Chapter 11: Miko in the Making
"I do sleepfight!" Kagome insisted.
"Very good. Try again. Please, no more fairy stories," Kaede said.
They were alone during Kagome's bath; she sank deeper into the water, careful not the wet her wound.
"Someone ordered me to display my limited knowledge of fighting skills, alright?" Kagome said.
"You would think you'd listen to an experienced miko, but no, you always go off fighting the boys," grumbled Kaede reproachfully.
"What boy? That wretched son of a damned bitch kept me up till I nearly collapsed from exhaustion, then he decides to have me beat him hand-to-hand!" exclaimed Kagome. As far as she was concerned Sesshoumaru was no boy.
"Language, Kagome!" Kaede said, shocked.
"To hell with etiquette," grumbled Kagome. "Naraku wants me dead, or something like that. There's no time to fuss with good manners and proper appearances. Besides, I'm a boy, which everyone seems to keep forgetting."
"Madam, you aren't a very convincing boy," Kaede told her. "And how do you expect to get a husband if you never act properly?"
"I doubt anyone would want to marry me," snorted Kagome. "Anyways, it's not like you've ever been married. So spare me that 'virtuous wife' talk you like to give."
"Living with all those men in that camp did affect your manners," sighed Kaede.
Kagome didn't reply to that. "I don't want to be a miko," she said stubbornly. To hell with Sesshoumaru.
Kaede rolled her eyes; "When you were younger, learning embroidery and tea ceremony was bad. So your father put you in the schoolroom, where you complained of the work and quickly picked up those domestic tasks. Then, you were placed on the dojo where, to escape that, you learned to read and write and do figures. And then you got signed up for basic miko training and all of a sudden? The dojo looked damned good to you. Now, you're refusing to marry, which basically means you don't mind becoming a miko."
"You said 'damned'," Kagome pointed out cheekily. "And no, I don't want to become a miko. But it's pretty fun to learn."
"Why, because you get coached by a gorgeous youkai?" Sango asked slyly, slipping into the room.
"What? Kaede, a gorgeous youkai?" Kagome asked, feigning ignorance. "If I must say so, I prefer Inuyasha to Sesshoumaru. Did you ever see such adorable ears? Which reminds me, I have to go find Inuyasha. I haven't talked to him for ages."
"No, you don't," Kaede said. "We start training as soon as possible."
"I advise you to stay away from Inuyasha," Sango said. "He thinks he's turning gay."
Kagome snorted with laughter, splashing a spray of water from her tub. "Gay? Inuyasha? He has obviously never met Bankotsu's brother."
"Got to… taste… that… hot guy's… blood… on… my sword…" Sango said, gasping realistically, like Jakotsu had done once.
"Enough of playing! Out of that tub, this instant," Kaede said.
"Yes, madame," Kagome sighed, reaching for a towel. She wrapped herself in a men's yukata and went back to their rooms.
"How are you feeling?" Inuyasha asked, as Kagome tested his futon by flopping on it hard.
"Huh?" Kagome looked at him quizzically. She wasn't suffering from any illness, as far as she knew.
"Your arm," he said, looking at her arm hidden by the plain white men's yukata she wore.
"Just a cut," Kagome said as manly-like as she could. "I'm fine, thanks."
A peaceful silence grew between them; Kagome lounging around on his crisp futon (Kaede was trying to straighten hers out) and Inuyasha sitting perfectly still.
"They changed the tatami," Inuyasha said after awhile.
"I know." She didn't need to have a demon's sensitive nose to smell the fresh scent of new tatami matting. She changed the subject. "Do you play a musical instrument?"
"No."
"Compose poetry?"
"Barely."
"Write essays?"
"Never."
"Draw?"
"Depends."
"Well, if you don't do anything, how am I supposed to hold a conversation with you?" demanded Kagome, sitting up.
Inuyasha quirked a brow. "What do you want to talk about?"
Kagome looked thoughtful. "The arrogance of your brother."
"Half-brother," corrected Inuyasha. This was a topic he could jump on any day, though.
Kagome grinned. "Ok. You know, he's really into the 'I'm-a-youkai-jerk' attitude."
"Try being his little worthless hanyou brother."
"No thanks," Kagome shuddered, to the amusement of Inuyasha.
"Well, he's not that bad if you think about it. Imagine if you had a pervert like Miroku for a brother."
"I don't have to imagine," Kagome snorted, while Inuyasha missed the joke completely.
Kagome felt like taking back what she said about Sesshoumaru being a bad teacher, because Kaede was far worse in the grand scheme of things.
The older woman shook her head. "No, hold your arms higher. You look like a miko dropping off to sleep. Mikos uphold the name of the gods – your pose must be perfect. Back straight, arms taut when holding the bow, knees relaxed, shoulders -"
"You know, if I'm trying to purify a youkai, or save myself from being attacked, by the time I finish perfecting my stance, the only people who'll admire it will be the ones who are fetching my dead body," Kagome said cheekily.
Kaede ignored her. "And those people must be greeted with a regal sight."
"Oh, so now I'm not regal enough," Kagome snorted. "Should you invite Lord Sesshoumaru to come and teach me regality?"
"Maybe I will," fumed Kaede, her patience wearing thin.
"I can't decide what's worse, having you or Sesshoumaru," muttered Kagome under her breath, trying to hold her bow and arrow in the pose Kaede was trying to teach her.
"Of course it's better having me," someone said from right behind her.
Kagome stiffenend immediately. "Who invited you?" demanded Kagome, blushing slightly.
"Thought I'd check on my protégée." His lips curved into a tiny, mocking smirk.
"Go away," Kagome said hotly.
"Oh, sorry. Maybe Inuyasha would be more welcome. Don't worry yourself, I'll go fetch him."
How dare he, seethed Kagome. How dare Sesshoumaru read her like an open book?
"Two seconds, my lady. I will fetch the desired gentleman." He began backing away slowly.
Rage boiled over in Kagome. No one – no one – had the right to tease her that way.
There was an arrow in her bow.
Kagome purposefully 'accidentally' let the arrow fly.
Surely it would teach that ass Lord Sesshoumaru a lesson, when the thing got stuck in his arm.
But Kagome hadn't banked on her aiming being so terrible.
She watched, horrified, as the arrow made for his heart.
He ducked, but not far enough. The arrow drove right through his shoulder.
Kagome watched, dumbfounded, as the arrow sent him flying onto a tree right behind him, pinning him to the bark.
And then she screamed.
His eyes were beginning to close. He felt sleepy.
Impossible. Unless that stupid girl had… No. She wasn't powerful enough. And the arrow hadn't even hit his heart.
Voices were being raised, from afar.
"Kagome, that was… stupid. You know you're going to put him to sleep for eternity?" It was the old miko.
"What? I didn't mean to!" Stupid, stupid girl.
"Well, can you free him?"
"I don't know – I mean, no! He can go to sleep forever for all I care!"
"Kagome, that's not appropriate behaviour. And when he wakes up, I suggest you apologize."
"NO! He was being a… a…"
Sesshoumaru could fight it. He would stay awake…
"It must've been on my mother's side. Her sister was a miko – I might have been born with spiritual powers," lied Kagome. "I was practicing with my arrows, I missed the target and got Sesshoumaru instead…" The important thing was, she revealed to no one her true gender.
"Lord…" murmured Inuyasha. Then his face broke into a giant grin. "You owned the bastard!"
"I never knew his tail was so furry," Miroku said, touching the silvery white apparition that wrapped itself protectively around the taiyoukai.
Lord Sesshoumaru would throw a fit if he woke to see an audience staring at his like a curious artefact in a museum. To the group, it was the perfect chance to examine the icy youkai up close.
"Check out the hair," Sango said, fingering the long silver strands.
"He'll kill you all if he wakes up now," Inuyasha warned.
"Which is why he's not going to wake up until after awhile," Kagome said, admiring her shot.
"Then he'll certainly kill you when he wakes up."
"Maybe it's better to keep him this way forever," Kagome said, cocking her head to one side.
"I suggest you take that arrow out now," Kaede said sternly.
Kagome pouted. She really didn't want to.
"Oh, the joys of having a fluffy little tail…" sang Miroku.
"Miroku, stop that, it doesn't look right," Inuyasha said, grimacing.
"Sorry," Miroku said. "It's just so…" Irrestible, was the word for Lord Sesshoumaru's tail.
Kaede put her foot down. "Kagome Higurashi, you will release Sesshoumaru-sama this instant!"
"It was an accident! And he was being mean," retorted Kagome.
"Kagome Higurashi, you are taking it out this instant or I'll have something to say about it," warned Kaede.
"You've already said oceans about it."
The nurse glared. "And don't talk back."
"Fine, FINE!" Kagome snapped. "Just bury my dead body when he wakes up." Gingerly, she tiptoed and reached out for the arrow buried in Sesshoumaru's shoulder.
Wrapping her fingers around it, Kagome gave it a firm tug.
Golden eyes flew open to glare at her.
"I… I'm sorry…" squeaked Kagome.
The rest of the spectators disappeared in an instant.
"You," Sesshoumaru said quietly, "cracked my armour."
"I'll buy you a new one," Kagome said quickly.
He straightened himself regally. "It was a brand-new, expensive bit of armour, custom-ordered and crafted with the best materials." Sesshoumaru looked down at the miko-in-training. "I'm afraid, Lady Higurashi, you owe me quite a bit of money."
"The best part is, it's not even scratched!" exclaimed Kagome in fury. Just a tiny nick on the corner of the metal and Sesshoumaru had to go on about it being cracked and how it was his favourite armour because of sentimental value and -
"I don't think he was quite so wordy about it," Kaede reminded her.
"Whatever. I'm not buying him new armour. What, is he going to buy me new arrows because I lost one when I shot him?" grumbled Kagome.
As though on perfect cue a servant knocked, and entered.
"Lord Sesshoumaru says to bring you this," the servant said, bowing. He placed seven beautifully crafted arrows in front of them, bowed, and made his way out.
Kaede couldn't help but crack a grin as Kagome howled in fury at the Western Lord's foresight.
Grudgingly, she dragged Inuyasha out with her to find new armour for His Lordship.
"It's a bit rusty," Kagome said, eyeing the piece of armour sceptically.
"Rusty, a bit. But it will protect you from any blade or attack," the shop owner said enthusiastically.
"This one?" asked Inuyasha, prodding another piece.
"It's a bit small," Kagome said dubiously.
"Small, a bit. But it will protect you from any blade or attack," said the shop owner.
"Oh, good grief. There's nothing here," Kagome sighed.
"Well, considering who you're getting the armour for…" Inuyasha said. "I think you'll have to custom order…"
She was a geisha fallen from grace pretending to be a man, not a lord's daughter. It wasn't as if she had stores of gold hidden in her pants to just custom order armour. "Can we just patch the one he has now up?" sighed Kagome.
"Easier said than done," Inuyasha said as they left the shop. "Sesshoumaru keeps his armour on every waking moment. Maybe he even sleeps in it."
"Damn," swore Kagome. "Now we'll have to be careful not to wake him up."
"If he even sleeps," Inuyasha said. "That's not even once a week."
"Well, we'll time it right," Kagome said determinedly.
"If you say so… Wait," he said suspiciously. "Did you say, we?"