Dusk had painted the forest in shades of deep blue and aubergine. Kagome knelt by the small fire pit she'd carefully crafted two days ago, her fingers raw from her relentless attempts to create a spark.
"Come on, come on, come on," she muttered under her breath, as if her words could coax the stubborn pile of dry leaves and branches to ignite. Her determined eyes bore into the kindling, willing them to burst into flames. She was tired, she was cold, and she was tired of being cold.
But it was more than that. Kagome needed to prove to herself and to the rude half-demon she had parted ways with that she could survive in this strange world. The memory of their argument still stung, the bitter words exchanged between them lingering in the corners of her mind.
Kagome wasn't sure if she would see him again, or even if she wanted to. She felt tears prick her eyes again as the stick she rubbed between her hands slipped and fell to the side again. She was going to light this fire if it was the last thing she ever did.
Inuyasha, some distance away, prowled through the underbrush. The half-demon moved stealthily, his golden eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of prey.
Despite the fact that he should be concentrating on his dinner, he couldn't help but wonder how Kagome was faring. The memory of their heated argument still weighed on his conscious.
Inuyasha had been on the receiving end of many hurtful comments by humans and demons alike. He had been gossiped about, humiliated, feared, and hated. Hell, he'd been shooed away and attacked and left for dead more times than he could remember. But something about his interactions with Kagome were different. Her presence was both a curiosity and an irritation, as if her existence had summoned both demons and human emotions that he'd long tried to suppress.
Yet, despite their argument and her clear directions for him to leave, Inuyasha found himself changing his direction and following a different prey closer to where Kagome was. He didn't know why, but he couldn't deny the growing concern gnawing at the edges of his mind.
Kagome's fingers ached as she rubbed the two sticks together once more. This time, a spark caught, and the leaves crackled to life, sending a small plume of smoke into the air. Kagome gently sheltered it from the light breeze and added more dried leaves, hoping the larger pieces of wood and bark would catch soon. The fire was a small victory, and she would take it.
As Kagome fed twigs to her fledgling fire, her mind was filled with thoughts of her home. The allure of her time tugged at her heartstrings, a reminder of the safety and conveniences she longed for, like a hot bath. She missed her mother's cooking, her little brother's antics, and even her grandfather's clearly real stories about demons and ancient magic. She really should have paid more attention to those.
"But you don't know what you'll miss until it's gone," she mused quietly to herself, her mind reflecting on the blurry image of a father she barely remembered as she watched the fire grow large enough to at least warm her hands.
In the shadows beyond her tiny camp, the sudden snap of a broken twig startled Kagome from her reverie. She inhaled sharply, her heart pounding as her wide eyes darted around the dark forest, half-hoping, half-dreading that Inuyasha had returned.
"Inuyasha?" she called out, her voice quivering with uncertainty. As the last vestiges of daylight waned, eerie shadows danced among the trees. She couldn't see anything beyond the small clearing, and the tingling sensation that ran down her spine told her something was very wrong.
She picked up one of the larger sticks she had been trying to light; one end of it had been singed and glowed red but had not caught fire. Holding it up like a baseball bat, she called out into the darkness, "Whoever you are... come out."
Emboldened by her invitation three menacing figures stepped out from behind the trees and revealed themselves.
The biggest one stepped forward with a bone-chilling grin.
"Well, what do we have here?" he whistled softly, eyes looking Kagome up and down. "We thought we were tracking a dangerous demon, but here we find a pretty little girl instead."
The other two men had a strange look in their eyes, and Kagome took a step back, hoping to put some space between her and the strange men.
The oldest one spoke next, "Surely in a getup like that she is a runaway from a brothel."
"We could test her out," the youngest suggested, earning some chuckles from his older comrades.
"Wh- What do you want?" Kagome stuttered out, unable to keep the wavering out of her voice.
The biggest man nodded his head and the three slowly advanced on Kagome's position across the clearing, trying to trap her against the stone wall behind her. She took a few steps to the side, but the oldest one matched her steps. She would have to run.
"What do you want?" she repeated again more boldly, not really sure what she was hoping to accomplish.
"We are looking for whoever or whatever caused the mysterious light by the old Bone-Eater's well. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would ya?" the biggest drawled.
It was said nicely enough, but the hairs on Kagome's neck and arms raised. Her heart raced as their purpose dredged up a memory she had subconsciously tried to suppress. The strange, mystical light in the wellhouse, the very portal that had thrust her into the past, resurfaced in her mind. A palpable sense of dread engulfed her.
Before she could react, the men lunged at her, and she threw her one defense - the stupid glowing stick - at the oldest man in a state of panic. It was enough to distract him though, and she stumbled clumsily into the densely knitted forest with her heart thundering in her chest. Fear clouded her vision, and she moved forward blindly, her only guide the faint glow of the moonlight.
The men pursued her with relentless determination. A number of cruel jaunts and curses met her ears before rough hands dragged her down to the forest floor.
Kagome screamed and fought back, but she was no match for the three of them. Their malevolent laughter mingled with her desperate cries, for they were certain that no one would hear her pleas for help amidst the vast wilderness.
"Give it up, girl. No one can help you out here," the leader laughed.
In the distance, amidst the shifting shadows and the whispering leaves, Inuyasha's acute ears picked up a sharp scream on the wind. It took only a moment to register the human girl's voice before he was up and bounding at top speed through the treetops. Panic surged through him as he pushed forward, spurred by an urgent need to reach Kagome and shield her from whatever was out there.
He only hoped he wouldn't be too late.
Author's Note: Two chapters to apologize for my delay. Also, it should be noted that Inuyasha is not wearing the kotodama no nenju at the moment.