InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Prisoner, My Prisoner ❯ Three Cell Prison ( Chapter 3 )

Prisoner, My Prisoner

Part 3

Author: profiler120

Email: profiler120@hotmail.com

Rating: PG

Genre: Romance/General [AU]

Author's Notes: Sesshoumaru's 'liking' her is a slight jump hmmm? I went back, staring looking it over, you know - you're so right! I'd have to revise the first chapter to fix that little jump; I might do it later, for now I'm going to continue on. I don't want to distract myself with it and end up with no ideas 'cause right now this is coming along well.

Rin and Kagome's conversations - I've skipped over a good portion of this simply leaving it out. Reason being, I don't think I write children well. I don't have any around to take examples from, my younger brother is 17 and I don't know anyone with young children. I'm working on it though.

Ashleekyle: 1. Urusae's presence is somewhat explained in this chapter, you'll see more in chapter 4.

2. Who was Kagome supposed to marry? - No one of merit, just some guy her father chose. I didn't really think about it since it's not essential to the storyline.

3. Did Kagome serve some other purpose in her household? - Good question, actually I didn't think about that either.

4. What does Kanna do? - You'll find out in this chapter actually. ^_^

5. Does she (Kanna) still have that mirror? - I don't specifically mention it, but yes. If I do mention Kanna later she will have the mirror.

6. Is the shikon no tama in this fic? - As of now, no. I'm not sure it'll be at all important, it might just complicate things further. But I won't say no conclusively, I may use it for something or other later on.

( . . . ) - Triple Periods denote point of view changes within the same scene.

Her recovery period was short and if he had been a man of superstition he might have said 'inhuman', but she was a self-proclaimed miko. If anything he could take this extraordinary healing period as proof she was in fact a miko as she claimed. He could not verify that she had been trained as one, but neither had he tried. Now as he sat in his study, Rin prancing around him in circles singing he couldn't drag his thoughts away from her.

He had not let Rin wander from his side a moment and had been keeping a very close eye on her whereabouts and who was with her. He glanced up as the door opened and his brother stepped inside.

"Want something?" He asked, wishing to be rid of him as quickly as possible.

He wasn't as annoyed as he typically felt when Inuyasha showed up. Maybe Rin was tiring him out.

"Daddy - can I go play with Kagome-chan?"

"No," he repeated for at least the hundred time just that morning. She had been bothering him every five minutes with a request to go see 'Kagome-chan'. He wanted nothing more than to rid himself of her troubling presence, even more so since she kept reminding him of the girl downstairs. He suddenly felt snappish. "What do you want, Inuyasha?"

"Father heard from Higurashi - apparently Kikyo has reappeared with her father and they are under the impression Kagome is dead."

He raised his head. "Really?"

That was promising; he liked the sound of that. If they were not officially holding her captive given her 'dead' status then she truly did belong to him. Inuyasha gruffly agreed and turned his gaze toward Rin, watching her prance about.

"Go get the girl."

Rin abruptly halted and Inuyasha turned what could have been startled eyes toward him. "Huh?"

"Higurashi - go get her, and bring her here."

There was no mistaking the order - he wanted the girl brought to him.

"Why?"

Sesshoumaru looked up with a glare. "Do not question my orders, simply follow them."

. . .

Her room was still and quiet. She'd been afraid to touch anything in her grand surroundings. At some point during her unconscious stint Sesshoumaru had apparently moved her to this new, plusher room. She had seen a hundred rooms just like it, and just as many more ornate than this. It wasn't the room that was making her leery of her surroundings; it was the man who had so suddenly dropped her into opulence.

There was a brief, curt knock and the door swiftly slid open leaving no time for her to give permission to enter. This was the customary greeting she got from the younger brother Inuyasha, in all his gruffness.

He spared her a cursory glance. "Let's go."

She didn't question where they were going and held her curiosities in check. Following him silently he offered no greetings or words to her, no branch of friendliness. He was quiet and distant as he was most times when he wasn't taunting her. He was ignoring her altogether. They wound through one set of corridors and then another and then up a flight of stairs. He stopped abruptly before a doorway and then stalked ahead of her inside leaving her to wonder as she approached it uneasily.

She peered quietly within, almost as though she were trying to hide from the eyes of the occupants in the room. Her stealth operation failed as she was spotted and nearly tackled to the floor by an over rambunctious Rin.

"Kagome-chan!"

Kagome found herself embroiled in a hug, the little girl smiling brightly. She was immediately beset by her happy chatter, so much so she wasn't sure quite what she was saying as it all seemed to jumble together in her excitement.

Rin pulled her into the room, still talking animatedly.

"Daddy - look, it's Kagome-chan!" she announced in her own cute characteristic manner.

She raised her eyes nervously to the men in the room, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. One was lounging on the other side of the room pretending he wasn't watching her while the other one stared directly at her.

"Come in," he beckoned her, his expressionless face not encouraging and making her nervous.

She started forward when she felt it, the same odd feeling that swept up her spine and made her hands tingle. The same feeling she'd gotten before - in her sick room, but this time it was much closer and much stronger. It seemed as though the mystery person who sent her senses reeling was approaching. She'd turned her head instinctively toward the door, so completely attuned to trying to figure out this disturbing mystery she hadn't heard the movement of those in the room with her. She hadn't even noticed anyone had moved until she felt the rustle of brushing material and found the elder brother in front of her.

There was barely a foot of space between them, but her surprise at his closeness suddenly fell away under the sweeping feeling that was bombarding her senses. She turned wide, frightened eyes toward the doorway just as she felt the warmth of a hand press against her, pulling her back. The sight of a woman in the doorway vanished as she was suddenly thrust behind him, startling her further with the protective motion.

She couldn't even begin to contemplate his actions however as she remembered the face of the woman in the doorway and cringed. She reached for Rin, pulling her into an impromptu hug, hoping against hope he would get rid of her. That he would send away the abominable woman in the doorway.

"My, my," a raspy voice suddenly spoke up. "Is that Higurashi Kagome?"

. . .

He eyed the woman wearily, wondering who she was.

"Who are you?"

He'd known the girl had felt something the way she stiffened so suddenly. He'd spent a great amount of time simply observing her and motions like that one he'd seen only once and it had been when she was recovering from her injuries. The time she'd warned him about something 'malicious' in the castle. He remembered all too well and he remembered the distress upon her features.

He'd come to the conclusion he did in fact like the girl on some level. Perhaps because she struck him as odd. Perhaps it was because of Rin's obvious attachment to her. Perhaps it was simply because he couldn't help but be attracted to the undaunted vulnerability in her eyes when she'd looked up at him pleading for her sister's life. That was something he hadn't forgot. Something that had been blazoned in his mind from the moment he'd seen it.

The woman in the doorway was a different case however. A simple, but elegant enough kimono draped her frame, long hair spilling loose over her shoulders. Her eyes were large and expressive. They were pools of emotions that sent chills down even his spine.

"Please forgive me - I was just passing by I didn't mean to intrude."

He growled lowly. "Your name."

She chuckled sweetly. "Urusae."

He heard rather than saw his prisoner collapse behind him and Rin's frightened exclamation.

Urusae smiled widely and moved on, out of sight. He remained firm - standing there waiting for his uneasy feeling to fade, but it didn't. After an extended pause he turned and found the girl laying in his brother's lap, eyes closed, apparently fainted or worse. His thoughts were immediately on her injuries but somehow he had a nagging feeling this was not caused by her wounds.

This woman, Urusae knew Kagome and Kagome knew her. Kagome had specifically mentioned this woman by name previously - which meant they shared a history of some sort. He turned his gaze down to her again when he heard a painful whimper only to find her eyes had opened once more and she was now staring up at his brother, their gazes locked.

"You," she hissed. "Let me go."

"Keh!"

He all but shoved her from his lap as though he hadn't pulled her there some minutes ago, concerned about her safety.

"Are you okay Kagome-chan?"

The distressed look on her face immediately vanished. She looked up at him as she turned her eyes to the doorway only to see Inuyasha was pulling the door closed.

"Damn pests," Inuyasha muttered.

"Rin-chan?"

They all turned at her gentle, but resolute tone and the girl too turned her eyes up.

"Did you see that woman in the doorway?"

She nodded.

"Do you know her?"

She shook her head 'no'.

He watched as Kagome patted her head suddenly and smiled. "Good, will you do something for me?"

She nodded again. "Don't talk to her - stay as far away from her as you can. More importantly than that - don't let her touch any of your things. Your toys, your drawings - protect them like treasures, can you do that?"

"Rin can do that!" She exclaimed and then her smile turned downward. "Is she a bad lady?"

Rin's sharpness seemed to catch the young miko off guard and she laughed slightly.

"She's a bad lady," Kagome agreed on her use of terms.

"Inuyasha take Rin to the stables, Jaken should be waiting and stay with her."

The melancholy mood was lost as Rin jumped up happily. "Horsies!"

Inuyasha cast a final, curious glance at them before leading off a smiling Rin.

She was staring off in that direction, likely waiting for him to ask her directly what he wanted to know.

"Who is this woman, and how do you know her?"

She turned her eyes away from him. "A woman named Kaede taught Kikyo and I how to use our miko abilities. Kaede had a sister named Urusae, but it is not how I know her. Urusae is..."

She trailed off clearly trying to word her comments and then looked straight up at him.

"Urusae is Kanna's mother."

His jaw could've dropped. That haggard almost elderly woman was Kanna's mother? Wasn't Kanna about Rin's age, by reputation?

"I don't know much about it really. All I know for certain is that she is Kanna's mother, that she hates my father, is Kaede's sister and she is a dark miko."

"Why have you warned me of her?"

"Uruase's abilities... She and Kanna are useful to my father because they kill silently by stealing souls. I heard that sometimes father uses her to kill enemies, but she is never sent to battlegrounds, but I cannot be certain of that. She might also be related to Goshinki, but I do not know his mother at all, nor have I heard anything of her. It is possible she is mother to both."

"He has sired one, maybe two children by a woman that loathes him?" He was speaking more to himself than her, so her reply caught him.

"I have heard many things about my father, I often wish I hadn't."

The delicate flush across her cheeks was indicative that perhaps these 'things' she heard were about her father's sexual escapades with women.

"What do you recommend I do about her?" It was more for his curiosity than his need for suggestions.

"Kill her."

His head snapped up. "Kill her?"

The simple comment immediately alarmed him, raising his suspicions.

"Urusae travels around, robbing villages of its children, I don't even know what she does with the souls she carries off. I can only hear their echoing cries whenever she comes close. Raging banshees howling wildly at the sky, formless masses trying to slash her down where she stands. She's completely oblivious to the tortured souls that hang in the air trying to rip her from her body."

It stung mightily. It may even bruise she thought unhappily. Her bright blue eyes dulled with pain - and wide with shock. Yet the surprise on his own face had quickly melted into smugness. She turned away, raising a hand to her stinging cheek. He'd slapped her, she thought dazedly. She numbly sat down, her world in a whirl. Perhaps her mouth had gotten a bit ahead of her, but for him to slap her? Completely unjustifiable. He was saying something again but she blocked him out. He was nothing but a droll blur in her ears. Surely she hadn't forgotten the type of people these Masaharu's were.

Surely she hadn't forgotten their brutal treatment of her sister Kikyo, nor of her being thrown out into an animal pen and the thugs that had laid in wait and kidnapped her. She dropped her head in desperation. At least however she was spared the agony of a visit from Rin, or worse, from the girl's father. It was bad enough she had to stomach the younger brother.

Night had already descended upon the castle and most of the denizens were already retiring to their beds, or were preparing to. It was like it was most nights, quiet. Yet she did not rise to go to her bed, she remained.

Still and silent, still caught between hurt and angered at Inuyasha's having slapped her. Why was everyone so callous around this castle? There was a stirring in the hall, but she paid no great mind to it. Could be anything, but then she heard it again.

Light, padding footsteps. Odd footfalls that were strangely familiar. That was when she heard it, the loud shrieking voices. She brought her hands up to her ears, covering them from the noise. Urusae!

She worried, hoped, prayed that the woman would pass by her room. Through her covered ears however she heard a heavy thud and felt the pull of her guard's soul as Urusae drew it forth from his body, and heard the characteristic shriek of death.

The door slid open, slowly, eerily and she watched as Urusae came into view. The older woman smiled slowly, widely.

"I am surprised to see you... Naraku's precious little Kagome."

"What are you doing here?" she heard herself asking, wondering, fearing the woman may attempt to steal her soul, and not knowing if she could rebuff her efforts to do so.

"Business, minor matter really. I am here on matters for your father."

She stepped inside and the door slid closed behind her mystically causing shivers to float down her spine.

"I... I see. Is there something you wanted with me?" she hesitantly asked.

She smiled again. "Certainly you do not enjoy being a captive of these barbarians. I can get you out of here, child."

"Why would you want to do that? I-I thought you hated my father."

She tensed a bit. "We have our differences." She paused, her thoughts taking a new direction. "How is your mother... Kagura's her name, isn't it?"

She nodded weakly. "Fine. I guess."

"Well... we have no time for this. We need to go now if we will successfully escape."

"Escape?" She hardly realized she'd said it aloud until she saw Urusae's reaction to her words.

"You wish to stay?" Shock was written across her face. "The impudent boy - he hurt you didn't he?"

She stepped forward, tracing a clawed finger down her cheek.

"This bruise is of his handiwork, is it not? Certainly you would not suffer yourself for this treatment - it is beneath you."

Kagome stepped back. "You should not want to help me - why are you? Why should I trust you to do anything for me?"

Urusae smiled once more creepily. "Smart girl you are, but my hatred for this family boils over. Your father is a mere nuisance to me. It is simply a matter of choosing the lesser of evils."

As though by a will not her own Kagome found herself following the older woman down the silent corridors. She watched as the guards who they came upon suddenly stiffened, and then choked on their gasps of alarm. She'd then watched as their eyes had bulged slightly and their figures melted as their souls were torn from their throats and leaked out of their gaping mouths.

She tried to ignore it, to block it out, to stop the voices from reaching her ears and failed. She lessened her pace, slowing, trying to draw out the distance between them and forget about the path of bodies Urusae was leaving. Just as she was on the verge of screaming and running back to her room, she found herself outside breathing in the heavy night air.

She tilted her head back, breathing it in deep. It was such a strange feeling - being out here in the darkness. Free. Her heart sped up as she gazed about taking in her darkened surroundings. She dazedly realized she had no idea where she was, but put it aside. Turning back she gaped in fright noticing that her escort, Urusae, was gone.

Her heart now beat faster in fright - she was lost. Where was she to go? Looking about once more she began to run, where to, she knew not but her feet alone were guiding her. There was a forested edge and she swept into it, past a line of standing guards turned the opposite direction. Each step she went, her heart thundered while her mind whispered she'd never make it. All the while another part of her whispered that she really didn't want to go. She had nowhere to return to.

Kikyo had attacked her and not killed her. Whether it was purposely done, or if Kikyo had made a miscalculation and forgotten about her miko healing powers she knew not. It meant one thing however - her family likely thought her to be dead. Urusae however would tell her father about this incident though, that meant they would think her alive again, unless she disappeared. They might think she had died in the ensuing attempted escape. There were too many 'ifs'.

Her chest hurt and her feet were tired and pained from running on bare feet. She collapsed down, trying to stifle her panting in case anyone heard her breath. In the off chance his guards patrolled this far out, or even if she was still on the Masaharu property, although she feared she was. The Masaharu Citadel was a sprawling complex, it seemed natural the grounds surrounding it would be as vast.

She forced herself up and continued onward until her legs could carry her no further in her crazed, desperate sprint for freedom.

. . .

Her closed eyelids fluttered before she fully awoke. When she did she found a small boy at her bedside, staring at her with bright green eyes.

"Hi," he chirped. "I'm Shippou, who are you?"

She groaned painfully as she attempted movement. Everything ached, but worst off were her legs it seemed. "Kagome," she breathed before realizing it was stupid to tell her name.

The boy simply smiled. "Hi, Kagome. My daddy found you outside on the ground last night and brought you home. Are you lost?"

This boy's parents had her in custody then. She probably wasn't safe; she hadn't gotten far enough away. She smiled weakly. "Very lost, do you know where I am?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "This is one of the groundskeeper's huts for the Masaharu Citadel. My parents run this one," he declared proudly and she immediately deflated, falling back into her bedding.

It was just a matter of time until they tracked her down and this boy's parents had probably already alerted the master of the household.

"You must be hungry! I'll bring you something."

He slipped out a side door, one that seemed to lead outside, but she didn't question it. She stood and crept toward the door where she could just make out muffled voices.

"She appears a fugitive of some sort - she must have escaped from the Citadel. We can't possibly house her."

"No, no you're right. Who knows the punishment we might suffer for keeping her presence here a secret, we must inform the master at once." A woman's voice spoke up.

She heard a heavy sigh and the then the male continued. "I will go then to tell the master we have found a young woman on the grounds."

Kagome immediately withdrew her ear from the door and without thought to her clothes, health, or appearance; she threw herself out the open doorway. Luckily she avoided the young boy who had called himself Shippou and was able to escape into the forest once more, but she had doubts about how far her legs would take her before she was discovered again.

He eyed the empty room once more displeased. There could be no confusion as to what had happened to her. Someone had assisted her - and it seemed that Urusae had been the one to do it. He'd woken to the news the other Higurashi girl had escaped, Urusae was missing and that there was an entire corridor full of dead guards and not a drop of blood in sight.

"You should not be surprised she took the opportunity to escape. I myself am surprised you put so much faith into her words."

He turned unhappily to view his father in the doorway, and wisely said nothing in refute.

"Even so, she is a young girl - and there are miles around us, she couldn't possibly have escaped. We know the direction she has run in, it is only a matter of time until we recover her and you will have your treasure once more."

To this to, he chose not to reply.

"What then, Sesshoumaru, do you intend to do with her?"

"Perhaps this girl is not worth the trouble and we should let her go."

His fathered chuckled, startling him. "She has truly gotten to you, hasn't she? I am amazed. Think well on such however - do you honestly think that fragile little thing could travel the several mile span in the wilderness to the next town? All the while avoiding the citizens on my land and my scouts in the town? Even if I did, in some stint of generosity decide to release her - where would she go? Her family has declared her dead."

He turned away from his father, not wishing to face him. He didn't know what to do.

"Or perhaps I should simply issue an order to kill her on sight. It would save us time and it would save you the trouble of dealing with her?"

Sesshoumaru growled lowly at the suggestion his father had thrown at him in jest. He was in no mood for his father's humor.

"I suggest you head out if you wish to retrieve her unharmed and unscathed. There's no telling what the men will do to her alone out there in the woodland."

This however caused his head to snap up in alarm. How could he have forgotten? He stepped past his father without a word further and stalked toward the stables. If there was so much as one hair displaced upon her head - someone would have hell to pay, he vowed.

As he went his memory traced back to an earlier encounter with Inuyasha in an upstairs room just before breakfast. He had found his younger brother standing by the door staring out the window anxiously, eyes voraciously scanning the terrain. He had not known then she was missing, but it had taken but moments for Jaken to scuttle in and brief him on the situation.

Then Inuyasha's behavior seemed all the more suspicious. He had questioned him, but initially been ignored. So he asked again and received an uneasy glance and a noncommittal reply. When he'd asked a third time, Inuyasha caved with a fumbled admittance about 'not meaning to hit her', and 'it had been an accident'. The fact his own brother had touched her let alone had the gall to strike her had further upset his already unpleasant morning. Now as he pulled himself up onto his horse he couldn't get his mind to stop it's worrying over her.

He urged his stallion onward - he had to find her.

There was no telling where she could have vanished to in the thick brush he'd found his way into. The trees had grown a lot closer and bushes with large, broad leaves infested this area like bad weeds. He'd trusted his horse to a servant some time back while he headed off on foot, determined she must have gone off in this direction. He'd been informed hurriedly the girl had been at a grounds keepers house just minutes before - and had apparently run off again escaping through a conveniently placed door. Foolish of them, but he supposed they probably were not thinking of her escaping. He stopped moving abruptly as he heard a scuff and a rustle to his right. He kneeled down, hoping to hide the traces of his pristine white clothing and not alert the girl into running if he had indeed stumbled upon her.

He crept closer; edging toward where he suspected his prey was futilely hiding. Through the brush he spotted a swatch of red - could be anything, he concluded even as his mind told him it was her with increasing confidence. As he neared he could hear it - the short panted breaths. Spotting a patch of dark hair he knew then, for certain, he'd found her. She was nested in a patch of shrubbery, looking for all she was worth, exhausted. He shifted and the small tree whose branch he was pressing back away from his face groaned in protest as it rustled, alerting the girl to his presence.

He watched her stiffen and her head turn in his general direction but she didn't move. Her body remained tense as he approached even closer. Suddenly she bolted up with an agility that impressed him, but her movements were slack and her body wasn't cooperating as well as she might have had it and she tripped over her own fumbling body. He dove after her unwisely when a moments more delay she would have fallen on her own as she did, but instead took both of them tumbling hard to the ground.

She impacted with the hard earth, scuffing her clothes and jarring her body as he landed in a half on, half off position that would undoubtedly leave her aching when this was over. He quickly made move to sub due her, but she didn't fight him at all. He gave up the restricting hold on her wrists and pulled her up to her feet, but she melted, eyes drooping and body following suit, as she collapsed against him.

He pulled her close to him, scooping her up and walking her back to where his servant waited. Her breathing was deep and heavy and she might have been sleeping he was not certain. There was a purple and blue mark on one of her cheeks, reminding him all too well of his meeting with Inuyasha that morning. The bastard had actually left a mark!

He felt his anger grow as his worry finally faded. This woman caused him endless amounts of grief. He'd worried for her all morning, not certain of her fate and it hadn't helped Rin had pestered him endlessly about it until he'd sent her off with a servant to tend to flowers.

"Did you actually think you could escape?" He found himself snarling at the fatigued, probably sleeping girl.

It surprised him then when her eyes flickered open to meet his. Her lack of energy was evident as was her concession to his superiority. She looked defeated, as she should he thought to himself. "Did I really have a choice?"

"Where is she?" He didn't say who 'she' was, but they both knew he meant Urusae, her co-conspirator as it may be.

"Urusae?" She shook her head. "I don't know."

"Why did you go with her?"

"I don't know... I don't know what to do."

"Your accommodations are unfit?"

His gaze was straight ahead but he felt the change in her at once. "I am not a guest, you should not trust me. I am Higurashi Naraku's daughter - the man who wants to rip open your entire family including you and take everything you have and make it his own."

His pace slowed to a stop and his eyes locked with hers. "You are not. You are dead to that family. All you are anymore, is mine."

His thundered declaration was the last thing she'd expected. It had sent her already taxed mind hurdling toward an overload. Somewhere along the lines of his carrying her back to the castle she'd allowed the rhythmic movements of his body to rock her to sleep. She wanted desperately an escape from him. She needed to be away.

When she woke once more there was no little boy hovering over her bed, nor was there anyone. She was alone and again in a different room. This one larger than her previous room. She rose uncomfortably, legs aching and stomach growling. She froze when she heard movement and one set of doors opened and in came a servant.

The young girl bowed her head obediently. "I have been sent to serve you Lady Higurashi."

'Lady Higurashi'? What? Maybe she was sleeping again and just didn't realize it.

"Sent by who and please don't call me that, just Kagome is fine, really."

The girl raised her head with a nod. "Sesshoumaru-sama sent me."

She was about to dismiss her, saying she needed nothing when her body decided to revolt once more. Her stomach growled loudly, embarrassingly loudly but the servant seemed mildly amused.

"... Perhaps something to eat, Kagome-sama?"

She grumbled something the girl took to be a yes.

"Very well then, let us get you dressed and head to the dining room."

"Dining room?"

"Sesshoumaru-sama gave strict orders - 'she is no longer allowed to eat in her room.'"

"I don't want to-"

"It's not that bad, really. Might as well have a bath too, you know it's only two doors away from your room."

This little comment caused a smile to spring forth. "R-really? I haven't had a bath in..."

It was embarrassing just to think how long it had been since she'd last bathed. The girl gathered a few things from a nearby cabinet and rose to lead her out.

"W-wait, one minute!"

"Hmmm?"

"What's your name?" Kagome asked, pulling herself to her feet.

"I am Aya."

. . .

She languished in the bath for what seemed like hours. When she finally emerged she felt like a new person. Energized. Clean. Complete. Aya had helped her dress and then ushered her off towards the dining room, and only then had the feeling of dread returned. She hovered at the doors anxiously ready to turn and tear off back to her room, even if she got lost trying to find it.

Only then did something occur to her - there hadn't been a guard outside her room when she'd left with Aya. They couldn't possibly be loosening security around her after her near escape, could they? That was insane and totally backwards. She had just set to return to her room for some much needed contemplation when the door slid open swiftly and she cast fearful eyes toward the doorway.

She worried it might have been him, Sesshoumaru, but when she met the owner of the gold gaze she realized it was something even worse than him. It was his father, Inutaisho. She visibly shrunk under his gaze, almost tempted to hide behind Aya.

"Well... come in." He ordered her, a tad bit briskly.

She felt forced to comply and stepped past him as ordered into the room, and away from Aya as the door was abruptly shut behind her. She was suddenly longing for the company of her newfound friend.

"Sit."

She took a seat upon the floor as far from him as she could get. He didn't seem to mind, if he noticed at all. So she sat there, unsure of what to do, and unsure of what, if anything, to say. Within minutes however servants entered through another set of doors on the other side of the room bearing trays of food. He turned his head up from what had previously kept him preoccupied.

"Quite a stunt you pulled on us - no one expected you to get so far. Did you actually think escaping from these grounds was possible?"

"I don't know."

"Even if you had managed to get away, where would you have gone?" he continued.

"I don't know."

"Which is exactly why your actions were foolish. Are you aware the things that might have befallen you? Would you like to be torn asunder by the wild beasts that wander that far out? Or raped by a group of my men whom I sent searching after you? Or perhaps starvation when you found yourself lost, with no way back? I expect these scenarios are not unfamiliar to you."

She dropped her head impossibly lower. "They are not."

"Yet even so you went - and further more you left with a woman you insisted was dangerous."

"She is."

He rose and moved to tower over her. She closed her eyes in a feeble attempt to block him out of her thoughts, keeping her head down. "I fail to understand why Sesshoumaru has such trust in you - but I have none. I do not believe you - nor do I trust you."

This seemed to snap all her broken pieces of resolve back together and she raised her head to meet his eyes. "Nor should you."

The door again clattered open, but she could not tear her eyes away from the man who was staring down at her. Nor did his eyes stray from her. The person or persons in the doorway also seemed struck by the sight, for she had heard no movement from them. Until she heard a low voice, she knew at once to be Rin.

"I'm hungry!"

The little girl managed to push past those blocking her way, or so she assumed and bounded into the room.

"Kagome-chan is back!" She erupted into a fit of happy giggles before encircling the older girl in a warm hug.

Kagome looked away to smile and greet Rin. Her eyes turned back to him as he kneeled to watch them. Rin with her arms wrapped around Kagome's shoulders, huddled there together. No one had yet moved out of the doorway, and she couldn't bring herself to look. Rin once again broke their stare as she began to rub Kagome's shoulder, as though trying to be comforting.

"It's okay, Kagome-chan, the monsters can't get you in here."

She was shaking slightly, she realized, and Rin must have noticed. That and someone had probably told her something about where she'd gone. Rin didn't understand however that there were monsters in the castle as well.

"Monsters do not have to be scary to be dangerous," the man across from them replied, still watching her.

She narrowed her gaze on him, but then she thought back to her own family. To the horrors she'd seen and the ones she'd heard about. He was right. She broke her stare with him to look at Rin, the girl still clutching to her.

"He's right, you know. Not only scary things are monsters, but you can't live your life being afraid of everything. It really all depends on who you decide to trust."

The man across from them stood, and without another word, left.

"Don't worry Kagome-chan, he's always scary like that." The younger girl giggled, apparently trying to ease her tension. She smiled weakly at Rin in gratitude.

She glanced toward the doorway, but it was empty. She nearly jumped when a hand that was not Rin's gently descended down upon her head, stroking down through her hair and then repeating the motion. She looked, anxiously, and met the eyes she'd dreaded seeing earlier, those of Sesshoumaru.

"How many days has it been?"

"I... don't know."

He dropped his hand from her head to trace one finger gently down her bruised cheek. It was a small miracle Rin had yet to ask about it, unless her father had specifically told her not to. The girl who was so avidly watching them showed no signs of asking her anything. She had, in all truth, forgotten about it until he'd touched her there.

"Eat, and go rest."

Physically and mentally drained, she complied.

[End Chapter Three.]