Author's Note: I never expected this story to be very popular so thank you to those that took the time to read and review. It really means a lot to me.

Timeline: Kagome arrived in Middle-Earth on January 21, 3017 and leaves the Old Forest on January 28th, 3017. She arrives in Bree that same day.


Chapter Two - Bree, Home of the Horse Inn?

Kagome woke that day very differently than the previous. The shadows that haunted her every waking step gave way to bright early morning. And in that moment, she thought for a second she was back at home, in Kaede's village, with the smell of fresh sage in the air. But then soft humming reached her ears and the room slowly sank into focus. Her shoulders slumped and reality set in.

So it wasn't just a bad dream then, she thought sullenly.

Standing, she pulled the curtains free in the nearby window and glanced outside. The glass window glistened with the fresh morning dew and high in the treetops, there were birds chirping along with Goldberry's hum.

Kagome blinked, a barely there sigh upon her lips as she looked about the room. It was wide and spacious. Her clothes and belongings were still in the same place she'd left it last night. So they hadn't touched it then, which was a relief although her current companions didn't seem like the type to steal anything from her. Not that she had anything anyway. Still, she'd been fooled by people who pretended to give her false hospitality and tried to kill her. But Kagome supposed that if she was still alive then perhaps they weren't really evil or bad after all.

She was still wearing her jeans and her school uniform top, she noted with a wrinkle of her nose. How Goldberry and Tom weren't bothered by it, Kagome would never know but she needed a bath and some answers wouldn't hurt either. An unsettling feeling had rooted itself at the pit of her stomach and she refused to accept the impossible until she had exhausted all her options.

The cabin was awfully big but quaint. Like the previous night, it still felt quite warm and homey. There wasn't really a kitchen, maybe a counter and what looked like an oven off to the side. The living area was rather big and there was a hallway that led off to some rooms. The fireplace with the ugly rug was bare and the rocking chair she'd seen Goldberry using last night had been pushed to a corner. It didn't look like they had any plumbing here; but then parts of the world were still primitive even in the twentieth century. Still, their clothing and way of living seemed so far removed from anything modern. Perhaps if she asked Tom or Goldberry?

She swallowed nervously as she went outside, witnessing the woman in question wading near the garden where the river bent. Her dress flowed around her and the mountain lay high above with the foggy mist of that darker place far behind them.

Tom was nowhere to be found and for that, Kagome was thankful because she wasn't sure how she'd feel asking him where she could go to wash herself. It'd only been a day and she could already begin to smell herself. Plus who knew when she'd get another chance to shower and stock up on supplies. It seemed as if she was very far from home and it didn't look like Tom and Goldberry had any mode of transportation. Kagome swallowed uneasily at that thought.

Goldberry turned as she approached and tilted her head, like she expected her to ask her something. How could she put it? She thought for a moment and suppose actions spoke louder than words. She mimicked washing her body and then gestured to the water, hoping Goldberry would understand.

For a second, Kagome wasn't sure she got her point across, but then Goldberry just smiled at her and got out of the water, gesturing with a wave of her hand for her to follow before she grabbed a basket of something from inside the cabin. Nervous, she wondered how she would be able to ask Goldberry where she was or if she'd be able to get an answer anyway. Communicating seemed like it would be a problem.

They walked a bit further down the river bank till they came to a bend that led off to a small lake surrounded by tall trees and shrubs. Everything in the forest seemed so old and...sentient somehow. Kagome found it odd.

Goldberry bent down and waved her near as she tested the water with her fingers. When she stood back up and gestured to her with her hands, Kagome just stared in confusion before it finally dawned on her. Did Goldberry want her to strip right in front of her? She stopped near the edge, feeling embarrassed all of a sudden. Sure, she'd gotten naked in front of Sango before but it felt different with Goldberry. Swallowing her nervousness, Kagome slowly unbuttoned her jeans and shimmied out of them, placing them neatly to the side before doing the same with her top and undergarments. Maybe this was a good time to ask Goldberry about where she was?

She pondered that thought as she stepped into the lake. Surprisingly, the water was lukewarm and it soothed her aching bones. Soft hands grabbed hold of her hair and she jumped, startled, looking back at Goldberry in surprise. She smiled and pulled something out of the basket she brought. It was wrapped in leaves and appeared to be a pink paste of some kind. It smelled wonderful, whatever it was. She expected bottles of shampoo and conditioner but then perhaps they didn't have that here if they lived so primitively. Kagome flinched forward for a second when Goldberry placed some of that sweet-smelling paste into her hands and reached over to her hair.

Was she….was she going to wash her hair for her? Holding her hand out, Kagome indicated the paste but Goldberry continued to smile and gestured to her hair. She conceded, figuring it was probably a lost cause trying to tell her she could do it herself since they couldn't properly communicate.

She was beginning to come to a harrowing conclusion. Just where was she that they seemed so far removed from the entire world? The question rolled around in her head over and over again. If anything, she should have been at the bottom of the Bone-eaters Well on her family's shrine. Not in the middle of a creepy forest with foreigners who didn't speak any English or know a lick of Japanese. They didn't even seem to recognize the language.

With Goldberry's fingers threading through her hair, massaging her scalp, Kagome fell into a trancelike sleep. She woke with a slight start, Goldberry's hand upon her shoulder and the murky water surrounding her. Frowning, she turned to the woman who looked down at her with a smile reminiscent of her mother's. In a moment like this, that's all she wanted to comfort her. Homesickness rolled through her.

"Where…is here?" She asked, her voice trembling as she gestured around her. But Goldberry just tilted her head and smiled, like she hadn't heard her speak. Her shoulders slumped dejectedly.

"Old Forest," Goldberry said a moment later, indicating around her with a sweep of her hand. She repeated it again for good measure but even then, Kagome didn't understand the words.

What exactly did that even mean? It wasn't at all familiar to her.

"Old….forest?" She repeated, the syllables strange on her tongue. Was it a name? That would certainly make sense but then it still wouldn't help her understand how or why she ended up here.

Stepping out of the lake, the cold morning air attacked her skin with a fervor. She shivered, covering her private parts before Goldberry held out a simple brown cloth of some sort. It looked like nothing more than a sheet but she supposed it was better than nothing. Most people in the feudal era didn't even shower, maybe it was the same here? Wherever here was, exactly. She swallowed thickly, pushing that thought aside and refusing to really think too long about it.

She was handed a red dress and matching slippers, which looked like ballet flats. The dress was quite plain upon her, ankle length with white sleeves and ties that fastened in the front. These were what foreigners wore, like in European countries in medieval times. Her hands shook as she swallowed her discomfort and pushed her worries aside. Putting it on was hard, but Goldberry helped her figure out the ties and then handed her something brown looking that resembled underwear. She put the thing on rather uncomfortably and was surprised when Goldberry began combing her hair back and started braiding it for her.

This was all so very strange and surreal. It felt weird to her, wearing clothes that weren't her own with a woman who wasn't quite human and an older man who also wasn't quite human. This couldn't be Feudal Japan. But then where in the world did people like them still exist? Perhaps if she could see a map and had Tom or Goldberry indicate where they were she'd be able to get a better grip on things. They had to be somewhere in the world, things here seemed too medieval. And that scared her.

Later, when they got back to the house and Goldberry began sewing something in her rocking chair, Kagome sat about looking through her things. It was still very dirty and she wasn't sure how to ask Goldberry how she could get her things cleaned by that lake again. And then a thought occurred to her, she could draw out what she wanted! She grabbed the crayons and notebook that she'd gotten for Shippou and set about drawing a rough map of the world that she remembered.

When she was done, she had almost the whole page covered in different colors and tried her best to label each country in English. Tom had come back long ago and lunch had been some bread with meat and cheese that went nicely together. Kagome stood and went over to the duo who looked back at her with smiles on their faces. They were always so happy and joyful, it was hard to stay angry and frustrated with them for not understanding her.

"Amerika," she indicated, pointing to the large green blob that was supposed to resemble the United States. Then she pointed to a red blob a few paces over from it. "Japan," she finished, pointing to herself and then to the map.

When they said nothing, she bit her lip and gestured to them as a whole before pointing to different areas on her makeshift map. "Where is here?"

Tom stepped closer, a hand cupping his chin before a frown marred his usually sunny disposition. He shook his head and then spread his arms out wide and said, "Middle-Earth."

What did that even mean? What was...Middle-Earth? It didn't sound like any country or continent she'd read about. Her hopes were dashed and she sank down to her knees absolutely dispirited. The map lay forgotten at her side and she wasn't sure whether she should be depressed or angry.

She knew then, she couldn't stay here. If they couldn't help her, she had to leave and find someone who could.

The next day, Kagome tried to explain her situation again to either Tom or Goldberry. But they just smiled at her and spoke again in that language she couldn't understand. Their language was altogether strange. It was similar to English but at the same time it wasn't. She'd seen a few books laying around and rummaging through them further proved her theory that she was very, very far from Japan.

Balling her fists, Kagome tried to contain her anger and frustration with her makeshift companions. It was hard not being able to communicate with them or ask them where the nearest town or city was. She thought of just up and leaving but then reality set in and the thought of roaming the countryside without a clue where she was didn't seem like a smart idea. It may have worked out for her a couple times but she almost always got captured and used as ransom or nearly killed by her captors. Sometimes all of them at once.

So no, just leaving was not an option. Plus, neither Tom nor Goldberry wanted her to leave in the first place. And she'd look so rude without repaying their kindness back.

After the first three days, she gave up pressing them for answers everyday and fell into a routine of sorts. She got to go with Tom into the forest and observed him in his natural habitat. Watching him interact with the animals and the very trees itself was mesmerizing. The forest was sentient -almost alive in a way. She didn't know why she didn't sense it immediately but she could feel the forest as if it was a living, breathing thing. She thought places like these died in the modern world but maybe she'd been wrong. And that grey land, where the mist lay heavy and the dark shapes grew darker in the night, it felt odd. She didn't like the feel of that place. If anything, she sought to stay far away from it.

This place just kept getting stranger and stranger. But then, she'd never been anywhere outside of Japan before so perhaps it was a cultural difference?

As the days melted into a week, Kagome got restless.

Between going out in the morning with Tom to pick herbs and helping Goldberry in the kitchen, her days were filled with nonsensical singing and dancing. Not understanding the language was frustrating. Goldberry could probably tell how difficult it was because she began listing off random words to her in that strange language they spoke, with Tom often pointing at the object that correlated with it. Like window, chair, vase or door. Sometimes they tried using it in a sentence but she could only ever make out what they were saying by paying attention to their body language and hand movements.

She learned the language they spoke was called 'Westron'. Westron wasn't so different from English but it was still very hard and difficult to grasp. Often times Tom made a game of it, which made it easier for her to process the words. It was like learning to speak like a toddler all over again. Soon she had a plethora of words in her arsenal. But it wasn't enough to form sentences or have a normal conversation with either Tom or Goldberry. Still, it was a start and by the end of that week, Kagome finally decided she had to leave.

Goldberry probably knew she was leaving because she already had her backpack filled with food and other supplies she might need. Her clothes had all been cleaned and folded along with the red dress and ballet flats she'd first been given. Goldberry had also given her another dress in the same style but in blue and she thought it safer to blend in rather than stand out.

A sunny morning rose and by the time the sun was high in the sky, Kagome was all set to finally go off on her journey. It felt much like leaving home for the first time, when she had finally explained to her mom what happened to her in the Well house. Nodoka Higurashi had just smiled and wished her a safe journey but she never said goodbye. Goldberry was much the same. She just smiled, like she always did, and wished her a safe journey, saying something about 'Valar' and such but Kagome hadn't a clue what she was trying to get at. Whatever it meant sounded like it was important and meaningful in a way so she categorized that to figure out later when she could understand the language better.

"Where forest?" She asked in her broken westron, gesturing outside with her hands. She knew the word for 'forest' and by using her whole body she hoped it would help them understand what she was trying to say.

The words sounded strange on her tongue and she wasn't sure if she got the sentence right but she knew how to say 'thank you', 'yes and no', 'I need help' and 'I don't speak Westron'. The rest were words she learned listening carefully to Tom and Goldberry.

Tom was a merry individual, often dancing or singing a tune Kagome didn't understand because he always spoke in riddles. She learned quickly that while Tom was boisterous and bubbly, he talked very little about the...place she was in. Country; whatever it was.

He said something much too fast for her to keep up, winking at her before smiling. With a skip in his step and a tune upon his lips, Tom went off through the trees without another word.

Kagome sighed, finding it difficult to keep up with the funny way Tom spoke. But she trusted him to lead her to the next village or city safely, at least until she could get some real answers and maybe ask someone for help. But something told her it wasn't going to be that easy.

She waved back at Goldberry, running after Tom with her backpack full and her footsteps heavy with anticipation. She opted to wear her brown shoes but kept on the stockings and the blue ankle length dress that Goldberry gave her. They were better to travel in than the simple ballet flats.

They walked for sometime and when they broke the tree line, there was a large clearing with rolling green hills and mounds off in the distance. The day grew on and they walked, with the sun beating down against them. Kagome was glad they weren't cutting through that area with the strange mounds. The fog alone made it look eerie.

She shuddered and looked away from that strange place. Traveling in a dress was far different than wearing a skirt. She didn't know how Sango did it half the time, wearing a Yukata on a daily basis. Tom said not a word to her and he never complained about the slow pace, just kept singing something merry that lifted her spirits. She wasn't so good that she could understand what he or Goldberry sang about constantly. But even so, the merry tune felt nice.

With the grasslands far behind them, Tom suddenly stopped and turned to her, gesturing with his hand to the wide dirt path before them.

So this was it then, where Tom finally left her? She swallowed thickly, unwilling to admit out loud that she would miss Tom. He'd been such a good soul and though his singing was nothing like Goldberry's, she'd miss that too.

"I...go now?" She questioned sadly, her hands trembling. When Tom just smiled and nodded his head, she forced herself to reciprocate the smile and finally get on her way.

She bowed, rather fiercely, and thanked him as best she could in westron. Tom patted her back and said something back to her, which sounded like some kind of farewell before he offered her a flower from his pocket. He held the small lily out to her and she took it with a thanks, tucking it into her hair before she bowed at the waist and finally set off on the dirt path.

She couldn't see where the road led but if she followed it then maybe it led somewhere. Or past somewhere at least. She wasn't so confident in her ability to ask Tom what the name of the nearest village was and she supposed she wouldn't be able to say it either.

There wasn't anyone on the road and she suppose perhaps there weren't many who took this path or lived nearby because the ground began to grow uneven with overgrown grass sprouting everywhere. The hills rolled on for what seemed like miles and there were sparse trees that lined the area and dotted the horizon. She wasn't sure how long it would take to get to the next town but she hoped it wouldn't take more than a day. By herself, Kagome was made much more aware than ever just how alone she was. But her determination to get answers and maybe find a way home, fueled her footsteps and kept her going.

The day grew long and the sun began to set low in the sky by the time she found anything that remotely resembled a town. She could just see where the road got narrower and then, it evened out and the grass grew more short now as buildings loomed in the distance. There were many people in this town it seemed, she could sense them milling about.

The first of it she could just barely make out, with people streaming in and out a large gate with wagons and...horses! They had horses here! She'd only seen a handful of horses in the Feudal Era; only high ranking lords and officials had horses. The thought of a warm bed and actual people filled her with just the slightest bit of happiness. Someone had to know something here, she thought.

Kagome ran with a smile on her face, up to a large wall that was made of stone and wood. There were more people coming from the path ahead of her going through the large doors constantly streaming to and fro. She wondered why the path she took was so empty and bare.

Stepping up behind a caravan full of vegetables and fruits, Kagome peered around curiously and stared at the comings and goings with wide eyes.

The town was bustling with life but it was like nothing she'd ever seen before. Her smile fell and then it hit her like a ton of bricks. The place was a pigsty, sprawling with a stench so strong she almost felt like vomiting. It reeked of urine, feces and something else she didn't want to think about. This was worse than picking through demon entrails. She covered her mouth for good measure, holding her breath as she walked through. The streets were full of busy people walking back and forth, some tall and lanky, with long hair and heavy beards. Some were fairly short and she almost mistook a few for children but when she peered at their faces, they looked grown.

She swallowed uneasily. This was the ghettos, the slums. The buildings were run down and old, but some she noticed looked fairly nicer than others. They were snug up against each other, built literally so close that people were shouting to each other from window to window. There were pubs and storefronts with pretty signs swinging from hingies above them and glass windows with crosshatch patterns.

As she walked more into town, Kagome noticed a lot of the men prowling the streets had swords at their hips. She eyed a few of them warily, uncomfortable with the fact she was defenseless and more than a little out of her depth. She'd come across samurai and bandits before but they often paled in comparison to demons. But back then, she had the aid of the Inutaichi by her side. Here, in this strange place, she was alone and completely defenseless. Like a lamb left for slaughter.

Kagome shivered at the comparison but she put the fear out of her mind, steeling her nerves.

Someone behind her shouted and she jumped, whirling around as an older man with a scraggly beard snarled at her with a wooden stick in his hands. She bowed her head, the lily falling from her hair with an apology on her lips but then realized he probably wouldn't understand her.

The old man went on his way, ignoring her completely but people stopped and stared, some more openly than others. She felt too exposed and this town wasn't at all what she imagined it would be. The people didn't look friendly and some were even missing teeth! That wasn't such a strange sight, most people in the feudal era didn't believe in clean hygiene so maybe it was the same here? Her head rolled at the thought.

She ducked her head and ran down the street, nearly avoiding colliding with a drunkard who stumbled out of the pub with an angry man shouting at him.

The man was quite robust, an apron around his waist and nearly a full head of hair but it was clear as day he was balding. His cheeks were red and rosy, his face looking a bit mad but his expression fell once he turned and saw her. She stared at him, unsure what to say or do because she was lost, alone and just a tiny bit scared. Suddenly all the words she learned from Tom and Goldberry seemed useless.

It must've shown on her face because the man smiled, his moustache more pronounced than ever as he waved her in. Her shoulders slumped in relief and she felt grateful at least one person in this town could help her. They seemed very different than Tom and Goldberry; not at all warm and inviting like she'd hoped. But then what had she hoped for? Miroku wasn't here to sweet talk the village leader and Inuyasha wasn't here to scare people into submission. She didn't even have Sango's comfort to lean on, much less confide in.

Swallowing her discomfort and wayward fears, Kagome followed after the robust man. There were horses lined up outside the strange pub and when she looked up at the sign above the entrance, there was a neighing white horse and words she couldn't read below it.

Was it a horse inn? Maybe a place where people kept their horses? She wasn't sure, but she hurried after the man when his form disappeared inside the building. They stepped into a quaint room, which wasn't exactly a room at all but more of a resting place, really. The floorboards were littered with dirt and something else she didn't want to think about. The smell here wasn't nearly as bad as outside but still, it reeked quite badly. She wondered if it was from the people but then didn't put much stock in it.

Her pack felt like a weight upon her backside as she followed the robust man through a pair of swinging doors, where coarse laughter and jaunty singing reached her ears. Inside, the inn was bustling with life. It was packed full of people from wall to wall and there wasn't a single table that was left empty. Oddly enough, there were nothing but men here and the reality of it made her that much more aware of how dangerous it was being a female and completely defenseless. Had it been a good idea to follow this strange man? Her instincts had never led her astray yet but still, was he friend or foe?

At this point, Kagome wasn't sure she had a choice in the matter.

There was a tall counter that the balding man disappeared behind, where a group of tall, older men were waiting at. Most of them had swords at their hips, like every other occupant in the inn. It sent a strange shiver of worry up her spine; without the feel of her bow and quiver of arrows at her back, Kagome would never feel safe.

The man left her to the side while he tended to his guests. She garnered some stares from people, but that was made even more obvious now that she realized she was probably the only woman in here. Suddenly, Kagome was glad Goldberry had given her dresses that were modest and unflattering. Still though, the increasing number of stares she began receiving from the occupants of the room was unnerving. Her skin prickled with unease and she grew more uncomfortable as the day wore on.

There was a small comfort in the fact that maybe she could get some answers here, since it seemed like a pub where everyone convinced too and someone here was bound to know something to help her. Maybe someone here could understand her? Perhaps Tom and Goldberry had it all wrong after all? She hoped, with all she had, but there was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her otherwise.

For a while, Kagome just stood there off to the side while the balding man worked behind the counter. The day grew on and the crowd in the inn began to thin until finally, blessedly, only a few groups remained here and there. One of those little people had come by sometime during the chaos and offered her a chair while she waited for the man, whom she now began to assume was the owner, to finish with his work.

He came around to her then, looking down at her with a smile that she couldn't quite return. She tried, in vain, feeling a strange sort of nervous shiver down her spine. Right, how did she approach this now? With Tom and Goldberry, it was easier because they just seemed to know for some reason. Or maybe they didn't and just decided to humor her during the time she spent there.

No, she had to focus. Panicking wouldn't get her anywhere. Kagome stood, back ramrod straight. She wasn't helpless, someone had to know something and give her answers.

She tried Japanese first, to no avail. Chinese was next, then what little she knew of Korean, Russian, and then, finally, English. Each attempt only garnered her a head tilt until the furrow between his brows became more pronounced and deep. Her shoulders deflated and he looked at her sadly, his hands clasped in front of him.

"I...no speak...Westron." She tried, after a beat of silence. It was harder to call upon the words she learned from Tom and Goldberry but apparently the robust man understood because he finally smiled and nodded his head.

He placed a hand to his chest, saying, "Butterbur." He repeated himself several times more and Kagome got the inkling that perhaps that was his name? It certainly wasn't a question, his tone and hand gestures indicated he was repeating his name. She frowned, unsure.

"Butter...bur," she tried, the syllables sounding strange on her tongue. She pointed to him and said it again, lighting up when he nodded his head enthusiastically. So his name was Butterbur! A strange name, but she felt proud they managed to get somewhere and finally she had a name to match the face.

Butterbur gestured to her with a hand, waiting patiently. Right, she had to introduce herself too. Better to just come out and say it. "Kagome," she said firmly, patting her chest. She repeated herself several times because Butterbur kept saying it wrong but after the fifth or sixth time, she relented and just smiled, albeit awkwardly.

"I…," She started, unsure where to go from here. They got names down but now he was just staring at her in confusion and helplessness. He wasn't sure how to help her and it was their lack of being able to communicate that prevented them from moving forward. She huffed out a frustrated breath. This was getting annoying.

The doors behind her swung open and another group of people came through. Butterbur looked away from her and went back around the counter to help them, leaving her standing there unsure and helpless.

What did she do? Butterbur couldn't understand her and the chances of anybody here understanding her were slim to none. It was...very frustrating, to say the least. Kagome wanted to scream and shut her eyes, then maybe when she opened them again it would all just be a bad dream.

But no, reality stared her straight in the eye and suddenly, her situation seemed far more complicated than before. After some time, she sat back down and watched the comings and goings without really seeing them. She thought up all the ways she came to be here and warred internally with herself about what to do. What could she do? At this point, she had nothing but the pack on her back and nothing else.

Get a grip, she reprimanded herself. She slapped her cheeks for good measure and pushed any depressing thoughts out of her mind. It wasn't like her to be so down about something that was out of her control. She bawled her fists and categorized what was most important at the moment.

Shelter and food. To get those, she probably needed the currency, since it didn't seem like they traded goods here and she didn't have anything to offer anyway. Yes, a job for now to get her through. She stood, now that she had a clear game plan.

Butterbur had just got done helping another group of those little people, when she approached him with a more determined look on her face.

He turned to her approach, coming around the counter to peer down at her. He seemed rather impatient this time, probably because she was monopolizing his time away from his customers.

Kagome gestured hurriedly to the inn, then pointed to one of those little people that kept running around with serving trays of food on them. Butterbur stared back at her questioningly, confused. She gestured again to them, but grabbed a gold coin someone had left on the counter. Pointing to it, then to herself before making a sweeping motion with her hand. She mimicked washing dishes and carrying serving trays to indicate she wanted to work here. Did he understand? Would he give her work?

Butterbur thought for a moment, stroking his mustache with one hand as he looked at her. Understanding finally dawned and she peered up at him hopefully as he smiled at her.

He waved her to follow as he turned and led her away from the counter to where another pair of swinging doors were. She followed curiously, anxious to get out of the line of so many unnerving stares. There were two pairs of swinging doors they passed, one that was only waist high and another that was a normal height. She stared curiously at them, as the sound of banging pots and pans reached her ears. Another of those little people came through the smaller doors, a serving tray ladened with food on it.

She knew there were humans out there who had birth defects but they didn't have any aura she was familiar with. These little people, they were unlike anything she'd ever seen before. They felt different too, not quite human but not a demon either.

This place was beginning to get stranger and stranger, Kagome thought.

Moving past the busy part of the inn, Butterbur led her up a fleet of stairs where a hallway with rooms lay. Up here, it was empty and she wondered if these were guest rooms. She had no money to give Butterbur but hopefully her little charade told him enough so she wouldn't have to worry about money.

The hallway was dimly lit, with a single lamp lit by the window at the far end. The fading light outside lit the hall enough that they weren't just blindly walking in the dark. It was a bit musty up here, she noticed. Butterbur led her to a small room all the way at the very end of the hall. The room was very dusty, like it hadn't been used in ages. The furniture was rough and old, like if she sat on anything it might break. The window near the bed was curated over with cobwebs and years of dirt that she could barely see outside. Still, it was something. Kagome suppose she'd just have to clean it herself and make it liveable.

She perused the room, a feeling of finality settling into her bones. This isn't permanent, she reminded herself. Temporary. Just for now.

Butterbur turned to her and it occurred to her that he was torn between wanting to speak with her and going back to attend to his guests. She couldn't take up his time but she had to try, once again, to ask him about this place.

Holding up both hands in a stop gesture, she pulled out her crude map she made in Tom and Goldberry's cabin. Kagome held it up and asked as best she could, where on the map they were. Maybe she was in denial, or maybe Tom had it wrong, but she fervently hoped Butterbur had an answer for her.

"Where…? Um, here? Amerika? Or different place?" She asked in her broken westron. The words in her head were a jumbled mess and she was sure she may be butchering the language.

Butterbur cupped his chin and peered closely at the map but shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. Her shoulders deflated and her arms fell to the side, defeated. He patted her on the arm and left thereafter, closing the door behind him quietly.

As she settled down that night at the Horse Inn, Kagome wished not for the first time that she had the support of the Inutaichi here with her.