This is a response for Katlady’s Monthly Challenge. It’s kind of weird for me to be celebrating this holiday so late because, as I stated in the forum relating to this, Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated at the beginning of October. So anyway….
Theme: What’s A Turkey?
Open Word Count: 1 119 words used
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A Dreaded Question
The days passed by too fast lately. They were constantly travelling, moving to beat the snow and make it home before the first snow fall. But Rin was looking a little worn and Sesshomaru made the sudden announcement as they woke that they would be spending the day resting. Kagome didn’t complain, choosing to spend her time grooming Rin’s hair before the child grew bored and headed to pick flowers.
For probably the millionth time during that day Kagome looked up to the sky to watch the birds flying within the clouds like children on a play structure. She sighed as she noted one that had the tradition brown, red, and orange markings that reminded her of the time of year.
“I want turkey,” she stated suddenly.
A few sets of eyes averted from their task and landed upon her, but only one voice broke the silence to question her.
“What’s a turkey?”
Kagome swallowed her laugher at the pure innocence in Rin’s voice. It was understandable that in that day and age Thanksgiving was not a traditional holiday.
“It’s a type of bird that many people in my village eat during this time of year,” Kagome explained.
“Why?”
“Because it is a time of celebration.”
“Why?”
“People find it the best way to get together and give thanks.”
“Why?”
“Because they are grateful for what they have.”
“Why?”
Kagome stopped to think giving a soft sigh of irritation in the process. She wasn’t annoyed with Rin, the girl honestly didn’t understand the holiday. She was angry that she didn’t know how to explain things better.
“I honestly don’t know. Just some guy long ago said this was the way things would be and so it was done.”
“Why?”
Now unable to hide her laughter, Kagome broke into a fit of giggles. She apologized to Rin many times, trying to explain it wasn’t her. Finally, in a calmer state, the miko took her tale from the beginning. She explained about the Pilgrims and the Indians all the traditions of the holiday celebrated in the western world.
“When is Thanksgiving?”
“Um… I don’t know, before the snow falls usually.”
“Can Rin have turkey then?” the young girl asked afterwards.
“Um… well I don’t think there are any around here.”
Rin got up from her place beside Kagome and rushed over to the alpha, who had remained silent beneath the tree. “Sesshomaru-sama, may Rin have a turkey?”
The inu stared at the child; you could just see the way he pondered over the way she could ask so casually with no fear of him. The miko watched as the inu said nothing more than ‘hn’ which send the girl in a fit of happy laugher. Meanwhile Kagome pondered the possibility of Sesshomaru finding a turkey. She was certain she hadn’t seen any around. Yet she made the assumption that it didn’t mean they were out there somewhere.
Long after the sun set, Rin laid beside the fire, a lazy hand ran through the long raven locks falling down the child’s back. Kagome’s gaze didn’t waver from the flickering flames of the fire.
“Miko, where do you find these turkeys,” a voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Uh… they don’t originate from these lands,” Kagome mumbled.
“This Sesshomaru asked where they are, not where they are not.”
“In a land across the ocean and far to the east.”
“Sleep miko,” the inu then ordered.
Kagome grumbled under her breath about demanding inus with bad attitude before curling up beside Rin. Though it was her every intention to actually sleep, it did not come. Her mind wondered if Sesshomaru would actually go and find a turkey, or if he too was curious like Rin was. At long last her eyes closed and remained so.
In the days that followed Kagome would always wake to find Sesshomaru gone, however, he seemed to return just before Rin awoke, skipping the process of causing panic in the young girl who adored him. She pondered if he was trying to hunt down a turkey, which Rin commonly asked about, but Kagome didn’t see Sesshomaru as carrying too much about what he might see as a stupid human feast. Instead of worrying about it, she continued with keeping her mouth shut and following Sesshomaru, keeping eyes, ears, and all other sense open for her own pack that she desperately missed.
On the fourth night after Kagome and Rin discussed what a turkey was, Sesshomaru lowered beside the miko and picked her up. She had the vague sensation of condensation and then movement. However she found that she could not move, nor could she feel any part of her. After what seemed like a few hours the inu released the miko and she tumbled to the ground, legs wobbly and unsteady.
“What happened?”
“This Sesshomaru wishes to know if this is the bird that this Sesshomaru’s ward seeks,” the inu pointed to a flock of fat, plump, brown birds. She hadn’t ever seen one alive, but from pictures and cartoons she knew that they were indeed turkeys. However, she didn’t think that they lived in Japan. In class she was taught that they originated in North America before being brought over to England.
“How did you get so many here?”
“Miko, you are on foreign lands,” the inu explained.
“What?” Kagome looked around, not surprised to see that the landscape of forest was not any different from what she was use to.
“Come we must return before Rin awakens,” Sesshomaru declared.
Before Kagome could blink twice, she saw a turkey ensnared by Sesshomaru’s claws, and she was once again placed into the condensed state of motion that she experienced before.
They returned well before the sun rose, leaving Kagome enough time to see to the cleaning of the bird before Rin woke. She had just had fallen asleep when the excited shouts of the young girl were heard. Opening her bright blue eyes, Kagome smiled to the child and acted shock to see the ‘turkey’ as well.
“But Kagome it looks just like a chicken!” Rin exclaimed.
“Yes, well I suppose it is a lot like a chicken, but much, much bigger.”
“Can we eat it now?”
“It doesn’t look like it has finished roasting. I’ll go make something to go with it while we wait.”
Though she considered it strange to have a thanksgiving dinner in the morning, with only one other person, she couldn’t complain. At least she was getting a turkey.
“Kagome, Rin was wondering, why are the stars so small?”
“Because they are very far away,” Kagome answered.
“Why?”
“They were created that way.”
“Why?”
Kagome bit her lip at the sound of the repeated dreadful question.
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Ja ne
Angelic Memories
© 2009