Harro! I can't believe I got such a good response from the first chapter! THANK YOU! You guys rock! (Hugs all the readers) Ok heres chapter…2! Oh! And if some things don't make sense I'm sorry. I had a heavy light fixture fall on my head on the weekend and I have a mild concussion…

Lady In The Dog's Den

'Starting out again is never easy, disappointments come and go, but life still goes on; With a bit of luck, it's a brand new start, that might just go my way."

Chapter 2

Outside there must have been nearly two dozen horses, and mounted on many of them were Shikoneans Kagome recognised, one or two of the women with babies and young children. Clearly InuYasha did not intend to leave anyone at Nightingale to face the wrath of Lord Hiroshi.

Miroku took both her and Kikyo to InuYasha, "Do they ride, lord?" (A/n: just a note. Miroku doesn't call him 'My lord' because InuYasha is not his superior but his friend.)

InuYasha glanced at Kagome's stormy face and bound wrists, then at Kikyo who was trying in vain to break free from Miroku's iron grip. He shook his head, "No. Take the Lady Kikyo up with you. I doubt anyone else could hold her and she must not be harmed. I'll take this wench. Come, it's more than time we were gone."

He lifted Kagome on to his grey horse as if she weighed no more than a feather and mounted behind her, and as it seemed futile to resist, she withdrew into a dignified silence. Far better she conserve her energy for some more likely opportunity of escape. Kikyo's protests and cries for release met with little response from Miroku, and it was InuYasha, as he led the procession away from Nightingale, who eventually cut across her shrill voice with a curt, "cease your whining, woman, unless you wish your mouth bound as well as you hands!"

Much to Kagome's relief, Kikyo subsided into angry silence, and much to her surprise, InuYasha wrapped a bearskin around her against the cold. But she could draw no comfort from such solicitude. What she knew of him by rumours was enough to leave her cold with apprehension.

He was a man with a reputation amongst the Shikoneans as a great warrior, supposedly a friend of Earl Rohado's, and one who had fought at the Final Battle. He had surrendered his people at Nightingale to Lord Hiroshi and then fled to the hills with a third of his men, and the hills had been his sanctuary ever since.

From there he swooped down upon small bands of Morins who strayed to close, although he stopped short of inflicting physical harm on Hiroshi's men – no doubt fearing reprisals on the Shikoneans he left at Nightingale – Kagome herself had witnessed the return of a luckless group. The Shikoneans had them tied to the saddle facing their horses' tails and sent them back with flowers in their hair and garlands round their necks; and the deaths of several Mirons from other villages and manors in the area were attributed to InuYasha's hand.

It was not a comforting thought.

The procession rode for some miles at a steady pace. The rope was so tight around Kagome's wrists that it bit savagely into her flesh but she made no complaint for she doubted it would avail her anything. After some time she did pluck up enough courage to venture a question: "what will happen to our men at Nightingale?" she asked. "Lord Hiroshi-"

"You have knowledge of our language, wench," he interrupted curtly. "Use it."

Her eyes flew to his face, but his gaze was on the way ahead and he did not look at her. She toyed for a moment with the idea of denying her knowledge and pretending she had not understood him, but immediately knew it would be folly. Obviously he had been kept well informed. So she repeated her question rather resentfully, and added: "Lord Hiroshi may not return for days-weeks…"

"Do you take me for a fool, wench?" he demanded, glancing at her with raised eyebrows. "I made sure Lord Hiroshi was but a day's ride away before I moved. I've no wish to be burdened with you longer than I must."

She digested this silently for a moment, and then asked, "we are hostages, then? And you intend to release as soon as possible?"

"Peace, wench," he said wearily. "You will know soon enough. We have a long ride and I must keep my attention on it. Save you questions."

They kept up the pace, heading, of course, into the hills. Although Kagome strained her eyes into the heavy darkness seeking some landmark that would identify their route, the night was moonless and she could see only shapeless shadows, and soon gave up. (A/n: InuYasha will not be turning human in this story.) Strange creatures scuttled away before the advancing horses; in the darkness a wolf howled and Kagome shivered at the inhuman sound. There were a few words spoken between the Shikoneans, and only the thrumming of horse's hooves disturbed the eerie silence of the night.

Her cloak and the bearskin kept her warm, but sitting sideways, with her hands tied before her and only InuYasha's strong arms preventing her from slipping off, she was far from comfortable. She had begun by endeavouring to keep her seat without his support, for she cringed away from contact with him; but it put such a strain on her that she yielded a little to lean against his arm and chest.

The pain in her wrists grew worse and her hands tingled with numbness; yet she bore all her discomforts with fortitude and in silence, praying all the while for a miracle in the way of rescue. Or, failing rescue, that at least the end of the journey was near.

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Another chapter done! This one is not long cause my head is killing me! ok! Here's what happened! A light fixture fell smashed me in the head on Saturday (19/8) and then last night (Sunday) my parents took me to the hospital cause I was having bad headaches and I had almost fainted a few times during the day. I half fainted on my mum, so she decided I should go to the hospital. We got there at 10:45pm a nurse had a look at me and then sent use into the waiting room. I finally got to see the doctor at 2:45am. Four hour wait people! The doctor had a look at me and said that I had a mild concussion, that how unlucky I was to have my bedroom light fall on me and that I should be good in a few days. She told me to take some Panadol (pain killers you can by in the shop) and have some rest. I waited four hours to be told that. (sigh)