InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Small Moments ❯ Wandering ( Chapter 16 )
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By: ladygriddlebone 
Sango sorts her thoughts.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance / Angst | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 06.20.2010 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.2K | Visits: 491 | Status: Completed
Sango sorts her thoughts.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance / Angst | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 06.20.2010 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.2K | Visits: 491 | Status: Completed
There was only one road out of town. Sango was glad of that; it made life much easier. With only the one road, ramrod straight, heading off into the distance, she could just keep putting one foot in front of the other and avoid focusing too much on where she was going. She maintained at least a superficial awareness of her surroundings, as she had been trained to do since childhood, but felt reasonably safe in letting her mind wander a bit.
They had been given the chance to rest a bit earlier, having spent much of the night engaged in battle with the false water god, but she had been unable to quiet her mind enough to sleep. Their departure had seemed to come far too quickly, but she made no protest as they headed out of town. Houshi-sama had secured an exorbitant reward for their efforts, and so he brought up the rear with the horse and cart that were necessary to even move the piles of household implements and rolls of fine fabric they had acquired. She and Kagome traveled at the front of the group, while Inuyasha walked in the middle.
And so now she merely trudged along, nodding occasionally to whatever Kagome said to her, and trying to sort through the conflicting thoughts that swarmed in her head.
She had already managed to work out that she would trust Inuyasha. He was clearly more than a little brutish, but his instincts tended to be spot on, he had more powerful senses than she did and therefore a better perception of their surroundings, and she was by now pretty certain that under all that bluster beat a good heart. He had the potential to be a good team mate, just like Kirara. All he was lacking was foresight... and, she had to admit, good manners and some stern training.
She almost giggled at the idea of attempting to train Inuyasha like a dog. Kagome gave her a curious, sidelong glance; Sango quickly sobered, as she did not particularly relish the idea of explaining to Kagome and the others just what was amusing her so much. Kagome and Shippou would see the humor in the idea, she was sure, but Inuyasha would not take it well.
And then there was the monk. Would he be amused, too, or would he take the hanyou's side? She had a feeling he would be more amused than offended.
But she had been wrong about him before.
She had been trying not to think about him, because it brought to mind how easily he had slipped past her defenses. She had thought, in spite of her other companions' warnings, that he was truly a good man. But she could not deny the facts of it now. She had been weak, and he had taken advantage. Or tried to.
It hurt, to think that the man who had tended her wounds so carefully and had seen to her care was at heart a womanizer and a con man. It hurt more that she had given her trust so easily, had chosen to ignore the warnings, and had been burned for playing thus with fire.
And yet... he had pulled her from the water and saved her from drowning. He had fought beside her and ensured that the false water god did not escape to attack the village again. These were good, even noble things that he had done. And in return she had been kind even though her heart seethed with uncertainty and wounded pride.
She knew that she could not afford to trust him again.
The worst part was that she wanted to trust him again.
This realization so unsettled her that she immediately tripped over some unseen bump in the road, dropped Kirara, and staggered hard into Kagome, who nearly toppled under the sudden burden.
"Hey, Sango, watch where you step!" Inuyasha said. His voice was gruff and loud, and Sango could picture the angry scowl on his face perfectly, even without turning to look.
"Then maybe you should walk in front," she retorted, righting herself. She regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth, but she was tired enough that she no longer felt like hiding her opinion that if he was going to appoint himself leader, he ought to act like it all of the time, instead of being petulant when his companions failed or erred in some small way.
A few long strides saw the hanyou move to the front of the group, glowering over his shoulder at Sango as he went. She thought she heard him mutter something about being the only one that knew where they were going anyway, and sighed.
"Are you okay?" Kagome was watching her, wide-eyed and concerned, but it was the monk that had spoken. She had thought, riding behind them as he was, that he would not be paying much attention to the bickering of his companions. Apparently he was more observant than she gave him credit for.
"I'm just a little tired, I guess," she murmured by way of explanation. Her flash of temper was already cooling into a melancholy quiet. She honestly had not expected her sleeplessness to affect her so much, but her body was still healing from the wounds Naraku had inflicted so many days ago, and this battle had taken a greater toll on her than she had guessed. "I didn't rest well back at the inn."
"You could always ride up here with me," he offered pleasantly.
Sango felt her face heat - though she could not be certain if it stemmed from anger, or something else - at the suggestion that she should sit so close to him, rather than make use of the cart. "Uhm... no thank you, Houshi-sama. I'm fine."
"Suit yourself." He let the matter drop, and she resolved to keep her face turned firmly forward until they stopped for the night. Unfortunately, Kagome had not only noticed Houshi-sama's offer, but also the way it discomfited Sango. And Kagome was not so content to let things go. Worse, she knew just how to attack, waiting to pounce until her intended target - Sango - had let her guard down.
"Hey, Sango, did something happen between you and Miroku back there?" she asked, just as soon as Sango had decided she was safe from further questioning. She should have known better.
For a fleeting instant, she wanted to respond honestly. But she felt the damn monk's eyes on her back - and knew he was listening - and could not admit her moment of vulnerability, even to Kagome. "No," she said, scowling slightly. "Nothing happened. Why do you ask?"
Wisely, Kagome did not push her luck, and from there they traveled in silence.
They had been given the chance to rest a bit earlier, having spent much of the night engaged in battle with the false water god, but she had been unable to quiet her mind enough to sleep. Their departure had seemed to come far too quickly, but she made no protest as they headed out of town. Houshi-sama had secured an exorbitant reward for their efforts, and so he brought up the rear with the horse and cart that were necessary to even move the piles of household implements and rolls of fine fabric they had acquired. She and Kagome traveled at the front of the group, while Inuyasha walked in the middle.
And so now she merely trudged along, nodding occasionally to whatever Kagome said to her, and trying to sort through the conflicting thoughts that swarmed in her head.
She had already managed to work out that she would trust Inuyasha. He was clearly more than a little brutish, but his instincts tended to be spot on, he had more powerful senses than she did and therefore a better perception of their surroundings, and she was by now pretty certain that under all that bluster beat a good heart. He had the potential to be a good team mate, just like Kirara. All he was lacking was foresight... and, she had to admit, good manners and some stern training.
She almost giggled at the idea of attempting to train Inuyasha like a dog. Kagome gave her a curious, sidelong glance; Sango quickly sobered, as she did not particularly relish the idea of explaining to Kagome and the others just what was amusing her so much. Kagome and Shippou would see the humor in the idea, she was sure, but Inuyasha would not take it well.
And then there was the monk. Would he be amused, too, or would he take the hanyou's side? She had a feeling he would be more amused than offended.
But she had been wrong about him before.
She had been trying not to think about him, because it brought to mind how easily he had slipped past her defenses. She had thought, in spite of her other companions' warnings, that he was truly a good man. But she could not deny the facts of it now. She had been weak, and he had taken advantage. Or tried to.
It hurt, to think that the man who had tended her wounds so carefully and had seen to her care was at heart a womanizer and a con man. It hurt more that she had given her trust so easily, had chosen to ignore the warnings, and had been burned for playing thus with fire.
And yet... he had pulled her from the water and saved her from drowning. He had fought beside her and ensured that the false water god did not escape to attack the village again. These were good, even noble things that he had done. And in return she had been kind even though her heart seethed with uncertainty and wounded pride.
She knew that she could not afford to trust him again.
The worst part was that she wanted to trust him again.
This realization so unsettled her that she immediately tripped over some unseen bump in the road, dropped Kirara, and staggered hard into Kagome, who nearly toppled under the sudden burden.
"Hey, Sango, watch where you step!" Inuyasha said. His voice was gruff and loud, and Sango could picture the angry scowl on his face perfectly, even without turning to look.
"Then maybe you should walk in front," she retorted, righting herself. She regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth, but she was tired enough that she no longer felt like hiding her opinion that if he was going to appoint himself leader, he ought to act like it all of the time, instead of being petulant when his companions failed or erred in some small way.
A few long strides saw the hanyou move to the front of the group, glowering over his shoulder at Sango as he went. She thought she heard him mutter something about being the only one that knew where they were going anyway, and sighed.
"Are you okay?" Kagome was watching her, wide-eyed and concerned, but it was the monk that had spoken. She had thought, riding behind them as he was, that he would not be paying much attention to the bickering of his companions. Apparently he was more observant than she gave him credit for.
"I'm just a little tired, I guess," she murmured by way of explanation. Her flash of temper was already cooling into a melancholy quiet. She honestly had not expected her sleeplessness to affect her so much, but her body was still healing from the wounds Naraku had inflicted so many days ago, and this battle had taken a greater toll on her than she had guessed. "I didn't rest well back at the inn."
"You could always ride up here with me," he offered pleasantly.
Sango felt her face heat - though she could not be certain if it stemmed from anger, or something else - at the suggestion that she should sit so close to him, rather than make use of the cart. "Uhm... no thank you, Houshi-sama. I'm fine."
"Suit yourself." He let the matter drop, and she resolved to keep her face turned firmly forward until they stopped for the night. Unfortunately, Kagome had not only noticed Houshi-sama's offer, but also the way it discomfited Sango. And Kagome was not so content to let things go. Worse, she knew just how to attack, waiting to pounce until her intended target - Sango - had let her guard down.
"Hey, Sango, did something happen between you and Miroku back there?" she asked, just as soon as Sango had decided she was safe from further questioning. She should have known better.
For a fleeting instant, she wanted to respond honestly. But she felt the damn monk's eyes on her back - and knew he was listening - and could not admit her moment of vulnerability, even to Kagome. "No," she said, scowling slightly. "Nothing happened. Why do you ask?"
Wisely, Kagome did not push her luck, and from there they traveled in silence.