Chapter Five:

"You're fever broke last night." said Rin, smiling down at Kagome as she woke. "Isn't that great?"

Kagome's twitched her lips up at her, still too exhausted. "That's great." Now I don't have to die here... she gave as an aftethought.

"Hmm," Rin tilted her head. "You're voice is really weak. Here drink some water and get some rest." The small girl held the bowl to Kagome's lips.

The cool water was ecstasy to her, like artic water in the Sahara. It surged down her throat only too fast.

"Okay, okay. Now lay down here." Rin laid her hand on the back of Kagome's neck and helped her back down to the floor.

"I do feel a little bit better." Kagome wheezed out. Her voice was dry and breathy.

"That's good. Maybe you'll be up on your feet by tomorrow."

"Maybe." Kagome repeated as her eyes slid shut.

"Tell me, Rin," said Sesshomaru, lying down against a tree, his eyes closed. "How is the young woman?"

"Kagome is doing great, Lord Sesshomaru! Her fever broke, and now she's sleeping."

Sesshomaru chin tilted down in his interpretation of a nod. "We leave tomorrow."

There it is! It's old, but it's Kagome. Thought Inuyasha, running along side a river. And blood...old blood. Inuyasha followed the scent, coming to a river bank. "Kirara." He thought out loud, looking at the rust-colored sand and smelling the feline scent of blood. But that other scent... His brows shadowed across his eyes and his teeth bit down until they punctured his lip. I'll kill him! His guttural roar sent birds flying.

"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha yelled, bursting in the clearing. His older brother looked at his for less than a second from his perch on the ground. Kirara, lying next to him lifted her head to the dog-eared young man. She settled back a moment later without a sound.

"Hnn."

"Where's Kagome! Where did you take her! I swear if you..." Sesshomaru cut him off.

"Why do you care, hanyou? She is of no consequence to you. She's said as much."

"What the hell does that mean?" Inuyasha yelled, taking a grip of Tetsusaiga's hilt. "Where is she, Sesshomaru!"

"Inuyasha?" A female voice called.

"Kagome!"

She came stumbling out though the underbrush. Her eyes looked bruised and swollen, her face pallor. Healing bruises showed on and uncovered skin.

"What did you do to her?!" Inuyasha yelled, pulling Tetsusaiga from its sheath. It slid out in a yellow flash, the tarnished metal expanding and gleaming silver, the guard blossoming with a coat of thick white fur. The same fur as the pelt draped over Sesshomaru's shoulder.

"Inuyasha, stop." Kagome rasped, her voice cracking to a broken breath.

"What?" Inuyasha turned to her, Tetsusaiga still poised.

"He didn't hurt me. He saved my life. I've been sick. I'm sorry Inuyasha; I couldn't get back to you." She stumbled over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You were sick so you came to him?" Inuyasha stared at her incredulously, his white dog ears flicking. "What were you thinking, Kagome?"

"Well first we got attacked by that demon..."

"What demon?!" Inuyasha yelled, a vein pulsed at his temple.

"A demon attacked me and Kirara. Sesshomaru saved us." Kagome answered, her face serene. "Then I got sick. I'm sorry if you were worried."

His eyes narrowed. "I wasn't worried, Sango was." He paused for a moment, "And Sesshomaru saved you? Somehow I doubt that."

"What do you mean you weren't worried?" Kagome's voice pitched. "I've been missing for days."

She seemed to have forgotten her sore throat...

"So what? I knew you were okay." Inuyasha huffed, lowering Tetsusaiga. "You're fine now. So what's that big deal?"

"The big deal? I've been sitting in a dark cave for a week coughing my lungs up, that's the big deal!" With the hand she'd had placed on his shoulder she pushed him away. "Oblivious nonchalance suits you Inuyasha." She turned away from him and huffed, a superior sneer on her face. He gaped at her, eyebrows cocked.

Sesshomaru stood up from the ground and began to walk away.

"Where the hell do you think your going?" Inuyasha called after him.

Sesshomaru did not deter to acknowledge him. "Your tedious conversation is of no concern to me."

"Now wait a minute!"

Sesshomaru froze.

"Now that's what-"

Sesshomaru turned around, his eyes fading to scarlet, magenta streaks expanding. Strands of ivory hair seemed to blow in an unfelt breeze. "You are in no respect to order me, you disgusting half-breed." His canines grew out from under his lip..

"The hell I'm not, you bastard." Inuyasha laughed, raising Tetsusaiga.

Sesshomaru's claws dripped green. "You consider me illegitimate when you, by birth, are irrefutably a bastard? Your very nature deems it to be so."

"Morons." Kagome huffed again and began walking away.

"What?" Inuyasha's head swiveled. "Kagome!"

She paused and stomped her foot. "What?!" She yelled, pivoting around. "Whatever it is I don't want to hear it, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha growled softly. "Listen, Sesshomaru," He said, turning to the taiyoukai. "I don't have time for this. I'm leaving with Kagome."

"Hnn." By now the dog lord had regained control, and his eyes had faded back to white, though his green acid still coated his claws.

Inuyasha walked over to the fuming young woman. "Let's go, Kagome." He ordered, grabbing her sleeve and dragging her.

"Let go! Hey, let go of me!" She yelled, beating against him with her other arm.

"Shutup, and c'mon!" He ordered dragging her with one hand and his behemoth sword with the other.

"Inuyasha, stop!"

"No, Kagome. We're leaving."

"Inuyasha..." Something in her tone hung around them, like that unexplainable feeling before a storm.

"Kagome..." His voice came out in a whisper, almost pleading.

"Sit, boy!"

The mass of red cloth smashed into the earth with a loud crash. A low whine reverberated through the powdered rocks.

"You ripped my sleeve!" Kagome yelled, looking down at the torn cloth.

"What the hell, Kagome?" Inuyasha sputtered, yanking himself up out of his own small ditch. "What was that for?"

"For not stopping!" She yelled at him.

"We have to go back to the village!" Inuyasha screamed back at her, raising his arms, as well as Tetsusaiga, into the air.

"Why?" Her eyes were slanted at him, their chocolate brown turning to molten lava.

"Do you want to stay here with Sesshomaru?"

"He'd be better that you!"

He stopped at that, his dark brows shadowing over his eyes. "What?"
"I'd rather stay with him with you! He doesn't scream at me day and night!" Her hands turned to fists at her side.

"You're the one screaming at me!"

"I am not!"

"You know what? Fine! Stay with him!" Inuyasha raised is sword and sliced through the tree next to him with a yell. "See if I care." He walked off in a straight line, hacking though anything in his path.

Kagome's angered fizzled out and the guilt of what she'd said set in. He'll never forgive me... She turned to find Sesshomaru. The taiyoukai had turned to walk back toward the cave, his ivory pelt dragging behind him, along with Kirara.

She followed them without a word.