Freedom

Chapter 13: Digging Deeper

He lay beside her, an insomniac with visions of vastness. He thought of desert stretches so huge no Chosen People could cross them. He counted grains of sand like sheep and knew his job would last forever. He thought of aero-plane views of wheat-lands so high he couldn't see which way the wind was bending the stalks. Arctic territories and sled-track distances. Miles he would never cover because he could never abandon this bed

-Leonard Cohen, The Favourite Game

67 years ago

The snow fell in clumps, heavy and wet. But there was little to be done about that. It always seemed that things could never turn out for the better.

Karan sighed and reached down to rub the small limp ears of her godson. Pale blue eyes with gold swirling deep inside them gazed up at her solemnly. A child not even of one season yet, and already so cold toward everything. If this were any other child Karan would have worried about the affect of the near freezing temperatures on his small body. But this was Hoseki's first born son. Karan continued to gently rub the baby's small ears as she tilted her head to the side slightly. The sounds of war drums were beginning to fill the air.

"Hey you two!"

Karan's eyes snapped open and she scowled at her elder sister as she literally bounced to her side. Touran's face was absolutely glowing, being in her own element and the thought of war exciting her. She puffed out her cheeks and made funny faces at the newborn in Karan's arms. The child stared at her as if she was mad.

"Whoose ah cwte wittle baby? Is it you? Yes it is!"

Said baby's eyes widened and he turned his nose up at Touran, glancing from her, to Karan and back again. Karan rolled her eyes and shielded the baby's face from Touran.

"Did you come here for a reason?"

At once Touran's eyes brightened and she turned her face in the direction of the war drums a happy grin on her face.

"They'll be here soon," she whispered

One of Karan's eyebrows rose and she shook her head. "Well aren't we Miss. Sunshine."

Touran stretched her arms up and craned her neck so she could gaze up at the sky. It was cloudy but bright; her favorite kind of night. "It's not everyday you fight a war," she breathed.

Karan shook her head again and passed the baby to Touran. "Hold him. I have to send the signal."

Touran wiggled her fingers at the small child but managed to refrain from making baby-noises at him as her younger sister's aura began to fluctuate around her.

Karan's control over the fire element began to show on her. Her veins started to glow white-hot under her skin and the snow that she was standing in was melting at a rapid pace. Touran couldn't help but sigh sadly at the loss. Quite abruptly, the younger hyou youkai thrust her hand into the air and fire began to gather in her palm.

"Eyes," she paused long enough to bark without even turning around.

Touran sighed and covered the baby's eyes with one hand before clenching hers shut.

"Ready? Karan asked breathlessly, a bead of sweat running down the side of her face.

"All ready here! Aren't we wittle baby? Yes we are!"

Karan paused to glare at Touran over her shoulder before she let the energy release itself into the sky…

Karan blinked out of her reverie and shook her head in bemusement. What an odd thing to remember.

The camp didn't have to leave until later tonight so some of the Shihitou and Enjo had ventured out into the city.

It seemed as if Inuyasha was just going to hang around the inn, dozing the day away until he had to be at the caravan but Kagome had managed to get him to walk around the city with her. How she'd managed to do this, Karan would never know.

She had met up with one of her friends, Enju, in the marketplace and the two of them had been talking about the best way to get grass stains out of clothes when they'd heard a small explosion. Of course Karan was nosy so she'd wanted to see what was going on. A fire-spitter was entertaining a group of people off to the side of the market, among them Kagome, Inuyasha and a few other Shihitou from the camp. The fire-spitter was looking a little worse for wear. His eyebrows were severely singed and he was coughing harshly into his hands. The youkai in the small crowd around him had just begun to blink their eyes open, a number of them trying not to laugh at the poor man while everyone else laughed openly at him.

She walked up behind Inuyasha and poked him in the back of the head. She turned to her with an irritated look but Enju cut him off before he could say anything.

"Kagome is that you?"

The young woman turned around and blinked in surprise. Enju looked her over quickly before grinning to herself. "Wow! It is you! What are you doing in Fukuju?"

Kagome gave a confused frown. "I'm sorry. Who are you?"

Enju smiled good-naturedly and quickly introduced herself. "I'm Enju of Geraku. You might not remember me. You were very little the last time I saw you. I'm your father's brother's wife. We met at your grandmother's funeral."

Kagome's eyes widened in surprise and she gaped at Enju for a moment. Inuyasha had crossed his arms and was tapping a slender clawed finger against his forearm in boredom. Karan shot him a silencing look before turning back to the two women.

She was being nosy again.

Kagome's face brightened as she remembered but scrunched up in confusion. "You don't look very much older than I am."

"I'm more youkai than human," Enju said brightly.

Kagome nodded and fell silent. Karan looked between the two of them for a moment before clapping her hands and grinning. "That was interesting! What a small world. Isn't it a small world Inuyasha?" she asked him.

But Inuyasha wasn't listening. Having grown bored with the conversation, he had wandered slightly to the left, examining a stand selling crystals. He prodded one with his claw and reared back muttering curses when it caught the light and reflected back into his eyes. Karan bit her lip to keep from laughing and Kagome just shook her head at him.

"So why are you here Kagome?" Enju asked again. She had already pieced together her theories but she wanted to hear it from the girl herself.

"A friend of mine and I were captured when we were getting water just outside my village. We were dropped off in Kitanai and a few weeks later Karan's sister bought us and gave us jobs as Enjo at her Shihitou camp," Kagome explained. She gestured toward Inuyasha, who had abandoned the crystal stall to examine a stall selling long daggers.

He picked one up at ran his finger down the edge. He huffed and brandished the weapon at the owner of the stall. "This stupid thing couldn't even cut wet paper!"

Kagome sighed as the hanyou and the merchant began to argue and continued with her story. "He is my Shihitou."

Enju watched the fight between the two men escalate before frowning confusedly. "Karan, is that Inuyasha?"

The hyou youkai was looking a little uncomfortable and gave Enju a sharp look. "Yes that's Inuyasha," she answered, glancing at Kagome as she did so.

The young woman frowned at her. She was being kept in the dark about something.

"Does Sesshoumaru know--,"

"He would know by now. Well look how late it's gotten. Come on Kagome. Inuyasha, get over here! We'll be in contact."

With that Karan walked away. Kagome looked after her for a moment before turning back to Enju. "Uh…it was nice seeing you again," she said hesitantly.

Enju gave a distracted nod. "Yeah. If you get back to your village say hello to your grandfather for me," she said dully before turning around and walking into the crowd.

Inuyasha walked up beside Kagome and looked over at her. "Did Karan call me?"

"Yeah. I guess it's time for us to get ready to leave."

The two of them began to make their way through the crowd and back to the inn. As they walked Kagome mulled over Karan's odd behavior.

"Inuyasha?"

He hummed to show that he was listening.

"Do you know anyone named Sesshoumaru?"

The Inu-hanyou frowned in thought before he nodded. "I've never met him. But he's some kind of government official. Really high up. I think he has partial control of the state but…Mm." He shrugged and his arms disappeared into his robes as he folded them.

Kagome nodded and fell silent, thinking hard.

Karan huffed as she walked into the inn and all the Shihitou and Enjo moved aside to let her in. Most of them had known her long enough to know not to get in her way when she was frustrated. Many of the Shihitou were getting ready for the trip home so most of the belongings that had been brought with them were packed up. The sitting rooms looked bare without all those ridiculous cushions that Touran insisted on bringing. All of the lamps where gone except those that had been provided by the inn owners. Never the less, Karan found Touran in the same sitting room she had spent most of her time in. She was sitting on the bare floor, drinking tea with the owners of the inn, no doubt conversing the gross number of things broken during their stay.

Karan flopped down next to her and Touran poured her sister some tea without even looking at her.

"Please excuse her rudeness. She's very irritated," Touran said with a bright smile as Karan downed her tea and poured herself some more.

The owner of the inn and his wife watched Karan with surprised and appalled looks on their faces but soon turned back to Touran.

"We are aware that it was a human that helped inflict the damage to our property," the owner of the inn said. "You're been using my inn for a very long time my Lady but this is the first time that you've damaged so much of our property. I hope you plan on punishing the ningen responsible."

The muscle under Touran's right eye twitched and Karan expression soured fleetingly from behind her tea cup. The room was silent and the inn owner and his wife began to fidget as they eyed the two noble youkai sitting across from them. The two of them were youkai also but much further down the caste system than the hyou youkai were. Most nobility shared the common trait of making things has unpleasant as they could to those below their station.

Anyone who knew the hyou clan knew that they were one of most humble nobles that were in existence. But the inn owner and his wife were still worried that they had offended them somehow.

Thus when Touran spoke again, and her voice was a few degrees lower than it had been before, the inn owner and his wife started slightly.

"I'll be sure to talk to her about it. If you'll excuse us, I want to go home now," Touran said stiffly.

She downed the rest of her tea and stood up, moving to the threshold of the room and pausing to wait for Karan. The younger hyou youkai ignored her for a moment as she reached into robes and produced a large bag that produced a soft clang when she set it down on the table.

The owner of the inn and his wife eyed the bag soundlessly before looking up at Karan in question. The hyou youkai ignored them as well as she carefully reached into the bag and set down a few pieces of metal on the table in between them.

"Five gold pieces; go crazy," she droned as she replaced her bag full of money.

The inn owner's face flushed in indignation but could say nothing as Karan moved to join her sister. The two of them walked down the hallway that had emptied itself when they had been talking.

"So, what's up with you?" Touran asked Karan without even looking at her.

Karan's face soured again and she gave an irritated sigh. "Enju talks far too much, and it wouldn't be a problem if you'd stop being such a chicken shit and tell Inuyasha the truth."

Touran made a face at Karan's vulgar language before her sister's words even clicked in her head. When they had she stumbled over her own feet and grabbed Karan's shoulder to steady herself.

"What! She didn't tell him did she? What did he say? Oh Gods!"

Karan was forced to stop walking and stilled with her hand on the handle of the door leading outside. "What exactly do you hear when I speak these days?" Karan asked. "I didn't say he found out--,"

"Oh good!" Touran breathed in relief, cutting Karan off. "Then what's the problem?"

"You need to tell him before he finds out and gets pissed at us! It would ruin everything and 50 years of planning as well as countless lives would go to waste! And if Inuyasha doesn't figure it out himself, Kagome will."

"Kagome? What does Kagome have to do with anything?"

Karan opened the door and glanced up at the sun. "The others are probably waiting for us at the caravan. Come on."

She waited for Touran to follow her outside before she slid the door closed behind them with a soft thud.

Three days into the wilderness from Fukuju and Kagome was still thinking hard. Not that she had anything else to occupy her time. Inuyasha was silent as well, his eyes half-open and brooding. She was still trying to recover from the shock of meeting someone who had recognized her. Her recollection of her uncle's wife was hazy at best but she did remember her. Her grandmother had died well before Souta had been born and Kagome had been little over 3 winters old. She had met her two uncles and their wives then. Her father had died a few months after Souta was born in mining accident near their village. Kagome only had a few foggy memories of him, only being 6 when he had passed. She couldn't say she missed him exactly; she didn't remember him and it was silly to say you missed someone you hadn't known.

Kagome huffed in frustration when she went over the conversation she'd had earlier that day with Enju. That could have been her ticket home! Sure Karan had been standing right there but Kagome was sure that she could have found a way to barter passage to her village for Sango and her from Enju. She had said that she had a dominance of youkai blood in her and no one would question her traveling with two ningen girls. But she hadn't even thought of that! Kagome looked up at Inuyasha and sighed.

"Inuyasha?"

He looked up and his eyes roamed to hers lazily. He grunted to show that he was listening.

"Do you like being a Shihitou?"

The inu-hanyou raised one of his eyebrows in question and remained silent. Kagome rolled her eyes when she realised that the hanyou would not answer unless she gave him a good reason to.

"I just wanna know."

He grunted and shrugged his shoulders. "It beats anything I've been forced to do before."

"Don't you realize that anytime you fight you can be killed?"

Inuyasha's eyes glowed fiercely and he began to laugh at her. "Don't you realize that right now one of the wheels on this carriage could break off and we would go crashing down the hill we're riding next to? When we land your neck could be snapped in half and you would die instantly."

Kagome made a face and leaned turned toward the window in the carriage. They were riding on the crest of a hill and the edge was very close to the outside wheels of the carriage. Kagome tore her gaze from that and looked out over the hill instead. The sun was beginning to set and was turning the sky into a canvas of gold, pinks and purples. As the sun dipped lower its light filled the inside of the carriage and when Kagome turned her gaze back to Inuyasha her breath caught in her throat.

His hair shone as the light reflected back on each and every one of the many strands. The olive tone of his skin seemed to glow as well. Kagome was not blind. In the time she had spent with Inuyasha she had already admitted to herself that her Shihitou, in Sango's words when she had first seen him, was not ugly. Kagome was a girl and any girl that had eyes could see that Inuyasha oozed masculine beauty. He might be a complete bastard at times, but he was a hot bastard.

Kagome gave herself a mental shake and berated herself for zoning out and missing something.

Inuyasha watched as the girl mulled over what he had said while looking out the window. The sun dipped below the horizon and lit up her face. He let his eyebrows rise into his hairline as he studied her. When he had first met her he had thought her annoying. That opinion hadn't changed, but unlike most of the people Inuyasha had come across in his life, he could actually admit that Kagome was not a total idiot. Coming from him, that was definitely saying something. She was weird, but she was smart and that's why she was annoying. Once he'd realized that he'd been able to stand her presence longer. Which was good because she'd shut up about him being antisocial (which he had no problem admitting to himself that he was).

When she turned back to look at him and didn't say anything, Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. He waited for her to speak and when she didn't he huffed in irritation.

"What, girl?"

Kagome blinked and blushed as she looked away and mumbled something inaudible. He watched her as she coughed a few times before looking back up at him with a smile.

"Right so, what does the fact that the carriage might roll down the hill and that I could die, have to do with my question?" she asked.

Inuyasha gave a suspicious look but answered her anyway. "Every single thing you do is a risk. What kind of life is it if you constantly worry about what's going to happen to you?"

Kagome made a face. "I understand what you're saying, but isn't being a Shihitou putting yourself in unnecessary danger?"

"I've been forced to do things far more dangerous."

Kagome sighed and leaned forward. "You keep saying forced. How long have you been a slave anyway?" she asked carefully.

Inuyasha stared at her wordlessly before he answered. "A very long time. I was a slave before your mother was born."

"I'm sorry," Kagome whispered sadly.

Inuyasha's face darkened and he gave a disdainful snort. "I've survived without pity for a long time. I don't need it from you now," he spat at her.

Kagome sat back in her seat and gave him a cool look. "Then don't take it. But if you ever need anything, I'm here. It's my job to make sure you're able to do yours, remember?"

Inuyasha gave her a look that clearly said, 'Like I'll ever need anything from you.'

The young Enjo sighed and made herself comfortable on her side of the carriage. Inuyasha watched her with narrowed eyes and said nothing when Kagome announced that she was going to sleep. He didn't need anyone's sympathy and he would damn himself when he went to anyone asking for it.

Q&A

(Imagine my surprise when I looked and actually had questions that had to be answered)

Where'd you go?

Somewhere but I'm back so who cares?

Where's Sesshoumaru?

Uh…Um…He's coming…(looks around)…eventually. Don't worry people he's around; you just can't see him. Like the tooth-fairy!

Who are Touran, Shunran, Shuuran and Karan? Did you make them up?

Uh…no. I did not. The members on the panther tribe I did not make up. They were the main villains in the Cat Arch found in the anime but not the manga. They did some things. Pissed off Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. Got their asses kicked and ran home crying. I've changed their personalities to fit my needs and even changed their appearance. Really the only thing that I don't own is their names and their abilities but I even messed with that. So really I do own them. Just not their names. No, you can't have them.

Done!

(AN): Yes I have returned. You may ask what I've been doing all this time. Ask questions, don't be answered, be pissy. (Means I don't really have a reason.)

Sorry! But I'm not really…Finals and life are hard people and my life (as sad is it is) comes before fanfiction and fun. As horrible as that sounds, life stinks then you die. (Hey! I think that was a pretty good reason. Guess I had one after all.)

I thank my beta Hanyou for just being the awesome person that she is! Bow down and beg to be worthy of her greatness!

If you feel you must piss and moan to me about updating or you just have questions about the piece of crap of a fanfiction I insist on feeding you, feel free to do so on the forum I've set up.

Lovingly named, Kitsama's crazy place, feel free to ask questions, be answered and be content.

Or not, I don't really give a shit.

Oh fuck!

Can I get in trouble for saying shit? This is rated 'M' you know. I shouldn't get in trouble for that.

…

Can I get in trouble for that?

Oh yeah…I need quotes people. I've almost run out and I know I'm not the only one who gathers 'em so cough 'em up. I'll give you credit and everything!

Read and Review. No I don't own Inuyasha…Away, far away from here, lives a bleeding maiden. A maiden that bleeds…Chocolate!

Peace peoples…until March!

(Joking people! Don't hurt me.)