Many thanks for the 4 kind reviews I received from Kagome010, The Fairy Princess Lady, Blood of a Tear, and Charlotte.

Tessadragon

Chapter 2

"I can't believe the nerve of him!" Kagome yelled at the trees as she stormed deeper into the forest, as far away from Inuyasha as she could get. Rin flinched from ahead where she'd come to stop, having found her lord, the demon Sesshomaru. He'd been standing waiting in a clearing a half mile ahead.

Sesshomaru gavehis young charge, Rin,a calm look, then turned his face away. "Come, Rin,"he commanded coolly, the faintest of a warm breeze ruffling at the immense furs he wore over his right shoulder. Jaken, beside him, held a strange lizard-like horse by the reins.

"A'houn!" Rin greeted the lizard-horse happily, running to fuss it, and it returned the affection, rubbing its muzzle against her head: the little girl giggled. Kagome couldn't help but smile at such a sweet and affectionate scene, though she was as always puzzled how Sesshomaru abided, even encouraged Rin's company.

Suddenly nervous, Kagome waited where she stood.

"I don't know why you put up with that vermin," Sesshomaru said over his shoulder to Kagome, referring to Inuyasha, then looked away in his aloof manner as though refusing to accept that he'd just spoken to a human. Then without another word, he walked away. Rin smiled at Kagome and scrambled onto A'houn's back, then the lizard-horse turned and lumbered after Sesshomaru. Jaken was already up ahead, struggling on his short legs to stride along beside Sesshomaru, comically overcast by the tall, narrow staff he carried.

Now alone, Kagome slumped down onto the nearest fallen tree she could find, sighed and rested her head in her hands. She could feel a headache forming. "How horrible of him," she muttered. "That jerk!"

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled, storming through the woods, leaves and twigs crunching beneath his bare feet. "Where are you?"

Kagome crossed her arms and raised her head defiantly, refusing to move from the fallen tree trunk, which was soft with moss.

"Didn't mean it," he muttered on finding her.

Kagome glared at him through narrowed eyes. "You're a real jerk, Inuyasha. I can't believe you called the girl a retard!"

"I said sorry!" Inuyasha yelled.

"You didn't!"

"Fine! I'm sorry!" His lips were pressed tight and his fists were clenching tighter and tighter until Kagome was sure they'd bleed any second. This was the most she could expect from him.

"Fine." She didn't look at him.

Glowering, he sat down cross-legged on the floor and began cracking his knuckles in a methodical fashion. Kagome gritted her teeth but said nothing, just shut her eyes. Through her closed eyelids she saw the dancing mottled shades of jungle-green flickering with woven shades of sunlight, a dizzying sight for her mind to process.

She knew Inuyasha watched her as she fell into a doze. It made her feel safe, though he still made her indignant. She wondered whether to pretend to talk in her sleep. She knew exactly what word she'd say. Sit! A small sneaky smile found its way onto her lips.

Still, Inuyasha kept watch on her, flicking a lazy eye over Miroku and Sango as they came towards them and silently set up camp around them. Inuyasha said nothing to them, not keen on waking Kagome up. Recently he'd found out that Kagome spoke in her sleep: it was one of his least favourite things and he didn't fancy crashing down from the tree branches in his sleep.

In the morning, Kagome found not just Inuyasha was with her, but Miroku, Sango, Shippo and sweet little Kirara had set up camp around her. She smiled, comforted, and looked up to see as usual that Inuyasha had curled up in the branches directly over her.

Opening one tawny eye, he glanced warily down at her as she stifled a yawn and blinked sleepily at the morning sky through the canopy of branches. Then she stiffened and turned.

Immediately Inuyasha was on his guard, his hand at the hilt of his Tetsusaiga. "Who's there?" he barked.

Sango and Miroku blinked awake. Miroku grabbed his staff and wriggled free from his blanket. Sango grabbed her Hirikoss, staring deep into the shadows.

"Sister."

That one word.

"Kohaku?" Sango whispered.

Silence.

Inuyasha jumped from his branch and leapt after the direction of the voice. Moments later he was back, shaking his head in confusion. "I don't get it. There's nothing."

"You couldn't find him?" Sango asked, distress creeping into her voice.

"Go after him, Sango," Kagome said quietly, knowing Sango's heart was always torn by the plight of her younger brother.

"Thank you." Sango said as Kirara transformed to her demon-cat form, her fiery tail thrashing in the morning breeze. Sango climbed onto her.

"Miroku, go with her," Inuyasha said sternly. The monk nodded and joined Sango on Kirara. Moments later they were a speck in the morning sky, then they were gone.

Kagome sat down worried. "Do you think it's a trick?" she asked Inuyasha. He shrugged. "Could be. At least we know those two are sensible."

Shippo was still snuffling in his sleep, cocooned in his blanket.

"May as well do breakfast," Inuyasha suggested. Kagome half-heartedly went to fetch her knapsack where she stored the food. Inuyasha stopped her, laying his hand on hers. For a moment she froze, for a moment her heart beat a little faster.

"They'll be okay," Inuyasha said awkwardly. "They're tough enough."

Kagome forced a smile. "Yeah. I know. But I wonder when they'll get back."

Inuyasha decided that was enough sensitive talk, and started rooting through Kagome's knapsack.

"Inuyasha! Get out of my stuff!" Kagome yelled.

Inuyasha ignored her until he had his hands on one of the pots of noodles.

"Sit!"

Bang.

Inuyasha growled at Kagome.

"Serves you right for being so rude!"

Shippo giggled from his blankets,wriggling out and studying Inuyasha mischievously.

Inuyasha got up, then yanked angrily at the stupid necklace around his head. "One day I'll get rid of these things," he snarled.

Kagome shrugged. "You haven't so far."

Shippo sniggered, and Inuyasha rounded on him, raising his fist.

"Kagome!" Shippo whimpered.

"Inuyasha…"

The half demon growled, crossed his arms, his vast sleeves billowing as though the rage going through him was the morning breeze.Then his eyes narrowed."I'm not hungry. We may as well get going."

"You're not hungry?" Kagome echoed, astonished, taking her bag from him. "Are you sure you're not ill?"

"I'm not like you…I don't get ill!" Inuyasha snapped and set off walking.

"Come on! I need to have my breakfast!" Kagome insisted.

"I smell blood," Inuyasha said suddenly, raising his head in the South East direction.

"From where?" Kagome forgot her need for breakfast as anxiousness came over her complexion. Immediately she checked her bags were firmly tied shut. "And what should we do about Miroku and Sango?"

"Human blood. And…I know where it's from!" Inuyasha grabbed Kagome around the waist and took off at a run, taking the ground in huge leaps and bounds. Kagome shut her eyes against the blurring of the green, then opened her eyes again. It was like going on a rollercoaster every time Inuyasha grabbed her like this…

With difficulty, Shippo wriggled to Inuyasha's neck, where he could talk privately to the half demon. "I don't smell blood," he said superiorly.

"That's because you're a runt," Inuyasha said, but his ears were twitching frenziedly.

"You liar," Shippo said in disgust, the breeze whipping at his words. "But why are you lying?"

Inuyasha didn't answer, just ran faster, the forest disappearing behind them, then he was leaping across the recently ploughed fields, across a bridge…

"The village!" Kagome gasped, recognising where they were. But wait, it sure didn't look like any blood had been spilled here…

"You liar! You really had me scared!" Kagome yelled as soon as Inuyasha put her down. He didn't waste any time: he ran away from her, but her voice carried after him. "SIT!"

"Wow," Shippo said, jumping from Kagome's shoulder and going to see the crater that Inuyasha's body had made as the half demon faceplanted. "I've never seen you go that deep before."