Chapter 6

The next morning came much too quickly for Kagome. She had been having a wonderful dream about falling in love but she couldn't see his face, but his snowy white hair kept surrounding her. They were about to kiss when Kaede woke her from this lovely dream.

"Huh" she blinked her eyes till she could focus on the old priestess, she didn't at first remember where she was, then the enormity of the past day came crashing down on her.

"We must get ready and get to the practice field quickly" Kaede had been talking for a bit but that was all that Kagome could register upon first waking up.

Kagome looked around and found that only the candles were lit and asked what time it was as she sat up. The warm haori slipping from her shoulders and pooling around her lap.

Shippou cam bounding in carrying with him red hakama and white kimono, with matching obi. He placed the new clothing at Kagome's feet and whisked away the haori and bounced back out of the room.

Kagome changed her clothes behind a waiting screen, while Kaede busied herself cleaning the room.

When Kagome came out with her hair tied back with a white ribbon tied around her hair, she saw that an assortment of weapons were laid out where her futon had been a short while ago.

"Is everyone up this early?" Kagome asked remembering that she normally wouldn't start her day till just after the sun rose.

"Aye" Kaede replied, "and some have been down at the fields for awhile Kagome, which draws you?" Kaede pointed to the weapons that were arranged on the floor.

Swords, spears, staffs and blades of all kinds lay where she had once slept.

Kagome stepped over and picked up a long bow and quiver of arrows. "I think that I can used these best" she answered holding them close and turning to Kaede.

Meanwhile InuYasha was at the edge of the practice fields, when Shippou came bounding up with his hoari. He picked it up with a slight nod to the kit and then went to practice with Sango and Miroku in a mock battle.

A short time later Kagome crested the hill near to see her new friends in a fierce battle with each other. Instinctively she pulled out an arrow from her quiver and shot directly between the three of them. A bright light exploded from the arrow creating a barrier between InuYasha and the others. Both weapons and people were thrown back by the unexpected barrier. The three combatants stopped in mid-move and looked to the hill expecting to see Kaede thinking that they had gotten a bit too rough in their practice. Only it wasn't Kaede, but Kagome that was running down the hill directly toward Sango, with a longbow in her hand. They couldn't believe what had just happened. Sure she was going to train to be a priestess, but where had such raw power come from.

Kaede came over the hill at a sedate pace after the young girl.

Kagome reached Sango, but before she could question what was going on, InuYasha walked around her arrow, and started yelling, "What'd you do that for wench, practice was just getting good?"

"Practice" Kagome turned to him, his annoyance feeding her own, "That was practice you looked like you were going to kill each other!" their argument continued along this line for awhile, Sango having a hard time keeping a straight face, as she hadn't seen anyone, so bold as to argue with him after only the second day of knowing him. Two days and two fights it was a new record, she was sure.

During the loud exchange Miroku had gone over to where Kagome's arrow was lodged in the ground and its protective aura slowly fading. He had crouched down to get a better look at the arrow itself. "Such a powerful barrier" he mused "It is even deflected the Hiraikotsu"

"So, Monk" Kaede's voice caused him to lose his balance and fall unceremoniously. "What do you think about our new young lady's abilities?"

"She is very powerful if untrained, but the purity of the barrier is undeniable" he answered, "besides her spirit is unmatched" he glanced over at the still shouting twosome.

"You are quite right, about that. Do you think that we should rescue them from each other before they come to blows." and walked over just as Kagome had turned away and was trying to ignore the now frustrated hanyou.

Morning weapons training proceeded better after that, although Kagome wondered why InuYasha wouldn't pull his sword from it's sheath from his side.

Food was set out on the top of the hill for a repast. Kaede then took Kagome back to the castle to learn herbs and more associated with her new position.

Sango went to attend her other duties and clean the weapons that had been used this morning, other than personal weapons which were left to the owners to care for. Miroku walked to the edge of the forest for some meditation. InuYasha leaped into a tree near Miroku to take a nap, since there was little else for him to do.

Some time later an object was hurled at his back. He reached behind him and caught it without having to turn around. After bringing finding out that the item was just an apple, he turned toward the direction that the fruit was thrown from, only to find Kagome standing nearby holding a basket, filled with food.

"What's this?" InuYasha asked suspiciously.

"Granny Kaede gave me the afternoon to relax and this basket of food" Kagome replied "she gave me way too much, want to share?"

"Feh" He replied and took a bite of the apple he had caught.

She started walking past his tree and into the forest.

"Hey, don't you know that there are wild animals in the forest, a weak human wouldn't stand a chance" he leaped down and walked beside her, "besides do you even know where you are going?"

"Well, Sango mentioned a lake nearby, and I that that would be a good place to start exploring. If I am going to live here I might as well get to know the area, shouldn't I?" she turned to him with a look of complete innocence, but InuYasha got the feeling that she was up to something.

"Well you still shouldn't be wondering around without knowing where you are going,"he grudging admitted.

"Now your here and I don't have to worry" she smiled "I know that you won't let any wild animal bother me now would you" it almost seemed to InuYasha that she was patronizing him and treating him like a guard dog, but he couldn't really say a thing.

"Yeah, whatever"

They kept walking with Kagome in the lead till she couldn't find the way. InuYasha had to point out the path to here.

They got to the lake after walking for about an hour, Kagome sat down on the edge of the lake after taking off her shoes and socks. The basket set next to her. She pulled out a peach and started to eat it. The juice dripping from her soft lips and running down her chin. InuYasha wondered if she would improve the taste of the peach if he licked it off her. Then shook his head to clear it of the stray thoughts that hanging around with Miroku that pervert had placed there.

She seemed not to want to talk and kept looking out across the lake. He wondered what she was thinking, but Kagome didn't seem inclined to talk at that time.

Her quiet nature was soothing to him, he didn't feel the need to rant and rave like he normally would. She seemed to him a walking contradiction, but it was nice to be around her like this. He leaned back against a tree and just let his thoughts wander. The spent the time absorbed in their own thoughts.

InuYasha wondered if he had ever been as comfortable with another person. Miroku almost always wanted to talk about girls, Sango in particularly. Sango normally would wanted to talk about strategies or weapons, or Miroku, though he smiled to himself, she would kill him if he ever told the monk that. Shippou was just never quiet and usually InuYasha had to knock the little kit about before he left him alone. But sitting here with Kagome felt different. It felt right somehow.

They walked back as quietly as they had sat by the lake, just had left when the sun touched the water.