I awoke from my sleep coated in sweat. The den seemed to be sweating, which meant one thing, it was raining. I missed the sound of rain hitting the roof of the house I shared with my family. The simple pitter, patter of rain hitting and then sliding down the slope was so relaxing. I missed my bed, I missed the ability to pass off a responsibility to my mom or gramps because I was still a minor. I missed my era, more times than I care to admit to myself. I longed to return home.
I often journeyed to the well and jumped in, just to see if I could go back and every time I landed on the bottom in the middle of a pile of bones. Kouga had refused to take me the last few times I asked. He said it made me sad and mope around and he didn't like me that way. I can understand his apprehension though. The wolves had become pretty accustomed to my being here. The often need for a quick patch or an herbal remedy for simple things. Ever since my arrival there hasn't been an emergency, Rena was the first one. Rena. I hadn't checked on her since it happened! How could I have forgotten?!
I jumped out of bed and threw on a clean kimono out of my chest, slipping on my sandals and out my curtain I went. I made a nice power walk to the other side of the den. I had an idea of which den was Ari's but not exactly. I went with a hunch and called out.
"Imari?" I stopped and listened for a few minutes, sure enough I heard a quiet answer behind the curtain to the right.
"Kagome."
I slid it aside and saw Imari sitting next to Rena who was still fast asleep. I felt my eyes sting with tears, oh no it hadn't worked. She smiled at me, and gestured to a pillow next to the bed.
"Jiki was in here earlier and changed the bandages." Jiki was the tribe 'shaman' and was always taking over healing duties when I was too tired or busy. Jiki and I got along really well and even exchanged helpful tips occasionally. She was very helpful. "She was happy with the way the gash was closed over. Rena said it wasn't hurting too bad." She had a huge grin on her face as I snapped my head up to look at her.
"Rena said?"
"Yes, Rena was awake for a while this evening. She even ate dinner with us and wanted to get up, but Jiki said rest was better at least for the night."
The unshed tears began to fall, but this time they were tears of joy.
"She woke up!" Imari's grin widened.
"sshhhhh! And you will wake her again if you aren't quiet."
I clasped my hand over my mouth.
"Imari, I-"
"You saved my daughter. If you hadn't been here she would have died I have no doubt of that. You gave me my daughter back and for that I owe you the world." I smiled and nodded at her, after removing my hand.
"I am going to get out of here. I will come back when she is awake." She nodded and I left.
I felt a wave of relief wash over me as I left the room. She was ok, she made it. I made my way outside. It was still dark and the sky was full of stars. I cleared the entrance of the den and sat on the edge of the rocks letting my feet dangle into the water. It was still sprinkling slightly and I couldn't tell if it was from the few clouds overhead or the waterfall. It was still cool from the rain and the night. I was completely relaxed, when I heard footsteps behind me.
I did not feel any evil presences so I knew who ever it was wouldn't hurt me.
"Lady Kagome?"
I turned slightly, "yes?"
There was only the light of the half moon, I couldn't see his face.
"What are you doing out here?"
"Cooling off. I found it incredibly humid inside and impossible to sleep."
"The cave isn't great on rainy nights." he moved up and seated himself next to me. His name was Tajik and he is one of the hunters in charge of a small group charged with food for the den.
"I will agree with you there Tajik. Can barely sleep on a good night let alone where it feels like the air is choking me." He chuckled a deep rumble from his chest, it was comforting.
"I am sure we could work out something more comfortable for you as far as sleeping arrangements. Wouldn't do for us to have the healer with no sleep."
"Oh Tajik that isn't necessary. I am more than grateful to have a room to myself let alone a bed of my own."
"Lady Kagome, may I ask you a question?" He sounded genuinely curious and I could sense his apprehension.
"of course." I tried to be reassuring but his apprehension did not dissipate.
"Do you not wish to have a male to share your bed with? It would keep you warm in the coming cold months." He paused before adding. "You don't have to answer, I know that is rather personal."
I thought about it for a minute before answering.
"I would like warmth but I have never been close enough to a man to feel comfortable sleeping with one." I tried to laugh it off but it came out awkward.
"Would you ever consider it?" He asked very quietly.
"Of course I would, I just would need to know the person very well and they me."
"Well that is the reason to be with someone, to get to know them." He has a point, the logical part of my brain chimed in. "I mean, that when I got to know my mate Trea we followed the customs and we have never been closer. I know all there is to know about her and she does about me. There is a reason we have customs."
"Customs?" This grabbed my attention.
"Yes the mating customs. Have you never been here for a mating ritual?" I began to try and think back, as far as I could remember I had never seen any kind of ritual to my knowledge.
"Well I assume I will be witnessing one soon. Ari and Marik will be mated once Kouga returns. Ari also mentioned something about being 'pure'. Not sure what that means."
"Well." He chuckled again. "I am hardly the person to give you the talk about-well about sex."
"Oh! Gosh! Tajik I am so sorry! I didn't know that's what I was asking."
"Kagome, the mating ritual is forever. That is why we celebrate it so much. We are celebrating the binding of two souls forever." He raised his hands as he spoke and intertwined his fingers. "It is very intimate."
"It sounds like it." I blushed slightly. "You choose your mate though, right?"
"Yes of course." He sounded happy. "You find a woman you care for. One that has similar likes and dislikes. Of course, not all demons mate."
"Why wouldn't a demon mate?" My curiosity was getting the better of me.
Tajik seemed more than happy to keep explaining.
"Well, some find it a burden to be forever tied to one. You never see the opposite sex the same again. Sure you see them but the attractiveness is gone from any female that isn't yours. Your scent mingles with hers and other males will not find your mate attractive either."
"so it is permanent? There is absolutely nothing to change or reverse it?"
"Nope! Your souls are bound together for eternity." He was happy, I would say cheerful. "You mentioned purity."
"Yes Ari mentioned that she is still pure?" I said looking over to him.
"The women are expected to be pure, their soul untainted, so that the gods will approve the binding."
"has it ever not been approved? I mean what happens if it doesn't work?"
He took a moment and scratched his head, before giving a huge smile.
"My dear, we always follow the customs, and have never not been approved."
The sun was rising I felt the air warming slightly.
"I didn't mean to sit here all night, my lady. I best be off to see if my men found anything. Have a good morning." He stood and took off into the trees near the cave entrance. I finally stood and slid my sandals back on. Time to prepare for Kouga's welcome home celebration.
The women were beginning to come outside with their baskets of laundry. I called out for them.
"I need one of you to help in the kitchen today as long as you know the traditional dishes. I will take your laundry duties for the day in return." Two of the women stood and hurried off inside.
I went inside and gathered up the laundry from yesterday and made my way to Rena's room for the dirty bandages. Rena was up and dressed and Imari had her sorting out some kind of berries. I bid them a good day and headed out for my chores. I settled down beside the stream and began with the washing. The women were chatting about different topics, Rena, and the winter coming, the celebration tonight. I was still incredibly curious about something still.
"May I ask a few questions ladies?" the conversations all halted and they turned to look at me.
"Of course. What would you like to know?"
"Well I talked to Tajik about the mating rituals. I would like to know about how you get to be so familiar with one another. Knowing every detail is not something that is learned over night."
Some of the younger women giggled, the older women gave me a knowing look. Eventually it was one of the older women that spoke up.
"The man and woman are placed inside a private place and are not allowed to leave until both feel completely comfortable with each other."
"Well what if they say they are comfortablew but just want out?"
"When they are completely mated and comfortable together it changes their scent. His is constantly changed to have a hint of hers, enough that other females will find his scent repulsive and likewise for females."
"I see." I put my head down and pretended to really focus on this kimono in front of me.
"Are you planning on mating someone Kagome?" A younger wolf asked with a giggle. My head shot up with a quick response.
"No! Just curious with Ari and Marik's mating coming quickly I wanted to be informed."
A couple girls squealed and then fell into active conversation about the ritual and their excitement for it.
The day progressed as did the plans for it, the men occasionally brought in logs to sit upon for inside the cave. Multiple deer, boar, and bear were killed and prepared for the evening celebration. Hakkaku and Ginta reported in with the perimeter watch for the night, other than a centipede demon there was no activity. They made sure to let me know that the centipede was dispatched with great prejudice.
Within a few hours the laundry was done and the meal was mostly ready. Some of the women came to me as I was placing the laundry to dry out.
"Kagome we are going to a nearby waterfall to bathe and get ready for the celebration. Do you wish to accompany us?"
"yes." I answered honestly, a bath sounded wonderful after being so sweaty all night and now all day. "Let me gather my things. I will meet you right back here in a moment." She smiled and nodded.
I ran off inside the cave. Once I entered I saw all the decorations that had been put together. There were long banners hanging on the walls with Kouga's family emblem and colors on them. They were black and gray with a white moon and trees set before the moon in a crest like fashion. The logs had been positioned around the huge built tipi for the bonfire. There was one log in particular that had a nice vantage point near the food and positioned to where it could see the entire cave, that must be Kouga's seat. I made a few comments to those standing around and working on the decorations about how nice it looked as I hussled through.
I made it to my room grabbed my things and was back out to the lady awaiting me in no time. We walked in silence, I had not been this direction and found a waterfall so I made sure to watch keenly on our path. There didn't seem to be a 'path' per sei but she knew her way all the same. Eventually I could hear a gentle roar of water over a cliff and could smell the fresh water. The roar never got much louder, it wasn't a huge waterfall but it was isolated. Surrounded one all sides by high cliffs there was a small opening that the she demon and I came through. It was a tight fit, having to scoot through the opening sideways and handing through my basket so I could. Once inside the enclosure there was about a foot to foot and a half wide walkway all the way around the edge, all the water was a beautiful clear teal. The sunlight danced upon the surface of the water reflecting light into the misty air above making beautiful rainbows.
The girl who accompanied my quickly undressed and dove in, apparently it was deceptively deep. There were 6 other girls there, all of them too engrossed in what they were doing to pay us any mind. I shed my kimono and slid in on the side nearest the entrance. The water here was about chest deep on me, so about 5 feet deep, I grabbed my basket and quickly washed myself. My hair was the last thing I washed, dipping underneath the water was so refreshing. By the time I was done most of the ladies were out and sitting on the edge of the pool. Most of them were paired up and combing one anothers hair. I made my way to where I slid in and jumped out, but I misjudged the edge being slick and slid back in. I heard a giggle and I blushed.
"here." I looked up and Ari was offering me her hand. I graciously took it and got out of the water, everyone averted their eyes as I threw on a clean kimono. Ari turned around and smiled at me.
"Would you help me do my hair?"
"Sure." She took a seat and handed me a beautiful white comb, clearly made of some kind of bone. "Ari, this is beautiful. Where did you get it?"
"oh." She turned her head to look at me over her shoulder as I started to comb the sides. She blushed slightly. "Well actually, Marik gave it to me after I agreed to be his mate."
"It is beautiful. Truly I have never seen anything like it."
"Marik is rather quiet and doesn't make large expressions of love like some of the other men in the pack but he does have a way of showing how he feels that I have become accustomed to reading. He gives me gifts and sometimes he simply expresses that he was thinking about me while he was gone and I feel so special." She giggled slightly. "I am so lucky."
"Indeed you are." I began to braid her hair, it was long clear down to her hips. Once I had the braid finished to my liking I used a leather strap to tie off the end and we swapped places. I handed her the brush from my basket, she stared at it for a few minutes confused. It was my turn to giggle.
"It's just like your comb only bigger." She nodded and began brushing my hair.
"Your hair is so smooth. The comb doesn't get hung up at all!"
"I wash and brush it everyday, it takes a lot of time but worth it."
"clearly." She agreed. "How would you like your hair done?"
"I want something different."
"I think I have an idea. I have had these for a long time and have never used them."
She held out a pair of chop sticks, but these were clearly not made for eating. They were a polished black stone with a small feather handing from the larger end. I nodded at her and let her go to work. She spun and twisted and pulled and finally I felt her shove the the two sticks in. There was a piece of hair that fell out of the right side. She grabbed it and spun it around her finger until it had a nice curl to it.
"Is that what you are wearing Kagome?"
"Oh." I glanced down, this kimono was dirty from laundry but I didn't want to put on my dressy kimono when there were still chores to do. "No, I was going to wear the blue one that Kouga gave me when I moved here."
"That will be perfect! I have been dying to see it on you ever since you showed it to me!" She was genuinely excited for me. "But the ceremony will be beginning soon, you should probably get dressed." She stood up, and offered a hand. I took it and stood next to her, she led the way back to the cave.
The sun was beginning to descend and the festivities were beginning. The fire inside was lit and there was a steady beating on a drum somewhere inside. Ari walked to the stream with me and helped me gather all of the clothes I had washed. The ladies I had done laundry for had come and gathered all of their things so I only had mine to worry about. Ari wasn't really talking and I could sense that she was almost trying to push off going inside.
"So Ari when should Kouga be here?"
She jumped before almost stuttering with her answer.
"H-he should be here. B-b-but if not he will be shortly, I-I don't smell him."
I walked over to her and took my clothes before I grabbed her in a hug. She stiffened all over and even gasped at my intrusion of her personal space.
"K-Kagome?"
"I haven't gotten the opportunity to say Congratulations, and I wanted to make sure I did. You have been a great friend to me in my time here and anything I can do to help, just ask. Ok?" She gave me an uh huh and blushed as I released her from my hug. "Run along, best not to be late for your party." She turned and took off inside.
I placed the basket on my hip.
"My turn." As I headed for the cave.