Ch. 20- Fault

It was late in the day when Aleira and Ceala arrived home. They saw the front door off the hinges. In a frantic worry, they rushed in searching and calling out for Arwen and Mials. Kurama heard the cries as he walked towards the house. He dashed up to the back door and came in startling Ceala.

"Kurama?!" she exclaimed completely shock by his presence.

"What's going on?!" he asked concerned.

"We don't know!" she replied. "The front door is off the hinges like someone broke in and there's no sign of Arwen or Mials!" Kurama quickly went to look at the door. It didn't take him long to realized...

"It wasn't broken from the outside." he stated. Aleira came down the stairs to see Kurama and Ceala.

"Kurama?!" she said surprised. "Did you come back with Regina?!"

"Is she not back already?" he asked. "She left before I did."

"Maybe she is with Arwen and Mials somewhere." suggested Aleira. "If someone attacked, it would make sense if fleeing was their best option."

"Kurama just said the door was broken from the inside." stated Ceala. Kurama steppednout onto the porch as they spoke. He notied the barn doors flapping in the wind.

"Did anyone check the barn yet?" he asked.

"No." said Aleira. They all hurried out to the barn. Kurama was the first the make it, of course.

"Arwen!" they heard him shout in a panicked voice. They picked up the pace. When they got there, he was already at Arwen's side picking up Mials. He was ice cold.

"Daddy!" he cried hushedly when he realized who was picking him up. Mommy's hurt bad!"

" I know." he replied. "I'm here now." Ceala and Aleira rushed over. "Take him and get him warm." he intructed to Ceala. Mials quietly went to his aunt. She wrapped him in her cloak as she held him close. Kurama went back to Arwen and tried to awake her. As Aleira felt her neck and back she cried out in pain as she began to come to.

"Arwen!" said Kurama once more. She groaned in pain.

"Kurama?" she managed to peep.

"I'm here." he responded lovingly. "Can you sit up?" With his and Aleira's help she tried, winced and cried out. She clutched her abdomen with her left hand. Tears streamed down her cheeks. They laid her back down on her back.

"My shoulder..." she began labored. "And my..."

"Easy, Arwen." said Aleira trying to calm her. "Ceala, take Mials into the house please."

"No!" he cried. "I want to stay with Mommy!"

"We are going to join you soon, Mials." Kurama assured him. "We just need to move her carefully. Let your aunt take you in."

"Okay." he moaned. Ceala carried him away. Once outside, Aleira moved down and lifted Arwen's dress. She looked to Kurama sadly.

"Is there anything you can do?" he asked.

"No." she breathed. "All we can do is give her something to ease the pain and hope her shoulder and head are the worst of it. The baby is gone." Arwen in haled sharply as tears continued down her face.

"I'm so sorry!" she said softly to Kurama as her voice cracked in pain and sorrow. "This is all my fault!" He looked at her somberly.

"No." he replied. "It's mine." He had to take a moment to look away from her face and breath. "I need to carry you inside." Arwen nodded slightly in resonse. He came over to her left side and picked her up gently. She tried not to wince or yelp. She knew thatvwould only make him feel worse than it seemed he already felt.

Inside they drew Arwen a warm bath and gave her something for the pain. After being dressed in clean clothes, Mials came in and sat with him mother as Aleira and Krama tended her wounds. Ceala was making dinner as Regina walked in the back door.

"Where have you been?!" snapped Ceala.

"Demon world..." she stated perplexed. "I thought you knew."

"I mean, Kurama is already here!" she said all snippy. " He said you left before him! Why weren't you here first?!"

"Because I was hungry and tired so I stayed at a tavern last night!" snapped Regina not liking Ceala's attitude.

"Well, you should've been here!" Ceala retorted. "Aleira and I got snowed in while we were in town. That left Arwen here all alone."

"Was that such a problem?!" Regina exclaimed.

"Yes! The damn ladder in the barn broke on Arwen!" Ceala yelled. Regina stood there frozen, the guilt crashing in on her.

"Is she going to be alright?" asked Regina now filled with worry for her sister.

"Her right shoulder is probably broken and she has a head injury." said Ceala softening a little.

"And the baby...?" asked Regina sensing a reason for dread.

"Gone." replied Ceala sadly. Regina gasped in shock andher eyes began to mist.

"It's all my fault!" she cried softly.