Chapter 49

Wendell raced to the room where the Lord of the castle awaited.

"So, Wendell, the girl has escaped."

"I'm sorry, my lord, but you should have seen what she did to her guard."

"You fool. She was your prize. All I asked for was to get what she has in her possession. Now I suggest you go out and find her before she returns to her home."

"Yes, my Lord. I will send my men out for her immediately."

"How is that poison I gave you working on Inuyasha?"

"It works like a charm, my Lord. He is a fine specimen. Thank you for helping me capture him."

"Of course. Now go get your slave."

Wendell bowed to the man as he rushed out to retrieve Kaori. The man smiled an evil smile and said to himself,

"Inuyasha. You will soon be out of my way for good. And the sacred jewel will be mine and I will be able to get out of this wretched body and get my own body.", as he said this, he laughed, a laugh so evil it would make any normal man shiver in fright.

Kaori stopped by a river. She didn't know what made her stop, but something in her mind told her she needed to go back to the castle. Turning around and heading back, she realized now why she felt so compelled to return,

'My mother's scent wasn't in that castle. But, was it my father's scent that I'm recalling now? Was he at the castle?', she thought. Racing back through the forest, her inexperience showed as she decided she needed to find her father. She soon regretted her decision when she was captured by Wendell's men.

Fighting like a wildcat, Kaori was soon subdued by a dart similar to what had been used on her father. When she awoke, she was faced to face with Wendell and someone else she couldn't believe,

"Kohaku? That's impossible. You died.", Kaori spoke to the familiar figure in front of her.

"Bow to the lord of the castle, girl.", Percy demanded of her as she was hit over the head with something. As Kaori fell to her knees, the lord just laughed.

"Yes, Kohaku did die, didn't he. But, you wouldn't remember that Kohaku died before and I brought him back. Now, I want something you took from me a long time ago."

"I never took anything from you.", Kaori spat at him.

"Of course, you wouldn't remember. You weren't even born yet. Your father thought her destroyed me but he didn't. And the jewel ... you absorbed the jewel and I want it back."

'The jewel? What is he talking about?', Kaori thought through her drug induced haze. Before she had a chance to say anymore, she felt a sword slice deep in her side and get pulled out, as a pinkish orb flew out of her wound. Watching "Kohaku" grab the jewel and start laughing, Kaori thought she would faint dead away. Wendell thought the same thing,

"You sliced her open. She'll die now.", Wendell cried out to the lord.

"She's a half-demon. She'll be healed by tomorrow. Then you can have your prize. I have what I want. Do with her what you please.", and with that, the fake Kohaku walked away. Wendell ordered his men to take her back to her room and re-chain her,

"And you saw what she did to Smith, remember she's mine, don't touch her!", he ordered.

Deep in the forest of the western lands, Kagome awoke, confused and disoriented. She looked around and realized she didn't know where she was. As her memories returned, she remembered what happened to Inuyasha. Worried about him and Kaori, she trembled and tried to think of what she could do. Finding a river, she took a cool drink to clear her head. She then started to follow the river, hoping to come to a village.

Actually, her luck was better than that, when she came to a clearing. Sitting by a rock was someone who she hoped would help her.

"Sesshoumaru!"

Sesshoumaru looked up and stared at Kagome. Jaken spoke to her first,

"What are you doing here?", he asked suspiciously.

Before she could stop herself, Kagome found herself crying and spitting out the whole story of what had occurred to Inuyasha, Kaori and herself. Sesshoumaru, being his normally cool self, just sat and listened. As Kagome finished, Sesshoumaru ordered to Jaken,

"Jaken, get some food for Kagome."

"My Lord, why me?"

"JAKEN!", was all Sesshoumaru had to say as Jaken trembled and hurried off to find food for their guest. Sesshoumaru then spoke to Kagome,

"You will eat and then Ah-Un will take you back to the village."

"But, Inuyasha. Kaori. What about them ..."

"Leave it to me."

After Jaken returned with some berries and vegetables, Kagome ate and then she climbed on Ah-Un's back for a ride back to her village. She was exhausted and something told her to believe Sesshoumaru.

Back at the castle, Kaori regretted coming back to the castle. She berated herself for being so stupid. Her father can handle himself. Quietly, she broke the chains that bound her and climbed out of the bed. Seeing the single guard at her door, she came up behind him and clawed him deeply. As he ran away screaming in pain, she quickly broke through the window and ran, jumping high into the trees like her father had taught her to do. She refused to be someone's present! she planned to get home and get Yasha and Uncle Miroku to help her father. She knew she couldn't stay for she felt far worse would happen to her than what had already happened. No. She resolved to stay free this time.