They didn't need it for warmth, but having a fire at night had become commonplace, light flickering along the ground and trees. Kagome shifted her weight, rolling her shoulders as she unrolled more of the parchment.
"Shouldn't you be asleep?" Inuyasha asked from a branch above.
"I will soon," she replied. "The story is just getting interesting." She hadn't had time to read the scroll Sesshoumaru had brought back from his home, and truthfully, she was too embarrassed to read it while he was around. He'd given it to her before the debacle with his disguise, and while her trust was well on its way to being rebuilt, she didn't want to admit how oblivious she'd been to his interest back then.
The story was something akin to a fairy tale, and though she had a feeling it wasn't going to have a happy ending, she remained hopeful there would at least be a resolution to the growing conflict between the two sisters.
He'd had to return to the shiro again, another round of Jaken's squawks informing them that his continued absence was drawing the attention of the neighbouring lords. She wanted it to be a ruse, but the sigh that had escaped his lips had told her Jaken spoke the truth. He promised to return as soon as possible, but she knew the balance of power was precarious and that things would take a while to settle down.
She clicked her tongue, thumbing the edge of the scroll. He'd done so much for her since his identity had been revealed, and while she missed him dearly, she wanted to make the most of him being gone.
She wanted to give him something in return.