CHAPTER ELEVEN
*
Miroku ducked into Kaede's house, holding one sleeve over his face. The rain had started falling only a few minutes before, but he and the elderly priestess were already soaked to the skin.
Inuyasha was still curled up when they returned to the house, with Kagome sitting silently by his side.
"Any improvement?" he asked.
Kagome shook her head. "He's still burning up. And he's soaked with sweat."
Miroku grimaced. "I'll get you some more water."
The rest of the day, few words were spoken. Inuyasha often whined and groaned, twisting in the pallet. To Kagome's eyes, it looked as if he were wrestling something that was trying to squeeze the life from him. She held his shaking hands through the worst of the pain, and stroked his face when he thrashed in his sleep.
Kaede alone seemed to not be thinking of the future. She spent time at the windows, watching the trees sway in the storm winds. When the storm blew itself out, she walked out slowly across the wet grass, still thinking.
That night, Miroku offered a bowl of stew to Kagome. "It's not very good," he said wryly. "But I had to hone what skills I could, out in the wilds."
"No thanks. I'm not hungry."
"It won't help him if you starve yourself."
"But I'm not hungry."
"Kagome, please."
Kagome reluctantly took the bowl and choked down a few pieces of fish.
Kaede appeared in the door. "I must speak with ye both."
Kagome gratefully put down the stew, and followed Miroku outside. The stars were shining around a thin crescent moon, now that the clouds were gone.
"I have thought of something that may save Inuyasha's life," Kaede said. "But I would caution ye both that it is but a theory. I know not if it would help."
"What is it?" Kagome said urgently.
Kaede turned to Miroku. "Miroku, earlier today ye said to Sango that on one night a month, Inuyasha loses his demon blood and becomes a full human. Is this not so?"
"The new moon," Kagome said. "He's always tried to keep it a secret, because he's afraid someone will try to harm him when he's weakened."
"His weakness may be his strength now," Kaede said grimly. "Recall ye that the Bloodfang will kill demons that it touches, yet it touches humans not at all."
She pointed at the thin, pale moon in the sky. "The moonless night will be tomorrow, after the sun sets. The night Inuyasha becomes a full human from sunset to sunrise, only to transform back when the sun appears once more. And yet, those meager hours may be enough to take the curse from him."
"I see," Miroku said. "So you believe that when Inuyasha becomes human, the Bloodfang will fade from his body? Because he will be a human, even temporarily."
"Again, I do not know. But yes, I do think that it is possible. And I know not whether the blight will return when his demon blood does." Kaede sighed. "And that is only if he survives until the morrow's night. Weakened as he is, he may not live that long. If he may do so, then he has the chance of living."
She turned to Kagome. "Ye must try to keep him alive until then, Kagome. Ye alone he listens to now."
"But... how can we be sure this is gonna work?"
"We cannot. Mayhap he will be cleansed of the Bloodfang, and recover swiftly as he has done before. And mayhap the Bloodfang will rise again when he has become a half-demon once more. As Myoga has said, no half-demon has survived the plague before. We do not know if any of those became human for a time after infection..."
Kagome nodded. She was still terrified of losing Inuyasha, but now a tiny hope was starting up again. It does sort of make sense, she thought. If he's human, the Bloodfang won't hurt him... if it doesn't kill him before that.
She swallowed hard. "Miroku, can I have some of that stew?"
TO BE CONTINUED
*
Miroku ducked into Kaede's house, holding one sleeve over his face. The rain had started falling only a few minutes before, but he and the elderly priestess were already soaked to the skin.
Inuyasha was still curled up when they returned to the house, with Kagome sitting silently by his side.
"Any improvement?" he asked.
Kagome shook her head. "He's still burning up. And he's soaked with sweat."
Miroku grimaced. "I'll get you some more water."
The rest of the day, few words were spoken. Inuyasha often whined and groaned, twisting in the pallet. To Kagome's eyes, it looked as if he were wrestling something that was trying to squeeze the life from him. She held his shaking hands through the worst of the pain, and stroked his face when he thrashed in his sleep.
Kaede alone seemed to not be thinking of the future. She spent time at the windows, watching the trees sway in the storm winds. When the storm blew itself out, she walked out slowly across the wet grass, still thinking.
That night, Miroku offered a bowl of stew to Kagome. "It's not very good," he said wryly. "But I had to hone what skills I could, out in the wilds."
"No thanks. I'm not hungry."
"It won't help him if you starve yourself."
"But I'm not hungry."
"Kagome, please."
Kagome reluctantly took the bowl and choked down a few pieces of fish.
Kaede appeared in the door. "I must speak with ye both."
Kagome gratefully put down the stew, and followed Miroku outside. The stars were shining around a thin crescent moon, now that the clouds were gone.
"I have thought of something that may save Inuyasha's life," Kaede said. "But I would caution ye both that it is but a theory. I know not if it would help."
"What is it?" Kagome said urgently.
Kaede turned to Miroku. "Miroku, earlier today ye said to Sango that on one night a month, Inuyasha loses his demon blood and becomes a full human. Is this not so?"
"The new moon," Kagome said. "He's always tried to keep it a secret, because he's afraid someone will try to harm him when he's weakened."
"His weakness may be his strength now," Kaede said grimly. "Recall ye that the Bloodfang will kill demons that it touches, yet it touches humans not at all."
She pointed at the thin, pale moon in the sky. "The moonless night will be tomorrow, after the sun sets. The night Inuyasha becomes a full human from sunset to sunrise, only to transform back when the sun appears once more. And yet, those meager hours may be enough to take the curse from him."
"I see," Miroku said. "So you believe that when Inuyasha becomes human, the Bloodfang will fade from his body? Because he will be a human, even temporarily."
"Again, I do not know. But yes, I do think that it is possible. And I know not whether the blight will return when his demon blood does." Kaede sighed. "And that is only if he survives until the morrow's night. Weakened as he is, he may not live that long. If he may do so, then he has the chance of living."
She turned to Kagome. "Ye must try to keep him alive until then, Kagome. Ye alone he listens to now."
"But... how can we be sure this is gonna work?"
"We cannot. Mayhap he will be cleansed of the Bloodfang, and recover swiftly as he has done before. And mayhap the Bloodfang will rise again when he has become a half-demon once more. As Myoga has said, no half-demon has survived the plague before. We do not know if any of those became human for a time after infection..."
Kagome nodded. She was still terrified of losing Inuyasha, but now a tiny hope was starting up again. It does sort of make sense, she thought. If he's human, the Bloodfang won't hurt him... if it doesn't kill him before that.
She swallowed hard. "Miroku, can I have some of that stew?"
TO BE CONTINUED