"Inuyasha! Get down here right now!" shouted Kagome as she looked up into a tree.
"Why should I? I'm human until the sun rises!" retorted Inuyasha from the tree.
"Oh, would you quit whining and come down here and help Miroku and me bring the rest of the firewood to the camp before it gets too dark to see!"
"Do it yourself."
Kagome's anger rose, but she calmed herself and stared at the trunk of the tree. Then she got an idea and began to quietly climb the tree. When Inuyasha finally realized what she was up to, she had already climbed up and seated herself on the branch beside him.
She put a comforting hand on his leg and spoke gently to him. "Come on, Inuyasha. Miroku's wearing himself out. He's really broken up."
Suddenly, they heard the sound of footsteps. Kagome and Inuyasha went silent as Miroku walked, unknowingly, underneath their tree. A sudden pain shot through his injured arm, making him drop all the wood he had been carrying. Once the pain had passed, he cursed under his breath and knelt down to pick up the pieces. After gathering the wood again, he headed back towards the camp.
"See?" whispered Kagome, "Miroku's trying to be helpful, but his body won't let him."
Inuyasha nodded, "Fine. I'll help."
Kagome smiled and gave him a small kiss on the lips. "Thank you, Inuyasha."
He blushed slightly, "No problem."
They climbed down the tree, gathered the rest of the firewood, and headed back towards the camp. They found Miroku sitting with his back against a tree, gazing into the flames of the fire he had started. He didn't even look up when Kagome and Inuyasha walked into the camp and sat down.
Kagome rummaged through her bag she had brought and pulled out a half a loaf of bread. She broke it into three pieces and handed one to Inuyasha.
"Thanks." he said gruffly and Kagome had to hide a smile.
She then walked over to Miroku and held out the bread for him to take. "Here, Miroku. Eat it."
When Miroku made no move to take it, she placed it beside him and walked back to where she had been sitting.
"You don't have to pretend anymore." said Miroku, not taking his eyes off the flames.
Kagome was surprised at his words. "What?"
He hesitated for a moment, still staring into the fire, "I've seen the way you two look at each other, and the way you act when I'm not around. You try and hide it, but you can't."
Inuyasha stood up at this, "What are you talking about, Miroku? There's nothing between me and Kagome, okay? So lay off!"
Miroku looked up at this. His empty eyes gained back some life as a laugh escaped his lips. Inuyasha and Kagome looked at the monk in surprise. It had been some time since he had laughed.
Inuyasha, embarrassed at being laughed at, took up his defense. "What's so funny, monk?"
Miroku, still chuckling, stood up and walked over to Kagome. "Then how do you explain this?" He lifted the left side of her shirt to reveal the mark on her hip.
Inuyasha was speechless and Kagome, after getting over the initial shock, pulled her shirt back down. Both were as red as tomatoes.
Miroku chuckled again, "Now, I may be a humble monk, but I know a youkai's mark when I see one. Plus, you two haven't been fighting as much since you came back. One can only assume the reason for these strange occurrences."
"So what if I claimed Kagome? So what if I'm in love with her? It's none of your damn business, monk! So stay out of it!" shouted Inuyasha as he walked behind Kagome and placed a hand on both her hips.
The dying look returned to Miroku's eyes, "Now you know how I feel about Kotori."
Inuyasha opened his mouth to reply, but shut it again as Miroku's words began to sink in.
"You don't need to act any different around me or the others. Like you said, it's none of my business, so you are free to show affection for one another. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go to sleep now." Inuyasha and Kagome nodded dumbly at him and he curled up in a blanket and fell asleep.
They simply looked at each other as the realization of Miroku's words took effect. Inuyasha sighed, "I hate it when that damn monk is right."
Kotori re-bandaged her shoulder and put on her clean priestess robes that Sesshomaru's servant, Jaken, had bought just as the sun reached it's highest point in the sky. Her body ached all over from her attack the night before, but she pushed the pain to the back of her mind and went on without complaint. Once she was ready, she found Sesshomaru waiting with Rin and Jaken in the dining hall.
He stood up when he saw her and walked towards her. "Are you ready to leave?"
She nodded, "Yes. Just let me say goodbye to Rin."
He nodded, "Of course."
She walked over to Rin and knelt before her, smiling, "I had a great time with you, Rin, but I must leave now."
Rin looked sad, "Where are you going, Kotori-chan?"
"Back to my home. To see my family and friends."
"Will you ever come back to see us?"
Kotori looked at Sesshomaru, "If Sesshomaru-sama will allow it."
He walked over to Rin and Kotori, "Of course. You are welcome to come back and stay anytime you like."
Kotori smiled at him and turned back to Rin, giving her a hug, "Goodbye, Rin."
"Goodbye, Kotori-chan."
She smiled at Rin and stood up. Then she followed Sesshomaru out of the castle and into the woods. They stayed silent for quite some time, simply looking at the scenery, then Sesshomaru spoke up, "I meant what I said about you being able to come and stay anytime you wanted."
She looked at him and smiled, "Thank you very much. I would be glad to come and visit you and Rin again."
He looked straight ahead, trying to hide his expression, "I know Rin will miss you, and I..... I will miss you as well."
She smiled, "I'll miss you too, Sesshomaru."
They had stopped again to rest. Ever since Inuyasha said they were about a day from Sesshomaru's manor, Miroku hadn't sat still. While Kagome and Inuyasha roasted fish over the fire, he paced back and forth.
"For God's sake, would you sit down, Miroku!? You're driving me insane!" said Inuyasha bitterly as he watched the monk.
"How can I when we're so close to her?"
Kagome stood up and walked over to him, "She'll be fine. She's strong. She can take care of herself for a few days."
He nodded, but it didn't help him relax at all. "I'm going to take a walk. I'll be back soon."
"Um... Okay, Miroku." replied Kagome as he disappeared into the shadows.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry for the short chapter, but I have a really bad case of writer's block! The next chapter is going to play a really important in the plot of this story. Hope you liked this chapter and I also hope that you are looking forward to the next one! The next one is called, 'Naraku's Trap' so stick with me!
~Ryouko-Kitsune
"Why should I? I'm human until the sun rises!" retorted Inuyasha from the tree.
"Oh, would you quit whining and come down here and help Miroku and me bring the rest of the firewood to the camp before it gets too dark to see!"
"Do it yourself."
Kagome's anger rose, but she calmed herself and stared at the trunk of the tree. Then she got an idea and began to quietly climb the tree. When Inuyasha finally realized what she was up to, she had already climbed up and seated herself on the branch beside him.
She put a comforting hand on his leg and spoke gently to him. "Come on, Inuyasha. Miroku's wearing himself out. He's really broken up."
Suddenly, they heard the sound of footsteps. Kagome and Inuyasha went silent as Miroku walked, unknowingly, underneath their tree. A sudden pain shot through his injured arm, making him drop all the wood he had been carrying. Once the pain had passed, he cursed under his breath and knelt down to pick up the pieces. After gathering the wood again, he headed back towards the camp.
"See?" whispered Kagome, "Miroku's trying to be helpful, but his body won't let him."
Inuyasha nodded, "Fine. I'll help."
Kagome smiled and gave him a small kiss on the lips. "Thank you, Inuyasha."
He blushed slightly, "No problem."
They climbed down the tree, gathered the rest of the firewood, and headed back towards the camp. They found Miroku sitting with his back against a tree, gazing into the flames of the fire he had started. He didn't even look up when Kagome and Inuyasha walked into the camp and sat down.
Kagome rummaged through her bag she had brought and pulled out a half a loaf of bread. She broke it into three pieces and handed one to Inuyasha.
"Thanks." he said gruffly and Kagome had to hide a smile.
She then walked over to Miroku and held out the bread for him to take. "Here, Miroku. Eat it."
When Miroku made no move to take it, she placed it beside him and walked back to where she had been sitting.
"You don't have to pretend anymore." said Miroku, not taking his eyes off the flames.
Kagome was surprised at his words. "What?"
He hesitated for a moment, still staring into the fire, "I've seen the way you two look at each other, and the way you act when I'm not around. You try and hide it, but you can't."
Inuyasha stood up at this, "What are you talking about, Miroku? There's nothing between me and Kagome, okay? So lay off!"
Miroku looked up at this. His empty eyes gained back some life as a laugh escaped his lips. Inuyasha and Kagome looked at the monk in surprise. It had been some time since he had laughed.
Inuyasha, embarrassed at being laughed at, took up his defense. "What's so funny, monk?"
Miroku, still chuckling, stood up and walked over to Kagome. "Then how do you explain this?" He lifted the left side of her shirt to reveal the mark on her hip.
Inuyasha was speechless and Kagome, after getting over the initial shock, pulled her shirt back down. Both were as red as tomatoes.
Miroku chuckled again, "Now, I may be a humble monk, but I know a youkai's mark when I see one. Plus, you two haven't been fighting as much since you came back. One can only assume the reason for these strange occurrences."
"So what if I claimed Kagome? So what if I'm in love with her? It's none of your damn business, monk! So stay out of it!" shouted Inuyasha as he walked behind Kagome and placed a hand on both her hips.
The dying look returned to Miroku's eyes, "Now you know how I feel about Kotori."
Inuyasha opened his mouth to reply, but shut it again as Miroku's words began to sink in.
"You don't need to act any different around me or the others. Like you said, it's none of my business, so you are free to show affection for one another. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go to sleep now." Inuyasha and Kagome nodded dumbly at him and he curled up in a blanket and fell asleep.
They simply looked at each other as the realization of Miroku's words took effect. Inuyasha sighed, "I hate it when that damn monk is right."
Kotori re-bandaged her shoulder and put on her clean priestess robes that Sesshomaru's servant, Jaken, had bought just as the sun reached it's highest point in the sky. Her body ached all over from her attack the night before, but she pushed the pain to the back of her mind and went on without complaint. Once she was ready, she found Sesshomaru waiting with Rin and Jaken in the dining hall.
He stood up when he saw her and walked towards her. "Are you ready to leave?"
She nodded, "Yes. Just let me say goodbye to Rin."
He nodded, "Of course."
She walked over to Rin and knelt before her, smiling, "I had a great time with you, Rin, but I must leave now."
Rin looked sad, "Where are you going, Kotori-chan?"
"Back to my home. To see my family and friends."
"Will you ever come back to see us?"
Kotori looked at Sesshomaru, "If Sesshomaru-sama will allow it."
He walked over to Rin and Kotori, "Of course. You are welcome to come back and stay anytime you like."
Kotori smiled at him and turned back to Rin, giving her a hug, "Goodbye, Rin."
"Goodbye, Kotori-chan."
She smiled at Rin and stood up. Then she followed Sesshomaru out of the castle and into the woods. They stayed silent for quite some time, simply looking at the scenery, then Sesshomaru spoke up, "I meant what I said about you being able to come and stay anytime you wanted."
She looked at him and smiled, "Thank you very much. I would be glad to come and visit you and Rin again."
He looked straight ahead, trying to hide his expression, "I know Rin will miss you, and I..... I will miss you as well."
She smiled, "I'll miss you too, Sesshomaru."
They had stopped again to rest. Ever since Inuyasha said they were about a day from Sesshomaru's manor, Miroku hadn't sat still. While Kagome and Inuyasha roasted fish over the fire, he paced back and forth.
"For God's sake, would you sit down, Miroku!? You're driving me insane!" said Inuyasha bitterly as he watched the monk.
"How can I when we're so close to her?"
Kagome stood up and walked over to him, "She'll be fine. She's strong. She can take care of herself for a few days."
He nodded, but it didn't help him relax at all. "I'm going to take a walk. I'll be back soon."
"Um... Okay, Miroku." replied Kagome as he disappeared into the shadows.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry for the short chapter, but I have a really bad case of writer's block! The next chapter is going to play a really important in the plot of this story. Hope you liked this chapter and I also hope that you are looking forward to the next one! The next one is called, 'Naraku's Trap' so stick with me!
~Ryouko-Kitsune