"Kaede!" Kikyo flung open the cloth flap that hung above the opening of her superior's hut, too frightened to follow formalities and wait to be invited in. "Sister Keade!"

Kaede sat by the fire place, coaxing the dry wood to burn steadily. She looked up, her withered face reflecting the light of the flames upon it's folds. Her single dark brown eye glistened with hesitant curiosity as it fell upon Kikyo, the other covered by a black patch from an injury sustained long ago. "What is it, Kikyo?" Her voice sounded hoarse and tired from years of heavy labor. She had been a Priestess herself in her day, teaching Kikyo who in turn took over the responsibilities of the village and now was teaching her own apprentice, Kagome.

Kikyo attempted to explain to her what had happened, but she was breathless from the hard run and her tongue wouldn't cooperate. Kaede knew her well enough, though, to understand.

"Child, has something happened to Kagome?"

Kikyo nodded, managing to take in a large gulp of air in relief that she had been understood. "Kagome was taken by the half demon Inuyasha. He is using her as bait for the sacred jewel."

"Inuyasha?" Keade turned towards her sharply and almost dropped the iron rod she was using with the fire. "How did you come across that name? Why, I haven't heard it in years."

"Have you not heard the gossip?" Kikyo said in surprise to the question. "He has been attacking nearby villages recently; I hear of it frequently wherever I travel. A half demon in red clothing with the ears of a dog. The description fit him well enough; I knew who he was in a single glance."

"These rumors are new to me," Keade replied with pursed lips. "I know of him as the son of the Great Dog Demon, the one who ruled over these lands, but he died in battle over years ago. Most only know of his first son, the full blooded Sesshomaru, which is why I was surprised you knew his name. His father did not want his affairs to be announced to the region, and so he sent him to live here, with his mother, when he was a very young child."

Kikyo's eyes widened in further confusion. "That cannot be possible. I was born in the village and I never heard of him."

"I understand your confusion, our numbers are small so it is easy to believe that we know everything about everyone. But Inuyasha was here, just the same. Your training as a Priestess required you to leave the village quite often. He came here rarely, so I am not entirely surprised you never encountered would have been almost eight when he left us, chased off by an angry mob after his mother became too weak to protect him. A poor child, he mostly begged, running around asking for food and medicine for his mother. He probably doesn't even know she is dead," the only woman pulled a pot filled with water from nearby and placed it atop the fire to boil, "He never came to our side of the village, he stayed near the west, sleeping in the woods with his mother, though he never did say where exactly. Perhaps he has taken Lady Kagome there? To where his mother raised him."

"Like, a small shelter or hut of some sort?"

Keade frowned in thought, "We would have noticed the smoke in the winter time, he must be somewhere warm."

Suddenly, Kikyo's face lit up, "I know where they are!" She said, a glint of excitement creeping into her eyes. "Thank you for your help, Sister Kaede." she bowed slightly, before quickly securing her bow and arrows and sweeping the hanging cloth aside.

Kaede shook her head as her apprentice ran out, "As thick-headed as ever," she sighed, throwing some spices into the water, "let's hope it isn't her downfall."

Kagome kicked hard at the air, trying to wiggle her way to freedom as her capture's grip tightened on her waist. "Put me down! Damn it!"

"I thought Priestesses were supposed to be pure and holy, how does cursing associate with that?"

"You are not in the position to preach!" Kagome hissed, trying to grasp his arms to make him loose his balance.

Inuyasha managed, barely, to adjust his stance so they didn't collapse leaping off of the next tree branch. He raised an annoyed eyebrow at the small struggling girl under his arm. "You are really obnoxious, you know that?"

"Let me go, now!" She yelled, ignoring his remark. "Or I swear I will purify you!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, "Fine, you win." He began to loosen his grip before Kagome grabbed onto his neck. She screeched loudly right into his ear and he flinched in pain. "Well, you said let go!" He pointed out angrily as he hoisted her up onto his back. She wrapped her legs around him and hung on for dear life.

"You're crazy!"

"Says the one who told me to let go fifty feet about the ground!"

Kagome screamed as one of the tree branches they were on began to break, but Inuyasha jumped onto another a split second before it crashed to the ground.

"Be more careful!" She snapped, tightening her grip on his neck.

"Ch-choking!" He cried, grabbing onto Kagome's hands, "Can't breath!"

Kagome let go and instead held onto his shoulders, "Well, if you hadn't been stupid and took me with you we wouldn't be in this situation, now would we?"

"If you would shut up, I'd let you down!" Inuyasha yelled. In a few moments they landed on solid ground where he roughly dropped the wench.

Kagome rubbed her back and glared up at him. "Um, ow?"

"Oh, be quiet."

"Look what you've done!" Kagome shouted after examining herself. "My dress is ruined!"

"Oh, come on," He said, looking over the miko's dirty clothing, "It's not to bad."

"Not too bad?" Kagome shrieked, "My father gave this to me!" Her eyes pooled with hot tears. She grasped something that looked like a golden necklace around her neck and held it close with both hands. "This dress and necklace are all I have left of him..."

Inuyasha's face flushed and he leaned down next to her. "H-Hey, don't cry."

"You don't understand!" She snapped at him angrily, turning away to avoid his attempt at kindness.

"...I do, actually," Inuyasha whispered, barely loud enough for her to hear.

His words jolted her out of her fit and she looked back over at him to see genuine sadness lurking in his golden eyes. "Your father...?"

"Dead," he said, suddenly harsh, "the old man croaked the day I was born."

"Oh..." She paused, before starting to say an apology in response, but Inuyasha stood back up before she could say another word.

"Don't," he warned her, "I don't need sympathy from a human."

Ignoring the comment, Kagome awkwardly wiped off most of the dirt on her dress, trying to look presentable, "So...where are we?" She managed to ask, looking around. The area was covered with pits filled with steaming water, the ground decorated in beautiful plants and flowers. "I've never been here."

Inuyasha shrugged, "A hot spring, I thought that would be fairly obvious."

Kagome's eyes lit up, "A hot spring?" She said, squealing with delight. She was suddenly on her feet, running towards the water. She barely managed to kick off her straw sandals and socks before dipping her toes in the water. "Oh! It's so warm!" She put her feet in the rest of the way, stretching out on the grass. She looked up at Inuyasha with a tentative smiled. "Inuyasha, that was what Kikyo said your name was, right?"

Inuyasha's face turned red, surprised by her sudden change in demeanor. "Weren't you just yelling at me a minute ago?" He accused.

Kagome turned over onto her stomach, making sure to keep her ankles submerged, "I'm trying to make the best of this, what's wrong with that?"

"B-but," He sputtered, " I kidnaped you!"

"I would have done the same. Kikyo's arrow was about to go straight into your head, you had to, to get away." She grinned and gestured to the spot beside her. "Now, why not come over here? I'm sure we could work out some way to change this situation into a slightly less awkward acquaintanceship." Inuyasha shook his head rapidly. She sighed, "All right, be that way." She sat up, holding up her dress so she could wade into the water. She laughed again, "I love this!"

Inuyasha climbed into a nearby tree, leaning against the trunk with his hands behind his head. Glancing down at the splashing girl, he smiled. What a strange miko, he thought.