The Call

~ Kitty

Chapter 10: The stone-age children

…

"Sorrow carves riverbeds in our soul, deepening us as it flows in and out of our lives."

― Francis Weller

After a time in the wilderness, there is a shift in mindframe that occurs. Social consciousness and inhibitions give way to practical necessity. So it wasn't for modesty's sake that Kagome carefully picked her way through the prickly bushes and sharp edged grass. Well, perhaps for just a little bit of modesty. Finding the perfect spot takes experience and practice. It wasn't just a simple search for a screen of foliage a specific distance away from the water source. If the ground was hard, she would not be able to dig a deep enough cathole. If the ground was uneven, she risked losing her balance and tipping over. Beside a fallen tree was good, perhaps near some stones, in order to build up a cairn to signal others to steer clear. And even after she located a satisfactory location, there was still some work to do. In a remote location like the backcountry of Alaska, it wasn't quite as necessary to dig a deep hole. But there were bushes and grasses to be dealt with, and Kagome hastily stomped down a small clearing. The first time she'd gone out on this particular bodily mission, a slender green blade of grass promptly made its protests known and she nearly fell over herself in reaction to the startling sensation. Now wiser, she carefully assessed her surroundings, grabbed hold of a nearby branch, and squatted down to commit the deed. Birds twittered overhead, winds whispered through the trees, and the sunlight cast warm, gentle rays across her bare bottom. While she certainly missed flushable toilets, she had to admit the scenery and ambience of the wilderness bathroom was difficult to top.

A crashing and thrashing preceded her return to camp and Inuyasha glanced up, raising his eyebrows to note her sour expression. The morning light highlighted her hair with gold and the tall grasses and bushes around her swayed as they gave way to her legs as she passed them. Despite the beauty in her surroundings, she walked stiffly, a grimace pinching her face. Sango apparently noticed as well and smirked as she voiced her mocking concern.

"Pipes clogged up?"

Kagome sputtered before she could manage a reply. "Ew, no!" she exclaimed, "Gross, Sango!"

Sango just shrugged, biting back a chuckle. "What's the problem then?"

Kagome's grimace deepened and she squirmed, adjusting her pants. "There were a lot of mosquitos out there, I swear everything feels itchy now!"

Now it was Sango's turn to make a face, quickly reaching for the bug spray and dousing herself. Miroku watched with a dubious expression.

"It may not last that long," he said, indicating to the repellent, "The water will probably wash it off your legs as soon as we get onto the river."

Groaning, Sango squirted some more of the solution onto her face and arms, determined to wage chemical warfare on the little sucking insects, no matter the cost. Kagome continued making a pinched expression, adjusting the fabric of her pants, until suddenly, she exclaimed.

"Fuck! I have a bite on my butt!"

There was nothing in the world that could have prevented Inuyasha's guffaw, though he did try admirably to hold it back, resulting in the first rush of air to blow out his nose. The combined visual of Kagome's uncomfortable, disgusted expression, her lips curling up while her brows frowned down, and her loud declaration drew out a fit of uncontrollable chortles and gasps and before he knew it, he was belly laughing, clutching his stomach as his abs burned and his eyes teared. Miroku nearly dropped his water pump into the river, the unprecedented occasion of Inuyasha heaving any more than a short, stunted chuckle caught him completely off guard, stunned to see his notoriously impassive friend so incopacitated by laughter.

Kagome, in the meantime, was in no mood to humor the mountain hermit and shot him a narrow eyed glare that promised revenge, before swiping the coffee mug from his hands and downing the hot beverage. He surrendered his drink easily, hands lax as his arms braced his sides.

"It's not that funny!" She complained grouchily. Her grumpy expression slipped a bit as his chuckles diminished and he looked at her, a grin stretching from ear to ear. His smile was roguish and his eyes were bright and he managed to yet again root her to the ground as she took in his handsome face beaming at her.

"Yeah," he responded, "It kinda is."

Then he broke the spell by reaching a wide, gentle hand to plop heavily on the top of her head, tossling her hair.

"Aw, hey!" She cried in protest, "You're gonna tangle it!"

In the background, Miroku was desperately holding himself back, his pesky, mischievous side itching to jump in and draw attention to Inuyasha's uncharacteristic behavior. His other side was fighting a losing battle, barely containing his little figurative internal devil. But there was a warm tingling feeling in the back of his mind, finding the interaction between these two endearing and generating a protective impulse within him, wanting to see it grow. He glanced over to his fiancé and winked, observing her similar look of someone on the verge of teasing the budding couple. Eventually, the group broke down camp and packed up the rafts. Kagome claimed the back seat again, eager to practice the skills she'd learned yesterday in steering the boat. It wasn't long before the colorful floating rafts were in the water and being paddled down toward the Alatna.

…

Life on the river, now that it had calmed into a wide, lumbering highway, was relaxed, lazy even. The stretches of calm were more and more frequent as they floated down the wide, flat valley. Rather than crashes and roars, the river giggled and trickled as it tripped its way over the smooth stones and around slowly arching bends. Occasionally, the shallows would rise up to beach them and then it was a period of huffing and pushing to get back to a floatable depth. Kagome would squirm every time they reseated themselves and Inuyasha would let out a chuckle to himself, even as she reached forward to give his shoulder a firm whack.

Her steering was getting better and the river was tired now, lumbering slower and slower to the sea. Kagome experimented, turning the boat this way and that, spinning full circles as she worked to get a feel for the raft's dynamics.

"Oy! Quit it!" Inuyasha practically growled, one hand releasing his paddle to steady himself against the sides of the raft. The centripetal force she was managing to generate gave even him a hard time staying upright.

"Wheee!" Her voice chirped from behind him, "This is fun!"

"Fucking wench!"

The boat abruptly stopped spinning, throwing him to the other side. His head spun as he tried to turn and glower at her, succeeding in a comical, cross eyed glare.

Kagome, slightly dizzy herself, glanced beyond Inuyasha and smirked.

"Call me 'wench' again," she said, "I dare you!"

"Damn fucking wench," he growled, not even pausing to draw breath. If only he could hold a straight line of sight, he would have seen the most evil grin Kagome could manage spread across her face as she dipped her paddle deep into the water. She leveraged the paddle shaft against her body to cause the front of the raft to swerve suddenly to one side, and straight into a heavily leaning spruce tree, letting loose a showering of needles into the boat and down Inuyasha's shirt.

"Gyah!" He shouted, raising his hands to the nape of his neck. It was too late and he gingerly plucked at the itchy little leaves the best he could. Kagome was chortling gleefully to herself behind him. So she's a prankster, huh? Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and renewed his grip on his paddle.

Despite Kagome's position at the rear of the boat giving her a greater control, there was nothing her slim arms could do to out-muscle him as he buried his paddle in the water, swinging the boat around to give her a dusting of conifer needles to match his.

"Aaagh!"

He graced her with a wide, cocky smirk that only broadened when she looked up to pout at him.

"Butt-head!" She said, reaching up uncomfortably to attempt to brush the sticky needles off her damp skin and tangled hair.

"You started it," he countered, shifting in the boat to face her before sinking down into a comfortable seat.

"Fart-face!"

"Heh, you're a creative one."

"Pooper!"

"I am that. You are too."

"I hope a mosquito bites your dick!"

Inuyasha snorted, his eyebrows disappearing behind his bangs. He managed to quell his urge to laugh long enough to send back another retort.

"Now you're just being vulgar."

A short distance away, a pair of eyes were puzzled as they witnessed the shenanigans of their friends.

"What on earth are they doing?" Sango asked, shaking her head.

"Heads up!" Miroku called before diving to the side to narrowly miss another tree.

Sango was at the helm this morning and between the new position and her preoccupation with her best friend and her fiance's grumpy one on the raft next over, it was a constant barrage of boat meeting tree for Miroku and his head was slowly coming to resemble the forest floor.

"Dearest and love of my life," he said, his voice clearly betraying how much he'd like to throttle her at that moment, "For the love of God or Zeus or whoever it is up there, please focus on the raft!"

Sango blinked, glancing at him as though just realizing he was there and rolled her eyes, shrugging.

"I'm getting the hang of it," she insisted, redirecting the boat back to the center of the stream to avoid any more run ins with the grasping, snagging trees. She picked at her hair at the base of her neck, plucking out yet another spruce needle and flicking it into the water.

"Of course you are, dear," Miroku answered sarcastically. Behind him, he heard Sango harrumph before a splatter of water landed on his head.

"Sango!" he yelled, spinning around. Sango was the picture of innocence, her sharp eyes focused and carefully watching the water, her back straight and proud. He groaned, dropping his head before looking up again to ogle her. She was an unconscious beauty, her movements graceful and elegant no matter what she did. It was the first thing that had caught his attention when they first met.

"What are you smiling at?" her voice asked, accusingly. He glanced up from his perusal of her body to grin wolfishly at her. Her eyes were narrowed with suspicion, despite the hint of a smile on her lips.

"Just deciding which part of you I'm going to lavish first when we get back," he said, winking

Now, Sango groaned, rolling her eyes and looking away. He caught the hint of red in her cheeks, though, and laughed. Her shy embarrassment for being noticed was a charm he only learned of later, when his overt advances were rebuffed and shirked and only served to draw him in more. He hadn't been aware that he had such a weakness in his pursuit of the female gender. It was an Achilles heel that obliterated his interest in other dalliances. His smile turned goofy on his face and he turned to refocus on the river. Paddling became more of a necessity as the river flow slowed further still and soon all paddlers were periodically shaking out numb hands and stretching stiff shoulders and finally decided to pull over for a breather on a lovely stretch of sun kissed gravel bed.

…

"So, have you figured out what you're gonna do after we get back?"

Kagome glanced up, her hands twisted together as she stretched out her wrists and palms. Her fingers tingled and her palms were numb and it was not looking good for the next three days if she felt this achy in her hands now. She sighed and dropped them into her lap.

"Back to Fairbanks? Or back to the lower forty eight?"

Sango shrugged, tossing the wrapper of her granola bar lunch into the fire, "Both I guess. You're staying an extra day in Fairbanks right? Why not check out Denali?"

Kagome frowned, considering the thought. "How far away is that? I'd have to rent a car right?"

"I think so," Miroku piped in, stirring the fading embers in their fire. "How far is it, Inuyasha?"

"Why do you think I'd know?"

"Cause you worked around there for a bit," Miroku said, giving him a deadpan look. Inuyasha seemed surprised but Miroku shrugged.

"Perks of being in digital forensics," he said, "I can snoop on my friends."

"Illegally," Inuyasha muttered, "Fucker."

"Hey, Myouga was desperate to find you and filed a missing person report," Miroku said, raising his hands in mock defence, "It was totally legal!"

Grunt.

Kagome glanced back and forth between Inuyasha and Miroku with obvious curiosity before looking to Sango to gauge her reaction. Sango only looked bored.

"So…," Kagome asked, cutting the building tension, "What were you doing in Denali?"

Inuyasha was hard pressed to let go of his current bone with Miroku but he glanced at Kagome and answered.

"Worked at a sled dog kennel," he answered. Kagome's face instantly lit up, excitement swelling like a wave before it breaks.

"Sled dogs!" she exclaimed, sitting up and leaning in. Her entire body was electrified and even her hair appeared to stand up. "That's awesome! At the park?"

It was so hard to hold back his smile at seeing the enthusiasm radiating off of her in waves. He rubbed his chin to hide the smirk as he answered her. "Nah, Jeff King's kennel, he's an Iditorod winner, I worked there."

"Do they do tours? Can I visit! How long does it take to get there?"

Sango was laughing and shaking her head, familiar with her friend's passion for all things soft and furry. Inuyasha found himself leaning backwards away from the barrage of questions and her wide looming eyes as she continued to lean in closer. With her bright, grinning face taking up his entire field of vision, he suddenly found himself scrambling for words.

"Uh, yes?"

Kagome was practically bouncing. "Well? How far is it? Can I get there and back in one day?"

"Yes?"

"Ok, I'm going," Kagome declared, punching the air for emphasis, "Help me look it up when we get back, ok?"

"Uh," Inuyasha stuttered, still adjusting to the beaming joy emanating from her very pores, "Yes?"

The fire had burned down to just a few embers and that was the signal that it was time to pile back into the rafts. The sun was hampered by scattered clouds and so they teetered between too hot, and too cold for the rest of the afternoon. The air at their level was still and without the sound of rushing white water, it seemed almost too silent. The occasional bird twittered here or there, and the gentle slapping of the river against the side of the hollow raft tubes beat out a soft rhythm. In front of her, Inuyasha rummaged around with something in his lap before turning to hand her a water bottle.

"Hydrate," he said, tone definitive, like a command. Kagome quirked an eyebrow at the order.

"Yes, mom," she said, teasingly, even as she accepted the offer.

Snort.

"So, what did you do at the sled dog place?" she asked the back of his head, "Did you race?"

He glanced back at her, finally letting out a chuckle and shaking his head.

"Nah, I was bottom man on the totem pole," he said, "Just fed them and cleaned the shit."

"But you were with puppies all day!"

Inuyasha shrugged and grunted.

"Was working at a dog kennel a bucket list item or something?" Kagome asked suddenly, after a brief silence.

Inuyasha frowned, glancing over his shoulder.

"Why d'you ask that?"

Kagome pursed her lips together as she considered her response. It was a beautiful day, with happy, fluffy clouds and a clear blue sky. She didn't want to bring proverbial grey clouds on such a lovely day.

"Just… Just curious," she tried, "Was there no particular reason you worked there?"

"It paid," he said, "And I needed money."

Kagome frowned, her brain piecing the bits and pieces together.

"So," she said hesitantly, "you never reconciled with your father's family?"

Inuyasha paused in his paddling, taking a breath and sighing. Unconsciously, Kagome held her breath, worried he would refuse to answer.

"My brother contacted me when I got into college," he said, "apparently my SAT scores got some attention."

"Huh," Kagome said, "didn't realize I'm traveling with a Neanderthal genius."

In front of her, Inuyasha snorted.

"So… what about now?" She continued to press, "are you still in touch with your brother?"

His dark head rolled to the side as he heaved a sigh. With an exaggerated motion that tipped and rocked the raft, causing Kagome to shriek and brace herself, he spun around on his seat to face her.

"You are really nosy," he said, fixing her with a deadpan glare. At first, Kagome panicked, worried the wall of ice would rise again between them. Then she took a closer look at his face, the teasing in his eyes, and narrowed hers.

"Well," she huffed, "I was just trying to make conversation."

He grunted, hoisting his legs into a more comfortable position and resting his arms on his knees. "Well then," he said, "Have you found what you're looking for out here?"

At this, Kagome blinked, surprised by the turn around in subject.

"What… what do you mean?"

"Everyone comes out here searching for something," he said, "Have you found it?"

He watched her as she frowned, her brows bunching together as she earnestly contemplated his question. And then, something wistful was added to her expression as she glanced around them, at the valley, the mountains, the sky. The river rocked them like a cradle and the motion was soothing as she leaned back, reflecting on the trip, the toils and the memories. She chewed her lip pensively and he stayed silent as he watched her. Her paddle lay idle in her lap and her fingers fidgeted with her nails. His eyes had always found her mesmerizing, since the first moment he was able to see past Kikyou's ghost and find Kagome. Playful, bright, sunny. There was something magnetic in the way she wore her thoughts and emotions on her sleeve. But in the past several days, he hadn't quite studied her the way he did now. The furrow in her forehead that deepened as she continued to ponder his question. The way her lips parted and closed, as if she were speaking to herself. Her eyes searched their surroundings, seeking out the refuge of the wilderness that they were all seeking. Suddenly, he found her mysterious, alluring, and he found himself aching to know what she was thinking. At long last, her gaze landed on him and her eyes smiled into his.

"I don't know," she said, smiling sheepishly, "I honestly don't know what I was looking for in the first place."

They sat for several breaths, glancing at each other, then glancing down and around, then sneaking a glance at each other again. Eventually, Kagome chuckled, reaching up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. His eyes followed the movement with rapt attention, observing the collection of spruce needles entangled in her braids, drawing a short chuckle from his own lungs.

"I… I needed a break," she finally admitted. Her expression changed as she turned inward and Inuyasha allowed himself to study her face as she continued.

"We spend all our school years being groomed for the rat race," she said, her eyes distant as she mused aloud, "And after joining it, you realize it's empty. My work is empty, my apartment is empty. I feel like I'm not really connected with anybody. Maybe I'm romanticizing it, but it feels like there's something in my monkey brain with a memory of a different way of life and that's what's calling to me."

He watched her take a long deep breath through her nose, her eyes drawing closed as though to concentrate on the scent of the forest as she pulled it inside of herself. When she opened them again, her brown irises deep and sparkling, gazing beyond him at the mountainous horizon.

"Life back home's too fast, our goals and pursuits are too abstract," she said, almost a whisper, her lips twisting a little as she frowned, "And what do you do when you achieve them? I'm financially independent now, I can help support my mom. But now as I look back on it all, it suddenly feels so pointless."

Kagome blinked and looked up, meeting his eyes before immediately dropping them to her lap, her cheeks flushing. Raising an awkward hand to her neck, she laughed at herself. "Well that's depression," she tried to joke, "I'm probably just being greedy. Maybe I'm asking for too much by wanting more than an endless pursuit of money."

Bashfully, she peeked at him through her lashes, bracing herself for the look of bafflement she was sure he'd have. She was relieved to see that his expression was thoughtful, chewing over her words and testing them. Then he blinked and met her eyes.

"It's not greedy to want to be happy," he told her. Kagome smile at him, relieved to hear him validate her clumsily expressed introspection.

"Did you…," she asked slowly, breaking the silence, "Did you ever find what you came out here for?"

"No," he said, his voice rising without hesitation. Inside, he was startled, surprised that his subconscious already had an answer to that question. He looked at her, saw her bright, curious eyes. It was a wonder that he felt compelled to share this revelation with her, despite his usual reluctance to even recognize these thoughts within himself.

"I was never looking for anything," he said, his eyes downcast, his face solemn, "I was running away."

"What from?"

Inuyasha snorted, then chuckled, shaking his head. A shadow seemed to flicker across his face, quickly pushed aside through no small effort.

"That's private, nosy one," he said. Her brow furrowed with obvious concern and when he spotted it, he forced a lopsided smile onto his face. Kagome didn't look convinced so he reached out to plop a hand atop her head, ruffling her hair until she pouted and complained in protest. Retracting his assault on her head, he sighed, and turned around, resuming his long powerful strokes as he propelled their raft forward to catch up with Miroku and Sango. Kagome followed his lead, noting just how far they'd fallen behind. She stared at his back for a time, disappointed by his denial of information, but relieved by the way he'd avoided the subject. It had the atmosphere of an intimate exchange and she felt closer to him for it. A peaceful silence stretched between them, one filled with splashing paddles and long, even strokes. She felt her heart beating in time with her breathing and together they beat out a rhythm for her arms to follow. She matched his paddling easily and their raft leapt forward with each stroke. Together, in smooth harmony.

She didn't know how long they're been paddling, just long enough for her arms to begin to tire, when she paused for breath and glanced around. Inuyasha heard her gasp behind him, and he looked up to find out what had caused her surprise.

They'd floated into a wide, desolate burn area, with the skeletons of trees still reaching lifelessly for the sky. And yet, it was a scene of life, for amidst the charred remains of the forest, a blanket of vibrant pink swayed and bobbed in the breeze, waving at them cheerfully from the shore. The flowers were not foreign to her eyes, they were present in small bunches during their overland trek, but to witness its brilliance at full strength was another thing entirely.

"Fireweed," he said over his shoulder, "it makes good jam."

"You can eat it?" She asked, incredulous.

"Yup."

Ahead of them, Inuyasha could hear Miroku's BBC Planet Earth narrator's voice giving Sango the full details of the flower, it's status as a pioneer species, and it's role in repopulating after a forest fire. He stifled a snort and rolled his eyes, returning to the task of paddling the raft.

It was eerie, floating past the desolate, gnarled branches of the dead trees. The slender stalks of fireweed flowers bobbed and swayed like a living fire. And when the sun dipped closer to the horizon, it tinted the pinks of the fireweed to redder hue and Kagome couldn't help but imagine the scene. Licking, flickering flames eating up the underbrush and gnawing at the tough, fire resistant bark of the spruce and pine. The roar of the fire, the cry of the trees as they cracked and splintered. She blinked, and sighed, marveling at how quickly life could bounce back. And then, a slender, lonely shape rose into the clear, blue sky, dark and elegant with wide, powerful wings. A sharp piercing call echoed across the valley and all four rafters set down their paddles briefly, absorbing the serenity of the scene and feeling the call resonate down to their bones. The hawk called again and another winged shape rose up to meet it. They danced as two aerial masters, high overhead, in smooth, graceful arcs. The sunlight, fiery and golden, traced their outlines. As though oblivious to their audience, they flirted with each other, drifting close, feinting, then parting, their wing beats strong and confident. They glided overhead for a minute, maybe two, before drifting toward the distant mountains and out of sight.

Inuyasha glanced back at Kagome, curious for her reaction, eager to absorb her awe. The yearning on her face surprised him. She had a wistful expression this time, filled with something sad and forlorn. And a loneliness, as if she felt it keenly, the loss of the grace and beauty in the birds' skyborn performance as they abandoned the flightless humans for a greater and more mysterious beyond.

A/N: so this is kind of funny. Since writing forever home, I've gotten so used to a non-speaking Inuyasha that I feel so stuck trying to write a conversation between the two of them :P dunno what to do with this talkative Inuyasha. Hope it sounds somewhat natural… hahaha