InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Pack ❯ Secrets ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Sango lept from her sleeping mat, a cold sweat sticking to her skin, and the screams of wolves echoing in her head. The nightmare woke her almost every night now. She sighed and felt the tingle in her arms and legs. It would be time soon. The next moon rise most likely, or the day after. Time to take the form of the wolf. The form of the thing she had feared since she was little. She wrapped her arms around her legs and put her head on her knees, praying. She looked around at the sleeping figures of her friends and wondered what they would think if they knew. Would they be horrified and call her a monster. Would they abandon her in the forest she lay, or would they slay her like she failed to do herself. She grimaced, an expression barely seen in the fading coals of the fire. That was another nightmare all together, the day she refused to fall on the sword. She gave another sigh before stretching back out. There would be no more sleeping this night, but dawn was hours away, far to early to be moving around.

Her eyes fell on Miroku. She enjoyed watching him sleep. He was so at peace, none of that mischevious lecher peeked through in his restfull state. A wind blew over the embers giving them a short burst of light so that for a moment Kagome could be seen clearly. She was wrapped loosly in her sleeping bag, one arm thrown out above her head. Kagome looked asleep like she did when she was awake. Innocent and naive, though in a good way. She smiled and folded her arms underneath her head. It was nice, travelling with these people. It was like they all understood eachother. A few birds shuffled in their roosts, slowly waking for the beginning of the day. Off in the brush a deer stirred. A fox crept into it's den. The world shifted to the creatures of the day time. She could sense it all. The wolf in her quieted as it always did with the coming of day.

Ever so slowly sun light peaked through the leaves, casting a hazy glow over everything. Time had gone so fast while she was left to muse on her thoughts. Quietly she got to her feet and stretched. It was time to move, albiet quietly. The woods were so silent, balanced on that thin line between awake and asleep. The tingle of her limbs had become a quiet hum of energy. Her hands gently carressed trees as she passed by them. Years of doing the same things over and over had left keeping her secret an art. Just running in the woods lent more control. Feet silently went over the moist dirt floor of the forest. It was a liquid grace that let her flow through the trees as if they were non-existant. The consuming feeling of aloness stopped her in her tracks. Wolves were pack creatures. They thrived on companionship, but then again she wasn't a wolf, not really. She was just a cursed creature, and it had been that way since she had been bitten. Sango's shoulders heaved with a sigh that sounded close to a low whimper. Then she turned and went back to camp.

The others were awake and breakfast was cooking over the fire. The smell of cooking fish wafted around the camp. Sango sat down watching the food cook. "Goodmorning Sango! Did you go for a run this morning?" Kagome asked, looking at the fish again. Sango nodded. "Goodmorning Kagome. Yes I went for a run, the forest is so beautiful at dawn." Sango gave a small secretive smile. 'They would never understand. How could they?' They all ate their breakfast and were talking about small small things. "InuYasha, how long until we start heading back to Keade's village?" He turned and glared at her. "Why wench?" He grumbled.

"I have a test tomorrow, one of the teachers let me take a final early, an it will only be for a couple of days." She pleaded. If she took this one now then it would be a month and a half before she had to go back home for the rest of the exams. He snorted. "Fine. We'll be there by tonight, and you'll be home the day after tomorrow. Got it!" He glared at her, and she smiled and nodded. InuYasha wasn't the most understanding person but he could be reasoned with. As long as it was simpled reasoning anyway. The inu hanyou turned east and they went on their was back to the village.

~*~*~*~*~

The trip back was, thankfully, uneventful and easy. It seemed that InuYasha had just looped around the village to the west on their way to the south. Rumors of any shards had been few and far between leading them to believe that all of them were in the possession of Naraku or themselves. Kagome sighed. It was all coming to a close, and soon the final battle would be upon them. She looked at their little group and prayed that they would all be fine.

Sango had been watching Kagome. At times, when she thought no one was looking, she was depressing. She sighed, looked sadly at everyone, and almost came to tears at times. Exactly what was she thinking anyway? Sango looked to the little neko sitting on her shoulder. The small feline was the last thing her mother gave her, a balance for her animal side. Kagome was gone from them in a matter of minutes to her home. InuYasha sulked around the well for a short time then moved on to his favorite tree outside the village.