Chapter 24 - Wounds

Sango moved down the path with an unnerving feeling. Kouga had not been corporative at all. He kept darting ahead of the group, and sometimes they lost sight of him. Though to everyone’s relief he always came back.

Just about the time it was getting dark, Kouga made another attempt to dart off again, but Sesshomaru’s growl made him halt.

“Do you not give a damn about Kagome or what?! I am my own leader I don’t need the likes of YOU leading me!” Kouga hissed.

“I smell them.” Sesshomaru said.

Kouga immediately sniffed the air. His eyes perked up and darted into the wood.

“Kouga!” Ginta yelled.

“Just wait, he’ll come back.” Miroku said.

What felt like an eternity, Kouga came back holding a white cloth. There was some dried blood, and Sango immediately recognized it. It was Kagome’s.

“Is…that Kagome’s?” Shippo whimpered.

“I think so.” Hakkaku said.

“Let me see Kouga.” Sango walked over and took the cloth from Kouga’s hands. Sango studied it, it was Kagome’s alright but it looked quiet normal. There was no new blood; it was all the blood she had lost when InuYasha had bit her back in the village.

"How was this found Kouga?” Sango asked the wolf.

“It was hanging on a tree.” He answered.

“Kagome put it there on purpose, she…” Sango started.

“I found her scent.” Kouga snapped. “Follow me.” With that he darted off into the wood once more before anyone could protest. By the sound of Kouga’s tone, Sango knew he had found InuYasha’s scent nearby as well.

Everyone followed. Sango and Miroku hopped on Kirara’s back with Shippo. Rin and Jaken sat a top Ah-Un and Ginta and Hakkaku ran after them. Sesshomaru flew on his own. As they all landed together, Sango could feel Inuhidoi’s evil youki around the area.

“Oh this is bad.” Myoga whispered.

There was definitely evidence of struggle. One of Kagome’s arrows had pierced a nearby tree, splitting the plant in half. And there was blood, not a lot, but proof enough that Kagome had been hurt. Kouga sniffed the blood and hissed.

“fracking mutt.”

“What are we going to do? InuYasha already found her.” Miroku said.

“We find Kagome, we find InuYasha.” Sango snapped. “I think she ran that direction.”

“For a little while.” Ginta said. “Then it stops abruptly here.”

“Weird.” Hakkaku mumbled.

“He must have flown from here.” Sango said. She bit her lip as that came out of her mouth. InuYasha has never flown on his own, and it was weird accusing him of doing something he had never done before.

“Taking the miko with him.” Sesshomaru said.

“We got to find her!” Kouga yelled.

“We will wolf, I’ll fly and you follow.” Sesshomaru said. The rest of them nodded. The goal was finding Kagome. Even Sesshomaru seemed to be concerned about the young miko’s welfare, which puzzled Sango. Sesshomaru hated humans, well except Rin, why would he care about helping Kagome?

"Do you want my otouto to break?” Sesshomaru glared. Sango realized he was staring at her. Had he read her mind?

“How did you know…?” Sango started.

“It was the confusion in your eyes that were staring at this Sesshomaru that told me what you were thinking.” Sesshomaru said. Sango was impressed; the Youkai Lord did have his strong points.

The pack began to follow Sesshomaru threw the air with Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku running on the ground below them.

“Sesshomaru-sama?” Rin asked.

“Yes, Rin?”

“I hope Kagome-sama is okay.” The young girl whimpered.

“Me to Rin.” Sango felt herself smile at Rin.

Rin smiled back, while Jaken scolded in her direction. Kirara moved with the same grace as Ah-Un as they traveled threw the air following Sesshomaru.

Suddenly Sesshomaru dipped down and they began to descend. As Kirara touched the ground Sesshomaru stood in the clearing, disgust actually leaking through his face. Kouga was already there sniffing the ground so desperately it almost looked like InuYasha sniffing the ground when he was on his hands and feet.

“Kagome!” Kouga called. He sniffed the air, when Sango’s ears picked up something so faint she barley heard it. Everyone went silent and listened. It was a low whimpering sound, like a hurt animal. Sesshomaru glared into the trees.

“Is that you miko?” he said.

What came behind the trees made Sango drop her Hiraikotsu. Kagome stared back at them her face mashed and muddy. Her hair looked sticky and covered in something that was a gold color. Her mouth had been burned, her face red and black from the burn that traveled from her mouth to her left eye. Kagome’s lips had puffed twice their size; tears were sliding down her face. Her clothes looked torn, only covering herself in the needed areas, but her skirt looked like nothing but a torn rag. Dried blood covered her left leg, which was making her limp and use the tree for support. Sango felt her body tingle in places as she saw Kagome’s current state. Sango could feel those injuries herself.

“KAGOME!” Kouga yelled. He ran over to the broken miko who crumbled into his arms, sobbing.

“Kami…” Miroku stuttered. He was to shock to leak any words out. Shippo look like he was going to faint any second off the houshi’s shoulder. Rin burst into tears and grabbed Jaken who in return snarled, but with one look at Kagome his face softened a little.

Sesshomaru just stared. Sango could only guess what he was thinking. He shook his head and growled. “Hanyou you could not protect that woman you have always protected from me?” Sango barley heard the Youkai Lord’s comment.

Sango bit her lip to hold back the tears, but they fell down her face anyway. She walked over were Kouga had laid Kagome down smoothly on the forest floor. He didn’t hold her, afraid to make her injuries any worse. Sango knelt down by Kagome and slowly put her hand on her forehead.

“She really burning up, she…” Sango felt he tears come in waves and buried her face her hands and let her sorrow fall for the young miko. She felt an arm go around her shoulders and pull her into his strong chest.

“It’s okay Sango, we found her.” Miroku said as he rubbed her back. He kissed her on top of the head and laid his chin on her head. He rubbed her back trying to sooth her. “Shhh….”

“It’s…okay…Sango.” Kagome’s voice sounded like a branch scratching against another piece of wood. Sango pulled her head from Miroku’s chest and looked down at the broken miko.

“Oh, Kagome. We’re so sorry, we were too late.” Sango managed to say. Shippo was at Kagome’s side crying on Kouga’s knee. To the young fox youkai’s surprise, the wolf put his hand on Shippo’s back.

“Kouga?” the young fox youkai asked. Sango looked at Kouga. His bangs covered his eyes and she could feel his youki intensify. He was angry, so angry even Sesshomaru seemed taken back. Shippo moved away from Kouga, obviously scared of him.

“Damn him.” Kouga hissed. He stood up and glared in the direction of the wood. Sango could feel the faint evil youki that InuYasha had left behind. Kagome moaned. Sango’s attention went back to the injured miko.

“Houshi?”

“Yes, Sango?”

“Could you let me go to get Kagome’s pack?”

“Sure.” He released her, and Sango, suddenly missed his warm embrace. But now was not the time. She got up and went over to Kirara. She moved the yellow pack Kagome took with her. She removed the box that she had seen Kagome remove every time someone was injured.

“Exterminator.”

“Yes, Sesshomaru?”

“You and Rin will stay her with the miko. This Sesshomaru, the wolf, and the houshi will follow my otouto.”

“Sesshomaru…”

“Do not question me exterminator.” Sango closed her mouth. She knew better then speaks back to the Youkai Lord if she could help it. She sighed; well she might be the best to help Kagome with her injuries.

Sango walked up to Miroku and handed him a bandage.

“Sango?”

“Sesshomaru wants you to accompany him with Kouga to go look for InuYasha.”

“He does?”

“Yes, I would go, you’ve already angered him more then you should of.” Miroku smiled.

“Am I not able to please anyone?”

“Stop it, Kagome’s hurt.” Sango immediately focused her attention back to Kagome. Kagome had moved her hand on Kouga’s foot, rubbing it softly.

“Please…don’t…hurt…him.” She whispered to the wolf youkai.

Kouga just growled. His anger had intensified so drastically, Sango was afraid he may go on a rampage.

“Kagome just relax so I can treat your wounds.” Sango whispered to the miko.

“It…wasn’t…him…InuYasha.” Kagome moaned.

“Shhhh…” Sango put her finger to her lips and placed a cool cloth on the young miko’s forehead. Kagome flinched. Sango began to examine the wounds more closely.

The wounds seemed to be coming from her shoulder and her leg. Sango knew what had happened on her shoulder, InuYasha had bit her again opening the wound that had healed well awhile ago. The wound on her leg was new, it was a long scratch that started at her ankle and ran all the way up. She would have to examine that wound in private, since it didn’t stop at Kagome’s skirt rim.

It was the burn on her face that scared Sango the most. It had made her lips puff out, blurring her speech. And the gold liquid in her hair and plastered on her burn, it was the cause of it. Sango reached her hand out and touched the gold liquid, she snapped her hand back. It burned her hand, Sango had to suck on her finger to let the pain go at an ease.

“Are you okay Sango?” Miroku asked.

“Damn that hurt.” Sango hissed.

“Sesshomaru is waiting for me, Kouga already left.” Miroku said.

“He did?” Sango felt the uneasiness fade out into her voice.

“Yea, protect Rin and Kagome, that’s what Sesshomaru wanted me to tell you.”

“Don’t worry I will with Kirara and Jaken.”

“Hey, don’t bring me into this.” Jaken snapped.

“What of us?” Ginta asked. Hakkaku stood next to him.

“You can help me get some herbs to ease Kagome’s pain.” Sango told the two wolf youkai. They both nodded and stayed on the outline of the wood looking for herbs. Rin looked at her.

“Kagome-sama will be alright?”

“I think so Rin, we’ll help her don’t you worry.” Sango rubbed the girl on the head. Shippo curled up by Kagome’s chin.

Kirara transformed back and did the same. Sango felt a small smile come on her lips, the tow youkai were almost like little dolls that were trying to comfort her. Sango looked around, apparently Miroku and Sesshomaru had already left.

Sango sat there. She moved her hand over Kagome’s beautiful face, the liquid hit her skin again but Sango bit her lip and ignored the pain.

“Don’t worry Kagome we’re here, we’re here.”

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