The Snow Angel by SunsetMiko

The Concern

Chapter 28 - The Concern *keepsake* (Skye's Weekly Challenges)

They had spent the next hour or so discussing the barrier, how it came into existence, and everything that was being done to bring it down. Sesshoumaru managed to dance around the subject in such a way that he did not lie. He just selectively left out the part about him being placed under a spell that turned him into a mortal dog. He felt guilty, not telling the whole truth, and he wondered how long this guilt would last. Before the miko had saved him, he had never experienced the troubling emotion, but it was not the only new thing she had brought into his life. All the others were positive, so he figured this one downside he could survive.

It was decided that they would head out in the direction of the West the next morning, as there was very little daylight left. Sesshoumaru was pleased by the recent shift in the weather. It was beginning to warm. Although the snow had not yet begun to melt, the air was not as frigid, so Kagome and her human companions would not be as uncomfortable as they had been before. She had explained the concept of frostbite to him at one point during their stay in the cave, and the last thing he wanted was for Kagome to lose fingers or toes for his sake.

The taiyoukai had been invited to spend the night in Kaede's hut, and he had agreed. Sesshoumaru claimed a spot as close to Kagome as he could manage without it looking suspicious, all the while wishing he could be closer. He already missed lying beside her at night to share his warmth. He enjoyed the physical contact far more than he had expected to, and without it, he felt incredibly alone.

Kagome had spoken very little during their conversation, and even less afterwards. She continued to sit in silence, staring at a spot on the wall, and she only seemed to respond to Shippo. The kitsune would approach her every now and then in an attempt to distract her. She would speak with the kit for a moment, but only as much as necessary before returning to her trace-like state.

"What is wrong with your miko?" Sesshoumaru asked so softly that none of the humans could hear.

"Aww, she's fine. We picked up a stray dog a while back, and she nursed it back to health. Got attached, like she always does, and then the ungrateful thing ran off. She'll get over it."

"She seems quite upset."

"Why don't you let me worry about her? She's not your problem."

Sesshoumaru held back a snarl at Inuyasha's dismissive tone. She was, indeed, his problem. It was his fault she was so depressed, and he wasn't sure how to go about fixing it. Of course, he couldn't tell the hanyou that, so he kept quiet.

A short while later, Shippo hopped up and stood in front of Kagome, bouncing on his heels, while holding his drawing pad. "Kagome! Kagome, look!"

Slowly, the miko's eyes focused on the kitsune, and she forced a weak smile. "What is it Shippo?"

The kitsune turned the drawing pad around so that she could see his latest work of art. "It's you and Prince, so you have something to remember him by. Do you like it?"

Tears welled up in Kagome's eyes, and her smile widened. "I love it, Shippo. It's beautiful."

Puffed up with pride, the kit carefully tore the page out and handed it to her. She scooped him up in her arms and snuggled him. "I'm sure he's fine, Kagome," Shippo said reassuringly.

"Prince?" Sesshoumaru asked, ignoring Inuyasha's irritated growl. He had seen an opening, a way to start a conversation with Kagome, and he jumped on it.

Kagome looked at the taiyoukai for a moment before looking away. "Prince is a dog I found right before that horrible blizzard. He was nearly dead, and I took care of him, treated his wounds and fed him. He was a sweetheart," she replied, a single tear running down her cheek before she wiped it away and sniffled.

"What happened to him?"  The taiyoukai prodded her to continue. He wanted to know what she believed had happened to him, and there was only one way to find out.

"I don't really know. He disappeared while he was out walking. He probably had a family to get back to. I just hope he didn't return to the jerk that put that rope around his neck. I... I thought he was going to stay with me, but I can't blame him if he had to go home."

"I am sure that he had no other choice but to leave."

"Yeah. He'd run off once before, right when we left our shelter and started back towards Edo, but he came back. I keep thinking maybe... Maybe he'll come back again, but it's been days now. I'm not even sure that he's still alive. He could have been attacked and killed. Someone could have captured him. I really hope he left on his own, that he's okay."

"Did anyone check for signs of a struggle?"

"Yeah, yeah, I went around and followed his usual path. There was nothing obvious. No blood or anything. The wind was blowing, and it had snowed a little the day he disappeared, so there were no real tracks to follow, definitely no scent trail. I think he just took off," Inuyasha muttered. As much as he hated the dog, having it disappear the way it did had really hurt his miko. He would rather still be dealing with the mutt rather than have Kagome in the state she was in now.

"I've decided that he's fine. I can't sit around and wonder if he's dead or alive. He's fine, with a loving family who will take good care of him. That's the only way I can handle it."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "It is wise to stay positive. Without any proof that something happened to him, you have no reason to assume the worst." Oh, how he wished he was with a loving family, but the taiyoukai had never had one of those. Kagome was the first person to ever look at him with loving eyes, the first to truly care about him. He had been nothing but an obligation to his mother, a task that she had completed satisfactorily. To his father, he was clay to be molded into the perfect Lord, the best fighter, and an emotionless leader that all would respect and fear.

No one loved him. Kagome certainly didn't. She loved Prince, the dog she had saved and cared for, not the taiyoukai that had been trapped inside him. How he missed the way she had looked at him, the feel of her touching him affectionately. If only he could get her to feel that way again, only about the real him this time. He was trying. He had amended how he would treat Inuyasha for her benefit. He had found a way to be in her presence for a few days. Now he just had to make her comfortable with him, so that they could, perhaps, become friends.