Chapter 7... and I do not own InuYasha! :) Enjoy the story!
Kagome stared out into the horizon. The sun had not yet risen, and not a sound could be heard. It was the perfect moment to leave the palace. Kagome finished putting on a traditional miko robe, and tucking her Shikon no Tama on the inside. She grabbed a pack of food and necessities and tied it around her back. She did not want to be recognized. Today, she would walk the world as who she dreamed of being; a normal girl. Kagome quickly scribbled a note and left it at Kira's bed side.
I will return later this evening. Do not worry about me. ^.- I will do nothing foolish.
Love, Kagome
Kagome walked away from the Northern palace, and into the lush forest. She had a journey ahead of her. Kagome was at the edge of the Northern Lands, standing in a village that was on the border, warm lights radiating from the small huts, and the sound of peaceful sleeping people made her feel glad. She had felt her body being attracted to a nearing demonic aura, she noticed dismally. She had no will to go where her day would be ruined. Reluctantly, she followed her senses, nothing that it better be worthwhile. Bitter winds lashed at her as she neared. She knew she had a choice of whether to save these humans from destruction, or she could wait until the Youkai arrived, and slaughtered these people. She did not need to think twice, as she saw a figure come up to her. He had rough featured, and eyes as blue as the sky. He ran up to her, showing her his claws, and snapping a mouth full of sharp fangs at her.
"Are you waiting to die, ningen?" The male wolf Youkai asked, as he tried to be as intimidating as can be.
Kagome gave him a weary smile, she did not want to fight, nor see a whole village destroyed.
"I have no desire to die, but nor do I have the desire to see you slaughter these humans."
"Why would you protect these roaches, that spawn so quickly, that slaughter my fellow Youkai? That take over our lands, and ruin our kind? Why do you defend them?" he asked her angrily.
"I protect them because they may be weak, and their lives worth nothing to you, but they have theright to live freely, as you do. Our own selfish desires manifest the need for us to purse those desires, even it it means wiping out a whole race. Other than that, I do not defend anybody that wants to kill. I am simply trying to spare lives, even yours."
The wolf eyed her closely, his blue eyes piercing through her, studding her. His eyes went wide, as he suddenly realized something.
"Your no ningen..." he whispered.
Kagome had no time to pay attention to his observation of her, and turned her head slightly, feeling the presence of a group of humans. She fully turned around, and found that just about all the village men stood there armed, and ready. Their eyes were dark with anger, and a fiery lust to destroy the monster behind her was accumulating. They held to their weapons, their knuckles turning white in the process. The bitter cold whipped around the, causing the hairs on their skin to stand.
Kagome mustered all the courage she could, and spoke aloud, she would never show her fear to anybody, and it was a valuable lesson that her dear trainer had taught her through the many years of her upbringing.
"Go back into your homes, and no harm will come your way," Kagome said loudly.
A tough guy, who seemed to be the village leader gave out an angry shout at her.
"Your place is not here onna, stay back if you know what's good for you. If you do not move out of my way, it will either be me or that damned monster to kill ya."
"You have no reason to attack, he has not specified that his intentions were to harm your village, or you."
Kagome could feel the Wolf Youkai's anger behind her sparking like a fire and a low fierce growl beginning to form. She knew in any moment he would strike them if she didn't do something. Carefully, she put her hand on the Youkai's shoulder, and calmly held him back. Hopefully, he would get the idea that she was trying to prevent a devastating situation.
"You bitch! You betray your own kind to help a monster?" The village leader asked her as he ran towards her, his sword armed. She would defend herself, but do as little harm as possible to the man that was certainly planning to kill her. She grabbed a club laying nearby and with little force, she slammed it against his knees. The impact forced him to the ground and sent his sword sprawling a few feet away. She looked down at him, with pity in her eyes.
"I am not your kind, and I betray no one." She looked up at the villagers who stared at her in awe.
One of them, a bold one perhaps, shouted, "You are a Miko, onna, yet you protect this monster!" he said as he pointed to the wolf demon, which was clearly ready to charge.
"I do not protect this monster, I am merely wanted to spare any more bloodshed. Go back to your homes, your warm beds, and your families. Think of what this fighting is doing to you! It is destroying you! The hatred between Youkai and Humans will be the downfall of both races." She shouted, her anger escalating.
"You are a pitiful onna, and you should be ashamed to call yourself a Miko." another said.
"You do not know me, you do not know what or who I am, and you have no right to judge me. Go back to your homes, and watch over your families if they are important to you, instead of standing here and judging my actions or my decisions."
"I can see what you are, and you are a Miko, that betrays humans for monsters."
"I do not owe you an explanation for anything. I rather help them walk past a bloody field when nighttime settles. You clearly do not listen to my words."
The man was about to speak again, but a young women appeared by his side, she was a pretty women with dark jet black hair and gray eyes, full of sadness. She held the mans arm, and looked up at him.
"She is right, husband. She merely tried to protect us, she deserves our thanks instead of our insults. Let us go back, and take care of our leader. She is a good onna, I know it." The women turned to Kagome and smiled, while a few men came to carry back their dazed leader.
"Arigato..."
"Kagome."
"Arigato, Kagome." She smiled.
The woman's husband looked at his wife and nodded. At least she could change his heart, if Kagome couldn't.
"I do not need your thanks." Kagome said, before the man could say anything.
He nodded, a sorry look in his eyes. The villagers slowly went back into their huts, leaving Kagome and the wolf demon alone.
Kagome faced the wolf, and let down her barrier.
"Please, do not harm them. I ask this of you." She said as she walked away, her eyes locked at the endless horizon.
The Youkai was mystified at the onna's actions. Why would she go to such great lengths to spare these humans...and him? He took in her scent, and felt the sweet aroma filling his body. She smelt of Sakura blossoms and rain. As soon as she was engulfed in the tall tree's again he ran up to her and stood himself before her.
"What are you?" he asked.
Her eyes turned darker, her sadness clearly showing.
"I am fates favorite toy."
He narrowed his eyes at her, "You smell very lightly of a human, yet something about you tells me you are not."
He focused his eyes at her attire, taking in every detail from the long dark hair, those large blue piercing eye's to the plain miko robe she wore so gracefully.
"There are few onna's who hold themselves so well... I'd even go so far as to say that you are privileged."
Her words ran dry and her thoughts stopped.
He could tell this, and continued talking.
"You are the guardian of the Shikon no Tama, the princess of the Northern palace, a Miko with undoubted strong power. Yet that still does not explain why you went to such great lengths to risk your life to protect those bugs and stop me from exterminating them."
She looked at up, stunned that he did not even know the answer.
"Bloodshed is not the answer to all our problems. My life was not very much at risk, anyway. I may be a onna, and I may be walking alone, but I can certainly defend myself from a few angry villagers, and a Wolf Youkai."
He gave out a laugh that rang in her ears like bells.
"You are a brave onna. You have won my respect"
Kagome gave him a smile.
"Walk with me, I would like to learn more of you."
Kagome nodded and they walked together. His company made her feel calm and happy, yet she was curious why he was showing her such kindness. Respect is different from kindness.
"Why are you being kind to me? I may be a Miko, but that is certainly no reason to show me kindness. Especially with you being a wolf Youkai."
"Hmm..." he said as he stopped and rubbed his chin like he was thinking.
He shrugged, "I do not know, maybe another day I can answer your question."
"I do not even know your name..." She said lightly.
"Gomen, I should have told you! I am Kouga, Prince of the Eastern Wolf tribe he said proudly." his eyes traveled down to the ground to a bunch of tiny blue flower with yellow centers. He picked them up and smiled as he handed them to Kagome.
"Here."
She took the flowers...a slight sense of nostalgia easing into her.
~x*x*x*x*x~
Sesshomaru was certain that unsightly smell coming from the North was his han'yo brother, InuYasha. No smell on earth could be worse than his, not even a humans. Sesshomaru rapidly reached the location of his brother, and stopped. His cold eyes stared at his brother with a pure hatred. The han'yo was stupidly holding his father's sword, the sword he should have gotten. Tetsusaiga had a power that his half breed brother would never be able to master. It had taken InuYasha more than a few minutes to recognize that he was standing between the trees watching him.
"Come to fight me again, Sesshomaru?" InuYasha said, with a uncertain confidence.
"I prefer to kill you, not just fight you." Sesshomaru said flatly, as if it were a fact.
Sesshomaru unsheathed Tokijin and charged at InuYasha with swift speed. He slashed at InuYasha, sending blue waves of energy toward his brother.
InuYasha dogged his attacks, but not effortlessly. Every move took a toll on InuYasha's body. Very few could counter Sesshomaru's superior attacks, nonetheless survive them.
~*x*x*x*x*x~
Kouga stopped for a moment and froze, his nose stuck in the air. Kagome turned and looked at him with a peculiar look.
"Do you sense something?"
"I'm surprised you haven't yet."
Kagome turned and looked in the same directions his eyes had averted to. In a flash, Kouga was at the scene ahead of them, nothing but a sand particles floating behind him. Kagome ran quickly, but definitely not as fast as Kouga, or any Youkai could. She reached Kouga's side, perplexed. Before them, was a face she absolutely recognized, and one she was oblivious to. No one could mistake the TaiYoukai who was attacking with advanced agility and grace. A fire replaced the usual icy look in his eyes; it burned so fierce it was surreal. Kagome knew this would be a bad situation to be in, and quickly tried to reach for Kouga, but her hand whisked though empty air. In a second, she saw him standing between the battle, a satisfied grin on his face. He wanted in on the action.
Sesshomaru and InuYasha seized their fight and stared at the intruder. If Sesshomaru was angry a moment ago, now he was on the verge of absolute instability. Kagome could notice the red tint in his eyes, appearing and reappearing.
"WEELLLL if it isn't the half-breed InuYasha and his half brother, fancy seeing you two here! I was sure I smelled something awful, but little did I know it was dog. Although, I am not surprised." Kouga said smugly.
"Hey! Who you calling dog?!" InuYasha countered.
"You, you dirty mutt." Kouga laughed.
"You better shut that mouth of yours, or I'll do it for you!" InuYasha yelled
Kagome averted her gaze to Sesshomaru. His fists were clenched, as if he were trying to hold himself.
"Move, wolf. I have no problem killing you, as well as my half-breed brother."
"Hey! Who said I'D let YOU kill ME!" InuYasha yelled at Sesshomaru
Kagome saw Sesshomaru had no intent on relinquishing the battle, and she quickly reached for a arrow.
Just as Sesshomaru directed his attack and Kouga, Kagome shot an arrow, countering his attack. She watched as he gracefully dodged the pure light. 'So he does know I am here.' She thought. Without even turning to her, he spoke. His voice was fully of an icy edge.
"I will not tolerate interference, ningen."
"I will not tolerate that edge in your voice, nor your pompous attitude. I have as much right to defend as you do attack."
In a second, he had his hand around her neck, against the rough tree bark.
"It was not your attack to defend. I will not warn you again." Kagome could feel his hand burning into her skin.
"Kagome!" Kouga cried. "Get your dirty paws off her, or I'll all that will be pinned on that tree is that feminine face of yours!"
Kagome did not move her gaze from his eyes. She refused to let him talk to her like that. The pain in her neck (literally) was becoming unbearable, yet she would not show him that.
Sesshomaru let her go, and turned away. As she watched his silhouette disappear in the distance, Kouga rushed to her side, and the one called InuYasha stood beside them.
"Are you alright, Kagome?" Kouga asked.
"I'm fine."
"That dog sure can be stubborn."
Kagome smiled faintly, and met InuYasha's eyes. He stared at them awkwardly, and finally offered some words.
"There is a old miko nearby who can heal your wound."
Kagome nodded and Kouga said, "You lead the way."
~*x*x*x*x*x~
Well, that is the end of chapter 7! I am aware that Sesshomaru may not seem to be warming up at all, but I want to stay true to his character as much as I am able to. What is the point of making him love sick when it is fun to see him resistant? I hope you enjoyed reading, and please, feel free to give some feedback with reviews!
Love, YourDarlingWriter