CHAPTER THIRTEEN

*

The sun was setting, and Miroku was halfway through his dinner, when he heard the voices of his companions. Or more correctly, he heard Inuyasha first, and the girls a few minutes later. He sighed. As always, the younger man was as subtle and quiet as a rampaging bull.

Miroku dropped a bit of fish in front of Kirara. She gobbled it up, then began washing her paws. She had already eaten most of one serving, even as a tiny cat.

"Looks like a dump to me."

"Inuyasha, be quiet."

"They'd better have some decent dinner or I'm going out to kill something and drag it back."

The three of them appeared in the doorway, with Shippo clinging to Kagome's shoulder.

"Good people, welcome!" Haru rushed over with a wide, gap-toothed smile. "I am deeply honored that you have come to my inn tonight. I hope you will like everything -- and you!" Much to Inuyasha's discomfort, the old man seized his hands and shook them enthusiastically. "You I welcome most of all. Any friend of dear Miroku's is a friend of mine."

"Who says we're friends?" Inuyasha said, trying to pull away his hands.

The half-demon stayed sulky throughout the dinner, although he ate more than Miroku and Sango put together. The monk suspected that Inuyasha's ego was still smarting from his recent bout of drunkenness. So easily bruised, Miroku thought. I swear, if I didn't know better, I'd think he was a lot younger than he is.

As the evening wore on, Kagome barely stopped a food fight between Inuyasha and Shippo. Deciding this was the right time, Miroku announced loudly, "I think that we had better get to sleep. We have a long journey ahead of us. Haru, are you here?"

"Yes, Miroku," the old man said, scuttling over. "I have your rooms ready." He winked at Miroku and then at Inuyasha, who looked mildly unnerved.

Things didn't improve when they reached the hallway where their rooms were. "Two rooms?" Inuyasha repeated, looking at the hallway. "How come? Normally we all sleep in the same room."

"I know," Miroku said, shrugging. "But Haru had an extra room and is allowing us to use it, free of charge. It would be rude to refuse."

"We could use the extra room," Sango said, folding a blanket.

"Exactly," Miroku said. He opened one of the doors and gestured inside. "Ladies first, Sango."

A stony silence met him. Miroku felt uneasy with the others looking at him so disapprovingly; he hadn't expected them to suspect his intentions... well, not that way. Then Sango picked up Shippo and walked quickly inside. Pausing in the doorway of the "special" room, Inuyasha called out, "If you need any help, Sango, just yell and I'll come beat him up for ya."

"I guess chivalry ISN'T dead," Kagome said, tugging on Inuyasha's arm. "Come on, I think Sango can take care of herself."

The door slid shut behind them.

*

Miroku spent a quiet half-hour carving designs on a small string of wooden prayer beads; Sango was sharpening her blades, and Shippo was playing with Kirara. A small oil lamp cast a shadow on the four of them, and Miroku was starting to get pleasantly drowsy. He glanced over at his bedding, wondering what time it was.

Sango had initially been rather cold to Miroku. But when she realized that he wasn't using their shared room as an excuse to seduce her, she relaxed and even hummed as she worked.

I wonder what's going on next door, Miroku thought.

His question was answered by the sound of scrabbling, and a faint squeal from Kagome. A loud thump against the wall. More scrabbling. A faint grunting noise that sounded like Inuyasha, followed by the sound of soft murmuring, growling and pottery breaking. The wall shivered. More thumps.

Sango apparently was thinking the same thing as Miroku. Her face flushed, and she quickly dragged Shippo, Kirara, and her bedding to the opposite side of the room. "Hey Sango, what's wrong?" Shippo was asking as he was pulled along by his tail. "Shouldn't someone go check on Inuyasha and Kagome? It sounds like she's sitting him pretty hard."

Miroku just smiled and lay back on his bedding. Finally, I have some success, he thought.

TO BE CONTINUED