Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, but I do own Gin-Hitomi.

Alright here is chapter 4, and you better enjoy it because I had to put my other story on hold for this one.

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Recap:

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.

Friendship, Betrayal, Lust and Love

Chapter 4- The Palace of The Western Lands and Shot!

Kagome was riding Botond. She was pushing him to his limits, she knew, but she had a cause.

Sixty men, all dressed in the same outfit-a forest green cotton kimono made for hiding in the brush-were all chasing her, and they were all mounted.

She had wandered into their camp not 3 hours after daybreak, and, since she was obviously not of the Western Lands, they tried to kill her. She had tried at one point to explain her situation, even pulling out the note Gin had given her, but to avail.

And now she ran for her life, the other two horses just barely keeping up. She caught glimpses of something very large and very solid through the trees, but she was unsure of just how far away she was from it.

A sudden twang was heard behind her, and something skimmed overhead of her. 'Just my luck, they have archers.' thought Kagome, rolling her eyes.

A sudden sharp pain in her left shoulder blade alerted Kagome that she had been hit. Looking down, she winced. The arrowhead had pierced right through her left shoulder, the head sticking out and covered in her freely flowing blood.

Kagome mentally swore. She would have to try and ignore the pain, as she had been taught, and deal with it later. 'I just hope I won't pass out from blood loss.' she thought grimly.

Spotting a path ahead and to the left, Kagome sharply turned and galloped down it. The army hadn't seen her take the path and headed straight. 'Yes!' she thought. That was one less thing she had to worry about.

She slowed Botond down and headed into the woods. Picking her way carefully through the underbrush, she suddenly found that there was no underbrush. Or trees for that matter. Quickly, she looked up to see a solid looming wall just beyond a large village. The wall stretched the expanse of what looked to be 3 farmlands put together. To put it plainly, it was huge.

'At least I know where the Palace is.'

Spotting a cobble stone path leading into the village, Kagome walked along it. She soon came to the village. It was crawling with people. 'It must be market day.' Kagome thought. Loud hollering from stalls set up in front of large shops told Kagome that she was right.

Kagome ignored the people who tried to call her over. Although they called her 'Sir', she knew that they were referring to her, as there was no one in sight who was also worthy of the high title given to knighted men in these parts.

She exited the village after a traffic-jammed filled hour. The path soon turned to dirt. She walked Botond up the hill with the other horses following behind him. She soon reached the palace.

Kagome was about 600 feet from the palace wall when she was spotted. She kept Botond at his walking pace, not wanting to rush.

A sharp, mind-numbing pain in her right side alerted Kagome that she had been shot, yet again. Kagome wanted to sigh, but knew that the action would be extremely painful. So, she settled on yelling instead.

"I have a message from Princess Gin-Hitomi!" Kagome yelled.

"How do we know that? You haven't even identified yourself!" another sharp pain in her left thigh told Kagome they had shot her again.

"I have the message right here!" Kagome held it up. "As for my identity, I refuse to reveal it out here! I can tell you this much though, I am no mage, spy, nor prince!"

"Who are you then?" a new voice inquired. "And what business, other than as a message deliverer, do you have in the lands?"

Kagome swore under her breath. She was going to have to reveal herself out here. She would have to risk Kikyou's army hearing if that meant she would get protection.

"I am Princess Kagome of The Eastern Lands! And I have come to seek protection! Princess Gin-Hitomi said I would receive it here, as my sister, Princess Kikyou, has killed my father and has sent the army out after me to make sure I cannot rule the Eastern Lands!"

There was a great groaning in front of Kagome as the gates were slowly opened. Two guards beckoned her forward. Kagome rode Botond and the two horses through the gates, and remain in the saddle as the gates closed behind her.

In front of her, waiting was a very muscular male. He was tall, and had an air about him that clearly stated power. Although he could have used that air to be commanding, and cold, he was smiling at her warmly.

"Welcome, Princess. You may not remember me, but you father and I was great friends. I am King Inutaisho of the Western Lands. I have heard about your loss, and I am deeply sorry for it." he bowed, and his face appeared haunted. Kagome tried to bow back, but instead she found herself nearly falling out of the saddle. She was shaking badly, and was extremely weak from blood loss.

"Here is the note, your majesty." Kagome handed over the note. King Inutaisho took it from her and read it quickly.

"Ah yes, I see you have made good friends with my daughter. You have the protection of the Western Lands." Kagome nodded.

Someone with silver hair and dog ears had come up while they had been speaking. On a closer inspection, the boy revealed to have claws, long canine teeth, and golden eyes. He looked at King Inutaisho.

"Who's this wench?" was the last thing Kagome had expected out of that handsome boy's mouth. He frowned at her, and Kagome looked shocked for a moment. However she quickly recovered.

Swinging out of the saddle, she landed silently and made her way around behind Botond. Anger coursing through her veins, she unsheathed her twin swords and pointed it at the back of his neck.

Or would have, had he not whirled around at the sound of her swords being unsheathed. Kagome tried to raise her swords, but found them extremely heavy. She blacked out and crumpled into a heap on the ground.

Inuyasha, the boy with the silver hair, caught the girl before she stabbed herself. He noticed that she had fainted, and then noticed the three arrows peppering her unconscious frame. He looked at his father.

King Inutaisho finished talking to a servant and stable hand before turning back to his son. What he saw surprised him. Inuyasha was holding Princess Kagome up and she appeared to be unconscious. It was then that he noticed the pool of blood around her.

"Get her to the healers, immediately. She can have one of the guest rooms, either beside your room or Sesshoumaru's."

Inuyasha nodded and picked Kagome up bridal style. He walked into the palace through the front entrance, and went down a grand hallway. Stopping at the 4th door on the left, he knocked.

A young lady with blonde hair opened the door. Inuyasha briefly explained about Kagome's arrow wounds, and entered the infirmary. He stood beside a bed, not wanting to place her down because of the position of the arrows. (Left thigh, left shoulder and right side just below the ribs)

"I'm going to need you to pull out those arrows." the blonde remarked, standing at the other side of the bed. Inuyasha nodded, and sat down on the bed.

He carefully laid Kagome across his lap, the middle of her back touching his legs. The first thing he did was carefully slide out the arrow in her right side, and pulled her up more onto his lap. Then, slowly, he began to work the arrow in her left thigh out. Once that was free, he laid her on her stomach on the bed.

Gripping the shaft of the arrow, he started to pull, but stopped when Kagome's body flipped completely over, the pain jolting her awake. She had made the pain worse, however, by lying on her back. The arrow shaft went completely through her left shoulder, so that the feathers that made the arrow fly were now embedded in the back of her shoulder.

She cried out in pain, and grabbed the arrow shaft with her right arm. The shaft was slippery with her blood, and Kagome couldn't get a grip at first. Once she was sure she had the arrow firmly in one hand, she ripped. The arrow went clean through her shoulder. Kagome grit her teeth in agony, and threw the arrow to one side. She then lay still, panting.

Inuyasha stared openly. Never had he met a female so strong, so...unfeminine. Most girls would have screamed, cried, or passed out; not her. She was still conscious, even though it was apparent she had just ripped the main muscles of her left shoulder right out.

The healer came to Kagome left side, pushed Inuyasha out of the way, and laid two hands on Kagome's shoulder. Kagome made a sound close to a growl, and tried to push her away, but Inuyasha had seen this and held her back down by the stomach, as he couldn't touch her shoulders.

Green fire flowed from the healer's hands to Kagome's shoulder. The fire pooled, and skin started to reappear on her shoulder, covering up the hole. After a few minutes, the blonde removed her hands. She inspected the wound, nodded, satisfied, and left.

Kagome's eye lids dropped and she was soon fast asleep. Inuyasha left her bedside to go see about the guest room, he hadn't decided which, being set up for her.