They had only been on the road when sounds of a battle reached their ears. They all ran forward, determined to see what was the matter. Around the corner, a large spider demon, had a girl with raven black hair in his grasp. InuYasha froze. The girl resembled Kikyo, but could not, for there was a different scent to her. That of roses and cinnamon. InuYasha started to growl. The girl had not noticed their arrival. She was struggling in the demons grasp. Yet… the girl made no sound, even though her mouth was open, and looked as if she were screaming. A young boy was hacking at the monster.
" Let my sister go! She's all I have left!" the boy screamed at the demon. He hacked away at the demon with a farming scythe. InuYasha charged in, ignoring the protests of his friends. He destroyed the demon in one strike, gathering the girl into his arms before she hit the ground. He touched down. The girl clung to his shirt, and only let go when her brother ran over to her, and flung him self into her arms. After a few moments, the boy turned to InuYasha.
" Arigatoo! You saved my sister! She's all I have left." He smiled unhappily. " Our family and friends were killed just a few weeks ago. My sister…" InuYasha looked encouragingly at the boy. " I will tell you all about her, but first, I think that we should offer you hospitality for our rescue."
The boy and girl led them to a small temple. On the way, the boy had told them their names, and had explained what they had been doing when they were attacked. all through this, the girl, Kagome, had remained silent. She walked beside Sango, who tried to make conversation with her, but soon stopped when Kagome and only smiled confused at her. InuYasha would occasionally look back at her. Sesshomaru noticed this and smiled. He asked what InuYasha had not.
" Souta, tell us. What is wrong with your sister?" Souta smiled. Not quiet sure what to say.
" Kagome is… deaf and mute. That's why she never screamed, nor heard what you were trying to tell her, lady Sango." The group stopped in their tracks. Kagome was a deaf? And a mute? Kagome looked puzzled at their sudden stop. She touched InuYasha's shoulder, smiled encouragingly at him, and pointed to the temple, just up ahead. InuYasha smiled sadly, took Kagome's hand, and walked with her ahead of the group. Souta smiled sadly. " she needs to see the world. I don't think that she actually is a mute… I actually know very little of her. She actually just popped out of the blue one day. She's been my sister ever since."
They had been at the temple for several days now, Kagome was out gathering apples. Only Souta knew this, he just assumed the others knew as well. InuYasha was prowling around the temple, talking to Miroku.
" InuYasha, do think that Kagome could actually make an asset to this team?" Miroku quizzed.
" I'm really not sure Miroku. I mean… she handled the wounds that had been inflicted upon her brother without any struggle, which makes me wonder if she's been taught as a healer. We need one." InuYasha had had that thought running through his head all day. Sounds coming from outside brought him to a stop. They were obviously, being made by Kagome. The sounds grew more urgent. InuYasha rushed outside. There was Kagome, helping an old priestess up the steps to the temple. The old woman was wounded. Blood ran down her arm, face, and side. Kagome was drenched in the old woman's wounds. InuYasha recognized the old woman.
" Keade!"