Susu-harai, Journey to the Century Wastelands final part

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"Young man, we've been going in circles for several days and you refuse to let me set up a proper camp or ask anyone for directions," Kirameku Ha complained, furrowing his brow with obvious annoyance at the situation. "Furthermore, your imp just fell in a hole leading to heaven knows where and is screaming."

"I'll find a way out, Lord Sesshomaru! Don't you worry about me!" Jaken tried to reassure them.

"Do it quickly, Jaken. I've lost my patience!" Sesshomaru growled.

They were on another island that was completely uninhabited but filled with lush foliage and a couple of cliffs. Unfortunately, they were on one of the cliffs that just so happened to have a trap hidden underneath some stones. Jaken had climbed onto the stones for a better vantage point and to see if Nintojo had led them in the right direction, but he fell straight through the stones and has been struggling to get out since. The sage did try to lend the imp a rope to pull himself out, but Jaken was in an awkward position. His weight was too heavy for the sage to pull him up like gravity was tripled within this... dimensional space. Even Ah-Un couldn't pull him out! That and Jaken explained that he wasn't on the ground. He was floating like he was in an air column.

Kirameku Ha sighed then said, "Your staff has been cursed by another demon, imp. That's why it's been leading us astray. Your lord downright refuses to pay any kind of formal attention to it because it's a quote-on-quote waste of his time. Since he's not going to help you or anyone else on this forsaken path to wherever the hell he's trying to go, I'm going to suggest that you try to use your staff to climb out. The pygmy is toying with you at this point. I'm going to the inn near here and I'm going to sleep. You should be able to detect my pupil's camp by smell or find her flag. Wherever you found the damn pygmy, the staff will lead you back to him or wherever the hell it's trying to get you to go. When you've gotten the pygmy's curse off you, we can proceed accordingly."

With that, the sage put on his hat, straightened his clothes, and walked off. The dragon was stuck between remaining at Sesshomaru's side or following the sage. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes until Kirameku Ha stopped for a second. He turned around, undid his wagon from the dragon, and pulled it with ease to where he was going. Now, Ah-Un was fully conflicted. The food was going away.

"Damn this wretched island!" Jaken complained.

Placing the letter down after reading it for the thirtieth time, she finally stood up and walked to the back room of her home. It was unopened, untouched, and unused for some days now. Years ago, she could never enter it with memories of her beloved lingering in the bed and sheets. His scent was still in there. The perfect blending of wood, metal oil, and sweet orange in the notes of his masculine fragrance. Taking some time out to clean the room, she took out a small dusting rag and wiped down the furniture. Thoughts of him doing menial tasks or practicing his ikebana skills made her eye soften and a smile grow on her lips. Once everything was dusted, she wept and waxed the floor. The sheets were brought outside to be cleaned, dried, and fluffed out to achieve his ideal crispness. He loved his thin, fresh sheets, especially if she dabbed her special softening oil on them. It calmed him down in the night.

Nights with him... were filled with intoxication. She was his drinking partner in secret. They never turned to highly fermented spirits, just playful ones with fruity bottom notes like peach or cherry wines. Cherry wine was a favorite of hers back then. He would tease her when they shared a bottle. Careful in his advances towards her, he'd be frisky enough to nip at her jaw. And... sometimes, she'd challenge him and suckle on droplets of wine on his lips. Their gazes were as fiery and fluttering as a firefly dancing in the tall grass. Before long, he might ask her if she enjoyed their play. She might respond with a definitive answer on the occasion, but there were nights when she needed something else as a response. Those nights were shameful in her line of work, but she remembered them as clearly as a summer day and regretted no part of it. Some nights, she would dip a finger in her cup of wine, stir the tonic for a moment, and place a singular drop wherever she wanted to kiss, touch, or tease him. His purring was a sign of enjoyment for them both. If he had wine on his fingers, blunt and calloused from war or battle, she would take a finger to her lips and graze it across them before taking the finger in her mouth or licking at the side of it. From there, they often resumed their play.

He shouldn't have been able to break her so easily. Not after what happened to her sister. His voice shouldn't have been so soothing. His wisdom shouldn't have been so enlightening. The way he finds things beautiful about nature and people shouldn't have been so inspiring. He shouldn't have been her "playmate." But he was. Going to the floorboards behind the byobu, she lifted a board that revealed a drawstring to a hidden safe. She pulled at it and sighed at the sight of a pristine green box. Opening the box, she hesitantly caressed the fabrics of a kimono given to her years ago. She only ever wore it for him once, and it's been locked away since like the memories of her past with him.

"Kaede..." he would whisper to her.

"Hey, Kaede!" a familiar voice called, waking her out of a trance. "Lady Kaede, you in here?"

"Aye, I'm coming!" Kaede replied, closing the floorboards and leaving the back room.

Kaede walked into the front room to see Kagome standing there with a basket of herbs in her hands. It looked like something caught her interest, which made the sage woman suspicious, but she let the girl speak within her own time.

"There you are," Kagome said, sighing. "I've been looking for you for thirty minutes."

"You don't live that far from me, Kagome," Kaede said, raising a brow. "But you look like something's on ye mind. What ails you?"

Panting, Kagome produces an interesting face before she slams her basket of herbs down and shouts, "What was in that letter? And who are those kids you keep visiting who live just outside of the village? What's with all the secrecy? And the fond sighs? And the gazing up at the sunsets?"

Kaede smirked before asking, "Patience wearing thin, is it? Your curiosity keeps getting the better of you, child."

"Please, Kaede!" Kagome begged, clasping her hands together. "You can tell me. We're close, right? I just wanna know who wrote it to you! I swear!"

"Just now ye asked about what was in it," Kaede said, keeping her smirk in place. Kagome was an amusing girl if not a bit nosy.

"There's so much to know!" Kagome responded, smiling brightly. "Please, Kaede, just one hint?"

"No," Kaede replied, turning on her heel to walk into the kitchen area. Just some rice and vegetables should do.

Kagome hustled after the sage, though, undeterred and even more determined to know who was making Kaede so eager for the days to pass by. She then asked, "Okay, then I'll guess. If I'm getting warm, just tell me. Uh... a relative?"

"Cold," Kaede replied, taking out a wok skillet and filling it with some water.

"Okay, an old friend?" Kagome guessed.

"Impressive," Kaede answered.

"Okay, how about the kids then? A-a-are they your old friend's kids?" Kagome asked.

"Hm... you're not warm but you're not cold either," Kaede replied, looking up to the ceiling for the best way to describe things.

"What?" Kagome responded, feeling slightly bummed that she was off.

"Why do you want to know so much, Kagome?" Kaede then asked, turning to the girl for a response. "It shouldn't trouble ye this much."

"B-b-but you had this dreamy look in your eyes when you read those letters like you were twenty years in the past," Kagome said. "You hardly ever have that kind of expression on your face. You even visit the tree where Inuyasha..."

"I'm just happy is all, child," Kaede said softly, smiling warmly at Kagome. "I haven't seen my friends in several years. I miss them."

"Then, I'll wait with you," Kagome said, returning the gentle smile. "You've done so much for me. This is the least I can do for you. You shouldn't have to wait alone. I'll keep you company."

"That's sweet, but I don't think my friend will allow you near her children without meeting you personally first. She's highly protective of them. You can, however, help me dry some herbs. She is a doctor, after all, and will need them to make medicine."

"She's a doctor?" Kagome asked, raising her brow and tilting her head minutely.