Chapter 15

Kagome watched the village children play as she reflected upon the past week. Still raging and bitter, she had left the castle, saying "good-bye" to no one. She kind of regretted not telling at least Rin but also knew that Sesshomaru would have gotten wind of it more quickly if she had. Her days were peaceful and idyllic in this small village, but Kagome could feel the restlessness in her own heart.

***Flashback***

Walking through the forest at an unhurried pace, Kagome wondered what she would do now. The thought of returning to Kaede's village had crossed her mind repeatedly, especially considering her very pregnant friend. The problem was that she did not want to deal with Inuyasha. Thinking of Inuyasha made her think about Sesshomaru, something else she was trying to avoid. The thoughts swirled and mingled in her mind but did not bring forth a solution.

A grunt of pain startled her out of her reverie, and she followed the sound into the forest. She pushed her way through the dense foliage and came to a small clearing. Kagome spotted a wounded man sitting on the ground with his leg stretched before him. He had ruddy, life-worn features and looked to be in his thirties. The man had honest blue eyes, though his were contorted in pain.

"Would you like some assistance?" Kagome spoke softly, hoping not to startle the injured human.

He twisted slightly to look at her and grimaced with pain. The man stared at her for several seconds, making Kagome uncomfortable. To him she seemed like an angel, with ethereally beautiful features, in her miko attire. The softness of her voice was soothing to his ears, and it momentarily distracted him from his pain.

"Yes. A boar injured my leg, and I cannot walk to return to my village. My name is Michi. I live in a village near here." His voice was strained with pain, and his face showed his pain clearly.

Kagome walked closer to the man, inspecting the wound on his thigh. The puncture wound was deep but on the outside of his thigh. She sighed in relief, knowing the wound would have missed any major arteries or veins. She quickly set down her meager pack and began rummaging through it. Pulling out a garment and a small knife, she began to tear it into bandages for his wound. Kagome also took out a small box of medicinal herbs, handing him a leaf from it. "Chew on this; it will help with the pain."

He stared at her as she began to nurse his wound. She had not said another word to him, being very absorbed in her task. Her hands were soft and deftly bandaged the wound tightly. The herb she had given him to chew on had eased the pain greatly. The miko tied the bandage and took a moment to survey her handiwork.

"What is your name, my Lady Miko?" he asked as she began repacking her healing items.

"Kagome."

"Would you like to come and stay in my village? I can offer you food and a bed for the night."

Kagome considered for a moment, and it kind of felt like old times, only now she was on her own. "Sure, let me help you up." Kagome pulled the man's arm over her shoulder and helped him to stand.

"Thank you, Lady Kagome." He pointed towards the northeast and the two began their trek back to the village.

*End Flashback*

Kagome had been in this village for six days, and truthfully it had been a healing respite for her. She had had the time to examine her own emotions and thoughts and realize that she did not want to be the cold and angry person she had let herself become. Harboring her hate and rage would only cause her more sorrow in the end.

She had come to realize just how deep she had let Sesshomaru into her heart and understood now why he affected her so. Kagome did not think it was love, but she had trusted and truly cared for the stoic youkai. His judgment of her had cut her deeply, and she had found it hard to forgive his actions towards her. She now felt only disappointment. Sometimes, she missed life at the palace with all its conveniences, but she did not know what awaited her there. Would Sesshomaru cast her right back out? She had most likely damaged his ego with her refusal of her prior position and more so with her absence. Most males did not do well with a damaged ego. Would he even care? What if he didn't even notice she was missing?

Sighing, Kagome came to the conclusion that whatever happened would happen, no matter how much she fretted. She had spent the last few days playing with the children and helping out around the village. The villagers had welcomed and accepted her. Kagome had helped a sick elder start to recover, and everyone in the village had extended their gratitude. Keeping herself busy had done wonders for her mental state.

The men who had harmed her were dead at her hand. Their memory would only haunt her if she allowed it to. Kagome had found some peace in this and learned to accept what she could not change, though it was a hard lesson.

"Lady Kagome! Look at these plants. Are they healing herbs?" A bright-eyed little girl ran towards the watchful miko. Kagome examined the plant in her hand. It was a few slightly crushed leaves of mint.

"These are mint leaves, Misaki. They make a wonderfully flavored tea," Kagome said softly to the five-year-old child. The little girl had long jet-black hair and bright, inquisitive eyes. Kagome had met the child's mother. It truly was striking how alike mother and daughter were. The miko was staying with their family this night and Misaki was terribly excited. She had been chattering on all day about the things they would do tonight. Kagome smiled at the child and took her hand. "Let's go make some mint tea."

Sesshomaru had been searching for days and had yet to find a trace of the missing miko. She had been nowhere in the area of Kaede's village or Inuyasha's forest. Therefore, he had backtracked and began looking near the castle, but by then he could not find her scent due to the rain. It was frustrating for Sesshomaru to have to be searching for her in the first place, but it was like a compulsion in his blood. He had to see that she was alright with his own eyes. Honestly, he just needed to see her for some unfathomable reason.

Today he was searching the area northwest of the castle for any trace of her. After some time walking through the woods, he came upon a scrap of her clothing in a clearing. The scrap was bloody, but his nose told him that it was not her blood on the rag. He knew there to be a village not far from the clearing and decided to investigate it.

Kagome was laughing and playing with Misaki when she sensed his aura nearby. The smile slid from her face as the implications swirled in her mind. Would he be angry with me? Most likely… Would he harm the villagers for sheltering me?

With that thought, Kagome quickly stood and moved to the door of the hut, grabbing her sword and bow. As she walked out of the hut, she turned to the young girl and spoke, "Misaki, stay here and be safe."

Sesshomaru stood on the far side of a clearing at the edge of the village, his face schooled in his typical stoic mask. He had felt her aura become alarmed as soon as she had sensed him. He watched as she walked out of one of the huts, fully armed. He felt relief to find her unharmed, but he was irritated at the caution she was showing.

Kagome spotted him almost immediately when she stepped out of the hut. Her hand tightened on the bow in nervous anticipation, and she swallowed as she felt her mouth go dry. Lord Sesshomaru stood there, resplendent silver hair blowing slightly in the wind. Kagome's mind went haywire in that moment; all she could think about was the feel of his hair against her bare skin. Her mind and body remembered his touch and the pleasure he could bring to her.

Kagome shook her head, trying to dispel the sudden perversity of her mind. She tried telling herself that he had wronged her and imprisoned her. She tried to envision his eyes dark with anger but failed miserably. Instead, her mind imagined his eyes stormy with passion.

Sesshomaru sensed her distress but couldn't understand it. Had he really pushed her so far away that she could barely stand to look at him? The great Taiyoukai was feeling a strange twinge in his chest at the suffering in her eyes. Had he been a different demon, he might have walked away, but instead he started towards her slowly.

Her breath caught in her throat as he closed the distance between them. His face was as emotionless as always and gave her no clue as to his purpose here. Kagome walked towards him, meeting him in the center of the clearing. "Why are you here, Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked.

"I came to find you," he answered honestly.

"Why?"

"I needed to see you and speak to you. I first must apologize for my behavior towards you. I should never have laid a hand on you in anger. I should have given you a chance to speak your side. I should have trusted you more, instead of having jumped to conclusions. I'm sorry, Kagome." His tone was almost humble, surprising them both.

"I will accept your apology, Sesshomaru," Kagome said, her voice a little unsteady with shock.

"Come back to the palace with me."

"I can't, Sesshomaru. I will not be one of your generals, and I have no standing of my own. I was a human in a demon's world, and apparently I cannot compete." Her voice did not show the wistfulness she felt at her own words. How easy it would be to just go back and try to pretend nothing had ever happened. Yet, she could not do that; she could not ignore what had happened to her.

"You are the Great Miko, as the humans call you. Many in the realm of demon-kind respect you for your defeat of Naraku. You have slain countless demons and held your own in battle many a time. You more than deserve to live in the palace." His voice was matter-of-fact and gave no indication of anything he might be feeling.

"I do not wish to go back to the palace as the live-in Miko." Her tone was biting as she spoke to him.

"So you wish to roam the lands and help poor villagers like the incarnation, Kikyo?" His scathing reply nipped at her, provoking her anger.

"Just leave me in peace, Sesshomaru. I want nothing more." Kagome turned her back to him and began walking towards the village, her raven hair shining blue in the moonlight.

Sesshomaru watched her until she re-entered the hut she had come from. Summoning his demon cloud, Sesshomaru took off for the palace, angry at her rejection.

Katashi stood in the gardens, reveling in the bright sunlight with Rin. The child had been sad since the miko had left them. Now the typically cheerful girl danced in circles, singing to herself. She laughed and began chasing after a butterfly flitting in some nearby flowers. Katashi smiled and settled himself on the ground to watch her play.

Sesshomaru stood at a distance, watching his ward frolic through the gardens. He had returned yesterday after seeing Kagome. When he entered the gardens, Rin had assailed him with questions. She wanted to know where Kagome was and when she was coming back. Ever since he had said Kagome would not be back, he had noticed a change in his ward. The little human girl was quite attached to the miko. Sesshomaru sighed, pondering his current situation. There wasn't anything he could do. Was there?

Katashi caught wind of Sesshomaru's scent and turned to see his lord standing at a distance. He got to his feet and walked towards the Taiyoukai, stopping before him. "My lord, you seem troubled."

"It's nothing, Katashi."

"The miko?" Katashi asked in a wry tone, earning him a dirty look from his Lord.

"Why would you think the human would cause me to be troubled?" Sesshomaru feigned indifference to the troublesome human.

"My Lord, I think you are trying to convince yourself more than you are trying to convince me."

Sesshomaru sighed audibly and turned to his trusted advisor. His tone was perplexed as he spoke, "She is just a human woman, why should it matter to me? Why do I care?"

"Forgive me for being blunt, My Lord, but I believe you may have fallen in love with the little onna." Katashi wisely kept the smile off his face at the look on Sesshomaru's face.

For once in his life, Sesshomaru was speechless. Love? What is love? Surely, I have not followed my father's footsteps so far. However, at least Kagome can protect herself and is not a typically worthless human. Nor is she typical as a woman. She is not one to simper and play coy. Kagome is strong, determined, talented, and straightforward. He valued these things. Maybe it wasn't so wrong after all….

A/N: Thanks for reading! As always, please leave me a review and let me know your thoughts. I appreciate every review I get, and I wish I had time to personally respond to you all.

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