CHAPTER TWO
For a moment, the sunlight was too bright for Yukiyo to see the demon's face. Then she heard a voice asking, "You alright?"
The demon stepped out of the blinding light and crouched down. To Yukiyo's surprise, he didn't look savage or evil. Rough, definitely, but not evil. He looked like a boy of about sixteen, dressed in baggy red clothing. He was holding an enormous curved sword in one hand. What really caught Yukiyo's attention was his eyes and hair -- his eyes were golden, and his hair was a pale silver that was almost white. His ears were like a dog's.
"Hey?" The demon stuck his face forward, staring intently at Yukiyo. "You hear me, kid?"
Yukiyo felt her face getting warm.
"Girl, are you hurt?" the demon asked a little louder.
"N-no," Yukiyo said faintly.
Satisfied, the demon stood up and dusted himself off. "If you're gonna walk out here in these forests, you'd better go with somebody else," he said gruffly. "Believe me, it's nowhere near safe."
"Y-yes," Yukiyo said, flustered. She picked up her bucket and hugged it to her chest.
The demon idly twirled his sword around. "Need me to take you back to wherever you live?" he asked.
"N-no," Yukiyo stammered. "I'll be okay. It's not far from here."
"Okay." The demon youth sheathed his sword in a scabbard that looked far too small for it. He crouched down for a second, then sprang high in the air and landed somewhere in the treetops, then was gone.
Yukiyo slowly backed away from the fallen tree. Her heart was beating wildly, even though she was no longer afraid. Who was that? she thought. And why did he save me? Still confused, she clutched the bucket close to her again, and began running back to the village.
Aiko was sitting outside her hut in the sunshine, with her eyes closed and a small smile on her wrinkled face. As Yukiyo ran up, flushed and panting, the old woman woke suddenly. "What is it, child?" she said, concerned. "Has something happened?"
Yukiyo blurted out the story of what had happened in the woods. Old Aiko listened gravely to the whole thing. The lines in her face grew deeper as Yukiyo described the bandits, and how the demon had frightened them away by slashing down a tree. Or, Yukiyo amended, cut it down with his sword -- she wasn't exactly sure. "But he was really brave," she finished.
"A strange story," Aiko said slowly. "I hope that you thanked him, child."
Yukiyo stared down at her feet. "I.... um, no. I was so startled..."
"Well, it's understandable," Aiko said soothingly. "Go on and wash your face. You have had a terrible shock. I shall ask one of the village men to fetch water for the next few days -- surely they will understand my reasons."
Inuyasha flexed his arm, and grimaced. Damn, he thought. I must've pulled something when I scared off those rotten bandits.
Well, at least the girl hadn't been hurt. It had been lucky for her that Inuyasha was within hearing range. He had been strolling back to where his friends were camped, and had suddenly heard snarled threats and a girl's gasps. He had changed direction, racing through the woods, and had opted to scare the bandits off. He could have killed them easily, but he didn't want the girl caught in the crossfire.
But if I smell those bastards again, he thought, I might just catch up to them and teach 'em a lesson.
He landed lightly in the forest clearing where they had set up camp. Kagome was pouring a pot of water over the campfire. "Oh, you're back," she said. "Sango was just about to go looking for you. Did anything happen?"
"Yeah," Inuyasha said, massaging his elbow. "I came across some bandits attacking a girl."
"And you stopped them, right?"
"Yeah." Inuyasha stretched. "She was dressed like a priestess, but she was kinda young. I guess she must've been in training."
"Did you ask her name?"
"Why's it matter?" Inuyasha said, shrugging. "I'm probably never gonna see her again."
TO BE CONTINUED
For a moment, the sunlight was too bright for Yukiyo to see the demon's face. Then she heard a voice asking, "You alright?"
The demon stepped out of the blinding light and crouched down. To Yukiyo's surprise, he didn't look savage or evil. Rough, definitely, but not evil. He looked like a boy of about sixteen, dressed in baggy red clothing. He was holding an enormous curved sword in one hand. What really caught Yukiyo's attention was his eyes and hair -- his eyes were golden, and his hair was a pale silver that was almost white. His ears were like a dog's.
"Hey?" The demon stuck his face forward, staring intently at Yukiyo. "You hear me, kid?"
Yukiyo felt her face getting warm.
"Girl, are you hurt?" the demon asked a little louder.
"N-no," Yukiyo said faintly.
Satisfied, the demon stood up and dusted himself off. "If you're gonna walk out here in these forests, you'd better go with somebody else," he said gruffly. "Believe me, it's nowhere near safe."
"Y-yes," Yukiyo said, flustered. She picked up her bucket and hugged it to her chest.
The demon idly twirled his sword around. "Need me to take you back to wherever you live?" he asked.
"N-no," Yukiyo stammered. "I'll be okay. It's not far from here."
"Okay." The demon youth sheathed his sword in a scabbard that looked far too small for it. He crouched down for a second, then sprang high in the air and landed somewhere in the treetops, then was gone.
Yukiyo slowly backed away from the fallen tree. Her heart was beating wildly, even though she was no longer afraid. Who was that? she thought. And why did he save me? Still confused, she clutched the bucket close to her again, and began running back to the village.
Aiko was sitting outside her hut in the sunshine, with her eyes closed and a small smile on her wrinkled face. As Yukiyo ran up, flushed and panting, the old woman woke suddenly. "What is it, child?" she said, concerned. "Has something happened?"
Yukiyo blurted out the story of what had happened in the woods. Old Aiko listened gravely to the whole thing. The lines in her face grew deeper as Yukiyo described the bandits, and how the demon had frightened them away by slashing down a tree. Or, Yukiyo amended, cut it down with his sword -- she wasn't exactly sure. "But he was really brave," she finished.
"A strange story," Aiko said slowly. "I hope that you thanked him, child."
Yukiyo stared down at her feet. "I.... um, no. I was so startled..."
"Well, it's understandable," Aiko said soothingly. "Go on and wash your face. You have had a terrible shock. I shall ask one of the village men to fetch water for the next few days -- surely they will understand my reasons."
Inuyasha flexed his arm, and grimaced. Damn, he thought. I must've pulled something when I scared off those rotten bandits.
Well, at least the girl hadn't been hurt. It had been lucky for her that Inuyasha was within hearing range. He had been strolling back to where his friends were camped, and had suddenly heard snarled threats and a girl's gasps. He had changed direction, racing through the woods, and had opted to scare the bandits off. He could have killed them easily, but he didn't want the girl caught in the crossfire.
But if I smell those bastards again, he thought, I might just catch up to them and teach 'em a lesson.
He landed lightly in the forest clearing where they had set up camp. Kagome was pouring a pot of water over the campfire. "Oh, you're back," she said. "Sango was just about to go looking for you. Did anything happen?"
"Yeah," Inuyasha said, massaging his elbow. "I came across some bandits attacking a girl."
"And you stopped them, right?"
"Yeah." Inuyasha stretched. "She was dressed like a priestess, but she was kinda young. I guess she must've been in training."
"Did you ask her name?"
"Why's it matter?" Inuyasha said, shrugging. "I'm probably never gonna see her again."
TO BE CONTINUED