Author's Note: Hey everyone! Thanks to all that reviewed. I didn't get as many as I had hoped for this time, so this chapter is shorter. Don't think that I don't notice when you don't review! So this time, pay attention to this part: if you stop reviewing; I stop writing. Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter. Sorry it took so long to get out, I was just plain lazy.
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, but I am Justin Timberlake's 6th puppeteer. Someone's gotta move his left arm when he dances! Lol, just kidding. They wouldn't give me that job.
Way Worn
Chapter 3: Whispers of the Night
Dayu's senses tried desperately to understand exactly what was going on with his body. All thought had left his mind, and little whispers of heat fluttered underneath his skin where her hand gently touched his arm. He stared at her, silently watching as her lips came towards his.
She turned her head to the side, just as she was a breath away from him. Dayu's heart sank as his thoughts quickly returned. She was telling him something, whispering it almost silently. The male hanyou shuddered slightly as her lips barely brushed against his sensitive ear.
"I think that your mother's trying to kill me."
Dayu pulled away, cocking his head to the side in question. "What?" He asked, knowing that his ears had not lied, but asking her to explain.
"She is," Nikomi nodded her head, glancing in the direction of the hut, "I told her that I had to go to the bathroom, so that she would let me out. You saw her. She was cooking that awful green stuff that she feeds me every night. She's trying to kill me with it!"
Dayu shook his head, smiling slightly, "You're not making any sense. Why would my mother, the miko and protector of this village, try to kill you?"
Nikomi began to ramble now. The male hanyou could tell that she had thought this out for a little while, but not completely through. He tuned out most of it, since it was all nonsense. She continued, without taking a breath in between sentences. He began to worry when she turned a bright red.
Reaching out with his clawed hands, he took her shoulders in a gentle grip, and stared into her eyes, "Nikomi, breath." He said, shaking her slightly. The female hanyou inhaled deeply, regular color coming back to her face. Dayu sighed and added, "Don't you think that if that green stuff was poison, it would have killed you by now?"
She regarded him; her eyes told that she was in deep thought. Dayu watched, half wondering if his pretty female friend had gone insane. Her eyes narrowed in concentration, and her ears went back to block out the sounds of the night.
After a moment, Nikomi looked up with a sheepish grin on her face. Even in the dark, the male hanyou could tell that her cheeks were deeply flushed in embarrassment.
"I guess I didn't think of that," She giggled softly at her own stupidity, but stopped and wrinkled her perfect nose, "But… That stuff is horrible, and she won't tell me what it's for. She gave me some before I came out here, and told me to come back in shortly."
Dayu chuckled deeply, "I'm sure that you'll be fine. She's probably just giving you some type of medicine… or something along those lines. Mother would never do anything to hurt more than a fly. Well… save for evil demons, but that's not the point."
Suddenly, a rustle in the bushes alerted both to the fact that they were being watched. Dayu instinctively stepped protectively in front of Nikomi, but she stepped to the side so that they were shoulder to shoulder, or more so, arm to shoulder.
"Show yourself," The male hanyou called to the darkness, flexing his claws. Nikomi, knowing that she could take care of herself, allowed her teeth to show, in a gesture of dominance towards the unknown.
"What are you two doing?" A voice came, familiar, yet not. Out of the shadows, a figure appeared. He wore a red kimono, and his hand rested on the hilt of a sword. Dayu relaxed, knowing who it was. He now understood why they hadn't been caught earlier.
InuYasha's black hair disappeared in the night, blending with the darkness around it. His ears lay in human spots, at the sides of his head, and his claws were gone. It was the night of the new moon, and he was human.
"Father… We were…" Dayu spoke, trying to answer. How could he tell InuYasha that someone had accused his beloved Kagome of trying to kill someone?
InuYasha waved his hand in the air to silence the male. He spoke as he turned away, "Nikomi, go back to bed. Dayu, I need you to help me tonight. I can't hear like I normally can, or smell." With that, he disappeared into the forest, leaving the two alone again.
"I'm surprised he didn't whack me for leaving my spot," Dayu mused, scratching his head. He turned towards Nikomi, and was startled to see her swaying as she stood. "Are you alright?" He asked, worry in his eyes.
She looked up meekly, grinning almost as if she were tired, "Yeah… I'll be fine. I just need some sleep, which is weird because I've been sleeping a lot lately. I'm still worried about that stuff, but-" She swayed violently, and Dayu caught her in his arms as she fell, unconscious.
Extra Author's Note: Interested in finding out what happens next? Go review! I'm watching you through your computer screen. Don't you dare click on that back button! The review button is right below this to the left. Go on…
