CHAPTER TWO

x.

"Inuyasha! Miroku!"

Shippo's shrill voice echoed through the woods. A tiny form trotted through the bushes, glancing around. "Now where did they go?" the fox-demon mumbled. "They've been gone for hours now, so they should be back already."

He sat down on a flat rock, and rubbed his head. "Maybe I should have gone with them," he said, glancing around. He knew Inuyasha -- always getting in trouble. And Miroku was always chasing pretty girls, even when Sango was around. Together, they could have gotten in a serious mess.

"Inuyasha!" Shippo called again. "Miroku! Where are you?"

Then he paused, looking around at the trees. "Where am I?" he asked rhetorically.

x.

"I wonder what Inuyasha and Miroku have been doing all this time," Sango said, slinging a sack over her shoulder.

"I don't know," Kagome said, following the demon-slayer. "If they were any other guys, I would think they were just guy-bonding. But with Inuyasha and Miroku, it's more likely that they just are getting on each other's nerves."

"Probably..."

"Did you find that silk you were looking for?"

The two young women chatted quietly as they walked back to the camp, discussing what they had bought at a market in the village. Kagome shifted the rough sack on her shoulder. Sometimes it was nice to have some time alone with Sango -- Miroku's womanizing and Inuyasha's crabbiness kept things from ever getting dull, but it did get tiring after awhile.

Suddenly Sango stopped, and frowned.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked, shifting her sack.

"I thought I heard something." Sango shook her head. "No, it was probably just a bird."

But Sango still looked troubled as they returned to the camp. The fire had died down to a few embers, and the water in the pot had boiled away. Kagome quickly lifted it off and left it to cool. "Where are the guys?" she asked, glancing around.

"I'm not sure," Sango said, frowning. "Shippo and Kirara are gone as well." She picked up the remains of some roasted fish, and then tossed them aside. "Cold. They must have left some time ago."

A few minutes later, the two girls were wandering through the woods, calling out Inuyasha and Miroku's names. Rationally, Kagome knew that probably nothing had happened. Inuyasha and Miroku could take care of themselves. Between Inuyasha's half-demon strength and Miroku's wind tunnel, they could defeat almost anyone.

So why do I feel so uneasy? she thought.

Then she heard a faint noise, somewhere between a squeak and a yelp. "Inuyasha?" Kagome called, stepping off the path. Vines fell in her face, and she quickly pushed them aside, struggling through the bushes and long grass. "I'm coming, Inuyasha! Hold on!"

Something tugged at her ankle, but Kagome shook it off. It was some sort of string, with pieces of paper attached to it. It looked vaguely familiar, but Kagome wasn't inclined to stop. "Inuyasha, where are you?" she called. "Say something, please! Where are you?"

Another talisman snagged her sock. Kagome tripped and tumbled down a shallow bank, landing with an unceremonious thud. "Ow!" she muttered, rubbing her sore backside. Then she blinked, staring through the veil of trees. In front of her, she could see a huge expanse of darkness, and a flash of red in front of it...

"Inuyasha!" she called, scrambling to her feet. "Finally!"

But when she pushed her way to the cave's mouth, she stopped. Miroku and Inuyasha's clothes were crumpled on the ground, as if the two young men had stepped out of them. But... why in the world would they be wandering naked through the woods?

"Why did he leave his clothes behind?" Kagome murmured. She grabbed one of the baggy red sleeves -- and gasped as she saw what was underneath.

TO BE CONTINUED