"We must follow this path straight on for about forty miles. Then we will reach a passage into the mountains," Myoga said.

"Forty miles?" Kagome groaned, already feeling an ache in her feet. Even in a human form, Sesshomaru's endurance bordered on lunacy, as he did not allow stop for rest until twenty miles passed and the ample after noon sun hung above them.

"Come on Sesshmaru," she whined. "We've been hiking for five straight hours. You've got to be tired."

He ignored her lack of formality. "This Sesshomaru does not tire, girl."

"Forgive me, my lord, but are you not injured?" Myoga asked meekly.

"It is of no consequence."

Kagome continued to piss and moan. Her feet hurt. She was hungry. Her legs ached. She just needed a solid fifteen minute break. She pleaded and begged like this until finally;

"If it will cease your abominable complaining, we may rest here for a short while."

She wasted no time in plopping down beneath a large, shady tree and digging into her pack for a well deserved snack. She pulled out a bag of teriyaki flavored jerky and a small portion of of chocolate. Not the healthiest, she thought. But it kept well in the wilderness, and was easy for a quick boost.

A low growl erupted from the belly of the now human youkai, eliciting a giggle from his companion.

"Hungry?" She asked, offering him a portion of jerky which he quickly smacked from her hand. Rude.

"I do not eat human food, girl."

She scoffed at him, again, and he found he grew tired of this habit of hers.

"Well I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you are human now, and humans need to eat."

He calmly turned his nose to her, as if she were merely some small insignificant animal he had chosen to ignore. About to give him a very irate piece of her mind, Kagome froze, having just now grasped his behavior.

Rude? Check. Ill-tempered? Check. Egotistic, pretentious and condescending? Check. At first she had just assumed he was being his usual, frigid and snobbish self. Nothing he did was truly out of the ordinary for him.

But now that she thought better of it, noticing the ever subtle switch, she understood.

Pride. What and ugly, stubborn thing. It would drive even the most noble creatures to the brink of starvation. Alright, she thought. If that's how he wants to play it.

"Mm, I'm stuffed," she said, patting her belly before standing. She set down her bag of dried, jerked meat carefully at her feet before turning to leave. "I think I'll take in the scenery a bit," she mused, wondering off, just out of sight.

Kagome found a small clearing near by, adorned with a variety of vibrant wild flowers. She was envisioning the sensation of running naked through the fields, wind in her hair and petals at her feet, when Sesshomaru called for her to return.

"We must keep moving. I'd like to arrive before I die of old age in this form," he groaned.

Unbelievable. The great Lord of the West - moping. Kagome forced herself to stifle her snickers as she packed up her things, noting her now empty bag of goodies.

Soft clicks and clack could be heard near by.

"Oh. That's not good," Myoga said to Kagome.

"What's not good?"

"This road is frequented by bandits, my dear. I fear in our lords current state, we may find ourselves vulnerable."

Kagome snorted in a most unladylike fashion. "So I suppose that means you'll be leaving us now, Myoga?" The little flea nestled further into her hair, trying to hide himself. "Oh, don't worry. Sesshomaru is a remarkable swordsman; we have nothing to fear," she said with the utmost confidence as, sure enough, a group of bandits approached.

The group of men circled in a menacing form around the group. "How much for the girl?" One of them sneered.

"Excuse you?" Kagome nipped.

"Pft. We don't need to bargain," another said. "We can just take her."

"I like that armor. We'll have it as well." The men snickered like hyenas on small prey, but they were gravely under estimating their mark.

Sesshomaru's disposition remained calm, collected, as he assessed his foes before him. Because he was human now, relying solely on technical skill with his blade, there numbers were troublesome. Fifteen? Sixteen men. Having but one arm and a large gash in his side that had yet to heal would also leave him at a stiff disadvantage.

However, the bandit's stance left much to be desired. Limp wrist-ed, weak kneed, poorly postured. None of them posed a serious threat on their own. And the little miko's words of confidence left him smug.

He settled to strike down the strongest first, moving down their ranks until he had slain them all. His movements were swift and graceful. From the very moment he drew his sword, the bandit's fate was sealed. He was focused, slaying one, two, three at a time. The battle was over before Kagome could blink.

He was correct, however, that there numbers would prove treacherous. While preoccupied with one, another came and lunged at Sesshomaru, digging a small blade deep into his side.

Stabbing his sword into the ground to lean upon, Sesshomaru slumped down, forehead resting upon the hilt. Kagome was beside him in an instant, already going to work at his wound with a crack of lilac light.

As she tackled the task at hand, Sesshomaru studied her face scrunched with worry. Sapphire orbs shimmered, threatening tears... for him. He was vexed.

"My lord," came Myoga. "I believe we should opt to travel at night from here on, when the roads are less traveled."

"Very well," he said. It would be wise to stay clear of conflict if possible while in this state. "We will rest here until sun down."