She spent the rest of the trek in silence, though her eyes darted to him several times. Sesshoumaru wasn't sure what the significance of her father was, but Bankotsu clearly had more information than he did.
It shouldn't matter. He enjoyed his role in the company because he didn't have to spend time getting to know the others in his department. But it wasn't often he came across such overt terror, and every time Bankotsu sidled up next to her, attempting to pull her into mindless conversation instead of simply allowing her to breathe, it grated on his nerves.
She was suffering from something, and Bankotsu seemed intent on brushing it off in favour of spinning things in his favour.
Glancing at his watch, he gauged the shrine to be no more than fifteen minutes away, and he pulled Higurashi to a stop, offering up another dose of ginger. She was still pale but nodded once, quickly accepting the wrapped jellies.
"We can rest if you need to," he said. "The shrine is at the end of the path." He pointed ahead of them. It was clearly marked, the rest of the group kicking up dirt as they snapped selfies and photos of wildlife.
Higurashi shook her head. "I'd rather keep going," she murmured. She turned around before he could reply, shoulders hunched as she gripped something around her neck. She wore some sort of charm—he hadn't gotten a very good look at it—and hadn't let go of it since they'd crossed the bridge.
'It must be some sort of talisman,' he thought, avoiding any attempts to have him join in on group photos. He made up a ruse about checking on their reserved eating area, keeping his eye on the woman as she found shelter under a tree. The shrine buzzed with activity, other groups, couples, and even a few families gushing about which charms would bring them the most luck.
They'd made plans to have a cookout at the summit. Bankotsu had rented one of the picnic areas ahead of time, and they all started to unpack their bags, the food an eclectic assortment of sweet and savoury options.
Higurashi declined everything.
She claimed her stomach was still upset from the walk, clinging to her water bottle as everyone dug in once the food was cooked. Bankotsu shoved a skewer in her face at one point, refusing to take no for an answer, and Sesshoumaru eventually interceded, taking the food for himself.
Bankotsu spun his tongs around like a sword, challenging Sesshoumaru to a duel, and Higurashi shot him a grateful smile before excusing herself to the bathroom. Bankotsu frowned, looking between her empty seat and the grill.
Sesshoumaru sighed. "It would suit you well to pay more attention to those you wish to woo," he said flatly.
Bankotsu rolled his eyes. "Who said anything about wooing? She's hot. I wanna see what she's hiding under her uniform." He wiggled his eyebrows at him, then returned to the grill, offering up the next round.
Sesshoumaru forced down the rest of his meal, grimacing at the over-seasoned meat, then started cleaning the table. Some of the group had broken out the beer—how they'd kept it cold, he'd never know—and he declined their offers to join, taking a bag of trash to the nearest receptacle.
A flash of ebony caught his eye, and he watched as Higurashi approached the charm vendor. She had more of her colour back, though she'd only had water since leaving the inn, and he lingered long enough to overhear her ask for an omamori.
Curiosity piqued again, and not for the first time on their trip. Women her age usually went for the osuzu, hoping to find true love or success within their jobs. Why would someone so young be worrying about protection?
He waited until she had tucked the charm away before allowing their paths to cross. She jumped when she saw him, but he didn't mention anything about the charm, holding up a can of rose water. "It is considered bad luck to sequester oneself after trekking so far from home."
She reached for the can after a moment, eyes searching as her fingers brushed against his. "Thank you." His hand dropped to his side as he nodded, and he turned away, only to have her grab his arm. "I never thanked you for earlier, either. You seem to be saving me a lot today."
Sesshoumaru wasn't sure where to look, not wanting to overstep. "Do not expect it on a regular basis. Rescuing damsels is not part of my job description." He was rewarded with a chuckle, and she released his arm.
"Are you sure? You seem pretty skilled at it." She toyed with the top of the can. "I'm not usually that much of a damsel, so I doubt it'll be needed after today."
He glanced toward the picnic area, then back at her. "We will be taking a different path down the mountain."
"Thank goodness." Her tone was hushed, lip caught between her teeth again, and Sesshoumaru cursed his curiosity.
"You mentioned not being worried about the bridge," he hedged. "You would not have fallen."
She shook her head, eyes far away. "It was the water I was afraid of," she said. One hand rose to her necklace before she met his gaze. "My father drowned when I was five."