CHAPTER SEVEN
*
The girl in the hot springs combed her fingers through her long black hair. Still naked, she leaned forward and looked at her rippling, distorted reflection in the water. A bug flitted across it, obliterating the image. She flicked it absentmindedly from the water, still staring at her face.
She and Marako were supposed to meet Naraku soon, to be told what they were supposed to ultimately do. They had been told a great deal about Inuyasha and Kagome -- how they bickered, how Inuyasha obsessively guarded the human girl, how he was still attached to the dead priestess Kikyo, despite his feelings for Kagome -- Kikyo's reincarnation, oddly enough. And a thousand little quirks, little habits and words that they themselves had probably forgotten. The way they stood, the way they walked, the rosary that responded to Kagome's command, the way Kagome clung to Inuyasha's back and throat as he ran. Naraku, once he had taught them all this, told them to insinuate themselves in the group, weaving in and out until he gave them further instructions.
Mihaka raised her leg out of the water and began idly scrubbing it. She knew that they were supposed to kill Kagome and Inuyasha. But she wondered what Naraku had in mind. Nothing simple, that much was sure. She had found out about Inuyasha's shyness from Sango, and that could be very useful. She couldn't wait to tell Naraku about it...
"Mihaka?"
The girl leaned back and stretched her slim arms over her head. "I'm in the hot spring."
A tall, lean boy in red walked out of the woods. His dog ears flicked slightly as he saw Mihaka relaxing in the hot water, but he made no move to join her. Instead he sat heavily on the bank, letting his bare feet brush the surface of the bubbling, steaming water.
Mihaka continued washing, unashamed by her brother seeing her nude form. "You talked to Miroku?"
"Yeah."
"What did you find out?"
"Inuyasha's still stuck on this Kikyo woman, and it upsets Kagome just hearing about it. Sounds like nothing much happens, though -- one kiss, a couple hugs, and that's about all. Stupid woman if that's getting her mad."
Mihaka splashed water on her face. "Naraku TOLD us that."
"I know," Marako said defensively. His golden eyes wandered off into the treetops. "But also she's scared that he sees her just as a jewel shard detector -- she sees the shards, and apparently he's said a few times that that's all he wants her around for, or something like that. Sounds like the idiot's in love with her, but won't say it and is too dense to figure out what she's thinking."
Mihaka stretched out, rubbing a washcloth over her back. Marako took it carefully from her hand, and began scrubbing along her sides and neck; she lifted her dark hair to let him reach. "Where did Sango go?" Mihaka asked.
Marako squeezed the washcloth, sending soapy water down his sister's spine. She sat still, her face pensive. He said, "I stopped her on the way back to the village, so she wouldn't see Kagome sleeping in their hut. I claimed I saw something near the foot of the mountain, and it took almost half an hour to finish lookin'." He sat back, letting the washcloth drop into the hot spring. His face was locked into a harsh, thoughtful expression, making him look even more like Inuyasha. "Then I had to leave in a hurry. Inuyasha was up on the rooftops, practicing with his sword."
"What about yours?"
Marako smiled slightly and put a hand on the ragged-looking katana on his belt. "It doesn't transform, but it's good enough when I'm not fighting. THIS doesn't work either." He hooked a clawed finger on the rough rosary around his neck. "Glad it doesn't, or I'd be in trouble."
Something darted by Marako's face. The demon flinched and raised his hand to swat it, then stopped. It was one of Naraku's venomous wasps, hovering over Mihaka's head. She rose quickly, and began toweling her wet body off.
"He must be waitin' for us," Marako said, standing. "Come on, let's move."
The wasp buzzed away, with the two following swiftly, side by side. Mihaka quickly dressed, and followed her brother into the woods. He was smiling eagerly, with a hungry gleam in his golden eyes. The night swallowed them up, as the insect led them away from the abandoned village.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
The girl in the hot springs combed her fingers through her long black hair. Still naked, she leaned forward and looked at her rippling, distorted reflection in the water. A bug flitted across it, obliterating the image. She flicked it absentmindedly from the water, still staring at her face.
She and Marako were supposed to meet Naraku soon, to be told what they were supposed to ultimately do. They had been told a great deal about Inuyasha and Kagome -- how they bickered, how Inuyasha obsessively guarded the human girl, how he was still attached to the dead priestess Kikyo, despite his feelings for Kagome -- Kikyo's reincarnation, oddly enough. And a thousand little quirks, little habits and words that they themselves had probably forgotten. The way they stood, the way they walked, the rosary that responded to Kagome's command, the way Kagome clung to Inuyasha's back and throat as he ran. Naraku, once he had taught them all this, told them to insinuate themselves in the group, weaving in and out until he gave them further instructions.
Mihaka raised her leg out of the water and began idly scrubbing it. She knew that they were supposed to kill Kagome and Inuyasha. But she wondered what Naraku had in mind. Nothing simple, that much was sure. She had found out about Inuyasha's shyness from Sango, and that could be very useful. She couldn't wait to tell Naraku about it...
"Mihaka?"
The girl leaned back and stretched her slim arms over her head. "I'm in the hot spring."
A tall, lean boy in red walked out of the woods. His dog ears flicked slightly as he saw Mihaka relaxing in the hot water, but he made no move to join her. Instead he sat heavily on the bank, letting his bare feet brush the surface of the bubbling, steaming water.
Mihaka continued washing, unashamed by her brother seeing her nude form. "You talked to Miroku?"
"Yeah."
"What did you find out?"
"Inuyasha's still stuck on this Kikyo woman, and it upsets Kagome just hearing about it. Sounds like nothing much happens, though -- one kiss, a couple hugs, and that's about all. Stupid woman if that's getting her mad."
Mihaka splashed water on her face. "Naraku TOLD us that."
"I know," Marako said defensively. His golden eyes wandered off into the treetops. "But also she's scared that he sees her just as a jewel shard detector -- she sees the shards, and apparently he's said a few times that that's all he wants her around for, or something like that. Sounds like the idiot's in love with her, but won't say it and is too dense to figure out what she's thinking."
Mihaka stretched out, rubbing a washcloth over her back. Marako took it carefully from her hand, and began scrubbing along her sides and neck; she lifted her dark hair to let him reach. "Where did Sango go?" Mihaka asked.
Marako squeezed the washcloth, sending soapy water down his sister's spine. She sat still, her face pensive. He said, "I stopped her on the way back to the village, so she wouldn't see Kagome sleeping in their hut. I claimed I saw something near the foot of the mountain, and it took almost half an hour to finish lookin'." He sat back, letting the washcloth drop into the hot spring. His face was locked into a harsh, thoughtful expression, making him look even more like Inuyasha. "Then I had to leave in a hurry. Inuyasha was up on the rooftops, practicing with his sword."
"What about yours?"
Marako smiled slightly and put a hand on the ragged-looking katana on his belt. "It doesn't transform, but it's good enough when I'm not fighting. THIS doesn't work either." He hooked a clawed finger on the rough rosary around his neck. "Glad it doesn't, or I'd be in trouble."
Something darted by Marako's face. The demon flinched and raised his hand to swat it, then stopped. It was one of Naraku's venomous wasps, hovering over Mihaka's head. She rose quickly, and began toweling her wet body off.
"He must be waitin' for us," Marako said, standing. "Come on, let's move."
The wasp buzzed away, with the two following swiftly, side by side. Mihaka quickly dressed, and followed her brother into the woods. He was smiling eagerly, with a hungry gleam in his golden eyes. The night swallowed them up, as the insect led them away from the abandoned village.
TO BE CONTINUED