You guys asked for a chapter, here it is. . . br /
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Chapter Four br /
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"Search the castle! Search the grounds! Search the whole fuckin village! I don't care what you do just find her and bring her back!" Naraku barked orders to his guards from the main sitting room. He stormed around the entire room as if lost. The queen was grieving from the sudden disappearance of her daughter yet she managed to pull herself together for the sake of the prince. br /
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"Prince Hojo, I do hope you'll forgive us. This sort of thing never happens. I don't know what's gotten into Kagome. I only ask for your patience. They will find her." br /
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"My dear queen, I have nothing but time. And from all that I've heard Princess Kagome has grown into a beauty well worth waiting for. How long has she been missing?" Kagome's mother looked out of a nearby window and into the afternoon sky. br /
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"A few hours since this morning. She said she just wanted to take a walk and get some fresh air while we were waiting for you. The maid went to fetch her and she was gone." br /
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"Oh. Well can you think of anyone who has any grudges against your family?" She scoffed. br /
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"HA! Where do I begin? It would be simpler to ask who DOESN'T have anything against us. But they would never dare do anything like this. They all fear Naraku so." br /
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Suddenly one of the castle guards accompanied by a maid approached the queen and prince. He kneeled before them before saying, br /
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"Pardon the intrusion, but this maid says she has information about the princess." br /
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"Well by all means, woman, spill it!" Said the queen. The maid bowed and began. br /
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"Well, this morning the princess was staring quite wistfully out her window at the ocean this morning and seemed very distant. She was very uneasy about meeting the prince. Later when I called her inside from the shore she looked as if she was about to walk right into the sea. And while I was preparing the meal for the princes arrival she collected a sack of food she said was for a homeless person and rushed back out. Bless the princesses kind heart. Anyway, I went out to see what was taking her only to find her missing and one of the small boats gone. I don't think the princess can handle a boat, even one as small as that. She's such a frail child." br /
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"Fascinating. Now what's your point?" Said Naraku from behind the maid making her jump. br /
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"Quite! This doesn't aid us at all in finding my darling daughter!" The queen looked very near to tears. Naraku took over once again. br /
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"Now, do you have any relevant information, old woman?" br /
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"Yes, my Lord. I think the princess may have run away in a boat. You know how high strung teenagers can be. As a matter of fact I recall one day when my daughter. . ." br /
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The three royals looked absolutely dumbstruck. None of them had ever considered that. br /
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"Darling, send the navy to look for her. She can't have gotten too far." Naraku turned from the group and walked away. br /
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"Damn. The only available navy vessel was sent out to some village. Something about pirates." He thought for a while before taking action. He sent a messenger out to search for the navy vessel notifying them of the situation. He then called to his head of guard. br /
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"Assemble your men and the largest ship you can find. I'll go after the girl my self." As he was walking away his wife grabbed onto his arm. br /
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"But if you leave what am I supposed to do? I know nothing of your negotiations and such." br /
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"My dear, that's what Kagura is for. She shall be staying behind to take care of that." br /
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Ah yes, Kagura. Naraku's other right hand. She was his scribe, assistant, secretary and personal wench. (when the queen wouldn't give it up if you know what I mean.) And she was all to happy to do it. (in both senses) And in doing so she knew all of Naraku's business dealings and the inner workings of his rule. Thus making her the most qualified person to stand in for him while he's away. br /
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"My pleasure, my Lord. I shall not disappoint you." She bowed. br /
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"You never do, Kagura." The queen didn't sense the electricity between her husband and the scribe. He turned to leave only to be stopped once again. br /
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"My Lord, wait. Please, let me accompany you in retrieving the princess." br /
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"You are more than welcome, my prince. Now come, we have wasted enough time here." br /
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Inuyasha was pacing in his room. Miroku was sitting on the bed watching him until he couldn't take it anymore. br /
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"Will you stop that? You're makin me dizzy!" br /
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He simply looked up at his comrade before turning his gaze back to the floor and continuing his pacing. br /
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"You're gonna wear a hole in the floor." br /
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"I don't care." br /
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"Your feet are gonna fall off if you don't stop soon." br /
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"Argg! Dammit all what's takin them so long?" br /
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"You'll have to excuse the crew. They're not exactly what one would call 'seamstresses'." br /
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"What about the rudder?" He stopped pacing. br /
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"Should be done by tomorrow. Late tonight if we're lucky. One of the men used to work on boats. But they really did a number on our sails, captain. Where are you going?" br /
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"To give the guys a little 'pep talk'." Miroku followed doubting whether it was going to be very peppy. br /
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Most of the crew was assembled on the deck clumsily sewing the torn sails. br /
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"Hey! I'm only gonna say this once so listen up!" They obediently stopped what they were doing and listened to their captain. br /
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"Now, you men patchin those sails had better be done by tonight or so help me I'll have you towing this boat with rope by your teeth! Any objections?" They sewed as fast as their bruised and callused hands would allow. br /
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"Good. Miroku, you take over. I need a nap." br /
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"Y-yes, sir." br /
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No one dared call his bluff because they knew he'd do it. He'd made them before. As a matter of fact it was the last time Koga had attacked them. Slashing their sails was the wolves signature and Inuyasha had been super P.O.ed. And if memory serves Miroku almost lost his head when he asked Inuyasha if he was going to have a bitch fit. Well, right about now he was damn near to doing just that. br /
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Inuyasha flopped down on his bed and shut his eyes. His brows were furrowed and his lips formed an irritated scowl. He tossed and turned for an hour but couldn't manage to fall asleep. He found that all his thoughts revolved around Kagome. br /
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Where was she now? br /
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Was she safe? br /
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What had Koga done to her? br /
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Did she want him as much as he wanted her right now? br /
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Inuyasha shook his head so that his silver hair shook all around him. He shouldn't be thinking like that. Not about Kagome. Why did he even care? Why the hell was he stickin his neck out to rescue that wench? He should just let that wolf have her. . . br /
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But then that soft spot in his heart caused him a terrible pang of guilt. br /
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She was just a girl stuck in an awkward situation. It wasn't her fault. (yeah right) He couldn't let Koga have her. Who knew what the wolf would do? (or had already done.) He would never get to see her beautiful face . . . Or chest . . . Or ass . . . Ever again. That's when he snapped back. Koga had taken her away from him! How dare he? br /
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Inuyasha stood and kicked open his door. He would NOT get away with this! Kagome was HIS. He stormed out to the wheel of the ship and looked at his crew on the deck below. Miroku was the first to notice Inuyasha's presence. He turned and called up to him. br /
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"Captain! We're all done here! The sails are patched and up and Tohru fixed the rudder, sir!" br /
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It's amazing what a little "persuasion" can do. br /
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"Good. Then let's tail that scrawny wolf!" br /
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The door creaked on it's rusty hinges as it opened. br /
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"Leave us, Hakkaku." br /
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"Aye sir." Kagome watched Hakkaku's back as he walked away. br /
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"Well? Come in." Said Koga's voice from the dark room. br /
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"And close the door." She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. (though she didn't like the idea of her being in a dark room and behind closed doors with the wolf.) br /
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'If I hear his pants come down I'm out.' She thought. Kagome looked around and saw why it was so dark: Koga had the window covered with a dark and obviously thick cloth. She saw him swipe a match and light three candles in a candelabra that was sitting on a small table in the center of the room. It wasn't a traditional Japanese table like what Kagome was used to. It was high and had two western style chairs, one on each end. One was already occupied by Koga. He waved his hand across the table to the chair and said, "Sit." As Kagome walked over to the chair Koga stood and pulled it out for her. When she was seated he returned to his place across from her. br /
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"Eat." He said. In front of each of them was a plate with roast pork, sushi and rice. Kagome wasn't sure about the combination but she was starving. It was a good thing she'd learned to use a knife and fork for Koga had no chopsticks. It had all been part of her training for meeting prince Hojo (care of Naraku). br /
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As she began to eat Koga studied the food on his own fork as he said, br /
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"You shouldn't lurk in people's door ways. It's rude." Kagome paid him no mind and continued to shovel food into her mouth. br /
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"But I'm sure you know all about manners . . . Princess." She choked. After she cleared her air passage she said, br /
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"I- I'm not a -" br /
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"Don't bullshit with me, Kagome. One of my men told me." br /
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"H- how did he know?" She said. br /
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"He used to work in your fathers castle as a groundskeeper. I also know that your father is Lord Naraku." Kagome stood and slammed her palms on the table which made it's contents bounce. br /
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"That man is NOT my father!" She screamed. br /
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"Damn. What's your problem?" She calmly sat and brushed the hair from her face. br /
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"Naraku is my step father. My father died a long time ago." Koga leaned back in his chair. br /
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"Daughter, stepdaughter, whatever. You're still his charge, aren't ya?" br /
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"And what of it?" He leaned on the table on one of his elbows. br /
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"I know for a fact that Naraku is very wealthy. You're gonna help me get a piece of his fortune." Kagome threw her head back and laughed. Koga didn't understand. br /
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She was supposed to be scared. Not amused. Now Koga didn't know a lot but he knew that she wasn't supposed to be laughing. br /
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"And what the hell is so funny?" He demanded. Kagome took a deep breath and wiped the moisture from her watering eye. She met his gaze and said, br /
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"That's the funniest thing I've ever heard! NARAKU pay a ransom for ME? We must not be talking about the same person." br /
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"Are you not the step daughter of Naraku, Lord of the Southern and half the eastern land?" br /
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"That's the one. So like I said, he'll never pay you a ransom." Her eyes followed the Ookami as she said this for he had risen from his seat and walked behind her. Kagome clearly heard him take a blade from it's sheath on his waist. Knowing what he planned to do she closed her eyes and folded her hands in her lap preparing to call his bluff . . . Hopefully. br /
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He put one hand on her shoulder and leaned his face close to her ear as he placed the blade of the dagger under her chin near her neck. br /
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"So, he wouldn't care if Killed you right now? He wouldn't care if I slit your throat and watched you choke on your own blood? He wouldn't care if I devoured your lifeless body and washed it down with your spilt blood?" br /
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He pressed harder to her neck with the knife. br /
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"Or maybe I'll let you live. Perhaps I'll just make lots of tiny cuts along your body and watch the blood drain." br /
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With one of his claws he made a small cut along her cheek. A small drop of blood made a red trail down to her chin. Kagome remained calm. Koga continued softly, br /
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"He wouldn't care if I did that? He wouldn't care if I fucked the shit out of your weak body as you bleed to death? He wouldn't care?" br /
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"No. He wouldn't. In fact, you'd probably be doing him a favor. Go ahead, kill me." She hoped he wouldn't call her lame bluff. He sheathed the dagger and stepped away. br /
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"Dammit. Then what use are you to me if not as a hostage?" Kagome stood. br /
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"Well, while you're thinking I'd like to be shown to my room. I'm quite tired now." Koga turned to her. br /
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"Your room? No, no, no. You sleep with me." Kagome abandoned her cool façade and nearly panicked. br /
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"W-with you? In here? No thanks. I think I'll pass." She tried to go to the door but Koga grabbed her arm before she could reach it. br /
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"Wait. Where d'you think you're goin'? Just cause I can't use you to get what I want from Naraku doesn't mean I don't have any other use for you." Kagome's heart pounded in her chest. She knew exactly what that "other use" was. Even though it sickened her to think about it. br /
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He pulled her so hard that she thought he would pull her arm off. br /
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"Koga, what are you - -?" br /
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"I've had a stressful day, wench. And you're gonna help me relieve some of it." He pushed her roughly and she fell to the bed. br /
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"Wait, Koga! What about our deal?" br /
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"I changed my mind." He pulled her dress up over her waist and said, br /
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"It didn't have to be this way." br /
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"It still doesn't!" She kicked and punched him as much as she could but it wasn't much good for he never felt her pathetic blows. br /
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"If you don't struggle so much this might not hurt . . . Much." br /
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"Let me go and it won't hurt at all!" When he got past all the layers in her dress he said, br /
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"The first thing we're gonna do after this is get you a shorter dress with fewer layers." br /
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"Yeah right, creep!" br /
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His hands were on her underclothes when his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell on top of Kagome unconscious. She looked up and saw Sango standing over her and Koga with a broken chair. (She'd smashed him over the head with it.) A smile spread over Kagome's fair face. br /
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"Sango! I can't tell you how glad I am to see you!" br /
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"No problem." She pulled the unconscious Ookami off the young girl. br /
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"How did you ever manage to escape?" br /
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"Well, you dropped one of your hairpins when you came to the tank. The idiot who came to get you picked it up and gave it to me. Thought it was mine. I picked my way out." Kagome sighed and looked down at Koga's limp form which was now on the floor. br /
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"What do we do now?" She said. br /
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"Well, he won't be out for long and the sun is starting to set so we should try to sneak off this boat as soon as we can" br /
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"What about the rest of the crew?" br /
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"All taking their evening naps." br /
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"Well then, let's go." br /
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They quietly crept onto the deck. br /
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"Taking a rowboat may attract too much attention." br /
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"I guess we swim then." br /
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"Wait, Kagome. You'll never get anywhere in that dress. Let me help you . . ." She took a dagger from her boot and proceeded to "adjust" Kagome's dress. First she cut off the sleeves so that the top looked almost like a tattered tank top and she cut her dress so that it stopped half way down her thighs. Though she still had all of her petticoats and layers under it which were also cut. Sango threw the cut fabric over board. br /
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"Uh, Sango, not that I don't trust your judgment or anything, but how does making my dress shorter and more revealing help me?" br /
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"With all that length and those layers you'd sink like a rock." br /
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"Oh." Sango looked around. For what Kagome didn't know. br /
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"Did you hear that?" br /
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"Hear what?" Said Kagome also looking around. br /
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"Nothing. I guess I'm hearing things." Sango was quiet for a time after that. She finally said, br /
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"Looks like we'll have to chance a lifeboat. We're way too far out to try to swim to land." As quietly as they could Kagome and Sango lowered one of the lifeboats and climbed down a rope ladder on the side of the ship and carefully dropped into the boat. br /
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"Well, that was easy." Whispered Kagome. br /
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"Let's not celebrate just yet, Kagome." br /
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"Why not?" br /
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"I have a feeling that we're not out of the woods yet." br /
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Under the cover of the full moon they slowly rowed away from Koga's ship. br /
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For those of you who made it this far: br /
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I know this was long, but all that was said needed to be put in this chapter. And as for the cliffy. . . .Maybe I'll let them get away and live happily ever after. . . .But what fun would that be? :) br /
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I updated. You happy? br /
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Chapter five is almost ready. Just bear with me for a little while. br /
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