Clash of Alphas by sarhea
Riku Ryuu's Prompt - Frog
~ooO Frog Ooo~
The unplanned break was exactly what they had needed. They had completed the tasks they had set for themselves, they had a rough plan of attack, the date had not yet been set but Kagome was pretty confident with the rough plan she had discussed with Sesshoumaru.
“What do you want to do Kagome-chan?”
The miko turned to Sango. They had just finished washing and packing the last of the dishes and pots used to prepare and eat the midday meal. Miroku was watching over Shippo and Rin who were splashing in a shallow pond. Kagome wished she could do the same herself. It was too hot to start moving again. Besides InuYasha would not be coming around anytime soon and she was loathe to inflict his foul mouth upon herself and her friends.
“I want to cool down,” she confessed. “It’s too hot.”
Sango made a face and nodded. “I know what you mean. I dearly want a bath. My armour feels slick from my own sweat.”
“Why don’t you take it off?”
“And what if we were attacked?” Sango countered. “No, it’s safer to keep wearing it.”
“We can sit in the shade and nap,” Kagome offered. “Ah-Uhn and Kilala are pretty good lookouts.”
Sango nodded in agreement and the two females found a patch of shade and sat down. Sango fell asleep promptly but Kagome pulled out a paperback novel she had been meaning to finish. Before she even finished her fifth page she was interrupted.
“Kaa-san! Kaa-san! Look what Shippo and Rin found!”
She tucked the bookmark in and looked up. “What is it Rin-chan?”
The little girl stopped right in front of her with bright brown eyes. She thrust her cupped hands under Kagome’s nose and said, “Look!”
Small determined fingers were wrapped around a slick slimy looking green creature with irregular black markings. Long thin limbs dangled from the thicker body ending in floppy webbed feet. Bulbous slit-pupil yellow eyes blinked rapidly as the owner struggled to get free from the little girl.
If Kagome were an regular girl she would have squealed and jumped away. But luckily she did have some experience with frogs. Souta had planted too many of the slimy creatures in her bed, to prank her.
“That’s a very nice looking frog Rin-chan, but he looks a little unhappy,” Kagome pointed out carefully.
Rin and Shippo looked surprised. “What?”
“He wants to run free and play, like you do.”
Understanding dawned.
“I’m sure he will be much happier if you release him back into his pond.”
Shippo pouted. “But I want to play with the froggie!”
Kagome studied the creature, gently adjusting Rin’s hands until the back-end was exposed. “Actually he’s still a baby. Look he still has his tail.” She pointed at the thin-skinned triangular flap protruding from the back.
Shippo blinked confused. “His tail means he’s a baby?”
“Uh-huh. Frogs lay eggs in a pond and hatch into fish-like creatures called tadpoles. Tadpoles cannot survive out of water like fishes. When they become bigger they look more like frogs and grow legs. When the tail finally falls off they are considered adult frogs that can breath in the air. But even adult frogs need water to swim in or they’ll dry out. It will be cruel to take a frog away from his swimming hole, especially in such hot weather.”
The small chastisement had a strong effect on the children.
Rin teared up. “We didn’t know Kaa-san!”
“I know dear. Why don’t you release the frog into his pond and sit with me? I’ll tell you a story my grandfather told me,” Kagome offered.
Both hurried away to release the frog in the pond before returning to sit on either side of Kagome. Then true to her word she began reciting the tale of Amateratsu who had to be lured out of her cave with a mirror.
TBC...