As the days passed, things started to warm up. However, the snow refused to melt. That didn't go unnoticed. At that point, Sesshomaru started readying up to travel. After day fourteen of snow, the weather turned nasty. The air was bitter with chilling winds that brought in at least another feet of snow along with a thick presence of youkai energy. There was absolutely no denying that this was the work of a demon. Sesshomaru had planned on arriving at the town of snow youkai by the sixteenth day, but since I insisted on coming, it took him another day to "prepare" for me to come as well. I don't really understand why he needed to make more preparations for me to go with him. We traveled together when searching for Naraku, and he didn't prepare then. I don't really understand why he felt the need to get personal guards for me, but I'm not going complain. This was his condition if I was going to go with him. But did he really expect me to just sit around and let him deal with everything? I wasn't going to sit around and wait while farmers' crops died and people suffered. I wasn't going to sit in a castle and be pampered while others are fighting to survive. I can help change things, so I will. I won't let them think that only Sesshomaru worried about the wellbeing of his people, though his actions are more based off of the political aspect of the situation.

We left the manor with Ah-Un and five guards after the little set back and walked for a day without any disruption. We continued our journey early the next morning, expecting to arrive at our destination by late evening. Though we walked in silence for majority of the time, I found it enjoyable. I preferred silence during moments like these. It seemed natural to be silent and listen to the crunching of our feet as we trekked through the snow. I exhaled onto my paling hands as I rubbed them together, trying to warm them up. Even though I love the cold, the weather was extremely frigid. I'd be lying if I said that I was comfortable.

I was slightly surprised when I felt myself being lifted up. Sesshomaru placed me on Ah-Un before taking the dragon's reins. I stared at the back of his head as he continued to lead the group forward.

"I don't have a problem walking." I told him.

He ignored me, so I started talking to the guards who were following about five steps behind us.

"You know, Sesshomaru isn't as cold-hearted as he lets on." I started as Sesshomaru's ear twitched ever so slightly. "Sure, he wanted to kill me when we first met, but he didn't. He might want to kill me now, but he won't."

I could feel the air tense up a bit, but I wasn't going to stop there. I don't like being ignored, and he knew that.

"I still remember the time when he threw me at a wall. Simply thinking about it makes me feel sore, but he still had medical attention given to me."

I could feel Sesshomaru glaring daggers into my back, but I ignored that and smiled at the somewhat unnerved guards I was talking to.

"My Lady…" one of them spoke up, trying to warn me of the death glares Sesshomaru I was receiving.

I didn't let it faze me. "I know, I know. I'm just having a little fun."

I could read the disturbance and confusion in their eyes clearly. How could I find pleasure in angering Sesshomaru, the one who kills others without a moment's hesitation?

"You don't have to look so perplexed. Everyone finds pleasure in different ways." I said as my smile turned into an irritated and revenge seeking smirk. "I just so happen to enjoy annoying a certain daiyokai to ensure that I am not ignored by him."

"Perhaps if your speech was not intolerable prating, this Sesshomaru would not be so quick to ignore his mate."

I felt a vein throb on my head. I didn't need to turn around to know that he had said that with a straight face.

"Did I mention that Sesshomaru's a pervert?"

All eyes were on him as he replied coolly, "I take what I want, when I want it."

"That is obviously not true. I still had my virginity less than a month ago." I said blatantly, not caring about the guards' reaction to my unladylike behavior.

"I was the one to take it, was I not?"

"Four years after your original attempt."

There was silence again as Sesshomaru and I glared at each other. I eventually relented, and refused to look at Sesshomaru as silence returned to the group. This was all because he just had to ignore me. I would have reluctantly accepted a 'no,' but he just had to make things difficult. Then he went and called my speech "intolerable prating!" Intolerable prating, my ass! He shouldn't have said that, and he knows it. Not once did I downright insult him like that, as a matter of fact, I never insulted him.

As we continued in out tensioned silence, the temperature only got colder as we closed in on our destination. It got harder for me to retain my heat, and, unfortunately, Sesshomaru could tell.

He turned to face me and spoke with his eyes. 'You are cold.'

I gave him a short glare before staring past him. My stubbornness refused to answer him. I should have been able to act maturely and get over it, but let's be honest, I'm not mature. At times like these, my immaturity is made much more obvious. Seeming to ignore my stubbornness, I felt his mokomoko wrap itself around me as he drew closer to me. It brought a blush to my face. We just had a spat, yet here I was, relying on him for warmth. My obstinacy wasn't satiated; it was set aside for the moment. I may be tenacious, but I'm not stupid enough to let that tenacity overbear common sense.

I stared straight ahead and watched as snow started to fall again. The serene calm before the storm was almost over, I could feel it. The hairs on the back of my neck stood straight, warning me of an oncoming onslaught. As we walked further through the snow, it started to fall harder, obscuring our vision as we went deeper into the maelstrom. Moving through the storm became harder for Ah-Un as the snow piled into taller mounds on the earth. It got to a point where traveling in it was impossible.

Sesshomaru ordered that I was taken to a safer place as he looked for a better way around the storm. The best thing we could have done was stay together and sit the storm out, but I didn't want to voice my opinion. It would only be labeled as intolerable prattle in Sesshomaru's brain. The soldiers and I turned around and went back the way we came, backtracking with our footprints. That is, until the snow covered them up. Then we were stuck in the middle of a snowstorm, with no idea of how to get out of it.

"My Lady! This way!" A guard shouted over the violent winds.

Ah-Un started toward the man who was pointing toward a cave, but we were both surprised when I was knocked off of him by a large gust of wind. After regaining my bearings I quickly got up and reached out for the dragon, but not quick enough. Before I could get a solid grip on the leash, I heard a sound no one ever wants to hear. It was the sound of snow crumpling over itself as it hurdles toward its' victim, the sound of an avalanche. I could hear the guards beginning to yell their warnings as I barley had enough time to face the mass of snow, and soon wished I hadn't turned to face the behemoth. I took on the avalanche full force to my chest, feeling a rib break as I let out a short shriek before being silenced and swept away by a blanket of darkness.