Warnings for this chapter: this one's a bit of a tonal shift from both previous chapters and the original episode. It kinda ran away from me and I'm not sure where we ended up. References to theft and threats of violence and death. I also think my anxiety's creeping in here a bit despite my best efforts.
Miroku cupped his hands in the cool spring water and brought it carefully to his lips, taking a grateful sip. The sun blazed down on them and he was grateful for the rest. He splashed some water on his face and staunchly ignored the two pairs of eyes following his every move. This was the first day they'd even let him walk – the previous two, he'd been relegated to Hachi's back as they flew over the countryside.
"You sure you're alright?" Shippo asked for the tenth time that day.
Miroku smiled. "I appreciate your worry, Shippo, but there's no need for it. While I'm not keen to repeat the experience, I feel perfectly fine now."
He glanced over his shoulder at Inuyasha despite himself. The hanyou stood a little ways away, staring off into the distance as he'd been doing ever since they left Kaede's village. Miroku didn't know what to make of it. On one hand, Inuyasha had been more attentive than ever over the past few days. He was constantly watching him, Shippo, and Hachi, constantly by their sides. His ears were pricked for danger and he slept sitting next to Miroku rather than up a tree. Yet he barely spoke, and when he did it was in quiet, subdued tones. It set Miroku on edge, and he could sense Shippo getting antsy.
Inuyasha sighed, giving up all pretenses of scanning the sky for danger. What did it matter? He couldn't seem to focus on anything. The past few days had been a blur, navigated on instinct and emotion alone. He'd seen the glances, caught the scent of worry rolling off the monk, but he didn't care. He didn't know what he was doing anymore. Find the Jewel shards, yeah, fine. But then what? Turning full-youkai wouldn't change anything, not really. It might allow him to defeat this Naraku easier, but it wasn't like they knew where to find him!
He'd heard Miroku, the night before they left Kaede's village, speaking quietly with Myoga. The old flea didn't seem to know anything about the demon, but promised that he'd look around. The next morning, Myoga announced that he would be leaving them for the time being. He didn't say why, and thankfully Miroku had mentioned nothing to the others about Naraku. Inuyasha wasn't ready to deal with that conversation yet.
He was startled out of his thoughts by needle-sharp teeth clamping onto his upper arm. Inuyasha glanced down in muted shock at the kit dangling from his sleeve. "Oh, you'd better have a good reason for this!"
"Quit moping!" Shippo countered instantly, hopping back to a safe distance. "We're supposed to be looking for the Jewel shards."
"I am not moping!" Inuyasha snarled, curling his hands into fists and throwing himself after the fox.
Shippo squealed and darted away, a feral grin painting its way across both their faces. Miroku and Hachi watched contentedly and slowly started following them as they disappeared into the surrounding trees. Eventually, Shippo re-emerged and darted up Miroku's robes to claim sanctuary on his shoulder. Inuyasha huffed and gently flicked the kit's ear before taking the lead down the forest path. He still held himself stiffly, but some of the life had returned to his eyes. As they approached the nearby village, they passed more and more people going about their business. Some gave them curious looks, but most simply kept their distance.
Inuyasha found himself eyeing most of the humans, but he slowly relaxed when none of them made a fuss. Shippo bounced along happily, stopping at every pretty flower or oddly-shaped rock, but quickly scurrying to catch up again. They came to a split in the path and he looked over both before turning to Miroku with a shrug. They didn't exactly have a set direction to go. The monk stepped forward and placed his staff on the ground just before the split. He held it steady then let it go. It hovered for a moment before falling to the right. Inuyasha, Shippo, and Hachi all began in that direction.
"Have you heard about the new woman working at the rest house up ahead?" a man asked his companion as they walked past the group, walking down the path to the left.
"They say her she does have fair complexion and beautiful eyes are unparalleled," his friend grinned. "And I understand she's unattached."
"I could use a bite to eat," the first man laughed.
"Just what I was thinking."
Miroku turned to his companions with a dazzling smile. "Friends, I believe this other path may be better suited after all."
Inuyasha levelled him with a glare that could boil steel. "Why does that not surprise me?"
"They said there's a rest house?" Shippo asked, pulling on Inuyasha's sleeve. "Will there be food there? I'm hungry."
"I'm hungry, too!" Hachi chimed in immediately.
"You're all morons," Inuyasha huffed as he stepped over to the other path.
"What's up with him?" Shippo asked, clambering onto Miroku's shoulder.
Because he valued his life, Miroku didn't respond other than to give the fox a reassuring smile. They followed the two men closely and soon came upon a small tavern at the side of the path. A few people milled about, chatting, catching up, or conducting business. Inuyasha, Shippo, and Hachi all sat on a fallen log across the path while Miroku bought some sweets from the woman. Miroku kept a polite smile fixed on his face as he spoke with her. He could feel Inuyasha's eyes on his back as he handed over a small coin. He received a plate piled high with sets of three dango on sticks. The woman offered them with a kind smile and sweet voice, and Miroku's lips tugged upward of their own accord. "Thanks."
He brought the sweets over to the others. Shippo and Hachi immediately grabbed for the dango and began shoving them into their mouths. Meanwhile, Inuyasha shot him a toothy grin. "Not exactly the beauty you were expecting, huh?"
"To be fair," Miroku countered instantly. "She does have fair skin and beautiful eyes."
Inuyasha crossed his arms and grumbled "We should've stuck with the right."
"I'd say the dango is worth it," Miroku observed, biting down on another sweet dumpling. "She really is an excellent cook."
"Can we get more, Miroku?" Shippo asked earnestly, popping the last one in his mouth.
"Alright, but that's it. I'm running low on money."
"You're gonna spoil him if you keep on like that," Inuyasha muttered under his breath.
Miroku gave the hanyou his most winning smile and started back towards the rest house. He slowed down when he heard hushed voices.
"Just between us," one of the men from before was saying. "I understand the daughter of the lord in this region has been possessed by some sort of evil spirit and has taken to her bed."
"They'll require the aid of a skilled priest," his companion nodded solemnly.
Miroku spun around and walked back to Inuyasha.
"Oh, no you don't."
"Inuyasha, a young woman is in trouble! A young, rich woman of high status who needs our help!"
"You ought to be arrested."
"Look," Miroku sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We've been walking around aimlessly for two days now and we can't turn our backs on those in need. There's no harm in at least going to investigate the situation."
The others trailed behind him as Miroku poked around the front entrance of the lord's house that the travellers had pointed them towards. It wasn't difficult to convince Inuyasha that there was something worth investigating – they all sensed that something was there. It was a little more difficult for Miroku to convince him to let him go in alone.
"If I need you, you'll know," the monk insisted, gesturing at the nenju beads sitting around his neck.
Inuyasha glowered but let him go. He, Shippo, and Hachi sat against the outer wall of the lord's property, out of sight but close by in case of trouble. Inuyasha closed his eyes and trained his ears on Miroku, taking in every breath, step, and word. The monk approached the lord's guards with soft and reassuring words, adjusting to cocky as they became skeptical.
"Are you certain this monk is virtuous and trustworthy?" the lord muttered to one of his attendants when they relayed Miroku's message.
"If one is to believe is claims, then aye, my lord," the man responded quietly.
Inuyasha snorted and whispered to Shippo "Both those are debatable. I hope they do have a demon problem, or else he'll be neither."
"Monk," the lord addressed Miroku curtly. "You must drive away the evil spirits possessing my child, or you will receive nothing."
Inuyasha huffed, his ear flicking. "He doesn't have to be so rude about it."
"My, living in opulence in such turbulent times as these," Miroku's dulcet tones observed innocently. "Surely your vassals must resent your wealth."
"Impudence!" the lord cried.
"What an ass," Shippo muttered.
Miroku followed the lord to his daughter's chambers, keeping his senses open for danger. It didn't take long to find the youki presence in the room. Not strong, but very present. There was something else there, too. Something he couldn't quite place.
"Tell me about that statue of Buddha," Miroku urged the lord, kneeling down beside the princess' side.
"I received it from an impoverished nobleman. They say it is a blessed idol."
"I am prepared to begin," Miroku said levelly, putting a veil of confidence over his voice. "Leave the princess here with me and take everyone else on the grounds outside the residence gates. And my lord, mark my words – no matter how alarming the sounds from within, you must not peer inside."
The lord looked nervous and left quickly. Miroku swept a hand through the air above the princess, feeling for the energies in the room, then turned to the large gold statue. "Come out at once. Surrender, and I shall show you mercy."
Nothing happened. He reached out and poked the statue with the tip of his staff. A slight rumbling filled the air and the statue began to shake. Slowly, the Buddha's face morphed into a leering grin full of sharp teeth. He should've known it wouldn't be so easy. Concentrating hard, Miroku summoned up a wave of spiritual power and channelled it through his staff into the statue. Instantly, a weasel demon shot up from the statue, hissing and surrounded by blue fire.
Inuyasha leapt to his feet, Tessaiga drawn in his hand, and was about to jump over the wall when he heard Miroku say "Don't worry, I got this" quietly from inside. The hanyou huffed and crouched down, but didn't sheathe his sword.
The weasel lunged at him, swiping with a paw that he easily dodged. Now that it had emerged, though, Miroku could easily sense the Jewel shard in its forehead. Moving like a snake, the weasel slithered around the room, rearing back before striking. Miroku jumped in the air to avoid the snapping jaws. The weasel crashed into the walls of the chamber, splitting several panels apart. Miroku slammed his staff down on the demon's head, directly on the Jewel shard. It was over almost comically quickly after that.
Inuyasha kept one ear on the conversation between the lord and his attendants, and the other on the increasingly loud banging and clanging coming from the monk. Miroku's breathing was laboured but his heartrate was slow and steady. Whatever was going on, the monk had it covered. It was some time before he felt the lightest tug on the nenju beads, barely more than a touch. "Inuyasha, head around to the back gate."
Inuyasha stood with a groan, stretching out his stiff back and eyeing the sleepy Shippo and Hachi. "Oh, what now?"
They found the gate easily, but there was no one in sight. Inuyasha huffed and began pacing. It was another long while before Miroku appeared, sitting on a wagon pulled by three horses. The wagon was full to the brim with valuables of all shapes and sizes, tied down expertly with rope.
"The hell is this?" Inuyasha spluttered.
"Payment for the exorcism, of course."
"Payment?" Inuyasha repeated incredulously. "You stole this junk! I can hear the lord and his vassals out front right now, waiting for your word!"
"Well, they'll find out soon enough," Miroku shrugged, helping Hachi onto the wagon. "Besides, this is no junk. It will keep us in food and lodgings for a few weeks, at least. In case you haven't noticed, hunting for Jewel shards doesn't pay well. Speaking of which…" The monk held up a small fragment of the Jewel. "Now we just need to find a good place to pawn these off."
"I can't believe it," Inuyasha shook his head, jumping onto the back of the wagon. "A month and you had me forgetting that you're a lying thief!"
Miroku shrugged and urged the horses to move on. At the monk's advice, they rode to the next village over to sell the goods and horses. He seemed to think that it was safer to put a bit of distance between the goods and their place of origin. He said it in such a nonchalant way that Inuyasha found himself wondering exactly how often Miroku had done something like this. When they travelled together, they ate the food that Inuyasha caught for them and slept under the stars. Was it new behaviour, or just that Miroku hadn't had the opportunity to steal in a while? Certainly Shippo and Hachi weren't helping in that regard – they both ate obscene amounts of food, and Inuyasha had quickly found out that Miroku had an utter inability to say "no" to Shippo's pleading. It wasn't that he minded having the fox and tanuki around – he really didn't – but it make everything a lot more complicated than when it was just him and Miroku travelling alone.
He, Shippo, and Hachi sat outside as the sun dipped below the horizon, waiting for Miroku to finish haggling with the shop owners. He insisted on getting a price for each individual item rather than the goods as a whole, and it. Was. Taking. Forever. Shippo and Hachi began discussing all the things they wanted to buy, mostly consisting of food and sweets. Inuyasha had gone from reluctantly impressed to amused to seething and back about three times by the time Miroku finally emerged again, a heavy sack of coins in his hand.
"Took you long enough."
"Unfortunately, we gained only a small sum, but enough for a few weeks. Hachi," he held out a few small coins to the tanuki. "For services rendered. Many thanks for your help, my friend. You may be off, now."
Hachi took the coins and waved a cheery goodbye to Shippo before scurrying off into the forest. Inuyasha watched him go with a frown. "What, that's it? You pay him and he's off?"
Miroku looked confused. "Of course – why wouldn't it be so? He comes when I need him to do a job, and I can see no reason why we'll need him in the immediate future."
"I guess," Inuyasha muttered noncommittally.
He didn't know why, but watching the tanuki leave had left him feeling off-kilter, somehow. Maybe it was because Miroku knew him already, but Hachi had fitted perfectly into their group dynamic. It felt almost odd having him go.
"I can't wait to sleep in a nice, warm house tonight!" Shippo chirped, bouncing along with a hand grasping Miroku's robes. "Do you think they'll still serve us food, even though it's night?"
Miroku smiled a little ruefully. "Sorry, Shippo, but it's best to lay low for a few days, at least until we're out of the area. The forest will have to do for tonight."
To get the kit to stop sulking, Inuyasha sniffed out a nearby hot spring where they could make camp. Shippo shrieked delightedly upon seeing it, stripping off his clothes and abandoning them on the ground as he ran for the hot waters. Miroku and Inuyasha followed a little more sedately, fond grins creeping onto their faces. They gathered Shippo's discarded clothing and piled it together with their own on the rocks beside the pool. As he did whenever the monk bathed, Inuyasha found his eyes wandering over Miroku's exposed skin. There were only a few small bruises, nothing compared to what had been there before.
The evidence of their past encounters still remained, though – light flecks of scarring on his side from the centipede, small white lines along his arms from Yura's hair, two rows of punctures from the Noh mask's teeth. Older, faded scars also ran along his body, dozens of stories written on his skin. Miroku was lean, a little on the skinny side for Inuyasha's liking. The urge to protect coiled in his gut but he pushed it down. Stupid instincts.
The hot water got him to relax, some. He and Miroku sat along a natural ledge, the water lapping at their collar bones. Inuyasha's eyes wandered to the tekkou and mala which never left Miroku's arm, not in all the time they'd been together. The Jewel shard had joined them as a constant companion, hanging from a woven thread around Miroku's neck. They had been pleasantly surprised to find that ever since the shards fused in the Spider Head's stomach, any new shards stuck together. It made carrying the Jewel much easier, and safer. It also made Miroku more of a target.
Inuyasha shook his head. There was no reason for all these gloomy thoughts. He turned his focus onto Shippo, watching as the kit swam, splashed and, when that got boring, chased the monkeys that gathered around the pool. Miroku laughed quietly at the fox's antics and Inuyasha found himself joining in. They lounged in the hot water until they were lightheaded, washing the grime from their skin and simply relaxing. It was far too late to build a fire by the time they were done. Inuyasha didn't want the others getting cold, and that's what he kept telling himself as he pressed the length of his side up against Miroku's. The monk didn't complain, didn't even give him a questioning look as they leaned back against a tree together, Shippo sprawled across their laps. Inuyasha forced himself to focus on the positives. They had gained a Jewel shard with almost no effort and no injuries. They had more money. They were safe. Taking deep breaths filled with summer air and familiar scents, Inuyasha closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning brought another beautiful day. Shippo was babbling and bouncing along, Miroku was humming quietly, and the pit in Inuyasha's stomach began to lessen. They followed a path through the forest with no real destination in mind. It soon changed into a road along a cliff face, with a wall of rock on one side and a long drop on the other. They were forced to walk single-file, but thankfully no one else was around.
Inuyasha groaned when he heard the distant sound of horses' hooves. They'd have to press into the rocks to let them pass. As the horses approached from behind, Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder to see how many they'd have to deal with. His heart sank. Three samurai were riding towards them in full armour, swords drawn.
"You there, thief!" one shouted and pointed at Miroku with his blade.
Inuyasha swore and snatched Shippo off the ground, jumping off the side of the path to a rock just below.
"Hey, what about me?" Miroku asked mildly, turning to face the samurai as he did so.
"You're the one they're after, idiot," Inuyasha drawled, rolling his eyes. "You got yourself into this mess, so you can sort it out."
Miroku held out his hands as the samurai came to a stop before him. The first remained on his horse while the other two dismounted, gearing up for a fight. "Now, gentlemen, I'm sure we can come to an agreement."
"This should be good," Inuyasha grinned to Shippo, settling in for the ride.
"It may be difficult to retrieve the exact same goods," Miroku continued. "But I can offer many services to your master for compensation."
Inuyasha thought it was somewhat hilarious that this, of all things, came back to bite them. It stopped being hilarious rather suddenly when one of the samurai pulled out a bow and arrow, aiming at Miroku. "Damn!" Inuyasha jumped before had time to process the situation, instinctively blocking the arrow with Tessaiga. "Back off! You're not killing him!"
The samurai leered at him, urging their horses forward. Inuyasha squared off with his swords – if these idiots were looking for a fight, he'd be happy to oblige. One of them shot another arrow, which Inuyasha just as easily knocked away. He wanted to hurl himself at these idiots and rip them a new one, but there was no way he was leaving Miroku unprotected. There wasn't room to fight properly on the cliff, either. Both sides waited, poised, neither wanting to make the first move. A shriek drew their attention from the cliffs above them, and suddenly a giant demon was careening towards them. The horses panicked, the path too narrow for them to properly turn, and Inuyasha shoved Miroku back and out of danger. The samurai fled, their horses out of control and the men spooked by the demon. Inuyasha pinned Miroku to the cliff face with one hand, held Tessaiga before them with the other. Then he burst out laughing.
"Hachi, excellent timing!" Miroku called as the tanuki slid past them down the cliff. "And my thanks, Inuyasha."
"You idiot!" Inuyasha rounded on him, his good humour disappearing in a flash of genuine anger. "This is why you should've left well enough alone! I can't turn my back on you humans for a second!"
"Yes, my apologies," Miroku murmured, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Anyway, we should probably get going. I wouldn't be surprised if the lord sent more than one team of samurai out to get me, with the amount I stole."
"What?"
Inuyasha didn't stop glaring at Miroku all the way to the next village. When Shippo announced he was hungry and Miroku suggested they stop at a tea house, Inuyasha glared even harder. He couldn't believe it. Right after being attacked for theft, Miroku bought an extravagant meal and a show from geishas. They had a room mostly to themselves, with only a couple other men sipping tea and chatting amongst themselves. Shippo and Hachi focused on the food, of course, but Inuyasha's hackles raised more with each woman that Miroku ogled. They sang and danced, giggling. It was almost a relief when the samurai burst through the doors.
"You!" one of them shouted, pointing at Miroku.
"Indeed," Miroku said, instantly standing and placing himself between the samurai and the patrons of the tea house. "My apologies for earlier – it seems that our discussions were ended rather abruptly. Would you like to speak outside?"
"You filthy thief, cavorting with demons!" one of the Samurai hissed, advancing on him.
"Time to go," Miroku muttered, shoving Shippo and Hachi over the railing at the open-air side of the tea house.
He held his ground as Inuyasha brushed past him and joined the others, wanting to make sure that the samurai wouldn't attack anyone else. Then he ran. He leapt over the railing and sped past the others, the samurai in quick pursuit.
"A little help?" he asked as he passed the hanyou.
Inuyasha glared at him, arms crossed. "I wish you the best of luck."
Miroku ran through town, the samurai right on his heels. He could hear them jeering at him, throwing out taunts and insults. "Come back and fight like a man!" Well, this was getting him nowhere. He was fast running out of town and the samurai showed no sign of slowing. Taking a breath, Miroku whirled around and met the nearest samurai head-on. The man seemed startled at the sudden change, enough for Miroku to lunge at him. His staff connected with the man's sword broadside, sending it flying from his grip. Miroku kicked the man in the chest, sending him stumbling back, just as the other two samurai caught up.
"You're no monk!" one growled. "You're nothing but a sleazy robber!"
"People can be more than one thing, you know," Miroku chided, holding his staff tight.
"Give the lord back all that you stole from him!"
"Uh…" Miroku glanced between the samurai incredulously. "I sold it. I thought that was obvious from the lack of cargo that I'm visibly not lugging around."
While the one samurai ran to retrieve his sword, the other two attacked. Miroku dodged and parried, deflecting one strike only to be met by another. He called upon some of his spiritual power, infusing it into the staff. Each time a blade hit, sparks flew and sizzled down the staff. Miroku's breathing grew laboured as the beginnings of fear began to grip him. He wasn't used to fighting against humans, let alone two at once. The blows kept on coming, not giving him a chance to run or strike back. He was losing ground slowly but surely, and it was only a matter of time before their companion dug his sword out and rejoined them. Despite everything, Miroku held his own – until his foot slipped on a piece of loose wood. He went crashing to the ground, his staff flew from his hands, and the samurai moved in for the kill.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and knocked out the samurai in two quick blows before rounding on a smiling Miroku.
"You're a sight for sore eyes!"
"I'll give you sore eyes, you idiot!"
The third samurai ran at them, and Inuyasha stepped neatly out of the way. Miroku flashed him a frown and sprang backwards to his feet in a flip. He turned and ran, abandoning his staff for the time being as an arrow whizzed past his shoulder. He passed through the edge of the village before stopping to face his assailant. The man stopped as well, throwing his bow to the side and drawing his sword.
Miroku's eyes were hard as he lifted his right hand. "This may come as a surprise, but I'm a very sore loser."
The samurai ignored him and moved ever closer. "End of the line."
Miroku reached for his mala, his fingers curling around the beads for a long moment. The samurai paused, eyes darting from his face to his hand in obvious confusion. Miroku sighed, ground his teeth, and launched himself at the man in a flying tackle. The samurai was so surprised that Miroku was able to wrestle him off his feet and knocked him out with a solid punch.
"The hell?" Inuyasha growled, landing beside him. "Why the fuck didn't you just suck that guy in? He was about to kill you."
"I'm not going to kill humans, even those who would wish me dead."
"I can't believe you," Inuyasha snarled, eyes flashing.
Shippo and Hachi caught up with them, the latter carrying Miroku's staff. Inuyasha, though, was far from finished.
"I don't get it. I don't get you! Why steal when you know how much danger it puts you in? Why waste it on food and women? Why don't you care?"
Miroku blinked, something twisting in his expression before he sighed. "I move around constantly so I'm hard to track. I have nothing more than the clothes on my back and the goods in my pockets. Even before we set off on our search for the Jewel shards, I never stayed in one place for long. In such turbulent times, a hot meal and a bed is never guaranteed for a travelling monk."
"But it is!" Inuyasha shouted, loud enough to cause Miroku to flinch. "Okay, maybe not a bed, and we have to catch the food ourselves, but it's safe. I can give you all that without you having to put your life in danger over something so stupid and reckless and unnecessary! Why steal? Why bother?"
Miroku blinked at the sheer ferocity in Inuyasha's words. "It's how I survived until now. Most of the time there aren't such immediate consequences."
"Well now is different! It's not just your own life you're ruining, and you're not the only one looking out for you anymore."
Miroku paused, trying to decipher that last comment when Inuyasha drew his sword.
"You wanna die so badly? I might as well just kill you myself!"
Miroku barely had time to process what was going on before he dodged Tessaiga's strike. Confusion clouded his mind and he grabbed his staff from Hachi just in time to block another blow. The strikes were slow, sloppy, and lacked any real punch, but Miroku was more concerned with the cold fury growing in Inuyasha's eyes.
"Fucking defend yourself!" Inuyasha growled, hacking away at him. "Fight back, you coward!"
Tears were growing in the hanyou's eyes and Miroku suddenly understood. He immediately stopped, lowering his staff. Inuyasha gasped in surprise, changing the course of Tessaiga mid-swing and just barely missed hitting the monk. "The hell?"
"Inuyasha, I apologize," Miroku said, holding up his hands in a gesture of peace. "You're absolutely right. It was reckless of me to steal from the lord and I shouldn't have done it. I let my old habits rule me when there was no need. I'm sorry."
Inuyasha growled and shoved Tessaiga back in its sheath, pushing Miroku's shoulder hard with the flat of his hand. "I don't understand!" He gasped and steadied himself against Miroku's chest, fingers desperately clutching the fabric of his robes. "I can barely protect you from demons. I couldn't even protect you from Kik-" His voice died on the name. "Why would you put yourself in even more danger when I can't keep you safe?"
"I'm sorry," Miroku repeated, wrapping one arm around Inuyasha's shoulders in a loose embrace. "Before I met you, this is how I had to survive. For seven years I've been wandering around aimlessly looking for Naraku. I had no direction, no idea where I was supposed to be or if I was even ready to face him. Stealing was a necessity. Nice food and pretty women were the only thing I could think to do with the money. Before this, we had more direction with finding the Jewel shards. When we started wandering…"
He shook his head and shrugged. Inuyasha clutched him tighter and he sighed.
"I want to keep you safe," the hanyou growled into his chest.
"You have been," Miroku assured. "You have been."
He glanced over Inuyasha's head to where Shippo and Hachi were watching them in mild shock. Past them, a crowd of villagers were gathering. Any moment now, the samurai would be waking and Miroku suspected that they should be long gone by then. In a moment, they would leave. Miroku closed his eyes and wrapped his arms tighter around Inuyasha.
In just a moment.
