DISCLAIMER: IN NO WAY DO I OWN INUYASHA. THE SOLE RIGHTS TO THE FRANCHISE BELONG TO RUMIKO TAKAHASHI.
Inuyasha opened his eyes again, just to convince himself. Kagome was still asleep inside her sleeping bag with Shippo curled up beside her, safe. His blood still wouldn't calm down enough for him to get any rest after their fight with the bird youkai.
"Dammit," he cursed, punching a small dent in the tree housing him.
The giant black bird had been carrying two shards of the Jewel. Inuyasha hadn't been expecting it to be so strong though. Hell, his ribs still hurt. But now Kagome's wrist was hurt and it was all his fault. That thing could've killed her and, and—
Inuyasha focused on the rise and fall of breathing, all of them. They were all still alive and no one had been fatally injured. Kagome had forgiven him. He had to get stronger, though, so this couldn't happen again. Kagome was hurt because he hadn't been fast enough.
Inuyasha's feet touched the packed earth beneath him silently. His emotions were in turmoil and he had to do the only thing that would calm them. He crouched down beside her sleeping form, inhaling deeply. Her scent flowed into his nose, easing his heartbeat. And being so close to her let him see how her eyelashes flutter against her cheeks, and how she moved her lips sometimes in her sleep, and when she hugged Shippo closer to her if a dream disturbed her.
Kagome's small wrist, cradled behind Shippo's head, was wrapped in white gauze; it made Inuyasha sick to look at it. Scowling, he glanced towards the sleeping monk and taijiya. Miroku slept against a nearby elm, sporting a bruised cheek, and Sango was peacefully dreaming without any injuries. Inuyasha was just glad that they were unconscious. No doubt they'd make fun of him some more for being "overprotective".
"Keh," he snorted softly, leaning forward to smell Kagome again. "Weirdos." He sensed movement. Inuyasha turned his head to watch Kilala shake herself awake and pad over to his side to sniff at Kagome too. "Go back to bed." She blinked at him. "I mean it, go." He gently pushed against her side; she was warm.
"Meow-ow." Kilala purred, trying to push her head into his palm.
"Fine." Inuyasha relented—he'd always had a thing for cats. His mother had always put out extra food for strays when he was little. Besides, her purring put him more at ease than he'd been all day. "You're an extortionist, you know that?"
"Mew," she put her front paws on his thigh so he could scratch her throat. Kagome shifted again in her bag. Inuyasha watched as she released Shippo to turn towards him, pulling her legs up; she sighed. Shippo curled in towards her back without ever stirring. Kilala never even gave him pause before climbing onto Kagome's hip, where she proceeded to turn around in circles before lying down. "Mew," Kilala blinked.
"Show-off," Inuyasha rolled his eyes, standing up. He'd take that to mean "go to bed" from her. He turned to jump up to his tree again when the wind shifted.
Human blood.
"Yo, Miroku!" Inuyasha kicked the monk's calf. The man snorted, dazed. "Wake up!"
"Hmnn?" Miroku yawned. "Inuyasha? Go back to bed. It's—"
"Wake the girls up. Somebody's hurt."
Miroku was alert. "Do—"
The hanyou was already gone. If he paused long enough for the others to wake up, somebody could be dead. He pressed forward, senses alerted to the forest. Little animals were scurrying around as usual—they didn't seem overly frightened of danger. Neither could he pick up the scent of any youkai in the area. Bandits, maybe?
He would've woken Kagome up himself but Miroku was easier—he didn't have to gently wake him up or risk facing an angry sit. And gently waking Kagome up could take forever. "The wench loves her sleep," he grumbled, slicing his claws at another set of branches.
The scent was strong; Inuyasha slowed down.
Sitting at the base of the tree in front of him was a young woman dressed only in a man's large shirt. The blood was coming from her cut-up legs. Stunned, he lowered his claws; the girl's dark eyes stared back at him. With a whimper, she used the tree to push herself to her feet unsteadily, and he realized that she hadn't tied the shirt closed.
"Shit!" Inuyasha automatically covered his eyes. "What the hell are you doing out here?" His face felt like it was on fire—where were her clothes? There was no answer, but he heard something hit the ground. Hesitantly, he lowered his hand; her legs had given in on her. Inuyasha dropped to one knee beside her. "How'd you get hurt?" He couldn't smell any other humans around. Or youkai.
"Oi." Inuyasha touched her shoulder. She flinched, and he retracted his hand. "I'm not going to hurt you, ok? What's your name?" Uneasily, he jerked on the collar of her shirt with his fingers until she was mostly covered.
Her fingers drifted up to pull her dark hair forward nervously.
"Look, do you live around here?" It didn't even look like she was listening to him. "Where are your clothes?" Inuyasha couldn't smell anyone on her—he doubted that she'd been hurt by someone, but he wasn't sure. All he could smell was her blood and the forest. "Can you tell me anything?"
She turned her legs, looking at them.
"Shit, do you understand me? At all?" He followed her gaze. The cuts were mostly superficial, but bloody—no wonder he'd picked up the scent. Quickly, before she could protest, he slipped one arm under her knees as he stood, lifting her. She pushed against his shoulders weakly.
"Easy." Inuyasha suddenly realized how cold she was; she was shaking. "Kagome'll know what the hell to do with you." The wench was always pushing him to help people. Hell, maybe she'd even be proud of him. She made sounds, fisting her hands in the fur of his haori coat, as he turned to jog in the camp's direction. "I'm not going to hurt you—relax."
"Inuyasha?" Miroku turned. Kagome was dressed, Kilala had transformed…they seemed to have been moments away from following after him. "Is that a girl?" Miroku's voice pitched high.
"Inuyasha, who is that?" Kagome dropped her bow to follow him. He set the woman down. "Shippo, can you get the fire started again?"
"She was just out there in the forest." Kagome was completely focused on the woman. "She wasn't attacked—I couldn't smell anyone out there." I knew Kagome could take care of her—keh. She's a helluva lot better at taking care of people.
Light blossomed as Shippo used his foxfire to relight their fire, and Inuyasha got his first clear look at the woman. She was thin, and very pale, with long black hair and big dark eyes. Pretty, but frightened.
"What happened? What's your name?" Kagome used her 'nice' voice. Sango handed Kagome her first aid kit as they waited for an answer. Like Inuyasha thought, she stayed silent. "Miss? Are you okay?" The woman's eyes flitted between their faces.
"I don't think she understands, wench." Inuyasha spoke softly.
What? Of course she does." Kagome threw him a scolding look. She opened up the white box, turning away from him. "Let's clean up these cuts first. We can figure everything out later, ok? You don't have to be afraid." Kagome dabbed some clear liquid on white cloth. "This might sting a little bit, but at least you won't get an infection." Slowly she swept the cloth over one of the shallow cuts, making the blood smear.
The woman made a sound, pulling her legs in. There was a slapping sound as Sango hurriedly covered Miroku's eyes, and Inuyasha was flashed again as the shirt parted.
"Inuyasha," Kagome hissed. He turned his back to the two, red-faced. "Miss? You have to be more careful, ok? You don't want to show…" Kagome was embarrassed too; it almost made him want to laugh. "Ladies don't go around naked." she finally stated.
"Inuyasha, why don't you take Miroku to go get us more water?" Sango interrupted as Miroku once again tried to free his vision. "I'm sure Kagome would appreciate it," she said with a bit of irritation.
Inuyasha took the hint.
"But, Inuyasha!" Miroku protested as the hanyou dragged him away. "You cannot be serious! It is against the my most devout principles to peer at—"
"Shut it!"
"See? They're gone now." Kagome turned back to the frightened stranger. "Miroku can be a lecher, but he's…well, sometimes he's honest. Sango? Will you get some clothes out of my bag, please?" The poor girl's skin was like ice—it was shocking, how cold she was. Inuyasha had said that there had been no one out there, but that definitely didn't explain the woman's nudity. Kagome silently prayed that her first assumptions were incorrect as to why a young woman would be naked in the woods at night.
She wrapped the woman's now clean cuts. "What were you doing out there in the forest all by yourself? It's dangerous." For the first time, the lady's dark eyes rose to meet hers. Kagome met her gaze steadily, trying to decipher her expression. She was frightened to the point of terror; Kagome noticed how dry the woman's lips were, breathing audibly.
"Were you…hurt?" Kagome didn't know if she was afraid of them or—"Listen, it's ok." She reached forward to touch the woman's wrists gently. "You don't have to be afraid of us. No one here is going to hurt you, Lady." There was a flicker in those dark depths. "What happened?"
She nervously ran her tongue over her cracked lips, looking towards where Sango had paused in searching her great yellow pack.
"I'm Kagome, and that's Sango," she said softly. "We're going to help you. Are you hungry?" Extreme relief blossomed through her when the girl nodded silently. "Shippo—that's Shippo—would you get her some dinner out of my pack please?"
"Here, I'll do it Shippo." Sango was already in her pack. "These are strange hakama, will they do?" Sango held out her emergency pair of grey sweat pants and a white shirt.
"Yes, I think—" She could feel a very gentle touch on her wrist. The woman was touching the gauze wrapped around it curiously. Kagome watched as she turned her hand over, palm up.
"Do you speak?" Even the Feudal Era had mutes, right? The lady didn't lift her eyes from her hand. "Well, ok then. You have a name though, right? What is it?" Air found her wrist—the woman had unwrapped the gauze. Kagome winced at her bruised wrist. If nothing else, their guest had been distracted from her legs.
"It's awful, isn't it? We were in a fight this afternoon and I fell on it. It's not serious but I still wrapped it up for Inuyasha's sake. He worries too much." As cute as it was, Inuyasha's overbearing concern could be a little much sometimes.
"He's too stupid to admit it, but we all know he loves you, Kagome." Shippo came over to peer at Kagome's hand too.
"Thank you Shippo." It was nice to hear it, even if it was from the wrong mouth.
Cold skin covered hers—Kagome gasped. She pulled her hand away quickly. The woman didn't even blink in surprise.
"Kagome? Is something wrong?" Sango looked puzzled.
"N-no, she's just—" Kagome reached down to pick up the discarded gauze, when her skin caught her eye. Her wrist. "What did you do?" She was on edge. "How did you do that?"
"Kagome, what's wrong? What's going on?" Shippo jumped into her lap. "Is—hey! Look, Kagome! Your wrist is better!"
"What?"
"You have magic." Kagome narrowed her eyes on the somber woman. "How?" How could her wrist have just been healed without her sensing anything?
"Magic?" Sango repeated. Her eyes finally found Kagome's wrist too. "Kagome! Your wrist!"
"Are you a priestess?" Kagome didn't know what to do. The woman had some kind of magic, and she'd used it to heal her wrist. Which raised the question: "If you can heal me, why don't you just heal yourself?" Inuyasha would have told them if she wasn't human, right? How was a priestess naked in the woods?
"I don't get it. What's going on?" Shippo tugged on her sleeve. "I am very confused." The woman's eyes turned back onto her newly bandaged legs. She turned her head, but otherwise made no movement.
"She doesn't seem dangerous," Sango's calm, sensible judgement eased Kagome's panic a little. "Let's just get her into some clothes for now, Kagome." She stood up, brushing her hands off on her skirt. "Ok, stand up." Sango gently lifted the woman using her arm and shoulder; Kagome assisted.
"Step into these for us." Kagome held out the sweat pants. "We don't have all night. Just step your feet into them, ok?" Why did it feel like she was talking to a toddler? Thankfully Sango was helping her put her feet in so they could pull the sweats up over her hips.
"Kagome?" Sango gave her a look. "I bet she's hungry. You could—"
"You get her dressed while I finish dinner." Kagome left Sango to finish dressing the woman. Her nerves were jittery; the woman's apparent skill was magic was unnerving. (Why did she have magic?) Something was odd here.
"All right." Sango was freeing the shirt from the sweatpants. "Just—"
Sango gasped.
The woman had three golden armbands decorated with carvings and very, very precious jewels. Kagome blinked.
"Where did you get these?" Sango took a step backwards. "Did you steal them?" Something about her tone made the woman nervous. She crossed her arms so that her hands covered the wealth on her arms.
"This is just getting weird," Shippo muttered.
"Did you steal them?" Sango repeated with a harder tone to her voice. Even Kagome grew nervous. "I know you understand. Answer me—did you steal them from someone?"
The woman shook her head.
Kagome felt pride and awe welling up for her friend. Who else could converse with a magic-wielding mute to get an answer?
"If you're lying to me—" The woman looked past Sango to Kagome's eyes. Her eyes roved the forest as her lips moved.
"I want some explanations." Sango reached down to pick up the dropped shirt. "You should put this on, ok?" Sango stepped forward to help the woman slip the shirt over her head, covering up the armbands. "You can call the guys back now. I think they're going to want to hear this."
Kagome called, and the two returned to their circle. Shippo was prompting the now-sitting stranger's hands to take the cup of ramen from her bag, speaking gently.
"—and apparently she can do magic." Kagome finished. Inuyasha and Miroku both looked towards their guest simultaneously, and she shied away from them. "Look at my wrist."
"Why were you out in the forest, Lady?" Sango asked pointedly. "Where is your village?" She didn't respond; her hands curled around the warm cup.
"You've gotta be kidding me," Inuyasha snorted. Kagome promptly elbowed him in the stomach. "Why does she get it? It's the last one!"
"Inuyasha!" How could he be so petty? They were only instant-noodles!
"They're noodles," Miroku was suddenly sitting beside the woman. "I'll show you." He picked up the chopsticks lying beside her calmly.
"She doesn't even want it." Inuyasha grumbled to Kagome.
"And…there." Miroku twirled several layers of the instant noodles around the chopsticks, letting them cool in the air. "They're quite good, I promise you. Although," he sent Inuyasha a wink, "no one finds them as appealing as our friend here." Miroku reached for her hand; their unnamed lady moved hers pointedly.
Miroku blinked, but returned the chopsticks to the cup.
"My apologies, Lady."
Silence.
"What are you doing, monk?" Sango glared. "Leave her alone." Kagome watched "Lady" curl her hand around the chopsticks, lifting the noodles out of the cup; after a pause she took a mouthful, chewing slowly. She set the noodles aside. Inuyasha bounded over to pick up the abandoned ramen.
"I'm not doing anything." Miroku raised his hands in protest.
"Can't you even go one night?" Sango reached for the Hiraikotsu.
"I am only attempting to assist her!" Miroku held his hands up. "Why must you always be so suspicious of me, Sango? Don't you trust me?"
"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Kagome nearly hissed. "Don't you have any manners?"
"Hey, she doesn't want it, do you?" Inuyasha bent forward to get the woman's attention. "See? She doesn't care!" Standing, Inuyasha tipped his head back to swallow several mouthfuls of the noodles. "Damn, that's good!"
"Inuyasha, you're such a—what are you doing?" He was so rude! "Maybe she was just putting it down for a minute, have you ever thought of that?" Ooh, he was going to get such a 'sit' later!
"Yeah, they're all pretty stupid," Shippo whispered to the curious Lady's gaze, as she watched Sango miss Miroku with her Hiraikotsu.
"You're such a lecher!"
"What's your problem, baka?"
"It's almost morning guys," Shippo yawned. "Can't we put off the fighting until tomorrow?" They all fell silent. Shippo was right. Already the sky was beginning to turn purplish on the skyline.
"I suppose we could still get in a few hours sleep," Miroku yawned. "Would you care to join me, Lady?"
"You—you!" The Hirakotsu landed in the spot where Miroku had been seconds before. "We don't even know who she is and you're flirting with her?"
"Now Sango! You know that I only—yeow!"
Kagome yawned, leaning against Inuyasha's warm side. It was almost nice, sitting here with him while Sango killed Miroku. She looked over towards the horizon again. "We're not going to get any sleep, are we?"
"Nope," Inuyasha stretched his arms over his head.
There was a pulse—and she wasn't the only one who felt it.
Pulsing.
"Kagome?" Inuyasha whispered.
"Yeah." What now? They both stared at the woman; she looked towards the skyline and then her legs. The pulses were coming faster now as the sun rose over the distant hills, and light filtered through the forest. The woman's midnight hair was rippling from her scalp, lightening to an almost luminous shade of red. She lifted her hands, turning them, as her blunt human nails began to elongate and sharpen.
"You're hanyou," Inuyasha was already standing, pulling Kagome behind him. "You're a fucking hanyou." Then she lifted her eyes—the irises were fading, and her once-pale skin was beautifully tanned.
"Inuyasha?" Miroku and Sango were on alert too, frozen.
There was a ripping sound. They watched as the borrowed sweatpants split apart at the seams, and the woman's once-human legs reemerged as a long fish-like tail.
The sun was up.