Though the fur surrounding Kagome was plush, warm, and softer than any silk, still sleep eluded her. She could feel Sesshomaru's disproving gaze burning a hole through the curtain of her hair as she shivered within the protection of the mokomoko. Soon the soothing aura of the inu brought rationality back to her mind and her trembling eased somewhat.

You're being ridiculous... Yoko may not recognize the aura but Sesshomaru would not be so calm if he'd caught even a whiff of Naraku. She ran her hand absently over the fur that twitched under her hands. There's no way he's still alive. I was just freaked from that nightmare.

Though she tried to reassure herself she had to bite her tongue to keep from asking the daiyoukai about whether or not he had sensed anything several times. He would only find it insulting that she did not trust his instincts, indeed already he looked a little insulted by her persistent anxiety. A few beats of silence ensued.

"Must have been some nightmare." Yoko commented offhandedly from where he reclined on his side across the low flames of the fire. He wrinkled his nose, "I can literally taste your terror." Kagome sunk further into her makeshift bed as two demanding sets of golden eyes locked onto her and she took a shivering breath to steady her nerves before she began.

"It was Naraku." Had her audience been human perhaps they would have missed her words as softly as she had spoken, as it was, mokomoko tightened slightly and Sesshomaru's accusing glare melted just a bit. "We were inside him, again... you were fighting Magatsuhi." Kagome's other hand drifted to Tessaiga, "I just returned Tessaiga to..." She swallowed, "But instead of how-how it really happened Naraku caught me. I could feel him." She choked back bile and was unable to continue for a moment. "He taunted me as he absorbed you and Inuyasha...He always kills Inuyasha." She let the silence stretch between them.

"You have these nightmares often?" Yoko's voice broke the peace. His eyes held an ethereal shine as the light of the fire danced across his face and threw his features into sharp relief.

"Recently...almost every night." Her voice was a choked whisper, "But never so real, and...and I thought I felt him when I was washing up." The mokomoko vibrated with Sesshomaru's low growl and she cringed as the fur raised like the hackles on an dog.

"Impossible." His voice rumbled in his chest as he spoke, "there is no threat near. Rest, miko." The fur wrapped her securely in its embrace. "We will fly the remaining distance at dawn." Sesshomaru's declaration relaxed her more than she would have thought possible and she closed her eyes gratefully.

"Never thought I'd see the great lord Sesshomaru coddling anyone." Yoko jibed as Kagome's soft breathing once again filled their makeshift camp. He smirked as he was rewarded with a soft rumble and a baring of fang. "Much less a human woman." The fox stretched out in the grass and bared some fang of his own at the stars fading into the pre-dawn sky.

Perhaps it wouldn't rankle so badly if the girl had shown a bit of inclination towards himself, but so far she had evaded him and cowered away at every turn. He held in the irritated noise as his eyes drifted back to the woman, there was no way she was immune to his charms. He'd have her infatuated and bedded by the end of this journey, no matter how many guard dogs stood in the way.


"Oh wow!" Kagome gasped as what could only be described as a castle town slowly came into view from over the horizon. "I never thought I'd be able to see a demon city." The miko practically vibrated with excitement from where she clung to his mokomoko. Sesshomaru ignored her but his gaze narrowed at something her eyes could not yet pick up.

"I never thought I'd see anything so scrumptious." Yoko commented from where he ran beneath them. He wondered how long the young woman had been going without underwear for, and if he was loosing his touch having not noticed her bereft condition sooner. Lucky for the fox Kagome could not hear his low-spoken observation from where she clung to the inu in the sky, and the dog himself seemed intent on ignoring him.

As the pair drew nearer to the town the miko covered her mouth in horror at the sight.

The westernmost edge of the town was blackened and the houses torn asunder. They passed directly over the damage on the way to the Japanese-style castle. The courtyard filled with bustling bodies as the inu descended with the now nervous miko. This had to be just a coincidence, there was no way that Naraku was here... even if the wanton destruction did strike a terrifyingly familiar chord.

"My lord!" A nasally voice grated against the inu's ears and soured his mood further. "My lord we've had an incident!"

"Jaken. Have a room prepared in the family wing." Sesshomaru ordered and as the imp looked up in surprise his eyes nearly fell out of their sockets as he caught sight of Kagome.

"A human!" He squealed with surprise and no little fear. "But m'lord -" A sharp look from the daiyoukai promptly silenced any protests from the imp as well as the nervous murmurs of the audience.

"Have the room and a handmaiden made ready. Then we will speak." He strode forward and paused as he realized the miko was no longer attached to his fur. He glanced over his shoulder and saw her hesitating under the scrutiny of the servants. "Come." He bade and continued when she complied.

The daiyoukai lead her through the private gardens and to the bathhouse reserved mostly for himself, though it was meant to service his pack. He did not spare her his attention and so her uncharacteristically reserved demeanor did not meet his notice.

"Clothes will be brought you and you will be lead to your rooms." He managed in clipped tones as he let her thanks roll off of his stiff back. He ignored his scribe who bowed as he passed and entered the quiet space. His favorite brew of tea was waiting on his desk; it was a shame the drink would go untouched.

Jaken was cringing before he even properly entered the office and nearly died of fright as his lords golden orbs pinned him to the wall. The long-time retainer prostrated himself and tried to keep the quiver out of his voice.

"T-thirty dead milord, including the blacksmith Hikken." The room vibrated with the low rumble emanating from his lord. Hikken had been the late Totosai's son, and the daiyoukai had valued him and his work greatly. "The attack came two nights ago at dusk. A horde of low-class demons swarmed forth and broke against the outer wall, while the guardsmen were distracted several dozen higher class youkai penetrated our defenses. They were repelled quickly, milord but not quickly enough." The imp trembled before his lord, for his silence was sometimes more thunderous than his growls.

Sesshomaru's golden gaze narrowed as Jaken continued his report, his mind could not help but go to what the miko had said about sensing Naraku the night prior, this attack definitely reflected the spider hanyou's tactics.

"What have the trackers to report?" The choked squeak that reached the inu's ears did not bode well for the topic.

"Several scouts were sent out immediately after the attack, milord. None have returned." The imp managed not to stutter.

Sesshomaru had been planning on assisting the miko on her next quest, but this threat to his lands could not go unpunished. He caught a frustrated growl before it could rumble in his throat. He hated bringing that creature into his domain, and he hated more trusting the miko's safety to the lowly thief. He was the only companion left to her, however, and much as the dog hated it the fox's power would be sufficient.

"There is a silver kitsune outside the city. Bring him."


Kagome slid into the hot water with a relieved sigh. She'd only been here maybe a half-hour and she already knew something was terribly amiss. She hadn't seen Sesshomaru so icy since she'd first met him in the feudal era and he was still fighting with Inuyasha. Kagome had seen the extent of the town's damage and while it wasn't the largest area of destruction she had witnessed she also knew there was no way whoever had been caught up in the attack had survived it.

Destruction and desolation were not new to Kagome, she had buried countless villages during her quest to destroy the Shikon, each more ravaged than the last as the journey had continued on. What did it mean this time? Surely nobody in their right mind would pick a fight by attacking the town under lord Sesshomaru's protection.

Kagome followed the servant that had brought her kimono from the bathhouse with the folded fire-rat haori held tightly to her chest. She could feel the shit hitting the fan as Sesshomarus barely controlled youkai spilled out from somewhere within his palace. Apparently the news was worse than she initially thought with the rage and frustration she could feel pulsing through his aura.

Her mind trailed once again to the dream she'd had and the aura she had sensed near the river. She knew she had not been imagining things, and this attack that rankled of Naraku didn't help to ease her mind.

She stepped into her room and closed the sliding door behind her and fell gratefully into the soft bed. Sleeping in Sesshomaru's mokmoko was better than a sleeping bag, but nothing beat a real bed after a hot bath.

She was asleep before she hit the pillow.


Cushy. Yoko thought to Shuichi as he was lead through the palace towards the darkly pulsating youkai of the irritated inu. May have to come back and snoop through the treasury when we're done with spirit detective work. The fox fought to keep a grin off of his face as he imagined robbing the place blind and evading the powerful dog. Though he would be just as satisfied spiriting the miko away for some quality alone time.

"I hear you've some use for me?" The kitsune resisted antagonizing the pooch further, he did like his head attached after all, and he could feel the turbulence in the youkai's aura from the outside of the town. The figure of the inu would have been imposing if Yoko did not have at least five-inches on him, not including his ears. The dog did not look up from what he was writing on the desk as he spoke.

"You will be accompanying the miko, alone." The daiyoukai said as he sealed the parchment he had been writing and stood from behind the desk. "You will allow no harm to come to her." The inu brought his face close and allowed the slightest rumble of a growl to permeate his next words, "you will not touch her in an any way she deems unfit, or there will not be enough left of you to fill another human vessel."

"So fierce." He purred, "One would think you wanted her maidenhead for yourself." The thought caused a flash of something tight and unpleasant in his gut but he did not dwell on the feeling. The fox did not expect an answer from the daiyoukai and he certainly did not expect the dog's savage reaction. Sesshomaru's claws dug deeply into the flesh at either side of his throat and he was pushed back against the wall with a loud thump as the inu lifted him from his feet.

"You will not touch her." He reiterated with a terrifyingly cold expression. "This Sesshomaru will find you when his business is finished." Yoko was then dropped unceremoniously back to the ground and rubbed his bleeding throat as he bared his fangs at the dog's back while cold fury settled into his chest. That sounded like the dog had issued him a challenge. His baring of fangs turned into a feral grin.

There was nothing Yoko enjoyed more than a challenge.

A/N

Thank you to everyone who has been following this story so far and I hope you continue to enjoy it!