"So this is it?" Sango asked, peering into the darkness. It didn't look like much, just an old, dry well that had seen better days.
"This is it," Shippou agreed cheerfully. He seemed to be enjoying his role as guide. "This well connects to the country Kagome comes from. But for some reason only Inuyasha and Kagome can cross over." He sat down on the well's edge with a sigh. "So there's nothing we can do to get her back until she comes back on her own. If Inuyasha would just go get her…"
But of course Inuyasha was being too stubborn to go get her.
Sango wondered idly what would happen if she jumped into the magic well, but set that thought aside. If she gave it a try, it wouldn't be with Shippou watching.
"What else is there to see around town?" she asked.
"Let's go find Miroku!"
It certainly seemed like a better idea than going back to Kaede's hut and dealing with Inuyasha. The hanyou had been hopelessly surly ever since Kagome ran off, and that seemed unlikely to change until Kagome returned. If she returned.
What would happen to their group and their quest if she didn't come back? Sango wasn't sure, and hoped it wouldn't come to that.
The monk wasn't hard to find. They just had to follow the sound of laughter and amused women's voices as they came back into town. He had ensconced himself near the center of town where he was giving palm readings… and flirting outrageously with the local women.
"This is a good reading," he promised one woman as Sango and Shippou walked up behind him. He held her hand gently in his, inspecting its contours with a measure of focused intensity. Her friends watched with obvious interest. "You'll be blessed with a long life and many children."
The lucky young woman giggled, and did not remove her hand from his. "Really, Houshi-sama?"
"How about this: would you please consider bearing one of my children?"
Although the woman he was addressing seemed to find his antics more amusing than irritating, Sango was struck by the sudden urge to slap him. Kagome had warned her that this was how he approached every woman he met. She should have taken that warning more seriously, instead of assuming it was an exaggeration. Sure, he hadn't asked her that ridiculous question, but that might have been an exception. After all, they had met in fairly exceptional circumstances.
"So what're you up to today, Miroku?" Shippou asked dryly.
The monk stiffened, apparently having been unaware of their approach until just now.
Some father you'd make, Sango thought, getting so caught up in your flirting and games that you don't notice anything else.
"Sango! Shippou!" She had to hand it to him, he recovered quickly.
"Just seeing what there is to do in town," she told him by way of explanation for their sudden appearance.
He didn't take the bait. Instead he bid farewell to the ladies he had so recently been entertaining—and propositioning—in favor of wandering back toward Kaede's hut.
Sango fell into step alongside him, but not too close, while Shippou rode on her shoulder. She couldn't help but feel like the monk was escorting them back to Kaede's place, as if he wanted them out of his way. Then again, he probably did. The village girls had all seemed disappointed after she and Shippou showed up. They'd probably come running back at the slightest sign that he was available again.
"It's a nice enough town," Miroku said. "Quiet. Peaceful. Well, if you don't count Inuyasha and Kagome."
She had figured that much out on her own. "Do you think we'll stay long?"
"There's no use rushing things," he went on. "Until Inuyasha calms down…" He shrugged.
"Since when are you so easygoing?" Considering he was the one with a time limit on defeating his enemy, she would have expected a little more impatience. Then again, those village girls had been awfully enthusiastic… She frowned. That was probably why the monk was in no particular hurry to go search for more jewel shards. There was plenty to keep a man like him busy and entertained right here.
"Kagome will come around when she is ready, or when Inuyasha apologizes… Though I think we all know which will come first. In the meantime, we can get a few days of rest," he advised. He made it all sound perfectly reasonable, but Sango couldn't help wondering what his true motivation was. "For next time, however, I would suggest avoiding the well."
"Why not?" Shippou demanded, bristling.
"Think about it," the monk went on. "With Inuyasha's personality, he's never going to go through if he thinks we'll see him do it."