CHAPTER FIVE

*

"Inuyasha," Kagome mumbled, burying her face in his hair. She felt like she was drowning, with cold air and whirling snow blinding her, filling her nose and mouth when she spoke, dulling every sound except the roar of the wind.

Inuyasha was holding her tighter, his claws digging into her legs. Not as badly as her wrist, but it was making her uncomfortable. At least the discomfort kept her awake -- she was starting to feel a little sleepy.

I'm so COLD, Kagome thought, squeezing her eyes shut. The air seared her throat and nose, and any exposed skin. She glanced down at Inuyasha's snow-covered legs; he was still walking barefoot. She couldn't understand how he could stand it. I hope he doesn't get frostbite, she thought.

Inuyasha was closing his eyes against the wind. It didn't make any difference whether he could see or not; when he looked ahead, he just saw a swirling blur of black and gray.

His feet were freezing and wet, but that wasn't his biggest problem. Earlier he had been leaping lightly with Kagome on his back, but the snow was up past his knees. He had to slog along as slowly as a human, creeping up the slope like an insect. He couldn't run without his feet and knees free. If he tried to jump in this wind, without something solid to land on, he'd be sure to go tumbling down with Kagome again.

Kagome... she felt as heavy and stiff as a dead thing, but he could feel her breath on the back of his neck. Even though she was wearing six or seven times her normal amount of clothes, Inuyasha knew that she was starting to slip away. And when she fell asleep, she would never wake up.

He jostled her and dug into her legs with his claws.

"Hmm?" Kagome mumbled. "What's wrong?"

"Don't you doze off on me!" Inuyasha snapped. "I got enough problems right now."

Kagome raised her head. "Where are Miroku and Sango and Shippo?" she asked.

"Don't know!" Inuyasha shouted over a particularly loud gust of wind. Fine flakes of snow blew over his face, making him snort and shake his head. "I think -- we lost 'em awhile back."

"LOST THEM?"

"Don't yell in my ear! We can't find 'em in this storm! We'll have to take shelter and wait for morning!" Inuyasha knew he sounded angry, but he had to shout anyway.

Kagome clung tightly to his neck as he took another plodding step through the snow. "Shelter where?"

"I dunno!" Inuyasha took another laborious step. His half-frozen ears pricked up slightly. The hollow roaring of the wind was enough to deafen him, but he heard a strange whistle from ahead. He laid back his ears and forged ahead with new strength.

"Do ya see something?" Kagome mumbled into his ear. Inuyasha was warm -- too warm. He felt like his skin was on fire where she touched him. She winced and clutched at his fire-rat kimono.

"No, I hear it," Inuyasha said, opening his eyes. "I hear a cave."

"Hear a cave?"

"I hear wind whistling over the entrance. It isn't far off." He poked her in the knee with one of his claws. "Stay awake a little longer, Kagome."

"I'm trying," she mumbled.

Once again, Inuyasha cursed the rumors that had drawn them here, in a place where he was no better than a human.

Slowly a black shape appeared in front of him, a pitch-black spot in the middle of all the gray, with the top at about his waist level. Inuyasha managed to slide the groggy Kagome into his arms and crept into the cave.

TO BE CONTINUED