Sango, Kagome, and Shippo continued to look the woman over. They all realized this abuse had been done by Naraku, with the exception of one mark. On the girl's chest, directly above her breasts, was a scar. It did not match the other bite marks and wounds that lavished her body. It was much larger, and looked as if it had been imprinted years earlier. Sango decided to speak after the long pause of silence.

"This poor woman, I can't imagine what all else that evil snake put her through." Kagome nodded her head, agreeing.

"Yes, but she's safe now, he can't hurt her as long as she stays with us." Shippo cut in, needing to speak his mind.

"I didn't realize Naraku could be this cruel." After the young fox demon spoke, the two women carefully dressed the woman, after discovering a pair of cheap, leathered boots in the opposite corner of the room. Once she'd been cautiously dressed, as not to exaggerate her wounds, Kagome stood, prepared to leave along with the rest of her comrades.

"Inuyasha! Miroku! You can come back now!" Seconds later the two young men walked in, slowly, assuring themselves the woman was fully clothed. "Inuyasha, you have to carry her alright. Miroku you take her belongings, don't forget anything." Miroku and Inuyasha scoffed at Kagome's orders, not wishing to be bossed by a woman. Inuyasha gently lifted the girl from the woven mat, allowing her body to ease into his arms, he could take no chance in transporting her on his back, and he would have to carry her in the position of a bride.

"Alright, let's go." After the hanyou spoke, making sure the woman would not slip or fall from his arms he and his friends left the abandoned castle, heading towards a new site.

Two hours had passed since the six companions had rescued the young woman from her bedded prison. All the while they traveled the girl slept. Inuyasha often glanced at her as he leapt from hill to hill, following Kirara . Her expression never changed, she seemed so exhausted, so drained. Inuyasha even felt himself so bold as to bring the woman's head to his face, taking in her scent while his thoughts churned.

'I know you from my dreams. This is what you were trying to tell me, to help you.' Soon Inuyasha's continuing thoughts were interrupted when he began to notice night was coming, they needed to make camp. Minutes later a fire had been started by Kirara , and the six friends were snacking on the packaged food Kagome had brought from home. All comrades kept close watch on the girl, as she continued to slumber in Kagome's sleeping bag. Suddenly, a loud roar was heard, deep in the canopy of the forest. Shippo was the first to speak.

" Wha , What was tha , that?"

Inuyasha stood, unsheathing Tessaiga . "A demon, he's coming closer."

Seconds later, the ground began to shake; it was a result of the pounding footsteps of the nearing youkai . The remainder of the group stood, while Shippo took his place on Kagome's shoulder. Another roar bellowed through the area, revealing an enormous serpent demon. The black youkai slithered as he made his appearance through the trees. His red eyes glowed while his scaled body collided with the hilled grass before he spoke.

"Give me the jewel shards!" Inuyasha laughed, taunting the demon. "You'll have to get through me first!" With his insult presented, the hanyou lept from his stance, hurdling into the sky, swiping his sword at the youkai , but his attack had no affect. The demon laughed, reciprocating the taunting.

"You foolish hanyou! Your pathetic weapon will not pierce my hide!" Inuyasha growled, annoyed by the ego of his opponent.

"We'll see about that!" Again the hanyou attempted to slice the youkai through, "Wind Scar!" and again he failed, the demon had dodged his attack. Miroku watched as the battle continued, Inuyasha dodged the youkai's attacks, while his adversary duplicated his actions. Inuyasha was prepared to unleash his BackLash Wave, which would surely end his opponent's life, when Miroku looked to his left, expecting to see their captive...she was gone. "Inuyasha! The woman, she's gone!"

Inuyasha glanced behind him, Miroku was correct, the woman was missing. Everyone briefly gazed at where the girl should have been, seeing what Miroku and Inuyasha had seen. Suddenly, a roar of pain was heard from the serpent demon. All six friends looked again to the youkai , a large gash surfaced across his belly, secreting his black blood, before he pumbled to the ground, dead. Once the demon had fallen, the slayer was revealed. In perfect stance, with a blood stained sword was the girl.

All six companions gawked at the girl. She seemed unscathed. Her wounds had disappeared from what flesh could be seen on her body. Her face was hard and fixated on her audience. She slowly lowered her weapon. She grasped the very sword that Inuyasha had grabbed from the hut floor. She quickly sheathed her blade and began to walk towards the befriended group. None of her captors spoke a word as she approached them, they were stunned.

How could a woman so battered and fatigued be in such well condition, and so unknowingly strong? The weight of that sword was equal, if not more to that of Tessaiga's , a woman of that size and figure could not possibly bare it's capacity, unless....unless she was a demon.

The friends continued to gaze at the woman, she was now only steps away from them, but no longer had her eyes set on them. She slowly passed the companions and kneeled down to where she had been placed to rest, Kagome's sleeping bag. She quickly reached into a hidden pocket nestled in her kimono, and retrieved two porcupine pins. She then placed the long, sharpened stems in her mouth, and licked the needled tips.

After coating the ends of the pins with her saliva, the young woman took her neglected hand, the left, and lifted her long, honey hair, revealing the back of her neck, and her ears...her pointed, youkai ears. Slowly, she secured her hair in the pointed stems, coarsely twisting and tucking the remaining locks. Immediately after the woman had secured her hair she reached for the object that had been placed to the right of the sleeping bag, the instrument.

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