InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Haunted ❯ The Power to Protect ( Chapter 12 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 12: The Power to Protect

Kagome stared up the road, tired, irritable and hot.

They had traveled for two days since the meeting with Kikyou, and Inuyasha had kept them to a fairly fast pace. They had reached the first village that had been attacked late yesterday, but found that after the first couple of attacks, the youkai had moved on, and was currently harassing a village a day's travel further southwest of the first village.

And so, they were right back on the road first thing this morning, and tempers were beginning to fray.

Cra-ckkk!!

"Damn it monk! Is that all I'm good for? Keep your hentai hands away from me, or I swear by all the Kami I'll make sure you never father any children!" Sango yelled over her shoulder as she stomped off up the road, overtaking Inuyasha and Kagome, who had, up until this point, been in the lead.

"I'm so sick of that two-timing monk with the wandering hands," she growled as she passed Kagome.

"Sango, wait! You misunderstand!" Miroku flew past, trying to catch up with the taijiya, pleading his case all the while.

Shippo just looked on from his perch on Inuyasha's shoulder, shaking his head. "He'll never learn," he sighed, as Inuyasha snickered.

Kagome's eyes narrowed. "He'd better learn to control himself, or Sango's going to seriously injure him." She stopped suddenly, and stepped over to a boulder on the side of the road. Sitting down, she pulled off her shoe, and shook it out, waving Inuyasha on as he stopped. "It's just a rock in my shoe, Inuyasha, go on, I'll catch up in a moment."

Just as he started to turn, he caught the scent of a youkai, and it was right on top of them. Swinging back around and drawing Tessaiga in the same smooth movement, he caught sight of Kagome.

Inuyasha! Three shards. I don't know how I missed them, I must be tired, but it has three shards!

"Fuck! Sango, Miroku, this thing has three shards! Kagome, get back!" he yelled, as the oni crashed to the ground in between him and his Miko. Taking a quick leap, he jumped over it, slashing downwards, catching it in the arm.

Got it, he thought, watching the arm as it fell smoothly to the ground - and then regenerated.

"Damn! It's just like Naraku, we need to get the shards from it!" He stepped back, glancing around to see where Kagome was, but he couldn't find her. "Kagome! Where the fuck are you, wench! I need to know where the shards are!"

"Inuyasha! Kagome fell when the oni landed in front of her. I think she got knocked out, she's not moving! I can see her from here, I'll try to get to her and make sure she's okay." Miroku ducked behind Inuyasha, running towards the rocks where Kagome had been sitting when the youkai attacked.

"Um, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha was glaring at the oni in front of him. It made no further move, just stood there and watched him. "What the fuck is wrong, monk? Get her out of there!"

"Well, I would... if I could touch her."

Still not taking his eyes of the oni, he growled in frustration. "What the fuck do you mean, if you could touch her? Pick her the fuck up and move!"

"Damnit, Inuyasha! I would if I could! But there's a barrier around her, I've never seen anything like it. It's tightly focused around her and I can't get close enough to grab her. I can't!" Miroku backed up. "Kami, it's strong!"

"Shardsssss... you have shardssssss. Give them to meee," came across the clearing, in a broken, sibilant voice.

Inuyasha knew that this was a fairly low level youkai, at least it was before it got ahold of three jewel shards. Normally, it wouldn't have been much of a challenge, but now....

"Hey Sango, get back behind me with the others, and protect Kagome. Try to wake her up, I need to know where the shards are!"

Running forward, he quickly ducked to the side as the thing reached for him, again taking chunks out of it with the sword, but just as he reached the other side and began to turn, the oni caught his shoulder with its claws.

Ignoring the sudden burning pain, he spun quickly and ducked under it as the other arm came around to strike, and leaped backwards, once again landing in front of the spot where Kagome was lying. And then his head jerked up when he felt a pulse of power, knowing it was coming from Kagome... he could feel her miko ki waking, pulsing to life through the link.

He turned, stunned at the power suddenly swirling through the small clearing, and stopped, his mind dazed by the sight before him. Kagome was standing again, her power swirling around her like a vortex, whipping her hair around her face. Her eyes were glowing the same pink as her aura, but he could tell she was completely awake.

"Ka-Kagome?" he asked in confusion.

She looked over at Inuyasha, angered at the pain she could feel through the link, although she could tell it was a fairly minor injury for him.

"Inuyasha. Get back and stand with Miroku and Sango. I'm going to put up a barrier, stay behind it." A pulse from her washed across the clearing, and he felt himself gently pushed backwards towards their friends, and then a glowing pink barrier came around them.

"Kagome! What the fuck are you doing? Run! Get out of there!" He was quickly becoming almost hysterical - what the fuck was she thinking?! He couldn't protect her locked inside a barrier! "Damn it woman! Let me out!"

Be calm, Inuyasha. I can deal with this, don't worry. I need you to stay inside the barrier.

Kagome knew there was going to be hell to pay after this was over - but he needed to realize that she could take care of herself, and even be a protection for the others as well. It was about time he learned that she was no longer a weakling needing a babysitter all the time.

And this was the perfect time for him to find out.

Without waiting for his response, which she knew wouldn't be good anyway, she focused on the creature in front of her.

"Well, oni? You wanted the shards I carry, didn't you? Come and take them, then... if you can!" She waited calmly as it reached out towards her, and smiled when it hissed in pain before it even reached her and snatched it's arm back.

"I didn't think so. Now it's my turn."

Raising her arms and cupping her hands in front of herself, she began to focus her power, pulling it into her cupped palms. Swirls of pink, pure energy began to coalesce, pulling tighter and tighter, curling around itself and her hands, taking on a spherical shape, and glowing until those trapped inside the barrier could no longer see Kagome. The oni began to scream, the power outside the barrier so strong that it was purifying the creature before she even hit it...

And then she tossed the glowing ball.

Inuyasha threw up his arm, trying to cover his eyes, he could hear the exclamations from their friends and knew they were doing the same. He could hear the screaming of the youkai, smell the burning flesh, but he couldn't see anything.

Panic swelled through him; how could one tiny woman withstand that much power, even if it was her own?

All he could feel through the link was calm, however, so obviously, it wasn't affecting her. Finally, the clearing grew quiet, and the light began to fade, and as he put his arm down, the first thing he saw was Kagome, bent down in the middle of the road, picking something up off the ground.

She stood and turned around, and he watched as her eyes faded back to their normal chocolate brown. There was no trace of the oni, not a single trace.

It was as if it had never existed.

Kagome sighed and dropped the barrier. She could already feel the screaming in Inuyasha's mind, and knew it was about to get very loud.

And boy, when she was right, she was right.

"What the fuck was that?!?! Kami, Kagome! What the fuck were you thinking?" Inuyasha stalked over to his mate, red-faced and ears pinned to his head in sheer rage.

"Don't you ever, ever, pull that kind of stunt again!" He glared at her, more furious than she had ever seen him. Grabbing her by her upper arms, he yanked her into his chest and growled.

Suddenly, he did something that he had never done before. Leaning into her before she could even move, he bit down on her neck with his fangs, not hard enough to break skin, but definitely hard enough to immobilize her, and growled louder.

She knew instantly what he was doing. He was demanding she submit to him, and showing his displeasure with her in the Inu-youkai manner. He was her mate, and he had that right, so, she growled back at him lightly, and then went limp in his grasp, letting him know that she would respect his right as the alpha, even in her anger.

Sango, Miroku, and Shippo all stared at this display, minds still frozen from the previous display. They glanced at each other, then back at the two in front of them, and sank down to the ground in fascination.

Completely ignoring their friends, Inuyasha growled again, then released his hold on his mate's neck. His eyes had rimmed in red, and his stripes were even faintly visible on his cheeks, but he seemed for all that to be in complete control.

"You have some explaining to do, woman," he said, his voice deeper than normal, rumbling in his chest. "I want to know what the hell that little display was, and why you felt the need to lock me up behind a fucking barrier."

"I'm not explaining anything right now. I want to clean your wounds. And don't fucking argue," she screeched, making even her pissed-off mate take a step back in shock. He had never, ever heard Kagome use a word like that, so he decided it might be better to go along with her demand.

Waiting as she grabbed her bag from behind the rocks where it had fallen, he stomped over to her as she sat on the same boulder as earlier and plopped down in front of her.

"Start talking, Kagome. Why did you stick me behind a barrier? And don't tell me it was because of this pathetic wound. I've fought with much worse." He glared up at her, still raging pissed.

Not like she can't feel it through the link, but still.

She glared right back at him. "What, did you want to be purified? Excuse me for making sure you were safe from that. Sometimes you can be such a baka!" Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her first aid kit, waiting while he removed his fire rat and undershirt, then gently began cleaning and bandaging his injury.

"I wanted to kill the oni, not my baka mate!" she ranted, and, finished bandaging him, she slammed the lid down, then crossed her arms over her chest.

"I don't care what anyone else thinks right now, but my legs hurt from slamming to the ground earlier, and I'm not moving another step tonight, so we're gonna make camp right here."

Suddenly, he noticed the smell of Kagome's blood. "Wench, why didn't you say you were hurt? Where are you bleeding? Damnit, Kagome," frustrated with her and everything else, he started growling again.

"Oh, for Kami's sake, Inuyasha, calm down! I just scraped my knees when I got knocked down, that's all! I'm not gonna die, geez," she grumbled, stretching out her legs at his demand and handing him the first aid kit.

"Oi, Miroku! Get out there and start looking for firewood, the wench wants to stay here tonight, and since she's so stubborn," with another glare in her direction, "we may as well go ahead and waste the rest of the day sitting around."

Miroku and Sango were still sitting in the road, staring at them, and they didn't move until Inuyasha growled at them. "Oh! Ummm, yeah, okay, c'mon Miroku, lets go."

Jumping up, they dashed off into the trees, glad to get away from the warring couple. Shippo just continued to sit and stare, until Inuyasha threw a rock in his direction and he scampered up into Kagome's arms.

"Oh, for Kami's sake, Inuyasha, don't pick on Shippo just because your mad at me." Kagome's shoulders slumped, then, and she stood up and limped away with a weary sigh.

"I'm sorry, Inu," she said softly. "I'm upset and hot and hungry right now, and even though I know you want explanations, you're gonna have to wait 'til tomorrow. I'll tell you anything you want then, but for now, can you just let it lie?"

He looked at her. She looked so dejected. He could feel just how dejected, even though she was keeping a clamp on the link and not letting him in to read her.

Sighing, he nodded.

"Fine. We'll rest tonight. But tomorrow, you're gonna talk, wench. Agreed? It's just... you scared the hell out of me, Kagome. Please understand that that's going to make me angry - every time."

He leaped into a tree above the clearing, sitting back against the trunk, and staring off into the distance.

---sSs---

Naraku was angry.

Very angry.

Things with his latest plan were not working out the way he wanted, and on top of that, he had lost three shards of the jewel to Inuyasha and his miko. When had the woman become so damn powerful? He had never even seen Kikyou be able to manipulate power the way Kagome had.

I will have to test her limits again... maybe that human spirit that Kikyou summoned would be a good way to begin. Once I know what her abilities are, I can devise ways to get around them.

He chuckled, knowing that sending that human male's spirit to Kagome would send Inuyasha off the deep end... his jealousy was well nigh legendary when it came to Kagome, and he always enjoyed anything that Inuyasha hated.

He called his insects to him and silently gave them their instructions, then quietly watched them fly away.

---sSs---

Kagome woke early the next morning, curled in her sleeping bag with Shippo. Inuyasha had spent the night in the trees above her, keeping watch, determined that nothing was getting anywhere near his mate.

Comfortable as she was, she needed to get up and get cleaned, and since there was no natural source of water here, she would have to use the special cleansing goods she brought back from her time. It wasn't the same as a bath, but it was better than nothing. Sliding carefully out of the blankets, she grabbed her pack and started to walk into the trees.

'Oi, where ya goin', Kagome?'

Kagome glanced back at Inuyasha. Just going to get cleaned up and ready for the day. After I finish, I'll come back and start breakfast.

He nodded as she turned back and continued into the trees. He sensed no hostile youkai anywhere within miles, and indeed, not even any humans, or large animals. It was like they were the only larger life forms in the area this morning, which suited him just fine.

Jumping down from the tree, he stirred up the fire, placing more wood on it, and dug out the food supplies and water.

He had finally calmed down after the events of yesterday, and just wanted to enjoy the quiet. It felt good, the peace and quiet this morning, and he enjoyed the simple pleasure of helping his mate get ready for the day. It gave him a glimpse of how things would be once Naraku had been defeated, and things had settled down.

He smiled slightly, taking joy out of the simple tasks, a joy he had never expected to have. Hell, he'd never expected to have a mate, let alone a lifebond, full demon females would never have looked at him twice, human females feared him, and hanyou, males and females both, were rare.

"Good morning, Inuyasha," Sango said, as she rolled over and sat up. "You look to be in a good mood... where's Kagome?"

"She went to clean up and get changed. She should be back any minute now," he said.

"Good, maybe I can get her to let me use some of her supplies... I've got more dust in my clothes than there is on the road," she said with a grimace.

Miroku had awoken to hear the 'in my clothes' part of the speech, and grinned slyly as he sat up. "Ah, my lovely Sango, how lucky that dust is, what I wouldn't give to be a particle of that dust!"

Kagome walked back into the clearing right at that point, and shaking her head, she picked up a rock and beaned him in the back of the head. "Give it a rest, Miroku, you damn hentai, sheesh, you just woke up and you're already starting," as Sango, red-faced, smothered a laugh.

Inuyasha smirked. "Stupid monk, he still doesn't get it." He caught Kagome's eye and grinned. "Nice shot, by the way."

She grinned back. "Thanks." Looking over at Sango, she tossed the bag over to her. "Here. I figure you might want to clean up as best you can. I should have breakfast ready by the time you get back."

"Thanks, Kagome, you're a mind reader!" Sango swung the bag onto her back and dashed into the trees.

Shaking her head and smiling, Kagome glanced over at Miroku. He had followed the taijiya's progress under the trees until she was out of sight, and his shoulder's slumped just a bit as she disappeared.

What an idiot he can be sometimes. Oh well... Grabbing the water container that Inuyasha had set out for her, she poured some into her pot, setting it carefully into the flames to boil.

Ramen for breakfast, well, at least Inu will be happy. She wrinkled her nose, wishing they had something else to eat with it. 'Oi, woman, why ya need anything else to eat? Nothing is better than ramen!'

Kagome rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever, Inuyasha, ramen's okay, but I was never all that fond of it. It's better than starving, I'll give it that, though."

He widened his eyes in horror at her. "How dare you mock the ramen, wench!" He stood up and slowly stalked her, grinning evilly as she giggled nervously and backed away. "You'll pay for that, K'gome," he said, growling at her.

Miroku watched the play between his friends with envy.

How I would love to be able to act so freely with Sango... but with this curse in my hand, I don't dare let myself go.

Climbing to his feet, he shook off his melancholy thoughts and smiled as Inuyasha suddenly darted forward and pounced on his mate.

Kagome shrieked as he grabbed her, laughing as he ran his claws gently up her sides under her top, he tickled her quickly before letting her go. "You horrible man! Taking advantage of a woman's weakness. I oughta eat your ramen." She giggled at his warning growl.

"Don't you dare, woman!"

Sango walked back into the camp to the sounds of her friends playful squabbling. She was really glad to see them so happy together. Kagome had gone through a lot of pain and stayed by his side anyway, she deserved it.

The funny thing was, as much as Inuyasha hated what Kikyou had done by summoning Kichiro, it's what had finally broken through the impasse between them, and brought them to this point. In a way, she almost felt grateful to Kikyou for finally ending Kagome's pain, even though she knew that hadn't been the dead priestess' intention.

The downside to it all? They still had to deal with the spirit. And Sango was almost positive that the man was somewhere close by, watching. Being a spirit, he could hide his presence easily, but she just had a funny feeling.

Little did Sango know that Kagome was also certain that Kichiro was somewhere nearby, watching.

It won't be long, sooner rather than later he's gonna show up. This is going to get ugly.

Sobering up at that thought, she quickly prepared the ramen and handed it out, waking Shippo, who had slept through the earlier playfulness. She glanced around at everyone's faces and realized that they themselves were glancing at her off and on as well.

Sighing, she readied herself for the inquisition she knew was coming.

"All right, I know you guys are dying to ask, so just go ahead and spit it out... let's get the questions out of the way already."

Inuyasha looked at her steadily as she spoke, then asked the question that she was waiting for. "What was all that yesterday? I know Kaede didn't teach you any of that, so where did it come from?"

She shook her head. "You're right. Kaede didn't teach me that. I taught me that." At everyone's surprised looks, she looked away, staring out at the forest beyond the clearing.

"I finally got tired of being a burden, living with the fear that I would be the cause of one of you getting hurt... or worse," she whispered, closing her eyes.

"Look what happened when Tsubaki got ahold of me. I almost killed you, Inuyasha, and again with Menomaru. I could never have lived with myself if I'd succeeded. So I asked Kaede some months ago to give me exercises to do so that I could start learning to use the power that I have." Shaking her head again, she looked up.

"After a while, I began seeing different ways to do things - ways that Kaede had never shown me. I also realized that for some reason, I had a lot more power hidden inside than I had ever realized. I've finally broken through the block that was keeping me from being able to tap into it."

Miroku considered her words. "What do you mean, block? Are you saying that something was sealing the greater part of your power away from you?"

"Actually, yes, that's a good word for it. Sealed."

Nodding at him, she continued. "I'm not sure what or who was the cause, but for whatever reason, this seal was there. I finally figured out how to break it a few weeks ago. I know you've all noticed that I've been quiet a lot lately." She smiled as they all glanced at each other.

"It wasn't just because of Kichiro. I was trying to test the limits of the power inside me... and so far, I haven't found any. Like yesterday. What I did, it didn't tire me in the slightest. At all."

At the stunned looks on everyone's faces, she added, "I'm sure there are limits, after all, everything has limits. I just haven't found them yet, is all."

Sango and Miroku just stared at her, watching as she blushed under everyone's scrutiny. "Kagome--"

"Feh." Inuyasha jumped up and stomped off to the side of the clearing, staring out at the trees for a moment, before turning and looking at the woman who ruled his heart and soul, and had nearly scared him out of them yesterday.

"How could you even think of yourself as a burden, Kagome? I mean, it's great that you're learning to use your power, it's one more thing that can protect you. But I never saw you as weak or a burden. Why did you see yourself that way?"

"Come on, Inuyasha... have you forgotten the last three years entirely?" asked Sango, rolling her eyes at him.

"What? What do you mean?" he growled.

Shippo hopped up onto Kagome's shoulder. "She means, you baka, that Kagome got the idea she was useless from you. Anytime you got angry, you'd compare her to Kikyou, and not in a nice way. Sheesh. Your memory sucks." He shook his head at the hanyou.

"You were a baka all the time to her, you're just a lucky dog that she still managed to love you in spite of all that."

The group snickered at the chagrined look on Inuyasha's face. "Okay, okay, I get the point. But, Kagome, you don't still think that way, do you?"

When she didn't answer immediately, his ears drooped and his shoulders hunched.

I've really hurt her over the years. Kami, I really hate myself sometimes. I'm such a bastard.

"Kagome." He crouched in front of her, capturing her eyes with his own, letting her not only feel his pain through the link, but see it in his eyes. Putting out his hand, he caressed her cheek, a low, keening whine coming from his throat. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, aisai, I've hurt you so much and I'm so ashamed. Please... forgive me?"

Normally, he wouldn't let anyone see him so vulnerable, let alone apologizing, but it was only right, in this instance. He had hurt her in front of everyone, and he should also beg for forgiveness in front of everyone.

He owed her that.

Kagome took a deep breath. "It's okay, Inuyasha." She leaned into his hand, closing her eyes, and put her hand over his. "I won't lie. You have caused a lot of pain over the years, but I've never held it against you. How could I? I love you."

She opened her eyes again and looked at him. "But I still needed to feel like I contributed. That's why I asked Kaede to train me. And I don't regret doing so. Everyone needs to feel needed sometimes, Inuyasha. And now I can feel needed, too." Leaning forward, she kissed him softly.

"Don't worry about it anymore, okay? Things are different now. We're mates. And that more than makes up for any pain I suffered in the past."

A brilliant smile lit up her face, then, and she looked at the others. "So... anymore questions, anyone?"

Inuyasha leaned back, slowly pulling his hand from her cheek. I swear, here and now, I will never let anything hurt her like that again. Not even me.

Clearing his throat, which was understandably tight, he sat back down. "Nothing I can think of - you, Sango, Miroku?"

They both shook their heads. "No. I think we're good for now," Sango said. "But what do we do from here? Do we go on to that village that we were heading for, or turn and head back to Kaede's now that we've got the shards?"

"I say we head back towards Kaede's. That youkai won't be bothering anyone now, so there's no need to waste any more time by sticking around here." Inuyasha squinted up at the sky.

"Yeah, I think that's our best bet." He jumped to his feet and grabbed Kagome and pulled her up. "Let's get movin'. I'd like to get back to Edo as quickly as possible."

It didn't take long to break camp, and they set out, enjoying the early morning sunshine. It would again be miserably warm later, but for now it was just pleasant. They all moved quickly, wanting to get as far as possible while it was still fairly cool, leaving the slower pace for later in the afternoon.

All in all, it would have been a good day, if it weren't for the feeling of being watched. Kagome closed her eyes, concentrating deep inside herself. She wanted to send her aura out, to see if she could determine who it was, but she didn't want to alert Inuyasha to what she was doing.

She didn't want him to freak out, especially if she couldn't find anything.

As she gathered her power inside her mind, she slowly began to release small tendrils, curling them further and further outward, allowing them to drift on the wind. Suddenly, she felt a small touch on her aura, coming from the east. It was faint, and she couldn't tell what it was, but one thing was sure - it was watching her.

Pulling back, she considered keeping it a secret, but decided against it. Sooner or later, Inuyasha would find out... and then he'd be livid. After yesterday, she wanted to keep the peace. Concentrating for a moment, she set those tendrils, locking them to the watcher. That way, she would know if it started coming any nearer than it already was.

Inuyasha. I need you to come into my mind for a moment. She deepened the link, reaching out to his mind, opening her own.

'What's wrong, koiishi?' She smiled, she always shivered inside when he called her that.

I just wanted to warn you. I'm being watched. As soon as she said that, she could feel the alarm coming through the link. Calm down. I've got a lock on whatever it is, I'll know if it makes a move towards me. Look... I want you to feel this, got it? At his mental nod, she continued. This is the aura of the watcher. As you can see, it's too distant right now for me to know who or what it is. If it comes any closer, though, I'll have it. Now you can recognize it, too. She could feel his anger, and his protective instincts were starting to go into overdrive.

She sighed. I love you, Inuyasha, but please, calm down. Don't start getting all weird.

"You've gotta be kidding me! Of course I'm gonna 'get weird' about this! There's something out there stalking you, damnit!" Inuyasha shook his head, wondering how she could be so dense sometimes. She had something watching her, and it wasn't likely to have good intentions.

"Hey, Sango! I need you and the monk to be on your guard. There's something out there watching Kagome. She's keeping track of it, so if it moves in we'll know, but keep your eyes peeled."

The taijiya, currently riding with Miroku on Kirara, nodded. "I thought I sensed something earlier. I can't make out what it is or anything, but it's giving me the creeps. What's it doing, Kagome?"

"Right now it's just watching. If it moves any further away, I'll lose it, but if it comes back, I'll be able to recognize it."

Inuyasha gathered himself, and pushed off from the ground, leaping into the treetops. "Let's get a move on. I wanna find a good, defensible place to camp tonight. I don't want to be caught out in the open."

He pushed them hard that day, in spite of the heat. By the time evening began to fall, they had covered a great deal of ground, but Inuyasha wasn't happy. He wanted back onto familiar ground, and he wanted it now. They couldn't seem to find any potential campsites he approved of, so he kept them going far into the night.

Finally, after a great deal of prompting from Kagome, he reluctantly allowed them to stop, grab a quick bite to eat from her supply of ninja food, and crash out on the ground. He stayed up again, keeping watch, and woke them early, insisting they get moving immediately.

After two days of this, they started reaching areas they knew, and still being a day and a half's travel from Edo, Inuyasha finally allowed them to spend a day resting. This time, they had stopped at an old abandoned hut, one that was fairly large, and set near a stream in a large clearing. They were actually within the very southernmost boundaries of Inuyasha's Forest, and he was familiar with this hut, keeping it in good general repair for the times they would pass through.

Now they had a comfortable place to rest, and even water to cool themselves during the heat of the day. And this way, if they were attacked, they'd have shelter and water in case of injuries.

Of course, Kagome and Sango went straight for the river as soon as they had piled all their belongings in the hut. Actually, Inuyasha couldn't blame them this time, it had been fairly hot recently, and they had been forced to travel at a very swift pace. A bath would probably feel really good about now. The downside? He'd rather be taking a bath with his mate, not by himself.

Damn. I can't take much more of this waiting shit. I need to be with her, in every way. He'd wanted her for so long, always fearing that one day someone would take her away from him, and now she was his, and he still found himself waiting. Growling in frustration, he headed downstream.

If I don't get in some cold water soon... it's gonna start hurting, he groaned.