Ice and Snow, Mind and Heart

Chapter 25: Poisons

"Grrr, that Naraku!" Jaken grumbled as they continued on their travels. "Just wait! I'll show him a thing or two! I can assure you! Hehehe."

It had been several days already since their run in with Koga, though they were still some ways from the Ox-Tiger mountain. So far there had been no sign of Naraku or any of his followers, but that wasn't anything new...

Yuki paused.

Sniffing the air, her eyes widened slightly, and she thought: 'Well, I guess that's a lesson that I should never be too hasty!'

Glancing at Sesshomaru, she noted his pensive expression and asked softly: "You smell that?"

"Hn." He answered, moving forward once more, this time in the direction the faint but distinct smell was coming from.

Yuki followed, lapsing into thought as she did.

'Kohaku...' She thought. 'He's nearby – well, relatively speaking. But I wonder... in what form we shall find him?'

She recalled the sweet though confused boy she'd met the first time, and then those awful dead eyes he had whenever he was under Naraku's control.

'Poor Sango.' Yuki thought, her heart going out to the demon slayer once more. 'It must kill her every time she has to see him like that.'

"Yuki," Rin called suddenly from behind as she rode on A-Un behind Jaken, "Lord Sesshomaru. I was wondering – why do you seek Naraku?"

"Don't you know anything?" Jaken demanded before Yuki could answer. "Naraku dared to first try and use Lord Sesshomaru, and then he had the audacity to abduct you. Lord Sesshomaru is now bent on vengeance!"

"Huh?" Rin gasped, lighting up at this new revelation. "It's because of me?"

"Don't be so conceited you silly child!" Jaken scolded. "It's not about you. Lord Sesshomaru's honour has been insulted! It was one thing for Naraku to betray a brief alliance, but to steal someone under Lord Sesshomaru's protection is a direct attack on mi lord's honour! So don't let his calm demeanour fool you."

Yuki glanced back in warning, but Jaken didn't noticed – too busy looking back at Rin – as he continued: "Underneath, he is a boiling, angry, seething mass of- oof!"

Yuki sighed, shaking her head as Jaken bumped into Sesshomaru's leg. The demon lord had stopped as soon as Jaken had started to explain Sesshomaru's 'motive' for searching for Naraku. Jaken had been too preoccupied to notice, and now it looked like he was going to pay dearly for his words.

Jaken gulped as he stared up at Sesshomaru, who was looking down with a deadly glare.

"Uh oh." Jaken whimpered.

Yuki turned back to the front, just as a loud smack sounded behind her.

Sesshomaru walked passed her, and she followed him once more as – behind them – Rin bent over in concern over Jaken as he lay on his stomach, a large bump growing out of his head.

"I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut." Jaken moaned, and Rin agreed: "That is what Yuki always tells you."

"Urgh." Jaken sighed, while Yuki glanced back amusedly before looking back at Sesshomaru.

"You're in a terrible mood considering we finally have a confirmation that we're probably headed in the right direction." Yuki noted, and Sesshomaru scowled over at her.

"Don't look at me like that – you can't scare me the way you scare Jaken." Yuki said lightly. "And you really should treat Jaken better – his mouth can run off sometimes, but he admires you greatly."