CHAPTER 10:

Three more days passed when it became apparent that Sesshoumaru had been poisoned, with a herb that only grew in the forest Faya was so terrified off, the search for an antidote could begin. With growing frustration the two women tried everything. There was no known herb that could make an antidote. At the morning of the fourth day Faya finally broke down crying that she did not have the strength to continue anymore. She gave up. How was this possible, there was no known herb to heal him. He was going to die a painful death… Now it was Saffa who brought Faya back to reality by slapping her in the face. 'We will make a cure then…' she hissed with tears in her eyes. Saffa felt just as guilty as Faya did. 'This happened on my watch… how do you think I feel? Stop being so selfish and grow up…' She hissed at her. Faya looked at her in surprise, rubbing her cheek where Saffa had hit her absently. Nodding Faya stood up and together they worked in silence trying to figure out an antidote for the poison. It was late at night as Faya was rereading the part about the herb when her eye suddenly fell on a paragraph somewhere down the page. 'herbs that can be used in a possible antidote are always found close by the Solarius Clovius. If a full blood demon gets this then the Aurora Noctarius will be the only herb that will be able to create the antidote.' Faya furrowed her eyebrows. Why hadn't they read this before? The answer had been there, right underneath their noses the whole time, and they didn't see it. Why? Faya blamed the lack of sleep and concentration, but somewhere she knew that it wasn't the case. They had lost a lot of time, thinking and trying to solve the problem themselves instead of rereading the whole chapter again. Faya read further. 'this herb can only be found during the full moon of the month. It can only be found when it is a clear midnight and if there is only one little cloud in that evening the Aurora Noctarius will not bloom. So it is wise to have enough in your supply room if you are in need of making this antidote. Also note: the sooner the victim gets this antidote, the better the chance of survival. The first day starts when the first symptoms are visible. If the demon gets this later than five days' time it might very well be possible that the demon in question will not survive because the poison will have spread through the body and will have reached its vital organs by then…' Faya was shocked when she read this and looked up. 'Saffa? When is the full moon?' She asked. Saffa looked up and said 'That will be tomorrow, why?' Faya nodded and showed her the paragraph. Saffa read it and then looked at Faya 'Let's hope that tomorrow will be a clear night then.' Faya nodded and rose to her feet. There was nothing more to do than wait. Something she wasn't good at. They started to prepare the antidote as far as they could do it, and let it rest afterward. Faya said goodnight and went upstairs to Sesshoumaru's room. She opened the door and walked in. She took a deep breath and closed the door and then sat down at the rim of his bed. Faya looked at him as she took the cloth from his forehead and put it in the bowl with fresh water and then placed it on his forehead again. In the passing days he had gotten greyish, and deep yellow bags lay underneath his eyes. His silver hair was dull and she saw that black highlights were now visible in his hair. Faya stood up, sat down in the high armchair and pulled her knees up to her chin and looked at him. This was too much for her and pressed her knees in her eyes as she slowly started to rock back and forth, trying desperately not to cry.

She didn't know how long he had slept but when she woke up the sun was just rising above the land and would take away the heavy fog that lay on the Fields. She stretched and heard her muscles scream at the sudden movement. She rubbed the back of her neck and looked at the bed where Sesshoumaru lay. His breath was coming out in shallow rasps making him cough horribly now and then. Tonight was the night of the full moon. She heard a loud rumbling in the distance and her head snapped up. She jumped up, making her muscles scream at her even more and looked out of the window. There was nothing wrong. She heard another rumble and embarrassed she noticed that it was her own stomach she heard. Giving a relived chuckle she shook her head and took the bowl of water away, went to the bathroom, emptied the bowl, poured new in and went back to the bedroom. She made her way to his bed and sat down again. When she turned to take the cloth from her forehead she had to suppress an upcoming scream. Sesshoumaru was awake and swimming in the red eyes were large purple pupils. 'Sesshoumaru…?' She whispered. 'Are you awake?' and lay a hand on his cheek. He nodded, not able to speak at her. She sighed in relieve and kissed him. 'So you can't speak, huh?' She sighed. Once again he nodded. 'At least you can listen.' His eyes narrowed at her. 'What…? Do you want me to tell you what happened to you, or not?' She asked him, she was too tired to fight, even when he was a mute for the time being. 'Look, we have discovered that you have been poisoned with the Solarius Clovius. Tonight is the full moon and we can get the antidote, problem is, that is in the forest, and you know how I think about that forest of yours.' Sesshoumaru's eyes became softer when he heard this. 'Thank you, I appreciate your sympathy.' She smiled and shook her head. 'I just hope that it will stay clear tonight…' She mused as she looked outside. She looked back at him and explained what she had read. She then gave him a little water to drink. 'Close your eyes… you need your rest…' she whispered as she lay his head back on the pillow and touched his nose with her own, making them both smile. 'I'll get you fresh blankets…' she then said. Faya placed another wet cloth on his forehead as he closed his eyes. Faya went downstairs and told Saffa the news. She was so happy for her that he had at least opened his eyes. Faya sat down and quickly ate something before the linen room and took some new sheets out. With a lot of fuss and growls from Sesshoumaru, Faya changed the covers of his bed. When she was done she looked down at him and said 'Now that wasn't that terrible, now was it…?' Sesshoumaru glared at her. 'Oh, by the heavens, Sesshoumaru… why do you always do that…? Don't you go and act like a small kid here…' she said. She then furrowed her eyebrows, the last time she used the combination by the heavens and his name was when they had their last night together. She didn't want to think about that and shook her head. As Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and fell asleep again Faya decided to get a bath. She told this to Saffa and she said that she would take watch. As soon as they knew that it wasn't what Saffa thought it had been they had taken shifts watching him.

Faya undressed as the tub was full and slipped in the hot water. She felt her muscles sigh in relief and felt relaxed instantly. She looked at herself and then at the little spots where her old skin still was visible. She shook her head… How much had happened in this past half a year. It was six months… six months. He had been her first time, she had become his mate, found out she was a pure blood fire vixen and had in the time they were 'married' frequently shared a bed. He was an amazing lover, with his hard and dominant sides and then there were times he was sweet and gentle. She loved both sides just as much. She jolted upward, had she ever said she loved him? Had she ever told him those three words? Had he? Faya fell back against the tub and shook her head. He was much too closed for him to ever say those words, but still how she would love to hear those words… It took her another hour to finally come out of the bathtub. She had been soaked and now dried herself off and put some clean clothes on. Faya quickly wrapped her hair up in a high knot and went back to Sesshoumaru's room. Saffa looked up as she came in and smiled up at her. She told her that he had been sleeping the whole time and weren't it for the coughs everything was fine. Faya nodded and the rest of the day went by uneventful.

Evening fell and just before midnight both women prepared themselves to go into the forest. Faya shivered when they reached the forest and watched it. The trees seemed to be alive and whisper at her. Saffa looked at her, chuckled and shook her head 'You do not fear Lord Nishi, but you do fear the forest? What's up with that?' She asked as she watched Faya. 'I don't know… for as long as I can remember I have feared forests in general…' Faya answered and forced herself to move. She couldn't put her finger on it, but forests made her anxious, even now that she was a vixen. As they walked through the forest Faya listened intently to everything that was out of the ordinary. Shivers ran up and down her back once in a while but couldn't do anything about it. She heard a whooshing sound and pushed Saffa and herself to the ground on instinct. The arrow flew inches above their heads and stuck into a nearby tree. 'Run, get the herb, and whatever you do, don't look back…' Faya hissed at her and pushed her away she then turned and jumped into a tree. 'Faya…' but only silence answered Saffa. She did what she was told and ran toward the opening she knew had the herb. Faya raced through the forest, jumping from one branch to another, going directly at the source of the arrow. She jumped onto the ground and smashed someone into the nearby tree. She knew it was this one and grabbed him at the throat. 'Who are you? What are you doing here? Who sent you?' She hissed as she squeezed the air out of her attackers windpipe. He squirmed and then white slime came out of his mouth and she felt how the life oozed out of him. 'Damn those kamikaze pills…' She hissed furiously and threw the lifeless body against another tree. She heard bones crack and she shivered then looked up at the sky and saw the full moon in the sky, cloudless. Thank the Heavens… She heard her name being called and spurted to Saffa. 'Did you get it…?' She asked as she looked at her friend and wiped the residue of the kamikaze pill from her hands. Saffa nodded proudly and then bombarded her with questions about the attacker. She told her what she knew, which was nothing. Faya looked around as they both raced back to the House and into the kitchen. Shivers made themselves master of Faya and couldn't get rid of them. 'Let me handle that…' Saffa interrupted as she saw that Faya couldn't control the shivers any longer.

They brewed the last of the medicine together and then poured it in to a cup. 'It looks and smells disgusting.' Faya said with a disgusted face and pinched her nose shut. 'Does the victim have to drink it all?' Saffa looked at the book and then nodded. 'Great, then I may force him at last…' She chuckled and both women went upstairs with the concoction far in front of them. They both snuck into the bedroom and sat down on the bed as he woke up. 'Medicine' Faya said as he looked at her more surprised at the fact that she was still alive and not dead in the forest. 'Oh, ha ha, very funny…' She said as she shivered again. 'I hate the forest and you know that too. Drink…' She finished. He looked at the medicine and then at Faya and Saffa, who had a hard time controlling her chuckles. 'Drink it, or die, and no I do not mean that as a joke… it is this disgusting medicine, or you'll be dead when the sun comes up.' Faya said as she pushed the cup back at him.

He turned away and sulked! She rolled her eyes at him 'Fine, we gave you the change to drink it yourself. Now, we do it my way…' Faya answered and straddled him 'Hold his legs, Saffa…' She said and pinched his nose shut 'You need to breath at one point…' She hissed at him. They both felt how he was struggling at her. 'Will you stop acting like a whelp?' Faya screamed at him all of the sudden. Sesshoumaru opened his mouth to scream back at her giving Faya the opportunity she needed and poured the medicine in his mouth. Coughs wrecked his body and then swallowed. 'Big boy, you're such a good boy…' she coed at him, her voice dripping with sarcasm, and refraining from patting his cheek. He glared daggers at her and Faya raised her eyebrows at him and then shrugged. She jumped off of him and thanked Saffa for helping her. Saffa curtsied without thinking and left the room, coming back in two seconds later apologizing for curtsying at her. Both women chuckled embarrassed and Saffa left once again. Faya looked at the closed door and shook her head. Why had she curtsied at her anyway? She gave it not much thought and settled down in the chair. She looked at the idiotic Hellhound in the bed as he was sleeping. She noticed that he wasn't totally relaxed. Even in his sleep he was the Lord of the House… Even when he was sick, he was the master… She shook her head and her eyes drifted close.

She startled awake not knowing how long she had slept and when she had fallen asleep in the first place. She lay curled up in the high armchair. She rubbed her painful body and looked round the room. Her eyes fell on the bed and saw Sesshoumaru sleeping soundless. Faya nodded and lit a candle, made the cloth wet once again and placed it back on his forehead. She sat back down, undid her hair and started to read again. This kept going for another four days. The freaking book was wrong… Instant result, yeah, right… NOT! Faya woke up when the sun hit her face. She grumbled and rubbed her eyes. 'Day, already?' She yawned not expecting to get an answer. 'It is…' Faya heard. The voice was so dark that she jumped two feet in the air, landed on one of the arms of the chair and then fell with chair and all on to the ground. Apparently this was highly amusing to Sesshoumaru, because his face broke into a smile and not long after that he was rolling in bed laughing and coughing at the same time.

A heavily blushing Faya got up and put the armchair back on the floor. 'Well, I appreciate the fact that I'm highly amusing, after, oh I don't know, eight days of almost no sleep…' She huffed and opened the shutters and then the window. 'Now that you are awake, I guess that you'd like to eat something?' She asked as she looked at a still laughing Sesshoumaru. 'Not to be rude or anything, but laughing makes you look scarier then you are…' Faya said causing Sesshoumaru to laugh even harder. Faya chuckled and shook her head. 'I'll go and get you something to eat' and left the room. In the hallway she rubbed her elbow. She had scraped it badly when she fell down. Oh, well.. that would heal… she stretched and then went downstairs to tell the others the news and to make breakfast for the Lord of the House. 'Faya, what happened?' Saffa asked concerned as she saw the scrape on her elbow 'Oh, that, I fell…' she answered with a chuckle 'hey what else is new, huh?' Both smiled and when she had made breakfast she went back upstairs to the master bedroom. She knocked on the door, then heard her cue and walked in. 'Breakfast, My Lord…' She said and came up to him. As soon as Faya had come in Sesshoumaru had smelled the smell of her blood. 'Did you hurt yourself?' He asked as he looked at her. 'Yeah, just now, I scraped my elbow…' and placed the breakfast on the nightstand next to the bed. 'Anything else…?' She then asked. 'Now, that you mention it…' Sesshoumaru answered, grabbed her arm pulled her down and kissed her hard, long and above all passionate. Faya was lost as soon as he had grabbed her arm. He pulled her on his lap and sucked her neck. Her heartbeat shot up and the skin where he had touched her was on fire. He pushed her backward causing her to fall back on to the matrass as he towered above her. He crashed his mouth on hers and hungrily he searched entrance to her mouth. Something she was all too willing to give. She needed it, begged for it, with silent whispers and pants, he tore the clothes from her body and scraped his nails over her body, leaving small cuts in the flesh. Faya didn't care, she was on fire… It was raw, it was sweaty and it was hard. Emotions that had been pushed aside for a long time since, came rushing to the surface, and washed over them like a tsunami. An unstoppable wave of emotions, groans and moans broke the surface and filled the room. Breakfast stood forgotten at the nightstand as the room was filled with their moans. He kissed his way down her neck toward her soft breasts and licked and sucked her nipples, her body twitching at the sweet torture. The want and longing drove them both insane and without much foreplay he pushed into her, causing them both to sigh in relieve. Kissing, touching, and rolling in the bed they were trying so hard to calm down the destructive wave within their bodies. She groaned, bit his neck and contracted her lower muscles as she came sending him over the edge as well. But the huge wave had not come to a halt yet and they kept on going. Sesshoumaru turned and lay on his back as Faya looked down at him and rode him. He got in sitting position and wrapped his arm around her waist as he kissed her breasts as she continued to ride him. 'More…' she whispered breathless 'Deeper…' she continued. Two words he was all too willing to comply with as he sped up making them both groan. 'Vixen…' he breathed against her mouth and kissed her breathless. 'Damn right, I am…' She smiled and drowned in his touch…

Faya's head rested on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. She didn't know if she start about it, or leave it to him to talk about her when he was ready. Talking about a loss like that wasn't easy. She looked up and wanted to open her mouth but found him sleeping. Faya propped herself up on her elbow and watched him. She smiled, stroked a thin strain hair out of his face and then rolled out of bed. She searched for her clothes that somehow ended up through the room. Faya scratched the side of her neck. How the hell did they end up there? His strength was bigger than she first thought. She shook her head, dressed and left the bedroom.

Faya walked downstairs and was suddenly overwhelmed with a wave of panic. It wasn't her own, and it didn't come from upstairs as she felt. Saffa! She heard a terrified scream and a hollow laugh. Fear spread through her body as she dashed downstairs and into the kitchen. Someone towered over a terrified Saffa and held a kitchen knife in his plump hand. Saffa was covered in blood. It was her own. Fire erupted from her hands 'Don't you dare touch her.' She growled. The fat demon stopped and turned around. Paralyzed Faya looked in the face of Lord Azuma. 'Run Faya… now!' Saffa screamed but Faya's legs didn't cooperate with her. 'What's the matter, bitch? Can't move?' He coed at her as he advanced on her and smashed her to the kitchen door. The door broke on her impact and with a sickening crash on the marble she slid over the floor toward the antique closets that were standing there. 'I knew you couldn't be his wife… you're not pretty enough…' He said as Faya felt how she was lifted into the air and was smashed at the ceiling. 'You are nothing more than a slave. I can see that at your wardrobe… you smell like a servant as well.' He said as Faya now fell on the floor again. Her powers didn't want to cooperate with her, her body was unwilling to move, what was wrong? She looked Azuma in the face and saw his eyes sparkle. 'So it is your eyes, that do this!' She said as she fought against her invisible bonds. Blood tickled down the corner of her mouth. 'You are such quick learner, bitch…' he said as he bent through her knees and grabbed her chin. 'Screw you…' She hissed as he bared his teeth at her. 'That is exactly what am planning to do you with you, and when I'm done with you, no one will want you ever again…' He whispered as he closed in on her. She screwed her eyes shut, she had heard this conversation before. 'Are you finally remembering…?' He whispered. Images invaded her mind's eye and took her back to her years as a child. 'Good little girl, you remember now… and what I did to your parents…' He whispered. 'I need you broken…' She heard him whisper. Somewhere far away she heard her name being called. It was Sesshoumaru that called out to her. Not soon after she saw a claw in front of her eyes and she screamed before she fell in a deep pit of blackness.

Faya opened her eyes and felt the pain in her whole body. Her vision was blurry and she tasted the coppery taste of her own blood in her mouth. She wanted to move but was restrained. Faya shook her head to get rid of the blurry sight but it didn't help her. She now closed her eyes and inhaled the smell that was hanging in the room where she was. A foul earthy stench was what came back to her. There was wet reed, she also smelled mold and old bricks. She opened her eyes once again and tried to make out the room through her blurry sight. She pushed herself to her knees and inhaled deeply, causing her to gag and cough. When she looked around she saw the contours of steel pipes in front of her and wanted to touch it, she grabbed thin air instead. 'Vixens who've lost their eyesight are sitting ducks…' Someone said to her and immediately she backed up against the wall and looked around her. She heard a laugh coming back at her. 'If he could only see you now… like a scared little trapped mouse that does not know where to go. Unfortunately you'll never be able to see him anymore, that is unless you're dead…' The voice was a whisper very close to her and she jumped away, hitting her back against the wall, causing him to laugh once again.

'There will be only way out of her for you, little fire vixen… and that is in a body bag, because I will not allow you to leave alive!' She felt how he smacked her head against the wall, letting stars appear in front of her already blurry sight. 'Do you have nothing to say to me…? Aren't you going to cry, because the Lord of the Western Fields is dead?' He yelled at her. Faya looked at the blurry image and her eyes narrowed. 'I can still see Azuma… It may be blurry and I may only be able to see contouring, but now that you have taken my eyesight away my other senses adapt very quickly.' She said as she had difficulty breathing. 'And I don't believe you have killed Sesshoumaru… You cannot kill him, you are too weak for that.' She hissed and almost at the same second she felt a fierce pain in her body. 'He may accept you talking back at him, but I don't…' Faya heard him hiss and another jolt of pain shot through her. 'You'll stay here as long as needed, and I will break your spirit.' She gave a smirk and said 'Do you think you so easily break me… Sesshoumaru didn't succeed, so what makes you think that YOU can?' She sensed that he walked up to her and bent down through his knees. A blurred face came to her and she knew he was smiling with that sick smile of his 'Because I had the honor to meeting your parents once… you were such a beautiful little vixen that time. It was a shame that you had to come in while I rammed my fist through your father's stomach.' Faya's eyes widened and she swallowed. 'Azuma…' She growled. 'Oh, yes, little one…' He whispered as he took a strain of her hair and smelled it. 'I will break you, and I will have a wonderful time doing that… And yes I will succeed in it… one way or another…' with that he grabbed her chin and shoved his mouth on hers, forcing his tongue in her mouth. He pulled back and hit her face as she had the nerve to bite his tongue. He growled, took a fist full of her hair and smashed her again the wall, once again. She heard something break, but was too dazed to hear it was her nose or the brick wall. 'I told you before… I am not yours… I belong only to Sesshoumaru…' She panted. 'Oh… but you will become mine… after I broke your spirit…' Sound evened out and she felt herself going limp as blackness took her over once again.

'My lord…' He heard and someone shook him gently 'My Lord…' The voice repeated. It was filled with worry and tears. His face twisted and opened his eyes. When his sight focused again he looked into the face of Saffa who had tears in her eyes. He sat up, experiencing a dizzy spell as he did so and looked around. Faya… where was Faya? 'Saffa, where is she?' Saffa looked at him with a questionable face ' Where is who, My Lord?' She asked as she helped him up. 'Faya, where is Faya?' Saffa narrowed her eyebrows at him and helped him stand up. 'Who is Faya, My Lord…? We do not have any servant that has that name.' Sesshoumaru now looked at her 'I do hope you are joking, Saffa…' He said as he gave a smirk. Saffa backed away from him 'N-no My Lord, I-I would never lie to you…' She whispered as tears stung her eyes. Sesshoumaru now looked around, everything was clean and tidy. 'What happened?' he now asked. 'Y-you passed out My Lord… Y-you have been working too hard lately… and you fell down the stairs…' Saffa now looked at him again and cocked her head. 'Who is Faya, My Lord?' Sesshoumaru looked back at her as she repeated the question. He turned his head away and furrowed his eyebrows, creating a crease in his forehead 'I have no idea…' He then whispered 'maybe you should lie down for a while… You have worked too hard lately.' Saffa answered 'I'll bring lunch to your room, My Lord…' Saffa finished 'Yeah, yeah, I'll go and lie down for a while…' Saffa curtsied and went toward the kitchen door. 'Oh and Saffa…' Saffa turned around and looked at him 'Thank you…' he answered and then made his way upstairs, leaving a perplexed Saffa in his wake. He had thanked her! What the hell… Saffa shook her head wearily and then went into the kitchen. He had actually thanked her? What was going on with him. She didn't gave it much thought and blamed the sickness that he had underwent a few days earlier. It had been a rare and devastating disease, one that she cured just in time…