Chapter 2: A Chance Encounter
Moroha went back to her home that evening, shaken by the story of Naraku just like her cousins and Hisui had been. She understood why her parents seldom talked about him even when it was just to each other and they thought that her and her siblings were all sleeping.
Naraku was responsible for destroying so many lives and what she was told today was only what had happened to her loved ones, she even dared to wonder how many more people were victims of Naraku's cruelty.
She stepped into their family home and took her shoes off. Her siblings were all enjoying the dinner that her sister Yuna cooked For them. The cozy environment of their home and the presence of her family helped to ease her nerves some, even as her sister glared at her from her seat at their kitchen table.
"Why do they even leave you in charge when all you do is run around and daydream all day." Yuna huffed.
"I'm out making a living so we can have food while mom and dad are away. You'd starve without me." Moraha said as she plopped down in the seat that was left for her with a plate of food already made.
"They left us more than enough money for food while they're gone. It wouldn't kill you to actually do what they asked of you and keep up with at least some of the household tasks."
"Haru, Sora, whose cooking tastes best?" Moroha asked.
"Yuna's!" They both said at the same time.
"Majority rules sis, when mom's not here you cook from now on and I'll go make money. That's what each of us do best, the boys even agree." Moraha smirked.
"I have a life too, you know! I can't just stay home and take care of the boys every day until they return. I'm a priestess in training. I have duties to attend to if I ever want my spiritual powers to grow."
"Our spiritual powers are already strong enough. Don't you remember what that traveling bald guy that we met two years ago said about our pores being in a class of their own?" Moroha rolled her eyes. "You should really work more on your combat skills instead. You know that we're naturally stronger than most humans so being good in a fight would probably be more beneficial for you personally."
"Absolutely not! I've told you that my dream is to be a priestess and a wife and no respectable man will want to marry a barbarian who wants to beat him up." Yuna said sharply.
"I'd go insane if I had a dream like that." Moroha said while rolling her eyes.
She and her sister were almost polar opposites when it came to these kind of things and Yuna was already upset at her for leaving everything up to her for the day with no notice.
"We can take turns watching the boys. I'll watch them tomorrow so you can study with granny Kaede but I can't play the baby sister the whole time that they're gone I'll go insane." Moroha exzaggerated just a little but it was true she would go insane.
Her sister sighed. Accepting the fact that Moroha at least was going to make an effort at being responsible in this situation.
"Fine I'll help you out even though it's only for a few hours each day." Yuna said.
Kagome had pushed for education to be made readily available and accessible for the village kids a few years before she had had any children of her own, so a lot of the village kids actually went to school now for at least a few hours each day. The school was nothing too fancy but it ensured that the children of the village would have a place to learn if they wanted to and most of the villagers did send their children to school. This had been one of Kagome's biggest accomplishments since she returned to feudal Japan.
The siblings all finished their meal together. Catching each other up on what they had each done during the day. The younger siblings talked about the misticf that they had gotten into with some of the village boys. While Moroha recounted to them her heroics against the demon she had slayin earlier in the day. Yuna told of how she was learning to cast out demons with special seals of her own making. The siblings may have had their differences but they were a close knit family through and through.
After their meal the younger ones soon went to bed. Without their parents home and Moroha's lack of a want to show any real authority unless it suited her, bed times were usually a lot later only being enforced once Yuna realized how late it was and would force her brothers to follow the rules.
"That's why I'm the favorite sister." Moroha had teased her.
"Being the oldest should not automatically make you in charge. You usually go to bed before the boys do and they end up staying awake all night."
"I'm not their mom. All I can do is suggest that they do what mom and dad would want. Feel free to take over at any time sis. You've got my permission." Moroha said from her spot in front of the fireplace.
"Maybe I will take over being in charge and then I'll make you do all of the chores until they come back." Yuna huffed.
"permission to be incharge of them, not me." Moroha simply stated.
"I'm telling on you when they come home and then you'll never be left incharge again and they'll make you have to listen to me next time. That will teach you to be so irresponsible."
Moroha turned to look at her and Yuna was serious. She really was going to tell on her. She wondered what her problem was. Their parents were gone. What did Yuna want her to do? Act like a dictator?
She didn't care what any of her siblings did as long as they didn't get caught into any trouble that would upset their parents once they came home. She quickly decided that the best way to respond was to try and bluff her way out of the situation.
"If you tell on me I doubt that they'd trust you to be in charge of everyone, you're only 13. They'll just get someone to babysit all of us from now on. Then none of us will be having a good time. You sure that you won't be embarrassed to tell your snootie little priestess friends that the great priestess in training Yuna can't stay home alone and has to have a babysitter when her parents go away." Moroha smirked.
Yuna's face got red with anger. "I would personally tell Towa and Setsuna about how my big sister is strong enough to slay demons but our parents still deem her immature enough to need a babysitter. They'd never let you live it down and you know it, especially Towa." Yuna shot back just as quick witted as her sister and they stared at each other for a long moment.
"Moroha huffed in response. "Fine, tell them. They don't leave us alone like this that often anyway. Hopefully uncle Shippo will come over." She said deciding to just let things be and end their fighting for the night.
"Ugh you are impossible, I'm trying to help you! You need to be more responsible and not let our house become completely lawless just because mom and dad aren't home."
"What's wrong with just a little lawlessness here and there? You need to learn to live a little. Ever since you started training to become a priestess in training. You've become stiff and you don't have to be. It's like you hate all things fun now." Moroha said exzaggerated.
"I am becoming a proper lady! You need to be a proper lady or you'll never be respected enough for anyone to want to start a family with you. Moroha you have no home skills besides being able to cook half decently. You have no care for rules or manners even though I know you can have very good manners when you want it's irreverent because all you care about is doing what you want whenever you want, and you don't think about how your actions have consequences or how others might see you. Do you think that Shinji will still want a marriage with you if you never change?"
"Is this what all this is about? Shinji?"
"He is from a good family. They are wealthy and respectable, even well educated. I don't understand why you continue to act like his proposal means nothing to you. He's been in awe of you since you were kids and he's probably the only man of class that would ever overlook all of your shortcomings. I'm not saying any of this to be harsh, it's the opposite. I love you sister and that's why I want you to be with someone who is willing to accept you for who you are."
Moroha was stunned at her words, she and Yuna would usually but heads regularly but not like this. They didn't really talk about her relationship with Shinji or his month old proposal. She paused as she carefully considered her thoughts.
"Shinji has always liked me but I do not have any obligation to return his feelings just because he's smart and wealthy. I don't have to return the feelings of anyone if I don't want to and neither do you should you ever find yourself in a position where you are proposed to and feel nothing. Mom and dad didn't marry until mom was over 18 and some people never marry at all and are completely content with their lives. We can have two different ideas of what it means to be happy and find our own happiness in separate ways. If I'm being honest, staying in this village with Shinji for the rest of my life would be a nightmare."
"Why would you say that?" Yuna asked as if what Moroha was saying was crazy. Shinji was wealthy and respectable. He was good looking and kind, he was perfect for her.
"Because I would be trapped. I would never know of the greater world outside of this village or get to see sights much grander than myself and what I've known. My dream is to travel the world, not sprout roots and stand still. Shinji is a kind friend which is why I told him immediately that I would never feel the same about him but he's been so annoyingly persistent despite my constant rejection. He might never understand why I don't feel what he feels for me until I actually leave this place."
"I never knew that that was what you wanted." Yuna looked at her sister with a mixture of shock and hurt. "You want to leave our village and leave all of us behind forever?"
"I'm not leaving you all behind. Our bond as a family will never break no matter where I go or what either of us are doing. We only have one life and I'm not going to waste it by doing things that I want no part in. Even if that's what everyone else is doing. I want to go on adventures and realize my dreams and then maybe when I'm done seeing the world and everything that it has to offer me maybe then I'll want to sprout those roots with someone special but then again maybe I won't. I can think this way for myself but still see the value in your dreams of priestesshood and family. Just because our dreams are different doesn't mean that one is better than the other. They're just different, that's all." Moroha said the last part as if it were the most obvious fact in the world and Yuna took a deep breath.
Perhaps she had been too worried about her sister and her future. From what she was saying she was completely content with how her life was at the moment and now Yuna understood that her sister's happiness wouldn't come from the same place as hers would. So she simply smiled at her now that she understood. Her sister didn't need her help and she was fine just the way that she was.
"Will you still visit home if you're near and send letters when you can?" Yuna asked.
"Of course how else would I brag about all of my feats along the way. Imagine the folk songs that they'll make of all my epic battles." Moroha smiled and Yuna laughed at her brazenness.
"Always so humble." She said sarcastically. "Have you told mom and dad about this dream of yours?"
"No but I don't think that they'd try to stop me." She looked at the burning fire in the fireplace once more and smiled at the thought of actually setting out one day.
"No I don't think that they would either." Yuna said. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have acted like Shinji was your only chance at happiness. I'm sure that if you want a partner one day you'd only ever be satisfied with someone as wild as you are." She teased.
Moroha brows furrowed as she considered responding but decided to let it slide this time.
"I'm going to take that as a compliment since you said it with a smile and I'll try to be a little more responsible while mom and dad are away. Since they did leave me in charge but if no one wants to listen then it's out of my hands."
"We will listen, just don't be annoying with any new rules." Yuna said and Moroha got quiet for a moment before speaking again.
"Sis I have to tell you something about why mom and dad really left, it's been bothering me ever since I found out and I don't think that it's fair for me to not tell you at least. The two of us have always been honest with each other so I'm going to tell you the truth." Moroha said firmly, deciding to tell her sister about what she knew.
Yuna was mature enough to handle the truth and Moroha didn't think that it was fair for her to keep it a secret from her so she told her everything before she went to bed that night. Both girls felt haunted but aware of the threat that might one day come their way if their parents did not succeed in taking care of Naraku's potential successor.
Both of them each decided silently once they were each alone in their own beds that they would be ready if that time ever came.
The next morning, true to their deal Moroha had taken on more of the house work and attended to her younger brothers while Yuna went off to study at the temple early in the morning before either of their brothers woke up.
"Yuna's cooking is better." Sora the youngest said under his breath.
"What was that?" Moroha said, slightly annoyed while clenching her fist.
"Nothing!" Sora said quickly.
"You keep speaking like that and big sis will punch your head." Haru whispered to his brother.
"I was just being honest, Yuna's cooking is better." Sora whispered back in a snarky tone and just like Haru predicted Moroha hit the top of his head punching him hard enough to get her point across but not too hard to leave any lasting damage.
"I woke up extra early to cook you little brats a decent morning meal! A simple thanks would have suffice." She huffed and Sora started crying.
"Stop crying Sora, she didn't hit you that hard." Haru said.
"Yes she did and I'm telling mom when she comes home. Moroha is so mean!" He cried louder.
"Go ahead, I'll tell her all about how late you've been staying up. I bet she'd love to hear that." Moroha said matter of factly.
"But, but you said that you didn't care when we went to bed." Sora cried more.
"I don't but mom does and she's not going to be happy at all to find out that you've been going to bed so late." Moroha shrugged.
"Are you going to tell on me too?" Haru asked pale faced.
"No you didn't insult my cooking."
Haru smirked at Sora and Sora cried more. "I'm sorry Moroha you're cooking's the best. I'll never complain again!"
"Room for one more?" Towa asked as she entered the kitchen and Sora ran to her grabbing her leg and crying into the pant leg of her demon gear.
"Moroha is being mean to me!" He told Towa dramatically.
"He's okay, he's just being dramatic. Sora, if you stop crying I'll give you something sweet when you get home from school." Moroha said and the boy paused pondering what to do next before letting go of Towa's leg, whipping his face and returning back to his seat at the table to finish his breakfast.
"That's all it takes!?" Towa said, shocked.
"Aren't you glad that you seldom have to deal with kids." Moroha sighed as Towa helped herself to the food that Moroha made.
Towa would often stop by and help herself to whatever food her aunt would make and more recently what Yuna made which was almost just as good as Kagome's cooking.
"I'm sure Haru and Sora aren't that much of a handful look at how well behaved they are now?" Towa stated, trying to give her little cousins a break.
"Yesterday Yuna had to stop the two of them from fighting over a beetle that they found. They were fighting over a damn bug Towa."
"It was a really cool bug." Haru added.
"And Yuna let it get away." Sora said, annoyed.
"Hey, no talking about old arguments." Moroha said.
"But you brought it up first." Haru said.
"Careful or sis will punch you too. She hates mornings." Sora warned his older brother.
"Moroha, is that why Sora was crying? Did you punch him?" Towa asked.
"It's important to discipline children or they'll grow up bad." She said defending her actions.
Towa sighed. "If Aunt and Uncle knew they'd think twice about leaving you alone again."
"Whatever Towa." Moroha said before releasing an annoyed sigh. "You have no idea what it's like to have younger siblings or how hard they try to press your buttons." Moroha added just as Towa ate her first bite of food pausing afterwards.
"This isn't Yuna's cooking." She said disappointed, While Moroha's two brothers laughed.
"Out! And you can give me back your plate so that someone more polite and greatful might eat it!" Moroha exclaimed.
"Moroha, I'm sorry it's very good, I just wasn't expecting it to be."
"To be what Towa?" She asked, annoyed beyond belief at all of her family members. She didn't even hear the knock on the door or see Haru greet their next visitor; she only heard his voice which immediately brought her out of her conversation with Towa.
"Good morning Moroha. You look lovely this morning." Shinji said and Moroha's eyes almost rolled out of her head making Towa snicker.
"Shinji, what are you doing here?" Moroha asked. He normally didn't visit her home like this.
"I came to ask if you might want to take a stroll with me to the market in case you were in need of anything while your parents were away. Of course I'd be more than happy to provide you with anything that you might need in their absence."
"Shinji we're fine, we are well provided for and will be for a long time." She said.
"Then perhaps might we discuss the matter of our engagement again." He asked cheerfully.
"Perhaps I should leave you two alone, Shinji, why don't you take my plate of food. I barely touched it and there is still so much food left, Moroha cooked today's breakfast." Towa said while handing him her half eaten plate.
"You cooked this meal Moroha?" He asked with stars in his eyes.
"Towa I can't stand you." She huffed.
"I'll be training at the slayers guild if you want to spar later on." Towa said cheerfully before reiterating. "Spar not murder. Good luck with your fiancé cuz." She teased and Moroha was super sure now that Towa's days were numbered.
Shinji ate all of the food that Moroha had prepared and praised her fully.
"This was delicious. I'd expect nothing less from the daughter of high priestess Kagome."
"Um, thank you Shinji. I have to walk my siblings to school now so we should really get going or they'll be late. I'll see you later then." She said doing her best to try and get him out of her hair so that she could get to killing Towa sooner.
"Really then let's walk them there together. It will be like practice for our future." He said happily.
"Shinji we are not engaged." She stated curtly.
"Not yet." He said and Moroha sighed heavily annoyed at him. She had already rejected him two times over the past month but he just kept trying harder and harder to win her affections.
They took her younger siblings to school but before going to class Sora grabbed Sinji's leg and whispered to him.
"Don't do it Shinji."
"Do what?" The man had asked, confused.
"You're making my sister mad and when she gets mad her punches hurt the most even when she says she's going easy." Sora warned and Haru pulled his brother away quickly, not giving him a chance to say more. Only uttering an "it's true you know." Under his breath before the two rushed off to school leaving Moroha alone with Shinji.
Moroha quickly turned on her heels and tried to make her way to the slayers guild but Shinji was still following her so she stopped quickly.
"What." She huffed heavily.
"Our engagement." He stated.
"Shinji, we have been friends since we were kids. I told you already that I just don't see you that way." She said, annoyed at having to tell him this for the third time.
"That's because you won't even try to! Moroha I like you for who you are. I think that you're amazing and I don't care that you have demon blood. I like everything about you. I just want you to give us a chance. I could make you happy, I know I could if you would just let me." He said and she wanted to scream.
The first time she had let him down gently and he had said that it was okay he understood that he would have to try harder to show her that he was serious. So he started buying her gifts to which she always returned them and now he was trying to show her how good he could be to her family and one day to their own family once they would have kids.
Kids that she did not even want. All of his efforts past his first attempt at a proposal really showed her how little he really knew about what she really wanted and who she was.
"Shinji, you want me to give us a chance then fine when my father comes home, challenge him to a fight, if you win then I'll agree to be your wife."
She smiled that seemed more than fair to her, if Shinji could beat her father in a fight then maybe he would be a true match for her after all.
"You want me to do what!" He exclaimed.
"Challenge my dad to a fight. You said you were in love with me didn't you?"
"Moroha he is a demon I could never match his strength." He said in disbelief.
"He's been beaten by humans before. If you really believed in us and wanted to be together with me, you'd do it."
"What if I could gain his favor instead, get him to give his blessing then would you agree to an engagement between us?" He asked and she placed her hand on her chin. Her father didn't like Shinji, so she knew that there was no way that he'd ever give his blessing for them to be together.
"Sure but he's always said that he'd never give any of his daughters away to someone who couldn't best him in a fight so battle is probably still your best option. You had better practice." She said and Shinji smiled quickly, taking her hands in his and making her skin crawl in the process.
"I promise that I will get your father to approve of our engagement and prove to you just how much I love you. You don't have to love me back right away but I will show you why I am what's best for you." He told her confidently and she quickly snatched her hands away from his.
How arrogant he was in how he spoke to her ever since he had started proposing and being rejected by her. He acted like it was just a matter of time before she gave him his way and it always annoyed her.
"If you can get my fathers approval." Was all that she said.
"What father wouldn't want his daughter to get married to a well educated and wealthy man?" Shinji said and she rolled her eyes.
"Well you know everything about everyone don't you Shinji?"
"I am not that presumptuous Moroha. Might we visit the market for a stroll now? I know that you said that you didn't need anything but if anything were to catch your eye it would be a crime for me not to place it in your hands."
"I um…I have house work to do… Yeah." She lied. "How about you meet me when my brothers get out of school and we can all go together." She smiled and Shinji's heart skipped a beat.
She hadn't smiled at him like that since before he started proposing to her, he had to be breaking through, he thought and soon that smile would belong only to him.
He answered quickly with okay and she agreed that they would meet to pick her brothers up together and then they would all go to the market and Shinji walked her home before going his separate ways feeling more than accomplished with his daily efforts to win her over.
After Moroha finally lost Shinji she felt like she could finally breathe again. She almost thought that she was going to have to just jump to the trees so that he couldn't follow her, if she wanted to lose him or head straight to the slayers guild where only slayers were allowed to go freely. .
She thought back to Towa leaving her alone with Shinji and teasing her when she knew that she wanted nothing to do with him and it was making her blood boil all over again but the fact that he had come over so early was making her mad too.
Normally Shinji didn't come to her house directly but since her parents were away he probably felt bolder since her dad wasn't around to chase him away. How he thought that he could possibly procure his blessing was beyond her. Shinji acted as if he had never heard the word no in his life and if Moroha was normal she might have been scared that he might harm her one day when he realized that he would never win her over but Shinji didn't scare her in the slightest if she wanted to she could kill him right now and be done with it but that wasn't her way and she'd be no better than the demons that she killed if she were to kill Shinji simply for annoying her.
Moroha left her home as soon as she was sure that Shinji was far enough away. She needed to take a walk and maybe train a little to clear her head.
Her feet unconsciously took her to the tree of ages for as long as Moroha could remember walking in this forest and sitting by this tree would always calm her and put her at ease. This was the place where she first realized what her dream was and the place that she always chose to hide away when she needed to be alone. She took a seat at her usual place underneath the tree of ages and laid down in the shade. The warm spring air filled her lungs and tickled her skin as she looked up at the sky.
One day she'd leave this village and when she did her true life would begin. Her nose twitched as she picked up a scent that made her jerk up violently.
That was the stench of human blood.
She stood on her feet as she followed the scent to the other side of the tree opposite to where she had been sitting and that was when she saw a man with short black hair who had red seeping through his shirt in what she assumed to be a huge wound covering his left shoulder down to his chest.
The man seemed to be unconscious as his eyes were shut, his unconscious expression seemingly relaxed. She could hear him breathing steadily as she got closer to him and looked more closely at his face. It wasn't contorted in any pain as he slept despite his injuries that looked to be bleeding out worse and redder under his clothes.
She could tell that he was human from the way that he smelt and she found it was unusual for him to be so calm while he no doubt must have been in so much pain.
Humans didn't usually have a high tolerance when it came to pain like those with demon blood did. But here he was sleeping peacefully under the tree of ages as he bled out as if he had just accepted the fact that his injuries would kill him. He even looked attractive as he slept. His face still showed signs of being boy-like at least as he slept. He didn't look like he was that much older than her and his face didn't look that mature or sharp with signs of age yet so he couldn't have been that much older than she was.
She kneeled down beside him and started to undo the top of his kimono where his wound was and his eyes shot open. They were a darker shade of brown than her own and he looked at her coldly as he caught her wrist stopping her from completely undoing the top of his kimono, where she could now partially see the reddened bandages that looked like they had been placed unskillfully had been hastily applied.
"What are you doing?" He asked sharply.
"You, you're bleeding." She said startled by his sudden actions.
"What of it?" He asked weekly trying his best to still be cold and she smiled. Holding back a laugh as he winced from moving too suddenly.
This guy was too tough for his own good.
"Just take off your shirt." She said with a small laugh and the man blushed, taking in her serious expression before looking away and coughing a few times.
"Miss… You're very attractive but I'm afraid that I will have to decline due to my current condition." He closed his eyes.
"Decline what?" Moroha asked as oblivious as ever to the questionable turn that the man's mind had taken at her demand that he take off his shirt.
He looked at her confused and she just pushed the top part of his kimono off of his shoulders so that she could better see his wound and the man looked at her even more shocked as she focused on his wounds.
"Sit up straighter if you can, I can probably heal you if the wound isn't too deep." She said as she went to gently remove his bandages.
"You wish to heal me, why?" He asked, surprised at her concern.
"Do you really need a reason to want to help someone who looks like they're dying?" She ripped the bandage and he winched more.
"Stay still." She ordered as she assessed the poor attempt at stitches that had been made to try and seal the wound.
"You have no medical supplies on hand. How can I trust that you aren't trying to make my wounds worse?" He asked as she fully removed the bandages and placed her hands over the badly stitched flesh. That was marring his otherwise fit upper body.
She was getting more annoyed with him by the second as he kept questioning her.
"Maybe I am trying to make your wounds worse. What are going to do about it?" She challenged as she started to use her spiritual power to seal the wound more and heal him the best she could.
"Take your hands off me!" He screamed. "You have no idea who I am!" He said looking into her eyes dangerously with a look that could kill while she only smirked at him like she knew something that he didn't. Just as he felt his pain cease and the bleeding stop.
He stopped talking and set up more as he felt her gentle touch leave his chest as she pulled away.
"You're welcome." She said, rolling her eyes before turning her back to him.
The nerve of this woman, He had immediately thought.
Did she have no fear at being left alone in the company of a man she didn't know? He thought, but let her go all the same as he made no attempt to chase after her.
He felt as if he could stand again and when he tried he did so surprisingly with ease. He looked at his wounds and they looked to be healed considerably as if more time had passed than just a few moments.
He wasn't completely healed but his wounds were stable enough to where they at least wouldn't scare or get infected now.
He recalled her words.
"Maybe I am trying to make your wounds worse. What are you going to do about it?" Was she trying to drive him mad by saying that!?
He quickly pulled his kimono back over his shoulders and went to follow her but soon realized that he hadn't seen which direction she had actually gone in this huge forest so he had to turn back around and when he did he saw her laying under the tree on the opposite side of where he had been.
"Hey." He said annoyed.
"Yes?" She replied not even looking his way.
"Why did you heal me?" He asked again and she groaned.
"I don't know, you smelled like blood so I stopped it. You might have died the way you were improperly patched up." She said nonchalantly like it was nothing to heal some random stranger in the woods.
He sighed. "I'm sorry that I treated you harshly."
"Ohh, so he does have manners." She teased now, finally sitting up and looking at him.
"Manners?" He repeated. "Is it good manners to undress sleeping strangers in the woods?" He asked accusingly.
"That was only to heal you, had I known that you'd be so scared and begin screaming like a frightened child perhaps I might have reconsidered." She said quickly.
" I-I was not afraid of you, I am now merely trying to express my gratitude, Why are you being so difficult!?" He asked and she shrugged.
"I was only complimenting your manners, why are you being so moody." She teased.
"I am not moody!" He said and she shrugged.
"I take back what I said about manners. What gentleman would scream at the person who just saved his life, let alone a lady." She said as if she were offended but he could hear the sarcasm laced in her voice.
"What lady walks about the forest alone and isn't afraid to lay down and daydream in the presence of a man that she's just met?" He asked, confused by her odd behavior.
To heal him like that she had to possess some sort of spiritual power and strong spiritual power at that. Why are the people of this village letting such a strong priestess walk around alone and unguarded. Especially a priestess who was pretty like she was.
This girl seemed to have no fear of the world around her, what a naive woman he thought and she just smirked at his question.
What an enigma she was.
"You're only a human, I could never be put into any real danger by a mere human." She said with confidence amused by his expressions that did little to hide how he felt or what he was thinking.
"I'm confused, you had to have used spiritual power since you can heal and so well too."
"I did use spiritual power." She answered quickly.
"Well then you can't be demon if you possess spiritual power." He stated matter of factly and she smirked again. "Ugh! What is it that you're hiding?"
"I'm not hiding anything, you're the one who is interrupting my alone time and screaming at me like a brute."
"What do you mean when you say that mere humans aren't a threat to you?" He asked and she stood up looking at him with those light brown eyes of hers as she spoke with pride.
"My mother is a priestess with amazing spiritual power way greater than mine and my father, he's a half demon but he's stronger than any demon alive. I get my strength from him, so no normal human could ever hurt me." She stated proudly, smiling once again.
"Now that you know that I have demon blood you had better run along now before I really do decide to open those wounds again." She said nonchalantly expecting the outsider to run off in fear or disgust at the fact that she had even touched him.
"You're not completely human." He stated. As he walked close to her looking her up and down to see if he could even tell from just a glance. The only thing that looked unusual about her was her unique style of bow that resembled two little dog ears.
As he stood across from her, She noticed how much taller than her he was now that they were standing across from one another. He was at least a whole head taller than she was and she looked at him surprised by his actions now for the first time during their whole conversation and this time he smirked.
"It all makes sense now of course you wouldn't need protection."
"Me, need protection? I could be saying that about you judging by the sorry state that I found you in." She teased.
He blushed embarrassed at her insinuation. "I had been attacked by bandits. They stole almost all of my coin and left me with nothing! It's a miracle that I was able to escape them at all let alone tend to my own wounds." He exclaimed embarrassed.
"That was your shitty patch work?" She chuckled. "Never try to patch anyone else up please save them the pain of being one of your patients. How many bandits were there? That attacked you?"
He looked even more embarrassed at her calling out what he thought had been a decent job at self stitches and cover up. He quickly rushed to defend himself.
"I would have done better with my medical treatment had I not done stitches on myself. I was ambushed by 10 bandits just last night."
Surely she wouldn't think..
"That's nothing, maybe you shouldn't travel alone if you can't properly defend yourself." She said seriously.
"I'll have you know that I am an outstanding warrior. I've been traveling for a long time and last night I was simply hungry. That's why I could not fight off all of the bandits like I normally would have." He said annoyed and she simply just looked at him for a long while before letting the matter of his strength go, as she decided to go easy on him.
"So you travel? How long have you been traveling?" She asked with not a hint of jest in her tone this time.
"Most of my life really. I've always traveled." He said and her eyes sparkled.
"Really is it something that your family would do together?" She asked.
"No I'm an orphan, I never even met my father before he was killed by a demon shortly after I was born but my uncle says that he was a great man. My uncle believed that I should be educated on many places and peoples so that's why we always traveled for as long as I can remember. We only recently just went our separate ways." He said matter of factly it didn't sound like something that he liked to talk about.
"I'm sorry to hear that you've been alone recently." She said sincerely.
"Don't be, I'll see him again when the time is right." The man said sombrerly. "Anyway I am grateful to you for saving my life. Might I repay that favor by offering to buy you a meal with the few coins that I have left?"
"It's fine really. You needn't spend anything, your thanks is more than enough." Moroha said and she meant it.
"Then might I know your name at least? All this talking and neither of us even know the other's name. I'm Yuki and above all I am very grateful to you for what you did for me."
"So mannerful now, what a complete change." She teased with a smile. "It was nothing really helping you, was just something that I wanted to do. My name is Moroha."
"Well than priestess Moroha, let me say this I can not allow for my debt to you to remain unpaid so I will either be buying you food or something else later on to show my gratitude. Just say the word and I will even our scales." He insisted and she gave in with a shrug.
"Well if you insist. I'll allow you to buy me some bread from the market in the next town over. We ran out last night so just do that and we'll be more than even."
"Just a mere loaf of bread you can't be serious."
"You said to say the word, and you'd even our scales. This would be even to me."
"If that's really what you want then I suppose I have no choice." He agreed and she led the way to the market.
A.N:
Thank you for the fav, follows, and reviews. I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter as well. I feel like if Kagome and Inuyasha hadn't been stuck in the black pearl for all of those years they definitely would have had more kids together so I gave them a bigger family. Thank you for reading. New update every Saturday.