CHAPTER TWO
*
Long after they had left the well, Kagome still smelled the blood from the bear. Miroku had taken a look at her leg -- ignoring growls from Inuyasha -- and said that it wasn't serious. Her bow had taken most of the blow. She fit the broken pieces together, then tossed them way.
"Was there something special about that bow, Kagome?" Sango asked.
"No, not really," Kagome said glumly. "I tend to lose them pretty fast. I just feel kind of naked without one." Her leg ached a little, but at least Kaede probably had some ointment to take the pain away.
Myoga hopped up onto Kagome's bike handles. "That's hardly surprising. You've become quite proficient in your archery, which is remarkable considering how short a time you've been practicing."
"Thanks, Myoga," Kagome said, feeling a little better.
"It doesn't hurt that you blow stuff up with your arrows," Shippo chimed in.
The sky grew dimmer as they came closer to Kaede's village. Inuyasha was walking up ahead, apparently lost in his thoughts. But Kagome noticed that his shoulders were hunched up, and he was pointedly not entering the conversation -- not even when Shippo made a joke about him.
I wonder if he's upset about something, Kagome thought. But she couldn't remember anything that might have gotten him mad. Besides, Inuyasha tended to lash out when he was angry.
"Ah, smoke," Miroku murmured. He pointed at a thin trail of smoke in the distance. "We're nearly there, it seems."
"About time," Inuyasha said flatly.
Miroku frowned. "Inuyasha, are you feeling all right?"
"I'm fine."
"Well, you've been breathing rather heavily for awhile now. And you've-"
Inuyasha stumbled down onto one knee. But he was back on his feet before Kagome reached him.
"Lord Inuyasha," Myoga called, concerned. "How long have you been unwell?"
"I'm FINE," Inuyasha repeated.
"I don't think you are," Miroku said, rolling up his sleeves. He handed his staff to Sango. "Inuyasha, take off your kimono."
"Nothing doing."
Miroku rubbed his chin with his bead-wrapped hand. "If you prefer," he said with a smile, "I can have Kagome give you a certain command, and take your kimono off when you're down."
"Just try it," Inuyasha said ominously. But at Kagome's urging, he shrugged off his kimono, leaving his chest and shoulders bare. "But it's a waste of time. I doesn't hurt or nothin'."
"I'll be the judge of that," Miroku said. As he pulled the kimono away, Kagome gasped. The gash in Inuyasha's arm hadn't healed. It was reddened and slightly swollen, as if it had gotten infected.
"My my," Miroku said, frowning. "Inuyasha, this doesn't look very good. Given that you're half demon, I would have expected it to have closed by now." He prodded at the wound.
Inuyasha jerked away. "Hey!"
"I thought you said it didn't hurt."
"It didn't, until you started poking at it!" Inuyasha pulled his kimono back on. "Look, I'm fine, okay? I've gotten much worse than a little cut like that." He strode on ahead, even faster than before.
Kagome watched him for a moment. "I think I'll ride on ahead with him, if that's all right," she said to Sango and Miroku. "Myoga, Shippo, hang on tight."
She began riding after the sulking half-demon. Inuyasha barely looked at her when she caught up with him. "What is it now?" he said darkly. "If Miroku wants me to take my kimono off again, he's outta luck. He says that a little too often anyway."
"I don't think he's much interested in you," Shippo pointed out.
"Inuyasha, I'm riding ahead to Kaede's house," Kagome said. "You wanna ride?"
Inuyasha stopped for a moment, thinking it over. Then he hopped onto the back of her bike, settled himself down, and said, "Okay, I'm ready."
The sun was setting behind the clouds, turning them a deep gold reflected in the lake. It would have been a pretty sight, if Kagome could have only concentrated on it. Behind her, Inuyasha was breathing hard again, with his eyes closed. His pointed dog ears were drooping.
"Inuyasha?" Shippo called. "Are you sure you're okay? You look kinda sick."
"Leave me alone, runt," Inuyasha mumbled.
"Lord Inuyasha!" Myoga said reprovingly. "I understand that you feel unwell, but to take your frustrations out on others is rather unseemly."
"Stow it, flea."
They rounded a bend full of drooping trees and splashed through a puddle before reaching the outskirts of the village. Inuyasha raised his head as they passed through the village, drawing a few curious stares. He rested his chin lightly on Kagome's shoulder, as they stopped in front of the hut where High Priestess Kaede lived.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
Long after they had left the well, Kagome still smelled the blood from the bear. Miroku had taken a look at her leg -- ignoring growls from Inuyasha -- and said that it wasn't serious. Her bow had taken most of the blow. She fit the broken pieces together, then tossed them way.
"Was there something special about that bow, Kagome?" Sango asked.
"No, not really," Kagome said glumly. "I tend to lose them pretty fast. I just feel kind of naked without one." Her leg ached a little, but at least Kaede probably had some ointment to take the pain away.
Myoga hopped up onto Kagome's bike handles. "That's hardly surprising. You've become quite proficient in your archery, which is remarkable considering how short a time you've been practicing."
"Thanks, Myoga," Kagome said, feeling a little better.
"It doesn't hurt that you blow stuff up with your arrows," Shippo chimed in.
The sky grew dimmer as they came closer to Kaede's village. Inuyasha was walking up ahead, apparently lost in his thoughts. But Kagome noticed that his shoulders were hunched up, and he was pointedly not entering the conversation -- not even when Shippo made a joke about him.
I wonder if he's upset about something, Kagome thought. But she couldn't remember anything that might have gotten him mad. Besides, Inuyasha tended to lash out when he was angry.
"Ah, smoke," Miroku murmured. He pointed at a thin trail of smoke in the distance. "We're nearly there, it seems."
"About time," Inuyasha said flatly.
Miroku frowned. "Inuyasha, are you feeling all right?"
"I'm fine."
"Well, you've been breathing rather heavily for awhile now. And you've-"
Inuyasha stumbled down onto one knee. But he was back on his feet before Kagome reached him.
"Lord Inuyasha," Myoga called, concerned. "How long have you been unwell?"
"I'm FINE," Inuyasha repeated.
"I don't think you are," Miroku said, rolling up his sleeves. He handed his staff to Sango. "Inuyasha, take off your kimono."
"Nothing doing."
Miroku rubbed his chin with his bead-wrapped hand. "If you prefer," he said with a smile, "I can have Kagome give you a certain command, and take your kimono off when you're down."
"Just try it," Inuyasha said ominously. But at Kagome's urging, he shrugged off his kimono, leaving his chest and shoulders bare. "But it's a waste of time. I doesn't hurt or nothin'."
"I'll be the judge of that," Miroku said. As he pulled the kimono away, Kagome gasped. The gash in Inuyasha's arm hadn't healed. It was reddened and slightly swollen, as if it had gotten infected.
"My my," Miroku said, frowning. "Inuyasha, this doesn't look very good. Given that you're half demon, I would have expected it to have closed by now." He prodded at the wound.
Inuyasha jerked away. "Hey!"
"I thought you said it didn't hurt."
"It didn't, until you started poking at it!" Inuyasha pulled his kimono back on. "Look, I'm fine, okay? I've gotten much worse than a little cut like that." He strode on ahead, even faster than before.
Kagome watched him for a moment. "I think I'll ride on ahead with him, if that's all right," she said to Sango and Miroku. "Myoga, Shippo, hang on tight."
She began riding after the sulking half-demon. Inuyasha barely looked at her when she caught up with him. "What is it now?" he said darkly. "If Miroku wants me to take my kimono off again, he's outta luck. He says that a little too often anyway."
"I don't think he's much interested in you," Shippo pointed out.
"Inuyasha, I'm riding ahead to Kaede's house," Kagome said. "You wanna ride?"
Inuyasha stopped for a moment, thinking it over. Then he hopped onto the back of her bike, settled himself down, and said, "Okay, I'm ready."
The sun was setting behind the clouds, turning them a deep gold reflected in the lake. It would have been a pretty sight, if Kagome could have only concentrated on it. Behind her, Inuyasha was breathing hard again, with his eyes closed. His pointed dog ears were drooping.
"Inuyasha?" Shippo called. "Are you sure you're okay? You look kinda sick."
"Leave me alone, runt," Inuyasha mumbled.
"Lord Inuyasha!" Myoga said reprovingly. "I understand that you feel unwell, but to take your frustrations out on others is rather unseemly."
"Stow it, flea."
They rounded a bend full of drooping trees and splashed through a puddle before reaching the outskirts of the village. Inuyasha raised his head as they passed through the village, drawing a few curious stares. He rested his chin lightly on Kagome's shoulder, as they stopped in front of the hut where High Priestess Kaede lived.
TO BE CONTINUED