CHAPTER TEN
*
Miroku leaned back on the windowsill and closed his eyes. The sun was warm on his face, the breeze was scented with flowers, and Kirara was purring contentedly in his lap, rubbing against his elbow. On the far side of the village, Sango was whetting her blades, a surprisingly pretty picture considering what she was doing. The monk sighed, letting himself relax on the bench. After all, those loud voices didn't bother him at all...
"What the HELL are you talkin' about?"
"I'm talking about you pretending you don't know!"
"Know what?"
"That's EXACTLY what I'm talking about!"
If I weren't used to those two, Miroku thought, I might be very annoyed by being disturbed like this.
On the bench beside Miroku, Shippo sucked a lollipop thoughtfully. "Why do they always argue?" he asked.
"It's how they communicate," Miroku said, not opening his eyes. "Don't worry. It's just a minor squabble. They'll have made up or forgotten about it by sunset."
Kagome and Inuyasha's voices rose louder and louder inside the little house. "... I told you to do that, and now you're looking at me like I'm from Mars when I ask why you never did it! What is WRONG with you?"
"That's MY line! You never told me to do that. If ya had, I sure wouldn't pretend I never heard you."
"Then what do you call what you're doing now?" Kagome retorted. "You may find this surprising, Inuyasha, but I am not so stupid-"
"Well, you're sure acting like it!" Inuyasha snapped.
"SIT!"
Miroku sighed deeply at the sound of Inuyasha yelping in dismay, ending with a loud crash. Their arguments usually ended the same way -- Inuyasha leaving faceprints on the ground, and Kagome storming off without him. How Inuyasha has managed to spend so much time with Kagome and not break his nose, I shall never know, he thought.
Miroku glanced over at the door as Kagome stepped out. She was fuming, with what Shippo called her "scary face." Muttering under her breath, she stalked off in the direction of the girls' hut. Sango paused, sheathed her blades, and followed Kagome.
Inuyasha appeared in the doorway a moment later, with dust on his cheeks and forehead. "What are you starin' at?" he snarled at Miroku.
"Nothing," Miroku said, resting his head on his folded hands. "Just wondering if I could take my midday nap without any more squabbling. Are you and Kagome done, or do you need to get anything more out of your systems?"
"Stuff it, monk." Inuyasha glanced after Kagome, then raced off in the opposite direction.
*
"Good," Marako murmured, letting the branches fall back. His golden eyes flickered as he watched the blur of red and silver finally pausing on a rooftop. Inuyasha slid off the edge of the roof and swung into one of the empty houses.
"What's going on?" Mihaka said impatiently. "You're in my way. I can't see what they're doing."
"Looks like the idiot ticked her off good." Marako smiled slightly, letting his fangs peek over his lips. "She thinks she told him to do something. Actually, she told me. So now she thinks he's covering his butt by lying to her, and they had a big fight."
"I heard it," Mihaka said dryly. She sat back and rested her chin on her knees. "That's good for us, huh? If they're fighting, they'll be separated for a little while. Naraku said that usually Inuyasha sulks unless Kagome tells him that she was wrong."
Marako caught the edge of the bush and pulled it aside. He could see the debauched-looking monk dozing in the doorway, with that twerpy baby fox sitting next to him. "While you're busy with Inuyasha, I'll take Kagome somewhere secluded." His clawed fingers tapped the branch, as if he were in deep thought.
"And if we succeed, we'll meet up with Naraku tonight..."
"'If'?" Marako glanced back at his sister, looking startled. "Don't you think we'll succeed?"
"Of course I do." Mihaka frowned. "Especially since they don't know what we're planning -- they don't even know we're here."
"Can you handle Inuyasha?" Marako's eyes narrowed. "If you think you can't, I can hang around."
A cold smile crossed Mihaka's face. "Don't worry," she said, putting a hand on Marako's arm. "I'll get his guard down. He won't even see it coming until he's half dead."
Marako gripped her arm for a moment in farewell, then jumped up into the trees. Mihaka straightened her schoolgirl's uniform, smoothed her dark hair, and stepped out of the bushes. And "Kagome" began the trek toward the house where Inuyasha was sulking...
TO BE CONTINUED
*
Miroku leaned back on the windowsill and closed his eyes. The sun was warm on his face, the breeze was scented with flowers, and Kirara was purring contentedly in his lap, rubbing against his elbow. On the far side of the village, Sango was whetting her blades, a surprisingly pretty picture considering what she was doing. The monk sighed, letting himself relax on the bench. After all, those loud voices didn't bother him at all...
"What the HELL are you talkin' about?"
"I'm talking about you pretending you don't know!"
"Know what?"
"That's EXACTLY what I'm talking about!"
If I weren't used to those two, Miroku thought, I might be very annoyed by being disturbed like this.
On the bench beside Miroku, Shippo sucked a lollipop thoughtfully. "Why do they always argue?" he asked.
"It's how they communicate," Miroku said, not opening his eyes. "Don't worry. It's just a minor squabble. They'll have made up or forgotten about it by sunset."
Kagome and Inuyasha's voices rose louder and louder inside the little house. "... I told you to do that, and now you're looking at me like I'm from Mars when I ask why you never did it! What is WRONG with you?"
"That's MY line! You never told me to do that. If ya had, I sure wouldn't pretend I never heard you."
"Then what do you call what you're doing now?" Kagome retorted. "You may find this surprising, Inuyasha, but I am not so stupid-"
"Well, you're sure acting like it!" Inuyasha snapped.
"SIT!"
Miroku sighed deeply at the sound of Inuyasha yelping in dismay, ending with a loud crash. Their arguments usually ended the same way -- Inuyasha leaving faceprints on the ground, and Kagome storming off without him. How Inuyasha has managed to spend so much time with Kagome and not break his nose, I shall never know, he thought.
Miroku glanced over at the door as Kagome stepped out. She was fuming, with what Shippo called her "scary face." Muttering under her breath, she stalked off in the direction of the girls' hut. Sango paused, sheathed her blades, and followed Kagome.
Inuyasha appeared in the doorway a moment later, with dust on his cheeks and forehead. "What are you starin' at?" he snarled at Miroku.
"Nothing," Miroku said, resting his head on his folded hands. "Just wondering if I could take my midday nap without any more squabbling. Are you and Kagome done, or do you need to get anything more out of your systems?"
"Stuff it, monk." Inuyasha glanced after Kagome, then raced off in the opposite direction.
*
"Good," Marako murmured, letting the branches fall back. His golden eyes flickered as he watched the blur of red and silver finally pausing on a rooftop. Inuyasha slid off the edge of the roof and swung into one of the empty houses.
"What's going on?" Mihaka said impatiently. "You're in my way. I can't see what they're doing."
"Looks like the idiot ticked her off good." Marako smiled slightly, letting his fangs peek over his lips. "She thinks she told him to do something. Actually, she told me. So now she thinks he's covering his butt by lying to her, and they had a big fight."
"I heard it," Mihaka said dryly. She sat back and rested her chin on her knees. "That's good for us, huh? If they're fighting, they'll be separated for a little while. Naraku said that usually Inuyasha sulks unless Kagome tells him that she was wrong."
Marako caught the edge of the bush and pulled it aside. He could see the debauched-looking monk dozing in the doorway, with that twerpy baby fox sitting next to him. "While you're busy with Inuyasha, I'll take Kagome somewhere secluded." His clawed fingers tapped the branch, as if he were in deep thought.
"And if we succeed, we'll meet up with Naraku tonight..."
"'If'?" Marako glanced back at his sister, looking startled. "Don't you think we'll succeed?"
"Of course I do." Mihaka frowned. "Especially since they don't know what we're planning -- they don't even know we're here."
"Can you handle Inuyasha?" Marako's eyes narrowed. "If you think you can't, I can hang around."
A cold smile crossed Mihaka's face. "Don't worry," she said, putting a hand on Marako's arm. "I'll get his guard down. He won't even see it coming until he's half dead."
Marako gripped her arm for a moment in farewell, then jumped up into the trees. Mihaka straightened her schoolgirl's uniform, smoothed her dark hair, and stepped out of the bushes. And "Kagome" began the trek toward the house where Inuyasha was sulking...
TO BE CONTINUED