu, the Tengu and the Ishimura clans would meet and exchange eggs from their rookeries as a sign of good faith once a century. I imagine it was also a way of freshening the bloodlines." His voice drifted into a storytelling cadence. "My father gave me the height and all these horns. He fancied my mother but she was so shy that she wouldn't speak to him. However, she was a weaver and she couldn't help noticing that my father was making an absolute hash out of repairing his nets."

"Which he did intentionally?"

"Of course."

Ariana laughed. "I see the family resemblance now."

Kirin laughed back. "One thing led to another and I came along in due time. The rookery keepers track whose egg belongs to who but one look at me and everyone knew. When I was old enough, my father would come to the rookery 'for a strong lad to work the nets' and take me out with him. My mother would meet us at the docks and we would take one of the small boats to sail out to one of the islands just off the coast." He gave a huffing sigh. "She would make camp while he taught me to fish in the shallows. It didn't matter if we caught anything or not."

"You were together," she observed. "That's what being a family is all about."

"Yes." He paused thoughtfully. "Sometimes we'd run the trap lines for lobsters and crabs and be away for several nights. Okaasan would wrap me up in her wings and tell me stories. It was years later when I learned to read English that she'd been telling me Kipling and Dickens and others. I never knew that my mother loved to read until after she was gone."

"What happened?"

"There was a bad storm season when I was in my late twenties," Kirin said solemnly. "My father and a handful of others were lost at sea. The wreckage washed up on shore, along with the bodies of the human crewmen but any gargoyles would have sunk to the bottom. My mother couldn't bear it and she died not long after, they say of a broken heart."

"That's a shame."

"That's the way it is between mates sometimes," he commented. "You can get so totally wrapped up in each other that you can't imagine living without them. The loss of a mate makes you feel like you've lost part of yourself."

The bitter tone of his voice made Ariana suspicious. She chewed her bottom lip for a few moments and finally gave into her own curiosity. "That almost sounds like the voice of experience," she ventured carefully.

The silence on the other side of the rock was becoming deafening when he finally answered. "Yes." The words had no regret, only a simple finality. "I was with her for seven years."

"The guys said that you didn't have a mate."

"They would have not known," Kirin admitted, his soft voice being projected over the steaming water. "I only told O-tama. I did not want anyone to feel sorry for me."

"Why?" Ariana prompted.

It was several minutes before he answered. "She left me." He sighed bitterly. "None of our matings ever produced an egg."

"Oh." Ariana blinked, uncertain as to what to say. "That doesn't necessarily mean—"

"Kai and the elders allowed a human doctor to examine me – most humiliating. It seems that I am quite sterile."

"Are you sure?" His sudden confession explained a lot; Ariana was worldly enough to know how much virility mattered to a male gargoyle. She had witnessed firsthand what a struggle it had been for Lexington to conceive a child with his mate.

"It happens," he said gruffly. "It's the price of inbreeding in our species. My mate was so upset at our failures that I swallowed my pride and asked a friend to help us have a child."

"Whoa." That was an aspect to the whole mating game that Ariana hadn't considered. "You guys did what? I always thought males were territorial about that kind of thing."

"Taking a second mate during a breeding season is not unheard of in Ishimura," Kirin said blandly as if he were giving a lecture. "My friend's mate and I had worked together in the rookery when we were young. She knew how much it meant to me, to become a father." He took a deep breath. "Since she was already pregnant, she willingly gave her blessing and my friend was free to help us."

"Did it work?"

"Oh, yes… my mate went away with him for a week and she conceived. I was prepared to support her while she carried the egg but she would have no more to do with me." He paused painfully. "She felt that I had lowered her status in the clan. I realized then that she'd never cared for me."

"That's a little harsh, don't you think?"

"I wanted her as my mate so badly that I would have done anything to win her." He allowed anger to seep into his words. "I gave up teaching for her. I fought my way up through the ranks to become a weapons master for her. I was so blind with love for her that I never saw that her ambitions came first – when I stopped being useful to her, she threw me away." His voice dropped. "Everything – all those years together, everything I did – she ripped out my heart and left an empty hole."

Ariana chewed on her thumbnail. She realized now that this was what O-tama had been talking about; there was so much pain in Kirin's voice that she didn't know how he could bear it. Gargoyles mated for life; over the past decade or so, Xanatos' biologists had found hard scientific proof to account for their mating behavior. Socially, it was unthinkable for a mated pair to reject each other but in those rare instances when it did happen, the gargoyles involved were often ostracized by their clan.

Something Kirin had said only the night before stuck in Ariana's mind -- "I'll never go back to Ishimura – too many bad memories."  He must have felt so isolated, so alone. She could see the agitated twitch of his fur-tipped tail beneath the water. If it made him so upset, she wondered why on earth he would have told her. Nothing she could possibly say could make him feel better unless… she eased over to the very edge of her ledge and stretched out her hand towards him.

He drew in his breath sharply.

"It's okay," she said softly. "I'm not that girl."

His hand shook as their fingertips touched. She held her breath, her lower lip caught between her teeth. His fingers, callused from years of martial arts, slowly traced the curve of her thumb and the inside of her palm before accepting what was offered and folding his hand around hers. "No, you're not," he said finally in a rough voice, "You're unique, Ari-chan."

"So I've been told." She smirked as he threaded his fingers through hers. "So how did you wind up here?"

"Nothing was ever said in public but eventually everyone knew. No one had to say it -- I could see the pity in their eyes," Kirin answered. "I began to withdraw from the clan – traveling first to the outpost at Mount Zao and then farther up the mountains. Kai didn't protest my excursions and eventually he gave me permission to leave Ishimura freely. I became ronin, a gargoyle without a clan."

"Where did you go?"

"Here and there," Kirin shrugged, making ripples in the water. "I stayed in Tokyo for a few years." He gave a half-hearted chuckle. "That's where I developed a taste for pocky."

Ariana laughed back. "And your nasty chocolate addiction, no doubt."

"One could have worse vices. The city wasn't for me though," he continued somberly. "It was too bright and too loud and too many people. I decided to travel and visit the places I'd only read about – temples, castles, Mount Fuji…"

"Mr. Tourist," she teased.

He snorted. "Eventually, I found my way here to the Rokko Mountains."

"Where you met the Tengu."

"They needed help to rebuild and even then, over half of them were elders. My strong back was welcome then, even if they didn't trust me at first." His reflection in the water smiled. "One night I had three little helpers too many underfoot and I finally stopped what I was doing, pulled the Three into a circle and taught them their first teaching game. O-tama caught me at it and the next thing I knew, the clan was building a schoolroom for me." A loon called in the distance and they both grew silent listening to it. "What about you? Do you have someone waiting for you in Ishimura?"

"Not really," Ariana replied, pulling her hand free. "Everyone my age has someone but the boys never gave me a glance. I'm good enough to spar with and to joke around with and to be in plays with but I'm just not good enough to kiss." She was proud to have gotten the words out without crying but her voice still shook.

"Aren't you exaggerating?" Kirin asked. "Males that age can be rather stupid – I should know; I was one."

"That's what my parents say but they've never seen the way the boys look past me like I'm not even there." She snorted. "The only male that's ever kissed me was Winston and that was when we were in a play the last time that I was in London. It hardly counts."

"How do you know?"

Ariana rolled her eyes. "Please – Winston is gay. He only did it because he had to." She sighed. "A girl's first kiss should mean something. Whoever kisses her should do so because it's the one thing that he most wants to do at that moment. It should make you feel like you're the only two people in the world."

"Ah."

"Anyway," she continued, "I got tired of not fitting in. I've heard Tengu stories all my life, so I thought maybe this might be a place where I belong." She flicked a floating leaf away, sending it spiraling off into the current. "It's just my luck that I don't fit in here either."

"A fine pair we make," Kirin commented, shifting his wings and making the water ripple in widening circles. "Fate has played a cruel trick on us." He snorted. "Or on me, at least. You are not ugly, Ari-chan."

"Yes, I am!" Ariana retorted hotly. "I look like Dad in drag."

"Nonsense." He paused for a moment and another loon called in the distance. "Do you want to know what I see when I look at you?"

She sighed. "All right, what?"

"Do you remember that first night? When you came to Tenjo Temple?"

"Yes?"

"I approached from downwind. We had seen you from the sky, perched on Tengu Rock, and I had fully intended to punish you for desecrating one of our most sacred landmarks."

"Like there was a sign on the thing saying 'Don't Sit Here.'"

"When I got within range, you were brushing your hair." His voice softened. "At the time, I thought it was incredibly irreverent but even then I must confess that I truly enjoyed watching you. Your hair became so very glossy, so much so that the moonlight seemed to dance upon it."

Ariana felt her cheeks grow hot with a heat that had nothing to do with the hot springs.

"Your whole manner changed too. You sat very straight with your head tilted to one side. Your hands performed each stroke so gracefully." He sighed. "You closed your eyes and I couldn't help noticing how long and feathery your eyelashes are. Brushing your hair is the only time I think that you're truly at peace with yourself."

"Why do you say that?"

Kirin laughed harshly, puffing out his upper lip. "You may not want me to say."

"Try me."

"Have you ever listened to yourself, Ari-chan? You hide your insecurities behind a façade of wisecracks and self-depreciating humor. How can you expect anyone to like you when you do not like yourself?"

Ariana didn't know whether she wanted to burst into tears or to leap over the rock and hold Kirin's head under the water. She glared in his general direction. "Why don't you follow your own advice? It's clear you've been playing the wounded martyr so long that you're afraid to do anything else."

"See?" Kirin shot back scornfully. "Always the sharp retort, the witty comeback -- you'll grow bitter and lonely before your time if you keep that up."

"Sounds like a one man pity party to me," she retorted. "If you hadn't been hiding out here in the sticks all these years, you'd know that there have been a lot of scientific advances in genetics. My uncle Lex had a similar problem to yours and he's got an egg in the rookery now."

"How is this possible?"

"Look, where I live in Manhattan, Xanatos' science branch has been doing research on gargoyle reproduction since the mating flight of 2007. They've learned a lot about how we breed. The world council is anxious to spread gargoyle DNA around."

"But how did they help your uncle?" Kirin asked suspiciously. "I do not understand."

Ariana made a face. "Well, Lex was a special case. The council put him and his mate together because he's web-winged and she carries a recessive gene for it. They had a lot in common – they're both brainy computer nerds – but there was just never any real chemistry with each together." She laughed ruefully. "As a species, we gargoyles are really screwed up when it comes to reproduction. There's a reason why two specific gargoyles are attracted to each other. Have you ever heard of pheromones?"

Kirin had to think for a moment. "A chemical produced by an organism that signals its presence to other members of the same species?"

Leaning forward, she peered around the rock at him. "You ate a dictionary when you were young, didn't you?"

"I've always had excellent mnemonic recall."

"Well, what they found out was that pheromones play a major part in a gargoyle's breeding cycle. The male pheromones stimulate a female's reproductive system and the female pheromones increase sperm production. For some reason, Red Wind's scent wasn't revving Uncle Lex into overdrive so the scientists took samples of both their pheromones and tinkered with it until they found a scent that did."

"This is all very interesting but how does that apply to me?"

"Don't you get it? A male that isn't properly stimulated has a very low sperm count. Unlike humans, male gargoyles are most fertile at the peak of the breeding cycle. Chances are you and your so-called mate weren't a compatible match. Something about her pheromones weren't working for you."

"Then…" his breathing grew more excited, "…they wouldn't have known this when I was tested thirty years ago," he concluded. "There might be hope for me."

"Maybe." Ariana shrugged and sunk into the water up to her chin. "I'm no expert. You'd have to confer with the doctors at Ishimura to be sure. Xanatos has a couple of research scientists there now."

"It's something worth thinking about," Kirin mused. "Domo arigato, Ari-chan."

"So, um, is the other thing the guys told me about you true too?"

"I do not know, Ari-chan," Kirin replied cautiously. "What did they say?"

Belatedly, she regretted starting this line of conversation but plowed ahead anyway. "They said sometimes the other females comfort you and that you're cheerful for days afterwards. Does that mean, um, everything works?" She put her finger in her mouth and bit it to keep from bursting out in nervous giggles.

"I'm going to kill Takakura," he growled under his breath.

"I didn't say that Tak said it."

"You didn't have to – the other two have better sense."

She lifted her chin. "Well? Is it true?"

"My blade is still sharp, if that's what you mean." His low voice grew amused. "Does that make you blush?"

Her cheeks were burning but she lied and said airily, "Please, I'm red already. How could you possibly tell?"

Kirin swam back around the rock to eye her speculatively. He smiled slowly. "Oh, yes… you're blushing."

"I am not!"

"Denial is an admission of guilt."

"You are so full of it," she shot back, but the bemused look in his hooded eyes made her want to squirm. He started to come closer and she began to have second thoughts about the game that she and Kirin were playing. The possibilities were both exciting and frightening.

The water suddenly became scalding hot. Ariana barely had time to wrap her wings more modestly around herself to climb out when Kirin abruptly snatched her from the water and climbed the great sloping rock. He had a grim expression as he dug his talons into the stone.

"What--?" Before she could finish her sentence, Ariana felt the earth shake beneath them. She threw her arms around his neck and found herself squashed against his chest as he anchored them both to the rock face.

"The hot springs," Kirin began to explain, half-shouting over the rumble, "they are fed by a magma vent at the base of the mountain. The temperature always surges before a tremor. Bide – this will pass quickly." He arched one of his wings over them to block a cascade of loose pebbles and debris.

Ariana had witnessed many things in her time-dancing travels but to see the once peaceful environs around her erupt violently with nature's fury took her breath away. The steaming water of the hot springs were now boiling and hissing and she realized how close they'd been to being cooked alive. "Jalapeña!" she swore. "How often does this happen?"

"Minor tremors happen a few times a year," he answered, "but it's been several years since we've had a major quake." He flexed his wings nervously. "This one is starting to subside. We'll wait a few minutes to be sure."

A tree slowly crashed to the ground and Ariana unconsciously winced, tucking her head neatly under his chin. She felt another rolling tremor start through the granite rock against her back. It built in intensity and the vibration felt like it was rattling her bones apart. A small whimper escaped before she could help it. For a few seconds, she felt like she was a tiny hatchling again, falling into the darkness. Panicked, she started to hyperventilate.

Kirin sprang away from the rock face and with several strong strokes of his wings, managed to get them up to a safe hovering height just above the treetops. He reached down and hooked his right arm under her knees so that she was cradled in his arms. "Earthquakes frighten you?" he asked quietly. There was no mocking in his voice, just mild concern.

"Yeah," she admitted, head still tucked under his chin. "We got caught in one when I was little. I fell out of Dad's arms into a fissure and I was so scared. I thought I'd be lost forever." She took a deep breath and shuddered. "I guess you never forget some things."

"Ah." Unexpectedly, he turned his head and rubbed side of his jaw against her brow ridges. "You may not think so, Ari-chan, but it's a relief to know that you're not totally fearless."

"Very funny," Ariana retorted automatically but his little joke had helped to break the tension and she started to relax. She became aware of his heart pounding like a koto drum and the scent of the mineral salts from the springs drying on his skin. Closing her eyes, she snuggled in and his arms inexplicably tightened around her.

"This has a strange feel to it," Kirin commented, frowning as he looked around. "I think there may be more tremors. We should get back to the village." He glided neatly to Ariana's side of the bathing pool.

Her feet had just touched the ground when another light tremor shook the ground. Her arms went around his midsection before Ariana had time to think about it. Instead of pulling away, Kirin reached up and unwound her hair from around her horns. As it fell down her back, his right hand followed, his fingers lightly moving through her hair as if playing harp strings. Goosebumps rose on her skin and she shivered in delight.

"We shouldn't….," he whispered. "I have no right." His words, however, were contradicting his actions. His left hand had slowly slid along her right arm and was now caressing the small of her back.

"Chaji teaches us," she whispered back, "that life is full of fleeting moments." She lifted her chin to his shoulder and tilted her head to the right so she could look him in the eye. "Don't think, Kirin-san," she said as she untucked her wings and deliberately slid them around him. "Enjoy the moment."

His eyes widened for a second and then closed as their bare torsos touched. With a low groan, his wings encompassed them both. Another tremor, harder than the last, shook the ground beneath their feet and neither of them noticed.

To be continued in "Tengu", Part V….