Mornin' Folks! Well actually it's somethin' like 2pm… Anyway! Thanks everyone for all the reviews! Ok. The reason for not updating…

Reason: Pure laziness. And also the only reason I'm updating now is because I'm sick. My tonsils are SO painful!

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I OWN INUYASHA! -Everyone else who writes InuYasha stories start to death stare Author- … I REPEAT I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA! (Happy? Destroy my dreams why don't cha…)

If we deny love that is given to us, if we refuse to give love because we fear pain or loss, then our lives will be empty, our loss greater.

She flushed at the mockery in his voice, and felt a rising anger overcome her caution. "What need was there to take us?" she demanded. "You seem to have everything planned- your allegiance in return for Nightingale. Why do you need us?"

"Because," he said in a tone of one explaining something to a backward child, "Washoru has just returned to find that Shikon is not as peaceful as he would wish it. And I am not so sure of his good will that I'll walk into the wolf's lair (should of made the king Kouga…) without first ensuring that the wolf is not hungry for Shikonean blood. Your presence assures me of words with your uncle who, I am told, is close enough to the King to be sure of a hearing. If Washoru admits that a living Shikonean prepared to aid him is more use to him than a dead one, he and I shall deal well together."

"You think he will deal at all with a man who fled to the hills and abandoned his people to the mercy of their conquerors?" she demanded contemptuously. (So longa word…)

"What?" he retorted. "Would you have had me see my people slain? If we had made a stand and fought Hiroshi when he came to take Nightingale, how many of my people would have been killed? How much damage to the property? Do you think we would have won? Even had we driven them away, others would have come."

He paused for a moment, and then went on, "Washoru himself uses craft more often than he uses force, and I doubt he won't see the thinking behind mine. I was sure Hiroshi could control his men and was not intent only on rape, plunder and killing like most of his kind. He knew that if he allowed me to leave, I would take with me all those who could not stomach a Miron lord- those who would doubtless cause him trouble. To fight led only to defeat. This way, there is victory of a kind. And," he added, more to himself than to her, "I have something in mind to add weight to my side of the bargain."

Kagome raised her head and her brown eyes challenged him. "You are very sure you will have your way, Hanyou."

He raised an eyebrow and regarded her with a flicker of a smile lifting a corner of his mouth and a gleam of speculation in his amber eyes. "Yeah, little one," he said softly, letting his gaze roam insolently over her. "And more so now than before, I think."

She flushed darkly, flinching from the mockery in his eyes. "I would like," she said quickly, saying the first thing that came into her mind, "To see Kikyo." (Who would?)

He stood up immediately. "Come." Without pausing to see if she followed him, he strode to the door, threw it open and disappeared outside, leaving her scramble to feet and run after him, thrusting away the horrible feeling of having been somehow degraded by his roaming gaze.

He was standing at the door of Kikyo's chamber, holding it open for her, and when she moved past him into the room he stood watching her.

"Kiki!" Kikyo was lying on the bed tied hand and foot and wit an expression on her face that anyone who knew her as Kagome did, would instantly recognise as a portent of the fury raging within.

Kagome spun round and glared at the hanyou. "You cannot keep her tied up like this!" she cried, and was so infuriated by the amusement in his eyes that she added coldly, "Are you so afraid of a woman that you must keep her bound helpless so that she cannot hurt you? Your courage has been greatly exaggerated, I think!"

"No, wench," he said calmly, "'tis not my courage you should doubt, but my temper. I've no wish to harm the lady, but unless she keeps her claws well hidden I cannot guarantee her safety. Perhaps you can persuade her to curb her wildcat instincts." He inclined his head with a mocking smile and withdrew, leaving them alone.

Kagome turned back and dropped to her knees beside the bed. "Oh, Kiki, you should not have scratched him. There is nothing to be done yet."

"You, no doubt, have been so honey-sweet to these- these barbarians," Kikyo snapped, "That your comfort is assured!" her malevolent gaze swept over the younger girl accusingly, taking in her free hands, the fresh gown and newly-combed hair.

"Oh!" Hurt and indignant, Kagome sat back on her heels and looked at her aunt. "How can you say such a thing? He untied me when we got here because that brute, Miroku, tied me so tight he nearly severed my wrists!" To prove it, she held out her arms to display the red marks. "He will release you too if you will came down a little. We'll gain nothing by making things worse for ourselves. If we must be prisoners here, we may as well be comfortable."

She sat on the edge of the bed and tried to undo the knots that bound her aunt. "Uncle Hiroshi is but a day's ride away," she said, "And I have also discovered what it is the hanyou wants." In as few words as possible, she told her of the conversation with InuYasha, realising as she did so that she had really found out nothing that he had not wanted her to know.

Kikyo's reaction was a contemptuous, "Ha! He digs his own grave then, for Washoru will never agree! He is not a fool."

Kagome was conscious of a pang of apprehension. She did not think InuYasha had seriously considered the possibility of being refused, and if he were to be refused… She gave up struggling with the knots and looked at Kikyo, "I think we had better hope the King does agree, Kiki. I fear for our very lives if the hanyou is denied."

"He dares not do anything beyond threatening us," Kikyo said, although without any real conviction in her voice. "That would do very little to further his cause! And Hiroshi will not allow anything to happen to us."

The morning passed slowly. Kagome could make no impression on the knots, and Kikyo finally declared that even if she had to apologise to InuYasha for scratching him, she would make him release her.

Towards midday, Rin came in bearing food and water. She set it down and then stood, hesitant, looking at Kagome. Abruptly, she drew a small, slender knife form the folds of her gown and held it out.

"Take this," she said quickly. "There are two horses, tethered in the trees. My lord has gone hunting, but to the north- you must ride south. You will soon recognise the way. I can do no more."

A moment later she was gone, leaving Kagome staring in amazement at the knife in her hands.

"What is it?" Kikyo demanded.

Kagome turned and held up the knife with an almost triumphant smile, and as she moved to cut the ropes that bound her, translated Rin's words. "We must hurry," she added, and leaving Kiyo rubbing her wrists, went to the door and peeped out. At the end of the gallery one of the Shikonean men she did not know stood with his arms folded, his long-bladed knife thrust into his belt.

She closed the door, and looked across at the window. "We'll have to go out that way." Unlike Nightingale, there were no shutters at the windows here, only think skins fastened across the inside. While Kikyo wrapped up the food Rin had brought, Kagome pulled over the only chair in the room, climbed up on it and began to cut at the skin.

It took but a few minutes, and although the opening was not large, both girls were slightly built and slid through fairly easily, to tumble inelegantly to the ground outside and run for the cover of the trees.

They found the horses a little distance away, each with a wolf pelt across the saddle, and Kagome, clutching the little knife, silently blessed Rin and prayed InuYasha did not discover who had helped them. Wrapped up against the cold, and being as quiet as possible, they led the horses through the trees to the rough track beyond, mounted and rode quickly away.

They rose hard for about half an hour before slowly to a trot and exchanging smiles of relief and satisfaction. Kagome let out a gurgle of laughter. "Now that arrogant hanyou must find another way to make his peace with the king!"

It was Kikyo who, for some reason, half-turned her head and glanced back the way they had come. "Oh, no! Kagome…"

There were a handful of horsemen, close enough to be identifiable as Shikoneans, and they were closing the gap relentlessly. "We cannot outride them!" Kikyo cried.

Something tightened inside Kagome. "Try!" she shouted, and dug her heels into the horse's flanks. The ground slid away beneath them alarmingly, and all Kagome knew was the drumming of horse's hooves and the pounding of blood in her ears.

But it was useless, of course. InuYasha and his men were soon all around them, blocking their way and flanking them on either side. Drawing their horses to an abrupt halt, the two girls faced InuYasha and Miroku, and Kagome was conscious of the racing of her heart as she looked at InuYasha; his face was expressionless, but his eyes were hard, glittering gems of gold.

Shifting her gaze to Miroku, she was startled to find him regarding her with something she might almost have thought was amusement. Strangely, it was he and not his lord, who spoke. Inclining his head to indicate the way they had come, he said dryly: "Back, my lady, if you please."

She shot him a venomous look, and was about to tell him just what she thought of that, when Kikyo, who could guess what Miroku had just murmured, "Kagome, we cannot fight them all, and to try would I fear, be very unwise."

The look Kagome gave her aunt was even more expressive that the one she had sent Miroku, but, wrenching the horse's rein viciously, she turned him round and with her eyes fixed steadily on the way ahead and her head held high, she said not one word as the procession made its way back to the Shikoneans' hideaway.

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And there we go! My fingers hurt… be appreciative! Please? Any way. I'm going to go and write the next chapter of Silent Screamer now. I haven't updated any of my other stories because of this one.

So Cya!

This is Alexius and I am out.