Kagome and Sesshomaru headed back to the palace hand in hand. When they reached her room Kagome stopped and turned to face Sesshomaru. "I want to leave to find Inuyasha this afternoon if it's possible, we can't let him get to much of a head start on us or it will take a while to catch up."
Sesshomaru smiled his rare smile and nodded "I figured you would want to leave soon, don't worry I just have to take care of the gaurds that my idiot brother so carelessly killed as soon as i finish leaving instructions with the servents to burn the bodies and find new gaurds we can leave. Though I do need to make one stop before we head out."
Kagome looked at him, puzzled, "Where do we need to stop?" she asked as she opened the door to her room.
"Haven't you noticed that Rin is not here? She has befriended some other human children in a nearby village and requested to spend some time there but it's been a week and I need to go retrieve her. She will be traveling with us when we go to look for Inuyasha, she is quite fond of that fox demon, Shippo." Sesshomaru smiled as he recalled Rin's fondness for Kagome's adopted son. "Perhaps she was trying to tell me something all along" he whispered almost to softly for Kagomes ears.
Kagome smiled "Perhaps she was, children are far more sensitive to others feelings than sometimes even the people themselves are." Sesshomaru leaned in and kissed kagome's forhead before turning and heading back to the palace grounds and Kagome went into her room closing the door behind her. She began to gather her kimonos and pack them in her backpack. I'll have to thank sango for thinking to bring this to me when they came she thought as she packed.
Sesshomaru went back out to the courtyard where his gaurds' bodies still lay and found some of his servents mourning. When they saw him they immedeatly stopped and went to him knowing he didn't approve of them mourning when they were suppose to be working. Sesshomaru was taken aback by the fear he saw in thier eyes Are they afraid of me? I know I have been known to punish my servent harshly when they disobey but they have not given me reason to punish them, do they think I will punish them for mourning thier fallen coworkers, hell most were family if I remember correctly. "I'm sorry for the loss you have taken to your friends and family but I have some work for you to do. I am going to be going away with Lady Kagome for a while and will not be able to replace the gaurds myself so you will have to do it for me and the bodies need to be taken care of, burn them or bury them as you wish." The servents were shocked at his kind words, this was not the Lord Sesshomaru they had known he had changed and they suspected Lady Kagome was the reason for it. "Yes my lord." they responded in unison and set to work. Sesshomaru turned to head back to the castle for Kagome, assuming she was ready to leave.
Kagome finished packing and left the room taking one last look at the luxury she was leaving behind before turning and heading down the hall. She was lost in thoughts of Sesshomaru and wasn't paying attention when she turned a corner and ran into Sesshomaru, knocking him down. "oh my, I'm so sorry." she said giggling.
Sesshomaru had been heading to Kagome's room to find her and was caught off gaurd when she turned the corner. "You should be more careful, are you allright?" he asked smiling. what a beautiful laugh he thought as he listened to her. She nodded that she was ok and struggled to get up under the wieght of her backpack. Sesshomaru stood and took the backpack from her before helping her up. "Why don't you let me carry this." he said as he slung it onto his shoulder. He offered her his hand "shall we go?" he asked.
Kagome smiled as she took his hand "I'm ready if you are." she answered. They walked outside and he summoned his demon cloud. "uhhhh you don't expect me to ride that thing do you?" she asked frightened. "what if I fall off?"
Sesshomaru laughed for the first time since his mother died and the sound startled him. I can't believe this human girl, this weak fragile thing, has brought me so mujch joy. What would I do if something happened to her. he thought as he reassured her "I won't let you fall, this is the fastest way to catch up to them. If your that worried I'll carry you so that there is no way you coud possibly fall."
Kagome smiled as she thought about flying through the air in his arms. "okay you can carry me." she laughed as he scooped her up and stepped onto the cloud. "looks like we're off." she said and sighed happily, snuggling against his warm body.