Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are not mine; they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The following story is for entertainment and not profit.
Pipers Piping
Kagome had picked up her new weapon and graciously excused herself from their small camp. It was a new moon and she could swear that Inu Yasha was more moody than normal. She had had enough. She walked just far enough to lose sight of their cooking fire and be out of human earshot. As the hanyou's complainant faded into the darkness, Kagome heard another sweeter sound; a child's lullaby being played on a wooden flute. It took her a few moments of concentrated listening for her to realize she had heard the melody once before. She couldn't be sure without wandering deeper into the woods, something she was not about to do, but it reminded her of the soul piper's music to soothe the wandering souls of lost children.
With a sigh she leaned back against one of the trees and closed her eyes to listen. Inhaling deeply and letting the tension and frustration flow away from her, Kagome smiled. 'Even though he can be an ass, he can also be really sweet and thoughtful,' she thought letting her fingers brush the hilt of her new dagger. An unexpected rustle brought her to full alert. 'Don't be so foolish,' Kagome scolded herself for letting her guard down while she was isolated from her friends, and on a night when Inu Yasha didn't have his demon senses to give her extra warning.
Turning to head back to camp, she was nearly struck in the nose by a pendant hanging from a nearby branch. White silky strands weighted down by an emerald coloured stone and a red ribbon with another tag.