Here comes round 2, enjoy. R&R if you wish. –DP

*Dream Memory*

"Lord Sesshomaru, don't you think your wounds are still too fresh for you to be trying to move about, besides the snow is still falling out there, and the wind is howling as we speak." Sesshomaru glared at the female woman before him, her waist length brown hair swaying as she worked putting bottles away on shelves, her plain grey kimono hugging her curves as she moved around the room. "I had no need for your assistance, witchy woman." His words were in a sneer. He heard her soft musical laugh echoe against the walls of her small, but cozy home. "I found you face down in the snow young demon, bleeding out from two wounds, you would have perished and you know it." She turned facing him her brown eyes dancing with amusement, her hands moving to her hips. "Besides, I think the only heir to the western lands should be grateful, I am sure your sire would be." He gave a growl at her, he didn't know how this woman knew him, very few knew of his existence. "It will be four days before the storm cross over, you mines well get comfortable and let your injuries mend. "You can't force me to stay." He bit out in anger. He watched her raise a slender brow. "No, but I doubt you will get 100 feet from this place before falling face first again, in your current state, young lord."

*End Memory*

Sesshomaru's eyes fluttered open, he had dozed off. Though he was still on alert, idly leaning on the same tree he had been for the last few hours, waiting for dawn to approach. His gaze moved to the girl who slept in the clutches of the dragon Ah-Un, who lingered near the fire which was dying down. The snow was steadily falling still, his gaze moved up to the dark sky, no shimmering stars visible from the cloud cover. That dream still fresh on his mind, 300 years, had it been that long since that night? Time meant very little to him, it passed as it did for the world, but for his kind a year was but a mere day, probably less. Most in his blood lines lived long lives unless killed out first. He recalled his great grandfather who perished at 2,334. That was an average span for his life span, one ancestor, had been known to live near 5000 years. "How come you still haunt me Mazurie, every year at the first snow fall, you come to grace my thoughts too heavily. I did not fail you…." His whisper was heard by none but the gentle breeze which fluttered through the area. His breath leaving the foggy mist from his soft confession into the night.

He decided on the morrow they would travel by air the , the weather did not seem like it would break anytime soon, just as that storm from all those years ago would not let up. He gave his head a light shake, attempting to make himself forget that line of thoughts. The snow would be too deep for Rin to travel on foot by, so by air they would leave and get their faster too. He let his mask of indifference fall back in place to the world, but his mind continued to venture back to that dream. Yes, he had been young and foolish, a young teen in human years, but near a hundred in demon terms. She had found him, in the snow after he had scuffled with three demons on one, but he had been the victor, but at the price of being wounded, and to his rotten luck weather had gotten worse, he had lost his way in that blizzard his senses no use to him. She had found him, and brought him in, patched him up, making sure he wouldn't freeze to death, bound by honor, he owed her. He forcefully pushed the whole memory away, looking back to the sky, dawn would be in a couple hours, and they could thankfully be moving again.

*****'

Inuyasha gave a growl as he stormed back in, and shook off like a dog after a bath. Kagome near wanted to laugh at that, but bit back the urge. "This damn weather is ridiculous, we rarely get a storm this bad at this time of year, barely working into winter." Inuyasha stuffed his hands into fire rat sleeves sneering. "At this rate we won't be able to travel for a couple more days. " His form plopped down in his chosen corner as the rest of the gang sighed in union. "Well…" Kagome piped in. "The jewel shard isn't far, so that is a good sign…" Kagome looked out the window, watching young Shippou make a snowman, which she had done with him the last couple years when snow came around. The weather sure seemed not to be phasing him much, lucky demon….the group spent the next few hours playing cards and other games they knew of, well mainly Kagome, Miroku , Sango…Inuyasha was too busy pouting in his corner.

Kagome had enough after round twenty of poker and stood up, slipping her jacket on she ventured outside to look for Shippou who, was at the current moment hunting for sticks apparently because he had one in hand already. "Hey Shippou, why are you looking for sticks?" She followed after the kit. "For arms for my snowman, Kagome. Looking for the perfect set." Kagome smiled lightly at her adopted son, actually being a kid for once. "Well I am sure one is out here somewhere." Kagome glanced around idly, though a feeling still nagging her, she just couldn't shake the feeling of something was going on, or going to happen. "Kagome, I smell something that kind of smells like…" Shippou scrunched his nose a moment trying to identify the stench. "Naraku, but …we killed him." Kagome pushed her senses out trying to feel what her son was talking about, but failed for the time being, she was surprised Inuyasha hadn't come rushing out screaming about it, if that was the case.

"Are you sure Shippou? There are a lot of demons out there you know…though couple of his incarnations are still lurking about." Shippou just nodded. "Whatever it is, is a ways off." Kagome shivered at the memory of all the trouble and past times related to that evil half demon. Though maybe Inuyasha couldn't smell so good with the heavy storm, especially the wind whipping around like this. Kagome sighed and dusting herself off, trying to rid the snowflakes from her clothes before they melted. "Shippou, do you still smell it?" Kagome was kind of worried, anything related to Naraku was bad news, always was, always will be. She watched Shippou shake his head no as he had finally decided on two sticks, he shuffled his way back to his snowman. She decided to walk a ways, to try and shake this feeling, it wasn't good. Kagome made her way back up to the hill she had been perched on yesterday. She looked around the area, trying to feel and sense anything out.

Her powers had grown the last couple years, she could hold a barrier up, do a few parlor tricks, but that was about it. One of these days she needed to train way more, she relied way too much on her companions as of lately, she noticed. Kagome looked across the tree line which was on the other side of the hill. It was dark and gloomy, gave her the creeps, the forest had since they showed up here. She heard a rustling and a branch snapping, which put her on edge. She didn't like it; suddenly a heavy wind blew which nearly knocked her over, she stumbled slightly in the ankle deep snow. "What….was that…?" She spoke to no one in particular…that hadn't been a natural wind. She tried feeling the area once more with her energy, but felt nothing strange. It just didn't feel right. She turned to head back down the hill, and toward the protection of her friends. She didn't get the chance to make it five feet…

Kagome suddenly felt herself pushed and suddenly tumbling down the hill, something had made contact with her. She stopped herself and sat up gasping, the cold snow now covering her clothes. Looking around she saw nothing, she stood up and dusted off, taking steps backward toward the village, and out of nowhere, another strong gust of wind; it wrapped about her body tightly and the snow came down harder blurring her vision. "Inuyasha!" She cried out, but her voice was lost in the tornado of snow and wind she seemed to be trapped in. Kagome suddenly felt arms around her, and a dark, smooth male voice whispered against her year…"Hello, Priestess."