A Gathering of Hearts by Galadrihm_Star

Row, Row, Row your boat!

A Gathering of Hearts

Chapter One: Row, Row, Row your boat!

Another chorus of hisses and slaps of the ocean against wood accompanied the cry of seagulls as the small ship sailed on. A young girl with raven hair and deep brown eyes sighed and pondered how all of this had come about. It had started simply enough but her current situation was nothing short of odd. Kagome groaned lightly before pushing her book away and leaned against the creaking wood of the ship's cabin; and smiling, not to mention, her immense thankfulness for not being one to be seasick. One of her companions, Sango, continued to sleep on with her loyal fire-neko at her side. A little girl with a lop-sided ponytail slept on at the side of the undead miko, Kikyo as the ship rocked back and forth.

Kagome stretched mildly and stood; her legs wobbling only momentarily with the motion of the waters below. Pushing the heavy foreign door open, she peeked out into the gray fog hovering over the ship. Few men ran about tying what they could and shouting orders in their own tongue as they governed the ship to their destination. English class had never really held any use for her until now, because it seemed that besides the captain, that was only language known by the crew. Thanks again to her diligent studies, Kagome was able to understand large bits and pieces of the conversations held. Her guardian for the voyage recommended she keep such knowledge to herself, seeing that her natural curiosity and the crew's light distrust of them may effect their mood upon learning of it. Speaking of her "guardian"... Kagome let her gaze wander across the deck as she slowly made her way through the workingmen. A curtain of silver through the gray gloom brought her to the prow of the boat, her eyes trained on the ever-silent demon before her. Standing at his side she watched as his bright eyes looked onward into the fog, seeing so much more than any of the crew ever could. His hair fluttered about his still form as his hands rested on the ships wooden railing. No sign rose from him to show that he knew she was there, or otherwise cared, but Kagome knew to expect as much. Yes she found him arrogant, but also learned so see passed that and admire the creature for what he was. Sesshomaru was a warrior, first and foremost, and he was a lord amongst his kind. Both stations deserved respect in her view.

"Speak, human." Sesshomaru's deep tone broke her from her thoughts, but he did not turn to address her. His voice was indifferent, but not angry or loathing. Simply uncaring... as if it were beneath him to bother with such trivial emotions.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Kagome nervously licked her lips as she turned to face him. "Why are we going to this island? Why is it so important, and why did we have to split up from InuYasha, Miroku, Koga, and Shippo? The women following you would surely slow you down. Perhaps..." She was cut off from her quick questions as gold eyes fell on her in an even gaze. He watched as she shifted under his watch; his expression blank and unrelenting.

"The half-breed takes a longer route and it will be one of difficult means to endure. The path would be too dangerous for a human woman to attempt and stopping to help you through it would be terribly pressing on our time." He watched her as the emotions of light indignation and then reasoning flashed through her chocolate eyes. "If Rin must accompany us, I would prefer to keep her close; therefore, I have opted to guide the rest of you as well. I would not have that lecherous monk be the one to watch my ward under any circumstances, and with Jaken having gone ahead to seek information I felt this choice was wisest." Kagome couldn't help the smile from gracing her lips and nodded lightly in understanding.

When they had first left InuYasha and the others to their own path, Kagome had not questioned the demon when her hanyou friend had silently pleaded her to go with him. Something big was happening and neither the slayer nor her kitsune friend knew what was happening.

"Japan is becoming infested by Naraku's doings. Wars are springing prematurely while no real change that accompanies such violence occurs. The balance of peace and destruction is shifting and for too long it has been allowed. Naraku has been free to do as he pleases long enough and now we must remedy that." Sesshomaru continued, his eyes once again scanning the thick fog.

Kagome nodded once more as her mind wandered back to her history lessons. As of late she had noticed a slow change in the text of her books. History itself began to change in tune to Naraku's interference. Crap... It seemed the vermin was having a much deeper effect than originally thought. But why would his presence have such an effect now? For the past 4 years they have chased him so why would things in her time just begin to change? Placing her slender fingertips to the bridge of her nose, Kagome pinched away the headache beginning to form there. All this time travel stuff is really beginning to suck. Kagome groaned tiredly before raising her eyes to meet the curious – if it could be called that, gaze of the Inu Demon at her side. Sesshomaru's head was slightly cocked to the right, as if he were genuinely curious to the reasons for her behavior.

"Humans are so very strange..." He murmured to the small girl, as he straightened and looked away. When Kagome's didn't fall from him, he turned to her only slightly. "Yes?" The small miko jumped lightly when she was once again addressed. This is the most he's ever spoken! So what if I'm a little jumpy?!

"Has Inuyasha explained to you...erm... what I mean is... you do know where I come from, right?" Kagome's voice dropped to a low whisper as a sailor stalked by. She was half tempted to try again when the demon's head once again cocked to one side.

"He did explain some minor details." There was that bored tone again. "But I was vaguely concerned for this mental state when he mentioned your special abilities of travel." Kagome squeaked as a very up-close version of Sesshomaru's face suddenly appeared before her own. "So it's true then." His eyes scanned over her stunned features as he took in her racing pulse and flushed cheeks.

Kagome screamed to herself to at least confirm his statement or resume breathing but to no avail. She mentally cheered when the demon pulled his face away from hers to look at her from afar once more. Swallowing roughly, Kagome willed her hands to release their death-clutch on her sweater and return to her sides before continuing.

"It's just that the books I've studied in my time have projected one history while another takes place here. Now my books are changing altogether. Why would things begin to change now? Have we failed?" Dark thoughts began to run through Kagome's mind as visions of her family filled her. Her failure could be the death of all her loved ones! Not just those who dwelled in the past!

"Such a change would not be the result of direct failure." Sesshomaru began slowly. "Perhaps we have just missed one small detail that has simply pushed back and rewritten some details of your future." He noted the relaxing of the miko's posture but moved on. "However..." Her eyes were on him again; alert and wary of what he might say. Good. She's not a simpleton. This miko realizes what's at stake and is not taking the situation lightly. "...whatever details we may have missed must be recovered so that we may right whatever damage this has caused." At her silent nod, he turned from her. The dark outline of mountains began to appear through the mists and they knew they were now very close to land. It would only be a day or so and they would be on land again.

Kagome stared a moment longer before turning to leave, but his voice pulled her to turn back to him once again. His head was only slightly turned to address her, but from his profile she couldn't help but note the demon's finer details. Her fingertips itched to touch the markings of his cheeks and the fine tips of his pointed ears. His honey eyes narrowed momentarily, forcing her to focus on his words.

"...so the meaning of us traveling to this island is to seek advice. It has become painfully obvious that on our own we cannot kill Naraku, so perhaps we may learn the secret to his destruction through some foreign means. This Sesshomaru will kill that vermin but we may need a few new tricks to do so."

"Why couldn't we take one of our own boats instead of a merchant's? And an illegal one at that?"

"Few ships are willing to take the risk of journeying to this particular island. Some unsettling stories have arose from other travelers and the only ones willing to sail to it are usually merchants of a less than law-tolerating substance." Kagome visibly bristled at this news.

"Pirates! We're sailing with pirates!" Kagome whispered fiercely as her eyes grew wide and she gulped when the demon raised a quizzical brow.

"Be thankful I could assure us passage to our destination, miko, and do not waste energy worrying about the means." Sesshomaru's voice was flat and left no room for argument. Kagome's mouth shut with an audible 'snap' and simply glared at him in silent rebuke.

A sharp gust of wind brought them out of their mental sparring to the cry of the ship's captain and crew. Dark clouds began to grow on the horizon as the sea grew gray and coarse. The captain bellowed out orders to brace for the on-coming storm and murmured to Sesshomaru that it would be best if they went below deck for the duration of it. Kagome watched in mild surprise as Sesshomaru answered back in perfect English before turning to her to guide her to the cabin once more. A sudden bellow from the crow's nest had both of their attentions back on the prow of the boat. They had entered rock-laced waters in their attempts to steer away from the storm. Men ran to and fro as orders were screamed above the growing cry of the wind.

A sudden crash and crack tore a cry of surprise from Kagome's lips and she grabbed onto the only stable thing around her. Sesshomaru's eyes widened as the female at his side clung to him and he briefly wondered if he should toss her off. Shaking his head, he pulled the girl with him to get her companions and his ward out of the cabin and onto the highest deck of the ship. Judging by the sound and the scent of panic laced on every man aboard, Sesshomaru could guess they had hit one of the many rocks reaching out of the sea like daggers.

When the women were brought to their senses and taken above deck, Sesshomaru left Kagome to watch after Rin while he left to do what he could to help the ship make it a bit further to the island. The roar of the sea and clap of thunder announced the storm's arrival and Rin shivered against Kagome as waves began to lap over the ship and wash away men one at a time. Kilala made one attempt to lift them from the hazardous deck but was smashed down by a heavy wave. Sango held her close after she had changed back and held onto Kagome with new renewed strength. Kagome turned at Sesshomaru's roar of warning but could not hear what was wrong until a shadow appeared above her. Screaming in terror, the women clung to each other as a dark wall of water fell over them; one of them only vaguely aware of strong arms encircling them as the chill of the ocean drew them into darkness.

Kagome groaned and coughed as light teased her reddened eyes. She felt a weight fall from her and sputtered as Sango helped her sit up. Blinking her sight back to normal, Kagome took in Sesshomaru's soaked, haggard appearance and Rin's sleeping form. Sango and Kilala seemed to be fine and that helped calm her. Amazingly they were still on the ship but now half of it had sunk and their portion lay across one of the many jagged rocks. The dead bodies of sailors lay both on the deck and the about the sea around them. Fighting the bile rising in her throat, Kagome noticed that while some men were terribly wounded, they were still alive. The captain, it seemed, had taken the worst of it. He now lay with his back to the main mass, a leg gone with a horrible gash through his middle.

Kagome crawled to where the captain lay and tried to assess what she could do to perhaps save him, but the wounds were far too deep. She jumped and gasped as a sudden groan rose from beneath the water. Sesshomaru and Sango instantly went on guard, reaching for their respective weapons. While her bone boomerang was missing, a dagger had remained at Sango's side and she drew it with deadly intent.

A surge of water appeared from beside them and with the wall of water came the prow and sail of a ship. The wood was green and blue, and the sails torn by many storms and years. The captain beside Kagome suddenly drew a heavy breath and moaned in pain before murmuring to himself .

"God, I thank ye! He has come to take me home!" The old man coughed harshly and smiled at the girl who could only look back in confusion.

"Who has come to take you?" Kagome asked slowly in English. "Is it that ship?" She looked back to Sesshomaru and noted that he too was listening.

"Yessssss....it is himmm."

"Who?!" Kagome whispered harshly, frightened and awed by how calm the man had become.

"Death's Captain!" The man cried fiercely and clutched his bleeding chest. His breathing became rougher and labored. Kagome knew that his time was coming to an end.

"And what is that ship? How did it just appear out of the water like that?!" Kagome questioned, her eyes pleading earnestly.

"F-F-F...." The captain began, his heart rate dropping with each attempt and his eyes closing. "Flying.... Dutchman..." And with that last word spoken, the captain fell quiet. Kagome checked and gave a sad smile when she found a pulse. He wasn't gone yet...

A growl from Sesshomaru had Kagome looking up to see a strange man standing on the deck of the ship as it came to rest next to their wreckage. Suddenly their own deck tore free of the rock and floated atop the calm swell of the ocean, but the new ship remained at their side. The click of the man's boots echoed through their ears and he stopped mere inches from the captain's remaining leg. The miko looked to her companions and was shocked to see that they couldn't move and neither could she. Brown eyes darted frantically, willing some sort of escape to appear before them.

"Do not be afraid, Lady Priestess..." The man's voice was velvet, and his small sad smile was genuine.

The wind caught his wild, dark hair from where the bandana didn't restrain it, and his coffee eyes sparkled with strange light. The setting sun's rays danced off his olive skin and Kagome felt her fear fall from her like a curtain. She looked on in wonder as the man knelt and placed a hand on the dying captain's forehead.

"Captain Joseph Dunland. " The man stirred and opened his eyes; the smile returning to his broken and blistered lips. "Do you fear death? For I, Captain Will Turner, will give you a choice. Some men are not ready to pass and so I say that if you swear to sail with my crew and I, death shall not touch you for 100 years. But if you are ready, I shall take you from this world... to the next".

TBC....

AN: Yep... I'm going there... totally feeling the pirate mojo.