My thanks to: lena the polka dot, WineIXI, Mangas-Fan, Camthalion23, LadieSesshy, siren, fhdurhbuhbf, edmine, too-lazy-to-log-in, hentail8ancilla, premierarchange, TwilightZelda, Meatballheadedprincess14, and Sayuri-Chan 16.

Wow! It's a real learning curve, the feedback I get from everyone! It's amazing the views held on poor Kagome and Inuyasha and I struggle to be neutral for the two of them! Some think it's Inuyasha who's too selfish, while others think it's Kagome! Some think it's Kagome who's suffering more, and some think it's Inuyasha! So, just to see how it works out, I'm gonna let them both learn a lesson. Also, I'll try my best to involve the characters I've had most requests for!

Your faithful fanfiction writer,

Tessadragon

Chapter 8

"Let go of me!" Kagome shrieked at the humanoid-shaped demon leaping up the cliffs while gripping her so tightly in its elongated arms that it hurt. "You jerk! Let go of me!" The worst thing was that she could feel her bow and arrows pressed against her shoulder blades. "Why does this always happen!" she yelled but the wind whipped away her words. First it had been Koga leaping up cliffs with her in his arms, and Inuyasha...oh goodness, it didn't do well to dwell on how many times he'd done that to her!

If she could just…break my arm and reach my arrows? She thought sarcastically, twisting harder in the demon's grasp as he leapt higher and higher, nimble as Inuyasha as he scaled the heights of the immense cliff until the world spun crazily around Kagome, blurs of green forests below and blue skies and wispy clouds above, the air streaming by them both in lines of darkness.

Aha!

Her fingers managed barely to reach one arrow. She threw more effort into it, then suddenly the arrow—that blessed arrow! That wonderful arrow!—was in her hand.

"Take this!" she yelled triumphantly and used all her force to pull her arm out of the demon's grip entirely, then shoved the arrow's head into the demon's eye.

It roared in agony, holy light shining from Kagome's arrow, and its grip loosened dramatically…for a second, Kagome hung in the air as though gravity was indecisive of what to do with her, then…

"Argh!" Kagome was plunging through the air.

"Save her, my lord! Please!" a girl's voice called shrilly from the ground far below.

"Rin…" an admonishing voice, not at all touched by the urgency of the situation!

"Eeee!" Kagome screamed, then someone plucked her easily from the air, hundreds of metres from smashing into the cliffs. Her eyes went as wide as saucers as she took in the sight of her rescuer. Impeccable, unmoveable Sesshomaru! Sesshomaru had saved her!

"My lord! Well done!" Rin cried joyfully from the ground as Sesshomaru gently touched his feet back to the ground and placed Kagome back on the ground.

"Thank you!" Kagome gasped.

Sesshomaru ignored her. "Rin, it's time, I believe, for you to go and get something to eat."

"Yes, my lord!" Rin smiled and reached for Kagome's hand, looking up at her trustingly. "Will you come with me, Priestess Kagome?"

"Um…yes," Kagome said slowly, still trying to process the fact that she'd been saved by Sesshomaru. Rin tugged her hand and led her quickly to the river, where she then waded into the shallows.

Her heart was still hammering. Kagome looked around. The cliffs overshadowed them. Thin and twisted trees bore handfuls of withered leaves. The sky far above was now a mustard colour and the air was warm and tense. There would be a storm soon.

"Aha!" Rin emerged triumphantly with a fish grasped tightly in her hands and splashed back to shore. "Kagome? Are you having some fish? I can get one for you!" she volunteered.

"It's alright," Kagome smiled weakly. "I'm not really hungry." She was too queasy to eat. Worried. But why?

A shape slashed down the cliffs, then there was the rumble of rocks…horrified, Kagome watched the cloud of rocks explode through the sky, heading towards the river…Rin! She raised her head, looking up towards the rocks heading towards her.

Kagome ran for her, grabbed her by the hand and ran across the river…the air turned colder as the rocks swallowed the light. Kagome threw her arms over Rin to protect her, then she felt heat from her quiver of arrows. Light bloomed out from her, like she was a rose at sunrise…Rin gasped, her eyes wide with wonder as she peeked past Kagome's arms, saw the rocks disintegrate above them.

They knelt in the river as dust and pebbles rained down upon them. From far above, an angry roar split the skies and then a shape as sharp as a blade plunged down towards them: it was the demon that had grabbed Kagome, coming back to wreak vengeance!

"My lord!" Rin shouted, pointing upwards excitedly. She and Kagome watched as Sesshomaru flashed through the sky, unsheathing his demonic sword Tokijin and beheaded the demon. It screamed and disappeared in a burst of blood-red light.

Slowly Kagome and Rin got up and left the river, Rin recovering faster than Kagome whose face was pale.

"Rin, make sure she has something to eat," Sesshomaru ordered.

"Yes, my lord!"

"And…Kagome. Do you have all your belongings?"

Kagome had forgotten that she'd left everything with Shippo, believing she'd been going to come back to them shortly. "No," she said shamefacedly. "I'd better go back to them…they'll be worrying."

"No." Sesshomaru said simply, then turned and walked away.

"No they won't be worrying or no, I shouldn't go back to them?" Kagome asked Rin softly. The little girl shrugged gave her a sweet smile. "It'll be alright. My lord is a good man." That said, she went to the fish she'd caught. Its death throes had ended, starved of water. Rin looked down at it, deciding, then went back to the river.

"Aren't you afraid?" Kagome asked. "Ever?"

"Why should I be?" Rin asked back. "My lord has always saved me. Aren't you not scared whenever my lord's half brother Inuyasha is around?"

"Sure, I've been afraid, whether or not Inuyasha is around," Kagome corrected her, "It's okay, Rin." She changed her mind as indecision flooded it. "I'll get myself some food."

Rin followed her towards the cliffs and from there to the tufts of grass, following that until it increased to weedy woodland, where a lone fern bush stood against the wind, though it was decidedly sad in its stature and strength. Crouching, Kagome dug her fingernails in and pried away some of its roots until she had a handful.

"Kagome! Here!" Rin came skipping back to her, her hands full of blackberries.

"Where'd you find those?" Kagome asked, delighted. Rin pointed out a path beyond the fern bush. Kagome followed it, squeezing between rocks until she found how a blackberry bush had strangely grown over some of the rocks. She is smart, Kagome thought admiringly of Rin. I'd never think anything food-wise would grow in this part.

"I am used to hunting," Rin said simply when Kagome asked her how she'd known to look there. Then she led the way back, sure-footed over the rocky ground, to where Sesshomaru waited, sitting on the ground, his furs rippling in the evening breeze. Shortly before they were in sight of him, the two girls heard Lord Jaken's shrill voice.

"My lord! Surely you are joking! We can't have another travelling with us! Especially not another human!"

"I gave you orders, Jaken," Sesshomaru said coldly. "Take A'houn and fetch the girl's belongings from their camp. I expect you back before tomorrow morning."

Jaken spluttered complaints, flabbergasted, but Sesshomaru had turned his attention away, gazing into the distance, contemplating something.

Kagome herself was in a state of confusion. Is Sesshomaru thinking of adding me to his travelling party?

It felt like her heart was twisting in her breast. She had to admit feeling safe now, but part of her was waiting, longing for Inuyasha, for her friends. I don't belong here, she thought sadly. But that sense of betrayal at Inuyasha for what he'd done to her, that remained at the forefront of the argument raging inside her.

I did that to him since we met, she thought. I used to say 'sit' sometimes without even thinking. Sometimes I did it to save his life, or to try to. Sometimes I do it to make him realise how inconsiderate he is…it's not that I'm inconsiderate. It's that there's no other way to make him realise. He scoffs at human emotions, he only admits emotion when it's a new moon!

At that thought, she jerked her head up towards the sky. It's nearly a new moon, she realised in shock. Tomorrow night, he'll be human again for a whole night…she had to admit, it was her favourite night of every month. It may be terrifying, Inuyasha being so vulnerable, but…

You smell kinda nice, Kagome. His softer voice ran through her mind like silk.

I want to be there. Be there with him. Inuyasha...

The first demon slaying had been straight-forward. Kaede, mounted on her faithful steed, looked up, grim-faced, at the revolting demon that had reared up at their arrival. She and the remainder of her demon-hunting party had been on their way back but a party of villagers had interrupted them on their journey and pleaded them for their help in slaying the demon. The old Priestess Kaede had no choice but to reassure them.

She could feel the fear of the men travelling with her, like a thunderstorm rolling in.

The demon opened its mandibles and spat a web of acid at them. Kaede raised her bow and arrow, while calling on her spiritual powers. I will not allow my mind to halt, she told herself firmly and fired the first arrow…it powered through the acid web, striking the demon squarely in its bulbous black eye and it screeched…

Red flashed through the sky.

"Iron reaper soul stealer!" Inuyasha snarled, slashing his claws, then the demon wavered and exploded.

"Inuyasha!" Kaede shouted, startled. The half-demon drifted back down to the ground, landing easily, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Hey, old woman, what do girls like?"

Kaede blinked her good eye at him. That's certainly the last question I'd expect from him! "What do girls like?" she repeated uncertainly.

"What do girls like," Inuyasha said again even more impatiently, tapping his bare foot on the dusty ground again.