Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha. Duh.
Inu Yasha, a hanyou of eight years old, bolted through the forest trees. He had long ago left the panting men of the village behind him, but he was anxious to get home and enjoy his meal. As an orphan and a wanderer, Inu was forced to fend for himself. Since the rains had come, all the animals of the forest had stayed well hidden, and Inu hadn't had a decent meal all through the spring rains. Which brought him around to stealing. He hadn't really stolen much, just a couple of fish, but he had to steal a few fish every few days to keep off hunger, and every time he went to steal there were more guards at the market. It wasn't like that fat merchant he had stolen them from needed the money, he could afford to loose a pound or two. But when it came to demons, even hanyous, villagers had little tolerance. Especially the big villages, like the one he was living near now.
After a close call with another demon in his previous home, Inu had wanted to make camp in a place with less demons around and get his bearings back. Ever since his mother died a year ago Inu had been a wanderer, living where he could and stealing when he had to. Sometimes a family would ask him to stay and work for them if he proved himself to be kind, but he was never able to stay long before someone was trying to kill him again.
So now he had taken up residence outside a large village, one that might even have been called a city back in that era, and was simply wondering what to do next.
Ahead of him, Inu saw the cave that he had come to call home, a small niche in the side of a cliff. High enough up that he didn't have to worry about nosey people finding, him but low enough that he could climb up without any problem. A few jumps on the unstable rocks of the cliff and Inu entered his hideaway, quickly putting his ill-gotten fish into the fire to roast. His mouth watered at the smell of the roasting fish, since he hadn't eaten in three days, and he scarfed it down before it was totally done. Finally full, little Inu lay down on his hard mattress of two blankets, one covering the hay and grass he had used to make his bed, and a small pillow.
The early spring night was still chilly, so Inu tightly wrapped the blanket around his small form and breathed in the scent of apple blossoms, something that the blanket hadn't lost even though it's deep blue color had faded and it now held more than a few holes. The blankets, a necklace that had belonged to his mother, and a spare set of clothes were the only things that Inu kept with him. The blankets were Inu's most treasured possession, since his mother had sewn them specially for him and they were made of the strongest wool, they were the only thing that could hold up against a baby hanyou' nightmares, though he had stopped having bad dreams a few years ago. Inu breathed in the scent of the blankets, the scent of his mother, again then snuggled down into the bed for warmth. Since the wind didn't penetrate the cave and the fire stayed lit all night, Inu got a good night's sleep, blissfully unaware of what was going on around him.
He never realized that the angry merchant he had stolen from and the villagers were now so frightened and angry that they had put out a huge bounty to anyone who could hunt him down and kill him. He had no idea that two huge hounds had tracked him back to his lair and where now returning to their masters. And he was still in a blissful sleep when these fifteen men, armed to the teeth, took their dogs into the forest in hopes of collecting the high bounty on the little hanyou's head.
However, he was also unaware of the other creature in the forest, who already knew where he was, and would have no trouble getting at the little pup if it had wanted. It knew about the bounty, but didn't care about money. So for now it was only present to see how the little hanyou fared against so many humans. Inu never knew this while he slept, his tiny ears surrounded by silver/white fur were too tired to hear the comings and goings of all these seemingly unrelated beings at once, so he remained softly tucked away in his little burrow.
Until, that is, smoke began to waft into his shelter and fill it so that he could no longer breathe. Inu woke with a yelp and tried to twist out of his blankets in a panic, but only managed to get himself even more tightly wrapped. With the combination of smoke staving his oxygen and the blankets being wrapped around his head and neck, constricting with his every move, Inu felt as though he was being strangled. It was only when he had become so tangled in his blankets that he noticed the voices shouting to one another outside and panicked.
In a demonic feet of strength, Inu ripped his way out of the blankets. Covering his mouth with his shirt sleeve, he ran to the mouth of the cave and looked down at his attackers. From his vantage point he could see four men, but he could smell more in the forest. Inu desperately looked around for a way to jump over them and escape, but he was trapped inside his own sanctuary. The smoke rose up Inu's delicate nose, sending him into a coughing fit that sent him to his knees. He had no choice.
It was either fight or die, and Inu wanted to live.
Inu Yasha, a hanyou of eight years old, bolted through the forest trees. He had long ago left the panting men of the village behind him, but he was anxious to get home and enjoy his meal. As an orphan and a wanderer, Inu was forced to fend for himself. Since the rains had come, all the animals of the forest had stayed well hidden, and Inu hadn't had a decent meal all through the spring rains. Which brought him around to stealing. He hadn't really stolen much, just a couple of fish, but he had to steal a few fish every few days to keep off hunger, and every time he went to steal there were more guards at the market. It wasn't like that fat merchant he had stolen them from needed the money, he could afford to loose a pound or two. But when it came to demons, even hanyous, villagers had little tolerance. Especially the big villages, like the one he was living near now.
After a close call with another demon in his previous home, Inu had wanted to make camp in a place with less demons around and get his bearings back. Ever since his mother died a year ago Inu had been a wanderer, living where he could and stealing when he had to. Sometimes a family would ask him to stay and work for them if he proved himself to be kind, but he was never able to stay long before someone was trying to kill him again.
So now he had taken up residence outside a large village, one that might even have been called a city back in that era, and was simply wondering what to do next.
Ahead of him, Inu saw the cave that he had come to call home, a small niche in the side of a cliff. High enough up that he didn't have to worry about nosey people finding, him but low enough that he could climb up without any problem. A few jumps on the unstable rocks of the cliff and Inu entered his hideaway, quickly putting his ill-gotten fish into the fire to roast. His mouth watered at the smell of the roasting fish, since he hadn't eaten in three days, and he scarfed it down before it was totally done. Finally full, little Inu lay down on his hard mattress of two blankets, one covering the hay and grass he had used to make his bed, and a small pillow.
The early spring night was still chilly, so Inu tightly wrapped the blanket around his small form and breathed in the scent of apple blossoms, something that the blanket hadn't lost even though it's deep blue color had faded and it now held more than a few holes. The blankets, a necklace that had belonged to his mother, and a spare set of clothes were the only things that Inu kept with him. The blankets were Inu's most treasured possession, since his mother had sewn them specially for him and they were made of the strongest wool, they were the only thing that could hold up against a baby hanyou' nightmares, though he had stopped having bad dreams a few years ago. Inu breathed in the scent of the blankets, the scent of his mother, again then snuggled down into the bed for warmth. Since the wind didn't penetrate the cave and the fire stayed lit all night, Inu got a good night's sleep, blissfully unaware of what was going on around him.
He never realized that the angry merchant he had stolen from and the villagers were now so frightened and angry that they had put out a huge bounty to anyone who could hunt him down and kill him. He had no idea that two huge hounds had tracked him back to his lair and where now returning to their masters. And he was still in a blissful sleep when these fifteen men, armed to the teeth, took their dogs into the forest in hopes of collecting the high bounty on the little hanyou's head.
However, he was also unaware of the other creature in the forest, who already knew where he was, and would have no trouble getting at the little pup if it had wanted. It knew about the bounty, but didn't care about money. So for now it was only present to see how the little hanyou fared against so many humans. Inu never knew this while he slept, his tiny ears surrounded by silver/white fur were too tired to hear the comings and goings of all these seemingly unrelated beings at once, so he remained softly tucked away in his little burrow.
Until, that is, smoke began to waft into his shelter and fill it so that he could no longer breathe. Inu woke with a yelp and tried to twist out of his blankets in a panic, but only managed to get himself even more tightly wrapped. With the combination of smoke staving his oxygen and the blankets being wrapped around his head and neck, constricting with his every move, Inu felt as though he was being strangled. It was only when he had become so tangled in his blankets that he noticed the voices shouting to one another outside and panicked.
In a demonic feet of strength, Inu ripped his way out of the blankets. Covering his mouth with his shirt sleeve, he ran to the mouth of the cave and looked down at his attackers. From his vantage point he could see four men, but he could smell more in the forest. Inu desperately looked around for a way to jump over them and escape, but he was trapped inside his own sanctuary. The smoke rose up Inu's delicate nose, sending him into a coughing fit that sent him to his knees. He had no choice.
It was either fight or die, and Inu wanted to live.