Chapter 7: Waiting game.

I made my way back into the cave, digging into my hakama for the six shards I had taken from those two.

"It took you long enough runt. You smell like blood, why?" he said holding his nose.

I threw the shards at him, quite hard. "Thank you for stating the obvious."

"Ow. What the hell!" he yelled, as he picked them up.

"Do not start with me boy. I am already in a sour mood."

"Where did you even find this many shards all the way out here?"

I removed the foxfire. Taking the plants from my pocket, ignoring him, and set them beside the Miko.

"Monk does she have anything to mash and boil these?"

He nodded. "There should be some things for that in her pack."

I moved the flap open, sifting through her pack trying not to disturb her. I found what looked like some sort of metal pail. It must have been what she boiled the water in. Next was a mortar and pestle, and some sort of jug. I shook it, hearing a liquid swishing around on the inside. I opened it taking a whiff; perfect it was water.

"Boy go fetch me some rocks, a few leaves, and sticks, so that I may build a fire."

"Fetch!? I am not your little errand boy fox."

I gave him a side glance. "It is for the Miko. Or do you not care if her condition does not get any better?"

He scowled at me, grumbling on his way out. A few moments later returning with what I had asked him for; dropping them before me. I took the sticks setting everything up. Placing the water on to boil. I removed the stems, crushing the berries in the mortar, pouring them into the pail to boil. The other two just sat there like bumps on a log. By the looks of it, it seemed as though the Miko was the one who did these sorts of things. It seemed as though they would be lost without her. I dug through the pack once more finding what seemed to be a shirt. I ripped off a piece of it, using it to strain the tea; pouring it into a cup I had found. I put out the fire, letting the tea cool before trying to give it to her. Then I realized that I was faced with a dilemma. How was I going to get her to drink this?

"Which one of you will feed this to her?" I asked them.

"Keh. Why can't you do it? You're already actin like her nanny."

I scowled. "You idiot. She is unconscious. Someone needs to put it in their mouth. So that they can pass it into her mouth. To make sure that she swallows it."

The half-breed's face went red.

"W-what?" He stuttered. "I can't do that?"

"What about you monk?" I asked him.

"Sorry. I am spoken for." He said holding up the slayer's hand.

I sighed. "Children," I said.

I took a sip of the tea, holding it in my mouth. I pressed my lips to the Miko's, forcing her to drink. I repeated the act until the cup was empty. I filled the cup up again, repeating the process until the pail was empty. I cleaned up everything, putting things back the way I had found them.

I sighed. What a chore that was.

I caught the half-breed staring at me.

"What is it now?"

"You just put your lips on hers over a dozen times!" he said, his face still red.

"And? Neither of you would do it. So, who else if not me?" I said.

The monk watched his friends beat red face with amusement.

"You just kissed over and over like it was nothin!"

"Ha. If you think that was a kiss you are more of a child than I had thought."

That had caused the monk to chucked.

"I ain't no a child."

"Then perhaps you have feelings for the Miko then." I taunted him.

"I-I do not!"

"Careful Shippo. Even Inuyasha hasn't been able to admit that to himself yet." the monk said laughingly.

The half-breed stormed off, grumbling to himself.

I set my eyes back onto the Miko.

Now, we wait.

Mortar and pestle is a set of two simple tools used since the Stone Age to the present day to prepare ingredients or substances by crushing and grinding them into a fine paste or powder in the kitchen.