Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Inuyasha, all rights belong to the creator, Rumiko Takahasi. I also lay no claim on the creation of Robin Hood.
Chapter Twenty-One: First Day on the Post
His time on the post had begun with little to no difficulty, the only thing he had to ignore was the looks of pity given to him by the villagers. The sun had begun its descent, growing dim beyond the horizon. The cold night air would soon blow in, but in some ways the cold did not seem as daunting as heat. The relentless heat of summer would have made this punishment far more difficult, these early spring days were mild and the evenings were not bitterly cold anymore either. His wrists ached and his legs had already gone numb beneath his weight, but it was nothing he could not handle. He shifted in the dirt and scanned his immediate area. The guards were well spaced out, pacing in turns and keeping guard of a specific coordinate of the prison courtyard. He observed their trail, the time it took for each one to get from one point to the next, and he could easily see the gaps they left in their stations. He timed it perfectly, every ten minutes there was a sixty second gap with a blind spot. If he had chosen it, he would be able to make a very daring and impressive escape.
Sango stood at her window, watching as the guards walked their rounds along the courtyard; night long since having fallen. The silence in her quarters was deafening, the empty loneliness caused by Kagome's absence only seemed to make each minute harder to take. With a sudden sense of determination she crossed the room and exited with as little sound as possible. Her bare feet slid across the wooden floor as she avoided the boards she knew creaked, without being seen, she was able to make her way outside of the castle.
She stood alongside the perimeter of the castle, near enough the post to recognize which of the guards she needed to meet with. He marched like the rest, but his shoulders were a bit slumped, he wouldn't admit it out loud, but she always knew that he had always been impressed by Robin Hood's antics. From the shadows she whispered loudly enough for him to hear, "Kuranosuke." She could see him look towards the darkness that kept her concealed. "Over here." She stepped forward enough for him to see her, before slipping back into the blackness of night.
He checked for the other guards, he had to make sure he wouldn't be missed. With eyebrows furrowed, curiosity got the better of him, so he followed after her. His form disappeared under that same shadow and in his own soft tone of voice he spoke out. "Sango? What in heaven's name has you out here at such a late hour?" He searched for her, but his eyes had not yet adjusted to the void he had stepped into.
The maiden approached him slowly, her only hope was to get him to understand her request and grant it. With some desperation, "I must ask a favor of you, Kuranosuke."
Though he knew she would ask him something he could not allow, he also didn't have it in him to tell her no. "What is it you need, Maid Sango?" he asked with some pause.
She looked up with pleading eyes, "I need you to give me a few minutes to speak with the prisoner. He is an important old friend and if I cannot make sure he is okay, I will get no rest. Please, give me an opening to speak with him."
He knew he should tell her no. Deny the request adamantly. She had no business keeping company with a criminal, and yet he could not look into those eyes of hers and refuse anything. He sighed, "I can only give you five minutes, make them count." He gestured for her to go and witnessed her internal struggle to take that first step.
Sango watched him from a distance before she hesitantly approached the wooden fence, her face full of concern and a quiet but burning anger. She kept her voice low, her desire to speak to him far overwhelming the fear she felt for her uncle. "Miroku, I fear you may have put yourself in too dangerous a position. He has already treated you so poorly, your face is quite bruised already."
Miroku's eyes shifted to her quickly, concern was etched on his features, and though it was dark his piercing gaze couldn't be shrouded. He loathed allowing her to see him in such a state, he would have much preferred her going with Koga, and being left unaware of what he must endure. "Sango, it would be wise for you to keep your distance from me." Though he warned her to stay away, her company was actually rather comforting. Her presence gave him a strong desire to hold fast to his will, he had no intention of her seeing him break.
"Perhaps you are right, but I had to see you. I have been in high dudgeon all morning." Her lovely face was downcast and a displeased frown had replaced her much more desirable smile. He hated knowing that he was the cause of her unhappiness, but he could not help but to be pleased that she cared for him so much. He was nothing but a common thief after all, a man so far below her station, and entirely undeserving of her attention and feelings.
He tugged on the rope, hoping to loosen the bind, and winced at the pinching pain. Perhaps escape would prove more difficult than he thought. It would appear that he may have to face whatever punishment was given and just hope his will really could withstand it. "Do not upset yourself on my account." His voice was steady and he held fast to his will, he wanted nothing more than to set her at ease. "I shall be just fine, I assure you. I can handle all that the old sheriff can give."
And though he spoke with such certainty, Sango feared that he was not being entirely honest with her. She believed him to be strong and brave, but yet one's body could only take so much before giving out. Three days on the post was already more than enough to break the strongest of spirits, but even if he was to withstand all of that, she could not help but to be concerned of the lashings. "You will not be able to fight back or run away." She reminded him with a trembling voice. "They do not care if they kill you. They will keep at it until you talk."
"Yes Sango, I am very much aware of the fate I face." He looked up and did his best to offer her a reassuring smile. "I will allow them to break me, eventually, but not until I buy enough time for King Hitomi to return. Three days on the post, another three days for them to question me in any way they see fit, and some days for the guards to search those campsites." He knew what he needed to do, but that actually accomplishing it could prove more difficult than he would like to admit.
She longed to scale the fence and take him in her arms. She wanted to be sure that he knew exactly what she felt for him, but could not bring herself to speak the words at that moment. It was not how she wanted him to learn of her intention, tied to a post while his life hung in the balance was less than romantic. "I pray that you will not be lost to me. If things get to be too much, please allow me to fetch Inuyasha, and he will help you escape."
He did not want to give her permission to bring Inuyasha into his whole mess, he had been dragging him along for long enough already, and had forced the hanyo into taking up Robin's mantle if he was to fall. "No, Sango. Inuyasha has done more than he ought to have already. I do not wish to endanger him further. I will manage just fine on my own."
"Yes, of course. I shall do as you please." She spoke the words with no real intentions of keeping them. She would go to Inuyasha the moment she thought his life was in danger and convince the half demon to save her beloved. On this point she could not be swayed.
Miroku motioned with his head for her to move on. "The guards will make their rounds soon, you should depart before you are spotted. I would hate for Naraku to realise that you are close to me, that would put you in danger too." Though she wanted to stay, she bent to his request, after all she loved him and wanted to do all it took to keep him well at ease. At least for the time being.
He watched her depart with a slight twinkle in his eyes, though he was not in the most ideal situation, he could not help but to be pleased with her visit. Her coming here had to be a hint of her feelings for him and even if he could not allow himself to reciprocate those feelings, the knowledge that she had them too was enough. He struggled to pull his bent legs out from under himself, the tingling numbness causing him some difficulty. Once he freed his limbs he stretched them out in front of him and rested his back against the post. Despite his current position, he knew it was in his best interest to get as much rest as possible.
Leaning his head against the wood, he gazed up at the stars. They shimmered brilliantly overhead, not a single cloud obscured the black velvet of the night sky. Closing his eyes he took a deep calming breath, listening to the way the wind rustled through the leaves and lush grass, he was able to relax. With little resistance, Miroku was able to slip into a restless and dreamless sleep.
The hour soon passed midnight, Miroku still leaned against the wooden post, his arms folded over his chest to keep warm. Though he slept, he could hear the sound of feet crunching in the loose gravel and dirt. A shadow fell over his form as he opened his eyes and peered up at a uniformed palace guard. His eyebrow raised in confusion, not a single guard had approached him all evening, so he found this intrusion rather odd indeed. Before he could speak, the man above him greeted him with a monotoned yet familiar voice. "Hey."
Miroku stared up at the man in disbelief for a moment as the realisation slowly dawned on him. Exasperated, he asked in a harsh whisper. "Inuyasha, what the hell are you doing here? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" If his hands hadn't been bound, he was sure he would have struck him upside that empty head of his.
Inuyasha kept his back completely straight, playing the role of guard perfectly. "Well, you ran off without talking to me. A letter? Really, you absolute moron? I had to make sure you were okay. Someone has to keep you from showing off and getting yourself into something you can't handle." He dropped his golden gaze, a bit of anger on his face and a grim line set his mouth.
The restrained thief scanned the gates, the real guards continued to walk their post, not paying much mind to the hanyo above him. "You're a crazy bastard. You know that? Where in heaven's name did you even get that get up?"
The hanyo grinned in a cocky manner. "I merely borrowed it. The only damage will probably be a minor headache for the man I took it off of, but I'm sure he's fine. You can't cause brain damage to the brainless anyway, I reckon."
Miroku smirked, his eyes danced with amusement. "As crazy as I think your hijinks are, I can't help but to be proud of you. An excellent strategy you have devised. I knew you had it in you to be clever. You would make a sufficient Robin Hood."
Inuyasha looked a bit uncomfortable by his words. "Do not start with your nonsense, I will have no need of becoming the next Robin. That title is yours and yours alone. Keep running your mouth about it and it won't be Naraku's lashings you have to worry about. I'll knock you senseless." He turned his back to his friend for a moment, trying to rein in his feelings of anger and worry.
"No need for such threats of violence, Inuyasha, I have every intention of getting out of here alive." He spoke with a chuckle in his voice, something that did appear to set the hanyo at ease, if only a little bit.
The hanyo faced him again, a stern look on his face. "You better keep your word or I'll bring you back from the dead just to kill you again."
Pulling at his binding again, Miroku rolled his eyes. "You are in quite a fiery mood tonight. I sense you are angry with me."
Inuyasha frowned and without pause, he smacked his friend on the back of his head. "Well, aren't you a regular mind reader. Of course I'm mad. You run off on your own, knowing full well I hate this plan of yours, and you had the gall to write me a damned letter. I ought to rip you off the post and knock your head clean off your shoulders, but I won't because I choose to trust this crazy scheme of yours and you."
Had his hands not been tied in front of him, he would have rubbed the back of his head. "That hurt, I'll have you know, but I suppose I'll let it slide this time. I do appreciate your trust in me though, even though you have a funny way of showing it." He leaned back again, the night wearing on him now, these three days would be a bit of a struggle for him, but he would bear it somehow. He gave the hanyo a sidelong glance. "Did you really only come here to see if I was okay or did you have another purpose?"
Inuyasha tapped his foot in agitation, Miroku always did have a knack for reading people's intentions well. "You really piss me off sometimes, reading my mind like that." He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turned white, as his claws dug into his palm. "I just wanted to let you know, that if for even one damn second, I think you're in serious danger, I am breaking you out of here. You better count on that."
He opened his mouth to protest. "Inuyasha…"
The hanyo lifted his hand to strike the thief again, but Miroku raised his bound hands in front of his chest in surrender. "I will have no arguments," he stated matter of factly, "You will accept my help or fight it, but I will do what I need to."
Miroku offered him a reassuring smile. "Fine, but I ask that you allow me to give you a sign of some kind or say a phrase aloud."
Inuyasha wanted to argue, tell him he would know without a word when to step in, because he knew the idiot would push himself too far. "Fine, but you better give this sign the moment it becomes too much or so help me. What will this sign of yours be?"
Miroku thought for a moment as he considered something to say, after some pause he replied. "If you ever hear me say, Robin Hood cannot be stopped, you can start your rescue mission. But you better not get caught or so help me." he threatened back.
Inuyasha grinned. "I assure you that nothing could stop me if you were in danger." He nodded his head with certainty. "But I better get out of here before I get caught, but expect to see me again." He turned away and walked towards the fence, in a flash of movement, he leapt into the shadows and disappeared from Miroku's sight. Exhausted from the day's activities, he slumped against the post again, and drifted off into a restless sleep one more time.
((A/N: Apologies for the delay, I have actually had this chapter finished for about two weeks, but couldn't find the time to get it posted. I had a bunch of things going on in my personal life, like getting a new job, being forced to move again, having no internet access at home, and stress. I have not started the next chapter yet, I have some work related stuff that needs my focus first, but I will try and get back to this as soon as I can. Shout out to tinemelk for the double reviews, glad to see you've stuck around this long. I'm happy to see that you like how I've put the extra characters to good use. As always, much love, until next time, ado.)