Hunted By The Wolf

Hunted by the Wolf

Chapter 11: No Shrinking Violet

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
I wish there weren't so many
people who only read Inu/Kag stories.

Anyhow, to answer your question,
dear reader, I do believe that
there was either an episode
or some issue of manga (don't
read it, sorry I'm uninformed!) where
he did it. I guess the idea that its'
happened before has just been
reinforced over and over, and I just
assumed that it had. Maybe it hasn't,
though I'm pretty sure there's an episode
or some shit where it does. If I'm wrong..
well...for argument's sake, it did. :) Don't
kill me.

On with the angst!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

I didn't sleep well that night. Still being quite
tired, Kagome had somewhat of a rough time
waking me up that morning. We got an early
start, deciding to head back to the village and recoup
before trying to move against Naraku. Not that
we could ever find him before, but now we had
added incentive to attack the monster; he
had a source of power we hadn't known about,
and probably had more disgusting ways of getting
stronger every day.


We moved out after breakfast, Kirara scratching
her bandages off before I could protest. The kitten
tried to nudge myself and the houshi onto her
back, but I declined. I knew she was a demon
and could heal rather fast, but I didn't want
to ride on her back just yet. I wasn't ready
to see her hurt again. We moved slowly, and
for once Inuyasha didn't complain. The longer
it took to get back to the village, the longer he
had with Kagome.


Miroku was well behaved that morning, keeping
his hands and for the most part, thoughts, to himself.
Just as well. I couldn't deal with his teasing
at the moment. My confusion was eating at
me, not even allowing me a second of clear
thought. Most likely, I wouldn't be in top form
in case we ran into anything nasty.


We had all day to walk to the village, and I
was glad we'd make it home before dark fell
once more. Kouga's lackeys had pissed
me off, assuming that something had happened
between us. Was I that transparent? I'd
admitted I might have cared about him, to myself,
but wasn't that enough?


"Kouga deserves to be with us when we
find Naraku, Inuyasha." Kagome declared
innocently. The inuhanyou's ears drooped.
"Haven't we spent enough time with that stupid
wolf?" he muttered, crossing his arms over
his chest.
"He'll go after him on his own, you know. We
might as well be there to help him this time.
Right?" She said brightly, leaning forward to
catch his eyes as they walked on ahead.
Funny girl. She was trying to buy me some time
with the youkai. Not that I needed any more, really.
He only complicated things, made this quest
more difficult than it already was.


Miroku sighed at the mention of him,
his eyebrows raising.
"Something wrong?" I asked, shifting the boomerang
across my back. This thing could be uncomfortable
without the extra fabric of my kimono.
"Yes," he said simply, smirking. "Your friend
Kouga wants to rip my throat out for absorbing
his brethren into the wind tunnel. And I don't blame
him," His face was grim, though full of humor.
At the very least, houshi could always laugh.


"But he hasn't, and I don't think he will. He's
not so very illogical, I think, Miroku." He lifted
his eyes to mine at the use of his name, something
I tried to avoid. The intimacy of it bothered
me, and I knew the same stood for him. The
prefix of 'Lady' had always bothered me when
he addressed me, though he did it when
we weren't especially getting along or
things were at a fragile state. I didn't honestly
think that I'd ever really feel so uncomfortable
around him again, though. I'd made
my peace for the most part with our
doomed game of tag. It just wasn't
feasible. Not now.


"Oi, Sango," Inuyasha stopped, turned. Hah!
His cheeks were red, his hand still tucked
into Kagome's. My eyes widened and I
acknowledged him.
"Yes, Inuyasha?"
"You got a way to get ahold of the wimp?"
"The..wimp?"
"The wolf," he muttered impatiently, gently leading
Kagome forward as he resumed walking.
"Why would I?" I asked, confused. Did
he think something had happened?
"Well, uh.. He should be there. You know.
When we kill that little albino girl. She
deserves to die by his hand." I nodded
to this.
"I don't know where he went, Inuyasha. Though
those two that follow him did come by after
he left yesterday," I added thoughtfully. They
ever find him? Doubt it. Kouga could outrun
those two forever.
"Well..figure out a way, wench. I ain't seekin' him out."
I frowned at his name for me. Jerk.


"Yes, Sango, do you have a way to contact him?" Miroku
was jumping on the boat, it would seem. His eyes
twinkled at me brightly, perversely. Ugh!
"Grrr...houshi, whatever do you mean?" I asked, danger in my tone.
He put his hands up.
"He seems to have taken a fancy to you, after all..." the monk ducked
in time to miss my swipe at his head. "No need to get angry.."
Stupid serene face. I wanted to hit all of them.


What was so obvious, here? I didn't do anything, did I?
Did I send off some mystical signal when I was
near the wolf that exhibited how I felt so obviously?
I didn't even think he felt the same way. All of the
signals I'd received had been mixed, very hard to
construe correctly. He'd been playing, not being
serious. I'd think so until I was told otherwise by him,
I wouldn't assume anything. I was a hunter,
someone that took as few risks as possible out
of necessity.


"Miroku, you wouldn't know whether or not someone's
feelings have grown if they hit you in the face," I
said smugly. The monk narrowed his eyes at me.
"That was low, dear lady," I saw the smile. Things
were alright, and I couldn't have asked for anything
better. As long as those eyes didn't hold
regret or scorn, I could deal with whatever jibes
came my way.


Kirara was restless, rubbing against my legs as
we trekked our way past rice fields and sporadic
housing.
"What is it, Kirara?" She transformed and crouched,
eager to please as ever. "I don't want to hurt you,
kit..." She growled, and Miroku and myself accepted.
What else can you do in the face of an angry, spitting
cat with its' legs on fire?


Inuyasha perked up at the sight of us whipping past overhead,
gesturing Kagome up onto his back. We made it home
ridiculously fast, and it felt good to be back, felt good to
see the outline of huts and small vegetable fields again.


These villagers were so much more open-minded than
those we usually met on the road. They accepted
(sometimes the village children even adored) Inuyasha
openly, and they respected Kagome despite her
strange clothing and open demeanor. Hell, they
even liked her. Not to mention myself and the monk,
though that was mostly due to our aide to Kaede on the
occasions she needed us.


We traipsed into the elderly woman's hut, seeking
the comfort and wisdom we'd always associated with
her. Her kindly one-eyed face met us with
relief.
"Have ye travels been kind, children?" she asked,
smiling softly at the way Miroku bowed in front of her.
The suck up.
"Of course, wise lady," He said. Theatrical bastard.
"Kaede, I brought you some worm root from the north. I
figured you'd need it with the colder seasons coming, right?"
Kagome said absently as she dug into the yellow pack.
Shoulder's nearly in, she pulled herself out and produced an
odd looking bag filled with a brown plant.


I was not a healer. Never would be.
The smells alone turned me away from it. We settled in,
and Shippo came busting in soon after.

"Kagommmeeee!" he squealed, attaching himself to her
neck. The kit was so needy, though I understood why.
I'd missed him as well. After detaching himself from her
neck, Shippo continued to leech on to every one of us,
even Inuyasha, respectively. For once the hanyou
didn't give the kid a bump on the head.


Absently, I wondered how good of a mother I'd make. Was
I attentive enough? Self-sacrificing? I didn't even know
what a mother really was. I'd never had one, you see.
Not that I could really remember. I was told I looked like her
quite a bit as I got older. Kohaku doesn't really look
like my father had, for that matter. I suppose my mother's
looks overpowered his. Had she been a strong woman?


I smiled, hugging my knees to my chest around Kaede's hearth,
my companions around me. It felt so amazing to be back
here with them, safe and sound. The close calls were getting
far more severe and more often as time went on. I wondered if
they treasured this time together as I did? I hoped so. Optimism
has never been my strong point, though spending so much time
with Kagome has probably changed that.


I still had quite a wicked temper, however. "INUyasha!" I growled,
beating Kagome to the punch. He stopped, fist mid-air, and Shippo
hopped away to hid behind some furniture. He grimaced, pouting.


Kagome laughed and relaxed. Our roles were so far etched in
one another's brains that we'd begun to take up the jobs of others.
Miroku was at ease, and it was a relief to me, as well as to all of the
others' I'm sure. I'd been worried there for a moment, thinking
he'd fall into one of his depressed bouts. I hated it.


Someone so full of good humor should never be so sad, wind
tunnel or no.


Kagome left us that night, to return for her school-something or other.
We had time to relax, and I was grateful. I knew, despite Kirara's exuberance,
that she was not yet fully healed from her bruised ribs, and even my own
left side still tingled oddly when I moved in certain ways.


I could thank Kouga for that. Had it not been for his inappropriate move on
me in the cave, the wound would probably still be scabbed over.
I had kept this to myself, for obvious reasons. It was too embarrassing..
and much too personal.


It had been the first time, really, that a male had shown me such attention.


Admit it, the scarred taijiya holds less appeal than the flawless shrinking
violet, am I right? I stared into the fire, contemplating all of this, as
my companions went about their business. All, except for one.


"Sango.." Miroku said softly, rousing me from my thoughts. I did not
look at him.
"Hmm?"
"What makes you look so sad?" I should've been asking him that.
"Just thinking about all of us. Our rag tag family. I'm glad I have you all.."
I smiled, realizing just how lucky I was to have a second one after my
first had been taken away. He laughed, shaking his head.


"You're not a very good liar," he said. Smartass. The houshi
passed out soon after, and I laid down with Shippo in my arms.
Life, at the moment, was peaceful, and I couldn't really complain.


*********thenextmorning**********...asin7oclockinthemorning...


Knock. Knockknockknock.
"Eh...taijiya sama..." Muffled voices came through the wooden door.
I rose, recognizing that voice from somewhere...
"Ginta?" I asked, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Grr..they'd better not
have woken Kaede or Shippo....
"We apologize, hunter, but we cannot find Kouga!" Their voices held
real fear, and I snapped out of it. He wouldn't hide from these two,
would he?
"I...why would I know anything?" I asked, frowning and stepping outside,
closing the door behind me.
I crossed my arms, and looked at the ground, waiting for their answer.
"You...well, you saw him last..was he upset?" They asked, eyes hopeful.
"Yes..." I said guiltily. "I hit him, he'd been out of control. He was angry
with me when he woke. His brother, Katsu, we found his body in an
underground cavern where the boar and wolf clans clashed." I looked up,
their faces rapt. Almost comical, how childlike they were.
"His soul is lost, Kouga was very angry.. I hope he didn't try to go after
Naraku." They paled, looked at each other.
"He must've. We cannot find him in our own lands, we searched all night and then
came here!" The bags beneath their eyes attested to this. "Well.." I bit my lip,
glanced behind me. "There's Kaede's shed. You two can sleep there for a few
hours if you'd like.." A red haori came into view behind them.

"What are you two doing here?" he demanded, groaning. "You didn't
bring your fearless leader, didja?" They turned, shook their heads.
"We cannot find him, Inuyasha." Ginta spoke.
"Hakkaku," Inuyasha addressed the other. So that was his name.
"Did that idiot ditch you two again?" The two wolf demons looked
to each other.
"Sorta." This situation would've been funny at any other time, but I
was so tired! "We...can we sleep now, taijiya-sama?" I nodded, and
the two of them loped haggardly to the shed up the hill. Inuyasha
glared at me. What did I do?


"Don't invite trouble, Sango.." he said softly, eyeing me.
"How so?" I asked, taken aback. "They're tired, Inuyasha, and
worried about Kouga. You asked me for a way to get to him,
well, now you have it. Don't be angry, they're harmless." I laughed,
leaning against the door. "Have you ever even seen them in battle,
once?" He scowled, reaching for the door latch.

"Just...get everyone up. We need to make a plan."
"Kagome's not here.."
"Don't care. Just help me get everyone up."

Sigh. My kindness was being returned by the gods
as a call to ignore sleep, once again.


The others joined us in wakefulness, and I related
the whole story, sans any tongue, to Kaede. She
listened intently unto the end, and then addressed me.


"Does your wolf friend have any idea of Naraku's power?"
Wolf friend. Since when did he become my friend?
"Yes. Nearly his whole tribe has been wiped out by the
monster's forces. I hope he didn't try to do this on his own,
knowing the way Naraku likes to gloat..he might actually
seek Kouga out."
"Not if we do first, he won't," said a resolute Inuyasha.
"So..our plan is formed, then. We seek out Kouga, and in
doing so, Naraku." Miroku said quietly, eyes closed. Houshi.
Did he imagine Kouga's claws around his neck once more?
I wouldn't allow Kouga to make any mistakes, not ones so grave
as that.


"Can I go to sleep first?" I yawned, curling up on the futon.
"Oooohhhh no, Sango. Yer gettin' up with the rest of us.
This is your little boyfriend anyway, so clean up yer mess."
I bolted up.
"Boyfriend!? Since when?" I cried, my mouth agape. They were
all nuts. All of them.
"Just stay up. Kagome's only stayin' the one night. So, we're
movin' out today, taijiya-sama." He smirked at my outrage,
the jerk.


Here we go again. Never a moment's peace.


Kouga, can't you just.. Don't be such a pain in the ass, wolf!


;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
Too short? Just a transition between reflection and action.
Plenty of Sango/Kouga action next chapter, I promise!