- CHAPTER SEVEN – CONTRACT -
Naraku, bandaged at the head from his alley altercation, paced back and forth on the second-story terrace of his estate. Night coated the sprawling gardens below in dark, moonless shadow. Mutters tumbled from him, recognizable only in their level of irritation as a messenger from the receiving hall appeared in the archway.
Naraku paused mid-step. "Is the huntress here yet?" He hissed.
The man nodded. "Yes sir. She's brought another taijiya with her."
Naraku waved him away. "Fine, fine. I'll pay them both. Send her up at once."
A slender woman of wiry grace materialized soundlessly behind the messenger. Untying a metal mask from her mouth, she bowed low. "I'm here, my lord."
Accustomed to the secretive ways of his more unsavory acquaintances, Naraku was unfazed by her protocol-breaking entrance. In fact, he appreciated the discretion.
"Welcome Taijiya," he returned the bow with a slight nod, wincing at the effort. His injury was still tender and swollen, but nothing compared to the blow dealt to his pride. "Thank you for accepting my invitation so quickly."
The woman, clad in armor and pink silk, stepped out into the chill, eying him impassively. "Your men were very… persuasive."
Though her tone was even, Naraku could tell she was displeased.
He ground his teeth together, thinking of which man he would flay first; they would pay if he had to ingratiate himself to this foreigner. Betraying nothing, he pulled on a smile. "They can be a bit overeager I'm afraid," he offered graciously. "Forgive me."
The taijiya eased her weight onto her back foot, relaxing her stance. "It's forgotten."
Naraku's smile grew. He knew her kind well. Payment was the best apology. Without looking over, he snapped his fingers; the messenger jumped as if hot coals burned beneath him and retreated inside to fetch his ledger.
Naraku swept his arm back in invitation, and the woman approached.
"You have a job for my brother and I?" She asked.
"Indeed," he palmed the cool stone of the balcony's edge. "I want you to retrieve one of my slaves for me."
Her stride faltered, and she stopped behind him. "Sorry," a hard edge crept into her tone. "I only hunt down demons."
"That's just it," he turned around and beckoned her forward. "She was stolen by one of the Ouja."
The taijiya blinked. "The Ouja?" The clan title dripped with a hatred she couldn't hide.
Naraku motioned again, and she joined him against the rail.
"My sources say she's not in the city," he said. "So, they must've taken her into the mountains. I want you to bring her back and kill whoever took her."
The woman studied him in the darkness. "What's one slave to you? I'm expensive."
"It's not a matter of money, you'll be well-compensated."
She didn't respond, waiting for him to answer instead of evade.
Naraku's fingers curled around carved stone, gripping with an intensity that shook his arms. "I don't like sharing my things," he whispered hoarsely. "I was going to announce her as my official mistress."
"Lucky girl."
He whipped towards her, ignoring the dizzying protest of his head. "Are you mocking me?" The question shook as much as his arms. "I don't know about your backwater taijiya village, but in Kanaka, I'm a powerful enemy to make," he pulled his lips back, baring gritted teeth. "I deserve respect from those in my employ," he ground out.
The woman, unaffected by his temper, stared out at the hidden gardens stretching from the building, surrounding it in a daytime beauty it didn't deserve. She waited until his breathing slowed. It took awhile.
"In my province," she finally said, looking at him from the corner of her eye. "Men get what they earn."
Naraku was beginning to rethink this partnership. She didn't seem like what was advertised, and said as much. "I was told you had infiltrated the Ouja before. That you were an expert who'd do anything to strike them a blow."
The woman pulled her gaze from the garden, feeling a shiver from more than the temperature; her reputation added an unexpected bite to the air. "I am," she let anger broach her own voice. "And I'll get your slave back for you."
Naraku was unconvinced. "I don't work with those who waste my time."
"Fine," she pushed off and turned to leave.
He shot his hand through the shadows, clamping down on her elbow. "Wait."
Her eyes narrowed, flicking from the offending grip to its owner. "Let go."
Naraku kept hold.
The huntress drew back a pink sleeve, revealing a dagger gauntlet bound at her wrist. In a blur of movement, the blade was at his throat.
"Did I stutter?" She asked flatly. "Let… go."
Naraku's fingers instantly straightened.
"I'm not one of your harem pets," she ran the dagger lightly over his adam's apple. "Touch me again, and your pretty little porch will be stained red."
Naraku worked not to flinch. "Understood," he managed.
The woman withdrew the blade, replacing it in her sleeve. "Do you know which Ouja took her?"
He cupped his throat, staring warily. "No one saw his face."
"Could he call on the wind?" She pressed. "Was he dressed in purple robes?"
Naraku shook his head, regretting the action too late. The edges of his vision blurred as his bandaged temple began to throb. "H-He struck a physical blow from behind," he managed.
She considered this for a long moment. "The job will cost twice my normal fee," she watched for another reaction before continuing. "Without knowing the target you want dead, I'll have to spend time scouting the range. They have tunnels that go for miles."
He measured her, weighing her legitimacy; she certainly knew how to get close enough to be lethal. "I told you. The amount doesn't matter," he straightened. "Bring Kagome back, with her captor's head in her hands."
The woman bowed again. "As you wish," she turned for the archway, and Naraku extended an arm, careful not to touch her this time.
"What's your name? I'd like to know who'll be reclaiming my prize."
She paused, her back to him. "I'm Sango, of the Shako line," she spoke over her shoulder.
His smile returned, more sneer than grin. "Ah. A piece falls into place," he left the edge, stepping to her ear. "Your family fought against Inu-no-Taisho."
The huntress jerked her head away.
Naraku hadn't become the most powerful man in Kanaka by letting would-be assassins threaten him on his own estate. "You hate the Ouja because of their creator," he whispered. "You traveled here seeking revenge," his sneer grew. "Double? I'd bet you'd do this for free."
Sango shot him a scowl. "A man like you knows nothing of honor or debt. Mention my family once more, and no price will buy me."
Naraku raised his palms. "Be off then Taijiya. Return when you have what's rightfully mine."
Her frown deepened, and she stalked off, disappearing from the terrace without another word.
Alone with the night, Naraku moved back to his garden, excitement churning his stomach. If the huntress couldn't find Kagome, she would make an excellent prize herself. The thought of snuffing out her arrogance lit a hunger he thought Kagome's absence had extinguished, and he snapped his fingers again, already deciding which girl he'd like his messenger to send for.
Sango traveled down the tiled path swiftly, barely holding back the urge to break into flight. A massive gate, the scale of which suggested a need to compensate, swung open; just past it, a teenage boy in armor and a large nekomata cuffed in fire waited. Relief flooded their faces as they caught sight of her.
Sango left Naraku's property, but didn't stop. Her legs continued to carry her, chased by crimson eyes full of threat.
The boy and demon stared as she practically sprinted past. Looking to each other, they rushed to follow.
"Sango!" Kohaku heaved his sister's bone boomerang higher up on his back. "Wait for us!" The chain of an over-sized sickle bounced at his waist, and the weight of both weapons left him encumbered and slow. "How'd it go?" He called.
Kirara uttered several low growls in response, and the boy frowned over at her. "Why do you say that? The meeting could've gone okay."
The feline arched a brow, watching as Sango put more and more space between them and the estate with fleeing steps.
"Oh," Kohaku's face fell.
The trio half-ran until they were deep among city streets. Only when the manor's outline had completely disappeared did Sango start to slow. Leading them down a maze of side passages, she veered into a thin alley and stopped, surveying the area. Seeing their only audience would be tight walls, broken crates, and barrels of aging produce, she turned around. Kirara and her brother stared over expectantly.
"We got the job," she uttered softly.
Kohaku squinted in confusion, working to catch his breath. "That's good, right?"
She nodded.
The nekomata searched her face, offering out a low chirp.
"No," Sango crossed her arms, warding off the image of Naraku's face. "Our employer is not a good guy," she shuddered.
Kohaku joined the demon in gauging his sister. "How so?" His voice deepened, sounding older.
"He just made my skin crawl."
Kohaku started for Kusarigama, the weapon at his side. "What's he do?!"
Sango stayed his hand. "Be calm little brother," reaching over him, she untied Hiraikotsu from his back. "We knew what kind of work we'd have to get into to avenge the village," she hitched the boomerang behind her. "We set out for the Ouja at first light."
The two faces before her, the last of her kin, nodded grimly.
Kagome stomped ahead of Inu-Yasha with angry, punctuated strides. They headed for the main hall, traveling in stony silence. The hanyou's hands were as furious as her feet, curled into fists at his sides, strangling back another outburst.
Kagome had not been pleased to see her koumori chaperone replaced, and even less thrilled to learn Inu-Yasha had lied, followed them, and watched her bathe.
Curses and accusations rang through her head, pushing to get past her teeth, but she swallowed them down, not wanting to start up again.
They had argued all the way up the steps from the cavern, past his room, and down the corridor. Not even reclaiming his haori had ceased the barrage; Inu-Yasha had donned it amid heated rebuttal to claims of perversion and control-issues. Now, almost to the tunnel leading to the hall, they'd fallen to a terse, brooding ceasefire.
Inu-Yasha couldn't let himself calm down; if anything, his temper seemed to be intensifying. Kagome's silence was almost worse than her volley of insults. As they reached the stairwell, he cleared his throat. "I'm leaving today to attack the wolves who stormed the southern gate."
Kagome didn't bother looking back. "Fine."
"I wasn't checking it by you or anything."
She shrugged. "Whatever."
Inu-Yasha scowled. He didn't know what kind of reaction he'd expected, but indifference wasn't it. The Eastern Wolf Tribe were dangerous enemies. Their silence resumed as they descended the stairs, each giving the other a wide berth.
The main hall opened up before them. It was late morning, and the cavern was mostly deserted. Moegi and Shion, two teenage hanyou from Horai Island, were sweeping under tables covered in upturned benches, and a trio of men carrying crates of copper tins and silver goblets off to one of the vaults deep within the mountain were the only other occupants.
One of the men, a massive oni who looked like a full youkai, nodded as he caught sight of Inu-Yasha. With gray skin, red eyes, towering height, and wickedly-curving horns, the hanyou was more ogre than man. "Ho!" He shouted in a booming voice.
"Ho Ibuki!" Inu-Yasha returned, seizing on something he'd meant to enact long ago. He had witnessed the oni defend a captive, getting into a fist-fight as the girl had cried protest while being shoved into a corner. Inu-Yasha had intervened, but not before Ibuki had earned several blows from supposed brothers for his valor.
"When you're done," he cupped a hand around his mouth and thought of the despair in Kagome's face, desiring to never be the source of it again. "I'd like you to come on a mission with me."
The oni smiled, revealing rows of small, even-sized teeth. They gave his fierce countenance an oddly-misshapen appearance. "Of course, sir!"
The two men beside him, who had both offered up the said corner eagerly, frowned as their leader made no move to extend the invitation further.
Kagome, oblivious to the clan politics, allowed Inu-Yasha to surpass her and take the lead as he weaved his way to the now-cool and empty cooking pots.
"Moegi?" He called across the hall. "Is there anything left from breakfast?"
The girl stopped her sweeping, answering too quietly for Kagome to hear. Inu-Yasha's ears perked, and she knew he had.
Leaning her broom against one of the long tables, Moegi came over, peeking shyly at Kagome's dress as she neared.
Kagome fingered the green hem. "Is this yours?" Embarrassment filled her as she thought of Ren taking something from someone's personal pile.
The girl held up a hand. "I have plenty," she said kindly. "Keep it."
Mortified, Kagome managed to nod her thanks.
Moegi's cleaning counterpart, a boy with purple hair and fin-like ears, watched their exchange with hasty, furtive glances. He didn't join them and started sweeping more forcefully, traveling down the length of a new table.
Moegi stretched to her tip-toes, searching through stone shelves behind the pots, and Kagome studied her discreetly. She was around Shippo's age, with olive hair split into two ponytails. Where Ibuki barely resembled a man, she had few demon features; two horns sprouting from her head were the only indicator.
The girl moved aside cans, jars, and bags of roots and potatoes. "Let me look in the pantry," she said.
"I'll help you," Kagome stepped up, and Inu-Yasha nodded, giving permission.
She soured. "I wasn't asking," she followed the quiet hanyou through a small doorway beside the shelves, into a space deceptively deep and spacious, stockpiled with food in various states of preparation and preservation. A thin passage of steps led to a further cold storage cellar.
Inu-Yasha left them and walked to one of the long tables. Lifting an upside-down bench, he set it on the floor and plopped himself down. "My contribution's done," he called, wanting to rile his human charge.
Kagome and Moegi were intent on retrieving breakfast, and Inu-Yasha frowned, realizing the girl didn't have hanyou senses. She hadn't heard.
Shion had traveled far down the hall in his sweeping, keeping his eyes glued to his broom. Inu-Yasha watched him for an idle minute, hoping the boy would lift his head. He had been rescued from the time-insulated island of Horai four years ago, along with five others, and had yet to make friends, start battle training, or settle into his new home. Inu-Yasha had made a concerted effort in the beginning, and Moegi was proof of that. Equally shy to start, she had blossomed into a wise, if reserved, member of his clan. When she left adolescence, she'd make a skilled advisor in the decisions of the mountain.
Shion studiously avoided his leader's gaze. Inu-Yasha sighed as the girls returned, setting down plates of cold food. They'd begun exchanging small talk – the usual banal female niceties he rarely had to endure. His stomach growled loudly and worry over Shion sank in importance; he was starving. Inu-Yasha almost dug his hand into his bowl of rice before spotting a pair of chopsticks beside it. He glanced up, confused.
Moegi was commenting on Kagome's braid, and the girl smiled and returned with something about her outfit. He seemed to be invisible as they traded compliments.
The ways of women were mystifying. How could compliments win esteem over combat?
Inu-Yasha saw Kagome carrying her own bowl, holding a set of chopsticks underneath it with her thumb.
Dawning hit, and his gaze grew shrewd. Moegi's subtle reminder of manners was helpful – he had no experience entertaining others.
Inu-Yasha cleared his throat as Kagome sat down next to him, picking up the eating utensils as if he used them everyday, and plucked a bite from his dish.
Moegi joined them with a glass of water in hand. Turning over her own bench, she seated herself across the pair.
Despite the etiquette prompt, Inu-Yasha's hunger left him stuffing mouthful after mouthful into his cheeks. He had eaten almost half his bowl before he realized Kagome wasn't joining in.
He turned to the girl in surprise. She stared down into her lap with a posture he'd never seen before.
"Why farrn't yoo eatig?" Inu-Yasha mumbled, spitting rice down his front.
Moegi rolled her eyes and took a long, slow drink.
Kagome looked up. "Huh?"
Inu-Yasha worked to chew and swallow. "You're not eating," he finally managed.
She stared at him, surprise spreading across her face. "You're not finished."
He brought another clump of rice up. "So?"
The girl blushed. Picking up her chopsticks, she scooped out a small portion and brought it to her lips, letting it hover as she waited to see his reaction.
Inu-Yasha stopped and laid his own set down. What was she doing? He turned his body towards her. "Go ahead," he urged.
Kagome ate the bite, chewing slowly. Her hand was hesitant as it returned to her bowl, the question evident.
This was a new side to her. Asking. Waiting.
Servile.
Comprehension hit a second a time as Inu-Yasha realized why she was being so timid. Who had made her so. Naraku wouldn't let her eat until he was done? Unbelievable.
He fought not to show his fury, and Moegi watched him struggle, sipping from her cup again.
"Kagome," she started. "How do you like our mountain so far?"
The girl looked to Inu-Yasha a moment before beginning to eat. "It's big," she said between mouthfuls. "And you have so much here – water, supplies, space."
"There's more you haven't seen," Moegi slid down the bench to face her more fully. "I'll take you on a tour after breakfast if you'd like."
"That'd be great," Kagome ate with more confidence, her own hunger beginning to assert itself.
Inu-Yasha sat quietly as the two talked. Screaming curses climbed up his throat. How could Naraku? What the hell was wrong with him?! Beating her to a pulp and robbing her of the right to nourish herself?
The more Inu-Yasha thought about it, the angrier he became. The next time there was a Kanaka raid, he would hunt the slave trader down and kill him. "I'll make it slow too," he muttered.
Kagome looked over. "Slow?"
Inu-Yasha swallowed down his ire, trying to return his attention to the table. "You're too slow to keep up with a tour."
She made a face. "Har, har."
Moegi asked another question, and Inu-Yasha resumed eating as Kagome answered. Something about the bathing cavern. He couldn't even pretend to focus on their conversation. Their voices floated past him as he picked salted meat and cold bits of hard egg from dishes in the table's center. Drawing them back to his bowl, he looked around for one of Shiori's glazed morning rolls.
His ears fell. "There's no more honey bread?"
Mid-sentence, Kagome jumped to her feet. She dropped her utensils and lifted her leg over the bench, letting them clatter forgotten to the table.
Inu-Yasha knew instantly what she was doing and clamped clawed fingers down on her wrist. "Don't," he stared up from beneath thick bangs. "I didn't mean for you to get them."
Kagome shook her head. "No, it's no problem—."
His grip was gentle, but unyielding. "You serve no one," the hand holding her trembled with restraint as he admonished himself. He had just learned Naraku had taken particular delight in controlling meals – of course he would have made the girl fetch him dishes while she slowly starved. "Sit down," his words were hoarse. "If I really want them, I know where to look."
Moegi motioned Kagome down.
The girl diverted her gaze between them, confused. "Isn't that why we went into the cellar? Because Ouja women serve the men?"
The Horai hanyou offered a kind smile. "We went because Inu-Yasha's lazy, and I indulge him too often."
He nodded, tugging her back down onto the bench. "She does."
Kagome sat, bewildered.
Moegi studied her with eyes as kind as her mouth. "You don't have a master here," she offered softly. "This one may like sitting more than searching," she gestured to her leader. "But he holds no expectations of you. There isn't a 'job' you need to do Kagome."
Not for the first time, Inu-Yasha was impressed at his new sister's insight – Ouja twice her age had less awareness in their big toes. Some of them did think Kagome had expectations to fill, and he cringed realizing he had only helped propagate the misconception.
No wonder she thought he and Naraku were the same.
"Just eat and keep me company," he released her wrist, speaking through his sudden regret. He wanted nothing in common with that monster. "And stop acting like you're in trouble."
Kagome stared at her bowl for a long moment. Her lower lip began to tremble.
Moegi noticed and rose, shaking her glass back and forth. "I'm just going to get more water," she said, slipping away.
Inu-Yasha and Kagome sat together in the quiet hall. He searched the side of her face, and blue-gray eyes remained determinedly glued to the table.
"I told you not to be nice," she whispered. "I want to see it coming."
He sighed, poking his remaining meal. "See what? I won't ever have a slap for you. There's no surprise coming. You don't need to be on the lookout for it."
Her lip trembled more, and the sight made his gut twist.
Kagome pulled on a weak smile. "How about a knee to the stomach? Those are particularly hard to see."
Inu-Yasha knew she'd meant it as a joke, but from the state of her back, judged it was experience-laden. "I…," his voice trailed off, and he fumbled to find it. "I'll… never hit you."
Kagome touched the damp braid laid over her shoulder, rolling its end between her fingers. "Why?"
Inu-Yasha scooted closer, as if proximity would make her understand. "Because you're someone to protect, not bully."
She scoffed. "Bullying gets results," her fingers clenched into a fist around her hair, squeezing out water. "I've practically forgotten how to have breakfast."
He lifted his hand, closing it over hers. "I hear trust helps you remember."
Kagome stared at their contact, and her expression grew rueful. "Does it make you have unanticipated heart-to-hearts over cold, under-cooked rice?"
Inu-Yasha smiled, trying to catch her eye. "It even lets you have conversations without yelling."
Kagome peeked over at him. "Now you're just being crazy."
His smile widened.
"And I don't yell," she said. "I get… forceful."
"Suuure," he continued to stare. "Hey," he kept his palm in place. "I'm sorry about earlier."
The apology was so off-hand. Like they were friends. "Me too," Kagome admitted, just as easily. "I didn't mean to call you a sneaking, self-important moron for dismissing Ren and following us."
The beginnings of a laugh, breathy and amused, left him. "What about when I was a 'pug-faced pervert'?"
"No," she grinned. "That one still stands."
Amber eyes shone with approval, and Inu-Yasha made no attempt to lift his hand.
Kagome noticed how big his fingers were, hiding hers among rough knuckles and sharp claws. A touch of sadness made her smile falter. "Thank you Inu-Yasha," the words fell softly between them. "You make Kanaka seem far away."
He heard her sincerity and had the sudden desire to lean over and kiss her. Show her how much she could forget. Did she know the amount of oxygen she stole from the air? He felt himself bending forward unconsciously.
Kagome recognized the action and instinctively thought to pull away. Her body didn't listen. If anything, she leaned in to meet him.
Moegi returned, cradling three glasses to her chest. She set them down wordlessly, raising an eyebrow.
The moment – jarringly mutual – was broken. Kagome and Inu-Yasha dropped their contact, lunging for cups immediately and gulping like the brims were lifelines.
A half-smile started in the Horai hanyou's mouth. "So," she said lightly. "Akio didn't cook the rice long enough, huh?"
The faces across from her flamed bright red; her enhanced ears had heard their exchange.
Inu-Yasha's blush burned hotter. "Doesn't Shion need help with the floor?" He grumbled, turning from both women back to his bowl and shoveling the remnants into his mouth.
Kagome followed suit, eating as if in a race.
Moegi's smile grew at their unified front. "I suppose," she palmed the table and started to rise, just as a voice called from the entrance tunnels.
"Inu-Yasha!"
All three turned. Miroku strode down the steps, purple robes rustling, and Inu-Yasha felt Kagome bristle at his side.
Was she upset? He sniffed discreetly, smelling nervousness rise in her. Why? Was she scared of his second-in-command?
Miroku crossed the cavern and plunked himself beside Moegi, giving the girl a wide grin. "How're you beautiful?"
She frowned, suddenly resolute in returning to her duties. "I've got to get back to sweeping."
He poured charm into his smile. "Stay a minute," he reached for her. "I haven't seen you in days. I think I'm starting to go into withdrawal."
Moegi avoided his hand. "Ew," her features scrunched up as if she'd bitten into a bad piece of fruit. "I'm a fourth your age."
Miroku scoffed. "What? I'm only saying hi," he spread his palms wide. "And technically, you're older than me. You only felt time's passage once every fifty years on your island."
"I'm not on Horai anymore," she shook her head at his feigned innocence. "And your hello smacks of a come-on."
Inu-Yasha felt Kagome relax; she was encouraged by the rebuff. Glancing over, he saw a hint of smile.
"I'll be up for that tour soon," she offered to Moegi.
The other girl gave her a warm look. "Come get me," she left the bench without another glance at Miroku and retrieved her leaning broom.
The wind demon watched her make her way back to Shion glumly. "I don't think I'm her favorite," he mumbled dejectedly.
Inu-Yasha polished off the last of his breakfast. "Gee, what makes you say that?" He'd said it to please Kagome, and was rewarded when her smile strengthened and turned on him.
Miroku noticed the girl's grin too. "You seem well adjusted, my lady," his eyes settled on her. "Are things here to your liking?"
Inu-Yasha watched that his friend's gaze didn't fall below her face. Was it his earlier stares that now caused her unease?
Kagome didn't falter. "Save for present company," she said sweetly.
The wind demon modeled a wounded look. "Our ward less than a week and already passing judgement," he 'tsked'. "How confident of you."
Inu-Yasha issued a low growl, barely aware of it. He wouldn't let her be spoken to that way.
Miroku straightened at the warning, and Kagome arched a brow.
"Confidence? Or fact? There's no opinion if my judgement is true."
She and Miroku measured each other, testing whether they would travel the road of friendship, reluctant tolerance, or open hostility.
Inu-Yasha cut-in, unwilling to let them settle on the latter. "Be nice guys. There's no need to pick on each other. Neither of you are strong in subtlety."
Kagome crossed her arms. "As long as he keeps his eyes to himself."
"Do the same with your opinions," Miroku countered.
"Done," she said.
Inu-Yasha darted his gaze between them, daring them to continue. Both declined. "So," he focused on the wind hanyou, eager to change the subject. "How are preparations for the attack?"
Miroku folded his hands into wide, purple sleeves. "I have seventeen men assembled. They're in one of the training halls now, waiting for orders."
"Excellent," Inu-Yasha nodded. "I'd like Ibuki to come too. Let Kagome and I finish up here, and we'll be right down."
"We?"
Inu-Yasha frowned. Of course Kagome couldn't accompany him – they might discuss mountain weak points in need of coverage while they were away, mentioning easily-reachable exits she knew nothing about. But sending a message to the wolf tribe suddenly seemed less significant compared to discovering how breakfast could have ended, sans interruption. "I'll be there," he corrected.
Miroku returned to the girl in question.
"Moegi's going to show me around," she answered, reaching out and plucking bowls and plates from the table.
"For four days?" Miroku asked. "The wolf tribe isn't in the next mountain over."
Inu-Yasha spoke for her. "Kagome knows how to get back to our room. She'll be fine."
Two sets of eyes widened.
"Our room?" The girl choked, as if still swallowing rice.
"What?" Inu-Yasha felt surprise and disapproval from Miroku. "It is."
His second-in-command made no comment, seeming to wait for Kagome to do it for him. She didn't disappoint.
"There isn't an 'our' anything," she cradled dishes in the crook of her arm, getting to her feet. "And I'm not going to sit twiddling my thumbs until your return."
"She could stay with Moegi in the women's wing," Miroku offered.
Kagome froze, reaching for an empty glass. "What?"
He spoke lightly. "There's a whole tunnel of female-only quarters. No boys allowed," he smiled. "Not even me."
Kagome's fingers hovered in the air. "There are…," she sputtered. "Women's… quarters?!"
Inu-Yasha shot the other man a furious glare.
Miroku shrugged. "She could."
Anger dragged the girl's mouth into a frown. "Inu-Yasha," warning filled her voice. "When were you planning on telling me?"
His ears wilted. "You sound like I owe you an explanation."
Kagome's frown darkened into a scowl as she stared at the table, seeing their revelation-filled meal anew. "How could I think that?"
Inu-Yasha glowered over at Miroku and flicked his wrist, waving him away. "Tell the others I'll be there shortly."
The man uncrossed his arms, laying fists on the table. "I'm not your messeng—."
"You're whatever I want you to be," amber eyes fumed. "Go. You've done plenty already."
Miroku had not seen the dismissal coming and pushed the bench back, rising stiffly. "Sir," with a curt nod, he spun on his heel and started for the tunnels.
Inu-Yasha watched him leave, trying to ignore the wrath boring into his head from the girl standing over him. He waited a minute, struggling with his own irritation. Miroku had done that on purpose.
"You had me stay in your room… share your bed… when there was somewhere else I could've slept?!" Kagome hissed. "And you say a betrayal's not coming?"
Inu-Yasha sighed and stood, retrieving the other cups. "I'm sorry. I didn't know if I could trust you not to run away," taking two plates from her awkward load, he turned for the cooking pots.
Kagome followed, glaring into his back with an intensity she hoped would physically start to smolder. Singed skin would do wonders for her mood.
A wide, washing basin filled halfway with cold water was built into the wall nearby. Inu-Yasha set the dishes down and turned to take hers.
Kagome avoided his help, immersing them herself. "You tell me to trust, but don't do the same?" She searched for a washing rag.
He plucked one hanging over the side and whispered a soft spell. The water in the sink warmed and began to steam. "I was wrong," he plunged it below the surface.
"Shocking," she muttered.
Scrubbing a bowl, he handed it to her. "What would you have done?"
Kagome took it absently, starting to dry it on the hem of her dress. "Not stolen someone in the first place!"
"Yes, yes, we've been over that before," Inu-Yasha nodded to a rack of semi-clean towels hanging nearby. "You're a much better person than I."
Kagome reached for one, rubbing the bowl over and setting it upside down on an empty shelf above the basin.
Inu-Yasha began rinsing cups, passing them over one at a time. "But come on. I didn't know if you were a lunatic. I didn't want to put any of my people in danger. You could have attacked one of the women in their sleep. I was just doing my duty."
Kagome snatched the latest glass with angry fingers. "Is that what you're really going with?" She dried it quickly, setting the cup beside its like brothers. "An underweight, human girl against half-demons?! Right. Big threat there," she waited impatiently for the first of the plates. "You just wanted to be a big, hundred-year-old pervert and sleep next to me!"
"Don't flatter yourself," Inu-Yasha took his time with the last few pieces in the sink, knowing it was irritating her. "Nothing like being coated in the reeking stench of a forest youkai to get me going."
"Hey, who knows?" Kagome rolled her hand in a circle, motioning for him to hurry up. "It didn't seem to stop you when your insides were being slowly eaten."
Inu-Yasha let his arms dangle above the water, not even pretending to wash now. "For your information, I was practically hallucinating. I thought you were an actual female at the time, instead of a manly, overbearing, know-it-all who likes to get angry if I breathe too loudly. "
"I AM female," Kagome swiped for the idle rag. "Which is WHY you should have told me about the women's quarters from the beginning!"
Across the hall, Moegi and Shion watched them wash dishes together, their ears picking out the gist of their argument, if not specifics. Though far superior to human hearing, their senses couldn't rival the son of Inu-no-Taisho.
Shion stilled his broom. "They don't seem to get along at all," he said softly.
Moegi smiled. "You sure? I think Kagome's perfect for him."
The purple-haired boy heard her amusement and switched attention to her. "So, what did Miroku want?"
"Who knows?" She shrugged.
"Did he say anything to you?"
"Only the usual."
Shion tightened hold of the broom's handle, searching for words. Communicating had always been hard for him – even on the island. It had escalated now to the point of painful chore, surrounded by hardened adults with little patience. Only with Moegi and his Horai brothers and sisters could he voice a semblance of his thoughts. "I don't like the way he looks at you," he whispered.
Moegi stretched an arm out for him. "Around you, I don't even see his stare," she started to say more, when Inu-Yasha and Kagome's voices rose into echoing yells.
"Is that your new insult of the moment?!" The girl shouted as she gripped a plate dangerously high. "My character?! First, I'll murder your clansmen in their sleep, then I'll keep them awake with my stench!?"
"Wait till I get after your eyes!" Inu-Yasha snarled back. "They're the color of rain puddles horses drink from!"
"Yours look like piss!"
"Unoriginal!" He snatched it from her fingers. "I grew up hearing that!"
"Well don't attack mine just cause you're bitter!"
"I'm not bitter!"
Kagome tried reclaiming the dishware. "Are too!"
Inu-Yasha pulled it behind his back and began dodging her attempts, using superhuman speed that left her swiping at empty air.
They began bickering over whose eyes were uglier and who had heard more flack about it. Insults rained like blows, and the steaming water next to them started to cool.
Moegi and Shion shook their heads, leaning towards each other.
"You sure?" The boy asked, incredulous. "They're purposely egging each other on."
"Exactly," the horned hanyou dropped a hand to her hip. "They were made to match."
