Disclaimer- The person named Inuyasha and his Co. are not mine to have

Chapter 10- You can tell a Person by their Horse

"It's been two weeks and you still can't make it here on time?" Inuyasha asked crossing his arms as they three girls walked into the stables where they kept the horses for the camp. Kagome sighed and glared back at the other two girls. Sango looked like she was sleep walking and Kikyo was too busy with her portable mirror to notice the glare from her campmate. She had to make sure that she had enough make-up on to go into public.

"This isn't my fault; they just don't get ready quick enough. They either refuse to get out of bed or stay in the bathroom way too long. I'm always ready to leave in half the time they are." Kagome replied, walking over to her new friend. Inuyasha only rolled his eyes in annoyance though he smiled slightly when Kagome started laughing at Sango, who was only staying up because Miroku. Miroku currently was holding Sango up, who was too tired to notice that she had even started to fall. Kagome couldn't understand why Sango looked like she never got enough sleep when she always went to bed earlier than herself. Kagome had always seen Sango go to bed at the same time that Kikyo had, and Kagome was always the last one up.

Kagome always seemed to notice because she always went to bed at twelve thirty in the morning, but not before she had her late night talks with Inuyasha. Since both were lucky enough to have the beds closest to the windows, it was easy to talk without worrying about waking up the others. One time they almost got caught by Miroku, who had grown curious when he noticed that Inuyasha never went to bed. Luckily Kagome ducked out of her window before Miroku could see her, and Inuyasha lied about needing fresh air.

"You must miss me so much when I'm gone." Kikyo was still under the assumption that Inuyasha liked her, though nothing was farther from the truth. In reality, Inuyasha didn't like Kikyo as anything more than an acquaintance. While Kikyo's theory was not true, the relationship between Inuyasha and Kagome was. Though neither seemed to acknowledge the relationship out loud, both could tell that over the couple weeks they had known each other, they had slowly started to feel a connection between them. When asked about the association with the other camper, Inuyasha and Kagome would always argue that they hated the other.

"I'm sure that's exactly it." Kagome replied.

"Well it's not like he was waiting for you."

"Oh no, not like he needs his buddy to go anywhere. Of course he wouldn't wait for me, what was I thinking?" Kagome asked sarcastically.

"You know what I meant, it's not like he wants to wait for you."

"I never said that he did."

"Oka girls, isn't it a little too early for you two to be fighting?" Sango yawned out and stood up on her own two feet, catching both girls' attention. Kagome only snorted and Kikyo looked away from both girls, though she kept her mouth closed. Sango smiled gently at both girls, the cobwebs from slumber still clouding her mind.

"You girls should listen to Sango more often, I still have a couple lunch room chores that you two could do if you don't stop with the constant bickering." Rin said, walking towards the group. Both girls tensed at the thought, remembering the last consequence when they had gotten into a screaming match about who spent more time in the shower. "Those cabin walls needed a good wash, of course you two must have seen that when you were scrubbing them."

"That was probably one of the funniest things I saw at this camp so far." Kouga said, laughing slightly when both girls glared at him.

"You only say that because you didn't get attacked with sponges." Inuyasha remarked, unconsciously rubbing his cheek where the first sponge had been thrown. "I got pelted at least 15 times by Kagome."

"Not my fault you were laughing at me." Kagome replied innocently.

"Oka guys, lets focus. Today we're going to do a little horseback riding." Rin said cheerfully, much too bright for the campers.

"What, horseback riding?" Sango glanced back at Miroku who was usually quiet in the morning. By noon, the sun was up and so was Miroku's talkative side, bur until then Miroku was normally silent.

"Well yea, that's what we're at the stables for." Rin replied, watching the boy's blue eyes dip into sadness. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, it's oka." Rin shrugged at Miroku's reply and started to walk to the stable's sliding doors, explaining the importance of keeping safe on the horse you were riding. Sango couldn't concentrate as she looked at Miroku, who now had his eyes pinned to the floor. She felt a slight twinge of pain sting her heart as she stepped closer to her friend, resting her hand on his shoulder.

Like Kagome, Sango had gotten to know her buddy better. Since most of the time that the group was together Kagome and Inuyasha would argue, Sango and Miroku learned how to block them out and talk to each other instead. Many times Miroku and Sango would walk around the camp, slowly remembering it piece by piece. As they learned more about each other, Sango realized just how many secrets Miroku held locked up inside of him. The main one that he refused to talk about was the silver locket that he normally kept under his shirt at all times. When she asked, he simply ignored the question and changed the subject.

"You Oka?" She asked. He nodded his head softly.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me."

"You just seemed so gloomy when she mentioned the horseback riding." Miroku paused a moment before he looked over at Sango, quickly grabbing her hand and squeezing it.

"I'm just remembering some things, but I don't want you to think about it." Sango blushed as she glanced down at their hands, looking back at Miroku to see a warm smile on his lips. "Can you do me that favor and not think about it?"

"I can try not to, but I won't promise anything." She replied, making him nod. He turned back to listen to Rin, though he kept her hand interlocked with his.

"Oka, now I'm going to assign you all horses to use for when we come here to ride." Rin said, clapping her hands together in excitement. Horses had always been an interest for Rin, growing up on a farm with over 40 of them. "Come on, I'll show you the horses."

"Hey, where's Shessomaru?" Kagome asked, making Rin shrug.

"Somewhere on the trail we're going to be on later. He told me that he'll meet up with us later on." She said, walking over to the green stable doors.

"Oh, so you and Shessomaru talk a lot?" Miroku asked, making Rin stop.

"Well…I-I mean it's required to ta-talk about the pl-plans for the ne-next day and all…" She stumbled on her words, making the girls giggle and Inuyasha roll his eyes.

"Why don't you just say that you were talking, it's not like that's against the law." Inuyasha said, making Rin glare over at him before preceding the rest of the way to the stables. "What's her problem?"

"Ugh never mind Inuyasha." Kagome said, following her counselor. Rin heaved the stable door open, letting it lock to the sides.

"And I always thought stables were red." Kouga said walking into the barn as the group studied the separate stalls. Each one had a unique horse, the rows endless.

"How many horses do you have here?" Sango asked, pulling Miroku behind her.

"Enough for each kid over nine to ride." Rin replied, making Kagome's eyes widen.

"That's a lot of horses." She watched Rin stop at the very end of the stalls, looking at the horses that rested there.

"You will all be assigned to a horse and when you get that horse, you will be completely responsible for it." Rin instructed, making the girls nod. The boys on the other hand, snickered at the stern look that Rin had sent all of them. "Excuse me, but what's so funny?"

"Nothing at all." Miroku, the most respectful one replied. Inuyasha only stood up straight, saluting Rin.

"Yes mame', the horses will be cleaned every Monday, fed every day at seventeen hundred hours, and every stall will pass inspections." Kouga and Miroku broke into another set of laughter as Inuyasha dropped his hand to his side, smirking slightly at the outraged look on Rin's face.

"So you think you're all that because you can pull off a joke?" All kindness vanished from Rin's voice as she stepped in front of Inuyasha. "Let me tell you something Inuyasha…every day, these horses need the same things that us humans do. They need food, water, and exercise. Without these three things, the horses die. And if you kill your horse, I will kill you. So I suggest you shut your mouth, nod like the bonehead you are, and let me assign you a horse before I make you walk every time we go out riding!"

By now, Inuyasha had practically fallen backwards in surprise. Though Rin was older, she was much shorter than Inuyasha and seemed like a very timid person. She appeared to always have a smile on and rarely got mad. But what the boys never saw was when Rin got angry, so they had no clue the true power that she held. Sadly for the girls, Rin had snapped at them once, and they paid the price.

"Um Rin…does this mean we're going to have to clean the horses?" Kikyo asked, making Rin turn sharply to the girl. Over the past two weeks, Kikyo seemed to be less of the city girl that thought she was better than everyone else, and more of a normal girl that sometimes joined in the fun with the other girls. The change was rare though, and mostly she stayed the same as she had when she came to the camp.

"Well yea; that's taking care of it." Rin replied, pushing a piece of free red hair behind her ear.

"Can't someone else do my horse for me!" Kikyo asked, making Rin sigh.

"No, now let me assign the horses." She replied. When Kikyo stayed silent, Rin continued. "Oka, I'm going to show the horse and explain its history a little. Then when I'm done, you can tell me if you want the horse or not."

"What about you, do you have a horse of your own here?" Miroku asked, making Rin nod.

"Yup, her name is Bubblegum." Rin smiled as she looked into the stall with the name 'Bubblegum' engrave above it. She then looked at the list next to the stall, running her finger down it. "It seems that we have six horses around this area. It's Austin, Hot Shot, Grace, Princess, Steel, and Marshmallow."

"Well stop talking and show us the horses." Kouga said, making Rin glare over at him before walking into the stable with the word 'Austin' written over it. When she emerged from the cot again, she brought a beautiful black horse making the campers back up slightly. The only one who was unfazed by the massive creature was Miroku. Even thought it looked powerful, it also seemed serene.

"This is Austin everyone." Rin said, stroking the jet black mane. "He's an Andalusian, and is one of the strongest horses in the camp. The Andalusia was bred by Carthusian monks in the late middle ages, and is considered the noblest animals in the world. Even in these days, the Andalusian is high in rankings for being beautiful."

"That thing is huge!" Sango gasped out, making Rin laugh.

"Don't worry, the other ones are smaller." She replied, slightly unnerving Sango.

"I want to ride him." Miroku said, walking up and rubbing the horse's ear. He looked over at the group, as if waiting for anyone to argue. Most stayed quiet, though not all.

"Are you crazy Miroku, that thing could kill you if it wanted!" Sango said, quickly walking up to him. He only shook his head as if he knew she was going to reply with that exact sentence.

"It's Oka Sango, I can handle him." He grabbed the saddle that was placed on the horse's back and easily glided onto the horse, looking back at Rin. "It is oka if I take him outside and try him out?"

"Sure, but stay close." Sango watched Miroku ride out on the horse, slight concern apparent in her eyes. "Oka, time to bring out Hotshot. Now I warn you, each of these horses has their personalities, and this next one is a little bit…well…cocky." Each teen glanced at each other when Rin left, but their gazes returned to the camp counselor when she returned with another horse. Its eyes were large and brown, his coat a deep chestnut brown. "Now this is hotshot."

"What's with the name?" Inuyasha swore he heard the horse snort at his question. He growled at the horse and Kagome blinked in surprise when the noticed how alike his growl was to a dog. "Go ahead and do that again, I'll send you to the glue factory!" Another snort.

"Inuyasha, please don't threaten the horse." Rin said, almost losing her kindness when Inuyasha ignored her.

"You stupid animal!" Inuyasha was about to attack the horse when Kagome cut in.

"So what's the horse's breed?"

"This is an Arabian horse. These horses are very fast and some myths claim God fashioned the desert south wind into a creature that 'shall fly without wings'. They are considered proud horses, and they can't be mistaken for any type of breed." Rin explained.

"And it seems to love to piss Inuyasha off." Sango said humorously.

"I'll have Hotshot; after all, we share many common interests." Kouga said, Kikyo glancing over at him.

"Like what, a big ego?" She asked, smiling at his glare. Over the past two weeks that the two had been stuck together, Kikyo and Kouga had grown strong feelings of disgust for each other.

"No, we're both fast, and we both like pissing Inuyasha off." He replied. Inuyasha only rolled his eyes as Kouga grabbed Hotshot's reigns and led him outside.

"I'm getting really stuffed up in here, why don't you four go outside and I'll bring the horses out to you." Rin suggested. The group only nodded and walked the same path that Kouga and Hotshot had taken. As soon as they entered the sunlight again, they squinted their eyes while they got used to the sun.

"What are you doing out here, shouldn't you be getting horses?" Miroku asked, now riding over to his friend.

"They are, I wanted to get out of there, it was too crowded and the hay was messing around with my allergies." Rin said, walking out with a tan horse. "This is steel, and he is a Buckskin horse. They are very strong and have been compared to wet leather for their toughness. The have more stamina, determination, and are more difficult to control than most horses. People who ride these horses sometimes have a hard time." Rin tried to enlighten the teens about each horse, though it wasn't necessary. The group seemed to like the facts and nodded when she was done. "Any takers?"

"I think that Inuyasha should get that horse, since he's so strong and determined." Kikyo said, winking at Inuyasha and giggling. Kagome rolled her eyes, looking at the horse that now stared at Inuyasha. She smiled when she saw a slight grin pass by Inuyasha's lips.

"I think you and Steel should partner up." Inuyasha looked over at Kagome, her eyes darting from him and back to the horse. "But not because you're 'strong and determined'."

"Well then it's settled, you get Steel." Sango concluded making Inuyasha nod before walking over and holding Steel's reigns.

"Oka, well not that the three boys are settled, it's time to bring out the girls." Rin smiled before bounding back into the stables.

"I just want the prettiest one; you two can take the other ones." Kikyo said, pulling out a mirror as she talked.

"Whatever, I just want a horse, preferably caramel with a black mane." Sango said.

"Then I'm guessing you want Grace?" Rin pulled out a horse that looked exactly as Sango described.

"Oh it's just what I wanted!"

"Well Grace is what we call a New Forest Pony. It was named after the New forest that lies along the English coast, between Southampton and Bournemouth. Now new forest ponies are strong, intelligent, fast, but also a little tempered. Grace was bred where most of these horses are, in the mountains." Rin explained. By the end of the last sentence, Sango had already grabbed the reigns and was petting Grace, who seemed to be very affectionate.

"Oh she is so perfect! Thanks for letting me have her girls." Sango said, causing Kagome to laugh.

"We didn't say you could have her, you took her without asking."

"Well she's mine now."

"And since she's yours, I can present Princess." Rin said, dragging a horse from behind her.

"She seems stubborn." Miroku said, watching Rin drag her in front of the two remaining girls.

"Believe me, she is. She's also a royal pain the-" Rin was censored by Kikyo's scream.

"She's royalty!"

"Well yea, she won over thirty awards for best show before her owner died. She was given to us after that."

"What kind of horse is she?" Kagome asked.

"Connemara." Rin replied. "She's another one of those horses you can't miss. Her mane is black like a lot of horses, but her skin is more of a rare copper color. She's also very demanding you could say. When we first got her, she wouldn't go near the other horses and she always had to be fed first."

"She she's royalty and a rare horse?" Kikyo asked. Rin just nodded. "I want that horse." When Kikyo turned to Kagome, her excitement shone in her eyes, which slightly scared Kagome. Kagome waited for Kikyo to say something rude, though Kikyo surprised her with what she said. "Do you mind if I have her?"

"Um what?" Kagome asked, making Kikyo sigh.

"I'm asking you if I can have her." Kagome paused for a moment, as if waiting for Kikyo to start laughing before taking the horse. But when Kikyo stayed still and didn't say a word, Kagome shook her head.

"I'll have the last one, I don't mind." Kagome replied. Kikyo smiled slightly before grabbing the reigns and walking away from Kagome.

"Those two will make an interesting pair. They are both royal pains." Inuyasha whispered to his best friend. Miroku only smiled smugly and chuckled.

"That it will be." Miroku replied.

"Oka, I'll go get Marshmallow for you." Rin said, walking away from the group.

"Wonder what your horse will be like." Sango said.

"I really don't care what horse it is, I just hope it doesn't want to kill me or anything." Kagome replied.

"I doubt a horse with the name Marshmallow would be a murderer. In fact, horses don't go murdering people!" Sango said laughing.

"I didn't say that." Kagome protested. Sango burst in mirth as Inuyasha only rolled his eyes, joining the conversation.

"Sure sounded like it." He said.

"Whatever." She replied.

"Oka Kagome, here's Marshmallow!" When Rin pulled the horse out of the stables, Kagome had to hold her breath. Brown eyes now stared at her as she slowly walked towards the horse.

"Oh my god, she's beautiful." Sango whispered. Rin nodded in agreement.

"This is a pinto, they were considered to have legendary magical qualities in battles. These horses were in many art pieces throughout the Middle East. They are considered one of the most attractive horses, thought they don't need to be as groomed as most show horses." Marshmallow looked like she was from a painting, the black and white smudges making her priceless.

"She's really pretty. Kagome said. Before Kagome could reach Marshmallow, the horse walked towards her quickly, making Rin lose her grasp on the horse's reigns. Kagome unconsciously stepped back, thought stopped when Marshmallow stopped a mere foot in front of her. Kagome held her breath when Marshmallow stuck her snot forward, but relaxed slightly when its nose when down to her hand and nuzzled it. "Nice to meet you too." She said, letting out a contained breath.

"It seems Marshmallow really likes you." Miroku said, making Kagome smile.

"She's really pretty." Kikyo said softly, causing Kouga to look back at her. Though her intentions were kind, Kouga seemed to think that she was letting her sarcasm out.

"Can't you just be happy for her?" Kouga asked, making Kikyo glance over at him.

"What are you talking about? I just complimented her!" Kikyo said, making the other's attention to be drawn to them.

"No, you were just making fun on her." Kouga snapped out, making Kikyo's anger rise.

"What do you know you dumb jerk?"

"Are we going to sit here and argue or are we going to ride?" Miroku asked. Sango nodded as the people that were on the ground hopped onto their horses. Rin, who had gotten her horse during the dispute, slowly took the front of the line.

"Oka, we're going into the forest for a long time, and I must warn you that there's no stopping for breaks. I'm also telling you that in the end, the prize that you will get will be worth all the riding." Rin said, directing the riders into the forest where the past was.

Many hours, logs, holes, and complaints later, the group was less that one mile from their destination. The group had caught up with Shessomaru who was riding a horse named Lightening. The two counselors rode in the front, followed by Kikyo who was afraid of being last. After her were Kagome and Inuyasha, followed by Sango and Miroku. Kouga trailed at the end, though seemed pleased to get away from Kikyo. Sango was content as she looked around the forest, always being interested in nature and all its residents. She glanced over at Miroku, who still seemed out of his normal mood.

"Don't be sad, we'll be at our destination soon." She said cheerfully, though he barely noticed. She slowly dropped her smile as she leaned over carefully, pushing his shoulder to get his attention. "Are you Oka?"

"Of course, I must have spaced out or something." He said softly, thought she didn't believe him.

"I want to talk to you when we get back to camp." It wasn't a request, but more of a demand, so Miroku only looked forwards towards the two people in front of him. Surprisingly, both were unusually quiet.

"My, looked like you two are quiet. I wonder if you two would act like this for your first date. Of course, that would probably be right before you two start making out." Inuyasha almost fell off his horse when he heard his friend's comment. The horse under Inuyasha wobbled slightly at the sudden movement from Inuyasha.

"What the hell are you talking about! We are never going on a date. I mean, who would want to go with someone as stupid as her?" When Miroku winced, Inuyasha looked at him strangely. "What now?"

"I think you pissed her off." Miroku whispered. Inuyasha looked over at Kagome who was staring ahead of her, her eyes brimmed with tears.

"Ah, come on Kagome-"Inuyasha said, thought Kagome only snapped at him.

"Better be careful, I might be too dense to understand you complicated words." Her words stung like acid on Inuyasha's heart.

"I didn't mean you were dumb."

"Then what did you mean when you called me stupid!"

"I…um…"

"I should have known." She ignored his protest as she slowly pushed Marshmallow to ride next to Kikyo.

"Now that's bad. When she'd rather ride next to Kikyo than with you, then you know that you messed up." Inuyasha glared at Miroku's comment but stayed quiet, mentally screaming at himself.

"Stupid Inuyasha." Kagome muttered, catching Kikyo's attention.

"Aw, did Kagome and Inuyasha have a little fight?" She asked. Kagome only rolls her eyes.

"Why would you care?"

"I'm just curious, take a chill pill." She replied as she edged Princess closer to Kagome and Marshmallow. She smirked as she realized how close her foot was to grazing the side of Kagome's horse. A slight shadow of sadness cast over Kikyo's face as the girl sighed. I wonder if she'll ever realize why I've done everything I have for her. I doubt she's ever going to know…Kikyo shook her head when she heard Kagome sigh.

"He's just a jerk." Kagome said more to herself than Kikyo.

"Well then maybe you need time to cool down." With that final statement, Kikyo kicked the side of Kagome's horse. Marshmallow's eyes widened in panic as she veered up, causing Kagome to quickly grab onto the horse's mane. Her lips went instantly dry when she felt herself slipping, though she kept herself close to the freaked horse. The group barely had time to hear Kagome's scream before Marshmallow raced off.

That's the end of this chapter! I got my reviews so I decided to give you all this chapter! Of course you still won't get the next chapter till next week and all, but at least you have this one right? I know that this was kind of a cliffy, but hey, at least you get another chapter next week! Some people just ditched their stories and don't ever write them again! Now that just makes me mad…well review and I'll get it out as fast as I can! Remember, the more reviews I get, the sooner the next chapter will come out!

The Myth Keeper- And once again, thanks for the review. I'm happy that you liked it. I try my best, and with all the softball, umping, and writing, it's hard to keep up with everything. But I spared the hours to make sure that I got this out this week, just for people like you.

AnimeWillRuletheWorld- I liked the last chapter as much as I liked the one with Sango/Miroku fluff! My favorite paring is the Inu/Kag one and all, but I think that the scene with Kaede and Myoga came out well. But the fact that she trusts Inuyasha more is going to help later on, and that means only on thing…more fluff!

Kagome112593- Surprisingly you aren't the first person to threaten me to write more. Though I'm a little spooked out, I'm flattered that you liked the story. Now the only thing that makes me wonder about my safety is what happens if get shut off or something? Better keep one eye open when sleeping I guess…

Kagomeof2005- What is with all the Kagome's threatening me! Gosh, I know that you all love the fluff with Inu and Kag but I mean come on, you know that I wouldn't desert this story that way! Unless I don't get reviews…then I can't promise anything. I've got a busy enough schedule.

InuyashaMaster- Oka I'll answer this question right now for you! You see I was in my English class one day and we were talking about how some writers have a special trademark in their work to make sure that it stood out or something. So I was writing in class (SHH don't tell my teacher, she chucks erasers at me when I do!) and I realized that I could do that with the word 'okay' and since it honestly has the 'a' sound at the end, it'd still be the same word. There, I hope that answered your question, oh yea, glad that you like my story!

Shikonjewelsdarkshadow- I was wondering at first who you were, and I was like 'she knows my story and knows me yet I have no clue who it is….stalker anyone?' but then I saw the second review and I was like 'oh oka…' As to the apology about the short review, it was anything but short. I've have some people who wrote like three words and expected me to make some long passage from it. LoL.

Leo of the Stars- My friend thinks that being attacked by pink bunnies would be wicked fun! I was like 'AHHH wth…' and it was really weird. Anyways, thanks for reviewing once again, where would I be without people like you who stay with me no matter what. I'm happy that someone likes my writing enough to write a review in every chapter!

Lil-Anime-Chick- Congratulations, you were the icing on the chapter cake! Because of your one review, the sixty mark was hit and I was astounded. You are the lucky winner of the grand prize!...When I know what that is, I'll make sure to tell you and then let you have it. If you have anything in mind then you can just tell me in a review or whatever.

Inuxkag4ever- I got two reviews from you, so I feel very special! Even though they weren't like 3000 pages long, I still feel touched that you would take the time, even when the goal of 60 was reached, and write two nice reviews about my story. Also I really like your name; it's just the best thing I've seen in a while. Inu and Kag are the best couple, and I bet that you didn't like how they got into a little fight in this one, but you will like the next one. It's going to have a little Inu/Kag fluff.

Mitsu-Rena- Yes, you just made my day! That's the one thing that I love to hear, that I captured the personalities of the characters. The only one that I had to change slightly was Kikyo, but it was worth it. Though I don't really like Kikyo, I understand how she feels and why she feels so betrayed. When I first started writing this, I was planning on making her life miserable, but now I'm going to add a little secret side to this mysterious character. Have fun reading it!

Lovableeyes- Wow, you're pretty smart. The exs always seem to try and get back the relationship they screwed up. I'm not sure how Inuyasha will react to this little problem…but by the end, I wouldn't be surprised if Inuyasha knocked a few brain cells out of Naraku's head!...Not like I'm FORESHADOWING or anything, nope, not at all…ahhh oka, glad you liked it and I hope you review again!

Chapter 11- The Mysteries Begin