Chapter 4
Kagome awoke to a sight she would have never thought to see in her entire life. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes, thinking it would vanish. Moving closer to Inu-Yasha, she smiled, her heart warm with emotion. He was sleeping on his rear, cradling the little girl whom they had found in the forest. Inu-Yasha's head was laid on top of hers, his eyes closed, breathing deeply as his claws held onto her. The girl's head was laying on his chest, her small hand scratching at him as she slept soundly. Kagome didn't want it to end. Ever since they had found the child, Inu-Yasha had been acting a lot differently. His mind was only fixed on the girl's well-being, and he had been taking care of her much like her father. Kagome was hoping that he would change, to learn to love children. She knew he had never been around them much before. The rememberance of Inu-Yasha's tortured past haunted her for a moment. He had been so abused and alone when he was younger. Just as she was sitting there thinking, Inu-Yasha opened his eyes, yawning big. He blinked his sleepy eyes a few times, until they focused on Kagome. She was smiling at him in a way he had never seen before. He tilted his head. "Huh? Why are you smiling?" "She woke up," Kagome asked as she tried to contain the smile. Her mind still fixed on Inu-Yasha roleplaying a father in the middle of the night. "What are you talking about," he asked. He had forgotten about his dream and who he was holding in his lap. Kagome pointed to the little girl in his lap. "She woke up," she asked again. Inu-Yasha looked down at the child in his arms. "Oh, yeah. Yeah, she did." He got kind of embarassed because he was showing care for the girl. Just as his face flushed, the child started to wake up. She blinked her eyes, then turned around, her small eyes looking at Kagome. "Her..eyes..." Kagome didn't mean to be rude to the little girl. She watched as the child turned around, whimpering, as she hid her face on Inu- Yasha's chest. "Kagome, that was kind of harsh. You frightened her," Inu-Yasha said as he nudged the girl's head with his nose, trying to make her look at him. Kagome watched as he ran his claw through the back of the girl's head. "I..didn't mean to. I'm sorry." Kagome watched the girl look back around at her, cautiously. The child was afraid of her, even though, she was human and Inu-Yasha was a demon. "I didn't mean to offend you about your eyes. I've never seen purple eyes before. It's unusual." "No, she's unique," Inu-Yasha said, correcting her. Kagome looked up at him sadly, knowing she was hurting the girl's feelings. "Yes, you're eyes are very pretty. Do you have a name?" "Her name is Nauki," Inu-Yasha said. He looked back down at the girl who was watching him. "She told you her name?" Kagome watched him shake his head. "No, not exactly. I just know that that's her name," Inu-Yasha said, not able to explain it. He didn't want Kagome to think he was crazy. "You just know?" Kagome didn't understand either. Inu-Yasha looked up at her, giving her a mean look, hinting to her not to ask him anything further. He picked Nauki up, then placed her in Kagome's lap. "I need to fix her something to eat. She hasn't eaten in a long time." Kagome looked at the girl as Nauki looked back at her, her body tense. "I'm not going to hurt you," she told her. She looked back up at Inu- Yasha. "How long do you think it has been since she's eaten?" "By the feel of her bones, I'd say almost two weeks." He looked back at Nauki sadly. The girl's eyes were only half-open. She was almost too weak to stay awake. "Two weeks?" Kagome couldn't believe it. She held the girl, her hands feeling on her back. Kagome could feel Nauki's spine poking out from her skin. Sadness crept over her face. "Inu-Yasha, she's so weak.." "I know," he said, looking away, not wanting to show the emotions that were on his face. He walked off, towards the back of the hut. Inu- Yasha started to prowl around through Kaede's things. He had to find some food for the girl, something that wouldn't upset her stomach. Kagome set Nauki on the floor, then she crawled over to her backpack. She always brought small snacks to eat on her travels with Inu-Yasha. She smiled a little. "I forgot that I had brought this." She crawled back over to Nauki, unwrapping the riceball. "I know you've got to be famished. Try this." She tore off a piece of it, then placed it into Nauki's mouth. The girl started to chew the strange food slowly, then swallowed it. Kagome was pleased. She kept tearing off small amounts and putting the rice into the child's mouth. The girl kept chewing it, then swallowing it. She had no idea where Inu-Yasha had gone. Before she knew it, Nauki started to grab her stomach, closing her eyes. Inu-Yasha walked back in. "Just about done, I've got some broth cooking from the leftover stew that Kaede had made last night." He paused. "Kagome, what did you feed her?" "Just this. Why?" Kagome held up half of the rice ball. She watched as Inu-Yasha's eyes widened. He walked to her fast, grabbing the rice ball from her hand. Kagome looked up at him stunned. "Kagome, you can't feed her this! Rice will hurt her stomach! She needs something that is light and easy to digest!" Inu-Yasha looked at her angrily. Kagome shouted at him. "I didn't know! I was just trying to help!" Inu-Yasha lowered his arm. His eyes softened. "I know you were trying to help, but Nauki can't handle the rice. That's why she's holding her stomach." Nauki's stomach hurt. She didn't know what to think about it. Before it was empty and made her feel sick. Now it was full and she felt sick, too. The girl's stomach started to tighten. Before she knew it, she vomited on Kagome's blouse. Kagome's eyes widened. She screamed. "Ew, gross!" Kagome started to bat the vomit off of her blouse. Nauki looked up at her, thinking she was in trouble. She started to cry. Kaede came in, her old ears picking up Kagome's scream. "Kagome, are thee alright?" She watched as Kagome batted her blouse. She was even more shocked when Inu-Yasha picked the little girl up, then sat down, turning his back to Kagome, protecting the child from her. "Hmm?" "I tried to give her rice. Inu-Yasha said Nauki couldn't hold the rice, then she threw up on me. It's so gross!" "Kagome, the child has not eaten in days," Kaede said, kneeling down. "Weeks," Inu-Yasha corrected her. Nauki continued to cry. "Did that mean, old Kagome scare you?" He held the girl tightly, patting her back. "Don't worry, Little One, I won't let her bother you." Inu-Yasha gave Kagome a mean glance. Kaede couldn't believe what she was hearing and watching. The half- demon was protecting the child from Kagome. Inu-Yasha had been taking care of the girl for the past few days. It was most bizarre for him, to the extreme. Inu-Yasha got up, carrying Nauki to the next room. As he did, Kagome started to take her blouse off with Kaede's help. As she changed her blouse, Kagome looked at the floor. "I didn't mean to make her vomit," she said. "It's alright, Kagome. Ye meant no harm. Ye just did not know any better," Kaede said, taking the dirty blouse from her. "I have never seen Inu-Yasha so concerned about a child before. What is it about this one that makes her so special?" She turned around. "I will clean ye blouse for ye, Kagome." She walked out of the hut. Kagome walked slowly into the next room where Inu-Yasha was sitting near the pot of broth boiling in the pot. She sat down a few feet from him. "I'm sorry, Inu-Yasha. I didn't mean to hurt her." "I know you didn't. You didn't know any better." He ran his fingers through Nauki's hair again as the girl watched the flames of the fire. "When someone has had an episode of starvation, their stomach shrinks and clenches up. In order to expand the stomach and not upset it, that person has to start eating again, slowly. If anything large is put in, the body rejects it. It can't handle it." Kagome watched Inu-Yasha lift the pot from the rod it was on. He slowly poured the broth into the bowl. "I need you to hold her while I try to feed her." Kagome came closer. She picked up the girl, letting Nauki rest her head onto her chest. "She doesn't seem to mind us being around her," Kagome noticed. She glanced up at Inu-Yasha, his mind was deep in thought. He turned back around with the bowl in his claw. Inu-Yasha blew on the fluid, cooling it off for the girl. "Alright, Little One, I need you to eat this." He reached up with his other claw, shaking her shoulder some until she opened her eyes to look at him tiredly. Inu-Yasha put the bowl to the girl's mouth. He watched as she opened her mouth, swallowing the broth. He waited. "Did she take it?" Kagome watched as he nodded. "Maybe she is arlight now." Nauki vomited again, she whimpered. Inu-Yasha looked at her sadly. "Why can't she take it? It's not heavy like the rice," Kagome said, rubbing Nauki's back. "Her system is failing. She's dying," Inu-Yasha said as Nauki closed her eyes. Her body was doing an automatic shutdown. She had gone too long without food. "Inu-Yasha, we can't let her die," Kagome said angrily, a tear dropping from her eye. "It's not fair for her to be mistreated like we found her, and then die from someone's cruel joke!" Inu-Yasha lifted the bowl to his mouth. He sipped some of it, then held it. Kagome watched as he leaned foreward, nudging Nauki's mouth. The girl opened her mouth. He passed the food to her, then ran his finger down her throat, forcing her to swallow. Inu-Yasha started to repeat the process. He wasn't going to let her die without a fight. Nauki slept soundly for an hour after Inu-Yasha had force fed her. Kagome looked up at him. "How did you know to do that?" "It's the same method with animals. Mothers have to regurgitate food, in order, for their young to eat. It's no different," Inu-Yasha explained. "Is she going to be alright now?" "I don't know. I'll keep an eye on her," he volunteered. Kagome looked at her watch. "Inu-Yasha, I have to go. I have school tomorrow." Inu-Yasha reached out his arms, plucking Nauki from her. He got up to walk Kagome to the other room. She watched as he laid Nauki down on the pallet, covering her up. "Do you want me to walk you to the well?" "No, I'll be fine," Kagome said, watching him still. "I'd rather you take care of her. She needs you." Kagome smiled at him as he looked up at her. "Are you sure you'll be alright?" "Yeah, I'll be fine, Lord Inu-Yasha," Kagome said putting her hands on her hips. "After all, I am twenty now. I'm not as young and immature as I used to be." "The young part I can understand, but the immature part has me confused," he picked on her. Kagome wanted to tell him to sit so badly, but she didn't. She knew he was teasing her. He had to, it was in his bones. "Well, please watch over her. I'll be back tomorrow to check on her." "I will. I promise," he said. Inu-Yasha watched Kagome leave. He stood there in her wake, the small girl asleep on the floor.
Kaede sat on the floor in the other room, the fire going as she stared the floor. The old woman was deep in thought about the girl lying on the pallet. She kept trying to figure out why someone would want to hurt a child. It was of unspeakable torture. Inu-Yasha was also in thought, his mind kept going back to how the girl had been hanging by the ankle, in the tree, above the ground. Two weeks the child had been there. Two weeks in the cold with no food or water. He narrowed his eyes, wishing he could get a hold of whoever had done it. "Inu-Yasha, ye are extremely quiet. What is troubling ye mind?" Kaede stirred the fire with a stick. She glanced up at him as he shook his head. "I just can't get over how someone had left her in the forest during the winter, no less. Two weeks without food and water. And I know she had to have been in pain with her ankle. The scar that she has will remain for the rest of her life." He turned his head to glance at the entranceway to the next room. The girl was still asleep. "It boggles thee as well, Inu-Yasha. What harm could a small child be to anyone?" She narrowed her eyes, her mind going dark for a second as she thought. The girl was a very unusual child, wearing nothing but rags in the middle of winter. "Wherever she has came from, must be warmer than here with the clothes that ye have found her in." "That's another thing...she wears nothing but rags. It's winter outside and very cold. When we found her, the snow had just fallen. She should have been chilled to the bone. Her skin was cold, but not enough like it should have been for a child being out in the cold. I'm surprised she has survived this long." Inu-Yasha said. Nauki woke up, rubbing her eyes. She looked around the room, pushing the pallet off of her. Where was the demon whom had found her, the old woman, and the girl? She glanced around a bit, then sat up. She could hear the half-demon and the old woman talking in the next room. *Are they talking about me?* Her small head tilted to the side. Nauki wanted to get up and go in to see what the big fuss was over. They sounded so distraught and sad. She pushed herself up, then pressed her weight on her scarred ankle. Nauki went to the floor immediatly the pain shooting up her leg. Inu-Yasha heard a thump come from the next room. He got up to go see if the child was up. She was. He walked over to her, crouching, as he peered at her as she held her leg. "You tried to get up didn't you?" Nauki looked back at him. She gritted her teeth at the pain, but didn't want it to seem like she was hurt. The girl reached back, tugging on Inu-Yasha's kimono. She kept pulling on him, until he sat down. "Now what do you want?" Inu-Yasha studied her as she started to growl at him playfully, then grabbed onto the prayer bead necklace, pulling. "I'm too old to play with. Besides, I'm not the type of person you want to play with, Little One. I'm a demon. Little girls don't play with demons." Nauki didn't seem to care, she let go of the necklace then bit onto it with her teeth as she continued to growl at him. Inu-Yasha couldn't believe how persistent she was. *Play with me.* She began to paw at him with her hand, whimpering. "You really want me to play with you, don't you?" Inu-Yasha watched her smile at him for the first time. He started to get on all fours, nudging her forehead as he growled at her. He began to tickle her sides. Nauki laughed. Not knowing what was going on, Kaede came into the doorway. She couldn't believe her eyes. "Hmm?" *Inu-Yasha is playing with the girl.* Her heart softened. The half-demon was learning to care about others, without even realizing it. *If only Kikyo could see how much he has changed.* Nauki reached up, patting his cheeks with her little hands. She cooed at him, then giggled, her purple eyes sparkling at full radiance. She closed her eyes as Inu-Yasha rubbed his nose against her cheek. "You still need to finish your broth," he told her. Inu-Yasha looked up to see Kaede with a surprise on her face, watching them. "Aw, man, am I going to get the heat from you?" "I wouldn't think of bothering ye, Inu-Yasha. I have just never seen ye so concerened about any child before." She smiled at the little girl who was watching her. "Yeah, well, she's had it worse than I've ever seen before. I remember how I was taunted when I was small for what I was, but no one ever did to me what they did to her." He sat back up on his rear. Kaede kept the smile on her face as she went into the other room. It was time for bed. It was getting late. Nauki kicked a little at Inu-Yasha's stomach, wanting him to pay attention to her. He pounced on her, looking her dead in the face. Nauki just cooed at him again, as she grabbed a hold of the prayer bead necklace, tugging more on it. Her little teeth grabbed it so hard, it started to crack. A huge light erupted from the necklace as the small beads clinked on the ground. Inu-Yasha didn't even seem to notice. Nauki thought she was going to get into trouble for breaking the dark necklace. She whimpered some. The girl had broken the spell without even trying. Inu-Yasha looked down at her as he stopped. He figured she was hungry. "Are you hungry?" He watched her shake her head. Nauki was afraid to tell Inu-Yasha what she had done. Her heart started to feel heavy as she looked away for a moment. As she stared off, she began to yawn again. Inu-Yasha bent down, lifting her up. He put Nauki back on the pallet, covering her up. "It's getting late, Little One. It's time to go back to sleep." The girl whimpered. He laid down next to her, watching her. Inu- Yasha needed to coax her into going back to sleep. "Nothing's going to get you while I'm around." He began to rub his claw up and down her back, as he had seen Kagome do a time or two. Nauki felt her eyes drooping. She began to yawn for a third time, holding onto the half-demon with all of her might. As her eyes closed, Inu- Yasha picked her up, laying her on his stomach as he flipped over onto his back.
Kagome awoke to a sight she would have never thought to see in her entire life. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes, thinking it would vanish. Moving closer to Inu-Yasha, she smiled, her heart warm with emotion. He was sleeping on his rear, cradling the little girl whom they had found in the forest. Inu-Yasha's head was laid on top of hers, his eyes closed, breathing deeply as his claws held onto her. The girl's head was laying on his chest, her small hand scratching at him as she slept soundly. Kagome didn't want it to end. Ever since they had found the child, Inu-Yasha had been acting a lot differently. His mind was only fixed on the girl's well-being, and he had been taking care of her much like her father. Kagome was hoping that he would change, to learn to love children. She knew he had never been around them much before. The rememberance of Inu-Yasha's tortured past haunted her for a moment. He had been so abused and alone when he was younger. Just as she was sitting there thinking, Inu-Yasha opened his eyes, yawning big. He blinked his sleepy eyes a few times, until they focused on Kagome. She was smiling at him in a way he had never seen before. He tilted his head. "Huh? Why are you smiling?" "She woke up," Kagome asked as she tried to contain the smile. Her mind still fixed on Inu-Yasha roleplaying a father in the middle of the night. "What are you talking about," he asked. He had forgotten about his dream and who he was holding in his lap. Kagome pointed to the little girl in his lap. "She woke up," she asked again. Inu-Yasha looked down at the child in his arms. "Oh, yeah. Yeah, she did." He got kind of embarassed because he was showing care for the girl. Just as his face flushed, the child started to wake up. She blinked her eyes, then turned around, her small eyes looking at Kagome. "Her..eyes..." Kagome didn't mean to be rude to the little girl. She watched as the child turned around, whimpering, as she hid her face on Inu- Yasha's chest. "Kagome, that was kind of harsh. You frightened her," Inu-Yasha said as he nudged the girl's head with his nose, trying to make her look at him. Kagome watched as he ran his claw through the back of the girl's head. "I..didn't mean to. I'm sorry." Kagome watched the girl look back around at her, cautiously. The child was afraid of her, even though, she was human and Inu-Yasha was a demon. "I didn't mean to offend you about your eyes. I've never seen purple eyes before. It's unusual." "No, she's unique," Inu-Yasha said, correcting her. Kagome looked up at him sadly, knowing she was hurting the girl's feelings. "Yes, you're eyes are very pretty. Do you have a name?" "Her name is Nauki," Inu-Yasha said. He looked back down at the girl who was watching him. "She told you her name?" Kagome watched him shake his head. "No, not exactly. I just know that that's her name," Inu-Yasha said, not able to explain it. He didn't want Kagome to think he was crazy. "You just know?" Kagome didn't understand either. Inu-Yasha looked up at her, giving her a mean look, hinting to her not to ask him anything further. He picked Nauki up, then placed her in Kagome's lap. "I need to fix her something to eat. She hasn't eaten in a long time." Kagome looked at the girl as Nauki looked back at her, her body tense. "I'm not going to hurt you," she told her. She looked back up at Inu- Yasha. "How long do you think it has been since she's eaten?" "By the feel of her bones, I'd say almost two weeks." He looked back at Nauki sadly. The girl's eyes were only half-open. She was almost too weak to stay awake. "Two weeks?" Kagome couldn't believe it. She held the girl, her hands feeling on her back. Kagome could feel Nauki's spine poking out from her skin. Sadness crept over her face. "Inu-Yasha, she's so weak.." "I know," he said, looking away, not wanting to show the emotions that were on his face. He walked off, towards the back of the hut. Inu- Yasha started to prowl around through Kaede's things. He had to find some food for the girl, something that wouldn't upset her stomach. Kagome set Nauki on the floor, then she crawled over to her backpack. She always brought small snacks to eat on her travels with Inu-Yasha. She smiled a little. "I forgot that I had brought this." She crawled back over to Nauki, unwrapping the riceball. "I know you've got to be famished. Try this." She tore off a piece of it, then placed it into Nauki's mouth. The girl started to chew the strange food slowly, then swallowed it. Kagome was pleased. She kept tearing off small amounts and putting the rice into the child's mouth. The girl kept chewing it, then swallowing it. She had no idea where Inu-Yasha had gone. Before she knew it, Nauki started to grab her stomach, closing her eyes. Inu-Yasha walked back in. "Just about done, I've got some broth cooking from the leftover stew that Kaede had made last night." He paused. "Kagome, what did you feed her?" "Just this. Why?" Kagome held up half of the rice ball. She watched as Inu-Yasha's eyes widened. He walked to her fast, grabbing the rice ball from her hand. Kagome looked up at him stunned. "Kagome, you can't feed her this! Rice will hurt her stomach! She needs something that is light and easy to digest!" Inu-Yasha looked at her angrily. Kagome shouted at him. "I didn't know! I was just trying to help!" Inu-Yasha lowered his arm. His eyes softened. "I know you were trying to help, but Nauki can't handle the rice. That's why she's holding her stomach." Nauki's stomach hurt. She didn't know what to think about it. Before it was empty and made her feel sick. Now it was full and she felt sick, too. The girl's stomach started to tighten. Before she knew it, she vomited on Kagome's blouse. Kagome's eyes widened. She screamed. "Ew, gross!" Kagome started to bat the vomit off of her blouse. Nauki looked up at her, thinking she was in trouble. She started to cry. Kaede came in, her old ears picking up Kagome's scream. "Kagome, are thee alright?" She watched as Kagome batted her blouse. She was even more shocked when Inu-Yasha picked the little girl up, then sat down, turning his back to Kagome, protecting the child from her. "Hmm?" "I tried to give her rice. Inu-Yasha said Nauki couldn't hold the rice, then she threw up on me. It's so gross!" "Kagome, the child has not eaten in days," Kaede said, kneeling down. "Weeks," Inu-Yasha corrected her. Nauki continued to cry. "Did that mean, old Kagome scare you?" He held the girl tightly, patting her back. "Don't worry, Little One, I won't let her bother you." Inu-Yasha gave Kagome a mean glance. Kaede couldn't believe what she was hearing and watching. The half- demon was protecting the child from Kagome. Inu-Yasha had been taking care of the girl for the past few days. It was most bizarre for him, to the extreme. Inu-Yasha got up, carrying Nauki to the next room. As he did, Kagome started to take her blouse off with Kaede's help. As she changed her blouse, Kagome looked at the floor. "I didn't mean to make her vomit," she said. "It's alright, Kagome. Ye meant no harm. Ye just did not know any better," Kaede said, taking the dirty blouse from her. "I have never seen Inu-Yasha so concerned about a child before. What is it about this one that makes her so special?" She turned around. "I will clean ye blouse for ye, Kagome." She walked out of the hut. Kagome walked slowly into the next room where Inu-Yasha was sitting near the pot of broth boiling in the pot. She sat down a few feet from him. "I'm sorry, Inu-Yasha. I didn't mean to hurt her." "I know you didn't. You didn't know any better." He ran his fingers through Nauki's hair again as the girl watched the flames of the fire. "When someone has had an episode of starvation, their stomach shrinks and clenches up. In order to expand the stomach and not upset it, that person has to start eating again, slowly. If anything large is put in, the body rejects it. It can't handle it." Kagome watched Inu-Yasha lift the pot from the rod it was on. He slowly poured the broth into the bowl. "I need you to hold her while I try to feed her." Kagome came closer. She picked up the girl, letting Nauki rest her head onto her chest. "She doesn't seem to mind us being around her," Kagome noticed. She glanced up at Inu-Yasha, his mind was deep in thought. He turned back around with the bowl in his claw. Inu-Yasha blew on the fluid, cooling it off for the girl. "Alright, Little One, I need you to eat this." He reached up with his other claw, shaking her shoulder some until she opened her eyes to look at him tiredly. Inu-Yasha put the bowl to the girl's mouth. He watched as she opened her mouth, swallowing the broth. He waited. "Did she take it?" Kagome watched as he nodded. "Maybe she is arlight now." Nauki vomited again, she whimpered. Inu-Yasha looked at her sadly. "Why can't she take it? It's not heavy like the rice," Kagome said, rubbing Nauki's back. "Her system is failing. She's dying," Inu-Yasha said as Nauki closed her eyes. Her body was doing an automatic shutdown. She had gone too long without food. "Inu-Yasha, we can't let her die," Kagome said angrily, a tear dropping from her eye. "It's not fair for her to be mistreated like we found her, and then die from someone's cruel joke!" Inu-Yasha lifted the bowl to his mouth. He sipped some of it, then held it. Kagome watched as he leaned foreward, nudging Nauki's mouth. The girl opened her mouth. He passed the food to her, then ran his finger down her throat, forcing her to swallow. Inu-Yasha started to repeat the process. He wasn't going to let her die without a fight. Nauki slept soundly for an hour after Inu-Yasha had force fed her. Kagome looked up at him. "How did you know to do that?" "It's the same method with animals. Mothers have to regurgitate food, in order, for their young to eat. It's no different," Inu-Yasha explained. "Is she going to be alright now?" "I don't know. I'll keep an eye on her," he volunteered. Kagome looked at her watch. "Inu-Yasha, I have to go. I have school tomorrow." Inu-Yasha reached out his arms, plucking Nauki from her. He got up to walk Kagome to the other room. She watched as he laid Nauki down on the pallet, covering her up. "Do you want me to walk you to the well?" "No, I'll be fine," Kagome said, watching him still. "I'd rather you take care of her. She needs you." Kagome smiled at him as he looked up at her. "Are you sure you'll be alright?" "Yeah, I'll be fine, Lord Inu-Yasha," Kagome said putting her hands on her hips. "After all, I am twenty now. I'm not as young and immature as I used to be." "The young part I can understand, but the immature part has me confused," he picked on her. Kagome wanted to tell him to sit so badly, but she didn't. She knew he was teasing her. He had to, it was in his bones. "Well, please watch over her. I'll be back tomorrow to check on her." "I will. I promise," he said. Inu-Yasha watched Kagome leave. He stood there in her wake, the small girl asleep on the floor.
Kaede sat on the floor in the other room, the fire going as she stared the floor. The old woman was deep in thought about the girl lying on the pallet. She kept trying to figure out why someone would want to hurt a child. It was of unspeakable torture. Inu-Yasha was also in thought, his mind kept going back to how the girl had been hanging by the ankle, in the tree, above the ground. Two weeks the child had been there. Two weeks in the cold with no food or water. He narrowed his eyes, wishing he could get a hold of whoever had done it. "Inu-Yasha, ye are extremely quiet. What is troubling ye mind?" Kaede stirred the fire with a stick. She glanced up at him as he shook his head. "I just can't get over how someone had left her in the forest during the winter, no less. Two weeks without food and water. And I know she had to have been in pain with her ankle. The scar that she has will remain for the rest of her life." He turned his head to glance at the entranceway to the next room. The girl was still asleep. "It boggles thee as well, Inu-Yasha. What harm could a small child be to anyone?" She narrowed her eyes, her mind going dark for a second as she thought. The girl was a very unusual child, wearing nothing but rags in the middle of winter. "Wherever she has came from, must be warmer than here with the clothes that ye have found her in." "That's another thing...she wears nothing but rags. It's winter outside and very cold. When we found her, the snow had just fallen. She should have been chilled to the bone. Her skin was cold, but not enough like it should have been for a child being out in the cold. I'm surprised she has survived this long." Inu-Yasha said. Nauki woke up, rubbing her eyes. She looked around the room, pushing the pallet off of her. Where was the demon whom had found her, the old woman, and the girl? She glanced around a bit, then sat up. She could hear the half-demon and the old woman talking in the next room. *Are they talking about me?* Her small head tilted to the side. Nauki wanted to get up and go in to see what the big fuss was over. They sounded so distraught and sad. She pushed herself up, then pressed her weight on her scarred ankle. Nauki went to the floor immediatly the pain shooting up her leg. Inu-Yasha heard a thump come from the next room. He got up to go see if the child was up. She was. He walked over to her, crouching, as he peered at her as she held her leg. "You tried to get up didn't you?" Nauki looked back at him. She gritted her teeth at the pain, but didn't want it to seem like she was hurt. The girl reached back, tugging on Inu-Yasha's kimono. She kept pulling on him, until he sat down. "Now what do you want?" Inu-Yasha studied her as she started to growl at him playfully, then grabbed onto the prayer bead necklace, pulling. "I'm too old to play with. Besides, I'm not the type of person you want to play with, Little One. I'm a demon. Little girls don't play with demons." Nauki didn't seem to care, she let go of the necklace then bit onto it with her teeth as she continued to growl at him. Inu-Yasha couldn't believe how persistent she was. *Play with me.* She began to paw at him with her hand, whimpering. "You really want me to play with you, don't you?" Inu-Yasha watched her smile at him for the first time. He started to get on all fours, nudging her forehead as he growled at her. He began to tickle her sides. Nauki laughed. Not knowing what was going on, Kaede came into the doorway. She couldn't believe her eyes. "Hmm?" *Inu-Yasha is playing with the girl.* Her heart softened. The half-demon was learning to care about others, without even realizing it. *If only Kikyo could see how much he has changed.* Nauki reached up, patting his cheeks with her little hands. She cooed at him, then giggled, her purple eyes sparkling at full radiance. She closed her eyes as Inu-Yasha rubbed his nose against her cheek. "You still need to finish your broth," he told her. Inu-Yasha looked up to see Kaede with a surprise on her face, watching them. "Aw, man, am I going to get the heat from you?" "I wouldn't think of bothering ye, Inu-Yasha. I have just never seen ye so concerened about any child before." She smiled at the little girl who was watching her. "Yeah, well, she's had it worse than I've ever seen before. I remember how I was taunted when I was small for what I was, but no one ever did to me what they did to her." He sat back up on his rear. Kaede kept the smile on her face as she went into the other room. It was time for bed. It was getting late. Nauki kicked a little at Inu-Yasha's stomach, wanting him to pay attention to her. He pounced on her, looking her dead in the face. Nauki just cooed at him again, as she grabbed a hold of the prayer bead necklace, tugging more on it. Her little teeth grabbed it so hard, it started to crack. A huge light erupted from the necklace as the small beads clinked on the ground. Inu-Yasha didn't even seem to notice. Nauki thought she was going to get into trouble for breaking the dark necklace. She whimpered some. The girl had broken the spell without even trying. Inu-Yasha looked down at her as he stopped. He figured she was hungry. "Are you hungry?" He watched her shake her head. Nauki was afraid to tell Inu-Yasha what she had done. Her heart started to feel heavy as she looked away for a moment. As she stared off, she began to yawn again. Inu-Yasha bent down, lifting her up. He put Nauki back on the pallet, covering her up. "It's getting late, Little One. It's time to go back to sleep." The girl whimpered. He laid down next to her, watching her. Inu- Yasha needed to coax her into going back to sleep. "Nothing's going to get you while I'm around." He began to rub his claw up and down her back, as he had seen Kagome do a time or two. Nauki felt her eyes drooping. She began to yawn for a third time, holding onto the half-demon with all of her might. As her eyes closed, Inu- Yasha picked her up, laying her on his stomach as he flipped over onto his back.