Kagome could feel her head pounding and when she finally opened her eyes, she noticed the light streaming in from between wooden slates. She was surrounded by pallets and on those make-shift beds lay three other woman. They were obviously maids and cooks by their uniforms and matching hair styles. All the woman were sniffling and with a wave of pain, the memories from the past night rushed her brain.

"Ow!" She gripped her forehead and pressed her thumbs to her temples. The girls started whimpering when the cart stopped and shifted, indicating the driver had dismounted. With heavy thuds, he pulled the latch open and just as he reached in to grab one of the girls, Kagome kicked out and caught the bottom of his jaw.

He stumbled back and she used the time to shimmy out of the small opening. The maids followed closely after her. Just as she turned to run, meaty arms wrapped around her midsection. She threw her head back and hit his nose. He dropped her and she dropped onto the ground in a crouch. Even with her hands tied, she managed to elbow him in the gut and knee him in the groin.

He fell into the gravel at her feet. She finally let her adrenaline high wear off and examined her surroundings. The mountains and lack of shrubbery gave away he fact that she was not in the West anymore. With shaking fingers and a pounding head, she cut her binds with his knife and searched his belongings. A map was folded in his pocket along with a wad of coins.

Just as she was about to race towards an outcrop of rocks, the only cover within miles, she caught sight of a cart, very similar to the one she was he'd in, rising over the hill top. With a horrified stare, she glanced to the ridge ahead of her. Another identical cart continued forward, unaware its companion had been commandeered.

It was a live slave ring. She felt like throwing up. Curling into a ball of horrific comprehension. Anything other than thinking about the sick man who hoarded not only shiny trinkets but live people.

She knew any second now the cart behind her would crest the ridge and her cover would be blown. The maids had already raced away so she decided that it was up to her to put an end to this.

With strength rooted from her hatred of the Northern Lord, she lifted the heavy man into the small compartment inside the cart and locked the latch behind him. She stole his coat and hat, shoving her unruly tangles into the cap and giving the reigns a shake, the horses neighed and started forward at a brisk pace, as if they could almost feel the festering anger of their new handler.

TUH

Sesshomaru watched as his armies massed for war. Once the word spread that the fabled miko had been kidnaped, men and woman flocked to the palace to attempt a rescue mission. He watched as they fought.

He knew charging the Northern Lands with a massive army would only hinder his search and end in much bloodshed. Instead, his daughter proposed another idea that seemed to be the best they had. Send three teams in opposing directions with one goal in mind, look for Kagome. If all teams failed to find her, converge on the Northern Palace.

His past words bounced around his skull. He knew when they returned there would be questions about how he was creating the most selective group of killers to rescue a human woman. He would think about that when they retuned with Kagome safe.

His daughter had been taking this harshly as well. She had taken on an alternate persona where she smiled only when taking about tearing the Northern Lord limb from limb and spend the remainder of the time pounding her fist impressions into his most skilled of guards.

Another who seemed darker was the dragon. He had comforted his daughter after her episode of mania and promptly left, returning less than an hour later with men from town willing to help look. He could tell from their determined glares their loyalty was not to him but his daughter. She had forged a bond in blood that he realized might never brake. Clever.

His mind skirted over the plan again and again, pulling his thoughts from the one place they always seemed to end up. Kagome dancing with him. Kagome pounding her delicate but scared hands into pastry dough. Kagome with that smile plastered on her lips after watching him change into that ridiculous outfit. Kagome with her hair spread across her pillow after sex.

Damn.

TUH

Ryutaro could feel the blood dripping down his hands as he continued to slam his knuckles into he large stone. He could feel a strong aura behind him and he hoped, if only for a second, it might be Yuzuki, but when Sesshomaru walked forward instead he just sighed.

"Is this self-harm part of your training?" He was calm but Ryutaro could spot the tightening of his jaw and how his skin looked pasty and stretched too tightly over his bones. The dragon unwound the bindings from his fingers and found the skin already healed, he cracks in the flesh filled with a hardening scale.

"We dragons can build up our skin to the point it is almost indestructible. This is the most direct way," He motioned to the side of the mountain. The rocks were huge and the one he currently hit was smeared with black streaks of dried blood with a splattering of bright red. "I can handle a sword well but a backup plan is always a good idea."

"You wish to mate my daughter," It wasn't a question but caused Ryutaro to sputter anyway. He just looked at this man who seemed to look even more towering than he remembered. "If so, you must understand that while you may think of her as damaged, she does not need fixed."

"I don't think of her like that," He started, his anger rising to meet the challenge of his elder. It was like some primal need to tear this man apart and he quickly stopped his temper by replacing his anger with thoughts of Yuzuki. "You don't own her."

Ryutaro walked away and into the Palace. He could hear the maids bustling around and the cooks shouting orders as he passed the kitchen. A few men stumbled out of the way as he passed and sighed with relief when he passed.

Yuzuki was pounding into the stomach of some unfortunate bloke who was bowed over in pain. She slammed her elbow into his back and he fell to the mat. She intertwined her fingers and raised it above her head as if to bring it down on him after he was already sprawled across the floor.

"Stop." His voice was a command and she responded by swinging her raised arms around to strike him in the chest. With a growl she threw herself at him with fangs bared. He responded in kind. He twisted his chest to avoid a swipe of her claws and rolled her over to pin her to the rubble of the ruined door her had been thrown threw. "Chill, huntress."

For the first time in the past two days, she smiled wide and her chest drooped to the ground. Her struggling stopped and she let him rest his head in the juncture of her neck and throat. His chest constricted when the scent of her salty tears hit his nose.

"She was so kind. Without her, my father would have been killed," She let her now free arms wrap around his shoulders as he lifted her off the rubble. "Sorry about the door."

"Naw, deserved it. What was I thinking, trying to get you to do something you don't want to?" He smiled and his white teeth almost seemed blinding when paired with his dark skin that was now even darker due to his training outside. She gasped when she noticed the dried blood that clung to his knuckles. She pressed them gingerly and was surprised by the lack of give that normal skin would have. "Strength training."

She just nodded and placed a small kiss on the strong ridges that now covered his fist.

Finally updated my music library and cranked out another chapter thanks to the load of new inspiration.