The same dream again. Blood and bodies everywhere – sightless eyes bored through her soul. Blank stares accusing, you couldn't save us –

No!

And Kohaku cut her open again. As she fell to her knees, dying, she watched him being shot full of arrows. He was screaming for her –

"Sango, wake up!"

She snapped back to reality as a hand insistently shook her shoulder. Miroku was kneeling over her, his eyes wide with worry. "Sango, are you alright?"

"Y – yes – it's nothing," stammered Sango, moving away from him. Colour suffused into her cheeks. "I – I'm sorry I disturbed you, Houshi-sama – "

Miroku quickly removed his hand and moved away; she visibly relaxed. He found it almost amusing that she seemed more unsettled by his proximity than the nightmare.

"Not at all. I am quite a light sleeper." The truth was, he was amazed her muffled whimpers and moans had not been overheard by the rest of their companions. "Are you alright?"

Sango drew her knees to her chest. "It was just a dream," she mumbled into her arms; the monk was barely able to discern her words. "But still..."

"Dreams are merely manifestations of our inner fears – nothing more." He, finally indulging her embarrassment, moved away to poke the dying embers of the campfire with a stick.

She said nothing.

Eventually, Miroku broke the silence. "Go back to sleep, Sango. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."

She nodded and lay back down. "... Thank you, Houshi-sama."

He watched her closely as her breathing gradually deepened – if it had not, what would you have done then? asked a little voice at the back of his head.

"That was a surprise," commented a dry voice. "You didn't try to grope her at all."

"This is hardly the time for something as callous as that."

Inuyasha snickered. "So the lecher has a conscience. I never would've guessed."

Miroku closed his eyes; he would not let the hanyou goad him into anger. It was a sobering thought; did everyone only see him as the incorrigible pervert and lecher? He had known Inuyasha for a while already, and the hanyou still did not trust him. Sango... what exactly did she think of him?

The memory of the fear in Sango's eyes stayed with him.