Inu 1/2

Book 2

Chapter 2

What?!? I don't get it! Could someone please explain Miroku?!?

The stop at Kaede's had been long, though it had been made long on account of them waiting for the priest to show up. Kaede had some stew made as usual and the group ate of it heartily. An hour passed before MIroku entered and when he did he was quiet, giving Kaede a nod of greeting.

"Did you eat, Miroku?" Shippou had asked as he played with a top on the floor of the hut.

Inu-Yasha glanced at Miroku guaging him.

Miroku shook his head and Kaede offered up a bowl of stew. He thanked her for it, finished it and gave her a solemn bow before turning to exit the hut once again.

Inu-Yasha stretched, standing up. "We better go while it's light out..." he muttered.

Kaede nodded and Kagome stood, smoothing her skirt and and retrieving her bag. She slung it over a shoulder.

Inu-Yasha and Shippou exited and Kagome would have but Kaede called to her.

"Tell me, Kagome..." she siad as she gathered up the soiled bowls the party had used. "How is your pup?"

At that, Kagome flushed. "He's run away, Lady Kaede... I came here thinking maybe I could look for him a little."

Kaede almost sighed with relief but the pained look in Kagome's face made her soften. "I'm sure he'll come back," she said with a small smile.

Kagome returned it. "I hope so..."

"Kagome..." Kaede started again. She cleared her throat. This was the real reason she wanted to talk to Kagome and she had used the talk of Maru-chan to detain her until the others were out of hearing range. "The monk does not like you overmuch." Even during his short dinner Kaede had seen it in his manner, though the monk was most cold to everyone of late.

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, I noticed that... What's with him? Wha'd I do?"

Kaede shook her head. "It is not my place to gainsay. His reasons are his own. Do not think too ill of him, though... His is a hard lot."

Kagome looked at Kaede carefully,

It was this conversation that fed Kagome's tired mind as they walked. They were an hour or more outside the village, Inu-Yasha leading with Shippou perched on his shoulder, Kagome following at his side, absently falling behind every few minutes and Miroku bringing up the rear.

It was a quiet journey. Shippou talked incessently at first, but soon enough grew tired of it and began to doze on Inu-Yasha's shoulder.

Kagome decided that she liked the little Kitsune and she asked absently how he came to be with them.

"Feh," Inu-Yasha replied with a half-smile. "Little mongrel tried to steal our shikon shards."

At that Shippou blinked himself awake.

"Who are you calling a mongrel, half-breed?!?" he growled at Inu-Yasha, his face reddened. He kicked Inu-Yasha in the head, which only made Inu-Yasha laugh. For being so quiet he was in good-humor. Shippou stuck his tongue out at him and leapt over to Kagome's shoulder.

Kagome smiled at him and Shippou told her the story of their meeting, glad of something to do. Kagome listened with patience and found that Shippou was an orphen. It surprised her a little since he seemed so well-adjusted.

Shippou, after the story was done, stayed on Kagome's shoulder.

"Do you feel anything?" Inu-Yasha asked as they moved on toward a forrest.

Kagome shook her head with reluctance. "No... Not yet. If we keep moving we might find something, though..."

Inu-Yasha frowned. "Blast... Where are they hiding..." he mused to himself.

They travelled for hours more, moving through the forrest and encountering precious few demons and Kagome began to understand a little better. The demons they did find did not bear any shikon shards. It was as if the demons in the area were hiding from something. Without a shard detector it was no wonder Inu-Yasha hadn't been fairing so well. They would have to travel farther. Kagome bit her lip. She still hadn't told him she needed to be back home tomorrow night. Her finals started Monday morning, He wouldn't like that at all. It would really limit how far they could travel. She'd have to tell him sooner or later but for now she held her tongue.

The grey of dusk began to descend upon them. Already deep in the forrest, it grew dark quickly until only Inu-Yasha and Shippou could see well and they resigned themselves to making camp.

Shippou gathered wood for a fire and Miroku helped him by holding it. Once the fire was going Kagome began to rummage through her bag for her sleeping bag. Finding it, she laid it out on the ground as close to the fire as she dared. Miroku watched her with a veiled curiosity. When she finished, she rummaged through her bag once again and found a box of cookies. She opened the box, pulled out the bag from inside and opened it. This she held out to Shippou who was currently prodding her sleeping bag with a suspicious look on his face.

"Shippou, would you like a snack?" she asked, shaking the bag.

The kitsune looked at the bag dubiously.

Inu-Yasha looked over at them. "Wha'd you bring this time?" he grabbed the bag, scrutinizing it.

"Hey! Kagome asked me, half-breed!!!" Shippou yelled, hopping up to snatch the bag back. The ensuing fight made Kagome and Miroku both smile in spite of themselves. It ended shortly with Inu-Yasha "deciding" he didn't like the cookies (although he hid several of them in the sleeve of his kimono) and tossing the bag to Shippou.

Shippou glared at Inu-Yasha and set to eating the cookies, marvelling that they had little pictures on them. Kagome watched him with a smile and even Inu-Yasha gave a grudging smirk at the sight.

"Do you always bring such neat stuff with you, Kagome?" Shippou asked as he devoured a handful of the little chocolate filled koala cookies.

"Keh..." Inu-Yasha rolled his eyes, knowingly. He would have said something on the subject but he had only just snuck one of his hidden cookies into his mouth and he didn't want anyone to know that he liked them.

Kagome cast him a glance before she answered Shippou. "I try to," she said with a nod.

Inu-Yasha finally swallowed, caught his breath and said, "Usually she's doubled over under the weight of the thing. Would be better for us if she brought half so much with her..."

Shippou ignored Inu-Yasha's words. "You should have brought her with us sooner!" he exclaimed, brightly. He finished off the rest of the cookies and scampered over to her back. "What else have you got?"

"Hey!" Kagome said, flushing. She grabbed the kitsune back from her bag. "Oh, no you don't. There's..." she didn't know how to put it delicately. "Girl stuff in there." The thought of any of the three boys finding a tampon in her bag made her shudder. They wouldn't know what to make of it and the two demons might try to eat it. She turned bright red involuntarily, shaking her head with vehemence. "No, no no.... Uh..." She set the kitsune down while he shot her another dubious look and she rummaged through her bag again to pull out a yo-yo. "Here," she said and she showed him how it worked. Shippou took over the task of making the yo-yo move along its string and was soon engrossed in it.

Kagome let out a sigh of relief that her feminine products were still undiscovered.

There was not much else to be done save rest and Inu-Yasha took to a tree that hung over the camp. Miroku chose to lean against that same tree and Shippou, tired of the yo-yo and having tangled it into a ball of knotted string, was curled up on Kagome's sleeping bag already deep into sleep.

Inu-Yasha's light snores could soon be heard in the little camp and it seemed that only Kagome was awake. She sat on her sleeping bag thinking for a bit, absently fingering the drawstring of her back pack. Before she knew it she had drawn out a can of milk tea. She looked at it and let out a sort of sigh. " Guess I'm thirsty........ Or maybe I'm just bored...." She swirled it a little and then popped back the top on it.

The noise of the can being opened, by now familiar to Inu-Yasha, went unnoticed by him but caused Miroku to open an eye and glance at the girl. Shippou remained blissfully oblivious. Not a light sleeper was he.

Kagome saw the faint movement and regaurded the priest. She lowered the tea.

"Sorry. Did I wake you?" she asked softly.

MIroku stretched his back a little and settled back against the tree. He shook his head. "I had not yet fallen asleep."

Kagome nodded in recognition. "Ah..." She set her tea on the ground carefully and Miroku watched her with mild interest as she set about finding something in her bag again. After a moment or two she came out with another can of milk tea.

"Catch," she said with a lop-sided smile and she tossed the can over to Miroku. He caught it easily, the prayer beads on his hand knocking against it sharply. He looked at the cylinder in his hand and raised an eyebrow at Kagome.

"Shake it a little and then," she picked up her own tea and pointed to the tab. "Pull the tab up." She demonstrated on her already open can.

MIroku furrowed his brow at her, but did as she said and was rewarded with a popping noise as his can opened. He looked at her again.

"Now you drink it. Cheers," she added, raising her can. She drank about half of it in a few gulps and let out a contented sigh, not really knowing how thirsty she had been. She smiled at Miroku.

Miroku followed suit and was surprised at how much he liked the drink. It was almost familiar. He had expected something wholely different from the container. He blinked. Casting a look over at Kagome he nodded his head to her in thanks and then said, "I thank you, Kagome-san. In truth I did not know what to expect but I dare say I enjoyed it." He smiled faintly.

Kagome smiled back at him and drank some more of the tea.

There was silence for a while as Miroku did the same and he shut his eyes when it was finished, bowing his head and giving thanks.
When he raised his head Kagome was staring at him trying to discern something.

He blinked at her. "Have you finally become enamored of my boyish good looks?" he asked, falling back into his old patterns.

Kagome's face flushed and she shook her head.

Before she could explain he said, "Pity, that... Why, then, do you stare at me?"

Kagome looked evasively at a nearby tree. "I was wondering... You and Inu-Yasha don't seem to get along too well... Why do you stay with him?"

Miroku smiled a little. "Perhaps it is for Shippou's sake... would that be a sufficient answer?"

Kagome shook her head.

Miroku leaned back against the tree. "I seek a demon that is, mayhap, seeking the shards of the shikon jewel. It is best to have allies in this world."

Kagome kept her eyes trained on him as he spoke. "I suppose that's true..." She took another drink of tea.

Miroku smiled. "It is true, although had I known Inu-Yasha was friends with such a beauty as yourself I would have joined him earlier in the game."

Kagome set her tea down. "I doubt that... You flirt, but you don't like me much, do you, Miroku-san..."

MIroku's face flushed and his smile fell away immiediately. His gaze turned toward the forrest and he cleared his throat.

"It is true... Though the nature of my dislike is something that I will hopefully overcome in time. You win me over enough by simply being a woman," he said with a wry smile. "You asked me why I stay with Inu-Yasha," he said, raising his head. His eyes met hers. "The pain of staying, while great, would be nothing to the pain of leaving."

Kagome sat, confused.

"I thank you again for the tea, Kagome-san," he said with a bow of his head.

Kagome knew a dismissal when she heard one and she bowed her head in return. "Good night, then, Miroku-san," she replied and she set about manuevering her way carefully into her sleeping bag without upsetting Shippou or waking him. She needn't have worried-- he slept like a brick.

Against the tree, Miroku nodded to her and muttered, "Goodnight..." his eyes becoming downcast but not closing. He had much to think on.

Kagome turned her face from the firelight, Shippou curled into the space at her stomach. She stared off into the woods pondering what Miroku and Kaede had both said. True enough, Miroku was hurting, but Kagome couldn't figure out why. She saw in his eyes that there was something a little like hopelessness in him. Somehow he still managed to crack jokes and flirt but it was there in him all the same.

Sleep came soon for Kagome, although she didn't realize just how soon; to her it felt like hours but let's face it... if Kagome was master of anything it was falling asleep quickly. For Miroku it was a tad longer in coming, but it finally found him.

The small fire that the camp had made began to dwindle in the late hours of the night. It was still a fire; it was not yet burning embers, but it was struggling to stay strong and would lose the fight soon.

The forrest was loud with animals-- owls, frogs (who are perhaps the noisiest), rabbits rustling in the leaves, birds resettling, insects calling one another, even the occassional wolf making its presense known. The forrest at night is anything but silent especially in the spring. So, when a sudden silence fell over the forrest it was noticed just as quickly as if an alarm had gone off.

Inu-Yasha sat upright on the tree branch, his brow furrowed. He sniffed the air and rolled off the tree branch when he was satisfied with the smell he caught. He landed on the ground benieth the tree only feet from Miroku. The monk's eyes flashed open and he grabbed for his staff. When he realized it was Inu-Yasha that woke him he let out a sigh of relief, but Inu-Yasha's expression soon made him apprehensive. He stood up and faced the direction Inu-Yasha was staring.

"What is it?" he asked, placing his staff in front of him.

On the ground Kagome suddenly awoke, her eyes flashing open. She sat up, almost toppling Shippou into the fire. The kitsune shook his head as woke himself.

"I sense a demon aura..." Kagome said crypticly. "And a shikon shard." She tried to get out of her sleeping bag faster.

Inu-Yasha glanced back at her. "A shikon shard?"

Kagome nodded, kicking the bag off of her feet. Shippou hurridly hopped onto her shoulder.

"Kagome, Shippou, stay behind me," Inu-Yasha said drawing the Tetsusaiga. Kagome rummaged through the bag for her bow and arrows, finding them quickly. Before she had an arrow notched there came a crashing sound in the woods.

Miroku gripped his staff with determination.

The crashing grew louder and closer as the beat of hooves became apparent. The Tetsusaiga transformed in Inu-Yasha's hands as a giant boar crashed through the trees at them. Inu-Yasha leapt into the air and came down swinging the Tetsusaiga cleanly through its neck. The massive head fell to the ground and Kagome could swear she almost heard the thing sigh. Inu-Yasha withdrew the Tetsusaiga. It turned back into the rusty old sword as he sheathed it. Miroku plucked the shikon shard from its forehead and Inu-Yasha eyed him with contempt.

"That's mine, houshi..." he growled, fingering the hilt of the Tetsusaiga again.

Miroku shot him a winning smile. "I was merely making sure the beast didn't regenerate. Our agreement still stands," he said, though he was a bit disappointed that the half-demon was still so mistrustful of him. Inu-Yasha swiped the shard from his fingers hurridly.

"Damn right," he muttered.

Kagome lowered her bow and set it down on top of her bag along with the arrow. She approached the two boys as they established ownership of the shard.

"I'll hold onto that," she said quickly, as she swiped it just as easily from Inu-Yasha. "And, the others you're holding, while I'm thinking about it." Inu-Yasha's face turned bright red as she reached into his kimono and drew out a little bag with several shikon shards in it. She turned away from them and went to put them with the others in her backpack.

Inu-Yasha and Miroku stood blinking, Inu-Yasha finally crossing his arms and cursing. Almost two months without her and he'd forgotten. He turned his attention back to the body and began to examine it. There were claw marks crisscrossing its back. A thin liquid dripped from them, glistening in the firelight. It wasn't dark enough to be blood. Inu-Yasha sniffed delicately.

"Poison..." he muttered.

Miroku glanced at him.

It was obvious now that no one was talking. The poison was causing the body to rapidly decay, dissolving it with a quiet hiss.

Behind them Kagome added the new Shikon shards to the bottle. She replaced the cork and stuck the whole thing back in the bag. She stood up and went to join them at the body again.

"Oh, yuck..." she said as she saw the blood pooling benieth it. She tilted her head. "I think it's missing a leg."

Miroku and Inu-Yasha tilted their heads to look at the same angle. Kagome was right. It's right hind leg was comletely ripped off. Its left hind leg showed signs that it was near to being ripped off as well and the thing's tail was completly stripped to the bone, some of the last bones of the tail completely missing. It was as if the tail was simply dissolved off.

Shippou peeked out from behind Kagome at the boar's head, staring at the white foam surrounding its mouth, its tongue lolling out to one side looking bloated and stiff. Shippou stuck his tongue out in disgust.

Inu-Yasha furrowed his brow.

"What did this?" Kagome asked. Shippou leapt up onto her shoulder.

Inu-Yasha shook his head. "Another demon. I don't know the scent or I'd say Sesshomaru. I've seen his venom drive things mad before." He nudged the boar with his foot. Its ribcage caved in as the poison ate its way through the bones there. Inu-Yasha grimaced in disgust. "This thing..." He furrowed his brow. "It's like it wanted us to kill it..."

They all looked at the creature. Amoung all living creatures the will to survive is great. The boar demon must have undergone an emmense amount of pain to seek death over survival. They all thought it, though Miroku voiced it.

No one was going back to sleep after that, it was decided; not with the threat of a powerful demon looming over their heads. They sat up waiting for the orange light of dawn to make its way to the forrest floor. Kagome and Shippou, for all their protesting, fell asleep again anyway and were roused at dawn by the other two. They broke camp almost immiediately, Kagome fishing in her bag for a box of granola bars for breakfast. Not her first choice for breakfast, but, still... She still had some tea which she shared.

"Well, we got a new shikon shard, at least," she said a little too cheerfully as she rolled a can of CALPIS between her hands.

Inu-Yasha stopped what he was doing to narrow his eyes at her. Something was up. He shoved the rest of the granola bar she'd given him into his mouth and continued to stare at her as he chewed.

Kagome's face reddened a little and her eyes flitted to the tree line as she took a sip of her CALPIS.

Inu-Yasha stared at her and waited for her to drop the bomb....

"WHAAAAAAAT?!?" he demanded. "What do you mean you have to go back?!?" Inu-Yasha roared. He took a moment to down the can of tea he held as the granola was starting to make him choke. He coughed a little. "You've only been here a day!!!" he yelled, his voice a little scratchy from the choking. He coughed again.

Kagome winced a little. "I know... I know.... It's just that I need to be home by tonight-- tomorrow morning at the very latest. I have to go back for some tests."

Inu-Yasha narrowed his eyes at her. "What sort of tests?" he demanded lowly, his voice still scratchy. He shook his head. "No, nevermind, I don't care. How long."

Kagome bit her lip.

"Two weeks..."

Inu-Yasha blinked. "Two--- two we-- are you out of your mind?!? What sort of stupid tests take that long?!?" he roared.

Miroku and Shippou wisely stood aside and finished their breakfast as the discussion between the two went on. Shippou was beginning to think that Kagome was braver than he'd ever imagined.

Kagome's brow furrowed in anger. "They're finals, ass, and if I don't take them then I could flunk out and have to repeat a grade!" she yelled at him. "I don't LIKE taking them but I HAVE to. Besides-- after they're done it's spring vacation. I'll be out of school for a month."

Inu-Yasha's ears twitched involuntarily. "A month."

Kagome nodded. "A month. Give me these two weeks and I'll come back for part of my vacation."

Inu-Yasha glared at her. "All of it."

Kagome glared back at him. She gritted her teeth. "I'll come back for most of it, you happy?"

She glared at him, angry that she had to give up most of her vacation.

He nodded.

"Fine.Whatever. Can we get the hell out of here now?" she yelled as she turned away from him and went to start shoving her things into her backpack. Inu-Yasha, actually, looked pretty pleased with himself at this turn of events and when they all started back to the well and Kaede's village it was Kagome that the rest of the group hesitated to talk to for fear that she'd bite their heads off.

It was almost lucky that Kagome was so angry. If she was not, she might not have missed the auras of two powerful demons and several shikon shards not so incredibly far away in the direction the demon boar had come from. It was lucky that she missed them. If she'd have sensed them she'd have steered the group toward them and though they could have reached the demons within an hour's walk of the well, not everyone in the group may have survived the encounter.

Next time:

Fate is a harsh mistress, though in Sesshomaru's case she can be downright vindictive. The gods of irony are hard at work in chapter 3 as Sesshomaru confronts the very demon our heroes have passed by.

Letter from the Author:

#$! Accidentally saved over chapter 2 with chapter 3!!! . Now I wish I'd saved it to disk first thing today. GRAUGH! Pissed off now, I am. The whole thing has to be re-typed. Grrr.... And I don't have it written down anywhere... GRAUGH! AHHHHHHH! And I was so looking forward to chapter 3... --; Well, you can bet chapter 2 is going to be shorter now.

Well, that turned out differently than the last one. Heh. Only I will ever know the difference. - There are some things I like better about this one and some that I don't. -- It can't be helped. Since I wrote it all on the computer I don't have a clue what some of the stuff was supposed to be. Ah well. I will tell you this, though-- in the last version, Miroku talked a little bit more to Kagome. It was a little less akward in the last one. I kind of like the akwardness, though. It's too bad I lost the conversation... --