Fallen

Chapter 12

Kagome looked down at the worn clothes and then at the angry speaker. He was tall. Roughly five or six inches taller than she. His face was pleasant despite the disapproving frown. His unruly rust brown hair fell casually in his eyes. Slung on his back was a leather quiver of arrows and to his side clutched in his other hand was a bow. He did not look overly dangerous or threatening and his aura was light despite his obvious annoyance.

He stayed back from her a respectable distance but appeared that he had failed to notice her companion. A move that she hoped would not spell the end for the older youth glaring at her, as she waited for Sesshomaru to intervene. When he didn't Kagome began to worry. Where was he? She knew that due to the spell he had to be close but either this guy was an idiot or silver haired demon lords were a common occurrence. As she doubted the later she frowned reaching out with her own aura to find him. He must have been suppressing his presence because she couldn't sense him at all.

The young man hadn't moved, still staring at her and Kagome realized that he was waiting for an answer. When she didn't reply he shrugged “That's alright lad, ya don't have to tell me. These are dark times.” he said his anger abating as his hazel eyes filled with something akin to pity. Kagome felt a flush of indignant anger. Jumping to her feet she pointed her delicate finger at him. “Hey! What part of me resembles a boy!” she demanded looking up at his face with furious cobalt eyes. The youth's eyes widened as he really looked at the small figure drown in the stolen clothes. Her elegant features were undeniably feminine and he felt immediately contrite for the offense. “I beg your pardon, I assumed that from the cloths ya took that' ya were. I'm pretty sure that' we has somethin' more suited for a ya.” He shrugged again. “Either way, you shouldn't be out here in the forest alone. Not safe for a lady.”

At that point Kagome began looking around again for her companion who had oddly disappeared. A low growl vibrated the air as she picked up the feel of his youki. Kagome glanced up at the large tree and spotted him in the shadows of the branches above and behind the youth. He was watching the young man with a pointed gaze but did no more than watch. His eyes warned her from saying anything to alert the young man of his presence and so Kagome stood. “Would it be too much trouble to ask you were I am? I have seemed to lost my companion and my way.” she said as convincingly as she could. He smiled kindly at her. “I'm mite sorry ta hear that' if I can be of any help to ya find'n ya companion I'd be happy ta.” he gave and odd little bow and offered his arm. “Allow me ta escort ya through Sherwood Forest.”

Kagome slapped a hand over her eyes. Silently she cursed. 'First Atlantis and now this?! Are we really going to be traveling forever? Now its some forest it the middle ages?! Could things get any better?' she sighed as she slowly reached out and then pulled her hand away. “I- uh actually I think I'll wait here for my companion, he is bound to show up sometime. But If you are worried you could leave me a bow and some arrows for protection.” She said still trying to sound innocent.

The young man snorted. “I beg your pardon, but a lady like you, couldn't draw my bow.” Kagome's head rose a fraction. “If I can shoot it will you give it to me?” He nodded and then plucked an arrow from his quiver. With barely a pause he fired it in to a tree. “Top that.” he challenged.

Kagome's eyes flashed angrily before she walked over and seized the bow and deftly plucked an arrow from his quiver. Before the young man could utter a complaint she had drawn the bow and released an arrow. Turning she offered him a brilliant smile. “Still think I can't handle your bow?”

From his vantage point above them Sesshomaru watched as the scene played out. He felt the spike of her ire and watched her pilfer the bow from the boy's hand. He scoffed as she lined up her shot but his doubts were silenced as she hit dead center of the other arrow, a shot he himself wasn't certain he'd have been able to make. He had not realized she'd attained such skills. She was fast and deadly with her weapon of choice though he was certain that the human male had not seen her arrow the way he did, sparking and flaming pink with her aura.

He felt an odd sense of pride well up as he watched her mock the young man with such a smile on her face. When he caught a trace of arousal from the boy he growled unable to help himself. She glanced up wards and winked. Sesshomaru was stunned silent, shocked by her action and by the fact she was telling him without words that she was toying with the boy. He frowned. What did he care if she was toying with him or not?

“A lucky shot.” the young man scoffed. Kagome shrugged, “If I can do it again will you give my companion and I these clothes, cloaks and food?” she asked with a sweetly straight forward smile. There was a deeper laugh to the side of them and a tall rugged looking man stepped around the tree examining the arrow there “M'lady if you can do that again I'll give you all that you request and more. You have the word of Robin of Locksley.” He said sweeping his hat from his head in to a sweeping bow as he moved to her side.

It would have been easier to be impressed with the rugged looking man if Sesshomaru hadn't chosen that moment to growl from the trees. He still stayed out of sight. Kagome rolled her eyes and then her eyes widened as the rugged looking man lifted her knuckles to his lips. Earning himself another growl, this one clearly a warning. “Might I have the privilege of your name?” he asked as Kagome pulled her hand back and unintentionally wiped it off on her clothes.

“Eh? It's Kagome.” she muttered as she turned and plucked another arrow from the younger man's quiver. Ignoring the two men Kagome deftly lined up her shot and released it splitting the arrow once again. Kagome smiled quite pleased with herself. “Ha! Choke on that Inuyasha.” she laughed. Sesshomaru's lips quirked as he watched her gloat. Perhaps having her as a temporary ally wouldn't be a bad idea after all. They were after all stuck together for the time... He wanted to balk at the idea but it truly pleased him how well she had proven herself. Not only in front of those humans now but also in Atlantis.

“Okay, so it was not a fluke.” the rugged man stated in complete awe. “Lady, I would be pleased to offer you the finest that Sherwood has to offer.” he said with another elegant bow. He swept the cloak from his shoulders and held it out to her. “Your prize or at least part of it.” he said with a smile. Kagome smiled and cast her eyes up catching the golden eyes of her companion looking to the other two as though deep in thought. She shifted her eyes to the right and Sesshomaru's eyebrow rose. Kagome sighed. “Would you two please excuse me. I need to um...” she looked for all intents to be uncomfortable and the two humans grinned at each other. “We will wait just through those trees.” Robin told her.

After they'd gone Kagome sighed again and held up the dark cloak to her unwilling companion. “Here I figured that you didn't want to be seen.” she said as he landed silently beside her. Without a word he took the cloak. Within a flurry of fabric Her silent silver haired companion was no more than a being shrouded in shadows. “You are proficient.” he stated blandly. Kagome blinked “Was that a compliment?” she asked unable to trust her ears. “I do not repeat myself.” he stated firmly. Kagome flushed and smiled. “Thank you.”
“Hn” he replied turning away from her smile, not entirely certain he wanted to know what that odd sense of emotion was that bubbled up inside of him. Remembering the kiss that had been left on her knuckles he frowned. “You will not permit another disgusting display such as that fool drooling on your hand again. Or I will remove the fool and the offending appendage.”

Kagome glared at the demon lord for his threat. “Some people think that kind of thing is romantic. But of course you wouldn't know romance if it bit you in the butt. As a matter of fact you probably wouldn't know what to do with a woman either.” Kagome knew she'd said to much the second the words left her mouth. His eyes narrowed and he closed the remaining distance between them in an instant. “Am I to assume that you doubt this Sesshomaru's ability with the opposite sex?” he demanded softly. Kagome gulped as she looked into his furious eyes. She had insulted his manhood and his male pride with her words and now she was surely going to pay a steep price.

Sesshomaru's lips came down on her mouth in a single searing scathing movement. He was livid and his kiss was anything but gentle. It was meant as a punishment as a reminder that he was in control that she was at his mercy. His arms crushed her to his chest forcing her soft pliant figure to mold to his unyielding frame. Though he was angry it didn't stop him from feeling her warmth pressed so closely to him. It didn't stop the emotions rising through his mind. He could feel her in his mind as though her feelings were a mere extension of his own.

Kagome whimpered under the onslaught. He nipped hard at her bottom lip and her mouth opened, his tongue swept in probing and demanding. As the first taste of her met his tongue he knew he'd made a mistake. What had begun as a punishment was surely going to drive him mad. As the kiss was beginning to transform into something else entirely he reacted. Jerking his mouth from hers he glared down at her. Her eyes were closed and her lips were swollen from his kiss. He felt his body heat increase as he took in the flush of her cheeks and the way her little pink tongue darted to her lips to taste them. As Kagome's eyes opened he nearly groaned at the lust mirrored there. Slowly her hand rose to her lips.

“Wha?” she began to ask as she looked up at him. He frowned frantically searching for some way to push her away before he made a bigger fool out of himself by grabbing her and kissing her in to oblivion. “I have no lack in ability. As you can see.” He could see the questions rising in her eyes and he panicked letting the first thing negative he could think of fall from his lips. “Do not assume that it meant more than to prove a point. This Sesshomaru has no interest in the cast off leavings of a half breed.”

Kagome's big blue eyes filled with tears before she could turn away. As the first tears coursed down her cheeks Sesshomaru felt an uncomfortable feeling in his gut. He glared harder at the offending crystalline drops. He wanted to say something to erase the words he'd spoken but he would not. It was better this way. This way they would never get to close and the gods could never make him hurt her. He tried to convince himself but he knew as surely as the sun rose he had hurt her deeply and it bothered him. Though he wished it did not he could not deny that the entire thing left him with a feeling of guilt.