CHAPTER THIRTEEN
*
"Tis a strange story," Kaede said, frowning.
Inuyasha made a garbled "feh" noise under his breath. Kagome elbowed him in the ribs. It had taken her awhile to convince him to come back into Kaede's house. Now he was crouched by her side, sulking, with his hands folded into his baggy sleeves. The baby was lying on the floor in front of him, apparently trying to wad his little fist into his mouth.
"And ye say that they did not know the father's name?" Kaede continued.
"That's right," Miroku said. "All they knew was that he was a dog-demon who visited the women many months ago. He may not have even known about the child's existence." The monk leaned back and frowned. "I spoke with some of the villagers. The mother tried to keep the child's existence a secret -- or rather, she tried to keep its half-demon heritage secret. But when one lady uncovered the secret, they fatally wounded the mother. She managed to stagger to a nearby shrine, and died there. Kagome and I found the baby... and well, the rest you know."
Inuyasha was making a low growling noise, staring at the wall.
"Are ye well, Inuyasha?" Kaede said in a low, measured voice.
Inuyasha hunched down over the baby and didn't answer. Kagome put a hand on his arm, but didn't speak. The baby whimpered and clutched at a few strands of Inuyasha's long white hair.
"Inuyasha," Kaede said slowly, "ye know nothing of who the father might be?"
"Nothin' at all."
"You don't know anyone?" Sango asked, surprised.
"Why would I?" Inuyasha said, sitting back. "Only member of my family I really see is Sesshomaru. I don't exactly know everybody I'm related to on a first name basis."
There was another long moment of silence, where everyone looked down at the squirming, puppy-eared child on the floor. Kirara had slipped in and was diligently washing the baby's little face and arms. She paused, as if checking him for more dirt, then began licking his fists.
"He resembles ye, Inuyasha," Kaede finally said.
"It's been mentioned," Inuyasha said sourly.
"And more than sixty years have elapsed since the death of ye father," Kaede continued pensively. "So he might not be a brother. Might he then be... a nephew?"
Inuyasha snorted derisively. "Right, like Sesshomaru would ever do THAT with a human wench."
"Still, it isn't wise to discount any possibilities, Inuyasha," Miroku said thoughtfully. "We know that the baby isn't Inuyasha's, and it can't be a half brother. But at the same time, you only need to look at them to tell that there is some kind of kinship between them." He reached out and flicked the baby's ear. "Inuyasha, would Myoga know anything about your extended family."
Inuyasha blinked. "He might. But I haven't seen the little wuss for awhile now."
"It might be worth pursuing." Kaede picked the baby up carefully, despite Kirara's protests. "Yet this too should be considered... would a demon who abandoned his lover and child be a fit kind of father, Inuyasha?"
"Better than taking him into battles with Naraku," Inuyasha said in a low voice. "If he... if it weren't for Naraku, then maybe..." He looked away quickly, flushing. "Doesn't matter, anyway. If he isn't a good enough father, I'll thrash him until he is."
"That was not quite what I meant," Kaede said dryly. She carefully placed the squirming baby in Inuyasha's arms. "Ye have undertaken responsibility for him now, until ye can find his father. See that ye live up to that, because I know ye are able..."
TO BE CONTINUED
*
"Tis a strange story," Kaede said, frowning.
Inuyasha made a garbled "feh" noise under his breath. Kagome elbowed him in the ribs. It had taken her awhile to convince him to come back into Kaede's house. Now he was crouched by her side, sulking, with his hands folded into his baggy sleeves. The baby was lying on the floor in front of him, apparently trying to wad his little fist into his mouth.
"And ye say that they did not know the father's name?" Kaede continued.
"That's right," Miroku said. "All they knew was that he was a dog-demon who visited the women many months ago. He may not have even known about the child's existence." The monk leaned back and frowned. "I spoke with some of the villagers. The mother tried to keep the child's existence a secret -- or rather, she tried to keep its half-demon heritage secret. But when one lady uncovered the secret, they fatally wounded the mother. She managed to stagger to a nearby shrine, and died there. Kagome and I found the baby... and well, the rest you know."
Inuyasha was making a low growling noise, staring at the wall.
"Are ye well, Inuyasha?" Kaede said in a low, measured voice.
Inuyasha hunched down over the baby and didn't answer. Kagome put a hand on his arm, but didn't speak. The baby whimpered and clutched at a few strands of Inuyasha's long white hair.
"Inuyasha," Kaede said slowly, "ye know nothing of who the father might be?"
"Nothin' at all."
"You don't know anyone?" Sango asked, surprised.
"Why would I?" Inuyasha said, sitting back. "Only member of my family I really see is Sesshomaru. I don't exactly know everybody I'm related to on a first name basis."
There was another long moment of silence, where everyone looked down at the squirming, puppy-eared child on the floor. Kirara had slipped in and was diligently washing the baby's little face and arms. She paused, as if checking him for more dirt, then began licking his fists.
"He resembles ye, Inuyasha," Kaede finally said.
"It's been mentioned," Inuyasha said sourly.
"And more than sixty years have elapsed since the death of ye father," Kaede continued pensively. "So he might not be a brother. Might he then be... a nephew?"
Inuyasha snorted derisively. "Right, like Sesshomaru would ever do THAT with a human wench."
"Still, it isn't wise to discount any possibilities, Inuyasha," Miroku said thoughtfully. "We know that the baby isn't Inuyasha's, and it can't be a half brother. But at the same time, you only need to look at them to tell that there is some kind of kinship between them." He reached out and flicked the baby's ear. "Inuyasha, would Myoga know anything about your extended family."
Inuyasha blinked. "He might. But I haven't seen the little wuss for awhile now."
"It might be worth pursuing." Kaede picked the baby up carefully, despite Kirara's protests. "Yet this too should be considered... would a demon who abandoned his lover and child be a fit kind of father, Inuyasha?"
"Better than taking him into battles with Naraku," Inuyasha said in a low voice. "If he... if it weren't for Naraku, then maybe..." He looked away quickly, flushing. "Doesn't matter, anyway. If he isn't a good enough father, I'll thrash him until he is."
"That was not quite what I meant," Kaede said dryly. She carefully placed the squirming baby in Inuyasha's arms. "Ye have undertaken responsibility for him now, until ye can find his father. See that ye live up to that, because I know ye are able..."
TO BE CONTINUED