Chapter Two
Inu-Yasha ran through the woods, the snow crackling under his feet. His mind was focused on the path ahead. The sun had gone down forty minutes ago. Kagome tried to hide herself behind him as the air had gotten much colder. She knew she had no reason to complain because he was the one getting blasted head on. Kagome closed her eyes wanting to go to sleep. She could hear Inu- Yasha's teeth chattering as the chills ran all over his body. He was pushing himself to the limits trying his best to get back to the village before it got any colder. Kagome felt him slowing down. He stopped. His heart was racing and his chest was heaving. Inu-Yasha didn't know if he could go any furhter. He didn't realize Kagome had jumped down and was standing in front of him. She touched his face lightly. She could tell he was worn out. He opened his eyes, looking at her tiredly. Catching his breath, he looked down at the child in his arms, then back up at Kagome. She opened her arms, smiling at him. She knew Inu-Yasha couldn't go any further. He nodded to her, uncradling the girl and placing her in Kagome's arms. "T-try to g-get there b-before i-it gets a-any c-colder," he said, his teeth chattering. She nodded again as she watched him standing in the moonlight. The snow was falling over him. Kagome looked into his golden slit eyes, her heart dancing a little as she became fixated on him. She blinked her eyes, snapping out of it. "Are you going to be alright," she asked him, concerned. He raised his brow. "I can handle it, Kagome, I'm a demon..." She smiled embarassingly. "Sorry..I forgot," was all she could manage to say. She turned around quickly, leaving the awkward situation behind. Inu-Yasha watched Kagome take off in the direction of the village. He crouched to the ground, his heart still beating fairly fast. "Thank you, Kagome," he whispered tiredly. ************************************************************************* "Kaede! Kaede!" Kagome was out of breath as she ran to the old woman's hut. She almost fell in the snow as the night pressed on. Kaede moved aside the blanket that was covering the doorway. She squinted her eyes into the night, thinking that she recognized the voice. "Whose there?" "It's me, Kagome! We need your help!" Kaede walked outside as Kagome fell onto the small steps, looking up at the old woman. "Why child, whatever is the matter?" She gasped seeing the small girl inside Kagome's arms. "Kagome, where did yon girl come from?" "Inu-Yasha found her in the forest miles from here. She was hanging upside-down up in a tree with a trap fitted around her ankle," she panted. "Upside-down in a tree? Hurry," she waved Kagome inside, "We must get her warm." Inside, Kaede took the child, laying her on a soft pallet on the floor. She examined the girl carefully, putting her hand to her forehead to see if she had a fever. Surprisingly, she did not. "I do not understand why this girl is not hot to the touch. She should have a fever. Her color is pale, but that can be easily fixed." Kaede asked Kagome to pour some hot water into a small bowl and bring her a rag. Kagome watched as the old woman placed the hot rag onto the girl's forehead. She sat down on the other side, looking carefully at the young girl with the unusual hair. "I don't understand how..someone could have done that to her.." "I do not either, child. It is very unusual for Inu-Yasha to have sensed her at the distance ye have told me. But..I suppose...it is because he is half-demon." Kaede thought to herself about the girl. "How did these marks get on her ankle?" The old woman touched the wound carefully. As she did so, the girl moved slightly. "That's where the trap was fitted," Kagome said. "Why would anyone do such a thing to a child? It is most dreadful." Kaede put a blanket on the girl. "She is going to need her rest. It is most fortunate that ye two found her when she did. If she had stayed out in this weather overnight, she would have died before morning." Kagome nodded slowly, the numb feeling she had felt earlier, coming back to her body. "How..could anyone do this..?" ************************************************************************* Hours later, he managed to make it to Kaede's hut. He was frozen, chills running up and down his body. As Inu-Yasha walked inside, he saw an oil light burning. The girl he had found, was wrapped up in a blanket, lying on the floor. Kagome was fast asleep next to the girl, her arms cradling the child. He smiled a little as he sat down on the other side of Kagome. His teeth chattered as he began to shake off the snow. Kagome opened her eyes, almost jumping out of her skin. She wasn't sure who was doing the movement. When she saw it was Inu-Yasha, she relaxed and smiled at him. "I thought you said you could handle the cold." "Shut up." He closed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest, then looked out of the corner of his eye at her. She had a big smile on her face. "Aren't you freezing?" She had a worried look on her face. Inu-Yasha sat up straighter, emphasizing how much of a demon he was. "I told you I can handle it." Kagome grabbed one of his claws, feeling how cold he was. Before he could mutter a word, she pulled him towards her. "I don't care how macho you pretend to be, you're freezing. If you don't get warm, you're going to catch pneumonia." She threw her blanket around him. "What's pneumonia?" He tilted his head at her, not really paying attention to the blanket now around him, or how Kagome was pressed against him. "It's a disease that you get when you are cold and can't get warm. Your lungs get full of fluid, then you have trouble breathing. It literally, suffocates you, and you die from it." He didn't like the sound of that. "Um...Kagome..?" "Hmmmm?" "I'm really freezing," he looked up at her slowly. She put her arms around his neck as he pressed his cold nose into her throat, closing his eyes. He breathed in deeply as they drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Inu-Yasha woke to find Kagome leaning over the little girl. She was running her hand down the side of her face, looking at her with a sad expression. The girl was still unconscious. He sat up slowly, getting the same expression on his face. He had never been around children, but was worried about this particular one for some unknown reason. Inu-Yasha could not figure out what had drawn him to the girl in the first place. He crawled slowly to Kagome, leaning slightly over, examining the girl himself. "Is..she..alright?" His voice cracked, sounding somewhat hoarse. Kagome nodded. "She's fine. She just..hasn't woken up yet." She ran her hand through the girl's hair. She furrowed her brows in confusion, the girl's hair felt much like silk. "Her hair is so..soft," she said in awe. Inu-Yasha was very curious. He watched Kagome's reaction to the girl. *She's watching over her as if she were her mother.* He raised a brow slowly then looked back to the small child. Unexpectedly, he knelt down, nudging the girl's chin with his nose. The girl moved a little, but did not wake up. He bit his lower lip, nudging her again. Again, she moved. Kagome was finding it strange that he could touch her, and she would move, but would not stir on her own. Nor did she make any sort of noise. Kagome carefully ran her fingers through the girl's bangs as Inu-Yasha looked on. The girl moved her head in the direction of Kagome's presence. "I think she knows I'm here." Inu-Yasha cocked his head slightly. "How does she know you're here, " he asked softly. "I don't know...but..she does." Kagome ran her fingers along the girl's cheek. "She's so beautiful, Inu-Yasha..."
Inu-Yasha ran through the woods, the snow crackling under his feet. His mind was focused on the path ahead. The sun had gone down forty minutes ago. Kagome tried to hide herself behind him as the air had gotten much colder. She knew she had no reason to complain because he was the one getting blasted head on. Kagome closed her eyes wanting to go to sleep. She could hear Inu- Yasha's teeth chattering as the chills ran all over his body. He was pushing himself to the limits trying his best to get back to the village before it got any colder. Kagome felt him slowing down. He stopped. His heart was racing and his chest was heaving. Inu-Yasha didn't know if he could go any furhter. He didn't realize Kagome had jumped down and was standing in front of him. She touched his face lightly. She could tell he was worn out. He opened his eyes, looking at her tiredly. Catching his breath, he looked down at the child in his arms, then back up at Kagome. She opened her arms, smiling at him. She knew Inu-Yasha couldn't go any further. He nodded to her, uncradling the girl and placing her in Kagome's arms. "T-try to g-get there b-before i-it gets a-any c-colder," he said, his teeth chattering. She nodded again as she watched him standing in the moonlight. The snow was falling over him. Kagome looked into his golden slit eyes, her heart dancing a little as she became fixated on him. She blinked her eyes, snapping out of it. "Are you going to be alright," she asked him, concerned. He raised his brow. "I can handle it, Kagome, I'm a demon..." She smiled embarassingly. "Sorry..I forgot," was all she could manage to say. She turned around quickly, leaving the awkward situation behind. Inu-Yasha watched Kagome take off in the direction of the village. He crouched to the ground, his heart still beating fairly fast. "Thank you, Kagome," he whispered tiredly. ************************************************************************* "Kaede! Kaede!" Kagome was out of breath as she ran to the old woman's hut. She almost fell in the snow as the night pressed on. Kaede moved aside the blanket that was covering the doorway. She squinted her eyes into the night, thinking that she recognized the voice. "Whose there?" "It's me, Kagome! We need your help!" Kaede walked outside as Kagome fell onto the small steps, looking up at the old woman. "Why child, whatever is the matter?" She gasped seeing the small girl inside Kagome's arms. "Kagome, where did yon girl come from?" "Inu-Yasha found her in the forest miles from here. She was hanging upside-down up in a tree with a trap fitted around her ankle," she panted. "Upside-down in a tree? Hurry," she waved Kagome inside, "We must get her warm." Inside, Kaede took the child, laying her on a soft pallet on the floor. She examined the girl carefully, putting her hand to her forehead to see if she had a fever. Surprisingly, she did not. "I do not understand why this girl is not hot to the touch. She should have a fever. Her color is pale, but that can be easily fixed." Kaede asked Kagome to pour some hot water into a small bowl and bring her a rag. Kagome watched as the old woman placed the hot rag onto the girl's forehead. She sat down on the other side, looking carefully at the young girl with the unusual hair. "I don't understand how..someone could have done that to her.." "I do not either, child. It is very unusual for Inu-Yasha to have sensed her at the distance ye have told me. But..I suppose...it is because he is half-demon." Kaede thought to herself about the girl. "How did these marks get on her ankle?" The old woman touched the wound carefully. As she did so, the girl moved slightly. "That's where the trap was fitted," Kagome said. "Why would anyone do such a thing to a child? It is most dreadful." Kaede put a blanket on the girl. "She is going to need her rest. It is most fortunate that ye two found her when she did. If she had stayed out in this weather overnight, she would have died before morning." Kagome nodded slowly, the numb feeling she had felt earlier, coming back to her body. "How..could anyone do this..?" ************************************************************************* Hours later, he managed to make it to Kaede's hut. He was frozen, chills running up and down his body. As Inu-Yasha walked inside, he saw an oil light burning. The girl he had found, was wrapped up in a blanket, lying on the floor. Kagome was fast asleep next to the girl, her arms cradling the child. He smiled a little as he sat down on the other side of Kagome. His teeth chattered as he began to shake off the snow. Kagome opened her eyes, almost jumping out of her skin. She wasn't sure who was doing the movement. When she saw it was Inu-Yasha, she relaxed and smiled at him. "I thought you said you could handle the cold." "Shut up." He closed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest, then looked out of the corner of his eye at her. She had a big smile on her face. "Aren't you freezing?" She had a worried look on her face. Inu-Yasha sat up straighter, emphasizing how much of a demon he was. "I told you I can handle it." Kagome grabbed one of his claws, feeling how cold he was. Before he could mutter a word, she pulled him towards her. "I don't care how macho you pretend to be, you're freezing. If you don't get warm, you're going to catch pneumonia." She threw her blanket around him. "What's pneumonia?" He tilted his head at her, not really paying attention to the blanket now around him, or how Kagome was pressed against him. "It's a disease that you get when you are cold and can't get warm. Your lungs get full of fluid, then you have trouble breathing. It literally, suffocates you, and you die from it." He didn't like the sound of that. "Um...Kagome..?" "Hmmmm?" "I'm really freezing," he looked up at her slowly. She put her arms around his neck as he pressed his cold nose into her throat, closing his eyes. He breathed in deeply as they drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Inu-Yasha woke to find Kagome leaning over the little girl. She was running her hand down the side of her face, looking at her with a sad expression. The girl was still unconscious. He sat up slowly, getting the same expression on his face. He had never been around children, but was worried about this particular one for some unknown reason. Inu-Yasha could not figure out what had drawn him to the girl in the first place. He crawled slowly to Kagome, leaning slightly over, examining the girl himself. "Is..she..alright?" His voice cracked, sounding somewhat hoarse. Kagome nodded. "She's fine. She just..hasn't woken up yet." She ran her hand through the girl's hair. She furrowed her brows in confusion, the girl's hair felt much like silk. "Her hair is so..soft," she said in awe. Inu-Yasha was very curious. He watched Kagome's reaction to the girl. *She's watching over her as if she were her mother.* He raised a brow slowly then looked back to the small child. Unexpectedly, he knelt down, nudging the girl's chin with his nose. The girl moved a little, but did not wake up. He bit his lower lip, nudging her again. Again, she moved. Kagome was finding it strange that he could touch her, and she would move, but would not stir on her own. Nor did she make any sort of noise. Kagome carefully ran her fingers through the girl's bangs as Inu-Yasha looked on. The girl moved her head in the direction of Kagome's presence. "I think she knows I'm here." Inu-Yasha cocked his head slightly. "How does she know you're here, " he asked softly. "I don't know...but..she does." Kagome ran her fingers along the girl's cheek. "She's so beautiful, Inu-Yasha..."