Many, many thanks to those who review.. I love you all!

And I'm very sorry for those of you to whom the er.. apostrophe situation might relate. I just kinda snapped after reading that kind of mistake (a side effect of being a EWC student, but there you go.) far too many times.

Ahh, and I reloaded chapters 5 and 6, apparently FF didn't like the square brackets I used for author notes. Henceforth, author's notes will be done in round brackets and italics so they don't get confused with erm.. normal side comments in round brackets? You'll get the idea. (and oh, look.. they won't let me do a series of dashes for spacers. so just one, apparently. I do wish they would just set up one standard and stick with it instead of changing it every month or two.)

Disclaimer: Inuyashamine? Sadly, no.. InuyashaRumiko Takahashi's.

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Sango brought a hand up to shade her eyes as she looked around. Ahead, the sun shone brightly against the mountains, and highlighted the tops of the trees.

"Over there, I'm sure of it. They must be in the mountains." She spurred her horse forward.

"Pray tell, just who are we looking for, Sango?" Miroku frowned as he contemplated the mountains. He preferred not to be anywhere near them, much less spending time in them.

"A friend. A very dear friend, who was kidnapped by some wretched demons." She spat angrily. I will find her, and I will find them. And I will make them pay. How dare they kidnap her best friend and mistress!

"Ah, I see. Well then, let me offer you my help. I have…" His words were cut off as he accidentally rode straight into a branch overhanging the path. He sputtered and made a face.

Sango looked back at him, and, seeing his expression, burst out laughing.

Miroku smiled. Her laughter was beautiful, and her face lit up so brilliantly. He sighed. Such a beautiful woman, strong and tempered. If only she wouldn't slap him so much.

-

Kouga growled as he ran through the forest. How dare he! How dare Inuyasha kidnap his Kagome! She is my woman! Inuyasha will pay!

"Hey Kouga, where are we going?" One of the wolf demons behind him called out.

Kouga snarled. "Wherever Kagome is!" And then I will tear that mangy mutt to pieces…

"Hey, does he even know where she is?" Kouga heard Ginta, one of the demons ask another.

"Gee, I sure hope so. I don't know, man. Kouga seems pretty pissed. We could be running around for days and never find her."

"We will find her!" Kouga shouted. He clenched his hands into fists and ran faster, leaving the rest of the pack behind.

"Hey Kouga, wait up!" He heard one of them yell. He ignored them and ran even faster.

"I… have to… find Kagome!" And he knew where he was headed. Straight for the mountains beyond the Demon's Forest. This time, he would show those mangy dogs where they belonged.

-

Haruto leaned against the wall of the cave and yawned. This was very boring work, having to stay behind and wait for two stupid humans to catch up. He'd much rather be moving on with the pack. But orders were orders, so here he was, and here he would have to stay. Not long, hopefully. He hoped the humans weren't as stupid as he'd always thought they were, or he might grow old just waiting. At this rate, I might as well jump up and down, wave my arms, and yell "Over here!" Sheesh. How come I always get stuck with the boring stuff? They better hurry up and find this place.

He glanced lazily down at the path. The two humans had settled into a faster pace, and they seemed determined. He narrowed his eyes. A woman? Two? No, one was a monk, dressed in black and purple, and the other… A young woman, long black ponytail streaming behind her as they galloped along. Determination was etched into every inch of her face.

He yawned again and blinked sleepily. Boooooring. Couldn't they hurry it up a bit?

-

Kouga leaped and perched on a boulder, scanning the mountains. Where would they be? He could smell their scent, the disgusting reek of unwashed dogs. And he could smell hers. The sweet, unique scent that was Kagome. His Kagome. But the smell wasn't very distinctive, covered over as it was by the stench that permeated the place. He closed his eyes and sniffed, searching out the source of the smell. He turned slowly and opened his eyes.

There. He saw a series of cliffs and caves, overlooking the forest. He knew he would find them there. He glanced back; Ginta and the others were running frantically, trying to catch up. He growled. Couldn't they hurry up? Why were they so slow?

He snarled and leapt ahead, eager to deal out justice to his woman's unworthy captors.

-

Sango's eyes moved constantly, searching the trees, ground, the brush, for any sign that Kagome or the inu youkai had passed by. Kagome, where are you!

"Sango! Over there! I see something!" Miroku pointed up near the mountains, where a small figure could be seen leaping from boulder to boulder.

Kouga! "They must be over there!" Sango spurred her horse into as fast a gallop as she dared, fear and anticipation tingling through her body. "Please, please, please.. we have to get there and save her!"

-

(okay, time for a scene that's longer than like, 10 lines. I apologize, I seem to have run into a massive corridor filled with writer's block.)

Haruto stiffened as a new scent reached his nose. Wolf…

Well, what did they expect, really? They kidnapped the daughter of powerful human nobles, who was betrothed to be married to a powerful wolf demon, and to top it all off, they had to do it the day she was supposed to get married. A brilliant stroke of genius, to be sure, but somewhat suicidal. If the enraged wolf demon didn't kill them first, then perhaps the guards and soldiers of the Higurashis would, and if even they weren't enough, there was always the girl's miko sister.

Fortunately, so far he had only spotted the two humans, who couldn't possibly be that much of a challenge, and smelled the wolf. If he was lucky he'd get out of this alive. But he wouldn't trust his luck.

He checked over everything in the cave. It was stripped empty; everything of any use or value had been taken, and anything worthless had been burnt or dumped somewhere. The entire cave would still smell like inu youkai, of course, but that would do nothing for those trying to find the Higurashi girl.

He smiled and flexed his claws, cracking his knuckles. They were so close, he could tell.

As if on cue, there came a shout below.

"You there! Halt!" A young man's voice shouted below.

"What do you want?" The snarled reply reeked of wolf, full of stubborn pride and impatience.

"What is your business here? Ohh.." The shout was cut off, and a female voice took its place.

"Kouga! Is Kagome there?"

"No, but if I find the curs that took her, I'm gonna tear them limb from limb."

Haruto shivered involuntarily. He had no doubt that the wolf demon would. Nevertheless, he had to stay here on Inuyasha's orders. He crept forward, so he could see what was happening outside the cave without making himself noticeable.

A very irate wolf youkai stood not twenty five feet below, on a rocky ledge. His tail twitched impatiently, and he had his fists propped on his hips. Two humans, a pretty girl and a monk, clambered up to the ledge. The girl wore a green skirt wrapped around a pink and white kimono, and had her long black hair bound loosely back. The monk's shakujou jangled as he reached down to help the girl up, who looked warily at him before ignoring his hand and pulling herself up over the edge.

"Keep your hands to yourself, houshi." She sniffed and walked forward, to the next ledge.

"But Sango, I-" He hurried after her, hands outstretched in a gesture of innocence. Kouga watched them, his features stony.

"No." She brushed him away and set to climbing the next ledge. Kouga bounded easily up and reached down to help her, and she grabbed his hand. The monk climbed up on his own, face crestfallen.

"Enough." Kouga snarled. "We're here to find Kagome. Hey mutt-face! Where are you!" He yelled.

Haruto squeaked as the shout reverberated and pummelled his ears.

"There!" Haruto fell back and scrambled backwards to the cave as the very angry wolf youkai leaped into sight. "You!" He advanced on the now-quite-frightened-Haruto. "Wait a minute…" Kouga closed his eyes and sniffed the air. "She's not here anymore! Where have you taken her!" He reached down and swiped at Haruto, grabbing him by his ratty shirt and lifted him into the air. "Tell me where Kagome is!"

Haruto kicked his legs feebly and wrapped his hands around Kouga's wrist. "I… I don't know… Th.. they left me here… to wait for…" Kouga dropped him unceremoniously.

Sango came up. "Where is she? You can't tell us to bring you a ransom and then expect us to find you when you move all over the place! What is wrong with you, anyway?"

"I uhh.. they went.. that way…" Haruto gulped and pointed in the general direction that he'd seen Inuyasha leave.

"Good. Now, if I find that you've lied, and my woman ain't where you say she is, I will come back and rip you to pieces," Kouga snarled. With that, he pivoted and marched off to meet the winded wolves who finally had caught up. "Hurry up." He growled and leaped off again.

"Oh, not again!" Ginta complained.

"We just got there!" Another wolf whined.

They ran after Kouga.

The girl glanced at Haruto, then turned away and started lowering herself off the ledge. "Miroku, let's go."

-

"Higurashi-san."

Kagome blinked. They had spent the night in the mountains, in a large empty cave. She had slept as she always did now, curled up into a tight ball, as if protecting the last glimmer of hope that lay within her. Slowly she pushed herself up on an elbow.

"It's time to go, Higurashi-san." Kimiko smiled sympathetically.

"What time is it?"

"Not quite sunrise." She smiled wryly. "Even I don't want to get up and start running around, but the mighty Inuyasha must be obeyed."

"I heard that, Kimiko," Inuyasha growled in their direction. "And just for that, you get to scout."

Kimiko rolled her eyes. "You want me to carry Kagome, too?"

Golden eyes narrowed. Yes, let her carry the girl. And no, no, some part said no. Why? Why no?

He opened his mouth. His eyes flashed in the direction of the human girl, who was blinking sleepily, her hair tumbling in shadowy tresses over her shoulders. "ye.. NO!"

He realized what he'd done, and took a deep breath. "No."

Kimiko hesitated, confusion swirling in her mind. "Okay…"

"Just go!"

Kimiko stiffened at the irritation in her leader's voice, and pattered Kagome's shoulder comfortingly before rising quickly and walking to the edge of the camp, in the direction that they were headed in. Behind her, Kagome shook her head to clear it, and stood up, barely hiding a head-splitting yawn. What time is it again? Oh, right… just before sunrise…

-

A few feet away, golden eyes blinked in confusion. What did I just do? Why? What is it about her? Why do I… He clenched his hands into fists, the nails biting into his palms and almost drawing blood. No matter. It will be finished soon, and she will be gone. That will be the end of the matter, as it has always been with those we captured and ransomed.

Then why am I so confused?

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whoo! Chapter 7, finished, finally! Sorry about the extremely long wait. It's been quite busy lately, what with the marks our teachers send to university due this week, and all those additional applications due. whew

anyway, I hope this chapter's up to par with you guys, please, please, PLEASE rr! muah I love all you reviewers.