I held myself very still. I would not... I would not move towards him. "What are you doing Kagome?" I mumbled to myself and shook my head. I readied a small fire in order boil some water, I knew we would need to cleanse Sesshoumaru's wounds.

As he finished removing the blood from himself, I heard him grumble, "Why is it always the shoulder? Why can't I get hit somewhere else for once?"

"What, like your head?" I teased him.

"You have a point" he said. Gritting his teeth, he pulled out the arrow. Thankfully it was not hooked and had gone smoothly through muscle. After he was bandaged, he looked at me. "We cannot rest here. It is still too close."

I nodded in answer. "We must make for my home without pause. It is still half a day's ride."

*Sesshoumaru's POV *

She rode in silence, oblivious to his thoughts. He could not help but remember the way her body felt pressed tight against his. The taste of her lips... But no, I could not allow himself to be distracted. I have to focus.

He rode forward through the shadows of the deep forest, ever alert for signs of someone following them. However, it was a constant battle not to allow my mind to drift. Perhaps that was why I did not notice the spider's web across our path, nor did I see the shadows begin to move away from their normal position.

I only noticed these things far too late.

We had reached the border of the forest and slowed down in order to ensure that we were not walking in to an ambush. Of course, this was after we had walked into said ambush.

I heard a short scream from behind me and whipped around to see her surrounded by glimmering strands of webbing, and a man approaching from within the shadows.

"You did not truly believe I would allow you to escape so easily?" mocked the man whose face soon became visible as that of my fool of a father's advisor. Naraku.

*Kagome's POV *

"Goddamit! I should've known" I swore to myself. I held very still. Those webs were poison.

"What foul magic is this, traitor?" I demanded in my best I'm-a-royal-pain in the butt voice. But he ignored me. I hate it when people ignore me!

Sesshoumaru gave me the look when I opened my mouth to try again. The look that poignantly said "shut up and let me do the talking." Hmmph. Males, they think they know everything. However, considering I was the one trapped in webs... I shut up.

"What do you want Naraku?" he demanded.

"Oh the world" Naraku chuckled darkly, "but today I'll settle for your father's kingdom."

Sesshoumaru glared at him, "And why do you think this path will get you there?" He glanced at me with cold eyes. "If you think you'll gain a hostage of me through that girl, you are mistaken."

"Then I suppose you won't mind if I gut her" Naraku answered in an offhand tone.

Wait... what!

"Not at all" the rat bastard replied. "I will, however, have to gut you afterwards. Purely on principle you know" he replied with a grim smile.

"Perhaps we could work something out" Naraku smiled in return.

"Hnn" Sesshoumaru grunted.

At that moment an arrow shot from the trees and through the webs. "Took your time didn't you?" I muttered as I twisted away from the webs.

Lauging blue eyes appeared in the tree behind Naraku... or where Naraku had been. "Damn he escaped" I thought.

"Sir Kouga" Sesshoumaru called, "your help was most fortuitous." Of course it came out a bit strained since said knight had proceeded to ignore him and was in front of me clasping my hands.

"Yes Sir Kouga, how... lucky that you were her" I said hesitantly. "Please please don't break into song," I thought.

"My fair Kagome, I have rescued you from the evil villain -"

Before he could continue in that strain, Naraku's voice echoed from the darkness, "I'll be back for you Sesshoumaru. When you least expect it-." Sesshoumaru snorted. "Just like your cousin least expected it" he continued.