As We Scroll Along

These were the nights she loved most.  Walking with her friends, the crisp autumn air biting at their cheeks, sharing stories and laughter as they travelled around Feudal Japan.  Sure the reason for their travel wasn’t the most pleasant but in her deepest heart, she had almost forgiven herself for shooting the Sacred Jewel into a thousand pieces all those months ago.  Yes, it was a terrible accident but look what it had led to!  Without that single arrow, she would never have gotten to know Sango, the girl she now cherished as a sister. 

“Hot oil—I didn’t think you were into that sort of thing, Kagome,” Miroku teased as he walked behind the girls.  He earned a swift wallop to the back of his head from a clawed hand but he merely chuckled, rubbing at what was quickly becoming a bump.  “I merely jest Inuyasha!”

“Yeah well keep your jests to yourself, pervert.”

A smile quickly found its way across Kagome’s lips.  If it weren’t for that single arrow, she wouldn’t have Miroku in her life, full of jokes (no matter how ill-timed they were.)

She also wouldn’t have Inuyasha.

Banishing that thought from her mind, she forced her smile to hide away as she looked over her shoulder at the hanyou.  “Inuyasha, you needn’t hit someone every time you disagree with them you know.”  She was still irritated with him.  Their group had stopped to rest and have lunch earlier in the day and she’d decided to use the time to study for her next test. Inuyasha had spent their break whining loudly, expressing his annoyance that they weren’t getting farther on their path.  They’d gotten into a heated argument until she finally ‘sat’ him out of sheer frustration. Honestly, for someone who risked his neck to save the lives of others on a near daily basis, he really wasn’t that understanding of a person sometimes.  

The Hanyou merely turned his nose up in the air at the scolding, folding his arms across his chest and burying his hands in his haori.  He was clearly still irritable too but knew better than to say a word. The twinge in his back was a good enough reminder not to argue any further on a subject that truly wasn’t worth it.  Besides, he knew they were going to ask to stop again any minute…and this time, he wouldn’t complain.

After all, this was the night he needed to hide away most.  

Golden eyes looked to the horizon where the sun was nearly set.  He grit his teeth, jaw tight with anxiety as he watched the sun sinking lower with every minute.  He’d been keeping his eyes open for a good shelter as they walked.  Their village was still half a day’s walk away.  He’d been hoping to make it there before nightfall but knew that he’d been fighting a losing battle as soon as they’d stopped for lunch.  

The monk at his side noticed his tension and offered a kind smile.  Despite the whack to the back of his head, Miroku wasn’t angry.  He knew where Inuyasha’s bad mood stemmed from and could hardly hold it against his friend.  The night where he grew weakest was upon them.  Clearing his throat, he spoke up to the rest of the group.  “I think we should find camp for the night. I believe there is a hot spring nearby. It would be nice to set up there to help ward off the oncoming chill.”

 Inuyasha simply jerked his head in the direction of the nearest spring, guiding his friends on the right path before his senses gave out entirely.  He could already feel them slipping away for the evening and he’d be damned if they weren’t set up before he was fully human.  Stalking ahead of the others, he muttered something about grabbing firewood under his breath and took off at a run through the trees.

Kagome watched after him, sighing.  Sango reached out to her friend, placing a hand on the young miko’s shoulder and offering a warm smile.  “You know he’s just in a foul mood over the new moon.  He’ll be right as rain in the morning.”  

The young woman’s grey eyes widened, her lips dropping into a surprised little ‘o’.  Her hand flew up to her heart as if to keep it from stumbling. “R-right.”  How could she have forgotten?  She felt like a fool and, more than that, a terrible friend.  She’d been so focused on her tests and her studying that she’d lost track of the days.  Turning her gaze to the sky, she frowned when she couldn’t find any sight of the moon.  Sango was right—the new moon was here and Inuyasha would soon be taking on his human form.

And they were in the middle of nowhere.  

She dropped her gaze in shame, staring at her feet as their group followed after it’s Hanyou leader. Guilt hung heavily around her shoulders, causing them to droop.  If she’d been paying any attention, all of the signs were there!  He’d been extra on edge all day and he hadn’t touched a bite of the lunch she’d set out for them all.  He’d been so eager to continue on their path.  He’d even made multiple comments about carrying her so that they could cover more ground.  She’d thought he was making fun of her at the time, making some sort of ‘humans are weak’ jab but now she knew the truth.

He had just been scared to be human without shelter for the night.  

It wasn’t as if they hadn’t done this together before.  There had been a few nights where Inuyasha had survived the new moon without the shelter of a village surrounding them.  Those nights had been warmer than this one however.  Autumn was here.  She could feel it in the way her toes were cold in her shoes, despite the long walk. Days were growing shorter and nights were stretching longer.  

No wonder he was scared.

As soon as they arrived near the hot spring, their group sprang into action to set up camp. Shippo and Kirara went to work finding kindling for the fire, Miroku set off to help Inuyasha gather firewood, and Sango and Kagome set about laying out the blankets and sleeping bags that Kagome had brought from her time.  It wasn’t long before Inuyasha and Miroku returned together, the monk holding an armful of wood and the hanyou carrying a rabbit in each hand.  Dropping their dinner on the ground, he set to work building up a fire, allowing Shippo to light it with his fox fire.  As soon as the kindling caught, Inuyasha sat beside the flame and began skinning the finds from his hunt.  

Skinning was much easier with claws and he’d rather get it over with before he changed.  

Miroku and Sango exchanged a glance, a mutual understanding passing between them.  Sometimes, when the Hanyou was in this sort of mood, it was best to leave him alone.  Finding a bright smile, Sango offered her hand to Shippo.  “I think we could use a nice bath before dinner, don’t you? Besides, my clothes are filthy from the fight we encountered yesterday.  What do you say we do some laundry as well?  Kagome, want to join us?”  

The miko shook her head, and sat by the fire instead, opposite the silent silver-haired man.  “No, I think I’ll get some more studying done. You go on ahead!”  Shooing her friend off with a smile, Kagome reached into her back pack and pulled out the book she’d been studying from earlier, all the while trying to pretend that she didn’t see Miroku sneaking off to spy on Sango.

He was certainly a strange monk but, as much as he liked to tease, he truly only had eyes for one woman.

With Kirara curled up at her side, Kagome stretched her legs out and let the fire warm her feet through her shoes.  Her bare legs were going to be far too cold if this weather kept up.  She’d have to remember some leggings on her next trip home. Perhaps she could bring back some hats and gloves for everyone as well.  Though, would gloves work for clawed hands?

“Damn.”

The curse barely reached her ears across the fire.  Grey eyes lifted to watch as golden irises darkened into a rich hazelnut color, the hanyou’s silver hair changing like a page dipped in an inkwell.  His face was the picture of unhappiness as he tossed the rabbit he’d been skinning aside, his dull nails useless for skinning the creature’s hide.  He was clearly miserable and too stubborn to say anything about it.  

Biting into her lower lip, Kagome set her book aside and reached into her bag.  Pulling out two short knives that Sango had given her (she’d been trying to learn more hand to hand combat.  She was sick of fighting for the sidelines!), she moved until she sat beside her now human companion and offered him one of the knives.  “Teach me.”

“Teach you what?” He answered skeptically, his brown eyes darting between the knife and her earnest gaze.

Reminding herself to be patient, she smiled.  “Teach me how to skin the rabbit.  I know you normally do this with your claws but I figure that the technique has to be similar, right?  I want to help, Inuyasha.  So…teach me.”

Slowly, he took offered knife and picked up the rabbit he’d been working on again.  Wordlessly, he got back to work.  He found it hard to focus on his movements, knowing that her eyes were studying his hands as if he held the answers to one of those ‘tests’ she was always taking.  “Why do you wanna learn so bad?  I can do it myself.  ‘s just two rabbits,” he complained, feeling awkward under her careful watch.

“I know you can.  That’s not the point,” she answered gently.  “The point is that I want to help.  You help me all the time.  You carry me when I’m too tired to walk, you hunt to get us all food, you help to find us shelter and…and I let you down.”  Her stormy gaze fell to the rabbit in her own lap as she clumsily tried to copy his movements.  Her voice was quiet and full of shame as she admitted, “I forgot about the new moon. If I’d remembered, we probably would have made it back to the village tonight and you could be in Kaede’s hut. I’m sorry Inuyasha.  And…. I’m sorry for ‘sitting’ you earlier.”

His hands stilled on the rabbit as her apology washed over him, clearing his senses and settling warm on his shoulders like a well-loved blanket.  Normally he would have scoffed and blown her off.  Perhaps it was his human heart or perhaps it was simply the nearness of her but instead, he nodded and murmured, “’s okay.  Here, gimme that.  You’re slow as all hell and I’m hungry.” 

Laughing, Kagome shook her head and held her rabbit further from him.  “No way!  I’m learning and you’ll just have to be patient.  Just cook yours first!”

“Stubborn woman.”

“Impossible man.”

“At least I didn’t sneeze on a candle!”

Her laughter filled the night air, twinkling amongst the stars.  So he had been listening to her story. The knowledge that he was always so keen to pick up details warmed her heart.  Leaning against his shoulder, she smiled, her hands continuing their work. “You’re right—you’ve got me beat there.” It was then that she made the mistake of looking up at the man at her side, the sharp edge of the knife biting into her finger.  “Ouch!” 

Despite his very human appearance, Inuyasha’s reflexes were hardly slowed.  The knife was out of Kagome’s hand in an instant, the rabbit dropped on the ground as the hanyou wrapped his own hand around the miko’s injured finger.  “See? This is exactly why I said I could do this myself.”  Lifting her finger to his lips, he instinctually popped the tip of it into his mouth just as he would do for his own finger if it were injured.

Brown eyes met their match in grey eyes then, the color rising in both of their cheeks as the realization of what he was doing struck the two of them at the same time.  “I-Inuyasha?”  Kagome questioned, her voice quivering with confusion.  

The hanyou blinked back at the miko, half of his mind screaming to remove her finger from his mouth, the other half focused on the task at hand.  He wound up muttering around her finger, trying to act as if this were a completely natural turn of events.  “Hmm?”

“W-what…. what are you doing?”

“…. I ‘unno”

“You’re going to get blood in your mouth.”

And that was the tipping point.  Inuyasha burst into laughter, falling backwards as he did so and freeing Kagome’s hand from his grasp.  Shaking his head, he smirked.  “Really? That’s all you can think of to say? Geez Kagome…I don’t think a little blood is gonna hurt me, even tonight.  Here, let me take a look.”  

Sitting up on his haunches once more, he gently grabbed her wrist and inspected her finger for himself. The cut was minor, no longer even bleeding.  Judging her fit enough, he nodded as his decision and sat back down.  “You’ll be fine…but leave the rabbit to me.  You’re too clumsy for this.  You can help another way.”

Pouting, Kagome sighed and sat beside him once more, leaning her weight against him and drawing her knees up to her chest.  Wrapping her arms around her legs, she rest her chin on her knees.  “How?  I can’t hunt like you.  I can’t help skin the animals you catch.  Heck, I’m not even very good at building a fire.”

“You are good at making Ramen.”

“Inuyasha…”

“And you brought sleeping things from your time for Miroku and Sango.  And you tell Shippo stories every night so that he sleeps without nightmares.  And you…. you come back every time.”

His voice had dropped to a whisper by the last admonition, earning a confused gaze from the young priestess.  “What do you mean?”

Shrugging, he grabbed a few sticks and began to create a spit for the rabbits to roast on.  “Every time you go home to your time, you agree to come back and help us find the Jewel Shards.  No one is makin’ you.  I can throw you through the well all I want but I can’t force you to help us. Besides…I don’t have to.  You help us anyways because…I don’t know.  Because you’re a good person, Kagome.  So, stop thinkin’ that you aren’t helpful because you are.” 

A smile blossomed on the young woman’s face and, without a second thought, she flung her arms around the Hanyou’s waist, hugging him tightly and burying her face against his shoulder.  “Thank you, Inuyasha.  You’re a good person too.”   

Underneath the starry autumn sky, with his cheeks burning from something beyond the heat of the fire, Inuyasha smiled.  Wrapping his free arm around her waist, he mused on that fact that everything he had was all due to a single arrow.  He had a pack of sorts.  He had friends.  He had a purpose to keep moving forward.

And he had her.  

It was funny how many times an arrow had changed the path of his life.  Kikyo’s arrow had bound him to a tree for fifty years and Kagome’s arrow had bound him to her side.