Chapter 3: First Blood

Kagome spent the night uneasily. The lamp Sesshoumaru had lit she left burning, afraid of being alone in this cold place. When she did finally sleep, she was plagued by nightmares. Every time she closed her eyes she saw Sesshoumaru glaring coldly down on her. When the first orange rays of the morning seeped through the one barred window, she was relieved.

Jaken came soon after dawn, leaving her food. The little toad creature grumbled about his chore and offered a few choice threats to the mortal girl.

She barely heard his blustering, trying to decide if she could make it past the creature. Jaken she thought she could handle, but once she got beyond the door, there was still the fact that she had no idea where she was and was completely unarmed. If she ran, Sesshoumaru would surely catch her and bring her back, and things would only be worse than they were now. He slipped out, leaving her locked in alone again.

She stared at what Jaken had left her for a long moment. Some rice, and a dish she didn't care to identify. Probably the toad's idea of human food. She prodded at it, unable to decide wether to eat. On one hand, she had not eaten since breakfast yesterday. She could probably stomach whatever this was, even if it was something Jaken had cooked. Still, she was suspicious. What if there was something else in the food? Drugs, poisons... the possibilities frightened her. Even more so, considering she didn't know what Sesshoumaru had in store for her. In the end, she tentatively ate the rice, but no amount of rationalization could persuade her to touch anything else.

The room was uncomfortably bare. Kagome inspected the heavy door and the stonework, as well as the barred window she couldn't quite reach.

She sat on her bed with her arms wrapped around her knees. There was nothing to do but wait. Why did Sesshoumaru just leave her here? It was clear he wanted something from her, but she had no specific idea what. Her only clue was that he had said he wanted a healer. The thought tightened her stomach into a nervous knot. What would he do to her when he found out she couldn't do whatever he wanted? She was not a healer, she had never done more than wrap wounds and crush herbs. Perhaps Kikyou had that skill, but she did not.

The silence was unsettling. It gave her too much time to worry. "I hope Inuyasha's alright," she said aloud to herself. Sesshoumaru said he would be healed by the new moon... did he know about Inuyasha's vulnerable night? She held a certain faith that Inuyasha would come for her. He always did, no matter the situation. She had no doubt he was tearing down mountains right now looking for her, wounded or not. But Sesshoumaru, she was sure, was not sloppy enough to give him any hints. Part of her was relieved; as long as Inuyasha couldn't find her, he wouldn't get hurt in another fight with his brother. The other part of her was very much afraid.

The day passed slowly, the spot of light moving gradually across the room, warming the stones. Still, no one came. The long day passed, the orange glow of sunset fading gradually into a very, very dark night. It was pitch black in the room, the light from the few bright shining stars not managing to penetrate. Having nothing else to focus on, Kagome looked out at the square of stars above her. 'They're bright tonight. No moon.'

The thought was interrupted by a rush of cool night air. Subtle sounds in the dark made her hairs stand on end. The door had been opened and closed again. She stumbled to her feet, her legs pressed tightly back against the bed to reassure herself in the dark. "Sesshoumaru?" Her quivering voice rang off the bare walls.

A moment later, and a spark lit amidst the darkness, catching onto the wick of the lamp once again. Warm orange light trickled across the stones, illuminating the path from captor to captive.

Sesshoumaru watched the nervous girl fidget as he regarded her from across the room, as if trying to decide how she would be best handled. "Are you well tonight?" He asked quietly.

It was not what she had been expecting. "I... I guess so," she fumbled.

"I told you to eat what you were given." His voice never lost the even tone, even with the reprimand.

"I... uh, don't think I can eat that. I'm not trying to... disobey you."

He sniffed at the remains of her food and decided he didn't blame her. "I will have Jaken bring you something else tomorrow."

"Thank you," she said, unable to think of anything else.

If her words surprised Sesshoumaru, she couldn't tell. She pressed down her fear as he came towards her, stopping no more than a hand's span away. She jumped when he lightly grasped her around her wrist. "Lay down," he commanded softly.

Her dark eyes widened, her heart pounding like a jackhammer. Surely Sesshoumaru wouldn't... he couldn't want that from her.

"No!" She shouted in panic. She tried to pull her wrist away from him, struggling in vain against him while he didn't bother to extend any extra energy to restrain her. She whimpered as her struggles failed to free her. She felt her power pool inside her. She could release it, she could hurt him. She wasn't going to give into him, no matter what. Not without a fight.

He saw her still, an abrupt concentration crossing her face. Quickly, he moved his hand, wrapping around the back of her neck and pressing his claws in warning against her skin. He trapped her tightly against his body. "Don't do it," he warned.

Kagome froze, knowing she had been caught. She bit down hard on her lip as she fought to keep her power locked within her.

Her skin was hot to the touch, charged with the energy that surged just beneath her skin. She tensed, every muscle straining silently against his grip. Her erratic breaths fell in short hot bursts on his shoulder, stirring up Sesshoumaru's dormant instincts like dying embers.

"I will not do what you are afraid of," he told her. It reassured her only marginally, it only left a million other possibilities. She fought a two-fold battle, trying to fight Sesshoumaru while trying to keep herself under control.

"This is the part where you hurt me, isn't it?" She quivered against him, close to tears.

In response, he released his grip on her neck and guided her back to the bed. "Lay down," he said, almost gently. She looked up at him in helpless fear as she sat down. Insistently, he pressed her shoulder down against her bed.

"Sesshoumaru, I don't know what you want from me, but I can't do it." She lay nervously as he remained bent over her. "I'm not a healer, I don't know how to do anything like that."

Slowly, he knelt beside her. He uncrossed her arms protectively covering her stomach. "I know." He held her arm lightly, rubbing his thumb softly across the underside of her wrist. "Stay very still. Whatever happens, you must control your power. You would make it more painful."

Her eyes were confused and frightened, but she nodded slightly.

Before she could see what he was doing, his claw slashed horizontally across her wrist. She let out a slight scream as she registered the pain. She tried to jerk away, but Sesshoumaru wrapped his hand tightly over the cut. She fought the urge to purify, twisting in on herself.

"Calm down," Sesshoumaru told her. "The worst is over."

To both of their surprise, she did, slowly relaxing to lie flat again. Still, her young face clenched as she held back the tide. Her eyes closed, she did not see what Sesshoumaru was doing. His grip relaxed, turning her arm over to expose the cut.

Something cool brushed against her arm, but she only had a second before he clamped down. His lips latched over the cut, and an immense wave of pain washed over her.

'No! He said it wouldn't get worse!' But the pain was coming from within her, not from his action. Her most basic instincts definitely did not like that a powerful demon was consuming her. Its pull before was nothing compared to what it was now. She tried to wall it off, shove it down to wherever it had previously lay dormant.

She gasped when the first drops of her blood touched his tongue. Her blood carried the echos of her struggles, part of it wanting to destroy him, the other desperately trying to prevent it. She writhed as she fought against herself. He remained still, trying to give her the opportunity to bring her body and her power under control. If her will to purify won, he was in real danger.

With an effort, she calmed herself. Her other hand caught onto his empty left sleeve and clung tightly to it. He could feel her cage off that part of herself. As the holy energy in the room receded, he was slightly relieved. Kagome's breaths evened out, her muscles easing.

Sesshoumaru let her blood flow a little more freely, her warm blood trickling into his mouth. It was strange... the power was still there, but it was restrained. It tasted strangely sweet, perhaps more metallic than he had tasted before. It had unusual traces he couldn't quite identify. It was not quite human-- there was simply too much power.

"It was a better height, wasn't it?"

Sesshoumaru glanced up at Kagome, her brown eyes looking soulfully down at him. Her breathing was labored with the strain she was placing on herself.

"That's why you have this bed... so you can reach me when you do this."

His mouth not free to speak, he simply acknowledged her with his eyes. He was slightly impressed she had even thought about it.

"What is it that you really want, Sesshoumaru?" She thought aloud. She turned her head to the wall, refusing to look at Sesshoumaru and what he was doing.

A few slow minutes passed. Sesshoumaru gradually felt the change come over him. It started in his chest, like a ball of warmth. With sudden speed, it spread outward, like a calming wave to the furthest corners of his body. It was disorienting, unfamiliar, and yet strangely comforting. This, he assumed, was the cue he had been waiting for. He slowly withdrew, placing his hand over her cut to halt the bleeding.

Kagome turned back to him, watching silently as he cleaned her wound. It was not very deep nor long, only as severe as the need dictated.

"What is this for?" she asked quietly.

He stared at her as his hand busily wrapped her wound. "A healer's blood has powerful... restorative properties."

"But I told you," she said tiredly. "I'm not a healer."

"You are by blood, even if you are unskilled."

She sighed. "What, Sesshoumaru, are you trying to restore?"

He glared at her, then briefly down at the sleeve she was still clinging to.

Kagome followed his eyes. Quickly she released the silk. "Oh," she whispered. "Right."

"Did you so easily forget the scar your dear hanyou inflicted?" He frowned down on her. It was partially her own influence that had caused this. If she hadn't been there, the runt would never have mastered the blade. And she had the audacity to forget what had happened?

"Actually, I kind of did," she said slowly. "You are as strong as you were before, I didn't really notice when you fought. You aren't limited at all by its loss. At least, that's the way it seems to me." She spoke almost timidly, knowing how little control she had over the situation. Her melodic voice rang softly off the hard walls.

"I am not limited." Sesshoumaru said bluntly.

Deep dark eyes met his golden. "Then this is about revenge? Pride?"

"Justice."

Kagome shivered, knowing he believed his own words. Sesshoumaru's ego was a dangerous thing. "Is that why you chose tonight? To hurt us more?" She asked without thinking.

Sesshoumaru paused, remembering her curious responses earlier. "What is it that frightens you about new moons?"

Kagome froze, her heart suddenly jumping into overdrive. 'He doesn't know!' She realized. 'He's never found out about Inuyasha's night?'

"It's... dark," she said lamely. "I suppose it wouldn't bother you, but humans are vulnerable... when their enemies can see better than they can."

Her body gave her away. There was something she was hiding, but he could not imagine what. "Perhaps your species is wise to fear the dark," he said blankly.

Kagome sighed as she relaxed again. Sesshoumaru had finished with her wrist, and was already standing to leave. She scrambled up after him.

"Wait! You're going to do this again, aren't you?" She knitted her fingers together nervously as he looked impassively back at her.

"I will be back tomorrow night," he said simply.

"Tomorrow?" She repeated despondently.

"And the night after."

Kagome balked. Did he realize how hard it was to control herself? How painful it could be?

"Every night, till the moon is dark again."

Kagome slumped, looking sadly at the floor. A month of this torture. This loneliness. She bit her lip to keep from crying. "After that?" she asked meekly.

He smiled a slight cold smile. "We shall see."

She paled slightly. "Why are you doing this?" she whispered.

"Because I risk nothing. I stand only to gain."

He turned, leaving the girl alone again in the dark.

"How can you be like this?" she spoke to the empty room.

After leaving the miko, Sesshoumaru slipped off into the woods. It was dark, but he could easily see as he moved through the trees like an apparition. He had never really thought about it specifically, that humans' senses could be so poor. How did they even survive with such weakness? Reaching his destination, he stopped and stood patiently.

"I wondered if you would show yourself tonight, Sesshoumaru." The low old voice hummed as if it came from everywhere.

Sesshoumaru said nothing, staring straight ahead as a twisted face melted from the trunk of a very ancient tree.

"That you are here means that you must have found a healer." The face in the bark looked over the youkai with eyes that deceptively always looked half asleep. "Yes... there is a slight change in your blood tonight. I had hoped that you would abandon this course."

Sesshoumaru released an indignant scoff. "It was foolish of you to hide this method from me in the first place. Surely you must have realized, that I, Sesshoumaru, would discover it anyway?"

"I did not tell you of it for the same reason that your father did not give you a sword like Tetsusaiga," Bokusenou* replied. "Though I did know of the remedy you have discovered, I did not wish for you to use it. I would not have assisted you in interpreting the procedure, but for my fear that you cause more damage in your ignorance."

Sesshoumaru bristled slightly. "Do not presume to call me ignorant again."

Bokusenou gave a slight chuckle. "Of course not, Inu-no-taisho." He had never called Sesshoumaru by that title before, but both of them understood the subtle rebuke: you are not your father.

"And who is the healer you have found?" Bokusenou spoke with the immunity and casual lack of self-regard that only the ancient completely possess. "On whom have you decided to bestow the privilege of serving you?"

"A miko of some power," Sesshoumaru responded.

"Your brother's miko, you mean."

Sesshoumaru glared. "How can you know this?"

"Your ears are very good Sesshoumaru. But I have far more, even if you are not aware of them. The forest listens. It watches. I know whom you have taken."

Sesshoumaru glanced into the forest. Just how much could Bokusenou know? How far did his influence stretch? He disregarded the thought; it was unimportant.

"It is not your concern whom I have chosen."

"Ah, but you must see how strange your choice is," Bokusenou continued in his unhurried rhythmic voice. "To choose your brother's woman when there are many healers in this world."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed irritably. "The woman has great power, even if she cannot control it. I have not encountered one of more healing potential. Her blood will be stronger than that of some other half-rate healer.

"If that is not enough, this wound was inflicted by my half-brother. It is only fitting that he now pay the price for it. As for the girl, she has blame in this as well. The insult... the great Tetsusaiga, freed by the touch of filth like her. She has fought against me and helped that pathetic half-breed. She is my enemy. She deserves this pain."

Bokusenou sighed tiredly. "I feared this. You truly do not understand the path you are now walking."

"Have you kept more from me?" Sesshoumaru asked suspiciously.

"You misunderstand me. I have told you all that I know about this remedy, but you will soon discover things will not be as easy as you anticipate."

"What do you mean?"

"You have captured a pure creature, Sesshoumaru. The miko, as you yourself admit, is one of a very rare breed. It's abominable, to cage something of such innocence and beauty for your own vanity. She will suffer greatly, it may even kill her. How will you justify it when you consume that light?"

"I did not come here for a lecture," Sesshoumaru sneered.

"No, you came for reassurances," Bokusenou replied. "I will give you all that I can. From what I can sense in your body, your experiment is working. Does that comfort you?" Bokusenou's voice never lost its confidant, even tone.

Sesshoumaru's jaw tightened at the other's attitude. "You'll be seeing me again soon," he said, trying to ignore the insult.

"I'm certain of that." Bokusenou's face sank back into the wood. "Goodnight, Inu-no-taisho."

Sesshoumaru stalked off into the very dark night.



*Bokusenou: The tree Sesshoumaru consults concerning Inuyasha's demon blood. (Ep. 51, Manga Volume 19, Chapter 183) Author reserves right to use and abuse obscure secondary characters ; )

Author's notes:

I have a major love/hate relationship with this story. I planned it from the end backward, and getting where I want to go is a fairly rough road. Oh well. I'll keep writing as long as people keep reading it. For any who are interested, The Plan is about 10 chapters when all is said and done.

Is there/what is the pairing in this story? -Good question. Sadly, I don't really have a good answer for you. This is definately a story oriented almost exclusively around Sesshoumaru and Kagome, but I hesitate to call it a romance. Their relationship in this story is a little bit different, complicated by the fact that I'm trying really hard to keep Sesshoumaru in character.

What was Sesshoumaru doing when Kagome reacted last chapter?- He wasn't specifically trying to do any great harm to her, just feel her out. He got a little to close and Kagome felt threatened and lost control.

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This chapter last modified: Tuesday, September 9, 2003