InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dumb Luck ❯ Winds of Discovery ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer - I do not own InuYasha or any of the original characters; they are the property of the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi. This story is an individual creation for personal and shared enjoyment of true InuYasha fans that I hope is up to the quality of the real series. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Chapter Five: Winds of Discovery

Miroku is pretty good at keeping up with InuYasha on the ground, but he doesn't have much breath for giving the hanyou a few choice words as he would like and settles for aiming peeved looks at him that InuYasha completely ignores.

The two women, accompanied by the young fox-child, are riding on the flying cat-youkai and have stayed ahead of their companions, following the faint path they had found. The Monk stares at the twin-tailed backside and the trailing flames in front of them and thinks longingly of his accustomed spot behind Sango…close behind. He shoots another irritated glare at the red-garbed hanyou that is responsible for this current situation running alongside him.

At the top of a long rise, Kirara lands with her passengers to wait for Miroku and InuYasha. As they come trotting up, the rings on Miroku's staff chiming madly, Sango points ahead at a village - or at the remains of one. They proceed cautiously towards the collapsed buildings. A few of the buildings still stand and there are tools and belongings scattered about but there are no signs of fire and…no people. The biggest mystery are the numerous wide mounds of crumbled dirt that abound in and around the area. The silence is unnerving and they spread out to search through the destruction.

InuYasha stares at a nearby mound of dirt and thrusts a hand deep into it, clawing a open a hole to expose the damp soil under the dried outermost layer and wrinkles his nose at the familiar smell of earth and blood that rises from it. He looks at his handful of dirt before throwing it down in disgust, "Two days!"

He turns and approaches the others where they have gathered a few yards away, "It happened two days ago." The others look at him as he continues, "It was that tunneling-youkai."

Kagome looks around sadly and takes the small wooden doll that Shippo hands to her, "What happened to them?"

Sango gives a questioning look to InuYasha and he nods, "Dead."

The Taijiya sighs and gestures at a tumbled wreck that was once somebody's home, "The buildings were undermined." She brushes her hands together, "There is more of that crumbled dirt underneath the debris."

Miroku sighs, gripping his staff with both hands and looks up at the sun, "There is plenty of the day left." He faces the others, "and since there is nothing further that we can do here, we should warn others of this." He looks around the ominously quiet village, the only thing moving are leaves blowing about, "If it's not too late already."

Sango rests a hand on Kirara's furry head, "Yes. That thing could be anywhere by now." She looks at Miroku with a worried frown, "We still don't know how fast it can travel."

Shippo hops onto Kirara's back, "But how are we going to find it?"

InuYasha crosses his arms, "Keh - pretty simple; find a village that hasn't been hit." His frown is troubled, "Something with an appetite like that…"

Sango nods in understanding, "There's no guarantee that it won't eat often."

Shippo squeaks and his hair stands on end, "EAT?!"

Kagome eyes the ground fearfully and steps closer to InuYasha, "Maybe we should get going." She lays a hand on his shoulder and looks at him with a slightly pleading look.

InuYasha unfolds his arms in surprise but quickly turns and drops to one knee for her to climb on his back, feeling relief at her apparent forgiveness.

Continuing westward and deviating only for visible paths or rough roads that may lead to possible settlements, they find two more decimated villages with the telltale dirt mounds. Searching reveals nothing new and the urgency to find and stop this rampage drives them on throughout the remainder of the day.

The afternoon ends with the discovery of yet another violated village with the same disheartening pattern of destruction and lack of visible victims. This time the freshness of the mounded dirt lets them know that it happened less than a day before.

With the lingering stench of fear and blood prodding him, InuYasha grabs a fallen board and snaps it in two, snarling in frustration, "Damnit!" He throws the pieces back on the piled wood angrily and joins the others.

Miroku raises his head with a tired sigh after murmuring a short prayer for the missing villagers and looks a the strain showing on all of their faces, "We can't go any further today."

Kagome looks at the longish shadows cast by the empty dwellings and the mounds of dirt with a shudder, "I don't want to stay here."

Sango picks up a digging tool lying on the ground at her feet. "Considering the only evidence we have found of that thing surfacing is in places like this," she examines the sharp edge then leans it conscientiously against a nearby hut, "that would not be a good idea."

They follow the stream that runs past the village until they find a good spot to make camp. Miroku and Shippo take care of laying the fire while Sango and Kagome make use of the remaining light to find a sheltered bend of the stream for washing. InuYasha solves his own filthy condition by jumping in fully clothed further downstream.

InuYasha returns just as the sun dips below the hills, dripping wet and carrying a string of fish, to the welcome crackle of the fire and the comforting smell of hot tea. Kagome produces some fruit bars, which had managed to stay unscathed in her pack, to eat while they wait for the fish to cook. The sky grows dark and the discussion is minimal; not much more than please and thank you with each person lost in his or her own thoughts.

After stuffing himself, Shippo falls asleep on his back in Kagome's lap, his tiny fox-feet sticking up in the air. She touches his hair tenderly, the firelight enhancing its auburn color and deepening the pink of her pajama bottoms. `I wish I could sleep that easily.' She reaches up to test the dampness of her hair and sighs.

Sango looks over at her while stroking a purring Kirara in her own lap, "Kagome-chan?" Her voice is hushed and she leans a little closer, "What's the matter?"

Kagome looks troubled, "I can't help but feel a little responsible that we didn't get here sooner…" She looks down at the fire, "…all those people-"

An irritated exhalation draws her eyes to InuYasha where he sits across the fire, with his arms wrapped around Tessaiga and staring at her with eyes as golden as the flames. "All those people most likely would still have died." He frowns at her, "Getting here sooner doesn't mean we could have helped them."

She is not convinced, "You don't know that."

He shrugs, "Keh - Neither do you." He stands up and slips his sheathed sword back under his belt. "So it's useless to waste energy blaming yourself for so unsure a thing." With that said, he leaps up into the branches of the tree overhead and is lost in the shadows.

She looks a little stunned at his bluntness and Miroku speaks up, "I hate to agree but InuYasha is right." He tosses a small stick onto the fire, "None of this can in any way be your fault Kagome-sama. So be at ease."

Sango nods and lays a concerned hand on Kagome arm, "The fact that we are here now and will do our best to stop this creature counts far more than any doubts caused by our delay."

Kagome can't argue with their combined wisdom and gives them a slight nod. She picks up the limp kitsune and lies down, zipping herself and him into her bag. "Good night."

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Morning is coming, the sun beginning to peek over the mottled-green hills and a breeze gently blows across the land, stirring the tall grass and rustling leaves. Birds greet the day with cheerful song as they wing to and fro in search of food. Normal sounds of a normal day. The breeze suddenly gusts, fanning the ash-covered coals of last night's fire that are still smoldering.

Up in the tree standing sentinel over the campsite, InuYasha comes fully alert from his light doze, blinks at the pale morning light and quickly scans the area then relaxes in relief. `They're still sleeping.' He leans to one side to glance down at his frail, human companions, `I pushed them pretty hard yesterday.' He shifts for a more comfortable position and settles back, one foot dangling. `I can wait a little longer,' and closes his eyes.

Another strong gust causes the tree to sway, creaking and groaning. One eye pops open in irritation as InuYasha automatically adjusts to the movement with years of experience. Another hearty gust has him looking up with both eyes, measuring the waving canopy overhead. `It's picking up…' The sound of branches scraping and small debris pelting him causes him to sneer, `I might as well forget it.' He flicks a small twig off his lap and has to suddenly grab hold to keep from falling from another hard blast that causes the tree to protest loudly.

Crack!

Something hits him on the top of his head and he flinches in surprise. He looks up and sees only the tree's branches swaying madly above…and feels something…sliding…

He puts a hand up to investigate and a look of disgust crosses his face when his hand comes away slimy. He examines the fragmented eggshell pinched between his fingertips, looks up again and begins swearing.

The others wake to the sound of the foul-mouthed litany and they each sit up in alarm, looking for danger as the pissed hanyou lands on the ground, pulling at his hair.

Seeing nothing but the ranting creature stomping around the campsite, Kagome asks, "Ne - InuYasha? What's wrong?"

He stops, heaves a disgusted sigh and picks another piece of shell from his sticky hair, holding it up, "That's what's wrong!" He sees her blink in incomprehension at the fragment before the sudden loud chattering overhead catches all of their attention.

A small brown bird is hopping from side to side on a low branch, flapping her wings and screeching angrily down at them.

InuYasha tosses the shell scrap towards the tiny termagant and barks, "I didn't take your damn egg - it FUCKING FELL!!"

He turns his back on the amused looks of his so-called friends and says over his shoulder, "We're leaving as soon as I wash this CRAP outta my hair!" He stomps off in the direction of the nearby stream, ignoring the quiet snickers that he can hear quite well and mutters, "Stupid Bird!"

Kagome grimaces in sympathy even as her shoulders shake from repressed laughter and shares an identical look with Sango. They "EWW!" in unison and the giggles escape.

The squawking bird is not satisfied and, seeing a hated cat in the group rise and stretch, she swoops down to dive-bomb the innocent Kirara, pecking her mercilessly on the head.

The tiny twin-tailed cat-youkai squeaks and runs past her snickering mistress followed by her flapping attacker who is stubbornly trying to drive the cat away.

Kirara stops after a few yards with her ears laid back and spins to face her tormentor, flames shooting as she morphs into her huge, lethally-fanged form and snarling angrily.

The bird back-wings awkwardly and manages to actually fly in reverse before flipping in mid-air and, fighting the gusting wind, hastily retreats back into the treetops.

Kirara sneezes in satisfaction and saunters back to the silly humans rolling around on the ground; laughing like lunatics. She sits back on her haunches and nonchalantly begins cleaning her face in a cat-like manner. `Foolish bird.'

Another strong blast of wind fans the coals of the campfire, throwing sparks into the air and they scramble to stomp them out and douse the remaining coals.

Kagome brushes at a few singe marks on her sleeping bag, "I guess that means a cold breakfast." She begins rolling the bag, holding it while Shippo ties the strings.

Sango stirs the sodden ashes with a stick to make sure there are no live coals left, "Ah," she agrees and drops the stick to one side before turning to roll up her blanket.

Miroku retrieves Kagome's clothes from the bush they are draped over before the wind can blow them away and brings them to her, "It won't be the first time."

She takes them with a nod and a smile.

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The wind is not as strong here, deep amid the trees where she walks and it wouldn't have bothered her much anyway. She is enjoying the normal sounds of the forest when they are interrupted by the tearful cries of a child and she stops her solitary progress, turning around to focus on it and then begins walking in the direction it is coming from.

Not far from the path she had been following, a young girl of about seven years of age is sitting under a tree, weeping into her hands. A basket lies on its side next to her, the contents spilled on the ground.

"What is wrong?"

The soft voice startles the young girl and she quickly wipes her eyes with grubby hands, smearing more dirt across tear-stained cheeks, before looking up at the beautifully pale face of the woman bending over her. The deep red and bright white of her garments contrast starkly with the long black hair spilling over the woman's shoulder and though she carries a long bow in her hand, her eyes are kind.

The young girl stares, `how pretty,' and hiccups, "I hurt my foot."

The woman looks at the obviously swollen ankle and crouches down, laying her bow on the ground. She grasps the foot to examine it, gently probing around the swelling and checking for heat. The girl gasps and the woman nods with a small reassuring smile, "Thank goodness; it's not broken." She reaches up and unties the long white ribbon binding her hair and proceeds to wrap the injured ankle to immobilize it. "What is your name?" The woman's soft voice is warm and friendly, winning the girls trust.

"Hona." Hona watches the woman tie-off the makeshift bandage then sit back on her heels with a considering look on her face.

"Hona…" The woman rights the basket and picks up a mushroom with a raised eyebrow, "aren't you a bit young to be out gathering by yourself in the forest?"

Hona's eyes widen, "Oh no! I always…" her voice trails off at the woman's knowing look and she hangs her head and says softly, "hai."

The woman nods, "I thought so." She tosses the mushroom into the basket and begins picking up the rest with a glance at Hona to do the same. "Which way is your village?"

Hona drops a mushroom and points. The woman nods again and they finish picking up the spilled bounty together.

"There." The woman stands and brushes the dirt off of her hands. "Time to go."

Hona watches her retrieve the bow when a thought hits her and she looks at her basket, unsure of what to do. The woman smiles and picks up the basket, plunking it down in the girl's lap. Hona wraps her arms around it and looks up in confusion, "But I can't walk."

Still smiling, the woman slings her bow over her shoulder and picks up the child, basket and all. "That's all right. I can." She turns and begins walking towards Hona's village.

Hona smiles in delight, happy at not having to abandon her basket, before another thought makes her look up to say, "You didn't tell me your name."

The woman looks surprised, "Oh, forgive me." She glances down at the rosy-cheeked girl in her arms and wishes she could blush like that…like she used to. "My name is Kikyo."

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To: Crimson Storm - Thanks for the review. I'm glad you like it. This is actually my third story and they are sequential. (I'm not begging you to read them - LOL - I just understand the need for something to read) I didn't plan on them being sequential, it just turned out that way. Also, if you are looking for great InuYasha fanfiction, check out Sueric and Hikari no Spectrum here at Media Miner. You will not be disappointed. Ja!

To: Lady Orion - Thank you so much for your enthusiasm. I'm honored and touched. I really love InuYasha's sweet side as much as his "Badass-ness" (I'm a sucker for action) and I want others to see it too. Most fanfiction authors like to portray him as crude and stupid, sometimes borderline cruel and he really isn't. I have watched all of the anime in Japanese (I can't stand to hear the English dubs) and I especially love Yamaguchi Kappei's voice when InuYasha gets snotty. LoL, there ain't nothing like it. "Keh!" I may be reading subtitles when I watch, but I hear it in English in my head. It just isn't Inu without Kappei's voice. *Sigh* I can't wait for the second movie to come in at the video store. I made sure to reserve my copy (although I have all three on the computer in fansubbs!) I'm now collecting the Manga and am noticing little differences. Writing my own little stories has been a blast. Thanks again!

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Thanks, Darkless