Chapter 4:
In case any of you were wondering, I haven't miraculously gained possession of Inuyasha or any of the other characters. Damn. I was so hoping to have 'em by now.
Flashback:
Lord Sesshomaru of the western lands, Son of Dai the Cruel, held a dying little girl in his arms. The instance was unusual, but not unheard of. He'd killed many humans, children and adults alike. However, this child was different.
She was the one who'd taken care of him when he'd been wounded and left for dead by his commanding officer. Sesshomaru had later avenged himself, of course, and the man would never lead again, but without the weak child he held in his arms, none of that would be possible.
He almost smiled, remembering how he'd insulted her, and threatened her when she'd tried to help him. He'd refusing to take help from a human girl, not wanting to be seen as weak. But none of that had discouraged her, and now she was seriously injured. He had to repay his debt.
He'd taken her back to the castle and left her in the care of the maid/healer Hanii. However, he would never know why he'd saved her. He despised the wretched worms that called themselves humans. That would never change.
Present:
Sesshomaru raced home, holding the wounded warrior in his arms. She'd survived on horseback until the bandits had attacked her. She'd killed two of them and spurred on the horse, but the strain opened her self-doctored wound and about a mile away she'd passed out from blood loss.
That had been when he'd begun to carry her. All the time he was speeding towards the fief he wondered at the repetitive pattern of his saving human females. He wasn't the kind of man who believed that females couldn't take care of themselves; he'd seen too many instances that contradicted that mindset. It just seemed that he couldn't take the males who made their way in life so hard. (although on more than one occasion he'd been one of them)
He was at the manor when he spotted a girl in servant's garb, smelling of cleansers and the kitchens. "You, maid!" he called imperiously. "She is grievously wounded, and if she dies, it will be your head. And keep in mind that not once in my lifetime have I made an idle threat." He thrust the limp Sango into the girl's arms and sped back to his battalion, before the two-faced general could recognize that he'd been gone longer than he was due to be.
~ Kagome stared at the strange girl in dismay. She didn't know very much about healing, but it was her duty to obey the nobles in the household. Only a day ago she'd become a stand-in maid, after refusing Kouga again. His mother had been deadest against the match, telling him gently that he couldn't simply marry some waif off of the streets. He was a noble with a strong, proud lineage and she was street trash.
Kagome didn't tell her that she was in fact of noble blood, and of a house twice as grand as their own. She didn't tell them that she was an excellent archer and a devoted surrogate mother, and that she had survived "on the streets" for nearly a year, but hadn't lost any of her redeeming qualities, besides a little bit of weight.
She did tell them that she was a hard and honest worker, and that she was tired of wandering and would gladly accept a post in their household if they would provide for Shippo. She also told them that she was sorry to refuse Kouga (who was listening to the whole conversation, standing right next to his parents) but she would still like to stay at the manor.
Te Lord (encouraged by Miroku) readily decided that they didn't need to throw her back out to the mercy of the thieves and cutthroats. She found it amusing that they didn't think that she could take care of herself like she'd been doing for so long, but if it got her a bed, hot bath and a decent meal she wouldn't complain.
She also like what it meant for Shippo. Part of the deal of her servitude was that Shippo got to stay and be treated fairly, and she had no complaints in that area. He'd even found a friend, a little girl called Rin.
Kagome herself had found a friend, another servant by the name of Hanii. Hanii had found her looking lost when Kikyo, the Lady of the manor, had given her a long list of chores to accomplish. Kagome got the feeling that Lady Kikyo wanted to be rid of her as soon as possible.
But Hanii had helped her find the things that she needed and even shown her how to do a few of the things that Kagome didn't know how to do, like saddle a horse. Kagome had been a curious child, but never that curious. Kagome found Hanii's knack for healing amazing. Kagome knew that it was Hanii that she would ask to help her heal the injured woman.
Kagome had her upstairs by that time and was stripping the clothing off of her upper body, where the bleeding was. The woman was wearing a breastband, probably to keep her breasts out of the way while she was fighting.
It appeared as though she'd also had someone attend to her wound, although Kagome doubted that they'd known what they were doing. She removed the makeshift bandage and gently sponged off the blood with water and a gentle soap, to remedy infections.
That was where her knowledge stopped, however. She didn't know the best way to bandage the wound, or what salve to put on it. She left her lying on the bed, unconscious, and went to find her friend.
~ Inuyasha sat in his favorite tree, thinking. He'd never expected to see the girl again, but when he'd gotten home she was scrubbing his kitchen floor. She'd bathed and gotten newer, less torn clothes, but it was definitely the same girl. She'd smelled more content, and healthier than she had before, and none of that explained why she was washing his floor.
He'd been so surprised that he'd let the door slam, unlike his usual gentle closing so as not to alert his relations that he'd returned. She'd looked up, shocked, and he'd been struck by the way her hair glinted in the firelight when it was clean.
She'd smiled at him, and he'd been thrown off-balance. Her smile wasn't the usual seductive leer of the village girls trying to snag a rich noble to pluck them out of their impoverished state, or the cold duty-born smiles that he got so often at formal events. It was warm and welcoming, and it made him feel accepted for the first time in recent memory.
"Hi! I'm so glad to see you again; I wanted to thank you for the rolls that you gave to Shippo and me. I-we really appreciate you helping us out like that." Even her voice had been warm and accepting.
He was thrown off-balance for a second time, and decided he'd that this girl wasn't good for him. She kept catching him off guard, and that left chinks in his armor. Chinks that things could fly through and kill his carefully composed exterior. The last time he'd opened up to someone, he'd been hurt so badly he knew that he could never let anyone into his heart. And he would never be accepted into theirs.
"Feh. I only did it so you'd go away. Stupid wench, sittin' on my steps like you own the place, you and your little fox-thief. I threw you a few stale crumbs so you wouldn't come raid my kitchens." He known that he was lying, and he was pretty sure that she did also, but it would probably make her angry anyway.
He sighed; he'd only said that so that he wouldn't seem weak. The weak were always the first to die, something he'd been taught at a young age. It was the most valuable lesson that he'd ever learned from his mother.
He'd watched her face lose her warm, open quality and become more like the cold, hard mask that he'd grown so used to. He wondered why on her it had scared him, and also why he felt a twinge of sorrow. He had always pushed people away, it was what he'd done most of his life.
"Alright, if that's how you want to be. Although I'm not a wench, my name is Kagome, and if you ever insult my cousin like that again I will make you very sorry." She seemed to bite her cheek then, but he wasn't sure what he saw. "Have a good evening, m'lord." And with that she'd ducked her head and renewed her scrubbing with extra vigor.
Inuyasha had been shocked. M'lord? As in My Lord? She wasn't his servant, and she wasn't a peasant. She was just a wanderer, wasn't she? A homeless waif? He mulled over the puzzle in his mind.
But if she was a servant, that would explain how she'd gotten a hot bath and new clothes, and why she was cleaning his floor. They had been short- staffed lately, his step-mother had often complained to his father about their servants not finishing their tasks.
'Why, the other day, I had to bring in my own laundry from the line outside and make my own bed! You simply mustn't let them be so lazy, Dai dear.'
Inuyasha sighed. He hoped that she wasn't their new servant, that girl had a temper that he'd never before seen in a peasant girl. And the episode between them would cause friction. He sighed. Stupid bitch, why did she choose my home? And why does she care about what I call her, I'm sure she's used to it. Girls are so damned complicated.
~
Kagome blew a wisp of hair out of her face. She shouldn't have lost her temper like that, not with the son of her employers. Although she hadn't said half of what she'd wanted to, and he'd been so rude. In all honesty, she only mildly cared what he called her, but insulting Shippo was another thing. He didn't even know him, how dare he call him a thief! Shippo hadn't stolen anything since she'd found him, and before that he'd been starving, and still he only stole scraps and leftovers!
She took a deep, calming breath, the kind that her archery instructor had taught her. She was getting all worked up, and fighting with the family who had allowed her to stay, and take care of Shippo, was a bad idea. So instead, she reminded herself of all of the reasons that she had to be happy for what she had.
She had new clothes, and although the bosom was low-cut, something she suspected the monk of picking out on purpose, it was definitely much better than her old, tattered dress with the rips up the sides that revealed her legs and the missing chunk of cloth that had previously been directly above her breasts. It had been all she could do to keep them from hanging out of the garment and swinging freely in the breeze.
And she was clean now! They had hot springs on their land, and she'd been allowed soap to wash herself and Shippo with. She remembered walking into the grove, escorted by Kouga who had been very hard to convince that she could bathe unsupervised.
The wild beauty of it took her breath away, and it seemed to pulse with a fey magic. It was one of those rare, untouched places in the woodlands that would stay that way no matter what happened around it. She'd felt guilty disturbing the peace and bathing there, but her guilt had swirled away in eddies of the stream as she once again enveloped herself in the warm water. She sighed again, remembering the sheer and simple bliss of a bath. Even Shippo had enjoyed it, and he used to hate baths.
She smiled to herself, and even began to hum as she worked, her good mood fully restored. That was the position Miroku found her in, and he paused on his way out the door to admire her, with her pretty voice and dreamy smile. He sighed, and wished for a second time that Kouga hadn't claimed her for his mate. He would've liked to get to know her more intimately.
`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
OK, here's the thing. You people SUCK at reviewing. What do I have to do, wear a big sign that says "Please Review, and I Accept Flames"? God, people! REVIEW THE FUCKIN' STORY!
In case any of you were wondering, I haven't miraculously gained possession of Inuyasha or any of the other characters. Damn. I was so hoping to have 'em by now.
Flashback:
Lord Sesshomaru of the western lands, Son of Dai the Cruel, held a dying little girl in his arms. The instance was unusual, but not unheard of. He'd killed many humans, children and adults alike. However, this child was different.
She was the one who'd taken care of him when he'd been wounded and left for dead by his commanding officer. Sesshomaru had later avenged himself, of course, and the man would never lead again, but without the weak child he held in his arms, none of that would be possible.
He almost smiled, remembering how he'd insulted her, and threatened her when she'd tried to help him. He'd refusing to take help from a human girl, not wanting to be seen as weak. But none of that had discouraged her, and now she was seriously injured. He had to repay his debt.
He'd taken her back to the castle and left her in the care of the maid/healer Hanii. However, he would never know why he'd saved her. He despised the wretched worms that called themselves humans. That would never change.
Present:
Sesshomaru raced home, holding the wounded warrior in his arms. She'd survived on horseback until the bandits had attacked her. She'd killed two of them and spurred on the horse, but the strain opened her self-doctored wound and about a mile away she'd passed out from blood loss.
That had been when he'd begun to carry her. All the time he was speeding towards the fief he wondered at the repetitive pattern of his saving human females. He wasn't the kind of man who believed that females couldn't take care of themselves; he'd seen too many instances that contradicted that mindset. It just seemed that he couldn't take the males who made their way in life so hard. (although on more than one occasion he'd been one of them)
He was at the manor when he spotted a girl in servant's garb, smelling of cleansers and the kitchens. "You, maid!" he called imperiously. "She is grievously wounded, and if she dies, it will be your head. And keep in mind that not once in my lifetime have I made an idle threat." He thrust the limp Sango into the girl's arms and sped back to his battalion, before the two-faced general could recognize that he'd been gone longer than he was due to be.
~ Kagome stared at the strange girl in dismay. She didn't know very much about healing, but it was her duty to obey the nobles in the household. Only a day ago she'd become a stand-in maid, after refusing Kouga again. His mother had been deadest against the match, telling him gently that he couldn't simply marry some waif off of the streets. He was a noble with a strong, proud lineage and she was street trash.
Kagome didn't tell her that she was in fact of noble blood, and of a house twice as grand as their own. She didn't tell them that she was an excellent archer and a devoted surrogate mother, and that she had survived "on the streets" for nearly a year, but hadn't lost any of her redeeming qualities, besides a little bit of weight.
She did tell them that she was a hard and honest worker, and that she was tired of wandering and would gladly accept a post in their household if they would provide for Shippo. She also told them that she was sorry to refuse Kouga (who was listening to the whole conversation, standing right next to his parents) but she would still like to stay at the manor.
Te Lord (encouraged by Miroku) readily decided that they didn't need to throw her back out to the mercy of the thieves and cutthroats. She found it amusing that they didn't think that she could take care of herself like she'd been doing for so long, but if it got her a bed, hot bath and a decent meal she wouldn't complain.
She also like what it meant for Shippo. Part of the deal of her servitude was that Shippo got to stay and be treated fairly, and she had no complaints in that area. He'd even found a friend, a little girl called Rin.
Kagome herself had found a friend, another servant by the name of Hanii. Hanii had found her looking lost when Kikyo, the Lady of the manor, had given her a long list of chores to accomplish. Kagome got the feeling that Lady Kikyo wanted to be rid of her as soon as possible.
But Hanii had helped her find the things that she needed and even shown her how to do a few of the things that Kagome didn't know how to do, like saddle a horse. Kagome had been a curious child, but never that curious. Kagome found Hanii's knack for healing amazing. Kagome knew that it was Hanii that she would ask to help her heal the injured woman.
Kagome had her upstairs by that time and was stripping the clothing off of her upper body, where the bleeding was. The woman was wearing a breastband, probably to keep her breasts out of the way while she was fighting.
It appeared as though she'd also had someone attend to her wound, although Kagome doubted that they'd known what they were doing. She removed the makeshift bandage and gently sponged off the blood with water and a gentle soap, to remedy infections.
That was where her knowledge stopped, however. She didn't know the best way to bandage the wound, or what salve to put on it. She left her lying on the bed, unconscious, and went to find her friend.
~ Inuyasha sat in his favorite tree, thinking. He'd never expected to see the girl again, but when he'd gotten home she was scrubbing his kitchen floor. She'd bathed and gotten newer, less torn clothes, but it was definitely the same girl. She'd smelled more content, and healthier than she had before, and none of that explained why she was washing his floor.
He'd been so surprised that he'd let the door slam, unlike his usual gentle closing so as not to alert his relations that he'd returned. She'd looked up, shocked, and he'd been struck by the way her hair glinted in the firelight when it was clean.
She'd smiled at him, and he'd been thrown off-balance. Her smile wasn't the usual seductive leer of the village girls trying to snag a rich noble to pluck them out of their impoverished state, or the cold duty-born smiles that he got so often at formal events. It was warm and welcoming, and it made him feel accepted for the first time in recent memory.
"Hi! I'm so glad to see you again; I wanted to thank you for the rolls that you gave to Shippo and me. I-we really appreciate you helping us out like that." Even her voice had been warm and accepting.
He was thrown off-balance for a second time, and decided he'd that this girl wasn't good for him. She kept catching him off guard, and that left chinks in his armor. Chinks that things could fly through and kill his carefully composed exterior. The last time he'd opened up to someone, he'd been hurt so badly he knew that he could never let anyone into his heart. And he would never be accepted into theirs.
"Feh. I only did it so you'd go away. Stupid wench, sittin' on my steps like you own the place, you and your little fox-thief. I threw you a few stale crumbs so you wouldn't come raid my kitchens." He known that he was lying, and he was pretty sure that she did also, but it would probably make her angry anyway.
He sighed; he'd only said that so that he wouldn't seem weak. The weak were always the first to die, something he'd been taught at a young age. It was the most valuable lesson that he'd ever learned from his mother.
He'd watched her face lose her warm, open quality and become more like the cold, hard mask that he'd grown so used to. He wondered why on her it had scared him, and also why he felt a twinge of sorrow. He had always pushed people away, it was what he'd done most of his life.
"Alright, if that's how you want to be. Although I'm not a wench, my name is Kagome, and if you ever insult my cousin like that again I will make you very sorry." She seemed to bite her cheek then, but he wasn't sure what he saw. "Have a good evening, m'lord." And with that she'd ducked her head and renewed her scrubbing with extra vigor.
Inuyasha had been shocked. M'lord? As in My Lord? She wasn't his servant, and she wasn't a peasant. She was just a wanderer, wasn't she? A homeless waif? He mulled over the puzzle in his mind.
But if she was a servant, that would explain how she'd gotten a hot bath and new clothes, and why she was cleaning his floor. They had been short- staffed lately, his step-mother had often complained to his father about their servants not finishing their tasks.
'Why, the other day, I had to bring in my own laundry from the line outside and make my own bed! You simply mustn't let them be so lazy, Dai dear.'
Inuyasha sighed. He hoped that she wasn't their new servant, that girl had a temper that he'd never before seen in a peasant girl. And the episode between them would cause friction. He sighed. Stupid bitch, why did she choose my home? And why does she care about what I call her, I'm sure she's used to it. Girls are so damned complicated.
~
Kagome blew a wisp of hair out of her face. She shouldn't have lost her temper like that, not with the son of her employers. Although she hadn't said half of what she'd wanted to, and he'd been so rude. In all honesty, she only mildly cared what he called her, but insulting Shippo was another thing. He didn't even know him, how dare he call him a thief! Shippo hadn't stolen anything since she'd found him, and before that he'd been starving, and still he only stole scraps and leftovers!
She took a deep, calming breath, the kind that her archery instructor had taught her. She was getting all worked up, and fighting with the family who had allowed her to stay, and take care of Shippo, was a bad idea. So instead, she reminded herself of all of the reasons that she had to be happy for what she had.
She had new clothes, and although the bosom was low-cut, something she suspected the monk of picking out on purpose, it was definitely much better than her old, tattered dress with the rips up the sides that revealed her legs and the missing chunk of cloth that had previously been directly above her breasts. It had been all she could do to keep them from hanging out of the garment and swinging freely in the breeze.
And she was clean now! They had hot springs on their land, and she'd been allowed soap to wash herself and Shippo with. She remembered walking into the grove, escorted by Kouga who had been very hard to convince that she could bathe unsupervised.
The wild beauty of it took her breath away, and it seemed to pulse with a fey magic. It was one of those rare, untouched places in the woodlands that would stay that way no matter what happened around it. She'd felt guilty disturbing the peace and bathing there, but her guilt had swirled away in eddies of the stream as she once again enveloped herself in the warm water. She sighed again, remembering the sheer and simple bliss of a bath. Even Shippo had enjoyed it, and he used to hate baths.
She smiled to herself, and even began to hum as she worked, her good mood fully restored. That was the position Miroku found her in, and he paused on his way out the door to admire her, with her pretty voice and dreamy smile. He sighed, and wished for a second time that Kouga hadn't claimed her for his mate. He would've liked to get to know her more intimately.
`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
OK, here's the thing. You people SUCK at reviewing. What do I have to do, wear a big sign that says "Please Review, and I Accept Flames"? God, people! REVIEW THE FUCKIN' STORY!