Tired, So Tired
Kagome's feet dragged along the road. The long running had stopped. She couldn't run anymore. Her body slowed to a little over a snails pace, just barely keeping herself moving.
Scratches covered her arms and legs, a few on her face. Dirt had found its way inside her clothes and coated her skin, mingled with her sweat. Her feet looked horrendous for, in her escape, she had forgotten that she was barefoot. Even her hair hung, string-like and grimy, from her head, hiding most of her face.
I need sleep. I want my room. She smirked at herself. My room. That hated place…and now I want it.
Three long days of traveling alone, hiding in bushes, and no food or water. She needed a bath and knew it. She needed food and water, she definitely knew that. She needed sleep and knew that without a doubt. But she dared not stop. Sesshoumaru was youkai after all, and he would surely catch up if she stopped for a rest. Nope, she couldn't, wouldn't, shouldn't stop; even for a second.
No people could help her that she would not hurt. No road had been around for the miles she had traveled. Not even a glimpse of some water source met her thirsting eyes. This had certainly been a trip she would not forget.
Raucous laughter caught her ear on the wind. Her head snapped up to attention and her eyes darted around the woods. Instinct took over and she hid herself in bushes, careful to make sure not an inch of her showed. She slowed her breathing so only she could hear it and cradled her head against her knees, waiting for the troupe of people to pass.
Five men came into view from her position. One had a bow and arrow case strapped to his back. Others had swords at their sides or other various weapons.
She had nothing. Only the clothes on her back were with her. No way of protection was open to her other than hiding.
The men passed, as all the others did, without a second glance around them.
Once again, Kagome sighed relief as they walked out of sight but waited a few minutes longer until she didn't hear them and then a bit more just in case. Slowly, quietly, Kagome crawled out of her hiding spot. Time to move on.
Traveling had given her a lot of leisure to think. About home. About Rin. About the others. Especially, the journey had given her time to think about him.
Even when she escaped, he was on her mind. She had tried to be angry with him, resentful even, but found she didn't have the strength. No negative thoughts came to mind, just reminiscences.
Kagome remembered when he had saved her from falling from the window while trying to escape and smacked him for it. She recalled when Sesshoumaru had hidden the kitchen knife she had borrowed to kill him with to escape when Rin found them. The time Kagome had tried to crawl out their sewage and gotten covered in muck with him pulling her out came to mind. Also his gentleness with her even when Rin wasn't there to find her trying to escape was brought to her.
She hadn't realized how kind he had been to her. The whole time she was prisoner really wasn't as bad as she had imagined. In fact, she thought he had purposefully given her those chances to escape. What puzzled her now was the fact that he had allowed her those chances, practically given her clues. Even now she suddenly recalled the hidden meanings behind most of the things he had said.
He had been offering her freedom! A fake freedom! If she had tried hard enough she just might have been able to escape. Now she realized she truly hadn't given it her all. She had wanted to stay.
She rubbed her dirt-covered hand across her dirt-covered face. It was all so confusing. If she thought hard enough, she might somehow convince herself she cared.
No, she could never do that. She hated him; she must hate him.
But Rin loved him, adored him. Rin practically worshiped at his feet. Maybe Rin's adoration was rubbing off on her. Yeah, that was it; it was just how Rin felt.
Kagome's slow feet stumbled in her make-shift path, and she fell over with a splash into cold, shallow water.
Water? Water! Kagome's mind finally registered the feel of mud beneath her hands and the cooling liquid that soaked her front. Like a greedy child, Kagome began slurping up water, trying to fill her empty stomach. It felt wonderful to be sitting in cool liquid after being dry and dirty for days.
Kagome crawled further into the water until she had to swim to keep her head up. She used her hands to try and scrub off some of the dirt from her skin and clothes. The hot sun cooled the longer she stayed in the water, scrubbing, cleaning, and just swimming around.
When she finally pulled out of the water, Kagome's face was alight with a smile of contentment and refreshment. It didn't matter that she was soaked; she had gotten her fill and it felt grand. Somehow, something had gone her way since she left.
Sesshoumaru walked the well trodden path, a look of contemplation on his face. His castle had survived most of the burning, but no one knew what had started it. Rin kept an almost solemn silence if she was left to her own devices. Even the servants seemed less alive since Kagome had gone.
He had to find her. Sesshoumaru became convinced of that once the castle grew quiet and everyone moved like mechanical devices once again.
Sesshoumaru had told Jaken to stay with Rin and watch over his holdings while he surveyed the land. At least, he'd told them he was just surveying his lands; they may believe otherwise, he didn't know. The point was, he didn't want them thinking he was out to get her back just in case he never truly found her.
Mikos had an amazing ability to not have a scent when they were on the run, so Sesshoumaru discovered; well, this miko did. He couldn't even pick up a whiff of her hair that he could usually smell everywhere. So far, Sesshoumaru had to rely upon footprints and old paths; it seemed he had gotten out of the habit since he didn't need to use it to find his quarry.
Now it had been five days. That was a ridiculous amount of time spent on one person, let alone a human. How she did it, he didn't know, but somehow she was covering her tracks and scent very well, whether consciously or not.
Now it had gone so far beyond tiredness that Kagome wasn't sure what to call it. Five days; she could just feel the bags under her eyes. No sleep, no food. Even with her fill of water, her stomach was in no way full and she had walked away from her water source ages ago. Kagome was a walking zombie, so to speak.
Maybe her miko power kept her going. Or maybe…no, she wasn't going to think about that; it was all too confusing. Why couldn't life ever be simple?
She didn't have the strength to sigh or she would have done it millions of times by now. At that moment it was a feat that her feet were still moving, no pun intended.
The water had finally stopped dripping from her, but with no sunlight to warm her, Kagome grew increasingly cold. Shivers continued to rack her body as goose-bumps rippled across her skin, making the chill more miserable. Even the tiny hairs on her arms stood on end. As the night drew on, Kagome rubbed her arms vigorously and wondered, not for the first time, why she had chosen not to throw herself at the first person she came across for help.
Suddenly lifting her eyes to the sky, she spoke. "God, I think my knight riding on his white horse is scheduled for about now. All I really want is some food and a blanket." Her half-hearted prayer became interrupted with an unexpected yell.
"Seize her!"
Charging in her direction were rebels on six white horses. Their animals looked magnificent, but the men seemed less grand.
She couldn't have run even if she had wanted, but the fuzziness of her mind allowed her to find humor in the new situation.
Gazing heavenward once again, her voice not above a whisper as she breathed out, for talking seemed a difficult task, "Your sense of humor astounds me."
As the men drew up to her, they pulled on the reins, stopping the steeds directly in her path. Stopping in her steps, her body wavered on her feet while one of the men jumped off his horse and came forward.
After a quiet review of her person, his remark came. "She looks dead on her feet."
The leader of the band, it seemed, looked down at her from atop his steed. He pushed his horse a bit closer, examining her. "Give her some food, and set her on your horse with an extra blanket. I don't want her dying before we reach camp."
"That's just great, God….thanks…." she whispered. Her body gave way, starting its fall toward the earth.
The man standing near caught her just in time, hearing her small announcement. He looked down at her in confusion, wondering what she was thinking. He could barely here her least word before she blacked out.
"Amen."
Finally, he picked up a scent. But something was wrong with it. He could smell traces of something sour along with Kagome's smell.
He growled, deep in his throat.
She was sick.
Kagome was out there, alone, and sick.
And it had been at least two days since she had been there.
Wait.
He picked up smells of men. On horses. There were at least six that he could detect. Probably slave traders.
He didn't know what Kagome had gotten herself into, but he wasn't going to leave her. Pressing down inner fear, Sesshoumaru picked up speed, racing to see what had become of her.
Sorry for the lateness, guys, but I think my computer has a certain hatred for me it likes to spark up every now and then. Be kind. The little purple button loves you just as much as I do.