Sesshomaru laid the food that he had prepared a little ways from the fire and covered it with some leaves that he gathered. The sun was now rising, which would hopefully bring some nice warm weather. His face cringed in irritation and mild disgust as he smelt something. He looked toward the woods to the east of him and scooted even closer to his Harui.

"I told you I smell him this way! I also smell a hurt half demon; the bastard is probably torturing her." The familiar screech of his brother was heard from within the thick trees. Torture, Sesshomaru thought to himself, as if he'd torture Harui. There are only a few people who warrant Sesshomaru's wrath, and she was definitely not one of them. A cool breeze wafted through, making chill bumps rise on Harui's skin. Reaching down he rubbed her arm gently, even though she wasn't conscious her heart beat was speeding back up.

"InuYasha," his female companion hollered as they were getting closer. Another troublesome person, the two of them were always getting in the way of something. No doubt about it, he could smell the stench of the other two human companions and the two fox demons.

Sesshomaru sighed to his self. He would not engage in combat with his little brother, right now too much lay on the line. He had to focus on keeping Harui safe and warm so she could get better. If he could just make her get better faster so he could carry her home… that would be great. Their footsteps were getting closer as they were louder. The fur on Harui's ears was standing on end. He leaned down and whispered softly into her ear that everything would be ok, that all she needed to do was rest. Her tongue darted out to her lips and then she started to calm back down.

"Could you, pesks, be any louder?" Sesshomaru stood up and crossed his arms over his chest.

"What, are we interrupting your meal?" InuYasha spat as he looked around for the half-demon he had smelled earlier. He saw something in his brother's sash move slightly.

"No, you imbecile, but you are annoying my mate with your loud stench." Sesshomaru's lip curled up as they were all looking at him.

"M-Mate," Kagome looked from the sash to Sesshomaru. What InuYasha said he had smelled was a HALF demon? There's no way he would mate with a half-demon, right? I mean he said he could never stand InuYasha just because of that…

"So you are saying you actually love someone," InuYasha hissed, not convinced by his older brother. There was no way that this cold-hearted bastard could fall for someone.

"Yes. Now if you will move on, she is injured and needs to recuperate." Sesshomaru sighed loudly.

"What, did she get on your nerves so you had to teach her a lesson?" InuYasha spat venomously. Sesshomaru's eyes flashed red with anger. He darted forward and seized InuYasha by his throat and lifted him up off the ground.

"I would never hurt her," Sesshomaru seethed. "If you know what is good for your group you will leave. I don't have the time to be wasting on you."

"Maybe we can help," the red-headed fox demon stepped forward. He recognized her as InuYasha's mate, the one that Naraku had wanted. "We have medicine and bandages."

Sesshomaru let InuYasha down and was turning over the idea in his head. Would his pride let him sink so low as to allow his younger bastard brother to help him? He looked over to Harui then back at the fox demon that had spoken. They were all surprised by the confused hopeless look on Sesshomaru's face. They had never seen him with anything less than an unreadable scowl on his face. "Only you," he pointed a long finger at the demoness. "You can touch her but no one else."

"What if I need some help?" She asked, arching a thin red eyebrow above her bright green eyes. Sesshomaru sighed yet again.

"Fine, just be careful." He moved to let the demon hunter and her pass. They cautiously unwrapped the sash from around Harui and blushed.

"Where are her clothes?" the demon hunter looked up to Sesshomaru, who was sitting on the other side of the dying fire.

"The demon who held her captive messed them up," he pointed by the spring. Kagome walked over there and held them up. What was left was covered in a mixture of blood and mud. "I haven't had the time to get back to my mansion to send my minion for more clothes for her."

"While we're here you could—"

"Hell no," Sesshomaru cut off Miroku, the priest. "What makes you think I would trust useless people such as yourselves with caring for her?"

"How long would you be gone," Kagome asked, a slight smile appearing on her face. It was weird seeing Sesshomaru actually worry about someone… Maybe he's not as bad as everyone thinks he is. The wind started to pick up again, causing Harui to shiver more as it hit her exposed skin. "If the weather keeps up like this, your sash isn't going to do her any good."

Sesshomaru growled while thinking more. He knew he needed clothes for her. If he hurried without stopping he would be back before the sun set. Could he really trust these people? He hated his brother, yes, but it's because he's a big softy… They won't hurt her. If they did he would kill them all. What would Rin say with him returning without Harui? He closed his amber eyes as he tried to think to himself without the distraction of others touching Harui.

"Fine…" He sighed getting up. "I will be back here before the sun falls. She better still be alive." He threatened. Everybody just looked up at him with a smile, which pissed him off even more. He was being serious here! Within seconds he was off toward his mansion. He had to hurry. He was weaving in and out of trees, it all seemed like a blur to him.

"Sesshomaru…" Harui called soft, still asleep.