Hi hi sorry it took so long to update but school and work have been keeping me busy

:Inu : Aren't you going to say that you don't own me wench?

:Echoe: Well yeah but I thought that everyone knew that

:Inu: and they damn well better

Echoe Shayne

I Know you're Not

How far were they going to walk? Not wanting to complain after the big deal that had been made earlier about her slowing him down, she took a deep breath with more determination then ever that she wasn't going to slow him down.

"So what's in Ember?" Kagome asked curious why he would pick there to take her.

"Nothing that special it's a lot like most of the cities around here these days." He shrugged to show that the subject that she had chosen bored him. One place was as good as another just as long as it wasn't the city they had just left then everything would be fine.

Like most of the cities right. What did that mean?"I haven't been out that much." she said somewhat embarrassed to admit she had no idea what he had meant by his earlier comment.

"Oh is that so? Walking outside is to vulgar an activity for someone like you?"

"No, it's just that they never really let me go outside."

He paused for a second hearing the sorrow that slipped into her voice. Looking at her out of the corner of his eye he could see that she was looking down at the ground and he had the sudden urge to make her smile. Smile like she had when she had been talking to Sango or when she had been watching the children run through the market. A frown just appeared so unnatural on her face. Pushing the thought away he continued to look at her.

"Oh and whys that? Afraid that someone would take you away? Like anyone would want you. So far I only see that you've been nothing but trouble." He had meant the last part to sound teasing but even to his own ears it sounded kind of harsh.

"My father was the one. He said the outside world was a dangerous place and that it was better to stay inside where they could keep me safe he was."

His sudden bout of wanting to cheer her up was quenched at the mention of the girls father."Cut the crap. I don't want to hear about your father. If people knew that you were his daughter you had a right to be afraid. Not many people liked him. In fact the only reason someone as clueless as you is still alive is probably because they were afraid of what he would have done to them."

'Not many people liked him' that was new to her all her life she had only been exposed to people who had revered him who had put him on a pedestal "Look I know that you don't," she stopped in mid sentence as he turned around to face her.

'doesn't she get it?' what he felt for that man went far beyond just not liking him. "What? Don't like him? No, I hate him and I hate everything that has to do with him. In fact I can't wait till we get to Ember so I can dump you." He hadn't meant for the last part to come out he had been reminding himself all day that this girl was not her father. In everything she did she proved that from her apologies and kind eyes. Still he couldn't help the hurtful feeling from pouring out.

Why did these words hurt so much? She felt like crying but she wouldn't. Her pride wouldn't let herself cry before this man.

"You can hate him all you want. It doesn't mean anything to me I hardly knew him." That was all she was going to say. She wasn't about to tell him her father had always been ashamed his first child was a girl. She wasn't going to tell him the one thing she wanted most in the world was for someone to love her for what she was and not because it was an obligation. She loved her mother to no end but it was always there. She saw her mother looking at her, when she didn't think that she was watching. No, that was none of his business. She would stand there and listen to what he had to say because that was what she had spent her whole life doing. Well no more, everything had changed that night. Could it have only been last night? Yes, it was last night everything had changed when she had been chased through the streets and saved by this stubborn man that she was now obligated to.

Yasha just stood there watching the changing emotions in her eyes.

*~*~* Back in Tol Village *~*~

"What do you mean you can't find her?" Kouga shouted watching the men before him cringe at his raised voice.

"Well she's not here we've looked every where Captain and she's just not here."

"Then you can't have looked everywhere because if you had then you would have already found her. How hard can it be to find one girl? Now I want her found by the time that I get back and if she's not found then heads will roll and I mean that literally."

"When you get back? Where do you have to go?"

"I have been called to witness an execution in Ember and I leave within the hour."

"Yes she will be found before your return." the soldier said trying to sound confidant.

"Good."

*~*~* Road to Ember *~*~

She looked up into his eyes. Why couldn't he understand?

"You're going to tell me everything starting with why you ran away." He didn't know how it was that she had been able to avoid that subject. It always seemed that she found a way around it. But right now with no interruptions he would get the answers he wanted from her.

She had been avoiding this subject all day. She hadn't wanted to tell them that she was running away because she hadn't wanted to get married. Yasha already had formed the opinion that she was a spoiled little brat and telling him this sounded a little too much like oh I'm running away because I couldn't get my way. He would be right of course because that was exactly what she had been doing.

Though she wouldn't be able to avoid it forever, might as well just tell him and get it out in the open.

"Because they wished to have me married as a pledge of loyalty to Naraku and I had no intention of marrying any of the idiots that they sent. So Kouga said that I should marry him. He stormed out saying that he would be back to get my answer in the morning but."

It all started to make sense now and the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. This was strange seeing as he always had such good control until it came to being angry.

"And you knew that he wouldn't take no for an answer."

She was stunned, she had been a snappy come back. "Yes, so I did the only thing that I could think of, I left. I have no intention of marrying anyone or standing in the shadow of the spider."

He believed her. If he couldn't believe her now then he could never believe her. She spoke with such passion. No, she wouldn't stand in the Emperor's shadow. Of that he was sure. With that information he had to look at her in a different light. She was strong, maybe not physically but standing up for what you wanted and being unwilling to bend when you thought something was important. Those things were strength too.

Looking at her now he realized she had probably been told what to do her entire life. Bits of their conversation before came back to his mind. 'no its just that they never really let me go outside.' I'm willing to bet money that she snuck out then she had the chance to. They had tried to mold her and make her fit. He had had contact with many families like the one she was from they were all cut from the same mold had the same ideas pressed upon them. Yet here was this young woman standing before him. She had refused to be broken and now she was finally strong enough to get away.

She looked up. His gold eyes holding hers. There was something there. Something in those eyes that she couldn't quite understand, but she wanted to understand. She wanted him to understand her.

"Despite what you think, I may be my Father's daughter, but I am not my father."

"I know." It was true he did know. He had been reminding himself just that. She was not her father, and though he had been reminding himself that all day it wasn't till he had acknowledged it out loud that he knew how sure he really was. If he had thought otherwise he never would agreed to take her to Ember. Whether that meant handing her over to Kouga or not. He would not have done it if he thought that she was anything like the cruel hearted man he had known as Captain Higurashi.

"You do?" Her voice was soft almost in audible. She was afraid, afraid to give him a chance to take back what he had just said. At the same time she had to give him that chance, she had to be sure.

"Yeah, now let's get going. I don't have all day to stand here and talk." With that he began walking again.

With a smile Kagome ran to catch up with him slowing her pace to match his when she reached his side.

"Thank you, Yasha."

He wouldn't admit it, but those two words meant a lot to him. Yet he couldn't fathom why they would. Instead he hid what he was thinking like always.

"Feh."

Evening was drawing near and she felt like her feet where made of rock as the day had worn on they had only gotten heavier and heavier. She was not going to be the one to say that they needed to stop. What he had said about her slowing them down was still cutting in to her, and she was not about to prove him right.

Frowning Yasha listened to the sound of Kagome walking her feet were dragging and her steps were irregular, and it had only gotten worse over the last hour. They hadn't made it as far as he wanted. He had also figured that they would be able to travel into the night. There was a half moon in the sky tonight and that would have given them enough light. Turning his head to look at the girl it looked like she was ready to drop right here.

"We stop here for the night."

"But .. " she was betrayed as her mouth opened in a yawn.

"See, point taken. Now you better go to sleep because tomorrow you're not going to get off as easy as you did today."

"You mean it could be worse than today?"

"Yeah." Though he had to give her some credit though she had slowed him down quite a bit she hadn't complained once. Turning off the well worn path they were soon surrounded by tick trees. Walking for a few minutes Yasha stopped turning back to the road to make sure someone passing by would not be able to see them.

"Oh. Thanks for taking it easy on me." She paused looking around for herself it was dark, darker then it had been from the road. The moonlight shone down in shafts that made the place appear both erie and beautiful. She had never been in the woods at night before and it was a little scary. "Is it safe here?"

Her unease was apparent as he watched her wide eyes darting about as if someone or something was going to jump out of the shadows at any moment "Don't worry. I'll be right here and nothings going to happen to you."

His words as always were reassuring to her. How did he manage to do that? Smiling slightly she laid down it was a warm night and for that she was thankful wadding up her hood and pulling it to the side she used it as a make shift pillow it was actually easier to fall asleep then she had thought it would be as exhaustion soon over took her and she slipped into oblivion.

Yasha watched as Kagome drifted off to sleep. Sitting down next to her he took in the odd situation. Here he was helping the Higurashis daughter. No just helping her right now he was sitting here watching her like he was her own personal guard or something. Looking at her she wasn't anything like he had thought she would be. It appeared the only thing that he had gotten right about her was she was beautiful. Though she did have a rather hot temper, but it only came out when she was provoked. Too bad for him he often tried to push her buttons.

Higrashi Kagome was not what he and expected and that was both pleasing and frustrating. He would find out more about her of that he was sure and if by some chance this was all a really good act she would be sure to slip up sometime on their way to ember. For right now he would be content just to sit here and watch her as she slept to make sure that nothing happened.

Opening her eyes to the dim light, she turned on her side seeing Yasha sitting there with his back to her. Beyond him starched the forest, that seamed like it had been turned into a magical place. Last night where there had been only shadows and dreariness there was now shafts of sunlight that looked like she could touch them. Looking up the sun shone through the leaves making it look like fine emerald stained glass.

When she brought her attention back to Yasha she found that he was staring at her. His honey gold eyes holding an expression she didn't understand.

"Did you sleep?"

"A little." The fact was he hadn't slept. He had sat there over half the night watching her. "Get up. It's time to go."

Yawning, Kagome got to her feet rubbing her eyes lightly to wipe any sleep that may have lingered there.

"I'm ready," she said in between yawns, her hand going to cover her mouth.

"You sure don't look ready. It doesn't matter now. Let's get going."

After walking half a day in silence, Kagome looked over at the man walking next to her. It was obvious that he wasn't going to say anything so it was up to her. She asked a question that had been plaguing her mind since they started walking yesterday.

"When we get there, you're not just going to leave me are you?"

"Welcome to the real world. It's about time that you've seen what it's like." Why was he being so mean to her? He just couldn't seem to control himself when he was around her and that could be dangerous for the both of them. The sooner that he was rid of her the better. So why then did some part of him wonder if she was going to be ok if he just left her alone. Feh. Why should he care in the first place?

"Oh I see.. well in case I forget when you're abandoning me, thanks for saving my life and taking me to Ember. It really means a lot to me. "

Her voice sounded deflated and instantly he felt bad. This woman! Where did she get off thinking that? Ah to hell with it. When the time came he would leave her because being with him was dangerous.

Thanks for reading not much excitement right now I know but it gets better ^.^ Please review