Last Time:

Sesshoumaru almost didn't want to leave, however from this encounter he had learned all that he wanted to. Kagome was not his brother's woman, nor would she ever be. With that in mind and eager to contemplate what exactly that meant for him he left Inuyasha with only a few scratches to follow the woman that more and more people were coming to believe was his future mate.

Chapter 10:

Kagome was a little nervous as to what Sesshoumaru would say to her about the encounter that they had just had with Inuyasha. She had promised herself that she would not loose her cool, and to Inuyasha she was sure that she had appeared as cold as Sesshoumaru. But, Sesshoumaru having way more practice than she at appearing as icy as Antarctica would surely have been able to detect the fact that she had completely lost her cool. However when he did speak she almost fell off her cloud.

"Are you ok," he asked her?

That was the last thing that she had expected from him, yet just him showing that much concern she somehow felt very comforted. "I am fine. He just has a way of infuriating me," she replied.

"He has a way of doing that to almost everyone that he has ever encountered," Sesshoumaru said with what Kagome would almost swear was a slight smile.

"We are back at camp," Kagome announced as she made her cloud begin it's decent.

As soon as they touched ground Rin ran up to Kagome. "Can we go pick flowers now," she begged?

"If it is alright with Sesshoumaru then we will," Kagome said glancing at Sesshoumaru for approval. When he gave her a slight nod she turned and began walking towards a large field of wildflowers that was not too far away from camp.

Once they reached the field Rin began fluttering about and grabbing the flowers that passed her thorough inspection. Once she had an arm full she ran back to Kagome. "May I put these in your hair," she asked? With the smile that was on her face Kagome found it impossible to say no, so she gave her a nod.

At this moment setting there with Rin and enjoying setting under the warm sun she felt almost human again. And, she had to admit that it felt good, so when Rin asked her to go to the small stream that was nearby to help her catch fish she was happy to comply. Once at the stream she couldn't help but to smile at Rin's antics as she tried to catch the fish that seemed to dart right through her grasp. Finally Kagome decided that maybe she should get in and catch a few for her.

Back at camp Jaken was setting across from Sesshoumaru who was ignoring him. Jaken was concerned about his Lord. He could not yet be certain, but he thought that perhaps Sesshoumaru was beginning to have feelings for the woman who had recently came into their lives. He just somehow seemed too nice to her, like for instance he allowed the woman to take Rin out of his sight without threatening his life. In all of the years that they had had Rin Jaken had been threatened numerous times over the girl. Jaken wanted his Lord to be happy, however he was afraid that this woman was totally wrong for him. After all she had once been human, something that the other Lords would be sure to disapprove of, and to top it all off she had been Inuyasha's woman. Finally Jaken decided to get down to the bottom of things. "My Lord," he began and waited to receive a raise of Sesshoumaru's eyebrow before continuing. "How long will Inuyasha's woman be staying with us," he foolishly asked? Before Jaken knew it he was being held upside down by his Lord.

"You will not refer to her as Inuyasha's woman. That is a title that she never held and you will not disrespect her as such. She will stay with us as long as she desires, and if you insult her again I will kill you," Sesshoumaru told him before flinging him into the nearest tree.

Having dealt with Jaken he again turned his attention to the aura that he had been concentrating on. It was the spy that he had sent to take report on Inuyasha, and he appeared to be wounded. Finally Sesshoumaru went to meet the wounded solider. When Sesshoumaru reached the wounded demon he knew that the man would not make it through the night. "Did Inuyasha do this to you," Sesshoumaru questioned?

"No my Lord," the dying demon reported. "You requested a report on your brother and his miko. Once I found him to be without her I took report on him, and went to track her. She is with a powerful enemy my Lord."

"Who is she with," Sesshoumaru questioned?

"My Lord she is with the Lord of the North," the demon chocked out between coughs.

"So, we do have a new enemy," Sesshoumaru stated more to himself than his spy.

"No, my Lord," said the spy who could barely breath now "I am afraid that we have the return of an old enemy." Before he could say more the guard fell over never to draw another breath. Sesshoumaru considered using his sword to revive the man, but it did not stir. Tenseiga did not wish to work her magic for this fallen man.

Having learned the little that he did Sesshoumaru was eager to have his ward and Kagome back in his sight. Bypassing Jaken and AhUn he went straight to the stream that he could sense their presences coming from. When he arrived the sight before him stopped him dead in his tracks. Kagome was in the stream helping Rin to fish. Apparently Rin had done some of creative flower designs in Kagome's long hair having braided it and put flowers here and there along the braid. Perhaps what stood out most was the smile that was upon Kagome's face. It was beautiful, Sesshoumaru was sure that in all of his life he had never seen anything so lovely as the woman standing before him. Suddenly Rin slipped into the stream and Kagome had to reach out to catch her, and when this happened Kagome laughed. It was the loveliest of sounds, if Sesshoumaru did not know that she was a demon he would swear that she was an angel. He found himself wishing that he were the one to be able to make her smile and laugh like that. He wanted her to look at him with such happiness in her eyes.

Kagome was having such a great time with Rin, but suddenly she sensed something that made her freeze. "Rin," she ordered suddenly serious "Run now go and find Sesshoumaru." What she felt made her hair stand on end as she quickly drew her sword. Before the aura that was approaching reached her Sesshoumaru was at her side.

"You feel it," he asked?

"Yes" she calmly replied "Naraku"