A/N: This story switches between perspectives, at times. So we will not always follow Kagome's actions, but have the chance to view others as well.

Alone in the Inuyasha Forest with no Inuyasha in sight. No one was there to help the young priestess in this strange, blood-spattered place. Did she even know the way back to the village from here? The group had wandered pretty far…

"They could not have just silently walked off and left me here."Kagome thought aloud, the panic slowly rising to her voice. "This isn't right. Or human."

Was there some sort of demon prowling around? Someone who could soundlessly steal the monk and a demon away in a blink of an eye? What could have happened to the men all in a few seconds? It could have been the same thing that snatched up her supplies?

Kagome took a small step across the dirt.

Her gaze jumped about the forest. Trees grew in thick clusters ahead. She couldn't see much before her but more trees and shrubs. Birds squawked from their perches and the black shadows of squirrels danced among tree branches.

"Oh, what am I afraid of?" her voice hitched as she spoke. "I've got my bows and arrows. No one's coming near me. Or I'll..."

A strong breeze chose that moment to push over the branches of the trees above her. The foliage grinded together with another firm wind, instantly cloaking the woodland into darkness. A chill ran through Kagome as she pulled out a bow. She adjusted her arrow, fingers trembling.

Needing to think, she almost dropped down onto a large rock before noticing the red scratching the surface. Bugs claimed the territory, sucking at the spilled wolf blood. Another shiver shot through her. she headed away from the rock and into something flat and hard.

She shut her eyes, fingers fisting at her sides.

'Be a tree, be a tree!' she begged.

The hard surface grabbed her shoulders.

'Definitely not a tree!'

"Sister?"

Kagome popped open an eye, then exhaled a huge breath, hugging the familiar wolf youkai.

"Ginta. Hakkaku! You scared the crap out of me!"

"The what? Well, never mind. Where is Kouga? We trailed the scent of his spilled blood all the way here."

Kagome gathered a breath, then explained the ghastly events of the last hour. She wasn't even done with the wolf demon's surprised, horrified faces stopped her from saying anymore.

"No way, no way! Kouga's dead, Kouga is dead!" Hakkaku paced and bounced around, moving faster than Kagome had ever sense him.

"Oh, Kouga! Come back, Chief!" Ginta sniveled, bending over the bug-infested rock.

"Snap out of it, guys!" Kagome demanded. "What are you, wolf demons or...? Well, he's not even dead yet and..."

The two wolf demons howled at the treetops.

'Bad choice of words. ' Kagome noted. "He is going to be okay, and I won't stand for any dying. But we have got to get out of here and fast, alright? Something is wrong with this forest. You boys don't want to get abducted, do you?"

At that, they took a soldier's straight stance and lined up before Kagome.

"Yes, Sister," Ginta said. "And don't worry; we'll guard you with our lives."

"Right." Hakkaku said, nodding.

At that, they quickly took their Wolf Leader's claimed woman by her forearms, dragging her off as they sprinted for their lives.

"What in the haa-hell?" Inuyasha stuttered. He was shaking uncontrollably and he couldn't remember a thing. Puffing off cloudy breaths, he glared into a deep, sticky darkness. His muscles were slow and locked from the freezing cold air, his senses tripping over one another in icy confusion.

"Where in-inn the hells are we?" he demanded the darkness, a shiver cutting through his spine.

"I think... Satan's frrr—rrr-eezer." Said a voice from the distance.

"Mah-Mirr-roku?" Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, finally snagging onto the gray outline of the monk. Switching his head around, he could make out planks of wood for walls, but otherwise the room looked empty.

"Wa-where's Kagome? Ka-ka-ka-gome!" The Hanyou's voice echoed.

Silence.

"Damn," Inuyasha said. He lowered his eyes.

Where was she? In fact, where was he? One second he was in the forest, and the next he felt his body give out and he woke up freezing cold.

"Sha-she's not ha-here." Miroku said.

"Oh, rah-really?!"

"We ma-must be in ss-ss-ome sort of artic. Or-rr- are we da-der-dreaming all this?"

"This is no dream of mine," Inuyasha said.

The monk churned forward, heading for a wall. His hands hands connected to the shadowed wood, shocked by the icy cold barrier.

"This wall fe-feels like pure ice!" he attempted to pull away from the burning cold, but it pinned him in place.

"I...I...Inuyasha, I'm stuck!" he called, just as an eerie human form of light drew from the floor of the room.

A/N: I'd love to hear from the readers. :] Thanks guys for tuning in.