Sango rushed after the others, hating that there was no time to prepare for whatever was to come—not even to put on her armor instead of her traveling clothes. She would just have to be careful in facing the threat ahead. After all, she still had all her weapons, including the hiraikotsu, so it wasn't as if she were completely helpless.

Still, she felt that some measure of extra caution was necessary. It had not been that long since they left the boy and his grandfather back at the village, the same direction from which Inuyasha smelled blood, and everything had seemed peaceful and safe then. What could possibly have happened in such a short period of time? A bandit raid? A youkai attack?

A figure staggered down the road toward them. Sango recognized the boy from before in horror: there was now blood on his face and an arrow protruding from his shoulder. He could barely walk, and collapsed into Kagome's arms even as she rushed forward to break his fall. As she caught him, she cried, "Hang in there!"

"Please," the boy choked out with effort. "Save my grandpa!"

Despite all his complaints about that same grandfather earlier, Inuyasha was all business now. "Kagome, take care of the kid. Let's go, Miroku."

Sango was not entirely surprised when the monk turned to her. "Sango, please stay and protect Kagome and the others."

"Of course," she said, though she doubted they would need much protection this far from town. Better to be prepared than caught unawares, however.

Still, as she watched Inuyasha and Miroku rush down the road, she wondered if they were making a mistake. Maybe they should have stuck together, rather than splitting up. They could always be walking right into another one of Naraku's traps, after all.

The thought alone was enough to make her blood run cold. The last trap had nearly caused her death. Could they really be facing another one already?

Fear made her long to follow Inuyasha and Miroku, if only to make sure they were all right. But she couldn't be sure that she could defend Kagome and the boy, not without knowing what danger she was leading them into. She felt trapped, and more than a little annoyed: yet again, Inuyasha and Miroku weren't treating her like a girl to be defended or a warrior fully capable of helping in a fight.

Instead, she was stuck here with a heart full of fear and absolutely no good options. Please be safe…