KAWAAKARI
"The river that glows amidst the darkness"
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Part II
Chapter XIII
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Souta and Kohaku were only two years of age apart, hence they felt close, and akin to each other. The sisters were watching them play on the soft-layer of snow, so easily broken while also deep enough for one to bury half-an-arm. It was the first time since the snowing season had begun, that the sun was shining for hours long. Kagome needed to leave the house; she felt prisoner of its walls and her own anxiety, and although she could just take a walk around the temple, and breathe fresh air, she also wanted to free her own mind. For that, she managed to get permission from her mother, to visit with her brother the Taijiya residence. To arrive there had taken them double the usual time, yet they had a good fun on their way, due to the shoes Souta, herself and Haruka-san, who had come with them, were wearing. They were using the traditional fuka-gutsu, boots woven with barley straw. They weren't particularly aesthetic, but they did their job of protecting them, well.
Once they were at the residence of her friend Sango, Kagome and her companions waited at the entrance, as it was custom when paying a visit without notice. After a moment, they were invited to enter, and both friends met again after days without seeing each other. Kagome felt relief, seeing Sango's mood improved in comparison to her last visit and soon found a place to sit, on the outdoor corridors surrounding the residence, so they could observe their brothers as they built walls of ice, that would serve them as shelter from the soon-to-be throw snow-artillery of their opponent.
"They seem to be enjoying themselves," Sango commented, with that maternal tone she often used when it was about her brother, Kohaku.
"Souta is delighted. The temple was way too small with so many days without going out," Kagome added.
"Kohaku spends time with Himari's children at least," Sango mentioned, this time referring to one of the women working at the residence.
"That is great. It's more difficult for Souta; Haruka and Hanae don't have children, and the Temple is far too high up, for my brother's friends to visit." Kagome smiled, recalling her own, solitary childhood in the place.
"It's true!" Sango seemed to react. "How were you able to get down the mountain?" The question came with a certain panic, before the picture of such long stairs covered in snow. Kagome smiled before answering.
"Quite slowly, and really carefully," she conceded, then pointed at the fuka-gutsu they had left aside, just by the lifted floor they were sitting on.
Sango observed the boots, while wearing a particular expression that Kagome didn't know how to interpret. However, her friend gave her clarity.
"I think I've never told you how my mother liked to braid the straw."
Kagome hitched, almost unperceptively so, before her words. It wasn't the first time such nostalgia surrounded her friend, much like mist, obscuring her light.
"I didn't know…"
That phrase was all she managed to say. For a moment, she wished she were able to find the positive words that could give perspective to the woman, however, Kagome herself could recognize the mist that would surround her every time she recalled what little she could about her father.
She looked at Souta and Kohaku, who had begun their snow war, their laughs drawing a smile from her lips.
"Sango," she called her friend, taking her hand that was resting on the wooden corridor, "Let's play some!" She tugged at her softly, watching how surprise filled Sango's gaze, one that gave way to the tender and delicate joy she usually kept inside.
The couple of friends proceeded to put their straw shoes on, then began to make snow balls with their naked hands, which they then threw at their younger brothers. They, seeing themselves attacked, seemed to leave their differences behind to form an alliance against the two laughing women, who were rubbing their hands together to warm them up; even so, Kagome had her fingers rigid and cold from the snow.
"Kagome, go right!" Sango shouted, her laugh bursting from her lips, as Kagome evaded the snow barrage coming from Souta, who had no issue thanks to his gloves.
"Sango!" She called her friend, yet couldn't warn her in time to prevent Kohaku's snowball that hit her, full, on the side of her head.
The chestnut brown hair of her friend, tied on a low ponytail, became cladded in the cold white of the snow. Once Sango overcame her surprised, she burst into laughter again, the guffaw coming from the four of them, filling the residence's inner garden. Both their komons were moist on their lower part, as well as their sleeves, giving then a childish and even careless appearance.
"Sango-sama," Kasumi called to Sango, who lifted her gaze, laugh still evident in her expression; yet it vanished an instant later, replaced by a restless one.
Kagome turned around to see what was happening, and found Kasumi, accompanied by a man in a purple tunic, aside from a kasa, a straw hat; one he took off as soon as he found himself gazed at by the two women.
"Good day, Sango-sama and company." The man bowed to them. "It was not my intention to interrupt a moment of recreation. Please, continue."
Kagome became aware of how the energy of that man, was contained around him. He seemed to have a handle on some clear knowledge about spiritual strength, and it was then, after considering it briefly, that she saw a link between his vestments, with the one a Buddhist monk would wear.
"No… it isn't a bother," Sango stuttered slightly, and Kagome threw her a glance as casually as she could, catching glimpse of how her friend was shaking her hair with soft touches. "Please, Miroku-sama, follow Kasumi and take what you need."
The man showed his thanks with a smile, made a new deep reverence, to then move through the corridor towards the service zone of the house.
"Take what you need?" Kagome repeated in a low voice, using those words to show her disbelief.
Sango observed her, and remained silent for a moment longer than a common answer would require.
"He is Miroku-sama," she said, as if that could explain a sliver of the all too important event that Kagome could guess, was happening.
"Yes, I understood that," she hurriedly replied.
Sango's gaze remained on her, unable to add anything else, something Kagome asserted when Sango turned around to go back to the room where she had received her.
"I have to tidy up my hair," she mentioned, becoming the serious and organized woman that she was most of the time.
Kagome followed her, slapping the snow off her komon, but without climbing up to the outdoors corridor.
"Miroku-sama is a monk who has taken charge of temple that had been abandoned, a few streets down. He comes by here every three days, and we give him food as an offering to the temple."
Sango gave that clear and organized explanation. Kagome perceived, immediately, a sort of shield her friend had risen around her emotions.
"He seems nice," she attempted to pry a bit more.
Her friend nodded, not adding anything. Kagome comprehended that insisting wouldn't help.
"Have you heard of Yuka, Eri or Hojō? It's been days since I last seen them," Sango began a new conversation.
Kagome felt completely willing to mention what she knew about her friends, and about how Hojō would visit her family once the snow allowed it. However, she found herself unable to mention InuYasha Taisho to her friend; for her, it was a topic jealously kept, and that was still a secret; a fact that she couldn't quite assimilate, given how Sango was her best friend, almost like a sister to her, yet she was still unable to share with her what she was experiencing with that man. And it was in that moment, that she understood that Sango probably felt the same way.
"Hojō will visit the temple soon," she began to say.
"It's not a very special event, but the way you say it, is," Sango observed. Kagome was now sitting by her side on the edge of the wooden corridor.
"I think he wants to come to the temple in a more formal manner," she expressed what really worried her.
The truth is that it should not represent a problem, for Kagome already understood how society had become content with the way things were. However, she wanted more time, and maybe, an option. In her mind appeared, vivid, InuYasha Taisho's gaze, a sudden need to lower her own taking over her, as if afraid of being discovered doing something.
"That's good news, isn't it?" Sango ventured.
Kagome smiled, and showed that smile to her friend.
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The afternoon cold was starting to be slightly noticeable inside the residence, as the tree branches creaked beneath the light wind that announced the coming of a new snow. Kagome sighed, tired from the anxiety inherent to waiting, and the weather that kept her barred from going outside the temple. She was now inside the practice room she used to train archery. She had been going at it for a couple of hours now, enough time so that every single one of her muscles complained with every new move. Kaede-sama had not been able to come to the classes they usually held, and Kagome decided she'd go through every set of exercises she had done with her, including the way of shooting while holding a second arrow in her hand.
She executed the previous set of movements that the technique required, taking a deep breath, as to strengthen her stomach to achieve a higher stability and steadiness when shooting. She aimed, making sure to take into account the possible deviation the arrow's trajectory would suffer before the wind, then let go. It whistled, stronger than usual, reaching the target, but off-center. Kagome lowered her arms to rest from the tension, and strode through the same steps she had taken before, through the snow, to recover the arrows. Her gaze went skyward then; it was getting darker by the moment, despite being not being late afternoon yet, which only further confirmed her observation of a new snowfall coming.
"Kagome-sama," she heard Hanae addressing her, from the outdoor corridor that led to the room she was practicing in.
"What is it, Hanae-san?" She pulled an arrow out of the straw target.
"Your mother has requested me to come for you. She is waiting in the main hall," the woman replied with an added hurry, something Kagome had noted from the start.
The moment had come, it seemed. Hojō was probably now with her mother, asking to see her. Kagome decided that if she had been able to wait a couple of years, she could keep waiting a couple of minutes more.
"Hanae-san, tell her that I'll be there in a moment," Kagome gave her a light bow, showing her gratitude and disposition.
The woman accepted her words with a bow of her own, however, she did not go on her way immediately.
"I believe it would be better if you changed, Kagome-sama," she suggested.
Kagome thought about it for an instant, making a quick mental review of her current appearance. She was wearing her training clothes, the glove and the leather chest-piece, aside from her hair, tied in a ponytail.
"I don't think it will be necessary, but thank you for your advice," she replied, and the woman finally turned to leave.
Kagome thought it was good that Hojō could get used to her usual appearance, in the same manner when she practiced writing kanji, as for practicing kyudo. As her thoughts wandered around that idea, she pulled another one of the arrows buried in the bale of straw she used as target, letting out a sigh that did not only represent the effort of her action, but also out of a resignation she couldn't quite feel completely. To even think that from today forwards, Hojō could have any right over her, stirred an unpleasant feeling in her, overwhelmingly so. She looked at the point of the arrow, and the metal composing it shone, reflecting light. Since she knew Hojō, she had thought of him as a friend and a loyal person, however, she did not love him with the passion she believed one had to feel for someone with who one was meant to share a life. She dominated the need to release another sigh, not willing to admit defeat just yet. It was a possibility that her family already had decided the way she should live her life, however, that didn't mean she had to give in meekly.
A snowflake lightly descended in front of Kagome. It was magnus, enough so she could catch details of its shape, yet its weight seemed to defy gravity as it swayed down slowly. It was like a metaphor, placed before her, and it made her decide that she would let the moments of her life pass, one by one, slowly, making them last just like that fragile snowflake was doing.
She went inside the resident with no hurry, taking one of the longest routes to get to the main hall, stopping by the service zone to drink some water.
"Kagome-sama," Hanae, who was preparing a teapot and a few cups, addressed her in surprise, "Your mother is waiting."
Kagome considered the woman's curious insistence. She was obviously restless, something not common in her when receiving a guest, given that Hanae had lived a great part of her life as a servant in the house, and had ample experience. Kagome chose, however, not to mention anything about it; maybe, it was due to the upcoming moment, for after all, it was no secret to the woman.
"Don't worry, Hanae; I'm just going to drink some water, then I'll go to my mother," she tried to calm her down.
"It would be better if you changed," she insisted again, to then give her a light bow, and leaving with the tea on a trail.
Kagome filled a cup with water and drank it. She took a deep breath next, gathering her courage to go through the two corridors separating her from the room her mother should be in. On her way, she considered what behaviour she should show once she was there, and thought that, before anything, she owed respect to her mother, regardless of any agreement the Seijitsu family were to come to with the Higurashi family. Her current attire came to her mind then, and finally decided she could allow herself that small show of rebellion.
A foreboding feeling came over her, once she came to be two steps away from the shoji doors separating the room from the corridor. It was one of those sensations she could only count as one born from her own intuition as a shrine maiden. She slowed down her pace, and there, she was able to note the way her breathing began to race.
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To be continued.
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A/N
Here I am, with another release of KAWAAKARI. I believe we find here another door, through which we can glimpse a bit more of Sango's life. I also wanted to give a steadier pace to the last part, as Kagome considered her future, and her own resistance to it.
I hope you've liked the chapter, and that you tell me in the comments.
Kisses,
Anyara
This text is possible thanks to the translation of: Dezart