CHAPTER TWELVE
"What of Sesshomaru?"
Kagome felt Inuyasha stiffen under her hands. His father's rumbling voice was enough to make anyone nervous, but she could tell it was his father's sudden curiosity that was bugging him. She gave the bandage on his shoulder a little tug, then glanced back at the Dog-Lord.
"Yeah?" Inuyasha said gruffly.
The older demon was staring at them curiously. "I have heard nothing about Sesshomaru."
Even though he didn't say so, Kagome had the feeling he was expecting an update. "Um, well," she said slowly. "Uh, he's alive."
The Dog-Lord's eyes narrowed slightly.
Inuyasha slumped against the tree. Aw, damn, she's falling all over the place, he thought miserably. He cringed at the thought of what his father would do -- or say -- when he learned what the relationship between the two brothers was like. "Acrimonious" wasn't the right term. Sesshomaru had tried to kill Inuyasha over and over, tried to steal his sword, tried to murder Kagome. In return, Inuyasha had sliced off his brother's arm.
I dunno what he'd think about that, Inuyasha thought, grimacing. But I don't think he'll be happy... even if it was the only thing I could do. He didn't even want to contemplate what his father would think of Kikyo. Come to think of it, he didn't have the faintest idea what his father would think...
Kagome was trying to explain, "... see, he tried to steal Tetsusaiga again with a human arm with a Shikon shard, and Inuyasha tried to distract him and almost got killed. He left after that, but he turned up later and-"
"What happened to Sesshomaru's arm?" the Dog-Lord said slowly.
Here it comes, Inuyasha thought, wincing.
Kagome flushed a little. "Inuyasha... he cut it off," she said hesitantly.
The Dog-Lord's eyes widened slightly. His face was still neutral, but he looked surprised now. "Inuyasha. He cut it off," he said slowly.
"But it was Sesshomaru's fault!" Kagome said. "If he hadn't been trying to kill us -- Inuyasha didn't have any other choice!"
"I see," the Dog-Lord said quietly. His voice made Inuyasha want to writhe.
"Sesshomaru HATES Inuyasha," Kagome added. "I mean, he really acts like he hates him."
"I know that," the Dog-Lord said quietly. "Why else, do you think, I gave him a weapon as powerful as the Tetsusaiga? A weapon that would make him Sesshomaru's equal... if he knows how to use it."
Kagome glanced over at Inuyasha, and at the battered sword lying beside him. Myoga had told them that the Tetsusaiga sealed Inuyasha's demon blood. But it made sense that whatever weapon he was given was powerful enough to keep him safe. I wonder what Sesshomaru must have acted like if his dad was this worried about Inuyasha, Kagome thought.
Miroku chose that moment to intervene. His silky voice quietly announced, "We'd better be on guard, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha stood up and flexed his less-injured arm. "Why?"
The monk's face was grim. "I spotted one of Naraku's poison wasps following us. Sango killed it; however, they always fly in swarms."
"Meaning that filthy bastard's watching us," Inuyasha grunted.
The Dog-Lord slowly rose to his feet, with the distant, withdrawn look fading from his face. He brushed the dust from his too-tight clothes. "We will travel to that valley. There is the abandoned cave of a demon bear there, where no one will follow us."
"How do you remember that?" Sango asked.
A perturbed look came over the demon's lined face.
"I see," Miroku said with a little smile. "I suppose more of your memories are returning."
Obviously he's taken charge, Kagome thought. I guess it's not surprising that he would act like that.
She glanced over at Inuyasha to see how he was taking it. But the pale-haired youth was still staring at the tree branches, picking idly at his bandages. "Inuyasha?" Kagome said. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Inuyasha said dully. "Why wouldn't I be? Let's just go." He got up stiffly and walked alongside Kagome back to the camp.
TO BE CONTINUED
"What of Sesshomaru?"
Kagome felt Inuyasha stiffen under her hands. His father's rumbling voice was enough to make anyone nervous, but she could tell it was his father's sudden curiosity that was bugging him. She gave the bandage on his shoulder a little tug, then glanced back at the Dog-Lord.
"Yeah?" Inuyasha said gruffly.
The older demon was staring at them curiously. "I have heard nothing about Sesshomaru."
Even though he didn't say so, Kagome had the feeling he was expecting an update. "Um, well," she said slowly. "Uh, he's alive."
The Dog-Lord's eyes narrowed slightly.
Inuyasha slumped against the tree. Aw, damn, she's falling all over the place, he thought miserably. He cringed at the thought of what his father would do -- or say -- when he learned what the relationship between the two brothers was like. "Acrimonious" wasn't the right term. Sesshomaru had tried to kill Inuyasha over and over, tried to steal his sword, tried to murder Kagome. In return, Inuyasha had sliced off his brother's arm.
I dunno what he'd think about that, Inuyasha thought, grimacing. But I don't think he'll be happy... even if it was the only thing I could do. He didn't even want to contemplate what his father would think of Kikyo. Come to think of it, he didn't have the faintest idea what his father would think...
Kagome was trying to explain, "... see, he tried to steal Tetsusaiga again with a human arm with a Shikon shard, and Inuyasha tried to distract him and almost got killed. He left after that, but he turned up later and-"
"What happened to Sesshomaru's arm?" the Dog-Lord said slowly.
Here it comes, Inuyasha thought, wincing.
Kagome flushed a little. "Inuyasha... he cut it off," she said hesitantly.
The Dog-Lord's eyes widened slightly. His face was still neutral, but he looked surprised now. "Inuyasha. He cut it off," he said slowly.
"But it was Sesshomaru's fault!" Kagome said. "If he hadn't been trying to kill us -- Inuyasha didn't have any other choice!"
"I see," the Dog-Lord said quietly. His voice made Inuyasha want to writhe.
"Sesshomaru HATES Inuyasha," Kagome added. "I mean, he really acts like he hates him."
"I know that," the Dog-Lord said quietly. "Why else, do you think, I gave him a weapon as powerful as the Tetsusaiga? A weapon that would make him Sesshomaru's equal... if he knows how to use it."
Kagome glanced over at Inuyasha, and at the battered sword lying beside him. Myoga had told them that the Tetsusaiga sealed Inuyasha's demon blood. But it made sense that whatever weapon he was given was powerful enough to keep him safe. I wonder what Sesshomaru must have acted like if his dad was this worried about Inuyasha, Kagome thought.
Miroku chose that moment to intervene. His silky voice quietly announced, "We'd better be on guard, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha stood up and flexed his less-injured arm. "Why?"
The monk's face was grim. "I spotted one of Naraku's poison wasps following us. Sango killed it; however, they always fly in swarms."
"Meaning that filthy bastard's watching us," Inuyasha grunted.
The Dog-Lord slowly rose to his feet, with the distant, withdrawn look fading from his face. He brushed the dust from his too-tight clothes. "We will travel to that valley. There is the abandoned cave of a demon bear there, where no one will follow us."
"How do you remember that?" Sango asked.
A perturbed look came over the demon's lined face.
"I see," Miroku said with a little smile. "I suppose more of your memories are returning."
Obviously he's taken charge, Kagome thought. I guess it's not surprising that he would act like that.
She glanced over at Inuyasha to see how he was taking it. But the pale-haired youth was still staring at the tree branches, picking idly at his bandages. "Inuyasha?" Kagome said. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Inuyasha said dully. "Why wouldn't I be? Let's just go." He got up stiffly and walked alongside Kagome back to the camp.
TO BE CONTINUED