At the sound of his name, the great grizzled dog cocked his head to one side. The feral glint in his eyes receded. Trotting forward, he stood on his hind legs, pressed his forepaws to Kagome’s chest and licked her face. It was wet and smelly and unpleasant, but Kagome couldn’t stop laughing as she ruffled his fur and wiped the tears from her eyes.

Curled up with Ikiryou, she slept more soundly than she had in quite some time.

She felt tired down to her bones, even after she woke the next day. Had she finally pushed herself too far, in that last showdown with Sesshoumaru? For the next few days, Kagome continued to stay more or less in a resting state. Ikiryou made this easy. A natural hunter, he brought back more dead rabbits and pheasants to camp than Kagome could ever eat.

Even as the bodies piled up, she continued to praise him. This proved very difficult when he returned with a whole family of cute, dead little foxes—mother, father, kits and all. Kagome didn’t so much as touch them. But all through the night she had to listen to the crunch and snap of breaking bones, the rasp of torn flesh and slurp of jellied blood.

After about a week of rest, they set off.

It wasn’t long until the creek they followed fed into a river, and the river led to a town. From speaking to the people there, Kagome had a better idea of where she was in the Western Lands—not that it really mattered. She and Ikiryou stayed in the town for a few days, while Kagome healed the sick and chased off a handful of pesky demons that had been plaguing the place for years. Kagome tried to buy food and a room, but the townsfolk wouldn’t have it.

“Please stay a little longer with us, Miko-sama, won’t you?”

“Yes, please stay! Our shrinehouse is old and small, but we’ll build a new one for you.”

Politely as she could, Kagome refused. She hadn’t told them she was a priestess, but she supposed it had been obvious enough. Something about hearing the title spoken aloud, though, made her think of things she rather wouldn’t. Responsibilities she had no wish to bear. She wanted to move on, and so she and Ikiryou continued on their way.

For months, they rambled on through many other villages and towns, even a city now and again. Kagome did exorcisms and other odd jobs as they came her way, but whenever she felt the locals starting to place any sort of pressure on her, she fled. It tired her out, people’s expectations of her. Almost everything seemed to tire her out these days. Often, she’d sleep for a dozen or more hours at a time—as long as Ikiryou would allow her, before he’d whine and nose her in the ribs till she rose.

It must be her constant concealment, Kagome figured. But dropping the spell was not an option in her mind.

Staying concealed and on the move, with Ikiryou at her side—in this way Kagome kept herself occupied with what was before her and shielded from what she’d rather not dwell upon. If she thought too long about who she was, where she’d come from, or who she’d left behind…well, she wasn’t sure how she’d be able to carry on.

Part of her wondered why she even bothered. It was a constant struggle to remind herself that she must.

Eventually, her ramblings led her back toward the East again. She hadn’t meant to, but somehow she found herself standing on an old familiar road. As if of their own accord, her feet carried her forward along it, toward Tatsumi castle.

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi