Chapter 9: A Battlefeild Discovered

It was early the next morning and Sesshomaru was carrying Kira on his back. She was still asleep, but Inuyasha insisted they get an early start. They had been traveling since yesterday and still found nothing of Naraku's scent.

They were headed southwest, since that was the direction that Miroku and Sango saw one of Naraku's insects fly. Kagome was riding Kilala while Inuyasha rode beside her on her bike. Jaken was holding the reigns of Ah Un who had Rin and Shippo on his back. Sango and Miroku were walking beside each other, holding hands.

The slayer and monk had left Haku behind in Keade's village with Keade herself. They didn't want any harm coming to the boy as they traveled.

Sesshomaru was in front of everyone and sniffing the air every now and then for any hint of the evil half demon. Kagome had her spiritual powers on high alert so she could pick up on any tainted jewel shards in the area.

The slumbering Kira soon graoned as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Good morning Kira." Sesshomaru said as he sensed his mate waking up.

She smiled as she yawned. "Morning."

"So who's the sleepy head now?" Kagome asked as she looked over at her friend as she rubbed her belly.

Kira just rolled her eyes at her friend. "Is it my fault that i've been getting more tired lately because of my pregnancy?"

Kagome just giggled. "I guess not."

Kira sighed and nuzzled her face on Sesshomaru's back, avoiding the spiked armor as she did so.

"Do you wish for me to put you down?" the demon lord asked as he stopped.

"Yeah. I'd like to stretch my legs." She said as she took in his sweet cinnimon scent.

Sesshomaru kneeled, letting Kira get of his back. Once she was off, he stood and looked at her.

Kira stretched and yawned again and then smiled at Sesshomaru. "This pregnancy is sure taking a lot out of me."

"Yeah. But after the first trimester, you feel back to normal." Kagome said as she smiled at her friend. "Well, except for the fact that you stomach is gonna start swelling."

"Oh come on Kagome. You still look beautiful to me." Inuyasha said as he smiled at his mate but this comment just made Kagome blush.

Kira looked up at Sesshomaru in curiousity.

Already knowing what she was thinking, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close to him. "No matter how big you get from this pregnancy, you will still be my beautiful goddess." He then planted a loving kiss on her lips to end her wondering thoughts.

She smiled in the kiss and hugged him. "No wonder why i love you."

He smiled as he looked at her.

"Come on! Let's get moving." Inuyasha ordered as he rode past his older brother.

Sesshomaru growled at him but soon followed the others.

He's kinda pushy today isn't he? Kira asked as she walked beside Sesshomaru, her arm intangled with his.

Indeed he is. He said as he glared at the back of the hanyou's head. I suppose it's because he is worried about Kagome's safety. And i suppose since she is five months pregnant, he has every right to be. He's not only worried for her, but for the sake of his daughter as well.

This coming from someone who is having that same thoughts? She said as she smirked up at him.

His cheeks turned a faint pink as he looked away. Possibly.

She just giggled and playfully punched him in the arm. You are a horrible liar.

Is it that obvious that i care about you and our future heir? He asked as he smirked at her.

Yes. And the fact that your ears turn a bit red when you lie is a dead give away too. She said as she noticed his ears turning red.

My ears turn red when i lie? He asked as he looked at her curiously.

She nodded. Yep. They sure do.

He smiled at her as they kept walking.

It was late in the afternoon when they came upon a clearing, but there was something strange about it.

"This doesn't look like a normal clearing." Sango said as she gripped her boomerang.

"Indeed it doesn't." Miroku said as they all soon stopped and staired at the clearing.

Inuyasha sniffed that air and started growling. "Kagura. She was here. Looks like she ambushed someone here."

"Kagura?" Kira looked over at her step brother a bit confused. It then hit her when she smelled a faint hint of burned earth and the wind. "Oh now i remember her. She's a wind sorceress demon."

"But who did she ambush?" Kagome said as she carefully slid off Kilala and went over to Inuyasha. Rin and Shippo jumped off Ah Un and started running around.

Kira stepped foreward and examined that area. "Kagura fought someone with great power. I can sense that much."

"But why would that wind wench want to ambush anyone?" Jaken asked as he kept a careful eye on the children.

"We may never know." Sesshomaru said as he tried to sniff the air for some hint of who it was that was ambushed. "But Naraku must have wanted this person dead or alive for some reason."

"Lord Sesshomaru! Momma!" Rin called as she ran over to her parents. She ran over to Kira with something in her hands. "Shippo and i found something!" She said as she revealed a long gold earring with spots of dried blood on it.

"It's beautiful." Kira said as she picked up the earring and looked at it carefully. "Where did you find it?"

Rin pointed over at a scared portion of earth that almost looked like Inuyasha's Wind Scar had struck there. "Over there in the void in the scared earth."

Kira nodded and went over to the scared earth. There was indeed a void that was big enough to fit a full size adult. She also noticed small bits of fluff in the earth. "Who could it have been that would make Naraku want Kagura to ambush?"

She then turned around when she heard footsteps behind her and noticed it was only her mate. She then noticed the odd look on his face. "Something wrong?"

"I don't know. But i know the scent the Kagura attacked." He said softly so that Inuyasha wouldn't hear.

"Who?" She then recognized that he had a mix of anger, sorrow and worry in his eyes.

Sesshomaru steped closer to Kira and took the earring from her hands, looking at it carefully. She then noticed that he had a true look of sadness in his eyes. "Who is it Sesshomaru?"

"The only one i know of that smells like honeysuckle and orchids." He then looked deeply into his mates confused eyes. "My mother. Kagura attacked my mother." He said as he fist tightened around the earring. "Naraku probably had her captured for some plot he wished to use against us."

Kira looked at him carefully and then stepped closer to him. "You want to save her don't you? Even though you hate her for leaving, you can't help but worry about her can you?"

Sesshomaru just growled as he stared at his fist. "I have no choice in the matter. I must save her."

"And then beat her up later?" She said as she smirked at him.

"Maybe. Or at least try and get an explaination out of her." He said as he released his grip on the earring. He the sighed as he calmed himself. "I don't understnad though. She's as strong as father. What could have happened to her that would have caused her to lose a fight?"

"We may never know hun." Kira said as she looked over at the rest of the group, who were still examining the area. "But i could meditate tonight to see if she's alright for you."

"I know she is not alright. She is in Naraku's clutches." He said as he looked down at his mate. "But....i guess....i would like to know if she is alive."

Kira brightened and hugged him. "That's the spirit. And maybe well find out what happened to her too."

He nodded and hugged her back.