The small child was so unprepared for the glistening bow aiming at her heart that she stumbled back, her bottom making contact with the damp grass. Kagome immediately regretted her actions when she noticed Rin's large brown eyes filled with pure terror. The child picked herself off the ground and turned to run away until she realized the woman had dropped her bow and stood wordlessly studying her. The lady looked nice enough despite her tattered clothing and dirty face. That's when Rin realized it. This woman was poor and all alone, and from the blood on her arms, maybe she was injured too. She gave the lady a sympathetic look before grabbing her make shift pack and rummaging through it to find food for the peasant.

Kagome's face clouded over with confusion, and she made her way over to the small girl. 'What is she doing out here all alone?', she asked herself. When Rin's small hands immerged from the sack, there was some grain and a few coins which she offered to Kagome. Suddenly realization dawned on the older girl, "You are giving these to me?" The child nodded wordlessly and set the things down by the woman's feet. Kagome smiled and gathered up the coins and grain in her hands, "That was really very kind of you, but I can't take this from you."

Rin shook her head slightly and made no movement to take back her gifts. Kagome beamed and reached into a pocket of her skirt, producing a candy bar which she presented to the child. She kneed slightly and patted the girl on her head, "You remind me of a good friend. He loves those." The girl beamed proudly at the apparent compliment, and took a big bite of the wrapped chocolate. The raven haired priestess giggled and kneeled slightly so that she could pull the paper away, revealing the brown candy to the child. Her eyes widened and yet again she took a bite, this time smiling brightly as the new taste that filled her mouth. The woman laughed gently as she watched the child anxiously pull away all of the paper and cram the treat into her mouth.

"What is your name? I'm Kagome."

Rin looked up from the task of licking her fingers to acknowledge her new friend.

"My name is Rin." The teen nodded and ran her fingers through the girl's dark brown hair. She looked so sweet and innocent like an untainted angel. Her eyes were full of vibrancy and life that Kagome secretly longed to possess once more herself. She allowed her thoughts to wander a bit longer to days long past, until she felt a jerk pulling her to attention. She knew that feeling and it caused the hairs on the back of her neck to rise. There was a demon nearby, and it was especially strong, rivaling the power of Inuyasha himself. Fear overtook her but she allowed herself to remain calm so that she could think of a plan.

Kagome bent down to pick up her bow and arrow and poised it at Rin. She could feel the demon's slight confusion at her actions, 'Just as I thought, it was only spying and now I have him off guard!' With unbelievable speed and accuracy, Kagome swiveled on her heels and let an arrow fly at the dark aura she sensed. Without even waiting to see if her attack connected, she grabbed the child's hand and ran back as fast as she could to the camp. She was slightly afraid as all directions looked similar, but luckily, she left the shards in her backpack, and they served as a homing signal. Kagome's legs ran as fast as they would carry her, resulting in her almost dragging Rin most of the way. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity of trees and brush, she could see the shards, shining brightly, and the faces of a surprised hanyou and houshi.

"What the hell!?", Inuyasha managed to blurt out as he noticed the two girls bursting wildly into their clearing.

"Inuyasha it's there!", Kagome screamed while indicating to the dark aura that followed them back.

The hanyou sniffed the air, and only then could he make out the almost transparent scent. Sesshoumaru.

Woo! I finally wrote another chapter! It's short, but it was necessary. I'm gonna start on the next one right away! I'm sorry that I yet again took so long, but I have been working on several other fics and this one got pushed back. Thanks for bearing with me, and I hope you enjoyed the lastest chapter.

Ja ne