Chapter 11

"Hey, welcome back to the world of the living!" Kagome said as Miroku rubbed his head.

He groaned again. "What the heck happened? I feel like I got run over by a coach." Kagome smiled and handed him a flask of red wine. He took a long gulp, and then sat up properly.

"What's the last thing that you remember?" She asked him. He rubbed his head again.

"A high pitched scream and Sango falling to the ground. Then something landed on me, but after that...I remember nothing." Kagome handed him a bowl of stew.

Suddenly Miroku's head shot up."Oh my god, is Sango alright!" He started to look frantically around.

Kagome raised an eyebrow at him. "Would I be sitting here so calmly if she wasn't?" She said, and shook her head. "She's bathing in the river. Apparently it was too hot for her here." Miroku nodded his head as he gulped down the stew, not even bothering with a spoon. When he was done, he filled the bowl once more.She noticed him eyeing the path to the river, but made no attempt to get up and walk down the ever so tempting path.

"So, what did happen?" He finally asked.

Kagome smiled. "We had a visitor drop in on us. Unfortunately, she picked you to land on. She was apparently looking for something, but didn't find it. How does your head feel?"

"A little sore, but better since I ate the stew. It's good." He looked down at his bowl, studying the contents.

"Thanks." Kagome said cheerfully, a smile on her face.

Miroku looked at her with a look of surprise."You made it? I though Sango would have, being that she is the only girl around here." Kagome's eyebrow rose, but she said nothing. In response to her silence, he kept on talking. "How long was I out for?"

Kagome shrugged. "A little over two hours. As predicted."

He looked up from his bowl. "You say a girl dropped on me?"

Kagome nodded her head. "A local wood maiden. Her grandmother is the Queen of these woods. It's a huge forest, so I'm not surprised it has a community in it." Then she laughed. "I sure wouldn't have minded her landing on me though." Kagome said, trying to appear 'guyish'.

Miroku laughed."That beautiful, huh?" he said with a lecherous grin.

Kagome nodded. "Oh yes, quite."

Just then, Sango could be heard coming up the path from the river, fortunately fully dressed. Her hair was drenched, and she looked extremely happy when she saw Miroku sitting up, eating.

"Your awake!" She exclaimed, and bounded over to sit beside him, giving him a quick hug.

Kagome shook her head as she slowly got up. "Well, now that you're out, I think I'll go for a small swim. Sango, look out for him that no more maids fall on top of him."

Sango nodded. "Don't worry, I'll protect him," she said, and with that, Kagome disappeared down the path, being satisfied that Miroku was still paying a great amount of attention to his stew and Sango.

Kagome reached the bank of the river and veered off to the right slightly, where the river came into a little pool that looked deep enough to swim in. She stripped and stepped into the cool water. The bottom was sandy, and one could see right to the bottom in broad daylight. She Shivered as the water reached her lower thighs. The she just jumped in, letting the water give her a shock. Kagome started to swim to the far end of the pool.

There came a loud crack in the air, the sound of skin agains skin, and Kagome could have sworn she heard Sango yell, 'pervert!'

Following that, Kagome heard footsteps coming toward her. Trusting Sango had made sure Miroku would not go after her, she knew it was Sango herself. She looked back to the bank of the river, but could not see who it was in the darkness. The figure stepped into the water and started to swim too. Why on earth is Sango getting into the water again and not guarding Miorku? Kagome thought, and then she heard it.

"I thought I might as well join you." Miroku's voice was loud and clear in the quiet night. Kagome gave a low groan. Why, Sango, why? Are you trying to destroy me?

"Kohaku, can you hear me?" Miroku called into the darkness.

Kagome scrunched up her face and let herself sink low enough so that only her head showed."Yeah, I heard you. What do you need?"

"Just wanted to have a swim and talk."

"Really." Kagome muttered to herself under her breath, and then said so he could hear, "Talk about what?" He swam closer until she could se his face in detail. She could touch bottom, so she just stood there with her arms across her chest, hoping her hair was floating behind her, and not in front..

"Anything I guess." Moment of silence. He spoke again. "I hope you don't mind me being here, that you wanted to be alone."

Kagome grinned, although it was a slightly forced grin. "No, no, not at all. I don't mind the company." Kagome tried to sound sincere.

Miroku gave a sigh of reliefe. "Great. I'd feel really bad if you did, after all you've done for me."

Kagome smiled in the dark. "Think nothing of it. Believe me, it was Sango that made me make the decision."

"Really? How so?"

"Have you honestly not noticed the way she looks at you?" Kagome could see Miroku smile.

"Umm, sort of. I mean, not that I stare at her all the time or anything."

Kagome gave a chuckle. "Do you think I haven't noticed how you both look at each other? I'm not exactly stupid y'know."

Miroku laughed. "I kind of assumed that. Do you mind?"

Kagome shook her head. "No. If I minded, do you think you would be here? No my friend, my sister is old enough to know and do what she wants. I'm just there to make sure she doesn't mess up her life for good. You seem like a good guy."

Now Miroku gave a small chuckle. "Never judge people before you know them."

Kagome raised her eyebrows. "Watch it. I may just take that advice to heart."

Miroku laughed. "I only jest. I would never dishonour your sister." This time it was Kagome who laughed.

"Oh, and so that slap I heard earlier was just an accident, right?" Kagome presumed that if it were not dark out, she would see Miroku blushing. But then again if it was light out, they may be on a slightly different subject.

Kagome started to shiver in the cold water. "Well, I think I'll get out now."

Miroku nodded. "I should get out too."

"NO! I mean, no, don't let me spoil your fun. Go ahead and swim around for a while more." Kagome said, breathing heavily and waving her hands above the surface of the water for emphasis.

Miroku chuckled. "No. I will soon freeze in here if I stay too much longer." They started to swim back to shore. There's a few things he's bound to notice, Kagome thought to herself. Then she got an idea. As they were nearing shore, she gave a moan that he could hear.

"Oh no, my ring! It must have fallen off in the deep end. I'm going to go back to search for it. You go on back to Cam and I'll be right there." Miroku paused.

"I can help you search."

"No, no!" Kagome said, starting to feel more panic rising in her chest, "I know approximately where it must have fallen off, and I know what it looks like. You go on up." She saw him hesitate, and then shrug his shoulders and continue on to shore. Kagome watched him get out of the water. Then she turned around and swam back out to the deep end of the pool and dove bellow the water. She swam about for a few moments, then came back up. Miroku was still standing at the shore, although now fully dressed.

"Found it!" she called to him, and then started to swim back to shore. When she got near, she said, "Go tell Sango to boil some water for tea so we have something to warm up with."

"Sure," he replied, and with that, he walked off in the direction of the fire. As he turned the corner into the bush, Kagome quickly darted out of the water and put on her clothing and hair back under her hat. Then she walked back as well. When she reached the fire, she saw Miroku sitting by the fire, and Sango just taking the kettle to go fill it in the river. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Kagome.

Sango gave a small smile. "Enjoy your swim?" She asked.

Kagome gritted her teeth. "Yes, it was quite different. Here, let me come with you to get the water. I need to move around a bit to warm up." They walked together to the river. "Why did you let him follow me?" She asked in an urgent whisper.

Sango looked embarrassed, but nevertheless had a grin on her face. "He said he wanted a swim. At first I forgot the whole secret, and then I didn't know how to explain to him that he shouldn't go."

Kagome gave a frustrated sigh. "Sango, you're a girl...he's a guy...I'm sure you could have found a way to explain it to him. Like that fear of darkness you sometimes acquire at all those inconvenient times!" By then they were almost back at the fire.

Sango gave one last comment. "Hey, at least I made the swim less 'boring' for you!" Kagome glared at her as they emerged in the clearing.

Miroku was laying down some of the blankets from the saddlebags to make bed. Both girls went to help him. When they were done, they decided to go strait to sleep. The fire had died down to embers, so there was no risk the forest may catch on fire. Sango was very insistent on sleeping in the middle. Kagome tried to convince her otherwise, when one of Sango's sudden fear-of-the-dark attacks came on. In the end they re-arranged the bed so that one side was directly beside the fire, so Sango would be protected by the fire on one side, and Kagome on the other, Kagome now being in the middle.

"What about you? You're a girl too y'know." Sango whispered to Kagome when Miroku wasn't too close.

"True, but he doesn't know that," Kagome replied sweetly. Sango gave a small growl, but gave no further protests. Finally they all lay down beneath a blanket. Sango fell asleep quickly, for she was soon cuddling up to Kagome. Miroku's breathing became deep too rather quickly, which left Kagome alone awake in the dark. She could feel Miroku's body heat beside her, and Sango's body right next to her.

She lay there silently, not moving. Then she heard a soft crunch of leaves being stepped on. She shot up and looked over to the fire. A figure was hunched over near the dying embers on the other side. Kikyo's face was illuminated by the soft glow. A flame seemed to dance in her eyes as she looked down at the leaf-wrapped package she had on the ground in front of her. Kagome got a little worried when the girl took a knife from her boot. Kikyo slid the blade across leaves. They fell silently to the ground. In the package were three more leaf wrapped packets.

Kagome looked on. She couldn't stand it any longer. "What are you doing here?" She whispered.

Kikyolooked up, almost as if she wasn't surprised to hear her voice. She motioned for her to come over. Kagome got up and walked to the other side of the embers. Kikyo had unwrapped one of the packets and was now handing its contents to Kagome. It was a pendant with a strange crest on it.

"Wear it. You shall be under the protection of the forest people. My people. Here are two for your friends as well. Always have it with you, and wear it at least when you are in a forest."

Kagome nodded and placed it around her neck. "But why-"

Kikyo cut her off. "If anyone should tell you that the leaves will start to fall early this year, show this to them if you need help. They are one of us, and will help." She then handed the other two packets to Kagome and jerked her head to the other two. Kagome nodded.

Kikyo then got up and disappeared into the shadows of the forest. Kagome went back to the side of the embers and lay down, overcome by a sudden sleepiness. She didn't even notice that she was no longer in the middle, and how Miroku's arm was now placed tenderly around the sleeping Sango.

A/N: Ooo, I had so much fun writing this chapter! Ahh the situations I can put the chartacters into. Anyway, let me know what you thought if you have the time and inspiraiton for it, otherwise wait VERY patiently for the next chapter. Bye! Anja.