Their search remained fruitless, and every passing minute spent speaking to villagers who'd somehow missed Rin leaving set Kagome's teeth on edge.
She'd helped so many people, and this was the thanks they'd shown? Not even bothering to check on her sleeping quarters when the sun had risen, and she hadn't emerged? Kagome kicked a rock, Ah-Un snorting when it ricocheted off his saddle. Letting out a groan, she ran her hand over their scales.
"I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated. She could be anywhere!" The beast snorted, warm air ruffling her bangs.
"Not 'anywhere', Kagome-san," Kohaku said. "We know she hasn't returned to Kaede's village, and the rocky terrain to the north is perilous for anyone without wings." She'd thought as much earlier, but hearing someone else come to the same conclusion made her feel a little better—if not just as guilty.
"Do you think we should split up once Inuyasha gets here?" she asked, taking solace in the feel of Ah-Un nuzzling her hand.
Kohaku shook his head. "It's better if we stick together. We can cover more ground at a faster pace."
"There's no trace of her in the village at all? No one saw anything?"
He shook his head again. "And Rin isn't the type to disappear. Especially when Sesshoumaru-sama is due for a visit."
Kagome bit her lip. She was still trying to figure out how to tell Rin's guardian they had somehow lost track of her. Rin was old enough to travel by herself—Kohaku had given her some self-defence training before she'd done it the first time—but being Sesshoumaru's ward came with certain expectations.
The most important of which being her safety.
"He's going to show up if we don't find her soon," she muttered.
"Just means we need to find her first."
Kagome nearly sagged with relief, looking up to find Inuyasha standing beside her. Hot-headed or not, he had senses they didn't, which would go a lot further in finding their lost friend.
Not wasting any time, he attached her bag to the dragon's saddle, making sure it was secure before turning around. "Any clues?"
She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Nothing. It's like she just vanished."
Inuyasha scowled. "Ungrateful, ignorant pain in the asses."
"They were sick—"
"Not the point, K'gome!" he snapped, stuffing his hands into his sleeves. "If they want help, they gotta be willin' to pay for it. And makin' sure she gets back safe is part of that."
She saw through his bluster and patted his shoulder. "It's not your fault. Rin wanted to come by herself."
Inuyasha's ears twitched. "Keh. Not like I could've stopped her anyway."
"Exactly," she replied, a smile tugging at her lips even with the circumstances being what they were. "Let's just find her and put this whole mess behind us."
"If we're lucky," Kohaku said, jumping onto Ah-Un's back, "she really did just go for a walk."
Kagome wished his words had been true, but as they made camp the next night, the hope for a quick rescue dwindled. She'd wanted to keep going, to keep searching, but even Kohaku had insisted they stop.
"It is a different world once the sun sets, Kagome-san," he said, throwing another log onto the fire. "There's no point in endangering ourselves."
"But—"
"Can it, K'gome. We ain't goin' anywhere tonight." Inuyasha's voice called down from the tree he'd selected to keep watch. "And in case you've forgotten, you and the kid are still human. Ya need sleep."
He was right, of course, but damn him for pointing it out. "You'll wake us at first light?" she asked, crawling into her sleeping bag—something she'd managed to keep in one piece even with the well being open.
She heard him snort. "Didja find a witch to turn ya into a morning person when I wasn't lookin'?"
Kagome bit back her laughter but looked around. "If I knew where you were, I'd throw a stick at you."
"Go ahead and try, wench. You're just provin' my point about stayin' here."
She shook her head, then settled into her sleeping bag. As a teen, she would've taken the jab personally, but their friendship had only grown in the years since their final battle. They could make those kinds of remarks around each other and know it was a joke.
She couldn't even remember the last time she'd been inclined to use the subjugation beads on him.
He still wore them, though she couldn't be sure if it was out of habit or necessity. She'd tried to bring it up a few times, but he always brushed it off, lying about how he didn't even notice them anymore.
Kagome knew better.
The stain of blood on his claws when he'd lost control, when his demon side had taken over, was never far from his mind. Tessaiga was a great help at keeping his blood balanced—she'd never seen him without it since she'd returned—but she was sure he kept the beads as a final resort. She gazed up into the trees, unable to find his shadow but knowing he was there all the same.
What was it like, to carry that anxiety around on your shoulders all the time? To be confident enough to take down hordes of enemies but doubt yourself enough to ensure the leash remained?
Kagome's eyes widened as a horrifying thought surfaced. Did he keep the beads on because she wasn't around enough? Because she kept going through the well? He wasn't still holding onto the thought of them being together, was he?
She'd seen the way her friends would hold onto trinkets during high school too. They'd once refused to let her get rid of an eraser all because she'd dropped it in class one day, and Hojo had been the one to pick it up.
Maybe Inuyasha hadn't moved on as much as she had.
It couldn't be romantic—that ship had fizzled before it had even left the harbour—but maybe it was his way of remembering everything they'd been through. A reminder of his burden of the ones he'd hurt.
She groaned, running her hands down her face. There were just too many options. Making a mental note to ask him in the morning, she rolled over, intent on going to sleep, but something tickling the edge of her senses had her sitting back up again.
"Don't make any sudden movements," Kohaku said, fingers wrapping around his scythe as he continued to stare at the fire. "You'll only spook it."
"Any idea what it is?" she asked, pretending to rub her nose on her pillow, reiki poised and ready.
"Powerful. Fast," was all he said. Ah-Un suddenly got to their feet, tail snapping before they shot to the outside of their camp. Kagome's first instinct was to call out to them, but she bit her tongue; let whatever was approaching be greeted by a dragon. It would be enough of a distraction so the rest of them could coordinate an attack.
She shifted again, thankful that she hadn't done the zipper up all the way so she could grab hold of her bow. They just needed to wait until it was close enough—
Youki erupted next to her head, making both of them jump back in fright, a string of curses echoing through the trees from Inuyasha. "Goddamnit. Why do ya always gotta be like that? Ain't like you got anyone to impress with your frickin' light show."
Kagome looked up to find a pair of golden eyes glaring down at her, and she internally groaned but managed to force a smile. Maybe he'd just come for a visit. Or to feed Ah-Un.
"Where is Rin?"
Ah, shit.