Running To Stand Still: The hidden ones
Episode 8
�Before I die, will you bear my child?�
Inuyasha groans, �Will ya give it a rest monk?!?� The elder woman asks, �Do ye mean this offer?� Miroku says, �I do.� Inuyasha says, �Sure, just like he means it to every other girl he meets.� Turning to him, the woman asks Inuyasha, �And what of his strength; is this also as he says?� �Sure, I guess.� Inuyasha says. �You ain�t seriously thinkin about�� �Silence!� the old woman snaps. �There is much to discuss and more to prove; but ye may survive after all. Return the hostage; but I warn ye, ye shalt not escape this village with thy lives.� As the two women leave, Kagome is brought to the cage and put in with the others. Inuyasha asks, �Are you ok?� She nods. Turning on the monk, Inuyasha shouts, �What were you thinking!?!� Miroku says, �You should be thanking me. She was about to decree our deaths; I have at least bought us a respite.� �How?� Kohaku asks. �What was the deal with that old woman?� Kagome says, �She wasn�t a priestess.� Kagura says, �From the deference she received from one of the village�s leading warriors; you would think she was the headman. Except she can�t be because she�s a woman.� Miroku says, �For that matter, everyone we�ve encountered so far has been female.� Kohaku asks, �How can you be sure?� Miroku says, �Trust me; I know.� Kagura says, �If this is their village, maybe all the men are way; working as ninja.� Inuyasha says, �I don�t think so. Other than me, the monk, Kohaku and Shippo, I can�t smell any guys at all.� Kagome says, �A village of warrior women�they we�re interested in the human guys�I think, hey!� Kagome calls to one of the guards. �In my bag there were some books; can I please see the blue one?� Two of the guards begin to whisper to each other. Miroku says, �They fear that your books may contain spells.� Their discussion completed one of the ninja leaves. She returns shortly with the book and 4 additional guards. She hands it to Kagome. As Kagome begins to flip through it, Miroku reads the words on the binding, �Western Mythology? From the western lands?� Kagome says, �A bit further west�ah! Amazons; in Greek legends there was a tribe of warrior women who lived without men. They reproduced by�� Everyone looks to her. Blushing, she passes the book to Miroku. Taking a moment to find the right place, he begins to read silently. When he sees what she had seen, he grins. �Somebody wan�a fill us in?� Inuyasha asks. Miroku says, �They reproduced by taking men from other villages and then returning them when they were done with them.� Kohaku asks, �So when they wanted to know if there were any men from my village�� One of the guards says, �The demon slayers were well known for their strength. Now that they have fallen, their blood would be a valuable asset to our daughters.� Another guard snaps, �Kousetsu; be quite!� The one called Kousetsu responds, �Calm down Kaze. If they�re going to live, they�re going to be told; and if not it doesn�t matter.� Miroku asks, �And might one of you lovely ladies be interested in bearing my child as well?� �She�s wrong.� Another ninja says, timidly. �At least about us. We don�t take "men". Every 16 years we find a man; he fathers our village. Whether you meant to or not, when you propositioned Yamaneko, you were asking for that job. Your offer is being discussed by the elders now.� Kaze says, �You too Kouu? Both of you stop talking with the prisoners.� Miroku says, �Kouu, Kaze, and Kousetsu; you were the ones who captured us.� A nod from Kousetsu who then gets an evil stare from Kaze is the only answer he gets.