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Chapter 4
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When I awoke it was mid morning, the sun a quarter of the way up in the sky. My suddenly conscious made questions run into my head. How long had I slept? Was it a sun? Two? A whole moon cycle? Where was I? Dead? No I can't be dead. I sat up. I was lying on a red robe and around my arms and legs were tiny bandages of soft elk skin.
My back leaned against a huge tree the offered cool shade. My feet were in a small stream, the cold water rushed over them. I shifted my weight and pulled my feet out of the water. I tried to stand, but my left ankle gave way and a sharp pain tingled up my leg as I feel back down into place.
"It's not broken," said a voice, "it's only a sprain." I turned and looked where the voice had come from. It came from above. I looked up, but the sun scared my eyes and I had to look away.
"Wh-h-o-o's th-h-ei-r?" I asked shaking. Before the voice could answer the sun disappeared behind a cloud. When it did I turned my head back up into the tree. My eyes opened wide. The same young man at the horse pen looked down at me from a high branch of the tree. He smiled at me from his lofty height.
The young man climbed down from the tree and came up in front of me; he placed his hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him, this was the first time I had gotten a good look at the young man.
He was built like a warrior, thick throughout the chest, with soft hands and eyes. His skin was tan and soft, almost covered with a layer of fur. His hair was silver, yet beneath his tresses laid a pair of dog ears.
My eyes grew wide, 'This is a demon!' I thought to myself. His golden eyes held me captive; I think he felt my sudden fear.
"Put your foot back in the water, it will stop the swelling." He commanded; I obeyed. He sat nest to me and took my free hand and held it with both his clawed hands.
"Who are you?" I asked, puzzled by his affections.
He didn't answer.
I tried again, "How did you find me?"
No reply.
I decided to take a different approach. "I can never thank you enough for saving my life."
He stood up and began to walk away.
I called after him, afraid he would leave me, "If you could take me back to the village, I'm sure my brother will commend you greatly. You could become one of the tribe. I mean... because you're an outsider...but... if your not... then..."
I stooped myself before I made any more of a fool of myself.
He stopped walking way but, still said nothing.
I sighed, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I mean, you are a demon and I'm a human... so it's just odd that..."
Nothing.
I sighed again, and looked away.
"My name is Inuyasha." He said quietly, turning towards me. I was shocked that he finally had spoken. "I'm Kagome. Thank you for saving my life." I said.
Inuyasha walked towards me and stood over me, I cowered back a little, but then he smiled. "I'm just glad you're safe. Here, let me take you back to your friends." He helped me up and carried me back through the forest. We were both silent for a long time. I felt so awkward, being in his arms, as a husband might carry a wife. I kept my face down, so that he would not see me blush.
Then he spoke, still staring strait ahead, "I want to let you know that I buried your horse, what was left of her..." Tears began to come to my eyes, as I remembered the attack.
"Thank you," I squeaked out, I tried to hide my tears from him. He must think of me as an immature child, who dared to trust the forest without a weapon. I watched as he stared at the trees ahead.
"What did you name your horse?" Inuyasha asked.
I thought it was an odd question to ask. "Dusty..." I said bleakly.
"Why did you name her that?" he asked. I felt suspicious, why was he asking me?
"Because she looked like the color of the sand. She was given to me by a youkai," I answered.
"You have met a demon?" he asked.
"Only once," I said, "when I was very young."
Inuyasha stopped. He looked down at me, his eyes were soft. He placed me back down on the ground, but still held on to me, keeping me balanced. I was lost again in his eyes.
He spoke with a dreamy voice, "She was sent to protect you. Do not be sad. She now runs among the clouds." A breeze began to blow. "She is in the wind. She will always be with you." I broke down again. My tears fell hot onto the ground. Inuyasha pulled me to his shoulder; a sign that I could cry on it. I did. I cried and cried and cried.
When I finally caught myself, I felt weak with dehydration. Inuyasha handed me a horn filled with water and I took a small sip. He rubbed my back. "Shh now, it's alright. You must be strong."
With gentle fingers, he turned my chin up and my face to his. With a gentle swipe of his clawed thumb he brushed my tears away.
I stared longingly into his face. My eyes passed over his face and down to his lips. Inuyasha moved his hand to the side of my neck. He leaned up and I moved closer, bringing my lips towards his. I could feel his breath enter my mouth. Our lips touched for only a brief second. I became aware that he had pulled away. The ears on the top of his head flicked and twisted, as if he heard something. Then the sounds came to my hearing...I heard a voice...
"Let her go demon!" Kikyou had arrived first, bow in hand; she aimed an arrow at Inuyasha.
I turned to see the rest of my cousins and friends approaching weapons in hand. Inuyasha looked a little surprised.
Before more arrived Inuyasha spoke quickly, "You're safe now," Then he turned and faced Kikyou, "take her back to the village and make sure she rests. Don't walk on your ankle, it needs to heal. You'll be fine soon."
Kikyou's face was twisted with disgust; she knew a demon stood before her. Her human blood boiled at the sight of him.
With a burst of speed, Inuyasha disappeared into the forest. I didn't even see him leave, nor did I get to say goodbye. Kikyou lowered her arrow. She had seen the kiss. She looked unhappy.
As the others arrived, questions and shouts filled the air. I was once again surrounded by my own people. "Come on Kagome! Let's go home, now."
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Chapter 4
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When I awoke it was mid morning, the sun a quarter of the way up in the sky. My suddenly conscious made questions run into my head. How long had I slept? Was it a sun? Two? A whole moon cycle? Where was I? Dead? No I can't be dead. I sat up. I was lying on a red robe and around my arms and legs were tiny bandages of soft elk skin.
My back leaned against a huge tree the offered cool shade. My feet were in a small stream, the cold water rushed over them. I shifted my weight and pulled my feet out of the water. I tried to stand, but my left ankle gave way and a sharp pain tingled up my leg as I feel back down into place.
"It's not broken," said a voice, "it's only a sprain." I turned and looked where the voice had come from. It came from above. I looked up, but the sun scared my eyes and I had to look away.
"Wh-h-o-o's th-h-ei-r?" I asked shaking. Before the voice could answer the sun disappeared behind a cloud. When it did I turned my head back up into the tree. My eyes opened wide. The same young man at the horse pen looked down at me from a high branch of the tree. He smiled at me from his lofty height.
The young man climbed down from the tree and came up in front of me; he placed his hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him, this was the first time I had gotten a good look at the young man.
He was built like a warrior, thick throughout the chest, with soft hands and eyes. His skin was tan and soft, almost covered with a layer of fur. His hair was silver, yet beneath his tresses laid a pair of dog ears.
My eyes grew wide, 'This is a demon!' I thought to myself. His golden eyes held me captive; I think he felt my sudden fear.
"Put your foot back in the water, it will stop the swelling." He commanded; I obeyed. He sat nest to me and took my free hand and held it with both his clawed hands.
"Who are you?" I asked, puzzled by his affections.
He didn't answer.
I tried again, "How did you find me?"
No reply.
I decided to take a different approach. "I can never thank you enough for saving my life."
He stood up and began to walk away.
I called after him, afraid he would leave me, "If you could take me back to the village, I'm sure my brother will commend you greatly. You could become one of the tribe. I mean... because you're an outsider...but... if your not... then..."
I stooped myself before I made any more of a fool of myself.
He stopped walking way but, still said nothing.
I sighed, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I mean, you are a demon and I'm a human... so it's just odd that..."
Nothing.
I sighed again, and looked away.
"My name is Inuyasha." He said quietly, turning towards me. I was shocked that he finally had spoken. "I'm Kagome. Thank you for saving my life." I said.
Inuyasha walked towards me and stood over me, I cowered back a little, but then he smiled. "I'm just glad you're safe. Here, let me take you back to your friends." He helped me up and carried me back through the forest. We were both silent for a long time. I felt so awkward, being in his arms, as a husband might carry a wife. I kept my face down, so that he would not see me blush.
Then he spoke, still staring strait ahead, "I want to let you know that I buried your horse, what was left of her..." Tears began to come to my eyes, as I remembered the attack.
"Thank you," I squeaked out, I tried to hide my tears from him. He must think of me as an immature child, who dared to trust the forest without a weapon. I watched as he stared at the trees ahead.
"What did you name your horse?" Inuyasha asked.
I thought it was an odd question to ask. "Dusty..." I said bleakly.
"Why did you name her that?" he asked. I felt suspicious, why was he asking me?
"Because she looked like the color of the sand. She was given to me by a youkai," I answered.
"You have met a demon?" he asked.
"Only once," I said, "when I was very young."
Inuyasha stopped. He looked down at me, his eyes were soft. He placed me back down on the ground, but still held on to me, keeping me balanced. I was lost again in his eyes.
He spoke with a dreamy voice, "She was sent to protect you. Do not be sad. She now runs among the clouds." A breeze began to blow. "She is in the wind. She will always be with you." I broke down again. My tears fell hot onto the ground. Inuyasha pulled me to his shoulder; a sign that I could cry on it. I did. I cried and cried and cried.
When I finally caught myself, I felt weak with dehydration. Inuyasha handed me a horn filled with water and I took a small sip. He rubbed my back. "Shh now, it's alright. You must be strong."
With gentle fingers, he turned my chin up and my face to his. With a gentle swipe of his clawed thumb he brushed my tears away.
I stared longingly into his face. My eyes passed over his face and down to his lips. Inuyasha moved his hand to the side of my neck. He leaned up and I moved closer, bringing my lips towards his. I could feel his breath enter my mouth. Our lips touched for only a brief second. I became aware that he had pulled away. The ears on the top of his head flicked and twisted, as if he heard something. Then the sounds came to my hearing...I heard a voice...
"Let her go demon!" Kikyou had arrived first, bow in hand; she aimed an arrow at Inuyasha.
I turned to see the rest of my cousins and friends approaching weapons in hand. Inuyasha looked a little surprised.
Before more arrived Inuyasha spoke quickly, "You're safe now," Then he turned and faced Kikyou, "take her back to the village and make sure she rests. Don't walk on your ankle, it needs to heal. You'll be fine soon."
Kikyou's face was twisted with disgust; she knew a demon stood before her. Her human blood boiled at the sight of him.
With a burst of speed, Inuyasha disappeared into the forest. I didn't even see him leave, nor did I get to say goodbye. Kikyou lowered her arrow. She had seen the kiss. She looked unhappy.
As the others arrived, questions and shouts filled the air. I was once again surrounded by my own people. "Come on Kagome! Let's go home, now."
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