Two days of traveling had passed and not a word had been spoken between Timmain and Sesshomaru. Both seemed to be challenging the other to let go of their pride and be the first to speak. And Timmain could feel her pride slipping as she wondered where they were going and how she was going to find Gulden. She had asked the little girl, Rin, but she knew nothing. There were two other demons that traveled with Sesshomaru, a green, toad like demon and a two-headed beast named. Timmain wouldn't be able to get an answer from the two headed demon and she wasn't about to ask the other, whose name was Jaken. But since Timmain had joined their party, Jaken could be heard muttering under his breath about how disgraceful it was to be traveling with a demon slayer and how could his Lord Sesshomaru lower himself to save the life of a demon slayer. Timmain also thought she heard the word "Barbarian" whispered her way from Jaken and each time Timmain glared at Jaken he would glare back muttering something that she couldn't hear.

Timmain had just about had enough of Jaken and his mutterings when one day she had thrown her sword into some bushes. She walked over to the bushes, pushed them apart to retrieve her sword then bent down and emerged with a dead rabbit. Timmain was already tired of the fish and steamed rice Rin made and she was ready for real meat. When Jaken saw the rabbit clutched in Timmain's hand he muttered something about her being a barbarian again. Timmain, without even looking at Jaken, threw her sword at him. Jaken gasped to see the sword quivering in the ground before him, the sword point just grazing a toe. He stared at it speechless.

All through her travels Timmain had encountered different cultures and each one had insulted her by calling her a barbarian. Timmain, revered in her land and always treated with respect, had come to hate being referred to as a barbarian, so throwing her sword at Jaken's feet had relieved some of the frustration Timmain was feeling. It also broke the ice between her and Sesshomaru.

"Jaken, stop your muttering or I won't be the one to miss next time," Sesshomaru told him. Jaken stared at his master flabbergasted but quickly apologized. Timmain smirked at Jaken and looked at Sesshomaru who was now watching her.

"I wouldn't smirk if I were you," he told her. "Your lucky I've allowed you to tag along this far with that stench."

Timmain narrowed her eyes at Sesshomaru and seethed with anger. Timmain never concerned herself with a regular routine of washing herself or her clothes. The only time she ever bothered was when she was covered with demon blood. It had never been an issue where she came from. The thought of these two demon's looking down on her for such a thing made her blood boil. She stalked over to Jaken, retrieved her sword, kicked him to the ground and charged Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru was ready and parried her sword thrust. Timmain took a step back and then struck again. Sesshomaru blocked her within inches of his neck. The two stood still, sword blades grinding and sparking, tension showing on each face as they both exerted more energy to see who would be the first to give, both testing and gauging the strength of the other.

"How does it feel to face death by a stinking demon slayer," Timmain growled through clenched teeth.

"I wouldn't know," Sesshomaru answered back through his own clenched teeth. He realized he had underestimated this demon slayer. He was surprised that her strength almost equaled his own. Though Timmain's movements had been slow and clumsy he could see she made up for her lack of finesse with the sword with her strength and hate for demons. Sesshomaru was almost impressed by her. With some training she could be a descent swordsman, he thought. It also made him wonder if there was another reason for her traveling so far from her home. A reason Timmain didn't even know about.

With a sudden thrust Sesshomaru threw back Timmain who would have charged again if it hadn't been for Rin running between the two of them again.

"Stop!" Rin yelled looking like she was angry with them. "You're both acting like children!" Rin had grown upset at both of them as the silence between Timmain and Sesshomaru had continued and when they did finally speak, it was with swords.

Sesshomaru and Timmain looked at Rin in shock. They both knew she was right. Timmain smiled at Rin in amusement over her outburst but when she looked back at Sesshomaru she grew serious again. Swallowing her pride she decided to ask the demon what had been nagging her the last couple of days.

"Why did you save me?" Timmain asked Sesshomaru, hesitating before continuing, still hesitant about asking him what she wanted to know. "You're a demon, why would you have bothered?"

"The demon that defeated you, he carried the scent of another demon," Sesshomaru began. "I know you and that demon are not from these lands. But the scent of the other demon is. His name is Naraku. Do you know what the two of them would want with the other?"

"I've never heard of a demon called Naraku," Timmain answered confused. Then she remembered something. "Does it have anything to do with the glow coming from Gulden's neck?"

"Glow?" Sesshomaru stared off in the distance in thought. Glow, could that mean this demon Gulden has a Shikon shard, he thought to himself. Did Naraku give this foreign demon the shard? "Tell me about this glow. Did you sense any power coming from it?" Sesshomaru asked Timmain bringing himself out of his thoughts.

"Yes," Timmain answered. "Gulden is not a very powerful demon. But I could feel his power coming from the glow."

"Interesting," Sesshomaru said looking Timmain up and down. Not only is this demon slayer powerful, she can sense the Shikon jewel, he thought. She could be useful to help track down Naraku.

"What's interesting?" Timmain asked breaking Sesshomaru out of his thoughts.

"That you can sense the Shikon jewel," Sesshomaru answered and seeing Timmain's confused look continued, "It's a jewel that can give incredible strength to whoever possesses it. Even a piece of it can increase the strength of a human or demon. You are one of a handful of humans who can sense and see the jewel shard within a demon."

"So if I feel the presence of this jewel, it could lead me to Gulden?" Timmain asked relieved to finally be getting somewhere with the questioning.

"Yes, and to Naraku," Sesshomaru said confirming Timmain's question.

"But I'm not looking for this Naraku…" Timmain began.

"But I am," Sesshomaru said interrupting her.

"So you want to use me to help you find this Naraku if Gulden is with him?" Timmain laughed thinking it absurd that she would assist a demon.

"Yes, you will be able to sense the jewel before I will be able to pick up the scent of either demon," Sesshomaru told her as if it was obvious that she had no choice but to join forces with him.

"Why should I help you?" Timmain asked not liking the thought of helping a demon out. It was not in her nature to trust demons and the thought of working together with one made her cringe with disgust.

"Because you owe me your life."