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Strangled Time
Chapter 10
Kagome had expected arguments and sparks like she was used to around Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru or Inuyasha and Koga—pretty much Inuyasha and any other alpha male figure that they met along their travels—but that was not the case when Saburo joined her back to their makeshift campsite at the top of the hill. The smith had requested to meet the demon that she was nursing back to health when she told him the truth about Togashimaru. Kagome was hesitant to let the two meet, but, well, the meeting turned out to be downright civil.
Sure, Saburo was as stiff as his topknot that he had fixed into a tightly braided bun on the walk over and Toga was sitting against the wood of the Bone Eater's well like a king on a throne humoring the whims of a peasant—a peasant that could overthrow him in his state of weakness if he turned his back—but all things considered it was a good introduction. Every now and then the two large men kept looking over to the priestess for assurance that they were in safe company. It was actually sort of endearing, seeing their silent pleas for guidance.
Once the pleasantries were out of the way and tea was laid out on a log that Kagome had turned into a makeshift tabletop, Saburo pulled a parcel from his back and placed it in the grass between them. The silver haired demon set his teacup on the lip of the well, picked up the long item and pulled away the purple linen cloth.
"That is only a prototype. One that I had made a few years back just to see if I was capable." Saburo told him. He spoke slowly and enunciated his words, trying not to fall into the slang of his usual speech pattern. He put so much concentration into it that his brows were beginning to knit together. "Depending on your preferences and specifications, I will create a custom blade for you, as per Miss Kagome's order. It will not be perfect, as I am not very experienced with making tachi, but I will try my best to make something to your liking."
Togashimaru inspected the sword in his hands. It was a bit crude, but not necessarily horrible. He ran the pad of his thumb along the sharp edge with a slight frown. "The blade could be thinner—it's a sword, not a butcher's knife. And it could afford a deeper curvature. However, considering the thickness, it has a decent and even weight." With skilled hands, he tossed the sword from one palm to the other and pointed it to study its line. "I would request a longer hilt, to suit my grip. Other than that, your skill is visible. You must have been learning your craft for many years."
The human man looked up from where he was kneeling, hands on thighs, and nodded. "My father had me tending the kiln as soon as I could walk. I've been workin' since I was real young."
"Your father sounds like a diligent teacher, and from your work, a fine craftsman."
In response Saburo bowed. His back and shoulders were tense, probably from the formality of the gesture, or maybe because he was bowing before a powerful demon for the first time in his life, and his dark eyes were trained straight on the ground in front of him. "I could never compare to my father's mastery, but I will work hard to create a suitable weapon for you to wield." He glanced over at Kagome, who had moved to hover over Togashimaru's shoulder to get a better look at the blade he'd made for fun as a samurai idealizing teenager. "For the sake of others, alone."
Gold eyes narrowing, Togashimaru's mouth set to a firm line. He allowed Kagome to take the sword from his hands and he nodded.
"It'll have a scabbard, right?" Kagome asked, interrupting the silent conversation that the men had engaged in without her notice. She stepped over the demon General's lazily splayed knee and offered the sword back to its owner.
Saburo pushed up from the grass to stand and accepted it. "Naturally." He told her while rewrapping the purple cloth and fastening it once more on his back. "This one was made without intendin' to be used, so I never had one made. Don't you worry, I've got a guy. He'll set me up with a nice set; hilt and scabbard."
The priestess laughed. "You have a guy for everything, don't you?"
"Now that's not entirely true." Saburo flashed her a lopsided grin. "But for most things. I have a fairly decent network within the city. They've got my back, should I ever need anything. And you too." He added, quieter. "If there is anything you should ever need, Miss Kagome, don't you hesitate to ask. You know where to find me."
It was a generous promise, one that Kagome didn't quite know how to respond to or why he was even offering it in the first place. She already knew that she could count on him. He always seemed to be able to help her with her odd requests. And he hadn't even batted an eye when she told him about Togashimaru. That was huge in her book.
Then Saburo turned to face the fallen demon and offered him a tight smile. "My Lord Togashimaru," He said before bowing once more. "It was a pleasure meeting you, but I better not overstay my welcome. I need to get started on your sword. It will take some time to finish, but I assure you that it will be my main priority."
"I look forward to its completion."
"Until we meet again."
Saburo paused for only a minute, looking between Kagome and her companion, before seeming to deem his home visit a success and taking his leave. The odd pair watched as he descended the hill back down to the tiny metropolis from whence he came. He gave the priestess one last glance before disappearing from view. Kagome waved after him.
"Well." Kagome started when she and the dog were alone once more. "That went well, I think."
Togashimaru scowled. His gaze didn't waver from the crest of land that had consumed the human smithy when he shook his head.
"I'm not so sure that it did."
...
The day glowed orange, even while the sun was high in the sky. Its rays hit the red and yellow leaves of the changing forest and the resulting glow lit the landscape like the generous glaze of warm watercolor from an artist's brush. Togashimaru admired the scenery from the reflection in his small cup of tea. The girl used strange bags to brew her teas, which kept the drink free from the usual residue that would have normally speckled the bottom of the porcelain like leaves at the bottom of a lake.
There was beauty in its clarity.
If only his mind were so clear from the thoughts that continued to haunt him.
"Do you believe she will be the same?" He asked the steam rising from the large hands that held his cup as delicately as if it were a butterfly.
From where she sat on the lip of the well beside him, Kagome took a sip from her own tea.
"I don't know." She answered him truthfully, her voice just as quiet and forlorn. "Fifteen years is an awful long time for a human."
He sighed and took a sip.
"Then I shall not become overly optimistic."
...
The scrapes on his face and arms were nearly gone, but the wound to his torso looked just as bad as the first day she found him. While that worried Kagome to Timbuktu and back, it didn't stop Togashimaru from getting up and about to try and rebuild his stamina. It started out fine when she was there to act as his second crutch, but the first time the stubborn dog tried to lap the clearing while she was getting them water he passed out before even making it to the trees.
Kagome put a stop to that behavior real quick with a thorough scolding. A scolding that left her red in the face and scared away all the birds in the area. He argued with her on the matter at the time, but they both knew that he was more upset with the failure of his own body than with her.
He should have been healed by then; Kagome knew firsthand the remarkable healing capabilities of demons. She'd seen how quickly it took Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Shippo, and even Kirara to recover from injuries both small and impossibly large. It frustrated the demon that he was not able to go the distance as quickly as he desired, but he ultimately complied and paced himself with smaller goals.
First he would walk from the well to the fire and back, then to the deteriorated foundation, then to the tree line. Each day took him a little bit further. But each day he continued to lose more blood from reopening that cursed wound. The bandages just weren't doing the trick anymore, now that he was mobile. So, after thinking it over, Kagome came to the decision that it was time for her to handle it with a more human method.
She'd only ever done it a few times with Miroku and Sango, but the process was pretty straight forward.
Even so, the thought of having to do it made her nervous.
The bottle of sake that she bought earlier that afternoon sat open on the makeshift bench next to her little teacups, the glass of it catching the glow of the fire. Kagome held her sewing needle in the flames as long as she could stand the heat before dipping it in the alcohol with a sizzle. From that same cup she scooped out a coil of fishing line that she'd placed in it to sterilize. Togashimaru picked up the untouched shot that she'd pored for him to manage the pain while she threaded the eye.
He probably didn't need it as much as Miroku would have, but the demon appreciated the gesture.
Before starting the operation, the priestess snuck a sip of the devastatingly clear liquid for herself, to steady her shaking hands. It tasted like battery acid.
Then she got to work; she carefully pushed the needle through the jaggedly torn flesh and pulled the thread through to the knot at the end. Her fingers were slick with blood before she even finished the first stitch.
Togashimaru hissed with pain.
Kagome froze, panicked. "Are you okay? Should I wait? We don't have to do this tonight!"
The demon snorted. A devious grin formed on his lips that looked so much like Inuyasha's that she didn't bother holding back when she swatted his shoulder, the side that was still clothed. It left a bloody handprint. Yeah, they were probably going to have to retire that yukata and get him another one.
"That's not funny Togashimaru!" She scolded him. "What if I was actually hurting you?"
"Then I would let you know." Togashimaru raised his drink before finishing it off. "This sake is very bad."
"It serves its purpose."
"When we are finished, would you consider purchasing a spirit of higher quality for me to enjoy? I believe plum wine should be in season. I have not enjoyed plum wine in a very long time."
"I'll think about it." Kagome replied with a scowl. "If I can get through these stitches without hearing another peep from your mouth."
"Your generosity and bedside manner is most admirable, young priestess. You are truly a healer of high regard."
She rolled her eyes at his snark, but when she continued her work the tension had lessened in her hand and she found herself able to breathe easier. One by one she laid each stitch smooth and straight.
It was very intentional, that devil-may-care attitude of his, and it was excellently executed. Her nerves cleared like fog from a port on a sunny day.
If only Inuyasha could learn to use his sass as constructively.
...
Kagome flopped down on her bedroll and inched closer to the warmth of the fire.
"I wonder how long it'll take for Saburo to make that katana." She hummed as she added a dry juniper branch to the flames. The needles popped and crackled, sending tiny fireflies of ash on the wind against the black backdrop of the night sky.
"...Katana?" Togashimaru asked, slowly sounding it out. "Are you referring to the sword?"
"Yeah, duh." Kagome poked the campfire a few more times before turning to face him. "Wait. You've never heard of a katana? You're joking, right?"
"It is not a word with which I am familiar."
"Then what are Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga? I thought for sure they were katana."
"They are familial fangs crafted as twin tachi."
"Tachi? Not katana?"
"That is correct."
"Huh." The girl crossed her arms and mused. "Are we in a pre-katana era? Is there a difference?"
Togashimaru abandoned his usual spot against the well and settled in closer to her, not far from the stone circle of their fire pit. He laid his walking stick down beside him. "Would that answer not be in one of your textbooks?"
Kagome scrambled to her knees and scuttled over to the bag at the other end of her cot where she pulled one of the thick, hardbound books that lined the bottom of it and flipped to the index. It didn't take her to long to find what she was looking for.
"Well, if we're around the early 1200s like I think we are, it looks like tachi won't start evolving into katana for like another hundred and fifty years or so. Not until well after the Mongols invade. For humans at least, tachi are more effective on horseback, and katana are better with close combat since they can be drawn quicker. 'Unlike the more modern katana that were worn blade upwards directly in the obi, tachi were hung blade down from a strap at the waist or behind the back." The priestess placed the open book in front of him and pointed to a picture. "I'm almost positive that Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru both wear their swords katana style in their sashes, but sharp side down like tachi. Which makes sense, since they are tachi."
Togashimaru stared blank faced at the black and white print of the katana on the page. "What intelligent swordsman would have their weapon resting blade up?" He mimed unsheathing a sword the way he was accustomed and then again upside down. However, because of the way he needed to twist his wrist to accommodate the change and not thinking to compensate by turning the sheath outward, his imaginary sword came awfully close to his face each time. "Your future samurai must run in packs of noseless fools. They are a disgrace to their ancestors if they are unable to draw their blades quickly in close quarters."
"No, no, no. You're doing it wrong. It's more like swish!" Kagome demonstrated the correct form as best she could remember, pulling the blade from her imaginary sheath out and up in a high arch.
The demon studied the much smaller girl's pose and then moved the placement of his hands to better match hers. "Like... swish?" He tried again.
Kagome gushed. "Yes! Exactly! Swish, like that!"
He cocked a smirk. "Is it necessary to vocalize the 'swish'?"
She blinked a few time before her face lit up with a grin. She chuckled. "Only if you're a true and honorable samurai."
"And the warlords? What of their swish?"
"Oh, no." The priestess shook her head dramatically. "Their swish is already understood and feared by the hearts of their opponents. They don't need to speak it out loud."
"As it should be." The dog demon practically purred. "One of these days I will share with you the might of my implied swish."
His face was so. damn. smug.
Kagome couldn't help but burst out laughing. She laughed up until she cried and Togashimaru joined her with a hearty baritone guffaw of his own. Their ruckus filled the clearing and set dogs barking down in the homes far beyond the hill and forest below them.
The two continued to practice and perfect their swish and other basic sword handling techniques throughout the night until they ran out of extra wood to feed the fire.
End Chapter