A/N: hokay… so first of all, super duper sorry for how damn long this chapter took. Between holidays and work, it's been absolutely nuts. Secondly, i just started watching the Witcher on netflix and i swear, geralt somehow looks exactly like how I'd imagine an older live action Inuyasha to look like (minus the fact that geralt's not Asian). Anyone else see it? No? Just me? I desperately need to see fanart/photoshop of doggy ears on geralt's head. (The live action show, not the games)

Anywho, on with the call…

The Call

~ Kitty

Chapter 14: Paths that lead home

…

"Wander a whole summer if you can...time will not be taken from the sum of your life. Instead of shortening, it will definitely lengthen it and make you truly immortal."

― John Muir

Kagome was wide awake and clear headed when she opened her eyes the next morning. The noises of the forest and river filtered into her mind absently, natural sounds that had gradually become part of her normal experience and her brain easily filtered through them. She couldn't identify what exactly had woken her and she lay quietly, stretching her senses as though casting a net. No strange sounds from outside, no overly bright sun rays penetrating the tent fabric. There was no stimulus she could detect that could explain her sudden snap to wakefulness.

And then a body shifted beside her and Kagome practically leapt out of her sleeping bag. An entire army of tingles ran up her arm like an electric shock and she suddenly realized what her subconscious had been trying to tell her. Her numb hand and fingers practically sizzled as she tried to move them. Spending the night pressed close together inside constricting sleeping bags and against firm ground had its downsides and Kagome was deeply regretting it as she struggled to extract the tingling arm.

Essential body part rescued, Kagome breathed a sigh and slowly her mind drifted as she waited for her nerves to finish reviving in the numb appendage. The man beside her shifted again, a sigh of a groan slipping from him, and she carefully rolled over to examine her tentmate.

What a ride it has been, she thought to herself as she took in the lines and contours of his face. His brows were thick and rested heavily above his eyes. His face was lax, the harsh, angular lines smoothed down by sleep and the hazy sunlight. His face was angled towards her, his arm pressing against a lean cheek and parting his lips. Kagome gazed at him for a moment, finding something both endearing and appealing about this hardened mountain man laying beside her, vulnerable and unguarded. She found herself inching forward, a slow, slender hand reaching over to carefully trace the line of his cheekbone before descending down to the corner of his mouth. The brush of his stubble scratched against the flesh of her fingertips. Kagome felt her lips twist as she tried to stifle a giggle, enjoying the ticklish sensation. Then her wandering fingers crept to the edge of his lips, her expression turning distant and reflective. What an allusive smile, those lips carried. In the relaxed state of sleep, they curved in smooth graceful lines like an archer's bow, full and soft despite the tangled forest of facial hair growing protectively around it. She remembered these lips when she first met him two weeks ago. They had been tight, thinly pressed together over a tense jaw. The eyes they sat under were hard and mean, but her memory colored them in softer shades now that she knew the sadness and pain that lay behind them.

Memory and perception was a funny thing. Prior to setting off on their adventure, Inuyasha had loomed in her mind like a cranky, sharptoothed demon. The form he took inside her head was hunched and boorish, somehow repulsive despite his naturally handsome face, his behavior and her resulting impression of his had imprinted the image of a sort of touchy human monster.

Kagome reflected on the moment this mental image was wiped clean away and couldn't stifle a huff of laughter. She'd never felt the blood drain from her face so fast that night when she charged into his hotel room unannounced. The surprising sight of his chiseled naked body, lean and muscular, quite frankly demolished all her prior developing first impressions and helped her start off on a clean foot with him, and despite the embarrassing encounter, she was glad for it. His transformation in her eyes happened quickly after that. Solidity was perhaps the first real trait she noticed of him. He was like a tree, deeply rooted and uniquely strong and stable with rugged demands of his habitat. He stood tall in her eyes, then, and wide, with calloused hands and a firm grip.

And then he morphed yet again before her eyes, from unapproachable, distant forest creature to something much, much closer to her heart. He let his vulnerability show through slowly, in bits and pieces, and even now, she knew she didn't have a complete picture. But the part of the whole that was painted had endeared him in her heart and that was perhaps the selfish, yearning reason she'd suggested for him to return to life the lower forty eight. She wanted his presence in her life to stretch out further than a single, fleeting, two week vacation.

Her hand was still on his cheek when he shifted, and sighed, and slowly blinked open those piercing hazel eyes. His gaze could slice into her and it was a visceral reaction she felt as her insides grew heated by the warmth behind his stare. He seemed to gradually become aware of her hand on his face, she left it there, her eyes searching his as she waited for his reaction. And then he raised a hand out of the sleeping bag to cover hers completely and the touch of his warm, wide hand sent shivers coursing through her. And then his lips spread into a soft, subtle smile while his eyes continued to bear down on her.

"Morning," he said, sleep still strongly present in his voice, making it deep and husky.

The light seemed gold and hazy around his face and Kagome had to blink more than once to bring him back into focus. She swore she could sense a part of her melting at the sight of his handsome face with eyes that gazed so softly into hers. For a breath, maybe two, it was all she could do to stare back at him, wondering what it might be like to wake like this every morning. It was only the growing, clanking noise around camp that finally made her blink and shift her attention elsewhere. Coughing slightly, she took a breath to return the morning greeting.

"G-Good morning! Ready for one last day of paddling?"

…

"So, where's your little cabin anyway?"

Kagome paused to stretch out her neck, the growing soreness seeding a looming headache in the back of her head. Behind her, Inuyasha snorted.

"Closest point on a map is Wiseman," he said.

"Where's that? What's that?"

"Little mining town. It's further out than Bettles. You want GPS coordinates or something?"

Kagome giggled. Today was much of the same as yesterday. The air was warm and the sky was blue. The breeze caused the dark spruce lining the water to wave at them slowly like they were some slow, serious procession marching down the river. Kagome didn't think it was possible but the current seemed to flow even slower as the river continued to widen. Long, arching oxbows were tedious and disheartening, particularly with the knowledge that a straight line would have them arriving at their destination in less than half the time.

"Why is this river so windy?" Kagome exclaimed in exasperation.

There was a huff of laughter from behind before his voice answered her question.

"Physics," Inuyasha said simply. Kagome frowned and turned her head to eye him irritatedly.

"Yeah, and?" She demanded.

"You ever watch a trickle of water going down a smooth surface?"

Now Kagome snorted, turning fully in her seat to give Inuyasha an incredulous stare.

"No," she said, "I don't watch water trickling down smooth surfaces. Is this a hobby of yours."

Inuyasha snorted, but continued, ignoring her mocking tone. "Here," he said, raising his paddle into her field of view. The water ran down the plastic in little rivers, straight down at first, when the flow was high, but then, as Kagome's eyes widened, the trickle began to wind, curling into miniature oxbows much like the current they floated on.

"Dunno why it starts off windy," Inuyasha said, "But as rivers age, they get straighter. More water starts flowing through because there's a path being carved out for them and with the bigger current, the path gets straightened out. But when there isn't a deep path, the river starts out curly."

"Huh," Kagome said, genuine interest brightening her voice, "Well ain't that somethin'."

Grunt.

She blew a raspberry. "Back to caveman talk now are we?"

Grunt.

"Ok, so, how does a river straighten out? Shouldn't it just keep settling into the original path?"

Inuyasha groaned and dropped his forehead to her back.

"You're a real chatterbox aren't you? River's aren't stagnant, they change every season. And there's this thing called momentum, ever hear of it?"

Kagome rolled her eyes at the raft bow. "Oh yeah," she said sarcastically, "I know all about momentum. How's it factor in here?"

Kagome had to stifle her surprise when Inuyasha's face came to rest on her shoulder. The rest of his chest pressed warm and close against her back. She felt his breath on her cheek when he spoke next.

"What's the definition momentum?"

"Is this is test?"

"You know how objects in motion stay in motion, right?" Inuyasha answered for himself.

"Eh…," Kagome said, "That's technically inertia, not momentum. But I get where you're going."

She felt his snort as a wisp of warm air over her ear and it started a shiver up her spine.

"Whatever," he said. A lean, muscled arm reached up to point at the outer curve of the river where the soil was being eroded away, causing a few unfortunate trees to cling for their lives as the river slowly laid claim to the land. The earth was crumbled under itself, losing chunks of dirt and rock to the river waters.

"The water in the river carries momentum," he said, "As it rounds the curve, it tries to go straight even though the land is forcing it to turn. It gradually scrapes away at it. Eventually, the oxbow will curve so much that it will pinch off, letting the river flow straighter while creating an oxbow lake."

Kagome blinked, glancing at both sides of the river, one side a vertical cliff of soil while the other was a wide, shallow gravel bed. She tilted her head thoughtfully, genuinely intrigued by this practical application of high school physics.

"That's actually pretty cool," she said, turning to smile at him. Their noses nearly bumped each other before Inuyasha sat up straighter, gracing her with a smile in return.

"Just don't start asking why the sky is blue or how Miroku ever managed to get engaged, cause I have no fucking clue."

Kagome laughed, resuming her paddling as she called over her shoulder. "That's a good one," she said, "I have no fucking clue myself!"

There was a few minutes of blessed peace as they rounded yet another curve in the river, before Kagome piped up again.

"So how do you get supplies? Do they get shipped in?"

She heard Inuyasha sigh and giggled to herself.

"My shit gets shipped to Bettles, and usually I have it flown to Wiseman from there. My brother pays well enough for them to be extra enthusiastic about getting my stuff in."

Kagome hummed to indicate she'd heard, then paused briefly. Inuyasha stared at the back of her head expectantly, wondering what she would ask about this time.

"So, how does it work out here?" She asked, "Do you pay mortgage or something out here? Are you renting land or do you own it?"

"You thinking of moving out here?"

Kagome shrugged. "Oh sure," she said carelessly, "I'm gonna drop my two weeks notice as soon as I get reception."

Inuyasha was not prepared for the flutter of emotion that raced through his chest as she answered him. Clearly, it was an off handed comment, a joke really. But the thought of her company during the long, dark winter days in his cabin flashed through his mind as a fleeting fantasy. And as soon as it dissipated, an aching void took up residence in his chest that left him breathless.

"It… It depends on where you want to set up," Inuyasha said, hoping his initial stutter wasn't noticeable, "There's a buncha different ways to buy land. Was much easier before, you stick a few sticks in the ground and that was it. Now there's more hoops to jump through."

"'Buy land,'" Kagome repeated, "So you own your little patch of paradise?"

Inuyasha made a face and sighed. "Eh… Technically, my brother does."

Kagome turned to him with a skeptical look, an eyebrow arched. "Gonna be honest, I'm having trouble pinning down whether you're on good or bad terms with your family."

Inuyasha heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes. "I was working for him during college," he explained, "Started out as a snot nosed kid hacker that kept wreaking havoc on his security systems. Then he started paying me to do it. Was still doing the odd job for him every here or there before I went off grid. He apparently spent a fortune tracking me down and set me up with a place to stay as long as I agreed to step in if he ever needed me."

Inuyasha blinked, a part of his mind disconnecting even as he continued speaking. He couldn't remember there ever being a time when he spoke so candidly and openly about his brother. He certainly never spoke so many words strung together in years before encountering this bright young woman with such curious eyes.

"So you still work for him?" Kagome's expression told him she had her doubts. "Do you even get internet or cell connection out here?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Money can buy just about anything."

"Huh," Kagome said, blowing the sound out her nose, "I guess it can."

They were entering a straightaway after escaping yet another oxbow and the breeze picked up slightly, pushing them downstream. Kagome raised her paddle high overhead, stretching out her shoulders and sides, creating a chorus of cracks and pops from her back. Inuyasha winced in sympathy.

"So… Is there anything you miss from city life?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Maybe one or two things."

"Like what?"

She heard inuyasha sigh behind her and the sounds of paddling cease.

"Running water - hot running water. Food options besides game meat and ramen. Good company…"

"So you're not as anti social as you let on," Kagome said, letting her inflection wobble and bend in a teasing tone.

Grunt.

"What do you miss the most?"

Kagome leaned back into his chest, sighing her relief as her back finally had a chance to relax. She tried to glance up at his face but the backlighting from the sun made him a tall, looming shadow to her eyes. His voice was thoughtful, however, when he answered her.

"Life is slow here," he said finally, "And repetitive. And maybe too simple. I'm only stockpiling food and supplies, and then consuming them."

"I thought your brother sends you work?"

"Only the stuff his guys get stumped on," Inuyasha said, "But my brother's an ass to work for, you can never get shit done fast enough. And since I'm on his land, he holds that over me like a fucking guillotine."

Kagome huffed a laugh, startling him when she brought an arm up to prop against his leg, resting a slender palm atop his knee. As though her hand were a brand, he felt a heat searing into his skin from the naked touch. Suddenly, it became very difficult to follow her conversation.

"Hmm," she was saying, "He sounds lovely."

"If you say so."

The woman reclined in his lap laughed again, absently swirling a finger around his kneecap. Whether the motion was intentional or unconscious, the contact began waking up a sleeping part of him he'd buried a long time ago and he stiffened as he felt it rise.

"Let's… Let's pull over," he said suddenly, sitting up and using both his hands to push her back onto her seat in the raft, "I gotta piss."

…

"Never have I ever… pulled an all nighter."

Three voices rose up in various disgruntled noises of mock indignation. Pulled over on their final gravel bar campground for the night, the four travelers lounged around a crackling bonfire, quickly racing through the last of their firewater before tomorrow's arrival in the dry native village. Miroku glared glassy eyes at Inuyasha as he swiped his mouth on his sleeve.

"How'd you even manage it?" He complained, "Especially in Kaede's classes. Her assignments were the worst!"

Inuyasha shrugged, reaching behind himself to readjust the braid hanging down his back. Kagome laughed.

"I bet you were a terrible procrastinator," she said, "And were always pulling all nighters."

Miroku rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Only when I wasn't on a group project with Mr. Time Management," he said, nodding sarcastically at his ex-roommate.

"I need to be topped off," Sango chirped up, raising her glass to Kagome.

As she poured more whiskey, Kagome glanced at Inuyasha.

"How're you not empty?"

"Cause I don't do stupid shit," Inuyasha said, narrowing his eyes at her while his lips belied his amusement with the way they curved upwards. Kagome wrinkled her nose to send him back a pinched, pouty look which he opening chuckled at.

"That's no fair," Miroku complained, "I got one! Never have I ever been hit on someone of the same gender!"

"Fucking asshole!" Inuyasha snapped, his eyes turning to glare daggers at the mischievous dark-haired man.

Kagome perked up as Inuyasha took his obligatory swig.

"So," she said, scooting forward, "What's the story anyway?"

"There's no fucking story," Inuyasha grumped, grimacing as the large gulp burned its way down, "Jakotsu was an ass and wouldn't take fucking 'no' for an answer."

"He was also a sadist," Sango said, leaning in to whisper conspiratorially into Kagome's ear, but loud enough for them all to hear, "He'd smack Inuyasha's ass all the time. He didn't do anything particularly awful, but he'd say things like he wanted to cut off Inuyasha's lips to make them his own."

Kagome, who was taking a sip from her mug, coughed and sputtered enough whiskey to clear her nose for the entire next flu season. Her expression was both incredulous and horrified and while Miroku practically fell over himself with laughter, Inuyasha could only snort and shake his head.

"He, um," Kagome said, her voice raspy from her coughing, "He sounds like he needed some help."

Sango made a noncommittal gesture. "I think he found his kind eventually," she said, "And he sent Inuyasha scurrying back to Miroku in the end, right?"

"I did not scurry!"

"Po-tay-to, po-tah-to," Miroku said dismissively, "You're up Kagome."

"Hmmm," Kagome said dramatically, "Never have I ever…"

She trailed off, her eyes scanning the sky as if for inspiration before landing on Inuyasha. The sly smirk she gave him made him gulp.

"Never have I ever seen a grizzly bear in person," she said, triumphantly raising a glass towards the mountain hermit. He glowered at her as menacingly as he could manage as he took his swig.

The tables turned dramatically after that. Never have I ever worked with sled dogs, never have I ever seen the northern lights, never have I ever hunted, killed, and butchered an animal. Very quickly, Inuyasha found himself leaning heavily on his knees, staring at the cup of water being pressed into hands that had forgotten how to grasp. Her voice was gentle when she called to him.

"You doing alright there, mountain man?"

Even his grunt was slurred. She laughed above him and he liked the sound. The world spun and he leaned into the one stable, welcoming thing his mind was able to recognize, sighing in relief when his forehead came to rest against Kagome's stomach. Her hands came up immediately to cradle his face and her fingers were cool and felt good against his feverish skin.

"How's the cranky one doing?" That was Sango's voice. Kagome answered softly, a smile in her voice that made it sound warm.

"He's ok, I think," she said, "I'll stay up a bit to make sure he drinks some more water. Good luck wrangling Miroku tonight."

Sango laughed glancing at her fiancé as he teetered and tottered through the motions of cleaning up camp and readying for bed.

"Sango, my love!" He shouted suddenly, "Come join me in the fortress!"

Sango rolled her eyes while Kagome giggled.

"He's just gonna conk out as soon as his head hits the pillow," she said wryly, "It's tomorrow night I'm worried about."

Kagome continued chuckling as Sango obligingly joined Miroku in their fortress of fabric. Then she looked down at her own inebriated tentmate as he struggled to lift his head and bring the water to his lips. She watched him patiently as he sipped, her lips parting into a grin when he finished downing the cup and resumed his muttered curses of the man who'd gotten him into this state.

"Miroku's a fucking ass," he said under his breath. Water bottle in hand, Kagome quickly refilled the empty cup before moving behind him.

"Here," she said as gently as she could, "Let's untangle this mess."

She carefully picked up the long, heavy braid, releasing the end and gently pried the plaits apart. Inuyasha stared at the now filled cup as if trying to figure out how it got there in the first place.

"I'm gonna be pissing all night," he complained. Kagome laughed.

"As long as you make it outside the tent before you do," she said.

He grumbled a bit more before sighing, lifting his face to the sky. There was a quiet peace for a while as she slowly worked her way from the tangles at the ends of his locks to his scalp. She carefully ran her fingers through the roots of his hair, easing the last few snags.

"Thanks," she heard him say quietly, "You don't have to be too thorough. My head's probably disgusting right now."

Kagome shrugged. "No more than mine," she replied.

Grunt.

The work of rebraiding his hair was quick and she smacked her hands together gently when she finished, surveying her handiwork. Inuyasha caught her hand as she moved away, and she turned to him in mild surprise. The look on his face startled her, his brows low, his eyes narrow. He looked like he was in pain and she stood frozen and mute, waiting to hear him explain his actions. For a while he just stared at their joined hands, how her fingers were dwarfed by his. His palms were thickly calloused and rough, but they were sensitive, and appreciated the feel of her soft, smooth palm. And her warmth. There's a particular kind of warmth conveyed in the touch of skin to skin. More than a transference of temperature. Through touch it seemed, she shared with him an energy. Something flowed between them, slow and subtle, but no less powerful than the river they traveled on, carving out the lands with the same force that could grind away metal and stone. And it flowed straight to his heart and he was surprised by how parched and thirsty his inner beating core had become, feeling it spring forward to take in this flow like a drowning man gulps for air. This desperate, hollow yearning, Inuyasha couldn't comprehend it. He bit his lip as he allowed himself a second or two more of the balm of her contact before dropping her hand.

Kagome frowned in concern, watching the play of expressions dance across his face. When he made no motion to speak, she slowly came around in front of him and crouched down to peer at his face.

"What's wrong, Inuyasha?"

His eyes glanced up and stared into hers. His stare, sharp and direct, made her catch her breath and she found herself drawing closer unconsciously, a slender hand resting a fraction of her weight on his knee.

His eyes narrowed for a breath as though stifling a wave of pain. Then his lips parted and he inhaled a long draft of air.

"It's easy to stay," he told her quietly, "It's easy to run away. And it was fine, being out here. It used to be enough."

Decoding his emotional turmoil certainly was a mental exercise and Kagome frowned deeper as she tried to comprehend his disjointed, statements.

"But then you came," he continued, "And… I don't think it's gonna be enough anymore."

Only vaguely catching on, Kagome spoke, "What changed?"

His eyes broke contact with hers, hovering now somewhere lower on her face. His eyes saw through her as he answered.

"You, Miroku, Sango. This whole trip. The forest will be so empty when you go back."

Her fingertips found his chin to bring his eyes back to hers. Her look was sympathetic, warm, with a soft smile of understanding. She gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind his ears, his nerves burning like little signal fires in the wake of her touch.

"You're human," she told him softly, "Humans need other humans."

And then she forced her face to brighten, taking a deep breath before huffing a short, quick sigh. She stood slowly, pulling him up with her. He wobbled slightly but stood, raising the cup to his lips again with her encouragement.

"Let's get you to bed," she said, carefully leading him toward the tent.

True to his earlier prediction, Inuyasha was in and out several times that night to relieve himself. Kagome lay still on her side, facing away, idly contemplating her last night in the wilderness. She was eagerly looking forward to a hot shower. Her skin was prickling with the feel of dirt and oil. She imagined the feel of clean, soft clothes, and vehicles that did not require human muscle to drive them. Her hair had been braided, tied, and pigtailed throughout the past two weeks and she knew her scalp was going to relish the feel of clean, unbound hair. Her physical body was looking forward to her return to civilization. Her heart was torn.

It was easy, as Inuyasha said, to exist for a moment in the great wilderness. The requirements of work and the burdens of modern day life could be forgotten out here. But she knew she couldn't stay. It would be empty, just as Inuyasha realized just now. The rest of her life was waiting for her return.

Then she thought of Inuyasha, the hermit that did run away. The hermit that did turn his back on the rest of the world. It was a waste, her words from the day before still rung true. But even more than that, it wasn't a cure for the pain he'd been running to escape.

She smiled to herself when Inuyasha rose, again cursing the snoring man in the tent next door, and bumbled his way out of the tent to relieve himself. He must have thought she was sleeping when he returned. After a bit of shuffling and scooting to get himself back inside the sleeping bag, there was a short silence before Kagome felt a touch at her back.

Careful hands picked up a lock of her hair. She felt the strokes of his fingers as they held the dark brown strands. And then softly, a voice that echoed through her and made her heart ache.

"I don't want you to go. I don't want to be alone."

…

There was still a fair bit of river left before they arrived at the village, but fear of missing their scheduled flight fueled that sore and tired muscles onward and soon, their rafts touched on soft, sandy shores. Signs of human life had materialized slowly out of the forest. First it was a cabin densely surrounded by forest. Then another cabin, this one on cleared land surrounded by sheds and tools. Then another. And then an entire village was visible at the edge of the river.

Kagome wasn't sure what she'd been expecting from a remote Alaskan native village. The only buildings she could see were weather beaten wooden houses and sheds, small and compact, and clearly hand made and maintained. The sun was painfully bright, a dramatic contrast to the gray rain clouds from just a couple of days ago. Color in the village came from the collection of odds and ends littering the beach and yards. Useful items, brightly colored four wheelers, boats, and netting. Plastic bins and children's toys and candy wrappers. Foliage grew lush and thick anywhere it could, dotted with purple fireweed. And stretching inland from the sandy beach, a single dirt road that would lead them to the landing strip.

There were no people on first glance, and at first, Kagome felt slightly unnerved by the apparently abandoned buildings. Sango and Miroku also noted the lack of inhabitants and glanced at each other nervously while Inuyasha carried on as usual, beaching the rafts and removing gear. The sand shifted as he stepped ashore as if to swallow his feet and it was hard work.

"So this is Allakaket?" Miroku asked dubiously, glancing around trying to find signs of life.

Inuyasha grunted. "What else would it be?" He grumbled back, "Get to work!"

"Do we need to tell anyone that we're here?" Kagome asked, still seeking out the village inhabitants and coming up empty. Inuyasha sent her a look, eyebrow cocked.

"What?" He asked, "Like 'we come in peace' or something?"

Kagome shrugged and decided to take his lead, assisting with the gear and deflating the rafts. The ground here was far more used and trodden then their previous campsites and dirt began clinging to every surface. Sango wrinkled her nose as she gingerly tried to brush the dirt and muck off the rafts.

"Of course," she said, flopping her arms as she gave up, "They were pristine the entire trip and now that look like we rolled them in mud."

"We did roll them in mud!" Kagome said, laughing. It wasn't the first time they'd had to load up all the gear on their backs, and the distance they needed to trek was short and flat, but somehow the knowledge that their journey had come to its unceremonious end and required the last half mile to be on foot made their packs and the boats seem that much heavier. At long last, a disheveled man emerged from one of the buildings and sauntered toward the beach. Kagome glanced up, thinking to holler a greeting, but the man ignored them, at most just acknowledging their presence with a quick nod, before turning his attention to a boat engine resting on a bench.

"Let's go," Inuyasha said, hefting one of the rafts in hand, his overloaded pack already resting on his shoulders.

Kagome's head and eyes were in constant motion as she absorbed the details of the village as they passed through. Inuyasha was reminded of her unabashed wonder and chuckled to himself. There wasn't a lot of activity, most homes seemed empty save for the occasional dog tied out front. The cabins all seemed built on elevated stumped, perhaps a means of protecting the floor from the cold in winter. And their yards were filled with old and well weather gear. Old cars, model's she hadn't seen in decades, rested under layers of dust. She was baffled to see such imports at all and wondered how they could have been shipped in.

"Just like how you get cars shipped in where you're from," Inuyasha answered nonchalantly. She glanced at the beads of sweat forming on his face.

"I can take a bit more weight," she offered, "My pack's not that heavy."

Inuyasha grunted but kept right of trudging along.

"That's a no then, I guess," Kagome shrugged, jogging slightly to catch up with his long strides. Inuyasha glanced down at her, a smile quirking his lips to see her bright eyed and infinitely curious about her surroundings. It was surreal, to be suddenly engulfed by the products of man once more after so many days in the backcountry. There was a lot to take in. The village was a mix of modern equipment and rugged practicality. Building materials were clearly sourced from the nearby forest, but log cabins boasted wide satellite antennas. Telephone poles ran along the road and the occasional four wheeler passed them, single drivers or overloaded with passengers young and old staring at the rare sight of through hikers emerging from the woods. The only buildings that appeared to be constructed from imported materials was the medical center and the airport.

"Airport" was probably not the best term to describe the small, building, perhaps only big enough to fit a single bushplane. There was no terminal, no ticketing desk, no security, and no gate. Inuyasha walked straight up to the building and shrugged off his pack, everything falling to the ground with a clatter and a thud. Miroku looked around while Sango and Kagome gratefully relieved themselves of their loads.

"Where do we check in?" He asked.

"We don't," Inuyasha answered. His braid fell over to dangle in front of him as he stopped down to set up his life jacket on the ground before plopping down on top of it.

"What time is it?" Kagome asked, glancing around, "How do we know when the plane will get here?"

Inuyasha pulled out a water bottle, the trek inland from the river having been hot, sunny, and sweaty.

"We don't," he repeated.

Kagome puckered her lips, giving him her best peeved pout. She swiped the bottle from his hands for a gulp before handing it back.

"Why of course, Kagome," she said, smacking her forehead, "Village time, remember?"

Grunt.

"So your caveman tendencies are a function of how close you are to civilization?" She teased him.

Grunt.

Time passed slowly for them. Sango and Miroku both decided to travel more comfortably, changing out of their neoprene shorts into proper underwear and pants. Slowly, as a growing trickle of traffic, the village residents began to emerge on the landing strip. Some came on foot, others by ATV. Young, old, and those in between. An elderly woman, her skin golden and leathery, creased with hundreds of wrinkles, drove right up to them, her dark eyes bright with curiosity. Her smile was gap toothed and unsettling but her movements were friendly.

"See any bears?" She asked, her voice gravelly and heavy with accent and lisp.

"Not this time," Inuyasha said, producing his beat up hat from seemingly nowhere and pulling it down over his eyes. Miroku piped up, asking if bears were a common sight and they chatted for a while as the minutes ticked slowly by. Eventually, a low buzz in the air alerted all the waiting residents of the approaching plane and in short succession, the pilot touched down and was swarmed by eager villagers crowding in to retrieve their various supplies.

"That's our cue," Inuyasha said, heaving himself up and collecting their gear. Kagome bobbed along behind him, completely taken in by the relaxed aviation proceedings. Even less formal and with less steps to complete than their flight out of Bettles, the four of them were on the plane before she knew it, crammed together in the tiny familiar space. Ducking into the cabin was a mixture of deja vu and unfamiliar. It was as if their bodies had recalibrated to life in the woods and being encased by metal on all sides was a jarring reintroduction to modern living. And yet, the rigid frames of the seats with their packed down cushions were comforting, welcoming them back from their travels and the final sign that their labors on foot and on water were done. Their attitudes were miles different from the last time they were passengers on a small bush plane. Sango and Miroku had their phones out, already flipping through pictures of their adventure. Meanwhile, in the back, Kagome felt the realization of their journey's end as a rush of fatigue. She was no longer the tense ball of nerves, giddy with excitement at the start of their trek. Comfortably wedged thigh to thigh, she and Inuyasha leaned against each other, each silent with their own thoughts while the few travelers joining their flight thumped their way aboard. Kagome hardly noticed that she was drifting off, or that a warm, strong arm came up and around her shoulders. She was asleep before the plane began to accelerate down the runway, but her dreams stayed behind, still thinking of the jagged, reckless mountains and deep, dark forests. It was hard to accept that this was the end.

A/N: Couldn't find a quote I like from John Muir so I pulled a line from the last goodbye. This chapter might be a bit rough… sorry…. work has been a little ridiculously crazy, even during the holidays, so I'm a little beat and hoping things slow down just a little. Posting this with minimal proofreading so definitely let me know if I made any major mistakes :P