LI
Nix Carcerem
The wind howls as it drops its burden of snow across the Echigo Mountains. The snow grows heavier as the sun sets and night falls; the temperature drops, and black clouds furl themselves tight around the moon, letting out no light. Here and there a single star, or sometimes two, peeks out and then vanishes again as the wind whips the storm into a greater frenzy. By midnight more than a foot of snow blankets the night-quiet valley where the wolves make their den.
On the highest ledge in front of the den, overlooking the river, Kagome sits well-wrapped in fur, in a spot brushed clear of snow for her by Kouga himself. She stares at Kouga as much as at the landscape; both attract her eye, and there's the added wonder of how Kouga can stand to be out in the snow wearing nothing more than usual. Even his feet are bare, except for the white silk wrapping.
"Aren't you cold, Kouga? There's enough room for you, too, you know -"
He grins at her, almost a smirk.
"I'm youkai; a wolf – don't forget it, Kagome. It takes more than this to bother me, but I don't mind being warm, either."
He slips beside her onto the ledge, under the layers of furs spread across her lap, and sneaks an arm around her waist. She tenses, prepared to feel cold skin against her body, but Kouga is hot. She lets out a sigh and snuggles closer to him, breathes on her hands and then flushes when he encloses them in his own fingers.
"I've been thinking about how to court you, Kagome."
Her flush darkens to ripe crimson.
"O-oh?"
Kouga leans over her, bends to brush his cheek against her cheek.
"Yes. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that I have been courting you, this whole time; only I didn't want to scare you off. And – well, you don't know anything about youkai, or about wolves except what Hakkaku's talked to you about..."
"That's true, I've never met a youkai in the future."
"Right. So I – well..."
Kagome stares at him with suspicious glimmer in the corner of her eye.
"It sounds like you've done something, Kouga."
Her gaze is steady; but he looks away. It was not so awkward to say this in his thoughts, but now that it comes down to it none of the words he thought he was going to see seem right.
"Kouga -"
"Ah – well -"
He looks away from her and down at the river flowing sluggish and black where it isn't yet choked with snow.
"I asked Hakkaku if he'd teach you – if he'd tell you about courting – about what it means to be the mate of a wolf -"
He is completely surprised when she reaches up and takes his face in her hands and pulls him down to kiss him.
"Kouga! Thank you, thank you, thank you – I kept thinking maybe I should say something or talk to him only it was so awkward to bring up and I've had enough awkward moments without having to ask for some kind of Ookami version of the talk -"
Only half of what she says makes sense to him, but it's the kiss that tells him everything he needs to know. He leans close and takes another kiss for himself, and then wraps both his arms around her and holds her close.
"Sometimes I have no idea what you're talking about, Kagome."
She laughs.
"Sorry – I forget, sometimes – it's...like home, here."
Kouga's grin is wider.
"But that's good, Kagome. That's just what I wanted – and a good thing, too. The snow falls deep here, and often; you won't be able to go far without me, and once deep winter comes even us wolves won't be able to travel much."
Kagome stares up at him with wide eyes and looks out at the thick white blanket already obscuring the landmarks she's come to know in her weeks with him.
"There will really be that much snow?"
He nods, and presses her a little closer to his side.
"Don't worry; we're well provided for, and there's never been a winter yet that I couldn't get through, if it was needed."
He's only boasting a little, but Kagome's response is a smile more distracted than he expected. Her eyes turn back toward the den again and again, and every time her frown deepens.
"Is something wrong Kagome?"
She bit her lip and then shrugged faintly.
"Well, not wrong exactly – it's not really – my place, but -"
He bent and pressed his forehead against her forehead.
"Your place is beside me. If you accept my courting – if you accept me – you'll stand beside me, my equal, the Alpha female."
She blinks.
"But I'm human -"
"Doesn't matter. Just – don't think you have to be afraid to speak your mind."
She nods, gnawing on her lip again, and then looks up at him with those bright blue eyes.
"Kouga, what about Miroku?"
"Miro...who?"
She rolls her eyes at him and nudges him with her shoulder.
"Miroku! The man you're keeping prisoner in there – the man who tried to burn you -"
"Him? What about him?"
"The snow Kouga. Weren't you going to let him go in the morning? How is he going to get through that?"
Why should I care? He's not my problem – the response is on the tip of Kouga's tongue, but he holds it back. There is a challenge in Kagome's eyes; is this a test? Is there something he should do that will please her? He knows by instinct that his first response won't make her happy.
When it comes to him a moment later – the thing he knows she most wants him to do, the reason she mentioned the man at all, his scowls and then sighs and closes his eyes. For her. Just for her, he can do this thing.
"He'll have to stay, then – but he might not, you know. He might just leave anyway -"
Kagome smiles and the kiss she rewards him with is stunning.
"I'll make sure he stays; don't worry. Thank you, Kouga. I'd feel guilty if he went out and died and I could have stopped it – I know you don't really want him here -"
Kouga shrugs, but really he is pleased by her acknowledgment.
A/N: There we are! Today's chapter my dears, all wrapped up and ready for you! Today's chapter title, "Nix Carcerem", translates to "snow prison" - quite obvious, I'm afraid XD More tomorrow of course, and thanks to all of you that read, and especially to those who review! Slowly things begin to come together; Kagome, Kouga, Miroku – Inuyasha, Kikyou...but there are still more familiar faces waiting in the shadows, and some may be where you least expect them!
Please Review!