CH 11

"You take this," said Kagome, handing him an empty basket.

Reluctantly, he took it, watching indifferently as she took two baskets for herself. She struggled a little, getting the baskets under her arms in such a way that was comfortable, but she managed it in the end- -no thanks to Sesshomaru, who was as caring as an ice statue, and about as warm as one too.

Ever since that day in the valley, when Sesshomaru had walked back to town alone, leaving her behind to gather the grass herself, there had been a chill between them. They had spoken only sparingly and curtly, and eye contact was now a foreign concept to the pair. Sesshomaru was grateful for this; he had been truly horrified by the realization that he was growing comfortable in the girl's presence. The more distant he was, the less likely it was to happen again.

As for the danger, it had not presented itself on that day, but it still lurked in the corner of his eye. As a hunter; hell, as an animal at the core of his being, before his fall from grace anyways, Sesshomaru knew that it was simply waiting, like thunder clouds rolling in on the horizon.

Now they were preparing to venture into the forest again, this time to gather berries. THe girl knew where they grew most abundantly, and apparently this was the time when they would be ripe. He would have preferred to stay in town, but the berries were to be sold in order to pay for his treatment, so his honor would not let him stay behind.

As they approached the edge of the woods, he tilted his head back to look at the sky. It was only noon, but already the heavens were gray and murky. There is going to be a storm, he predicted. This evening, or midnight at the latest. His eyes slanted toward the girl, and he considered warning her, but he decided not to, reasoning that if she had been fending for herself for so long, she ought to be able to recognize the signs herself.

Silently he followed her down a treaded path, and when she left the packed-down dirt to trace a barely visible trail, he followed her then too. They waded through dense undergrowth for more than an hour until suddenly she stopped.

"This is it," she said curtly.

All around them were bushes laden with berries. He could see a couple bees buzzing around them, and even without a youkai's nose, he could smell the sweet aroma of the ripe fruit. Wordlessly, he began to strip the bushes of their burden, basket tucked under his arm. Kagome was doing the same, only she was quicker and more efficient; Sesshomaru was hesitant to reach into a snarl of thorns to extract a stubborn berry, whereas she thrust her hand into the greenery, twisting her fingers in such a way that she evaded the sharp prickles entirely.

But he learned quickly, even with his larger hands, and before long, the baskets were full. Sesshomaru, surprised to find that he was sweating, wiped his forehead with his sleeve as he stretched, feeling his back crack.

Plip.

He frowned. Reaching up, he wiped off the tiny, cool, drop of water, staring at it uncomprehendingly.

Plip. Plip plop.

He glanced up just in time to catch a raindrop right in his eye. He blinked, then turned to look at Kagome, who was looking back at him. "It's raining," he said, stating the obvious.

"Yeah, I figured." Kagome bent down to pick up a basket from where she had discarded it on the ground, the better to fill the other one. With no little amount of effort, she stacked one on top of the other and hefted the baskets, making a few berries fall. "Let's go before it gets too heavy."

"But the rain should not have gotten here so quickly," he said, talking more to himself than his companion.

"You can reason it out later, aristocrat," Kagome called over her shoulder, already picking her way back through the undergrowth. "You do not want to get caught in a forest during a storm. If there's lightning, it's way too risky that a tree near you will fall, or even worse, burn. Even in the rain, a forest fire can spread quickly, much faster than any human can run."

Sesshomaru curled his lip at her unconscious jab at his human status. Without another word, he followed her, so closely that he treaded on her heels… on purpose.

"Stop that!" she snapped. "I know you're doing that to piss me off, and guess what, aristocrat, I'm in no mood for it."

He didn't respond, but fell back, just a little.

-oOo-

It had been twenty minutes, and now the light drizzle was a merciless torrent of icy water that forced its way through the foliage to pelt down on the two travelers, who were running in an effort to reach shelter. True, they could hunker down between the roots of a tree, but the time it would take to wait out the storm would guarantee a cold at the least, and death at the worst.

Kagome wiped the water out of her eyes with her dripping sleeve, not that it helped much. Their clothes were sodden, and the baskets weren't helping matters; they gathered water quickly, and because she had woven them to be waterproof, the rain didn't drain out, and just made the weight even heavier and more awkward that it already was.

Finally, she had had enough. "Dump out the berries!" she shouted through the rumble of thunder. Obeying her own command, sending a rush of water and berries down on the mud, she stacked the now-empty baskets together and held them upside-down over her head, saving her the worst of the downpour. No doubt Sho was doing the same behind her.

She ran as fast as she could. At some point her patchy, too-large shoes fell off, but she ran on, barely feeling the cold mud squish between her toes. It wouldn't do her any good to stop now; she had to get back to her hut.

After what seemed like forever, they finally broke out of the forest. Kagome gasped as the rain hurtled down on her baskets harder than ever, now unhindered by the trees. Her arms buckled under the increased strain, and every breath she took stabbed her lungs like an icy knife. "Just a little farther," she gasped, more for her sake than Sho's. Just a little farther, and then she could take refuge in her home. But that was not to be.

As she neared her home, an awful sight met her eyes; the gully by which the hut was located, usually parched dry, was now flooded. Roiling black water gushed through the ravine, churning and frothing. Tree trunks and branches were carried by the current, spindly boughs slicked a shiny black. Her shack was history; the water, probably reinforced by the stream not very far away, had swollen to engulf it, and it had probably fallen to pieces by now.

Her eyes widened, and the baskets fell from her hands, the splash they made as they fell not registering to her ears. The comb!

Before her mother had died, she had given Kagome a beautiful ebony comb, decorated with delicate silver filigree and dainty blue gems. It was Kagome's most treasured possession. She never carried it around with her, afraid that the village men would find it and take it from her during one of her frequent beatings. She kept it secreted away in a corner of her hut. Now, it was lost; probably lodged in the mud at the bottom of the gully. Ebony was a wood that sank in the water, her mother had taught her.

A hot tear slipped from her eye, mingling with the cold rain rivulets streaking her face. It was the last thing she had of her mother. And she had lost it.

She stumbled to the edge of the current, staring with blank eyes into the frothing, murky waters.

"What are you doing?"

She turned. Sho was staring at her, his long, dark hair plastered to his body. His amber-brown eyes were piercing, even through the veil of rain. She looked away. "I- -I lost something."

He made a dismissive sound. "What would you have that would be of value, human?"

Through the numbing cold, a fire kindled deep in her stomach, heating her frozen cheeks. "You don't know anything," she spat. "So just shut up."

"Oh, did I strike a nerve?" He wasn't in the best of moods, having rushed through rain for the better part of the last hour. He was cold, his wounds were aching, and he had been looking forward to warmth and shelter, but now his temporary home had disappeared under a layer of icy water.
She glared at him, too angry to even speak. How dare he? How dare he be so cruel and insensitive after all she had done for him? With a growl, she spun on her heel- -forgetting that she was on the brink of a raging current- -and stepped right over the edge of the gully.

Gasping, she windmilled her arms, frantically trying to move backwards, but her momentum was too great, and she fell into the water with a splash and a cry. She struggled to keep her head above the surface, her arms thrashing. The water was cold and strong, and no matter how she fought. it was slowly dragging her under, its iciness and strength working together to numb her body and render her struggling useless. Kagome scrabbled at a nearby tree trunk, but the bark was as slippery as wet ice, and she only succeeded in pushing it further away. Her head went under, and with huge effort she managed to break the surface again. She had already been weakened by running through the rain. She couldn't feel anything anymore; for all she knew, her fingers and toes had fallen off. She forced a final cry past her chattering teeth and trembling lips, fixing her fading vision on the tall figure standing above her, watching dispassionately.

"Sho… Help me!"

Sesshomaru gazed down his nose at the drowning girl. Help her? Why should he? Yes, she had taken him in, but the truth was, she was a hindrance. The future Lord of the West could not be affiliated with gutter scum. He should let her die; hadn't he begun to cut his ties to her anyways? He could not be attached to a peasant girl. He turned his back and began to walk away when she let out a desperate scream, which cut off into a gurgle when she presumably sank beneath the surface. He froze, and a pang struck his chest.

Sesshomaru gritted his teeth and forced himself to walk again, but his legs would not obey him. Again, her scream pierced the air, just before a roll of thunder crashed through the clouds. He looked back just as lightning illuminated the scene. She had gone back under. His eyes narrowed. He had no desire to actually see her demise, but he could not bring himself to look away. The pain in his chest increased, and with an annoyed snarl, he gave in and dashed forward, the mud sucking at his shoes. The wind was in his face, but he forged on, not even pausing a moment before he dove into the water.

The rain had been cold, but it had not prepared him for this frozen hell. Spluttering as he spat out filthy liquid, he swam as fast as he could towards where he had last seen the girl, knowing he had to move quickly before the cold drained his energy. His powerful build gave him strength the girl had not possessed, allowing him to navigate the water more easily. He plunged beneath a branch and fumbled blindly for something, anything warm. Twice, he touched debris.

Finally, his quickly numbing fingers brushed fabric, and he latched onto the flesh that was attached to it. He made for the surface, dragging the limp form behind him. His head breached the waves with a great splash just as he felt that he could not go another moment without oxygen. Gasping, Sesshomaru gulped in huge mouthfuls of fresh, cool air although each breath hurt like a dagger to the ribs. His lungs no longer begging for sustenance, he swam out of the main current, clutching at the steep walls of the gully with one hand. With a strangled groan that was drowned out by the sound of pattering rain, he hauled their bodies over the edge.

They lay there in the mud like beached whales, the rain pouring down on their exhausted forms. Sesshomaru longed to close his eyes, but he knew that if he did, he would never wake up. He had to find shelter, somewhere dry and warm. They had been exposed to the elements for far too long already. He shook Kagome weakly, but there was no response. With a sinking heart, he realized she wasn't breathing.

An unfamiliar, decidedly uncomfortable feeling welled up inside the heir to the Western Lands at that moment. He couldn't let her die, not now. He rolled her over on her back and studied her chest, but there was no movement.

No…

He tried to remember all he had been taught as a lordling about water perils. He had had a lesson about how to deal with this kind of situation… hadn't he? What was he supposed to do? He racked his brains, but he could not think in his current condition; half-frozen, exhausted, and lying in the rain, which still showed no signs of stopping.

Keep her conscious? Too late.

Check her breathing? Been there, done that.

And then it came to him. Moving with the urgency of a man with a purpose, he dragged himself over Kagome's sodden body. With icy and strong hands, he pressed down on her chest firmly. Once, then twice he repeated the action, his eyes fixed on her pale face. Then again. And again.

After what felt like a thousand repetitions, a stream of rainwater gushed from her mouth. Encouraged, he pumped harder, but to no further avail.

There was no other choice.

Slowly, he moved his hands to cradle either side of her face. He stared at her closed eyelids, then her lips.

He fully expected his stomach to churn at the idea of what he was about to do, but he felt nothing. Knowing it would only make things worse to delay, Sesshomaru leaned forward and pressed his lips against Kagome's.

-oOo-

Sora hissed in anger and shock, her clawed fingers clutching the mirror tightly as she glared at the scene. Next to her, Inu no Taisho was nodding and smiling proudly.

"How can you approve of this?" she cried. "Sesshomaru is kissing a human- -and a dead one at that!" To her fury, her mate laughed. Laughed!

"Sora, my mate," the Lord of the West confessed, "When I discovered you had turned our son into a human and cast him out, I was angry. But now I see the value in this lesson. The boy will learn not only to appreciate what he has… but compassion as well."

"Compassion?" snarled Sora, her beautiful features twisting in rage. "The fool has fallen in love with a peasant! If she weren't already dead, I would kill her myself!"

"I am not so sure he has fallen in love," said Inu no Taisho, golden eyes gleaming merrily.

"What do you mean, you're not so- -" She broke off as her mate pointed at the mirror. At first with reluctance and disgust, then incredulity, she watched as the presumably dead girl began to breathe again.

"You see?" said a very pleased inu taiyoukai. "He has given her life again. Not necessarily out of love, but most definitely out of compassion... a trait that all good leaders must possess."

They studied the mirror as their son staggered into the town under the weeping heavens, the unconscious girl draped over his back. Climbing over a gate and breaking into a shed, Sesshomaru collapsed in a corner with the girl in his lap. Having found dry shelter, his exhaustion overtook him and he promptly fell asleep, completely unaware of his audience.

Inu no Taisho leaned back with a sigh of satisfaction. "Most excellent, wouldn't you say, dear mate?"

Sora pursed her lips together and did not answer. With a chuckle, he took one last look at the half-drowned pair and walked away.

She set down her scrying mirror and was about to call for a bath when something on the sleek surface caught her attention.

The girl had shifted her head, and her hair, which had always framed her face till this point, fell back to reveal her ears. Her pointed ears.

Soramiko gasped, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. Her eyes burned first with surprise, then anger and disgust, then calculation, then finally, satisfaction.

"It does not please me that my son consorts with such filth," she murmured to herself, curling up comfortably like a contented cat on the red velvet lounge. "But when it is time for me to fetch Sesshomaru, he will return to the Celestial Palace with a firm hatred of her kind. Of course, he already does, having been raised with the proper mindset, but now it will be so much more personal… and so much stronger."

Jewel-bright lips curled into a cruel smile. "For he will have experienced firsthand the devious, treacherous nature of those unnatural monsters." Sora gazed at her precious mirror, then set it aside, rising from her chaise.

"And if he does not discover her dirty little secret soon… then I will make sure that he does. That should get rid of any silly attachments he has formed to the hanyou."

The last word was spat out like a rotten fish, yet still the Lady of the West smiled, cold golden irises glimmering like chips of ice.