"I don't remember this stream when Sesshoumaru brought me to his domain." She thought back. "Oh, no wonder. He flew the rest of the way from the camp. Oh well, it just means I need to cross it. At least it's not winter, but before I cross I'll just change out of my pants." She set her backpack down and took off her shoes. Opening her bag she looked through it and pulled out a pleated thigh high skirt. After changing, she picked up her shoes and put them in her bag and closed it. Putting it on her back she made her way to the water and stepped in. "Burrrrrr. It may not be winter, but this water is still cold." Slowly making her way through the stream stumbling here and there along the way, she made her way across without falling about ten minutes later. "I made it without falling! Now, I should try catching something to eat." Setting her bag down she made her way back out into the water.
Standing in the same place for a half hour trying to grab fish as they swam by her, she finally landed a good size one and made her way towards the shore. As she drew near her feet slipped on the slick rocks and plummeted into the water loosing the fish. Getting to the shore she dropped onto her hands and knees. "Well I was dry."
Growling Sound
Turning her head quickly, looking up, Kagome saw a huge wolf with massive muscles rippling beneath dull brown fur stood facing her with it's fangs showing. Letting loose a loud scream. She quickly scurried backwards and into the water and watched as the massive wolf paced back and forth growling at her as if wondering what to do to get her. Kagome noticed that it's back leg was mangled and bleeding.
Off In The Distance
"Where are we going?"
"Anywhere is better than being there with her in her mood."
"She will be there when we get back."
"Inuyasha thought Kagome was bad when she was moody."
"Ya she sure..." The speaker stopped speaking when a scream was heard.
"I thought that I heard Kagome just now,"
"What are you saying Ginta? That could not be..." Then the scream was heard again.
"KAGOME!"
"Kouga wait." The two called out as they followed. "How can that be sis? She's at that village."
"I know my Kagome."
Back by the stream Kagome moved to back up a bit more but the wolf growled showing more of it's fangs as it moved a step closer to the stream and her. She screamed again as the wolf lowered it's ears to the back of its head and charged. As it charged something brown and black came out of no where knocking the massive wolf to the side and hearing a snap. Afraid to move Kagome stayed where she was on her hands and knees in the water shaking from both fear and from being wet..
"Are you alright sis?" But the voice didn't get an answer. "Sis!"
"G...Ginta?" Kagome blinked and slowly looked up. "The wolf... Where is it? It's..."
"It's dead." Kagome looked to see Kouga coming over to her. "It didn't bite or scratch you did it?" He washed his hands before reaching out and touching her seeing as she was still shaking and thinking it was from the wolf. "You are safe. No need to..." He stopped talking as he touched her shoulder and felt that it was cold. Looking closely he saw she was wet and was kneeling in the water. "Ginta get wood." Kouga picked her up into his arms. "Do you have any dry clothes?"
"In my bag." She pointed to her backpack. Hakkaku picked the bag up and brought it over to her when Kouga put her down. She picked out some clothes and stood then went into the brush.
"Why are you out here alone and unarmed Kagome? Surely this Kaede didn't send you out here unarmed."
"No she didn't send me out here. I am many miles from her village. I am trying to get there."
"Does sis not look smaller in size then she used to be?" Ginta asked Hakkaku in the background.
"It seems to look that way."
"Let me guess; the Western lord did not keep to his word by taking you to the village and you have been wondering these lands since then."
"No he took me to Kaede's, but in the course of several weeks after I had been returned to the village, he showed back up to the village and Kaede informed him that I had not been eating that much and or at times not at all and spent all of my time at the sacred tree. For some reason only he knows, Sesshoumaru had told Kaede that he would take me to his domain."
"The Western lord took you to his domain!"
"Yes. That is where I left from."
"That is something that you do not hear of. Wait! You said you left from. Does he know that you left?" Kagome did not look at Kouga or answer him. "He does not know does he. Kagome?"
"No. He left sometime early yesterday morning and is not due to be back at his domain for a few days. So I waited until nightfall and left."
"Did you tell anyone?" Kagome shook her head no. "He is not going to be in the best of moods when he finds out that you left Kagome."
"Could you help me Kouga? You can move much more faster than my human legs can carry me."
"Ginta don't make the fire. Hakkaku carry her bag." Kouga picked Kagome up. "Seeing as you left at nightfall and it is but mid-day, we are not that far from the western domain. I don't wish for my death just yet. Not to mention his guards would of heard your screams as well as we did." With that said Kouga quickly left the area fast as he could now that his legs did not have the jewel shards. They traveled until late within the night before Kouga thought it would be safe to stop, even though dealing with the western lord it still would not be far enough.
Laying Kagome down, Kouga had his wolves lay around her to keep her warm with their body heat as he sat up keeping watch.
When Kouga saw dawn approaching he knew that he should wake Kagome but he decided that she needed a little more rest. His companions woke to see Kagome still asleep where Kouga had laid her when they stopped.
Getting to their feet, they silently walked over to their leader and sat down. All three sat in silence for a moment then Ginta being the logical one between the three spoke up.
"Ah Kouga what will you do. The western lord will be angered."
"Ya and don't forget strong." Hakkaku added.
"Yes he is strong. All of our strength combined would not come close."
Ginta watched as Kouga looked over towards Kagome when the wolves that were laying by her stood up but did not move away.
"Morning guys." Kagome stretched as she sat up.
"Morning Kagome." Hakkaku spoke.
"Have you been up all night? Why didn't you wake me before now?"
"You needed to rest and I've been the one up on guard. When would you like to head out?'
"As soon as possible." She stood to her feet and picked up her bag.
"Do you not need to eat?" They watched as Kagome shook her head no.
"I'll be fine. You forget that many times during my many travels I had to travel many long hours without eating not to mention..."
"Inuyasha was an idiot." Kouga stood and walked over to Kagome. "If you are sure, then we will head out." He watched as she gave him one of her 'I'm sure.' smiles.
Throughout the whole morning the sound of an empty rumbling stomach assaulted Kouga's ears but knew she would say continue on. It was now way past mid-day when Kouga could not take the sound of her being hungry anymore. Deciding to stop to hunt for something for her to eat the howl sound of a very large dog and very pissed one at that sounded throughout the forest.
"Was that...?" Both Ginta and Hakkaku asked as they looked at each other.
"Something tells me that the western lord just found out that you are no longer at his domain." Kouga looked at Kagome before taking off once more forgetting about hunting. Though he knew he could not out run the western lord and knew that they should expect to see him soon.
"Kouga you know where the forest named after Inuyasha is at right? How long do you think it would take to get there with your current speed? I know it would be a lot faster if you had the shards still."
"Many youkai know of that forest. Even if they didn't, it would not be hard to locate. At my current speed we will reach there by late nightfall tomorrow. If I still had the shards we would be there within a few hours today." As he continued to run, Kouga kept his senses alert for the presence of the western lord.
An hour passed then another and still no sign of the western lord anywhere. Kouga did not pick up any presence or the scent that would indicate he was around. "Either he does not care that Kagome left or that was not him that we heard." He told himself but then a thought struck him. "Prey."
"Ah Kouga, if that was Sesshoumaru that we heard back there, then ah, why has he not show up yet?" Hakkaku asked as they continued to run.
"Idiots! Does the word 'PREY' mean anything?"
"Wait. I remember that when I left the domain I used my miko abilities to cover up my scent and kept it up for a good distance before I sat down to rest but then ended up falling to sleep. So we can slow down or even stop because by covering up my scent he would have to search three different ways in order to pick up the right path." Kouga slowed to a stop. Scanning the area, he placed Kagome onto her feet.
"Hakkaku. Stay here and protect Kagome. Ginta come with me." While Kouga and Ginta were gone Hakkaku gathered wood within the area. Gathering the wood and coming back, Kagome knelt down to arrange the wood to make a fire.
"I will do it sis. You just take a seat." After the fire was built both Hakkaku and Kagome sat in silence. The silence continued until a sound came from the right of them and both Kouga and Ginta stepped into camp with fresh game. Kouga handed Kagome a thick stick with fresh kill on it and she sat it over the flames to cook.
"How was it that you guys found me when you did?" Both Kagome and Kouga looked at Ginta and Hakkaku when they chuckled. They quickly covered their mouths when Kouga glared at them. "Did I miss something?"
"Not much to tell." Kouga answered.
"Besides the fact that Ayame is at the den and that she is in a very moody state and she ran you out of your own den." Ginta chuckled.
"Not to mention she will be waiting for you to return, though you still prolong going back by thinking she would leave when she sees you are not coming back anytime soon." Hakkaku answered as well.
"Kouga that's mean. Ayame is nice. I don't see anything wrong with her. You would see it to if you would get to know her more, seeing as you and she have been betrothed to one another since you promised to make her your mate when she got older." Kagome said.
"That was long ago. I only said that for her to trust me so I could return her to her grandfather and not end up as food for the birds of paradise."
"You can't play on people's feelings like that. She believed you meant it and she held that in her heart for that many years. Having someone playing with someone's feeling when the other has feelings for the other ends up hurting that someone."
"How can…" Kouga stopped and covered his face with his hand for a moment before moving it away once more. "Well it was a good thing that we did leave the den when we had or you would have been killed by that diseased wolf that charged you."
"It was diseased? I thought that his leg was only mangled."
"The leg had sickness in it and made him become a lone wolf. If he would of bit or scratched you, you would of became sick as well."
"So it was rabid." Kagome stopped. "Thank you."
"Rabid?"
"Long story. To make it short, it would mean the wolf had canine madness. An acute infectious disease a person can get by getting bit by a mad dog, wolf, or other animal that has this sickness." Kouga nodded his head in agreement to whatever she said even though he did not understand or follow half of what she had said. Hearing a twig snap two of the four travelers huddled together.
"Is that him? Is he here at last?" Hakkaku asked as he and Ginta huddled together. But relaxed when a deer walked through the brush but took off when it noticed everyone.
