InuYasha, Miroku and Shippo had just entered the clearing that held the bone eaters well when a scream pierced the calm and serene atmosphere. "KAGOME!!" the hanyou shouted and bounded for the well, dropping into it's depths and gathering the girl from the future up in his arms before leaping back out and away from the well, setting Kagome down on the ground and quickly checking her over. After realising that she wasn't hurt in any way he swiftly replaced his gruff exterior and huffed, "Whatcha screaming for kagome!?" he shouted, clamping down on his ears as though they were in pain.
It took Kagome a few seconds to gain her breath and wits before she answered, "There was something in the well.. it growled when I went to try and climb out!" she said with a shaky voice as Miroku and Shippo arrived at their sides and InuYasha stood and sniffed the air carefully.
"Kagome are you okay?" Shippo asked, jumping down from Miroku's shoulder and landing in her lap softly.
Kagome nodded and smiled reassuringly at the young fox demon and gave him a hug, "I'm fine.. just startled a bit I think.." she said looking back at the well.
"Startled?!... I hate to hear you scream when you're really scared.." InuYasha mumbled earning a quick glare from Kagome, she was about to 'sit' him but he stopped her with his hand over her mouth, "Do you want me to go see what the hell 'startled' you or would you rather leave it until you have to go home again? Personally it makes no difference to me.. if it's still in there when you wanna go back you'll hafta stay.."
Kagome frowned but took a deep breath and held it a second, long enough to make InuYasha nervous she was going to shout it through his hand, but let it out in a long sigh. She closed her eyes and nodded once before InuYasha tentatively let her free. "Go check it out please.. It's demonic, I know that much.. and if we leave it it may go for the village.." she said hesitantly, reminding herself to 'sit' him later when it was safe.
"Fine, I'll go check it out.. Miroku keep watch, it may be from before.." Miroku nodded his response and stood before Kagome as InuYasha leapt back into the well.
InuYasha touched down on the soft dirt of the floor of the well and was promptly hit in the stomach, eliciting a low growl from his chest, A growl that was quickly answered..
Stay back, Stay away
InuYasha stepped away from the growls and came into contact with the opposite wall of the well before he growled again, he sniffed the air trying to identify what had attacked him and his senses were assaulted by the stink of sweat, tears and blood, both fresh and old. He reeled for a moment before a thought occured to him and he pulled out Tessaiga, allowing it to transform before he stabbed it into the dirt.
It.. smell from before? he struggled to articulate his question in this base form of communication, without the body language to accompany it he was only able to use half of the vocabulary. However he heard sniffing coming from the corner as the other being in the well scented the air again.
You kill demons! Stay back! No hurt! the growls were being tainted with a whimper as the other being tried it's hardest to shrink into the corner of the well, Stay back, Me leave, No Hurt!
InuYasha heard the scrabbling and stepped around the Tessaiga slowly and knelt down on his knees.
Me no hurt.. relax.. he gave a gentle growl and ended with a soft yip, his ears set attentively forward as he leant down slightly and scented the air again, this time more carefully as he analysed the situation. You girl from forest, ran and hide here..
Always run.. Always hide... the statement was fearful, InuYasha could smell it before the whimpering finished her statement.. Always hated.. Always hurt..
The statement echoed around the well in it's primal form and a pained whine made it's way through InuYasha's throat as his ears lay flat, I know.
The girl looked up at his face then, really taking her time to look at it and she could see the pain in his eyes as he sat there. Without another word she slowly made her way over to him and sat just in front of his knees before laying herself down on the ground, letting herself roll back slightly to expose vulnerable flesh of her stomach, you no hurt?
InuYasha smiled sadly to himself and shook his head in answer, memories of his own past being reluctantly dredged up from where he had buried them in his mind as he lay a hand on the girls stomach while the other teased the dirty, blood caked hair on her head, causing the girl to close her eyes against the tears that had formed as she leaned into the gentle stroking. I protect came his simple promise before the light in the well became darker than it was before.
"InuYasha?"
Damn did the girl have no sensible bone in her body? InuYasha thought to himself as the girl at his hands started at the foreign sound. "It's fine Kagome, just gimme some time.." his impatient voice rang up to the group gathered at the lip of the well.
"We heard growling and whimpering.. is everything okay?"
"Everything is fine Miroku, I'm dealing with it!" he could hear himself losing patience but forced himself to stay calm, he didn't want to undo everything he had just achieved. He yipped softly again, Relax, I protect. he let his hands drop slightly as the girl watched him for any hint of a lie.
You protect. She repeated before slipping from his reach, only to return to his outstretched hands and clamber into his lap, still wary of the people at the surface. They no hurt? she said looking up into the blurred outlines of the others in the sun.
They no hurt.. InuYasha assured with a smiled yip that the girl was becoming more trusting with each passing moment, They pack. My Pack. Friends. the words were obviously unfamiliar to the girl who had frowned at his last statements so he reverted back to what she understood, They no hurt. he said, wrapping an arm gently around the girl while he stood and groped around for Tessaiga, Sheathing it once he had found it and securing the girl with both hands.
"I'm coming up guys, stay back from me when I get up there got it?" he called before turning his attention back to the girl, Close eyes, hold tight. waiting until he felt the girls grip tighten on his robe he jumped out of the well and landed lightly before walking towards the shade of the tree. He could feel the others' eyes on his back and turned his head over his shoulder, "You guys comin' or what?" he called as he headed for a small clearing he knew near the stream that ran through the village and forest.
Kagome, Miroku and Shippo all exchanged glances with each other, silently asking if the others had seen it too. "Isn't that the girl from before Miroku?" Shippo finally asked, causing Kagome to tilt her head questioningly.
"It appears InuYasha's assumptions were right in this instance that the threat was from a previous encounter.." Miroku nodded
"Wait.. so the thing that scared me half to death was a little girl you guys had run into on the way to get me?" Kagome asked quietly, "Well I guess that explains why you guys were late in getting there.."
Up ahead InuYasha's ears flicked, "I wouldn't be late in coming to get you if you didn't leave in the first place.." he said gruffly, "What was so important this time?"
"I had a test!" Kagome called back heatedly, fisting her hands by her sides.
"Oh yeah? How did you go this time, any better than the last one?" InuYasha smirked.
"Why, you.. SI--" the word was cut short as Miroku dived to cover her mouth before it finished.
"Lady Kagome, May I remind you that InuYasha, while he was admittidly asking for that 'sit' is carrying a small child and that you may want to refrain from his punishment until such a time that no one else will be hurt in the process?" Miroku quickly explained himself and sighed in relief when Kagome reluctantly nodded her head.
InuYasha smiled to himself careful not to let Kagome see it. That was close.. he yipped tilting one ear back towards the rest of the group and sighing slightly in relief. The girl merely looked at him strangely to which he replied, You'll see.. but first.. you clean! he said nodding ahead to the stream.