CHAPTER TWELVE
*
They set out to the next town the following morning, when Inuyasha's head was no longer on fire. Kagome had managed to repair her clothes with a stapler, and Inuyasha steadfastly refused to acknowledge that he had torn the dress in the first place. The first few days were spent in near-silence, since Inuyasha shouted at anyone who spoke. He spent most of his time in the trees, nursing his headache.
"Just how much did I say?" he was asking Kagome as they walked down a country road.
Miroku shaded his eyes. In the distance, below the rapidly-sinking sun, he could see the oddly-shaped mountain near the village. It looked like a craggy face examining the sky. He smiled slightly.
"You didn't say too much. Except about Kikyo. And Sesshoumaru. And..." Kagome hesitated as she saw Inuyasha's eye twitching. "Well, it won't be a problem if you don't drink any more sake, right?"
"I wanna know EVERYTHING I said when I was drunk," Inuyasha insisted. "Every word!"
"Just about Kikyo, or everything?" Kagome asked tartly.
Inuyasha flushed slightly. "All of it!"
The two of them bickered somewhat over the remaining miles. Miroku glanced up at the red sun and the faded moon, then looked at Sango. "My friends, perhaps I should take Kirara ahead to the village in the distance. I happen to be good friends with the innkeeper, and could probably secure some good rooms for us."
"Good friends?"
"Oh yes. A family friend, in fact. He was a great help to my father before me."
Sango looked back at Kagome and nodded. "Inuyasha, what do you think of that idea?" Kagome asked.
"Feh," was all Inuyasha said.
"He says yes," Kagome translated.
The tiny demon-cat vanished in a swirl of flame, only to reappear as a giant, fanged beast. She stood still while Miroku climbed onto her back, and rode her into the sky.
*
"Miroku!" cried old Haru, dropping his broom and rushing over to Miroku. His bloodshot eyes filled with tears, and his grey topknot bobbed unsteadily over his head.
"It's been far too long, Haru," Miroku said warmly, gripping the old inkeeper's hands. "I've often longed to return here -- your inn is still the most luxurious one I've stayed in."
Haru hid his face. "You flatter me, young monk. Where have you been? You have been absent so long that I feared your curse had overcome you."
"Not yet, not so far," Miroku said. Despite his casual tone, he could feel his cursed hand twitching. "But enough talk of that for now. I've been travelling with some friends, searching for fragments of the Shikon jewel. They should be here in an hour or so, hungry and tired."
Haru winked. "Are these friends young ladies?"
Miroku laughed. "Two are. But not the way you're thinking, lovely as they are." He crossed his arms. "Haru, I need your help. I'm going to need to reserve that... special room for use tonight."
"Ah, fortunately it is empty right now."
"Good. But not for me. I have a friend who is... shall we say, quite shy with his young lady." Miroku sighed. "As a result, I'll need two rooms -- one for myself, a child, a cat, and a young lady -- with utterly pure intentions, I assure you."
"Say no more," Haru said, winking again. "I'll go get the special room ready before they arrive. Now you must eat as you wait for your friends. Sit down and I'll fetch some food..." He bustled off.
Miroku smiled fondly as he sat down on the floor and waited for the food to arrive. He looked on Mushin's old friend as a sort of surrogate uncle -- and now a sort of accomplice. He kept a certain room near the back of his inn, one richly furnished. Local love charms were on the walls and woven into the blankets. What Miroku thought was more effective was the flowers and the incense, which had a certain... aphrodesiac quality. Inuyasha really did need all the help he could get.
Miroku sat back with a smile, and watched the sun set.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
They set out to the next town the following morning, when Inuyasha's head was no longer on fire. Kagome had managed to repair her clothes with a stapler, and Inuyasha steadfastly refused to acknowledge that he had torn the dress in the first place. The first few days were spent in near-silence, since Inuyasha shouted at anyone who spoke. He spent most of his time in the trees, nursing his headache.
"Just how much did I say?" he was asking Kagome as they walked down a country road.
Miroku shaded his eyes. In the distance, below the rapidly-sinking sun, he could see the oddly-shaped mountain near the village. It looked like a craggy face examining the sky. He smiled slightly.
"You didn't say too much. Except about Kikyo. And Sesshoumaru. And..." Kagome hesitated as she saw Inuyasha's eye twitching. "Well, it won't be a problem if you don't drink any more sake, right?"
"I wanna know EVERYTHING I said when I was drunk," Inuyasha insisted. "Every word!"
"Just about Kikyo, or everything?" Kagome asked tartly.
Inuyasha flushed slightly. "All of it!"
The two of them bickered somewhat over the remaining miles. Miroku glanced up at the red sun and the faded moon, then looked at Sango. "My friends, perhaps I should take Kirara ahead to the village in the distance. I happen to be good friends with the innkeeper, and could probably secure some good rooms for us."
"Good friends?"
"Oh yes. A family friend, in fact. He was a great help to my father before me."
Sango looked back at Kagome and nodded. "Inuyasha, what do you think of that idea?" Kagome asked.
"Feh," was all Inuyasha said.
"He says yes," Kagome translated.
The tiny demon-cat vanished in a swirl of flame, only to reappear as a giant, fanged beast. She stood still while Miroku climbed onto her back, and rode her into the sky.
*
"Miroku!" cried old Haru, dropping his broom and rushing over to Miroku. His bloodshot eyes filled with tears, and his grey topknot bobbed unsteadily over his head.
"It's been far too long, Haru," Miroku said warmly, gripping the old inkeeper's hands. "I've often longed to return here -- your inn is still the most luxurious one I've stayed in."
Haru hid his face. "You flatter me, young monk. Where have you been? You have been absent so long that I feared your curse had overcome you."
"Not yet, not so far," Miroku said. Despite his casual tone, he could feel his cursed hand twitching. "But enough talk of that for now. I've been travelling with some friends, searching for fragments of the Shikon jewel. They should be here in an hour or so, hungry and tired."
Haru winked. "Are these friends young ladies?"
Miroku laughed. "Two are. But not the way you're thinking, lovely as they are." He crossed his arms. "Haru, I need your help. I'm going to need to reserve that... special room for use tonight."
"Ah, fortunately it is empty right now."
"Good. But not for me. I have a friend who is... shall we say, quite shy with his young lady." Miroku sighed. "As a result, I'll need two rooms -- one for myself, a child, a cat, and a young lady -- with utterly pure intentions, I assure you."
"Say no more," Haru said, winking again. "I'll go get the special room ready before they arrive. Now you must eat as you wait for your friends. Sit down and I'll fetch some food..." He bustled off.
Miroku smiled fondly as he sat down on the floor and waited for the food to arrive. He looked on Mushin's old friend as a sort of surrogate uncle -- and now a sort of accomplice. He kept a certain room near the back of his inn, one richly furnished. Local love charms were on the walls and woven into the blankets. What Miroku thought was more effective was the flowers and the incense, which had a certain... aphrodesiac quality. Inuyasha really did need all the help he could get.
Miroku sat back with a smile, and watched the sun set.
TO BE CONTINUED
