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Chapter 12: Reading Material

I am so bad, Ginnezu thought gleefully as she jogged briskly through the grassy valley. Just a little bit of help down the road to hatred is all they need! I barely have to work at all--that book was a blessing from Heaven for me! He'll be so pissed--what a perfect wedge between them! "Hee hee!" she tittered out loud, pleased with herself. "Just a little while longer and a few more tricks, and he'll be begging to come with me!"

"Ginnezu!"

For one frantic moment, Ginnezu thought that the angry male voice calling her was Inuyasha, and he had somehow discovered the truth of her rifling around in Kagome's belongings. But when she raised her gaze to the south, she spotted Shirokiba and the stupid human monk coming towards her at a run over the fields. Hurriedly, she pulled off her Amplifier Amulet and Stealth Jewel and hid them in her tunic.

Shirokiba skidded to a stop a few feet away from her, looking positively thunderous. The human monk leaned over, hands on knees, and gasped for air. He obviously was not in the same kind of shape as his demonic companion.

"What do you want now, Hunter Shirokiba?" Ginnezu asked boredly.

"Where have you been?" Shirokiba demanded curtly, his voice just bordering on the disrespectful. "Lady Ginnezu, Inuyasha commanded me to watch you."

"I do as I please, go where I wish--and what that entails is my business."

"You knew you weren't to leave--"

"Do you think that matters a whit to me?" she sneered. "You menial--your mother was merely a Gray, and your father a no-account Wolf. You are not my nanny and you cannot command me."

"Did you bother Inuyasha and Kagome?" the wolf-dog asked, his voice half-growling.

"Not a bit," Ginnezu replied airily. "In fact, I never even spoke to them. I haven't gone near them at all. They're quite good at hiding. I've been up and down this valley and I can't find any trace of them."

Shirokiba regarded her suspiciously, while the monk recovered his breath and stood straight. "Inuyasha told us not to let you leave the village," Miroku said. He had no qualms about how he addressed the demon woman, unlike Shirokiba, who still accorded her the respect due a proper Lady--for the most part.

"And just how were you going to stop me, human?" Ginnezu said with a lift of one lip.

Miroku reflexively gripped the rosary that sealed his dangerous hand. "I would stop you in a very terminal fashion," he replied succinctly, not batting an eye. "I doubt you'd enjoy it."

Ginnezu spread her fingers, giving them both a good look at ten lethal claws. "Don't get in my way," she growled. "I don't need your watchcare, Hunter--and I will not be commanded by mere humans! If you want to try and stop me...well, let's get this over with. I have places to be."

Shirokiba snarled, baring fangs longer and sharper than a Dog's. When he spoke, it was forcefully and formally. He hated to play this card, but... "Do not force my hand, Lady! Lord Inuyasha gave orders that you were to remain in the village until he returned! Are you going to risk his wrath? Especially when he is already displeased with you?"

Some of the fire went out of Ginnezu's amber glare. Still snarling, she swung, forcing both of them to jump out of her way or be injured. With a haughty snort, she strode past them, going south. "I was leaving anyway," she huffed, sounding vaguely like a petulant child. Without waiting for either of them, she picked up her jog and headed for the boring old village. She was most angered that she wouldn't be able to witness the fruits of her labors firsthand. She really wanted to see what happened when Inuyasha discovered the book she'd left "hidden" in plain sight.

Oh, well...it'll be nice to greet him when he comes back. He'll be happy to see me--I'll leap into his arms and we'll go home to the High Stone together! It will be perfect. And he'll be all mine. I can come back later and slay all these annoying human vermin...

"Well, that was easy," Miroku commented as he and Shirokiba followed her back. "I thought we'd have a knock-down, drag-out demon fight on our hands."

"That's the problem," Shirokiba responded, his voice edged with a growl. "That was too easy. I don't trust a word she says. She's up to something."

The warmth of dawn's sunlit breeze awoke Inuyasha by ruffling his bangs, which tickled his forehead. The feathery feeling brought him out of his restful sleep, as did the freshly-risen sunbeam that danced happily into his eye the moment he fluttered it open.

"Damn sunshine," he growled, turning his head so he could avoid monocular blindness. "Way to go, genius," he berated himself softly. "Just had to pick the one tree that gets the first sun on this side of the ridge." He rose to all fours and performed a proper stretch, working the kinks out of his spine and yawning cavernously, his tongue curling above his teeth like a pink wave. After a good shake, he felt reasonably ready to face the morning--considering there were no impudent wolf-dogs coming to mock him and no bouncy-happy silver dog-demons to accost him. At least he was free of those idiots out here.

With a sigh, he scratched one ear and scanned the campsite and surrounding area. By the way the sun shone even this early, today was likely to be a scorcher. Yesterday morning had been overcast, but the clouds were gone by afternoon and today was the result of the sun's hard work. Yep, it was going to be hot all right.

He landed soundlessly on the ground beside Kagome's sleeping bag and considered rolling her out, but rethought that idea once he got a look at her. Just like when he'd stayed in her house...she was pretty when she was asleep, all innocent and carefree, her hair fanned out and one hand resting close to her chin...

Inuyasha smacked himself in the forehead and turned away. I don't need this mushy sentimental crap! It was bad enough the first time--now I'm going to curl up on her bed like Shippo and snore away the morning again! "Idiot," he whispered to himself.

Well, maybe he'd see about breakfast--yeah, that was it. It would get his mind off that nice cozy sleeping bag and how much he'd like to go back to snoozing. Damn that sun. I'm always the first to wake, no matter what.

Hot ramen for breakfast? Sounds good, but... For some reason, today he wanted something more than the usual. Instead of her feeding him meals the whole trip...he wanted to provide for Kagome for once. Besides, it would be fun; he hadn't gone hunting in a while.

To prepare for his return, he began to light the campfire again, using the matches Kagome had left sitting on one of the stone "seats" near the fire. They were one of the few modern inventions he appreciated--besides instant ramen and gas camp stoves. Matches were wonderful things. Just a flick of the wrist and poof! Instant fire. He felt quite proud of himself when the wood and tinder took quickly to the flame.

Giving the campsite a careful inspection and casting about for potential danger, Inuyasha trotted off into the woods, a perfect example of stealth. It didn't take him long to find a flock of pretty golden pheasants just waking from their roosts in an old gnarled tree. They flushed, but he was too fast. He could have easily eaten four or more, but he dispatched only one to carry back to camp. He already knew Kagome disapproved of killing for needless gluttony, and four pheasants were certainly too much for breakfast.

Killing the pheasant brought back memories of the first kill he'd ever made--another pheasant, a long, long time ago. When he'd been almost five, out playing in the woods, he'd caught a pheasant with a twisted wing as it tried to fly out of the grass at his feet. It had been instinct, really, to pounce on it and break its neck. For a while he'd been surprised and just a bit upset, and sat staring at the suddenly-dead bird for some time, contemplating what had happened and what he'd done. Then he'd carefully carried the large golden cockerel all the way back home, where he showed his mother his prey, hesitant yet proud. She had congratulated him and told him what a good boy he was, and that they would have this fine pheasant together for dinner. She would cook it up so delicious just for him! He'd also been told, in firm mother-fashion, that he should never kill harmless forest animals for sport or amusement, but only to satisfy his hunger and provide a meal. Animals should be taken for need, not want.

Once back at the campsite, headless pheasant in hand, he checked around carefully to make sure nothing was amiss. He ascertained that nothing had gone awry in his absence; the fire was burning cheerfully and Shippo was just beginning to stir. With a nod of approval, he picked up the canteen and went a ways downhill to butcher the pheasant.

His sharp, precise claws made it unnecessary for him to pluck it; he could very easily remove the thin skin feathers and all. As he set it aside he was reminded of the golden pheasant-feather cape he had helped his mother make. His tiny child-claws had painstakingly presented his mother with thin skin after thin skin, all so perfectly cut from the birds--and they'd dined well on pheasant that summer.

Inuyasha's mouth turned down as a sour memory made itself known. The carefully-stitched cape of pheasant and goatskin his mother was to wear that winter was long gone, lost with the rest of his mother's posessions in the fire that had destroyed their hut after she died.

When the gamebird was properly bled and the innards removed, he washed it carefully with water from the canteen. When it was clean, he sectioned it and brought it back to the fire. There was no way Kagome would eat raw pheasant, even if he himself had no qualms about it. But that wasn't a problem; it was simple enough to rig a roasting spit out of two forked sticks stuck upright in the ground and a third longer one thrust through the quarters of bird. He had no herbs or sauce, but simple fire-roasted meat was good enough. Inuyasha sat down near the fire opposite Kagome to watch the pheasant cook.

Indeterminate time passed as he sat staring at the sleeping girl through the flames of the campfire. It felt...good, somehow, to have done his own hunting and brought food to her. He felt strong and sure and almost...content in this rustic setting, cooking his fresh kill for his--for Kagome.

If nothing else, it would help bolster the apology he'd made last night. He had never been good with words, so perhaps this more demonstrative gesture would work to avert her anger at him. After all, what was more demonstrative to a girl than breakfast in bed?

When he heard her sigh, he watched carefully as she gradually progressed into stages of wakefulness. The scent of roasting poultry undoubtedly reached into her dreams to draw her out, and the crackle of the fire and the sizzle of the meat would pull her free of sleep.

Having her come closer to awakening made him remember that she might want more than just pheasant for breakfast. Heading for her pack, he intended to dig out some of those tea beverages she always carried with her, and perhaps a can of fruit or a package of crackers.

As he approached the backpack, his eyes caught the cover of a book just peeking out from the open flap. It grabbed his attention directly when he nudged it out of its hiding place with his foot, especially since the cover read, "Your Dog."

What the hell--? Feeling an edge of growing curiosity, he picked up the book and began to read, ignoring the image on the cover of a drooling, lop-eared hound with a stupidly happy expression on its face. The cooking pheasant temporarily forgotten, he sat down beside her pack to read the volume.

"The dog is a noble, hardy animal who has been man's best friend and ally throughout history. The first humans to domesticate friendly wolves used them to pull travois, guard camps, watch over their flocks, help with the hunts, and play with their children..."

"...fidelity, integrity, intelligence, character, loyalty, courage, determination, devotion, endurance, strength; all these and more sum up the positive traits of a good companion dog..."

"...A dog will protect those he loves to the death if necessary, facing adversaries many times his size in defense of his master...a terrier named Spike faced down a charging grizzly bear..."

"...your dog should never be allowed to break certain rules, such as biting or leaping upon his trainer. Such invasions of personal space demonstrate a marked lack of respect, as seen among dog hierarchies..."

Inuyasha was going through flashes of shock, understanding, anger, mortification, and amazement. He couldn't help but keep reading.

"...well-trained dog can perform a number of successful maneuvers, including basic obedience, hunting and fetching, and various entertaining tricks..."

"...training should be strict and to-the-point; punishments should never be overdone or frivolous, or the dog will begin to resent any and all interaction..."

"...no dog should ever be left unattended with young children, whether he is trained or not..."

"...breeding at less than a year of age can be dangerous to the health of..."

"...sure to keep the male dog away from the puppies, as he is agressive and can tend to be violently jealous of the attention the puppies receive from his mate..."

"...dangerous to others when he becomes posessive of a person or object..."

"...if treated lovingly and well, can become a devoted and affectionate lifelong companion, never leaving his master's side..."

"Inuyasha...what are you doing in my pack?"

The book dropped with a thump, and Inuyasha was on his feet a yard away from his previous location, startled. Before he could say anything, she waved sleepily at him in dismissal.

"Never mind, never mind; I'm sure you were just bored," Kagome said with a yawn. "Mmm...what's that wonderful smell? Jeeze...it's late, why didn't you wake me? Never mind... What were you looking at?"

"Hmph." Inuyasha frowned and glared at the innocent book at his feet. He picked it up and thrust it at her. "Why were you reading this?"

Kagome's eyes widened as she blushed. Oh my God, how did he find that book? "Oh, that! Well...I...it's Sota's, you see, and I was just curious..."

"Is this a joke?" he demanded. "Is this your idea of funny? Do you think you can control me with some tips and tricks from a dog-training scroll?"

Kagome sat up in her bedroll, embarassed and a little angry and defensive. She had only just awakened, so was not quite on her verbal feet yet. "Look, you always make such a big deal out of what you are and how I'm a stupid human who can never know, and I thought if I read that I could understand--"

Inuyasha threw the book to the ground again, a hurt and indignant expression on his face. His previous contentment was gone, and all thoughts of a pleasant breakfast of roast gamebird had fled from his mind. The tension of the previous evening was back between them, full force. "You understand nothing! I'm proud to be a demon! That's what I am, half-breed or not! The fact that my demon half just happens to be a dog-demon does not mean that I'm a dog! Just because I have these damn stupid fuzzy ears people think they can pass me off as some kind of animal--!" He broke off, said ears flattened against his head in anger, his lips pulled back in a snarl. During this time, Shippo--who had awakened with the first raised voice--began to carefully remove himself from the scene of the battle.

Kagome drew back, a little frightened of his ire, but his accusations made her angry. How could he think she was making fun of him? "Now wait just a minute--!"

"It's always Shippo or Miroku with their stupid jokes and jibes! And that damn kid Sota, too--he can't decide whether I'm a big brother or a new pet! It's annoying! Your mother thinks I'm some kind of half-beast barbarian, so she humors and condescends to me!"

"Well, you act like it sometimes! And my family doesn't--!"

Inuyasha growled, gripping the rosary around his neck. "And you, with your nice little collar and a magic leash--that word--is that the best you could come up with? 'Sit?' Is it funny to you? Every time you tell me to sit like a dog and I go crashing down do you laugh? 'Hee-hee, look at the funny dog-boy! Sit! Stay! Good doggie!'"

Kagome's eyes flashed. "Well, what did you expect me to do? I said the first thing that came to mind, because you were coming at me like some rabid--!"

"Can't you understand how embarassing that is?" Inuyasha demanded, standing over her. He was red in the cheeks as though blushing, but far too angry to stop his tirade. "Hell--all the time, in front of a whole crowd of people with my face in the dirt like a beast! Treat me like a demon or treat me like a human--I don't care! But stop treating me like an animal! You're a selfish little witch with your power over me! I am a dog-demon! I'm the son of a Great Demon and a noble woman, dammit--I am not a dog!"

Kagome couldn't speak. She didn't have a thing to say to him. He was stupid and stubborn and overbearing and selfish--and he was right...at least partly. He may have been a temperamental hothead and a demon to boot, but he was a person, just as he'd said.

But none of her nicer feelings could float high enough to reach from her heart to her mouth, so she merely glared at him, frightened and sad--and upset and angry. Mostly angry, because for once he was reprimanding her--and he was right. She was too upset to see clearly, so she was very, very mad.

Kagome did not like being wrong--especially when Inuyasha was involved. So she did the only thing she could do when she was too mad at him to talk.

"Sit!"

With a surprised yelp, the half-demon slammed to the ground right in front of her, narrowly missing getting one arm in the firepit. He was stuck there for a full thirty seconds, snarling and cursing and struggling in the pine duff. His claws scored gouges in the dirt, and his growls were so throaty and enraged that shivers ran up her spine.

For some reason, watching him writhe on the ground right in front of her made her feel suddenly sick to her stomach in a way she'd never felt before. Sick, because she'd done it to him simply out of a fit of temper. Sick, because he was so mad and defenseless that way, unable to lift a finger to save himself. Sick, because her single angry word had the capacity to reduce such a marvelous, powerful creature to the snarling, helpless dog she saw before her in the dirt.

And this time, the whole thing was all her fault.

Her guts wrenched, and she could no longer bear to look at him. With a strange sobbing sound, she threw herself back down on her sleeping bag and buried herself in it, covering her head and hiding away. He was the demon and she the priestess--and that was how it was supposed to be, wasn't it? Their tenuous relationship--if one could call it that--depended on her mastery of him...or so she thought. And she couldn't master him--she was losing control--and she couldn't stand to do it to him any more. She was afraid of him; if she lost control of him he could kill her as easily as breathing. She still feared him, even with the rosary and the magic.

She hated him in that moment--she hated him for being right, for being a demon, for being so wonderful and awful at the same time...

When the mystical entrapment finally ended, Inuyasha lifted himself from the dirt with a grunt. When his face turned in her direction it was set in a grimacing snarl, fangs bared, yet not a rumble emerged from his throat. Luckily for her fragile emotions right then, she could not see him, hidden beneath her sleeping bag as she was. After a moment of glaring coldly at her huddled form, Inuyasha turned quickly away. Leaving everything--including a certain kitsune who was currently cowering behind a clump of ferns some distance away--he strode purposefully into the woods, not looking back.

Damn her! his mind snarled as he went. Waste of a good pheasant!

To be continued...