Disclaimer: I don't own anything. And this is really getting annoying.

Chapter 7: Finding Inu-Yasha

Sesshomaru was enraged. It was nearly sundown, and he still had found no clues of Inu-Yasha's whereabouts. Jaken was sulking, following Sesshomaru through the cold swamp.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" he asked. He backed up a few steps, hoping not to get stepped on again. Sesshomaru didn't even look at him. Jaken decided to ask any way. "Why is it so important that we find Inu-Yasha by tonight?"

"Because" Sesshomaru snapped, "Inu-Yasha is only a half demon. On a new moon, he turns full human until the sun rises"

"And tonight's the new moon?"

"Good job"

Sesshomaru shivered as they walked through the swamp. Those stupid turtles had made him fall in the water, and now he was freezing. The sun was beginning to set over the horizon, making it that much colder. He was really wishing he had his tail to keep him warm now. As they walked, a scent came to Sesshomaru's dull human nose. Smoke. He looked up but the trees were so thick that he couldn't see the sky. He looked at a tree and thought about climbing it to see where the smoke was coming from.

"M'lord, your not thinking of climbing that, are you?" Jaken asked, staring up at the tall tree.

"Of course not." Sesshomaru smirked. He pushed Jaken closer to the tree. "You are"

"I had to ask…" sighed Jaken. With some difficulty, he clambered up the tree. Sesshomaru glared up at him. it annoyed him that Jaken could do something that he no longer could, even if it was only climbing a tree.

"Can you see smoke any where?" Sesshomaru asked from the ground.

Jaken looked around for a sign of smoke. He saw a few gray wisps rising over the sea of green trees. "It's just over the hill!" Jaken said. Sesshomaru sighed.

"What hill?" he asked hopelessly.

"Uhhh… one of them?" Jaken asked more then answered.

"WHICH HILL YOU IDIOT?!"

Jaken was about to say which hill, but he heard a muffled sound behind him. It sounded like a gentle breeze… or the beating of giant wings…

He turned around and his gaze was met with two huge, yellow orbs. Eyes. Owl eyes. He swallowed as he looked up and saw a giant demonic owl. He swallowed hard. "L-lord Sesshomaru…" he stammered quietly, still staring the owl straight in the eyes. The owl stopped beating its wings and landed on the branch beside Jaken. It hooted hungrily as it glared at Jaken.

"Are you having a picnic with a squirrel?? HURRY UP!"

"B-but m'lord… She's going to eat me…" he said nervously.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "The squirrel's going to eat you?" he asked, bewildered. The giant owl took a step closer and screeched. She grabbed Jaken in her talons and took off from the tree at lightning speed.

"LORD SESSHOMARU!!!!! HHHAAAAALLLP MEEEEEE!!!!" Jaken squealed. Sesshomaru looked up through a break in the tree branches in time to see the owl soar over head with Jaken in her talons. She glided swiftly over the treetops, and disappeared into the thick canopy.

"Great… he just had to have a picnic with an owl…" Sesshomaru said, running after them. "He's the main course"

He climbed up a tree, not falling out this time, and looked to see where the owl was flying to. There was a tree larger then any of the others, rising out of the canopy like a supreme ruler, where the owl was surely headed. He also saw the hill where the smoke was coming from. He heard a small cracking noise from beneath him. As he looked down, it grew louder, and he saw what it was. The branch was breaking. He tried to jump off, and as he did so, he landed on another, thinner branch, which snapped immediately. Sesshomaru crashed to the ground. The limb that had been cracking detached from the tree and fell on his head. "Damn tree…" he swore from beneath the branch. He threw it of his head and rushed after the owl towards the tree.

***

The giant owl landed in a giant tree, bigger then all the rest. She dropped Jaken into a soft nest. He panicked and looked around him.

"Oh… she must think I'm her baby" he said, sounding relieved. He turned and saw three owl chicks coming toward him, which were larger then he was. "Erp… or she doesn't…"

The three chicks chirped hungrily, opening their beaks wide and snapping at Jaken. He backed away. "N-nice birdy…" he said. He reached out to pet one of them and it bit his hand. He howled in pain and took another step backwards, only to feel nothing beneath him. "GYA!!!" he shouted as he fell out of the nest. The branch beneath him broke his fall. Looking up, he saw the huge bird descending on him, her wings beating like an angry storm.

"This is bad…" he muttered. The giant bird landed beside him, her yellow eyes glued on him. He swallowed hard. The bird watched him intently, as if daring him to make a move. Something stirred beneath the tree, and the owl shifted her gaze. Jaken took this opportunity to run, before realizing there was no where to run to. The owl glared at him and opened her giant wings. One of them hit Jaken, and he fell off the branch. She didn't bother to chase after him, deciding he didn't look too appetizing.

Jaken was waiting to become a pancake on the ground, or on another branch. Instead, he felt himself caught by some one. He looked up and saw Sesshomaru holding him. He looked Jaken over, and, seeing he was mostly unhurt, dropped him on the ground.

"Good work. You found Inu-Yasha's camp." He stated plainly, looking through the foliage.

"Eh? Oh! I did? I mean, I did."

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes.

"Ok, lets go get the Tetsusaiga." Jaken said, walking forward. Sesshomaru grabbed him.

"No. My plan is to beat around the bush a bit… they won't recognize me, but they'll recognize you. And if they recognize you then it wont be good for either of our health"

"So I have to get left behind again?" Jaken sulked.

"Yes"

Jaken sighed. "Even when Rin's not here, I still have to get left behind…"

Sesshomaru kicked him. Jaken shut up.

"Now… I have to wait for tonight, the new moon, then Inu-Yasha will be human…In the mean time…"

He sank down beneath a tree and closed his eyes. "Wake me up when its night, Jaken"

"Yes Lord Sesshomaru…"

"And try not to get eaten…you are useful in some situations…"

Jaken beamed.

"Like being bait. And a baby sitter"

His smile crumbled significantly.

Sesshomaru drifted into a deep sleep, hoping he wouldn't be so worn out when he woke up.

***

Well, that's that. I was watching the eclipse when I wrote this, and the chapter was supposed to be longer, and get the plot moving a bit more, but it was turning out too long so I'll put that in the next chapter.