Indecision
Chapter Three: Being Followed
Disclaimer: Inuyasha, Kagome, and others are property of their respected creator (Rumiko Takahashi), not me!
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Sango glared at Moroku, whom had snuck up behind her. " What are you doing here?" she asked, " I can not even take a walk by myself?!"
" I thought you might like some company," he replied. " Besides, these woods are dangerous, as Inuyasha said, and I would hate to see something terrible happen to you."
Sango sniffed at him. " Hn! Well, I can take care of myself, thank you very much!" she replied. It wasn't that she was angry with him, she just didn't relish the fact that he had caught her offguard.
Moroku sighed. " Well, then, would you mind if I joined you for the company?" he asked innocently, " I personally enjoy walking with someone, especially someone as lovely as yourself."
Sango noticed the usual tone. " Fine," she sighed, " But if you try anything funny, I promise you that staff will be for more than just looks."
Moroku sweat-dropped. " Okay, I promise!" he replied nervously. Sango was strong; he was certain she would live up to her promise.
Sango started walking, but stopped for a moment. " Oh, and Moroku?" she added, " You know I am only teasing you."
Moroku seemed puzzled. " Huh?" he asked weakly, and she laughed, walking ahead of him.
Kilala happily pranced through the woods, close behind.
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Kagome had walked into the woods, but soon decided she would much rather sit by the river. So, she turned around and walked down to the river. She sat down by the clear water, and smiled as she saw a fish swim down it. " It's such a nice day today! I wonder what Sango and Moroku are doing? And where did Shippo go?" She sighed to herself. " Well, I guess I should make myself useful...I wonder if I can find any herbs here? I should look around..." So, getting up again, she followed alongside the water.
As she walked, she thought about Inuyasha. " He was acting awfully strange earlier..." she thought. " Why was he so nervous? He was acting almost like he cared about me...Hey! Like that would ever happen!" She blushed, furious at herself for even coming up with such a preposterous thought. Suddenly, she noticed an herb. She grinned. " I can use this!" she exclaimed happily. She knelt down on the ground, plucking the plant from the soil, and putting it in her bag. She stood again, but sensed something was wrong. She had the same uneasy feeling she had in the woods earlier. " Huh?" she said quietly, looking around carefully. She didn't see anything, but, just to be safe, she decided to walk back to camp.
She never noticed the pair of eyes following her once more.
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When Kagome returned to camp, she saw that everyone else had the same idea she had. They were all packing up their belongings. Shippo and Kilala were carrying pails of water to put out the morning's campfire, while Sango and Moroku were packing the cooking equipment. Inuyasha was rolling up the sleeping bags. When he had noticed Kagome's scent, he looked up. " About time you got here!" he scoffed. " We might have left without you if you hadn't hurried up!"
" Sorry about that!" Kagome replied, " I was just looking for some herbs before we left. Is everything ready?"
" Almost, Kagome!" Shippo replied, pouring the last pail of water on the ash pile.
Moroku stood up. " I think that is the last of it." he sighed, picking up his pack from the ground.
" Yeah!" Sango agreed, picking up her pack. " Ready to go?"
" Yeah." Inuyasha replied, and they began walking into the woods once again.
As they walked, Kagome began feeling that uneasy feeling in her stomach again. " Now what?" she thought, " Why am I feeling so weird?" She stopped walking for a moment, and looked behind her. She saw nothing; but the uneasiness wouldn't go away. She sighed. " What's going on?" she thought, worried. She started walking again, trying to ignore it.
Sango noticed Kagome wasn't feeling right. " What is it, Kagome?" she asked.
Moroku, Inuyasha, Shippo, and Kilala all stopped walking. " Are you okay, Kagome?" Shippo asked.
" Is something wrong?" Moroku asked.
" I just have this...weird feeling..." Kagome replied slowly, " Like we're being followed..."
" You mean like earlier." Sango added knowingly. When Kagome nodded, she looked around, searching for anything out of place. After a moment, she sighed. " I don't see anything..." she said.
" Huh?!" Inuyasha thought. " Wait a minute..." he said, " I think Kagome's right; I smell something."
Shippo looked around nervously, and Kilala growled. Moroku patiently waited, as did Sango.
" What do you smell, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.
Inuyasha sniffed the air. " Wolf..." he growled.
Sure enough, a wolf was hiding in nearby brush, following them. It sensed danger, however, and ran off.
Inuyasha scoffed. " Ran away without a fight." he muttered, walking ahead again. " Come on! We haven't got all day!"
Kagome sighed. " Why do we keep running into wolf demons?" she thought. " What does it mean??" She followed Inuyasha closely, with Sango and Moroku close behind. Shippo ran up beside her, and marched happily.
" That wolf demon was nothing but a big baby!" he exclaimed, " You don't hafta be worried, Kagome!"
Kagome grinned. " Yeah," she agreed, " You're right, Shippo!"
Sango frowned. " Do not be so sure," she replied, " It is not like wolves to wander alone. I am certain that the wolf pack is nearby. We should keep on guard, just to be safe."
Moroku nodded. " I agree," he replied. He noticed Kagome's concern, and quickly added, " Though you do not need to worry, Kagome. A few wolves are an easy feat."
Kagome reached back, touching the bow and quiver she carried on her back. " Making sure I remembered them this time!" she thought, " I would be helpless without them!"
Inuyasha glanced back at her, noticing her worried expression. " Why is she so worried?" he thought, concerned. " I'm here, I'll take care of her!" He growled to himself. " You moron! Why do you think you have to take care of her?! She's just worried, that never hurt anyone!" he continued walking, but now he was angry at himself.
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They continued walking through the woods. By sunset, they had reached the other side, and saw a village off in the distance. Kagome smiled at seeing it. " Hey, look, a village!" she exclaimed. " Maybe we could stay the night there, and have a nice hot meal!"
Sango nodded. " Maybe they will have a hot spring, too!" she added, " I could really enjoy a nice hot bath about now."
Moroku grinned, but Inuyasha interrupted before he could speak up. " Don't get your hopes up," he replied, " It may appear to be close by, but it's out of the way. We'll set up out here again tonight."
" C'mon, Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed, stepping forward, " I would really appreciate it if you would let us stay under a roof tonight! Even if it is out of the way, it isn't that far out of our way! What do you say?"
He scoffed. " We don't need a roof over our heads," he replied, " Forget it."
Kagome groaned. " You're hopeless!" she sighed angrily. " Can't you just give in for one night?!"
" I've agreed to your suggestions several times before," he replied, " I'm sick of giving in!"
" You don't give in nearly as much as you think!" she said.
" Wanna bet?!" he asked.
Sango looked around. " I hate to interrupt," she said, " But something tells me that we should definately stay in the village tonight. I do not think our little friends abandoned us after our last encounter."
The couple stopped squabbling for a moment, looking at Sango with puzzled expressions. Moroku looked at the path behind them.
" I agree." he replied, " Inuyasha, it is foolish to stay out here again tonight. We all need rest, and I think it is safer to stay inside the village."
Inuyasha scoffed again. " Fine," he groaned. " We'll stay in the village tonight." He began to lead the way.
" Inuyasha..." Kagome thought, " Why don't you want to stay in the village??" She sighed, and followed the others.
Shippo noticed Kagome's sigh, and thought, " I wonder why Kagome always gets that far away look? I hope she's okay..." He followed beside her.
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Thanks to Moroku's 'foresight', the gang managed to get outstanding lodgings, and they had just finished a meal fit for an emperor. Kilala curled up in a comfortable corner to sleep, while everyone else went outside to see the hot spring. Sango and Shippo got in, followed by Kagome. The three were settling in well. Sango closed her eyes.
" Now this is what I call a hot spring..." she sighed, content.
" Mmm-hmm!" Shippo agreed.
Kagome smiled, and looked over at Inuyasha, who was sitting up in a tree, looking at the stars. " Come join us, Inuyasha!" she called.
He looked down at them for a brief moment, then looked away. " No thanks!" he shouted back, " I'm not interested!"
Kagome sighed. " Grumpy again..." she thought. " You're missing out!" she shouted. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her leg.
" Gyah!" she cried, jumping out of the water.
Inuyasha heard, and jumped down. " What is it?!" he asked, suddenly realizing that Kagome was clotheless. He quickly turned away, blushing furiously.
Kagome didn't notice-she was too busy grabbing a towel, while glaring at Moroku. " What was that for, you creep?!" she yelled.
" Forgive me, Kagome," he replied smoothly, " I was merely trying to be friendly."
Inuyasha glared angrily at Moroku. " Yeah, right, you perverted bastard!" he exclaimed. " I thought I told you a long time ago never to lay a hand on Kagome!"
It was Kagome's turn to blush. " Inuyasha...maybe he does care..." she thought tenderly.
" Oh, right." Moroku replied. " I thought you may have forgotten about that long ago, since Kagome is not as much of a concern to you as the lady priestess, Kikyo; but it is clear now that you are indeed in love with Kagome."
Both Inuyasha and Kagome blushed bright red now, and Inuyasha yelled, " You've lost your mind, monk!"
Kagome sighed. " Guess I was wrong again..." she thought, disappointed. She slipped back into the water before he noticed.
" Why do you say that?" Moroku asked.
Inuyasha scoffed. " I don't have to tell you anything." he replied, " Now, if you'll excuse me..." he said, leaping back onto his perch in the tree.
Kagome slipped under the water for a moment, feeling the warmth come all over her. But, she couldn't relax anymore. She surfaced, and, sighing weakly, picked up her towel, and got back out. The three others in the hot spring noticed, and Sango sat up.
" Kagome?" she asked, " Where are you going?"
" I'm going to go to sleep now." she replied, waving at them as she walked. " I'll see you all in the morning."
Moroku watched her, a bit puzzled for a moment. Then, he looked up in the tree where Inuyasha sat, and noticed he was watching her as well. " He's hiding the truth..." he thought, sitting back once more.
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Kagome tried to fall asleep, but it was difficult. She kept having the same dream that had been haunting her over and over again. She had come to recognize it almost immediately, but she still didn't understand why she was having the dream.
As she slept, the dream going through her mind once more, someone sat next to her, watching. They watched as she tossed and turned uneasily. They saw the expression of grief on her face. They saw the tears roll onto her pillow.
Suddenly, her eyes opened, and she saw a blurred figure sitting by her. She shot up. " Who?!" she cried, panicked. Her vision cleared; now she could see. It was...
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Author's note: So far, in my works, I enjoy ending each chapter with a cliffhanger. Most everyone who read my last fanfiction (Dedicated To You) enjoyed having the suspense of a cliffhanger ending the chapters, but I wanted to know if the readers of this fic enjoy them as well. So...input, please. What do you think? Cliffhangers, yes, or no? Let me know! Oh, and please R&R me! So far, I have gotten three reviews for chapter two, from Danno123, cindamin, and StaryKegome. Thank you all SO MUCH for reviewing! Hope this is getting better; I think so! TTFN, Trin