In The Bleak Midwinter

Disclaimer ~ Everything's getting hazy… I… can't go on… I… I own Inuyasha… ::conveniently faints::

A/N ~ Normally I think people who have more than one story going at a time are crazy. Unfortunately, I now fall under that category. Luckily, this should be a short, sweet, and slightly melancholy fic, so not to worry. It isn't my finest writing, but I simply have to put it out while the mood is there. ^_^

Chapter One- December's Arrival

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A small woman huddled low on her horse, pushing through the howling blizzard that surrounded her. Though bundled against the miserable conditions, her petite form was still obvious. Against the massive height of the stallion beneath her, she seemed fragile and childlike. Beside her, a vaguely dog-shaped form trotted steadfastly along. Her coat was so completely coated by the snow that the color and texture was obliterated. The indefinite line of her fur caused her to blend into the white background, becoming no more than a ghost.

Kagome ran a hand down the glossy, frosted mane of her horse. "Ah, Roanoke, what a miserable day to be out." The stallion whinnied, shaking his chestnut head restlessly. Beside her, the pale shape of her steadfast companion loped, oblivious to the cold. Kagome was incredibly thankful for her fur trimmed, goose-feather coat and heavy woven leggings. Without them, she'd be half-frozen.

She snuggled deeper into her downy coat. It was utterly ridiculous go out into this weather, but it was unavoidable. There were not enough provisions to last through any real storm, and this was turning into one of the worst ones she had seen in years. Squinting against the flying snow, she quickly re-checked the straps on precious packages tied behind her. There were wild wolves about, and the times looked like they were getting lean. If she should have to urge Roanoke into a run, she certainly didn't want to lose those bundles.

As the tiny group continued to trek through the curtain of white, she shivered. Thoughts of dancing flames spurred her on, and her aching flesh sent complaints screaming through her head. Urging Roanoke onward with a click of her tongue, she shuddered again. 'Where did this sudden blizzard spring from? It's never snowed so strongly this early into the season…' Underneath her, the stallion forged stubbornly onward, proudly ignoring the howling wind. She glanced down at the vague form trotting beside her.

"Dyna, it's damn cold out here. The wolves might just be out looking for a spot of fresh meat before the brunt of this storm hits." Dyna turned her startling blue eyes towards her mistress, regarding her with remarkable intelligence. Kagome grinned down at her wraithlike figure. "Think you can scout out the area for us? Give a yelp and a howl if you find anything interesting."

A great pink tongue lolled out, and Dyna seemed to grin up at her. Turning, she loped into the surrounding whiteness, merging with the surroundings so that she disappeared within seconds. Kagome gazed ahead, visions of a warm fire rousing a longing sigh. The journey to the village was half a days trip both ways in this thick snow, and she had been in the saddle for six hours straight. Her bottom was numb from jouncing in the cold, hard leather saddle for so long. Shaking off the numbness, she considered what fir tree she would cut for the Winter Solstice.

'There is the smaller one by the old cedar, but it's a bit scraggly. I really wish I could take the one by the pond, but without someone else who can help me to pull into the house, it just isn't feasible…' Suppressing a sigh, Kagome began to chatter away to Roanoke. "What do you think, darling? Do I struggle with the gorgeous monstrosity down by the duck's nesting ground, or do I settle for the usual shabby bush?"

Roanoke snorted, and pinned his mistress with a critical, unsympathetic stare. Huffing, she leaned back in the saddle, and lifted her nose. "Fine! You just be grumpy. I simply happen to have some holiday spirit, unlike some people I know!" Roanoke whinnied, and it sounded suspiciously like a snicker. Kagome narrowed her eyes and pouted. Pulling her scarf over her face sullenly, she settled in for the rest of the long ride, keeping her decorative impulses to herself.

~~~

One foot in front of the other. One step… Another. Vision blurring, the man stumbled on. He caught himself against a tree, a bloody hand raised against the shrieking snowstorm that surrounded him. His golden eyes blinked as snowflakes found their way past his long lashes. Behind him, a trail of blood led towards the site of his ambush and subsequent victory. But victory had a cost, and he had paid dearly. All that blood came from him, and he was fading fast.

'I'm going into shock from blood loss and this damn infernal cold .Those guys didn't look like the types to clean their blades much, either. And just my goddamn luck to be wandering around in this god-forsaken forest.' A few more staggering, drunken steps, and he collapsed against a huge tree, sliding down it. His features twisted into a grimace of agony as pain lanced through his chest, but then the seeping cold began to take hold again, and numbness took him away. Sighing, he turned blurred eyes outward, gazing at the serene beauty of the landscape, scoured by wild winds and fat snowflakes.

It slid through his mind that this snowy landscape was the most beautiful he had ever seen. Drifting in and out of a fog of lassitude, he rested his head against the tree. He would sit for a moment, and rest. Just one moment, then he would drag his sorry carcass up again.

'Keep telling yourself that, and you just might believe it…'

Then a strange movement caught his eye. As he began to slip into the welcoming darkness, he thought he spied a great white dog, wavering in and out of existence in the steady snowfall. It reminded him of all those winters so long ago, back at his faraway home. Home…

Unbidden, scattered memories made their way across his mind, and he struggled to return to awareness. The ghostly figure moved closer, and a bizarre double image appeared. There stood the mysterious ghost-dog, and there also stood his older brother. His breath hitched in his throat, and a soft moan made its way out of his numb body. The vision of his brother granted him with a brief, brilliant smile of pride, then faded into the snow again.

Without realizing it, he had almost risen from his resting spot. But with the disappearance of the illusion, his remaining strength had slipped away as well. 'Aw hell. Like Sesshomaru would ever look at me like that. Still, it's a nice way to die… imagining…' His eyes glided closed, and an almost wistful smile lit his features.

~~~

Kagome moved with Roanoke's steady walk, musing about this and that. It felt good to take a break from the continuous daily drag of caring for the farm to contemplate how she was going to relax. Just thinking about being snowed-in brought the old thrill of excitement back. Not that she had many visitors anyways, but it was wonderful to at least have the illusion of being cut off from the world.

The packages behind her were filled with various food items, some from exotic locales. Kagome produced most of what she ate herself, but sometimes it was necessary to venture into the nearby town for supplies. She'd even slipped in a few presents, indulging by buying some gorgeous embroidered linen. The old oaken table at home was covered by a pink cloth, worn, tattered, and stained from its many years of use, and she'd been eyeing the fine cloth for ages now. Plans for preparations against the frightening strength of the storm mixed with dreams of a bedecked tree filled her mind.

Her thoughts of home passed the time pleasantly until she was startled by a distant yip from Dyna. Immediately Kagome snapped to attention, drawing an arrow taut in her bow in a period of mere seconds. A sharp click of her tongue signaled Roanoke into battle readiness, his ears perked and alert to every sound. He picked his way carefully, dancing across the snow, avoiding the deeper drifts. Remaining half-standing in the saddle, she whistled long and loud for Dyna, anxiously reaching out with her senses.

An answering howl broke through the incessant moan of the wind. Another sharp click and Roanoke had shifted in the direction of the howl, following it until it drifted off. They continued in this manner, cautiously following the insistent calls of the dog. Kagome continued to maintain her ready stance, but eased her pressure on the bow. Whatever Dyna had found, it wasn't an immediate threat, or else she would be leading the menace away, not directing Kagome to it.

A large tree slowly emerged from the wall of white. Dyna's large frame stood beside it, her nose nudging impatiently at a lump beneath it's massive trunk. Kagome narrowed her eyes against the punishing wind, trying to discern what lay beneath the cover of snow. Giving a nudge of her knees and a short trill, Kagome ordered Roanoke to stand at the ready. He immediately stood tall and still, tensed to receive his mistress should she need to flee quickly. Sliding out of the saddle, she warily approached the suspicious drift, holding her bow at the ready.

Squatting beside the lump, she reached out a cautious hand and began to brush away the newly fallen snow. Dyna a whined insistently, and Kagome sent a glance towards her. The large dog wavered in and out of sight, the only constant part of her shifting form was her great blue eyes and her black nose. Turning her attention again to the contemplation of the lump, she leaned her bow against the tree and began to brush away snow with both gloved hands.

The snow fell away quickly; whatever was hidden underneath could only have been here for a brief while. Her leather-swathed hand brushed against something smooth and soft. Leaning in, she brushed away more of the obscuring snow. Her gray eyes widened and a startled gasp flew from her lips when she finally gazed upon the uncovered object.

It was the face of a man, eyes closed as though in dreamless slumber. Kagome's heart fluttered wildly. Was he dead? His face still held color, though his lips had taken on a blue tint. Placing a trembling hand against his neck, she felt for a pulse. It fluttered beneath her gentle fingers like the slow pounding of drums. There were long breaks between each pulsation, and they were faint, but nonetheless his heart still beat.

After a moment of startled wonder, she issued a quick series of clicks and trills. Roanoke immediately trotted to her side, and lowered himself gingerly to his knees. Tying her bow loosely, Kagome turned to the man. It was essential that she get him back to the house and warm. He may still be alive, but much more time spent out in the weather could lead to frostbite or worse.

Brushing as much of the snow as she could from his still form, Kagome's busy hands still when she found a long, bloody rent in his clothing. The gore-covered sword and scabbard at his side proclaimed that his attackers had paid dearly for the injury. But the life was draining from him, as shown by the blood standing in stark contrast to the white purity of the snow. He must have fallen unconscious after stumbling away from the scene of the battle. Roanoke shivered in the cold, but his training kept him stationary, awaiting his mistresses signal.

Kagome worried at her lip with sharp white teeth. Was it wise to bring this known killer into her home? How could she be certain that if he awoke he would not do the same to her? That second ended when Dyna nudged at her hand with her could nose. Her eyes narrowed as she judged the man, then reached a swift decision. 'If Dyna feels he is no threat, I trust her.'

That decided, she grabbed the bloody sword and attached it behind the packages. Pulling a tightly-wrapped bundle out, Kagome ripped it open. It was the fine white linen; the present to herself. With no concern for the delicate cloth, she ripped it into long strips. Quickly unbuttoning the man's coat, she slipped it off his shoulders. Leaning into him to offer some extra warmth, she bound his wounds tightly, briefly staunching the flow of blood. Buttoning him up again just as quickly, she pulled his arm over her shoulder. Setting him on Roanoke's unflinching back, she mounted behind him.

Kagome sent a glance over her shoulder. Eyes narrowing, she considered. Her house lay only an hour away and the battle could not have been far from here. The wolves would be gathering there. Another reason to put as much distance as possible between herself and this place. The snow should obscure all sign of her passage, but she would have to be on the alert for unwanted visitors, both human and animal. 'So much for my dreams of a nice, happy holiday…'

She glanced ruefully at the slumbering man's face. He was handsome and relatively young, and there was an autocratic and exotic tilt to his eyes and cheekbones. It had always been her motto that sometimes you have to take risks for others, and Kagome honestly couldn't think of a bigger one. She had people relying on her, and here she was, taking this dangerous man into her home…

Shaking off her thoughts, she turned her mind to the present. The only goal she had now was getting this man well. She would just have to take it from there.

A heel to Roanoke's side sent to him to his feet, and a tug on the reins turned him in the direction of home. Dyna trotted anxiously at her side, studying the stranger that Kagome had pulled close to her for warmth. Her nearly inaudible whines hovered in the air, sending a shiver up Kagome's spine.

Speed being of the essence, she urged Roanoke onward. This strange convoy moved out quickly and quietly. They vanished into the swirling snow; all that remained of their passage here was the scarlet stains that marred the perfect white. These brutal reminders of death were quickly obscured as the howling storm covered them with a forgiving layer of snow.

A/N ~ This first chapter does not live up to my standards. Sorry! But fear not, the quality will improve.