She ran desperately, following a voice only she could hear. The darkness all around threatened to trap her, cutting off her only route away from the dangers all around.

Hurry! The voice was closer now. Its gentle tone promised safety and a welcome return to sanity. She increased her speed, body straining with the concentrated effort of her desperate flight. Muscles strained and lungs burned as she struggled to keep her pace without collapsing from exhaustion. The forest began to swirl dizzily about her. The darkness yawned all about, reaching toward her with black claws in an eager effort to embrace her.

"Help me…" the small words came out as a whimper, a plea to any who would listen. She wasn't going to make it. Her mind and body were exhausted, and her head was pounding fiercely.

Finally, perhaps inevitably, she stumbled and fell, into the waiting arms of the darkness… Maybe it would be easier this way. She could just disappear, and feel the pain no more. Eyes began to close, and her will began to fade.

KAGOME!!! The owner of the voice reached out to her, golden eyes wide with concern. I will protect you!

"Kagome! Stop!" Ryu grunted when a claw tore through the fur and flesh of his right shoulder.

Kagome gasped, and began to cough. She clutched at Ryu as great sobs racked her body. Ryu remained still, arms around her while she shook with the terror of her dreams. She finally began to quiet, and her breathing returned to normal. The bitter scent of tears reached Ryu's nose, and he brought a small cloth from his robes and handed it to the distressed girl. She released her grip of him, and took the cloth. She silently wiped at her wet face.

"What happened?," Ryu asked after a moment, softly.

Kagome's eyes were clouded with too many emotions for either of them to pinpoint them all. Her voice came as a soft whisper.

"I don't know…"

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The rest of the day's journey was uneventful. Ryu and Kagome traveled in silence, and the residents of the forest barely noticed their passing. They stopped to eat in the afternoon, and Ryu managed to persuade Kagome to change out of her ragged clothes and into a spare robe he produced. She took the clothing with her to the edge of a gurgling creek and took the time to wash away the grime she had been covered in.

Ryu waited patiently with his back turned as she splashed the cool water into her dark hair and over her grimy skin. The water was cool, and Kagome felt much better once she was clean. She ran her fingers through the tangles of her hair and vigorously scrubbed her face. The bath left her feeling refreshed, and the horror of her nightmare began to slip away from her mind.

Ryu's robes were a little too big for her, but with the cloth belt he provided Kagome was able to make do. They were a dark blue, and flowed down to her ankles. The sleeves went past her hands, so she rolled them up to her wrists. She didn't bother with putting the shoes she had been wearing back on; the forest floor felt nice beneath her feet. Somehow she felt that her feet could tolerate the rocks and weeds on the ground.

Kagome spent some time looking at the torn clothes she had been wearing. She had hoped to gain some sort of memory from them; where she had gotten them, how they had gotten so torn. She remembered running away from Ryu, and being with the crow demon. A shudder past through her as she remembered him, and the way his eyes had rendered her immobile. His eyes had seemed easily capable of penetrating into her thoughts, dreams, and her very soul. All she had wanted was escape. She had completely lost control of her mind as the terror had taken over. Her memories became foggy at such times. She could only hope that she would find a way to control it in the future.

"Are you ready, Kagome? We should get going. We're almost there," Ryu said from his position nearby.

"Yes…" Kagome replied, blinking as she came out of her reverie. She dropped her old clothes on the ground and walked over to Ryu, whose eyes widened with surprise at her approach.

"What?," she asked, irritably.

Ryu looked at her for a long moment. "I just can't believe you had a face under all that dirt!" He grinned widely. Kagome almost smiled. Ryu tilted his head slightly for a moment as he continued to study her face. "Did you always have those stripes on your face? I guess the dirt hid them," he said. Kagome's hand went to her face, as if she could feel what he was talking about. "There's two on each side of your face. One on your cheekbone, the other on your jawbone. The same black as your hair," he said. Kagome shrugged.

"Well then, lady tiger, shall we?" Ryu said then, and so they continued on their way. The day was warm and kept comfortable by a slight breeze. Kagome almost found that she was enjoying herself.

It was only an hour later when they stopped, a great mountain range erupting into the sky before them. A wall of sheer rock seemed to climb out of the ground from nowhere, as if it had been conjured by a mad sorcerer. Into the waiting clouds above the peaks soared, where they became tipped in heavy snow. Kagome stared up at the stately mountains, wondering at the way they seemed to forbid any adventurer among them. The rock was sleek and solemn, and any climb seemed impossible.

"Do we fly now?," Kagome asked, her gaze coming back to Ryu. He raised an eyebrow, then nodded. Kagome crossed her arms and just looked at him.

From within his blue robes, Ryu produced a small silver tube, which he brought to his lips. Kagome found herself wondering how he had managed to chase her through the woods with the robes he was wearing.

Ryu looked up into the sky, eyes squinting in the afternoon sunlight. Kagome peered upward as well, wondering what the fox demon was looking for. Then she thought that maybe she saw a small shadow in the distance, approaching from the mountains. It quickly became ever larger, until she deciphered the shape of gigantic wings. Her heart began to pound and without knowing it, she let out a menacing hiss.

"It's not a crow, Kagome. Calm down," Ryu said to her, gently. Kagome froze, and looked from Ryu to the approaching figure. Her vision blurred slightly, and the need to run was becoming overwhelming. She shook as uncontrollable emotions passed through her. Her thoughts started fogging over.

Kagome looked up once more, and saw that the bird was not black, but a bright gold. It possessed a wingspan of perhaps thirty feet, and talons massive enough to pick up a horse. The wind picked up as the monstrous bird descended, sending leaves and dirt flying. Kagome's hair was whipped back and she brought her hand up to cover her eyes. The fear passed as quickly as it had came.

Finally, the bird landed and folded its wings to its side. It peered down at them.

"Hello, Mame. The master should be expecting me back," Ryu said to the bird. Mame blinked its large golden eyes, then tilted its head for a moment before replying. Kagome did not understand the short series of caws and clucks that the bird produced, but Ryu seemed to.

"Well then, we better hurry," Ryu said when the bird was finished. He took Kagome's arm and led her to the side of the great beast. She stared at him as if he were quite mad.

"Don't worry, it's perfectly safe. I'll give you a boost." Ryu picked Kagome up by the waist and pushed her up toward Mame's back. She settled into position behind the wings, and clutched onto a handful of feathers. She was surprised at how soft they were. Ryu jumped on and sat behind her. "Just relax, and we'll be there before you know it," Ryu said reassuringly.

Mame spread his wings and leapt. Kagome moaned and closed her eyes, certain that her stomach had been left far behind as they spiraled up and into the sky.

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

Inuyasha stared at the pile of clothing at his feet. The green skirt, white shirt, brown shoes… They were Kagome's. There was nobody else in feudal Japan who could possibly have the same clothes as the ones she wore from her time. There was also no mistaking her scent, which was all over the clothing. Inuyasha knelt and picked up the clothes, jaw clenching when he saw how torn they were. The sharp scent of blood, her blood, also filled his nostrils, and he saw where she had been injured. His heart began to pound as the implications of this discovery raced through his mind.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku's voice called out from nearby. Inuyasha turned and watched Miroku, Sango, and Shippou approach on Kirara's back. They landed next to him.

"We've searched everywhere. Kirara seems to have picked up the same trail as you. I- what is that?" Sango stared at the bundle in Inuyasha's hands, which had been trembling a moment before.

Inuyasha growled and handed the clothes to Sango. "She's been taken by someone. I noticed the scent a while back. Smells like…" he paused and thought a moment.

"A fox demon!" Shippou chirped. His little nose wriggled in the air as he took in the scent of another fox.

Inuyasha nodded. "She's been hurt. We have to hurry before she gets to where the fox demon is taking her."

The others quickly voiced their agreement, and resumed their chase of Kagome and her captor.

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Hooray for another chapter! Thanks for all the great reviews. Let me know how this chapter was. Inuyasha is catching up!