InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sight Unseen ❯ Scent of a (Young) Woman ( Chapter 27 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: SylverAngel 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 10.27.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.6K | Visits: 1.3K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 10.27.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.6K | Visits: 1.3K | Status: Completed
Sight Unseen
Chapter 27: Scent of a (Young) Woman
"What do you mean, Shippo was supposed to be watching her?" Inuyasha nearly roared at Miroku. His eyes were huge as he stared incredulously at the monk.
Sango and Shippo were wisely staying out of the argument and were searching through the surrounding trees and shrubs for their missing friend. The kitsune was hoping Inuyasha wouldn't direct any of his anger at him, and then proceed to pound him into the dirt for not protecting Kagome. He felt guilty enough as it was, without anyone else blaming him for her disappearance.
Maruku's dark eyes narrowed as he ignored the enraged hanyou and launched into the air to track the retreating youkai until they disappeared from sight.
"Shippo was with me when I last saw Kagome," Miroku responded in what was meant to be a calming tone. "I told him to go stay with her while we were fighting off the youkai--"
The soothing manner in which the monk spoke was lost on Inuyasha, however, as the hanyou cut in before he could finish speaking. "What the _hell_ did you do that for?"
Miroku held up a hand to forestall any further interruptions. He raised an eyebrow as Inuyasha began to growl. "I asked Shippo to stay with Kagome, as the rest of us were needed to ward off the attackers. He may not be much, but he was more protection than nothing. Soon after he ran off, he was picked up by one of the demons, who began tossing him around. He never reached Kagome before they left."
"And they apparently took her with them!"
Maruku landed on the ground once more, a grim set to his face that only Miroku noticed. The monk's gaze followed the windwalker's steps as they led him to a place almost across the path from where Sango and Shippo were searching. Maruku eyed the ground before moving off the road into the forest.
"Inuyasha, I watched them leave. None of them had her," Sango called in exasperation from several feet down the path. The arguing was not exactly helping them to find Kagome. "It would help quite a bit if you'd stop yelling about her being missing, and use that nose of yours to help us find her."
The hanyou turned and stared at Sango for a moment, before sending the monk a glare that said the discussion was not over. He took several steps towards where Sango stood, close to where Kagome had last been seen. After sniffing experimentally, he caught a faint breath of Kagome's familiar scent, and followed it. He glanced at the ground as he passed between two trees, unknowingly the same path Maruku had taken moments before.
Had Kagome stumbled off into the trees to keep herself away from the battle, and gotten lost in the woods? Surely they would have heard her calling if that was the case.
Sango, Shippo, and Miroku followed Inuyasha a few feet the forest, knowing that his ability to track Kagome by scent was much more reliable than their random searching.
Inuyasha frowned as his nose picked up another faint trail. This one was slightly familiar, though he could not recall where he had found it before.
"It may not have been one of those that attacked us, but it was most definitely a youkai like myself."
The voice startled Inuyasha out of his musings. He glanced up in surprise, to be met by Maruku's gaze. The windwalker stood a few feet in front of him, near a lightly trampled area of grass.
The slight confusion he felt must have shown on his face as Maruku gestured to the ground before speaking once more.
"There are a few feathers here. Fairly unclean ones, at that."
Inuyasha crouched down near the dark items the winged demon indicated. The other scent was stronger there, and mingled with Kagome's. "How did you find these before I did?" the hanyou asked, looking up at Miroku through narrowed eyes.
"Yes, how did you figure out this was the way to go?" Miroku asked as he, Sango, and Shippo caught up with them.
"I am a hunter." The single word was obviously meant as an explanation. As Inuyasha merely cocked an eyebrow in response, the windwalker clarified further. "We are trained to follow fainter trails than the one that led here. My sense of smell is not as strong as yours, but there are other clues, such as the slightly scuffed dirt to the side of the path and the trampling of the plantlife that led to this place." Glancing at the ground once more, he gestured at the flattened grass. "There was some sort of struggle here, and then whoever took the girl continued on in that direction." He pointed ahead of them, in a line almost parallel with the path they had been traveling on.
"The kidnapper was on foot, then?" Sango asked, eyeing the forest floor herself before looking to Maruku for confirmation.
"Indeed. For the next several feet, at least. A very curious idea, as one able to leave behind feathers would most likely fly. There is always the possibility that the trail will end further on, once there are fewer trees."
The demon exterminator cocked her head to the side, eyes following the trampled grass as far as she was able. "Whoever it was could possibly have wanted to stay hidden beneath the trees until far enough away that we wouldn't see them flying overhead, taking Kagome with them."
"Keh. We're wasting time," Inuyasha snorted, rising to his feet. "If they were on foot, then we should be able to catch up!" he told them, poised to rush ahead.
"Inuyasha, we don't know what we're heading into. We can't just rush off," Sango told him, laying a restraining hand on his arm.
The hanyou growled slightly before moving off at a fairly quick pace, wanting to get going before he lost the scent, even if he couldn't run. Sango had been right in stopping him, he knew. Without knowing who it was that had taken Kagome, they had no idea what lay in wait for them.
The other four stragglers followed Inuyasha, his pace making still increasing the distance between them, however.
"But why would a windwalker want to kidnap Kagome?" Shippo asked, biting his lip where he sat on Sango's shoulder.
Maruku eyed the ground as they walked, watching for signs that the girl's captor had deviated from the path. "It is possible that Ataru heard of our approach, and those demons were his henchman. That could either mean he knows about Lady Kagome, or that the attackers merely picked the easiest of us to grab and hold as hostage."
"There is still also the possibility that Naraku is involved," Miroku added. "Which would increase the likelihood that Ataru has heard of Kagome, and knew to kidnap her. But one thing puzzles me. I believe that you told us that Ataru was of the same clan as Lady Tamaeri, correct?"
The windwalker nodded in response.
"Which would then mean, if he was the one that kidnapped Kagome himself, he planted those dark feathers on the ground to throw us off."
"That is true. But I do not believe he was here at all. If he has shards of that jewel, the Shikon no Tama, in his possession, he would probably think himself to be invincible and would attack us on his own."
"Hurry up!" Inuyasha called impatiently, pausing momentarily for them to almost catch up before he resumed his pace.
Sango's brow furrowed as she quickened her steps slightly. "Lord Maruku, I thought you said Ataru hates those of any clan but his own?"
"You are quite right. He does."
"Then why would those youkai have been sent by him? All of them appeared to have dark wings."
"They may be criminals, or others that he took from their homes elsewhere, and made into his servants. He can be very cruel, and may well torture them for even the slightest infraction. If he promised them to treat them more fairly later, or to release them, I am certain they would be willing to fight for him, and do ask he asked."
Miroku nodded after considering the windwalker's words. "That is the way of any tyrant. He will more than likely not carry out his promise, though they will believe anything he says."
Sango shifted the weight of Hiraikotsu on her back slightly, her other hand gesturing vaguely in the air. "I guess that would also explain their lack of weapons. I would think they'd carry bows and arrows, or swords even, more like your hunters."
"Ataru would not think to outfit them before sending them on to their task. He would not care whether they survived the fight or not." Maruku paused a moment before continuing on thoughtfully. "We should expect another attack, if all they were after earlier was Lady Kagome."
"Oi, we don't have all day here! We have to get to Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled back at them, fidgeting where he stood, arms folded across his chest and a scowl on his face. He repeated his earlier actions in waiting until they were close enough for his peace of mind before walking on.
"Hey, not all of us can walk as fast as you!" Shippo called in return.
"Not that you're the one walking, Shippo," Sango reminded the kitsune with a small wry smile.
"Well... still!"
Silence followed the young fox demon's indignant response.
Several minutes later, Sango paused for a moment to eye the forest floor. "Don't you think it's a little strange that whoever kidnapped Kagome was still on foot at this point? Especially if it was a windwalker?"
"Perhaps the strongest of the servants had wounded wings, and were unable to fly," Maruku offered.
"But, wouldn't they be picked up at some point by the others, then?"
"They would wait until they were long out of range for us to see them in the air."
Sango shook her head, still puzzled. "But we are quite a bit away from where we fought the youkai. Surely by now--"
"Damn it!"
"I believe that should answer your question, Sango," Miroku chuckled at Inuyasha's outburst ahead of them.
Maruku lengthened his stride, stopping at the hanyou's side. "Can you still pick up the scent, Lord Inuyasha?"
"Keh. Of course," Inuyasha replied, turning his face away and sniffing once more to catch the scent that had grown fainter.
"Good. We must travel more quickly, then. And keep our eyes open for any further trouble."
"We can't take to the air yet, though," Sango told them. "Kirara's not recovered." The fire youkai had taken a blow to the head during the fight, almost as soon as she transformed. She was currently resting in the demon exterminator's arms.
"Then we will go as quickly as we can. There is still the possibility of an ambush at any time. We are drawing closer and closer to Ataru's territory. Even if he has not sent another group to deter us, there will be a few of his minions about."
Nods of agreement were given and Shippo sighed at the thought of another fight.
"Before we move on, Lord Maruku, I do have one question." The windwalker turned around to face Miroku. "You aided Lady Kagome in firing one of her arrows at Naraku, and she mentioned your speaking to her telepathically. Would you be able to do so once again?"
"Why the hell didn't anyone mention trying that before?" Inuyasha growled out, glaring at the monk, who ignored him.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ;>>>>>>
Kagome had given up trying to loosen the ropes binding her wrists and ankles. Her skin was sore from her attempts, and she dearly wished she had a knife hidden somewhere on her person like the heroines in movies.
She'd stopped wriggling to free herself once she felt the wind rushing by. If she wasn't mistaken, the slight dropping of her stomach meant they'd taken to the air. The thought terrified her, and she absolutely did _not_ want to be dropped.
She was fairly certain her kidnapper was a windwalker, though many other demons did have the ability to fly. The changes in the rush of wind seemed to indicate the beat of wings.
Who was it, and where on earth were they taking her? This was definitely not the time for her to blind, but if she hadn't been, they most likely would've blindfolded her.
Sighing, she shifted her feet slightly to ease the bite of the rope into her ankles.
~Lady Kagome?~
"Wha-?" she tried to respond, though the sound was muffled around the hand still covering her mouth.
~You do not need to speak aloud. It is only me, Maruku. Are you all right?~
Kagome resisted the urge to laugh hysterically at the question. ~As all right as I can be when I can't see anything, have no idea where I am, and I'm being carried around like a sack of potatoes!~
~I see. At least you are conscious. You know nothing of your captors?~
~They must be windwalkers. We're in the air right now. That's all I know. None of them have spoken, besides the one that told me to keep quiet.~
~We came to the same conclusion.~
Kagome was becoming more frustrated with the windwalker's calm tone. ~Can't you guys just hurry up and come get me?~
~We have no idea where you are, nor who has you. We are tracking you and your captors at this point, and we will find you when the trail ends.~
~Just hurry up!~
~Yes, my lady.~
Apparently males of any race could be as irritating as any other, Kagome thought, wanting to bang her head in frustration against whoever carried her, but not wanting to cause them to drop her with the unexpected motion.
Chapter 27: Scent of a (Young) Woman
"What do you mean, Shippo was supposed to be watching her?" Inuyasha nearly roared at Miroku. His eyes were huge as he stared incredulously at the monk.
Sango and Shippo were wisely staying out of the argument and were searching through the surrounding trees and shrubs for their missing friend. The kitsune was hoping Inuyasha wouldn't direct any of his anger at him, and then proceed to pound him into the dirt for not protecting Kagome. He felt guilty enough as it was, without anyone else blaming him for her disappearance.
Maruku's dark eyes narrowed as he ignored the enraged hanyou and launched into the air to track the retreating youkai until they disappeared from sight.
"Shippo was with me when I last saw Kagome," Miroku responded in what was meant to be a calming tone. "I told him to go stay with her while we were fighting off the youkai--"
The soothing manner in which the monk spoke was lost on Inuyasha, however, as the hanyou cut in before he could finish speaking. "What the _hell_ did you do that for?"
Miroku held up a hand to forestall any further interruptions. He raised an eyebrow as Inuyasha began to growl. "I asked Shippo to stay with Kagome, as the rest of us were needed to ward off the attackers. He may not be much, but he was more protection than nothing. Soon after he ran off, he was picked up by one of the demons, who began tossing him around. He never reached Kagome before they left."
"And they apparently took her with them!"
Maruku landed on the ground once more, a grim set to his face that only Miroku noticed. The monk's gaze followed the windwalker's steps as they led him to a place almost across the path from where Sango and Shippo were searching. Maruku eyed the ground before moving off the road into the forest.
"Inuyasha, I watched them leave. None of them had her," Sango called in exasperation from several feet down the path. The arguing was not exactly helping them to find Kagome. "It would help quite a bit if you'd stop yelling about her being missing, and use that nose of yours to help us find her."
The hanyou turned and stared at Sango for a moment, before sending the monk a glare that said the discussion was not over. He took several steps towards where Sango stood, close to where Kagome had last been seen. After sniffing experimentally, he caught a faint breath of Kagome's familiar scent, and followed it. He glanced at the ground as he passed between two trees, unknowingly the same path Maruku had taken moments before.
Had Kagome stumbled off into the trees to keep herself away from the battle, and gotten lost in the woods? Surely they would have heard her calling if that was the case.
Sango, Shippo, and Miroku followed Inuyasha a few feet the forest, knowing that his ability to track Kagome by scent was much more reliable than their random searching.
Inuyasha frowned as his nose picked up another faint trail. This one was slightly familiar, though he could not recall where he had found it before.
"It may not have been one of those that attacked us, but it was most definitely a youkai like myself."
The voice startled Inuyasha out of his musings. He glanced up in surprise, to be met by Maruku's gaze. The windwalker stood a few feet in front of him, near a lightly trampled area of grass.
The slight confusion he felt must have shown on his face as Maruku gestured to the ground before speaking once more.
"There are a few feathers here. Fairly unclean ones, at that."
Inuyasha crouched down near the dark items the winged demon indicated. The other scent was stronger there, and mingled with Kagome's. "How did you find these before I did?" the hanyou asked, looking up at Miroku through narrowed eyes.
"Yes, how did you figure out this was the way to go?" Miroku asked as he, Sango, and Shippo caught up with them.
"I am a hunter." The single word was obviously meant as an explanation. As Inuyasha merely cocked an eyebrow in response, the windwalker clarified further. "We are trained to follow fainter trails than the one that led here. My sense of smell is not as strong as yours, but there are other clues, such as the slightly scuffed dirt to the side of the path and the trampling of the plantlife that led to this place." Glancing at the ground once more, he gestured at the flattened grass. "There was some sort of struggle here, and then whoever took the girl continued on in that direction." He pointed ahead of them, in a line almost parallel with the path they had been traveling on.
"The kidnapper was on foot, then?" Sango asked, eyeing the forest floor herself before looking to Maruku for confirmation.
"Indeed. For the next several feet, at least. A very curious idea, as one able to leave behind feathers would most likely fly. There is always the possibility that the trail will end further on, once there are fewer trees."
The demon exterminator cocked her head to the side, eyes following the trampled grass as far as she was able. "Whoever it was could possibly have wanted to stay hidden beneath the trees until far enough away that we wouldn't see them flying overhead, taking Kagome with them."
"Keh. We're wasting time," Inuyasha snorted, rising to his feet. "If they were on foot, then we should be able to catch up!" he told them, poised to rush ahead.
"Inuyasha, we don't know what we're heading into. We can't just rush off," Sango told him, laying a restraining hand on his arm.
The hanyou growled slightly before moving off at a fairly quick pace, wanting to get going before he lost the scent, even if he couldn't run. Sango had been right in stopping him, he knew. Without knowing who it was that had taken Kagome, they had no idea what lay in wait for them.
The other four stragglers followed Inuyasha, his pace making still increasing the distance between them, however.
"But why would a windwalker want to kidnap Kagome?" Shippo asked, biting his lip where he sat on Sango's shoulder.
Maruku eyed the ground as they walked, watching for signs that the girl's captor had deviated from the path. "It is possible that Ataru heard of our approach, and those demons were his henchman. That could either mean he knows about Lady Kagome, or that the attackers merely picked the easiest of us to grab and hold as hostage."
"There is still also the possibility that Naraku is involved," Miroku added. "Which would increase the likelihood that Ataru has heard of Kagome, and knew to kidnap her. But one thing puzzles me. I believe that you told us that Ataru was of the same clan as Lady Tamaeri, correct?"
The windwalker nodded in response.
"Which would then mean, if he was the one that kidnapped Kagome himself, he planted those dark feathers on the ground to throw us off."
"That is true. But I do not believe he was here at all. If he has shards of that jewel, the Shikon no Tama, in his possession, he would probably think himself to be invincible and would attack us on his own."
"Hurry up!" Inuyasha called impatiently, pausing momentarily for them to almost catch up before he resumed his pace.
Sango's brow furrowed as she quickened her steps slightly. "Lord Maruku, I thought you said Ataru hates those of any clan but his own?"
"You are quite right. He does."
"Then why would those youkai have been sent by him? All of them appeared to have dark wings."
"They may be criminals, or others that he took from their homes elsewhere, and made into his servants. He can be very cruel, and may well torture them for even the slightest infraction. If he promised them to treat them more fairly later, or to release them, I am certain they would be willing to fight for him, and do ask he asked."
Miroku nodded after considering the windwalker's words. "That is the way of any tyrant. He will more than likely not carry out his promise, though they will believe anything he says."
Sango shifted the weight of Hiraikotsu on her back slightly, her other hand gesturing vaguely in the air. "I guess that would also explain their lack of weapons. I would think they'd carry bows and arrows, or swords even, more like your hunters."
"Ataru would not think to outfit them before sending them on to their task. He would not care whether they survived the fight or not." Maruku paused a moment before continuing on thoughtfully. "We should expect another attack, if all they were after earlier was Lady Kagome."
"Oi, we don't have all day here! We have to get to Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled back at them, fidgeting where he stood, arms folded across his chest and a scowl on his face. He repeated his earlier actions in waiting until they were close enough for his peace of mind before walking on.
"Hey, not all of us can walk as fast as you!" Shippo called in return.
"Not that you're the one walking, Shippo," Sango reminded the kitsune with a small wry smile.
"Well... still!"
Silence followed the young fox demon's indignant response.
Several minutes later, Sango paused for a moment to eye the forest floor. "Don't you think it's a little strange that whoever kidnapped Kagome was still on foot at this point? Especially if it was a windwalker?"
"Perhaps the strongest of the servants had wounded wings, and were unable to fly," Maruku offered.
"But, wouldn't they be picked up at some point by the others, then?"
"They would wait until they were long out of range for us to see them in the air."
Sango shook her head, still puzzled. "But we are quite a bit away from where we fought the youkai. Surely by now--"
"Damn it!"
"I believe that should answer your question, Sango," Miroku chuckled at Inuyasha's outburst ahead of them.
Maruku lengthened his stride, stopping at the hanyou's side. "Can you still pick up the scent, Lord Inuyasha?"
"Keh. Of course," Inuyasha replied, turning his face away and sniffing once more to catch the scent that had grown fainter.
"Good. We must travel more quickly, then. And keep our eyes open for any further trouble."
"We can't take to the air yet, though," Sango told them. "Kirara's not recovered." The fire youkai had taken a blow to the head during the fight, almost as soon as she transformed. She was currently resting in the demon exterminator's arms.
"Then we will go as quickly as we can. There is still the possibility of an ambush at any time. We are drawing closer and closer to Ataru's territory. Even if he has not sent another group to deter us, there will be a few of his minions about."
Nods of agreement were given and Shippo sighed at the thought of another fight.
"Before we move on, Lord Maruku, I do have one question." The windwalker turned around to face Miroku. "You aided Lady Kagome in firing one of her arrows at Naraku, and she mentioned your speaking to her telepathically. Would you be able to do so once again?"
"Why the hell didn't anyone mention trying that before?" Inuyasha growled out, glaring at the monk, who ignored him.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ;>>>>>>
Kagome had given up trying to loosen the ropes binding her wrists and ankles. Her skin was sore from her attempts, and she dearly wished she had a knife hidden somewhere on her person like the heroines in movies.
She'd stopped wriggling to free herself once she felt the wind rushing by. If she wasn't mistaken, the slight dropping of her stomach meant they'd taken to the air. The thought terrified her, and she absolutely did _not_ want to be dropped.
She was fairly certain her kidnapper was a windwalker, though many other demons did have the ability to fly. The changes in the rush of wind seemed to indicate the beat of wings.
Who was it, and where on earth were they taking her? This was definitely not the time for her to blind, but if she hadn't been, they most likely would've blindfolded her.
Sighing, she shifted her feet slightly to ease the bite of the rope into her ankles.
~Lady Kagome?~
"Wha-?" she tried to respond, though the sound was muffled around the hand still covering her mouth.
~You do not need to speak aloud. It is only me, Maruku. Are you all right?~
Kagome resisted the urge to laugh hysterically at the question. ~As all right as I can be when I can't see anything, have no idea where I am, and I'm being carried around like a sack of potatoes!~
~I see. At least you are conscious. You know nothing of your captors?~
~They must be windwalkers. We're in the air right now. That's all I know. None of them have spoken, besides the one that told me to keep quiet.~
~We came to the same conclusion.~
Kagome was becoming more frustrated with the windwalker's calm tone. ~Can't you guys just hurry up and come get me?~
~We have no idea where you are, nor who has you. We are tracking you and your captors at this point, and we will find you when the trail ends.~
~Just hurry up!~
~Yes, my lady.~
Apparently males of any race could be as irritating as any other, Kagome thought, wanting to bang her head in frustration against whoever carried her, but not wanting to cause them to drop her with the unexpected motion.