Chapter 3-Gift
I do not own Inuyasha or related characters. I do own Haruhisa.
When Kagome came to...she groaned as she lay in soft grass. A guard stopped her before she rose, though. A good thing-she was tied up and gagged! The miko gasped and tried to roll away as a voice stopped her.
"Quite spirited."
She froze as the Lord who'd kidnapped her moved where she could see him, sitting on a folding stool brought by a soldier. He smiled slightly as she was pulled to her knees and the gag was removed by guards. She saw they were near a thick grove of trees and that men and horses were resting in it. Other girls were bound and sitting in a group together a ways off, tied up as she was.
"Show respect to the great Lord Haruhisa, heir to the Clan Matsudaira!"
"Respect? Never!"
A sharp crack across her mouth. Kagome was thrown back, and tears leaked as she gasped, feeling a split lip. The guard who backhanded her wiped his hand on his sleeve and scowled.
"Enough. Keep a civil tongue, girl. Or else I might not find you useful, and give you to my soldiers. I doubt you'd enjoy it."
"No..." she whispered, terrified again. With Inuyasha-she'd had nothing to fear like that before, even if it was common here. She bowed as best she could in her bindings, and he nodded.
"Better. You put up quite the fight at the village, my compliments for your courage, even if it was futile. Your name, little archer?"
"My name...is Kagome. I'm not a peasant-I'm a Priestess, and my friends will come for me!"
"A Priestess in those clothes? What manner of friends has a Priestess such as you?" Kagome gulped as he peered at her Fall Uniform.
"Great and-and-powerful ones! Youkai! You should let me go right now, and maybe they won't eat you!"
"Youkai? Like the child," he noted. Her face fell.
"You-if you killed him, you'll regret it, Lord or not! Inuyasha will come back and-" Haruhisa froze, making her trail off. But he frowned.
"I doubt we did. No body, and such leave one," he glanced at the guards. "Leave us."
"My Lord-"
"I said leave." They did, leaving them alone in a small spot at the edge of a grove they were using as cover to rest in.
"Inuyasha, you say?" Haruhisa asked, gripping her chin in one hand as he leaned forward. Master Ungai had spoke of a group of youkai slayers!
"Yes! He's a brave warrior, and he won't rest till he saves me! I know it," Kagome said...with anything but assurance. If he lived, that is.
"I see. Unexpected. And unfortunate," he released her and drew his sword.
"What-what are you going to do?" Kagome gasped.
"I am deciding if I should kill you, woman."
"Kill me...?" she gasped, and trembled.
"Yes. You see-you were intended as a gift to him. But if you know who he was...why then, I cannot let you live, or the friends you spoke of. I will have to hunt them down."
"Was? But then...he's alive! Please, take me to him, we've searched for months, please! I'll beg even, let me see him! He needs me, I need him safe, please let us go!" Her tears.
She must love him to suddenly cast aside her willfulness so...Yasha-always rubbing his neck...he was owed more than killing his woman for faithfully seeking him. And this was his woman, Haruhisa was certain of it as she pleaded. Grandfather would expect him to kill her at once, yes. Perhaps...perhaps there was another way. A way to make up for what he had done to one who had become a good friend.
"Do you love...Inuyasha, Kagome?" he asked finally. She hesitated-and nodded.
"Yes. Please, tell me he's alright! Where is he?"
"Hm. I will tell you what I will do. You will tell me of yourself, and I will explain something," Haruhisa slowly sheathed his sword. They spoke for a time. Kagome told him about the quest, their friends...believing he would understand and free them. But then, he told her a version of what was going on that was-mostly true. Mostly. The parts he told her were anyways.
"He lost his memory?"
"He did. When we found him, he was very injured. A spell took his mind, and we nursed him to health. His Mother was of our Clan, we aided him from that ancient kinship. We had no way to return him to his own home, so we gave him a new name, and a new life with us."
"You-lied to him! He was thrown out by his human family. Surely you knew that if you knew who he was!"
"I do. But he does not, and now we have taken him back. It is forgotten. But I offer you an opportunity. If you want him back with you on this quest of yours, all you need do is bear him company and do as I will instruct you," he explained his notion, and she gaped.
Kagome refused at first.
"I've never lied to him, Lord Haruhisa," Kagome said at last, and he nodded.
"Then you are a good woman. Be one to him as before, and all will be well."
"So, I'll tell him who he is then. It's his right to know, Lord Haruhisa!"
"That-we cannot do, nor will I allow you to, and I will know should you try. You will always be watched and listened to, remember this. A warning, though. Not all of my people would approve of my choice here, Kagome. They would urge me to kill you at once, or do so themselves should they learn who you were to him. Do not doubt this, the stakes are too high for scruples with a single girl's life. We need him more then you do now."
"Lord Haruhisa-you're his friend, then? If it's so bad...why even let me live?"
"I do this-because he is my cousin and comrade. If this makes Inuyasha happy, I am willing to try. After the Takeda are crushed, I will tell him the truth myself and accept the blame. Not so long, really. A few months, and you both may leave if you will it with my blessing and friendship. Supplies even for your journey, money. What you would have, I will give you. But until I tell him myself, he is Lord Matsudaira no Yasha to you, always. You will create a tale for him if you cannot pretend to meet him for the first time, and live it, Kagome. You must live it completely...or you will die and so will all of your allies. This Miroku and Sango, that little Shippo creature, the Priestess Kaede. I will hunt them down and kill them all personally, starting with you. Do you understand and agree?"
A slow, frightened nod as she realized she should never have told him of them.
"Then we have no trouble. Do not make me regret this choice, Kagome," he rose and summoned the guards. They brought her a kimono taken from a peasant woman who'd fled with her things and been caught-and her uniform and everything with her were burned before they left the grove, risking a fire to do so with orders not to speak of it.
No one asked why, because it was by Lord Haruhisa's orders.
They pushed hard all day, staying off the roads to avoid Takeda patrols, and she rode pillion behind him now. Special, intended as a gift-unlike the other girls snatched, who were bound and slung on pack horses or behind soldiers like sacks of rice. As they rode, he spoke to her, and they settled the story he would allow her to tell should she need to do so.
The miko didn't argue, nor did she make trouble. Kagome told herself that she would find a way to rescue Inuyasha. Somehow. She would do it. But until then, she had to keep this Lord happy. So, Kagome was biddable...for now.
"Be ready. Remember-he is Lord Yasha," he warned her softly, and she nodded against his armored back. They were met by an outrider working as lookout, who joined them as they rode in. She saw a group waiting in a cold camp in a small valley near the beginning of the Matsudaira lands. One of the warriors mounted and led a group of riders forward, sniffing curiously as he did.
"My Lord cousin! Good hunting?" Yasha called, riding to meet them. Kagome gasped.
He was changed. Gone was the firerat kimono-and the beads! She looked, and not a trace! A hanyou in Clan armor, blue like Haruhisa's, Tetsusaiga in it's sheath at his hip, silver hair bound up under a helmet. But it was Inuyasha! He reined in his bay gelding and looked curiously at Kagome.
Without a spark of recognition.
"Good enough. I brought you something," Haruhisa noted, and let Kagome down. She looked up in shock as the hanyou pulled his horse up beside her and frowned down at her. He sniffed. And sniffed again. Then a clawed hand reached for her and pulled her lightly up in front of him on the horse as she gasped. Golden eyes stared at her and he lifted her chin with a finger to stare into her eyes intently.
No fear smell! It felt...familiar to hold her as well. The little woman stared at him with worry, concern-but was not afraid of him! Pretty too. Very pretty. A virgin, this was no professional or a camp follower. Shapely, pretty hair, smelled nice...oh. My. Very pleasing.
"You like my gift, then?" Haruhisa asked with amusement.
"I-didn't get you anything, my Lord," Yasha managed.
"Oh? No village storehouses?" Yasha smiled at that, and looked up.
"We took down two full storehouses. Easy enough, no losses, but my outriders spotted patrols. We should move out, Lord cousin-if your men and mounts are up to it."
"Then we shall. Our horses are tired, but we cross the border before we camp," Haruhisa answered, noting Yasha was holding Kagome to him still. The girl looked horrified as they broke camp and headed out quickly after the orders were given to move.
Inuyasha was leading the raiders! He rode with her in front of him...and she didn't know what to say. Shock would do that.
They passed a checkpoint, and were safely on their own lands again. The small town they rode into was strongly garrisoned, and they paused only for fresh mounts waiting in the pickets there with pack beasts before they continued. They were well planned, these raids. Supplies for the return home were kept here so as not to slow them down on the march.
The miko wouldn't believe it if you told her that Inuyasha was the one who did that planning.
Kagome was worried as they rode on. Inuyasha-or Yasha...didn't say much to her, only kept sniffing her hair and shoulders as he deftly handled his mount. Thoroughly creeped out, she shivered as they reached a broad meadow and set up camp near a stream. Soldiers tiredly saw to setting up tents and two took Haruhisa and Yasha's horses, holding the bridles as they dismounted. He let Kagome down first, and nodded to the human as he and Haruhisa started to leave.
"My tent?" he asked the soldier.
"Up soon, my Lord Yasha."
"Good. Have someone take her there when it's up, and find her clothes and bathwater. I know some asshole had to have swiped a kimono, find it."
"Yes, my Lord." A bow.
"Your tent? Why am I-where are you going?"
"Eh?" Yasha glanced back, "You smell like horse. Go bathe and change. Then wait in the tent for me, woman," he ordered. Kagome's eyes were wide. She longed for missing beads.
"How dare you!"
"Spirited," Haruhisa noted.
"Apparently. Ungrateful too," Yasha answered sourly, and gripped her arm suddenly, pulling her close. "You're my woman now. Talk like that to me again...and I'll beat you bloody. Got it?" he growled. A shove, and she was on the ground.
The guard looked a bit sympathetic. The girl was to be a youkai's woman-not even a human's, even if she would belong to one as great as the Lord Yasha. He wouldn't want such attentions in her place. Kagome stared after him as she sat there, and the man frowned.
"Keep a civil tongue, woman. You've caught Lord Yasha's eye, but don't push him."
"I...guess," she answered, and was led off by another soldier he called over before taking the horse away.
"So. This is what we've accomplished." A map was spread out in Haruhisa's tent, and the pair were marking off villages and objectives with their subordinates around them. The fabric walls flapped slightly as the late afternoon breeze stirred them, making the flames of lamps flicker from a draft.
"Hm. They were damned close this time. We won't be able to pull off too many of these raids now without them striking in force or setting a trap," Yasha answered.
"Then we pull back and let them make a move. Lord Ichiro has arranged a few surprises for them in the border villages. With luck, we'll take them in and send their heads back," Haruhisa told him.
"So-home?"
"Yes. For now. It's up to the other commanders to deal with the return raids. Besides, we brought in our harvest safely by keeping them on the defensive. That was just as important, and we crippled their food supplies from this area."
"Agreed," Yasha stretched. They were all tired, riding all night and most of the day.
"Get some rest, cousin. I intend to-we've earned it," Haruhisa told him, and he nodded.
"Yeah. Long day," Yasha answered, and rose, bowing in respect and saying goodnight.
Lord Yasha then left, to get rid of the smells of blood and horse that made his nose wrinkle as he walked, sorting the scents of the camp absently. It had been a bit from the sun that was now sinking, the woman ought to be clean and changed soon. The thought was...exciting and he was a little nervous beneath the calm he cultivated. She was quite a woman, he could tell just from her scent and manner.
Yasha smiled, and corralled someone to fetch him clean clothes and he ordered a decent meal brought to the tent for both of them. Then he went to clean up and change before heading in to her, letting his adjutant tend his armor for once instead of doing it himself. No need to look and smell like a common soldier for their first night together. The last thing he wanted...was to sleep with a woman who thought he was less then a man. So-he'd impress her with his power and manner first. Yes.
Author's notes-Ah. Good, I hope. Yes, Haruhisa's got a little scheme going, will it work out? You'll have to read and find out! Please let me know if you liked it. Thanks for Reading!-Namiyo