“It’s so eerie,” Kagome muttered, gliding alongside Kouga and Ayame as the wolves rounded another flinty ledge. “Everything’s just…silent. And still. There’s not even a breeze.”

“I don’t sense any youki, either,” Kouga mumbled, his bright blue eyes scanning from side to side. “What about Jewel Shards, Kagome-chan–you picking up on anything?”

She shook her head. “Nothing. Just the two in your legs, that’s all.”

“Too bad. I miss having three. Four wouldn’t be too shabby, either–one for each limb.” Kouga tapped his chin thoughtfully before cutting his eyes slyly back to her. “And I think I could find somewhere to put a fifth.”

Kagome’s cheeks blazed red as Ayame glowered murderously, bow frame and katana hilt both promptly whacking the offending wolf prince upside the head. As Ginta and Hakkaku rushed to the aid of their less-than-noble lord, Kagome glanced over at Sesshoumaru, who was staring with perfect disinterest at the dead, inhospitable scenery.

“Do you smell anything?” she asked him.

Golden eyes slanted toward her. “No,” he replied. “The wolf stench is overpowering.”

“Hey!” Kouga snapped, massaging the twin welts on his head. “Watch yourself, dog.”

Unimpressed by this threat, Sesshoumaru returned to his study of the surrounding landscape. Kagome sighed.

“Milord!” Jakken cried, drawing up beside the inu daiyoukai on Ah-Un. “Please allow this Jakken to scout ahead for you!”

“What!” Kagome exclaimed. “You want to go ahead alone–are you nuts? You’re the most likely to get killed out of any of us…”

“Silence, wench! I need not your permission. Nor your baseless conjectures!”

“Whatever,” Kagome grumbled. “There’s no way Sesshoumaru’ll–”

“Very well,” the daiyoukai nodded graciously. “You may proceed, Jakken.”

“Aye, milord–thank you, milord! I shall not disappoint you!”

His small chest swelling with dignity and purpose, Jakken pulled proudly at the reins–Ah-Un flat-out refusing to fly ahead. Angrily, the imp tugged again–and again. After about thirty more seconds of frantic jerking and some hopping up and down for good measure, the two-headed dragon sullenly complied, pushing slowly ahead of the rest of the group.

Kagome shook her head as she addressed the daiyoukai. “Are you trying to get him killed, Sesshoumaru?”

He held her gaze just a beat too long. The miko sweat-dropped. Maybe he is…

Briefly, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, his colored lids glowing bright red in the stark winter sun. “Jakken is more capable than he appears.”

Smiling at this, Kagome gazed ahead toward the mountain peak. The pesky imp had probably just received the best compliment of his life–if only he’d been around to hear it. She could imagine him turning into a little green puddle of goo at even such lukewarm praise from his beloved Lord Sesshoumaru.

Raising a hand to her lips, Kagome giggled at the thought. When she looked back over at the daiyoukai, she found that he was looking at her in turn. A faint blush rose to her cheeks as her weak knees slipped a little further down Entei’s sides.

Jakken might not be the only one…

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Lol, another short segment – but hey! I hammered out like 2 full chapters of The Pact over the past 2 days! Gotta strike while the iron’s hot, as they say. 🙂