CHAPTER EIGHT
*
He heard the roar of flames, the screams of dying voices. He was small. Trapped in a tiny dark space, with the glow of orange coming through the top. He couldn't move; all Inuyasha could do was flail helplessly against the sides of the reed basket, howling at the top of his small lungs. His sensitive nose was burning from the smell of smoke, and the dry roar of the fire made his tiny pointed ears hurt.
Then suddenly the basket was ripped to shreds around him. Inuyasha's whimpers died away as strong clawed hands picked him up and held him close. A cloak was thrown over him like a blanket, and the sounds of fire and death faded away...
Inuyasha started awake. For a moment he was confused by the crackling of flames... until he realized that it was just the little campfire. They left it burning through the night, to keep wolves away. Inuyasha blinked around at the dark woods for a moment, disoriented by his dream, then growled softly and rubbed his eyes.
"Damn dreams," he muttered.
He settled back against the tree, looking at the others to make sure he hadn't disturbed them. Kagome, the nearest, was still fast asleep in her sleeping bag. Inuyasha rested Tetsusaiga against his shoulder and stared up at the trees.
Now that he thought about it, the dream was less like a dream... and more like a memory. It made him shiver. He didn't remember anything like that -- his earliest memories were of his mother. But he had never dreamed of his father... that had been his father, right? The dream was already fading as he tried to recollect it.
The sound of twigs snapping made Inuyasha stiffen. He started up, clutching Tetsusaiga...
"You'd better get back to sleep," a deep voice rumbled.
Inuyasha flushed. He had forgotten that his dad was still in the camp. The older demon was by the fire, watching leaves turn to ash. He was sitting in a position Inuyasha recognized, legs crossed and hands resting on his knees. And though he had spoken to his son, the Dog-Lord was still watching the flames.
"Feh," Inuyasha said tightly. "It ain't a big deal. I mean, if I have to I'll stay awake all night to watch over the others..."
"You don't have to," the Dog-Lord said briskly. "I'll be awake through the night. So you should sleep while you can, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha wasn't sure if he had been chastised or not. Reluctantly he settled against the tree trunk and let his eyelids droop. His father outlined by fire was the last thing he saw before falling asleep, as it had been the last thing he saw before waking.
*
The Dog-Lord dropped a branch into the campfire and watched the fire devour it.
Without looking, he could tell that Inuyasha was asleep. His son was crouched against the tree near that girl with the green robe. Out of the corner, the Dog-Lord could see how Inuyasha slept -- like a warrior, expecting someone to spring out and attack while he was off guard. He kept Tetsusaiga cradled against his chest like a lover.
The older dog-demon pressed a hand to his forehead and rubbed it, growling softly. His memories were starting to drift into place, one at a time. The dark-haired girl in his memory had a name now... she had been Inuyasha's mother. His human mother. Younger than the Dog-Lord, both in body and in years, but far wiser than most humans were. In the many centuries of his life, the Dog-Lord had known no other like her. She was probably dead, he thought, growing melancholy. The lives of humans were so brief... and he had been gone these sixty years.
He glanced back at Inuyasha. Now that he could take a good look at his son, he saw hints of her in his youthful face. Inuyasha had been a wobbling baby when the Dog-Lord had been killed. Now he was a young man. And from the sound of it, a strange one.
The little kitsune was in the sleeping bag, snoring loudly. The girl in the green robe -- Kagome, that was her name -- had said that Inuyasha had taken the orphaned fox in, despite the fact that the fox clearly annoyed him at times. And he had attacked that girl for apparently no reason... but now he stayed close by her side, even when she slept.
Seeing them brought more memories back to the older demon. Seeing those two reminded him of a half-forgotten time, when he had protected Inuyasha's mother from harm as well.
The Dog-Lord glanced up at the sky as time passed. A faint glow was rising in the east as sunrise approached. Suddenly he smelled something far away. It was a strange smell, not like anything he had ever smelled before. He wrinkled his nose.
Inuyasha snorted and woke up. "What the..." he mumbled, staggering to his feet.
"Do you recognize that scent?" the Dog-Lord said in a low voice.
"Yeah, I recognize it," Inuyasha said grimly.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
He heard the roar of flames, the screams of dying voices. He was small. Trapped in a tiny dark space, with the glow of orange coming through the top. He couldn't move; all Inuyasha could do was flail helplessly against the sides of the reed basket, howling at the top of his small lungs. His sensitive nose was burning from the smell of smoke, and the dry roar of the fire made his tiny pointed ears hurt.
Then suddenly the basket was ripped to shreds around him. Inuyasha's whimpers died away as strong clawed hands picked him up and held him close. A cloak was thrown over him like a blanket, and the sounds of fire and death faded away...
Inuyasha started awake. For a moment he was confused by the crackling of flames... until he realized that it was just the little campfire. They left it burning through the night, to keep wolves away. Inuyasha blinked around at the dark woods for a moment, disoriented by his dream, then growled softly and rubbed his eyes.
"Damn dreams," he muttered.
He settled back against the tree, looking at the others to make sure he hadn't disturbed them. Kagome, the nearest, was still fast asleep in her sleeping bag. Inuyasha rested Tetsusaiga against his shoulder and stared up at the trees.
Now that he thought about it, the dream was less like a dream... and more like a memory. It made him shiver. He didn't remember anything like that -- his earliest memories were of his mother. But he had never dreamed of his father... that had been his father, right? The dream was already fading as he tried to recollect it.
The sound of twigs snapping made Inuyasha stiffen. He started up, clutching Tetsusaiga...
"You'd better get back to sleep," a deep voice rumbled.
Inuyasha flushed. He had forgotten that his dad was still in the camp. The older demon was by the fire, watching leaves turn to ash. He was sitting in a position Inuyasha recognized, legs crossed and hands resting on his knees. And though he had spoken to his son, the Dog-Lord was still watching the flames.
"Feh," Inuyasha said tightly. "It ain't a big deal. I mean, if I have to I'll stay awake all night to watch over the others..."
"You don't have to," the Dog-Lord said briskly. "I'll be awake through the night. So you should sleep while you can, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha wasn't sure if he had been chastised or not. Reluctantly he settled against the tree trunk and let his eyelids droop. His father outlined by fire was the last thing he saw before falling asleep, as it had been the last thing he saw before waking.
*
The Dog-Lord dropped a branch into the campfire and watched the fire devour it.
Without looking, he could tell that Inuyasha was asleep. His son was crouched against the tree near that girl with the green robe. Out of the corner, the Dog-Lord could see how Inuyasha slept -- like a warrior, expecting someone to spring out and attack while he was off guard. He kept Tetsusaiga cradled against his chest like a lover.
The older dog-demon pressed a hand to his forehead and rubbed it, growling softly. His memories were starting to drift into place, one at a time. The dark-haired girl in his memory had a name now... she had been Inuyasha's mother. His human mother. Younger than the Dog-Lord, both in body and in years, but far wiser than most humans were. In the many centuries of his life, the Dog-Lord had known no other like her. She was probably dead, he thought, growing melancholy. The lives of humans were so brief... and he had been gone these sixty years.
He glanced back at Inuyasha. Now that he could take a good look at his son, he saw hints of her in his youthful face. Inuyasha had been a wobbling baby when the Dog-Lord had been killed. Now he was a young man. And from the sound of it, a strange one.
The little kitsune was in the sleeping bag, snoring loudly. The girl in the green robe -- Kagome, that was her name -- had said that Inuyasha had taken the orphaned fox in, despite the fact that the fox clearly annoyed him at times. And he had attacked that girl for apparently no reason... but now he stayed close by her side, even when she slept.
Seeing them brought more memories back to the older demon. Seeing those two reminded him of a half-forgotten time, when he had protected Inuyasha's mother from harm as well.
The Dog-Lord glanced up at the sky as time passed. A faint glow was rising in the east as sunrise approached. Suddenly he smelled something far away. It was a strange smell, not like anything he had ever smelled before. He wrinkled his nose.
Inuyasha snorted and woke up. "What the..." he mumbled, staggering to his feet.
"Do you recognize that scent?" the Dog-Lord said in a low voice.
"Yeah, I recognize it," Inuyasha said grimly.
TO BE CONTINUED