Author's Note:
This story evolved as an as I went thing with no real end in mind. It was more of a character exploration of what would happen if... So enjoy this bitter exploration into hurt, healing and hope.
Be warned, since I haven't followed the series closely in years or seen the Final Act, I'm pretty sure some things won't fit into cannon.
Of Pride and Power
Chapter 5: Brave
It was the sound of silence that woke Kagome. The owls ceased their hooting, the bats their chattering and the coyotes their howling. Startled, Kagome lifted her cheek from her perch atop a fat tree branch to spot the warm glow of torches below.
With several rubs of her eyes, Kagome recognized the men as the men from the village. "The trail ends here." said one as he circled the tree. "Look! I found one of its shoes!"
"That's not a shoe." remarked another. "I don't know what that is but it's not human."
Wryly, Kagome's brow twitched in frustration. Of course she was human, she just wasn't from this time. Tucking her knees to her chest, Kagome slimmed herself, praying the thick branch and foliage would keep her hidden from their sight. Inuyasha had a lot of funny habits, but this was one she could appreciate. If she had slept on the forest floor, those men would've taken her.
"Told ya'" said another. "What woman dresses like that or disappears into thin air?"
"Not a human one." agreed the third man.
"I told you we should've taken it out at the village. Put its head on a stake to ward other monsters off."
Like the stifling air of a room too hot, the sudden power of the Shikon Jewel enveloped her from above, cutting her breath. Lifting her chin she spotted the daiyoukai clothed in white, his face shadowed by night. Only his golden eyes and silver hair caught the wayward light of the torches, casting ominous shadows across his person.
Kagome looked to him, pleading with her fear stricken eyes for help. His chin tipped curiously before he receded into the darkness. The men below would definitely hurt her and Sesshomaru... if he had any intention of helping he would've done so. He was watching her, a casual observer to whatever fate had in store.
Somewhere in the back of her mind she assumed he'd be a failsafe, a last minute rescuer in a time of trouble. Since she arrived in the Feudal Era, there was always a failsafe. Her companions came to her aid countless times to spare her from the clutches of death. Even Sesshomaru played the role of savior on occasion, though, much had changed between them since then.
"Do you think she climbed this tree?" a man asked.
Kagome's attention broke from the shadowed daiyoukai to the warm light below. Looking back to Sesshomaru, he no longer was on his perch but had retreated further up into the tree and was completely hidden from view.
"Coward." she breathed, knowing he'd hear her.
Appearing like the wind against her lips, Sesshomaru's person suddenly covered her own. The Shikon Jewel pulsed between them, matching the beat of Kagome's startled heart. A clawed hand rested beside one ear while his lips hovered beside the other. "If you are unable to protect yourself," he began, his words soft like the breaths of a slumbering babe. "You are unworthy of this Sesshomaru's presence." Kagome blinked and he was gone.