Chained: In More Ways than One

Downward

***.

Kagome was dragging her feet. Forcing herself to continue to walk. The pain from her leg had dulled in strength but was continual.

She cursed inside her head. 'It's just around the corner he said. Just a little further MY ASS.'

They'd crossed the line to the elders lands what felt like hours ago for Kagome but every time she'd ask where they close yet the demon lord would just say almost. Raising her hopes only to dash them when there was no sign of a grand castle on the horizon line within the next half an hour.

Or any sign of another life form for that matter.

Originally she asked him 'Are we there yet?' But as soon the words left her mouth the demon lord gave her look to never say that string of words in the same sentence ever again.

Sesshoumaru tried his best to ignore the insults that came his way that the Miko at the end of the chain had let slip from her inner tirade. One that stood out to him was 'Gift of a kidnapped injured women.' He had to wonder how the girl came up with these things but he guessed that was kinda how the situation started out as.

Kagome was falling behind. Her misery at the situation she found herself in was draining her energy. She knew that if it wasn't for the chain that the demon lord would be leaving her behind in his dust.

What really bugged her though was that she managed to hit every tinny obstacle that came into her path while Sesshoumaru seemed to just glide over them. Ever stick or pine cone left her stumbling after him. She even thought she felt something in her shoe.

The last straw though was when she tripped over a root protruding from a tree. Right in the middle of the path. Kagome let off a growl of annoyance. Kicked the tree and crossed her arms before sliding to a rest at the base.

Sesshoumaru back tracked when he realized the Miko wasn't following him any more. He came to tower over and just glared at her while she ignored him. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm sitting down." Kagome snapped.

"Stand up." Sesshoumaru commanded.

"Why should I? We've been walking for hours and I don't think we're going to make it by nightfall so why don't we just make camp for the night?" Kagome let out her frustration on the demon lord as she took off her left shoe and managed to shake out five pebbles. Repeat, FIVE.

"It's only been about three hours and the elders castle is just at the bottom of that ridge." He pointed. Sesshoumaru knew that the Miko was just tired and irritated so he wasn't holding this event against her unlike the other ones. Which she did completely of her own free will.

Kagome looked at where the ground slowly began to drop off not to far away. "Why should I believe you this time. I'll just be disappointed again." She turned back and narrowed her eyes at him.

Sesshoumaru didn't say anything, just signaled with his head for her to take a look. He knew it was only an amount of time before the Miko's curiosity ate away at her from the inside out. '3... 2... 1.'

Kagome scrambled to her feet using the tree to support herself before limping towards the edge. She held her breath at the sight that greeted her and didn't release it again until she sensed that the demon lord had come to stand directly behind her.

"You believe me now?"

Kagome knew that there was a confident smirk across Sesshoumaru's face even though she couldn't see it. There, not to far from the bottom of the hill was one of the most beautiful castles Kagome had every had the privilege to set eyes on in person.

Sesshoumaru stopped her from continuing down the hill by grabbing her upper arm. "Before we enter I have some words of safety for you. Do not make a scene and let your anger get a hold of you. Know matter what anyone says. It'll only alert the guards. Try also to stay as close to me as possible."

"I don't think we need to worry about being separated. Well that is the whole point of coming here right." Kagome shook the chain so it made a jingling sound to get her meaning across.

He paused beside her to make sure she was listening. "I know how to act respectively when I need to." Kagome said in exasperation to assure him.

Sesshoumaru continued on their downward journey with Kagome following after him. It wasn't until then that she realized her problem. She hadn't even thought about it until now.

The farther they got down the hill the steeper it got. She had been having a harder time just traveling on flat ground with her ankle the way it was. Now they were throwing in a steep hill to boot.

Kagome had to try and steady herself. 'I'm not going to fall.' She had to ensure herself.

She would give anything for that crutch Sesshoumaru had made her now. She had assured him that she didn't need it anymore and was going to stick to her point even now.

When Sesshoumaru had turned around on their first night together she had thrown it in the fire and enjoyed watching it burn. The stupid thing was annoying and always dug into her arm pit. She found it easier to walk around without it anyways.

Except maybe now.

She just wanted it to end. This felt like the longest hill in her life.

The grass was very long and green. Still with each step she took she found it harder to keep her footing. Kagome wasn't going to let him win. Sesshoumaru had bet her that she'd regret doing that later.

And she had. But he didn't need to know that.

They seemed to have a betting problem. She didn't even know why they did it. There was never actually any set out prize to the winner or any task the loser had to perform. Maybe it was just the satisfaction of gloating about the other being in the wrong and you being in the right then rubbing it in their face. Well she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.

While Kagome contemplated their actions she forgot about the action she should be focusing her whole attention on. Making it to the bottom of the hill safely.

They had actually only made a couple feet down the hill no matter what Kagome thought. She was snapped back to attention when she felt herself sliding. The grass was wet for some unknown reason so it felt like there was morning dew on it.

She panicked once she realized what was happening. When she tried to gain her footing again her injured ankle gave out for a second causing her to trip herself.

Kagome hit the ground knocking the wind out of herself. The hill was so steep that gravity started to take it's toll and she started to roll. She tried to change her direction but had no control over her bodies movement.

'Watch...!" She attempted to warn Sesshoumaru but it was too late by that point. Before Kagome knew it she had crashed right into his feet knocking them right from under him.

Sesshoumaru hadn't seen it coming. His full attention was on thinking what to say when he was actually in the elders presence to convince him to remove the chain. He wasn't actually putting any brain power into walking down the hill because who couldn't complete such a trivial task.

Apparently the Miko.

He only rolled a foot or so before he managed to stop his downward spiral by grabbing some of the long grass. His success didn't last long though when his hand was jolted by the chain as the Miko continued to roll causing the grass to rip right out of the ground.

Sesshoumaru just rolled his eyes before continuing his decent.

They both began to roll down the hill together. Kagome had given up trying to stop herself realizing it just hurt more when she reached her arm away from her body.

Sesshoumaru noticed how much damage the fall was doing to the Miko. So she wouldn't get any more hurt he wrapped his own arm around her waist and pulled her close to his body to shield her from harm.

It was the least he could do for getting her in this situation. The fall would cause him no harm in the end anyways. He wasn't angry with her for this and almost expected it to happen subconsciously in the back of his mind.

They just kept rolling until near the bottom they slid to a stop.

Kagome was just glad that they had finally stopped moving so she hadn't noticed the situation she was in until Sesshoumaru shifted. When they'd stopped rolling he'd landed right on top of her and had to use his arm to support his body weight so he wouldn't crush her.

Once the demon lord was back on his feet it left Kagome on the ground just realizing the full implications of what had just happened. She was a little shocked and mortified before letting off a deep blush.

Suddenly a demon marked stripe hand appeared in her line of vision before pulling her up to her feet.

"I guess this is what I get for being attached to such a clumsy person." Sesshoumaru commented to himself before moving on to the entrance of the castle. Kagome was still in such a state of confusion she didn't catch his jab at her and just followed after him silently.