Little Bird

Chapter 3 : Silver Warrior

Disclaimer : Inuyasha is copyright to Rumiko Takahashi and all affiliated distributors.

Last Chapter:

"Look at me," the voice demanded smoothly, "my little bird.." it whispered. What felt like spider hairs rubbed up her arms again. "My little jewel."

This was all a dream. It had to be! Kagome counted one more time, one, two; she pulled her arms down for three when a shadowed figure with glowing red eyes rushed at her from above, it's yellow teeth gnashing as it swept down with a guttural roar, "LOOK AT ME!"

With a shrill scream, Kagome bolted up from her futon and almost knocked the dying gas lantern across her floor. Hyperventilating, she looked around her room, dark wisps of smoke rolled off her legs and dissipated out the edges of the doors. Frantic, she rushed off her futon, turned to the shoji screens and unlocked them with shaking hands, bolting into the courtyard garden bathed in moonlight to escape her haunted new home.

~- LB -~

Kagome made a mad dash that night to the garden in the center of her grandfather's estate, her legs pounding on the dirt, breaths leaving her in a rush. She ran blindly with no destination, desperate to escape the confines of her room where the chilling voice had assaulted her.

The Japanese garden curled around her with intricate turns and paths, sculpted bushes and pearlescent statues rose from the ground as she dodge madly around them, winding around koi ponds and curved bridges. After the quick burst, her adrenaline suddenly crashed, and she felt herself collapse to the ground with exhaustion, her body sliding down a looming silver statue as she fought to catch her breath.

Everything terrified her: the darkness, the silence, the loneliness, that… that voice.

She slumped down to the damp ground and lay her head back on whatever statue she may have come across, her lids opening and staring at the night sky, glittering like diamonds. They shone endlessly, and she watched them, willing the sight to calm her. Maybe, maybe her family was up there; her brother, father, and mother. She choked back the tears that threatened to drown her. In a matter of moments, they had all been stolen from her. Their lives, gone... in a blink of an eye.

A sudden wave of heaviness washed over her, the sadness of her family gone shrouding her in a grief she had never known.

Kagome released a shuddering breath, completely and utterly heartbroken, scared, and alone. The pain in her chest consumed her, a sudden sob left her lips as tears streamed down her cheeks. How on Earth would she ever be able to go on without them? Fate was cruel, she decided as another sob left her and she rubbed at her face with her forearm roughly.

Her family was gone, and she was left stuck with her grandpa in his massive estate which was very convincingly haunted. Either that, or she was pretty much losing her mind. But, she adjusted her position against the statue as she thought, it had felt so real; those glowing red eyes, the yellow teeth, that deep sinewy voice, she had even seen remnants of smoke leave her room.

There was no way she was going back in there, she decided. Uncomfortable, she sat up and turned to look back at the statue which had been digging uncomfortably into her back.

A sharp breath, and she was caught speechless. Her stormy eyes went round at the sight of the magnificent silver creation before her. The strong build of a man stood six feet tall above her, billowing pants etched in stone, haori sleeves arched in an elegant wave around its body, long silver hair almost seemed to blow into the night. An incredibly massive sword was swung over its shoulder. Two curves of armor with jagged spikes protected the other.

Kagome staggered to her feet in awe and took a step towards it, taking in the sharp features of its face. The handsomely tense jaw, the pointed curve of its nose, the furrowed brow. And was that a fang she saw there?

What the hell?

She took a step back as she thought. She couldn't ever remember seeing this statue before. Not once in her young life. It almost looked like a real man. The eyes were so expressive and angry. And, were those… claws around the sword's hilt?

Kagome rubbed her arms to comfort herself and keep away the slight chill of the night. The moon shone down on the statue which she swore was stone, but then marble, and then shone silver against the dark backdrop of the garden. It seemed to glow almost ethereally in the night.

A moment passed as she gaped at the majestic creation. It looked fearless, almost heroic; a leg was bent at its side, its naked foot stooped on a naturally formed rock that jutted out of the damp grass. It was a stance ready for battle.

After finally collecting herself and closing her gaping jaw, Kagome cleared her throat; a bit embarrassed at herself for ogling something that wasn't even real. She made to turn when a pointed angle jutting from the statue's head shone an almost painful silver light into her eye.

That's it, she decided, her heart skipping a beat, she was officially losing it.

Yet, even with that thought, she stepped impossibly close to the statue. She pushed herself onto her tippy toes, brushed up the statue's torso and leaned over it, lifting an arm and stretching it as far as she could to press her thumb, index, and middle finger softly around its doglike ears. The warmth that seeped into her skin from the contact shocked her. As a matter of fact, as she slipped her thumb softly up the incredibly detailed fur ridge, she swore heat was radiating through the statues' clothes straight into hers as well.

The silver figure absolutely radiated heat in the middle of the cool night.

Before Kagome could give it further thought, she swore she felt it rumble against her, from the tips of its ears all the way down its chest, and she drew back stunned. Was that, was that a growl?

Bewildered, she gaped at the man, no, creature, from a safer distance.

Yup, she was mad. Completely and utterly crazy. In that instance, his face seemed almost too real to her, the anger etched on it palpable to her senses. It's lips curved down in a deep frown.

Kagome cleared her throat, looking around her nervously. The sound had stopped. Maybe… maybe it was a little earthquake? She eyed the koi pond behind the statue, it's water calm, not a ripple shone in the darkness. She lifted her hands and brushed her hair back in frustration. Grandpa's Shiro was driving her crazy. The inside was haunted, and now maybe so was his garden. She looked back nervously, surprised to have a direct line of site to her room. The screens were still pulled open, it's darkness promising horrors she wanted no part of.

Nope! Nope, nope, nope! She was not going back in there. Even if it was cold outside.

She turned back to the handsome statue as she contemplated. Kagome took a tentative step towards it, nervous that it would somehow come alive with a flurry of growls. She reached out slim fingers and spread them over it's chiseled chest, feeling the warmth radiate off it again. So strange, she thought.

The growling did not return. So she made up her resolve and slid down it's length, cocooning herself between it's billowing pants and closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around herself and leaning her head on it's leg. She'd rather sleep out here she decided. Surprised at how warm she was becoming, the comforting temperature and the sounds of the night lulling her to sleep.

~- LB -~

(A/N)

Enter Inuyasha! Thank you for reading! This will be a multi chapter fic, longer than I previously planned. Not sure how long just yet. Please review!