The young miko girl and the young monk were obviously confused, but Kaede scooted them away before they could ask dangerous questions.

Sango and Inuyasha sat with Kagome and Miroku quizzing them about what they'd seen in their flight. Everything Kagome and Miroku had seen indicated that the seat of power was not in the mountain. They hadn't seen so much as a guard until they'd left the mountainside. The cry had gone up from inside the village. The slayer and half-demon were determined to get to the center of the village.

"Do you remember anything from when you first entered the village?" Sango asked hesitantly.

"Entered?" Miroku asked, sitting up straight and taking his eyes off of Kagome. After watching her shiver for a bit, Inuyasha had gone and gotten some blankets and made a little nest for her to rest in. She was sleepily trying to follow the conversation and slowly falling into a doze. She didn't have much to add, having just held onto Miroku as they'd run. Miroku was distracted by her nodding head as she slid closer and closer to resting against Inuyasha.

"We weren't taken?" Kagome said, her eyes suddenly bright despite the yawn she was fighting back. "I assumed that we were kidnapped." She shivered.

Inuyasha grunted and reached out wrapping a hand around her waist and dragged her close. She started and he looked up at the darkening sky. "I'm sick of you shivering like a shaved cat." She made a face at the description, but snuggled into his side grateful for the body heat.

Miroku frowned. She was just like a cat, cuddling into any warm lap. He shook off the uncharitable thought. She was cold, now she was warm. "Back to the subject at hand... We went into the village willingly?"

"You brought us here, Bouzu." Inuyasha growled. "The damn stupid petty demons had been all over us, slowin' us down. We were looking for a way to mask the shards and you said the Twin Mountain monks were experts at shielding." His arm around Kagome tightened as if he thought talking about the mountain would make her disappear.

Miroku's mouth went into a silent oh as the memories came back. "They made my beads, Mushin told me. The monks of the Twin Mountain Monastery used to be experts at protective arts, but their order has been shrinking over the years. They only share their knowledge among monks and priestesses. They believe letting laymen or non-humans know their techniques would make them easier to defeat."

"So you and Kagome-chan went in alone." Sango said. "We feared if we all went in together they might deny you." She nervously rubbed her hands against her knees. "You weren't supposed to stay overnight, you were just going to go in and speak with the head of the monastery and then return to see if we might stay longer."

"But you didn't come out." Inuyasha's voice was gruff. "After dark I tried to sneak in... but there was a barrier."

"I was able to get inside the barrier." Sango nodded. "But they wouldn't let me inside the gates. When I asked for you they said you'd already left."

"We knew they were lying." Inuyasha said flatly. "But Kirara and I couldn't get in, and Sango couldn't get past the gates by herself. I attacked the barrier, but-" He looked away.

"It's okay." Kagome said, patting his chest with her hand.

"But what did you do then?" Miroku asked. That accounted for a day, maybe two. They'd been trapped almost half a year.

"We tried circling around, over the top of the barrier on Kirara." Sango said, not taking offense. "It covered the whole town, right up the sides of the mountains." She looked away. "We went and got Kaede, as a priestess we thought she might be able to tell us something about it."

"The old hag didn't know nothing." Inuyasha groused.

Shooting him a dirty look, Sango calmly disagreed. "She was able to tell us that it was like no barrier she'd ever seen. And that it was a mix of powers, and that it actually originated from the left mountain face."

"I went to Totosai to see if he could do anything to my sword, but he said he was no good against holy power." Inuyasha said.

"I started gathering forces to try to get you out." Sango said. "Their guards are pitifully trained on the fence, I knew if I could get enough men together we had a chance." She wiped at her eyes and Miroku realized she was crying. "They... they started shouting things when we attacked. They said you were dead, and that we should just go away."

"We knew it was a lie." Inuyasha said, but his haunted eyes said differently. He'd been wondering all this time. They both had.

"It took you five months to get everyone together?" Miroku asked. It was amazing when he thought of it that way, they'd kept trying for almost half a year when they weren't even sure if Kagome and he still lived.

"Five months?" Inuyasha repeated. "What are you talkin' about, five months?"

"We counted," Kagome said, pushing herself away from him a little.

"We may have been off by a few days," Miroku conceded. "But I know it was close to that amount of time." He felt like he was feeling his way in the dark. How could he say he was grateful for them continuing to try to reach them without sounding insulting?

"It's been three." Inuyasha bit out. He stood up, leaving Kagome to almost fall on her face as his support was taken away. "Three months."

"No." Miroku said looking up at him, it had gotten dark and Inuyasha was mostly a glowing halo of white hair in the moonlight. "I counted. There were fifteen hours of light in the cave, then we slept. Every time we woke up I counted again, even if the night was only half as long, it was still at least five months."

"Houshi-sama, it only took us a month to bring Kaede, and another to get the men from the village to come along." Sango said. "We've been attacking them for the past month. It's only been three months."

"But how is that possible?" Kagome said frowning.

"We'll-" Sango started, but Miroku didn't hear the rest of the sentence.

::0::0::

"Kagome! Kagome!" Inuyasha's voice was panicked. "Dammit!! Kagome!"

Miroku groaned, his face hurt. He really wished Inuyasha would shut up so he could figure out what had happened.

"Houshi-sama!" He felt Sango's hands on his shoulders.

"Miss Sango!" Hachi's voice called. "The others are waking up!"

Miroku got to his knees, a blanket sliding off his back. He'd been lying down? He shivered. And was he wet?

"Kagome?" Inuyasha's voice shifted from panic to relief.

Miroku looked over in time to see Inuyasha holding a slowly waking Kagome in his arms, rocking her back and forth.

"Inuyasha." She breathed. "What happened?"

"Houshi-sama?" Sango said, patting him on the back awkwardly. "Are you alright?"

"Dammit!" Miroku punched the earth. "Fuck!"

"Houshi-sama?" Sango looked at him with wide eyes.

Kagome looked over at him, tears coursing down her face. "It happened again. Even though we're free-"

"What happened?" Inuyasha asked, holding her close. "We were just talkin' and then you all just fell over. You wouldn't wake up."

"The others too." Sango said. "The monk, the miko, even the priests toppled over. Kaede-sama nearly fell into the fire!"

"This used to happen in the cave." Miroku said. "I thought we'd be free of it now that we're out." Did this mean they weren't free of any of the effects of the cave? He looked at Kagome. Would she continue to weaken? "How long were we out for?"

"About three hours." Sango said. "We tried throwing water on you, to see if you would wake... and I hit you." She looked away. "I'm sorry."

"No wonder my face hurts." He mumbled and she flinched. He tried to smile for her, not wanting her to feel self conscious. "I remembered that, you know. My Lady said she remembered a woman in a kimono, and slaps. I remembered how they felt." He rubbed his cheek fondly. "I have never been so happy to be hit."

She blushed and her shoulders relaxed.

"Monk." Inuyasha said, gathering up Kagome. "Keep hold of her." He thrust Kagome into his arms. "Sango. We're going. This shit ends now."

"But it's dark." Sango scrambled to her feet. "My men can't fight in the dark."

"So what? You, me and Kirara can do more damage then alla them together. Now that the monk and Kagome are safe we don't need 'em." Inuyasha paced back and forth in front of them. "You get on Kirara, we'll get to the middle and get the headman. Then we'll fix all this, for good."

"No."

"What?" Inuyasha growled.

"We do need them." Sango said firmly. "The village is big, we don't know where we're going. We need them to cover our way out. You can't withstand the gas, and since you refuse to wear a mask-"

"I don't need it!" Inuyasha yelled. "I'll just jump outta the gas!"

"Monk." Kagome said softly. "You're soaking."

"And I'm getting you wet." Miroku agreed. "Let's get you back to your sleeping bag." He got his feet under him and stood with her still in his arms.

"I'm starting to feel like a sack of potatoes," she sighed. "I can walk." She bit her lip. "I think."

"We'll walk again tomorrow." Miroku said, lightly stressing the 'we.' "Tonight just sleep."

"I should stay awake." She disagreed. "If they're going to attack tonight we should try to remember something more-"

"Miroku-sama?"

"What's going on?" The young miko asked, coming out of the cave trailed by the young monk and a worried looking Hachi. "Are we being attacked?"

"No." Miroku said, concentrating on getting Kagome settled into her sleeping bag. "We merely discovered that our captor's control is still effective."

"Control?" Repeated the monk. "What control?"

"Did you never try to stay awake through the night?" Miroku asked, sitting back on his heels next to Kagome. She reached out and took his hand rubbing her thumb over his knuckles soothingly. A little of his tension relaxed at the gesture.

"No." The monk frowned, his eyes widening. "If...if I had... when they came in at night I might have been able to-"

Miroku shook his head, his hand tightening around Kagome's. "My Lady did think of it, but it was no use. About five hours after the lights went out, we passed out just like we did tonight."

"But why is it happening here?" The miko girl asked. "I thought we were free."

"Inuyasha will find out." Kagome said confidently. "I know it. He'll make them tell what they did to us." She squeezed Miroku's hand.

"How can you put your trust in that-" The monk started.

"Inuyasha has spent the last three months tirelessly attempting to rescue us." Miroku interrupted, his usually genial eyes snapping. "I would put my or My Lady's life in his hands without question."

"We've traveled with Inuyasha for a long time." Kagome nodded. "Don't worry. You can trust him." She fought back a yawn and struggled to sit up. "We should really help them with their plans."

"Go to bed." Inuyasha growled from behind them. Miroku looked over at Inuyasha standing beside the fire. He didn't look at them, instead looking over the forest. "We're going to stick with the original plan of attacking in the morning."

"I'll stay up-" Kagome started.

"The Bouzu can tell us what we need to know." Inuyasha said. "You sleep."

Kagome frowned. "But-"

"Kagome-chan, the men I lead aren't very well trained." Sango said stepping next to Inuyasha in the firelight. "I hope it won't come to it, but Kaede-sama might need your help with their injuries tomorrow. That's where you can do the most good."

"I know medicine?" Kagome's brow furrowed, then cleared. She shook Miroku's hand excitedly to get his attention. "I do! I know first aid and how to bandage and how to fight infection and-"

"That's good, My Lady." Miroku said squeezing her hand and then standing. "Now sleep." He grinned to her. "When did you ever think you'd hear me urging you to sleep?" He nodded to the monk and miko. "You should sleep as well. Our forces are small, we don't know what we might be called to do tomorrow." His face darkened. "For certain there will be prayers to be made to settle the dead they keep in the mountain."

The miko girl swallowed heavily, remembering her mistress laid still and quiet on the futon. She nodded and ran back to her blankets in the back of the cave. The young monk nodded and followed her, looking lost.

"Take a blanket." Kagome said tugging at the bottom of Miroku's robe and holding up one of hers. "You're still soaking. You don't want to get sick now."

Touched that she noticed with everything that was going on he accepted it with grace. "Thank you, My Lady."

::0::0::

Miroku started awake, reaching for a body that wasn't there. There was no familiar puff of air against his throat. "My Lady?!" He cried, panicked.

He sat up and looked around, already half standing without even remembering how he got his feet under him. Sango and the young miko looked at him curiously and the young man was crouching in his bedroll as if prepared for an attack. Kaede looked at him from her nest of blankets.

"I don' wanna get up yet." Kagome's slurred voice moaned from the cave mouth. "Jus' a little longer, Monk, please?"

"Oi, Monk, what's your problem?" Inuyasha stood in the cave mouth, hand on his sword. "Somethin' wrong with Kagome?" He glanced at the girl who seemed to be trying to burrow into the earth to avoid the pre-dawn light.

Going boneless, Miroku slumped back into his make-shift bed. He'd forgotten they were free. "I'm sorry. I... It was a dream." He'd thought for a moment he was back in their cell, and that they'd taken her while he slept.

"Are you alright Houshi-sama?" Sango asked, stepping over lightly and putting comforting hand on his shoulder. She was already dressed in her battle gear and looked like she'd been up for some time, or perhaps had not slept at all after their talks the previous night had ended.

"Yes, I'm fine." He assured her. "I was just disoriented." He patted her hand and missed her look of shock. He looked up at everyone else. "I'm sorry for disturbing everyone." He got up, too full of nervous energy to think about going back to sleep. He ran a shaky hand through his hair and strode towards the cave mouth. He glanced at Kagome, safe, sound and holding Shippo to her like a rag doll, and a little of his tension released.

He walked to the lip of the ledge outside the cave, looking at the Twin Mountains and the village nestled between them. He'd been too concerned with Kagome and the others to really pay attention to their surroundings yesterday. Directly below him a small army of men, mostly in villager's garb with crude, homemade weapons, camped and had already started to stir. There was thick forest between them and the village walls, hiding them from view.

The walls around the village were formidable, tall sharpened polls that stretched between the rocky outcroppings of the mountains. He could see the huts beyond them, and a few larger houses. It seemed like a prosperous place.

He shuddered, spying tunnel they'd run out of in the left side of the mountain. He wondered if they'd cleared away the dead bodies, or if there were other holy men and woman even now succumbing and dying inside. Would they just leave them to rot until they captured some other innocent soul and needed the room?

"It looks strange to see you standing without your staff, and in different robes." Sango said.

Miroku looked down at himself and grimaced. His robes were stiff and itchy from their soaking the night before."I would very much like something else to wear today." Even more then the discomfort of dirty robes, he wanted out of the spelled clothes his captor had provided. He clenched a hand. Now that she'd mentioned it he too missed the weight of a staff to lean on. Though with how weak he'd become he didn't know if he'd be even able to lift if like he used to.

"We don't have your things yet," Sango said apologetically. "But I'll talk to the villagers. I'll try to get all of you something else. There is a village three days ride back east where we can buy things that are more to your taste...after."

"Thank you." Miroku said. "It's not a priority, but it will make me feel better." He glanced at Kagome. "I know My Lad-" He sighed and shook his head. "I know Kagome would appreciate it. She had never been comfortable in the clothing they provided us, but I think she is not very comfortable in what she has now either."

Sango looked at him and then at Kagome. Inuyasha sat, Tessiga on his shoulder, as he brooded protectively over her. "Houshi-sama, you used to call her Kagome-sama. Did you forget?"

Miroku blinked. "I did. She used to call me "sama" as well, didn't she?" He glanced at her again. "I think after all this time together we can be a little informal." He looked at Sango. "Have I been referring to you too informally as well? If so, I apologize-"

"No, no." She said quickly, waving a hand. "I just know that speaking of the past helps you to remember."

"I do not remember much at all." Miroku said. "But I think that it will come back. My Lady remembers more each passing minute, and Kaede had most of her memories back by the end of the evening. I will be depending on your guidance when I misstep, it does help. And if I forget to say it later, I want to thank you for being understanding."

He took a deep breath. He wanted to ask about what Kagome remembered, about him and the slayer being connected. It felt untrue, but he didn't know if it was only he who felt that way. The more he was around the woman the more he remembered conversations, light touches, not so light touches, and slaps. Maybe there was something deeper and he had truly just forgotten.

The pretty slayer waved her hands. "I'm not expecting anything." She said as if reading his mind. "I know that you've been through a lot. I just wanted to let you know, that if you need me, I'm here. I want to help you remember." She blushed and turned. "I'm going to go below and see if I can't get those clothes."

The rest of the group was starting to stir and Miroku could see the priests had finally awoken. He sighed. The past would have to take care of itself, there was too much going on now to dwell on it.

::0::0::

Shortly after daybreak, Sango and Inuyasha left to lead the attack on the village. Sango and her small force of farmers would attack from the front. Kirara, Inuyasha, Hachi and Shippo would attack from the air. Hachi and Shippo weren't expected to do much other then terrify, the villagers had made their fear of demons plain. Sango hoped that having them descend in their transformed states would keep non-combatant villagers to their homes. Kagome had made Shippo promise to stay to the back and use his illusions instead of his foxfire.

Kagome would have sat and watched from the ledge, but she wasn't strong enough to walk and Miroku wouldn't take her. It was galling to them all that they couldn't help, he knew her well enough that if she saw injured or hurt villagers she'd try to get down despite her weakness. He distracted her with the priests.

The priests had forgotten everything, their captivity in the mountain, the escape, and even the fact that they were priests. The huddled against the wall, utterly confused and terrified. Miroku couldn't even convince them to change out of their robes into the fresh clothes Sango had gotten for them.

"I guess we know how we lost our memories." Kagome said, propped up with a bowl or porridge.

"Yes, it must be a side effect of the smoke." Kaede had checked them over there were no other faults. "Shippo and Kikyo must not have been effected because they are not human."

"I think it might explain some other things as well." Miroku said. "Sirs, why do you huddle here? Wouldn't you be more comfortable by the fire? Or there are blankets in the cave."

"It's safe here." One said, the seeming elder of the two. He had the start of a beard bristling about his chin.

The other nodded, his large eyes making him seem young. "It's out of the way."

"Those are the words I used while they were still under the influence of the drug." Miroku mused. "I told them to sit here, safely out of the way. I think this smoke interferes with your senses, and makes you obey commands given while you are under it's influence."

"So it's like a post-hypnotic suggestion." Kagome said, and then sighed when everyone gave her blank looks. "It's like, if you're told something while you're gassed, when you wake up you believe it. Even if it's something stupid like "you're a chicken." Haven't you guys ever seen a hypnotist on TV that convinces someone they're a chicken?"

"A chicken?" The young monk asked.

"Teevee?" The miko asked.

"Are you sure you are not foreign?" Miroku asked.

Kagome made a frustrated noise. "Never mind! Think of it like a type of magic that makes you do things or think things that other people planted in your head."

Miroku stared at her. "Like fall asleep at an appointed hour?"

"Yes." Kagome nodded. "Or think that twice as much time is actually passing maybe."

"How do we get it to stop?" The young miko said looking at the priests. "You don't have to sit here anymore!" She said to them. "It's just as safe anywhere up here."

"But we're out of the way here." One of the priests said, sounding lost.

"If it's like hypnotism, getting gassed again and being told to ignore all the commands from before should work." Kagome said.

"But then we would loose what memories we have gained and made in the past couple months." Miroku said. He didn't examine too closely how one of his first thoughts was that he'd forget what it was like to have her sitting across his lap, or dozing against his thigh. Or, a darker part of him whispered, the taste of her mouth, how her skin burned in the dark and her thighs squeezed as they wrapped around him.

Kagome frowned. "I don't want that either." She shivered and wrapped herself tighter in her blankets. She looked at the priests. "Are you hungry? Do you want some porridge?"

They looked at each other.

"I'll get it." The miko girl said and hurried over to the cook pot to spoon out a couple of bowls.

"Even if they have forgotten everything, shouldn't they remember if we remind them?" The young monk asked. He knelt down, to be eye level with the priests. "Don't be afraid, just listen and think about what I'm saying." He waited for the priests to look at each other and then back at him. "Yesterday we escaped from cells deep within a mountain face."

"I opened your cell door." the miko girl said, handing them spoons and porridge. "And Miroku-sama and his Lady lead us out."

Flickers of recognition started to shine in their eyes. "There were demons." One priest said, scratching at his straggly beard.

The other priest rubbed at his forehead as if he could force himself to remember. "But they were not attacking. The people in the village were, with smoke."

"Then it goes blank." The young man grabbed at his hair in frustration. "Is that the sum of my life, a brief flight from captivity?"

"When we rescued you," Kagome said, setting aside her bowl, "you said you were Shinto priests."

"Yes." He nodded, his face lighting up. "I am." He looked at his fellow priest. "We are!"

Miroku nodded. "Good. You see, you can remember. You, we, just need to be reminded." He looked at the miko girl and monk. "Can you explain to them our game of "I think?" My Lady should be getting up now and exercising."

"I'm feeling much better this morning." Kagome protested. "I think we should help everyone get their memories back." She looked at the group of memory-less holy people. "You should ask each other why you came to the Twin Mountain village. And maybe try guessing some names." She smiled. "I'd like to be able to call you something other then Miko, Monk and "the Priests."

Miroku shook his head and stepped over to her. "I do not think the battle will take long, and we will be needed. You said you felt like a sack of potatoes, do you want to be carried all day like one again?"

"No." Kagome pouted and held her arms up, resigned to her fate. "I do feel much better today." She looked at the others as Miroku helped her to her feet. "We'll talk more when I'm done."

The rag-tag group nodded and turned to each other to help jog their memories.

Miroku gave himself a moment to breathe in apples and enjoy the feeling of Kagome pressed up against him. "You look better today." Miroku said starting her off slowly. "No headaches today?"

"None." Kagome said, smiling. "And I don't feel as tired." She looked down at her feet. "And I think I'm stronger today too."

"Yes." Miroku agreed. She didn't cling as much as she usually did. He missed that. His hand slid down her side and slowly moved to it's intended target.

"Eeep!" Kagome jumped, her arms tightening around his neck as she tried to keep her footing. "Monk!"

"Yes?" The young man stood up from the group. "Did you need something?"

"Sorry!" Miroku said keeping his hand firmly clenched on her buttock as he waved with the other. "She meant me that time."

"Get your hand off." Kagome hissed, hiding her face in neck.

"Something the matter?" Miroku asked cheerfully. "Are you tired?" If she didn't like it she shouldn't press herself up against him, it was much too encouraging.

"You are so lucky that Inuyasha isn't here." Kagome said, prying his hand off her rear as they started walking again.

"Mmmm." Miroku said, looking over the forest. "Yes, lucky."

Kagome shivered. His voice was deep, and it made her remember wet kisses and wandering hands in the dark. She blushed and reminded herself that it hadn't happened.

"You have not changed." Kaede said, giving Miroku a bland one-eyed stare.

"Were you expecting me to?" Miroku asked cheerfully. She just stared at him. "Was there something you needed Kaede-sama?"

"I find some relief in knowing that the smoke may steal our memories and effect our actions, but it does not change who we are at our core." Kaede commented as she walked along side them.

"That's Miroku, a pervert to the c- OH!" Kagome's feet leaped forward as he goosed her again. She shot him a glare, her mouth twitching to hold back a smile. "To the core," She finished. He shrugged, grinned, and didn't disagree.

"When you are finished," Kaede said, folding her hands behind her back and acting as if nothing had happened. "We wanted to attempt to use our holy powers to see if we might judge how weak we have become."

"But I don't know how-" Kagome started and then frowned. "Did I ever know how?"

"Your training has been sorely neglected." Kaede said with a sigh. "Any time you have used your abilities it has been on an instinctive level."

"Holy arrows." Miroku said, his gaze turned inward, he shifted to let her walk more under her own steam. "My Lady has incredibly powerful holy arrows."

"Oh!" Kagome said, a wide smile crossing her face. "Yes! I remember that!" Then she frowned. "But my aim wasn't too good."

Miroku said diplomatically, "It was improving."

"Be that as it may," Kaede nodded, "we should be able to test if you have weakened by that method."

"My Lady does not have the strength to draw a bow." Miroku protested. She could be injured if it snapped back on her. He'd seen people slice off pieces of their forearm trying to draw bows that were too much for them.

"I could try." Kagome protested. She looked up at him. "I want to."

Miroku's face fell into a bland, blank look. "Let us finish your walk."

She knew what that meant. He was going to be stubborn. "Please? I'll be super, super careful."

"Get your legs under yourself more. I think you can walk without my support now."

"Oh, don't change the subject." She said irritably, but stepped a little away from him, putting more of her weight on her legs. She wobbled a bit and put one hand out to steady herself and the other on Miroku's supportive hand at her waist. She frowned, "I don't need your permission, you know. And I don't see the harm in-"

"A bow should not be necessary." Kaede interrupted before Miroku could. "I'll see if we can find an arrow." She nodded to them and walked back to the group.

Kagome glanced at Miroku. His face was a careful blank, betraying no emotion. "You're mad." She said.

"I'm not." He said, but his words were clipped.

Kagome frowned. She didn't like upsetting him, she knew he was only worried. But her own stubbornness force to her to speak. "You are."

He didn't answer, his mouth flattening into a line.

They paced back and forth in silence. Miroku's grip on waist grew lighter. He took her hand she held out to steady herself and held it at shoulder level helping to keep her even. He walked behind her, wanting her to be able to walk on her own, but not wanting to take his hands off of her either.

Kagome giggled, breaking the tense mood. "When we walk like this it's like we're folk dancing."

"Folk dancing?" Miroku asked after a moment of silence, unable to contain his curiosity. He didn't know of any dance like this.

"Like in school." Kagome said, " But you'd have you hands like this." She took his hand off her hip and kept both in a light grip at shoulder level, "Step forward three," she took another three steps forward. "Now let me go." Miroku reluctantly took both supportive hands off of her. She turned to the right. "Then you cross the circle..." She stepped heel to toe a few steps away from him, wobbling only a little. "And meet your new partner." She turned back and started back to him, still heel to toe. "But there is just you and me so-" She lost control of her feet and tripped, tumbling forward.

Miroku scrambled to get under her and they went down in a tangle of limbs.

Sprawled out on top of him, Kagome hid her face in his chest. "I'm sorry!" She peeked at him. "Oops?"

He looked down at her. "Are you alright, My Lady?"

"I'm fine." She said, levering herself up. She looked worriedly at him. "Are you? I didn't mean to fall on top of you."

Sango had given Kagome a men's yukata to change into along with the others, as women's clothing was in short supply. From this angle the large garment hung away from her body nicely. Miroku took a long look down the loose vee of the neck. "I'm doing very well." So was she, though apparently, she was a little cold. That or she really liked being on top. "Very, very well."

Her brow wrinkled, his voice had deepened again. It sent shivers through her and a secret thrill coiled in her stomach.

"Mmm." He thrummed. That was an interesting reaction. Was she getting colder or just more comfortable? Either way, he was happy.

Finally catching on to where his eyes were glued, Kagome gasped. "You! You pervert!"

Miroku's eyebrows flew up in keen interest, but his eyes didn't move, "You blush right to the tips of your-"

Kagome slapped him, clapped a hand over the neck of her yukata and rolled off him on to her back. "I can't believe you!"

Unable to resist, Miroku followed her, rolling over with the speed of a cat. He trapped her beneath him. He tugged at the neckline she held down. Propped up on one hand by her head his eyes stayed focused on her chest. "How far down does it go-?"

"What the hell Bouzu?!"

Miroku sat up quickly, up on his knees still pinning Kagome in place and smiling blandly at Inuyasha. "The battle is already over?"

"What's going on?!" Inuyasha didn't look much the worse for wear, but his face was thunderous.

"I... I fell." Kagome said, still laying on the ground hands folded protectively over her chest.

"I was merely checking My Lady for injuries." Miroku said innocently. He got to his feet and bent to help Kagome up, but Inuyasha got there first. He scooped her up and held her protectively away from Miroku, her feet dangling inches from the ground.

"It's fine." Kagome said. "What happened? Where are Sango and Shippo?" She tugged at his fire-rat robes. "They're okay?"

"They're fine." Inuyasha said, setting her on her feet and tearing his eyes away from the monk. "They're in the village. We've got the headman pinned in his house."

"But you haven't captured him yet?" Miroku was careful to keep his voice bland and not accusatory.

"The barrier isn't gone." Inuyasha's voice betrayed his frustration. "It just shrunk. Now it's over the center of the village, just the headman's house. Him and a pack of villagers are hiding in there. We got most of 'em lined up in the village square, the cowards, but I can't get in to roust the last of 'em."

"Sango?" Miroku repeated. The barrier didn't work against her and her forces, she should have been able to drag him out.

"Somethin' smells weird." Inuyasha said. "She ain't goin' in till we figure out what's going on." He shifted uncomfortably. "I think there might be a shard." His hands tightened on Kagome's shoulders.

"No." Miroku said flatly.

Kagome looked between them. "What? What's going on?"

"She's not going." Miroku said slicing a hand through the air. "It's too dangerous. She can't protect herself. She can't even run if something goes wrong!"

"I'll keep her safe." Inuyasha gritted out. Kagome gasped.

The unspoken accusation hung in the air between the three of them. Miroku had not kept Kagome safe. He'd lead her into the village and into danger and had not kept her safe.

Miroku paled, any words dying in his throat.

"That's not fair." Kagome whispered.

"You stay close to me." Inuyasha said, turning his back on the monk. He lifted her up into his arms.

"Wait!" Miroku shouted. "I'm coming too!"

Inuyasha glanced at him over his shoulder, his ears back. "No," he said and leapt away with her.

"NO!" Miroku bellowed, running to the ledge. "My Lady!" They were already gone. Inuyasha was a red blur across the tops of the trees and Miroku couldn't even see her. He looked around wildly. There had to be a way down, he had to go after them. He ran back and forth along the lip trying to find a path.

"Miroku-sama!"

He turned to see the others huddled together watching him. The miko girl clutched the young monk's hand and the priests stood behind them. They all looked terrified.

"What happened?" the young monk asked. "Where did the hanyo take Kagome-sama?"

"Is your Lady in danger?" The miko asked.

"Kagome will be fine." Kaede said stumping forward, pushing through the group. "Inuyasha has taken her to help with the battle."

"But she's just a child." The beardless priest, who couldn't be a more than a couple years older than Kagome himself, said. "And she's so weak."

Swallowing convulsively, the other priest stepped forward. "Should we go... um.. retrieve her?" He was obviously scared, but he clenched his hands into fists and looked determined.

"No." Miroku said. "You all will stay here." He looked at Kaede. "How do I get down so I may follow?"

"There is no way up or down without aid." Kaede said. "Calm yourself, Sango or Inuyasha will return soon if we are needed. I'm sure that Inuyasha will keep Kagome out of direct battle, he merely needs to confirm the presence of a shard."

"I must go to My Lady." Miroku insisted.

"Surely your confinement taught you something of patience." Kaede turned away and calmly walked over to the cook fire. "Let us go and test our abilities so that when they come for us we can be of use." She moved the teapot over the fire. "I'll make tea."

Miroku clenched his fists. Every fiber of his being told him to go after Inuyasha. The half-demon had carried his lady into danger and the thought of simply waiting while she might need his aid was impossible to swallow. He hadn't been away from her for more than a few minutes for the past five months, he couldn't imagine what it would be like to be without her.

"Miroku-sama." The miko girl stepped forward. Miroku focused on her for the first time, truly seeing her. She was skinny in that gangly way of someone who has just grown into their true height and not filled out, even though she was about the same size as his lady. Her hair was long, deep black and tied at the nape. "Yesterday you said you would put your Lady's life in the hanyo's hands."

That was before he all but accused me of causing Kagome harm, Miroku thought. But the tension in his shoulders did lessen. "I do trust Inuyasha to keep her safe." He said, knowing it was true. Inuyasha would die before he allowed anything to happen to Kagome.

"But he is a demon." The beardless priest said.

"A demon and a man, and both halves are honorable." Miroku said, turning his worried eyes back to the village. "He just tends to be rash, and with My Lady so weak..."

"I think Kagome is not as weak as you would like her to be." Kaede said. "She has an important mission to complete, as do you. The sooner she can stand on her own the better. This will not be the last battle she faces." She sighed. "And this is a task only she is capable of." She looked up at Miroku from her seat by the fire and he could see that she was worried too. There was steel in her gaze, Kaede had lost much in her life and knew that sometimes it was inevitable. "Come now and focus on what you can do."

Feeling like he'd been scolded like a little boy, Miroku took a deep breath and tried to release the anger and hurt he felt. This wasn't the time to let his mind be clouded. He had to think rationally. But he wanted Kagome, he wanted her safe and here with him.

"This is not the only time Kagome will have to go somewhere you cannot follow." Kaede said cryptically, and her tone was gentle. "And you are not her only protector any longer. You may put down that task."

I don't want to he thought mulishly. A memory of Kagome's voice ruffled thought the back of his mind. Some monk you are. What are "wants" to a Buddhist monk? He was supposed to be unattached to this world. He might have pursued that goal in a rather unusual way in the past, but this need for Kagome was starting to disturb even him. He took a deep breath. Inuyasha would keep Kagome safe.

He looked up to see the others still watching him with concern. "I'm sorry. I was taken by surprise and overreacted." He put his hand up in a prayer, his body going through the motion. "I forgot myself." His mouth twisted wryly. "Again."

The others visibly relaxed. As lost as he felt, he knew it was worse for them. He at least knew his name, the people and personalities they were dealing with. How much worse must it be for them with only bare hints of their past and completely dependent on strangers? They were looking to him for cues on how to react, now wasn't the time to "forget himself."

"Will you sit with us?" The bearded priest asked moving to the fire, looking at him in sympathy.

"I've remembered a few sutras," the monk said, "and Kaede-sama got us some ink and paper. Perhaps they might remind you of some others? I'll get the materials." He turned to get the tools.

"Your tea, Miroku-sama." the miko girl hurried over with a cup.

"Here." The beardless priest said gesturing to a large rock by the fire. "A seat."

Kaede looked at him from her log. Properly cowed by the obvious attempts to distract him and keep him occupied, Miroku allowed himself to be distracted from the current plight of his lady. Silently, like a mantra, he repeated to himself: Inuyasha will keep her safe.

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