InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sight Unseen ❯ Surrounded ( Chapter 11 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: SylverAngel 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 06.26.2003 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.2K | Visits: 1.7K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 06.26.2003 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.2K | Visits: 1.7K | Status: Completed
Sight Unseen
Chapter 11: Surrounded
"Can't we take a break?" Shippo whined as he followed Inuyasha. The kitsune stopped to stretch and yawn, not warning the unsuspecting Kagome who trailed behind him in turn.
"Watch out!" Sango called as Miroku grabbed the back of the girl's shirt to stop her from tripping over the little fox demon in her path. The monk quickly released his grip at the narrow-eyed look from Inuyasha, who had turned to see what was going on behind him.
Kagome stopped mid-step at the outburst, one foot raised in the air, along with the end of the walking stick she'd taken to using to balance herself with. She didn't want to end up falling down a small ledge, or running into a rather large tree, or whatever it was they were keeping her from doing.
"Shippo, you can't just stop in the middle of the road," Sango scolded the kitsune. "Kagome can't see you, remember?"
Kagome put her foot and the stick down slowly. She nearly sighed in relief at hearing it was just Shippo. The anticlimactic discovery also annoyed her slightly, however. It seemed that everyone's nerves had been on edge for most of the day, and this incident hadn't been the first time that the others had overreacted to her being blind.
Shippo had found what he'd said was the most beautiful flower he'd ever seen, and had presented it to her, only to follow it by crying and apologizing since she couldn't see it. Then a few hours later, Sango had been worried that Kagome would slip on one of the large rocks they were using to cross a small stream. With the proper directions as to where to place her feet, she would've been fine, but the demon exterminator was making such a fuss that Inuyasha finally picked Kagome up and jumped across. He turned and set the girl down, giving Sango a fairly annoyed look. Like Shippo, she begged forgiveness for being so silly and for not helping Kagome cross the stream herself.
And now this. Sango had worried her when she'd cried out, and it had all been for naught.
Shippo saw the slight frown that crossed her face, and, thinking it was aimed at him, he grabbed her leg and hugged it hard. "I'm sorry, Kagome!"
The girl could tell by his voice that he was close to crying again. "It's okay, Shippo. Just please warn me next time you stop, okay?" She'd intended to sound soothing, but she couldn't help the slightly aggravated tone.
The kitsune sniffled a bit and gradually let go of her leg, still eyeing her warily.
"We need to keep going," Inuyasha muttered, bringing the group's attention back to their task.
"Do you feel it, then?" Miroku asked, the rings on his staff jingling a bit as he gripped it tighter.
The hanyou nodded in response, scanning the treetops above them as he'd been doing for most of the day.
"Feel what?" Kagome asked, frowning even more. She hadn't seen Inuyasha's nod, but if the monk felt something, then it was likely he did too. She hadn't noticed anything unusual, but then again, they were much more adept at sensing demons and other dangers than she was. "Feel what?" she repeated when no one answered.
"As if we are being watched. Surrounded... "
Kagome bit her lip nervously upon hearing Miroku's ominous response. "Is it... youkai?"
"It is hard to tell. I can not place exactly-- Inuyasha, what-"
The monk's voice was cut off by a great rustling sound as the rock Inuyasha had thrown into the branches of a tree startled whatever had been hiding in its leaves. As soon as the noise died down, Inuyasha threw another stone into a different tree, with the same results. A third and fourth pebble followed, the last finally hitting its target.
A rather large raven-like bird fell out of the tree and landed a few feet in front of the hanyou. It righted itself, cocking its head to the side and eyeing the group curiously. In seconds, it had changed form, leaving a giggling windwalker in its place. The obviously female youkai flung her hair back from her face with one hand and grinned at them as she crouched on the ground. "You all are such fun to tease!" She giggled a bit more before adding, "And to think Father almost didn't let me come along!"
"Father?" Sango questioned aloud, critically glancing at the girl's features. With her dark wings and hair, there was definitely a possibility...
"Marieko!" a slightly familiar voice called from somewhere above them. Its owner soon appeared, standing on a tree branch as he had a few days before.
"Maruku!"
"I was right!"
Sango and Miroku spoke at the same time, drawing the windwalker's attention away from the girl who was apparently his daughter.
Maruku hopped to the ground, bowing slightly after landing. "Please excuse Marieko. She tends to forget that hunters-in-training usually are not allowed out on official business, even if they happen to be niece to the leader of our people."
Marieko pouted at her father as he glared back at her. She stood up and folded her hands behind her back. The young youkai lowered her eyes in respect and guilt. "I'm sorry, sir, for disobeying orders. It won't happen again."
"Hush, Marieko. We both know that isn't true," the windwalker muttered in response, looking down and coughing a bit to hide the pink tint to his cheeks.
The girl grinned again and rolled her eyes. "I know, I know, I'm too much like Uncle Meitarou..."
"That's what I am afraid of." Maruku sent an amused glance at her, then turned back to the others. His voice was all business when he spoke again. "My lady Tamaeri requested that I and the other hunters escort you to our village. You are to be our guests, and as such, under our protection." He made a gesture in the air with his hand, and the trees around them were suddenly stirring with life. Many other winged youkai lined the road from above-- as Miroku had thought earlier, the group was surrounded. Inuyasha watched the demons warily, still not totally believing that they weren't walking straight into a trap.
The monk, as the usual spokesman for the group, recovered first and stepped forward. He bowed to the windwalker. "We would be honored to accept your hospitality."
Maruku nodded decisively. "Good. Then we will show you the way." He placed a hand on his daughter's arm to stop her when she began to change back into her bird-form. "On foot, Marieko."
"Yes, sir," she replied, falling into step behind him.
"Are you counting how many there are, Sango? Or are you waiting to see how many we meet later?" Miroku quipped in the demon exterminator's ear.
"Hush, you," she replied, batting him away and moving to walk at Kagome's side to explain all that the girl had missed in the exchange.
Chapter 11: Surrounded
"Can't we take a break?" Shippo whined as he followed Inuyasha. The kitsune stopped to stretch and yawn, not warning the unsuspecting Kagome who trailed behind him in turn.
"Watch out!" Sango called as Miroku grabbed the back of the girl's shirt to stop her from tripping over the little fox demon in her path. The monk quickly released his grip at the narrow-eyed look from Inuyasha, who had turned to see what was going on behind him.
Kagome stopped mid-step at the outburst, one foot raised in the air, along with the end of the walking stick she'd taken to using to balance herself with. She didn't want to end up falling down a small ledge, or running into a rather large tree, or whatever it was they were keeping her from doing.
"Shippo, you can't just stop in the middle of the road," Sango scolded the kitsune. "Kagome can't see you, remember?"
Kagome put her foot and the stick down slowly. She nearly sighed in relief at hearing it was just Shippo. The anticlimactic discovery also annoyed her slightly, however. It seemed that everyone's nerves had been on edge for most of the day, and this incident hadn't been the first time that the others had overreacted to her being blind.
Shippo had found what he'd said was the most beautiful flower he'd ever seen, and had presented it to her, only to follow it by crying and apologizing since she couldn't see it. Then a few hours later, Sango had been worried that Kagome would slip on one of the large rocks they were using to cross a small stream. With the proper directions as to where to place her feet, she would've been fine, but the demon exterminator was making such a fuss that Inuyasha finally picked Kagome up and jumped across. He turned and set the girl down, giving Sango a fairly annoyed look. Like Shippo, she begged forgiveness for being so silly and for not helping Kagome cross the stream herself.
And now this. Sango had worried her when she'd cried out, and it had all been for naught.
Shippo saw the slight frown that crossed her face, and, thinking it was aimed at him, he grabbed her leg and hugged it hard. "I'm sorry, Kagome!"
The girl could tell by his voice that he was close to crying again. "It's okay, Shippo. Just please warn me next time you stop, okay?" She'd intended to sound soothing, but she couldn't help the slightly aggravated tone.
The kitsune sniffled a bit and gradually let go of her leg, still eyeing her warily.
"We need to keep going," Inuyasha muttered, bringing the group's attention back to their task.
"Do you feel it, then?" Miroku asked, the rings on his staff jingling a bit as he gripped it tighter.
The hanyou nodded in response, scanning the treetops above them as he'd been doing for most of the day.
"Feel what?" Kagome asked, frowning even more. She hadn't seen Inuyasha's nod, but if the monk felt something, then it was likely he did too. She hadn't noticed anything unusual, but then again, they were much more adept at sensing demons and other dangers than she was. "Feel what?" she repeated when no one answered.
"As if we are being watched. Surrounded... "
Kagome bit her lip nervously upon hearing Miroku's ominous response. "Is it... youkai?"
"It is hard to tell. I can not place exactly-- Inuyasha, what-"
The monk's voice was cut off by a great rustling sound as the rock Inuyasha had thrown into the branches of a tree startled whatever had been hiding in its leaves. As soon as the noise died down, Inuyasha threw another stone into a different tree, with the same results. A third and fourth pebble followed, the last finally hitting its target.
A rather large raven-like bird fell out of the tree and landed a few feet in front of the hanyou. It righted itself, cocking its head to the side and eyeing the group curiously. In seconds, it had changed form, leaving a giggling windwalker in its place. The obviously female youkai flung her hair back from her face with one hand and grinned at them as she crouched on the ground. "You all are such fun to tease!" She giggled a bit more before adding, "And to think Father almost didn't let me come along!"
"Father?" Sango questioned aloud, critically glancing at the girl's features. With her dark wings and hair, there was definitely a possibility...
"Marieko!" a slightly familiar voice called from somewhere above them. Its owner soon appeared, standing on a tree branch as he had a few days before.
"Maruku!"
"I was right!"
Sango and Miroku spoke at the same time, drawing the windwalker's attention away from the girl who was apparently his daughter.
Maruku hopped to the ground, bowing slightly after landing. "Please excuse Marieko. She tends to forget that hunters-in-training usually are not allowed out on official business, even if they happen to be niece to the leader of our people."
Marieko pouted at her father as he glared back at her. She stood up and folded her hands behind her back. The young youkai lowered her eyes in respect and guilt. "I'm sorry, sir, for disobeying orders. It won't happen again."
"Hush, Marieko. We both know that isn't true," the windwalker muttered in response, looking down and coughing a bit to hide the pink tint to his cheeks.
The girl grinned again and rolled her eyes. "I know, I know, I'm too much like Uncle Meitarou..."
"That's what I am afraid of." Maruku sent an amused glance at her, then turned back to the others. His voice was all business when he spoke again. "My lady Tamaeri requested that I and the other hunters escort you to our village. You are to be our guests, and as such, under our protection." He made a gesture in the air with his hand, and the trees around them were suddenly stirring with life. Many other winged youkai lined the road from above-- as Miroku had thought earlier, the group was surrounded. Inuyasha watched the demons warily, still not totally believing that they weren't walking straight into a trap.
The monk, as the usual spokesman for the group, recovered first and stepped forward. He bowed to the windwalker. "We would be honored to accept your hospitality."
Maruku nodded decisively. "Good. Then we will show you the way." He placed a hand on his daughter's arm to stop her when she began to change back into her bird-form. "On foot, Marieko."
"Yes, sir," she replied, falling into step behind him.
"Are you counting how many there are, Sango? Or are you waiting to see how many we meet later?" Miroku quipped in the demon exterminator's ear.
"Hush, you," she replied, batting him away and moving to walk at Kagome's side to explain all that the girl had missed in the exchange.