A/N: I have officially broken 400 reviews! You have no idea how wonderful I feel about that! And I have all of you to thank! So thank you!

The Broken Miko

Chapter 15: Of Demons and Angels

"Your mother?"

The taiyoukai nodded once. "I had heard that she had died many years ago, so the news was quite disconcerting."

"Understandable," answered the hanyou, "but didn't she die here? In the castle?"

"No."

"In battle then?"

"No."

Kagome frowned. After almost three weeks, she was quite used to Sesshoumaru's tight-lipped attitude, but this was rather ridiculous. He willingly told her that his mother was alive, and yet refused to give details. Sometimes he reminded her a little too much of Inuyasha. Sighing, she said, "Okay, well… are you going to tell me anything about her then? Or will you leave me to the rumor mill again?"

Sesshoumaru smirked as he looked out over his city that was extinguishing its lights one by one for the sunrise. "No one in this city would remember her," he lied.

"Rumors cross generations, Sesshoumaru."

"You have no need to know, Kagome," he said with the hum of a barely suppressed growl.

"Right. But you know…" The hanyou lifted her head and looked towards the north. "Did you hear that?"

The taiyoukai was already three steps ahead of her, walking past the hanyou to the northwestern corner of the fortifications. The guards along the north side appeared agitated, looking to their general for instructions. Apparently, everyone had heard the yell.

Kagome hurried along the wall to Sesshoumaru's side and peered out over the army compound, separated from the city by a twenty yard strip of grass. At three points, wide, covered corridors connected the compound to the main city. "Wouldn't it be easier for the barracks to be within the city?" she asked.

"It is simply where they live and train," he answered, gazing into the compound with a critical eye. "They spend the majority of their time in the city. Now be quiet."

Another yell, louder and longer, sounded across the compound to their ears. Guards began to gather upon the north wall, all murmuring amongst themselves about what to do. Like Kagome, they were realizing that the compound's defenses were not manned. Not one soldier was visible between the rows of gray stone barracks. The tiled paths were bare of youkai, weapons and blood. The soldiers had seemed to have vanished.

"Return to your posts," ordered the taiyoukai. As the sentries returned grumbling to their places, Sesshoumaru turned to Kagome. "It would be best if you remained here. This could be the work of Amatsu."

"Like hell I'm staying here!" protested the girl. She gave the taiyoukai a furious stare and launched off the wall to the opposite side, landing neatly on all fours on the army compound walls.

The taiyoukai sighed and followed with a small, graceful jump, resting upon his feet just as Kagome was standing up. "If you irritate me, you are going back."

"Yeah, yeah," she answered, hopping down to ground level.

They began to slowly make their way through the empty streets, heading in the general direction of the enormous dojo in the back. "The disturbance came from the infirmary," commented the taiyoukai. "It is to the right of the training dojo."

Kagome, now thoroughly unnerved by the lack of soldiers, simply nodded. She did, however, keep her fingers running along the hilt of Tetsusaiga. Her shoes made soft clicks against the stone-paved road that seemed to echo loudly in her ears.

"Relax, Kagome."

"Huh?"

"I can hear your heart," he said. "You will never succeed in combat if you cannot control your emotions."

"I know." Her hand wrapped around the battered hilt of the Fang.

Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow at her unusually compliant response, but had no time to comment on it as they approached the infirmary. The large double doors were open, revealing the packed antechamber.

"I think we found your missing soldiers," said Kagome dryly.

"Unfortunately for them," answered the dog demon.

The soldiers turned at the sound of their general's voice. Three pushed their way through the crowd and bowed before Sesshoumaru. "My lord," said the one in the middle, "I am relieved to see you."

"Major, I would be fascinated," drawled the taiyoukai, "to know why my men have abandoned their posts and have congregated in the infirmary, leaving the compound completely unprotected in a time of impending war. As commanding officer here, I would have expected much more from you. Explain."

The youkai, purple skinned and thoroughly abashed, bowed again as the other soldiers slipped by and returned to their places. Three remained, hovering around the doorway between the antechamber and actual infirmary. "Forgive me, my lord, but there is a situation."

The corner of Sesshoumaru's lip lifted in irritation, but before he could begin his threats, Kagome spoke up. "Um, I think," she said, looking in apprehension at the taiyoukai, "that he doesn't consider that quite enough of an explanation. What kind of situation are we talking about here?"

The major shuddered under Sesshoumaru's gaze but did not hesitate. "A soldier that was injured yesterday has killed two others and taken the chief healer hostage. He wishes to speak to Lord Sesshoumaru's representative."

"A representative?" asked the taiyoukai. "Why does he refuse to speak to this Sesshoumaru?"

"I believe, my lord, that… he thinks you will kill him upon sight. He wishes to speak to a representative so he can tell his side of the story. Or so he says. He will not accept me, however. He considers my rank to be much too subordinate."

"I'll go," suggested Kagome, tugging at his sleeve. "He can't hurt a girl, can he?"

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. Endangering yourself for some lunatic is not what I keep you around for." He turned back to the officer. "You should have called me immediately."

"Forgive me, my lord. I thought it not important."

The dog demon held up his hand, stopping his subordinate before he began to grovel. "Tell me what you know of this soldier."

"He was injured yesterday in training, and you ordered two sentries to stand near him at all times. Apparently, one of them told him that you wanted to talk to him. He went insane, killed the guard and his partner and took the healer hostage."

"I see. I will manage this." He turned to look at Kagome, intending to tell her to go back to the castle, but she wasn't beside him. Glancing around, he snarled in pure irritation when he realized she was standing within the doorframe of the infirmary, certainly facing the hostage situation inside.

"I live in the East wing, isn't that proof enough that I'm important around here?" she was saying.

Sesshoumaru strode forward, fully intent on pulling the naïve girl back into safety, but the three remaining soldiers waved at him. "My lord, he has accepted her representation. We humbly suggest that we allow her to continue."

"She shouldn't have been allowed in there in the first place!" he snapped, looking over their heads, watching her leather-clad form move slowly into the room. The gentle curve of her backside disappeared as the dog demon heard the soldier invite her deeper into the room. 'Don't go, Kagome,' he silently ordered.

But she didn't listen, so he pushed away the guards and stood just beside the doorway, out of sight. Inside, a deep conversation was already beginning.

"So, you're Sesshoumaru's friend?" The soldier's voice quivered with suppressed violence.

"I am," she answered, steady and calm. The hanyou didn't know how close this youkai was to ripping out her throat. Sesshoumaru's fist opened and closed as he weighed his options. It would be best, he decided, to wait and not risk the lives of his healer and his half-demon.

"Good. I imagine you want to ask me a few things."

"I do. Would you please let her go first?"

A female whimpered and Sesshoumaru closed his eyes with realization. Jun was a very old demon, the healer that had delivered both him and his father into the world. She was practically an institution in the western city. He had lied when he told Kagome that no one remembered his mother. Jun had a mind like a steel trap and was still spry for a millennia-old demon. The thought of having to replace such a valuable employee was rather tiring.

Jun's captor laughed, cruel and joyless. "Don't be ridiculous. He'd kill me in a second. Even now, Sesshoumaru is lurking behind the rice paper wall."

Kagome backed up, putting her within Sesshoumaru's vision once again. His hands itched to grab her, pull her out of danger, but caution again stayed his movements. If this really was an agent of Amatsu, he could kill Kagome in a moment.

The hanyou was nodding in agreement. "Okay, so don't let her go. Why don't you say what you need to say?"

"I'm going to die for this," the soldier said, his voice becoming gravelly with emotion. Then he laughed again. "Now I'm being ridiculous. I was dead when Sesshoumaru realized I wasn't one of his men."

"He has questions to ask you. He won't kill you."

Sesshoumaru splayed his hand against the wall and picked a spot at random. Carefully, silently, he split apart the fibers of the rice paper with his claw. Pressing his golden eye up against the opening, he was quite pleased to realize that he could now view the entire right length of the infirmary. The offending green-skinned youkai was standing twenty feet into the long, bed-filled room, holding Jun to his chest with his claws around her throat. Trickles of blood dripped down her neck from where he had pricked her. On either side of a nearby bed, pools of liquid crimson spilled out across the floor, although he could not see the dead bodies of his guards.

The soldier was sneering at Kagome. "I'm not afraid of your precious taiyoukai! I am only afraid of my own master and the punishment he will dole out when he realizes my failure."

"Your master? Do you mean Amatsu?"

The youkai blanched in fear. "How dare you speak his name!" His claws tightened around Jun's throat, eliciting another whimper.

"Please! Stop hurting her!" Kagome's arm came into Sesshoumaru's view as she stretched it out in protest. "Please, what do you want?"

"I want you to ask me questions," he stated, relaxing his hold on Jun, "about the August Star."

Kagome didn't say anything and Sesshoumaru knew she had a perplexed expression, with her eyebrows knitting together and the tiniest pout. "Okay," she began slowly. "Well, why do you work for him then?"

The soldier stomped his foot angrily against the wooden floor. "No! No! No! You aren't asking the right questions!"

"I… I'm sorry, but I've never done this before!" she exclaimed, adding under her breath, "I usually beat them up to get answers."

"Fine!" he said. "Bring Sesshoumaru in! But if he kills me, he'll lose any chance to learn about his enemy, so he better not do anything until I want him to."

Sesshoumaru straightened up from his peeping place and walked around the corner to Kagome's side. He faced the youkai holding Jun's life in his hands as calmly as possible, although his primal instincts urged his death. He looked down at Kagome, making sure with his eyes and nose that no harm had come to her. Once satisfied, he returned his gaze to Jun's captor. "Who are you?"

The youkai smiled. "Much better. I am Ukon, the master spy of the August Star, his lordship Amatsu Mikaboshi."

"And you are his betrayer," commented the dog demon. "Why?"

"Because he will kill me for you finding out who I really am. I do not fear death…"

"You only fear what he'll do to you," interrupted the hanyou. "We know that."

Ukon sneered at the slip of a girl standing beside the powerful taiyoukai. "You don't know anything. You don't know what he's capable of. But that's not why I want to betray him, as your lord so eloquently puts it. That's only the reason I want to die. I am betraying him for using my mate life's against me." For a moment, he looked downcast and withered. "When the guard told me Sesshoumaru wanted to speak with me, I got a vision of her dying at his hands."

The dog demon frowned. "Then he can hear what you hear."

"Yes!" said Ukon, life filling him once again. "Which is why you need to ask questions quickly, before he comes and kills me! I only ask that you kill me yourself before that happens."

Much to everyone's surprise, Sesshoumaru shook his head in refusal. "He will kill you long before I can get any answers."

"Try!" Ukon was becoming hysterical now. "I want him to pay for killing my beloved mate!"

"That was his mistake," said the taiyoukai calmly. "One that he will not be making again with his followers. He chose one that has ties to others, to females and love."

"He promised he would help us!" yelled the youkai. "We were wanted by the Eastern dynasty and he helped us! How could he kill her?" His eyes, black as pitch, bore into the dog demon and the hanyou. "I don't care what you say, I'll betray him anyway! He lives on the border of the East and South! He is the god of evil! His followers…"

Sesshoumaru gave a self-satisfied snort as Ukon stiffened as if he was going into rigor mortis. Jun fell away from his claws and ran to the inuyoukai. "What is happening, my lord?" the old healer asked.

Kagome looked up at him for the answer, keeping one eye on Ukon. Sesshoumaru's lips twisted into a sadistic smile. "Amatsu is punishing him."

Ukon began to scream, a long high pitch, with his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. His green skin began to crack like a shattered vase and began to ooze out a black tar. A horrifying stink emanating from him, like hair burning in mass quantities, adding to the unpleasant scream. The tar came faster and faster, and Kagome felt positive that no one person could hold that much liquid in his body. She was proved wrong, when he fell apart. Each scale created by the cracking, slid away from the others, leaving a geyser of tar that rushed across the floor in a wave. Far from violent and explosive, Kagome barely registered what had happened until Sesshoumaru's arm encircled her waist and lifted her away.

"Foolish girl!" he spat, drawing the hanyou's attention to the inky pool that covered the spot where her feet had been not two seconds ago. He set her down next to Jun beyond the doorway. "You would do well to stand clear of that liquid."

Kagome immediately saw what he meant, for floor was now groaning in protest as the tar began to feed on it. Within seconds an acidic hiss echoed in the air as the black ooze burned through the wooden floor and into the ground below. Several beds, no floor to support them, fell into the gaping hole and sizzled as the ooze ate them up. The liquid also swallowed up the bodies of the dead guards. The destruction ceased almost as suddenly as it had begun, leaving a large hole in the center of the infirmary. The two youkai and the hanyou stood silently, watching the ooze settle into the earth.

"That's going to be a bitch to clean up," commented the hanyou.

"Ah, well, that would be my department, my dear," spoke up Jun for the first time. "Don't worry about it." She was quite happy that she was not a part of the ooze festering below her infirmary floor.

"Jun, are you unharmed?" asked the taiyoukai.

Jun bowed. "My lord is too kind to this old woman. I am fine. Please, you must be busy with this Amatsu that man was talking about. Leave this mess to me. I'll recruit a few soldiers to help me out."

Sesshoumaru nodded his agreement and then beckoned to Kagome. "Come, we must prepare for our journey."

Kagome said good-bye to the healer that she really had never been properly introduced to, and followed the taiyoukai out the door. They fell in step with one another quickly and Kagome looked up at his impassive face. "Amatsu was listening to that entire conversation, wasn't he?"

"I believe so, yes."

"What was that black stuff?"

Annoyance flickered in his eyes before the dog demon answered, "I don't know."

They wandered back through the streets in virtual silence, taking the covered pathway back into the city instead of jumping the wall. The corridor into Sesshoumaru's personal land was heavily guarded, with four guards at each side and ten inside. At least she didn't have to worry about another crazed spy breaking into the city and taking her hostage.

She stopped dead right inside of the city walls, causing Sesshoumaru to turn and look at her curiously. "Yes?"

"He knows," she breathed, placing a hand on her chest. "Amatsu knows I'm important to you."

The dog demon arched an eyebrow.

Kagome sighed. "I know, I know. Don't say it. I'm not important to you. That, sir, is painfully obvious to me. What matters is that Amatsu thinks I'm important to you, because you let me talk with Ukon. And you know he'll use that against you."

"Easily fixed," commented the taiyoukai.

"Oh really? How?"

"When we meet him, I will kill you to prove that this Sesshoumaru cares for no one."

The hanyou's eyes widened as the taiyoukai turned his back on her and began to walk through the gardens. "Hey!" she called after him. "Hey! Wait! You're kidding, right?"

He didn't answer, simply disappearing down the bamboo lined path.

"Right!"

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The incident with Ukon spread throughout the castle like wildfire and by nightfall, Kagome was the center of interest. Most females in the city were taught from birth to not take initiative, like she had done. Dinner had been a nightmare, with guards and nobles alike peeking into the dining hall at regular intervals. Until Sesshoumaru had arrived, of course, since he immediately put a stop to it. He wanted to eat in peace, he said, although he spent the entire hour and a half pouring over documents that needed to be signed before he left.

She had seen Nami in the halls once in midafternoon. The blue-skinned demoness had appeared at the top of the stairs as Kagome escorted the children up after lunch. And although she had swept past without a glance at the hanyou, Kagome instinctively knew that the youkai had sought her out. Later, Ruri had spoken to her, to wish her luck and press Nami's case. Kagome wouldn't listen, although she did give Ruri a warm farewell.

It was morning now, and Kagome was packing the last of her things into her bag, her toothbrush and comb specifically. Both were old, missing bristles and teeth, but they would have to do for now, perhaps forever. She certainly wouldn't refuse to take care of this new set of fangs she had, although Inuyasha's had always remained pearly white.

On the other side of the bridge, the wolf brothers barreled into her. "You're okay!" Hakkaku exclaimed with a grin. "We heard what happened yesterday."

Kagome set her bag down on the carpeted floor. "Just a bit of excitement. That's all. You two are up early."

Ginta threw an arm around her shoulders. "Yeah, well… we also heard that you were leaving," he rasped. "We are hurt that you didn't come to say goodbye to us. We're family and you didn't even think of us."

"Sure I did," she lied. "I just… forgot for a moment."

"Yeah, right," laughed Hakkaku, "but we forgive you. Where are you going?"

"I'm not sure," the hanyou answered. "Sesshoumaru just said we were going East. I don't know any of the details and of course he didn't tell me anything."

"Are you coming back?" they asked in unison.

Kagome blushed. "Um…"

Ginta held up his hand. "You know what? Don't answer that. We'll just assume you're going to return and leave it at that. You can keep your reasons to yourself." He exchanged a veiled look with his brother. "We hope you do return though. Many people are waiting for you here."

"We just wanted to tell you good luck, sister," continued Hakkaku. "Sesshoumaru-sama has given us permission to stay in the palace until the situation with the demon lord is settled, so you know where to find us. If you need anything that is."

"Thanks, guys. I'll remember that." She leaned forward and gave them each a gentle hug, carefully avoiding their remained bumps and bruises. "I have to go, Sesshoumaru is waiting for me."

They exchanged another look. "We know he is. Goodbye, neesan."

"Bye, you two."

She hoisted the heavy yellow bag upon her back and trekked down to the ground floor, out the south doorway near the kitchens and towards the stables. Sesshoumaru told her to meet him there at dawn, and since the light of the sun was barely cresting over the horizon, she assumed she had plenty of time.

"You're late." Sesshoumaru emerged from the shadowy doorway of the stables and glared at her. He was incredibly pleased to see, however, that she was wearing a loose cotton yukata. A welcome reprieve from the previous day's leather outfit.

"Oh whatever. I am not late," she snapped. "You act tough, but you are so not a morning person." She looked around. "Where are the kids? They're coming right?"

"Rin forgot her blanket and Washi forgot his bag entirely. Jaken should return with them shortly." He looked uncomfortable, talking about such domestic matters, like a mobster speaking about the way to bottle-feed a baby. Just as strange, in Kagome's mind.

They went inside the stable, its sweet smell of damp hay and animal feed making its way to her nose. This was obviously Sesshoumaru's private stable, it was much too small to outfit an entire cavalry, or even his officers. Thirty or so horses were lined up inside, many still asleep with their heads slightly bowed and their eyes closed. "I've never seen you ride a horse, Sesshoumaru. Who do these belong to?"

"Rin enjoys riding," he answered. "A few of these are at her disposal, the rest are for messengers and the nobles residing in my home."

"Not everyone has a two-headed dragon, huh?" she said smiling, as they came upon the last stall, holding the large scaly-backed Ah-Un. Both of them blinked unconcernedly at her. She reached out and rubbed the arch of their noses between their four eyes. Eri's dog had seemed to like it, why not dragons?

Sesshoumaru scoffed as his steed closed all of its eyes in pleasure. Surely this couldn't be the same creature that had terrified Kagome when he rode down on it from the heavens, with lightening and magical energy clashing around them? It was hard to believe at any rate.

The children spilled into the stable, giggling loudly and waking up several horses. Jaken trudged in beside them as Sesshoumaru opened the stall door and led out Ah-Un. Stable boys, he had said the night before, weren't capable of handling the dragon.

"Tie the bag to the dragon's hindquarters," he directed.

"No, thanks. I'll carry it."

Sesshoumaru paused from taking Rin's travelling pack and looked up at her. "If we are attacked, you will need full mobility. Put the bag on the dragon or I will do it for you."

Kagome scowled, but realized he was right and turned to fasten the leather straps around the nylon backpack. "This thing has been through a lot with me," she told the dragon. "Don't drop it."

Ah-Un snorted and gave her an appraising look as if to say he would never shirk his duty, only turning away when Rin began to introduce the steed to Washi. "Look! This one is Ah," she said, pointing to the left head. "And this one is Un. They take care of me when Sesshoumaru-sama is away. We get to ride on him today."

"But I can fly," protested Washi, eyeing Ah-Un's stiff leather saddle with trepidation.

"Not all day, you can't," pointed out the hanyou as she lifted Rin onto the dragon's back. "Go on, get on." She watched with amusement as Washi fluttered into the air and settled behind Rin.

They exited the stable, Sesshoumaru in the lead with Kagome and Jaken on the either side of Ah-Un behind him. Making their way down the gentle slope, towards the center of the city, Kagome realized that she had never been this far into the city since she had arrived. A wrought-iron fence encircled Sesshoumaru's personal property, with guards stationed every twenty feet, so she had been perfectly happy to keep within those confines.

The large figures of seven mansions rose above them as they came out of Sesshoumaru's treed property and through his gate. It closed behind them with a satisfying click as the guards moved back into their positions. Before them, the avenue suddenly widened out as they entered the city proper. Several youkai milled about, watching their lord process down the street with his rather motley crew. They were quite used to Jaken, the dragon and even the little human girl, so Kagome and Washi received most of the stares.

In the center of the city stood the shrine, small compared to the seven mansions adorning the immediate landscape, but still quite impressive. Its gold-leaf trim winked as they passed underneath the eaves and through the crowd of early morning worshippers. Machi was among them, scowling at Kagome with a few other sour-face females. The hanyou ignored them, her only sign of recognition being the tight grip on Tetsusaiga's hilt.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of blank stares and open gossiping, the six escaped through the enormous iron double doors that gated the city. The doors closed behind them, effectively cutting them off from their luxurious lifestyle. Kagome looked back, before entering the forest, and watched the guards march upon the fortifications. They seemed alert, with their stiff spines and synchronized stepping. The hanyou silently wished them luck, fervently hoping they would still be there, defending a thriving city when and if she returned.

Four hours later, Kagome was already wishing for an immediate return, if only to get breakfast. Her stomach grumbled its protest as she tried to keep up with the taiyoukai and dragon.

Sesshoumaru turned his head to look at her, annoyed by her stomach's constant noise.

"What?" questioned the hanyou, catching his eye. "Is it my fault that you insisted upon getting up at the ass crack of dawn, before the kitchen staff could make a proper meal?"

The taiyoukai raised an eyebrow to say that it was indeed her fault, but conceded to his own hunger and stopped beside a large maple tree. The light filtering through the leaves gave his hair and kimono a green and yellow sheen as he considered the options. The children had had plenty of time to rest anyway, he reasoned, glancing up at the midday sun. Lunch would be beneficial to all of them.

"Great!" Kagome exclaimed. "Who's cooking?"

Jaken, silent until now, scoffed. "Cooking? We certainly don't have time for such nonsense!"

The hanyou's expression faltered for a moment. "Then what are we supposed to eat? If we can't start a fire that is."

"Fend for yourself!" snapped the imp. "I'm not going to wait on you hand and foot!"

"Jaken," said the taiyoukai, menace lacing his tone, "do not speak to her like that or your life will be forfeit." He settled upon the forest floor and leaned back against the maple, closing his eyes.

The toad trembled. "Yes, my lord."

"Okay," broke in the hanyou, not wanting Sesshoumaru to kick Jaken quite this early in their trip. "So did you guys bring anything to eat?"

Golden eyes opened and gave her a blank stare.

"Guess not," she sighed. "Okay, I'll go get something. Wake the kids up for me, otherwise they'll never get to sleep tonight. Don't worry about me, I'll try not to eat anything poisonous."

She wandered into the thick of the forest before they could lay down any unessential rules, like 'don't wander too far' or 'don't fight any demons bigger than you.' A lack of food, on top of an uncomfortably silent morning, hadn't really done anything to cheer her up. Not that she would show it and have Sesshoumaru snap at her.

Stepping over roots and fallen branches, Kagome sniffed the air to see if anything edible was around. "Nothing. Just my luck," she muttered. The animals had probably picked the area clean before going into hibernation. And she refused to eat raw squirrel.

Nevertheless, the hanyou continued deeper into the forest, farther away from Sesshoumaru and the others. A familiar scent wafted into her senses and her eyes widened. "Apples! Jackpot!" She quickly veered to the left and within three minutes, found the tree with overly ripe apples hanging off the branches. As she reached up to pick the nearest red fruit, the hairs of the back of her neck prickled. Kagome turned around, breathing in to detect any other creatures, but not sensing anything.

"Hello?" A soft breeze played across her face and the girl immediately thought of Kagura, but just as quickly dismissed it. The wind sorceress liked to have her fun, but this didn't seem like her style. "I'll have you know that I have one extremely tall demon lord protecting me at all times!" Her eyes swept the empty clearing. "Or… most of the time."

Minutes crawled by without any sound besides a few birds calling to their mates. Just as Kagome was considering returning to camp, another twig snapped in the bushes to her right. Lifting her lip in a snarl, she attacked.

And successfully tackled Sesshoumaru.

The hanyou looked down at the taiyoukai with surprise in her eyes. She was painfully aware that she was practically lying on top of him, but decided that righteous anger about being freaked out was better for the situation. "What are you doing here?"

His golden eyes darkened to a liquid amber hue. "You were wasting half the afternoon trying to find food."

Kagome rolled off of him and stood up. "Well, I'm sorry. I just found some food now. What was the deal with you? Why were you trying to scare the crap out of me? You could have just announced your presence you know."

Sesshoumaru stopped brushing off the grass from his white kimono and looked up with urgency. "I have only just arrived. You heard something?"

The hanyou's eyes widened, showing a ring of white around her deep brown irises. "It wasn't you? Oh, wonderful. We've been out here barely a few hours and we're already being stalked. Or I am at least." She frowned at the dog demon. "Do you think it was Kikyo?"

"Random conjectures will not benefit us at the moment. But it doesn't seem like she is the type to hide in the shadows," he answered, as he inspected the clearing. "Did you smell anything?"

She shook her head slowly. "No. That was the strange part."

The inuyoukai carefully stored all of this information to mull over at a later date. "I see. We will return to the others and continue on our path. Alert me if you sense anything else out of the ordinary."

"Like you wouldn't sense it ages before me," she commented with a sly look.

"Perhaps," he agreed, "but the success of this mission depends on both of us and our abilities to protect the children." He began to walk back to their makeshift camp with Kagome quickly joining him. In her hands were several lackluster apples, which she was struggling to keep balanced. He plucked two out of her grasp.

"Thank you," she murmured, cradling the rest against her stomach. "You know we will eventually meet Kikyo, right? She'll find us long before we get to the East."

He nodded. "I know."

"She hates me. She wants to kill me."

"Yes."

"I'm just afraid of who will be with her," she whispered.

Sesshoumaru frowned as he remembered his promise to Inuyasha's empty grave. "Kagome will not die under my care." It appeared that he might have to work quite hard to keep that oath.

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"All I'm saying is that it's weird, Sesshoumaru."

He narrowed his eyes as she gave the children each a crispy fish for dinner. "Perhaps, but a lack of opposition as we move towards the East should be considered advantageous."

"Okay, but aren't you getting the least bit creeped out?"

"No."

The hanyou looked over at Rin and Washi, making sure they were absorbed in their meal and each other's conversation, before moving closer to the taiyoukai and sitting on a small boulder. She settled next to him on the ground, close enough to touch if she just leaned a bit to the left. "Look, it's been three days and we're getting closer and closer to the enemy. No interference means one of two things. Either they're grossly incompetent or they're leading us into a trap. And since we're pretty sure a god wouldn't tolerate incompetence…"

"I have considered all of these possibilities and more," he growled.

"I know you have. I just wanted you to know that I'm getting worried." She frowned. "I keep thinking about what I felt in that clearing the first day. Don't you get the feeling someone is following us?"

"At least one," Sesshoumaru agreed. "Unfortunately, they do not follow close enough to give me anything more than a irritating wariness."

"Or they are and we just can't differentiate them from, say, the earth we walk on," she answered with a dark look.

"I doubt she would have hesitated to purify us with her arrows."

She smirked down at her hands. "That's true. But if Kikyo had a reason, I think she could restrain herself quite effectively. Who else would be following us?"

"I can think of many possibilities, but few youkai could evade me or would risk trying."

"I don't think anyone would be as dangerous as Kikyo anyway, not to you. She could purify you to dust with a touch. Washi, Ah-Un and Jaken too. My demon blood would let her give me a nasty burn too." Kagome glanced at the human girl, who was chatting with the dragon and the eagle child. "Rin is the only one who is safe from her."

Sesshoumaru nodded, satisfied that he would only be protecting one female from a miko gone mad. "We still do not know why she has joined Amatsu."

"Yeah, that's been bothering me too. Through the darkest days with her, when she was so bent on vengeance against Inuyasha, she remained good. She still took care of those in need and performed good acts like any proper priestess. Why would she follow the god of evil?"

"Perhaps Amatsu offered her something she could not refuse."

She opened her hand and ran her finger over the scar across her palm. The hanyou had hoped it would go away, but it appeared as if it would be permanent. "My blood and those shadows. It has something to do with them, doesn't it?"

"Most likely."

"And all roads lead to Rome." Her laugh sounded cold and metallic. "Or in this case, Inuyasha. Sometimes I wish…" She hung her head.

"That you had never met him."

"No!" she said aghast. "I haven't wished that since… since I caught him embracing Kikyo in the forest. But that was many years ago. No, I wish that I had fought harder. Fought Kikyo, fought those demons, and fought those shadows that sliced my hand. I know they're using the blood to do something that will hurt me even more. I can feel it. It's like a black cloud over me." She shuddered, despite the unusually warm night.

"Whatever they want to use your blood for, we will stop it."

"Forgive me, my lord, but I don't know if that's possible," a strange voice said, breaking the comfort of sitting by the fire.

Kagome shrieked and fell backwards as Sesshoumaru sprang to his feet, drawing his sword. Jaken jumped in front of the children brandishing his Staff of Heads.

"Do not worry," said the voice. "I am not here to harm you. I am from the Northern Lands and I am your ally." A figure materialized out of thin air, its arms held up with palms facing outward to demonstrate his helplessness.

The hanyou's eyes widened as she got to her feet. The demon that had appeared like a sorcerer certainly fit any typical description that ran through one's head upon hearing 'demon'. He looked more like an angel that anything else. His body was slightly translucent, like an opal with the same flecks of color shining in his skin and body. Large, iridescent feathery wings emerged from his back, fluttering slightly with each breath he took. He was clothed in blue, a sturdy but airy fabric with an insignia on his right shoulder.

"Who are you?" she breathed.

The angel-demon bowed. "I am Keitaro, the master scout of the Northern Lands."

"'Scout' translates to 'spy'," growled Sesshoumaru. "Ally or not, I demand to know why you have been following us. Why didn't you announce yourself earlier?"

"Forgive me, Sesshoumaru-sama, but I could not reveal myself until now. Wait one moment, please." Keitaro ducked behind the bushes for a moment, his wings glittering through the leaves. When he returned, he was dragging the dead body of a squirrel demon.

Kagome hurried over to the children and covered their eyes with her hands.

"Aw, come on, Mama!" cried Washi. "I've seen dead demons before!"

"Have not," retorted the hanyou, easily sniffing out his lie. "And you won't under my care."

The little boy pouted and accepted his adoptive mother's rule as Sesshoumaru turned back to the spy. "Who is he? Not one of mine."

"Nor one of the North," Keitaro commented. "When I came to the western city, I learned that I had just missed you, and so I followed. Almost immediately, I became aware of someone else around, stalking you."

"Impossible," snapped the taiyoukai, liking the handsome celestial demon less every second. He glanced over at Kagome, who was starting at Keitaro so ardently that her fingers had slipped, allowing Washi to peak out eagerly at the new demon and his kill. A low growl rattled in his chest as he turned his eyes back to the spy. "I would have detected an intruder."

Keitaro bowed deeply. "No doubt, my lord, but the spy had something to conceal his scent." He lifted the squirrel demon's head and Sesshoumaru noticed its forehead smeared with blood, although its wounds were in its chest.

"I believe it is the blood of your lovely companion," he continued with a gracious smile towards Kagome, who blushed profusely. "And may I apologize, my lady, for startling you the other day by the apple tree. I had to make sure it was your blood, you see."

The hanyou, much to Sesshoumaru's irritation, giggled softly. "That's fine. I'm glad it wasn't the squirrel guy instead."

"Indeed, my lady."

Sesshoumaru growled audibly, garnering the attention and guilty looks from the demon and the hanyou. "I must appreciate the fact that you brought this to my attention, Keitaro," he gritted out, "but I ask that you deliver your message from the Northern Lord and then leave us."

Kagome's brow knit together. "Don't be so rude, Sesshoumaru! It's late and Keitaro should be welcomed to our camp, considering he got rid of Amatsu's spy!" She smiled warmly at the celestial demon. "Please, join us. We have an extra fish if you're hungry. It's raw too."

Keitaro bowed again. "You are most kind, my lady. I have been so busy guarding against the spy that I have not eaten in days."

The taiyoukai's eyes widened at these words. Could he possibly be insinuating that the great lord of the West could not guard his party sufficiently? That he needed this common soldier's assistance?

Before the dog demon could say anything, Kagome caught his murderous expression out of the corner of her eye. She recognized it from his encounters with Inuyasha, when the male hanyou would flaunt Tetsusaiga in the taiyoukai's face. "Well, Keitaro, I'm sure we could have managed but we thank you for the help. Um, here's your fish though," she said, handing him the food and hoping it would keep his mouth shut for awhile.

Keitaro took the leaf with the fish resting upon it with a gracious nod. "Might you have a cooking spear, my lady? I prefer my food cooked. To eat food raw seems so uncivilized." He looked up at the taiyoukai innocently. "Wouldn't you agree, my lord?"

The hanyou thrust the cooking stick at the celestial, laughing nervously and wondering how this could get any worse. "Cooked, huh? Imagine that. Say… how's the war going?" she asked with an apprehensive glance at Sesshoumaru's face, whose eyes were pooled with ice.

Thankfully, Keitaro took up this new topic with vigor. "We have crushed most of the rebels, my lady. That is why some of our troops are going to the West. Our lord believes the West is the enemy's true target. But please, my lady, who is this 'Amatsu' you spoke of earlier? Am I to understand you have discovered the identity of our new foe?"

Greatly please that he knew something that Keitaro did not, Sesshoumaru joined the conversation. "We believe so, but for now it is just rumor. There is no need to repeat what could be false," he said, shooting a warning glance to silently tell Kagome not to contradict him.

Kagome nodded vigorously. "Yes, we don't know too much. Have you discovered anything?"

The celestial shook his head sadly. "Only that the rebellions are orchestrated under a greater power. And I found this on the squirrel demon's neck," he said, holding up a copy of the pendant they had taken from Izo weeks earlier.

"You don't say. Hmm." Kagome looked at it from across the fire, well aware that she should get no closer to the beautiful demon without raising Sesshoumaru's jealous streak. She wondered why he had fought so much with Inuyasha. They were so clearly brothers.

"What was the message?" said Sesshoumaru, completely uninterested in the pendant.

Keitaro frowned. "It was a strange one, my lord. I have never known Lord Makoto to be so vague. He simply said that there were two sides to every coin." He shrugged. "He told me to deliver it to you personally. Oh, and that ten thousand soldiers would be arriving soon to help reinforce your borders, but I already informed your generals of that."

The taiyoukai arched an eyebrow. Makoto had been lord of the North for many centuries more than he had led the West. His father and the Northern lord were friends, and when Lord Toga died, Makoto had been there to help with the transition between father and son's leadership. The North was the home of the celestials, like Keitaro, who were known for their wisdom and strength in battle. Any advice from them, no matter how cryptic, was to be taken seriously.

He looked towards Kagome, who was now 'tucking in' the children. It was a human practice, she had said on their first night, and Rin apparently had been deprived. He hadn't argued once he saw how pleased his ward was with the gesture, but it still made him uneasy.

Keitaro, on the other hand, chatted with her as she made sure the children were both wrapped in the warmest blankets they had. "Is she yours, my lady?" he asked, nodding to Rin.

The hanyou smiled at the yawning girl. "No, she isn't. She's totally human, for one thing. Just like Washi is all demon," she said, ruffling the eagle child's hair. He smiled sleepily up at her, showing off his pointed fangs.

"Of course. I should have seen it, but you treat them so much like a true mother. It's rare to see that among demons."

Kagome shrugged. "I'm the only female presence they have. At the moment, at least," she said, covertly glancing at the taiyoukai. He didn't return her gaze.

Keitaro smiled and nodded. "A long moment for their sake, I hope," he said. "I will rest a bit, if that is alright."

"Of course," the hanyou answered. "It's my turn to be on watch."

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "I will be on watch tonight."

"All night?" The hanyou frowned at him. "But you've done that for the past three nights. You need rest too, you know."

"Spies still lurk in the shadows. Until we have resolved this matter, I will not sleep." He gave her a haughty stare. "I can go for many weeks without sleep."

Keitaro looked back and forth between the taiyoukai and hanyou, getting the distinct feeling that these sorts of tiffs occurred frequently. "Um, if you wish, I will stay awake."

"No," she said, not even looking at him, continuing to stare at Sesshoumaru. "You need sleep. I'll be awake."

"As will I," retorted the taiyoukai.

"Okay, so both of us. Two heads are better than one, right?" she said in a snippy tone.

Sesshoumaru gave in to her stubborn ways with a nod and the adults all settled into their places, listening to the children and Jaken snore softly. Keitaro had been more tired than he claimed and fell asleep immediately, leaving the hanyou and taiyoukai alone in consciousness. Kagome sat beside the dozing Ah-Un, looking at the dog demon through the licking flames of the campfire. Her brown eyes glowed amber in the light, making her appear more like one of Inutaisho household than before. Sesshoumaru looked away, suddenly uneasy in her presence.

Kagome got to her feet and walked over beside him. "May I sit here? Next to you?"

"Do as you wish," he answered, listening carefully for the others' heartbeats, making sure they remained calm and steady.

"Thanks," she said, lowering herself onto the grass. "You really don't have to stay awake, you know."

"And leave my fate in the hands of a female that can barely lift her own sword?" he scoffed.

"Hey!" she exclaimed. Remembering the others, the hanyou lowered her voice. "I can lift the Tetsusaiga and you know it. Is it my fault that I haven't grown up playing with sharp objects?"

The taiyoukai wisely chose not to answer her rhetorical question.

Kagome crossed her arms. "Fine. Give me the silent treatment, even though I didn't do anything to deserve it." Her face slackened. "What if we're out here for weeks? Are you going to let me go on being helpless? What if we're still searching for Amatsu when I turn into a human?"

"We will continue training when we return to the West," he responded. "Until then, I will protect you, human or not."

"You're so cuddly."

"I know."

Kagome smiled warmly. "Aw, an attempt at humor. Maybe I'm finally getting through to you, Sesshoumaru."

"Doubtful."

She stood up and stretched. "Right. Well, I'm going to get that squirrel demon's corpse away from here. I don't want to be stumbling over it tomorrow morning and it's going to start to smell soon. And we really don't want that."

"It already reeks of death," commented the taiyoukai, "but I have become accustomed to the scent."

"That's gross," she said, walking across the campsite. She peered behind the bushes. "Oh, man… that's even more gross. You can see his insides."

Sesshoumaru smirked. "That would be expected." He rolled his eyes, listening to her huff as she dragged the body deeper into the forest. He decided not to tell her that she would have to carry the corpse two miles before he would not smell it any longer. One mile, if she didn't want to smell its decaying stench.

He leaned back against the tree trunk and let his gaze wander over the children. They were curled up against Ah-Un, with the smaller eagle child between the dragon's forepaws and Rin against his flank. His female ward had grown quite a bit in the past four years, but she was still tiny in comparison to the beast. Washi would soon catch up.

Kagome's scent began to turn stale in the air, alerting the taiyoukai to her prolonged absence. Surely she would have given up by now?

"Sesshoumaru?" Her voice, extremely faint, filtered through the trees.

He stood up, his golden eyes flashing in the firelight. "Kagome." He couldn't leave the children, and he was loathe to leave them in the custody of either Jaken or Keitaro.

"Sesshoumaru!"

The spy jerked awake as the hanyou's scream echoed through the clearing. "My lady?" he asked sleepily, as Jaken and Ah-Un pulled themselves from sleep as well.

The dog demon's heart constricted with indecision. His battle instincts were kicking in, telling him this could easily be a trap. Someone wanted him away from the children, possibly to hold them for ransom. On the other hand, Kagome could have just fallen and twisted her ankle.

The four male demons all stared at each other, unsure what to do.

The fire flickered and died, its smoky tendrils curling up towards the cloudy sky. Sesshoumaru's eyes began to glow red as Tokijin was drawn from its sheath, but he remained in his place, unwilling to move.

A familiar, unwelcome scent merged with the smell of dying embers and the taiyoukai snarled in the dark. His eyes adjusted quickly and they scanned the trees, watching for his enemies.

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome's plaintive cry was closer this time and the dog demon had to consciously stop his feet from moving towards her.

"Aren't you going to go to her?"

The sneering, hated voice came out of the trees and for the second time that evening, Sesshoumaru found himself ambushed in his own camp. He refused to allow his irritation show, sliding on a mask of ice. "Inuyasha," he intoned, "how nice of you to join us."

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A/N: I know, you hate me for leaving it like this, but I'm on the 19th page and I want to save something for the next chapter. Besides, I'm sure you all saw this one coming. Believe me, this isn't my big surprise. (Yes, I'm laughing evilly right now.) Remember, this chapter, along with the next two are the reason I wrote this story. So don't worry – I won't disappoint! Oh, and if you were wondering about Keitaro… yeah, I didn't plan to add him until about a week ago. That's all I'll say. Now onto the review responses!

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