Previously:
There was something of satisfaction in her eyes watching him. He didn't kill her for some reason, although if she had said that ten months ago, he would have. Not to mention she had seen more of him over the past few months than she had the whole time she was with Inuyasha. Was he maybe following her?
Kagome shook the absurd idea from her mind as she turned to walk away. The Great Lord Sesshomaru following her? Impossible.
Chapter Four
Change
His sensitive nose sniffed carefully at the warm air. The scent of wildflowers and maple trees mingled with one another. The scent he craved was no where to be found. The hanyou growled defiantly at the doubt in him telling him to give up.
He had to give her credit; she did a very good job of covering her tracks. He had sniffed the arrow he knew was hers to memorize her new scent. It smelled of nature now: spring air, daisies, maple, oak, lilacs. There was only a small trace of the scent she used to carry.
The hanyou had arrived at the village only two days after the arrow was shot, according to Sango and Miroku. But she had somehow covered and incredible distance in that time. And by then, her scent had faded and given way to the oncoming spring scents.
Fist connected with bark as he filtered his anger through the action. The tree toppled over, cracking and splintering, until it fell to the forest floor.
It had to have been about a year now. It was driving him insane with guilt, concern, and a hint of lust. He just wanted her in his arms now, protecting her like he always did. He shouldn't have been so harsh that day. He wished she had seen that he wasn't really angry with her; he was just frustrated over their loss. She just happened to be the target of his emotions.
The determination to get her back was stronger than ever. He had begun to lose hope after the first few moons went past. How she survived this whole time, he would never know. Demons had been attacking more frequently lately, but he figured if she could survive a year by herself, she'd be fine.
Naraku had appeared once over the time she'd been absent. He stayed around long enough to see if they had the last jewel shard. But once he realized Kagome was no longer in their party, he didn't show up again, although he must be watching them from a distance, without a doubt. The annoying bastard was the furthest thing from him mind, however.
"Anything Inuyasha?" a voice called from behind him. He turned to see Sango's worried eyes piercing him with hope.
He shook his head, but continued the way they had been headed. They would find her, even if it was the last thing he committed to.
He still didn't know why she left. Did she want time along? She could have just stayed at home for a while if that was the case. Or maybe she had decided to depart from them to find the last shard herself. But why would she do that? That would have gone a lot faster if the whole group was together.
The hanyou shook his head. It would just be a question she'd have to answer once they found her.
Where was she right now? What was she doing? Was she safe? He couldn't shake the urge he always got to come to her rescue. That was the reason for this whole search. He had to be sure she was okay and away from harm or danger.
She must be so scared and alone right now…
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The girl ran her fingers along the branches of her willow tree. She sat under its shade and took in all the scents around her. A smile came across her face.
The demon raised an eyebrow at her. She always seemed to come back to this tree.
His sharp eyes could see her every movement even at such a far distance. Since their last encounter, he had to be careful of how close he got to her. Her senses sharpened every day, making it harder and harder for him to get close undetected. It was the first time she had noticed though, although he hadn't been far from her for the past several months.
His fascination with her confused him. Never before had he been so interested in a mere mortal, and a girl no less. Maybe he had never allowed himself to actually observe her because she was always close to his ass of a half-brother. With her being alone like she was, it gave her a much more pleasant aura. The graceful way she handled her bow, the fire in her eyes from the thrill of the hunt or battle, her light steps, the way she seemed as if she didn't have a care in the world, even the way the wind ran across her hair and face. His observations of her seemed to tug on him in a way he didn't understand, pulling him closer, forcing him to take a better look.
She had indeed changed over the last year. He hadn't taken the slightest interest in the miko when he'd almost killed her for being close to his bleeding ward. He would have if it wasn't for Rin.
Then he had assumed the girl's usual company was not far away. But some months later, he saw her by chance, fending for herself, surviving on her own. Since then, he'd been watching her every once in a while. But as he saw how she grew and excelled, his interest grew to fascination. Now he took a lot of time out of his normal routine to check on her and observe her progress.
As far as she had come, there was so much more she could improve. Her miko powers were reserved for demons, and even then, she only used them if a hit was guaranteed. There was so much more she didn't know about that strength, simply because she hardly used it.
And the way she handled her bow and arrows with such care and grace led him to believe that she could be a very skilled swordsman. The dagger she carried was hardly used unless she had no choice, or she was using it to cut food.
Her senses were improving, but she could go much farther with them. It seemed she was concentrating only on her archery. It was already excellent though. She needed to improve other areas now. But she didn't think about it.
His mind was so reluctant to give her credit for any of her hard work and determination. It held onto the thought that her human body and mind could never compare to a demon's. But at the same time, he couldn't deny the truth. She was growing in ways no one would have ever expected.
Perhaps that was her motive for leaving her group. She wanted to become her own person and be able to fend for herself. Even he noticed how the hanyou always had to protect her. Whether it was for his half-brother's own peace of mind, or because she really needed protecting, the demon didn't know. But he did figure that it must have annoyed her that she could never help or prove herself with the hanyou breathing down her neck.
The girl woke from her short nap, yawning and stretching lazily. The breeze carried her scent to his sensitive nose and he inhaled deeply. It had changed as well, but for the better. Now it was as if she belonged here, instead of from whatever world she'd come from. He knew she hadn't even been close to the well or sacred tree in the past year. Whatever her mission was now must have been important if she didn't even go home to her family.
The demon watch with curiosity as the girl laid her hand across her chest. Her eyes closed as she concentrated. The pink light brought forth a small jewel shard. Of course a demon of his rank knew she had it because he could detect it, although its presence was faint. But he never would have guessed she was protecting it with her body, hiding its existence very well from any lower ranked demon.
The girl fingered the small shard in her palm with a look of sadness. She must be remembering her past life. Indeed, a life alone when you've known the pleasure of company is a sad one. Still, she returned the jewel to its spot and stood up, her eyes gleaming with determination. Before departing, she scanned the area briefly. She seemed to stare straight at him for a moment. The demon involuntarily backed further into the cover of the forest.
She turned to walk toward the sunset, a soft smile on her face. The demon considered following her, but remembered he'd told his ward he'd be back before nightfall. Taking one last look at the miko, he turned and took off through the woods.
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The girl giggled as the rain drops fell all around her. Her kimono spattered with dirt as she jumped into every puddle she saw.
"Come on Master Jaken! It's fun!" she laughed.
The toad-like apparatus grunted in disgust. "I won't engage in such a silly game," he scowled.
The girl ignored his comment and continued to splash the cool water, often getting the toad wet, causing an angry rant. Still, she paid no mind, caught up in her excitement and laughter.
Jaken shook his head in annoyance. "You insufferable child! Stop that this instant, girl!"
Rin giggled and splashed in a particularly large puddle. Water droplets flew everywhere, attaching to her hair and clothes, as well as Jaken's.
Rage crept up in the small creature. "If you don't stop that right now, I'm gonna—"
"Rin," a cool voice interrupted his threat. "Stop." The powerful demon stepped through the trees appearing as suddenly as his voice did.
Rin laughed breathlessly. "It is so fun Lord Sesshomaru!"
"You'll catch a cold," he stated, and that was the end of it. His eyes showed a hint of concern. He suddenly looked off into the distance, the glow of concern still there.
Rin tilted her head to the side. "Where has Lord Sesshomaru been? You said you'd be back before sunset."
The demon began walking, his back turned to her. "Time went faster than I anticipated." The girl tried to peer up into his eyes, but he walked too fast for her. Eventually, she lost interest and watched the raindrops fall.
Sesshomaru exhaled in relief. That girl could always read his emotions through his eyes, although she hardly ever said her thoughts aloud. She'd just smile and continue on. He always got the feeling that she felt she was doing him a favor keeping the secret of his emotions to herself.
"L-Lord S-Sesshomaru, you have r-returned!" Jaken stuttered behind him, falling over himself in an effort to catch up. The great demon had to resist the automatic urge to roll his eyes. How he hated the way Jaken worshipped him. Anyone else and it might have been flattering, but when that ugly toad did it, it did nothing but disgust him.
"I'll have to leave again in the morning," Sesshomaru stated calmly. He heard the creature catch his breath in surprise. But he was in no mood to discuss it. He wanted to talk to the miko again, but he had to handle business in his lands. During their last encounter, he was amazed at how she'd kept her gaze steady. Even his poisonous nails did nothing to faze her. He didn't want to hurt her, but it more than impressed him to see there was no fear in her eyes.
Yes, he'd have to work the next day. But he at least wanted to see those brown eyes again first.
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Kagome's sneeze woke her up. She sighed as she sniffed. It served her right for hunting in the rain. The girl crawled out of her fur bed, stretching and yawning. Despite her oncoming sickness, the girl prepared for her daily routine.
After her morning run, she went straight to finding herbs for her inevitable cold. In the spring time, the task was easy. She prepared and ate her medicine, then got to hunting. Finding a group of deer, she crouched down and readied her arrow.
Just as she saw her opportunity and aimed, she felt another sneeze coming. She bit it back, struggling to keep it from coming. Suddenly, the deer leapt straight towards her. Although startled, she shot her arrow anyway, the sneeze escaping at the same time. The force knocked her back onto her behind.
Her arrow still managed to pierce her target and it fell to the ground as she rubbed her nose, sniffing. Recovering, the girl stood up, wary of danger. The herd of deer must have been startled by something. Kagome stepped forward observing the surroundings until her eyes rested on the face of the demon. With his silver hair streaming, amber orbs concentrated solely on her.
She shook her head. "You again? You must be following me."
The demon raised a delicate eyebrow. "Take it as a compliment," he growled.
She covered up her surprise at actually guessing correctly by sighing, "You know, I don't appreciate you scaring my lunch like that. You made my job a bit harder."
"And yet, you managed just fine," he replied coolly. It actually amazed him that she'd made the shot even with the distraction of the sneeze and the deer's sudden approach.
The girl suddenly sneezed again. Immediately, her sharp eyes turned to glare at the newcomer, challenging him to say anything about her seeming weakness.
The demon's eyes stared back at her. She wasn't sure, but there was something like concern in them. 'The Great Lord Sesshomaru worried about me?' she thought. 'Impossible.'
"So what do you want Sesshomaru?" the girl said aloud impatiently as she gathered her catch. She sneezed again as she did so.
"You are sick," he stated.
Kagome snorted. "No shit."
Sesshomaru bit back the words that instantly came to mind. "My ward is as well."
"Fascinating."
He stared at her. Usually, she would be asking questions if Rin was okay. Which was what he had hoped for…
She glanced at him. "You've got to know some types of herbs for medicine since I'm sure this isn't the first time she's been sick."
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her. "This Sesshomaru has never bothered with such a petty skill."
"'This Sesshomaru' better stop looking down on the most basic of human survival skills." Sesshomaru snorted, causing Kagome to stop tampering with the dead deer to look at him. "If you look down on humans so much, why do you have one in your company? And why do you bother talking to me now? Have you forgotten your hate for me?"
Sesshomaru looked at her with a bit of curiosity. She thought he hated her? In an instant, he was looking straight into her eyes. She didn't jump at his sudden closeness, although he could smell a different aroma mingling with her usual scent.
"Humans changed my life and my land," the demon growled. She could feel his breath on her face. "My half-brother's mother changed my life. I can't forget that."
Kagome stared with equal intensity. "So you would take it out on the entire species just because of one? You know not all humans are the same."
"It's not just that. Their constant greed and sick ambitions lead to the disruption of my lands. War breaks out amongst them, and this Sesshomaru is the one who must deal with it."
Kagome nodded. "Of course there are those bad humans, just like there are bad demons. But if you keep a look out, you'll meet a good human, like your girl Rin."
Sesshomaru saw the passion in her eyes and words. Kagome backed away from him and threw the deer over her shoulder.
"No one says you have to forget what Inuyasha's mother did to change your life. But you know, change can sometimes be for the better. Realizing that is the beginning of forgiving. Just know it's not right to hold a grudge on someone based on another's actions."
"I didn't ask you for your moral opinions woman," he growled impatiently.
Kagome shrugged. "Then don't listen." She shifted the deer's body to reach into her waist pocket. She threw a tiny bag in Sesshomaru's direction which he caught with ease. "Throw that into heated water and have Rin drink it." With that, she turned and walked away across the field. Sesshomaru sniffed at the bag. It contained the overpowering scents of several herbs.
He stared after her for a moment. The way she acted as if she was his equal both infuriated and fascinated him. Regardless, something about her was changing him. Change was something he wasn't accustomed to. Maybe it would be best if he stayed away from her from then on. What had possessed him to go talk to her in the first place?
"But you know, change can sometimes be for the better."
The demon took one last look at the girl before walking away.
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So, what did you think? You know, I'm not even sure I want the story to go this way, but like I said, I usually just wing it and go from there. Anyway, I've been keeping the chapters short in contrast to my last long fanfiction. I think I'll keep it like this for a while, maybe. That way, the updates will come faster, you know. Just to warn you though, another update might not come for a while because school starts back up tomorrow from spring break. I'll try though, promise.