"Miroku-sama, what do you think happened back there?" Kagome's voice was hushed, but lacked the malicious tinge of gossip. She was worried for Sango. For that matter, so was Miroku.
He had schooled himself to patience when it came to waiting out Naraku, but waiting for Sango was another story. He could not deny that her continued silence was worrisome. Since none of that would reassure Kagome in the slightest, he feigned ignorance instead. "What?"
"In the woods, behind the barrier," Kagome pressed. "I wonder what happened, is all."
Miroku paused in his work and wiped the sweat off his brow. The momentary break gave him the opportunity to observe Sango. She was facing away from where he and Kagome were working, and so did not notice their eyes on her.
"Something happened, that much is sure," he said noncommittally. It wouldn't do to speculate wildly yet.
"If Naraku really does have control of her brother, that would be heartbreaking," Kagome prodded.
Miroku refused to rise to the bait. Gently, but firmly, he told Kagome, "Let's leave her alone for now. She'll tell us what happened when she's ready."
Kagome was right, of course, but Sango would have to come to them in her own time - or not. They couldn't force this out of her without making the situation worse, he was sure of it. Shippou understood this instinctively. Kagome seemed to be, grudgingly, coming around. InuYasha, on the other hand...
The hanyou came stomping up to the open grave Miroku and Kagome had been in the process of digging, trailing some support beams he'd salvaged from one of the buildings. He took one look at Sango and frowned. "Bah, enough of this!" The angry bite to his voice was obvious, and drew a frown from Kagome.
"InuYasha," Miroku cautioned. Kagome's irritation was palpable. Coupled with her desire to help and protect Sango... This situation had the potential to quickly get out of hand.
As usual, InuYasha missed the subtle cues and blundered right on ahead. "That kid, whoever he was, had a jewel shard. That means that Naraku's involved in this, one way or another." He stared hard at Sango, who had stopped what she was doing to crouch next to one of the bodies she had been moving. Miroku had the sinking feeling that she was fully aware of everything InuYasha was saying. He glanced to Kagome and saw his fears mirrored in her eyes.
InuYasha and Sango had fought during their first meeting. Might it come to blows between them again?
"I'm going to beat it out of her," the hanyou decided. Sango turned as he spoke, fire flashing in her eyes.
Miroku grimaced, his mind racing for a solution that would avoid bloodshed and wounded pride.
Kagome found one before he could. "InuYasha, Sit!"
InuYasha had just finished a graceful leap out of the grave when Kagome uttered the command. He landed with typical lightness, and then plunged face-first to the ground as the subduing spell took effect. Had circumstances been otherwise, Miroku might have felt a pang of sympathy for the hanyou - he certainly had before - but now he knew it was a necessary action to protect their companion.
Kagome abandoned her work to see to the incapacitated InuYasha, demanding to know what was wrong with him even as she made sure that no permanent damage had been done. In the meantime, Miroku stayed where he was and kept his gaze leveled on Sango. She tried to hide it, but only partially succeeded. Kagome's intervention on her behalf had surprised and unsettled her.
Eyes still on Sango, he told InuYasha, "No need to be impatient. All we have to do now is wait, and Naraku will return on his own."
Sango's expression darkened. They were lucky that she wore her emotions so openly. If Sango were skilled in subterfuge, they could all be in grave danger. As it was, he was not entirely sure they weren't in danger. That dark and furtive look in her eyes did not bode well.
She turned away first, returning to her work as if InuYasha's outburst had not happened at all. Miroku watched a few moments longer, wondering if perhaps Kagome was right after all. Whatever Naraku had told Sango, it was troubling her deeply and she felt she could not confide it in her companions. Miroku had a sinking feeling that Naraku was attempting to manipulate her again, as he had during their first encounter.
Her brother was the obvious leverage, despite her disavowal of the boy earlier, but what could Naraku possibly hope to gain? Sango had failed to defeat InuYasha once before, and in her current condition would no doubt fail again. And, knowing that Naraku was responsible for the deaths of her family and her fellow Taijiya, he did not think she would willingly serve Naraku again. Yet if her brother's life were the prize, Sango might attempt anything.
Miroku turned his gaze away from the Taijiya woman, misliking the wariness he felt at the sight of her. This, too, was very likely part of Naraku's plan. The four of them were stronger together than on their own, and Naraku was doubtless just as aware of this as Miroku was. It would be easier to destroy them separately. Perhaps Naraku intended Sango to be the wedge that splintered their group's resolve.
The best way to maintain the peace, at this point, was to help Sango and do what she had asked of him. To that end, Miroku threw himself back into the work of digging the grave for the villagers. Kagome wisely directed InuYasha's attention elsewhere - after all, they would need a place to stay for the night - and took Shippou with them, leaving Miroku and Sango to work in silence.
If he had been expecting her to talk now that they were alone, he was wrong. Sango maintained her stony silence even as they worked together to bury the villagers. And when they were done, she sat beside the newly-filled grave, looking numb and far away, as he said the proper words over the bodies. They both knew nothing of these people, except how they had died, but at least now they could hope that the slain would know some measure of peace.
When he had finished doing what he could for the villagers, Sango stayed where she was. Miroku remained where he was, too. He was reluctant at this point to leave Sango alone, and there was something compelling about the lingering melancholy that hung over this place. It reminded him, and, he suspected, Sango as well, of the empty village of the Taijiya with its deep silence and its many graves. Silence had fallen over this village as well, thanks to Naraku.
They had spent most of the day here by now. The sun was drawing low in the west and Miroku caught the scent of cooking food on the evening breeze. Wherever she and InuYasha had gone off to, Kagome must be making dinner. If Sango noticed, she gave no sign.
Miroku had half a mind to take a seat next to her, but in truth he wasn't sure what he would say if he did, much less that she would even permit it. While other women tended to appreciate kind words and assurances that everything would be all right in the end, Sango had no use for empty words. And she had even less appreciation for physical closeness. Comforting her would be challenging at best. Not that he'd done much over the past couple of days to help matters. If anything, he'd made it worse, although that had never been his intention.
Sango was watching him sidelong, a hunter's wariness evident on her face, as if her thoughts were traveling the same path as his. He gathered from that look that he'd lingered here long enough that his presence was no longer welcome, and yet he still refused to depart. None of his usual tactics seemed to fit this situation, much less this woman. All he could do was sympathize. He knew better than the others what Naraku was capable of, and to what depths he might stoop in order to inflict pain and suffering. He knew something of what it was like to be on the receiving end of that pain and suffering.
"Why are you still here?" she asked finally. She sounded almost like a petulant child. She clearly wanted to be left alone, but he still worried about what she might do without someone to keep an eye on her.
He gave a small smile. "I think I'll let Kagome take care of InuYasha for a bit longer," he said easily, as if that were his only motivation. "And besides, it's peaceful here."
"Peaceful," she echoed quietly, her voice bitter. "That's one way to describe it, Houshi-sama."
He wondered a bit at her insistence on the title. He'd certainly done very little to merit it, but he let his questions go. It was clearly something important to Sango, so that was that.
After a while, she spoke again. "What do you think, Houshi-sama? Do you think that was truly my brother?"
She deserved better than a lie. "Yes."
Anger flashed over her face, honest at last. "Kohaku could not have done this." The words came out unthinking, in an angry rush.
"And you would not have attacked InuYasha on your own," he pointed out calmly. "Naraku's manipulation is powerful. I believe that the boy you saw in the forest was your brother... though I do not know how it is possible, and I cannot say what Naraku might have told him."
Sango's hands had curled into tense, angry fists as he spoke. She might not want to believe, but she sensed the truth the same as Miroku did. Naraku was playing a game here, and they were only pieces to be moved at his whim. The best they could hope to achieve at this point would be to discover what Naraku's ultimate goal was, and try not to be merely swept along.
Before Sango could make an angry rejoinder, Kirara slunk out of the forest and scurried over to nuzzle against her mistress. Miroku had not even noticed the cat's absence, and he wondered if Sango had perhaps sent her to track the boy that might be her brother. Regardless, Sango's anger seemed to subside with Kirara's return. She ruffled her fingers through the thick, pale fur and almost seemed to forget Miroku's presence.
Sensing that this was the best opportunity he was likely to get, Miroku suggested, "We should join the others before it gets dark."
The uneasiness was back in Sango's eyes when she turned to look at him. "You think Naraku will be back soon?"
He couldn't be sure if the faint dark presence he was sensing was Naraku or merely his own certainty, but he saw no point in hiding his thoughts from her. "Yes."
She said nothing and her expression was grim, but she got up and went with him to find their companions.