CHAPTER TEN
*
"Go away!" Kagome shouted over her shoulder. "I mean it, you mangy mutts! Go away! Get lost! Tell Koga I'm not interested!"
The wolves racing just behind her didn't pay attention. As she sped down the road, they ran just behind her bike, watching her with their yellow eyes. She was pedalling fast enough to make her knees hurt, but the wolves were catching up to her. One of them, with a scar marring his gray fur, ran slightly ahead of her before falling back.
I can't outrun them! Kagome thought.
She swerved wildly, wishing that Inuyasha were still with her. He'd swipe away those wolves in a minute, she thought. I just hope Koga isn't hanging around. He might not wanna mess with Sesshoumaru, but he might think if Inuyasha is dead that I'm up for grabs. I'm not, and if he tries to carry me off again, I'll tell him so in a big way. Oh, I wish I had a necklace for him too...
One of the wolves barked as Kagome skidded down an embankment. Wait a minute, Kagome thought. They weren't chasing her; they were just running with her. "I guess Koga wants to keep an eye on me until he can show up in person," she murmured.
Another memory of Inuyasha resurfaced. "No way am I letting that fleabag wolf take you away again! I'll turn him into a rug first!" Kagome smiled slightly, and steered back toward the mountains.
The morning sun was still low in the sky, and had risen to the middle of the sky when Kagome finally saw the mountains near the village. And the wolves were still running with her.
*
"I mean it! Get lost! Go away!"
A familiar shout made Sango sit up sharply. She dropped the mortar and pestle and scrambled out the door. Kirara and Kaede followed her out of the door, calling Kagome's name.
Kagome was skidding into the village on her bicycle, with a cloud of dust and three wolves behind her. She seemed less frightened than annoyed. They're probably Koga's wolves, Sango thought darkly. She picked up her boomerang and raised it over her head. Kirara bristled and transformed into a demon-cat the size of a horse.
But at the edge of the village, the wolves broke off their pursuit. They turned and vanished into the woods.
Kagome rolled over to Kaede's house. "I'm so tired I can barely see straight," she said, wiping dust from her eyes. "And my legs hurt."
"You were pursued by wolves," Sango said, lowering her boomerang. "Were they Koga's?"
"I think so. None of them tried to hurt me." Kagome yawned. "Can I -- can I explain later?"
A small furry blur shot out of the house. "Kagome!" Shippo said, running over and leaping into her arms. Kagome smiled; it was a little taste of normality amid all the weirdness. "I was so worried! Will you stay this time?"
"I can't. In a few days, I have to leave again," Kagome said, rubbing her eyes. They felt as if sand were seeping under her eyelids. I'm so tired, she thought. I barely slept in the past week. She set Shippo down on the floor and wandered into the dark, cool house.
Her sore knees gave out at the fireplace, and she numbly stared into the flames. The memory of her meeting with Sesshoumaru haunted her mind, and the memory of what she was risking. Inuyasha loved that sword more than anything. When he learned that she had traded it... to his despised half-brother, no less...
"Kagome?" Sango knelt at her side, with a red bundle over her knees. "I kept this at my side constantly while you were gone," she added. "I didn't let anyone else handle it -- not even Miroku or Kaede."
"Thank you," Kagome said.
She slowly unwrapped the worn folds of fire-rat cloth. Inside, the Tetsusaiga lay in all its threadbare glory. It looked like a warrior's katana that had been used for a little too long -- the scabbard hid a battered blade, and the hilt looked worn and a bit unravelled. Kagome had seen it transform in Inuyasha's hand, turning into the fang his father had had forged into a blade. He always had looked magnificent when he used the Tetsusaiga. But she wouldn't see that again... even if he came back...
"Kagome," Sango said quietly. "You're crying... what happened during the day you were gone? Where did you go?"
Kagome just shook her head.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
"Go away!" Kagome shouted over her shoulder. "I mean it, you mangy mutts! Go away! Get lost! Tell Koga I'm not interested!"
The wolves racing just behind her didn't pay attention. As she sped down the road, they ran just behind her bike, watching her with their yellow eyes. She was pedalling fast enough to make her knees hurt, but the wolves were catching up to her. One of them, with a scar marring his gray fur, ran slightly ahead of her before falling back.
I can't outrun them! Kagome thought.
She swerved wildly, wishing that Inuyasha were still with her. He'd swipe away those wolves in a minute, she thought. I just hope Koga isn't hanging around. He might not wanna mess with Sesshoumaru, but he might think if Inuyasha is dead that I'm up for grabs. I'm not, and if he tries to carry me off again, I'll tell him so in a big way. Oh, I wish I had a necklace for him too...
One of the wolves barked as Kagome skidded down an embankment. Wait a minute, Kagome thought. They weren't chasing her; they were just running with her. "I guess Koga wants to keep an eye on me until he can show up in person," she murmured.
Another memory of Inuyasha resurfaced. "No way am I letting that fleabag wolf take you away again! I'll turn him into a rug first!" Kagome smiled slightly, and steered back toward the mountains.
The morning sun was still low in the sky, and had risen to the middle of the sky when Kagome finally saw the mountains near the village. And the wolves were still running with her.
*
"I mean it! Get lost! Go away!"
A familiar shout made Sango sit up sharply. She dropped the mortar and pestle and scrambled out the door. Kirara and Kaede followed her out of the door, calling Kagome's name.
Kagome was skidding into the village on her bicycle, with a cloud of dust and three wolves behind her. She seemed less frightened than annoyed. They're probably Koga's wolves, Sango thought darkly. She picked up her boomerang and raised it over her head. Kirara bristled and transformed into a demon-cat the size of a horse.
But at the edge of the village, the wolves broke off their pursuit. They turned and vanished into the woods.
Kagome rolled over to Kaede's house. "I'm so tired I can barely see straight," she said, wiping dust from her eyes. "And my legs hurt."
"You were pursued by wolves," Sango said, lowering her boomerang. "Were they Koga's?"
"I think so. None of them tried to hurt me." Kagome yawned. "Can I -- can I explain later?"
A small furry blur shot out of the house. "Kagome!" Shippo said, running over and leaping into her arms. Kagome smiled; it was a little taste of normality amid all the weirdness. "I was so worried! Will you stay this time?"
"I can't. In a few days, I have to leave again," Kagome said, rubbing her eyes. They felt as if sand were seeping under her eyelids. I'm so tired, she thought. I barely slept in the past week. She set Shippo down on the floor and wandered into the dark, cool house.
Her sore knees gave out at the fireplace, and she numbly stared into the flames. The memory of her meeting with Sesshoumaru haunted her mind, and the memory of what she was risking. Inuyasha loved that sword more than anything. When he learned that she had traded it... to his despised half-brother, no less...
"Kagome?" Sango knelt at her side, with a red bundle over her knees. "I kept this at my side constantly while you were gone," she added. "I didn't let anyone else handle it -- not even Miroku or Kaede."
"Thank you," Kagome said.
She slowly unwrapped the worn folds of fire-rat cloth. Inside, the Tetsusaiga lay in all its threadbare glory. It looked like a warrior's katana that had been used for a little too long -- the scabbard hid a battered blade, and the hilt looked worn and a bit unravelled. Kagome had seen it transform in Inuyasha's hand, turning into the fang his father had had forged into a blade. He always had looked magnificent when he used the Tetsusaiga. But she wouldn't see that again... even if he came back...
"Kagome," Sango said quietly. "You're crying... what happened during the day you were gone? Where did you go?"
Kagome just shook her head.
TO BE CONTINUED