Chapter Eight-Sesshoumaru's Compromise

Before dawn, Sesshoumaru woke Rin up. "Come,Rin….we have to make a trail bed for Saraku to lie on as we travel. "

"What's wrong with her,Lord Sesshoumaru? Is she very very sick?" Rin asked.

"I do not know as of yet. But I do know I can't let Inuyasha interfere with me getting her to safety. The longer we linger in these cold caverns, the worse she is liable to get."

"Yes My Lord." Rin went to get branches from around the cave. That Inuyasha must be a horrible person to want to hurt a sick girl so badly! Well,Lord Sesshoumaru must really like Saraku to be protecting her like this. She brought the sticks back. "How long will it take to get to your home?"

"With her being so sick, it will take many days. We can't travel too fast, nor too slow." Sesshoumaru made a stretcher-like mechanism out of the branches, and a couple of blankets. "Jakken, start loading our beasts. We leave in three minutes." The demon lord crouched down beside the moaning human child now. "Sara…..wake up, little one. We're going away now."

"So sleepy….." She rolled over and went back to sleep.

Sesshoumaru sighed deeply,scooping the entire pallet up,and laying her gently in the stretcher. "Jakken, keep an eye on her,okay?"

Jakken nodded silently. He couldn't see why Sesshoumaru was adding to his burden with another human child.

Sesshoumaru led the group out of the cave and slowly down the mountain.

"Where do you think you're goin',Big Brother?" Inuyasha emerged from behind a tree.

"Inuyasha. We will have our fight. Not now." Sesshoumaru stated simply, before continuing his descent.

"Wait a minute! Last night, you wanted to fight me head on!" Inuyasha was taken aback.

"Things have changed. Saraku is very sick. I must get her somewhere warm."

"Why don't you let me take her back to Kagome? " Inuyasha hated trying to be civil, when he knew all too well all Sesshoumaru wanted was to kill him. "Humans can help each other better than we can help them."

"Hmph." Sesshoumaru ignored him, and continued walking.

"Come on! The more you travel with her, the worse she'll get!" Inuyasha didn't get it. His older brother, whom despised humans from what he heard,was acting like the girl was his life line.

"I can't trust you to return her to me." Sesshoumaru had stopped, and was looking at his younger brother thoughtfully. "But I can trust her to return to me." He held up the jewel shard, with a slight smirk.

"Now whose being cruel?!" Inuyasha growled. "I don't understand you a bit, you know that?!"

"Take the child." Sesshoumaru instructed. "Get her better, then tell her to seek me out."

"But, My Lord! What if she won't find us?" Rin asked in panic.

"She will." Sesshoumaru insisted.

"This is wrong, Sesshoumaru, and you know it!" Inuyasha glared at him, as he scooped up Saraku.

"Maybe…maybe not. We'll see. Good bye for now." Sesshoumaru turned his group away, and continued on. "And Inuyasha. Don't forget to tell her who stole the shard from her. Me."

"Jerk." Inuyasha curled the small girl against his chest.

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"Inuyasha's been gone an awful long time, hasn't he?" Kagome asked Sango worriedly.

"Yes, indeed." The demon huntress agreed. "I hope he's alright. You know how the fights with him and Sesshoumaru can get though."

"I hope he's not hurt!" Kagome instantly became more worried.

"No,I'm not….but she's not in very good shape either." The hanyou walked over to them. "Sesshoumaru was taking to his home for safety, and warmth. He wants us to get her better."

"You're kidding. He just gave her to you?" Kagome asked, rushing to hold Saraku in her arms.

"Well, no…not exactly. He took her jewel shard." Inuyasha was furious over that. "And he wants her to come looking for him once she's well, to get it back."

"That's horrible! He kept leverage?!" Sango's eyes flashed. "Well, bring her here. Let's see what's wrong with her."

Kagome laid the girl down in front of Sango. "She's very sick. I can tell." Kagome went to get water.

"I'm afraid Kagome is right. This is bad." Sango looked at Miroku. "Can you help her any?"

"Maybe…." Miroku studied the child for a long time, before clearing his throat. "Tea leaves. Mint. And Thistle vine."

"Weeds? Weeds are going to help her?" Inuyasha asked incredulously.

"Yes, if they're prepared properly." Miroku responded.

The child stirred a little. "My Lord…so cold….."

"It's alright now, Sara. You're back with us." Shippou comforted gently, putting another blanket over the young girl.

Sara opened her eyes, slowly. "Kagome? But….how?"

"Inuyasha went and rescued you from Sesshoumaru."

"Rescued?" The child struggled to sit up. "I wasn't in trouble. He loved me."

"She's feverish…" Inuyasha muttered, although, he wondered how much of what girl said was false.

"I'm not!" She began to argue, before a coughing took her. She kept her eyes on Inuyasha. "When you tried to steal my shard, he came to my aid!"

"And took your shard." Inuyasha spat. "He's not going to give it back to you unless you find him."

"My….." Saraku's eyes filled with tears. "How could he?!" She began to cough again.

"Shhh…we'll get it back. Now is not the time to be worrying about it." Miroku gently pushed her down to lay flat. "Is someone going to make me the tea? She needs the medicine now, not later."

"I'm working on it." Kagome replied. "Um..Miroku? There aren't any thistle vines around here."

"Skip it then. We'll just have to hope the mint helps." Miroku moved Sara into his tent, and wrapped her up some more. "You stay quiet now. You need your rest." He told the child softly. Sesshoumaru might've taken her shard, but he obviously cared enough about her to let Inuyasha bring her back for treatment. Miroku wondered at Sesshoumaru's motivations but he decided to let it drop. He knew Inuyasha wouldn't let the girl go after her shard. Now all he wanted to think about was making her healthy and strong again.