Chapter Three

Kagome woke with her face bathed in the warm, gentle glow of the morning sun, and she welcomed the day with a weary yawn. She blinked up into a crystal clear sky, broken here and there by the wonderful green branches of the tree they had chosen as their campsite.

Rubbing the last of the sleep from her eyes, the girl rose to a seated position in her bedroll and peered about the quiet hilltop. She was a little sore and from experience, that meant she would be a stiff until they were finally up and on their way, when she could finally stretch her legs. Briefly she pondered over the next step in their search of the jewel shard rumored to have found its way to the Hollow Wood. InuYasha didn't think they would have to go much further once they reached the forest; Kagome hoped he was right. The last thing she wanted to do was spend a number of days wandering around a forest rumored to be infested with demons hell-bent on making this the most feared location in all of feudal Japan.

Kagome didn't want to spend any more time out here than absolutely necessary, and she knew her friends fully agreed with her. The sooner they found the jewel shard—or disproved the rumor of the shard—they could be on their way back to Kaede's village. A few days of rest in the elderly priestess's warm hut would be a welcomed comfort. It always was after the sacrifices she and her friends had to make while on the road. That was the worst thing about the feudal era. The countryside simply wasn't what you would consider "safe," and camping out in the middle of the night was no different from gambling with your own life. There were bandits, demons, and worse things wandering the land, many fearless and eager to sink their blades—or teeth, in some cases—into your flesh.

The thought made Kagome shudder. The movement caught the eye of her little fox demon friend, having already devoured the fish InuYasha had caught before dawn while his friends had still been asleep. "Oh look," Shippo said. "Kagome's up."

Next to the fox demon, she could make out the dark shape of Miroku in his heavy, blue robe. He lifted his eyes to peer at her. Before either spoke, Kagome's attention was drawn to the rustling of branches just above her. She almost yelled out in surprise when a half-demon clad in red dropped from the sky and landed in a crouch next to her.

"Rise and shine, sleepy-head," InuYasha greeted, though she sensed the hint of annoyance in his voice as he peered at her. He was trying to hide it though, in the semblance of good-nature. Kagome respected that, at least. Peeling the remainder of the bedroll from her legs, she rose to stretch her aching muscles. "You sure took your own sweet time wakin' up, ya know."

"I was exhausted," Kagome admitted through a yawn as she trudged over to the remnants of last night's campfire, where her breakfast was still slowly roasting over hot embers, high enough so that it wouldn't burn before she woke. Taking the stick, she picked at the fish before tearing off a chunk with her fingers, blowing at the steam in hopes of cooling the meat. It was an unsuccessful attempt, and at first she burned her tongue a little, but at least it still tasted good. "Wow, thanks InuYasha. I'm starving!"

The others had already finished breakfast. InuYasha lounged in a branch only a few feet above the ground. Miroku and Shippo sat in silence, watching the girl eat. Kagome felt a little guilty about making them wait, but she knew the importance of a good night's rest, something she seldom got spending her nights in the open country during the feudal era. Maybe InuYasha didn't need eight full hours, but she was pretty sure she did and Shippo could be pretty cranky himself without a stable bedtime schedule. At least, she told herself, he wasn't going to make a big deal of it.

"Kagome?" She lifted her eyes to Miroku, who watched her with a calm, calculated expression. "I know you would be quick to say if you sensed a shard of the Shikon jewel, but—"

"Not yet." Kagome tore a chunk of meat from the unrecognizable carcass on her skewer. "Maybe once we move into the forest."

The monk nodded. Kagome breathed in the sweet scent of the morning. The others watched as she devoured her meal, washing it down with swallow of water from her canteen. Quietly, she scanned the line of trees to the south, the forest that they were about to enter. She decided it had been a good idea to stop here for the night, simply because it had been the perfect place to watch for any possible approaching threats. InuYasha's very presence here made it a virtual fortress of demon claws and fangs, not to mention the honed blade of the Tetsusaiga. Also, with Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and Sango nearby, she had no doubt of her safety.

Sango. Kagome looked about and realized for the first time that they were missing two of their party: the demon-slayer and her demon cat companion. The girl from the future took another sip of water. "Where's Sango?" she asked after a moment's thought.

Miroku fidgeted. "Not far. She needed a moment to sort her thoughts."

InuYasha snorted. "She needed a moment alone 'cause she was about to tear your head off."

"Oh." For the first time she noticed the red mark across the monk's cheek. That again, Kagome thought, and had to roll her eyes. Will that guy never learn? Miroku turned, brooding silently to himself. She could see what he was thinking, though, as clear as day: Won't anyone at least try to see things from my point of view? She had to smile, but she didn't say anything. "Chin up, guys!" she said cheerfully. "There's a big day ahead of us. Let's try to enjoy it while we can."

"I was trying to," Miroku muttered under his breath, inviting an awkward silence between the friends. It lasted only a moment.

"Idiot," Shippo quipped, and then one of his little ears twisted to the west. He jumped up to his feet. "Here comes Sango!" Sure enough, the demon-slayer had appeared, climbing up the side of the hill near a particularly steep drop-off. Kirara was right beside her, as usual.

"Finally," InuYasha huffed. He dropped down from the branch, landing on the balls of his feet as he went into a crouch next to Kagome. "We should get goin'. We've been here long enough."

Kagome nodded. After a few more bites, she tossed the remnants of her breakfast into the fire and reached for her backpack. In preparation, she rummaged through her pack to make sure everything was properly organized in case of an emergency. Before they went on their way, she and Shippo pushed a thick layer of dirt to smother the hot embers of their campfire, and they were ready to go. InuYasha took the lead, with Miroku and Kagome following side-by-side in his wake, the bike between them, and Shippo perched in the basket. Sango brought up the rear, most likely so that she could keep to herself during the journey. Kagome couldn't blame her; it was pretty apparent that she was still angry with Miroku.

InuYasha wanted to cover as much ground as possible before midday, and the others didn't blame him. The more ground they covered, the more likely Kagome would eventually sense a jewel shard, if there was one to be found. It was an undeniably beautiful morning. The air was crisp and pure, quite refreshing against a backdrop of darkness. Kagome was comfortable knowing she was among friends who truly cared for her well-being. She shared their care and devotion, both for each other and for their quest. Even InuYasha could understood that. She was sure of it.

At midday, they located a narrow stream where they decided to stop for a rest. For Kagome, the offensive mixture of sweat and dirt she had worked up over the past few days was unbearable, and so she talked Sango into joining her for a bath. They switched into their birthday suits—while InuYasha and Shippo distracted Miroku—and slipped into the cool water to refresh themselves. They didn't bother to eat lunch, as no one was especially hungry, but they did take time to relax.

They didn't sit about for long. InuYasha was prompt in stating that, when it was time to move on, it was time to move on. Each moment's hesitation meant that it would be more likely any jewel shard would fall into hands that would misuse it, if that hadn't happened already. There were supposed to be a lot of demons out here. No doubt they would have to fight to reclaim this piece of the broken Shikon jewel. Which meant they would all have to keep their eyes open and their weapons ready.

Feeling cleansed and refreshed after her bath, in which she had managed to wash her hair and dug the grime from beneath her fingernails, Kagome dried off and dressed in the privacy of a cluster of bushes, with Sango nearby. If Sango hadn't been there, she certainly wouldn't have considered a bath. Without the demon-slayer, she wouldn't have been entirely sure of the situation, and the last thing she wanted to do was risk being found by some hideous demon and be forced to rush for help from the others without some sort of barrier to hide her bare flesh. She had also announced the development of a headache, though it was nowhere near painful enough to slow their journey across the forest. She would categorize it as noticeably stable, though not nearly as bad as the migraines her mother often got and she herself sometimes experienced. Those would literally knock her off her feet, the pain was so bad.

They found the boys not far from the spring and knew instantly they had never once been in danger of attack. So intent was InuYasha on her location that he instantly shot to his feet when she arrived and approached her with quiet conviction. "You feelin' better, Kagome?"

The girl had to smile. "A little," she said. Actually, the pulsing pain in her head had changed very little since she had first noticed it, but there was really was no reason to bother her friends. She could handle a little migraine. She'd done it before, after all, when they'd been even more impossible to handle. This one would be a cakewalk.

Miroku rose and headed her direction. "Here, take this," he said as he handed her a canteen and a bottle of Tylenol from her backpack. She tossed a few pills into her mouth and drank several gulps thirstily. "I take it we're ready to be on our way again."

Kagome smiled at the concern in the monk's voice, though he was obviously avoiding any eye-contact with Sango. He could be so cute and sensitive, she thought, if he could ever get that wandering mind of his out of the gutter. Grinning, Kagome pulled the straps of her backpack up onto her shoulders. "Let's go find a jewel shard."

"Where do we start?" InuYasha demanded.

She chose a clear path leading south along the stream, in a direction they hadn't yet explored. The others followed, taking note of the eagerness in her step. There were still so many mysteries surrounding this bizarre, a place that none of them knew, which made the journey all the more troubling. Still, it was a journey they all knew must be taken. They met it with the knowledge that it would only serve to strengthen their resolve.

Kagome checked her watch. Though she understood leaping back and forth through time could only lead to huge disparities in time, she had learned she could at least determine the duration of their journey. Eight hours had passed since they had left their campsite that morning, and they had only stopped for about a half hour stream.

In the time that it took her to glance from the path to her watch, and then look back to the path, InuYasha came to a halt next to her. His hand brushed her back so that he stood between her and the danger that was invisible to her. Already Kagome could feel her heartbeat quicken inside her as searched the shadows ahead of them for any sign of danger. Behind her, a swirl of fire engulfed Kirara, and transformed the tiny kitten into a large, ferocious fire-cat.

At first, there was nothing, but no doubt InuYasha could sense the danger upon them, and it was directly in their path. InuYasha glared to the south. He had a good nose, and he was seldom wrong. Given the circumstances, Kagome trusted his judgment. Besides, he was the demon of the group, and the warrior who would protect them with his life. More than once, he had demonstrated that to be the truth of it.

It was Sango who broke the silence. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Kagome asked.

"I can smell it, too." InuYasha's eyes narrowed into slits. Razor-sharp claws lightly stroked the hilt of his Tetsusaiga as he stared into the shadows. "And it reeks." The others stood at his side, waiting. While Kagome wasn't sure exactly what was going on, she knew better than to second guess her friends. Especially a professional demon-slayer and half-demon with supersensitive hearing and sense of smell. Finally, InuYasha decided he had waited long enough. His clawed fingers wrapped around the hilt of his sword and pulled the blade free. A wave of demonic power pulsed through him, and the Tetsusaiga transformed as it cleared the sheath. The half-demon's golden eyes flared as he took a step forward, prepared to defend his friends with his life, if necessary.

Miroku held his staff out in front of him, his eyes narrowing. "A demonic aura. A rather potent one, at that."

"You're tellin' me." InuYasha snorted. "Kagome, Shippo, stay behind me."

Sango stepped to his side. "Kirara, protect them."

Kagome wondered what it was that had her friends so worried. She could understand—they didn't care to gamble the safety of the group—but she felt a little useless standing here now. She hated feeling useless, so she grabbed for her bow and picked an arrow from the quiver, just to be ready. "Shippo, what do you think?" she asked quietly as she peered about the shadows of the forest.

Shippo frowned and tested the air. He bit his lower lip as he considered his findings, and finally made a decision. "Smells like a cat," he announced.

"A cat?"

Shippo nodded, shaking a little. "A big one."

"One of the panther demons?"

"Maybe." Shippo shrugged. "But I thought they all returned to the west."

"Maybe…" Kagome wet her lips, trying to keep her focus.

For a long moment, there was not a sound to be heard amongst the six travelers. Then, just when Kagome thought she might never hear from her friends again, Miroku stiffened. She could see the nervous rise and fall of his Adam's apple as he swallowed. "That's no panther," he announced, noticeably shaken by something that the others could not yet pinpoint. Kagome listened to the soft whisper of the breeze against the tree branches overhead and watched the monk, concerned by his awkward shifts in posture. She feared for her friend; it wasn't like him not to be cool under pressure, but now he was the total opposite of calm and rational, and it worried her.

InuYasha buried the tip of his Tetsusaiga into the earth and cracked his knuckles. "Bring it on," the half-demon demanded, a sinister smirk on his lips. "I don't care what kind 'a cat it is; I'm gonna tear it limb from limb if it even thinks about gettin' in my way."

And then, a low rasping voice joined them in the quiet uncertainty of the dark forest: "I smell the unchaste blood of a worthless wretch." Tetsusaiga was raised quickly in defense of InuYasha's companions. He spun to the darkness, where the silhouette of a massive creature appeared amidst the trees. Kagome's eyes widened at the sight of…whatever it was. It was large and tall, she thought it might outweigh the whole of their group entirely. "Tell me, half-breed, are you the one they call InuYasha?"

The others took a step back, shocked at the size of the beast. InuYasha was hardly one to back down, and despite his unease at the massive bulk of the bastard, he held his ground. "What's it to ya?" he sneered.

"Not much, truthfully," the creature shot back. "But there is one who seeks to bring great harm to this InuYasha, and to his friends. I am merely curious as to why this gruesome demon would waist precious time with this psychological duel of wits when he could simply wipe the pest from the face of the earth."

InuYasha narrowed his eyes. "Who the hell are you? Did Naraku send you?"

The other's brow rose, and a smirk appeared, bearing tremendous fangs. "So you are InuYasha. It is troubling; I never suspected to find you so quickly."

"Yeah, well it's not like I'm tryin' ta hide," InuYasha growled.

The attack was sudden and vicious, much too fast to InuYasha to anticipate. The beast, nearly thrice the half-demon's size—with speed that would rival a certain brash wolf demon—proved himself to be a dangerous adversary with a powerful strike to the InuYasha's chest. He felt the air rushing from his lungs as his feet were lifted clean off the ground. Thrown into the brush, InuYasha was lost from sight.

Kagome's voice filled the air as a sudden, terrified shreak: "InuYasha!"