"Haruto-san?"
A deep, rolling chuckle, like thunder with no lightening, confirmed her suspicions; the strange youkai seated next to her was the same dragon who had carried her and Koga across the empire on his shining silver wings. His twinkling eyes laughed at her, and she cried, "It is you!"
Forgetting herself, she embraced the now-humanoid dragon before sitting back, taking in his ethereal appearance. Translucent scale patterns ran over his skin, and Kagome leaned in to inspect them, her fingers ghosting over Haruto's bare arms. Even without touching, she felt the heat emanating from him. Haruto sat, permitting her to study him, crossing his long limbs over his chest. Magic swirled in the air around him, drawing the attention of almost every female in the room, distracting them from Inuyasha's rushed arrival.
The prince peered at the infatuated women before complaining , "Hey, Dragon-breath, turn down the charm, I wanna eat here!"
"Inuyasha!" Kagome chided, glaring at the prince.
"To me iss no insult, Kagome-zan," Haruto interjected. His voice gravelly voice held a strange accent, not one she had ever heard before. It was deep, deeper than Inu no Taisho's, and rough like wind in the mountains. She looked to his mouth as he formed his words, his wide lips curiously contorting to push out his words. "I am drragon, and have drragon's breath iss giift," he said, smiling and releasing a small tongue of flame in Inuyasha's direction.
"Show-off," grumbled Inuyasha.
"Quiet, Inuyasha," came Inu no Taisho's reprimand, and the hanyou shifted in irritation, ears laying flat against his head. With a nonverbal cue, the servants began placing piles of food on the table. Extra dishes placed before Haruto revealed large amounts of barely cooked meat, to the dragon-man's delight. Kagome nibbled on her dinner, watching in interest as Haruto consumed everything placed before him. He caught her looking once, her cheeks burning red as she turned to her dinner, hair forming a thick curtain to separate her from the strange being at her side. She squeaked when she felt a clawed hand nudge her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. Staring at the man, she saw the dragon inside, his soul a brilliantly burning pyre that met her gaze head-on.
"What finds you wrong, Kagome-zan?" Haruto murmured, his words half lost to the underlying rumble of his voice.
"Nothing, I just– how do you eat uncooked meat?" She asked quickly, trying not to attract any attention.
Haruto chuckled lowly before answering, "I am drragon, fire, you undairztand?"
"You cook it in your mouth?"
"Yez," he breathed out, hot air stirring the ends of her hair. The corner of her mouth lifted, divulging her amazement.
"Do all dragons breathe fire like you?"
"Not all."
"Can they change into humans?"
"Only ze powerful."
"Why do you eat so much?"
"I am drragon stomach."
"Even in this form?"
"Yez," Haruto said, lifting another piece of meat to his mouth. The meal passed too quickly for Kagome, who reveled in the opportunity to ask the mythical being every possible question to sate her curiosity. When the meal ended, Inu no Taisho rose and nodded once to to Haruto, who rose to his feet without a sound. He seemed to float, his feet not entirely touching the ground as he turned to her and squatted, a strange action to see in such a formal dining hall.
"I muzt now go," he rumbled, his warmth spilling over her, "but I rememberr promise." Pulling a single cosmos flower from his haori, he placed it on the table in front of her. Her eyes clouded before she recalled the day she arrived at the palace and what she had said to Haruto before he had left. Nodding firmly, she lifted the flower to her face, burying her nose in the sweet smell. Haruto left, following Inu no Taisho. I wonder why he was here tonight, but hey, I won't complain, she thought, smiling into the petals. Standing stiffly, she slipped out of the dining hall, ignorant of the many stares and whispers following in her wake.
The next morning, Kagome fell into her routine with Atsuko, an excursion to the baths before returning to her room. The two days of riding had taken their toll on Kagome's body, and she creaked, her bones and joints tight, legs aching in and resisting every motion. Kagome sat as Atsuko tried to pull her hair into compliance but dismissed her attempts with a wave of her hand.
"I think I'll just wear it loose today, Atsuko-chan," she said, and Atsuko nodded. "Why does everything hurt so much," she said, slumping so her head rested on the table.
"You went riding yesterday, right?"
"Yes, but it wasn't this bad before!"
"Your legs are tired, Kagome-san. Perhaps you should rest today?"
"But Sango was going to help me train today!" Kagome whined.
"I am sure Himura-san will understand," Atsuko said, pulling Kagome up so that she could dress.
"Fine, I'll talk to her at breakfast," Kagome grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest as Atsuko finished knotting the obi around her waist.
"Done! Now come on Kagome-san, I'm sure food will lift your spirits!" Her cheery voice brought a begrudging smile to Kagome's face and the two left her room. The fervor from her initial few days had died, and no one moved through the halls save servants. Many of the women slept past the morning meal, while others soaked in the baths or strolled leisurely through the gardens to pass the time. They had been summoned to the palace for the princes to choose from, but so far no one seemed sure how to secure the lauded spot of wife and future empress. One prince was gone, the other completely uninterested and rude. Kagome didn't understand how the Emperor expected his sons to select a bride when they didn't know them, but that didn't mean she couldn't benefit from the resources at the palace and make friends. She also thought it strange that Haruto came in his human form to dinner last night; from what Sango and Koga had said, the dragons kept to themselves, rarely coming to the palace except under the rarest circumstances, and she didn't know what had warranted a visit from the great silver dragon.
Entering the dining hall, she held back a gasp at seeing the elder prince at the head of the table, long hair falling gracefully over his shoulder as he ate. She paused before stepping forward, Atsuko's encouraging eyes lending her bravery.
"May I," – he looked up – "May I sit here?" Kagome asked, gesturing to a space at the table near his.
"Hn."
Taking the prince's acknowledgement as neither an acceptance nor a rejection, Kagome lowered herself, uncomfortably stretching her aching legs. He didn't look at her, so she unabashedly inspected this strange new prince a servant placed food before her. Sesshomaru's hair was lighter and finer than Inuyasha's, falling in a single thick screen. His hands were large, much larger than Inuyasha's, and they held signs of extensive training with both sword and steed. His wrist, at least the one she could see, held two magenta stripes that matched those on hist cheeks. Sitting proud above it all, a crescent moon lay claim over his forehead, dark blue clashing brilliantly against his pale skin.
"If you are quite done staring at this Sesshomaru…" His voice hung in the air, an unspoken invitation for her to stop inspecting him. His golden eyes slid to hers, the heat of his glare only tempered by his disinterest in the woman sharing his table.
"I apologize, I did not mean to offend," Kagome blushed. Her head bowed, waves falling on both sides of her face.
"Hn."
The conversation, however brief it had been, appeared over, so Kagome picked at her breakfast, longing for her mother's cooking. I've forgotten how long I've been gone! She realized quickly that time had escaped her and she did not know how long it had been since she tasted her mother's cooking. Let's see, I left in the late spring, and the journey took a while before Haruto-san showed up¸ and he brought me a cosmos yesterday, so, it should be late summer? So long, I wonder if they still miss me like I long for them, she speculated. She shifted in her seat, a sharp pang running down her leg. At her soft gasp the prince turned his head.
"What is it?" Sesshomaru asked in annoyance.
"Huh?"
"You are in pain, are you not? Why?" His voice held no concern, but Kagome knew he would not accept silence as an answer.
"My legs ache because I went riding yesterday," she admitted.
"There are healers in the palace. Go to them," he said, turning back to his meal.
"I don't think it's that much to worry about, nothing a hot bath can't fix," she joked lightly.
"Then do not complain at the pain."
Her mouth dropped open at his dismissal, but Sango's entrance to the dining hall kept her from telling this prince just how big of a fool he was.
"Sesshomaru-sama, Kagome-chan," Sango greeted brightly, diffusing the tension as she sat beside Kagome. She wore her dark armor, though the giant boomerang was missing from her back.
"Himua," Sesshomaru acknowledged.
"Ohayo Sango-chan," Kagome said cheerily. I guess it's good she came when she did. I don't think this prince will be as forgiving as the other one… Sango sat at her side, servants laying out a meal in front of her.
Silence.
"So, Kagome-chan, have you been practicing?"
"Practicing?" Oh no, what did I forget!
"The maneuver I taught you the other day?" Sango prompted, producing a small tanto from her sleeve.
"Oh! Err… No," Kagome mumbled, cheeks flushing. "And I don't know if I should ride today. I'm still sore from yesterday."
"No worries! We can do something else today," Sango replied as she concealed the knife once more and took another bite of her breakfast. The young samurai thought for a moment before saying, "Perhaps we could visit the dojos and you could watch the practices?"
"That sounds great!"
The two stood, leaving their places at the table. The prince remained, seemingly oblivious to the two women. Kagome followed Sango to the door, sparing one last glance back at the prince eating alone at the table.
"Higurashi."
His soft voice came as a surprise, and she stopped.
"Hai?" Kagome hung back from the doorway, startled by the prince's abrupt call. Soft blue met hot gold, and the prince stood, leaving his breakfast unfinished.
"There are healing springs to the west. If it is a hot bath you desire, they will cure you more than the bath house will."
Eyes wide, she bowed her head and said, "Arigatou, Sesshomaru-sama."
Sango waited in the hall, and Kagome shuffled quickly over to her, her joints creaking in protest to her body's motions. She looked back and saw the silver haired prince walking away from them. As they continued towards the dojos, one thought rung out in her head, clear as a bird's song announcing the morning. He knows my name.
"What did Sesshoumaru-sama want?" Sango asked as they left the palace keep.
"He just gave me some advice for my soreness. Do you know about any springs in the gardens?"
"No, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were some. I think the western gardens were bigger when the first palace was built, but now it's returned to the wild. Koga may know more about that section of the palace grounds than I do though," Sango answered, shrugging her shoulders. The two women stopped at a small barracks, Kagome waiting as Sango retrieved her weapon of choice. With the boomerang secured on Sango's back, their path continued to the dojo, winding through the manicured gardens that separated the palace keep from the practice areas. The clashing and grunting of soldiers wafted over them, followed by the stink of sweat. The men here fought vigorously, already deep within their training rituals despite the early hour. Glancing around, Kagome spotted Koga in the opposite corner of the room surrounded by a ring of soldiers, a dull sword dangling in his grasp. His opponent was pushed out of the ring of soldiers, his silver hair slapping against his back, his own blunt blade clenched in a white-knuckled hand.
"Is that the best you've got, dog-breath?" Koga taunted, twirling his sword. He noticed Kagome from the corner of his eye and gave her a wolfish grin as he advanced on Inuyasha, his sword lifted high. Inuyasha's blade met Koga with a sharp clang. Whirling, Koga attacked Inuyasha's back, knocking the hanyou forward.
"Sloppy, sloppy, Inuyasha," he mocked, looking down at the fallen prince.
"Aaagh!" Inuyasha yelled, jumping up and waving his sword. It met with Koga's once more and the wolf jumped back to the edge of the ring. Kagome watched their battle with eager eyes, catching Inuyasha's as he spun to face Koga again.
"I don't have all day to waste, pup."
"You mangy mutt!"
Their battle continued, the two trading insults as frequently as attacks. Their movements blurred as their movements sped up. From Kagome's view, Koga's skill and speed matched by Inuyasha's brute force. After a few minutes of watching them spar, Kagome wobbled over to where Sango sat waxing her boomerang, a bemused look on her face.
"Do they always fight like that?"
Sango looked up then laughed. Inuyasha lay on the ground again, a silver halo around his head. Koga smirked playfully, winking at Kagome. She turned, hiding her pink cheeks.
"Hai, they always fight like that, more insults than fighting," Sango said with a laugh. She finished wiping Hiraikostu and stood, swinging it over her shoulder. They left the main dojo, though the sounds of men cheering for Inuyasha and Koga followed them into the next room. Both azure and auric eyes followed her form, momentarily ignorant of their sparring partner.
Kagome sat back after practicing with Sango. Her legs protested after so much standing and movement and every inch of her body ached. She moaned, reaching for the pail of water a servant had brought to them. The cool water flowed down her dry throat, and she drained her cup before setting it down.
"You should drink more, Kagome-chan. It will help you feel better?"
"Really?" Kagome asked, already reaching to refill her cup.
"Hai, your body needs to replenish–"
Sango's words cut off as Inuyasha barged through the door. His silver hair was sweaty and his face held a few light scratches, but his haori bore the brunt of his battle with Koga. The fabric
"Hey, what're you doin here? Don't you know this dojo is for soldiers n' guards, not little girls?"
"Kagome-chan, please excuse Inuyasha's lack of manners. It seems I'll have to spend some more time beating them into him," Koga said, appearing over Inuyasha's shoulder. Kagome smiled lightly.
"So there was a winner then?" Kagome asked coyly, her eyebrows raising in amusement.
"Keh, how can you fight and not have a winner, stupid girl," Inuyasha muttered. Koga promptly slapped him upside the head before stepping around him to lean against the wall.
"So, Himura, what're you teaching her?" Koga asked to the samurai who was storing their practice blades.
"I can speak for myself! Sango-chan is teaching me a few tricks, so I can show my otouto when I go home," Kagome huffed, crossing her arms. Inuyasha sniffed, his own arms folding over his chest. Then, he sniffed again, nose pulling his attention to Kagome. Moving closer, he squatted at her side and inhaled deeply.
"Hey, why d'you smell like my brother?" He demanded, eyes burning into Kagome's.
"Eh?"
"His smell is all over you!"
"Calm down, Inuyasha-sama," Sango patronized from across the room. She stood, shouldering Hiraikotsu. "Ssshomaru-sama was at breakfast this morning."
"Wait, that icicle is back?" Inuyasha asked, his ears flattening against his head as his brows drew together.
"I though he was supposed to be gone for at least a week," Koga added, blue eyes lost in thought.
"Regardless, he has returned. Kagome-chan, I am sorry, but I must go train with my regiment now. I'm sure one of these two would gladly escort you back to your rooms," Sango said, nodding her head towards Inuyasha and Koga.
Laughing, Kagome said, "It's no worry, Sango-chan! I think I'll just head to the baths again– I should be fine by dinner!"
Sango smiled and returned to the main dojo, passing Inuyasha and Koga, who looked about ready to fight each other again– this time to decide who would escort Kagome.
"I would be happy to escort you back to your rooms, Kagome-chan," Koga offered, his wolfish grin peeking out.
"Keh, don't you have guards to train? I'll take her back," Inuyasha interjected before Kagome could accept Koga's bid. Inuyasha stepped forward, daring Koga to challenge his authority. Koga looked between the prince and young woman before nodding stiffly to Inuyasha, his lips tight as he exited the room. Inuyasha smirked at him, relishing in his small victory.
"C'mon, Kagome, let's go," Inuyasha said holding his hand out to help her up. She took it, rising with Inuyasha's help. Her legs buckled under her and she fell forward into Inuyasha's chest, his arms supporting her waist. "Hey, what's wrong with you?"
"Forgive me, Inuyasha-sama, my legs," she said, gesturing dismally at her lower appendages, "they are sore from riding to the dragon lands yesterday."
"You baby. It wasn't even that long of a ride."
"Oh yeah? Well I haven't had the pleasure of riding since my childhood, so forgive me for not being used to it!" Kagome snapped.
"Hey, don't get mad at me just because you're hurt," Inuyasha said, ears perked and eyes narrowed as he helped Kagome regain her balance. Leaning against him, they moved slowly to the door. "This is gunna take forever if you keep walking so slow!"
"Do you have a better idea?"
Inuyasha didn't answer, instead grabbing Kagome's arms and swinging her around so she hung off him like a pack. Settling her weight against his back, his set off, running through the dojo and out into the gardens, so fast that no one saw them. The movement took Kagome by surprise, her breath leaving her.
"Huh? What are you doing!" Kagome shrieked.
"Quiet down– At least I'm helping you!" Inuyasha retorted. He leapt through the air, his hair flying back and hitting her in the face, twisting with her own dark locks in the wind. A few jumps later, they landed at the stables and Inuyasha gently set Kagome against a wall.
"Inuyasha, what are we doing here? I thought you were taking me back to my room," Kagome questioned, uncertain what the princeling was doing.
"You're in pain, right?"
"Err.. yes?" She answered uncertainly, watching as he quickly led his grey dappled stallion out of a nearby stall. The steed stamped his hoof impatiently as the prince secured his saddle, practice hands moving deftly across the straps. He stripped off his haori, throwing it on the horse's back behind the saddle before he turned back to the young woman. He looks so different without his haori, she thought, blushing.
"Well, I'm gunna take you somewhere that can help," he said, moving to her side. He easily lifted her, gingerly placing her in the saddle, smiling secretly at her legs dangling off the horse's back. He swung himself onto the pad behind her and kicked his horse into a trot. Kagome bounced in the saddle but didn't fall, Inuyasha's strong arms forming a cage around her form. She leaned back against his chest and closed her eyes. They wove around the gardens before entering the woods, sunlight pouring in through breaks in the foliage.
"Where are we going?" she said.
"There's a spring out in the woods– my family's the only ones who knows about it. It's supposed to be magic or something," he said, steering the horse to the west.
"Is it the same one Sesshomaru-sama talked about?" She asked, voice lost in the thick woods. She peered between the trees, leaning as far as she could without falling off the horse, expecting to see spirits and sprites slipping through the bushes and branches. The forest grew thicker, emerald leaves overhead softening the harsh sunlight.
"Huh? He told you about it?"
"Hai"– she yawned, covering her mouth with her hand– "this morning as I left from breakfast."
"I'm surprised that many words came out of his mouth," Inuyasha muttered, looking away from Kagome; his arms tightened around her, her cage shrinking slightly. They plodded on, making their pathway through the trees. A light breeze curled through the woods, and the prince's pearly hair floated in front of Kagome. Is it as soft as it looks? It played in the wind, the swirling strands taunting her; she leaned away from them, firmly tucking her hands into her lap.
Eyes turning to the forest ahead of them, Kagome said, "Inuyasha-sama–"
"Quit it with the honorifics, will ya?" He interrupted, his words lacking their usual bite.
"Why doesn't Sesshomaru have ears like yours?"
"That jerk? He's a full demon. I'm only half," he grimaced, his ears drooping slightly, "and he takes every chance he can get to rub it in just how superior he is, how much more powerful because he doesn't have human weaknesses like me." Inuyasha shifted behind her, adjusting his grip on the reins as he cleared his throat.
"I'm sorry," Kagome said.
"What're you apologizing for?"
Kagome twisted in the saddle and met his gaze head-on and shrugged, saying, "I have a brother, and I can't imagine not loving him with all my heart." Inuyasha snorted.
"Have you seen that ice prince? I don't even think he has a heart!"
"That's not a nice thing to say about your brother, regardless of how he treats you!"
"Half-brother," Inuyasha scowled.
"Of course, I'm sorry," Kagome said. They rode in silence, Inuyasha leading the horse through the thick trees, while Kagome watched their surroundings in interest. With every copse of trees they passed through, Kagome wondered how Inuyasha knew where they were heading, until Inuyasha pulled the horse to a stop and nimbly dismounted his steed. He pulled her down, setting her on her feet as her grabbed his haori from the charger's broad back. Putting on the haori, he tied the reins to a low-hanging branch before gathering Kagome into his arms.
"We have to go on foot from here," he said the her. He stepped through the forest, feet treading lightly on the mossy ground. For the first time, she realized he didn't wear geta or tabi– his feet were bare. The path descended around a large boulder, disappearing into a thick grove of pines and cedars that stretched into the sky. The air here held an undisturbed aura, and Kagome shivered within the confines of Inuyasha's arms. The prince ducked through the line of a trees and Kagome caught sight of the spring, nestled underneath a rocky outcropping, large boulders encasing the steaming pool. Kagome slipped from Inuyasha's grasp, stumbling the few steps to the spring's edge.
Turning her head back to Inuyasha, her eyes glittered as she cried happily, "Inuyasha, this is so amazing!" Tossing aside her tabi, she skittered over to the spring's edge and sat on one of the rocks, her feet dangling into the scalding waters. "Do you think I could soak in the waters for while?" She asked, eyes filled with hope.
"If it's not too hot for you," he taunted before he froze. His brows furrowed and his ears perked up and he squawked, "Wait, you want to do what?"
"Soak in the spring, it's supposed to help with healing right?"
"Well, yeah but –"
"And my feet aren't the sorest part of me," Kagome continued, ignoring the hanyou's protestations.
"Yeah, but –"
"And we're so far away from the palace I doubt anyone will see me out here," she added, batting her eyelashes and smiling sweetly at Inuyasha.
"Hold on, you can't just take a bath in the woods!"
"Why not?" she asked, hands rising to her hips as she faced him.
"Well, because… because it ain't proper, that's why," he said, his cheeks flushing darkly.
"Because you're here right? Well, go wait by the trees, I won't be long. I just want to feel better so Sango and I can ride back to the dragon lands tomorrow," Kagome said, shooing Inuyasha away with her hand. "And don't you even think about looking!"
Inuyasha sulked over to the path and squatted down, obscured by the trees and bushes. Satisfied that she would have privacy, Kagome stripped of her hakama and simple kimono and laid them gently on a rock close to the water. She slipped in to the water, barely creating a ripple, and closed her eyes. The water stung her skin, and the aura in the rocky clearing shifted. It felt brighter now, even though the pond was obscured from the sun by the giant pines, and sharper, like the air had lost all impurities. All that remained was the energy swirling in the pool, digging into her body, into her soul, cleansing and purging all it came across. When she opened her eyes, it was as if no time had passed, and yet, her body felt strong and stable, as if the pain from riding had never existed. Grinning, she rose from the spring, water dripping down her form as she wrapped herself in her kimono. Donning her hakama and sliding on her tabi, she made her way over to where Inuyasha had been.
She found him perched high in a tree, one leg hanging off the branch he sat on, staring listlessly into the woods.
"Inuyasha, I'm done!"
"Already? You were only in there for a few minutes," he said, leaping down from his roost.
"I guess that's all I needed," Kagome said with a smirk. They left the spring, Kagome walking freely once more.
Thanks for reading! Please review (:
-homestyler
