DISCLAIMER: I do not own InuYasha.

Chapter One: Longing

While Kozan laid beneath the stars the priestess of his desires turned to make her way back to her village. Shouldering her quiver on her back she picked up her bow as a gentle breeze toyed with the loose black strands of her hair. She couldn't help but glance back to where she had sensed the man watching her. Even in the cloaking darkness of night she could still make out the spot amongst the trees just on the border of the flower meadow. She pulled her eyes away when she felt her sister tug on her arm to get her attention. She took the hand she offered and together they continued on the way to the village.

Even at the late hour the village women were still about. They ran towards her as she and her sister were within sight. She greets them as she gently pushed her sister in the direction of their home with the soft orders to go to bed.

"Lady Kikyo," One woman approached her before the other women could catch up. "Did that man spy on you again?" At Kikyo's nod the woman grew indignant. "I'll never understand why he does that." The woman shook her head, her blonde hair swaying with the motion. She rolled her eyes in agitation. "He seems like such a stalker."

"I think its romantic," piped up a brown haired teenager who was pulling down the laundry she had hung earlier that day. She smiled at Kikyo.

Kikyo pondered the thought. "Perhaps." Kikyo began thinking to herself as the village women discussed the man at length amongst themselves. Maybe I should speak to him. It would be nice to know why he feels he must spy on me. "I think I will speak with him tomorrow."

The blonde woman's eyes widen. "Lady Kikyo I think that it would be a very dangerous for you to approach him. What if he tries to harm you or worse what if he tries to kill you?" She shuddered as she spoke. "Men can be such callous dogs at times."

"Be that as it may if he tries to harm me I will simply kill him."

Kikyo left the women then walking towards her home. She was intent on getting some sleep before she faced the man upon the morning.

oooooooooooo

When dawn broke upon the horizon Kozan was up and raced to the meadow to watch over the priestess. He trained within the shadows of the surrounding forest until he caught her scent upon the breeze and he turned in that direction to see her striding into the meadow with her sister in tow. She began picking the herbs that lay scattered amongst the flowers. He was mesmerized by her beauty as he watched her move and scoop down to pick various things. Soon she was out of his range of vision. Where did she go? Kozan scanned the area around him. Finally he spotted her walking right into the forest a little ways away, but she was heading right in his direction. Damn it she's so close. What if she sees me? He jumped into the closest tree and hid. He made sure to keep her in his sight as she moved closer. Why is she here?

Kikyo stopped just inside the forest. Looking around she didn't see him, but she could sense his presence. Where is he?

She looked around her, focusing her eyes to peer into even the deepest shadows. "I know you're here. I know that you have been spying on me and I wish to know why." She gripped the bow that she already held tightly in her hand. "Come out or I'll be left with no other choice but to find and kill you."

Kozan watched as she prepared to fire an arrow. He refused to come out for fear that she would do just as she promised. Even as he cowered in his tree he watched as she pulled back the arrow and aimed in his direction as if she knew where he was. She let the arrow fly and it whizzed by only centimeters away from his head.

Kikyo walked out of the forest towards her sister who stood staring in the direction she had come from. "Let us go Kaede."

Kozan watched as they walked away. His heart was racing as his eyes followed her retreating form. He had wanted to talk to her, but his fear of her priestess powers had forced him to hide like a coward.

Kozan jumped slightly when Jin's laughter filtered through his ears. "I see that you were almost shot by an arrow from the very priestess you love." Kozan didn't have to face Jin to know there was a smirk on his face. "If that's not enough to convince you to let her go then you are one stupid wolf."

That comment forced Kozan to jump down from his perch and face Jin. "If you think that one priestess is enough to due me in than I guess you don't know me that well. You know that I'll give her one hell of a good fight. I give her credit though, the woman has damn good aim with that bow of hers."

"Well, Kozan, you do love her so naturally you would find something nice to say about her." Jin tossed Kozan an apple. "Give her that the next time you see her."

Kozan caught the apple as it soared towards him. "Jin I thought…"

Jin sighed cutting him off. "Look I know there's no way you'll let this drop and forget about her, even if I ask you to. So I have no choice but to accept it and hope that she doesn't end up killing you when she finds out you're a demon. Plus I'd much rather see you together with her than at her mercy in a fight."

Kozan slapped Jin on the back in a friendly gesture. "Thanks Jin I owe you one." Kozan smiled. "I promise that I'll give this apple to her as soon as she tries to find me again."

Both Kozan and Jin sat down beneath the tree that Kozan had recently been hiding in. Kozan wondered what Jin was doing here. "Why did you come out here? Are we ready to load up camp?"

"No nothing like that. We were all out gathering the other wolves. It's supposed to rain tonight and as close as we all are within camp we didn't want anyone smelling like a wet dog." They both laughed at Jin's poor attempt at a joke. When their laughter died down Jin sniffed the air. 'From the smell in the air it seems like the storm is drawing very near."

"Well then let's get back quickly." Kozan stood and offered his hand to help Jin up. Together the raced the upcoming storm clouds as the headed back to the wolf camp.

oooooooooooooo

As the wolves raced to camp, Kikyo and Kaede wandered back into the village and like the night before the village women bombarded Kikyo with questions. Kikyo sent Kaede on home with her bow and arrows and greeted the curious mob of women.

"Lady Kikyo, did you talk with the man?" This came from the teenager who, as the night before, was clearing away laundry, preparing to take it inside.

"I did not. He refused to come out of hiding and speak with me." Kikyo sat down on a patch of grass next to the teenage girl. She seemed the most enthused by the man so Kikyo faced her as she spoke.

"So he's the shy type. Shy men are always cute." The teenager smiled. "So how did it go Lady Kikyo?"

"Well," Kikyo began recalling the event that had happened earlier that morning. "I went to the meadow to gather medicinal herbs. I approached the spot where I had sensed him hiding, but when I approached he wasn't there. He hid from me as I called out to him."

"What happened next, Lady Kikyo?" the girl was growing impatient waiting for Kikyo to continue.

"What else? She probably fire one of her sacred arrows at him." This came from the snide blonde woman who had so heatedly been against her seeking him out.

"I bet he was planning to attack our village." A red hair woman, holding an infant, concluded.

'I can't be certain why he hid from me even after the fact that I told him that all I wanted was to know why he insisted on watching me. So I tried to scare him out of hiding by firing an arrow at him, but even then he still hid away."

The women around her all showed different reactions to her proclamation.

"Lady Kikyo tell me you didn't?" The teenage girl, so full of youth thoughts of romance, had tears forming in her eyes for a man she didn't even know.

"Serves him right if she hit him and he died. That's probably why he didn't show. He couldn't after being hit by an arrow from our Lady Kikyo." The blonde woman grinned at the thought.

"No I missed him intentionally. I could sense roundabouts where he was so I fired my arrow towards him but not directly at him." The teenager sighed in relief at the comment.

"You should have killed him." The blonde woman and the redhead were in agreement on this.

"Lady Kikyo, I think I know why he didn't come out," a young girl of around five walked towards her from behind the group of tittering women.

"Why is that child?" Kikyo smiled at her.

"I think he was afraid that you would kill him. Maybe next time you should go unarmed. He might talk to you then."

A couple of the women laughed at the child for her notion. The blonde woman laughed at her. "Foolish girl, if Lady Kikyo goes unarmed than it will be he who tries to kill her. Besides Lady Kikyo should just kill him and be done with it."

"Exactly," the redhead agreed.

"I think you should give it a try Lady Kikyo." The teenage girl smiled a wispy smile. She reached into a basket of flowers that her young sister had brought her while she had hung the wash. "When you do give him this flower." She handed Kikyo the flower.

"I don't know if I will ever see him, he seems to have no desire at all to speak with me." Kikyo went to hand her back the flower only to notice that a few of the women who hadn't spoken up were trying hard not to frown at her. She sighed. "I will give it some thought before I decide what I will do. I must be getting back to my duties."

Kikyo put away the flower after she left the woman. While she patrolled the village she was often seen by the women pulling the flower out and thinking of him. She was deep in thought as she continued on with her duties. I think maybe this one time I will trust my heart and see where it will lead me. This man has been watching me for years yet I do not even know who he is. I wish to know why he hides in the shadows and watches me. Could it be that he actually does want to destroy the village as the women think or could it be that he might find me desirable as a woman? Desirable? How can any man find a priestess, who's sole purpose is to ward away and extinguish demons? It is not a desirable life for a woman. I want to know the truth and tomorrow I will have it.

As Kikyo finished her duties about the village it began to rain. Placing the flower, she had yet again brought out to contemplate, back inside the sleeve of her top she rushed through the village and sought shelter within her home. Once inside she changed out of her wet clothes, removing the flower as she did. She lay down on her futon placing the flower next to her. Gazing at it she drifted off into sleep.

All the while Kozan, who had once again stuck away from the other wolves, had been watching her. He had watched her from his perch in a tree just on the outskirts of the village. The rain, that had drenched him pelt and all, acted as extra camouflage from the eyes of her and the other villagers, but sadly enough it didn't keep in from the eyes of another wolf.

"Hey Kozan," Yuka said as she climbed up into the tree and took a seat next to him.

Kozan wasn't happy to see the tribe leader's daughter. He refused to acknowledge her presence as he continued to watch the priestess's hut.

"What's the big idea being out in a storm like this? My father will flip when he finds out his apprentice has disobeyed his orders to stay within camp." Yuka grabbed Kozan's ponytail and yanked causing him to scream. "I have taken it upon myself to drag our sorry ass back before he notices that you're absent. Let's go."

She jumped down from their limb, her hold on his ponytail forcing him down with her. Pulling him by his hair, Yuka sped away back towards their camp dragging the reluctant Kozan behind her. All the while he's eyes stayed trained on the village until it finally fell out of sight.