KAWAAKARI

"The river that glows amidst the darkness"

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Part II

Chapter XV

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"It seems you are leaving your fear behind, Ms. Higurashi."

For Kagome, that was a complete fallacy. She had not lost her fear, on the contrary, it was mingled with her emotions, stopping her from choosing what to do next.

"I'm sorry to say, that is not true," she confessed, gathering her courage, amidst a held back sigh, "and is because of it, that I believe we should continue with the tour." With that said, she took a step back, noting the grip InuYasha still had on her shoulders.

"If that is your wish." His voice was kind, yet even then, dark. Kagome had the sensation he was hiding something; an emotion, maybe.

Her chest hurt because of how restless her heart was, one of her hands coming to rest on the union of her hitoe, almost as if it could ease the turmoil of her swirling emotions.

They restarted their stroll; through the same stone path they had come from. There was a short instant through which none of them uttered a word, until the silence was broken by Kagome.

"So, tell me, Mr. Taisho, how does this temple enter your purposes?"

InuYasha found out, through her voice's vibrations, that she trying to appear far more at ease than she actually was.

"It doesn't, actually," he admitted, and could see the shine of surprise dancing in the chestnut brown eyes of her eyes.

"I don't believe I follow," she voiced; yet for him, the answer was evident.

"Please, don't allow courtesy to insult your intelligence."

InuYasha's words came out far more easily than expected. It surprised him, because he was beginning to consider the intelligence of his human female, as something real, and attractive.

He noted how she looked away, for an instant, while a thought took shape in her mind. Then, her gaze found him again.

"I would not dare to think you are here for me," he could see how Kagome had rested a hand on her abdomen, her words an act that seemed to safekeep something she was feeling.

"If you do not dare to think that's the reason, what do you believe it is?" For InuYasha, there was a particular joy in this conversation.

Kagome didn't feel able to answer immediately. Her heart was restless, to the point of making her hands tremble. She held the joint of the cloak that Mr. Taisho had placed on her shoulders; trying to convince herself that such shivers were the result of the cold.

"Curiosity, maybe," Kagome sought a way, even if not an elegant one, to change the topic.

"For the place?" The question that he voiced, sounded slightly ironical. However, such irony was soon discarded for a certain disgust. "Now you seem to seek to insult my will."

Kagome's steps halted upon hearing him, then she turned to look at the expression of the man, and she could feel how his energy was touching her. It was strong, one could even say that magnetic, and slightly less cold as when they first met.

"Mr. Taisho," she said, not really thinking her words through, resulting in a sudden silence.

"Ms. Higurashi," he repeated, mirroring her tone as to make it clear he was waiting for her words.

Kagome tried to not lose herself in the attention InuYasha was procuring her. Most probably, he was here for her; he had told her she'd be receiving news of him, although she never imagined he would do so through a formal visit.

"Allow me to show you the pagoda, and the well of bones within it." She changed the topic drastically, out of sheer necessity. She wasn't ready to accept that he wished for her company, and beyond the unrest born from having him close, she was glad to be able to see him again.

Mr. Taisho observed her for an instant, not adding a word. After that, he lifted his chin, just enough for the golden of his eyes to be illuminated by the snow's glow. Next, he spoke, "I shall allow you to tell me the history of every felled tree that composes it, and then you shall allow me to explain the reason for my visit."

Kagome felt a point of cold running down her back, much like a shard of ice under her hitoe. InuYasha's words were but a verbal agreement, yet for her, they sounded like a sentence. She also couldn't refuse, out of courtesy, and out of her own wishes. She believed to know the reason for his sudden presence in the temple, however, she needed it to come from him, almost like a confession.

"I accept," she said, finally, and then she saw the corner of his lips curling upwards, in a smile she considered enigmatic.

Once that was decided, she began to speak as they neared the pagoda.

"This pagoda was built at request of one of our ancestors, during our family's second generation, who were in charge of the temple back then. The wood came from the forest surrounding us, and was blessed before being used, so that it contained the adequate energy to ward the well." Kagome's voice was solemn, as she said this.

"What is in it, for it to need to be warded?" InuYasha interceded. He didn't need the answer, really, for he knew all of its history. However, he wanted to hear it from her.

"The well was used to leave the remains of the supernatural creatures inhabiting this world," she explained.

"Inhabiting?" InuYasha questioned, "I thought you would be one of those individuals who believe such stories lack proof. That they are mere fantasy."

She looked at him with decision and certainty.

"They inhabit it, Mr. Taisho." All of her body language spoke of belief. "Something not being evident, doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

InuYasha found himself surprised, as much as because of the vehemency with which she uttered those words, as for their content. Contrary to what was obvious when getting to know someone, a process where secrets and veils are uncovered, Kagome Higurashi was becoming more and more enigmatic.

"I'm perplexed by your conviction," he confessed, although he would never tell her the real reason for his surprised, "you speak as someone who has seen them."

Kagome remained silent then, her gaze fixed on him. For a moment, InuYasha came to think she knew more about him than what she was showing. He even came to recheck the state of the spell he had, tattooed on his chest; if she were to discover it, he would have to end her life.

"I find strange to say this out loud," Kagome resumed the conversation, "I have never seen a youkai¸ and I supposed I should be thankful for that." He saw her lowering her gaze.

InuYasha was the one who remained silent now. He was weighting the words he had just heard, and how pertinent it would be if he were to press further.

"What would you do if you saw one? Would you run?" He noted how his own voice became darker, as the conversation went ways he had not predicted.

Both went mute once again, as he remained waiting for an answer, and she tried to express an emotion she couldn't imagine someone else understanding.

"As part of this temple, I should seek a way to stop them," she began to say. InuYasha's jaw became tense, a gesture showing he was holding himself back. "It is what would be expected. However, I would like to observe a creature like that; to know if they are truly as dangerous as stories paint them to be."

Before those words, InuYasha noted wonder, growing within him. Until now, humans had been but boring creatures, with very little depth. However, that woman in front of him was filling with cracks the until now safe structure of belief he himself had created.

"I see that you've truly left your fear behind," he commented, trying to probe further into her words.

She cast her gaze elsewhere, for an instant; it was a gesture he was beginning to recognize, as a sign that Kagome was trying to clarify an idea in her mind.

"You are mistaken," she used a soft tone of voice, albeit it also lacked hesitation, "to think about such an encounter fills me with dread."

InuYasha imagined his hand around her neck, and the fear striking her features, his skin bristling on end before the mere idea. He found out then, that despite feeling satisfied with such a feeling coming from his victims, he wanted more from Kagome.

"I believe I've entrusted you with far too many of my thoughts, yet I have not heard anything about who InuYasha Taisho is."

He heard her voicing that doubt, and felt the urge of showing her his real self. However, the long time he had spent in the dungeons of the Agatsu, had taught him how to control his temperament.

"I will answer any of your queries, if you accept to accompany me to a small gathering, in my residence."

Kagome heard the solemnity with which he spoke, and for a moment, she felt it was impossible to refuse.

"A gathering?" She repeated, in question, as to have a bit more time to process what seemed like a serious invitation, that had its own implications.

"Yes; in my residence," he repeated, and Kagome noted her heart beating faster than the first time he had said it.

She averted her gaze, and tried to focus on her own thoughts. The reason for her stroll with Mr. Taisho had changed completely from the one it had previously; behind had been left the temple, and the information about each of the buildings composing it.

"I'll, of course, speak to your family as well." He seemed to seek to ease her doubts, although Kagome suspected Mr. Taisho care little about formality, or about what others may think about his disdain of it.

"I would feel grateful if you kept this between us," she asked him, letting a hint of a smile, what she still had, play on her lips.

"If I don't mention it, will I have a chance of obtaining your approval?" Kagome noted he lacked hesitation, even when asking questions with such implications. She even came to wonder if Mr. Taisho knew really what he was asking of her.

"I need to ask you something, and please, forgive my caution beforehand." She tried to sound at ease.

"Go on." Mr. Taisho voice came as confident, she could even say that tone belonged to someone who has treaded the same path, multiple times. That made her ponder the kind of question she wanted to voice; it was pertinent to inquire about his motivations, if they were of romantic inclinations, yet the mere idea was unsettling, and curiosity-spurring. However, she also believed that the man in front of her, moved through a far steeper edge than that. "Still cannot choose your query?" He insisted, a glimpse of a smile seemingly inciting Kagome's creativity.

"No, that's not it," Kagome hesitated again, "forgive for me for being shy; I'm not used to breaching into these subjects. In fact, we women are not really allowed to."

"Ms. Higurashi." She saw him take a step towards her. "If you keep circling around the issue, I will begin to think that your question has to do with romance."

Kagome looked him straight in the eye, and for a moment, she pondered just how transparent were her thoughts for him.

"It does," she accepted, as if at a dead end.

She saw him smile openly, only to then step slightly closer. Kagome clearly perceived the strength of the energy that man was emanating, and although her most primitive side was begging her step back and get away, her emotional conscience made her remain in place. She waited, still, until he came as close as to whisper in her ear.

"If you have not noticed, then you are, once again, insulting your own intelligence."

Kagome used all of her will in holding back the shiver that spread throughout her body. She was also allowed no time to recover, before he spoke again, this time at enough a distance for her to follow his gaze.

"How many sanctuaries do I need to finance, so that your ojisan and okāsan feel inclined to allow you to accept my invitation"

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The purple marks appeared on his child-like cheeks, and he saw himself as the demon he was. That same demon granted him strength, yet trapped him in that nebula of unconsciousness that InuYasha so loathed. That had happened to him when he was still too young to hold a transformation, one that lasted just about enough for him to defend himself, and end those who sought his life as a trophy. He could recall ripping apart a few mid-rank youkai, the kind that nobody would miss. However, the memory of it would make his blood boil once again; it made him feel vulnerable, and lonely, just like back then.

He took a long sip of the alcohol Myoga had poured on his glass, a moment before, as his gaze was cast on the flame in the hearth, in an arduous attempt at consuming the log that was far too cold as to keep it alive, yet the element seemed to relentlessly pursue survival. InuYasha couldn't help thinking it an improvised allegory to what his life had been until that moment.

Then… he allowed himself to think about Kagome. Her memory alone could soothe him somewhat, and that made him uncomfortable. He had heard others speak of emotions he had never experienced, and to think about those, made him restless; even more so, right after his remembrance of Kagome Higurashi.

He drank again, from his glass, filled with one of the many western liquors that moved among the high-ranking spheres in this society. It felt as if for some, the traditional held no value. He looked at the empty glass in his hand; it had barely tickled him. Then he recalled the flowers growing in the middle of the mountain in Spring, and whose seeds could take him to more amiable scenes. Soon, Spring would arrive, and he'd be able to go to those fields, and recollect seeds.

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Kagome had become distracted, staring at the ceiling of her room. The wooden beams supporting the roof, were being highlighted amidst the darkness, by the dim and flickering light coming from the oil lamp she kept by her side. The movement felt pleasant, even if she wasn't paying it attention, not really. Maybe, it was because her thoughts were somewhere else, somewhen else.

The afternoon she spent with InuYasha Taisho, had passed her by in a strange and unsettling manner. She could still feel the tension that crossed her body, when he invited her to his residence, added to the unrest she had to endure, while he spoke to her grandfather about it. Kagome would have wished to have a way of listening in to that conversation, yet such a thing became impossible, because of the distance she had to make when following her mother to one of the other rooms inside the house.

Do you know what Mr. Taisho needs to speak to ojisan about? The question her mother presented her with, found an answer some time later, after their guest left. Both heads of the family spoke softly, and too slowly for Kagome to understand from outside. However, the tension of that conversation was evident in their tone; and none of them told her anything once they were done, not even during dinner, which went by ceremoniously.

And now, at this hour when night had evidently fallen, the house had become immersed in silence.

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To be continued.

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A/N

I really enjoyed writing this chapter, as much as because of the subtle way the characters move forward, as for the tension I feel there is between them. I would love to know what you think about it.

A kiss,

Anyara

This text is possible thanks to the translation of: Dezart