Curiosity Caught the Miko by Stella Mira
In the Wilderness
Kagome had never felt more thankful for all the knowledge she had accumulated during their pursuit against Naraku up until now. She had a vague idea that survival in the wilderness alone would be a laborious task, but it was proving more difficult than she had expected. She exhaled a long sigh as she prepared her breakfast – one tiny fish she had miraculously caught – while she mulled over her choices. If she could reach a village soon, she could purchase food supplies at the very least. Kagome's only comfort had been her old but sturdy sleeping bag and the warmth of a camp fire.
She threw the fish bones in the small fire after her meal and brought out some paper and ink from her traveling pack. It had been a week since Kagome had left Kaede's village after emotional farewells and promises to write back at least once a month. She had taught Rin how to write and read, but she wasn't sure how to send back the letters now that she gave more thought to the matter. She chewed on her lower lip worriedly as she scribbled a few reassurances even though she wasn't feeling as confident inside. She could maybe ask a traveling person to deliver her letter for a small fee if he was heading in the direction of Kaede's village, but she wondered if she would be so lucky as to find such a person soon.
Kagome finished packing and extinguished the fire, taking care to erase all traces of her camping out in case any yōkai lurked around and decided she would make for a tasty meal. She then got back on the road, hoping to encounter a ningen village soon. Her expectations were met a few hours later when she came upon a small village. There were farmers working the lands, children playing around, women going about their daily work as she passed by. For the first time since she had begun her journey, a feeling of confidence filled her heart as the villagers gathered around, asking for her help.
"Miko – a miko has come!" Various voices and hands – old and young – surrounded her when they took notice of her miko garments, pleading for her healing abilities. This village didn't have the fortune of a resident miko and they relied on traveling miko for cures and ailment. They offered her food and lodgings for her services and Kagome spent her entire day tending to injured farmers, sick elderly and children, or pregnant women. Her body ached and her head felt heavy at the end of the day, but she was feeling very pleased with herself. This was the reason she had decided to make this journey – to feel needed – and these people needed her.
Unfortunately, she was forced to alter her plans of a rich meal and comfortable bedding when the village chief pleaded for her assistance in exterminating some nekoyōkai that had been terrorizing the village lately. Kagome could not very well decline his request, but she couldn't afford to put the village into more danger by fighting on its grounds. She opted for camping out once more at the outskirts of the village near the forest and wait out for the wild nekoyōkai to appear. She would intercept them before they reached the village and if they couldn't be convinced to stop their mischief then she would scare them away. The thought of exterminating them left a bitter taste in her mouth and she really prayed the yōkai wouldn't force her hand. She was not averse to killing their leader to make her example, but she really hoped to avoid any senseless killing.
The villagers had at least provided her with the ingredients to make some plain vegetable soup and she busied herself by lighting a fire and preparing her meal. She was halfway through her dinner when she felt the faint presence of another being intruding upon her camping place. She could sense a weak yōki – nothing worth worrying – so she stayed perfectly still until her guest decided to make an appearance. It was probably a small, hungry yōkai and she didn't want to scare it away. As she had predicted, a bundle of brown fur appeared in her peripheral vision, inching warily towards the camp fire.
A wolf pup? Is it injured? Kagome guessed by the slight limping of the poor animal, spreading her aura to test her theory. A pained whimper and weakened yōki answered her coaxing reiki and she knew for certain that this was an ōkami pup. Not willing to lose her chance, she sprung forward and engulfed the small creature in a tight embrace, willing it to understand that she meant no harm. The pup struggled in her arms for a few moments, clawing and growling at her, but gave up when it realized there was no chance of escaping.
"There, there, hush, little one, I'll not hurt you." Kagome murmured sweet reassurances as she walked closer to the fire to inspect the wolf pup and tend to its injury. She exhaled a sigh when she discovered no broken bones, but its left hind leg bore a nasty bite. A predator had obviously attacked it and tried to eat the poor baby.
"Where is your mother, little one?" Kagome didn't really expect an answer though. She cleaned the wound and bandaged it meticulously. The pup eyed her cautiously, flinching slightly at her treatment, but made no further move to escape. After she was satisfied with her work, she grabbed her long forgotten soup bowl and passed it before the pup's snout, allowing it to get a whiff. Recognizing by the smell that she offered it food, the pup leaned forward and chanced a taste. Kagome laughed with approval when it dove in right after that, stroking its thick fur, still holding it in her lap so as not to jostle its injured leg while eating.
"I guess I'll have to look for its mother now…" Kagome sighed again, knowing that something terrible must have happened for the pup to be wandering alone and injured in the forest. She had a bad feeling about this and she really hoped to find the mother alive for the pup's sake.