Disclaimer: I do not own the right to these characters. All rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
Chapter Six: Robins Doubt
The evening air rustled the leaves of trees with the whispers of spring. The flower's blooms perfumed the forests of Nakimoto, but their sweetness could not reach the village square or it's suppressed villagers. It was here that Miroku could forget about the tyrannical reign of Prince Naraku, even if the ignorance was fleeting. Here he could set aside the risks, the heists, the dangers, and even the persona of Robin Hood. The adrenaline from his most recent escapade had begun to wash away with the soft babble of the river. He had nearly dropped his guard when a figure broke through the underbrush. He was alerted to the intruder by the sound of breaking branches and the barrier that hid his identity was raised as a graceful voice broke through his peaceful reverie. "Sir Hood, I hoped I would find you before you had gone beyond the river." Even with his hood and mask carefully in place, Sango could still see confusion furrow his brow.
His deep eyes were locked with her wide and soft gaze and he replied to her jovially, "In your quest to find me, you have found only trouble." Sango's stare began to change and the thief could almost see the secret thoughts that ran through her mind. He did not like the way she looked at him now, it invaded, it sought pieces of himself that he was determined to hide.
"I do not know what it is about you, but you remind me of someone I used to know." Miroku forced a convincing laugh and once again Sango was struck with familiarity.
"If I remind you of an acquaintance, it pains me to say that you keep questionable company." It was that quick wit and playful nature that reminded her of someone long ago departed, a friend whose name and face escaped her at present. She took a single step closer to him, she longed to see his face, but his mask and shadows kept him safely concealed from her.
"When you say such things, I am plagued by a faceless memory. Do I know you from somewhere?" Miroku masked the panic that had begun to build, if she learned who he was, well, he would rather not know how she would react.
"I could only assume from those very flattering wanted posters. My hooded figure can be found on nearly any visible surface." That voice, had she heard it before? It was then that the wind carried his scent towards her. He smelled of the forest and spices.
"You know very well that I do not mean I know you in such a trivial way. Have you met me before?" She longed for him to say yes, she wanted to know that she had once seen his face.
With quickness Miroku replied casually, "Why of course we have. I met you at your food cart, then in this very spot, all on the same day." He was toying with her and it was strangely invigorating. He was bringing out a part of her she had long forgotten.
With a small smile playing at her lips she inquired in a jovial manner. "Has anyone ever been clever enough to steal from you?" The sun, by this time, long had set and the shadows only helped to conceal his amusement.
"You insult me maiden, my skills cannot be easily surpassed." Sango's poised walk closed the distance between them and in the moment her eyes never broke from his.
"To be the first to steal from you would be quite the accomplishment then." To this bold declaration Miroku asked with idle curiosity,
"And what could I own in which you desire to possess?"
Her smile faded and her face became calmly serious, her reply was thus, "One thing only, do I desire…" The sentence trailed off as she drew closer to him, she lifted the cloth that covered the bottom half of his face. Then beneath the moon and stars, with only the forest trees and babbling river as witnesses, Maid Sango stole a kiss from the infamous Robin Hood. Now Miroku was not one to be easily surprised, but the lady's bold actions had left him in a stupefied state. For a brief moment his quick mind ceased to function. Once the shock had worn away, he returned the gesture of affection; afterall Robin Hood was a charming romantic. He had his part to play, he could not break character, even if Maid Sango was leagues above his station. It took some thought, but by the time Sango had broken away and stepped back, Miroku had convinced himself that he had reacted just as he ought. Her fingers released the cloth that acted as a mask, it fluttered back into place, and, once again, concealed his altered features. Her playful smile left him floored, it was an inconvenience to him that she shook the ground he stood upon. Robin was supposed to be confident, charming, dashing even, but instead she left him stumbling over his own thoughts. She had him reeling when she spoke in a teasing and triumphant voice, "I have done the impossible." Her smile beamed brighter than any fire he had ever seen, her words still full of excitement, "I am the first to successfully steal from the Robin Hood, even if it was but a kiss."
The maiden could not see the smile her declaration had produced and he was able to give his reply with his normal light hearted tone. "Count yourself lucky, you only caught me unawares because I had no reason to assume you would steal such a trifle from me." He paused for a moment then added softly, "Not when you could receive it from someone much more suitable than I." The lady took his hands in hers and all was peaceful, the only sound to be heard was the trickle of water and the chorus of crickets.
It was her soft question that broke the peace, "And why should you not be suitable?" His laugh was his first response, there was both bitterness and amusement.
He pulled his hands from hers and replied, "You must ask me such nonsense in jest. I am but a law breaker, a thief, a poor boy. You could have a wealthy nobleman, a man of much higher status. So why pay your attention to me?" He figured such a query would send her on her way, but her look only softened at his self deprecation.
"The people of Nakimoto do not see you that way. To them you are a symbol of hope. A hero." Her resolve could only weaken when she saw pain color his dark eyes.
With bitterness he returned, "If only you knew who you were truly speaking to."
She tried to close the gap between them, but with every step she took forwards, he took two back. With a gentle look, she tried to assure him and coax him to return to her, so she spoke carefully. "I know exactly who you are, you are Robin Hood. The one and only." Her attempts were made in vain, by the time she had finished speaking, the shallow waters of the river lay between them.
From where he stood his voice rang out, "You only see who you expect to see, no one ever truly sees me. To you and anyone else I'm Robin Hood, but you do not know me, the man under the hood. No one knows my true face. At least not yet."
In desperation she pleaded with the hooded figure, "Then remove your mask and let me see you."
His reply came forth cynically, "Even then you would not see me, only what you expect to see." She had wanted to protest but before she could Robin had disappeared beneath the shadows of the forest. There the tremblings that their meeting had produced could go unseen, there he would be safe, and there he could be himself. It was there that the pain of Maid Sango, his childhood love, could be pushed away. There he could stop questioning how disappointed she would be if she ever found out that the town menace was the incomparable Robin Hood.
As the sun set, Inuyasha's concern for the hooded thief had grown. He was well aware that his friend was more than capable of taking care of himself, but that did not stop him from worrying. He stepped onto the porch, the stars glittered in the deep velvet of the night sky, and the wind chimes sang softly in the breeze. The hanyo breathed in deeply, the scent of cedar and pine danced in the mountain air. He took to the trail, his sure footed steps leading him further into the thick mountain forest. The foliage of lush green cloaked him in darkness and concealed from his view the silver glow of the crescent moon and the shimmer of the emerald stars. The path ran down steeply and he grew closer to his destination. He could hear the rush of water as he waited for the river waterfall to come into view. He stepped into a clearing, the soft glow of the moon had the river running silver, and just as he expected he found Miroku sitting along its bend."
The thief sat pensively, too distracted by his own thoughts to notice that the hanyo was so closely upon him. Inuyasha could tell that he was deep in thought, but there was something about his posture that had the half demon feeling even more concerned. Miroku sat with his shoulders slumped, his chin rested in the palm of his hand, and his elbow rested on a bended knee. To Inuyasha, he looked a bit down-hearted. Inuyasha spoke out in an even voice, "There you are. I've been looking for you." Miroku merely lifted his head and glanced back over his shoulder. As a response he gave a weak half smile and returned his attention back to the water. The hanyo thought for a moment and with a decision made, he walked over to the thief and sat down next to him. For a long while they stayed there in silence. Neither spoke, instead they watched the water rush by, and listened to the song it sang
Miroku wanted to speak, but at the moment did not know exactly what it was he wanted to say. It was not easy for him to explain his feelings, not when he had always appeared so very confident. Instead of being straight forward, Miroku opted to be a bit more metaphorical. "Have you ever really looked at water?" The hanyo's sidelong glance was colored with confusion.
"I don't know what you mean." That was the exact response Miroku had hoped for. He stood and kicked off his shoes, rolled up his pant legs, and waded out into the water.
"This river is constantly moving, ever changing. It flows and winds up in uncharted places. It goes places we could only wish to see. Then there's the ocean." Inuyasha wanted to ask where he was going with all this, but it wasn't uncommon for Miroku to be vague, so he just continued to listen without interrupting. "The ocean with all its vastness, its secrets kept deep below, and the unknown places that lay someone beyond where the sky meets the sea." He grew quiet again as he pulled the mask from his face and pushed the hood from his head. "But have you ever wondered if what is out there is nothing but disappointing?" Inuyasha watched the water splash against Miroku's ankles and he began to wonder what all of this was really about.
"I can't say that I have, Miroku. Is there something else on your mind?" Without immediately answering, he leant over and plunged his hand into the water.
"You know, Yash, people are a lot like water." By this point in the conversation, the half demon had grown tired of the word games, and he asked bluntly.
"What is all this really about?" Miroku remained as he was, the water rushed between his fingers, and he contemplated on how he never touched the same river for long. The silence lingered for a moment, but Miroku asked vaguely.
"You mean you have never considered it?"
Inuyasha sighed in frustration, he absolutely despised feeling so confused. "What are you talking about? Have I considered what?" The thief took his hand from the stream and stood straight again. Without looking at his friend he questioned in a voice so soft it barely could be heard over the rushing water.
"Aren't you afraid?" The two looked at each other now, Inuyasha could only guess at where all of this was coming from.
"Afraid of what?" he asked carefully.
"Afraid that once everyone knows you are Blood Hound, they will be disappointed", was Miroku's solemn answer. Miroku returned to the shore and without waiting for Inuyasha to reply, he grabbed his shoes and made his way back towards the temple. The hanyo quickly followed after him, he had no intention of letting the conversation end there. No siree.
"Are you saying that you're afraid that the people of Nakimoto won't like Robin if they knew you were him?"
Miroku faced Inuyasha with exasperated features. "That's exactly what I'm saying! I'm not the son of a nobleman like you, I was the little orphan boy turned menace. The bad influence that convinced his friend's into doing crazy heists to get some form of validation, and now has convinced the King's niece that he is some kind of hero. By god, when she finds out Robin is me, well, I do not know what she'll think, but it cannot be favorable." Stupefied, Inuyasha gaped at the thief, he had never seen Miroku behave in such a manner.
"Miroku, you're being much too hard on yourself. Robin's feats won't change if they learn he's you." Miroku stopped for a moment, a look of relief on his face.
"You're right, Yash. If they learn, is correct. I just have to make sure no one ever finds out the truth." Inuyasha rubbed his hand down his face in exasperation.
"That's not what I meant and you know it."
The thief waved his hand dismissively, "I will take it as I see fit, besides I prefer being Robin Hood to anyone else."
Maid Sango had returned to the castle courtyard and was greeted by her anxious lady in waiting. "Miss Sango! Where have you been? You had me worried sick." Sango smiled in a reassuring way and ignored the tingle that still played on her lips.
"I went to find Robin Hood, I assure you that I was careful."
Kagome lowered her voice and questioned her lady, "And did you find him?" The maiden placed her hand over her heart and spun around giddily, her skirts fluttered around her legs.
"Oh Kagome, I did. I found him near the river. The one where we found them before." Kagome eyed her, wordless she pleaded with her to continue with speaking of her encounter with the hooded thief. "I am the first to steal from him. I cannot show you what it was, because it is not a tangible thing. He called it a trifle, but I call it a kiss."
In a hiss she implored, "You kissed him?" Pink colored the lady's cheeks, not from embarrassment, but because Kagome was completely starry eyed.
"I know, t'was a bold move, but there is something so familiar about him. Either we have crossed paths before or I loved him in a past life." Kagome wanted Sango to have whatever it was she desired, but she was concerned over her choice.
"And what do you expect to happen between you and Robin?"
Sango answered confidently, "Why I expect to find out who exactly this Robin Hood is. I cannot allow myself to fall in love any further if I do not know his face and true name."
"Fall in love?!" Kagome practically yelped the question and was firmly shushed by her lady.
"Kagome, please calm yourself. I will know him before I allow things to go any further. I know this seems crazy to you, but I do know him. I am sure of that much and I will prove it." She turned quickly and made her way inside, unaware that she was being watched by a pair of unwanted eyes.
(A/N: Well look at me, posting for the second week in a row. Will this be my new usual? Probably not, because I am a garbage human being that can't stick to working on one story at a time. I don't know which one I'll work on next but I need to divide what little time I now have to write between them. I do tend to focus on the stories that get the most feedback, so leave me a review. Or you know, favorite or follow this story.)