InuYasha
Trust and Family
No Choice-Chapter Eight
As Ayumi sharpened and polished her katanas, she looked up at the birds flying overhead and noticed that it was the noon hour. Time for some fish and fruit. She suddenly realized that InuYasha hadn't made a sound or movement for quite some time. It wasn't like him to be this still for so long. She looked over and was shocked at what she saw. Her little brother was pale and shivering in pain. Running over to him, she knelt down, opened his mouth. There was a foul smell and definitely a poison she hadn't encountered before.
'Damn it, why didn't I do something sooner!" Ayumi cursed at herself as she used her healing powers to ease InuYasha's pain. She quickly put her katanas back in her belt and grabbed two long vines nearby. Then she quickly hoisted her friend on her back and fastened him there with the vines. With his head resting on her shoulder, Ayumi gave a satisfied nod and quickly took off towards the east.
"I don't have any other choice but go to the village he was living in with his so called friends." Ayumi growled to herself quietly as she took off in the direction InuYasha's friends had left a few days ago.
Throughout the rest of the day and in to the night Ayumi ran at top speed, determination set in her face. As was in the nature of cats, those she cared about, came first. She would die first before she let anything happen to her best friend and little brother. She didn't even stop for any demons that got in her way. She either slashed at them with her claws or a katana as she ran by. Or she would simply run around them. She was pretty well a blur anyways.
Just as the sun came up over the horizon, she could feel InuYasha shiver against her back. Giving the air a quick sniff, she turned towards the scent of a nearby stream. When she stopped in front of it, she quickly undid the vines and lowered her friend to the ground. She quickly used her powers and took his pain away again. She quickly took a drink of water to quench her thirst before securing her hanyou friend to her back again. Just as she stood up, she smelled the scent of wolf and growled. A few second later, a wolf demon came to a sudden stop, a few feet in front of her. It was none other than Koga himself.
"What are you doing with the mutt face on your back, half breed?" the demon sneered.
"And who exactly are you, moron?" Ayumi growled.
"Koga, the leader of the wolf demon tribe in this area. And watch your tone with me." Koga growled out.
"Look Koga, sorry about trespassing on your turf but I need to get my friend help or he's going to die. He's been poisoned." Ayumi replied, almost snarling with impatience.
"I want to know how before I let you pass." Koga demanded.
"One of Naraku's demons attacked us without warning. Now will you please move!" Ayumi all but snarled.
"Alright, hold your fur on. The village where InuYasha comes from is in that direction. If you're a good runner, it shouldn't take you too long." Koga advised. He may despise InuYasha, but he had his honor. All canines stuck up for each other, even if they didn't like each other.
"Thank you." Ayumi replied gruffly and took off, surprising Koga at how fast she moved.
"That neko sure can run. I'll have to challenge her some time." Koga thought to himself, shaking his head.
Koga had been right. At the speed she was forcing herself run at, it didn't take long to get to the outskirts of Kaede's village. Perking up her ears and sniffing the air, she quickly caught the scents of Inuyasha's former friends. Giving a slight hop Ayumi managed to hoist the male hanyou up a bit. With a determined breath, she ran down the hill and towards a short woman near her hut. This might be the priestess the others had told her about, a week or so ago.
"Priestess, are you Kaede? I am in need of your services." Ayumi demanded as she came to stop in front of them.
"Yes I...InuYasha! What happened to him?" Kaede exclaimed, standing up and moving quickly towards the newcomers. Ayumi stepped back a bit and growled a warning.
"I will not harm ye or Inuyasha. As ye have said, you are in need of my help." Kaede replied gently.
"Naraku's demons took us by surprise, and one of them hit Inuyasha on the back of his neck. I've tried my healing powers and every remedy I can think of, but nothing is working." Ayumi replied respectfully. She could sense that this human would not harm.
"Come this way chlld. I will do what I can." Kaede replied gently and lead the way. Ayumi quietly followed the elderly priestess in, but stopped briefly as he saw Sango, Miroku and Kagome sitting around the fire pit. She flattened her ears and growled a warning as Kagome and Sango started to get up to help her.
"I don't need help from some filthy humans." Ayumi growled as she went over to the futon Kaede quickly set up.
"We just want to help you!" Kagome huffed.
"If I can get Inuyasha on and off my back with no trouble, I don't need your help." Ayumi growled, quickly undoing the vines and slowly lowering her friend to the futon.
"Let me see his wound child?" Kaede asked, giving the others a look that clearly told them to stay quiet. Ayume gently moved Inuyasha's hair aside to show a large, angry looking hole. It was definitely infected and a smell of poison that Kaede didn't quite recognize. "I will do what I can child."
"My name is Ayumi. And thank you for helping me." Ayumi replied politely. Trusting her senses, she let herself trust this human.
"Can I see the wound Ayumi?" Sango asked carefully. From what she had witnessed a couple of days ago, this cat hanyou wasn't one to be messed around with. Ayumi was a fearless and seemingly a good fighter. Ayumi nodded and moved to the side a little.
"I think I've seen this type of poison before. If you would allow me, I would like to make up an antidote and see if it will help in." Sango asked after checking out the wound.
"I would appreciate that. We need to get his hair out of the way. Does anyone have a few pieces of ribbon or cloth?" Ayumi answered.
"I have two pieces my lady." Miroku answered, coming forward while pulling the ribbons out of his robes. As he handed Ayumi the pieces of cloth, he let his hand drop to the wrong place...and started to rub.
"Damn it monk, keep your hands to yourself!" Ayumi snarled, grabbing his wrist and throwing him out the door. She made sure to leave a few claw marks as she let go of his wrist.
"Don't you think that was a little violent?!" Kagome demanded crossly.
"No I don't and that monk needs to learn to keep his hands to himself. He just might do that to the wrong person and pay the price for his mistake. Be glad I haven't killed him yet. " Ayumi replied gruffly, glaring at the girl.
"There Ayumi, I have done what I can for him. It's up to him now. I would suggest that ye rest. Ye look exhausted." Kaede advised, seeing the young neko sway and yawn widely.
"A couple of days walk from where you were shouldn't be that tiring...for someone like you." Kagome scoffed.
"Kagome, you don't know what this child has gone through. Kaede scolded.
"That's alright priestess." Ayumi replied, then turned to Kagome. "Girl, I'd like to see you run full out for a day and a night. And with someone strapped to your back. I only stopped once to get a drink of water and take care of Inuyasha's pain."
"You ran almost the whole time?!" Sango exclaimed. "No wonder you're so tired!"
"I would do anything for my best friend that I consider my little brother. Even die for him, if I had to. That's what good friends do; not treat him like he was dirt." Ayumi answered.
"Ayumi child, before they set out to find Inuyasha to apologize, I had a talking to with them. They know the errors of their ways now and are sorry for what they did." Kaede replied.
"I understand, but know this; it will be a long time before he or myself ever trusts you. And I pan on sticking by him from now on." Ayumi replied as she laid down by the fire and started to close her eyes.
"I have one question before you sleep. How did you get InuYasha's necklace off?" Miroku asked.
"My power. It took a bit, but I was able to break the spell that was on it. Little miko, my threat still stands." Ayumi replied, raising her hand and letting a ball of power appear in her hand. She let it disappear and closed her eyes. It wasn't long before she was sound asleep.
