Nanashi plummeted through the air, back and head first. It made her dizzy and disoriented. She could hear the wind spirit yelling at her to turn around and to try to fly. She twisted her body, turning to be falling head first now through the air. She could see a cliff side down below her. She beat her left wing hard, trying to slow her descent. She aimed to land below the cliff to give herself more time to slow her fall. She did not want to die this way, to not give Sakyo the satisfaction of it once more.
She was still falling too fast. Her right wing hurt nightmarishly, but she used it anyway to fight to slow her fall. Her fall slowed beyond lethal speed, but she landed harder than desired.
Not on the ground though, but rather on top of something large and furry. She heard an animalistic cry beneath her as she slumped and rolled off of whatever it was. She looked over at it, seeing it was a giant wolf that was wincing. She winced herself, realizing she had broken its back in her fall. Amazingly nothing else was broken, besides her already broken wing.
She stood up shakily, turning to face the opposite direction of the giant wolf dying next to her. Her eyes went wide and her face paled when she saw five more giant wolves standing before her, snarling. She trembled at the sight of them, not sure how she could possibly fight them off.
The largest one, all black and full of fury charged at her. She threw her hands up to protect herself. The black wolf slammed her back, not into the cliff face like she was expecting, but into... someone... behind her. She did not have time to even think on that now though with the black wolf snapping its jaw in her face while she barely held it back. She screamed in panic, not wanting to die.
'Why will you not use me?!' the wind serpent roared in her mind. 'I am a weapon. Tell who and how to attack!'
"Kill it!" she shouted out vaguely.
The wind serpent hissed at her in her mind, but came up along her shoulders and struck the black wolf in the neck. The black wolf roared at this, trying to back off of her. This lead to the wind serpent's fangs sliding along the black wolf's throat. The black wolf slumped down on ground before her.
'Don't take your eyes off the living wolves,' the wind serpent warned her.
Her eyes flicked up, watching the four other wolves carefully. They were eyeing her cautiously, but with a hungry look in their eyes. They were going to attack her soon or sooner. "Can you fight them off?" she asked the wind serpent aloud.
'Only if you use me as a true weapon,' it answered.
"A knife," she said, choosing her usual weapon. The knife Hiei had given her still hung on her hip.
'You insult me,' the wind serpent said discourteously.
She sighed. "What did Kaze have you do when you fought with him?"
'A long handled, battle ax,' the wind serpent answered with eager anticipation.
"Then do that," she said. One of the wolves took a step towards her, growling. "Now!"
The wind serpent transformed itself as she bid. It was so heavy, but felt natural in her hands. The wolf that had step towards her launched itself at her. She swung the ax, hacking the wolf at the slide of the head, taking it out. The remaining three wolves ran at her after that. She swung the ax, hitting one and then another. The third one, an all white wolf, got around her ax, sinking its fangs deep into her right fore arm. She cried out in pain, letting her hands go in a way where she would have dropped the ax if it was just an ax. The wind serpent transformed back into its serpent form and hung by its tail on her left wrist.
The white wolf yanked her by the forearm, turning its head to and fro. In all this jerking, she was thrown to the ground. The white wolf stood over her silently. When it went to strike her, an arrow whizzed past her, burying its way into the white wolf's eye.
Nanashi looked at it as it slumped to the ground before her. She stared at it disbelievingly. The wind serpent on her left wrist hissed protectively, drawing her attention to the others in the area with her. She pushed herself up to sit, left hand supporting her weight.
She looked up behind the dead white wolf. She saw a boy with cinnamon colored skin and long, honey blonde hair. His eyes with deep blue. "Angel! Angel!" he cried, running towards her. He threw himself down in front of her and wrapped his arms around her.
She heard the thundering of hooves behind her. She turned her head, seeing two men riding astride two hippogriffs. One of them held a bow in one hand.
The boy pulled away from her, sitting back on his knees. He looked at the ground forlorn. "Jiro. Jin," he mumbled the two names out. Nanashi took them for the names of the two men before them.
Nanashi looked around. She was surrounded by three strangers in an strange place she had never seen before. Nothing or no one looked familiar to her. She broke down at that realization, crying. Hiei was still in Sakyo's possession, and now so was Kurama and Yasha. Ruka would have been too, had she not ran off earlier without a real explanation given to Yasha. He just said she agreed to pay her debt and wanted to go home. Like last night did not matter to her. Sakyo had just tried to kill her again, and would have succeeded had the archer's shot not been true. She had no idea how to reach any of them to rescue them now. She brought her left hand up over her eyes wept. Her wind serpent chose that moment as well to disappear from plain sight.
"Angel, why are you weeping?" the boy asked her. She ignored him and everything else they all said next. She let herself half drown in her sorrow.
"My prince," keep your distance," the bowman said. Nanashi noticed the bowman had a head full of messy red hair.
"Jin, she saved me. She felt from the heavens and saved me," the boy insisted. "She will not harm me."
"You should not have run off during our hunt in the first place," the other man, Jiro said. "We need to get him and now her back to the hunting camp. His grace will know what to do." Both of the men slipped off their steads. "My prince, you'll ride with me," Jiro said, bringing himself down next to the boy. He pulled the boy out of sight and over to his own hippogriff.
Nanashi still sat on the ground weeping. She panicked when Jin knelt before her, nearly ordering the wind serpent to attack him. "It's alright," he soothed. Louder, over to Jiro, he said, "she's injured." He tore the sleeve off of her left arm, using it to wrap up and the bind the wolf bite on her right arm.
"We still need to get her back with us," Jiro answered. "Before she tries to fly back off to the sky."
"She wont' be doing that," Jin said knowingly. "Her right wing is broken. Her right arm has been savaged by the wolf as well."
"Get her up and on your hippogriff,"Jiro sighed, slipping back off of his own. "Stay up there, my prince. And follow directions this time."
Jiro came up behind her, while Jin knelt before her. Both of them picked her up to get her standing on her feet. She leaned against Jin, who was just taller than she was. She only stood because she leaned all her weight against him, burying her face into his shoulder.
"Great Mother, that's heart wretching," Jiro commented.
"Just help me get her on my hippogriff. She'll have to sit behind me. Her right wing is broken," Jin requested shortly.
Working slowly and carefully, the two of them got her onto Jin's hippogriff, which was kind enough to kneel down for her.
"Even the hippogriff knows what she is," Jiro said in awe. "I've never seen this stead so patient."
"The king will want to see her right away," Jin said as he climbed aboard the hippogriff, sitting just in front of her. He reached his hands around, pulling her arms around him tightly. "Hold tightly," he instructed.
The hippogriffs ran, staying on the ground back towards the hunting camp the two men had talked about. Nanashi did not care, wishing they were heading toward Sakyo. She leaned her head against Kahaku's back, crying to herself anew. Part was in her pity party, and part was because of the pain that jarred up and down her wing as the hippogriff ran.
When they stopped abruptly, Nanashi did not bother to look up. Where ever they were did not matter because Sakyo and the others were not there.
The hippogriff beneath her knelt down. Jin slipped off the stead first, and pulled her down to the ground with him. She could hear the sounds of people gasping and talking in hushed tones around her, but she did not care. Where ever they were, Hiei was not here.
Jiro stepped into her line of sight, holding his hand out to her. "I will take her," Jin insisted.
Jin began to lead her to walk, but her legs collapsed beneath her exhaustively. She heard him sigh impatiently above her. He knelt down next o her, picking her up under her leg wing. He put her over his left shoulder, standing up precariously. He walked forward with her, careful not to drop her. Jin carried her into a large tent. More sounds and murmurs echoed around them.
"What is that?" a deep voice cut through all the other voices.
"Your son says she's an angel that fell from the sky and saved him from the dire wolf pack that had set on him," Jin answered.
"Is he alright?" the deep voice asked, suddenly worried.
"Alive and well, thanks to her," Jin answered.
"Then why is she crying?" The deep voice asked.
Jin shook his head the best he could. "I don't know. She started crying once the prince was safe."
The deep voice sighed. "Set her down," it ordered.
"Yes, your grace," Jin said dryly.
Jin let her down slowly. He slipped her off of his left shoulder to stand on the ground on her own two feet. She could not stay standing, nor did she want to. When he stepped back from her, she sank down onto the ground before him.
She felt the vibrations of heavy footsteps come up behind her. She felt too tired to cry anymore. She hung her head low to the ground.
"Angel," the deep voice addressed her. She did not react, did not want to react. The voice's owner knelt down in front of her. The man before her had long hair, honey blonde hair pulled back into a thick braid. It was the same color as the boy's hair. His eyes were the same deep blue, too. The man's skin was slightly paler than the boy's as well. "Angel, why do you weep?"
Tears rolled down her face anew. Hiei, Kurama, and Yasha were in danger and all she could do was weep in front of strangers. This new stranger was different than the others. Maybe he could do something to help rescue them.
"Save them," she choked out. "Please."
"What did you say?" the stranger came down on his knees before her. He was still taller like that than she was half collapsed on the ground. "Who? Save who?" She could not answer. She had no idea how she could explain it to him. His hand came up under her chin, forcing her to raise her head up and look at him. "Save who?" he asked in a hushed voice. "Save who? I swear it, you save my son's life. I will save whoever it is you want."
The mere idea of trying to explain what happened and where they were had her head rolling in exhaustion. She whimpered. "I don't... know... where..."
The stranger brought both of his hands to cup her chin now. "Let me look into your mind," he requested.
"Your grace-" an unfamiliar voice cut through the silence.
"Silence," the stranger cut.
Nanashi looked around the room as much as she could. She could see at least a dozen other people in the tent with them.
"Let me look into your mind," the stranger requested. "I can do so by touching your temples. If it's too overwhelming for you, I can let go. You can show me who it is you want rescued and where they are."
She blinked up at him, staring him in the eyes in disbelief. If she let him, he would know about about the others. He would know where they were. He could send others to rescue them in her stead. She nodded groggily.
His hands came to either side of her head. She closed her eyes and panted at the sudden shock of seeing her own memories play out, but backwards. She saw herself fight off the wolves, then being covered by the cape of no return, then the failed rescue of Hiei and Sakyo capturing Kurama and Yasha, the news that Ruka left, last night with Ruka, finding Kaze and inheriting his wind serpent and growing wings, the travel through the woods and how her knees hurt so much, teaming up with Ruka to help with her debt, getting robbed, leaving Gandara, teaming up with Kurama and Yasha, searching for Hiei in Gandara by herself, robbing her uncle, Hiroto sending her out to rescue Hiei, being poisoned by Sakyo, being captured by Sakyo, Hiei's kiss, 'running away' from her uncle's house, Sakyo rolling into her town, training with Hiei, the mayor telling her she was going to help Hiei, Hiei's arrival in her town, her cousin running away when he came of age-
"Stop, your grace, stop!" she heard the voice of Jin. "She can't take much more!"
The stranger let her head go. She panted before him, feeling a cold sweat covering her. She shivered involuntarily. Her stomach felt queasy. She felt an overwhelming desire to sleep.
The stranger stood up before her. She was struck by how tall and stocky he was. He seemed half irritated, half in awe of her yet. He was quick to give orders. "Get me a map that included the Gandaran Forest. Her friends she wants rescued are there," he said through gritted teeth. "I need volunteers to head there immediately. Also, she needs a healer. Make sure they check her knees as well. Jin and Jiro, go find and take her to the most talented healer in the camp. Someone who can heal her broken wing."
"What about your son?" a new voice off to the side asked.
The stranger growled. "Tell him to stay awake and I will deal with him when I am done with her first. If he whines, tell him he wouldn't be here without her."
The stranger stepped away from her, moving so Jin could kneel down and put her over his left shoulder. As they left the tent, she felt like her head was swimming. She fell into a short, uneasy sleep.
She jumped back awake when she was laid on her stomach over a narrow bed. Her head felt fuzzy and was pounding.
Jin had laid her down and was talking to someone unknown to her. "Asa, this is the angel that fell from the sky and saved the prince. We were told to bring the angel to the best healer in the camp. The king said to heal her wing. It's broken. Also, her arm was bite by the dire wolves. He also said to check her knees, but I don't why."
Asa said, shocked, "I've never so much as healed a bird's wing. How am I expected to heal an angel's?"
Nanashi felt a sudden wave of realization. "Did you just say 'king'?" It felt overwhelming to her that she might have met the actually king.
The healer, this Asa stepped over to her, kneeling down by her head. "It was. You're here, now, in his hunting camp. Angel, what is your name?"
Nanashi blinked up at her, not quite contemplating what was happening. "Nanashi," she answered truthfully.
Asa took on soothing voice. "Nanashi, how did you break your wing? When you fell?"
"No, someone struck it," she croaked out. Her head ached as her voice echoed through it.
Asa looked at her thoughtfully. "We're going to stretch it out as much as possible to set it, like I would a broken arm. This will hurt, a lot, so I am going to give you medicine to make you unconscious. I will also heal your arm. But your knees? What happened with your knees?"
Nanashi felt too tired to explain properly in context. "Horseback riding."
Asa frowned at her, looking up at Jin. "Why would an angel go horseback riding?" she asked him.
"Why would an angel have such a human name?" he asked in turn. They were both so suspicious of her all of a sudden.
Asa stood up out of Nanashi's line of sight. "I will make her potion to put her under. I will need you both, Jin and Jiro, to help me set her wing properly."
Jiro spoke up, "I can't-"
"You have to," Asa said firmly off to the side. "You brought her here, you have to help me with her. You'll hold her other wing out straight so we can match the two correctly." Asa hummed under her breath.
Jin muttered under his breath, "surely you can at least handle that."
"The potion is ready. Jin, help her sit up," Asa instructed. Both Jiro and Jin moved towards her. "I said Jin. He may have to help her drink it."
Jin came over to her, helping her sit up on the bed, a slight smirk on his face. When Asa turned around, she had a small cup in her hand. She walked over to the bed. Nanashi felt a sudden surge of panic at the sight of the cup. The smell reminded her faintly of the nightlock poison Sakyo had had used on her. She tried to stand and run away, but Jin pushed her back down.
Asa stopped in her tracks. "Nanashi, what's wrong?" she asked in a gentle tone.
She opened her mouth to talk, trying to find the words. These three did not know the context of her life. They thought she was something other than what she really was. "I've been poisoned before," she said with a shudder. "Can't I just go to sleep naturally?"
Asa and Jin exchanged a look. Asa shook her head. "The pain of resetting your wing will wake you up. You're going to have to trust us." She held up the cup between them. She brought the cup took her mouth, taking the tiniest sip. She pulled it away from her mouth. Nanashi could see a small drop on her top lip. Asa licked it away. "I would drink more, but I need to remain conscious."
Nanashi closed her eyes, bringing her fist up to her mouth. She could remember the taste of the nightlock on her tongue, ready to burn down her throat. She took a steadying breath. She held out her left hand to accept the cup. Asa gave it to her, not quite letting it go herself. She watched Nanashi unblinking. Nanashi guided the cup to her lips, drinking it as quick as she could it. It tasted nothing like nightlock. It was floral flavored. She drank it down, trying not to choke on it.
Groggily, she asked, "how long... before... I...?" She leaned against Jin, slipping into the sweet release of black sleep.