Chapter 6

Lurking Danger

Kagome wobbled along the deer path behind everybody else. It would have been pitch black if it wasn't for the stars, but even then their light hardly made it past the fairly thick tree canopy that towered above her making her feel small and useless.

She has never been so depressed, she felt whatever happened to Inuyasha as being her fault. If she had just listened to him and not let her emotions get the better of her. Miroku and Sango had tried to comfort her, they had said that it wasn't just her fault that it was also theirs because they had not noticed that something was not right, but they had all been deceived. Deceived by some demon bear that had tried to act innocent. Kagome had to stop thinking about it, it was done and over with. There's no point in worrying about the past.

She shivered and looked over her shoulder, she had felt someone's eyes upon her. She looked down the dark trail but didn't see anyone but that didn't mean someone or something wasn't there.

Kagome was about to turn back around when a nearby thicket moved. Startled she halted, her heart skipping a few beats. She watched as something of a fairly good size darted across the path and back into the woods.

She turned back around and picked up her pace, whatever followed suit was not just some plain catamount unless a plain mountain cat had a sinister feel about, which she doubted.

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A dark figure from a nearby bush watched intently as the cat demon approached followed by two frivolous human beings and a small sleeping fox demon. He put up his shields so they wouldn't detect him. They passed by oblivious to the danger that lurked by.

Glimmering golden eyes embodying intelligence moved past them to the girl that walked behind. Her head hung low and she seemed to be deeply depressed, swung across her shoulder were a bow and some arrows, this infuriated him.

Sharp knife like claws extended and dug into the moist soil, hackles raised, ears back the creature awaited for the girl to pass so he could make the deathly strike, he knew what this girl stood for.

Right before he was about to leap out at her she turned around and stared straight at him. Damn how could she have detected him through his shields, he growled low in his throat. He wanted to kill her right on the spot, he wanted to rip out her throat and feel her life blood drain slowly and soak into the ground. He wanted to feel the warmth and taste of her blood on his mouth and rip at muscle and sinew, and feed on the soft underbelly. He wanted to feel her heartbeat fad slowly, but he kept his anger at bay.

Not now, he thought to himself, not when she's aware of my presence.

He crouched and leapt across the path and into the woods ahead.

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Latter that night the group made camp in a small clearing they had stumbled upon. They had a small fire because they didn't want to go into the woods after what Kagome had told them what she had seen, so they grabbed the little wood they could that was close by.

They all sat around the fire with their backs to it, all peering into the surrounding trees.

Miroku's stomach growled furiously, he hadn't eaten since last night, actually none of them had eaten.

"Kagome, I'm hungry. Do you have any food?" he asked. Shippo and Sango perked up too and started bugging Kagome. They were all weak from hunger and the none stop walking.

"All right, all right." she said, even her own stomach was starting to eat itself. She dug into her bag that was next to her. There was very little food left but she managed to find some fish jerky. Maybe I didn't give Marashi all of it anyway, she thought happily to herself.

Kagome passed around the bag of fish jerky and watched as they all munched greedily. It wasn't enough but at least it did suppress their hunger a little bit.

Sango yawned and stretched her arms above her head and there was a distinct popping of joints. Kirara walked over to Sango, looked up at her face and gave a soft mew. She laughed and let Kirara spread herself on her lap.

"You guys should get some sleep. I'll take first watch." said Kagome.

Miroku turned and stared at Kagome across the fire, "Are you sure, I'll be more than glad to take first watch."

Kagome waved her hand and tried to put on a fake smile, "No, no. It's okay, really. You guys need to rest, just look at Sango she's about to fall over."

Sango and Miroku eyed Kagome, they knew she was just as tired as them, but she was right that did need the sleep and there was no use arguing with her.

"Okay Kagome," said Sango, "but only for a couple of hours. Then you have to wake one of us up for the next shift. You need just as much sleep as us."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," Kagome said with all smiles.

Sango eyed Kagome, "I'm serious, you better wake one of us up."

"Okay, sheesh. I will, I promise." lied Kagome, and with that she watched as everyone settled down.

It was awhile before they all finally feel asleep. She had no intention of waking anyone up, she couldn't sleep. Kagome understood that her decision would tax her latter on, but she needed time to think. Tomorrow morning they would finally reach the mountain and hopefully find Inuyasha alive...

(A/N) Not bad ay, I like it. So come on and express yourself and review, pour your heart into it, but if it's bad keep it to yourself...just kidding...no really...

hehe

Oh, and for those who don't know what a catamount is, it's another word for mountain cat, you know like a cougar. It's a real word I promise you.