The Scent of Despair
Written by Catrina Winner
Author's Notes: Okay, so only two people have reviewed the new chapter so far. But… Maybe I'll get more later. In the meantime, I think that some of you do want another chapter. So… Here it is!!
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Chapter Four
Sango, Miroku, and Shippo left the yawning slash in the cliff's face a day behind Inuyasha. They waited out the storm, and then patiently gathered up their belongings, which, of course, resulted in many arguments. None had wished to bear the burden of Kagome's enormous pack, but they knew it was absolutely necessary it was brought along. In the end, Sango pointed out that Shippo could not carry it, as he was too small, and, even if did have the energy left to transform, he could not hold it long enough to get all the way to Kaede's village. She herself could not bring the pack, as her boomerang bone was strapped against her back, disabling anything else from residing there. So, the task fell to Miroku through simple reasoning, which he did not like at all.
They left after a hearty lunch (scavenged from Kagome's backpack) and a long rest. None of them were feeling particularly refreshed, but the heavy rains had subsided and the sun had arisen to being warmth and brightness with it, and that lent comfort. The three companions were very worried for the young girl, though they believed Inuyasha could carry her to the village with plenty of time to spare. It was not the first time Kagome had to face a crisis. And it would probably not be the last.
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The night passed, sluggishly. Inuyasha, far in front of the three companions, awoke with the sun, his ears twitching. There were no noises out of place, just a few bird's singing and animals coming out of hiding into the new day. There was no more rain, and the path had grown harder over the nighttime.
"Humph," Inuyasha muttered. He's stomach was emptier then ever, and sleeping on hard ground in a moist area had not helped his with his exhaustion. Glancing down at his charge, he felt himself grow cold. There was no movement from the girl.
"Kagome!" he shouted, grabbing her shoulders. He froze for a single moment, a feeling of dread wracking every thought he had. There was a rasping noise and Kagome stirred. Barely.
Glancing up in relief, Inuyasha hugged Kagome to him. She was taking the shallow, grating breaths much too far apart to be healthy. Inuyasha could not stand to entertain the fact that Kagome could die. He lifted her in his arms, wrapped the robe around her again, and took a deep breath.
"Kagome, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I don't care if it kills me, but we're making it to Kaede's village tonight," he whispered to her inert form. Then he leaped back onto the trail, running so quickly the animals around his chosen path did not even see the owner of the crashing footfalls as they destroyed much of the delicate undergrowth. And so the day went.
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Kaede walked among the washed-out huts and gossiping village people. The sun would sink below the horizon in less than an hour, leaving little time to view the damage the storm had suffered upon them.
"Lady Kaede! Another house has fallen into the river!" The strained voice belonged to a frightened young boy.
"Another?" she looked up tiredly. "I'll see to it in the morning. For now, make sure everyone has shelter to spend the night within. Is there anything else that cannot wait until dawn?" she asked.
The boy's face twisted in thought and he stuck his tongue out to the side. It was important that he didn't neglect to tell Lady Kaede anything. "No… I don't think so," he replied finally.
"Good. I'm going to retire," she said, putting a hand up to her head. It ached with the day's constant demands. Suddenly, off to her left, there was a cry of terror. Fearing a demon attack or something far worse, she rushed towards the stricken noise.
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It took her less than a moment to reach the source of distress. The sight that met her old eyes made her wish she had lingered behind.
A haggard form was staggering up the path carrying a brightly colored bundle, though the mud sticking to it everywhere dulled its magnificence. And the mud was not just on the cloth. The poor figure was drenched in it from head to foot. Golden eyes glittered from under their encasement, and white ears turned back and forth atop a mound of stained white hair. Recognition dawned on the old woman as the figure finally came to a halt a few feet in front of her.
"Inuyasha!" she exclaimed, startled. Never before had the demon appeared in such a state. It was horrifying. A dark shadow flitted through his eyes and Kaede saw something there that surprised her ever more. Tears were making there way through the mud on his face.
"You have to… save her…" he choked out, his voice harsh and without breath. Then he collapsed.
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Yep, we're back to those darn cliffhangers! Don't you all hate me? Well, review, then! Procrastination is fine when it's worth it, you know! Thanks for reading! Aren't you just dying to see if I kill Kagome or maybe… maybe I'll just kill Inuyasha! Or I COULD make it a happy ending… If that's what you want! (I can't write sad stuff anyway, but… I could always try… I'm SURE it would work!!)