InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Egypt Bound ❯ A Change of Plans ( Chapter 21 )

***Story-wide Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, and probably never will because I'm so broke and he's still an animated character. But I can dream….***

 

 

 

Chp.21 A Change of Plans

 

 

*** << >> means that the words are in Arabic.

 

 

Inuyasha trudged through the unyielding marsh; mud sucking at his boots with every step he took, and reeds caning him as he pushed through them. As it was, things had gone from bad to worse, and he hadn't had the luxury of time to consider a plan B, much less to find out if his companions got out alive. He continued to paw his way through the reeds until he saw something that put his fears to rest: the rescue boat. It had been left on the sandbank, slightly hidden by the marsh grasses. He approached it, seeing that only a few things had been left in it, namely a winter coat and a ruckasack that he had seen Miroku carry a few times; `at least they're alive, ` he sighed with relief. They were obviously going to come back to this spot, Inuyasha reasoned, so all he had to do was wait.

 

 

 

 

They were a motley crew walking down the main street in the village, half mud and half human, a man and his two women; probably his wives, the curious village women reasoned. Miroku knew that their presence would cause a stir in such a small backwater town, but cultural impropriety was the furthest thing from his mind at this point; food and supplies were of utmost importance.

The trio stuck out like sore thumbs among the crowd in the suq, three (mostly) pale faces in sea of swarthy complexions. And that, combined with the fact that the women were not (in the villagers' opinion) decently clothed, made it obvious that they were foreign…and probably rich. Inglizis seldom paid in Egyptian currency, because the English pound was accepted everywhere by practically everyone----especially by those whose domestic currency was worth less. But Miroku knew this as he scanned the suq, searching for any vendor who had what they needed. He was keenly aware of the ruses pulled on naïve tourists and how the bargaining process worked. But what he needed now was to make all three of them disappear from Naraku's ever watchful eye.

Kagome turned to Sango and whispered, “They're all staring at us like we're animals…we must look a fright!” Sango stifled a giggle, aware of her foreign status.

“I don't doubt it. We probably look like demons to them, all covered in mud! I wonder why the women are in those black sheets with all of those shiny coins hanging on them. Aren't they dying from the heat?” Sango asked.

“That's traditional dress for Egyptian women, the higab and tob. This way they can keep their chastity and not invite any unwelcome advances. I had Selim explain this to me when I first came to Egypt. You shouldn't think so harshly of their clothes, Sango, because that's exactly what you'll be wearing.” Miroku explained with a smirk. Two jaws dropped.

“You can't be serious, Miroku,” Kagome said in disbelief. Miroku's menacing smile returned. “Oh, but I am Miss Kagome. Serious as the grave. Because as you see, dressed like this, we'll be recognized in a crowd or on the road by Naraku's mercenaries faster than you can blink an eye; now if we were dressed like natives---“ All three stopped walking.

“I understand your point very clearly Mr. Hendsler, but I---“

“But you what Kagome? I don't believe we have any choice in this matter! If I know Naraku, he won't let us go by just blowing up the dahabeeyah—he will hunt us down until he gets that scarab. Do you understand? We have very few options available to us now, and hell, I'm still in shock! So just trust me on this, okay?” To Kagome, it seemed as if Miroku was begging for her support. She nodded in agreement.

 

 

The trio continued on until they reached a shop that showcased the billowy garments and all of their acoutrements. A young boy stood in the doorway to the shop, blocking Miroku from entering. “Memnooah lil rigaela, Effendi!” <<Men are forbidden here, sir!>>. Miroku bowed his head slightly and put up the palms of his hands in surrender. He turned and looked at his female charges, then faced the boy.

<<“They need a translator, they don't speak Arabic,”>> he informed the child in Arabic. The young boy scratched his head and shouted something to the women in the shop, who promptly shouted back a reply. The boy shrugged his shoulders and said in his best English, “Ookay!”

“Ladies first!” Miroku said as he ushered Kagome and Sango into the shop.

 

The whole bargaining process was a thorny one, as the proprietress was not comfortable conducting business in the presence of a man she was not related to. The young boy, who was called Ali, was sent to fetch an older male relative so as not to impune on anyone's chastity. This whole ordeal, which Kagome thought unnecessary (being from a culture where one's purity was not in danger from simply being around a man), took about half an hour. Of course, the older male relative brought his wife and a female cousin, because both were eager to see the foreigners who had come to the shop. A curtain that concealed the “dressing room” simply was not enough. So another curtain had to be constructed to keep wandering eyes away. Kagome was near tired of being fussed with and jabbed with fingernails and small pins as the women pulled and tucked the fabric. She could tell Sango was at her wit's end too. The women jabbered instructions and suggestions in Arabic, and Miroku dutifully translated them into English. It wasn't until another hour or so had passed that they managed to haggle over the price of the garments. Miroku handed the male chaperone the money and they left.

 

The rest of their suq excursion wasn't so time consuming as far as shopping went. And thanks to Miroku's seasoned bargaining skills, Kagome's money went far. But remained the biggest question---where would they spend the night? It wasn't like this village had any inns for travelers. At the last vendor, Miroku asked, and was directed to a small Coptic monastery on the edge of town.

“Why must we go to a monastery to spend the night? Aren't there any rooms to let?” Sango asked.

“Because, my dear Sango, this village rarely sees any visitors, and we cannot stay in the mosque's extra rooms because we are not Muslims. I just hope that the Coptic fathers will let us stay there for the night. But first, we need to see if Inuyasha has turned up before we decide on any plan of action.” Miroku said.

“I think that would be wise, Miroku. We still don't know if he's alive yet. Even if we did decide on a `plan of action' as you say, he would still need to know where to find us.” An abaya-clad Kagome stated.

“You're right Kagome. Let's go, it's getting late and I'm hungry, “ Miroku replied.

 

 

 

Inuyasha was bored. Incredibly bored. He looked at the sun's position and deduced that it was probably around four in the afternoon. The water he had filled his canteen with was depleting and it was hot as Hell. Not exactly good conditions to be waiting for one's companions. His curiosity got the better of him as he explored the area around him. He found that there was a village about a mile down the riverbank, and clusters of small huts on the outskirts of the village where the date palm groves were. Much to his luck, the dates were ripe and edible, which kept his hunger at bay for a little while. He wasn't thrilled that he was in an unfamiliar place—he only hoped that his companions fared better. He returned back to the rescue boat… and found the site occupied.

 

Inuyasha crouched down low in the reeds and spied upon the interlopers. Surely none of the villagers knew about this spot—or did they? He strained his ears to hear the voices coming from the women in the billowy black garments, and only caught shreds of their conversation.

“…anyone can see in these bloody things is beyond me! But at least they're comfortable.”

“…Can't believe I had to throw that dress away! What a waste! How on earth do you use the bathroom in these?”

Inuyasha chuckled when he heard Kagome's distinctive whine and thought how fun it would be to scare the living bejesus out of them. Somehow a comical vision of the girls flapping around in their abayas like spooked geese kept appearing in his mind until he heard his name.

“ I hope Inuyasha is still alive, Sango, I really do. I don't think I could forgive myself if he were floating dead in the river. I think I was too harsh on him, what do you think?”

“I don't know Kagome, you didn't tell me what happened between you two last night. All I know is that Miroku told me you ran to your room crying and refused to speak to him---I know you and Inuyasha must have had one hell of a fight for you to cry over it,” Sango hinted. Kagome sighed heavily, her head in her hands.

“I confessed to him and he kissed me—I-I didn't even mean to do it! The words came spilling out! I… kinda told him that… I was in love with him,” Kagome confessed shyly. Inuyasha couldn't believe his ears! She was in love with him? Inuyasha's thought ran back to the events of the night before. `That's not what she said last night! She said she needed to know if I liked her, not if I was in love with her! How could she possibly be—`

“…in love with him? Kagome are you sure? I mean, he treats you like a child! It's obvious that there's some sort of spark between you two, but we've only known him for less than a week! And he kissed you? Talk about taking advantage!” Sango exclaimed.

“But he didn't take advantage of me! I told him to!” Kagome protested. Inuyasha couldn't believe that she was defending him.

“Let me get this straight: you told Inuyasha to kiss you and he did---so what's the problem? Why were you so upset?” Sango asked pointedly. Kagome sat down on a rock, realizing her defeat. She could keep very little from her friend.

“He refused me. Said he never should've kissed me in the first place, and that his job was to protect me and you, not seduce me---if I remember correctly. I'm such a fool Sango! A bloody idiot!” Kagome cried. Sango moved from her spot to embrace her.

“Oh Kagome! How could you have possibly known he would turn on you? He was kissing you, wasn't he?”

“Yes…he was. I just don't know Sango, I just don't know. I mean, I never intended to confess anything at all—at least not until I was sure of how I felt. I do like him, he's handsome—incredibly handsome---and he's quite amiable when he's not angry…and he has rescued me a few times…” Kagome said wistfully. Inuyasha's cheeks began to flush.

“He has seemed to make himself your unofficial guardian, hasn't he?” Sango said.

“Yeah, he has…but I know it will never be, Sango. That's the sad part: he doesn't feel the same, and I'm left with a one-sided love. Tragic, isn't it?” Kagome said.

“Well, it's really his loss, dear. If he's too pigheaded to realize that, then that's his fault. Besides, there are many eligible bachelors who would fall on their faces to be your husband!” Sango smiled.

 

 

As if he didn't feel like an ass already, overhearing the conversation between Kagome and Sango put the icing on the proverbial cake. `Husband? She's looking for a husband? As if I didn't already screw up, she's ready to write me off… that lil'---hey, she still doesn't know I'm alive yet, does she? …And she thinks I'm… handsome?'

 

Kagome shrugged her shoulders and sighed, “I'm sure you're right Sango, but if I marry someone, I want to make sure that we love each other, or that there's at least some feelings there; I don't want an unhappy marriage.” Sango turned Kagome's face towards her and looked her square in the eyes.

“Kagome, no one asks for unhappiness, it just happens. Maybe your knight in shining armour is clueless right now---or maybe you just haven't met him yet! Have a little faith, girl. You know, when I was working on that ship, I used to think that I'd never be able to go home and see my family, or touch land again; then one day, before I had to bring in breakfast to a guest, I snuck off to the main deck. For the first time in years, I got to see the sun rise, and I thought to myself, `one day I'll get off this boat and see what life's really about'…and then the next thing I knew, I met you, and here we are!” Sango smiled softly and settled back on her rock.

“But Naraku is still trying to find us! Aren't you scared? I understand what you mean, but don't you ever worry about your future?” Kagome asked anxiously. Sango raised her tob to reveal her face.

“I've worried about the future since we stepped off that boat, Kagome. Don't you think I don't know what kind of tortures Naraku has in store for us? He killed my Da right in front of me for godsake! But I try to keep a clear head in spite of it all. Naraku is just waiting for us to get scared so he can just swoop in at the moment of confusion and steal that scarab!”

“Which he doesn't know we have… he still thinks we're hiding the burial mask, “ Kagome added.

“True, at least we have that one over him. Hey…isn't Miroku back from getting water yet? It's getting late,” Sango queried, her eyes scanning the area suspiciously.

 

Inuyasha remained still in the reeds, having heard more than he wanted from the two women, but enough to confirm the suspicions he had about Kagome and her companion since their first encounter. But if Kagome was close-lipped about her connections to Sango, what else could she be hiding? Inuyasha wondered to himself. He heard someone coming from behind him. He turned around and was eye-level with Miroku's boots. He thanked the gods silently that the reeds were tall and looked up at his old friend.

“I see you got out alive, huh? Man you turn up like a bad penny!” Miroku whispered loudly.

“So you were listening too?” Inuyasha asked.

Don't worry Inu, my lips are sealed.” Miroku promised, making a zipper-like motion across his mouth. “Now let's make an entrance, they're already worried. I'll say I found you wandering around the date grove.”

“Well, I was…earlier, when I was waiting for you guys to come back,” Inuyasha confessed.

“Great! Now I won't have to make up a lie! Here, take a few of these and we'll be good as gold!” Miroku exclaimed as he handed Inuyasha a few dates. Inuyasha eyed Miroku's new galabeeyah as he received the dates.

“So, uh, where'd ya get this get-up Hendsler? Who's going native now?” Inuyasha joked.

“Oh, don't you worry my friend, Kagome bought one for you too, and a kaffiya to hide that obnoxious-colored hair of yours!” Miroku replied, grinning.

“Obnoxious my ass! Keh!” Inuyasha scoffed.

“Right! We've got to get to the monastery before nightfall or we'll all freeze, just like that night in those tombs in Beni Hassan, “ Miroku continued, as he started to push the reeds aside. Inuyasha fell into step behind him.

“Maybe I should let you make all the decisions next time, “ he chuckled.

“Not a half bad research assistant, am I?” Miroku laughed back.

“Don't let it go to your head, now!” Inuyasha chided, waving his finger at Miroku, as the duo navigated their way through the seemingly endless marsh.

 

_________________________________________________________________ _______

Sango heard something, or rather someone making a racket in the reeds. She shot up from her perch on the rock and called out “Who goes there? Show yourself!” Not hearing any reply, she motioned for Kagome to get down, while she snuck over to the rescue boat to get Miroku's pack. She fumbled the contents around until she pulled out a small pistol.

“I SAID… SHOW YOURSELF!” she screamed, pointing the pistol at the reeds in front of her. The reeds shuffled once more as the interlopers came out from their hiding spot.

“Now Sango, is that any way to address your comrades? Now be a good sport and put that gun down for God's sake,” Miroku smirked as he pushed the reeds aside. Sango looked rather sheepish as she lowered the gun barrel to the ground.

“How was I supposed to know it was you? For all I knew, you could've been a crocodile or somethin'!” Sango retorted.

“You're right, we could've been man-eating crocodiles, but what would you have done if your gun was bullet-less?” Miroku asked.

“What do you mean by we, Miroku?” Sango asked pointedly, giving Miroku a nasty glare.

“Well, it seems that I've picked up a stray on the way here; you see, he was wandering around the date groves near here…” Miroku trailed off as Inuyasha stepped out from his marshy hiding place.

“Ohmigod! You're alive! Thank God you're alive! We were worried sick that you'd never come back! Weren't we Kagome?” Sango exclaimed. Kagome was frozen where she stood.

“Is there something the matter Kagome?” Miroku asked, noticing her silence. Kagome brushed the dirt off of her abaya nervously.

“I…uh..no…it's good to have you back, Inuyasha. We all missed you,” she replied politely. Inuyasha stared at her, trying to find any trace of emotion behind her face veil, and came up empty. Miroku, noticing the pause in conversation, decided to speak.

“Well ladies and Inuyasha, we ought to get going before it's too late! The monastery is on the outskirts of this village, and we have very little time before the monastery locks up for the night,” Miroku informed the group.

Everyone packed up what goods they could carry on their backs, and hiked up to the one dirt road that ran through the village.

 

 

 

The monastery was a small cluster of mudbrick buildings surrounded by a thick mudbrick wall with a wrought iron gate. Outside of the gate was a brass bell with a rope cord for pilgrims to ring. Inuyasha and the group approached the gate and rang the bell. A stocky monk waddled up to the gate.

<<“What is your business here?”>> he asked bluntly.

<<“We are seeking shelter for the night, father. We suffered a cruel misfortune that has brought us to your doorstep, will you help us?” >>Miroku pleaded. The stocky monk examined all four of them and huffed.

<<“I will have to ask my superior's permission. Wait here until I come back, “ the monk waddled into the largest of the mudbrick structures visible from the gate.

The group waited patiently for approximately fifteen minutes; Sango and Miroku made small talk while Kagome and Inuyasha tried very hard not to look at each other . The stocky monk came back and opened the gate.

<<“Have you all eaten yet?”>> he asked.

<<“No, father, we haven't had any food all day, “>> Miroku replied.

<<“Well, let's get you situated then, am I right to assume that these two women are your wives?”>> Inuyasha choked.

“Wives?” Inuyasha gasped.

<<“Yes… these ladies are… our wives… my cousin is weary from traveling please forgive him,”>> Miroku explained as he gave Inuyasha a look that would kill should he act otherwise. Inuyasha bit his tongue.

<<“Very well then, follow me, the rooms are not as elegant as you might expect, they are for the humble who care nothing for material gain in this world. Our food is not much, but it keeps the hunger from our stomachs, “>> the monk said, locking the gate behind him.

Inuyasha felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around. “What?” he asked.

“What did that man say?” Kagome whispered loudly in his ear. Granted, if they were in a different situation, he would given in to the way her breath caressed his earlobes…but he had to keep a stiff upper lip and deny his unwholesome cravings.

“We can stay the night and we're getting fed. But don't expect too much!” he whispered back curtly. `At least he's spoken to me; I didn't expect him to ignore me for long,' Kagome thought hopefully to herself.

 

The monk showed the traveling quartet to their rooms, and asked if they needed to bathe before supper. Miroku, being the group's unofficial spokesperson, gave the monk a resounding “yes” and the monk informed him that there was but one bathing chamber in the monastery and that each man would have to escort his “wife” to it so as not to make any of the resident monks go back on their vows of celibacy.

<<”So we are to escort our wives to the bathing chamber?”>> Miroku asked, mildly surprised.

<<”Yes, and inside as well, for there are three entrances. I am only looking out for the chastity of my brethren and to ensure that their holy vows were not made in vain. It is not often that we welcome women into this place to stay the night, but seeing that you all are in dire need, we took pity on you. I shall bring the food to your rooms in an hour, see that everyone is bathed by then. “>> The monk bowed and left the travelers in the hall.

Miroku happily clapped his hands together and turned toward a veiled Sango. “Well, Sango, it appears that you and I will be sharing a bath and a bed tonight!”

“The hell we will, you lecher!” she spat back, cuffing him on the ear.

“But dear Sango, would you go against the words of a man of God? After all, you are posing as my wife,” Miroku leered as he held his aching appendage.

“ What? When did I consent to that?” Sango demanded an answer.

“You didn't. That's just what Miroku told the monk so we could stay here and not freeze our bollocks off tonight,” Inuyasha stated flatly. “And the monk didn't say that you have to share the bath with him, just that he needs to be in there to make sure no other monks go in.”

“I don't trust him! He's a pervert, of course he'll look!” Sango turned to Kagome for support. “Kagome! Please tell me you aren't going to go along with this!” In truth, Kagome wasn't too fond of this idea either, but it was a matter of either playing along, or being forced to sleep out in the harsh coldness of the desert night.

“What if Sango and I were to take a bath while you two stood watch? Would that make you feel better, Sango?” Kagome suggested.

“What a splendid idea Kagome! Two beauties for the price of—“SMACK!

Miroku never finished his sentence, and Inuyasha was cracking his knuckles.

“Always a damn lecher! Let's just get this over with! Christ!” Inuyasha remarked as he grabbed Kagome's arm and headed for the baths.

“Inuyasha, let go! You're hurting me!”

“Quit complaining! The sooner we get this ordeal over with, the sooner we can eat! I have no intention of playing a peeping tom!” he stated matter-of-factly. `Believe me sweetheart, it's hurting me more than it's hurting you,' he thought to himself as he held her small hand in his.

They reached the door of the bath, when Inuyasha opened it and made sure the coast was clear.

“Alright, you girls go on in and get situated. When you're ready for us to come in and stand guard, one of you yell `Ya Habibi' and we'll be in there. Got that?”

“Sure…I guess, “ Kagome said uneasily as she recalled that morning's incident.

 

 

The monastery's bath chamber was not quite as Spartan as the girls had expected it; granted, it had no porcelain tubs, nor plush towels, but it did have sort of an ancient charm to it. The bathing pool was decorated with a faience tile mosaic that featured a female archer and her deer shooting into a night sky full of constellations. Above, the waning rays of the sun peeked in from the skylights, giving the room an ethereal, pinkish glow, and illuminating the mica-flecked tiles on the semi-circular privacy wall behind the bathing pool. Kagome stepped gingerly around the bathing area until she found a suitable spot for her clothes and dipped her foot into the water.

“Hey Sango, it's heated! “ she exclaimed joyfully. Sango tested the water as well, and found it to be pleasantly hot as well. The two disrobed and lowered themselves for a much-deserved soak. Apparently, the hospitality of the monks extended to the bath chamber as well; they had been given two cakes of soap to wash with and four sets of linens in the place of towels.

“These monks sure are generous,” Sango remarked as she lathered up.

“Yeah, they are…I wonder if they suspect anything, you know, about us not really being Inuyasha and Miroku's wives. I wonder what would happen if they did find out…” Kagome trailed off as she took the cake of soap from Sango and began washing her hair. “Speaking of Inuyasha and Miroku, I wonder what those two are up to now, aren't they supposed to be guarding us?” Kagome inquired as she scrubbed her hair.

“Ugh, the last thing I want is for Miroku to be watching me bathe—that conceited pervert!” Sango huffed.

“I think Inuyasha will keep him on a short leash, Sango dear, not that I am content with them being present and knowing that we're naked, but---“

Sango narrowed her eyes. “But what? You scandalous girl! You want Inuyasha to catch you naked, is that it?”

“WHAAAT? Heavens no! Sango! What kind of woman do you think I am? No, I meant that at least we wouldn't have to worry about being seen by any other men!” Kagome explained. Sango got out of the bath and began to dry herself off.

“Uh-huh, right. Well, it looks like we didn't need their help at all, now did we?

 

 

 

 

 

A/N: I am SO SORRY I haven't updated in what seems like forever!!!! My life has been in constant upheaval since the Christmas season and I've had the worst case of writer's block! Now that some creative agency has come back to me (and the fact that the story is going in the direction I want it to go, so expect a beloved character to turn up with in the next chapter or so….but not in the way you'd imagine him!!

A GI-NORMOUS Thank You to all of the diligent readers (and new ones) for sticking with this story for so long!! After being in reader's purgatory for a while, you all deserve some action---which is coming within the next chapter!!!