Stranded: Chapter 2

Dea Mariella

Disclaimer: no, I don't own Inuyasha…but I do now own Kirara! (…ok, so she's plushy…)

I don't know what to tell you, except that we are not where we were last night.

Kagome just gazed at Inuyasha, almost expecting him to jump and say "April Fools!" 'But wait…why would Inuyasha know of this tradition…? And wasn't it September?' While the rest of the camp flew into action and a flurry of words, she remained motionless, locked into place.

She knew him to be truthful, even when trying to delude herself. He wouldn't meet her gaze; that was her clue. He was embarrassed at having a weakness in front of them all, something that he couldn't control and/or fix. It was this that made him hide his head from them all, from her.

So, she gazed steadily at him, trying to get him out of his shell; to tell him that it was alright to not be all-powerful. When the din had reached the level of a mere sonic boom, she quietly asked her question.

"How can you tell?"

The others quieted down to hear the answer. The quick glance he gave her told her that he was grateful for a question he could answer, but wasn't about to say it. She inwardly smiled.

"There are two things. The first is that the very air around us smells unfamiliar."

Miroku interrupted. "But we had never been here before; wouldn't camping in a strange place be unfamiliar as well?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "No, this is different. It smells…wrong. I can't explain." He fell silent, appearing to ponder his words.

Kagome spoke up yet again. "You said that there were two reasons. What is the second?"

"The other reason is that our scents do not have a trail leading here. They are merely in this area protected by the houshi's ofuda."

Miroku nodded in comprehension. "That would imply a form of magic, a fairly strong one at that. Perhaps Kagome-sama would be able to sense an aura…?"

Kagome quickly stood up and went to the edge of the barrier. Closing her eyes, she rested her hand upon where she felt the edge. Gently, she extended her senses beyond her hand…and found nothing. She returned to the group.

"There was nothing out there. It is just forest, although an unfamiliar one."

The group collectively sat and pondered this. Finally, Shippou spoke up.

"Could we eat anyways?"

The sight of the kitsune had always driven Inuyasha into a frustrated state of mind, and his comment now was not welcome. Kagome saw the storm and went to head it off.

"Yes, we can eat quickly, and then be on our way. For, that is our plan, correct?"

Inuyasha peevishly nodded. "It is, but be snappy about the eating."

Rolling her eyes, Kagome stood up to help Sango divvy out the food. The slayer gave her an exasperated smile at the antics of the menfolk that morning. For even now, Inuyasha had finally given in and was chasing Shippou around the fire, attempting to beat the crap out of him; and failing miserably. Kagome quickly grew tired of it, and put an end to it the easy way: the rosary.

"OSUWARI!"

Thud

A wave of profanity followed shortly afterward, but Kagome just concentrated on her food. All too soon for her comfort, the breakfast was over. Alone in their thoughts, they headed out into the great unknown.

A.N. how do you think it's coming? If you think that it's worth anything, REVIEW! They are always much appreciated!

Also, I received an anonymous review claiming that I made Inuyasha "think" too much. I am slightly offended and very amused by this thought. I have never held with the belief that only the obvious in their natures are true. Those fanfics which just have Inuyasha being a stupid ass, not noticing the nose on his face; with Kagome doing nothing but running around saying osuwari and running home. It just makes no sense to me. How could a little boy from about age 6 to 16 survive on his own without using his brain? Now, I'm not trying to claim he's a genius, but I don't think he's stupid. That's just one of my deciders between a good story and a bad one; how they portray the characters. It's just me, and "someone", if you are offended by my comments, I apologize; it came out slightly more hostile than I had planned. But fear not, for I will continue and finish the story in decent time I should hope.

Dea-chan