Disclaimer: This story is based on "Inuyasha," copyrighted by Rumiko Takahashi. No infringement of copyright intended or implied.
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The day crawled. Kohaku's body begged for respite, but he dared not sleep. Kirara seemed a bit stronger than the night before, but it might be only his imagination. She roused occasionally to lick his stroking hand, or drink from the shallow , for the most part, she remained in a limp half-curl, her mouth open as she panted, her eyes screwed shut, letting out a weak wail if he touched her side.
Feeling his traitorous body threatening to topple, Kohaku forced himself to his feet, walked around the fire-pit, exchanged wary glances with the wolf-the larger one for now. The male looked away, settling his head on his outstretched forelegs. He twitched, pulled his legs in to sit up, then tilted his head and began a vigourous scratching of his left ear. The itch satisfied, he yawned, showing off his long, sharp fangs. He started to settle down again, and then stiffened. His head swung around, nostrils flaring. He yipped, coming up to all four feet. His tail began to wag.
Kohaku looked in the same direction, gripping his weapon. That reaction did not match what he had seen when one wolf had come back to the camp sight in a clearly intended tradeoff of duties. He could guess what the wolf might be sensing, but he wasn't taking any chances-
Ginta and Hakkaku burst back into the clearing, their fangs clearly visible in their grains, their hands full of green. "Found it!" "We found it!" They proclaimed, not quite in sync. "We found the herbs!"
It took all of his willpower not to collapse in an exhausted heap. "Thank-you," he managed to say. Releasing his weapon, he walked back over to Kirara and knelt. "Can you tell me what to do?" he asked, pulling his bag of supplies closer. "She won't want you touching her, I think."
They laughed. "Too right," said one.
"You should have heard Koga, after Inuyasha carried him to safety, once!"
Kohaku told his body to not relax just yet.
But, he had enough hope for a tiny smile.
Author's Note: This piece was written for the prompt "Fangs." It was orginally posted on September 19, 2011, to the LiveJournal community "Inuyasha's Unsung Heroes." (10/4/2011)