Chapter 4: The Decision

The entire time he's giving this little speech, he moves closer to the light, letting the girl know what she'd be getting herself into if she said she'd stay. He can't keep himself from smirking as her skin loses its color, making her almost glow in the pale moonlight. She turns to the old man and he hears her apologize. He smirks wider 'I knew she wasn't as good as he made her seem. Oh well, you're not getting away that easy.' He thinks, but is surprised when she doesn't just turn and leave but instead she comes into the light as well, letting him get his first good look at her. He almost gasps, and he's sure his heart stops for about five seconds. At first glance, she could've been her sister. He couldn't help but growl softly as he thinks 'Kikyo'. That lasts until she looks up from where she had been keeping her gaze trained on the floor. Her eyes. They couldn't have been more different from...from hers. Hers were cold and critical, like a sharp winter wind. This girl's eyes, on the other hand, were warm like a hearth in a home, even when they were trying to look determined and brave while they really betrayed the owner's fear.

For all the primitive, bestial blood that flowed through his veins, that, from time to time, could make him lose the little humanity he had left and leave him really no better then a beast of the field, in that first moment of looking into her scared, determined eyes, all he wants to do is take her in his arms, hold her close and tell her everything was going to be alright. He mentally shook his head to clear it. How could one weak girl unnerve him so?

She takes a deep breath, and his catches in his throat. She closes her eyes as if trying to find the will to say what she wants to, and all he wants to do is make her open them again. "Good sir, I have made my decision."

Decision? Oh right, the test. He had nearly forgotten it. He smirks, now to hear her say she wanted to leave, only to deny her and throw her in another cell for disloyalty to her elder. "I've decided to stay in my grandfather's stead." Yes, everything was going according to...what?

"What?" he asks, a bewildered look on his face.

"I want to stay so my grandfather can go. I will stand by your side and do whatever you say so he can have his freedom. I swear upon my honor that as long as you hold me here, I will not attempt escape so that he and my little brother, Souta, can live in peace." She states as calmly as possible.

He growls low in confusion. She would willingly give up her freedom for an old man that seemed that only a few years from kicking the bucket? Why? Oh well, no matter, he was getting what he wanted, so it didn't really matter how he was getting it.

He grunts and goes to the old man's cell. Opening it, he roughly grabs him and starts dragging him "You heard her old man, you're leaving."

He paid no mind to the old man's protests, dragging him to the door and tossing him in a puddle before slamming the door in his face. He makes his way back toward the dungeon, a triumphant grin on his lips. He gets to the stairs that circle downward and stops cold, ears alert and twitching while his nose sniffs cautiously. Salt. He can smell that the air is saltier then before. He's wondering why when he hears it, soft, barely audible sobs. The smell of salt is from tears. She is crying. He had made her cry.

Before he can think better of it, he's down the stair and looking for her. He gets enough control of himself so that when he finds her in the cell her grandfather had been in, he doesn't do what he first feels compelled to do, which is go sit beside her and wrap her up in his arms. Instead, he crosses his arms, "What're you wailin' about wench?"

At this his newest prize looks up at him and he nearly flinches at the daggers that were thrown at him from her eyes, "You dragged him away, you didn't even let me say good-bye. I'll never see him again and I didn't get to say good-bye." She croaks out as she tries desperately to dry her eyes.

He suddenly feels something he's never felt before. It was like someone had kicked him in the chest and stomach at the same time. Hard. He feels lower then slime. Then he realizes, this is how he's heard feeling guilty feels. His eyes widen involuntarily, he's never felt guilty...ever. He looks away, lest she see his emotions, throwing out an insolent "Feh." Before commenting, "Good-byes are for the weak. There was no more reason for him to be here, so he shouldn't be, so he isn't. You made your choice, that's that, so quit cryin'."

The girl stands up at this, fists clenched, anger replacing any fear or sadness and he almost swears that he can hear her growl before she strides up to him and gives him a sound slap across the face, "You arrogant monster! I promised I would stay here and do what you want, but I will not be a groveling servant that you can say anything to! Know this, beast, if you expect that from me, then you're going to be sorely disappointed. Now I am going to find a room. If you think you can be civil, then you can come find me, but if you're going to try and tell me how to feel, then don't bother!"

With that, she stomps out, leaving a very surprised and shocked Inuyasha behind. He holds a hand to the cheek that had been slapped, mouth slightly open. Outside of his older brother, Sesshoumaru, no one had ever dared strike him. Not even Kikyo. His eyes narrow and his teeth grit, the little minx would pay for that.

A.N. Woo-hoo! Go Kagome! Honestly, as cute as he is, I think that Inuyasha needs a good slap every once and a while. Well, there ya' go, another double update! Hope you liked it! Oh, and for those of you that read my YYH fic, I'm working on it right now, I promise to get it up asap! Please Review!