I woke up to the smell of just caught fish cooking on a new fire. I opened my eyes and saw Inu-Yasha crouched, as usual, near the fire. He was mumbling or singing. I couldn't tell which. But it was a good sign. I sat up and he turned around. A big grin was on his face. "Shippo is coming. But I think Sango and that monk are staying behind. Word in the village is that Kiaede is returning in another day. Here." He handed me a fish. "Eat up." He smiled again.

I was late afternoon when Shippo returned. "KAGOME!" we hugged and I heard Inu-Yasha snicker. "Be careful, Shippo. I think Inu-Yasha is planning something." I whispered to him. "I heard that!" Damn those ears of his. He had an annoyed look on his face. It was the night of the new moon. A bad night for Inu-Yasha, for it meant he would become human. At least until the light of the following dawn covered him. If we are lucky, no one will bother us. If we're lucky.

Miroku and Sango did not return. As the sun's light vanished behind the mountain and the moon rose, Inu-Yasha's silver locks started dulling into stringy black tresses. His dog-ears were now human and his eyes darkened. He hid in the darkest corner of the hut. Shippo followed him.

"What's wrong, Inu-Yasha?" Shippo hopped onto his knee. SMACK! Shippo fell of with a large bump on his head. I was about to yell OSUWARI, but I understood how he felt being helpless.

"INU-YASHA! Be nice. Of all nights." I huffed and turned away, walking back to the fire.

I crouched near the edge of the fire, looking into the flames. Hmmmm. He's acting a bit paranoid. I should ask him why. I was leaning forward to stand up, but I lost my balance and threw my hands out in front of me. I forgot that the fire was right there and my hands fell into the flames. "AHHHHHHHHH!" I jumped back and ran out of the hut. "KAGOME! Wait! Where are you…" I was too far to hear him. I ran to the stream and thrusted my hands into the rushing water. Instant relief was too far for me to grasp. The pain of a million knives stabbing all over my hands nearly crippled me. So I resorted to crying over the water. Inu-Yasha ran up behind me. I felt his hand on my shoulder and his eyes looking below the water.

"Kagome? Are you okay?" he kneeled next to me. "Was it something I did?"

"No. I was stupid to forget." I pulled my hands out of the water and showed them to him. I didn't look. No, I couldn't look. I felt him gingerly take one into his hand and pull it to his face.

"Idiot. You need to see Kiaede." He grabbed my wrists and pulled me up so he could carry me to Kiaede's hut. "If she isn't there, we can still look around for something to wrap it up with till she does come back."

Lucky for me, Kiaede had returned sometime after sunset. She was sleeping but that didn't last long.

"Hey, old hag. Wake up." He nudged her with his foot. "Kagome hurt herself. Bad." Inu-Yasha was still holding me. She moaned then, as though something stabbed her, jumped up with ease.

"Kagome is hurt! How? By what?" Kiaede was building the fire back up. "Bring her to the light. Let me see." Inu-Yasha let me down by the fire. I held my hands out. It was the first time that I had seen my hands. "Does it hurt, my dear?"

"It looks worse than it hurts. Is that possible, Lady Kiaede?" I looked at Inu-Yasha.

"It is possible. We must mend this damage as soon as we can. The longer we wait, the worse the scaring, and the less chance you have of being able to use them properly."

I looked back at Inu-Yasha as Kiaede cleaned and wrapped my hands. Every so often I would wince and Inu-Yasha would twitch. I guess my hands did look worse than they felt. When Kiaede was finished she gave me some medicinal salve and extra bandages.

"Can we go back now Inu-Yasha?" I spoke meekly.

He huffed and picked me up.

It was a most quiet ride back to the hut. Moments of silence were interrupted by Inu-Yasha's harsh words about my stupidity. I guess he thought I had fallen asleep. I wish I had. He slid me onto my sleeping bag and put the now dry blanket over me. I kept my eyes closed.

"Don't go and roll over into the fire. Your hands are bad enough." He grumbled and sat down between me and the door.