Kagome woke up feeling sore and confused.
She was lying on her back on the ground, with a blanket covering her body up to her neck. She still had her eyes closed, as it gave her a headache trying to open them, and was trying to remember how she got where she was. She remembered walking through the woods with Inuyasha, looking for Sango, Miroku, and Shippo, and then they came to the clearing where the well stood. Then there was a battle with Naraku…NARAKU!
Kagome sat up suddenly, wincing from the pain. She remembered the rest now. Inuyasha was killed and Kagome fought with Naraku. She was overcome by a sense of grief and loss. She had loved Inuyasha, but then Naraku had killed him, along with the rest of her friends. She vowed she would have her revenge and kill him in return.
Kagome then noticed the bandages around her leg, and the roughly shaped sling that embraced her arm. She wondered who had taken the time to care for her. Kagome resolved then that she would not allow anyone to get close to her again, at least until she took care of Naraku. She banished all thoughts of grief and Inuyasha from her mind. She had only one thing to focus on: getting revenge. Her expression hardened as she wiped all other emotions away.
Kagome looked up right into the faces of her saviors. They were the same people who she saw when she climbed out of the well. They stared at her, and she returned the favor.
She took this time to study these people. They were all males, and very small. From the back they may have looked like children but, despite their small features, it was easy to tell they were more mature by looking at their faces. The first one had brown hair and blue eyes, and wore a curious golden chain around his neck. The next one was larger than the others, but less noticeable. Next to him were the two others that seemed like brothers, and had mischievous glints in their eyes. None of them wore shoes, and all wore identical expressions of curiosity.
They stared at each other for a few more minutes until the silence became uncomfortable. Kagome said the first thing that came to mind: "Hello," in Japanese. Now the other four just looked confused. Then Kagome understood. She obviously wasn't in Japan anymore, Feudal era or her time, and so it would make sense that they didn't speak Japanese. She decided to try once more in English. "Hello, I am Kagome Higurashi."
This time they seemed to understand. Their expressions cleared. "My name is Frodo." said the first one. "This here is Sam," he continued, gesturing to the slightly bigger one," And these two are Merry and Pippin." He pointed to the other two.
Kagome nodded in acknowledgement and then asked "Which one of you addressed my wounds?" "I did, miss," spoke Sam hesitantly.
Kagome's eyes softened slightly but she betrayed no emotions. "Thank you Sam, I can not thank you enough."
"I need no thanks miss, but may I ask you how you got them, the wounds, if it isn't too much trouble," Sam asked.
"I was in a fight and that is all you need to know Mister Sam. I suggest you mind your own business," Kagome replied coldly
Sam flushed, embarrassed, and looked away muttering, "Sorry."
"Where are we?" Kagome asked the hobbits while looking around once more.
Frodo frowned, looking at the girl curiously. She must really not be from somewhere else if she didn't know. "We are in Middle Earth, near the town of Bree," he replied.
Kagome's eyes widened for a second before she nodded once before resuming her task of looking around the camp. Her eyes lit on a bow and arrows and she picked them up, running her hands over them, checking for weight and balance. "May I use this?" she asked them still inspecting the bow. Frodo nodded. None of the hobbits really knoew how to use it, but the brought it along in case.
Frodo suddenly had an idea. This person obviously didn't know where she was going, and it would be helpful to have another companion traveling with them, especially if that companion knew how to use a weapon. "Would you like to journey with us a little ways Kagome, at least until we reach Bree?" he asked
Kagome stared at him a few second, as if considering something. It certainly would help her find out more about where she was, and maybe someone they meet on the journey could help her get back home. She hesitated a moment before replying firmly " Alright, I will travel with you for a while."