“So, I’ve been thinking,” Kagome began, setting down her half-empty bowl of stew, “about what our next move should be.”

Maybe it was the gravity in her tone, or the fact that she had never been one to pass up a meal, but at her words, the others paused as well, setting their own lunches aside as they looked to her attentively. The fire of Kaede’s hearth crackled loudly in the ensuing quiet as Kagome took a moment to compose her thoughts. She had wanted to wait for Sesshoumaru’s return, but after speaking to the older miko, they had both agreed that the circumstances were too urgent to delay this discussion any longer.

“I’ve told you guys before about what Hakudoushi mentioned to us during the battle–if what he said was true, and there really are only a few Jewel shards left, then Naraku must already be on the verge of completing the Shikon no Tama.” Pausing to catch her breath, Kagome continued, “It’s easier for him–safer for him at this point–to let Mouryoumaru go about collecting the rest of the shards.”

“And once Mouryoumaru has collected them,” Miroku followed, his expression grave as he folded his arms into his dark sleeves, “Naraku need only wait for his incarnation to return to him.”

Kagome nodded. “Exactly what I was thinking, Miroku-san. In the meantime, with the almost-complete Jewel in his possession, Naraku is only going to keep transforming and growing stronger–Kami only knows how strong he already is. Mouryoumaru is really powerful, too, but I don’t doubt that Naraku will be able to reabsorb him when the time comes–in fact, I think that’s just what he’s planning to do: to steal not only Mouryoumaru’s shards, but his power as well.”

“Either way,” Sango concluded bitterly, her deep brown eyes reflecting the glow of the flames, “Naraku would finally have all of the Jewel shards at his disposal.”

Miroku’s gaze fell to the hearth as well, Kagome and Kaede both frowning deeply as they all silently considered Kohaku’s fate. The stakes were as high as they had ever been, and in Kagome’s mind the task ahead of them was clear.

“We’ll just have to stop Mouryoumaru from getting his hands on the rest of those shards,” she declared, rising to her feet. “Even if we can just keep one away from him and Naraku, that would go a long way toward tipping the odds.”

“Aye,” Kaede assented at once, “but where might these remaining shards be?”

“Well,” Kagome said, fiddling with her sweater sleeves, “I know who has two of them, at least…”

Exchanging a weighty glance with Miroku and Sango, the three of them answered in unison, “Kouga.”

“But, Kagome-chan,” Sango said with a furrowed brow, “how can you be certain that Mouryoumaru hasn’t already taken Kouga-sama’s shards?”

“I guess I can’t be certain,” Kagome admitted as she began to pace. “But I dealt Mouryoumaru a pretty nasty blow back on that mountain. He’ll want to be in top form before he takes on a full-blooded demon with two Jewel shards–not to mention a clan of wolf youkai at his command. That could very well be why Mouryoumaru was looking to absorb Sesshoumaru’s power in the first place…” Stopping, she turned back to face the group. “Anyway, if he’s anything like Naraku, Mouryoumaru’ll be waiting for the right opportunity to strike. If we act now, there’s every chance that we can reach Kouga-kun before him.”

“And supposing that to be the case,” Miroku questioned, his violet eyes glittering significantly at Kagome, “how, then, do you propose to convince Kouga-sama to surrender his shards?”

The young miko blushed, averting her gaze. “I’ll, um, cross that bridge when I come to it, I guess…”

Maybe it’s good Sesshoumaru isn’t around to hear this, after all, Kagome thought anxiously.

“A-anyway!” she blustered on, her forefinger rising for emphasis. “The main thing is to get to Kouga-kun and inform him of the situation. Hopefully, he’ll agree to come over to our side. But worst-case scenario, we’ll all have a better idea of where we stand, and what we’re up against.”

“I agree,” Sango said, her eyes closing for a moment. “Kouga-sama’s shards are our best chance for success.”

“I assume you’ll be departing at once then, Kagome-sama?” Miroku asked, frowning slightly.

Her friends looked solemnly to her as she nodded, knowing what they were thinking: though Miroku’s arm was finally free of the sling, and Sango was getting around much better on her wounded leg, the two of them still weren’t yet fit to accompany her on this mission. With Sesshoumaru nowhere to be found, Kagome had no choice but to go it alone.

“Tomorrow,” she decided. “If all goes well, I’ll be back before sundown–Kouga-kun’s lands aren’t too far from here, and Entei-san travels fast.”

“Tomorrow, then,” Kaede affirmed gruffly, though there was a glimmer of unease in her one-eyed glance.

After finishing their meal in contemplative silence, Kagome parted from her friends and set out with Entei toward a clearing near the edge of the woods. Apart from a long red scratch, her injury had all but healed, and ever since Kaede had deemed her well enough to train, Kagome had been working hard to hone her miko skills under her elder’s guidance. But there was something Kaede couldn’t help her with–something Kagome had been working to master, necessarily, on her own.

Fitting her bow with an arrow, Kagome narrowed her eyes in concentration as she drew back, her power flowing along her weapon in muted waves–like the ripple of light breaking on the surface of a stream. Her breath released in time with her fingers, the arrow gleaming faintly as it streaked through the air, imparting its patterned glow to the tree it struck. As the web of light fizzled out a mere moment later, Kagome sighed wearily, reaching once more into her quiver.

Arrow after arrow peppered the poor innocent tree, but no matter how hard Kagome tried, she just couldn’t get her seals to hold. Lock and key, she told herself repeatedly, but that level of pure focus, she was learning, was frustratingly difficult to attain–especially when her worried thoughts kept turning toward a certain demon lord…

As she strung her last arrow, the flare of youki behind her drew her attention entirely. Abruptly, she turned, a smile blooming across her face as she jogged over to the shaded edge of the clearing.

“Sesshoumaru!” she exclaimed breathlessly, stopping just before him. “Thank the gods you’re back! Look, I’ve just been talking with Baa-chan and the others, and–”

Her words caught in her throat as he pulled her flush against him, clawed fingers carding through the hair at her nape. Silently, intensely, he studied her upturned face, the expression in his deep amber eyes as unfathomable as ever. Kagome swallowed, her heart fluttering as his gaze fell, the pad of his thumb pressing hard against the bone of her cheek.

“Sesshoumaru…” she whispered, the bow slipping from her sweaty hand, clattering forgotten to the ground as he slanted his mouth against hers.

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi