The Secret Kept

“ Which way know?” asked Shippo’s young voice.

The young fox cub had been the first to join their little pack, after having his father killed for a jewel shard. Though well over eighty years old, the kit looked no older than a five-year-old human child. He was a blunt testimony to the differences between a youkai and a human. Inuyasha, choosing to preserve his human companions ignorance about demon aging, had long ago decided not to point how old he and Shippo were. The kit was after all by demon standards still a child, and did need looking after.

“Well that depends. There are three to the west and one to the north.” Kagome answered. Not that anyone else could have answered. They were tracking down those damned shard, and she was the only one that could feel what direction they were in.

“We should go to the west since it has the most.” Everyone turned to look at the monk who, having caught his breath, found he was no longer tired. “Best to go for them first and risk loosing the one than have Naraku gather them instead. Don’t you think?”

Nobody bothered to answer the hoshi’s question. They all knew that he was right, but they also knew that another enemy lay in the west; their enemy was not only in that direction, it was his territory.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome finally spoke up to the senshi who, at that moment, kept his eyes to the west. The miko would gladly bet all the money she had at that moment, that it wasn’t the forest in front of him that he saw. Most likely, he was thinking of the brother he regarded as an enemy, “Inuyasha,” she questioned again, intent on gaining an answer from him.

Soon they hear his deep sigh of assent, “What, Kagome” He answered in his usual half hearted way. Miroku was right, and no matter how hard it was going to be to head that way, there was no real choice.

He knew she thought he hated his brother. Anyone who saw the two of them together thought the same thing. The truth was most of the time it was just that he had to protect Kagome and the others; he just chose to get the drop on Sesshomaru first. It was a trick he had learned about fighting with his brother. Get him angry enough and he won’t fight at his best. Then it’s not a battle to the death at all. It wasn’t so much his brother he was thinking of, as it was being anywhere nearby his brother at this time of the year. It was however unavoidable though.

"Inuyasha, so well go north” Kagome asked.

“Don’t be stupid, bitch. Of course we’ll go west,” was his curt and brisk answer, turning to walk west, not even bothering to look back to see if they were following.

Neither Miroku nor Sango made a move to follow the warrior as he walked ahead. Instead they stood there watching the enraged miko steam at the moving hanyou’s back. Both waited patiently for the enviable words that were bound to come from flaming female’s lips.

“Inuyasha, sit”

They watched calmly as the senshi fell face down on command with a thud. Smoke billowed from the impact of the hanyou kissing the earth in the worst way.

Miroku shook his head and sighed, “It’s going to be a long journey.”

Sango just shrugged and started walking to the hole Inuyasha had made with his fall. She had taken only four steps ahead of Miroku before she felt the caress of his hand on her backside. Her brow twitch in annoyance, as Sango lifted her weapon up, and for the second time in a matter of minuets another thud rung out through the field as boomerang connected with the hoshi’s head. She watched Miroku’s body twitch as if to fell to the ground. “You’re right. It is going to be a long trip,” she said without stopping.