Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, but I do own Gin-Hitomi. And you can't use her.
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Recap:
Before they new it, it was time to go to bed. Tomorrow would just be a lazy day, so that the prince could see what they spent their spare time doing, but the girls had agreed to go on an adventure on their horses outside the palace walls, for Gin had brought her horse too. They bid each other goodnight and went to bed.
Friendship, Betrayal, Lust and Love
Chapter 3- Runaway
.:.The next day.:.
Kagome awoke bright and early and smiled. Today she and Gin would go on an adventure outside of the castle walls. Kagome couldn't wait and decided to pass the time by packing her saddlebags.
Once Kagome had packed everything she would need, she dressed in one of her black silk male kimonos. It had silver vines twining around the legs and sleeves, and across her torso.
Gathering her saddlebags, Kagome opened the door only to find someone standing in front of it.
It was Kouga.
He grinned foolishly, and got down on one knee. "Kagome, my love, my woman, my treasure. I am completely in love with you, will you be my wife?" he brandished a ring and grasped her hand.
Kagome yanked her hand free. "I don't love you Kouga." she said, deadly calm.
"I want you to be my mate forever though!" Kouga told her.
"No." she informed him before slamming the door in his face. Kagome then realised she had forgotten to put on her weapons today. Quickly she put her swords, the 4 pairs of knives, and grabbed her bow and arrow set and her glaive. She then grabbed her weapons case and headed toward the stables.
She found that Gin's horse was right next to hers when she found her friend saddling her horse. Kagome greeted her and started saddling Botond. Botond sat patiently and waited to be saddled. Once he was finished being saddled, Kagome attached her weapons case to the back of the saddle where it usually rested, then clipped her quiver on the right side of the saddle. The bow she swung over her back, where as the glaive would rest of her stirrup once she mounted. For now she grabbed her glaive and led Botond outside.
Kagome mounted with practised ease, then settled her glaive. Once done, her and Gin turned their horses to the castle exit, but before they could go any further, a messenger stopped them.
"M-milady." he panted, stopping in front of Botond.
Kagome raised her eyebrows, indicating him to go further.
"Its y-your sister. She has k-killed your f-father and is now sending out t-the eastern army after you. Her w-wants you killed so no one can overthrow her in power."
Kagome was shocked. "P-papa's d-dead?"
The servant nodded.
A roar filled Kagome's ears, making her deaf to everything else. Not only was her papa dead, but the eastern army, he father's army, was after her. That army was more deadly than any disease that existed. King Higurashi had made sure of that.
"Kagome." Gins gentle voice calmed Kagome down, and she looked at her new friend.
"Gin, I have to go, I need to get away from here. I can't stay here, the army will kill everyone, not just me."
"I know, but listen. You could stay in my home land. I will send you with a note, if you're a friend of mine, papa will understand, He'll protect you, our fathers were friends, and no doubt papa will be angry with Kikyou for killing him."
The messenger, knowing what was important, rushed off to get some ink, a quill and some paper.
"Are you sure about that? What if the army goes to the Western Lands? What if your father doesn't believe me?"
"He will, don't worry. There's a special thing between us, since I was little. Inuyasha knows it too, but just us three. It was our special secret. I'll put it in the know and he'll know it's real."
"What about you?"
"I'll follow you, but I'll leave a three day gap. Otherwise Koga's going to be wondering where all his women are getting too." Gin winked at her.
The servant returned, and Gin wrote the note. She then sealed it and gave it to Kagome, who then tucking it safely into her saddlebags. She gave Gin a quick hug, Gin told her good luck on her journey, and then Kagome hopped back into the saddle and rode to the gate.
"Open the gate!" she cried.
The gates started turning, but just then Kouga came running up. "There's my woman, where are you going?"
"Away from you! Hurry up and open that gate!" yelled Kagome.
"You're not going anywhere, you're MY woman!" Kouga began to get enraged. He grabbed Kagome's leg, and tried to pull her from the saddle.
All of a sudden Botond swung around and slammed his full body weight into Kouga. He then turned to face Kouga and lunged. Botond had Kouga by the front of the shirt, and wasn't letting go.
"You will not EVER do that again, or Botond here will make sure I cannot become your mate. Or anyone else for that matter." Kagome's tone was quiet and icy. Kouga released her and yelled at the guards to open the gate faster.
"Botond." Kagome's tone was made for Botond's fastest speed ever. He had only run this fast twice in his life, both times Kagome was riding him. Botond ran for dear life through the gates and headed west.
After about ten minutes, Kagome slowed Botond to a mild gallop. From the directions she had gotten from Gin, Kagome reckoned she would reach the Northern boarder by nightfall, if she kept a good pace. It was then a day and a half to the castle from the boarder, but Kagome knew that if she pushed Botond, they could make it there by nightfall the next day. Kagome didn't want to take any chances in underestimating her sister. Half of the Eastern Army was mounted, and those horses were fast.
Kagome was right. It was about ten minutes after sundown when she reached the boarder. She paid the toll, only a half-penny, before disappearing into the Western Lands. She found a nice quiet spot in a clearing, and set up camp.
After Botond was watered and fed, Kagome ate some food herself. She then lay on her bedroll, and fell asleep.
.:.Dawn.:.
The sounds of birds chirping woke Kagome up. Normally she slept through the birds chirping at the palace, since they were always singing, but the birds here were strange. When Kagome opened her eyes and found herself in a clearing, she jumped up, startled. It was then that she remember what had happened.
It was also then that Kagome saw two other horses picketed by Botond. Carefully, she walked over to the horses and inspected the gear beside them. They were palace guards.
'What are palace guards doing so far away from the castle?' she wondered. Then, 'and just where are they?'
As if an answer to her question, to heavily armed and armoured men came into the clearing. They were laughing and joking around, until they spotted Kagome. Then they both smiled.
"'Ello there miss! We were on guard patrol and found you 'ere! We was wondering what a pretty lass like you was doing in the Western Lands!"
Kagome walked over to Botond and unhooked her glaive carefully so that they wouldn't notice. "I'm on my way to the palace, I crossed over the boarder last night. And since your palace guards, could you show me a short cut?"
The guys smiled knowingly, and suddenly that's when it hit Kagome. Hard. These guys weren't palace guards, they were thieves, and believed Kagome to be a young maiden of no importance.
One of them licked their lips. "Yeah, we'll show you where the palace is, but for a price."
Kagome tightened her grip on her glaive and put her back against Botond as both of the men moved forward. "What will it cost me?" she asked innocently.
The men stopped on either side of her and smiled evilly. "Oh, just some...pleasure." the one of her right lunged for her.
Kagome swung the glaive to her right, slashing the man across the chest. He went down, gasping as the one on her left lunged for her with a snarl. She thrusted to the left, catching the man in the belly. He also went down, clutching his belly. His eyes never left hers.
Afterward Kagome gathered up her things and packed them neatly. She then put the two men's horses on a lead rein, and held onto that as she rode toward the palace, hoping nothing else would come her way. She was not to be so lucky.
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