Boozhoo! Thank you for returning to me :)

One thing I keep forgetting to mention is that this story is going to go down sort of like a real legend in some instances. Meaning… anything goes. Keep that in mind. I've been adding clues if anyone has picked up on them and knows their meaning, but I haven't gotten any guesses sooo… I'm assuming no one has.

If you have any guesses about what's going to happen in the story, please send them to me, either in a review or a message. I really want to know what you guys are thinking!

And if you guys don't review, then how do I know if my writing sucks?

Happy reading!

DISCLAIMER: Standard disclaimer applies. And I hate it.

…

It had been a few days since the People returned to their village. Tipis had been rebuilt, and as much as possible had been salvaged. Warriors were on high alert, guarding the village. No one left alone and women were always watched over when they left to gather from the surrounding forests.

Soon after the return to the village, it was decided that the warriors would go to the Nótâxévestôtse tribe. They were to be prepared to fight if peace could not be made.

Kagome dreaded the departure of the warriors. Her father would lead the men, though he was no longer the young man he once was.

She couldn't help the sinking feeling in her heart.

Kagome tried to ignore it, but she couldn't. Something wasn't right, but she hadn't any idea of what.

Remember what happened last time you ignored a feeling you had?

That definitely didn't help. Besides, that was different, right? The vision was a blatant warning, not a vague feeling of foreboding. Though she knew this, she felt she needed to tell someone. The feeling was related to the warriors, so it would make sense to tell one of them… and it just so happened that she knew, or would eventually know, one of the warriors very well.

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha, may I speak with you?"

He looked up at her with yellow-flecked eyes, seemingly irritated at the distraction. He was in the middle of fletching arrows, a very delicate process, and this woman wanted to talk?

Kagome saw the hesitation. She also found that she had a bad taste in her mouth. Though she had resigned herself to the fact that she had to marry him, that didn't mean she had to like him.

"Please? It's important."

He sighed but said nothing, only nodding for her to sit next to him as he continued his work. After he finished the arrow he was working on, the warrior looked up at the woman he had been told he would marry.

"What do you want?" he said. His tone was actually more polite than Kagome had expected.

Encouraged, she continued, "I… I need to talk to you. There's this feeling I've had…" She trailed off, lost in her own mind. Now that she thought about it, it was more than simply a feeling. Something was squeezing her insides while at the same time bubbling up in her stomach trying to burn its way out.

Inuyasha was getting impatient. She said she needed to talk, but she wasn't talking. She was effectively wasting his time. "Yeah? What kind of feeling?" He barely managed to keep the irritation out of his voice.

Kagome was brought crashing back into reality at the sound of his voice. "Oh, well it's this feeling like something's going to go wrong. With you and the rest of the warriors when you leave. I'm worried."

He gave a derisive snort. "You're just paranoid. Just because your mother died doesn't mean your father will too."

It was just the kind of callous thing he would say. Kagome instantly saw red. Though she could feel the sadness rise up at the mention of her mother, she quickly smothered it in the wake of her rage.

"How dare you? That has nothing to do with this! I swear, something's not right. A bad thing will happen when you leave, I'm sure of it! But no, you're too busy accusing me of paranoia to listen! Who do you think you are, to say something so rude?" She glared at him with an almost violent rage. It was then that she realised that she didn't just dislike him. She hated him.

Inuyasha jumped to his feet, now angered himself.

"Why do you keep saying that? You'll bring bad luck to us, simply for the sake of your delusions! If something does happen it will be your fault for saying such things!"

Kagome stood to look him in the eye. Her voice went dangerously quiet as the ice in her tone hardened like an icicle, ready to stab him through the heart.

"I see. Well, niinimooshe," she said sarcastically, "good luck on your trip. I'll be here trying not to be too paranoid while you're gone." She turned and left him spluttering nonsense at her back. The hatred in her voice surprised him and, though he would never admit it, it scared him. She had always seemed so sweet, but there was something formidable about that small female.

Tooantuh caught sight of his daughter stomping her way back to the family tipi. He was just heading back to prepare his things for departure in the morning, but he suddenly found himself rethinking the idea.

If Kagome was unhappy, no one would get any peace.

He thought about leaving her alone for awhile to calm down a bit, but he knew that wouldn't be the right thing to do. She had been having a rough time of it and he should be there for her as a father. But did she have to be so very emotional?

With a small sigh he pulled back the entrance flap to the dwelling and, lo and behold, there sat Kagome. She was already stewing in a big pot of anger and he really didn't want to get involved.

But it was his job.

"Kagome? Is something wrong?" Please say no, please say no.

She didn't say anything. She just stared at him angrily from across the tipi.

"Please, Kagome? I can't help if I don't know what's wrong."

Finally she broke her stare to turn her attention to the floor. "Ninishkaadiz."

Well it wasn't much, but it was progress. "And why are you angry, Nindaanis?"

For reasons he couldn't explain, it was then that she decided to break down and cry. Terribly uncomfortable with crying women, Tooantuh could feel a major headache coming on. He made his way over to his daughter's side and took her in his arms. She didn't resist the contact, even going so far as to bury her face in his shoulder. The soft dusty scent of his buckskin war shirt filled her nose, the familiar smell calming her a bit.

"I tried, father, I really tried…"

He had no idea what she was talking about. None at all. At that moment he didn't particularly care, choosing instead to stay silent as he lifted a hand and stroked her long flowing hair.

She had grown so much in such a small amount of time, and whenever he looked at his daughter he saw a beautiful woman where his little Kagome should have been. Sometimes he made the mistake of forgetting that she really was just a child and she needed him to be there.

As Kagome sat in the safe circle of her father's arms, she savored every bit of him. The feeling in the pit of her stomach was growing and she was scared it would grow so big that she would just explode from all the pressure.

I tried… I really tried…

She repeated this mantra to herself, not quite sure what it meant.

I tried.

I tried to be enough.

I tried to save them all.

I tried to be strong enough for all of us.

I tried to replace Mother.

I tried to tell him.

I tried to save you, Father.

…

Tooantuh's such a sweetie. I think I'll keep him.

Too bad I have to kill him.

Nahhh I'm just joshing you! heh heh :)

Niinimooshe – sweetheart (Ojibwe)

Ninishkaadiz – I am angry.

Nindaanis – daughter

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