CHAPTER NINETEEN
*
In his life, Inuyasha had faced more threats than any other demon he knew of. He had battled with ogres the size of trees and cut them down to size. He had faced off against Naraku's vicious offspring, and even against Naraku himself. He had fought his older brother, who was the most powerful demon Inuyasha knew of -- and what was more, Inuyasha had won more than once. He wasn't afraid of any of them.
And now he was scared.
"Relax, Inuyasha, you're doing fine," Kagome said. "Just tilt the bottle up a little."
Inuyasha did as she said, almost yanking the bottle out of the baby's mouth. Kagome had insisted that he give half of the whelp's feedings, and Inuyasha was dutifully doing his best. But he kept wondering if he was doing it wrong -- the baby kept spitting the formula out, then whining for more. Not to mention holding the whelp in one hand and feeding it with the other. Inuyasha kept wondering if he was going to drop it...
"I was wrong, Inuyasha," Miroku said drowsily. "That baby isn't fragile. He has the stamina of an ox. Look at him -- up half the night, and cheerful today." The monk yawned.
Sango and Shippo were already half-asleep, curled up on the floor, and Miroku looked like he was going to join them soon. Inuyasha was tired from the baby's all-night shriekings, but not that tired. Not yet. He had too many things on his mind to sleep peacefully.
He glanced over at the remains of his relative. Kagome had respectfully covered the broken bones with a worn tapestry, hiding them from view. But it still irked him. They had come all this way on a wild goose chase, only to find that the demon they had hoped was the baby's father was beyond long dead.
He found himself wondering who has killed the guy. Not that their group could do anything about it -- two years ago, Kagome hadn't ventured through the well, and Inuyasha himself had still been pinned to a tree. At least Miroku had burned those spears, Inuyasha thought. He looked down at his burned hand. Normally a demon like him him wouldn't die even when run through by a spear. But the ones with sutras would burn the demon from the inside out. Whoever had killed him was a pretty vicious bastard, he thought.
Inuyasha's thoughts were broken by loud whimpering coming from the baby. He was squirming, with a troubled look on his little face. Inuyasha stuck the bottle back in his mouth, only to have the baby bat it away with a whine. He joggled the child against his shoulder, only to have it whine louder.
Ten minutes later, Inuyasha was frantic. The baby was wailing at the top of his lungs, squirming and kicking at Inuyasha's stomach. Inuyasha tried to stick a bottle in his mouth again, and the baby spat it out with a gurgling squeal. Getting more upset, Inuyasha glanced over the baby's body for any cuts or splinters -- nothing. His diaper didn't need changing.
Dammit, what's wrong? he thought wildly. Why's he still crying?
Suddenly Sango got up and walked over. Without a word she snatched the baby out of Inuyasha's hands and gave him a loud slap on the back. Appalled, Inuyasha nearly erupted with rage there and then... until the baby stopped crying. He had a look of surprise on his flushed, tear-stained little face.
"Next time, try that," Sango said curtly, handing the baby back.
Inuyasha wordlessly took the baby and cuddled it against him. Aside from a case of the hiccups, the whelp seemed fine now; Inuyasha even checked his back to make sure Sango hadn't bruised him.
Kagome came back in, frowning. "Did I hear crying?" she asked.
"The baby needed burping," Sango yawned. "And I could tell Inuyasha didn't know how to handle it."
"All ya had to do was TELL me," Inuyasha snapped. "I could've done it myself."
Kagome took the baby from him and wiped off his little face. "Inuyasha, I think we should go," she whispered.
"Why's that?"
"Because... well, it's very far away, but I thought I sensed a Shikon shard... or maybe more than one."
Inuyasha stiffened. "I'll wake up Miroku and Shippo."
*
The baby began to act strange when the group left the castle. He began making odd snorting noises that sounded like "snerk." Kagome watched with concern as Inuyasha held the baby even tighter. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"He smells somethin' he doesn't like." Inuyasha grimaced. "So do I."
"You know what the smell is?" Kagome asked.
A cold wind whipped Inuyasha's white hair back from his shoulders. "Yup."
"What is it?"
"Filthy wolves," he said tightly.
Wolves... Koga? Kagome thought.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
In his life, Inuyasha had faced more threats than any other demon he knew of. He had battled with ogres the size of trees and cut them down to size. He had faced off against Naraku's vicious offspring, and even against Naraku himself. He had fought his older brother, who was the most powerful demon Inuyasha knew of -- and what was more, Inuyasha had won more than once. He wasn't afraid of any of them.
And now he was scared.
"Relax, Inuyasha, you're doing fine," Kagome said. "Just tilt the bottle up a little."
Inuyasha did as she said, almost yanking the bottle out of the baby's mouth. Kagome had insisted that he give half of the whelp's feedings, and Inuyasha was dutifully doing his best. But he kept wondering if he was doing it wrong -- the baby kept spitting the formula out, then whining for more. Not to mention holding the whelp in one hand and feeding it with the other. Inuyasha kept wondering if he was going to drop it...
"I was wrong, Inuyasha," Miroku said drowsily. "That baby isn't fragile. He has the stamina of an ox. Look at him -- up half the night, and cheerful today." The monk yawned.
Sango and Shippo were already half-asleep, curled up on the floor, and Miroku looked like he was going to join them soon. Inuyasha was tired from the baby's all-night shriekings, but not that tired. Not yet. He had too many things on his mind to sleep peacefully.
He glanced over at the remains of his relative. Kagome had respectfully covered the broken bones with a worn tapestry, hiding them from view. But it still irked him. They had come all this way on a wild goose chase, only to find that the demon they had hoped was the baby's father was beyond long dead.
He found himself wondering who has killed the guy. Not that their group could do anything about it -- two years ago, Kagome hadn't ventured through the well, and Inuyasha himself had still been pinned to a tree. At least Miroku had burned those spears, Inuyasha thought. He looked down at his burned hand. Normally a demon like him him wouldn't die even when run through by a spear. But the ones with sutras would burn the demon from the inside out. Whoever had killed him was a pretty vicious bastard, he thought.
Inuyasha's thoughts were broken by loud whimpering coming from the baby. He was squirming, with a troubled look on his little face. Inuyasha stuck the bottle back in his mouth, only to have the baby bat it away with a whine. He joggled the child against his shoulder, only to have it whine louder.
Ten minutes later, Inuyasha was frantic. The baby was wailing at the top of his lungs, squirming and kicking at Inuyasha's stomach. Inuyasha tried to stick a bottle in his mouth again, and the baby spat it out with a gurgling squeal. Getting more upset, Inuyasha glanced over the baby's body for any cuts or splinters -- nothing. His diaper didn't need changing.
Dammit, what's wrong? he thought wildly. Why's he still crying?
Suddenly Sango got up and walked over. Without a word she snatched the baby out of Inuyasha's hands and gave him a loud slap on the back. Appalled, Inuyasha nearly erupted with rage there and then... until the baby stopped crying. He had a look of surprise on his flushed, tear-stained little face.
"Next time, try that," Sango said curtly, handing the baby back.
Inuyasha wordlessly took the baby and cuddled it against him. Aside from a case of the hiccups, the whelp seemed fine now; Inuyasha even checked his back to make sure Sango hadn't bruised him.
Kagome came back in, frowning. "Did I hear crying?" she asked.
"The baby needed burping," Sango yawned. "And I could tell Inuyasha didn't know how to handle it."
"All ya had to do was TELL me," Inuyasha snapped. "I could've done it myself."
Kagome took the baby from him and wiped off his little face. "Inuyasha, I think we should go," she whispered.
"Why's that?"
"Because... well, it's very far away, but I thought I sensed a Shikon shard... or maybe more than one."
Inuyasha stiffened. "I'll wake up Miroku and Shippo."
*
The baby began to act strange when the group left the castle. He began making odd snorting noises that sounded like "snerk." Kagome watched with concern as Inuyasha held the baby even tighter. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"He smells somethin' he doesn't like." Inuyasha grimaced. "So do I."
"You know what the smell is?" Kagome asked.
A cold wind whipped Inuyasha's white hair back from his shoulders. "Yup."
"What is it?"
"Filthy wolves," he said tightly.
Wolves... Koga? Kagome thought.
TO BE CONTINUED