Chapter 1:
"What are we even going through this forest for? Just heading south would be a lot faster."
"Because Kagome's sick, Inuyasha! Going through the mountain pass would risk her health and she could die!" Sango yelled back.
"It's not my fault she got dumped into that river. I'm the one that had to fish her out AND kill off all those raven demons!"
"At least we managed to save that jewel shard and find out Naraku's next hideout," commented Miroku, walking alongside the sneezing teenage girl trying to ride her bicycle.
"Achoo! Sorry, Shippo."
"It's o.k. Kagome. Whenever I was sick, my father would make me a nice hot tea bath and I'd feel much better," he replied from the front of the bicycle.
"What she needs is some sleep. We've been traveling for two days now and I think it would be a good idea if we rested in the next village."
"In case you haven't noticed, Miroku, we're in the middle of a forest, so when you see a village you let me know," said Inuyasha from the front of the group.
It was true. Miles and miles of wood and brush surrounded them, with no signs of civilization within walking distance. The entire area teemed with peace and tranquility, but that would probably mean another night on the cold, hard ground, and winter was beginning to settle in.
Suddenly, Inuyasha stopped in the middle of the dirt path and began sniffing the air, his white ears alert to any movement or sound.
"Hang on a minute."
"What is it, Inuyasha?" Sango asked as she placed a hand over her giant hiriakotsu.
"Someone's coming . . . and it smells like a wolf," he stated with disdain, flexing out his long, sharp claws.
Everyone's eyes darted in all directions as if an ambush were in wait. They didn't have to wait for very long.
"Inuyasha! State your business or I swear that you will not make it out of here alive!" boomed a voice from above.
"Why don't you come say it to my face, Kouga?! I'm not afraid of you or the rest of your puppy patrol!"
The leader of the Eastern wolf tribe jumped down from a nearby tree, flanked by several four-footed guards.
"You'll regret those words, half-breed."
"Whatever. We don't have time to deal with this, so just let us through."
"Inuyasha, stop being so rude! Achoo!"
Kouga looked over at Kagome and raised an eyebrow. "If she's ill, then you shouldn't have come this way. The snow is falling early this year."
"Well, since you're blocking the way, I'm just going to have to force my way through."
Then Inuyasha walked towards the back and picked up Kagome off her bicycle and put her on his shoulder. She immediately resisted and protested, and was about to utter her famous command when I came down from a tree and stood in front of them. This captured everyone's attention, and he smirked at the look on Inuyasha's face.
"Who are you?!" the quick-tempered half-demon shouted.
"Allow me to introduce you all to my new mate," Kouga replied, still smiling.
I gave a small nod, not taking my golden brown eyes off of that long white hair and dog ears.
"My name is Reya, and I have some medicine from the modern world that will help your friend there get over her cold."
"Wait—you're from Kagome's world?" the monk asked in astonishment.
The aforementioned girl stared at me earnestly. "How did you know, (achoo!), that I had a cold?"
"Twenty-first century knowledge is much better than that of the feudal era. Now let them go to the den, Kouga, before this poor girl gets pneumonia."
Inuyasha put Kagome down, and she walked with the monk and the demon slayer past the wolves who stepped aside; the little fox demon that had now moved inside the bicycle basket remained silent the entire time, but that half-demon couldn't resist trying to get the last word.
"So you're taking orders from a human now, huh?" he muttered within Kouga's ear range. "Did she teach you how to fetch and play dead, too?"
"Sit, boy!"