CHAPTER FIFTEEN
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At least one good thing has happened, Kagome thought. At least that got Inuyasha out of his funk.
"Stay close, Kagome," Inuyasha said in a low voice, half-pulling her behind him.
"I'll try," Kagome puffed, trying to keep up with him. "Inuyasha?"
"Yeh?"
"Can you think of anything you might have done to this old woman to make her hate you so much?"
Inuyasha slowed down a little, a pensive expression coming onto his face. He grimaced. "No. Can't think of anybody like that." He glanced down at the ground. "Course, I used to cause a lot of problems. So maybe I have some enemies that I don't know about."
"Well, it sounded like she really had it in for you. And really personally! It would take something major to make her still hate you after fifty years!" Kagome said, clutching at his sleeve. "Think, Inuyasha! There has to have been somebody!"
Inuyasha bit his lip. "I can't think of anybody. The only old woman I can think of who would have reason to hate me is Kaede, and she'd never do anything like this."
Kagome felt more frustrated than ever. She felt that they were so close to finding out what this crone had against Inuyasha. But if he knew, he had half-forgotten it. It couldn't have had anything to do with love, she mused. Inuyasha's first love was Kikyo, and besides, this woman would have been way too old for him fifty years ago. Revenge for somebody's death? Probably not, but maybe -- even in feudal times, where people sometimes died like flies, and lots of demons killed people. Why single out Inuyasha?
"We're not gonna solve anything by standing here," Inuyasha said finally. "We gotta find that crone and stop her -- kill her if necessary. Then it won't matter what grudge she has against me."
Kagome followed him through the mist and trees, still clutching tightly to his sleeve. "Inuyasha," she said slowly.
"Yeah?"
"Do you know how this woman might have gotten control over your demon side? Or why you suddenly changed back to normal again?"
"No idea to either," Inuyasha grunted. His former fears came flooding back at Kagome's words. "And Kagome-"
"What is it?"
"If I transform again... I don't want you near me." A shadow seemed to fall over his face. "Promise me you'll run and not look back."
Kagome's eyes softened. Inuyasha, she thought. Why can't you see that I won't do that?
Suddenly the branches above them started rattling. The wind began to moan, and the mist floated around the two, almost hiding them from sight. It made Kagome's skin feel cold and clammy. She wrapped her arms around herself, and shivered.
"Get behind me, quick!" Inuyasha pushed Kagome behind him, and quickly drew the Tetsusaiga. Even if it can't stop me from transforming now, he thought, I can still do some damage with it.
"There's another one!" Kagome whispered. A dark shape had swooped down out of the mist, then up and out of sight.
"She's here," Inuyasha growled. "I can smell her."
They crouched in the mist for a long time, watching the trees for any more demons. From time to time, Inuyasha sniffed the air, and growled. Kagome clung to him, not daring to speak. What was going to happen when the old woman showed up?
Her thoughts were interrupted by someone appearing in the forest path. The form hobbled painfully, as if one of its legs wasn't working quite right. And it was covered in a ragged old robe that hid it completely. That must be her, Kagome thought. Inuyasha, be careful.
Inuyasha stood up, and stepped into the path. "You there, old crone," he growled. "I have a score to settle with you."
The figure looked up at him. And her wrinkled face shifted into a none-too-pleasant smile. "Inuyasha. I've been expecting you."
TO BE CONTINUED
.
At least one good thing has happened, Kagome thought. At least that got Inuyasha out of his funk.
"Stay close, Kagome," Inuyasha said in a low voice, half-pulling her behind him.
"I'll try," Kagome puffed, trying to keep up with him. "Inuyasha?"
"Yeh?"
"Can you think of anything you might have done to this old woman to make her hate you so much?"
Inuyasha slowed down a little, a pensive expression coming onto his face. He grimaced. "No. Can't think of anybody like that." He glanced down at the ground. "Course, I used to cause a lot of problems. So maybe I have some enemies that I don't know about."
"Well, it sounded like she really had it in for you. And really personally! It would take something major to make her still hate you after fifty years!" Kagome said, clutching at his sleeve. "Think, Inuyasha! There has to have been somebody!"
Inuyasha bit his lip. "I can't think of anybody. The only old woman I can think of who would have reason to hate me is Kaede, and she'd never do anything like this."
Kagome felt more frustrated than ever. She felt that they were so close to finding out what this crone had against Inuyasha. But if he knew, he had half-forgotten it. It couldn't have had anything to do with love, she mused. Inuyasha's first love was Kikyo, and besides, this woman would have been way too old for him fifty years ago. Revenge for somebody's death? Probably not, but maybe -- even in feudal times, where people sometimes died like flies, and lots of demons killed people. Why single out Inuyasha?
"We're not gonna solve anything by standing here," Inuyasha said finally. "We gotta find that crone and stop her -- kill her if necessary. Then it won't matter what grudge she has against me."
Kagome followed him through the mist and trees, still clutching tightly to his sleeve. "Inuyasha," she said slowly.
"Yeah?"
"Do you know how this woman might have gotten control over your demon side? Or why you suddenly changed back to normal again?"
"No idea to either," Inuyasha grunted. His former fears came flooding back at Kagome's words. "And Kagome-"
"What is it?"
"If I transform again... I don't want you near me." A shadow seemed to fall over his face. "Promise me you'll run and not look back."
Kagome's eyes softened. Inuyasha, she thought. Why can't you see that I won't do that?
Suddenly the branches above them started rattling. The wind began to moan, and the mist floated around the two, almost hiding them from sight. It made Kagome's skin feel cold and clammy. She wrapped her arms around herself, and shivered.
"Get behind me, quick!" Inuyasha pushed Kagome behind him, and quickly drew the Tetsusaiga. Even if it can't stop me from transforming now, he thought, I can still do some damage with it.
"There's another one!" Kagome whispered. A dark shape had swooped down out of the mist, then up and out of sight.
"She's here," Inuyasha growled. "I can smell her."
They crouched in the mist for a long time, watching the trees for any more demons. From time to time, Inuyasha sniffed the air, and growled. Kagome clung to him, not daring to speak. What was going to happen when the old woman showed up?
Her thoughts were interrupted by someone appearing in the forest path. The form hobbled painfully, as if one of its legs wasn't working quite right. And it was covered in a ragged old robe that hid it completely. That must be her, Kagome thought. Inuyasha, be careful.
Inuyasha stood up, and stepped into the path. "You there, old crone," he growled. "I have a score to settle with you."
The figure looked up at him. And her wrinkled face shifted into a none-too-pleasant smile. "Inuyasha. I've been expecting you."
TO BE CONTINUED