Chapter Four - The Search Begins
The next morning the group started out right after breakfast. They traveled north since that was where Inuyasha saw the Dark Thunder headed. It was actually pretty easy to follow the trail. Leaves and twigs were singed along the way by the heat of the card. However, after a couple hours the trail ended and there was no other discernible trail to follow. The hanyou let out a long string of curses.
"Dark Thunder's master must've recalled it here," Sakura said.
"So, where do we go now?" Sango asked.
"We keep going north," Inuyasha answered. "It's as good a direction as any."
"I can't believe I'm saying this," Miroku spoke up. "But I agreed with Inuyasha. It's very likely that whoever it was continued north. Why else would they meet the thing here?"
"Thanks for the support," the hanyou said acerbically. "Come on. Let's get going, people."
All the humans of the party groaned and he shot them a glare. In no uncertain terms it told them that they would not be resting yet. Yue and Kero both became indignant, ready to argue with him about it for the sake of their human companions. At that moment, Kagome stepped in.
"Please let us rest, Inuyasha. My wound is bothering me and I need to change the bandages." Her voice sounded fatigued. "I don't have healing capabilities like yours, remember?"
"Feh! Fine," he sighed. "We'll rest for half an hour before moving on."
He leapt into a tree mumbling something about human weakness, but Yue noticed the fact that Inuyasha's eyes had softened the moment Kagome spoke. So, the tough hanyou had a weakness after all. He felt unreasonably jealous that they were so close. Of course they're so close. They've known each other for three years. He still couldn't help the irrational desire to be just as close, if not closer, to Kagome as Inuyasha. How could I possibly be so attracted to her in so short a time? He wondered as he watched her disappear behind some bushes, his senses tracking her magical energy.
Sakura watched as the moon guardian followed Kagome with his eyes. There was more emotion in that look than she'd seen in the eight years she'd known him. It was a little disappointing for her. For so long she'd been trying to get him to show some emotion without result. He spends less than three days with their new friend and she gets him to show emotion as if he always had without even trying. Could he be in love with Kagome? So soon? She wondered. The more she considered the possibility, the more certain she became that she was right. He probably doesn't even realize he is, either. Then, she remembered that Inuyasha was in love with Kagome as well. It was so obvious from the way he acted around her. Sakura hoped that Yue wouldn't come away from this adventure with a broken heart.
Kagome waited out of sight for a few minutes before returning to the others. Though her wound did bother her some, it wasn't nearly as bad as she made it out to be. The only reason she'd said as much was so that Inuyasha would let them rest. She personally wasn't all that tired, but Sango and Miroku still weren't used to traveling like this and their new companions weren't used to this sort of travel. Actually, Sakura was the only one of her new friends she was worried about. Kagome was quite certain that the guardians could keep going for days without stopping, especially Kero since he always rode on someone's shoulder. When she figured a reasonable amount of time had passed for what she should have been doing, she returned to the others.
As before, Yue followed Kagome with his eyes, a fact that was not lost on the hanyou as he sat in his tree. His eyes narrowed. Who did that moon guardian think he was to watch his Kagome? He blinked. My Kagome? Where'd that come from? He couldn't possibly be laying a claim on Kagome, could he? Sure, she was a friend, but that was all. Wasn't it? Anyway, even if I do think of her as more than just a friend I have no claim on her. His head was spinning from all the conflicting thoughts. Finally, he just shut them all out and jumped out of the tree.
"Let's go."
No one complained as they picked themselves up and pressed on. They hadn't even been traveling for very long when Kagome suddenly stopped. She cocked her head to the side as if she was listening to something. Evidently, she discovered all she needed to because a heavy sigh of annoyance escaped her lips.
"Inuyasha."
"What is it, wench?" He snapped. "We have a lot of ground to cover before night fall."
"Kouga's coming," she said simply.
The next morning the group started out right after breakfast. They traveled north since that was where Inuyasha saw the Dark Thunder headed. It was actually pretty easy to follow the trail. Leaves and twigs were singed along the way by the heat of the card. However, after a couple hours the trail ended and there was no other discernible trail to follow. The hanyou let out a long string of curses.
"Dark Thunder's master must've recalled it here," Sakura said.
"So, where do we go now?" Sango asked.
"We keep going north," Inuyasha answered. "It's as good a direction as any."
"I can't believe I'm saying this," Miroku spoke up. "But I agreed with Inuyasha. It's very likely that whoever it was continued north. Why else would they meet the thing here?"
"Thanks for the support," the hanyou said acerbically. "Come on. Let's get going, people."
All the humans of the party groaned and he shot them a glare. In no uncertain terms it told them that they would not be resting yet. Yue and Kero both became indignant, ready to argue with him about it for the sake of their human companions. At that moment, Kagome stepped in.
"Please let us rest, Inuyasha. My wound is bothering me and I need to change the bandages." Her voice sounded fatigued. "I don't have healing capabilities like yours, remember?"
"Feh! Fine," he sighed. "We'll rest for half an hour before moving on."
He leapt into a tree mumbling something about human weakness, but Yue noticed the fact that Inuyasha's eyes had softened the moment Kagome spoke. So, the tough hanyou had a weakness after all. He felt unreasonably jealous that they were so close. Of course they're so close. They've known each other for three years. He still couldn't help the irrational desire to be just as close, if not closer, to Kagome as Inuyasha. How could I possibly be so attracted to her in so short a time? He wondered as he watched her disappear behind some bushes, his senses tracking her magical energy.
Sakura watched as the moon guardian followed Kagome with his eyes. There was more emotion in that look than she'd seen in the eight years she'd known him. It was a little disappointing for her. For so long she'd been trying to get him to show some emotion without result. He spends less than three days with their new friend and she gets him to show emotion as if he always had without even trying. Could he be in love with Kagome? So soon? She wondered. The more she considered the possibility, the more certain she became that she was right. He probably doesn't even realize he is, either. Then, she remembered that Inuyasha was in love with Kagome as well. It was so obvious from the way he acted around her. Sakura hoped that Yue wouldn't come away from this adventure with a broken heart.
Kagome waited out of sight for a few minutes before returning to the others. Though her wound did bother her some, it wasn't nearly as bad as she made it out to be. The only reason she'd said as much was so that Inuyasha would let them rest. She personally wasn't all that tired, but Sango and Miroku still weren't used to traveling like this and their new companions weren't used to this sort of travel. Actually, Sakura was the only one of her new friends she was worried about. Kagome was quite certain that the guardians could keep going for days without stopping, especially Kero since he always rode on someone's shoulder. When she figured a reasonable amount of time had passed for what she should have been doing, she returned to the others.
As before, Yue followed Kagome with his eyes, a fact that was not lost on the hanyou as he sat in his tree. His eyes narrowed. Who did that moon guardian think he was to watch his Kagome? He blinked. My Kagome? Where'd that come from? He couldn't possibly be laying a claim on Kagome, could he? Sure, she was a friend, but that was all. Wasn't it? Anyway, even if I do think of her as more than just a friend I have no claim on her. His head was spinning from all the conflicting thoughts. Finally, he just shut them all out and jumped out of the tree.
"Let's go."
No one complained as they picked themselves up and pressed on. They hadn't even been traveling for very long when Kagome suddenly stopped. She cocked her head to the side as if she was listening to something. Evidently, she discovered all she needed to because a heavy sigh of annoyance escaped her lips.
"Inuyasha."
"What is it, wench?" He snapped. "We have a lot of ground to cover before night fall."
"Kouga's coming," she said simply.