"So where do you think we should go?" asked Sango when the group had gotten
together again. They all stared vaguely at the houses and pointed in
different directions. Inu-Yasha finally solved the problem by grabbing a
nearby person.
"Oi, you. Where's the cat-demon?"
"Inu-Yasha!" cried Kagome helplessly, and pried the unfortunate man out of the demon's claws. "I'm so sorry," she said to the surprised villager. "Um, do you know where the cat-demon is?"
"That's just what I said!"
"But in a nicer tone," Miroku told him.
"Feh."
"You're in luck," said the villager, paying no attention to the rips in his shirt. "The demon you want came in just three days ago. She's waiting for you all. Please follow me." He set off at a brisk pace, not noticing that two of the members of the group had shorter legs than the rest.
They came to a totally unremarkable hut which looked like all the other huts in the village. Their guide gestured for them to enter, and then left.
It was light in the hut, light and sunny. The only occupant in it was seated across the banked fire from the group. It was a woman with long black hair that came to her waist and lovely, green-gold eyes. She was wearing a black Chinese-collared garment, with the slit going from the neck across to the left shoulder and down. Her crossed legs revealed that she had on white pants and knee-length boots. There was a sword slung across her back. She barely looked up when they entered.
"So you are Inu-Yasha." Her voice was emotionless, but musical. Gold rings glittered in the lobes of her pointed ears. "My name is Nekoiya, and I have come to make a trade with you."
The half-demon was confused. "What do I have that you want?" he asked.
Nekoiya's lashes barely fluttered. "Your sword." She ignored the intake of breath from all the group members and continued, "Your sword for four shards." They gleamed rainbow on her outstretched palm.
It was all Inu-Yasha could do not to snatch the shards from her hand that instant. He could feel Myoga trembling on his necklace, and waited for the flea to say something. It didn't take long.
"Beware, Lord Inu-Yasha!" whispered the flea. "I've heard of her. She's an assassin as well as a demon, has knives hidden all around her body and knows martial arts. Don't make any hasty moves!"
Meanwhile, Nekoiya was finally looking up, gazing at Kagome, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo in turn. Eventually she said, "I don't know how all those demons lost to you. The only full demon with you is the kitsune, and he's only a baby." Shippo stiffened up indignantly at this. "A monk, two girls, a kitsune, and a half-breed have killed all those demons." She smiled a little, but it was a cruel smile. "Maybe I'll try you out later."
Miroku was taking this hard. "They aren't just any two girls!" he said, feeling obliged to say something on their behalf. "Kagome is a reincarnated priestess and Sango is an expert demon-hunter."
The cat-demon glanced at the two girls, who were making angry shushing motions to Miroku, of which he was taking no heed. "They must be pretty powerful," she replied, contradicting herself. "Must be bad to get on their bad side, eh?"
"Yes, you have no id --" Miroku's sentence was cut off as Sango grabbed him and Kagome slapped her hand across his mouth.
"You should go out and think about this," said Nekoiya indifferently. "It seems like an important decision. Go."
The monk sat down next to her. "One moment. You are *so* pretty, even if you are a demon --"
"And what is that supposed to mean?!"
"Um, so, will you bear my child?"
"GET OUT! NOW!!"
"Oi, you. Where's the cat-demon?"
"Inu-Yasha!" cried Kagome helplessly, and pried the unfortunate man out of the demon's claws. "I'm so sorry," she said to the surprised villager. "Um, do you know where the cat-demon is?"
"That's just what I said!"
"But in a nicer tone," Miroku told him.
"Feh."
"You're in luck," said the villager, paying no attention to the rips in his shirt. "The demon you want came in just three days ago. She's waiting for you all. Please follow me." He set off at a brisk pace, not noticing that two of the members of the group had shorter legs than the rest.
They came to a totally unremarkable hut which looked like all the other huts in the village. Their guide gestured for them to enter, and then left.
It was light in the hut, light and sunny. The only occupant in it was seated across the banked fire from the group. It was a woman with long black hair that came to her waist and lovely, green-gold eyes. She was wearing a black Chinese-collared garment, with the slit going from the neck across to the left shoulder and down. Her crossed legs revealed that she had on white pants and knee-length boots. There was a sword slung across her back. She barely looked up when they entered.
"So you are Inu-Yasha." Her voice was emotionless, but musical. Gold rings glittered in the lobes of her pointed ears. "My name is Nekoiya, and I have come to make a trade with you."
The half-demon was confused. "What do I have that you want?" he asked.
Nekoiya's lashes barely fluttered. "Your sword." She ignored the intake of breath from all the group members and continued, "Your sword for four shards." They gleamed rainbow on her outstretched palm.
It was all Inu-Yasha could do not to snatch the shards from her hand that instant. He could feel Myoga trembling on his necklace, and waited for the flea to say something. It didn't take long.
"Beware, Lord Inu-Yasha!" whispered the flea. "I've heard of her. She's an assassin as well as a demon, has knives hidden all around her body and knows martial arts. Don't make any hasty moves!"
Meanwhile, Nekoiya was finally looking up, gazing at Kagome, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo in turn. Eventually she said, "I don't know how all those demons lost to you. The only full demon with you is the kitsune, and he's only a baby." Shippo stiffened up indignantly at this. "A monk, two girls, a kitsune, and a half-breed have killed all those demons." She smiled a little, but it was a cruel smile. "Maybe I'll try you out later."
Miroku was taking this hard. "They aren't just any two girls!" he said, feeling obliged to say something on their behalf. "Kagome is a reincarnated priestess and Sango is an expert demon-hunter."
The cat-demon glanced at the two girls, who were making angry shushing motions to Miroku, of which he was taking no heed. "They must be pretty powerful," she replied, contradicting herself. "Must be bad to get on their bad side, eh?"
"Yes, you have no id --" Miroku's sentence was cut off as Sango grabbed him and Kagome slapped her hand across his mouth.
"You should go out and think about this," said Nekoiya indifferently. "It seems like an important decision. Go."
The monk sat down next to her. "One moment. You are *so* pretty, even if you are a demon --"
"And what is that supposed to mean?!"
"Um, so, will you bear my child?"
"GET OUT! NOW!!"