I Am Me; No One Else

Chapter 12: An Oncoming Darkness Builds

Kagome knew that something wasn't right; she could feel it, but she also couldn't pinpoint whatever it was that she deemed incorrect or out of place. She saw the veiled looks of concern that Sesshoumaru gave her when he thought she hadn't noticed, but the miko remained silent and alert for something to give a clue to these sensations.

Midoriko had warned her that the training in her dreams would accelerate her abilities and powers very quickly, but the training she received from this would not or should not have put her too far forward from her peers. The Mother Miko, however, had forgotten or misplaced the fact that she came from the future. A time where women were now equally educated in most societies.

A time where they were all encouraged to be more academic and to study. To practice their learnings on their own.

Kagome picked things up far quicker and learned at an accelerated pace; which she also practiced on her own whenever she could safely do so, and so Midoriko had had to stop from teaching her too much in varying areas. Her reiki was on edge today, and she wondered why but she had decided not to dwell on it too heavily; lest she begin to worry herself for no reasoning.

Sesshoumaru stopped, "This is the border; once we take a few steps more, we'll be inside of the Western territory. My personal territory, and from there we will need to keep to the woods and follow a path northwest to reach the cave system you mentioned."

Kagome nodded, "Arigato, Sesshoumaru-sama. For doing this for me; though I know you don't like it. I don't like it much either, but we have few alternative options and we already almost were caught."

He nodded silently with an incline of acceptance to those words for they were true, "There are several points in the long tunnel system here that have underground hot springs, but I wanted to ask you if you believe we have enough provisions for the month?"

Kagome considered, "I should think so. You hunted well and provided me enough meat to dry in-between stops that we shouldn't need too much. I gathered a lot of edible plants and mushrooms too. My main concern is drinking water; I don't need to get dehydrated and water from a hot spring is not acceptable to drink."

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes, "The hot springs are fed from an underground lake and river; we find it, and you'll be fine. Either you will sense it or my nose and Ashura's will."

Kagome then beamed brightly, "Well then, I think we're set."

He nodded, "Then follow me and stick close; we don't want the court to sense us yet. I can feel several of the demonesses nearby; they haven't noticed us due to your barriers that block scent and our powers doing the same, but they won't ignore us if they spot us."

Kagome bit her lips, "Then perhaps maybe you should carry me?"

Sesshoumaru then actually raised a brow to her statement as Ashura tried not to quirk his lips into a laughing cat smile.

Kagome scowled, "I am human; I don't have your speed nor can I use my reiki yet to match it. I'll only slow you two down."

The Inu Lord then smirked, "If you're giving me an excuse to hold you; all you had to do was ask."

Kagome then softened and quirked her lips, "So long as this excuse to hold me does not also include an excuse to...use wandering hands over me" She then walked away some, "Because if it did; I am not so sure I would be able to say no, and then we'd be in a bit of a bind if caught. Never mind that Ashura probably both would and would not like to be considered a voyeur."

Her smirk was all too apparent as Ashura began to laugh out loud and the demon lord scowled slightly at her; he knew that Kagome was aware of how possessive he was and that inciting his jealousy wasn't wise.