The day was cool and quiet, as if the creatures of the forest knew they were in the company of the Lord of the Western Lands, and were suitably awed by his presence. He stood quietly, surveying the landscape around him. The lush green foliage of the surrounding beech trees soared to fantastic heights all throughout the forest, and the occasional bird flitted among the high branches. Not even a breeze was present to rustle the leaves of the thick underbrush. The nearby river made a soft hushing noise as it made its way over beds of rock and through the roots of nearby trees.

Sesshoumaru traveled through his lands with companions which may have left an outsider puzzled. Behind him trailed Rin, a small child with dark hair and large brown eyes, and Jaken, a rather unattractive toad youkai. Both were less than half his size and had none of his proud, regal bearing, yet their adoration of him and their loyalty was far beyond reproach.

Rin's eyes were bright with intelligence and the shine of a child's joy with the world around her. For all the emotion that Sesshoumaru did not display, she showed tenfold.

Jaken watched Rin with a very bored expression, yet watched her carefully just the same. A casual observer might think he truly did care for the spirited girl despite the grimaces. The same observer would garner nothing at all from the noble appearing dog demon. His expression was as quiet as the forest around him, as was his bearing. Displeased? Bored? It would be hard to say.

"Sesshoumaru! Look at the fish Jaken helped me catch!" Rin called out cheerfully. A large grin spread across her face, and her eyes sparkled.

"Very good, Rin," Sesshoumaru replied mildly, watching as she struggled to keep the fish from flopping about while presenting it to him. She cried out with dismay as it slipped out of her hand, and began to flop hopefully toward the water of the river.

"Come back here!" Rin leapt and grabbed for the fish, but it slipped away again, flying through the air and into the safety of the river with a small splash.

"Oh, pooh!" Rin huffed, stomping a small foot on the ground. Jaken laughed at her, and she responded by pouting, her lower lip protruding as she crossed her arms. Sesshoumaru watched the scene play out with quiet amusement.

Rin stopped pouting as something in the water caught her eye. Her distress of a moment before was forgotten completely and she asked, "What is that?" with a puzzled tone, leaning toward the river.

Rin hesitated for a moment, then waded into the water for a closer look. Was it just a log? With dark hair and a strange dress? She cried out in alarm when she realized the thing floating downriver toward her was a person, barely clutching a rotten log. As the girl came closer, Rin watched with alarm as her fingers began to lose their grip on the floating log. The girl was unconscious and slipping beneath the water.

Rin waded a little deeper into the water and reached out, grabbing the girl by her dress, then used all her strength to pull. She promptly sank beneath the weight of the larger girl, realizing that she was now in water too deep for her feet to reach the river floor. With a yelp she went under the water, yet she stubbornly held on to the girl.

Within moments Rin felt herself being plucked back out of the water. Sesshoumaru had quickly reached out and pulled both Rin and the girl from the water, somehow managing to not get a drop of water on himself. He unceremoniously deposited the two girls on the shore.

"My brother's woman," he noted, recognizing the strange clothing she wore. He leaned down to check if she was still alive, and discovered she was still breathing. Her chest rattled with each breath, and her body shivered from the cold of the water.

"We have to help her," Rin pleaded, and peered up at Sesshoumaru with wide eyes. The fact that she was sopping wet and dripping only made her plea that much more pathetic. The demon lord sighed inwardly. There was a time, not so long ago, when he would have walked away from this girl without so much as a thought. Even now he wasn't exactly sure why he didn't... This girl wasn't his problem, after all. But somehow, when he looked down at Rin, her eyes wide and pleading, but also so trusting… Besides, he couldn't stop a bit of curiosity from wheedling its way into his thoughts.

Sesshoumaru bent and effortlessly scooped the Kagome girl up. Even drenched she was hardly a burden. Rin beamed up at him.

…..

Kagome lay on the bed Sesshoumaru had placed her in, still unconscious and sick with fever. A few beams of sunlight managed to make their way around and through the curtains to settle on her still form. A songbird seemed to be serenading her from the window, although she could not hear it.

I know this girl is important to my brother. What could have happened to him, for him to allow this to happen to her? Sesshoumaru pondered, looking down at her rather pathetic form. Kagome's fever had gone down after she was changed into dry clothes, and medicinal herbs had been carefully poured down her throat. There wasn't much that could be done for her broken leg, and she had apparently taken a blow to the head. Either she would wake, or she wouldn't.

As if sensing Sesshoumaru's thoughts, and feeling the need to defy his apathy, the girl began to stir and her eyes fluttered open. She blinked and turned her head, and after a moment her eyes focused and her gazed settled on him.

Sesshoumaru and Kagome looked at each other for a very long moment. He could see her disorientation as she gazed into his pale golden eyes. Yet she did not appear afraid; that was commendable.

"Where am I?" Kagome finally asked, her voice raspy. She suffered a fit of coughing, and Sesshoumaru heard the rattling that was still in her chest.

"A room," he replied, watching as her eyes darted about, as if she was already establishing her status (Guest? Prisoner?) while locating exit options. She tried to sit up, but her eyes widened with surprise and she gasped softly in pain. She fell back upon the bed, breathing a little harder from the slight exertion.

"What.. I... Where is Inuyasha?" she asked, eyes beginning to blur. She glanced down at her leg, the source of the pain. She gave it a quick appraisal and grimaced slightly. She made no complaint, however.

"I do not know." Sesshoumaru replied with a tone of indifference. Kagome turned her eyes back to him, and stared silently at him for a long moment. Sesshoumaru actually found himself wondering what she was thinking.

"Why did you help me?" she asked quietly.

"My reasons are my own. You may leave when you wish." He turned away from her then, and left the room, quietly shutting the door behind him. With a slight frown he turned on his heel and walked briskly away.

Kagome stared after him, clenching the blanket in her shaking hands. She licked her dry lips and threw the blanket off, flinching when got a better look at her bound leg. She pushed herself onto her elbows, then sat up. She frowned down at the soft white robe she was wearing, wondering what had happened to her own clothing.

Kagome wondered what had happened to Inuyasha and the others. They had been fighting a monstrous demon; it had consumed at least three shards. She remembered trying to push Shippou out of the way of an attack, then getting thrown... There had been a waterfall, and Inuyasha crying out her name. It had happened so fast. Somehow he hadn't reached her in time and she had fallen. Why hadn't he been able to find her…? Her head began to pound. She reflexively put her hand to her head, and found that it was also wrapped in bandages. She fought down a wave of nausea. She couldn't remember being so seriously injured in this time; what she wouldn't give for a hospital and a proper doctor right now. Well, no sense in wishing for what she couldn't have.

The door to her room slid open. Expecting it to be Sesshoumaru again, Kagome tensed, and pulled the blanket back over herself. Not that a blanket was any sort of protection, but it made her feel better, and the robe she had on was more revealing than she would have liked. Who had taken her clothing off, anyways? She flushed at the though.

To Kagome's surprise, a small girl entered the room, trying to balance a large tray full of food. Her entire face was scrunched up in concentration, and she moved very slowly and deliberately toward the bed. Kagome watched her approach with some puzzlement, then recognized her as the girl she had once seen with Sesshoumaru, and had wondered about. One careful step at a time, the girl finally made it, and slid the tray onto the bed. She let out a sigh of relief, then turned to smile at Kagome.

"I'm Rin! We found you in the river, and brought you here to get better," the beaming child announced.

"Rin..." Kagome blinked and stared. "You're so cute!" Kagome finally exclaimed, momentarily forgetting her pains and fear to fuss over the child. Rin just grinned at her.

"I'm so glad you're okay! I brought you some food," Rin said, pointing at the tray she had carried in. Kagome looked from her leg to Rin to the door, then paused to carefully consider her options. She was fully aware that she wasn't going very far with what appeared to be a broken leg, and it seemed that she was not a prisoner. Her stomach growled, and that decided it. Kagome pulled the tray over and eagerly began to consume a bowl of porridge.

"You've been asleep for three days, I knew you would be hungry," Rin said, happily watching Kagome devour the food.

"Three days?!," Kagome exclaimed between bites, nearly choking. She wondered why Inuyasha had not found her yet. How far had the river carried her? Had Inuyasha or the others been badly hurt? Worry gnawed at her as she gulped down some fragrant mint tea. The warmth of the food and beverage was wonderful, and she felt a bit of strength returning to her.

Rin nodded. "Sesshoumaru found this house and told me to stay here with you. I guess nobody lives here anymore."

Kagome noticed the dust then, and the cobwebs in the corner. The curtains had holes in them, and the bed she was sitting on had an old, faded look to it. She didn't have the energy to puzzle over her surroundings, however. Not with the fear for her friends that had gripped her.

Three days... Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippou... Where are you?