One Cure 003
InuYasha reached down and pulled Kagome up when she tossed her yellow bag over the lip of the well. He sat her down and turned, shooving his hands into the sleeves of the fire-rat haori. Kagome just released a sigh as she reached for her bag and started walking back to the village. However, after taking just one step, a claw hand was placed on her shoulder, forcing her to stop. “InuYasha?” Kagome turned to look at the hanyou. He was still not facing her and wasn’t looking like he was going to let go of her, either.
“Why did you leave without telling me?”
Kagome released a sigh as she dropped her bag upon the ground and wrapped her arms around her body. “It didn’t seem necessary. You were up by Kikyou’s grave and I didn’t want to bother you.”
“Keh. You should have known better. You don’t head home without letting me know.”
“I am not fifteen years of age, InuYasha. I can take care of myself.” With that said, Kagome picked her bag up and walked away from the hanyou. She felt as he turned towards her and gave her a cold glare. She knew she had ticked him off, but it really shouldn’t have matter. Everytime they returned to the village, he would disappear near the grave while she went into the hut. This time, she decided to do something different.
A gasp escaped her lips when she felt her bag snatched from her. Looking to her side, she noticed the hanyou walking. He wasn’t looking at her and still had the same look on his face. Kagome just shook her head and continued on walking, not saying a word to him.
They were on the move once again. Just as morning made its way into the small hut, a young man from a neighboring village came asking for help. He was mentioning a group of demons that were destroying crops. Within a few minutes, the decission was made and the crew was moving. Kagome stood near InuYasha as she watched his expression go gloomier and gloomier. He occasionally stopped and turned around, sniffing the air before releasing a growl and continuing on the way.
“InuYasha?” It had been his third time stop and Kagome was going worried. She placed a hand on his shoulder, but he only shrugged it off and cast her a glare. Kagome just swallowed hard and turned to face forward.
“We’ll camp here for the night. Village is still a day away.” Everyone gave a nod and watched as the hanyou disappeared into the forest. He most likely left to find food for everyone since Kagome only had a little bit of her regular food she brought from her time.
Sitting down, Miroku released a sigh as he broke small branches into firewood. “He seems to be on the edge.”
Kagome nodded her head. “After we started walking into this forest, he kept growling and looking around. I tried asking what the problem was, but he only shoved it away.”
“Probably the scent of the demons we are chasing after. According the young man, the demons travelled through this forest before attacking the crops on the other side. It could be possible that they have returned here.”
“Why would InuYasha leave on his own, though? If it true that the demons are around, wouldn’t he want all of us, in case there was a shard to be found?” asked Kagome as she took a bottle of water out and took a sip.
Miroku just gave a shrug. “Anymore, it is hard to tell what our young friend is thinking.”
Everyone gave a nod. Since the jewel was shattered, InuYasha was one that everyone had to be carefull around. Kagome knew that Sanog and Miroku both knew how she felt about the hanyou. She also knew that both of her friends were concerned on why his reactions towards her has changed. She tried bringing the conversation about her being similar to Kikyou, but everytime a word was spoken about Kikyou, Miroku would clam up and Sango would turn away. Since then, Kagome was starting to believe her reason. InuYasha was avoiding her because she looked like Kikyou.
Tonight, though, confused her. Why would InuYasha run off? If there was a demon in the forest, he was usually protecting the group. If there was a shard to be found, Kagome was near his side to catch sight of it. Kagome released a sigh as she stood up and looked towards the direction the hanyou ran. Anymore, everyone was right. No one knew what the hanyou was thinking or why he did certain things. He was once person that had changed when the events of the Shikon no Tama narrowed down.
A growl escaped the hanyou’s lips as he jumped from a tree branch and landed near another tree. He could see the campfire, but no sign of the men that were trailing them. At first, when they entered the forest, he caught scent of a group of demons. He knew they were going the right direction. However, upon taking a short break, he caught scent of the demons again, but in a completely different way. It was fresh blood and death instead of something alive. It was then, when everyone started walking again, he caught scent of men.
InuYasha remembered when Sango mention about a group of men going around, slaying demons, but in a cruel way. He kept thinking that if the demons they were chasing were already killed, it could be a chance that InuYasha and his crew have found the men Sango was talking about.
Leaping from a branch, he landed closer to the fireplace to see three men talking within the shadows. The smell of blood was strong as he glanced around. Demon parts were scattered everywhere. InuYasha even noticed a container smelling strongly of blood. Right away, he knew that these were the men. Cursing silently, he started heading back to the campsite. He couldn’t leave Kagome and the others unprotected. He couldn’t even leave them in this forest. If they are not carefull, anyone could be killed.
Kagome was standing as he came landing on the ground. She swallowed a gasp as she looked up into his eyes. He glanced around the area before landing upon Sango. “Remember the men that went around killing demons in a cruel way?” Sango gave a nod. “They are here in this forest. The group of demons we were suppose to kill are dead because of them. We need to pack up and leave this forest. It is not safe.”
“How long will we travel?”
“No clue. Miroku, you and Sango will ride on Kirara. It will be faster. Kagome can ride on my back. Flying through the air will probably be the safest at the moment. These men use spears as weapons, nothing else.” Everyone gave a nod to the hanyou and quickly packed their things.
Kirara gave a small meow before being covered in fire. In her big form, Sango climbed up and helped Miroku behind his back. Kagome was just finishing off the tie when InuYasha grabbed her bag. She tried to grab it away, but he gave her a glare before turning around. Kagome just released a sigh before wrapping her arms around the hanyou’s neck. He lifted her up and soon everyone was on their way out of the forest.
The sun was just starting to rise when InuYasha came to a stop, landing at the edge of a wide meadow. Miroku was now riding in front, since Sango had fallen asleep halfway through the night. InuYasha made sure that everyone kept travelling, not stopping for anything. Halfway through, Kagome had finally laid her head down and dozed off. She started to shiver lightly causing InuYasha just to stop briefly and cover her up in his haori. Aftewards, there was no stop.
InuYasha gave a nod to Miroku and pointed to a small watering whole and shady tree. Crossing over, both helped move everything. Sango was laid against Kirara, who wrapped her tail around the demon slayer to keep her warm. InuYasha made sure to pull out Kagome’s bedroll and wrap her within it. Within a few seconds, Miroku was able to get a fire started as InuYasha caught some fish for everyone to eat.
After everything was set, both sat back to enjoy the peace and quiet they had before another movement caused them to be on the move once more.
“We were concern about you when you left,” said Miroku as he turned his cup in his hand.
InuYasha just eyed the monk before glancing over at the modern girl. “I was bothered by the smell, nothing else.”
Miroku just shook his head. “You could have told us. It probably could have prepared us better than what happen.”
“Probably not.”
“InuYasha, do you mind if I ask you a question?”
The hanyou just gave a shrug. “You can ask, but that doesn’t guarantee I will answer.”
Miroku just gave off a soft chuckle. “Fair enough. For over a year, I have seen this and I am not the only one. You have changed when being around Kagome. Is there a reason for this?”
“Keh. Damn wench asked the same question once already. I will give you the same answer. You are thinking too much into it.”
“Answer this then. If we are thinking too much about it, then why are you always snapping at her for the smallest of mistakes? There are times, InuYasha, that Kagome will spill water for your ramen and you will yell. The same goes if she gets ill or even gets the tiniest of cuts on her hand. You always snap at her. Why?”
InuYasha threw a glare at the monk before dropping his gave to the fire and then towards the modern girl. He never knew exactly that he was snapping so much at her, but ever since the Shikon Jewel was shattered once more, it just became a habit. Naraku was dead, Kikyou was dead, but the jewel was not whole. It made him mad that the journey that took over three years to accomplish was not over yet.
InuYasha just shook his head. There was nothing he could do. Travelling was the best option. They had to find the shards once more before someone else as strong as Naraku came around. Glancing down at the girl once more and throwing a glare at the monk, he stood up and walked over to the tree. With one leap, he landed in a branch that looked over the meadow. He watched as Miroku shook his head and poured the contents of his cup out. With a sigh, the monk laid down near Kirara and closed his eyes.
Shaking his head, the hanyou turned to glance out at the horizon, watching for anything that might bring trouble to the group he was travelling with.