Sorry for such a long wait, but here's another chapter. I was in writer's block mode, but hopefully I won't get back in for a long long time! kim
InuYasha ran quickly through the forest, trying desperately to catch a scent of her, anywhere. Trees blurred by and still no trace of her. It had been two days since Naraku had taken her. Damn! Where is she? He thought to himself as he continued to dart throughout the forest. He stopped to sniff the ground, even though his hope was waning. Maybe, just maybe…
No! She's alive, I just know it!
He jumped up, pushing off of the tree branches to scan the sky for any signs of Naraku. He reached the upper canopy of a particularly old and tall oak tree and he sat there, sniffing the wind furiously. There was nearly no wind blowing over his worried face, which didn't help for scents at all. His eyes kept darting round the forest top, for anything…
Just then, a particularly strong gust of wind nearly blew him out of the tree. It carried with it a strong scent of fresh bloodshed. Not only that, but it was familiar…
He jumped down quickly, fear flooding his veins. He took off at top speeds towards the source, wondering now how he could have missed such a strong scent. It was overpowering his senses, giving him a headache. Please, oh please let her not be dead, he thought to himself furiously as he dodged a tree and pushed himself even faster. If she is… I don't think I could live with myself…
He heard rushing water and bounded into a clearing. A rushing waterfall was cascading down a small cliff; the water crashed noisily down on the pool beneath it. It bubbled and frothed before disappearing into the clear depths. He spotted her instantly and had to stifle a gasp; she was laying at the pool's edge opposite from him, staring blankly into the waves playing with the edge. Her crimson blood trickled into the waves, disappearing into the water. He sat, momentarily paralyzed with shock and disbelief, before diving headfirst into the pool. His mind was set on getting to her and all other thoughts were cast aside. He had to reach her, even if it meant swimming through freezing waters. Each stroke seemed like a mile, each second became an hour; it seemed to take forever for the half demon to swim the length of the pool. The currents swirled dangerously round him, the waterfall crashed noisily round him, but he swam on, set on only one thought: Get to her… make sure she's alright… make sure she's not dead…
He finally reached the other side and climbed out, not even bothering to shake all the excess water out of his robes. He reached his hand out to her slowly, now unsure whether he wanted to know if she was alright. His hand touched the vein in her neck, and he let out a sigh of relief; there was still a fairly strong pulse. Her eyes seemed glossy, out of focus, though…
He gently scooped her up into his arms and started to run, to where he didn't know. They needed to get out of here, find somewhere they could stay for a while and rebuild her strength. InuYasha growled under his breath as a cave became visible nearby. Naraku is going to pay…
Please review! kim