Inumittsu
Episode 2
Inuyasha and Konpon are walking in the woods outside her hut. The old woman is gathering herbs, and the boy is full of questions. �Konpon,� he asks, �Why are you gathering those plants?� She says, �At this point, mostly out of habit. For most of my life I have gathered herbs and medicinal plants; I find it hard to stop.� �What do you need them for?� Inuyasha asks. She says, �When a priestess guards a village, she must see to the health of its inhabitants.� �A village,� he says, �But you don�t live in a village.� �No,� she says, �But I did till of late. Only now, in my last days, have I sought the privacy of a hermitage.� �Last days?� he asks. She nods, �I am old, little one. Soon enough I will die. But more than that, I am weak. I can no longer string a bow; let alone hit a mark. I cannot move quickly when I am needed; and I cannot endure until a task is finished. Another priestess has come to care for my people, so I have gone here to be alone.� After a long pause, Inuyasha asks, �Does that mean I have to leave; so you�re alone?� She tells him, �No little one, if fate has thrown you in my lap; so be it. I will teach you what you must learn to survive; at least for as long as I am able. For starters, it has been some time since I have tasted food which can run away from me. Use that nose of yours and find a rabbit.� Inuyasha asks, �But how do I get it?� The old woman tells him, �You have claws, use them.� The boy turns from the old woman and stares at the ground. She says, �You are thinking of the boy; the one you harmed with those claws. His fate was his own making; but so is yours. If you refuse to use your claws you are choosing to not survive. I am tired; I shall return home to rest. We shall have rabbit for dinner, or we will not eat. I can go through the night unfed, can you?� With that said, she turns and walks back to her hut. It is not until late in the evening, but they do eat rabbit that night.