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The sun rose with brilliance, white and silver aglow. Kagome watched the breathtaking view from bed. When daybreak made its first peek through the sheer silky curtains she decided that it was a reasonable hour to be up. Several months had passed since the incident at the river, although long, the relevance of it still tingled painfully. Even now, coming to terms with Inuyasha's sterility and how cruel life could be sometimes made her frustrated.
She sighed deeply and then shifted her thoughts to other matters. It was another typical day except that she was lying in her own bedroom. Nothing was amiss between her and Sesshomaru. In fact they had spent almost every moment together since they'd both come to terms with their feelings for one another. Sleeping apart these last four days had been trying though it was an essential part of their arrangement. Sesshomaru became restless during her monthly courses.
Perhaps his mood had a lot to do with his animal nature. The smell of blood whilst it entices was not something that he was prepared to scent for days on end without a break. Thankfully it was finished, and now she and Sesshomaru could enjoy the quiet time together without the uneasiness.
She sat up and removed the sheet from her torso before taking a long lazy stretch. She yawned multiple times and felt as the kinks in her back snapped and weariness left her bones. Wide awake now, her mind was once again immersed in the past.
She huffed as the past threatened to overshadow her spirit. Would the memories ever fade? Or was she doomed to exist with the sadness of the bitter circumstances of her life? She hissed in annoyance and pulled a face of sheer irritation, then breathed deeply. The issues were still so very taxing even after so many months had passed by.
Minutes passed before the worries on her mind subsided. In a way, she was glad that the well kept secret about Inuyasha was out in the open, but it brought her dissatisfaction as well as great anxieties. She knew and understood clearly why Inuyasha had chosen to keep something like that from her. Still, in spite of that knowledge the ache in her heart had not disappeared.
The pain and sadness of losing Inuyasha and not being able to conceive would always remain in her heart, though she would not let it take control of her life any longer. She shook her head sadly; Inuyasha must have suffered greatly to keep his secret, to hide his inadequacies from her knowing full well that he was the cause of their failures.
Her temples began to throb just by thinking on their lives, the bitter sting made the pulse of regret grow stronger. She shook her head crossly this time, forcing the pessimism away before it totally overwhelmed her. Enough was enough. She cast the sheet aside and stepped away from the bed. Nothing good would come if she allowed herself to be consumed by misery. She had Sesshomaru by her side and maybe if he was willing she could still become a mother.
She smiled as new hope dawned in her heart. Sesshomaru cared for her deeply and over the months that they had spent together alone, just enjoying each other and growing in friendship and love should amount to something quite meaningful she surmised.
As she left the bedside she paused at the door and slightly drew it ajar. She stared at the closed door from across the hall using her senses to aid her. After establishing that Sesshomaru was not in his bedroom neither was he in the house she made her way to the bathroom. There she rushed through her bath and quickly dressed.
Later in the day she played a little game of hide and seek with her kitten that was much bigger now and looking more like her mother with each passing day. The hot summer month made it impossible for her to keep up with Michi's playful nature because she grew tired from the heat quickly.
Momo called out to her which halted her movements. She looked up ahead and was pleased to see the demoness with a glass of something cool to drink in her hand. Great timing she thought and patted the cat on the head before retiring to the front porch to sit. She and Momo chatted idly for awhile before she excused herself. Alone, she sat and waited for Sesshomaru while she watched the idyllic scenery stretched out in front of her.
The day had cooled significantly within the hour that she'd been outside by a teasing gust. The leaves of the trees rustled and the branches bowed and swayed to the rhythmic breeze. She couldn't take her eyes off the beautiful surroundings, there was something dreamy, almost magical about a field of wildflowers. Sesshomaru's property was dotted with cherry trees, plums, pears and spindle trees, and instead of being pruned they were allowed to grow naturally. The larger oak and apple trees partially shaded the blanket of grass that dipped with the terrain forming a long pathway to the house.
Wide un-shaded areas were thick with vivid colors of wild and cultivated flowers, and just when she thought that nothing could be more beautiful, Sesshomaru emerged from within the rainbow of fauna looking clean and fresh. She smiled happily, got up and stared around in delightful wonder.
"This is so beautiful Sesshomaru," she stated so calmly and with a bright smile on her face, that he experienced the strangest feeling of contentment as he stepped onto the porch and stood by her side surveying the land.
"Yes it is," he responded softly and glanced at her.
"Is it just me or is there something enthralling about today?" She asked and turned, meeting his sparkling honey eyes.
He perused her face and saw happiness beaming from within, her smile widened and he placed his hand around her shoulder pulling her closer to him.
"Perhaps the contentment that you feel inside is what is making everything seems more beautiful to you at the moment," he answered, swamped with the warm feeling of her aura
"I suppose you are right," she said after awhile. "I feel wonderful to the point where I believe anything is possible now."
Without saying another word he took her with him as he sat. He was quiet and so was she. They sat in the silence for a long time observing nature at its most magnificent before he told her of his plans.
"I must take my leave with urgency today," he said softly, with a touch of graveness in the undertones.
She was a little startled by his statement and so quickly she asked him. "Why must you leave so suddenly?" Her eyes steadily focused on him.
He sighed and got up. Kagome would be displeased by the news he had to share but he must make haste; to linger would only serve to make things worse, though he had promised that he would not leave her for some time.
After a minute he turned back around and faced her. She looked calm on the outside he observed but he knew better, the woman quaked on the inside from anxiousness. He hesitated a moment and then said calmly.
"I have received information that a gang of bandits along with rogue demons have teamed up and are terrorizing the citizens not only here in the west but across the borders. I must look into it quickly."
She got to her feet swiftly and heard herself let out a long breath and stated as a matter of fact. Whew! "I had no idea but if you must go then I am coming with you."
He gazed at her incredulously and then frowned deeply. Just a moment ago she was almost shaking with uncertainty and now she was eager and smiling.
His lips thinned with disapproval after his mind returned to the present topic. There was no way he would take her along, the risks were too great and he wouldn't have the time to safeguard her well being if a battle ensued and so he told her in no uncertain terms.
"I will not encourage such an action," he said plainly but with enough caution that he saw the frown as it formed across her brows, "the journey will be harsh and littered with peril. I have reasons to believe that this gang has organized themselves quite skilfully and dangerously." Kagome shook her and smiled trying to ward off the uneasiness she felt by the finality in his statement.
Sesshomaru's brows lifted with worry. He knew that she would make this hard on him. Her smile died as she searched for the right words to say to convince him to let her accompany him, while he waited patiently on her to speak.
"Sesshomaru I am not trying to be difficult, just let me tag along and I promise to be very careful...I know what you are thinking and I won't get in your way."
He watched her staring up at him with wide pleading eyes, and if he had the mind to he would've laughed, but sadly this was not a laughing matter. Taking Kagome along with him could prove to be useful, but on the other hand the opposite could happen, and worse she could get severely hurt or even killed.
He'd promised his brother to look after her but that promise was no longer valid since he had taken the woman for himself. He had his own selfish reasons for wanting to keep her safe. The priestess meant a great deal to him right now and the need to protect her was a dominant one.
"I cannot agree in taking you along," he finally said and looked away. "It is best if you remain here."
There was even more finality in his tone this time and Kagome inched closer to losing her temper. She was not a child and had fought alongside him in the past to defeat Naraku, or had he conveniently forgotten about that.
She sighed quietly as she lowered her head in thought. Why was she being so unreasonable about this when she knew that he only wanted to keep her safe? The answer to that she already knew in her heart. She wanted to be close to him no matter what dangers he may face, she wanted to fight alongside him, bring him comfort if he needed it. Staying calm and composed while he left to fight would not be possible; all that would serve to do was to bring her nothing but anxieties as she worried for him.
She couldn't let this go easily not when he had come to mean so much to her. He worried for her safety and she worried for his. He may not necessarily be aware of this but she had gotten stronger as a priestess and a fighter to boot. He turned towards the door and made to go inside, without hesitating a second more Kagome ran around him with her arms outstretched blocking his path.
He looked down on her hands and then at her face. He saw determination on her countenance as her eyes burned with it and realized that he had already lost.
"What do you require?" He queried tonelessly, he could not let it escape that he had almost given into her request. Knowing her personality she would find a way to follow him to hell even if he had her in chains.
She dropped her hands back to her sides and closed her eyes as she spoke confidently to him. "I can help you...I am not weak and constantly in need of your protection, and in any case I will only worry about you if you leave me behind. Don't my feelings and what I want count in this matter Sesshomaru?"
He sighed softly; as much as he was prepared to deny it, he really wanted her to be with him. Kagome wasn't a weak woman and she could hold her own in any situation. She had already proven her worth a long time ago. But still knowing all that did not empty the desire to protect and keep her away from conflict. He studied her face while he examined the things that she had just said to him and made a decision.
He only hope that he would not come to regret it. "If you must follow go and prepare," the stern expression on her face slowly softened and a smile took its place.
She threw her hands around his neck and planted a swift kiss to his cheek. He remained still and let her have her way because the affections she poured on him were unusual yet it was not displeasing.
"Thank you," she gushed, "I knew you would eventually change your mind because if you hadn't I would have followed you anyway."
She smiled at him again and he wasn't quite certain what he should be feeling. He felt many things at the moment which were a tad confusing. But she was definitely correct when she'd said that she would have followed him in spite of him telling her not to.
After she had left him standing at the door with his thoughts, he decided upon a plan of action to deal with the hoodlums. What he had in mind would have to do considering the short amount of time that he had to form a defensive strategy.
As the plans he'd formulated sank in, his mind wandered again to Kagome, not for the first time that morning but many times. It was easy to see that he had a soft spot in his heart for her; she knew and hence her wilful behaviour. He couldn't fault her for that; she had always been stubborn and at times reckless to the point of rebelliousness when she believed solely that it was for a good cause.
Kagome dressed herself quickly in a light green dress reaching about mid-thigh with slits up the sides for ease of movements and matching pants. Her hair she secured in a top knot with golden hair pins. She glanced herself over a couple of times before taking up her bag and bow.
They left the premises quickly after that. Sesshomaru remained silent as they'd walked. She wanted to ask him some questions about the gang, but resisted the urge to do so because it was plain to see that he still harboured reservation about letting her come with him. About two miles into their journey he suddenly stopped and told her not to move, she opened her mouth to ask why but he was already gone. She shrugged carelessly and sat down on a tree stump and waited.
She wondered briefly what could have caused him to hurry off so suddenly and then she cast the thought aside when no answers were forthcoming. Bending the tall grass by her feet into odd shapes helped her to pass the time more quickly, though the wait was not a long one.
A short time later he surfaced through the bushes and nodded as he walked by her. She grabbed her bag and hurriedly followed after him. They walked for many hours and she was feeling the burn of the sun, her water container suddenly went dry, she frowned because she could not detect another source of water for miles. She lagged behind, she could not keep up with him; he stopped so that she could catch up.
When she was closer he began to walk again. He found that he liked that she did not complain too much about the heat. He was aware that the water container she carried needed refilling even though she hid that fact from him. At least she understood his motives, when he could he would let her rest and refresh herself. But for now they needed to get within striking distance of the town that housed the criminals before night fall.
She wasn't paying attention to where they were going and realized just now that he'd steered her down a path leading to a village. She could smell clean clear water close by and her spirits lifted.
"Sesshomaru where are we?" She inquired as they stopped.
"We are at the southern borders of the west," he replied after scenting the air twice, "there is an old barn near here and a river not far from it. We will rest there for the night."
Kagome couldn't keep a straight face any longer, the words he had spoken was what she'd wanted to hear. She was tired, sweaty and thirsty. The thought of having a drink, a bath and rest could not have come at a better time.
It was night-time now; the land was covered in darkness without the moon to give it light. She spread the blanket over some hay for a softer place to sleep. Sesshomaru sat in the right hand corner of the barn keeping watch while she made herself comfortable for sleep.