Disclaimer: InuYasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. This is a not for profit fan work.

A/N Sorry this took a while to come out. I got into writing the next chapter and a half to make sure I had my key plot points in place. In the next chapter, we start getting into the actual plot stuff! Yay! This is a bit of an interlude to build up some relationship stuff, cause.

I'm also starting to realize that this may be a bit longer than I had originally intended, because plot. I mean, the plan is that the story takes place over three years, so… Yeah.

Thank you so much for enjoying this and for taking the time to review or favourite it. I appreciate it so much! Love and Peace! ^^v

Chapter Four

"Woman, how many times have I told you not to go wandering off?!"

"Wandering off?! I can still see that stinky cave!"

Kagome glared at the demon that had become her host for the past two weeks. She wasn't adapting well. She would admit it to herself, even if she would never admit it to him. After declaring her his 'responsibility' and bringing her to the hole in a wall cave he called a den, he had left her mostly to herself all day. Which wasn't that bad, as long as she didn't try to move anything around too much. It gave her time to meditate and try to harness her budding spiritual powers.

The trouble was that he didn't want her to leave the cave, not even to the stream that was only a small way from the opening, just beyond the treeline. She was tired of being stuck inside while he roamed about all day doing who knows what. She wanted a hot bath, a soft bed, clean clothes, and she could really use a hamburger and fries. She had been on this side of the Wall for about a month, and she had already lost weight. Her pants needed a belt to hold them up now.

"My den is not stinky!"

"Is so! It's stinky and musty and I think there's even mold in there!"

"Well, of course there's mold! It's a fucking cave!"

"Mold is dangerous! You shouldn't breathe it in!"

"It's never caused me any trouble!"

"Well, not all of us are mighty demons, now are we?"

"That's right! Some of us are stupid humans who don't even know how to survive without someone taking you by the hand!"

He wasn't exactly wrong there. She admitted it, she wasn't a hunter, but she had gotten pretty good at finding edible plants, those few times he allowed her out of the cave to look for any with him hovering over her the whole time.

"It is not my fault that this side of the Wall is a primitive dump! I mean, have you ever even heard of indoor plumbing?!"

"Maybe we aren't so weak that we need indoor plumbing to get through a day!"

She honestly wondered if he had any idea what indoor plumbing even meant. She needed a several hours in a hot bath, surrounded by bubbles, and she doubted she'd even feel clean then.

"Maybe it's because demons have rocks for brains and none of you would know a good idea if it punched you in the face!"

"Well at least we don't send stupid defenseless girls out into the wilds to be killed for something as stupid as helping someone!"

"It's because of demons terrorizing humans that we need the Wall in the first place!"

"Is that what you think?" Kagome was taken aback at the shift in his tone. He wasn't yelling. Why wasn't he yelling? She wasn't used to this more serious, and decidedly more dangerous, InuYasha. "Human were going around killing us, just for going about our day to day life. Sure, there were demons that hurt humans, and no one had trouble with them defending themselves, but humans were the ones that started going after demons that hadn't done anything. Humans were the ones that blamed us whenever the crops failed, or there was some new sickness going through a village. Hell, if a human so much as thought there was a demon around, they called the slayers. They would come in and kill any and all demons in the area, whether they had done anything or not. So no, humans didn't need to be saved from the demons terrorizing them. The humans were the ones doing the terrorizing!"

She stared at him as he huffed past her and into the cave. She wanted to protest. He had to be wrong. There wa no way he could be right. How many stories remained from those days of demons hunting humans for the thrill of it? How could he have known something like that? He couldn't have been alive then. But then, she certainly hadn't been alive either. She thought about all the legends she had been told as she was growing up, and then thought back on the last two weeks. They had fought constantly, like cats and dogs, but, he still brought her food, still gave her shelter, still demanded nothing in return. InuYasha never made a secret that he disliked humans, and yet, here he was, doing all he could to help her.

She didn't like him, not really, but she was grateful for him.

Besides, she knew people. People were dumb, panicky, dangerous animals, and she knew it. They would rather build a giant wall than play nicely with a race that had been their neighbours for hundreds of years, a race, she was discovering, that was just as complicated and messy as her own.

She sighed. "Look, InuYasha," she said, her voice much calmer now. "I'm just going a stir crazy stuck in this cave all day. At least let me walk to the river."

He glared at her. He glared well, but she was getting used to it. He didn't scare her any more, not really. He wasn't going to hurt her or cause her any harm, so, while she didn't exactly trust him, she wasn't afraid of him. He knew it, too. She could tell by the way he had begun to relax around her a little. When they weren't arguing, sometimes, they even managed to have conversations. He didn't like having her around, nor did he completely trust her either, but there was a measure of acceptance.

She wondered, if they spent enough time together, if they could create something like a friendship. She also wondered what everyone back home would think if she told them she was even considering becoming friends with a demon. It wasn't lost on her that she was one of the only humans to actually meet a demon in 500 years. At least, the only one likely to live and return home after. She was already keeping notes in one of the notebooks the government had provided her in the initial kit. She had always wanted to be a writer, and this was a story everyone would want to hear about.

"Fine," he said at last. "To the river, but no farther. Any demon sneak up on you beyond that and you won't be able to get back to the cave in time."

She blinked, understanding washing over her. He was worried about her. Was that why he was so strict? "Come on, what demon could make it this close to your den without you knowing?"

"Plenty. Little ones, mostly," he replied, sitting by the fire. "I let them live because they aren't really a bother. They stay out of my way. But, they might not stop from attacking a lone human girl."

"And they wouldn't come into your den to get me?"

"Nah, they do that, they're dead," he looked at her, a knowing in his eyes. "Setting foot in another demon's den is a sure way to get killed. They wouldn't dare follow you in here."

She nodded. Yes, demons really were more complicated than the myths gave them credit for.

InuYasha looked at the skins and nodded. "Not bad."

Kagome sighed in relief. She had been trying to clean the skins of the animals he brought back for food in a way that he found satisfactory for weeks. He brought the food, and there was little else for her to do, so she wanted to do something useful to pay him back for letting her stay. It was a challenge, of course, but between InuYasha's lessons and what the book said, she was making strides, and to now be told 'not bad', well, she was more than a little proud.

She watched as he lay the skin with the pile of other skins he had in one corner of the cave, the one he had told her early on not to touch. "What are you going to do with them?"

"Trade 'em," he replied, walking back and sitting across from her.

"Trade them?"

"What, you think we demons can't even trade?" He scoff. "Where do you think I got those dishes we eat on, or the rice, for that matter. I'm no farmer."

She hadn't really thought about it, but it made sense. She had wondered, briefly, how he had gotten some of the things around his den, but she had never given it much thought. It made sense that not all demons, if some of them were as intelligent as InuYasha and Myouga, lived in the wilds as animals.

"Where do you trade?"

"Village not far from here," he replied. "They have a big market a few times a year. Lasts about a week and ends with a huge party. Next one is in a couple of weeks, in time for the summer solstice."

"And you'll be going to trade all of those skins?"

"Something like that."

She wondered what it would be like, all those demons close together. Would there be music? Dancing? What kinds of festival foods would there be? What kind of strange goods would be there?

"Take me with you."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Don't think you'd last 5 minutes before someone tried to eat you up. Besides," he added, the smile faltering just a bit. "Sesshoumaru will probably be here by then. We'll have you back to your side of the Wall by then."

Her own smile dropped too, and she was surprised. Of course she was going to be gone by then. She looked at the demon across from her and tried not to think about how that fact hurt just a little. It was simple disappointment at missing the chance to see the festival, she told herself. It would have made a great chapter in her book.

"True enough," she smiled. "I can't wait to be home."

Kagome sat in the shade of one of the trees leaning over the water's edge. It was almost mid June, now, and it was starting to really warm up. Which made it as good a day as any to do some laundry.

While it was clear that InuYasha didn't share her appreciation for cleanliness, he never complained when she used her own soap to wash her clothes. And it was an all day affair. She was glad that he spent most of his day away from the den, because it meant she didn't have to feel so awkward in only a t-shirt and a pair of boxers, of all things. She was grateful she had been allowed to bring some of her own undergarments, because the standard issue clothing was all male.

The washing part of the laundry was done and she was admiring the way everything hung on the branches. It wasn't much, she admitted, but at least she hadn't lost any socks yet. Still, she wondered what she would do if she had to stay much longer. The clothes, which had never been properly fitted in the first place, was quickly getting to be almost comically large on her. Maybe, she mused, she would get something nice from the festival. Considering the apparent gap between the fashion on this side of the Wall and home, she would probably be able to find one or two rather nice yukata. Though, how they would go with the very comfortable combat boots, she wasn't sure.

She looked up from her musings and scanned the horizon. She felt something. An aura. A strong one. She dropped her work and started walking quickly back to the den. It was probably nothing, but this had to be the strongest aura she had felt yet. This wasn't just one of the mindless demons that hung about.

She reached the mouth of the cave in only a few steps. The demonic aura was closing in, but more slowly now. Maybe it was hesitating, or maybe it wasn't trying to get to her at all. She stood just inside, looking out and trying to catch a glimpse of what could possibly be causing it. The forest had stilled, but she couldn't make out any sound from the invader. It was just the aura, powerful and coming ever nearer.

A few minutes later, a figure walked out of the woods. He had to be one of the most beautiful men she had ever seen. Long white hair that fell almost to his knees, a crescent moon on his forehead and a pair of magenta stripes on each of his cheeks, and golden eyes, she made the obvious link to InuYasha, even though this demon lacked the adorable ears. His eyes were cold as he stared at her, holding himself stiffly yet elegantly. He was otherworldly, whereas InuYasha was definitely earthbound. She felt suddenly very self conscious of her dressed down state.

Not far behind him came a smaller demon, green and toad-like carrying a staff that had to be nearly double his height. It was definitely one of the uglier demons she had ever seen. It was looking at her as if disgusted.

"My lord, I believe that would be the human Myouga has told us about."

The regal demon didn't move, but the way his eyes slid to glare at the smaller demon was enough to make even her shiver. "You do not need to state the obvious."

Kagome wasn't sure of the protocol, but she mustered her courage. She bowed but kept silent, getting the immediate sense that this demon would not be nearly as lax as his brother when it came to formalities.

"Human!" squawked the green demon, "You have the great honour of being in the presence of Lord Sesshoumaru, Ruler of the Western Lands and son of Inu no Taisho!"

"My Lord," she said, deepening the bow, though remaining in the den. She didn't trust this demon. "My name-"

"Your name is unimportant," said Sesshoumaru, his voice ice as he cut her off. "All that matters is why you were sent here."

"Of course," she replied, feeling the distinct desire to say something back to him die in her throat. This man was nothing like his brother. He would not appreciate any kind of discussion, and his threats would be carried out. "I was exiled here for sheltering a demon."

"And you have killed no humans?"

"That is correct."

Sesshoumaru sniffed the air and the nodded, seemingly satisfied. She had learned that InuYasha could smell things like lies, somehow, so she gathered that was the point of answering the questions. It was still for a moment.

"You made it," InuYasha walked out from the woods, holding a dozen small fish. She hadn't sensed him come closer. Apparently, his aura had been covered by the much strong one of Sesshoumaru. She would have to practice discerning auras. But, then, she wouldn't have much opportunity soon. "So?"

"We shall approach the Wall and discuss this with the humans," the elder demon replied. "It is a bother, but it is my job as ruler. You will accompany us, InuYasha."

He nodded as he approached the den. He sniffed her, and saw him frown somewhat. "Don't worry, wench, he's not going to do anything to you. Like I said, you belong to me until I get you back home."

She turned for their guest and turned her full rage towards him. "I don't belong to anyone! How many times do I have to tell you that?"

He threw off her rage by smiling, his nose obviously sniffing the air. She blinked, realizing he had made her upset on purpose to distract her from her fear of his brother. She stared at him a moment until he shoved the fish into her hands.

"Yeah, yeah, just cook these up for us, would you? Should be enough for everyone."

She nodded, still looking at him with surprise. She glanced back at the demon outside, just standing there with a look of contempt on his face. She made a note not to be alone with him again.