Sango had kept her mouth shut as long as she could. But with every minute, it grew colder and Kagome sat outside longer. Her instinctual worry for her friend was raging but no one seemed to share her concern.
Kaede tended the fire and Miroku sipped a hot cup of tea. Both of their eyes had long since misted over with deep thought of the situation. Sango didn't blame them. Just when she wrapped her mind around everything that happened, a flood of questions followed.
It didn't seem important at the moment though. Everyone knew Kagome nearly died and she sat outside in the cold. Sango shifted to try to peer out of the doorframe. She could catch the black of Kagome's hair near the tree outside. She didn't see the hanyou, but to be fair, he could have been in a tree. Before anyone could call her on spying, she pulled her head back inside.
"Kouga, you don't care either?" She finally spoke.
The wolf prince had acted the strangest of all. He'd posted himself on the other side of the door with his legs folded and eyes shut. He didn't react at first.
Finally he said, "She's coming in now."
The door mat swung open making the demon slayer jump.
"Kagome are you all right?" Sango sprung up from the floor to help her.
Kagome's face had paled considerably and she drew her thin blanket tighter over her shoulders. Accepting Sango's arm, they both walked over closer to the fire. Kagome sat down slowly, like her bones hurt. The pain in her face didn't go unnoticed.
"Here, child." Kaede gathered up another cup of tea. The liquid swirled in the cup causing a tornado of steam.
Kagome accepted the drink gratefully.
"So what Inuyasha have to say?" Sango asked when the girl had settled.
Kagome hesitated to an answer. She didn't want to voice it. Inuyasha had left her outside at least twenty minutes ago. She spent the remaining time in a thoughtless daze. For the most part, Kagome knew this wasn't the end. Inuyasha had tried to get rid of her before and it seemed like fate drew them back together. That idea still stood as her salvation.
But the words he'd whispered in her ear and the sudden absence of his presence made her heart hurt. And she knew if she told Sango, if she voiced the words, it would all be bitterly real. Kagome wasn't ready to take that step.
Her eyes drifted up to the wolf prince. His eyes weren't open but with youkai senses, he must have known she was there.
He had positioned himself by the door after all.
"Kouga-kun." Her voice came out weaker than she intended.
The wolf prince's eyes snapped open immediately. Brows pinching, he launched into a new instinctual worry. Kagome spoke again before he could act on it.
"Kouga-kun, did you hear what Inuyasha said?"
Shock washed over him. Kouga had sat by the door for that very reason. He'd intended to give his Kagome as much privacy as possible without allowing the mutt to hurt her. But he hadn't been prepared to react to what he heard.
Knowing it already showed on his face, he nodded.
He could smell Kagome's hurt the entire time she was out there. In the cabin together, it only got worse.
His own emotions were out of line but he could identify one. Reluctantly, he knew he was too afraid to comfort Kagome. Especially when she was crying over the competition.
Kouga wasn't stupid. As much as he hated Inuyasha, he knew the dog meant a lot to Kagome. And intruding on that seemed wholly inappropriate.
"Yes." He said quietly.
Sango snapped her head between them. It didn't take much for her to pick up the change in pace.
"What's going on?" She decided to drill Kouga. "What did he want?"
Kouga made a nasty face.
"He said he was going to look for the shards with that dead woman. Kikyou."
All of the cabin's occupants now stirred.
Miroku then inquired, "Is he planning to go after Naraku with her as well?"
Kouga nodded. In half a second, a wave of protests burst from Miroku, Sango, and Kaede. The old woman won out, potentially out of a matter of respect, and waited till the others went quiet.
"Does he not realize my sister's true intentions? My sister was a valiant miko who would have fought evil. But her new dead form may not be so predictable."
Miroku bobbed his head in agreement.
Sango brought her attention back to the quiet girl who sat in the corner. Shippou had rushed her, curling in her lap like a puppy. She stroked his fur absently. Whatever swirled in her cup kept her gaze.
"Did he say when he was coming back?"
Kagome shrugged lightly. She regretted it when a pang of discomfort shot through her body. Determined though, she didn't let it show on her face.
"When he finishes." She said.
Sango pounded her fists on the wooden floor.
"Inuyasha's being stupid and hard headed as usual. He's probably just upset he let you get hurt and now has gone off on his usual tangent." She voiced the frustration. "Look, he's going to come back sooner. Right when he realizes he can't do it without us."
Kagome wanted to believe that.
Before anyone else could speak, Kouga suddenly snapped up rigid. His nostrils flailed.
"What's wrong?" Kagome asked.
He stood up swiftly. Knocking the straw mat out of the way, he edged outside.
"I smell a demon."
The whole cabin's alarm system went off. Without a second of hesitation, Sango ran for her boomerang. Miroku stood, staff ready, and dashed to the door.
Shippou scrambled around Kagome in a full circle like he couldn't decide where to stand.
"I'll protect you Kagome!" He finally decided sitting on her lap was the best place. His tiny fist lit up blue with fox fire.
"Kouga, stay here with Kagome. Miroku, come with me." Sango snapped order instantly.
It just took another second for the screaming of the villagers to reach them.
Kagome immediately used to wall to pull herself up. She wasn't going to sit back while her friends rushed into battle.
Kouga sprung back when a villager raced up the steps. The bald man tripped and smashed onto the doorframe.
"Lady Kaede!" He called the old woman.
Kaede was up in an instant.
"What is it? What plagues ye?"
"My lady, there is a monster in the village."
Kouga growled with impatience.
"I told you."
The man staggered up. He turned his head to stare straight at Kagome.
"Lady Kagome," He said, "they have come for you."
