The White Dog
by Becky Tailweaver
Chapter 5: Silver Dog
Inuyasha was, as usual, the first to awaken in the morning. This morning in particular he was roused at the break of dawn, since the familiar cramped-muscle tingle of his transformation brought him out of pleasant dreams and forced him back to harsh reality.
One of the few things he actually liked about being human was the ability to be lazy--no pressing instincts, no forced alertness, no senses bombarding him with unwanted information...but with the coming of morning, he could no longer lay about in bed. Unwillingly, he rolled over, disentangling himself from the covers.
"Mmmph...dammit...always right now..."
He yawned hugely, his increasingly doglike tongue curling above his teeth. It would have been interesting to watch, had the sleeping Sota been awake to see; he'd happened to pick the very moment his fangs were growing out, so the effect was rather werewolfish.
Finishing his yawn, he grunted in discomfort. Kagome had looked so concerned for him last night, but it wasn't that the change was in any way painful--rather, it was the sensation of knowing it should really hurt, but didn't. He'd never truly get used to all the sliding, squishing, and shifting sensations that went along with it.
There was always that grinding feeling that set his teeth on edge when his skull changed shape, his ears shifting upward and his jaws lengthening to contain the fangs of an inu-youkai. And then that dull heat deep in his limbs as his bones thickened and resized themselves, changing his posture from that of an upright human to a partially quadrupedal inu-hanyou, his spine crackling as it grew longer, his joints aching faintly as tendons and ligaments repositioned themselves. And that blasted itchy tingling in his muscles as they grew stronger, denser, tougher, returning to demonic power and doglike endurance. And that slippery, sliding sensation while his innards readjusted to their usual places, changing sizes and shapes--his voice roughening, his lungs deepening, his heart enlarging.
It made him feel creepy inside, and he always had to suppress a shudder as the change came about. Instead of focusing on the somewhat unnerving sight of his slim, harmless human fingers becoming the calloused, clawed digits of a youkai, he tried to lay still on his futon and recall just what it was that he had been dreaming before the change had so rudely awakened him.
He was vaguely angered at being waked at so crucial a moment in so wonderful a dream, but he couldn't remember exactly what that beautiful moment had been. The interruption of the change made him forget most of what he was dreaming about, but he was positive Kagome had been there...
Along with his physical changes, his senses had begun to bloom. Already he could smell the sleeping boy across the bedroom, the cat wandering past the doorway, the birds in the tree outside. Already he could hear his own heart change rhythm slightly as his body transformed--as well as Sota's slow, restful beats, the cat's footsteps, the faint noises of the house, those "kuruma" things rushing by on the roads outside. Already the gray light of dawn was brighter, and once again the world was bright and clear around him.
Once the change was complete, Inuyasha rolled back to his belly and attempted to nod off, but to no avail. There was another good thing about his human phase--he could tune things out. Now fully hanyou again, all those annoying sounds and scents he'd noticed returning were pressing in on him, and his body was once more full of restless energy and inexhorable instincts.
"Dammit..." he grumbled, sitting up on the futon to glare at the light of the risen sun--no longer drowsy in the least, thanks to his youkai blood's return. Can't leave 'til I say goodbye to the kid, but I can't wake him now--too early for humans. So what do they expect me to do all morning--chase the damn cat?
Disgruntled, he rose and dressed, feeling antsy and wishing to move, but striving to be quiet so as not to wake the household. It wasn't hard; long practice and inborn ability made his footfalls silent, and as he moved through the house the only one who noticed him was the family's pudgy cat--not another soul stirred.
He went outside to the stand of trees to relieve himself, not wanting to bother with figuring out the urine-scented porcelain device in the bathroom. On his way back, the family cat, Buyo, trailed after him, obviously eager an early feeding, but Inuyasha ignored the animal's plaintive demands. He decided to creep up to Kagome's room instead of sitting around and sulking--just to see if his quiet presence could awaken her any sooner. She usually noticed when he or other youkai came around.
Bored, bored, bored... Rather than using the stairs inside, he made an easy hop up to her bedroom window, perching himself on the sill in his usual disinterested crouch and pretending he wasn't watching her sleep. But no matter how he tried, his eyes kept wandering back to her serene face, noting how her lashes fell so delicately across her pale cheeks--while his ears kept track of each peaceful breath and heartbeat.
She was kind of cute lying there--that wavy black hair and smooth, soft skin...her scent filling the room and settling his restlessness...making him want to join her on the soft bed and return to snoozing in blissful oblivion...
Well, I was snoozing in blissful oblivion until I changed back. That's youkai sleep habits for you--get your required four or five hours of shuteye a night, then pace around like a moron looking for something to do the rest of the time.
Now why am I picking faults with being a youkai and thinking about the good side of being human? he wondered to himself with a soft snort. What's got into me?
Perhaps it had something to do with Kagome's startling insights into his humanity the previous evening; she always did have a way with words for him, a way of calming his heart just by being there. Sighing, he leaned against the window frame and set his head back against the wood, closing his eyes to concentrate on his other senses. It was a nice, peaceful morning, with the birds singing and the breeze blowing; the quiet sounds of Kagome's breath and heartbeat...her scent calming him like a gentle song...
"Mmm...Inuyasha? What are you doing in my room?" asked Kagome's sleepy voice.
Inuyasha jerked awake, startled that he'd been dozing--such a thing was unheard of. He popped up from the windowframe, stammering denials as his brain warmed up, hastily forming an excuse even as she blinked confusedly at him.
"I was...waiting for you, of course," he asserted grumpily, turning away so that she wouldn't see his flush. "Come on, slug-a-bed, the morning's wasting--hurry and get up." The sun was well up in the sky--and he wondered how the hell he'd managed to doze that long, without noticing.
Kagome's sleep-filled blue eyes shone with amusement even as she yawned widely, sitting up to stretch. "Okay, okay, I'm coming. Far be it from me to keep you waiting long."
"Keh--fine. I'll be down below," he replied gruffly. Embarassed at being caught snoozing, he didn't press her further. He hopped from the windowsill to the lawn and sat on the step just outside the house door, granting the girl her privacy. He listened to noises inside the house--to the old jijii's creaky voice and Higurashi-san puttering in the kitchen; he sniffed, catching the scent of food being prepared.
His quiet reprieve ended when he heard Sota's shrill voice indoors, wondering to the whole world where Inu-no-niichan was and lamenting that he'd left without saying goodbye. Kagome's voice shouted that he was downstairs, and he heard the boy yelling for him as small feet went thumping rapidly through the house.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and snorted, but got up and went in. "I'm still here, brat," he said roughly, watching the youngster's face light up.
Sota bounded over to hug him, surprising the daylights out of him. "G'morning, Inu-no-niichan! I'm so glad you didn't leave yet!"
Inuyasha was quite unsure what to do with this unexpected display of affection, so he kept his hands at his sides and managed not to look so very gruff as he gazed at the boy. "I'm just...just waiting for your sister," he replied, with a faint note of uncertainty. "We need to get going."
"But I'm still glad you didn't leave yet!" Sota asserted, beaming up at him. "I wanted to say goodbye first!"
"Ah...well...I'm not gone yet--Kagome's still getting dressed." Mindful of his dangerous claws--quite different from the blunt human fingers he'd posessed the previous night--he carefully peeled the child off his legs and sent him on his way with a clumsy pat on the shoulder. "You...um, need to get out of your sleeping clothes, too. Go on, now--get outta here."
Sota grinned brightly and complied, pattering rapidly off to his room.
"Oh, don't you leave too soon," Higurashi-san called from the kitchen. "I've got a wonderful hot breakfast cooking."
Inuyasha's mouth was already watering at the delicious smell wafting in from the kitchen. It had only tickled his nose before, but now that he was in the house it was a siren's call. He stuck his head in the kitchen door, watching Kagome's mother expertly handling her cookware, not noting the rather eager look on his own face.
But Higurashi-san spotted him over her shoulder, smiling to him in greeting. "Ohaiyou, Inuyasha. If you want breakfast to be ready faster, why don't you set the table? The plates and such are in these cupboards."
"Oh...uh, sure..." Hesitantly, Inuyasha minced into the kitchen, uncertain; following her gesture, he grabbed a stack of items and hurried out to the table with them.
"Thank you, dear!" Higurashi-san called after him.
Inuyasha ducked his head and flushed at being called "dear"--that was something he had not heard in a very long time, and certainly not directed at the fearsome hanyou warrior that he was now.
But it made him feel good, too--warm inside, appreciated, just like last night. Someone cared to thank him for his help, and he was being useful for something other than killing monsters--because there was more to him than just the youkai strength and prowess his father had given him. He could set tables and help nice ladies just as well as any other boy.
Her gentle voice reminded him a little of his mother, too.
Buyo rubbed about his legs on his trips to and from the kitchen, hoping for handouts, and on one trip he nearly stumbled over the cat while bearing a handful of cups. After the table was set, Kagome finally made it down, followed shortly by Sota. Breakfast was soon commenced, with Kagome watching in disbelief as the inu-hanyou helped carry out pots of hot food. Delicious as it was, once the meal began it didn't last long.
Kagome watched Inuyasha out of the corner of her eye during the entire meal. He ate much more reservedly than last night--though with no less enthusiasm--and his face looked relaxed and almost pleasant, instead of grouchy and tense. He actually flushed and hid a smile when her mother made a point of praising him for helping her with the table-setting.
After breakfast, while Kagome assisted with the dishes and Sota followed Inuyasha outdoors, Higurashi-san chatted happily at her daughter about what a good fellow Inuyasha was. "He's quite a sweet boy," the woman said cheerfully, thoughtfully. "He's so willing to help out, especially if you ask him nicely and thank him when he's done well." She leaned close to her daughter, whispering conspiratorily. "He really is like a puppy dog, you know. Just praise him, and he'll do anything for you."
"Mama..." Kagome sighed. She just didn't see that in the stubborn, bad-tempered hanyou.
Higurashi-san went back to washing. "I don't have to wonder why he follows you home so often--him being a 'puppy dog' and all." She nudged at Kagome. "After all, you did feed him..."
Kagome rolled her eyes. "He's got his reasons, Mama. I'm his shard detector."
"That can't be it." Higurashi-san paused amidst scrubbing a pan. "You know, honey, I think he likes you."
Kagome nearly dropped the plate she'd been rinsing. "Mama!" she hissed, glancing frantically about and praying that Inuyasha wasn't anywhere within his particularly keen earshot.
Higurashi-san's eyes gleamed mirthfully. "Oh, come now, dear, you mean to tell me you don't notice when a cute boy like him is willing to come over to your house and help your dear old mother with breakfast? I thought Hojo-kun was obvious, with his thoughtful gifts. Why don't you notice when Inuyasha does the same kinds of things for you in his own way?"
Kagome blushed intensely and groaned. Mother-dearest was in "girl talk" mode. "Mama...!"
Higurashi-san nudged her again and returned to her pan-scrubbing. "I think it's cute that he's sweet on you, honey. Oh for heaven's sake, don't give me that look--I know what I'm talking about. Look at all the things you've told me--he carries your backpack, he gives you a lift through rough territory, he saves your life repeatedly, he's willing to inconvenience himself to come wait for you; it's quite obvious, Kagome!" Higurashi-san giggled, with a nostalgic sigh. "Your father was the same way..."
Kagome hurriedly rinsed the last plate, blushing furiously. "Uh, I gotta go, Mama--he's waiting for me now. I should be back in a couple days. Bye!" She gave her mother a peck on the cheek and then hauled buns out of the kitchen. Once in the hallway leading upstairs, she leaned against the wall with a groan. "Thank goodness Inuyasha didn't hear that...!"
"Hear what?" A familiar white-maned head poked around the corner.
Kagome jumped. "Ack! Inuyasha--!"
"Come on, Mistress Snail, the day's wasting," the inu-youkai informed her gruffly, before disappearing again.
Kagome sighed in relief, then hustled upstairs to pack. Once her bag was full--very full, as usual--she trundled downstairs to find Inuyasha waiting impatiently for her to arrive.
"Finally!" he huffed, snatching her pack from her shoulders and striding out the door. "I was beginning to think you died or something!"
Higurashi-san winked at her behind Inuyasha's back. Kagome reddened once more, ducked her head, and followed him out--dearly hoping her mother would not decide to say anything else before she left.
Outside, on the way to the well, Kagome actually found herself contemplating her mother's words. True, Inuyasha did many things for her--kept her safe, gave her transportation, even as simple as carrying her pack for her as he was now; so many things that she'd lost count. And last night...
Last night he'd turned human.
He'd been so nice--for Inuyasha, anyway. Gruff, hesitant, and curt as usual, but...nice--especially after the mirror. When he'd stood at her bedroom door, looking so friendly and gentle...she'd almost forgotten who he really was.
He'd looked so different from his normal self, with the soft tenor of his voice and the stark contrasts in his features. He'd gone from sharp youkai appearance and canine aspects to ordinary, human, boyish softness in his face; from shimmering white to ebony black hair, from incredible strength and deadly razor-edged claws to complete normalcy and harmless fingernails--from abruptness, intensity, and restlessness to shyness, quiet embarrassment, and unfamiliar vulnerability.
And that night, she'd lost herself in those deep, unguarded violet eyes...and forgotten.
"Hey, you, are you awake yet?"
His rough, impatient voice jerked her out of her reverie. "Huh? Oh--uh, yeah. Just thinking. Planning ahead."
Inuyasha snorted. "That's good. Finally using that little brain of yours."
"You--!" Abruptly insulted, Kagome glared at his back as he entered the wellhouse--wondering why in all the world she had ever thought anything nice about him.
They were near the edge of the forest in Musashi's Domain when Inuyasha froze mid-step, ears pricked alertly and his eyes focused on something far distant. "Something's wrong," he growled, nose twitching.
Kagome remained cautiously still beside him. "What is it?"
"In the village..." His eyes widened. "There's a youkai in the village!" Dropping her pack, he bolted off, sprinting across the fields at full speed.
"Inuyasha, wait for me!" Kagome cried, hoisting her pack with an effort and attempting to run after him as fast as she could.
Inuyasha dashed into the village, his heart pounding at the thought of so many innocent people in danger--a weakness and mercy that he never liked to admit. Galloping between the meager huts and houses, he skidded to a stop in what was loosely labeled the main square, and rose to his full height. There, the townsfolk were fleeing the area in terror--and to his surprise, crying out in relief as he arrived. He knew that to them, he was frightening--but at least he was relatively safe.
As he braced himself for battle, the youkai he'd sensed and scented whirled to face him.
Inuyasha allowed surprise to take him for but a moment. The invader was a humanoid female with long, mottled cloud-silver hair and dark amber eyes--and an inu-youkai by the smell of her. A silky silver dog-tail twitched behind her, fluffed, but besides that there was little other indication of her nonhuman blood.
Like Sesshomaru, her humanlike disguise was near-perfect, save her hair, eyes, and elflike ears. She wore a silver-blue and white bodysuit with a longer, lighter blue tunic-robe over it--the front of which was not closed, displaying the bodysuit's rather flattering emphasis on her ample figure. She had an odd, slightly startled not-quite-snarl on her face.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, bitch?" Inuyasha demanded curtly, tensed to fight. He was wary; he had never associated with another inu-youkai save his brother--and Shirokiba, who didn't quite count. "What's your business here?"
The female inu-youkai stared at him for a moment, blinking--then gasped and clutched her hands to her chest like a delighted princess. "Oh--it's you!" she all but squealed; her voice was sweet and bubbly, her eyes wide, innocent, and admiring. She gestured vaguely to the townsfolk. "I was just asking these nice people where I might find you, but here you are!" She danced from foot to foot, her tail wagging joyfully behind her.
Inuyasha stared incredulously at her. Now this was new; he'd never seen a grown, pureblood youkai act so...silly before. "Uh...who the hell are you?"
The girl trotted closer to him, her expression enchanted and completely enraptured. "Hee-hee! My name's Ginnezu. I've come all the way from the Western Dog Clans to meet you!"
"The Western...Dog Clans?"
Ginnezu knealt before him, trying to hide her excited giggles behind seriousness. "My Lord Inuyasha of the White Clan," she announced formally, "I am Lady Ginnezu, daughter of the Silver Clan Daimyo--and I've come to take you home!"
"Home?" Inuyasha's eyes were the size of dinner plates. "Guh...what?"
Kagome picked that moment to arrive, panting in exhaustion from her sprint and wearily dropping her pack on the ground. "Whew! Inuyasha, don't leave me behind like that! I don't...oh--who's...this?" She stared at the youkai newcomer in surprise and faint alarm.
"Hello there!" the silver-haired girl bubbled, popping back to her feet, smiling sweetly at Kagome. "You must be one of Inuyasha-sama's little human friends. I'm Ginnezu!"
"Hello," Kagome replied, finding the newcomer quite pleasant but not able to shake a faint sense of hesitation. "Um, aren't you...?"
"Inu-youkai? Yup! Just like my Lord of the White Clan, Inuyasha-sama."
"Lord who?" Kagome's eyebrows nearly shot to her hairline.
"Inuyasha-sama, silly," Ginnezu told her with a wink, pointing to the still-frozen hanyou. "His is the honored title of the Daimyo of the White Dog Clan."
"What are you talking about?" Kagome asked, astonished.
"I-I think she means Oyaji," Inuyasha stuttered, his eyes still very large. "I think...Ofukuro said my father was the Daimyo of the White Clan, as well as the Western Lands..."
"Yes--that was Seibunishi-sama. My father knew him well," Ginnezu said. "I've come with important news from the Dog Clans." She looked around, at the human townsfolk who still watched warily from their houses and hidey-holes. "Let's leave these poor silly humans and go talk, Inuyasha-sama."
"Uh..." Inuyasha still remained somewhat speechless.
Something isn't right here... Kagome watched him, puzzled. What was it? Had Ginnezu somehow frightened him? He could never have expected such...adulation from another inu-youkai. "Inuyasha, are you okay?"
"Uh, yeah." He replied, almost distracted, his eyes fixed on the female inu-youkai. "Um, could you go on to Kaede-babaa's? I need to talk to...the Lady Ginnezu."
Oh, she rates a "Lady" but I'm just "girl," huh? Kagome thought with a flash of ire. "But Inuyasha--"
"Kagome, go."
His voice was sharp, his attention fixed on the youkai. Kagome flinched back, noticing the sharp curl to his fingers--he was guarded, wary. "Oh... Fine, I'll see you later. Don't be late--we've got shards to find!"
It felt strange to be the one to remind him of that, but he didn't seem to have heard her--he was leading Ginnezu back towards the forest, his steps precise and his back stiff. Kagome sighed, watching them go, lifting her pack once more.
Ginnezu glanced back over her shoulder at Kagome. Her expression was no longer sweetly happy--it was smug, smiling, and even...cruel. Instead of the bubbly girl she had been, she looked like a real youkai--like Sesshomaru, or even Kagura.
The inu-youkai looked straight into Kagome's eyes with a terrible expression, her lip lifting in what might have been a triumphant grin--or a snarl--and Kagome felt a sudden flash of cold fear. She wanted to run after Inuyasha and call him back--but she was frozen to the spot, terrified. She could only stand there and watch them go, her body paralyzed with fear and her heart pounding.
No, don't go...Inuyasha, she's all wrong! She's tricking you--Inuyasha...!
By the time Inuyasha was back in the forest, he was sufficiently recovered from his surprise to regain his usual surly suspicion. He would hear her out, but he wouldn't trust her--not yet. "Alright, Ginnezu--who the hell are you really and what do you want?"
Ginnezu turned to face him, her expression still pleasant, but more subdued at seeing the possibility of his impending ire. "I was sent here by my Clan's leaders to locate the son of Seibunishi-sama. My father is Lord Ginpatsu, the Daimyo of the Silver Dog Clan. He has requested that the White Daimyo's heir be returned to the Dog Clans; for since Seibunishi-sama's death the Western Lands have been without a true leader."
"Why aren't you bothering Sesshomaru with this?" Inuyasha growled, his lip twisting. "He's the eldest son, and the Taiyoukai of the West. I'm the second son, and a hanyou."
"Sesshomaru-sama is not the Taiyoukai of the Western Lands," Ginnezu replied, her eyes brightening with secrets. "He has been going about as lord of this region, but among the Dog Clans he has no real authority. In truth, my father is acting ruler of the entire Western Lands right now."
"What?" Inuyasha felt as though the breath had been knocked from him. "Your father--is the Taiyoukai--?"
"Well, actually he's more like the regent," Ginnezu said, one finger to her chin thoughtfully. Even though she was being serious, she was still cutely innocent. "The Silver Dog Clan is the next step down in the hierarchy of the Dog Clans. Seibunishi-sama felt that Sesshomaru-sama was far too irresponsible to become either the Great Daimyo of the Clans, so before he passed away he requested at the Council of Daimyos that his friend Ginpatsu-sama--my father--become the regent and act as ruler until his chosen heir had come of age."
"And his chosen heir...is..." Inuyasha rasped, fearing he already knew.
"You!"
Inuyasha sat down, hard, on the ground.
Ginnezu immediately plopped down in front of him, all worry and concern. "Oh, you're not hurt, are you? I hope my message didn't shock you too much! Gomen nasai, Inuyasha-sama!"
Inuyasha flopped over backwards in a rare unguarded moment, staring in blank disbelief at the leaves overhead. For a while all he did was lay there, turning the words over in his mind to be sure he comprehended them.
Then he began to laugh.
"Inuyasha-sama...?" Ginnezu quavered, perplexed by his actions.
Inuyasha laughed until his stomach hurt and tears came. "Sesshomaru isn't who he says he is! Ha! Serves the bastard right! He's been masquerading as the Taiyoukai and kicking me around--but he's been the one in the doghouse all along!" He continued to laugh uproarously, finally sitting up to wipe his eyes. "This is just perfect..."
Ginnezu's face lit up. "Oh! So does that mean you'll come? Ah, how wonderful--you'll just love it there! And Otousama will be so glad to meet you!" She suddenly gasped and smiled even more. "I know! I'm the only daughter of the Silver Clan's ruling line--I just know Otousama will ask you to marry me! And we'll lead the Dog Clans together! Inuyasha-sama, we'll be so happy!" She giggled contentedly and hugged him, snuggling against his suddenly-rigid form. "This really is just perfect!"
Her affection was interrupted before she could get comfortably attached. Inuyasha was ten feet away in the space of a heartbeat--and she was facedown on the ground, having fallen there when the hanyou leaped out of her arms as if scalded. She pulled herself up to stare at him in shock as he stood across the clearing, once more guarded and tense.
"Don't get any ideas, bitch," Inuyasha snarled, his previous mirth vanished in the face of hard warning and a deep growl. "I haven't agreed to anything."
"But--"
"I'll give you my answer when I damn well feel like it--and it will not include any idiotic notions of marriage," he snapped, giving her a clear view of his fangs. "Wait around if you want, hang about the village if you like--that's your business--but I will not answer until I have considered everything."
"Ah...yes, Inuyasha-sama..." Looking suitably cowed, Ginnezu stood still, hands clasped and head down.
"And do not harm anyone in that village--do you understand?" Inuyasha added, glancing back at her. "Those ningen are under my protection. If a single human dies by your claws, you die by mine!"
"Hai!" the female inu-youkai gulped.
With a final surly growl, Inuyasha decided she was sufficiently chastized and turned his back on her, striding away through the forest in the direction of the village.
And when he was at last well out of earshot, Ginnezu's entire demeanor changed.
She snarled in the direction he'd gone, her face twisting with anger. "Shit!" she muttered crossly. "He's wary. It's gonna be a big job to make him trust me, much less get him in the sack."
Disgusted with the situation, she shook her head. "Damn Otousama and this fool plan of his... This is going to be harder than I thought. Hanyou...I swear it's human intuition that let's 'em know I'm coming..."
Without preamble, Inuyasha flopped down beside the firepit in Kaede's hut with a huff of an annoyed sigh.
The aged miko herself was out and about, but Kagome was sitting quietly by the fire, watching him without comment. He did not acknowlege her when he came in or when he sat down; instead, he stared at the flickering light of the dim coals, lost in his thoughts.
Ginnezu's announcement had done more than bemuse him--it had disturbed him greatly. He knew very little about the fabled Dog Clans--only that his father had been a Daimyo of them, as well as Taiyoukai of the West. And he knew that inu-youkai had some important influence over the Western Lands, but to what extent he had no clue. And he'd never even met any other Dogs besides Sesshomaru and his wolf-dog youkai friend, Shirokiba--whom he hadn't seen since before he'd ever even heard of Kikyo or the Shikon no Tama.
His sadly lacking knowlege of his own youkai half stemmed from his mother's limited teachings, his time with Shirokiba, his direct observations of other non-inu youkai, and his interactions with Sesshomaru. He didn't know anything about his father's people--where they lived, what they did most of the time, how many there were, or what sort of folk they were. But if his half-brother was a prime example of the inu-youkai, then he wanted absolutely nothing to do with them no matter what this Ginnezu wench promised him.
"What did 'Lady Ginnezu' want to talk to you about?" Kagome asked primly from across the fire, cradling a cup of tea.
"Nothing," Inuyasha grumbled in reply. "Just some weird inu-youkai stuff."
"I...I don't trust her, Inuyasha," the schoolgirl said softly, cautiously, not wanting to insult his awareness or set off his temper. "There's...something wrong."
"Yeah, there is," Inuyasha said, allowing the faint suspicion to creep into his tone. "But whatever it is, it's not her. She's a harmless idiot."
"Are you...sure?"
He snorted. "I have never in my life seen a full youkai make such a fool of herself and not fly into a rage over it. She's so brainless she doesn't even get mad."
"And you know that from just one conversation?" Kagome demanded, a trifle sharp.
"Look--just how many youkai do you know?" Inuyasha demanded. "You're just a human--you don't know anything--"
"Well, there's you and Shippo-chan and Myoga-jiichan and Kirara and Kouga-kun--but nearly every other youkai I've met has tried to kill me, so I have to say I'm a little cautious," Kagome said primly, fighting an urge to remind him that he had been trying to harm her in the beginning--it would just start another fight.
"Don't bother with Ginnezu," Inuyasha growled, fighting an urge to remind her that her precious Kouga-kun had started out wanting to kill her too--it would just start another fight. "It's none of your business anyway, so just stay out of it."
"Fine--then I will!"
"Fine! Good!"
Kagome angrily turned away, sipping at her cooling tea. She knew Inuyasha could probably take care of himself with the inu-youkai girl, and she was worrying over nothing. Inuyasha was far stronger than most youkai, regardless of his hanyou blood--and despite her doubts, he was smarter than people gave him credit for.
But she couldn't banish the tiny knot of fear that had settled coldly in the pit of her stomach, nor the nagging feeling that there was far more to Ginnezu than even that terrifying youkai smile.