***Author's Note***

So, not that many scenes between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru in this chapter, but there's a lot more Inuyasha/Kagome sweetness! You're going to see our friends getting ready for war, too! Enjoy!

***End Note***

During the night, Inuyasha slunk from room to room, making sure that they were both resting comfortably. When one would wake, he would hurry to their room to see to their needs and be sure they got back to sleep, only to rush back to the other room, generally to do more of the same. Sesshomaru, however, did his level best to make things difficult for him. He did everything from throwing food and water across the room, rather than have Inuyasha give it to him, to taking a swipe at the hanyou when he got too close. The whole while, though he could barely speak, Inuyasha was certain that the youkai was silently cursing him. In this manner, the night passed slowly with Inuyasha half-expecting to hear bad news from the Healers at any moment. At long last, the stars began to close their eyes and retire to their beds, while the sun began her long, tireless climb into the sky, where she would stand watch over the little people below. Just before dawn, Inuyasha sat beside Kagome with Tetsuaiga's hilt resting comfortably against his shoulder, and its tip on the floor. His ears were drooping low on his head, and his chin kept dropping every time he blinked. Kouga watched from the doorway as Inuyasha's eyes closed and did not reopen; his head laid on his arm, which held Tetsuaiga, and his breathing slowed as he finally fell asleep. Grabbing one of the Healers gently by the elbow, he whispered, "See to it that no one disturbs Inuyasha; he's been running on sheer will for too long now. He needs to sleep." The Healer nodded and murmured an affirmative as she bustled off to pass the message on to one of her superiors. Poor girl looks like she could use a cot, herself, Kouga thought to himself.

Up the hall, he heard Sesshomaru cough and groan as he shifted beneath his blankets "Inuyasha?" he called as loudly as he could. Given the wounds on his throat, the sound was barely more than a breath.

His wolf's ears caught the sound, though, and he padded gently down the hall to the demon-lord's room. Sesshomaru glared at Kouga when he entered the room, holding up his hands defensively, "I know, you called for Inuyasha. He just passed out, and if you ask me, he's damn well earned it." Sesshomaru rolled his eyes and gave a pathetic approximation of a growl, "I know you like me less than he does, probably, but I'll just have to do until he wakes up." The youkai grunted his answer and Kouga smiled, "Yeah, what a pain in the ass this has been, huh? Teaming up with a couple of irritating guys like us? Hey; just be glad I didn't bring any of the rest of my tribe. They wanted to come, you know, but I told 'em they'd just slow me down. Good thing, too." Sesshomaru glared at the wolf demon, who quickly fell silent. There was an empty pitcher sitting on the floor beside Sesshomaru, which he looked at pointedly. At first, Kouga was confused, "Wha-Oh! You want water? I'll go get some for you."

Sesshomaru tried to groan, only the sound came out more like a wheeze. I think I'm going to kill him if he doesn't shut up. At least Inuyasha sits quietly unless he thinks I want something. He may be irritating, but at least he doesn't feel the need to fill the air with chatter. Oh, Rin. Her face swam into his mind, unbidden.Where have they taken you? However far it is, I willfind you.

Kouga burst into the room, proudly carrying a pitcher of water, "Here ya go! You wanna drink from the pitcher, or a bowl?"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed with insult, then suddenly went red. The wolf demon paled, set the water down, and ran out of the room, forgetting to shut the door behind him. The youkai grinned wickedly and released the heat that always came with the transformation, stopping it before it really started. I hate wolves, he thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Kagome had woken from her deep sleep to find Inuyasha sitting beside her, fast asleep. She smiled to herself, It wasn't a dream. Inuyasha came for me. I was beginning to think he never would. I dreamed of him so much that it's a little hard to believe he's really here with me! It's over. At last, that terrible nightmare is over! Just then, Inuyasha stirred and opened one eye to see Kagome staring up at him. He smiled softly at her, his eyes warming; the sensation felt odd to him, after so long being numb. "There you are," she said out loud, smiling back.

The hanyou sat up, raising his arms high above his head and rolling his neck, trying to stretch out the kinks that inevitably came with sleeping in such a position. "I keep expecting to wake up and find that this has all been a dream. Then I wake up, and you're still here." Inuyasha reached out and gently took Kagome's hand, "I swear to you, no matter what the evidence next time, I will not stop searching until I find you!"

Kagome drew his hand to her lips and kissed it gently, "I know you will. How did you find me?"

Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably, "Sesshomaru. He was looking for some flowers for Rin, and he came across your scent. He came to get me, and he helped me find you. So did that damn wolf, if I'm being honest. Ayame got snatched, so he was already out looking for her, but Rin...Well, she got taken while we were having a quick rest before looking for you more. She was taken to the caves where we found you, but they got away with her while Sesshomaru was fighting them. He was torn up pretty bad; he's in about the same shape as you right now."

Kagome's brow furrowed with concern, "Oh, no. I hope we find her soon." Kagome started to shift like she was trying to get up, but Inuyasha gently restrained her.

"Whoa, wait a minute. What the hell do you mean we? You're not goin' anywhere 'til you're better! You just lie still and rest. Don't worry, though; we have to wait for Sesshomaru to heal, anyway. You're not gonna miss any of the action. Do you really think I'd let you out of my sight now that I've found you again?"

Kagome flushed, "No, I suppose not." She sighed, "Oh, it is so good to be around friendly faces again. Although...I am going to need some new clothes, My old ones were a little..."

"Shabby? Ripped? Little more than rags? Torn to shreds?"

Kagome lifted a hand and laid it gently on Inuyasha's lips, "Yeah. All of that, and covered in blood, too. I don't suppose they'd have the right robes..."

Inuyasha chuckled, his eyes widening at the sound, "Huh. Been a while since I laughed. Anyway, There's a shrine on the other side of the village. I sent Kouga yesterday to see if they had anything for you to use. They had plain white robes; not really what you're used to, but...I think they'll do, right?"

Kagome nodded, "Yes, I think they'll be fine for now. Thanks, Inuyasha."

Just then, a familiar voice called from the door, "Kagome!", and Shippo was suddenly across the room and hugging her neck tightly.

Inuyasha's eye twitched as he grabbed the young kitsune by the tail and yanked him away from Kagome. He carried the fox to the door and drop-kicked him, shouting, "Get the hell out of here, you idiot! She's hurt, can't you see that?"

Not to be deterred, Shippo hurried back into the room, "Hang on, Inuyasha! I just came from Sango and Miroku's; Jaken was there, and he said you and Sesshomaru might be close to finding Kagome, so they asked if I'd bring some things over." He held his tiny hands out in front of him, and the "things" appeared in a puff of smoke.

"Oh, Shippo," whispered Kagome. In Shippo's hands were her favored robes, her bow, and a quiver full of arrows. "Shippo, this is wonderful. Thank you," she whispered, her voice growing faint with exhaustion.

Inuyasha's ears pinned back anxiously, "Okay, Kagome. That's enough. Don't push it too far, okay? Just get some rest, and I'll see about helping you get dressed tomorrow."

"O...kay..." Kagome breathed as she sank back into sleep again.

Inuyasha sighed as the exhausted priestess' breathing evened out, "Well, at least we know Sesshomaru's daughter is safe. He'll be glad to hear that. Speaking of which, I'd better go let him know."

"Can I come, too?" Shippo whispered, "I don't want to wake Kagome."

Inuyasha smiled gently, "Sure."

Shippo stared, "You...You smiled. I mean, really really smiled. That never happens anymore!"

Inuyasha's entire face convulsed, "Shippo...Shut up!" The hanyou raised his fist and slammed it down on the young kitsune' head, causing him to cry.

From the bed of pillows where Kagome lay, Inuyasha heard the dreaded words, "Inuyasha..." He froze in terror, "Sit, boy."

The beads of subjugation glowed menacingly and suddenly, Inuyasha was dragged down to the floor, his face slammed into the tatami mats with a booming crash, causing Shippo to giggle with glee. "Braghfgah," was all Inuyasha said, his face still crammed against the mats, before crawling away in the hopes of avoiding another "sit" command.

Inuyasha stood when he felt he'd reached a safe distance and walked the rest of the way to Sesshomaru's room, cursing under his breath the whole way. Sliding the doors open, he heard a faint whisper, "I heard a crash...She must be awake."

Inuyasha growled, "Yes. Now shut up."

"What made her tell you to sit?"

The hanyou glowered at his brother, his hands twitching with the desire to strangle the rat bastard, and his eye twitching in irritation. At last, he snarled, "Shippo."

"Ah," breathed the youkai, "The kitsune is here. I thought I smelled fox. What does he want?"

"Jaken reached my village. Kagome is safe. Shippo was just bringing some clothes and weaponry for Kagome."

"Hm. That's good. We'll need her powers, if we're going to find Rin."

"Yeah, well. Don't go puttin' her in too much danger right off, a'right?"

"That all depends on how much danger Rin is in."

Inuyasha bristled with anger, "Keh. Also known as hold my breath, right? You are such an asshole." With that statement, Inuyasha stormed out of the room to find Kouga and Shippo talking loudly in Kagome's room. Her face had gone waxen, and her eyes dull with pain. A low growl ripped from the hanyou's throat, "Out," he whispered in a deadly voice, "Can't you see she's tired? Get out. You. Wolf. Take those robes back to the shrine. She doesn't need 'em anymore."

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN, SHE DON'T NEED 'EM!?" Bellowed Kouga.

Inuyasha said nothing, only brought his fist up with incredible speed and smashed the loud-mouthed wolf right in the mouth, lifting him off his feet and sending him through a door. He stood in the now-permanently-open door, snarling at the wolf demon, "I said she doesn't need them. Shippo brought hers for her. Now, go." His eyes had gone red in his anger, and Kouga decided to take his chances with the monks, rather than an angry Inuyasha. Sheesh, Kouga thought to himself, I've seen the mutt mad before, but I've never seen him so close to the edge. He's usually in such tight control of thatside of himself. I just hope he doesn't snap and shred anybody.

The hanyou stomped back inside, shoving a petrified Shippo out of his way and sliding the doors shut with a firm snick sound. "You didn't...have to...shout...Inu...Yasha" came the weak scold from the pillows.

Inuyasha smiled and turned, "You might not think so, but it really was necessary. Don't worry; I didn't seriously hurt anyone. I think the wolf's head's too thick to cause any real damage by throwing him through a door..."
Kagome sighed, "Inuyasha" he flinched again, "You're hopeless. Come sit by me."

At the word "sit", the beads glowed again and slammed the hanyou into the floor, earning another unintelligible "Garwarfghbgack" from him.

"Oops," said Kagome, "I really didn't mean to say 'sit'. Oops! Sorry again!" Her hands hovered over the blankets, which was as high as she could raise her arms, "I forgot how careful I have to be to avoid saying...Uh...That word."

Inuyahsa crawled over to his mate on all fours with his bum sticking up in the air, collapsing in a heap beside her on the tatami, "Urgh. Woman, you're going to kill me doing that."

Kagome frowned, "I said I was sorry. What do you want from me?"

Inuyasha sighed, "Well...A kiss probably wouldn't hurt..." Kagome glowered at him for a heartbeat, then shrugged. Inuyasha beamed in triumph, leaning down to kiss her as gently as he could manage, which was easier said than done the moment he tasted her lips. He'd forgotten how sweet she tasted. Some kind of mixture of chocolate, strawberries, and just a little cinnamon, he thought. He sighed with sheer pleasure and curled up beside her, nipping quickly under the blankets and laying his head beside hers on the pillow. Within moments, they were both asleep again.

The next morning, Inuyasha woke to an empty bed. He attempted to spring out of bed, only to find that the blankets had tangled around him. He managed to half-stand before falling in an undignified sprawl to the tatami. Glancing up, he saw Kagome, dressed and standing on her own two feet (although she still looked too pale for his liking) and gazing down at him with laughter in her eyes, "Well, good morning. I didn't go very far, don't worry. I'm afraid I still can't make it very far on my own, though. It took me an hour, just to get dressed."

Inuyasha disentangled himself from the blankets and stood, "Well, it's a good thing I'm here then, isn't it? Long as you don't say 'sit' any more."

Kagome chuckled weakly, "That depends on whether or not you behave."

"Ugh. You're impossible. Do you want to walk, or be carried?"
Kagome thought for a moment, "Walk. Slowly, though. It's been a long time since I did much of that. It's probably why I was recaptured so quickly."

Inuyasha held out his arm for her, "Well, let's not talk about that right now. We can discuss it when you and Sesshomaru are both fully recovered. Right now, lets just take a nice, quiet walk around the village. Maybe we can find something you can do. Something with no heavy lifting, moving around a lot, or any other kind of energy-using...stuff. Shut up."

Kagome giggled and laid her head on her beloved hanyou's shoulder as they walked slowly out of her room, "No worries. I doubt I could walk on my own, let alone lift a bunch of bricks right now. I was thinking of planting something, or sewing. Something like that."

Inuyasha grinned happily, "Well, I think we might be able to find something for you to do."

The moment they stepped out into the courtyard, Healers came bustling towards them from every direction, each one insisting she was not well enough to stand for some reason or another. Inuyasha was growing impatient and angry with them when the Master Healer called for silence. He walked calmly over to Kagome and examined her quickly, "Well, now. She is healing at a remarkable rate. This must be what happens when a human mates with a demon; I have noticed the same trait in Lady Rin. As long as she is careful and takes her time, I don't see why she can't go into the village. Just be sure to carry her if you think she can't manage, Master Inuyasha."

The hanyou smiled broadly, "No worries. I won't give her a choice." Without another word, the two headed slowly into the village, pausing now and again to give Kagome a chance to catch her breath. Eventually, they made their way to the area that had been hit the hardest by the demon raid. Inuyasha pointed to the house he and Kouga had built, "See that over there?"

"That cute little house?"

"Mmhmm. I built that. With the wolf's help, but still. I think it's kinda nice, don't you?"

Kagome looked at him with surprise, "You and Kouga built it!? Wow. I'm surprised it's still standing. Did you fight over every scrap of wood?" She asked with a giggle.

The hanyou rolled his eyes, "No. We didn't really speak much. You and Sesshomaru were both being seen to by the Healers, and they wouldn't let me in. I had to do something." A knowing look came into Kagome's eyes, though she remained silent. "Anyway, this area still looks pretty bad. Let's see what we can do to help." A crowd of people parted before them, many reaching for Inuyasha's Fire Rat robe to kiss the sleeves and thank him for helping them. Suddenly, Kagome's foot caught on a loose pebble, and he lunged, scooping her into his arms before she so much as got her stockings dirty. "Are you alright?"

Kagome flushed, "I'm fine. I'm just...Not used to walking, I guess. My legs are still weak. I think I can walk some more, if you'll let me try."

The hanyou studied her for a moment, then shook his head, "Not right now. Later, but for now, you need to sit for a while. Wait here." He hurried off to speak to the villagers and see if there was anything they needed from her. Surprisingly, the overwhelming answer was medical attention. Kagome thought for a moment and told them that if Inuyasha could carry her from house to house, she would see to them personally. Happy for something to do, and more pleased to see Kagome regaining her vitality, Inuyasha readily agreed. He told her to wait where she was and asked the villagers to look after her until he returned, then sprang back up the mountain to beg the Healers to loan his mate a medicine satchel and bandages. After explaining his plan to the Master Healer, they accepted the offer gratefully; it seemed that many of their Healers had been wounded or killed in the attack, and the rest had not slept since. In short, they were running on fumes, and had been unable to get to some of the villagers that were either too ill or not ill enough to be brought to the castle.

The hanyou hurried back to Kagome with the supplies, beaming with happiness. Kagome smiled brightly at him when he proudly showed her his acquisitions, slung the satchel and pouch that held the bandages over his shoulder, then carefully lifted her into his arms, keeping her tight against his chest, where her head rested in the crook where his neck and shoulder met. For the remainder of the day, he carried her from house to house, visiting the sick and wounded, making appointments to come back the next day. Inuyasha's heart swelled as he watched her work her craft, growing happier with every patient she saw. By the time they were done, he seemed to be glowing with happiness and love for her. By now, they had drawn a large crowd of people, many of them children. The children played and laughed around them, while the adults tried to get her to go to "just one more" house. At last, Inuyasha put his foot down, "Look. She's exhausted. If you need her, speak with the wolf demon, Kouga. He will tell us who needs what in the morning." Inuyasha carefully sprung over their heads, traveling to the castle from rooftop to rooftop.

For the next three days, they continued the new routine, Kagome growing a little stronger every day, until they had managed to make their way to every house with sick and wounded. By the time she was done, most were either recovered, or well on the way, while the rest had treatment plans with the castle Healers. "We couldn't have managed without the two of you," the elder Healer stated simply, "I wish the circumstances of your arrival had been more pleasant, but I'm glad you were here to help."

"Me, too," Kagome agreed, her voice much stronger. "I don't think we'll need to stay around much longer. My strength has returned, and we have to get on the trail of those demons."

From behind them, a calm, cool voice stated, "I couldn't agree more, Kagome. We will leave in the morning. I am relieved that you are fully recovered; I am, as well." Sesshomaru did, indeed look healthier. His color was back to normal, his eyes bright and no longer dulled with pain, and he no longer limped. There were, however, a number of fresh scars that were certain to fade within a couple of weeks. "We must find Rin and Ayame, before these demons strike again, and I have little doubt that they will."

Inuyasha nodded, "Right; I think it's time you stop holding back, brother, and don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about. I heard you and Jaken talking that night you thought I was asleep."

Sesshomaru snarled softly, "I should have known. You went along far too easily after that. Yes, I do know more than I let on, but I couldn't be sure. I know the black-furred dog demon, certainly. As I began to tell you in the caves, his name is Noru. He despised father and all that he stood for. It is not so great a stretch to hate us, as well, Inuyasha, given that we both have human mates. He and father had many great battles, though finally Noru defeated him, but then he was much younger than father, so I should not be surprised. Father did not perish, however; we both know how and where he did die. Noru swore to destroy all demons that either mated with or protected humans. I can easily see why he would want to join up with this cause, given that he would have eventually gotten a chance to take us on. Now, as for who I believe to be behind this...There are many possibilities, but none so likely as Moshiro."

Inuyasha cast a confused look at his brother, "Moshiro? I've never heard of him."

"Of course you haven't, you imbecile. He prefers to remain out of the light, literally. He's a shadow demon, and he has a particular talent for getting other demons to do his dirty work for him. He is not a coward – only very, very shrewd. He excels at confusing trails and leading pursuers in circles for his own amusement. He is one of the most dangerous demons I have ever known, and the one that I despise the most. Yes, Inuyasha, I hate him more than I hate even you. For centuries now, he has slowly been gathering power. He kept his wits about him during the madness brought about by the Sacred Jewel, the Naraku mess, and so forth. He managed to keep his power steadily growing through it all, and was wise enough to bide his time while he waited for things to settle and grow inattentive again. He is a most persuasive demon, which allows him to control vast legions of varying breeds."

Inuyasha huffed out a breath, "Great. Sounds like a load of fun. How do we find him?"

Sesshomaru sighed, "That is where we have our first problem. I don't know. No one does. However, I do know what he eats."

"Fear," whispered Kagome, "He eats fear. That's why they took us. We would be more afraid than most when our mates did not come for us. 'He likes the brave ones best', that's what my guards would say to me. I was his favorite." She shuddered, her face pale again. Inuyasha rushed to her side and wound his arms around her, stroking her hair comfortingly. "I'm alright," she said, "Well, then. I say we find those that have been taken and get them out of his grasp, starting with Ayame and Rin. I can't bear the thought of them still being captives of those maniacs while I'm walking freely."

Sesshomaru smiled at her, "Thank you, Kagome. It pleases me that you fear for her as I do."

Kouga coughed loudly, "What about me, huh? What about my mate? Are you glad Kagome worries about her, too?"

Sesshomaru shot the wolf demon a withering glance, "Why would I give a thought to your mate? She is nothing to me, unless she has knowledge of the whereabouts of Rin."

The wolf growled under his breath, but before he could say anything, Kagome made sure she was between them, "That is enough. You're grown adults, now act like it! I am worried about all those people, human and demon alike, that I was imprisoned with. I tried to save all of them, not just the ones I knew. Yes, Kouga, Ayame was among them. The spider demons are the jailers; not that difficult to get away from, once you get out of their webs. Freaky looking, but not terribly bright or fast. It was Noru that caught up to us. Those poor people in that village didn't even know we were in their barn." Kagome's eyes were wide with the memory; she could still see the fires, still smell the burning flesh and the scent of death. Tears spilled over her cheeks as she continued, "They never had a chance. I was too weak to use my powers, as were the others. We thought our best bet was to hide until it was over, but they found us anyway. They made us watch as they tore the children of the village apart for our punishment. They stopped keeping us together after that. They took each of us to separate locations when they caught us. They were particularly...focused on my torture that night." She shuddered again and gasped as the tears flowed more freely.

Inuyasha settled her head on his shoulder, where she buried her face in his hair until she had calmed down, "Whatever you want, Sesshomaru, I'm in. They're going to pay for what they've done."

Kouga snarled, "For once, and I can't believe I'm sayin' this, but I agree with the mutt."

Sesshomaru smiled his most unpleasant smile, "Well, then. We must try to find out where they've gone to hide, mustn't we?"

Kagome sniffed, drying her eyes, "I think I might know a few places," she said softly as every eye turned towards her.

***Author's Note***

Dun dun duuuuuuuuun. Haha. Sorry about that. Anyway, we're getting close to meeting our Big Bad; hope you're ready! Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave a review, if you'd like. Lots of love!

- Lady Darkwind