Standardyou know the drill.

*****

Hakkai shut the door firmly behind him, glancing up to see Gojyo occupying one of the seats beside the table, a lighted cigarette between his fingers. Fire crackled joyously in the hearth at the far side of the room, throwing both shadows and glinting reflections off the limiters decorating the walls.

Night had come quickly under the cover of the forest canopy and Chen Ming had gone out for a while in the hopes of retrieving more meat from the various traps she set the day before. She truly wasn't expecting to have more than two guests. And despite their insistence, she was adamant about letting her guests stay in the cabin while she went off to gather food, arguing that they were probably worn out from their fight with the lake dragon.

"And besides, these are my traps. I wouldn't want you to accidentally fall into them." She told them.

In the end, Hakkai decided to let the woman do as she pleased, though he silently told himself to remain wary of trouble. Chen Ming's leaving, at least, gave him the privacy he needed to discuss things with Gojyo. After he checked on Sanzo and Goku, of course.

The green-eyed youkai sighed and crossed the room to take the seat beside his best friend.

"Chen Ming-san isn't back yet?"

"Iya." Gojyo propped his legs on the table. "I wouldn't be smoking if she was."

"Sou ka." Hakkai ducked his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "You're notgoing after her?"

The half-youkai grinned as he stuck the cigarette in his mouth. "I can be picky about my women, 'kai."

"Sanzo doesn't seem to think so."

"Chi. The namagusa bouzu can stuff his opinions up his ass for all I care."

"Maa, Gojyo." Hakkai chuckled, amused by the redhead's happy-go-lucky attitude. It always kept him from thinking deephe and Goku did. "Seriously, why aren't you going after her? Not pretty enough?"

"A-re? Oh, she's pretty enough." The cigarette lit up as he sucked on the stick. Smoke billowed out when he sighed. "There's somethingwrong about her. Something I can't put my finger on." Gojyo snorted out more smoke. "Chi, now I sound like the bouzu."

"Iya, Gojyo. I think we all feel the same way, even Goku."

"Hontou? The saru's too dumb to think like that. He clings on to whoever hands him food."

Hakkai grinned. "Not this time. He says Chen Ming-san smells weird."

"Weird like food?"

"Iya! She smelled like the lake dragon, he said. Cold air-cold water."

"The saru's got too cold if he smells that." Gojyo leaned his elbows on the table even if his tone was still sceptical, his blood-red eyes meeting Hakkai's green ones.

"Think about it, Gojyo. Chen Ming-san says she lives alone but why does she have more than one bedroom, and more than one bed?"

"So? She might just be hiding a friend or something."

"Then why doesn't she have any extra clothing?"

"What are you getting at, Hakkai?"

The green-eyed youkai glanced back at the room where Sanzo was. "I think she's expecting company. Human company."

"Like Sanzo?"

"Hai. But unlike him, any human that comes along won't be travelling with youkai. And if I'm right, they would all be poisoned by the lake dragon."

"Just humans, 'kai?"

"Goku got injured in the fight and he wasn't poisoned."

"Aa. Only Sanzo did." Gojyo leaned back in his chair, arms crossed behind his head. "Damn bouzu's always getting himself into trouble."

Hakkai didn't bother replying to that. He was busily staring at the scratches and whorls on the table in front of him. "I've never seen a youkai like the lake dragon. I've never heard of any legends about it either." He glanced up into blood-red eyes. "And have you ever heard of youkais being deterred from killing a human simply by the presence of a lot of limiters?"

"I've heard of stupider ones." Gojyo sucked on his cigarette again. "And they're all dead."

Hakkai opened his mouth to reply when he heard the snapping of twigs outside the cabin. Chen Ming was returning from inspecting her traps.

He moved to open the door for her, the light from the fireplace streaming out the open doorway and illuminated the figure trudging towards him, lumps dangling at her waist. "Okaeri, Chen Ming-san."

The woman paused a few steps away from the door. "Hakkai-san. I think we're lucky tonight." She gestured at the handful of rabbits she had tied to her apron. "I'll be making a quick stew from these. Hopefully I have enough vegetables left from the ones I picked earlier."

"Ah, hai." He stepped aside to let her pass and closed the door behind her. "Ano, do you need help in cooking?"

"Iya," she grinned at him as she shook her head. "I can do it by myself."

"Demo, I don't feel it's right if I just sit around doing nothing."

"You're keeping your friend company. That's not nothing."

"Gojyo?" Hakkai glanced at the half-youkai meaningfully, flicking his eyes towards the room where Sanzo and Goku were.

Thankfully, Gojyo understood his meaning.

"I'll play up the saru till you guys are ready." The half-youkai pushed his chair back and casually made a beeline towards the room. "It'll keep that bottomless pit of his from growling the whole time."

Hakkai gave a silent 'arigato' and turned his attention back to Chen Ming. "Now will you let me help, Chen Ming-san?"

The woman frowned at Gojyo's retreating back before she cast "Alright, Hakkai-san." over her shoulder.

He smiled to himself as he took the rabbits from her. Now he could make sure that she wasn't going to place poison in their food.

*****

A/N: I'm estimating I'll only need two more chapters before I can call this finished. I know it's slow, but I do have the end in mind and it's mostly already plotted out in my head so I can't really promise a faster pacing. Besides, I'm practicing bettering my narratives.
As for Chen Ming being the lake youkai, well what can I say other than that I'm glad I actually managed to convey that idea :D