Ice
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or any affiliated characters. I am not making a profit from this fan fiction.
How different this desert was from the one she knew. Where there had been hot, burning grains, there were now icy flecks that stung as they hit her face. Where there had once been a bright blazing sun, there was nothing but white, blinding white that disoriented her, and made her wander in meaningless circles, until she gave up, her body surrendering to the unforgiving ice.
Maybe she'd show up someday, a preserved corpse, her skin stretched tight against her cheekbones, teeth gaping in the timeless grin of the madman.
That thought repulsed, but also fascinated her as she lay still, waiting for sleep.
But sleep refused to come. Something-It couldn't be someone, as no people would venture out here- Was jostling her, shaking her violently. Her body was limp as a ragdoll, and she was helpless to stop whatever it was that was shaking her.
'Perhaps it's some bear, about to take me to its den to eat me' she thought drearily. The thought made her giggle, and she knew she must be insane, laughing at her own death like this… She was so tired…
"Almost there, please hold on! You need to stay awake!"
That had to be her imagination. Her mind coming up with what it thought she wanted to hear… Yes, a delusion that was all…
"Come on! You can't fall asleep now!"
But if it was a delusion, then why wouldn't it shut up? She only wanted some sleep…
The slam of a door, more voices.
Curious eyes peering into her own.
The distant feeling of her damp clothes being removed, then,
A rush of warmth.
Feeling.
She had almost forgotten what it was to feel. The warmth rushed through her, energizing her, bringing her back to life. She was aware of every last detail. The smell of firewood, the rough blanket enveloping her body, the remaining cold settling in her bones to torment her. Also… The voices.
"Don't put her so close to the fire, it'll shock her system."
"She'll lose her toes otherwise! Or worse…"
"Do as I say boy. If I've seen one I've seen a hundred. Stupid explorer types thinking they can face the ice alone, not a compass or map anywhere about them. This one's lucky. A few more minuets and she'd be covered. Where did you find her again Miroku?"
"Only a few feet away from the cliff, Miss Kaede. She would've fallen off the edge without noticing it an inch away."
Sango felt the warm flames nearby and let the voices wash over her,
Not particularly caring what they were saying, just the sound.
One of them was an elderly woman's voice. Warm, and motherly. The other was a young man's, honey and velvet. She was falling asleep just by listening to them. She wanted to, but something wouldn't let her… She was forgetting something, something important…
Whatever it was though, it would mean moving, and she wasn't up to that just yet…