Inside Kaede's small home, the cooking fire was going, heating the hut nicely. A pot full of boiling stew hung over the flame, filling the room with the pleasant smell of an herbs. Some of Kagome's things were in the corner along with a few of the group's weapons. Probably the thing Inuyasha liked best about the room, though, was that only a sleeping Kirara was present. Everyone else had gone off somewhere.
The hanyou laid the the sleeping Yahna down in front of the fire with the same care one would show a porcelain doll. She was still wrapped up in his yukata, snuggled up like a baby. He brushed a little of her damp silver hair out of her face and smiled as he admired the child's angelic face. There was a content smile on her chubby face. She stirred slightly and curled up even tighter. Inuyasha smiled and traced a finger down her soft, rounded dog ears. She gave a small whimper and curled into his hand. Your not so bad when your like this.
"Ah, Inuyasha-" Inuyasha jerked away from the child with enough speed to put a cheetah to shame. "-We were starting to wonder where you were."
The hanyou shot a glare at Miroku and Shippo, who were just walking in. "What do you want, bouzu?" he growled.
"We were just wondering if Yahna-chan was alright! We were beginning to think you'd killed her and were trying to bury her body where we couldn't find it," Shippo snorted. His eyes instantly fell on the sleeping girl wrapped up in his yukata.
"Keh! Waste of energy," Inuyasha responded.
Shippo bounced over to the girl and kneeled in front of her. He watched her face for a long moment, then shot Inuyasha a glare. "You didn't hit her, did you?!"
"At least a hundred times before it finally stopped moving," the hanyou retorted.
"What!?! You bastard...!!!"
"He's not serious, Shippo. If he'd hit her, she would posses some sort of marks or bruises from it."
Shippo continued to glare at the older white haired hanyou as he sat next to his imoto. "You won't hit Yahna-chan."
"Are you volunteering to take its beating for it?" Inuyasha grinned maliciously and raised a fist. Shippo suddenly looked panicked. "She's been a real pain and I owe her a few good smacks..." The kit let out a terrified wail and bolted for the door. He was gone in a second, leaving a smirking hanyou and a disappointed monk inside. "Keh, brat..."
"Mmmmnnahannmm," the pup whined. "Otoo-sama?"
Inuyasha whirled back toward her with a groan. "Damn brat. Just had to wake it up, didn't you?" He sighed and crawled over next to her. "Fine. If your awake, give me back my yukata."
The child opened her eyes part way and stared at him tiredly. Her arms stretched up towards him with splayed out fingers. "Otoo-sama."
Inuyasha snorted and looked away.
"She wants you to pick her up again," Miroku stated as he sat across the fire.
"Picking up children is women's work."
"Where exactly did you learn that?"
"Keh."
"I'm afraid that isn't good enough." The monk paused and waited for Inuyasha to respond. Inuyasha offered none. Yahna, meanwhile, rolled to her front and crawled out of the cloth. "There are plenty of men who care for children. They are called otoo-san by those children."
"I'm not its otoo-sama."
Yahna stood up completely bare of clothing and stumbled over to Inuyasha. "Otoo-sama?" she asked as she peered up at his face.
"She seems to think otherwise."
"It doesn't even think. It's just some walking, talking plant pup. Nothing more."
The child in question tried to climb up on his lap. Inuyasha shoved her back. He stood before she had a chance to try again. The yukata was snagged and roughly put back on. He plucked her damp clothes lose from his and dropped them on her.
"Get dressed," Inuyasha ordered without looking at her.
Sango and Kaede came walking in with several gutted and cleaned fish in a bowl carried by the taijiya. Their eyes immediately turned to the moving heap of clothes on the floor next to Inuyasha. Yahna peeked her head out with a rather confused expression. The two women sighed. At least she was clean. Sango passed the fish to Kaede and sat down with the child to help her detangle the clothes and get them on. With a little help, Yahna managed to dress herself.
When she was dressed, the girl plopped in front of the fire and watched Kaede butcher the fish and add it to the stew. Her eyes followed every one one of the miko's movements. When the last of the fish had been dropped in, the girl stood up and peered in to the pot.
"It'll be ready soon," the old woman explained.
"Houshi-sama!" Whack! Yahna spun around just in time to see Hiriakosu smash down on Miroku's head. The child flinched as the monk moaned.
Inuyasha chuckled. Kaede sighed. Yahna blinked curiously at their reactions. She toddled across the room to her otoo-sama and tugged on his hakama. "Otoo-sama?" She held up her arms.
"I'm not picking you up," he sneered without looking at her.
Yahna frowned. He wouldn't pick her up? Fine. She had other ways of getting up there.
The girl crouched down and carefully angled her body. She stuck her bottom up in the air and wiggled it, looking very much like an inexperienced puppy, as she prepared to pounce. The child sprang in the air, heading straight for his face. Inuyasha started and grabbed her just before she could hit her target. She was a few inches from his face and reached out one hand. Her little pointer finger poked his nose. "Otoo-sama," she stated plainly. Inuyasha growled. She smiled and clapped her hands. "Otoo-sama."
Everyone else in the room stared at her in confusion. Most creatures backed off when the inu hanyou growled. Why was she so pleased about it?
"Damn brat," Inuyasha sighed and dropped her. She landed on her feet with no sign of injury. She snuggled up to his leg with a giddy smile. Inuyasha glared at her. Empty. Yes, definitely empty. Pup hasn't got a speck of knowledge or sense in that head of its.
Dinner was ready a few minutes later. The scent of food brought Shippo back from hiding. The kit sat far away from Inuyasha, dragging Yahna with him. He glared at the hanyou but said nothing. Everyone was given a bowl of rice and some stew. Yahna gulped down the stew eagerly and begged for more with a few pathetic whimpers. Inuyasha looked at the child with a raised eye brow.
"Eat your rice first," Shippo scolded her. "Then you can beg for more if you want." Yahna glanced back at him, shrugged, and continued to beg.
"Oi! You heard the runt, pup," Inuyasha added as he shot her a glare. "You eat what you have and be happy with it, you little pig."
Shippo grabbed her untouched chopsticks and held them under the girl's nose. Yahna stopped begging and blinked at them. Showing a surprising amount of patience, Shippo kept holding the chopsticks to her until she gave up and took them.
"Watch how your onii-san does it, okay," the kit stated. He took his first chopstick and held it so it rested between his index finger and thumb and was supported by the other three fingers. "You hold the first one like this. Now do it."
She nodded and placed one chopstick in her lap. The second chopstick was carefully placed in her right hand in just the position he had showed her with help form the left hand.
"Good. Now, you take the other one and hold it like this." He pinched the second stick of wood between his thumb and index finger with the index finger on top and the thumb to one side.
Again, the tree child nodded. She tried to grip it but the stick slipped from her fingers. The second time, both chopsticks fell out of her grasp. Her third try was a repeat of the first. Shippo sighed and took hold of her hand. He gently placed the two sticks in her fingers so they looked right.
"There," he stated. "Now try eating the rice."
Yahna dropped her chopsticks and grabbed her bowl of rice with both hands.
Shippo slapped a hand to his forehead while the adults chuckled. "No! With the chopsticks!" Yahna stared at him, thoroughly confused. He snatched the forgotten chopsticks and handed them back to her. "Eat the rice with the chopsticks," he grated out.
She set the bowl down and grabbed the chop sticks. The tip of one was placed in her mouth and she bit it. She gaged and spit out a small piece of wood. The tip of the chopstick had been broken off.
"No, use the chopsticks to eat the rice," the kit sighed in frustration. She fiddled with them for a moment before managing to get them placed right in her hand so they didn't fall out. "NOW try eating the rice." Yahna dropped the chopsticks again and grabbed the bowl. Shippo was about ready to scream. The adults were struggling not to laugh. "She's doing this on purpose," the kit groaned. "She must be."
Yahna was about to touch the rice with her hands when Inuyasha growled. She stopped and looked at him curiously. "Don't touch food with your hands," the older hanyou scowled. "They're filthy."
"You eat using the chopsticks," Shippo sighed as he held the chopsticks back to her. He took his own, grabbed his own half eaten bowl of rice, and picked up some with the two pieces of wood. "Like this."
The tree pup blinked in response. She shrugged and picked up the chopsticks. After several fumbles, she managed to grip them with one hand and cradled the bowl of rice on her lap. She poked the rice with the ends of her chopsticks, earning a few more chuckles and another sigh.
"No, you do it like this!" Shippo showed her how to open and close them. She tried to mimic his movements. Her little fingers put too much pressure on the chopsticks and the rice squeezed out between them.
"Not so hard," Inuyasha sighed. "Don't squeeze them so hard or you wont get anything up."
Miroku leaned closer to Sango, whispering, "I don't know which is funnier: the fact that Shippo is teaching her how to eat or that Inuyasha is teacher her how not to eat." She chuckled in response.
The two suddenly felt two pair of bitter youkai eyes on them. The chuckling stopped. Miroku smiled rather innocently and Sango turned her eyes down to her food.
Several failed attempts later, Yahna finally managed to get a few grains of rice in her mouth. By that time, everyone had already finished and the dishes were being cleaned. Just as she got a second bite in, Inuyasha grabbed the bowl from her.
"Dinner's over," he scoffed. "You're done." Yahna's eyes watered as she sucked on the end of her chopsticks. She stared at him miserably and let out a small whimper.
Sango grabbed the bowl back. "She's not even done. Besides, she needs to practice using chopsticks and this is the best way to do it."
The hanyou growled and snagged the bowl back. "Then she'll learn to be faster for next time."
"She can't learn without practice," the young woman scolded, taking the bowl back. She quickly handed it to the delighted child before Inuyasha had a chance to take it back. "I'll wash her bowl. We wouldn't want the mighty Inuyasha to stoop so low as to do women's work," she sneered venomously.
"Keh!" he grunted in response and took a seat against the wall.
Bit by bit, Yahna managed to feed herself, getting a little better each time she did it. When she was done, Sango, true to her word, washed the child's bowl without a word of complaint. Yahna rubbed her full belly contentedly as she sat contentedly in front of the fire. Shippo sat next to her, glaring at the still sulking hanyou. No one was hurting his imoto, especially not that 'jerk' Inuyasha.
There was a tug on the kit's sleeve. "Shippo-chan?" Yahna asked. He turned and looked at her curiously. She yawned and snuggled up against the front of him. The kit blushed furiously. What am I suppose to do? he thought in a panic. His eyes quickly darted to the adults around the room, seeking any advice. Sango tried to hide a giggle. Miroku pretended to meditate. Kaede was laying out bedding. And Inuyasha...
"Keh!"
Shippo turned up his nose stubbornly. "Oh, your just jealous," he snorted at the hanyou.
"Jealous?! Of you?! And why would I be jealous of you, runt?!" Inuyasha grunted.
"Because Yahna-chan likes me better," the kit retorted as he wrapped his arms around the girl starting to drift off to sleep.
Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow. "Keh! You can have the filthy brat! The more it's away from me, the better!"
"Do you need some help, Kaede-sama?" Sango asked as she reached for the blankets the old miko was getting out.
"Mm, yes, thank you," Kaede responded.
Yahna's ears twitched. She lifted her head and yawned. Shippo stood and gave the child a pat on the head. "I think Yahna-chan is ready for bed..." He fought back a yawn himself.
"Looks like she isn't the only one," Sango teased.
The kitsune grabbed Yahna's hand and pulled her too her feet. "Come on, Yahna-chan. You can sleep with me tonight."
Yahna yawned again as she was pulled towards the blankets. Her ears twitched again and she sniffed the air. The azure eyes were suddenly wide awake. They darted around the room as she sniffed the air. In a single bound she was across the room and crouched in front of Kagome's sleeping bag. The adolescent girl rarely took that home since she mainly used it here. Yahna sniffed it and looked around again. She seemed to be quite perplexed. The child trotted to the door flap and peered outside. She sniffed the air several times as her eyes scanned the darkness.
Shippo looked to Kaede for some sort of answer. The old woman seemed just as confused as he was. Sango and Miroku watched with the same curious stare as Shippo. Even Inuyasha was interested in her odd behavior.
"Yahna-chan, is something wrong?" Sango asked as she stepped over to the child.
Yahna turned her gaze back inside and looked ready to cry.
In the blink of an eye, Shippo was right by her side shooting a glare at Inuyasha. "What did you do to her?!"
"Nothing!" Inuyasha snapped. "I've been sitting her the entire time!"
A few tears escaped Yahna's eyes. Her bottom lip trembled and the little white ears drooped.
"What's the matter?" the taijiya asked gently. Yahna pointed a finger at the sleeping bag. "Huh? Oh, you mean Kagome-chan?"
"She's not here," Shippo explained. The tears got bigger and started to spill out faster. Now starting to panic slightly, the kit hastily added, "She'll be back in a couple days."
Yahna flopped on the floor. "Okaa-sama!!!" she wailed.
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Japanese words I've used in this chapter
Okaa = mother
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Shame ear plugs hadn't been invented in the 1500's in Japan. They're gonna need them.
Small fact, for those who are curious, very young children (5 years and younger) generally can't multi task very well if at all. They focus on one detail and stick with that detail until reminded of another, in which case they will switch tasks. Yahna is equivalent to a 1 1/2 to a 2 year old child in mind, but a 4 to 5 year old in body. It will take a while for her mind to fully catch up with her body.
Anyone know any Chinese names that mean innocence or purity? Girl names, preferably. Also, anyone know any good sights with Chinese words? I only know a tiny bit of Chinese. Yes, this is for this fic for a little later on.
Well, I'm off to go pack for winter break. Hope you all are enjoying this fic so far.