InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Road to Remembrance ❯ On the Road Again ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter Four

Kaede was serving everyone a thick stew dinner when Inuyasha stepped into the hut, the letter clutched in his left hand. Kaede smiled kindly at him and offered him a bowl of soup.

“Good evening, Inuyasha, how is your back feeling?”

Inuyasha cast his eyes downward as his attention was drawn to what was imprinted into him. He could still feel the burn.

“Fine,” he mumbled as he accepted the food.

“Is something wrong with your back?” Sango asked. She had decided to give Inuyasha a chance, seeing as he didn't mean for Kagome to leave entirely. In fact the only person who was still mad at him was Shippo, who stayed on the far side of the hut away from the half demon glaring at him.

“No,” he answered shortly. There was an uneasy moment of silence as the incomplete group ate their food; silence that would have normally been filled with Kagome's cheerful chatter.

“Miroku, I need to ask you something,” Inuyasha said suddenly, putting his half-eaten bowl of stew on the ground. Miroku looked up from his meal shocked for two reasons; 1) Inuyasha never asked to ask something and 2) he never left a meal unfinished.

“Yes?”

Inuyasha plucked the roll of parchment from his haori and handed it to the monk.

“I need to know what language that's written in.”

Miroku unrolled the scroll and glazed over the contents; seeming even more shocked than before.

“Where did you get this?” he asked in awe.

“Never mind that. Can you tell where it's from or not?”

Sango crawled over to Miroku and looked over his shoulder, but couldn't understand a word of it.

“I recognize the language from my studies,” he answered, “It is English. But I never learned it, so I'm sorry to say I can't read it for you.”

Inuyasha snorted at that, slightly relieved that Miroku couldn't read his letter.

“And where do people speak English?”

“Well in England I presume. But that's half way across the world. Inuyasha, what is this all about?” Miroku asked concerned. But Inuyasha wasn't listening. The word England triggered something in his mind...

“Scotland,” he mumbled out loud unknowingly.

“Well, yes, I supposed they speak it there too,” Miroku said, thinking Inuyasha was talking to him. That broke Inuyasha out of his stupor. He stood abruptly, startling many occupants of the small home.

“I have to leave,” he said finally.

“What do ye mean?” Kaede asked, picking up his unfinished dinner from the floor.

“I need to go to Scotland.”

“But that's way too far. It could take you months... even years!” Sango exclaimed.

“Inuyasha,” Miroku said slowly, “Do you know what's in that letter?”

Inuyasha looked at him but did not answer. Instead he turned and began to head out the door.

“NO!”

Inuyasha stopped as he felt something small latch onto his leg. Shippo looked up at him with tears streaming down his face.

“Don't leave Inuyasha, please don't leave! I'm sorry I said I hate you! I didn't mean it! I don't want to loose you too!” he stopped screaming only to start wailing loudly again. Inuyasha was quite alarmed by the whole ordeal, never having to deal with a crying child clinging to him before. Thankfully Sango came over and pulled the hiccupping kit off him.

“Why do you have to go?” she asked, confused and saddened. Their entire group was falling apart in one day.

“I might have family over there,” he said quietly. Sango's eyes flew open.

“But your parents...”

“On my mother's side. Please, it's something I need to find out. I'll come back, one day. I promise.”

Without warning, Sango leapt forwards and threw her arms around Inuyasha. Inuyasha immediately seized up. This was something he'd expect from Kagome, but not the usually collected demon slayer.

“Be careful alright?” she mumbled, pulling away from him. Inuyasha just nodded mutely, still slightly freaked out from the recent out of character display.

Miroku stood and clamped a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder, “I hope you find what you are looking for, my friend.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Please come back,” Shippo whimpered from Sango's arms. Kilala mewed her agreement.

“I will,” Inuyasha smiled at his friends one last time before heading out the door, walking strait out of the village and towards the nearest scent of the ocean spray.

0o0o0o0o

It had been one week since he left the village, and despite a few random demons straying into his path, it was a relatively uneventful journey. Inuyasha wasn't stupid enough to think the expedition would be a piece of cake. For one thing, he knew enough about Japan to know it was an island, which that would mean he would have to find a ship somewhere and possibly stow away on it. He didn't want to plan too far ahead incase anything unexpected happened (and with his luck it probably would) so he decided searching for the nearest seaport would be his best option at the moment.

He knew he was close for the breeze was heavy with moisture and salt. It wasn't long before he could hear the rumble of waves crashing against the surf and seagulls squawking to one another. There was something about the alluring scent that brought freedom to mind, something that he had been denied his whole life in one way or another. But he wasn't a little kid anymore and it was time to get back his life.

Inuyasha crept out of his hiding spot in the trees and neared the human infested ports. They were everywhere, loading and unloading cargo, gossiping to one another, and some wearing very strange clothes. He turned his attention back to the task at hand. He needed to find a ship that would take him as close to Scotland as possible. A couple of people walked past him, laughing about something or another and walked aboard one of the ships being prepared to set sail. But what really caught his attention was their appearance.

Their fair skin, large frames and wide eyes indicated they were Europeans. Jack pot.

Of course getting on the ship was easy enough. A few quick jumps faster than the human eye could follow and he was already on board, ducked behind a stack of crates piled on the deck. Inuyasha sighed and leaned against one of the crates that smelled strongly of leather. He was alone again, but, back on the road, right where he belonged.

0o0o0o0o