The young demon sniffed the cool night air deeply, catching the feverant scent of the girl he had been following for a short time. Peering through the dense tree branches, he could just make out the lean muscled body hastening under the pale glow of the half moon. Her scent filled his nostrils rudely, indicating the salty perspiration of haste, as well as the striking essence of a blinding fear. He had not expected to come across such a strange young woman during his midnight run, however, the girl had expected to be followed, this was the reason for her haste. Sharp bushes clawed at her arms as she ran through the forest, unhindered by the pain from her scathed, bloody feet. She couldn't stop now - not unless she was ready to stare her certain death in the eye. Pushing a tangled ebony lock from her flushed forehead, she gazed up at the usually friendly stars, trying to determine her path. "This can't be right, I should be further by now," she whispered frantically to herself.

"And why is that?" The sudden intrusion of a deep voice from above caused the girl to trip over a nearby root protruding from the earth as she attempted to flee. In a flash her eyes could barely see, a strong pair of hands pushed her shoulders sharply into the cool earth. A young demon with piercing eyes sat atop her, his face inches from hers.

"W-who are you?" The girl sputtered, trying to put a hint of bravery in her faltering voice. "Did he send you for me?" The girl questioned forcibly, as her head had begun to pound, a strange aura clouding her mind.

"No one sent me, I am Kouga, leader of the wolf demons," he replied with a proud tone. "Who are you woman?"

"I am called Natsumi . . .could you please remove your bare legs from my stomach? A rose colored blush spread across her cheeks as Kouga looked down at his legs that were straddled over the girl, hardly covered by the short fur pelt adorning his hips.

"If you don't run away," Kouga answered.

"Why do you care?"

"I just want some company, that's all. My woman is off with dog breath," he stated bitterly.

"Uh . . .okay," Natsumi started as her face wrinkled in confusion. "I don't have time to sit here and pass the time you idiot, so goodbye, I'll be on my way." Natsumi stood, uselessly brushing the dirt from her already filthy and torn kimono.

"Where are you going?" Kouga asked crossing his arms and stepping in front of the young woman. Natsumi eyed the demon in disbelief. Had she not just told him politely to get lost? Absently, Kouga had begun shining the amour plate on his chest as he waited for her answer.
She crinkled her nose in disgust.

"Not that it matters to . . .agh, I don't even know why I'm telling you. I'm running. I don't know where, just far away from here. I don't want to be killed, happy now?" Kouga was surprised at this woman, this woman who stood there glaring at him with fiery onyx eyes. He supposed she could be called pretty - if you like skinny wild-haired humans with bad tempers that is. He sniffed her again. She wasn't ALL human; he picked up on a faint youkai scent. As buried as it was, the scent was definitely there.

"Can't imagine why anyone would want to kill you, you have such a sunny disposition," Kouga commented with his hands arrogantly at his hips.

"Charming," she replied scanning the ground for the small pack she had been carrying before she was so rudely pounced on.

"So who's trying to kill you?" Kouga's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"A very evil demon. His name is Naraku, he-" her words were cut short by a snort from the wolf demon.

"That baka? What does he want with a mere girl like you?"

"You know of him?" Natsumi asked raising her eyebrow.

"Who doesn't know him, he's the resident bad guy around here, he's always messing with my woman's little group." Natsumi looked at Kouga again in confusion, wondering why was "his woman" not with him, and did she have any information on Naraku?

"I need to find out how to kill him," she said calmly looking at the demon's unreadable face. He stood there unblinking, unmoving for almost a full minute before his mouth curled upward, reveling a pointy smile. And then he began to laugh a deep, bellowing laugh. Natsumi's eyes flashed angrily as her olive face turned red. "What is so funny?" She demanded as she stomped down forcibly on his left foot. The demon stopped laughing abruptly as a low yelp escaped his lips.

"What's wrong with you crazy girl! You didn't have to do that!"

"Well I told you what you wanted to know, and when I asked you a question, you just laughed at me!" She cast her eyes down at the torn black silk of her attire as her cheeks still burned in rage.

"You really lose your head when you're upset," Kouga commented as he sat on the ground to rub his injured foot. "I can try to answer some questions for you, but you'll have to tell me about yourself as well. And keep a level head," he added as an afterthought. Natsumi bit her tongue before joining him on the hard ground. "Don't worry we can talk for a while," Kouga said when he noticed the nervous expression on her face, "I'll protect you, you have nothing to worry about." In accordance with her promise, Natsumi merely nodded as Kouga began a fire. The snappy night wind poked into every tear of Natsumi's kimono, she couldn't help but feel gratitude toward the wolf demon as the warm flames flickered in the darkness. The mesmerizing dance of the flames sent Natsumi's mind into a peaceful respite, but she felt the demon's eyes upon her.

"Okay, I will tell you about myself," she began as she drew her legs beneath her. "I have been running for almost three days now, I'm not quite sure, it may have been four. My village is over that far ridge . . .was over that far ridge. Earlier this week I was washing down by the stream when I heard the cries coming from my village. So many screams, we were mostly women and children, our men gone away to fight. When I got there, everyone was lying on the ground, the air was thick with the scent of blood. I rushed to my home and found my family slaughtered. My grandfather was the only one alive, but just barely. I held his head in my lap as his blood flowed freely; he whispered just a few sentences before he expired. He said, 'Natsumi my dear, run far, you are in danger. A demon called Naraku is after you. You are special my child, you have a gift he wants.' And then he died in my arms." The girl looked blankly into the warm glow if the fire. "They all died because of me, and now I must hide, get strong and develop a plan to kill him and avenge my village." Her words trailed off, leaving an uncomfortable silence hanging in the air. Kouga sat in a wordless meditation briefly before making up his mind.

"You will come with me, stay the night in my cave with my gang. Tomorrow we will go find Kagome, my woman. She can get you some new clothes I'm sure."

"Kagome," Natsumi repeated, the name tasting foreign on her tongue.

"Get on my back," Kouga commanded. Tired from all her running, Natsumi accepted and was soon carried off into the twilight, the wolf demon rushing on at a break-neck speed.

Kouga slowed finally, coming into a clearing and let Natsumi slip clumsily off his back. Her satin ivory cheeks were flushed a pallid green and beads of perspiration had begun to collect thickly on her forehead. Kouga stepped toward a beaten down grassy area in front of a rocky gray cave.

"You coming inside?" He asked turning back to look at the trembling girl behind him. "What's wrong with you now?

"Thanks for your concern," Natsumi choked out sarcastically. Still, she made no attempt to follow him. Kouga sighed as he leaned against the side of the cave. "It's . . .it's just that . . .you run so fast," Natsumi gasped as she rushed haphazardly to the closest bush and wretched. The meager amount of food in stomach rushed up from her throat. The bile pushed against her teeth as she released the acidic tasting liquid. Natsumi's face burned in embarrassment as her muscles spasmed and she vomited again.

"That's absolutely disgusting," Kouga commented unnecessarily while he pinched his nose to cut off the smell.

"I am sorry," Natsumi replied wiping a trace of bile from her lower lip. Her face still boiled in self-consciousness; she could feel the wolf demon's scrutinizing glare. Natsumi chided herself for being so weak. A warrior should not act this way. She should be strong and brave, not the weak woman she knew Kouga saw standing there. Natsumi wondered why she had been affected so harshly; finally deciding it was a combination of the rapid motion as well as the constant throbbing in her head since she had first encountered the cocky young demon. "My head aches," she admitted feebly as she straightened up her body and glanced uncomfortably at Kouga. "Is there any water around here?"

"Sure, go down over south of the ravine, there's a little stream there," Kouga replied. "Do you need me to go with you, you know, for protection?" Natsumi's eyes smiled at his offer, but she hoped to be alone for a few minutes to clear her head.

"No, but thank you. I can manage perfectly fine by myself," she said picking her small pack up from the ground. Thankfully, as she made her was down the ravine, the pounding in her head subsided a little. It hadn't left her completely; however, the slight relief of pain lifted her spirits for the moment. The pre-dawn winds danced coolly across Natsumi's arm as she stretched it above the glassy water. She paused for a moment, contemplating her reflection. She was filthy. She pulled from her pack an ornate hair comb that had been a gift from her grandfather on her sixteenth birthday. She smiled as the fabric cherry blossoms swayed in the breeze, reminding her of simpler, less painful times. Natsumi pulled her waist-length ebony hair back severely into a knot and plunged the comb into the center. The first handful of aqua water she brought to her mouth, gargling vigorously before turning her head to spit. Satisfied that the acidic taste was washed from her pallet, she dipped the hem of her tattered black kimono into the water. The trails of dirt were hardly wiped from her porcelain face when she heard Kouga shouting for her. Natsumi rolled her eyes while she closed her pack, briefly letting her hand rest on the glossy saya of her short tanto.

"Are you ready to go finally?" Kouga asked excitedly.

"But I thought we were going to rest and head out in the morning," Natsumi said feeling exhaustion creeping into her bones.

"If you haven't noticed, it's going to be morning in a few hours. The pack is sleeping anyway so there's no reason to stick around here. I'm sure Kagome wants to see me." The wolf demon smiled, he obviously thought quite a bit about this woman.

"Okay. I will try to continue on," Natsumi replied wearily staring out at the approaching dawn.

"No way you're walking," Kouga ordered as Natsumi's head resumed it's hammering. "You'll have to ride on my back, you walk too slow. Just don't get sick all over me." The prospect of another reckless piggyback ride made Natsumi's rosebud mouth turn down at the corners.

"At least I can try to sleep," she decided as she hesitantly slung a leg over the demon's strong back. Here goes nothing, she thought as Kouga zipped off again agilely through the dense trees. Kouga had been running for just a few minutes when he felt the young woman's head drop against his back. He decided it wouldn't hurt anything to slow down a bit, so he changed his pace to a smooth canter and went on, letting Natsumi sleep as the sun rose. Kouga came to a stop a short while later in front of Kaede's small hut. He set the still sleeping girl down in the tall grass just outside the door and strolled inside.

"What the hell! What are you going here moron? And just bursting in like you own the place?" A young half-demon with flowing white hair and dog-ears cried turning his piercing yellow eyes on the intruder.

"I just need to talk to my woman," Kouga yelled, his face inches from the dog demon's.

"Get out of here. She's not your woman and you are not welcome," The hanyou barked balling up his fists.

"Sit boy!" A pretty girl with wavy onyx hair rolled up from her mat and stared at the wolf demon. "Kouga, what are doing here?" Kagome asked while Inuyasha sat fuming on the floor.

"I need your help Kagome," Kouga said draping his arm about her shoulders.

"What for?" Kagome asked blushing as another young woman and a small fox demon awoke, rubbed the sleep from their eyes, and watched the unfolding events.

"I found a woman," Kouga paused noticing a strange look on Kagome's face. "She's some stray, lost her family and village. She thinks she's going to find Naraku and kill him," he said laughing.

"So . . ." Kagome wondered what this had to do with her.

"She's all dirty, she needs new clothes. I thought you may be able to get some for her," Kouga said. "She also wants information on Naraku."

"Where is she?" The other young woman in the room asked the wolf demon with concern in her round eyes.

"I left her outside sleeping," Kouga answered absently.

Immediately, everyone seemed to understand Sango's thinking. During the fighting between Inuyasha and Kouga, someone else had slipped outside unnoticed. A great roar of several voices rose and called out accusingly, "MIROKU!"

Natsumi awoke suddenly from her much needed slumber from the feel of eyes upon her. Peering out from half-open eyelids, she saw a handsome man sitting cross-legged in front of her. His dark hair was pulled back into a short ponytail at the nape of his neck. He wore the dark purple robes of a monk and had a brass staff resting against his right shoulder. "Who are you . . .where am I?" Natsumi asked frightened as she scooted backwards on the dewy grass.

"Do not be frightened, I am Miroku, what is your name?" The young monk asked in a deep, soothing voice.

"I'm Natsumi," she replied looking into his deep brown eyes.

"Natsumi. That's a lovely name. Almost as lovely as you are," Miroku said with a suave smile. "Natsumi may I ask you something?"

"What is that?"

"Would you like to bear my children?" The monk asked with a composed look on his face.

An angry scarlet welt appeared on Miroku's face where Natsumi's open palm had made contact. From the un-shocked expression on the monk's face, Natsumi had a disgusted feeling that he was used to this. Natsumi's cheeks turned bright pink as she jumped up from the ground.

"You are mighty bold monk," she snipped staring him down. Just then, the occupants of the hut streamed out the door and took appraisal of the situation.

"You shouldn't get her upset, she can get quite a nasty temper," Kouga commented with a grin. Sango and Kagome had both covered their mouths, sharing a silent laugh while Inuyasha rolled his eyes, seeming bothered by the presence of Natsumi.

"Hi I'm Kagome," The wavy haired girl said walking up to Natsumi. The pounding in Natsumi's head increased as she evaluated the girl's strange dress. What kind of kimono barely covered a person's backside?

"What type of demon are you?" Natsumi asked with her hands at her hips. Kagome's mouth hung open wide; she was about to speak when Inuyasha began laughing loudly.

"Hear that Kagome? She thinks you're a demon, that's so funny!"

"SIT BOY!" Kagome yelled and instantly Inuyasha found his face buried in the dirt. He frowned at her before getting up and dusting himself off.

"Jeez Kagome, learn to take a joke. It WAS funny. Anyway, what are you doing here girl?" Inuyasha asked turning his gaze on the young woman. She shifted uncomfortably under his stare.

"Ah . . .Kouga said you could tell me more about the demon called Naraku. Also . . .that the lady Kagome may be able in assisting me to find something . . .less dirty and ripped to wear," she finished hopefully looking into Kagome's friendly face.

"Of course, come with Sango and I," Kagome replied happily taking Natsumi's hand in her own.

"Wait! You can't leave this idiot here!" Inuyasha whined referring to Kouga.

"What makes you think I want to dog breath!" Kouga shot back taking a solid stance opposite the hanyou.

"You two stop fighting right now or I'll go home!" Kagome screamed over the bickering. This threat seemed to work, as the demons stopped shouting and instead seemed content to shoot daggers at each other with their eyes. "That's more like it. We'll be back in about an hour, don't kill each other while we're gone," Kagome said sweetly.

Natsumi glanced uncertainly over her shoulder as she was led away between Sango and Kagome. Kouga shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to upsetting Inuyasha. The three woman walked in silence until they cam upon a cool spring hidden in a grove. Kagome took a large orange pack from her shoulders and motioned for Natsumi. "Here, this stuff in the blue bottle will clean your hair, it smells like honey," she said with a giggle. Natsumi took the bottle curiously as Kagome retrieved a bar of lavender soap from the bag as well. "Don't worry, we're alone. Go wash in the stream while I get some clothes for you to wear," Kagome instructed as she shooed Natsumi to the water.

Natsumi peeled the shredded, dirty kimono from her body and smiled as the cool water touched her skin, bringing Goosebumps to her arms and legs. She applied the sweet smelling shampoo to her long hair and scrubbed her skin pink with the soap. The water was so refreshing; she slipped under the surface and leisurely swam about.

"Natsumi you'll turn into a prune! Come out and get dressed!" Natsumi heard the mumbling of Kagome's voice from underwater. She swam to the shallow bank, shaking the droplets from her head. She modestly tried to cover herself as she stepped into the clearing where Sango and Kagome were cheerfully chatting away.

"Oh, here these are Kagome's, they may just be a bit big on you," Sango said handing Natsumi a white cotton sweater and a short blue skirt. Natsumi eyed the clothing strangely before quickly slipping them on.

"Natsumi . . .what's that?" Kagome asked pointing to a circular marking on Natsumi's hip. Natsumi pulled the waist of the skirt down a bit, exposing the entire blemish, which was about the size of her closed fist and faintly pink.

"I . . .it's just a birthmark I've always had," she said tracing the round mark delicately.

"It seems familiar somehow," Kagome commented thoughtfully. "Anyway, so tell me about you and Kouga," she said grinning.

"What about? He found me the other night and brought me here," Natsumi replied with a shrug as she combed the tangles from her hair.

"But, do you like him at all?" Kagome asked giggling. Natsumi gave her a strange look and put down her comb.

"I though er . . .he said you were his woman," she said.

"Oh brother. He does think that, but it's not like that. I've never really liked him that way but he can't seem to get it through his thick skull," Kagome said. Natsumi eyed Kagome.

"Well his is very nice, he has pretty much taken care of me since we met, however, I believe he cares much for you, and I have no time to carry foolish flames. I'm on a mission now, I must find the demon Naraku and avenge my village." Natsumi told Sango and Kagome the same story she had narrated the past night to Kouga.

"Well. We will go with you, you'll need help," Kagome promised. Natsumi's heart swelled. She had just met them and now Kagome was offering their assistance.

"Thank you," Natsumi replied graciously. On the walk back to the hut, Kagome revealed her secret, telling her new friend about her home in the future and the quest she was on to find shards of the sacred jewel. Natsumi listened intrigued even as Kagome showed her the portion of the jewel she wore around her neck, but had trouble concentrating as the ache in her head grew steadily worse. The girls had hardly returned to the hut where the men where gathered uncomfortably around a fire when Natsumi plunged face first into the ground.

Several hours later, Natsumi shifted under a warm blanket. Her eyes flew open. She was inside Kaede's hut, laid out on a mat and covered by a soft blanket. Kagome sat before her and smiled when she saw Natsumi was awake.

"Hi there. Don't get up. I gave you some aspirin . . .it's a pill for pain," Kagome said. Natsumi then realized her head had stopped throbbing for the first time in the last two days.

"Thank you, I think that may be why I fainted . . .my head was hurting so badly," Natsumi confessed.

"It's fine," Kagome said. "You should have seen what happened when you fell! Kouga made as if to grab you, but Miroku picked you up and brought you in. Kouga looked a little upset!" Natsumi blushed; she was really quite embarrassed about the entire situation. Just then, the door swung open and Miroku strode in, and open book in hand and an excited look flushed on his face.

"Natsumi, Kagome told me about your birthmark. I've been going over some information and I have stumbled across something quite unexpected. The mark happens to look just like the Shikon jewel. I believe you may be a descendant of the great Priestess Midoriko!"

Natsumi's charcoal eyes blinked slowly once, and then twice as she let Miroku's words sink in. Descended from the great Priestess Midoriko of the ancient tales? Was this possible? She crossed her thin arms over her chest and glanced between Kagome and Miroku. The strange curiosity that they looked back with bothered Natsumi; she hated to be under scrutiny. "That's not possible monk, you must be touched in the head. I can trace my family line back over two hundred years, and I can tell you where I don't come from." Miroku looked shocked by Natsumi's venomous reply, but as always kept a calm air.

"Natsumi, while you were off with the girls, Kouga told us of what had happened at your village . . .and of your Grandfather's words."

"I do not wish to speak of him now," she replied for the first time letting go of her controlled, cynical voice and speaking with a sorrowful injured tongue. "I don't understand how anything he said was of importance. I'm not special, I'm just a woman with nowhere to call home and a pledge to fulfil." Natsumi's heavy lashes closed over her eyes, trying to cool the stinging of the tears that threatened to fall. No. She wouldn't show weakness now. Her own painful feelings were a luxury she would ignore until her task was completed; it must be so or she would fail.

"Natsumi, Miroku was only trying to help. Maybe if you're able to remember something about that day - "

"No. How many times do I have to tell you people? It was a mistake to come here, I'm better off on my own."

"Natsumi no, I'm sorry. We really want to help you. I'll go get Inuyasha and he can -" Kagome was cut off again as she tried to put a hand on the determined woman's arm. Her hand was pushed away.

"No more discussion, I'm leaving. Don't try to follow me," Natsumi grabbed her worn pack and pulled it open. She tucked her tanto in securely at her waist while daring the others with her eyes to make a move at her. No one did. Natsumi spun on her heel and breezed out of the hut. Outside, Natsumi could not pass by unnoticed as her path was blocked. Inuyasha and Kouga stood with their noses inches apart, yelling at the top of their lungs into each other's faces.

"I'll leave when I'm good and ready! You're lucky I just don't kill you now. I could you know."

"Ha! You'd just run away when I come at you. That's the only thing you're good at," Inuyasha barked.

"SHUT UP! It's bad enough that my head feels as if it's weighed down by a boulder, and now you are making it worse!" Natsumi stepped between the feuding demons and spread her arms wide, knocking each in the chest. Kouga lost footing and took a few small backward steps while Inuyasha landed solidly on his backside. By this time Kagome and Miroku had come from the hut, and Sango was watching the scene from the grass nearby with Shippo.

"It's good to be rid of the lot of you," Natsumi mumbled under her breath as she pointed her nose to the sky and stepped over Inuyasha, heading west.

"Where are you going?" Kouga called as he trotted off behind her. Kogome's sad voice answered from the doorstep.

"She's leaving us. She wants to go it alone."