Nocturne - An Inuyasha Fanfic

Chapter Nine: Unexpected Tidings

Nocturne - Chapter Nine: Unexpected Tidings

Rated - M (for suggestive adult themes, references to some violence, and coarse language)

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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

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Maybe it was true that it was not wise to travel alone to visit a witch while pregnant. That was a notion that Kagome pushed out of her mind. She'd decided to get this over with, and that was precisely what was going to happen. Never mind that it did not make sense for her to do this. Maybe if she'd had an answer, she could make sense of her feelings.

Her exit from the village was hasty. Kagome did not have a mind to take up a conversation with Sango or Rin at this time. Not when they would only attempt to persuade her not to follow through on this foolish venture. She did not need them to convince her of the folly when she knew full well of her plan's stupidity. Yet, it was something she was going to do all the same.

Before leaving, Kagome had borrowed a horse from one of the villagers who owed her a favor. Apparently, doling out medicine, tending to wounds, and helping to birth babies had its kickbacks. Asking the family to stay quiet about the horse would make the news gossip-worthy, so Kagome claimed she had business to attend to in a neighboring town. No one questioned a miko on her business, and the news would spread at a snail's pace, hopefully not making it to Sango before Kagome concluded her journey, and a horse's speed would shorten the trip.

Kagome had never traveled unaccompanied before. Not here in the Feudal Era. Even during her quest to find the Shikon Jewel shards, she'd always been among her friends. That was all different now. To place an unnecessary burden on Sango was not fair and not something Kagome would ask. The woman was busy enough with her children now. Even had Inuyasha been around, there was no way Kagome was prepared to share her secret with him.

The journey to the witch would likely only take a day or so. Kagome recalled taking a trip to Mount Fuji in her youth, but the trip had been by car and only lasted a couple of hours. Of course, that knowledge did not help her now as she set forth on what could only be described as a nag. Beggars could not be choosers. The villagers lent her only what they could afford to lend out and not the reliable steed she had eyed. Even so, she was thankful not to make the trip on her own two feet.

It was not long into her journey that loneliness set in. There was no playful banter to watch, no meaningful conversation to pass the time, only quiet introspection. The hours passed agonizingly slowly, giving Kagome plenty of time to worry. Despite the trip being relatively short, she prayed that Inuyasha would not return while she was gone. He would most definitely come looking for her, and she was sure she was not that difficult to find.

Another of Kagome's fears was that she would be set upon by bandits or yokai. Traveling alone as a woman was not necessarily the wisest of decisions, but her ability with a bow, coupled with her status as a miko, ensured she was not bothered. It was still considered a time where women of a certain status could travel unaccompanied, and no one would bat an eye at them.

The first night was equally lonesome. Kagome set up camp, rationing out some of the food she'd packed, and tended to the mare, tying the harness a bit closer than necessary to ward off the chill of the night and to provide some level of company.

"We should get there tomorrow afternoon, Bullet," Kagome said to the horse.

The old mare picked at some of the shoots of grass surrounding her tie-in, ignoring Kagome's words. She'd named the mare Bullet in jest, seeing as how the horse was anything but speedy. It may have been apter to name the horse 'Snail' or 'Lolligag,' but if anything, the horse was sure-footed and got her where she needed to go much faster than she could on her own.