Chapter Thirty-eight: Search and Rescue
"Inuyasha-sama!"
Inuyasha jumped at the sound of Myouga's voice in the shell of his ear. "Geeze, old geezer, give a hanyou a little warning will ya?"
"You know, Master Inuyasha, you really are quite rude."
The half-demon snorted before bending down to scoop up another handful of spring water. He splashed his face, then shook the droplets of water from the fringes of his bangs. "You might want to get used to it, Jiji." A thought occurred to the hanyou and he halted mid-bath. "Wait, I sent you out to look for Kagome last night. What the hell are you still doing in this part of the forest?"
Myouga, who'd hopped to the safety of a dry boulder for the duration of his master's morning bath, smiled broadly. "I've found her. I think."
"Y-you found her? Already?" Inuyasha pounced from the hot spring in a splash, quickly grabbing at his discarded hakama, then pulling on his under kimono. "Where is she? Take me to her!"
"Now hold on, Master Inuyasha. I think I found her. Can you describe this 'strange miko' to me?"
"What's to describe?" he snorted. "Strange, unusual, out of the ordinary."
Fidgeting in discomfort, the flea demon nodded. "Yes, I suppose she fits the description."
"Great, so let's go."
"Wait, Inuyasha-sama!"
The hanyou huffed a sigh. "What?"
"I'm not so sure you should go to her right now."
Inuyasha stared at the flea impatiently. When it seemed he wasn't going to offer an explanation, the half-demon growled, "well?"
"You see, my lord, she's not traveling alone."
"Yeah, she's with my bastard of a brother. That won't be a problem for long." Cracking his knuckles, Inuyasha smiled a grin full of spiteful glee.
"No, she's not. The miko I've located is traveling away from Sesshoumaru-sama right now. Your brother is after Lady Izayoi."
Inuyasha froze, his blood running cold. He's after my mother? And Kagome is… with someone else?
The gods must hate him, he decided. How could he possibly choose? If he saved his mother, he'd be leaving his mate with some stranger of unknown intent. On the other hand, if he didn't save his mother, would he cease to exist as well? She wasn't supposed to die so soon…
"Inuyasha-sama…?"
The twittering of birds around him mocked his internal struggle. A fang poking from the corner of the half-demon's mouth he agonized over the two choices. No, he realized, there was no choice. He'd never forgive himself if something happened to her when he could have prevented it.
"Take me to her."
"Hush, baby, don't cry…"
Four days and four nights – four long nights – had passed since Kagome escaped the chaos of Izayoi-hime's family stronghold with the infant Inuyasha. He rarely cried, but when he did... Kami help anyone within a ten-mile radius.
"Shh… it's going to be all right. We'll get you back to your mama soon, okay?"
Kagome bounced lightly, rubbing a soothing hand on his back as she desperately tried to remember a lullaby or something to calm him. The last time she'd cared for an infant was when Souta was a baby – a good twelve years ago. Even then, the most she'd donewashold up a bottle for him.
Having neglected to ask about Inuyasha's feeding and sleeping schedule beforehand – Who had time to discuss child care while being hunted by a homicidal taiyoukai? – the miko had to quickly learn his little quirks and habits. By now, she was becoming a virtual expert.
The first night was actually the least stressful, she reflected. With his senses dulled and still too young to grasp the changes in his body, he'd slept most of the night away in the cradle of her arms. The next night, however, was a different story.
Hidden away in the back room of acheap inn, Kagome was looked upon with utter revulsion. A miko with a hanyou child? How appalling! Disgusted with the narrow-mindedness of the villagers, she made no attempt to correct their faulty assumptions. If anything, she cuddled the baby that much closer.
Apparently at this young age Inuyasha could already distinguish the moods of those around him. For hours on end he howled piteously, further alienating the other guests. Kagome hummed so many nonsense tunes she became moderately hoarse. And he wouldn't eat! He refused every serving of rice porridge or mashed vegetables she offered him. In desperation she'd caught some fish, hoping to entice his more carnivorous side. Still he kept his mouth sealed shut except to wail loudly.
She'd considered – briefly – dropping him in a ditch.
Ah, well.
Now that they were miles away from any human settlements, Kagome no longer had to worry about the incredulous stares of strangers. No, that was the least of her worries when surrounded by the glowing eyes of unknown nighttime creatures. In time, Inuyasha's blubbering faded to whimpers and he buried his head into her shoulder, gripping onto her shirt with tightly fisted, clawed, baby hands.
She was rapidly becoming tired, and the only shelter the young miko could find was a small outcropping of piled rocks near a stream. Sighing, Kagome picked her way through the underbrush of the forest and surveyed the clearing. It seemed safe enough, and being a few days past the new moon, there was just enough ambient light for her to locate kindling for a fire. Fifteen minutes after arriving, she'd set up a sufficiently warm campsite and rested her charge into a nest of leaves and soil. Settling herself down beside the baby, Kagome gazed up at the stars and wondered if she'd ever make it home again.
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed into a fierce glare as he peered through the leaves at his prey. The woman was entirely oblivious to his surveillance, and chatted amicably with her companion. Noticeably absent, however, was the scent of his bastard hanyou brother.
The child had been born; he could smell Inuyasha's baby scent easily even through the bloodbath of the battleground. Izayoi's trail led through the back gates of the stronghold and he followed the path into a clearing, quite annoyed when he detected the miko's scent there. Deciding that Kagome was a matter to pursue at a later time – though he sincerely doubted she could keep herself alive for long – the taiyoukai followed the hime and her guardian through several villages until at last they'd settled in an out-of-the-way glade.
It wasn't that he was afraid to attack them in the open. Surely a few paltry humans were of no match to the great Sesshoumaru-sama. Still, as he bounded through the treetops on that first eventful evening, the demon lord pondered his actions to date. It was entirely possible, he allowed, that it was his own fault he'd been thwarted in earlier attempts on the hime's life. After all, had he not just given Izayoi's clan ample reason to shore up their defenses? When his younger self soon arrived to exterminate the woman and herhanyou abomination, he'd be met with some formidable resistance.
Better to wait, he decided. An easy victory lacked thrill but at least the goal would be met.
Contrary to popular belief, Lord Sesshoumaru could be quite patient when necessary. No less than three hours passed before the hime and her escort settled onto their makeshift beds and gave themselves over to sleep. He'd endured a greatdeal of inane chatter from the woman, who was either doing a very good job of hiding her baby from him—
- or she had abandoned the whelp.
Even more surprising was just how much that last idea irritated him. Sesshoumaru shook it off, rationalizing that he craved the honor of destroying the hanyou. At any rate, he'd have to investigate this anomaly as soon as the woman was gone.
He emerged from the bushes, glancing about sharply for any sign of beast or man. Satisfied that it was the perfect time for a clean kill, he raised his claws.
"DEMON BEGONE!"
Sesshoumaru whipped around, eyes bleeding red at the interruption. How hadn't he detected the intruder?
She glared at him, her own eyes blazing as she raised her bow and took aim.
"Put down your weapon, woman, and I might allow you to live."
Behind him, the hime and Yukino had awoken, the former shrieking in fear as her guard drew his sword and stood before her.
"Take the hime and leave this place at once," the miko ordered, her eyes remaining fixed on the demon lord between them. "I will take care of this mononoke myself."
"H-hai, miko-sama." Yukino sheathed his sword, then with only a quick glance back ushered Izayoi from the clearing.
"Sh-should we leave that poor woman alone with him?" Izayoi fretted.
Yukino, swallowing a lump of fear, nodded. "She is a miko, Izayoi-hime, and far more likely to succeed in battle with a taiyoukai. My sword would do little but buy you a few minutes to escape. At least this woman has a chance with her spiritual powers. See the aura that surrounds her? Miko-sama appears quite powerful—"
The lash of a whip cut him off and Yukino collapsed - alive but bleeding profusely.
"Yukino!"
"Do not think you will escape me so easily, Izayoi."
The hime trembled, grasping at her outer kimono and glancing around herself for anything useful as a weapon.
"Where is Inuyasha?" he demanded.
"DEMON! I warn you once more: be gone from this place or I will see you purified!" The miko shouted to her opponent as she drew back on her bow.
"Hm." Sesshoumaru turned briefly back to the priestessand raised his claws. The brilliant green glow ofhis poison whip had just begun to form when hefelt her arrow sailing toward him.Despite a valiant attempt at dodging theprojectile, itstruck him in the left shoulder. "Woman," he ground out, trying to hide the pain of the arrow's purification, "you were warned before…"
"As were you, Demon. Now desist or I will aim for your heart."
Eyes fixed on the the miko, Sesshoumaru directed his words behind him. "Where is he, wench? Where is my father's bastard son?"
"I don't have him," Izayoi cried, her voice trembling with her fear.
"Hm; and where did you leave the whelp?"
"With another miko," she answered, "but I do not know where they are."
"With another miko," Sesshoumaru repeated. "Kagome. How tedious."
Yukino, still reeling from thegash ofSesshoumaru's whip, struggled to his hands and knees. "Sesshoumaru-sama," he pled, "please... spare Izayoi-hime. I beg of you! It is the hanyou you want-"
"YUKINO!"
"Izayoi, the child is not worth your life. Listen to reason!"
"Where has the other miko taken him?"
Yukino opened his mouth, only to bewrestled to the groundby Izayoi, "Yukino, onegai! Please, spare my son!"
The soldier, weakened from attack, struggled to push her aside before speaking. "They are taking a path like ours, but many miles west of here…"
"Demon!"
"Hold your tongue, woman," Sesshoumaru ordered the miko sharply before returning his attention to the wounded soldier.
"You will escape with your lives, today. Thank your gods for my forbearance." Gauging the reaction of his miko opponent, Sesshoumaru determined the woman would not fire another arrow if he left the clearing. With lightning speed and the grace onlyhigh-caliber youkai could attain, Sesshoumaru disappeared in a ball of bright, white light and was gone.
Izayoi, staring dejectedly after the demon lord's exit, felt her heart shatter into a million pieces. With all the strength she possessed, her voice cried out into the night:
"INUYASHA!"
Myouga, Inuyasha decided, had no business giving directions. He'd spent an entire day traveling at top speed to find a person who was only ten miles away from his starting point.
"Next time you tell me you know where you're going," Inuyasha grumbled, "you might also want to let me know that you're basing your information on rumors."
"My apologies, Master Inuyasha."
"Keh."
Night had fallen, and their latest lead had pointed Inuyasha back towards his previous night's camp. Had the hanyou not picked up a familiar scent, he would have squashed his guide long ago.
Alighting on a tree branch, he scanned the forest floor below. The sounds of water and rustling leaves muffled any human noises he might have detected. Sniffing cautiously, Inuyasha sighed. No discernable danger within several hundred feet. Thank the kami for small blessings.
"I think I'll be taking my leave now, if you please," Myouga announced.
"Keh, whatever. Take care, Jiji."
When the flea was gone, Inuyasha jumped down from his perch and approached the sound of water. The slight breeze at his back urged caution: if there were danger ahead, he'd scent it too late. At last he emerged into a clearing, and his heart leapt into his throat.
"Kagome…"