InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unexpected Alliances ❯ On Your Guard ( Chapter 15 )

§§§§§§§§§§§ ;§§§§§§§§§§§§&# 167;§§§§§§§§§§§§ ;§§§§§§§§§§§§&# 167;§§§§§§§§§§§§ ;§§§§§§§§§§§

 

§ On Your Guard §

 

 

“Kouga!” Kagome yipped. “I am so glad to see you!”

 

The wolf youkai turned to her. The cold, indifferent look of his eyes frightened her. “We had better get out of the storm,” he said.

 

“And then we need to have a little chat.”

 

It took Kagome's mind a moment to comprehend just what the wolf youkai had implied. Her thoughts still spun from the anxiety of the fight, but Kouga's words burned through the fog of her mind like the early morning sun. She gawked at her rescuer, shocked by the harshness and anger that was all too present in his voice. Whoa, what's up with Kouga? He didn't even bother to ask me if I was all right. That isn't like him at all!

 

She opened her mouth as if to argue, but Kouga, sensing her exhaustion, slipped an arm under her battle-worn frame and scooped her up firefighter-style. The blood rushed to Kagome's cheeks as he slipped his opposite arm around her shoulders and tightened his hold, bringing her uncomfortably close. Well, she thought, at least he is somewhat concerned for my safety…

 

A small, stifled giggle emanated from the direction of Sango. When her eyes met Kagome's, she gave a tiny wink. Miroku was shaking his head in sheer amusement, as if he expected no less from the wolf demon despite Kouga's apparent anger. Varon's jaw was dangling dangerously close to the ground.

 

With Kagome safely secured in his arms, the wolf turned to face her companions. “Come on, you pile of bones,” he snapped. “Let's get moving. Unless of course you wish to stay behind and become human icicles in that storm. Those wolves I just drove off would be only too happy to do you the honor of being a warm tongue and teeth to that icicle.”

 

Shippo's face went audibly pale as he glanced to the oncoming wall of snow and sleet. The kitsune gave a tiny squeak and bounded into Sango's waiting arms. The demon slayer herself looked warily to the west, and gave Kouga a nod signaling her readiness.

 

Seemingly satisfied at their response, Kouga turned away from the blizzard's path and began a smooth, steady jog, slow enough to allow Kagome's companions to keep up. Footsteps behind them assured Kagome that the others were following. She swung around in Kouga's arms, glancing worriedly back at her friends. Miroku gave her a strained grin. Shippo waved from his new spot on Sango's shoulder, and Varon slipped her a tiny, furtive wink. Their eyes were hard set on following the young wolf leader, but her friends' harsh breaths betrayed their exhaustion, discernable even over the howling wind. Even Kouga's diminished speed was tiring to their battle-worn bodies, but the urgency of the situation pushed everyone on.

 

The minutes crept past as they began to depart the area of the battle. Though the rocks still littered the ground, patches of grass and tiny, twisted trees appeared infrequently among the wreckage. The cliffs began to sink in size, until only the lower remnants of their jagged peaks lay among the lush grasses.

 

A gust of wind, remnant of the blizzard, abruptly blew Kouga off-balance. Kagome shrieked as she slipped in the youkai's grip. In a panic, Kouga intensified his grip on her skin so as not to let her fall. His pointed claws sank deep in her skin of her arm, and Kagome cried out in pain. Her hand swung up and grasped the angry wound.

 

Kouga landed heavily on his knees, keeping Kagome clutched to his chest. The winds continued to batter his frame, but the wolf youkai centered his balance on the waxy grasses beneath them. He lowered his arms; Kagome slipped from his grip onto the solid ground below.

 

“Kouga! Lady Kagome, are you alright?” Miroku darted up, the others following not far behind.

 

She nodded. Strong arms pulled her to her feet, and Kouga's eyes gazed into her own. “Sorry about that,” he mumbled, running his fingers through his sweat-soaked hair. “This wind's murder to run through.”

 

“No harm done,” she replied, gently caressing her sore shoulder. “Other then the fact my shirt's probably ruined.”

 

Kouga's eyes narrowed. He reached forward and pulled her fingers away from the puncture wounds. Blood coated her fingers, and she could feel it slowly spreading down the length of her arm. “This needs to be attended to,” he informed her, slightly apologetic.

 

“It needs to be cleaned and bandaged.” Sango pushed past the others, holding her waterskin. “Kouga, this area is your territory. Even though I believe we have escaped the worst of the storm, we are still going to have to endure the outer edge. We need a place to spend the night out of the cold where we can take care of our wounds properly. Got anything in mind?”

 

Kouga pursed his lips together in thought for a moment. He cast his hand over his shoulder, his thumb pointing towards one of the last of the smaller cliffs. “There's a small cave out that direction, maybe only five minutes from here. It'll be dark, but it will protect us.”

 

“That will do fine,” Miroku said, “as long as we get going. The snow will be on us at any moment.”

 

Kouga made as if to scoop her up again. Kagome grimaced. No thank you, please. She extended out her arms instead to the small bundle on Sango's shoulder, and Shippo's warm bulk eagerly bounded aboard and curled up to her chest.

 

Kouga shrugged, obviously disappointed at her decision. He spun around and directed the way again, this time at a fast walk. It seemed even he had trouble battling the oncoming winds preceding the blizzard behind. The fierce gust whipped Kagome's hair about her face, hindering her attempts to see their destination ahead. Her muscles protested at every step; her breaths labored in short, useless gasps. It seemed ages until a yell from Shippo revealed he had spotted the weeds concealing the entrance.

 

Kouga held the thorny brush aside as the group filed into the darkness. Kagome ducked as the ceiling dipped agonizingly low, forcing her to crawl on her knees through the lingering damp. Shippo jumped from her arms and, being the smallest of the group, bounded ahead to scout out a path. Serrated rocks and boulders littered the cave floor, and from the little light the entrance provided, Kagome recognized the soft, off-white substance coating the walls as calcite. She smiled. At least now no one could claim she hadn't listened to her science teachers' lecture on cavern geology.

 

Shippo's distant voice broke her reverie. “There's a small cavern in here,” she heard him call out. “I think it will fit us all, but-”

 

Kagome's hand reached out into nothingness where she had expected solid rock. She gave a startled squeak, losing her balance and tumbling down the sudden blackness before her. An avalanche of rocks followed her, and she faintly heard her friend's cries of astonishment through the din as they too plummeted into the abyss.

 

The abrupt arrival of the ground forced air from her lungs as Kagome's back slammed into solid stone. Coughing, she attempted to rise to her knees. A dead weight on her chest knocked her forcefully back onto the damp stone.

 

“-there's a slight drop.” The remainder of Shippo's sentence echoed, somewhat sheepishly, about the stone.

 

Slowly, Kagome's eyes adjusted enough to let her see the dim outline of the face hovering just above her own. The dark eyes widened in surprise, and a sly grin stole across its features.

 

“Well, this is an interesting position we've got ourselves into Lady Kagome,” the face said. “Unfortunately, I don't think your heart is in this, if you know what I mean…”

 

“MIROKU! GET OFF YOU PERVET!” she shrieked, attempting desperately to twist out from underneath the monk. The hand she used to balance herself on the slimy rocks slipped, and Kagome shrieked as she vainly struggled for something to grab hold. Her nails found Miroku's robe, and together they both crashed back onto the stone floor.

 

He laughed heartily as Kagome found herself once again face to face with the perverted houshi. “Well, well,” Miroku managed to choke out, “maybe I was mistaken-”

 

Having finally managed to work an arm free, Kagome's version of the five-star slap flung up and struck the monk squarely on the jaw. The noise from the impact echoed threateningly throughout the cavern, as if daring someone else to comment.

 

“I don't know,” said Shippo, shaking his head quietly. “I still think Kagome would be able to teach Sango a thing or two.”

 

Squirming out of arm's distance of the monk, Kagome laid him an icy glare. Miroku grinned at her sheepishly from behind the hand comforting the crimson red imprint on his cheek. Kagome heard herself growl angrily as she wrung her dust-coated hands. How dare he try that, with herself of all people! That perverted monk, who did he think he was…

 

A warm hand lightly touched her own, and Kagome lifted her eyes to greet the sympathetic face of Varon. In the near-twilight darkness, she found herself gaping at the handsome outline the monk cast upon her. His twinkle-blue eyes glittered with mirth as he sat beside her and grasped her hand. Against her will, Kagome felt herself being drawn in by their comforting depths.

 

“Are you all right, Lady Kagome?” he questioned, gazing at her up and down. “Surely Miroku hasn't caused you any serious injury.”

 

Out of the corner of her eye, Kagome could see Kouga begin to rise to his feet.

 

“I'm fine,” she stammered, fidgeting back a little. She was starting to feel extremely on edge, having another known pervert intruding into her personal space. And the last thing she needed right now was a testosterone war from Kouga. Unaware of his impending doom, Varon leaned in closer, rapidly closing the distance between the two of them.

 

Okay, that's it, she thought, attempting to pull her hands away from Varon's firm grasp. They didn't budge. Her squeak of vexation was abruptly muted by the hammering of Hiraikotsu on the monk's skull.

 

“Need a hand, Kagome?” Sango's fiery glower diminished both monks into the resemblance of cowering chickens. Their eyes, however, followed the Hiraikotsu like a couple of hawks. The demon slayer gave the two men a final, riveting glower, and turned back to give Kagome a hand up. “Your wounds still haven't been cared for.”

 

“Thanks Sango,” she whispered, gladly receiving the offered help. “More than you know.”

 

“I was just trying to lighten the mood,” mumbled Varon, massaging his tender skull.

At the back of the cavern, Kouga's snarl quieted.

 

§§§§§§§§§§§ ;§§§§§§§§§§§§&# 167;§§§§§§§§§§§§ ;§§§§§§§§§§§§&# 167;§§§§§§§§§§§§ ;§§§§§§§§§§§

 

“Foxfire!”

 

The tiny blue flame illuminated the cave walls for only an instant, sparking the orange and red light of a healthy fire amongst the few branches and twigs Kouga had found. The little warmth crept into Kagome's chilled bones, thawing out her frozen skin. His duty accomplished, Shippo crawled eagerly back into her lap.

 

There was a tense silence as Kouga tossed a few more sticks on the growing fire. Kagome saw his chest draw a breath, and she cringed, awaiting the inevitable question. After the initial outburst after the attack, Kagome was surprised he hadn't said something before now.

 

“Where is that mutt-face?” Kouga whispered silently. “Why isn't taking care of Kagome like he's so fond of telling me? And what the…what is going on?”

 

The absence of anger in Kouga's tone surprised her. His voice was laced with exhaustion and emotional fatigue, not bitter rage she had come to expect out of him with questions like these. It seemed the wolf had been through more than he was letting on lately, a possible hint as to why he had been so sharp with her earlier.

 

Patiently, they all related to Kouga their account of past weeks, Inuyasha's plight, and their quest to gather the remaining jewel shards in an attempt to free him before the St'aler could do much damage. The young wolf leader listened quietly and attentively, asking questions here and there to clarify their emotional story. When they finished, he sat silent, his face hidden behind his hands.

 

“So ol' dog boy finally bit off more than he can chew, eh? Who's behind all this?”

 

“We honestly don't know,” offered Sango. “Kagome's experience with the man Katsume tells us he's an underling taking orders for someone more powerful than himself. Yet, that man appeared to be a prosperous lord. The only plausible explanation would be our enemy's a dominant upper demon seeking power greater than the Sacred Jewel.”

 

“And who do we know that would want that kind of power?” Varon asked, genuinely confused. Kagome blinked stupidly as the answer slapped her in the face. Of course! How stupid could I be? Who else would want Inuyasha dead, and ultimate power to top it off?

 

“You speak of Naraku, I gather,” spoke Miroku. His brows creased with worry.

 

“Naraku,” snarled Kouga, “the slimy, creepy, bastar-”

 

“The same demon that caused the death of both Miroku's grandfather and father?” Varon interrupted incredulously. “You can't be talking about him?”

 

“The very same,” answered Miroku. “He has plagued our journey as of late, and he himself holds the majority of the jewel shards. If Naraku is the cause of the St'aler's reappearance, we will meet up with him soon enough.”

 

“You just can't get a break, can you Miroku?” Varon queried. This time, no hint of a joke hid in his voice. “Back at our village, we had heard of Naraku's reappearance in our midst. It seems now he is more formidable then we had ever anticipated possible. Could it really be that Naraku is the demon behind all of this?”

 

Kagome pursed her lips thoughtfully. Naraku certainly was a devious demon, out of whom she had come to expect almost anything to gather the remaining shards. Yet, to imagine Naraku working with a human on any level was astounding. Humans were weak, pathetic creatures to him, ones not worthy of sharing the earth. The very idea of being half of one disgusted him.

 

“I don't know guys. I just…I don't think it could be him. It's a gut feeling, but it doesn't seem right somehow.” Kagome paused, certainty gathering in her voice. “Naraku is not at the center of this.”

 

“Then who else could it be?” Kouga's voice seemed pained, and tired.

 

“Kouga.” Varon shifted on the stone, edging closer to the wolf demon. “You're the leader of the wolf pack around here, right?”

 

Kouga grunted his assent.

 

“Then answer me this. Why is it that the wolves that are supposedly under your control are attacking your comrades?”

 

Kouga stared at the monk, a small sneer apparent on his lips “Simple. Those wolves are not mine. In fact, I have no idea to whom those demons belong. Their scent is unrecognizable to me.”

 

“How is it that you were unable to track them before now? If they were strange, your pack should have found and destroyed them long before they penetrated so deep within your borders.”

 

A strange, mad gleam danced in Kouga's eyes. Kagome started. She had only seen Kouga wear this desperate look once before, when the wolf demon had been deceived into killing Inuyasha for the death of his pack members. Varon had placed himself in a precarious position to invoke Kouga's dislike and anger to this degree.

 

A low snarl escaped his throat. “It's this damn storm. Half my pack is weak or injured. I'm not sending them to scout and have their deaths on my hands. Besides, nothing living should have been able to move through that storm. I was barely able to track Kagome myself, with the mutt's scent all over the place.”

 

“Inuyasha's scent? You smelled Inuyasha in the storm?” cried Kagome. Her heart hammered against her chest. Had the rest of his soul been captured?

 

“I would not fear greatly for Inuyasha's capture, Kagome,” said Varon gently. “The stiletto blade probably consumed enough of his soul to run a few, well, tests. If Inuyasha had indeed been captured, we most likely would not be sitting here alive.”

 

Kagome caught a tremor of a snarl from Kouga. Why is he so protective of me today?

 

“We were set up,” sighed Miroku. “You said it, Kouga. Nothing should have been able to track in that storm. The very fact that the wolf demons found us despite the weather suggests that someone laid a well-planned trap. My guess is that the St'aler storm was a means to both lure us in, and shield against any outside assistance once the wolves had attacked. It was sheer luck Kouga came across us when he did.”

 

Sango shifted on the ground. “Then the enemy must know of our plans to gather the shards of the Jewel, and consider it enough of a threat to warrant an attack. All in all, not a bad sign.”

 

“Wait,” said Kouga. “You're gathering the Jewel shards to make a wish, right? How do you intend to take the shards Naraku has claimed?”

 

“All in good time, I'm afraid,” whispered Miroku.

 

§§§§§§§§§§§ ;§§§§§§§§§§§§&# 167;§§§§§§§§§§§§ ;§§§§§§§§§§§§&# 167;§§§§§§§§§§§§ ;§§§§§§§§§§§

 

The last vestiges of the fire illuminated the cavern with a weak, scarlet glow. Intermittent whispers of a snore punctuated the eerie wailing of the wind outside, originating from the small mounds of blankets barely visible in the feeble light. Off to one side, Kouga the wolf demon slept soundlessly against the wall.

 

Seated on the ledge near the entrance to the cave, Varon waited out his watch with a cautious eye on the wolf. Varon could tell Kouga was having an issue with tolerating his presence within the group. The monk could not tell what damning evidence the wolf had conjured up, only that the majority of his remarks had been met with near open hostility this night. The excessive scrutiny disturbed Varon deeply, especially on this night in particular.

 

He was expecting a message of sorts to arrive tonight. One that he would prefer his traveling companions remain ignorant to.

 

As Varon turned his troubled eyes back to snow-laden entrance, a small spark from the fire gleamed in the half-lidded gaze of the wolf demon's eye.

 

§§§§§§§§§§§ ;§§§§§§§§§§§§&# 167;§§§§§§§§§§§§ ;§§§§§§§§§§§§&# 167;§§§§§§§§§§§§ ;§§§§§§§§§§§