Disclaimers Notice: Yah...of course...I...do...n't
Authors Beginning Note: Well, I brought in some more Sessh action into the fic. With this chapter and I hope you people enjoy it! ****
Chapter 29
Impending Danger
****
"Brendan, Sara. Go and hunt down the Taiyoukai Sesshoumaru. I want him dead." Two figures slinked off without a sound, leaving their master and creator to brood in his dark menacing thoughts of his war to come.
"Soon. Soon you will be complete. Then, I shall have more power than any other." Were the last words he said before being cast into a fit of chilling, horrorific laughter.
***
"Ayame! We must stop and rest. We are tired and hungry. Others are beginning to fall behind." Came a voice of a male wolf Yukai. His white and gray speckled fur tail drooping to the ground. The red and black chest plated metal armor all dirty from their travels. His shoulder length pale blond hair clinging to his head with sweat and rain. The female leader stopped and turned to look at the sorry state her tribe had been driven to, her red pigtails swaying as she did so. She herself was not looking so well either, with both her white wolf fur that was draped on her shoulder as a cape and around her waist worn as a skirt, were covered in tears and mud. They had traveled for four hard long days almost none stop through the forests and villages.
"Hai. We will rest for the night, but come noon we leave again." She said. A white he wolf came up to her leg and looked up into her bottle green eyes.
"Yes Kaika. You and the others go and hunt for food. Be back before it rains again." The wolfs head snapped up and a long smooth howl arose from it's body. Other wolves joined in making howling sounds and soon white streaks were seen speeding through the forest. Ayame stood there, her hands at her side completely lost in thought.
"Ayame?" She turned to look at her companion with the swaying braided brown hair. Her blue/green eyes searching her leaders face.
"Yes Mariko?" was her soft acknowledgement.
"Mariko and I were wondering..." came another soft sudden voice from Ayame's side. Ayame faced her other faithful and close companion. Her green eyes meeting her comrade's dark blue eyes.
"Yes Natsuko? What were you two wondering?"
"We were wondering if the reason you are so determined to go in this direction is because of Kouga." Ayame seemed a bit shocked. She looked away calmly searching with her internal compass. They were headed straight in through Kouga's territory, and she had not realized it.
"No. I didn't realize we were going this way. I meant to go find the voice I heard. That is all. I have no reason to see Kouga or any of his tribe members." Was her sad, falsely cheerful reply. Mariko and Natsuko shook their heads.
"But why?"
"Because, my instincts tell me there is something going to happen, and I need to be there. Something bigger than our vision of seeing." Natsuko nodded.
"Ayame?"
"Yah?"
"Do you still...are you still going to try and become Kouga's mate? Even though he claims to have found another?" Moriko said looking down at the ground. Ayame looked past them, seemingly looking at her scattered tribe members as they made themselves comfortable on the dried ground underneath trees and started fires.
"Never mind." Moriko said apologetically and sighed. Both her and Natsuko made to turn but stopped as their friend began to speak.
"I love him. I always have. I guess that's why I never thought of going after him and trying to force him to love me. As long as he's happy with the mate he's found...than...I will be happy." She said with true sincerity while hiding away all of her sadness. She turned to her friends and smiled.
"Lets relax while we can. I meant what I said when I said we would leave in the noon. We won't pass through Kouga's territory though. We'll go around."
"But won't that be longer?"
"Yes, but I don't feel like visiting with any old aquantences right now." She said nonchalantly. She walked away to find a comfortable tree to lean against. She didn't awaken until dinner was brought to her and quickly fell asleep after.
***
"Ah! Un!" Rin squealed as they came to a cave.
"Do you two feel better now? Or are you still sick?"
"You silly girl! Of course they're feeling better. Can't you tell?" Rin stuck out her tongue towards Jakan.
"You better put that tongue right back into that mouth of yours, or it will end up laying on the ground in the dirt it will." Jakan said in his usually squeaky voice.
"Jakan couldn't hurt Rin. Jakan can't even catch Rin at a game of tag." Rin said at Ah and Un's side. The two-headed dragon was standing and looked at Jakan.
"I don't need to catch a spoiled brat like you to cut your tongue out."
"Uh oh! Ah and Un are getting very angry at you Jakan." Rin said giggling. Smoke puffed out of the dragon's nostrils and their eyes narrowed on to Jakan.
"Wha...Ahh!" He said and ran out of the cave.
"Jakan." Jakan jumped in the air and looked up at the one behind him.
"What is that my lord would request of me?" Jakan said in a twitchy nervous manner bowing before Sesshoumaru.
"Stay here. Watch Rin. If I come back and so much as a scratch is on the girl, I hold you responsible." He said. Jakan began to sweat.
"Why. That hardly seems fair." Jakan said miserably underneath his breath. He quickly regrettted having uttered a word as a sharp cold metal tip of a blade rested nicely against his throat.
"Would you mind repeating that for me Jakan."
"I m-m-meant that that was only fair! S-seeing how the girl is well just a human and a girl...I ! I mean! I mean...that she is unable to protect herself, not that she would need protecting but what..."
"Enough!" Sesshoumaru said. Jakan quickly quieted down and the swords edge seemed more ominous than a moment ago. Soon Sesshoumaru resheathed it and quickly turned. Jakan stood up on shaky legs. Sesshoumaru disappeared into a different direction than that they had come form or that they had been planning on heading to. With one hand on his two headed staff and the other on his poor rapidly beating heart he let out a long grateful sigh. He quickly turned around when he heard a soft giggling.
"What do you want? This is your fault you know!"
"Jakan got in trouble again." Rin said mischievously and turned around back in the cave with Jakan chasing after her, but quickly running back out when he saw that Ah and Un still had smoke tendrils coming from their nostrils. Just another normal day.
***
Sesshoumaru's powerful form moved swiftly through the forest before stopping.
"Show yourselves. You have been following me for sometime. It's time to end this game of cat and mouse."
"A clever one isn't he dear brother." Came a swishy voice that sounded like cattails in the wind, only to be accompanied by a more masculine voice similar to it.
"Oh yes. But one does wonder why he did not strike earlier. Perhaps it had to do with that human girl."
"Of course. It had to have been. But then again it could be for the toad as well."
"Either way, they will both be dead once we're through."
"Oh yes. Very dead." They sniggered. Sesshoumaru listened to their conversation without so much as showing any sign of this news bothering him. Soon two shadowy figures appeared on either side of Sesshoumaru standing five feet away from him. He examined the dark figures before him.
"You are more of Naraku's filthy incarnates." He stated bluntly. They reeked of Naraku and of swamp.
"Incarnates of Naraku's we are. Yes." Said the one to his Right. This one was distinctly female. Her voice thick and wispy all at once. Her skin pale and sickly black blue muddled with an oily green. Her hair was black and looked entangled with mud and weed. It clung to her body tightly. Her hair was all she wore as a top. Her harms were long and gangly with sharp razor claws for nails. Her ears pointed upwards as surely as the black fangs from her mouth shot downwards. She wore a poor excuse for covering around her waist, which consisted of mud and decayed roots woven together.
"Naraku said you were having too little fun. So he sent us. Wonderful idea no?" came the other voice. This was a male. He looked nearly identical to his sister. His hair was just as black and mud ridden only pulled back into a ponytail at the top of his head made of weed. His chest was bare and open, scares marring it here and there. Splashes of mud splattered. His loincloth was made of a different material, much more like seaweed than decayed plant roots and mud. The two laughed as they began to circle their prey. Sesshoumaru didn't so much as flinch. He kept his ears open, his form still and calm, so sign of emotion to be detected.
"You are probably wondering who we are? No?" Was the male's reply. The sister laughed through clenched teeth in merry mirth.
"I am Sara, Naraku's incarnate. Sister to him."
"I am Brendan, Naraku's other incarnate. Brother to her."
"Both of us swamp Yukai from the tropics of Arnsenia." They said together.
"And you are dead!" They yelled and ran straight for Sesshoumaru with impossible speed. Sesshoumaru leaped into the air and jumped to someplace else. Neither brother nor sister had collided with each other. They were smart and fast. Sesshoumaru smiled.
"Look at that dear brother."
"Yes, how touching."
"Our new little friend is having fun."
"That's good. We wouldn't want to disappoint him before he died."
"No. We would not." They cackled before coming after Sesshoumaru again, only this time, he barely came away unscathed.
"Maybe we should go easy on him?"
"Make it more fun?"
"Maybe."
"Could be."
"Possibly."
"NO!" They charged at him, unprepared for the sword at his side to be drawn. Brendan was sliced by the arm in an unseable movement. His screech rang through the air.
"You hurt me."
"Now. That's not being a good friend now is it?"
"I agree brother."
"Lets kill him now!"
"Oh lets!" and the battle continued. It was a race in the air and through the forest. Blurs were all t hat were to be seen. Silver, black, another black, silver, black, silver. All movements undetectable except by one another until they came to a rather large cleared area. They had already reached the forest's edge.
"Sister Sara, I don't like him."
"I don't like him either. He should die."
"Yes he should."
"Then we kill human."
"Yes, yes and then annoying toad."
"Yes yes! Lets!" Sesshoumaru sheathed Tokiijin, soon a long vine like green whip appeared in his hands.
"Ooo. He has a viney whip."
"Could be interesting."
"Yes, could be." These two were proving to be a handful even for the great lord of the western territory. But that would not last for long. He vowed to that. He cracked his whip, making out to go for Sara, but quickly snapped it toward Brendan. His roos had worked. In a moment the unsightly beast was wound up and caught in the death grip of his vine. The creature didn't even make a sound as it slunkered to the ground. No movement to be made. Sesshoumaru's smile still seemed evident.
"No! You filthy beast! You vile scum! You killed him! You killed my brother!"
"It was his fault for being a weakling. He deserved to die if he could not survive against me in battle." Sesshoumaru said without feeling. Not even a hint of victory vibrated in his voice. The Swamp Yukai's eyes became red and enflamed. Her breathing deep. Anger seeped through out her being as she charged. Yelling out an indecipherable call. Her claws raised in the air. Sesshoumaru welcomed the attack. He swished his whip in the air. The long green vine wound it's way in an unpredictable pattern five feet around Sesshoumaru. Sara didn't even try to stop herself. She flung herself headlong into the defensive attack, only to be sliced and cut into thousands of indecipherable pieces. Both creatures lay dead on the ground. Sesshoumaru didn't even have any qualms or feelings of guilt as he past by back to the forest he had come to meet up with his companions. After all of that 'playing' he felt hungry.
***
Kouga stopped and sniffed the air. He had been a long ways from his tribe when he had heard Inuyasha scream out Kagome's name. Since then he had been determined to get to the village Kagome usually stayed in. This was poor news for Hakkaku and Ginta who were not as fast as their Leader Kouga whom had two Jewel Shards imbedded in either of his legs.
"Kouga! Don't you think we should rest?" Kouga didn't bother answering instead he continued running through the forest until he came to a halt. He sniffed the air for a moment.
"What is it Kouga?"
"It's another wolf tribe." He said. Hakkaku and Ginta exchanged looks.
"It's Ayame's." Kouga said. He grimaced slightly. The last he had left her it wasn't exactly on the best of terms.
"Do you think she's still upset about you refusing to marry her?" Ginta asked. He was answered by a moment of silence that was quickly broken by a cocky and knowing voice.
"Nah. She's probably forgotten all about it, knowing her." Kouga said confidently, remembering how bubbly she was and how it seemed nothing could bring her down into low spirits.
"What do you think she wants?"
"Who knows. Lets get going. We'll rest a night and then we'll move out to bring home my woman, and with me, not with Inuyasha and his pathetic friends. With that done we'll celebrate." Kouga said with a cocky grin. The two seemed to celebrate for a moment before a question arose, quickly ending their whoops of merriment.
"Won't Inuyasha put up a fight for her?"
"He sure will. In fact I'm counting on it. As soon as I knock that welp into the ground he won't even remember who he is, leaving Kagome to me. She'll see how strong I am and gladly come with me." Kouga said smirking.
"But Kouga...what if something bad happened to sis? We did hear Inuyasha..."
"For his sake she'll be all right." Kouga said violently suddenly thinking of what might happen if Kagome really was injured. These thoughts and others of pummeling a certain Hanyou to the ground made his blood boil and only fueled his need for speed so he quickly took off running back towards the caves on the rocky cliffs his tribes had taken up as home. Ginta and Hakkaku let out groans in protest but soon were right behind Kouga.
***
The pale image of a young girl made it's way through the forest. Her footsteps silent and soft. She seemed to be no more than a mear ghost. She walked.
Clak. Clak. Clak. Came the muffled sounds of her wooden sandals. She often passed villages and farms. She didn't stop. Even when people stopped and asked her where she was headed and offered her rides, food, water, or shelter for the night, she was not swayed from her journey. People stared at her as she crossed through villages. They watched the silent girl with her pale mirror that seemed to reflect nothing walk through. All reactions varied form village to village, passer byer to farmer as she made her way. The girl paid no knowledge to her surroundings.
She walked down a lane of Sakura Tree's. The blossoms long fallen down having been knocked away by wind and rain. Their majestic grace stood and seemingly reached to the sky.
Clak... Clak... Her footfalls stopped.
"Soon. Not long now. It is growing and they still do not know. Soon." She said to herself and continued walking.
Clak...Clak...Clak...Clak....Clak....
*******
Authors Ending Note: Hmm, Naraku's incarnates seeme to be growing in strength as does his passion for the Shinkon No Tama. Where will his thirst for power altemately lead? What of the Yasha gang? Trouble is sure to follow. Ayame seems to feel the ominous future ahead. What is to unfold here in the Sengoku Jidai? And this girl...what does she mean?
Authors Beginning Note: Well, I brought in some more Sessh action into the fic. With this chapter and I hope you people enjoy it! ****
Chapter 29
Impending Danger
****
"Brendan, Sara. Go and hunt down the Taiyoukai Sesshoumaru. I want him dead." Two figures slinked off without a sound, leaving their master and creator to brood in his dark menacing thoughts of his war to come.
"Soon. Soon you will be complete. Then, I shall have more power than any other." Were the last words he said before being cast into a fit of chilling, horrorific laughter.
***
"Ayame! We must stop and rest. We are tired and hungry. Others are beginning to fall behind." Came a voice of a male wolf Yukai. His white and gray speckled fur tail drooping to the ground. The red and black chest plated metal armor all dirty from their travels. His shoulder length pale blond hair clinging to his head with sweat and rain. The female leader stopped and turned to look at the sorry state her tribe had been driven to, her red pigtails swaying as she did so. She herself was not looking so well either, with both her white wolf fur that was draped on her shoulder as a cape and around her waist worn as a skirt, were covered in tears and mud. They had traveled for four hard long days almost none stop through the forests and villages.
"Hai. We will rest for the night, but come noon we leave again." She said. A white he wolf came up to her leg and looked up into her bottle green eyes.
"Yes Kaika. You and the others go and hunt for food. Be back before it rains again." The wolfs head snapped up and a long smooth howl arose from it's body. Other wolves joined in making howling sounds and soon white streaks were seen speeding through the forest. Ayame stood there, her hands at her side completely lost in thought.
"Ayame?" She turned to look at her companion with the swaying braided brown hair. Her blue/green eyes searching her leaders face.
"Yes Mariko?" was her soft acknowledgement.
"Mariko and I were wondering..." came another soft sudden voice from Ayame's side. Ayame faced her other faithful and close companion. Her green eyes meeting her comrade's dark blue eyes.
"Yes Natsuko? What were you two wondering?"
"We were wondering if the reason you are so determined to go in this direction is because of Kouga." Ayame seemed a bit shocked. She looked away calmly searching with her internal compass. They were headed straight in through Kouga's territory, and she had not realized it.
"No. I didn't realize we were going this way. I meant to go find the voice I heard. That is all. I have no reason to see Kouga or any of his tribe members." Was her sad, falsely cheerful reply. Mariko and Natsuko shook their heads.
"But why?"
"Because, my instincts tell me there is something going to happen, and I need to be there. Something bigger than our vision of seeing." Natsuko nodded.
"Ayame?"
"Yah?"
"Do you still...are you still going to try and become Kouga's mate? Even though he claims to have found another?" Moriko said looking down at the ground. Ayame looked past them, seemingly looking at her scattered tribe members as they made themselves comfortable on the dried ground underneath trees and started fires.
"Never mind." Moriko said apologetically and sighed. Both her and Natsuko made to turn but stopped as their friend began to speak.
"I love him. I always have. I guess that's why I never thought of going after him and trying to force him to love me. As long as he's happy with the mate he's found...than...I will be happy." She said with true sincerity while hiding away all of her sadness. She turned to her friends and smiled.
"Lets relax while we can. I meant what I said when I said we would leave in the noon. We won't pass through Kouga's territory though. We'll go around."
"But won't that be longer?"
"Yes, but I don't feel like visiting with any old aquantences right now." She said nonchalantly. She walked away to find a comfortable tree to lean against. She didn't awaken until dinner was brought to her and quickly fell asleep after.
***
"Ah! Un!" Rin squealed as they came to a cave.
"Do you two feel better now? Or are you still sick?"
"You silly girl! Of course they're feeling better. Can't you tell?" Rin stuck out her tongue towards Jakan.
"You better put that tongue right back into that mouth of yours, or it will end up laying on the ground in the dirt it will." Jakan said in his usually squeaky voice.
"Jakan couldn't hurt Rin. Jakan can't even catch Rin at a game of tag." Rin said at Ah and Un's side. The two-headed dragon was standing and looked at Jakan.
"I don't need to catch a spoiled brat like you to cut your tongue out."
"Uh oh! Ah and Un are getting very angry at you Jakan." Rin said giggling. Smoke puffed out of the dragon's nostrils and their eyes narrowed on to Jakan.
"Wha...Ahh!" He said and ran out of the cave.
"Jakan." Jakan jumped in the air and looked up at the one behind him.
"What is that my lord would request of me?" Jakan said in a twitchy nervous manner bowing before Sesshoumaru.
"Stay here. Watch Rin. If I come back and so much as a scratch is on the girl, I hold you responsible." He said. Jakan began to sweat.
"Why. That hardly seems fair." Jakan said miserably underneath his breath. He quickly regrettted having uttered a word as a sharp cold metal tip of a blade rested nicely against his throat.
"Would you mind repeating that for me Jakan."
"I m-m-meant that that was only fair! S-seeing how the girl is well just a human and a girl...I ! I mean! I mean...that she is unable to protect herself, not that she would need protecting but what..."
"Enough!" Sesshoumaru said. Jakan quickly quieted down and the swords edge seemed more ominous than a moment ago. Soon Sesshoumaru resheathed it and quickly turned. Jakan stood up on shaky legs. Sesshoumaru disappeared into a different direction than that they had come form or that they had been planning on heading to. With one hand on his two headed staff and the other on his poor rapidly beating heart he let out a long grateful sigh. He quickly turned around when he heard a soft giggling.
"What do you want? This is your fault you know!"
"Jakan got in trouble again." Rin said mischievously and turned around back in the cave with Jakan chasing after her, but quickly running back out when he saw that Ah and Un still had smoke tendrils coming from their nostrils. Just another normal day.
***
Sesshoumaru's powerful form moved swiftly through the forest before stopping.
"Show yourselves. You have been following me for sometime. It's time to end this game of cat and mouse."
"A clever one isn't he dear brother." Came a swishy voice that sounded like cattails in the wind, only to be accompanied by a more masculine voice similar to it.
"Oh yes. But one does wonder why he did not strike earlier. Perhaps it had to do with that human girl."
"Of course. It had to have been. But then again it could be for the toad as well."
"Either way, they will both be dead once we're through."
"Oh yes. Very dead." They sniggered. Sesshoumaru listened to their conversation without so much as showing any sign of this news bothering him. Soon two shadowy figures appeared on either side of Sesshoumaru standing five feet away from him. He examined the dark figures before him.
"You are more of Naraku's filthy incarnates." He stated bluntly. They reeked of Naraku and of swamp.
"Incarnates of Naraku's we are. Yes." Said the one to his Right. This one was distinctly female. Her voice thick and wispy all at once. Her skin pale and sickly black blue muddled with an oily green. Her hair was black and looked entangled with mud and weed. It clung to her body tightly. Her hair was all she wore as a top. Her harms were long and gangly with sharp razor claws for nails. Her ears pointed upwards as surely as the black fangs from her mouth shot downwards. She wore a poor excuse for covering around her waist, which consisted of mud and decayed roots woven together.
"Naraku said you were having too little fun. So he sent us. Wonderful idea no?" came the other voice. This was a male. He looked nearly identical to his sister. His hair was just as black and mud ridden only pulled back into a ponytail at the top of his head made of weed. His chest was bare and open, scares marring it here and there. Splashes of mud splattered. His loincloth was made of a different material, much more like seaweed than decayed plant roots and mud. The two laughed as they began to circle their prey. Sesshoumaru didn't so much as flinch. He kept his ears open, his form still and calm, so sign of emotion to be detected.
"You are probably wondering who we are? No?" Was the male's reply. The sister laughed through clenched teeth in merry mirth.
"I am Sara, Naraku's incarnate. Sister to him."
"I am Brendan, Naraku's other incarnate. Brother to her."
"Both of us swamp Yukai from the tropics of Arnsenia." They said together.
"And you are dead!" They yelled and ran straight for Sesshoumaru with impossible speed. Sesshoumaru leaped into the air and jumped to someplace else. Neither brother nor sister had collided with each other. They were smart and fast. Sesshoumaru smiled.
"Look at that dear brother."
"Yes, how touching."
"Our new little friend is having fun."
"That's good. We wouldn't want to disappoint him before he died."
"No. We would not." They cackled before coming after Sesshoumaru again, only this time, he barely came away unscathed.
"Maybe we should go easy on him?"
"Make it more fun?"
"Maybe."
"Could be."
"Possibly."
"NO!" They charged at him, unprepared for the sword at his side to be drawn. Brendan was sliced by the arm in an unseable movement. His screech rang through the air.
"You hurt me."
"Now. That's not being a good friend now is it?"
"I agree brother."
"Lets kill him now!"
"Oh lets!" and the battle continued. It was a race in the air and through the forest. Blurs were all t hat were to be seen. Silver, black, another black, silver, black, silver. All movements undetectable except by one another until they came to a rather large cleared area. They had already reached the forest's edge.
"Sister Sara, I don't like him."
"I don't like him either. He should die."
"Yes he should."
"Then we kill human."
"Yes, yes and then annoying toad."
"Yes yes! Lets!" Sesshoumaru sheathed Tokiijin, soon a long vine like green whip appeared in his hands.
"Ooo. He has a viney whip."
"Could be interesting."
"Yes, could be." These two were proving to be a handful even for the great lord of the western territory. But that would not last for long. He vowed to that. He cracked his whip, making out to go for Sara, but quickly snapped it toward Brendan. His roos had worked. In a moment the unsightly beast was wound up and caught in the death grip of his vine. The creature didn't even make a sound as it slunkered to the ground. No movement to be made. Sesshoumaru's smile still seemed evident.
"No! You filthy beast! You vile scum! You killed him! You killed my brother!"
"It was his fault for being a weakling. He deserved to die if he could not survive against me in battle." Sesshoumaru said without feeling. Not even a hint of victory vibrated in his voice. The Swamp Yukai's eyes became red and enflamed. Her breathing deep. Anger seeped through out her being as she charged. Yelling out an indecipherable call. Her claws raised in the air. Sesshoumaru welcomed the attack. He swished his whip in the air. The long green vine wound it's way in an unpredictable pattern five feet around Sesshoumaru. Sara didn't even try to stop herself. She flung herself headlong into the defensive attack, only to be sliced and cut into thousands of indecipherable pieces. Both creatures lay dead on the ground. Sesshoumaru didn't even have any qualms or feelings of guilt as he past by back to the forest he had come to meet up with his companions. After all of that 'playing' he felt hungry.
***
Kouga stopped and sniffed the air. He had been a long ways from his tribe when he had heard Inuyasha scream out Kagome's name. Since then he had been determined to get to the village Kagome usually stayed in. This was poor news for Hakkaku and Ginta who were not as fast as their Leader Kouga whom had two Jewel Shards imbedded in either of his legs.
"Kouga! Don't you think we should rest?" Kouga didn't bother answering instead he continued running through the forest until he came to a halt. He sniffed the air for a moment.
"What is it Kouga?"
"It's another wolf tribe." He said. Hakkaku and Ginta exchanged looks.
"It's Ayame's." Kouga said. He grimaced slightly. The last he had left her it wasn't exactly on the best of terms.
"Do you think she's still upset about you refusing to marry her?" Ginta asked. He was answered by a moment of silence that was quickly broken by a cocky and knowing voice.
"Nah. She's probably forgotten all about it, knowing her." Kouga said confidently, remembering how bubbly she was and how it seemed nothing could bring her down into low spirits.
"What do you think she wants?"
"Who knows. Lets get going. We'll rest a night and then we'll move out to bring home my woman, and with me, not with Inuyasha and his pathetic friends. With that done we'll celebrate." Kouga said with a cocky grin. The two seemed to celebrate for a moment before a question arose, quickly ending their whoops of merriment.
"Won't Inuyasha put up a fight for her?"
"He sure will. In fact I'm counting on it. As soon as I knock that welp into the ground he won't even remember who he is, leaving Kagome to me. She'll see how strong I am and gladly come with me." Kouga said smirking.
"But Kouga...what if something bad happened to sis? We did hear Inuyasha..."
"For his sake she'll be all right." Kouga said violently suddenly thinking of what might happen if Kagome really was injured. These thoughts and others of pummeling a certain Hanyou to the ground made his blood boil and only fueled his need for speed so he quickly took off running back towards the caves on the rocky cliffs his tribes had taken up as home. Ginta and Hakkaku let out groans in protest but soon were right behind Kouga.
***
The pale image of a young girl made it's way through the forest. Her footsteps silent and soft. She seemed to be no more than a mear ghost. She walked.
Clak. Clak. Clak. Came the muffled sounds of her wooden sandals. She often passed villages and farms. She didn't stop. Even when people stopped and asked her where she was headed and offered her rides, food, water, or shelter for the night, she was not swayed from her journey. People stared at her as she crossed through villages. They watched the silent girl with her pale mirror that seemed to reflect nothing walk through. All reactions varied form village to village, passer byer to farmer as she made her way. The girl paid no knowledge to her surroundings.
She walked down a lane of Sakura Tree's. The blossoms long fallen down having been knocked away by wind and rain. Their majestic grace stood and seemingly reached to the sky.
Clak... Clak... Her footfalls stopped.
"Soon. Not long now. It is growing and they still do not know. Soon." She said to herself and continued walking.
Clak...Clak...Clak...Clak....Clak....
*******
Authors Ending Note: Hmm, Naraku's incarnates seeme to be growing in strength as does his passion for the Shinkon No Tama. Where will his thirst for power altemately lead? What of the Yasha gang? Trouble is sure to follow. Ayame seems to feel the ominous future ahead. What is to unfold here in the Sengoku Jidai? And this girl...what does she mean?