InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Temple of the Dog ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Inuyasha. Those are the property of one Rumiko Takahashi. I thank her whole-heartedly for giving us such an amazing manga/anime to read/watch.

Temple of the Dog - Chapter 3

The village wasn't far. Miroku had pointed out things of interest on the way, including the lush green fields that bordered the river. This was where the villagers grew the fruit and vegetables they so often gave in their offerings to the temple. The outline of the foothills could be seen vaguely through the early morning haze, which would quickly burn off as the sun climbed.

Several children played in the distance, stopping their game to watch Miroku and Kagome as they approached the village. As the two stepped into the first street, they were greeted by several of the village elders who were sitting on a bench near a well-kept house. More people were evident as they worked their way to the home of the seamstress. The curiosity on the villagers' faces was obvious, but they were much too well mannered to ask the young priest who his female companion was. And, of course, they knew that he was certain to tell them as soon as possible anyway.

Miroku led Kagome to a quiet street lined with quaint, well-tended homes. He stopped outside one, stepping to the door and knocking. A rather elderly-looking woman opened the door, smiling broadly when she saw who her caller was.

Kagome smiled to herself. It seemed that the young priest had worked his charms even on a woman of such advanced years. The young priestess smiled at the woman and entered the house when the old woman invited them in.

"We are in need of your talents," he said as he sat down in what appeared to be a sitting room. The old woman motioned Kagome to a second chair while she herself sat in a third.

"And here I thought you simply wanted to pay an old woman a visit," she chuckled, showing her nearly toothless grin.

"Of course, I had to make it appear that I had business with you. You know I came only to share your company." Miroku joked with the seamstress.

"And might I inquire who your companion is?" Age had given the seamstress the right to put manners aside when she wanted to. What would be considered rude of a younger person was acceptable coming from her.

"Ah, many pardons. I would like to introduce you to Kagome. She will be the new priestess at the temple of Inuyasha."

The old woman looked rather startled. Surely the temple would not require a priestess in its current state. After all, with the deity sealed and one priest on duty, there would hardly be enough for a priestess to do in such a small temple. The woman looked at Miroku, waiting for an explanation.

"You will be the first to know the news. Something miraculous has happened at the temple. Our deity, Inuyasha, has awoken at the touch of the new priestess."

The old woman gasped, caught off guard by the news. She had only been an infant when Inuyasha had been sealed so she had never seen the temple except with his sealed form pinned to the pillar. This was truly amazing news.

Miroku spent a few minutes answering the old woman's questions before turning back to the reason for their visit.

It took him only a few minutes to describe what he wanted to the seamstress. She then ushered him out of the house, telling him that he could not be present for the fitting of the young priestess. Miroku looked hurt that he wasn't being allowed to stay and watch, knowing that he would chance to see Kagome in various stages of undress. It wasn't fair, he thought to himself, and then left the home in search of targets for his charm. Surely with his news, he would find some young woman who would talk to him for a while.

The old seamstress turned to Kagome and instructed her to disrobe and stand while the fabric was draped across her. The old woman quickly assessed Kagome's shape and size and started cutting and pinning fabric, turning the first bolt into a beautiful robe for the new priestess. She did the same for the next two bolts, making variations of the style. Surely the young woman wouldn't want all her clothing to look exactly alike. Each bolt of cloth was a slightly different shade and texture, allowing the seamstress to experiment on Kagome. After finishing the first three outfits, the old woman excused herself and left the room, only to return carrying another bolt of fine cloth.

"I was going to take this one to the temple, but as you are already here, it will save me the trip. It is not easy for an old woman to travel to the temple while carrying something like this." The seamstress spread a length of the cloth over Kagome's arm. It was the most beautiful cloth the young priestess had ever seen. Surely she was not deserving of it.

"Perhaps that cloth would better suit our deity," Kagome commented.

The seamstress laughed. "I have more bolts of cloth that would be fitting of the deity. However, this particular cloth seems especially suited to one such as yourself. It drapes so beautifully on you."

A fourth set of robes was cut and fitted. Kagome put back on her original clothing, thanking the old woman.

"I will bring the finished robes to the temple. It will also give me a chance to pay my respects to Inuyasha." The woman was curious to see the newly awakened deity. Things were going to be different at both the temple and in the village from now on. Just having a new priestess was a preview of the changes to come.

"Again, welcome to our humble village. I'm sure both the temple and Inuyasha will benefit from your presence there." The old woman had spent her time fitting Kagome chatting with the young woman. She had found her extremely likeable and felt that with a priestess like that at the temple, surely good things would start to happen.

Kagome found herself on the low front step of the seamstress's house, watching as Miroku walked up the street. The young priest was surrounded by curious villagers who had heard his tales of the new priestess. A small crown greeted Kagome as she stepped into the street.

Curiosity about their new priestess had led many of the villages to come and greet her. Kagome felt overwhelmed, but quickly started returning the smiles and handshakes. A small child shyly handed the priestess a flower, which she accepted graciously. Soon she had more flowers than she could hold. Other villagers offered her things like fresh bread and pastries. Miroku produced a bag from somewhere in his robes and helped Kagome place the offerings into it. She held the flowers, not wanting to crush them.

After a while, Miroku bid the villagers goodbye and reminded them that both he and Kagome had to get back to their duties at the temple.

Curiosity spread like wildfire though the village. Miroku had told them that the temple would remain closed for a couple of days, allowing for both the newly awakened deity and the temple's new priestess to get used to things before having the onslaught of worshippers. He led Kagome out of the village and back to the temple, carrying both the bag that contained her small gifts and a wrapped clay pot that contained a dish with an enticing aroma. The temple's inhabitants would eat well that day.

Inuyasha saw the temple priest and priestess from a distance. He quickly returned to the temple and closed the door. He then lay on the floor near the fire pit, his head propped on one hand. He pretended to be gazing into the fire when Miroku and Kagome returned.

"We will surely be having many visitors when the temple reopens. The villagers responded well to the news of your reawakening and are anxious to pay homage to you." Miroku spoke to Inuyasha's back, trying to get his attention.

"So, you couldn't wait to gossip about me waking up." Inuyasha didn't look forward to the onslaught of villagers. He wasn't comfortable around crowds, and knew that they could expect nothing less. Why couldn't the damned priest have just kept his mouth shut.

"Of course, even if I hadn't spoken of such things, the villagers would have found out quickly enough. The first worshipper to arrive and find that you were no longer sealed to the pillar would have been sure to spread the news to the rest of the village." Yes, Miroku was right. News like this spread fast.

"You will be happy to know that not only is our new priestess fitted for four sets of robes, but that she has met many of the villagers, including several of the elders, and has made a marvelous impression on them. It seems that she is better suited for the position than even we thought. Our priestess seems to have a way with people. And, the children already adore her."

The children. Inuyasha cringed. Kikyou had also been good with the children of the village. And, she had been equally good with the other villagers. His mind conjured up and image of Kikyou sitting on the grass, surrounded by laughing children. He shook his head.

"Good. Then you and she can handle the worshippers. I just want to be left alone." Inuyasha quickly got up and walked to his chambers. It wouldn't do for his priest and priestess to see his expression at that moment.

"I have a feeling he's going to be a real charmer with the villagers," Miroku spoke sarcastically. At least he and Kagome would be able to help sooth the ruffled feathers of the villagers after they spoke to their deity. And, hopefully, some of their way with people just might rub off on Inuyasha. Maybe not. He glanced at the door to Inuyasha's chambers. Well, at least he and Kagome could help. Somehow he doubted anything would change the demeanor of Inuyasha. The young priest's peaceful existence at the temple would be no more. He could already foresee the difficulty their deity was sure to cause.

The smell coming from the clay pot he had set on the altar was causing him to salivate. He had only had some fruit and cheese for breakfast, and that had been many hours earlier.

"Well, we might as well eat. Inuyasha will come out when he's hungry enough." Miroku carefully uncovered the food and inhaled deeply. The offering of food had come from the best cook in the village, and he was not about to let it go to waste.

Both Miroku and Kagome ate, wiping off their plates when they had finished. Miroku stretched and eyed the door to the spare chamber. Well, if he were to ever have his own chambers again, he would have to clear out the room. He pushed his sleeves up and grabbed a torch, disappearing into the spare chamber. Kagome could hear the sound of him once again moving furniture and trunks around.

Kagome found herself unable to keep her eyes off the door to Inuyasha's chambers. She carefully made up a plate of food and walked to the door. The walls were of stone and the door was a mat. She had no way to knock.

"My lord, I have some food for you, " she called softly. She wasn't surprised when she didn't get a response.

After a moment, Kagome carefully pushed aside the mat and entered. The room was darker than the main chamber of the temple and it took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust. When they did, she could see that Inuyasha was laying on a rather large bed. He was on his back, his hands behind his neck. His eyes stared at the ceiling.

"What are you doing here?" he finally asked.

Kagome bowed her head slightly. "I brought you some food. It is an offering from one of the villagers and I just thought you would like to eat some while it is still fresh and hot…"

"I'm not hungry. Take it away."

"Surely you need to eat, my lord. Perhaps if you try some." Kagome tried hard to convince Inuyasha to eat, but the more she pushed, the more he resisted.

Finally, he motioned to the small table next to the bed. "If you insist on leaving it, put it there."

Kagome set the plate on the table, glancing at her deity. He still had not put on his collar and his hair sprawled around his shoulders. Even in the half-light of the room, she could see the definition of the muscles of his chest and arms. She turned away quickly, hiding the blush that had risen in her cheeks.

"Please eat, my lord. You need your nourishment." Kagome quietly left the room, pausing to catch her breath outside the door. She was surprised to find that she had barely breathed when she had stood looking at Inuyasha. His effect on her was both confusing and scaring her. Why was she reacting to him this way?

She turned to see Miroku looking at her. "Is everything all right, Kagome?" He had noticed the blush of her cheeks and the way she was breathing. If only she would react to him this way, he thought. He was charming and had been told he was quite handsome, and yet the young priestess seemed drawn to their stubborn, arrogant deity. Perhaps he should attempt to act more like Inuyasha. But, no. He couldn't see himself talking and acting like that. Well, he would have to hope that his own charms could win the young woman over. If not, he would have to find another conquest.

"I'm fine. I just took Inuyasha some food. He won't eat it."

"Pity that our lord can't appreciate what's right in front of him." Miroku smirked, knowing that Inuyasha could hear him. The young priest wiped his dusty hands on his robe and disappeared once again into the spare chamber, hoping to make at least enough room for him to move his bed in before night. He also hoped that he would stumble across a more comfortable bed. He couldn't remember what had been given to the temple as offerings and what had been sold. Perhaps, if he didn't find a more suitable bed, he could convince one of the craftsmen in the village to duplicate Inuyasha's bed for him. After all, their skills were good enough to produce very fine furnishings. With an example to go by, it should be easy for them to build him his own soft bed.

Kagome took some water from a large tub and used it to clean the earthenware plates that she and Miroku had eaten on. There was still some of the delicious food remaining in the pot Miroku had carried back from the village, so she placed the cover over it and placed it on the altar next to the other food offerings.

She had noticed that the water supply was getting low. Next to the large tub were two jugs hung from the ends of a pole. Kagome decided that she would refill the water while the others were busy. She lifted the jugs and placed the pole across her shoulder. Then she went to the large wooden doors and pushed open the one that was still unlocked.

The sun was hot but there was a cool breeze that made the chore tolerable. Kagome remembered Miroku pointing out the well that was their source of fresh water, and she went directly to it and began to fill the jugs.

After several trips to the well she could see a noticeable change in the water level of the large tub. It wouldn't take too many more trips to fill it.

Kagome's mind was busy while she made the trek back to the well. Why she couldn't stop thinking about Inuyasha was a puzzle to her, but nothing seemed to take her mind from him. She was so deep in thought that she failed to notice the figure that was perched on the roof of the temple, watching her as she traveled back and forth to the well. Strands of silvery-white hair moved in the slight breeze as he watched her make the trip to the well and back.

The tub was finally filled and Kagome was sweaty and dirty from her exertions. She shaded her eyes with her hand and looked in the direction of the river. It was a short walk from the temple and the thought of rinsing herself off in the cool water was appealing. She left the water jugs by the well and walked in the direction of the river. Again, the young priestess failed to notice the figure that watched her. Now he leaped from the roof, landing silently on the ground and following her at a distance.

It took only a few minutes to reach the river. The water sparkled in the sun and it moved slowly in the direction of the Nile. Kagome couldn't resist. She glanced around and, seeing no sign of anybody who would see her, she quickly took off her robes and slipped into the chill water. The initial shock of the cool water on her skin faded quickly as she swam around for a few minutes. When she felt that she couldn't take much more of the chill, she quickly ducked under its surface and rinsed her hair. She resurfaced with her wet hair streaming over her face, blinding her to the figure of Inuyasha only a few feet away on the river bank. His eyes were focused not on the priestess but on something in the water only a short distance from the bathing woman.

Kagome screamed as she felt arms come around her and lift her. Inuyasha had jumped from the river bank and grabbed her, quickly taking her back to the river bank where he dumped her unceremoniously on the sand. She pushed her hair from her face.

"What's the idea. I was just taking a bath." She grabbed her clothing, which lay on the sand next to her and quickly put it on.

Inuyasha, however, was looking again at the river. Kagome's gaze moved to where he was looking and she gasped. There in the water where she had been only moments before was a very large and vicious looking crocodile.

"They don't usually come this far up the smaller rivers, but it's best not to bathe alone." He turned and walked back to the temple.

Kagome glanced once more at the scaled reptile who now submerged and appeared to swim back downstream. She quickly ran to catch up with Inuyasha.

"Thank you. I wasn't aware that this river could be dangerous. I won't do it again." Kagome's voice shook, both with the chill of the breeze blowing across her wet body, and from the fear she still felt over her close call with death.

Inuyasha simply walked ahead of her, not responding.

"I said thank you. Can't you even respond to that?" Kagome once again ran to catch up with him. Her fear had quickly been replaced by anger as she grabbed his arm.

Inuyasha stopped and turned towards her. For just a moment he found himself looking at her. Kagome's clothing clung to her wet body, leaving little to his imagination. Her hair had started to dry from the warmth of the sun and the breeze and now cascaded around her shoulders. Her large eyes were dark against her creamy skin. He had to force himself to look away from her.

"What I did I would have done for anybody in the same situation. I wish only to return to my chambers and be left alone for the remainder of the day." He turned and walked quickly back to the temple, his longer legs carrying him more quickly than Kagome could walk.

She finally gave up trying to keep up with Inuyasha and instead walked to the well. The water jugs lay where she had left them. She quickly picked them up and returned to the temple, pulling the heavy door closed behind her. After returning the water jugs to their proper place, she retired to her own small cubicle, laying on her hard bed and replaying the events of the afternoon in her head.

Miroku peeked from the spare chamber he had been cleaning. He didn't know what had happened between his deity and the temple priestess, but it was apparent that something had. He looked back at the room he had been cleaning, realizing that he had barely made a dent in the stored objects there. He would have to speak with Inuyasha about transporting the extra items to the markets in the north for sale. There was no other way to clear the room.

The young priest quickly washed up, using some of the water Kagome had just filled the water tub with, and left the temple. He walked the short distance to the village, stopping to visit several of the town's craftsmen. It wouldn't hurt to mention the subject of a new bed to them.

Both Kagome and Inuyasha were still in their respective bedchambers when Miroku returned. Once again he carried with him a hot meal prepared by one of the women in the village. He pushed open the temple door and went inside, setting the hot dish on the altar. He returned to the door and closed it, drawing the locking bar across it for the night.

Well, if nobody else was going to eat, he certainly wasn't going to let good food go to waste. He quickly filled a plate and ate. It was late and had been a long day. The young priest decided to give up on clearing the extra chamber for now and retired to his cot. He quickly fell asleep.

Kagome had heard Miroku return, but hadn't said anything. She could smell the food and hear the priest serving himself. Sounds of his preparations for bed reached her through the screens. When she was sure he had gone to bed and had enough time to fall asleep, she went to the altar and filled a plate with food. Her eyes traveled to the doorway into Inuyasha's chambers and she picked up the plate, walking quickly to the door.

"My lord, I have some food for you." She waited for a response.

"Enter," was all he said.

Once again, Inuyasha was lying on the bed, his eyes looking at the ceiling. Kagome couldn't resist. She moved to the bed and twisted her head to look up at the ceiling.

"What's so interesting?"

Her question caught Inuyasha off guard. He sat up quickly, allowing his gaze to fall briefly on Kagome.

He simply grunted in response to her question.

"What do you want?" he asked the priestess.

"I have food for you." She indicated the plate in her hands.

"I'm not hungry. You can take it away."

Kagome glanced at the table next to his bed. The plate she had left earlier was still there. However, the food that was on it was gone. She smiled slightly as she switched plates, taking the empty one and leaving the one with the fresh food.

"I'll just leave this here. You can eat it when you are ready." Kagome turned to leave.

"Why?"

The priestess turned to Inuyasha. "What do you mean, 'why?'?"

"Why do you keep on bringing me food?"

"Well, I am the temple priestess. It is my duty to serve my lord. I am here to be sure you are taken care of."

"Feh! That's not what I mean. You seem to be taking this all rather personally. Why?"

Kagome looked at him, realizing that perhaps she did have her own motives driving her actions. The thought of going to bed for the night without seeing him one more time would have driven her to his chamber even if her duty had not. However, she was not about to reveal this to the arrogant deity who sat on his bed before her.

"My position of priestess is something I do take personally. My grandfather raised me to believe that the duty of a priestess is sacred. I follow the ways I have been raised in."

Kagome sighed inwardly. For once, perhaps, her elderly grandfather's rants had come in handy. She had failed to listen to most of his stories and legends, but had been told about the duties of a priestess enough times to remember them. It was, after all, the position that her grandfather had hoped for her. In fact, her grandfather would be very proud of her taking the position of temple priestess. She would have to find a way to get word to him.

Inuyasha grunted again. He shifted on the bed, swinging his legs over the side. Despite the fact that he had insisted repeatedly that he wanted to be left alone, he found himself enjoying the company of his new priestess.

He reached over to the small table and picked up the plate. "Have you eaten?"

"Not yet, my lord." Kagome shook her head.

"Bring yourself a plate."

Kagome looked at Inuyasha in surprise. Did he actually want her to eat with him? She nodded and quickly went to the main chamber, filling a second plate and pouring two cups of water. She juggled the plate and cups as she returned to Inuyasha's room, entering without speaking.

Inuyasha sat on the edge of the bed as she had left him. He moved over, motioning her to sit on the bed near him. Kagome placed the two cups of water on the table before sitting on the bed.

The soft feather-filled mattress was like nothing she had ever felt. She couldn't help but reach a hand down and feel the overstuffed mattress, wondering what it would feel like to sleep on it. Wondering what it would be like to sleep in his bed.

Kagome shook her head, chasing the image from her mind. The image, however, would not leave easily, especially when its subject sat so close to her. Kagome was acutely aware of just how close Inuyasha sat to her. His long silver-white hair hung to his waist, covering his back but not his shoulders. She found herself glancing at him, studying his profile as he ate. He seemed to have forgotten she was there.

"Eat." His command surprised her and she looked sheepishly at the plate in her hand, forcing herself to take a bite of the delicious food. Naturally, only the best cooks in the village sent meals to the temple. It would not do to send anything less to the temple of their deity.

Kagome realized how hungry she was really was and quickly finished what was on her plate. Inuyasha had also finished his meal and turned to her, taking her empty plate from her hand. He set both plates on the small table and picked up a cup of water, handing it to Kagome.

She was surprised at his action, but took the cup and drank from it. "Thank you."

Inuyasha stood up and stretched. Kagome caught herself staring at him, wearing only his kilt and lit by the irregular light from the torches that lined the walls of his chamber. His silver-white hair appeared almost amber in the torchlight. The effect was more than Kagome could handle. She quickly stood up and picked up the dirty plates from the bedside table, mumbling something about it being late and she had to be up early to handle her duties. She passed through the doorway, pausing briefly after the mat had fallen back in place.

Why was her heart beating so fast? She had never felt this way and was confused.

A noise from the other side of the room startled her. She glanced in the direction of Miroku's cot, but he appeared to be sleeping. He must have moved in his sleep. She washed the dirty dishes she had removed from Inuyasha's chambers and put them away. Then she washed her face and pulled her hair into a ponytail at the back of her neck, securing it with a piece of cloth. She quickly checked the doors, making sure they were locked before she slipped behind the screens that served as her room. She changed into her sleep robes and lay on her cot, trying to shake the image of Inuyasha as she had last seen him. It took a long time for sleep to find her.

Inuyasha watched as Kagome picked up the plates they had just eaten from and left the room. Her quick departure left him feeling odd. Nobody had ever made him feel like she did. The feelings were confusing to him. Why couldn't he get her out of his mind? After everything that had happened in him, he had vowed he would never trust another person. Then she had to walk into his life.

He flung himself onto his bed and turned to lay on his back, once again studying a non-existent spot on the ceiling. Kagome's scent still hung in the air and he couldn't help but inhale deeply. He could hear her in the main chamber, washing the dishes and getting ready for bed. He successfully fought the urge to follow her into the other room and instead lay quietly, letting his mind conjure her image once again. He closed his eyes and found himself picturing her as she bathed in the river, just before he rescued her from the crocodile. It took him a long time to fall asleep. Even then, her image invaded his dreams.

Miroku was the first to wake, moving around the main chamber silently as he replaced spent torches and did his other duties. He fought the urge to peek at the sleeping priestess, even though the temptation was strong. No, he wouldn't risk her ire, or that of his deity, by invading her privacy. He did hope that she would awaken soon. There was a definite advantage to having a priestess at the temple. Especially one as beautiful as Kagome. He found himself wondering about Inuyasha's reaction to the young woman. Could she actually be breaking down the emotional walls he seemed to have built inside himself?

Inuyasha emerged from his chambers, carrying his gold collar in one hand. He dropped it at Miroku's feet.

"Is there something to keep this from scratching? It's uncomfortable."

Miroku picked up the collar and examined it. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with it, but if Inuyasha felt it needed adjustment, then it was up to him to make sure it was repaired.

"I'll see what can be done." Miroku bowed his head slightly towards Inuyasha.

Inuyasha glanced around the room, his eyes coming to rest on the screens that blocked his view of Kagome while she slept.

"I see our priestess is still sleeping."

Miroku looked at Inuyasha in surprise. Was he actually disappointed that Kagome wasn't awake?

"Yes, my lord. I couldn't help but notice that she seems to have had difficulty sleeping last night."

Inuyasha glared at the priest. "And just how would you know that?" He had noticed her restlessness himself. He had scarcely slept himself, but of course he really didn't need much sleep.

"I couldn't help but hear her from my cot. She seemed restless."

Before Inuyasha could respond, he noticed a noise coming from the direction of Kagome's make-shift chamber. A moment later a yawning and stretching priestess stepped from behind the screens, stopping to look at the temple's priest and deity with surprise.

"Oh, I didn't know you were out here." She quickly tightened the sash of her robe and clutched it closed just below her neck. She quickly darted back behind the screens. Sounds of her movements drifted to the two men as she quickly changed into her clothes.

A moment later she re-emerged from behind the screens, this time dressed in her regular clothes. She had untied her hair and it now hung loosely around her shoulders. She walked to the small altar, sorting through the food items there until she found a selection of fruit and cheese for their breakfast. She added to this a crusty loaf of bread.

"If you're hungry, there is still a nice wheel of cheese and fruit." She had placed the food on a tray and now set it on one of the stone benches near Inuyasha and Miroku. She cut several pieces of cheese from the wheel and lifted the tray, holding it in Inuyasha's direction.

"My lord, I'm sure by now you are hungry."

Inuyasha casually took a chunk of cheese and turned away, walking towards his chambers. "I'll be in my chambers. I don't wish to be disturbed."

Kagome's gaze followed the retreating deity. She suddenly felt empty inside, wondering if perhaps she had done something to offend him. She started when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. My father told me enough stories about our deity. He's not very comfortable around people, and he's always been rather rude." Miroku cringed inside, suddenly remembering that Inuyasha could hear even the softest voice from his chambers. He waited for the angry response he knew would come from Inuyasha's chamber, but it never did.

Inuyasha was too deep in his own thoughts. Once again, he was confused about his reaction to the new priestess. When she had stepped out of her cubicle she had still been dressed for sleep, her robe only loosely tied. Her hair had been messy from sleep, and she had only been half awake. Her eyes had looked sleepy, even dreamy. At that moment, even rumpled from sleep, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Damn it, he thought, fighting an internal struggle. After what had happened between him and the first priestess, Kikyou, he was determined to never trust another person again. What was Kagome doing to him?

His thoughts drifted to Kikyou. He had opened himself to her, only to be betrayed. Thanks to his misguided faith in the priestess, he had spent the past fifty years sealed to a pillar in his own temple. He had trusted her. No, he would not allow himself to trust this new priestess, no matter what. He would have to make every effort to avoid her, only seeing her when it was absolutely necessary.

Inuyasha could hear Miroku and Kagome speaking softly in the main chamber. The new priestess was asking about what things she should do for the day, and the priest gratefully delegated his least favorite duties to her. He finished what he had to do and then returned to the spare chamber, more determined than ever to clear it for his own use. Within minutes the sound of furniture and boxes being moved came from the room, peppered with an occasional mumbled curse as the priest stubbed his toe or caught his finger between two heavy items.

Kagome sighed and began her chores, her gaze returning frequently to the doorway to Inuyasha's chamber. She had finished most of the more tedious duties and had sat on one of the stone benches with a cup of water when Inuyasha emerged from his chamber. He barely looked at the priestess as he walked by, mumbling something about taking a walk and wanting to be alone.

She watched as he left the temple, closing the door behind himself. Again, an empty feeling invaded Kagome. She wanted to follow him, but decided it would be better if she left him alone. He had made it clear that he didn't want her company, after all.

Inuyasha left the temple and quickly walked to the tomb that lay hidden behind it. He paused a few feet from the small building, closing his eyes against the memories. So much had happened. He would never know why Kikyou had betrayed him. If only he could have spoken with her one last time before she had died. But, he knew that was impossible. Her mummy lay just inside the tomb, preserved for eternity.

He felt compelled to reach out and lay his hand lightly on the stone door of the tomb. "Why, Kikyou?" he whispered to nobody. Why did you betray me? Why did you start to hate me? If only he could find the answers, then maybe he would be able to move ahead with his life.

One finger traced the seal on the tomb, his sharp fingernail following the contours. Its bright colors were a sharp contrast to the dull stone of the tomb. It all felt unreal. The fifty years he had been sealed had been lost to him. It seemed like only yesterday that Kikyou had confronted him at the temple and screamed at him to die before shooting the arrow that pinned him to the pillar.

Inuyasha quickly turned and walked to the temple, entering and going directly to his chambers. He failed to notice the broken seal that lay on the ground near the door of the tomb. It was identical to the one that sealed the door, only it was broken into several pieces and its colors were faded from fifty years in the sun.