Limerance

Chapter 11

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Limerance

Chapter 11

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Morning arrived too quickly. Creeping over the billowing clouds, the rising sun pulled Kagome from much needed sleep with unwelcome tenacity. Still wrapped in the tangled vines of slumber, she resisted the call of the day, burrowing deeper into her bedroll to keep out the cold. However, no matter how many times she closed her eyes and tried to fall back asleep, she couldn't. Unwilling to part with her cozy cover just yet, she settled for recalling the details of her dreams.

Dark things, mostly. Terrible things. Demons and battles; an endless hunt for something unreachable — a jewel of some kind.

Perhaps weeks ago, the pathetic Midori would have hidden beneath her blanket, praying for the images to fade. She might have yearned to return to the familiarity of Katashi's side, choosing to be protected even if it meant sacrificing her life and freedom for a bit of safety. But, Midori was gone. Only Kagome remained now, and nightmares hardly frightened her. Where was the use in fearing the past? Intangible memories could not harm her. Only the present could do that, and only in the present would she let fear and caution to slow her journey to the truth.

For a while, she allowed herself some time to think about her dream, hoping to piece together the fragments of her real memories. This time, a new character had appeared in the tapestry — a woman who looked much like her save for the color of her eyes. Her black orbs stared deep into Kagome's soul, telling a melancholy tale of unfulfilled desires and a love lost to evil's whim. She, too, wielded a bow, though her stiff posture and raised chin attested to a certain confidence Kagome didn't feel within herself.

Who was she, and why did Kagome's heart twist with pain when she looked at her? Were they related somehow? Seeing those haunting dark eyes was like seeing her own reflection in a shattered mirror. In the murk of shifting shadows, pointing an accusing finger in Kagome's direction, the woman called her a traitor and a thief. Somehow, the Kagome of the past had taken something from her. Where the silver-haired man was concerned, Kagome's love was the source of woman's pain; her selflessness, a vexing burden. What had happened between them?

Kagome would have lost track of time had it not been for Patch's intervention. His shaggy black muzzle blocked her view of the sky right before he bumped the side of her face, urging her to get up. When she tunneled deeper into her blankets, the stallion nipped at her hair and snorted, spraying warm moist air right in her ear. Kagome let out a sound of indignation, but — reluctantly — she rolled to her feet.

In that moment, Kagome swore she had more muscle aches than she did muscles. Wincing, she glared at her horse. Patch blinked back, his expression wide-eyed and innocent. For all her aches and pains, for her exhaustion and stiffness, she blamed him. His gait was far from smooth — a trait for battle, not travel — and he possessed too much stamina. He didn't tire, even when they traveled for miles over steep hills and crossed treacherous rivers. And if he didn't tire — if he wanted to keep moving — then Kagome felt she had to match his pace.

They'd moved as swiftly as possible towards the place marked on the scout's stolen map, hardly stopping to rest. For Kagome, who had never properly ridden a horse before this journey, the days passed in endless bumping up-and-down agony. They steered clear of towns and settlements, Kagome fearing to attract too much attention. The less people saw them, the stronger the chances that Katashi wouldn't catch them. She couldn't imagine what he might do to her if he did.