CHAPTER TWO
*
It darted like a white streak under the bushes. He could smell its fear radiating from under a gnarled tree root. It was going to lie there while the predator came up on it.
Trembling in the shadows, the rabbit sniffed the air. Its ears twitched as it heard a soft crunch, something stepping on the dry leaves. It saw a flash of red just a few seconds too late...
"Gotcha!"
Inuyasha's arm shot out and caught the struggling rabbit, dragging it from its hiding place. It wriggled frantically -- then went limp. Inuyasha looked the dead animal over carefully; it wasn't as good as the ones he had caught earlier, but it had been a much easier catch.
"Must have had a weak heart," he said as he walked back to the camp.
Sango paused from sharpening spits. "Good, that makes half a rabbit for each of us."
Inuyasha dropped down beside the fire. "What's takin' them so long? It's just gathering some sticks."
When Sango didn't answer, Inuyasha glanced over at Shippo and Kirara, who were tussling playfully on top of Kagome's backpack. Then he stood and began walking around the campsite, kicking at rocks and tufts of grass. He hated waiting -- he always had. Kagome had said it was one of his worst faults once when he had come to pick her up from school. "Not everybody is fast as a speeding bullet, you know," she had said as she jumped into the well.
Well, if everyone weren't always so slow it wouldn't be a problem, Inuyasha thought, folding his arms. A half-demon especially had to be fast. It had saved his butt more times than he could count.
He leapt up into the branches of a tree and scanned the horizon. Then he sagged down, frustrated. The trees clustered too closely
He sat up sharply, sniffing. There was a familiar scent on the wind.
Blood, he thought, sniffing again. Human blood. It's not Miroku or Kagome, though -- some other human. Maybe half a day old -- not very fresh. Whoever was bleeding is long gone, he thought. Either dead or just long gone.
Yawning, Inuyasha sat back in the tree, resting his head on his arms. The sky above him was starting to clear, and he could see the glow of the sun shining through the clouds. He was still a little tired from tracking that wild demon hawk, which had been suspected of having a jewel shard. It turned out that the hawk was just plain crazy. No jewel shard, and it annoyed Inuyasha no end.
Now he started to unwind, relaxing on the branch and watching the clouds float by. Lost in his own thoughts, he didn't hear Miroku approaching. He started as the monk tapped his foot. "Mind coming down?" he said grimly.
Inuyasha jumped down to the ground. "It's about time you got back. I could've found wood faster with-"
"Never mind the wood," Miroku said, crossing his arms. There was a weird stern look on his face. It made Inuyasha want to growl. "Come with me, please."
Inuyasha followed him reluctantly. Kagome was sitting by the fire, with something in her arms. Inuyasha bristled unconsciously. She looked stunned, as if something had upset her. But before he could ask what had happened, and why she was upset, Miroku interrupted him.
Inuyasha stiffened as the monk tapped him on the shoulder. "Inuyasha, while Kagome and I were gathering wood, we came across a dead human."
"Yeah, so?" Inuyasha said. "I smelled the blood, but it wasn't fresh, so I didn't worry about it."
"Did the blood smell familiar at all?"
"Nope. Why should it?"
Miroku glanced over at Kagome. "The woman who died hadn't been dead for too long. We found a baby beside her body."
"What's your point?" Inuyasha demanded. "I don't understand where this is all going."
"Take a look at this." Miroku walked over to Kagome and pulled the blanket away from the baby's face. Sango gasped.
Inuyasha froze. The baby yawned blinked golden eyes in the sunlight. Peeking around the edge of the blanket was a tuft of silver hair, and a crumpled white puppy ear.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
It darted like a white streak under the bushes. He could smell its fear radiating from under a gnarled tree root. It was going to lie there while the predator came up on it.
Trembling in the shadows, the rabbit sniffed the air. Its ears twitched as it heard a soft crunch, something stepping on the dry leaves. It saw a flash of red just a few seconds too late...
"Gotcha!"
Inuyasha's arm shot out and caught the struggling rabbit, dragging it from its hiding place. It wriggled frantically -- then went limp. Inuyasha looked the dead animal over carefully; it wasn't as good as the ones he had caught earlier, but it had been a much easier catch.
"Must have had a weak heart," he said as he walked back to the camp.
Sango paused from sharpening spits. "Good, that makes half a rabbit for each of us."
Inuyasha dropped down beside the fire. "What's takin' them so long? It's just gathering some sticks."
When Sango didn't answer, Inuyasha glanced over at Shippo and Kirara, who were tussling playfully on top of Kagome's backpack. Then he stood and began walking around the campsite, kicking at rocks and tufts of grass. He hated waiting -- he always had. Kagome had said it was one of his worst faults once when he had come to pick her up from school. "Not everybody is fast as a speeding bullet, you know," she had said as she jumped into the well.
Well, if everyone weren't always so slow it wouldn't be a problem, Inuyasha thought, folding his arms. A half-demon especially had to be fast. It had saved his butt more times than he could count.
He leapt up into the branches of a tree and scanned the horizon. Then he sagged down, frustrated. The trees clustered too closely
He sat up sharply, sniffing. There was a familiar scent on the wind.
Blood, he thought, sniffing again. Human blood. It's not Miroku or Kagome, though -- some other human. Maybe half a day old -- not very fresh. Whoever was bleeding is long gone, he thought. Either dead or just long gone.
Yawning, Inuyasha sat back in the tree, resting his head on his arms. The sky above him was starting to clear, and he could see the glow of the sun shining through the clouds. He was still a little tired from tracking that wild demon hawk, which had been suspected of having a jewel shard. It turned out that the hawk was just plain crazy. No jewel shard, and it annoyed Inuyasha no end.
Now he started to unwind, relaxing on the branch and watching the clouds float by. Lost in his own thoughts, he didn't hear Miroku approaching. He started as the monk tapped his foot. "Mind coming down?" he said grimly.
Inuyasha jumped down to the ground. "It's about time you got back. I could've found wood faster with-"
"Never mind the wood," Miroku said, crossing his arms. There was a weird stern look on his face. It made Inuyasha want to growl. "Come with me, please."
Inuyasha followed him reluctantly. Kagome was sitting by the fire, with something in her arms. Inuyasha bristled unconsciously. She looked stunned, as if something had upset her. But before he could ask what had happened, and why she was upset, Miroku interrupted him.
Inuyasha stiffened as the monk tapped him on the shoulder. "Inuyasha, while Kagome and I were gathering wood, we came across a dead human."
"Yeah, so?" Inuyasha said. "I smelled the blood, but it wasn't fresh, so I didn't worry about it."
"Did the blood smell familiar at all?"
"Nope. Why should it?"
Miroku glanced over at Kagome. "The woman who died hadn't been dead for too long. We found a baby beside her body."
"What's your point?" Inuyasha demanded. "I don't understand where this is all going."
"Take a look at this." Miroku walked over to Kagome and pulled the blanket away from the baby's face. Sango gasped.
Inuyasha froze. The baby yawned blinked golden eyes in the sunlight. Peeking around the edge of the blanket was a tuft of silver hair, and a crumpled white puppy ear.
TO BE CONTINUED