Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Poo.

Authoress' Note: I know that I haven't updated this story in a coon's age [don't ask where that came from but I was a little writers blocky. So here goes nothing, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Set Me Free
Chapter Nine

Kagome walked her horse over to the mounting block and climbed into the saddle. She put her riding gloves on and took the reigns in her hands. She turned the large bay around and walked her over to the carriage.

She looked at Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku who were still standing on the steps of the manor. "Come on, we need to get going so we can make it to the halfway point by tonight." Her slaves mounted their horses and pulled alongside Kagome. Kagome's mother walked down the front stairs and over to where Kagome was on her horse.

"Kagome! Why aren't you riding side saddle?" she asked, aghast that her daughter would ride a horse like a man.

"Because mother, I will be riding this horse for two days straight and I would like to be comfortable when I do so. I thought you were coming to say goodbye to me, not to chastise me."

"Yes, of course. Good bye Kagome. I know that you will do nothing but prosper in the Eastern Kingdom." Kagome leaned down to give her mother a hug. "I love you Kagome" her mother whispered.

"I love you too mother" she whispered back. She leaned back up into her saddle. She looked around for her brother, but didn't see him anywhere. She turned Constellation around and motioned for her escorts and the carriage to begin pulling out of the manor. As she glanced back at her home for the last time, she felt no emotion. She sighed deeply and urged Constellation to walk on behind the carriage, followed by her slaves. As she reached the gates she heard someone calling her name. She brought her horse to a stop and turned in the saddle to see Souta running towards her.

"Kagome! I don't want you to leave!" he yelled.

Kagome jumped out of her saddle and took her brother in a tight embrace. "I have to go Souta. After the wedding I want you to come and see me in the east, all right? Don't ask mother, just come. You will always be welcome. But I have to leave now. I love you"

"I love you too Kags."

She hugged him one last time and watched him run back to the manor. She put her left boot into the stirrup and pulled herself up, swinging her right leg over the other side of the horse, seating herself in the saddle. She turned back to look at her slaves and smiled at them.

"I'm glad that you are here with me" she said to them.

"As are we. But I think we need to catch up to the carriage" Miroku said, pointing out into the distance.

"Right" Kagome dug her heels into her horse and urged it into a gallop. Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku looked at each other as Kagome raced away.

"She never ceases to surprise me" Sango said, and raced her horse after Kagome, followed by Miroku and Inuyasha. It only took Kagome a minute to catch up with the carriage and her escorts. She rode her horse around the carriage and to the front of the traveling party. A few moments later her slaves were riding alongside her in a comfortable silence.

"How long does it take to get there?" Miroku asked Kagome.

"We will be staying at an inn tonight and we will be there by midday tomorrow if all goes according to the plan."

"Is it safe for you to be staying at an inn? Shouldn't we just ride through the night and get there in the morning?" Inuyasha suggested quietly.

Kagome looked at the captain, who was her main escort, "What do you think captain? Should we ride through the night?"

"It is your choice Lady Kagome. If you feel you are up to riding through the night we will be more than willing to remain active so you can get to the East more quickly."

Kagome thought for a second and then nodded, "I would like to do that."

"All right, I will tell the rest of the men" the captain said, falling back to talk to the rest of the escorts.

"Kagome?" Sango asked.

"Yes?"

"Why don't you want to stop? Do you want to get to the castle faster?"

"I don't know Sango. I would just rather travel the whole way in one sitting so I can enjoy my last day of freedom without interruption."

"It's not like you're being sold into slavery" Inuyasha scoffed, "You're still going to be free in the east. You'll be just as free as you were at your home. Except instead of being controlled by your mother you'll be controlled by your husband."

"Inuyasha! How dare you say that!" Kagome exclaimed.

"I'm just saying that you are making getting married seem like a death sentence. It can't be that bad."

"It is when you're falling for someone else" she whispered and urged her horse into a canter, leaving her slaves behind her.

Sango and Miroku both looked at Inuyasha, "You're an IDIOT!" Sango yelled.

"I didn't do anything!" Inuyasha snapped.

"Of course you didn't. You're just lucky that Kagome is different from any other slave owner because otherwise you'd be back to the slave market faster than you could say 'I'm sorry'!" Sango yelled at him.

"I don't even care. She's just like all the others."

"You mean she's just like Kikyo" Miroku said under his breath.

"What did you just say!?" Inuyasha roared.

"I said 'you mean she's just like Kikyo'" he replied coolly.

"He's right! The only reason you treat Kagome the way you do is because she looks just like Kikyo. But she's not Kikyo Inuyasha. You can't act the way you are." Sango said.

"You're both wrong. This has nothing to do with Kikyo!"

"Why were you sent back to the slave market?" Sango asked.

"Because she was getting married." He mumbled.

"Oh! Imagine that. You get sent away because Kikyo was getting married and you didn't want to be around her when she got married. You ruined yourself Inuyasha. You ruined your chances to be happy and you're doing it again."

"Sango! You're not my mother! I don't need you telling me what I've done. I know what I've done."

Sango shook her head, "I'm going to ride with Kagome. I'll leave you back here to wallow in self pity." And with that, Sango kicked her horse into a gallop and rode down the path to find Kagome, leaving Miroku and Inuyasha in her dust.

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In The East

Hojo walked frantically around his castle. "I need everything to be perfect! She'll be here tomorrow morning and I need everything ready for her!

He made his way to what would soon be her chambers. They were decorated in the Higurashi blue and white, Hojo wanted it to be as familiar as possible for her. He knew that moving across the kingdom was a large enough transition; he didn't want her to be sad when she arrived.

Everything's going to be fine. She seemed fine when we spoke three days ago. If everything goes according to plan then everything will be perfect.

He walked down the hallway to the library. He had heard that Kagome loved books so he made sure that the library was filled with the books that were popular in the central kingdom. He had thought of everything, now all that was left was to wait for Kagome to see it.

"I just want her to be happy here. And I'll do everything it takes to make that happen."

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Authoress' Note: kind of short, I know. But I hope it was good anyway! Please review!