Author's Note: Thank you, my dear readers, for your patience. I am much closer to where I should be healthwise. And I'm very happy to NOT be on continuous bed rest. As I can tolerate more time typing, I hope to have less time between updates.
Chapter 16 Adu Huli/Goats and Tigers
"An old, family game you say?" queried Sesshoumaru of the two game demonstrators seated before him. "I see, tell this Sesshoumaru more of this game."
"Ummmm, it's called 'Kitsune and Flowers'. There are more flowers than kitsune. The kitsune has to try and pick the flowers before the flowers grow and surround the kitsune," stated the first.
The second chimed in, "The flowers are youkai flowers, so they grow quickly, and try to surround the kitsune before they escape. If they do, the kitsune fall asleep because of the flowers' magic."
"We're not quite sure if there were 2 or 3 kitsune. And the exact number of flowers is still a little fuzzy. I was really little the last time I saw this played. So we've been trying to play it with different combinations to see what works best."
Seasons had passed in quick succession. Sesshoumaru studied the two before him. Both of the children had grown. Shippo was now nearly as tall as Rin. He had sprouted a second tail showing his proficiency at his kitsune studies. Rin had gained a bit of height, but mostly of her growth was in her manner and knowledge. Her training on herbcraft and healing had continued apace. Her smile was no less bright then before, but the gaps from losing her milk teeth were gone. Her hair no longer had a stubby tail on the side, rather it was gathered today in two tails. He realized it was styled somewhat in imitation of his mother.
Speaking of his mother, he glanced at the bronze mirror that was next to him, as her voice emerged from its surface. "You are certain that the board has that particular shape? That is a fairly distinctive pyramid design. This one is certain she has seen it before. I've sent my attendant to search for the relevant record." As before, Inukimi's voice had a bit of a distortion as it carried through the mirror.
"You have done well, children," stated Sesshoumaru. "Both in bringing this to our attention and for trying to figure out the rules from only long ago memory."
Girl and kit brightened and sat up straighter upon receiving the praise. They glanced at one another before the kit spoke again. "I wanted something from my original family to go into the future for Mama Kagome to play. That way I could honor them and her."
"And Rin wanted to help so she could be part of the great plan and send Rin's love to Kagome. Kagome will still remember Rin after all this time, won't she?"
Shippo scoffed, "Of course she will. It's not going to be a long time for her, just for us. You'll see." A panicked expression crossed his face as he recalled that Rin was human and would NOT see the Kagome of the future. "I mean, that absolutely she'll remember you. No doubts."
While Rin may have had a bit of trouble grasping the time travel aspects of reaching Kagome in the future, she understood her own humanity very well. Having died and been brought back to life twice, she was not unduly dismayed by mortality. She was more concerned with the sad expression on Shippo's face. She reached over to her friend and gave him a tight hug. "Thank you, Shippo. That makes Rin feel much better. Sesshoumaru-sama, may we go and play now?"
At a nod from the daiyouki, the two children scampered away from the camp to play in the clearing under the watchful eyes of Jaken and Ah-Un.
"Ah, here is the information. 'Adu Huli' is the name, 'Goats and Tigers'. It hails from the continent, possibly from the Kingdom of Mysore," the voice buzzed from the mirror. "Truly, my son, 'Kitsune and Flowers' is a far more charming concept. You should allow the variant to be recorded.
"I shall give it due consideration, Mother," he replied. "Perhaps this particular variant may remain a family only game. It can be presented as a gift to the miko in due time. Once the children have figured out how many pieces each side should have."
"A splendid idea. Let the young have their enjoyment in reinventing the game. It will be a good exercise for their minds."
After a moment, the mirror began to speak again. On its surface, Sesshoumaru could see the suggestion of an image of his mother's features. "About Rin, your human pup. This one has been searching for a solution to her eventual mortality. It may be possible to extend her life by…."
Abruptly, Sesshoumaru cut off Inukimi's words, "No, Mother! I will not hear of any sort of dark magic to extend Rin's existence. Any such efforts we've encountered over the years have always been based on evil and greed, they warp the soul. I would far rather Rin had a shorter life, but be free from taint, then a longer one steeped in darkness that would change her very nature. Do not bring this up to me again!" With these words, he shoved the mirror into a pouch of heavy silk and then tossed the pouch into a nearby chest.
Notes: Kingdom of Mysore is an area that is now incorporated into the modern country of India. Adu Huli is one of several 'surround and capture' type games. The pyramid shape of the board for Adu Huli is its unique feature. It has 3 tigers and 16 goats. 'Tigers and Goats' played on a 5x5 square board with 4 tigers and 20 goats is the national game of Nepal. A similar game from Ceylon is called 'Cows and Leopards'. There are also a slew of 'surround and capture' games from Northern Europe based on the historic game of 'Tafl', though these are unrelated in origin to the Southeast Asian games.