Introductions

The wall struck the bare skin of his shoulder blades, his feet dangled a good foot from the ground, a single hand around his throat, he grabbed hold of the wrist of his captor. His claws were small and still slightly soft, they did nothing to the scarred and hard skin of the yorikai.

With glowling eyes and a soft but sinister voice he spoke. "I swear to you, if you ever dare to come near my territory, if I hear your footfalls or smell you drifting on the wind." The voice of his captor growled, "I will kill you, child."

He dropped the little boy on the ground and began to stalk away; his dog ears laying flat against his hair, the boy growled, so deep in his throat that it could barely be heard him. Then scampered away down the alleyway, he soon was out of the city but not out of theterritory the yorikai had claimed. He looked away from the city toward the mountains somewhere beyond those was the end of what he had taken. None on this side of these mountains had dared to cross the western mountains; it was untamed. He looked over his shoulder, his dog like ears flattened against his silver hair.

"I'll come back for you Nuraku," he growled, " I swear I will." He leaped away into the mountains. Leaving the valley was the hardest part, there was no water, no food, life had been stolen by Naraku's maisma's. The child could remember still when it had all been filled with life and the rivers filling the lake. He shook his head, thinking like that would make him all the thirstier and that wouldn't help him in the slightest.

He walked though the husks of trees, he leaned against one of them, it crumbled away under his touch, he whimpered like the child he was. He fell to his knees and flexed his short nails against the dusty ground leaving little impressions. He wanted to stay there, hell he hadn't wanted to leave at all, he wanted to forget what he was, wanting to let it all vanish, or to let time rewind and let him fix it all. In the back of his mind something prodded him, ordering him to get to his feet, refusing to let him die, he grumbled and tried to fight against it, but found it simpler to just obey and not ask questions.

He stumbled as the angle of his walking changed from an incline to a decline; blinking he fell to his backside and looked down, he'd made it over the mountain, he was on his way to the valley on the other side. The child scooted forward on his stained red bottoms; the white undershirt was equally stained and had begun to wear thin in many places. Slowly he turned his head, as well as his small white canine ears that rested on the top of his head pivoted listening for any signs of being followed or anything beneath him. He leaned back on his hands, the ground was softer and moist in his hands, futher down he could see small plants and deeper there were trees growing on the mountain side.

Defiantly he stood and started once more down the hill. Again he stumbled, this time pitching forward and starting to roll at an alarming rate, he was cut by rocks and thorn bushes that were in his way. He clawed at the ground at first then realized he couldn't do anything so just rolled up in a little ball to lessen the damage. After what seemed like an eternity to him, he slowed and was finally able to stop.

He looked up and saw a great forest; it reeked of yorikai, not of one, but hundreds. It seemed to be as everyone had said no one yorikai commanded this territory it was free range, he stood and stumbled along the boarder of the trees, following this the vague line he came upon a cliff above a lake. He stood on the edge of it, his hands hanging down to his sides, his golden eyes wide with desire for the cool liquid.

He heard the slipping of the ground just before he felt it, the cliff crumbled beneath his feet. He scrambled for the edge pulling away handfuls of dirt and grass, he just managed to grab solid roots. Yet, weak from lack of food, he couldn't even began to try to pull himself up. His fingers slipped along the thin roots of the new edge to the high cliff; it wouldn't be so bad would it? Instant death, he wouldn't have to worry about Naraku or the valley anymore, it would be beyond his control. The boy swallowed and closed his eyes to wait for the end.

Someone's hand caught hold of his wrist just as he lost his hold; he looked up and saw a young human girl. He 'keh'ed and tried to pull his hand away, he would rather plunge down into the lake than say he was saved by a human girl.

She didn't let go, stubbornly the girl pulled him back up onto the solid ground, despite his struggling. "Were you trying to get yourself killed?" she cried.

He 'keh'ed and crossed his arms, "I was fine," his ears were laying against his head, " I would have lived." He had been looking away from her; he looked back and saw she was walking away, blinking he got up. "Wait!" he scurried after her and walked next to her, "Where are you going?" She clearly knew this place a great deal better than he ever assumed he would.

"I have to go home."

The boy's ears perked, he heard people calling a name. "Are you... Kikyou?" he asked.

She put her hands on her little hips and tilted her head to the side, "Kikyou is my sister, my name's Kagome," She gave him a looking over. "I've never seen anyone like you in the valley, what's your name?"she caught sight of his ears, "How cute!" she reached up and touched one, it flicked away from her curious fingertips.

He 'keh'ed and closed his eyes and walked forward. He could hear the Kagome's hurried footfalls coming after him, whether she thought he knew where he was going or not, she was still trying to keep up. The sound stopped then he stopped when he smelled salty water. He turned and saw she was crying, she looked up at him, he cautiously edged over to her side and whispered, "I'm called InuYasha," she sniffled and offered a smile while tears still ran down her meek little face. InuYasha scowled, "What's wrong with you?"

She scowled back at him and worked to scrub away the tears, "I stepped in a hole, and twisted my ankle." She growled, InuYasha blinked, she growls good. Before she could say, another word InuYasha lifted her up into his little arms. He had thought it over and come to the conclusion that if he brought the human back to the village there would be shelter and food for at least one night, that was more than any yorikai would offer him.

"So... which way is your home?" Kagome pointed down the path, and he slowly began to make his way down it.

Soon they heard more people calling her name and Kikyou's, who ever she is, he thought. A man pushed through some trees and saw the two young children. "I found Kagome!" he yelled then ran over, and took her from InuYasha and pushed the small boy down on the rocky ground. The man put a foot on the child's back while trying to act tough, "Stay there demon!"

InuYasha growled and tried to wriggle out from under his captor's foot. "Le'go!" He was sick of having people trying to hold him down. He tried to roll over, no luck, then he began to scratch at the leg of this captor as best he could, he was satisfied several times by the curses coming from the others mouth. Then he felt ropes bind his hands and several of the course bindings put around his neck. Kagome was somewhere behind him; he could hear her complaints about what they were doing to him, he was slightly pleased at this, but the argument of a child didn't ever seem to have an effect on adults.

He was shoved against a tree and lifted so he was eye level with most of the men. The man who had taken Kagome from him returned to his line of vision. He balled up a fist and planted it under his chin then started to scrutinize InuYasha up and down. Another one came forward, took a hold of InuYasha's chin, and rolled it from side to side. InuYasha growled and bared his sharp teeth threatening to bite any hand that dared to come to close. All the while his little claws behind his back worked on cutting the ropes.

"I told you to leave him alone!" Kagome came forward and hit the older man on the leg; he swatted her aside like some sort of bug. She stumbled just as InuYasha broke the sawed at ropes with a quick jerk. He dropped the few feet that separated his feet from the ground and dashed to get behind her. He got to her just before she fell, his little arms wrapped around her protectively. He ran a few yards from the men gathered around the tree he use to be tied too. He then carefully set her back on her feet knowing that if she hurt herself again she would cry.

Three people grabbed hold of the end of the ropes around his neck and pulled him away, he began to gag as they tightened, he dug his claws into the ground, one hand trying to prevent his sliding, the other filtering though the dirt for a good size rock. His vision momentarily blurred as the ropes worked to cut off his breathing.

An arrow severed the ropes, he fell backwards to the ground, he quickly righted himself and jumped into the trees, vanishing.

"My sister," a cool voice came from the shadows of the trees, "told you to leave him alone." InuYasha glanced out from his hiding place at the woman, her bow still in her hand, "Therefore, he is now under Lady Kagome's protection and no one will harm the hanyou."

Kagome ran over to the woman and hugged her about the knees, "Thank you Kaede."

InuYasha watched with interest as Kaede tossed the little girl in the air and she laughed, once her feet were back on the ground she walked into the trees calling his name. After a moment he decide that it would be fine to jump back down, he could hear the men who wanted him gone grumbling. He landed in front of the small child, she eeped and jumped back. He pulled the ropes from around his neck and threw them to the ground, "Is this how they always treat people who are trying to help?"

Kagome giggled, "You'll be fine now. Anything that my sister says goes, or something like that." She took hold of his hand and led him back to the others. He was still unsure about the whole business of the girl, but he didn't mind if she held his hand.

He was brought before the one that Kagome had called her sister. Kaede looked him over critically, he squirmed under her gaze and didn't dare look into her eyes. The sister shook her head at the state of the one who'd brought her youngest sister back to them. Kagome gazed up at her sister for a moment before Kaede tugged her away from InuYasha's side and lifted her up, she whispered something into the child's ear, the girl giggled and nodded. She closed her eyes and pressed her hands together.

InuYasha could feel something going on between them, he watched as the air over Kaede's arm tremored, folding and almost bending slightly. He blinked and rubbed his eyes as the air opened up and a red haori appeared over her arm. InuYasha shifted from one foot to another and looked down at his feet then back up at them, "How are you doing that?"

Kaede handed it to him, "Possessions have a way of wanting to come back to their owners." InuYasha raised an eyebrow but didn't question then he pulled on the clean haori, suprisingly the rest of his clothes were clean as well. He just blinked.

Kagome giggled and squirmed from Kaede's arms to look InuYasha in the face. "How do you manage to get your things so dirty?" She then skipped off toward the camp. InuYasha's ears flicked following a sound that only he could hear. He ran out and grabbed Kagome around the waist and pulled her to the ground, and arrow buried into the ground where it would have hit the girl had she still been standing.

InuYasha moved to keep Kagome under him he heard Kaede call for everyone to take cover; she yelled to him, "Get Kagome out of there!" InuYasha scowled as an arrow hit against his haori and reacted like it had hit a wall. I was so enjoying sitting here and getting shot at. He thought sarcastically.

He adjusted his hold on Kagome and between volleys picked her up and carried her into the trees and out of the range of the archers. InuYasha adjusted his haori after having put her down then turned back to her, Kagome stumbled back and put a hand on the tree she had a look of terror on her face, "You saved me." She whispered.

"Well, I guess you could call it that, we're even now, just stay here." She sat down, "I'm gonna find out what is shooting at you, then I'll come back."

He jumped out of the tree and heard her whisper, "Be careful, InuYasha." he felt his insides twist slightly.

There was another twang of arrows, InuYasha jumped out of the way as they struck the ground near him, he growled and jumped into the bushes. There was a muttering from nearby, he began to crawl under the bushes toward the sounds, he reached them. Three or four demons, all of them firing arrows into the camp there were several dead, he couldn't see them but he could smell the death, he quietly picked up several stones, he flicked one of the against a tree across from him, the demons turned their heads, there was a moment and InuYashajumped over them and into the trees behind them, they reeked of blood and feces, he covered his nose for a moment with is sleeve, then flicked another stone into the back of one of the demon's necks.

It snarled and struck out at one of its companions, there was several minutes of fighting among themselves then on of them slit another's throat, the body was thrown out of their hiding place and into the open space, InuYasha jumped out of the trees, just as a barrage of arrows came in.

Kagome walked out from the trees when the arrows stopped flying, she found Kaede, she had an arrow in her leg, but she was being tended to. Kagome walked out onto the field and began to walk toward where the demons had been hiding, she wandered until she found the small boy he was curled up near the bushes; he was injured. It was all he was truely aware of, the pain of an arrow going through his skin. The arrow had found its way into his arm and into his skin; he had been stabbed before, even struck with a clawed hand, but the arrow seemed to be burning him from the inside out, he whimpered in agony. Kagome whispered his name and reached out to him, his eyes were deep red and he couldn't tell if she was friend or foe, like an injured animal, he struck out at her.

She felt his claws sink into her skin, she cried out in her surprise, before she began to scream from the pain as her blood began to bubble over InuYasha's claws, he rolled over onto her and wrapped his tiny clawed hands around her throat and pressed down, his dark eyes flashed and his mouth slowly turned up into a wicked smirk; his sharp teeth appearing to grow sharper, he pressed harder to cut off her screams while she struggled against the hanyou's hold.

Kaede ran over to her sister, she shoved InuYasha off her and tore her away from the small injured boy. His eyes flickered as he got back to his feet, InuYasha ran toward them his little hands flexing toward them. Kaede took a rosary from inside her sleeve and slipped it down over his head as he ran past. He shook his head, while his eyes slowly changed back to their golden color. Slowly he turned back and looked up at the little girl in Kaede's arms. He bit his lip and began to slowly slink away thinking they would try to restrain him.

"Sit." Kaede ordered, he flinched, he didn't like being treated like a dog, but he did so, "You are not allowed to leave, as long as you are under Kagome's protection, she is also under your protection."

InuYasha crawled closer to Kaede, he began to whisper his apologies rapidly to Kagome, she had tears running down her cheeks, blood staining her kimono, and was gasping slightly for the air that he'd been cutting off. Kaede walked with her back into the camp, InuYasha followed with his head and ears down, he continued to apologies.

"InuYasha?" Kagome asked, his ears perked, "Its alright." Kaede took her into a tent, InuYasha sat down outside the tent door and balanced on the balls of his feet, he looked to the arrow still sticking out of him, he flinched at the pain that was still running through him. Daring himself he reached up and wrapped a hand around the shaft; the pain intensified he whined in pain and released the arrow and went back to stareing straight forward, rubbing his hands together and waiting.

Kaede came from the tent several hours later, InuYasha hadn't moved, his ears were flat against his hair and he was rocking back and forth on his heels, eyes gazing forward, it looked like he was trying to concentrate on the group of four trees that were directly in front of him. Kaede admired the look in his eyes of complete dedication. She cleared her throat.

He nearly jumped out of his skin, the poor child, she thought, then he looked up at her, scowling, she frowned and had a second thought about the hanyou. "Kagome's sleeping." she stated, before she could say another word InuYasha darted into the tent, she followed him in, he crawled onto the bed where Kagome lay sleeping, "Are you still hungry?" He rocked back on his heels and shook his head, "I'll bring you something to drink." She left.

InuYasha looked at the wrapping on her arm, and the bruises on her neck. He heard Kaede's retreating steps, "Sorry, sorry, sorry." He whispered and slowly crawled closer to her, he touched her hand, she pulled it away and groaned. He began to whisper his apology again. Several moments later Kagome's eyes fluttered open.

"Inu?" She asked, his ears raised and he looked up at her, he was squatting near her feet. "what's wrong InuYasha?" She sat up slowly, things spun in her eyes and she shook her head, making things stop spinning, "I'm fine, there is no permanent damage to me, it was only a scratch." She touched her neck and crossed her legs under her, "What about you," she looked at the arrow that was still in his shoulder, "Why didn't anyone try to take the arrow out of you?"

InuYasha shifted from foot to foot, "I growled at them if they came near me," he muttered, "some of them tried to hold me down and take it out...I bit one of them..." he grinned slightly at it.

Kagome scowled, she took hold of the arrow and made a motion of pulling it out, it simply vanished, his shirt began to soak up the blood. He cursed at her, and took up one of his hands to hit her, but stopped himself and backed away. "Sorry, sorry." he whispered. Kagome saw the look of complete sorrow for her, there was also something that looked like fear, not of her but of himself.

She crawled across the bed and took hold of one of his hands, "I forgive you," she smiled at him, the sun was setting behind the tent, "But that doesn't matter, you have to forgive yourself first." she then turned and went back under the covers and pulled them up to her chin. Kaede came in, and looked at her, then at InuYasha, he had a look of stunned silence on his face, and the arrow was gone.

She handed him a water skin, he looked at it curiously and sunk his teeth into the skin, and began to drink from it, Kaede nearly tore the canteen from him, but know it would never hold water again, he rolled back on the bed and continued to suck the liquid out of the bottom of the bag. When it was empty he continued to suck on it, then chew on the leather of it, his eyes looked heavy and glazed over, not in thought but as one who would soon drift into slumber. Kaede took the bag from his loose hands, one of his hands remained on the bag then fell onto the bed, he jumped back awake, then slowly laid his head back on the bed.

"Sleep well little ones," she whispered, she bent and kissed Kagome on the head, she shifted and looked up at her sister. She smiled and put a finger to her lips.

"Where's InuYasha?" she asked sleepily, she looked down at the foot of the bed, he curled up tighter as he began to dream. "what's wrong with him?"

"He is haunted by his dreams." Kaede stated, Kagome crawled down next to him, "He just had things in his life that come to him in his dreams and make them bad."

"That's terrible, your dreams are suppose to be an escape from your real world so you don't have to worry about something until you wake, its suppose to be a relaxing time." she ran a hand through his soft hair, he whimpered.

"Muma." he whined, a single tear ran down his cheek, Kagome ran her fingertip after the tear and wiped it away.

"Give InuYasha a kiss good night," the little girl said, "It always helps me to sleep though the night," Kaederuffled the child's hair and gave her another kiss on the forehead. She looked at the little hanyou.

"He looks so harmless when he's sleeping," Kaede gave him a gentle kiss on the tip of one of his ears, it flicked but he began to relax. "Go to sleep little girl, we have to find your sister in the morning." Kagome nodded, but stayed looking at InuYasha.

Kaede went to the door, she watched as Kagome took her pillow and tucked it under InuYasha'shead and pulled the covers up over him as well as herself, she gave him a kiss on the cheek, "sleep well InuYasha." she covered herself up and laid her head on his side. Kaede smiled and walked to the camp ground where the others were beginning to retire. She had first watch.

Kagome was asleep for a few moments when there came the small reply, "Good night... Kagome." InuYasha shifted slightly to make it more comfortable for himself and fell into a calm dreamless sleep.