InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sight Unseen ❯ Windwalkers Are People, Too, You Know ( Chapter 13 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: SylverAngel 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.13.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.1K | Visits: 1.5K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.13.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.1K | Visits: 1.5K | Status: Completed
Sight Unseen
Chapter 13: Windwalkers Are People, Too, You Know
"We're here!" Marieko announced brightly as the lift came to a stop. She stood up quickly, causing the wooden platform to swing slightly on its ropes. Its other occupants clutched at the nearest steady object at the unexpected jolt.
Sango glared at Miroku when the monk's cursed hand remained on her leg after she'd released the lift's wooden fencing. He held the offending limb up in surrender, then rose to his feet with the help of his staff.
Shippo let go of Kagome's waist and turned around, only to come face-to-face with a startled Inuyasha. The hanyou, having nothing to grab on to in the middle of the platform, had almost fallen over when the lift swayed. He'd caught himself with one hand placed beside Kagome's knees. Just when he was about to shift away, the kitsune had spun around, nearly knocking Inuyasha's nose with his tail.
"What are you doing?" Shippo asked, hands on his hips as he frowned suspiciously at the half dog demon.
"Nothing, brat." Inuyasha abruptly jerked away and to his feet.
"Hah! Then what were you so close-- Hey! Put me down!" The kitsune squirmed in Inuyasha's grasp, then screeched when he was hurtled towards Sango. Thankfully, the demon exterminator caught him before he could hit the tree he knew the hanyou was truly aiming for.
Inuyasha, in the mean time, had helped Kagome to stand and was pushing her towards the gate Marieko had unlatched.
"My father says that our Lady is waiting for you, and that I should bring you to her."
"Lead the way," Kagome responded, wondering how she was going to make it wherever they were headed without being able to see where she was placing her feet.
Inuyasha grunted at her side. "You're so willing to walk straight into what may be a trap," he muttered, so low that she almost didn't hear.
She poked him in the side to shush him, then finally caught onto something the female windwalker had just said. "Is Maruku back with us?" she asked Inuyasha in as quiet a tone as he had used.
"No," he replied, glancing around to make sure the youkai wasn't hiding somewhere he just hadn't noticed. The others were making their way off of the lift.
"Then how... Marieko, you spoke to your father?" How could the demon have talked to him if he hadn't returned to bring their group to his leader himself? Unless he'd flown by as a bird...
"Yes, I did. He's waiting for us with Lady Tamaeri."
"Oh." Kagome was quiet for a moment, then asked Inuyasha again in a hushed tone, "Did any of them fly by?"
"No." The hanyou was so occupied with keeping his senses alert that he wasn't quite paying attention to the questions she asked, and the tone beneath them. Or the fact that he and Kagome were still on the lift, and the others were waiting for them to exit through the gate.
"Oh," Kagome said again, puzzled.
Shippo tugged on Kagome's sleeve as he stood on the lift's fencing. "Kagome, you should 'sit' Inuyasha for throwing me like that!"
The girl shook her head, only half-listening to the little fox demon's request. "Shippo, can you tell me what everything looks like?"
"Of course I can! There's lots of trees and leaves and--"
"No, I mean as we walk to wherever it is that we're going?"
The kitsune climbed up her arm to her shoulder. "Okay. I can do that."
"Thanks, Shippo," Kagome replied, aiming a grateful smile in his direction. The lift suddenly jerked beneath the girl's feet, causing her to cling to the first thing her flailing hands encountered--Inuyasha's arm. "I-Inuyasha!"
Shippo was nearly flung from his perch when she jumped. His grip on Kagome's neck was nearly as tight as hers on the hanyou's biceps.
"Oi, wench, what is wrong with you?" Inuyasha growled down at her.
"I'm gonna t-trip and f-fall from way up h-here!" she whimpered, burying her face in his billowy sleeve.
"Kagome, let go." The hanyou tried to ease her hold on his arm, gently prying with his fingers so as not to scratch her in the process. He glared at Shippo, who immediately let go of Kagome's neck and scampered off towards the others.
"Allow me to assist you, Lady Kagome," Miroku called, making his way back onto the platform after he heard Inuyasha's demand that she release him. The lift bounced once more, causing the girl to cling even tighter to Inuyasha.
"Back off, monk," the half dog demon barked out. "You're making it worse."
Miroku inclined his head, slowly stepping back the way he'd come.
"Kagome, let go. You're not going to fall," Inuyasha murmured, his voice coming out more gruffly than he'd intended.
Kagome eased her grip a tiny bit, but shook her head against his arm. "No."
"Kagome, you have to," he demanded a little more forcefully. The girl didn't so much as twitch in response.
"We're wasting time here, Kagome." The hanyou tried once more to pry her arms from around his own.
She again shook her head, her muffled voice sounding small and terrified. "I can't, Inuyasha. I'm scared."
Inuyasha's ears flattened back as he relented. "Kagome... please... let go. I won't let you fall." His quiet tone matched hers.
Kagome didn't voluntarily release him, but, after a moment, he was able to remove her arms himself, all the while keeping close so as to reassure her with his presence. When her arms lay slack at her sides, he placed her left hand in the crook of his elbow. She immediately tightened her hold, her fingers digging in to the fabric of his robes.
"Now, take a step with me," the hanyou encouraged. "When I tell you, move. Step."
Kagome hesitatingly followed his direction, keeping as close to his side as was possible without hindering their ability to walk.
"Good. Another. Step... And again, step."
The others watched from the walkway as the two slowly made their way towards the gate.
"Now, step up a bit... there. Keep going..." Inuyasha continued to murmur soothingly. Her fingers were slowly loosening their grip on his forearm. "Okay, now we're off. And my arm's finally regaining its feeling," he mock-growled, hoping to cheer her a little.
Kagome bit her lip and ducked her head. "Thank you," she responded quietly, giving his arm a squeeze.
By that time, everyone but Shippo had turned away. Marieko was studying the treetops above them. Sango and Miroku stood behind the windwalker, Kirara in the demon exterminator's arms. The two humans were watching the few other winged youkai who were checking the ropes that tied the lift to the surrounding trees, to make sure it would not go back down on its own. The kitsune just kept watching Inuyasha and Kagome, head cocked to the side and a worried expression on his face. When Inuyasha looked up, he hastily averted his eyes, hoping not to be caught.
"What were you staring at, brat?" the hanyou growled, taking a menacing step towards Shippo. His eyes narrowed, glinting gold in a promise that even Kagome wouldn't save him if the kistune made so much as one small comment.
"N-nothing," the little fox demon replied, swallowing nervously. He edged along the lift's fencing once more, until he could again climb onto Kagome's shoulder. His eyes remained glued to Inuyasha the entire way. When the half-demon merely looked on without protest, Shippo nearly sighed aloud in relief.
"Everybody off? Okay, then." Marieko motioned for the group to follow her down the wooden walkway that had been built among the branches of the large trees. Railings lined each side, to prevent those traveling on foot from falling to the ground far below.
Inuyasha began guiding Kagome down the path, the others moving slowly out of consideration for the pair.
The kitsune started describing what sounded like nearly every piece of wood to Kagome, before she stopped him with a shaky laugh. "Okay, Shippo, I get the idea. How about you just tell me when there's something... Oh no, there's a hole there--"
"Bring your foot back to the left, Kagome. It's too close to the edge," Inuyasha instructed, trying to forestall another panic attack.
Kagome did as he asked, taking a deep breath before continuing with what she'd been saying. "Tell me when there's something else to see, maybe, Shippo? Like any other windwalkers, or a hut or something, okay?"
"Okay," Shippo replied with a small sigh. He had been doing such a good job, too!
"Oh! I nearly forgot! The festival is tonight!" Marieko cried in delight as she rounded a corner in the path and stopped walking.
Inuyasha quickly held Kagome back before she could run into the demon.
"Festival?" the girl asked, surprised at the abrupt halt and the words that preceded it.
"Yes, even demons have festivals sometimes," Marieko joked, turning to look at the others behind her. "We're honoring our ancestors, remembering those who came before us and what they went through to keep our people safe. We mostly focus on the histories of the clans we belong to. There are two clans here, and others live elsewhere." She let out a giggle before continuing. "The little ones pretend to be their heroes-- it's really quite amusing. Some perform their favorite battles or scenes from our history. They prepare for weeks, then half of them forget what they are to say in their speeches." She gave a little sigh, then sobered, staring pensively out between some of the leaves around them. "It's not going to be as much fun as usual, with my uncle not here..." She shook her head, then looked back at them with a sad smile. "But I'll let Lady Tamaeri tell you about that."
With that, the windwalker resumed walking down the path, and the others were finally able to see what had reminded her of the festival in the first place. The huts built in the trees were gaily decorated with ribbons of many colors. Hand-made decorations hung from branches, most including sticks, feathers, and more ribbons. Some small windwalker children ran about between the huts, one girl chasing a boy when he stole the decoration she'd been trying to hang. The two tangled in a rolling heap, and a feminine voice called out to them to behave.
Shippo described the scene to Kagome as they walked. The girl kept her free hand on the railing, following Inuyasha's interjected instructions when he spoke in her ear to override the kitsune's constant chattering.
"There aren't many windwalkers here," Sango commented somewhat disappointedly, eyeing the mostly quiet huts.
"Hmm, no not at this time of day," Marieko responded. "But there are a few more than you think." She gestured into the trees that surrounded them, pointing out that some of the youkai were resting in their bird forms. "The hunters take shifts, so those not on patrol are sleeping right now. Most of the younger ones are at lessons, and those not old enough are here helping decorate, as you can see," she laughed. "The harvesters are gathering food and tending the trees."
Kagome smiled at how human the windwalkers sounded, her earlier bafflement at Marieko's comments long forgotten.
"Very much like a human village," Miroku echoed her thoughts. "So they will be present for the festival then, I assume?"
"Certainly," the demon replied, excitedly rushing on. "Is this really like one of your villages? I've never seen one..."
The monk pointed out the different roles that paralleled those in the youkai settlement. "We have farmers that gather the food, soldiers and priests or priestesses that help protect our people, and our children learn our ways a little each day."
"I hope someday I can come visit your village and see it for myself," Marieko sighed wistfully. "But for now, I have to finish my training."
They continued on in silence for a few moments, before the windwalker pointed to the larger hut set slightly away from the others. "That is Lady Tamaeri's, and my uncle Morihiko's hut. She and my father are waiting for you inside." She bowed to the group, then began to back away. "If you'll excuse me, I must return to my own lessons."
When Marieko had gone, Miroku scratched his head and asked, "Was it just me, or did the rest of you get the impression she did not want to go in with us?" The others just shook their heads and continued on towards the single hut, Inuyasha guiding Kagome a little more quickly as the wooden pathway grew wider with each step.
Chapter 13: Windwalkers Are People, Too, You Know
"We're here!" Marieko announced brightly as the lift came to a stop. She stood up quickly, causing the wooden platform to swing slightly on its ropes. Its other occupants clutched at the nearest steady object at the unexpected jolt.
Sango glared at Miroku when the monk's cursed hand remained on her leg after she'd released the lift's wooden fencing. He held the offending limb up in surrender, then rose to his feet with the help of his staff.
Shippo let go of Kagome's waist and turned around, only to come face-to-face with a startled Inuyasha. The hanyou, having nothing to grab on to in the middle of the platform, had almost fallen over when the lift swayed. He'd caught himself with one hand placed beside Kagome's knees. Just when he was about to shift away, the kitsune had spun around, nearly knocking Inuyasha's nose with his tail.
"What are you doing?" Shippo asked, hands on his hips as he frowned suspiciously at the half dog demon.
"Nothing, brat." Inuyasha abruptly jerked away and to his feet.
"Hah! Then what were you so close-- Hey! Put me down!" The kitsune squirmed in Inuyasha's grasp, then screeched when he was hurtled towards Sango. Thankfully, the demon exterminator caught him before he could hit the tree he knew the hanyou was truly aiming for.
Inuyasha, in the mean time, had helped Kagome to stand and was pushing her towards the gate Marieko had unlatched.
"My father says that our Lady is waiting for you, and that I should bring you to her."
"Lead the way," Kagome responded, wondering how she was going to make it wherever they were headed without being able to see where she was placing her feet.
Inuyasha grunted at her side. "You're so willing to walk straight into what may be a trap," he muttered, so low that she almost didn't hear.
She poked him in the side to shush him, then finally caught onto something the female windwalker had just said. "Is Maruku back with us?" she asked Inuyasha in as quiet a tone as he had used.
"No," he replied, glancing around to make sure the youkai wasn't hiding somewhere he just hadn't noticed. The others were making their way off of the lift.
"Then how... Marieko, you spoke to your father?" How could the demon have talked to him if he hadn't returned to bring their group to his leader himself? Unless he'd flown by as a bird...
"Yes, I did. He's waiting for us with Lady Tamaeri."
"Oh." Kagome was quiet for a moment, then asked Inuyasha again in a hushed tone, "Did any of them fly by?"
"No." The hanyou was so occupied with keeping his senses alert that he wasn't quite paying attention to the questions she asked, and the tone beneath them. Or the fact that he and Kagome were still on the lift, and the others were waiting for them to exit through the gate.
"Oh," Kagome said again, puzzled.
Shippo tugged on Kagome's sleeve as he stood on the lift's fencing. "Kagome, you should 'sit' Inuyasha for throwing me like that!"
The girl shook her head, only half-listening to the little fox demon's request. "Shippo, can you tell me what everything looks like?"
"Of course I can! There's lots of trees and leaves and--"
"No, I mean as we walk to wherever it is that we're going?"
The kitsune climbed up her arm to her shoulder. "Okay. I can do that."
"Thanks, Shippo," Kagome replied, aiming a grateful smile in his direction. The lift suddenly jerked beneath the girl's feet, causing her to cling to the first thing her flailing hands encountered--Inuyasha's arm. "I-Inuyasha!"
Shippo was nearly flung from his perch when she jumped. His grip on Kagome's neck was nearly as tight as hers on the hanyou's biceps.
"Oi, wench, what is wrong with you?" Inuyasha growled down at her.
"I'm gonna t-trip and f-fall from way up h-here!" she whimpered, burying her face in his billowy sleeve.
"Kagome, let go." The hanyou tried to ease her hold on his arm, gently prying with his fingers so as not to scratch her in the process. He glared at Shippo, who immediately let go of Kagome's neck and scampered off towards the others.
"Allow me to assist you, Lady Kagome," Miroku called, making his way back onto the platform after he heard Inuyasha's demand that she release him. The lift bounced once more, causing the girl to cling even tighter to Inuyasha.
"Back off, monk," the half dog demon barked out. "You're making it worse."
Miroku inclined his head, slowly stepping back the way he'd come.
"Kagome, let go. You're not going to fall," Inuyasha murmured, his voice coming out more gruffly than he'd intended.
Kagome eased her grip a tiny bit, but shook her head against his arm. "No."
"Kagome, you have to," he demanded a little more forcefully. The girl didn't so much as twitch in response.
"We're wasting time here, Kagome." The hanyou tried once more to pry her arms from around his own.
She again shook her head, her muffled voice sounding small and terrified. "I can't, Inuyasha. I'm scared."
Inuyasha's ears flattened back as he relented. "Kagome... please... let go. I won't let you fall." His quiet tone matched hers.
Kagome didn't voluntarily release him, but, after a moment, he was able to remove her arms himself, all the while keeping close so as to reassure her with his presence. When her arms lay slack at her sides, he placed her left hand in the crook of his elbow. She immediately tightened her hold, her fingers digging in to the fabric of his robes.
"Now, take a step with me," the hanyou encouraged. "When I tell you, move. Step."
Kagome hesitatingly followed his direction, keeping as close to his side as was possible without hindering their ability to walk.
"Good. Another. Step... And again, step."
The others watched from the walkway as the two slowly made their way towards the gate.
"Now, step up a bit... there. Keep going..." Inuyasha continued to murmur soothingly. Her fingers were slowly loosening their grip on his forearm. "Okay, now we're off. And my arm's finally regaining its feeling," he mock-growled, hoping to cheer her a little.
Kagome bit her lip and ducked her head. "Thank you," she responded quietly, giving his arm a squeeze.
By that time, everyone but Shippo had turned away. Marieko was studying the treetops above them. Sango and Miroku stood behind the windwalker, Kirara in the demon exterminator's arms. The two humans were watching the few other winged youkai who were checking the ropes that tied the lift to the surrounding trees, to make sure it would not go back down on its own. The kitsune just kept watching Inuyasha and Kagome, head cocked to the side and a worried expression on his face. When Inuyasha looked up, he hastily averted his eyes, hoping not to be caught.
"What were you staring at, brat?" the hanyou growled, taking a menacing step towards Shippo. His eyes narrowed, glinting gold in a promise that even Kagome wouldn't save him if the kistune made so much as one small comment.
"N-nothing," the little fox demon replied, swallowing nervously. He edged along the lift's fencing once more, until he could again climb onto Kagome's shoulder. His eyes remained glued to Inuyasha the entire way. When the half-demon merely looked on without protest, Shippo nearly sighed aloud in relief.
"Everybody off? Okay, then." Marieko motioned for the group to follow her down the wooden walkway that had been built among the branches of the large trees. Railings lined each side, to prevent those traveling on foot from falling to the ground far below.
Inuyasha began guiding Kagome down the path, the others moving slowly out of consideration for the pair.
The kitsune started describing what sounded like nearly every piece of wood to Kagome, before she stopped him with a shaky laugh. "Okay, Shippo, I get the idea. How about you just tell me when there's something... Oh no, there's a hole there--"
"Bring your foot back to the left, Kagome. It's too close to the edge," Inuyasha instructed, trying to forestall another panic attack.
Kagome did as he asked, taking a deep breath before continuing with what she'd been saying. "Tell me when there's something else to see, maybe, Shippo? Like any other windwalkers, or a hut or something, okay?"
"Okay," Shippo replied with a small sigh. He had been doing such a good job, too!
"Oh! I nearly forgot! The festival is tonight!" Marieko cried in delight as she rounded a corner in the path and stopped walking.
Inuyasha quickly held Kagome back before she could run into the demon.
"Festival?" the girl asked, surprised at the abrupt halt and the words that preceded it.
"Yes, even demons have festivals sometimes," Marieko joked, turning to look at the others behind her. "We're honoring our ancestors, remembering those who came before us and what they went through to keep our people safe. We mostly focus on the histories of the clans we belong to. There are two clans here, and others live elsewhere." She let out a giggle before continuing. "The little ones pretend to be their heroes-- it's really quite amusing. Some perform their favorite battles or scenes from our history. They prepare for weeks, then half of them forget what they are to say in their speeches." She gave a little sigh, then sobered, staring pensively out between some of the leaves around them. "It's not going to be as much fun as usual, with my uncle not here..." She shook her head, then looked back at them with a sad smile. "But I'll let Lady Tamaeri tell you about that."
With that, the windwalker resumed walking down the path, and the others were finally able to see what had reminded her of the festival in the first place. The huts built in the trees were gaily decorated with ribbons of many colors. Hand-made decorations hung from branches, most including sticks, feathers, and more ribbons. Some small windwalker children ran about between the huts, one girl chasing a boy when he stole the decoration she'd been trying to hang. The two tangled in a rolling heap, and a feminine voice called out to them to behave.
Shippo described the scene to Kagome as they walked. The girl kept her free hand on the railing, following Inuyasha's interjected instructions when he spoke in her ear to override the kitsune's constant chattering.
"There aren't many windwalkers here," Sango commented somewhat disappointedly, eyeing the mostly quiet huts.
"Hmm, no not at this time of day," Marieko responded. "But there are a few more than you think." She gestured into the trees that surrounded them, pointing out that some of the youkai were resting in their bird forms. "The hunters take shifts, so those not on patrol are sleeping right now. Most of the younger ones are at lessons, and those not old enough are here helping decorate, as you can see," she laughed. "The harvesters are gathering food and tending the trees."
Kagome smiled at how human the windwalkers sounded, her earlier bafflement at Marieko's comments long forgotten.
"Very much like a human village," Miroku echoed her thoughts. "So they will be present for the festival then, I assume?"
"Certainly," the demon replied, excitedly rushing on. "Is this really like one of your villages? I've never seen one..."
The monk pointed out the different roles that paralleled those in the youkai settlement. "We have farmers that gather the food, soldiers and priests or priestesses that help protect our people, and our children learn our ways a little each day."
"I hope someday I can come visit your village and see it for myself," Marieko sighed wistfully. "But for now, I have to finish my training."
They continued on in silence for a few moments, before the windwalker pointed to the larger hut set slightly away from the others. "That is Lady Tamaeri's, and my uncle Morihiko's hut. She and my father are waiting for you inside." She bowed to the group, then began to back away. "If you'll excuse me, I must return to my own lessons."
When Marieko had gone, Miroku scratched his head and asked, "Was it just me, or did the rest of you get the impression she did not want to go in with us?" The others just shook their heads and continued on towards the single hut, Inuyasha guiding Kagome a little more quickly as the wooden pathway grew wider with each step.