The thick clouds that held in snow mostly blocked out the normally bright sun, making everything look like it was in an everlasting shade. Catriona found the sight gorgeous, but Miroku had never liked the way his homelands looked when snow was pending. Since the sun wasn�t able to shine brightly on them, it made things colder than when the sun would be shining.
It was at this point during the second day of their traveling that Catriona decided now would be a good time to stop & get a good rest in so the horse would make it to her mate�s lands.
Miroku realized they were stopping when the horse came to a sudden stop, jarring him from the daze he had slipped into. "Is something wrong, Catriona?" He asked, watching her as she left his hold & slid off the horse.
"Nothing's wrong," she answered, leading the horse by its reins to the lake, where she used a large rock to break through the thin sheet of ice formed on the surface. "I figured we could stop here to give the horse a drink & a chance to rest, & so we can rest as well. I don't know about you, but after riding all day, I could use a nap."
"I suppose I could use a rest myself," Miroku spoke, sliding off the horse as it lowered its muzzle to the cold water to drink its fill. "Should we bother setting up a camp, or is it pointless?"
Catriona sighed softly as she patted the horse's neck. "I don't know," she answered," I can't tell if I want to stay through the night or if I just want to get a good rest, & then go..."
"If I may, can I give a suggestion?"
"Have at it..."
"We make camp, stay the night, then at the moment we wake up; we get on the horse & go... This way we could eat & get refreshed..."
"I think we should go for your idea," Catriona said as she nodded. "It sounds like a good idea..." She said as she looked at the horse to watch it push aside snow with its hoof to get to the snow beneath it.
Miroku watched as Catriona watched the large mammal follow its instincts to find food. He could see the curiosity in her eyes, as if she had never been able to watch an animal follow its survival instincts. "Horses really are magnificent animals," he spoke softly. "Catriona, do you have any horses back in your lands?"
Catriona looked at Miroku & shook her head at his question. "In my part of New Jersey, the place across the seas I come from, we don't have many horses. The ones around the town, I don't own them."
"When you get back to your mate's lands, why not ask him to get you a couple of horses of your own for when you're here?"
Catriona shrugged & looked at the sheet of ice already replacing the hole she had made for the horse to drink. "I don't know... I wouldn't want to ask him for something that had such a cost..."
"If he tells you he loves you, then no cost of a gift for you, his mate, should matter."
A tone in his voice caught Catriona's attention, but she didn't look at him, choosing to act as if she hadn't noticed it. "I doubt the cost would matter to him," she sighed. "I just don't like anyone to spend too much money on me."
Miroku tilted his head, a slight frown settling on his lips. "You deserve to have the riches of the world spent on you."
Catriona tensed when his hand came to rest on her shoulder. "Miroku, I am going to remain loyal to Sesshomaru," she spoke with a stern tone to her voice. "I will not make the same mistake I did last time I was with you. I'm sorry."
"And I am sorry you think I would deceive you again," he whispered.
"I'm merely being cautious... The last thing I need in my life is the loss of Sesshomaru's love..."
"What is it you hide from me, Catriona?" He questioned, looking into her eyes when she turned to face him completely.
"Nothing you need to know or worry about... But I will tell you this," she paused to calm herself, "I will not allow myself to mess up once more."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As darkness settled upon them with nightfall, Catriona found herself waking up; after falling asleep mid-afternoon. First thing she did was sit up & look around, spotting Miroku by a fire he had recently started, writing up some Ofuda incase of a youkai or oni attack.
Miroku looked over at her when he heard her sitting up. "You're finally awake I see," he said to her as he went back to his Ofuda.
"How long have I slept?" She asked, rubbing her arms to warm them up somewhat.
"You've slept several hours."
"Have you hunted yet?" She asked, looking at the freshly fallen snow around them. "Or did you want me to do the hunting?"
"I planned on hunting for food after you woke up; so you wouldn't be alone."
"How considerate of you," she said with a small smile.
"Now that you're awake, do you mind being alone?"
"Not at all," she answered as she pulled her hair into a ponytail to keep it out of her face as some winds picked up.
As Miroku gave her a slight nod & turned to leave, Catriona found herself watching him walk away as if she expected him not to return to her. Her stomach turned & she found herself scrambling to her feet & moving quickly away from the set-up camp. Several feet away from the camp, she dropped to her knees & dry-heaved since there was nothing in her stomach to lose.
-I wonder how long I can keep my secret to myself?- She thought as she rubbed her stomach softly. -If he should find out, then I don't know how he would react to it.-
As she recovered slowly from her bout with nausea, she began her snow trick; using snow to clean her mouth, then using more snow as a source of drink. While she did this, she got to thinking about Inu Yasha, her mind straying to how he was, if he recovered from the sleeping drink well, & if he was able to track them; even though Miroku had been keeping a shield around them. Even though Miroku had assured her that the shield he had erected would protect them from being followed by Inu Yasha, she still had doubts it was working.