InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Methods of the Heart ❯ At the Narrow Passage ( Chapter 8 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Fanfic Connoisseur 
On with the plot! Is anyone hurt? Miroku! Look out! There's a monster to kill and it's life and death...
Kohaku, are you in there???
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.31.2005 | Updated On: 04.04.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 287 | Status: Completed
On with the plot! Is anyone hurt? Miroku! Look out! There's a monster to kill and it's life and death...
Kohaku, are you in there???
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.31.2005 | Updated On: 04.04.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 287 | Status: Completed
Okay despite being BEYOND busy with homework (The projects OHH! the projects!! WHIIIIINE!) I managed to punch out another chapter just for all of you my darling readers. I really hope you like this one. It will have to last at least a couple months. I’ve got finals coming up. Keep up the reviews and I will forsake all homework and sleep just to give you more! :) sounds good? Enjoy!
A couple other things. I re-posted this chapter because I had an April fools joke in the middle.. April first has come and gone.
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Chapter Eight: At the Narrow Passage
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“Miroku look out!” Miroku heard Sango’s voice and looked up. His eyes widened as the clawed paw of a huge bear demon barreled down at him. He knew he should roll away, yet he hesitated. His mind lingered to the one in the cage below.
BLAM!!!!
The fist crashed down, splattering blood.
“Miroku move!” The bear howled in pain, pulling its bleeding paw away from the blade of Sango’s sword. She had abandoned trying to brace the door shut. It shook with the force of the men trying to break it down, bolt and all.
Miroku nodded, moving aside to lean against the door, taking her place holding it closed. His eyes scanned the room for something to lean against it. It irritated him that this room was practically void of anything. He should be helping Sango fight, not trying to keep a stupid door closed. Why couldn’t anything he set out to do ever be easy?
Sango kept her eyes on the demon as she moved to it’s side, scanning for a weakness on the body of this demon to attack it with. She wished she had her boomerang at that moment; Having her preferred weapon would have simplified some things right now. She had to focus.
However as soon as she moved to the monster’s side, the huge bear turned to keep her in its line of side. The monster had apparently decided Sango was the lethal threat that needed to be dealt with first. It raised its other paw, towering over Sango as it stood on both feet, head hunched down as it was taller than the ceiling.
It’s underside was thickly armored as was the top of its head which also had two horns. Even its fur was brittle, not something someone would want to brush across without armor. This bear demon wasn’t like most. It had been left here with the purpose to guard its prisoner.. Even if it didn’t know who that was. For while it didn’t seem brilliant, it was far from mindless.
It hunched, bringing its face nearer to Sango’s and let out a roar so awful she thought her ears would burst. She felt like she was being crushed from the sound and from its breath. She couldn’t move, all she could do was brace herself against the concentrated attack.
And just as the glass shattering sound had begun it had stopped. Sango looked up, unsure. But it indeed had... So that it could bring its paw down but, she lifted her sword above her head in defense, holding it with her other hand. The demon’s claws clashed with the metal of the sword. It brought its full weight down on her
The huge bear-demon brought down its paw to strike Sango this time with its claws first. Sango shook from having to hold such force back.
Whether out of frustration or pain, the bear lifted its paw again. Sango looked back to Miroku who was still fiddling with the door. She was about to yell at him when she felt the same weight down on her sword. This time she wasn’t expecting it. Some time later she would curse herself for getting distracted. At the moment, she didn’t have time. Her sword was knocked from her hands, landing on the ground where it shattered into several pieces.
The demon, again, lifted its paw. Sango knew she didn’t have time to move. She reached for the dagger in her boot. Not that it would do much against this demon, but it was something. But even as she reached, the claws were heading straight for her.
As the razor sharp claws were an inch above her head, Miroku tackled Sango, rolling with her out of the way.
The guards continued to bang down the door. They managed to splinter some of the heavy oak, making a small crack through which one person could barely fit his face. They still couldn’t reach the lock.
Yet.
Miroku took a moment of quickly scanning the room to assess the situation. The demon would attack again soon, and if the guards kept up they’d also have to fight their way out which would not be easy.
He looked at his right hand. He couldn’t use kaze ana in here. It was too confined. Sango would be sucked up if he tried. Of all the rotten luck. The one time he actually needed the stupid thing it was no good to him.
He looked back at pit door. He could hear the child screaming inside, desperate to get out or at least know what was happening. He wanted to open the door and pull its occupant out immediately, but he thought better of it. The child wouldn’t be safe in this room with this fight going on.
The bear opened its huge drooling mouth revealing rows of sharp teeth. It lunged at the pair of fighters, intending to devour them both. Miroku thrust out his staff in both hands, turning the sacred weapon around so fast it couldn’t be seen. The staff snapped with energy as it whirled around, and when the bear rammed into the holy weapon, it had to draw back in pain, twitching its nose back and forth from the singed flesh.
Miroku nodded to Sango who moved away from him and to the demon’s side while it was distracted. Meanwhile Miroku pulled a sutra from his robes and threw the paper ward at the bear like a dart. He quickly followed this attack with a hard blow from his staff. The bear howled, feeling its power being drained away.
Sango was ready. She had improvised a weapon by taking one of the pieces of her broken sword and holding it in her hand, ignoring that it cut into her palm as she did so. When Miroku had weakened it, she rapidly cutting off its head. The demon fell over lifeless for a moment before turning to ash and bone.
Miroku leaned heavily on his staff. That had been far to close. In the back of his mind he heard the sound of steel hit the ground and looked up. Sango held her fist clenched tight against her chest. “Sango?” He reached for her hand, concerned.
“It’s nothing.” But Miroku insistently took her hand again. He winced at the sight and Sango looked at the ground. Miroku was about to bandage it with the first piece of cloth he could find when the loud thud of the door reminded them of the eminent danger.
The wood had splintered at this point. It wouldn’t be long before the door broke down and the guards rushed in. They were cornered, caught and injured.
WHAM!
The men slammed into the wood again. Sango, in a moment of desperation clung to Miroku who likewise took comfort from her presence. He stared at the door determined to think of some way to save them.
But he couldn’t. He couldn’t give up, and he couldn’t think of a way out. They waited like that for the next bash on the door, but when it should have come, it didn’t. Slightly confused Miroku let go of Sango and moved closer to the barricade that separated them and the captive below.
“Hey! Miroku, ya in there?” Inu-Yasha’s face peeking through a hole in door made by the guards. “We’re getting ready to go, so hurry up already.”
“Right.” Miroku had never been so happy to see his best friend in his life. They were going to get out of here. “Thanks Inu-Yasha, just a minute more.” Miroku turned to the pit door, having already picked the lock open. He reached for the side of the door, as did Sango. Before he pulled, he turned to her, asking with a glance if she was ready for this, no matter what.
Sango simply nodded her head, taking one last deep breath. They both hoisted the heavy pit door. Shoving and pulling. Finally, it swung open, with a creek and then a thud as it fell away.
“Get me out!”A small voice cried inside.
Miroku looked in the cage. He still couldn’t see who was there. He put his hand in, attempting to reach for its occupant. “Give me your hand.” Small fingers latched on to his. He pulled until he could grab a pair of wrists, then an arm. Miroku pulled the captive out completely, revealing both face and body.
A little girl with big eyes and her dark hair, mostly down, save for one ponytail pulled up at an odd angle, rubbed her eyes, looking at her saviors. Sango’s heart fell. She had wanted it to be Kohaku so badly.
Miroku stared when he got a good look at her. “Rin? What are you doing in there?”
“Mir.. oku... right?” He nodded. He wasn’t surprised she didn’t remember him that well. It had been over a year since she’d left the group and even when she’d been with them, she didn’t have much to say. They never talked.
“You know her, Miroku?” He answered Sango’s question with a nod.
“Come on. We’d better get out of here.” Miroku picked Rin up and put her on his back. She didn’t seem hurt, but they needed to get going fast, and Rin didn’t exactly have quick running legs. “I’ll explain on the trip back.”
Sango nodded.
---
As quick as they had invaded the rebels had vanished back into the brush and bushes they had come out of. They had arms full of some stolen goods and large carts of food being pulled and pushed along. There was a small pursuit of Naraku’s soldiers, but it didn’t last long, either lost or killed.
Finally they slowed down to a brisk marching pace.
The heat of battle over, Sango dared to ask what had been weighing on her mind since seeing this girl instead of her little brother in that cage. “So who is she anyway?”
Miroku glanced over his shoulder to look at Rin who was simply watching all the going’s on with mild interest. “Inu-Yasha has an elder brother named Sesshomaru. Rin is his... Well... I suppose the best term is apprentice.” He shrugged. “She is to Sesshomaru what Shippou is to Kagome.”
Sango nodded, the picture becoming clearer, though it was still fuzzy on the edges. “Well I’m glad we saved her.” She looked at the ground. “No one should have to be imprisoned like that.”
“I’m sorry Sango. I got your hopes up. It wasn’t your brother.” Miroku gave her shoulder a squeeze as best he could while still carrying Rin.
Sango forced a smile on her face. “It’s nothing. Besides, there are plenty of other towns to look for Kohaku in. One down, right?” She swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth.
But before Sango sunk too deeply into her grief, Rin piped up. “Kohaku? There was a little boy in the cage with me named Kohaku!” Sango whirled around to look straight at the small girl, trying not to be frightening but she had to be sure she heard that right. Before Sango could even dare to make her mouth move the little girl spoke again. “Are you Sango?”
When Sango nodded, Rin smiled. “Oh hooray! And here he thought you’d never get his message.”
Sango felt like she was going to faint, she was so light headed. Miroku could see the way her hands reached out for thin air in desperation for balance. He gently held her arm, steadying her. “My brother had a message for me?” Her voice cracked a bit as she dared to ask the words that could make or destroy her at that moment.
“Yes.” Miroku had set Rin down at some point so she walked up next to Sango. “Ready?” Sango nod vigorously. “Okay!” Rin threw her arms around Sango in a big bear hug. Still holding on she looked up at her and said, “I really miss you. I’m okay right now, though. I love you sis.”
It wasn’t the same from Rin, a little girl. But Sango hugged back. “Kohaku.” A tear slid down her cheek.
---
Sango started asking more questions to Rin as they got closer to the encampment and eventually became the one to carry the smaller girl when little legs got tired of walking such a fast pace. Rin told her, he looked okay but a bit tired. He had said he’d been moved around a lot lately and he refused to believe that she was dead. He had talked about missing the sunlight, and he almost enjoyed the farm work since it meant he got to be outside all day.
Sango wanted to ask more, but as soon as they arrived at the center of the village, Inu-Yasha was already arguing with a very beautiful young man who appeared both older and taller with long white hair and fine noble clothes.
“Master Sesshomaru!” Rin ran forward both happy and amazed to see him here.
However, before she could get close, Kagome stopped her, turning around to cut off the young girl’s path, a bright smile on her face. “Hey! I wonder if Sora’s got a new toy she’d love to show you?”
“Really?”Rin asked. Kagome nodded leading Rin towards her home. Sora was at the doorway, having come out to see what all the yelling was about. “Hey Sora!”
Sora smiled. “Rin! Hi!” The two girls went inside to play, followed by Kagome who only paused to glance over her should at Inu-Yasha and Sesshomaru.
“You have my thanks for rescuing Rin for me. Now if you would kindly produce her, I will leave.” Sesshomaru kept his focus on Inu-Yasha, solely. He had seen which hut she had gone into and knew to whom it belonged.
When Inu-Yasha still didn’t do anything to have Rin brought before him Sesshomaru headed to the hut to get her himself. That got Inu-Yasha to move. “You were gonna hand us over to him weren’t you?”Angry golden eyes locked on to steely flaxen ones with a furry that could only rise. “You were gonna tell Naraku where we’re hidin’ just so you could have Rin back!”
Sesshomaru just looked away from his younger brother as if he were discounting a fly on the ground and continued walking forward. “Inu-Yasha. If you hadn’t saved me the trouble, I would have gotten her, myself.”
With that Inu-Yasha growled, jumping in front of doorway to his hut. “I don’t know. I don’t think you’re doing a good job of caring for her.”
Sesshomaru’s lips turned down slightly. “Rin?” She popped her head out of Kagome and Inu-Yasha’s home. “Yes, my lord?”
“We’re leaving.”
“Okay.”She stood up, brushing herself off and then pushed past the twitching half demon to stand next to Sesshomaru. The rest of Inu-Yasha’s children had come to the door to wave good-bye which was returned with enthusiasm by Rin. “Bye Sora! Bye Shippou! Bye Kaito!” Sesshomaru picked her up and walked off, Inu-Yasha shouting after him about not being done yet.
“What was that about?” The whole time, Miroku and Sango had been watching this ordeal from the side. Sango wasn’t sure if it was good to be snooping so, but Miroku wouldn’t budge.
Miroku yawned. The sun was just barely over the hills in the distance. “I wish I could tell you for sure.” He leaned on his staff. “I don’t even really know. Rin was led here by Kikyo after half her village was slain by Naraku. But she was abused in her own household, and she didn’t adjust well. Then one day Sesshomaru showed up, said she was coming with him and left with Rin.
“No one knows why he keeps her. Especially since Sesshomaru isn’t known for being fond of humans. But whatever he’s doing must be working. Last time I saw her, she didn’t even talk to anyone.”
Miroku regarded Sango quietly. She tilted her head to the side wondering why he was staring at her so intently. Miroku shifted his gaze, giving her only the view of the back of his head. “Maybe I should ask Sesshomaru for pointers,” he muttered.
Sango just rolled her eyes. “Miroku...” She shook her head, chuckling under her breath. “I think you’re doing just fine.” Grinning to herself, she turned leaving him to let his pride war with embarrassment.
---
“Sango get dressed.” Sango groaned, rubbing her eyes. Why was that always the first thing he said to her when he woke her up?
Reluctantly she forced herself to sit up and rub her eyes. That’s when she noticed something wasn’t right. There were no birds.. No sounds of movement. She looked closer... there wasn’t even any daylight. She turned to Miroku, debating flopping back down on her bed roll, but the monk was already fully dressed. “What’s going on? It’s the middle of the night.”
“We have a run away.” He handed her some cloths and turned around.
Sango watched him closely. He knew better then to try to watch her get dressed at this point. Since he hadn’t tried to turn around by now it was safe, which meant Miroku was being serious. She pulled the shirt on. “A spy?” She dressed herself the rest of the way. It was odd that he was giving her cloths instead of armor.
“No. He’s a kid who’s been brought here by Kiyko with his sister. We should have known he was going to leave. He kept saying he had to go back and find a pet or something.” Miroku shook his head. If there hadn’t been so many orphans brought here in the last week...
Sango pulled on a pair of boots. “So why are we going?” It’s not as if she didn’t care. She was just curious.
“He’s only eleven years old.” Sango paused in her dressing. Outside the barrier that protected this place were many demons known to inhabit mountains. “At the edge of the mountain is sever danger to the young.”
Sango nodded, knowing that already. She finished dressing as quickly as she could. They had to hurry. “Is Inu-Yasha coming?”
“No.” Miroku started walking with her, taking her in the direction Uyeda had left in. “Inu-Yasha has a good nose for finding people but he tends to be a little scary.” Sango forced down a snicker at that. “Plus,” Miroku added. “if he goes then the village’s defense is even lower if something should happen.”
Sango nodded. The village was getting further and further away. It wasn’t long before they were at the edge of what Sango had come to understand was the barrier. Every since she was little she had been known for seeing at great distances, so she kept her eyes open. They didn’t need to be attacked on top of everything else.
“Do you think you can track him Sango?” Miroku had started looking around for any traces that the boy had been this way as well as extending out his senses for a demonic presence.
“I’ll try.” Her father had attempted to teach her tracking once. She’d understood the idea but some of the finer details escaped her. Plus it had been years since she’d really used the skill, since, in the arena, her opponent was very easy to find.
Miroku had every confidence in her. She was strong with good instincts and what he referred to as ‘a killer pair of eyes.’ He wasn’t surprised when she told him she used a giant bone boomerang in her fighting. It was a weapon of such precision that could only be used properly by someone who could see well enough to aim their shot directly on both the first strike and the return.
Thoughts of strengths and weaknesses were absorbed by the darkness of the forest and the night as if some great vortex had swallowed up all the sound. The two companions found the mute tension to overwhelming and so conversation and then all noise between them ceased. Both new it was a shame they couldn’t find the strength to break such a wall of silece, for the sound of another’s voice is known to be comforting. But they just walked in silence trying to hone in on tracking and security.
Neither were sure how long they’d walked for when they heard the cry of a little boy ahead. It was like a homing signal to both and they followed it mindlessly to it’s source.
“Heeeelp!” Uyeda was standing on a crumbling cliff side, probably having fallen from the road a few feet above him. Below and waiting for the last remains of his perch to fall away were a pack of demons, hungering for young flesh.
A couple other things. I re-posted this chapter because I had an April fools joke in the middle.. April first has come and gone.
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Chapter Eight: At the Narrow Passage
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“Miroku look out!” Miroku heard Sango’s voice and looked up. His eyes widened as the clawed paw of a huge bear demon barreled down at him. He knew he should roll away, yet he hesitated. His mind lingered to the one in the cage below.
BLAM!!!!
The fist crashed down, splattering blood.
“Miroku move!” The bear howled in pain, pulling its bleeding paw away from the blade of Sango’s sword. She had abandoned trying to brace the door shut. It shook with the force of the men trying to break it down, bolt and all.
Miroku nodded, moving aside to lean against the door, taking her place holding it closed. His eyes scanned the room for something to lean against it. It irritated him that this room was practically void of anything. He should be helping Sango fight, not trying to keep a stupid door closed. Why couldn’t anything he set out to do ever be easy?
Sango kept her eyes on the demon as she moved to it’s side, scanning for a weakness on the body of this demon to attack it with. She wished she had her boomerang at that moment; Having her preferred weapon would have simplified some things right now. She had to focus.
However as soon as she moved to the monster’s side, the huge bear turned to keep her in its line of side. The monster had apparently decided Sango was the lethal threat that needed to be dealt with first. It raised its other paw, towering over Sango as it stood on both feet, head hunched down as it was taller than the ceiling.
It’s underside was thickly armored as was the top of its head which also had two horns. Even its fur was brittle, not something someone would want to brush across without armor. This bear demon wasn’t like most. It had been left here with the purpose to guard its prisoner.. Even if it didn’t know who that was. For while it didn’t seem brilliant, it was far from mindless.
It hunched, bringing its face nearer to Sango’s and let out a roar so awful she thought her ears would burst. She felt like she was being crushed from the sound and from its breath. She couldn’t move, all she could do was brace herself against the concentrated attack.
And just as the glass shattering sound had begun it had stopped. Sango looked up, unsure. But it indeed had... So that it could bring its paw down but, she lifted her sword above her head in defense, holding it with her other hand. The demon’s claws clashed with the metal of the sword. It brought its full weight down on her
The huge bear-demon brought down its paw to strike Sango this time with its claws first. Sango shook from having to hold such force back.
Whether out of frustration or pain, the bear lifted its paw again. Sango looked back to Miroku who was still fiddling with the door. She was about to yell at him when she felt the same weight down on her sword. This time she wasn’t expecting it. Some time later she would curse herself for getting distracted. At the moment, she didn’t have time. Her sword was knocked from her hands, landing on the ground where it shattered into several pieces.
The demon, again, lifted its paw. Sango knew she didn’t have time to move. She reached for the dagger in her boot. Not that it would do much against this demon, but it was something. But even as she reached, the claws were heading straight for her.
As the razor sharp claws were an inch above her head, Miroku tackled Sango, rolling with her out of the way.
The guards continued to bang down the door. They managed to splinter some of the heavy oak, making a small crack through which one person could barely fit his face. They still couldn’t reach the lock.
Yet.
Miroku took a moment of quickly scanning the room to assess the situation. The demon would attack again soon, and if the guards kept up they’d also have to fight their way out which would not be easy.
He looked at his right hand. He couldn’t use kaze ana in here. It was too confined. Sango would be sucked up if he tried. Of all the rotten luck. The one time he actually needed the stupid thing it was no good to him.
He looked back at pit door. He could hear the child screaming inside, desperate to get out or at least know what was happening. He wanted to open the door and pull its occupant out immediately, but he thought better of it. The child wouldn’t be safe in this room with this fight going on.
The bear opened its huge drooling mouth revealing rows of sharp teeth. It lunged at the pair of fighters, intending to devour them both. Miroku thrust out his staff in both hands, turning the sacred weapon around so fast it couldn’t be seen. The staff snapped with energy as it whirled around, and when the bear rammed into the holy weapon, it had to draw back in pain, twitching its nose back and forth from the singed flesh.
Miroku nodded to Sango who moved away from him and to the demon’s side while it was distracted. Meanwhile Miroku pulled a sutra from his robes and threw the paper ward at the bear like a dart. He quickly followed this attack with a hard blow from his staff. The bear howled, feeling its power being drained away.
Sango was ready. She had improvised a weapon by taking one of the pieces of her broken sword and holding it in her hand, ignoring that it cut into her palm as she did so. When Miroku had weakened it, she rapidly cutting off its head. The demon fell over lifeless for a moment before turning to ash and bone.
Miroku leaned heavily on his staff. That had been far to close. In the back of his mind he heard the sound of steel hit the ground and looked up. Sango held her fist clenched tight against her chest. “Sango?” He reached for her hand, concerned.
“It’s nothing.” But Miroku insistently took her hand again. He winced at the sight and Sango looked at the ground. Miroku was about to bandage it with the first piece of cloth he could find when the loud thud of the door reminded them of the eminent danger.
The wood had splintered at this point. It wouldn’t be long before the door broke down and the guards rushed in. They were cornered, caught and injured.
WHAM!
The men slammed into the wood again. Sango, in a moment of desperation clung to Miroku who likewise took comfort from her presence. He stared at the door determined to think of some way to save them.
But he couldn’t. He couldn’t give up, and he couldn’t think of a way out. They waited like that for the next bash on the door, but when it should have come, it didn’t. Slightly confused Miroku let go of Sango and moved closer to the barricade that separated them and the captive below.
“Hey! Miroku, ya in there?” Inu-Yasha’s face peeking through a hole in door made by the guards. “We’re getting ready to go, so hurry up already.”
“Right.” Miroku had never been so happy to see his best friend in his life. They were going to get out of here. “Thanks Inu-Yasha, just a minute more.” Miroku turned to the pit door, having already picked the lock open. He reached for the side of the door, as did Sango. Before he pulled, he turned to her, asking with a glance if she was ready for this, no matter what.
Sango simply nodded her head, taking one last deep breath. They both hoisted the heavy pit door. Shoving and pulling. Finally, it swung open, with a creek and then a thud as it fell away.
“Get me out!”A small voice cried inside.
Miroku looked in the cage. He still couldn’t see who was there. He put his hand in, attempting to reach for its occupant. “Give me your hand.” Small fingers latched on to his. He pulled until he could grab a pair of wrists, then an arm. Miroku pulled the captive out completely, revealing both face and body.
A little girl with big eyes and her dark hair, mostly down, save for one ponytail pulled up at an odd angle, rubbed her eyes, looking at her saviors. Sango’s heart fell. She had wanted it to be Kohaku so badly.
Miroku stared when he got a good look at her. “Rin? What are you doing in there?”
“Mir.. oku... right?” He nodded. He wasn’t surprised she didn’t remember him that well. It had been over a year since she’d left the group and even when she’d been with them, she didn’t have much to say. They never talked.
“You know her, Miroku?” He answered Sango’s question with a nod.
“Come on. We’d better get out of here.” Miroku picked Rin up and put her on his back. She didn’t seem hurt, but they needed to get going fast, and Rin didn’t exactly have quick running legs. “I’ll explain on the trip back.”
Sango nodded.
---
As quick as they had invaded the rebels had vanished back into the brush and bushes they had come out of. They had arms full of some stolen goods and large carts of food being pulled and pushed along. There was a small pursuit of Naraku’s soldiers, but it didn’t last long, either lost or killed.
Finally they slowed down to a brisk marching pace.
The heat of battle over, Sango dared to ask what had been weighing on her mind since seeing this girl instead of her little brother in that cage. “So who is she anyway?”
Miroku glanced over his shoulder to look at Rin who was simply watching all the going’s on with mild interest. “Inu-Yasha has an elder brother named Sesshomaru. Rin is his... Well... I suppose the best term is apprentice.” He shrugged. “She is to Sesshomaru what Shippou is to Kagome.”
Sango nodded, the picture becoming clearer, though it was still fuzzy on the edges. “Well I’m glad we saved her.” She looked at the ground. “No one should have to be imprisoned like that.”
“I’m sorry Sango. I got your hopes up. It wasn’t your brother.” Miroku gave her shoulder a squeeze as best he could while still carrying Rin.
Sango forced a smile on her face. “It’s nothing. Besides, there are plenty of other towns to look for Kohaku in. One down, right?” She swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth.
But before Sango sunk too deeply into her grief, Rin piped up. “Kohaku? There was a little boy in the cage with me named Kohaku!” Sango whirled around to look straight at the small girl, trying not to be frightening but she had to be sure she heard that right. Before Sango could even dare to make her mouth move the little girl spoke again. “Are you Sango?”
When Sango nodded, Rin smiled. “Oh hooray! And here he thought you’d never get his message.”
Sango felt like she was going to faint, she was so light headed. Miroku could see the way her hands reached out for thin air in desperation for balance. He gently held her arm, steadying her. “My brother had a message for me?” Her voice cracked a bit as she dared to ask the words that could make or destroy her at that moment.
“Yes.” Miroku had set Rin down at some point so she walked up next to Sango. “Ready?” Sango nod vigorously. “Okay!” Rin threw her arms around Sango in a big bear hug. Still holding on she looked up at her and said, “I really miss you. I’m okay right now, though. I love you sis.”
It wasn’t the same from Rin, a little girl. But Sango hugged back. “Kohaku.” A tear slid down her cheek.
---
Sango started asking more questions to Rin as they got closer to the encampment and eventually became the one to carry the smaller girl when little legs got tired of walking such a fast pace. Rin told her, he looked okay but a bit tired. He had said he’d been moved around a lot lately and he refused to believe that she was dead. He had talked about missing the sunlight, and he almost enjoyed the farm work since it meant he got to be outside all day.
Sango wanted to ask more, but as soon as they arrived at the center of the village, Inu-Yasha was already arguing with a very beautiful young man who appeared both older and taller with long white hair and fine noble clothes.
“Master Sesshomaru!” Rin ran forward both happy and amazed to see him here.
However, before she could get close, Kagome stopped her, turning around to cut off the young girl’s path, a bright smile on her face. “Hey! I wonder if Sora’s got a new toy she’d love to show you?”
“Really?”Rin asked. Kagome nodded leading Rin towards her home. Sora was at the doorway, having come out to see what all the yelling was about. “Hey Sora!”
Sora smiled. “Rin! Hi!” The two girls went inside to play, followed by Kagome who only paused to glance over her should at Inu-Yasha and Sesshomaru.
“You have my thanks for rescuing Rin for me. Now if you would kindly produce her, I will leave.” Sesshomaru kept his focus on Inu-Yasha, solely. He had seen which hut she had gone into and knew to whom it belonged.
When Inu-Yasha still didn’t do anything to have Rin brought before him Sesshomaru headed to the hut to get her himself. That got Inu-Yasha to move. “You were gonna hand us over to him weren’t you?”Angry golden eyes locked on to steely flaxen ones with a furry that could only rise. “You were gonna tell Naraku where we’re hidin’ just so you could have Rin back!”
Sesshomaru just looked away from his younger brother as if he were discounting a fly on the ground and continued walking forward. “Inu-Yasha. If you hadn’t saved me the trouble, I would have gotten her, myself.”
With that Inu-Yasha growled, jumping in front of doorway to his hut. “I don’t know. I don’t think you’re doing a good job of caring for her.”
Sesshomaru’s lips turned down slightly. “Rin?” She popped her head out of Kagome and Inu-Yasha’s home. “Yes, my lord?”
“We’re leaving.”
“Okay.”She stood up, brushing herself off and then pushed past the twitching half demon to stand next to Sesshomaru. The rest of Inu-Yasha’s children had come to the door to wave good-bye which was returned with enthusiasm by Rin. “Bye Sora! Bye Shippou! Bye Kaito!” Sesshomaru picked her up and walked off, Inu-Yasha shouting after him about not being done yet.
“What was that about?” The whole time, Miroku and Sango had been watching this ordeal from the side. Sango wasn’t sure if it was good to be snooping so, but Miroku wouldn’t budge.
Miroku yawned. The sun was just barely over the hills in the distance. “I wish I could tell you for sure.” He leaned on his staff. “I don’t even really know. Rin was led here by Kikyo after half her village was slain by Naraku. But she was abused in her own household, and she didn’t adjust well. Then one day Sesshomaru showed up, said she was coming with him and left with Rin.
“No one knows why he keeps her. Especially since Sesshomaru isn’t known for being fond of humans. But whatever he’s doing must be working. Last time I saw her, she didn’t even talk to anyone.”
Miroku regarded Sango quietly. She tilted her head to the side wondering why he was staring at her so intently. Miroku shifted his gaze, giving her only the view of the back of his head. “Maybe I should ask Sesshomaru for pointers,” he muttered.
Sango just rolled her eyes. “Miroku...” She shook her head, chuckling under her breath. “I think you’re doing just fine.” Grinning to herself, she turned leaving him to let his pride war with embarrassment.
---
“Sango get dressed.” Sango groaned, rubbing her eyes. Why was that always the first thing he said to her when he woke her up?
Reluctantly she forced herself to sit up and rub her eyes. That’s when she noticed something wasn’t right. There were no birds.. No sounds of movement. She looked closer... there wasn’t even any daylight. She turned to Miroku, debating flopping back down on her bed roll, but the monk was already fully dressed. “What’s going on? It’s the middle of the night.”
“We have a run away.” He handed her some cloths and turned around.
Sango watched him closely. He knew better then to try to watch her get dressed at this point. Since he hadn’t tried to turn around by now it was safe, which meant Miroku was being serious. She pulled the shirt on. “A spy?” She dressed herself the rest of the way. It was odd that he was giving her cloths instead of armor.
“No. He’s a kid who’s been brought here by Kiyko with his sister. We should have known he was going to leave. He kept saying he had to go back and find a pet or something.” Miroku shook his head. If there hadn’t been so many orphans brought here in the last week...
Sango pulled on a pair of boots. “So why are we going?” It’s not as if she didn’t care. She was just curious.
“He’s only eleven years old.” Sango paused in her dressing. Outside the barrier that protected this place were many demons known to inhabit mountains. “At the edge of the mountain is sever danger to the young.”
Sango nodded, knowing that already. She finished dressing as quickly as she could. They had to hurry. “Is Inu-Yasha coming?”
“No.” Miroku started walking with her, taking her in the direction Uyeda had left in. “Inu-Yasha has a good nose for finding people but he tends to be a little scary.” Sango forced down a snicker at that. “Plus,” Miroku added. “if he goes then the village’s defense is even lower if something should happen.”
Sango nodded. The village was getting further and further away. It wasn’t long before they were at the edge of what Sango had come to understand was the barrier. Every since she was little she had been known for seeing at great distances, so she kept her eyes open. They didn’t need to be attacked on top of everything else.
“Do you think you can track him Sango?” Miroku had started looking around for any traces that the boy had been this way as well as extending out his senses for a demonic presence.
“I’ll try.” Her father had attempted to teach her tracking once. She’d understood the idea but some of the finer details escaped her. Plus it had been years since she’d really used the skill, since, in the arena, her opponent was very easy to find.
Miroku had every confidence in her. She was strong with good instincts and what he referred to as ‘a killer pair of eyes.’ He wasn’t surprised when she told him she used a giant bone boomerang in her fighting. It was a weapon of such precision that could only be used properly by someone who could see well enough to aim their shot directly on both the first strike and the return.
Thoughts of strengths and weaknesses were absorbed by the darkness of the forest and the night as if some great vortex had swallowed up all the sound. The two companions found the mute tension to overwhelming and so conversation and then all noise between them ceased. Both new it was a shame they couldn’t find the strength to break such a wall of silece, for the sound of another’s voice is known to be comforting. But they just walked in silence trying to hone in on tracking and security.
Neither were sure how long they’d walked for when they heard the cry of a little boy ahead. It was like a homing signal to both and they followed it mindlessly to it’s source.
“Heeeelp!” Uyeda was standing on a crumbling cliff side, probably having fallen from the road a few feet above him. Below and waiting for the last remains of his perch to fall away were a pack of demons, hungering for young flesh.