Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, only a few volumes of the manga. He's just fun to abuse!
Curse of the Gypsy
Chapter 2
The camp was awake and moving now. Everyone was doing their jobs, like every morning when they were set to move camp. It was quiet, until the two children came running from the hot springs with no girl behind them. Shippou, the one who always did the talking, was yelling for Sango and Miroku. Rin, the silent one, went to fetch them rather then watch Shippou scream himself hoarse.
Sango came first once she heard Shippou's calls, then a sleepy Miroku emerged from his tent, rubbing his knuckles into wide violet eyes and yawning loudly. Rin raced up to him, grabbing his arm and leading him behind her toward Shippou and Sango. The small fox demon tried to explain everything that was going on in the space of a few breaths.
"We were down at the springs and Rin and I were playing and then we saw this guy laying on rocks and he was bleeding and we called Kagome and she came and she told us to get you with a blanket!" Shippou paused to pant heavily. "And Yumi has to ready a sickbed.
Yumi, who had been listening nearby, didn't need any words. She only rushed off to clear her own tent for a sickbed. Then she went to get the medical supplies and their clan healer, Kaede.
"You understand any of that?" Miroku asked Sango. Rin rolled her eyes and scampered off only to return moments later with a blanket and began leading them away.
"Kagome found another stray," Sango said with a little smile. "Come on." All four of them hurried down to the springs to where Kagome was standing beside a rock formation, scarcely clad, nursing a wounded boy. "Kagome!" Sango called when she saw the girl. Her eyes widened at the picture it made. Kagome must have been freezing! "What happened?"
And then Kagome barked a few orders in a blur of seconds and movements. The two children disappeared to the other side of the spring and then ran back to the village. Miroku and Sango followed what Kagome said as they eased the wounded stranger on to their make-shift stretcher and got him back to the camp as fast as they could. Yumi met them halfway, leading them to the proper tent. Miroku and Sango laid the boy down on the padded ground, then backed away to let the healer to her job.
Yumi and Kaede were heading to the tent just as the two teenagers exited. Kaede was an elderly woman who walked with a hunch. Her full head of gray hair was held back in a bun behind her head. She had but one eye, but the good one was dark and large, set into a wrinkled and wise face. Despite her years, Kaede was a woman not to be taken lightly. "Give her a minute, she's evaluating the damage," Sango said before heading to the fire. Miroku followed after, looking sadly on the tear that had occurred on his vest when he was snagged on a branch near the springs.
"What exactly is happening?" Kaede asked them.
"There was a boy down by the springs. He looks pretty beat up, and he was shot with an arrow. You know Kagome, can't resist helping those in need," Sango said with a shake of her head.
Kaede nodded to herself. "Yes, I'll get a few things from my cart. Yumi dear, come with me."
"Yes Kaede," Yumi agreed, following the old healer back to her cart for some herbal remedies. Miroku and Sango sat down at the fireside, warming themselves as steaming cups of herbal tea were placed in their hands by Mushin--Miroku's guardian--and Kagome's grandfather. There was a funny thing about that man, no one knew his real name. Everyone just called him Grandpa. A young man a year or two older then the others deposited himself in the seat next to Miroku.
"What's going on?" he asked in a hushed tone. They knew the drill. Information and rumors were not to be spread through the clan until they were address by their leader, or in the case of their clan--Kagome.
"Kagome found a wounded boy in the forest, so she brought him home," Miroku said with a shrug. "You know Kagome."
"Yes I do," the other said with a smirk. His blue eyes shined with amusement as he looked to the tent that housed the girl that was on the lips of every clans member.
Kagome leaned over the fallen boy with the eye of a healer. He was bruised in several places, evidence of either a fight or a beating. But it was the arrow that was the cause of problems. It had most likely hit an artery because of all the blood lost. His color was pale and his shirt was soaked. Kagome leaned over him, her breath as ragged as his own. The wounded boy's eyes fluttered open, and unfocused amber eyes looked up at her again.
"Hello," Kagome said quietly, running a cool hand over his forehead to check for fever. She was right, blood loss in this cold had made his body react badly. He was burning up. She brushed the thick silver hair from his face in a comforting gesture. "I'm Kagome," she continued, hoping her voice could sooth him and keep him conscious. "You were shot, and you've lost a lot of blood. I'm going to have to take the arrow out. This will hurt, but I need you to stay with me, ok?"
She took the soft sound her made in the back of his throat as a 'yes'. "Just listen to my voice," she continued. Kagome reached to the ragged hem of her slip and tore off another strip of cloth. This one she wrapped around her own hand as she grasped the arrow's shaft. First, she snapped the shaft in half, discarding the top. Then she held down his shoulder and firmly took hold of the other end of the arrow. "Just stay awake and listen to me." Kagome, running out of things to say, especially since she didn't know his name, she used the trick she had whenever a child was sick. She began to sing. It was true that Kagome was not a singer. The other young girls of the clan were far more talented in that area then she was, but she did it to calm. That was the important thing.
She sang softly the words to an old gypsy love song, one of her favorites. Tales and songs were as dear to her people as their blood. This song was a sad lament by a young girl who mourned the death of her beloved, a song that spoke that of love that would never fade, would never be questioned. The unfailing love that the gypsies were famous for. Kagome felt her charge relax with her voice, and when she reached the middle of the song, she pulled out the arrow.
The boy let out a soundless cry, his back arching in pain. One arm gripped the ground fiercely, the other slashed out at the thing causing the pain. Kagome grabbed the hand in her own, squeezing it to let him know it was over. She continued her song, despite the claws that were biting into the flesh on her wrist. Fresh blood flowed from the wound.
The flap of the tent opened and two figures entered. Kaede, the old healing woman who had taught Kagome much of what she knew of the craft, sat by her side. Yumi, Kagome's mother, carried a large basket of healing herbs and curing supplies which is set down next to the other two women, She sat near the door, ready to fetch anything they needed.
"Mother, please fetch me the cauterizing iron, and heat it in the fire," Kagome said, still holding on to the offending hand. Blood ran down her arm, but she didn't seem to notice. Yumi nodded and left. Kagome turned to Kaede. "He has a fever from the blood loss. The arrow hit an artery I think. I removed it so we'll need to stick and burn it shut." Kaede nodded and rummaged through her basket.
From it, she drew forth a jar of green liquid with a cork stopper. She unplugged it, making the tent fill with the pungent odor of herbs and spices. "For the fever," the old woman said, placing the jar beside her. She then pulled out a poltice of dried herbs. "For the wound." Then she took out two rolls of bandages and a bottle of water. The old woman set about mixing the herbs in the packet into the water, forming a jelly-like substance to spread over the injury.
Kagome, by this time, had let go of his hand and set about removing his clothing from the wound. One can never be bashful or too mindful of modesty when another's life is in danger. She balled up the blood shirt and cast it aside, grabbing a roll of bandages and unraveling enough to add pressure to the wound. She was able to slow the blood flow. Yumi returned with a red-hot iron in hand. Kagome looked to the boy, but saw that he had already slipped into unconsciousness, there would be no pain. She pressed the iron to his flesh and clenched her teeth against the sizzling sound and the smell of burning skin. Then she removed the iron and looked at the wound. It had stopped bleeding.
Kaede had finished mix potion and she covered the wound with the strong smelling substance. Kagome waited until she was done, then wrapped the wound up tight. Together, they worked out the proportions for the medicine that he would need to drink for the fever. Kagome held his head in her lap as Kaede dripped the liquid down his throat. He coughed up more of it then he drank, but it was enough to begin the healing.
Tired and bloody, Kagome left Kaede to the clean up and went outside the tent. The worried faces of the clan greeted her. Kagome smiled a weary smile and walked to the fire. Sango met her halfway, wrapping a blanket securely around her bare shoulders. The warmth was good on Kagome's long-numb skin. She rested by the fire and looked to her clan again.
"I'm sorry if I worried you," she began. "I went to the springs, and found an injured young man. With Sango and Miroku's help, I was able to bring him back here for care. With time, he should recover. I would like you all to know that he is not a human, but a hanyou, a half-demon." There were a few mutters, but no one spoke out against him. There were demons in the clan. No one judged another. "We should all treat him with care while he is with us. If he decides to stay, so be it. If not, so be it. But because of this unexpected incident, I will delay our departure until tomorrow. Camp will remain here until dawn tomorrow. By then he should be awake and we could move him."
The clan nodded, all agreeing with the decision. "Please go about your business, we should proceed as if nothing has changed," Kagome finished.
With that final word, the clan dispersed, going about their chores. Miroku and Sango lingered near Kagome as she stared into the fire. Sango noticed blood soaking through the blanket and drew out Kagome's wrist. "You're bleeding," she said with a narrowing of her eyes.
"He was delirious when I pulled out the arrow. I'll live."
"I should clean you up," Sango said, looking closer at the four small puncture wounds on Kagome's arm. But the gypsy girl pulled away and got to her feet.
"I'll be alright. You should go back to work too." Then Kagome walked back to her tent slowly, where the two children she cared for would be waiting. Shippou and Rin were waiting, and Shippou flung questions at her quickly. She answered her best, then sent them away so she could dress. Once they were gone, Kagome sunk to her knees and dropped the blanket, looking at her wrist. She ran fingers over the still-bleeding wounds, then brought two stained fingers to her lips.
"Kagome!" Shippou announced his return. "Kaede wants you!" Kagome jumped, jerking the blood from her lips and looked at the small demon. She smiled and nodded, then he departed.
Kagome got up and dressed slowly. In truth, she had barely felt when the hanyou boy had cut her. She didn't even realize she was bleeding so badly. It was sobering. She looked at the injuries of others like she was the injured one, and yet when she was injured, she was distanced from it. But the blood on her tongue was only proof that she was still human. It was not yet the time of the Curse.
Kagome entered the sickbed tent with her usual smile. She looked to Kaede for the reason of her summons. "Your charge," the old woman said. "He's awake."
"So soon?" Kagome asked, pushing back a lock of ebony hair as she kneeled at his side.
"Well he is half of a demon," Kaede reminded. "I'll fetch some food." Then she disappeared. Kagome looked to the young man. He watched her with dazed, but focused, gold eyes. Kagome smiled sweetly at him and leaned in a little closer.
"Hello," she said. "I'm Kagome."
"I know," he said in a rasping voice. There was not a trace of emotion on his face, but confusion and fear and suspicion flashed in his eyes. "I heard you talking before."
Kagome nodded, still smiling. "I wasn't sure if you could hear me. How are you feeling?"
"Like I was shot," he said irritably, turning his head slightly away.
"Well, that's because you were shot. And if my eyes deceived me, I'd say the arrow that I pulled out of your chest was a Shrine Arrow." His eyes flew to her face. Her expression hadn't changed. "Or maybe I was mistaken. I have a monk and his apprentice right outside that I could ask for confirmation."
"It was a Shrine Arrow," the boy conceded with distrust in his eyes.
"And why would a priest or priestess shoot you?" Kagome inquired, settling herself beside him.
"I'm a thief," he muttered lightly, waiting for her response. Kagome raised an eyebrow, but didn't scream or scowl or call for help.
"Well then, you shouldn't steal. You'll get caught once in a while, and I won't always be able to fish you out of the springs," she said good naturedly. "What's your name?" It was a simple enough question. Why was he hesitant to give it to her?
"Inuyasha," he said, still mistrustful.
"Inuyasha," Kagome said with a bow of her head. "Welcome to our camp."
"Camp?"
"Yes. You find yourself in the camp of the Higurashi Clan." He looked questioningly. "We're gypsies." Then he scowled.
"Gypsies are low-born. Clans of con-men and charlatans." For the first time, Kagome's brow knit together and she frowned.
"We are nothing of the kind. You should speak kinder of those who save your life." She worked in shaming him, Inuyasha no longer met her eyes. "We are performers. Those of the Gifted. We may be outcasts, but we are proud."
Inuyasha snorted. "Proud of what? A life of trickery?"
"Is that different from a life of thievery?" she retorted. They made eye contact and a heated spark passed between them. Kagome then sighed and got to her feet. "Kaede will return with some food for you. Then you should rest. I have chores to attend to. We leave at first light tomorrow, so you should get all the rest you need."
"But I won't be healed by tomorrow," he protested. Inuyasha tried to sit up, but pain forced him to stay down. "You can't leave me here!"
"Then come with us," she challenged. "Our clan is famous for taking in those with no where to go."
"I wouldn't stay," he cautioned.
"Then stay as long as you can," she said, smiling again. He was struck this time by just how pretty she was. And just how young she was, despite the age in her voice and the shadows in her dark blue eyes. "Sleep well Inuyasha," she said, her mouth quirking in a half-smile that made her all the prettier. Then she turned to leave. But not before Inuyasha caught a glimpse of her vest. The embroidered crest was habit among the Gypsy people. What was not common, was the Jewel that was part of that crest. His amber eyes widened and his mind froze. 'The Shikon Jewel!' he thought with a smirk. 'Maybe I'll hang around these gypsies after all. If they're all like this girl, maybe I can con some more information for the chief.'
A/N: Okay, Chapter 2 is ripe with loose ends that will be tied as I go. I hope you like it! Remember to review! A few thanks to give, and then I'll be off.
Queen of Hearts747: Well, here you go, some of what happened to Kag and the others, lol. I'll be going into their pasts a lot more in Chapter 3. Thanks for reading, and please read again!
Jo-flo: I'm charmed that you like my plot. I thought it was cool. I'm of gypsy heritage myself. I'm half Irish and half Romanian. My mother is a Rom, a modern-day gypsy. The curse won't be fully revealed for a few chapters, so if you read more then you'll see what it implies. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
JC: Thanks for reading! Glad you like it. Thanks for the review too, and keep reading!
Princess Sapphire: Yup, this is my first one. Although I do have another one out. It's called A Fighter's Story. But this is my first to try free-handed. Thanks for the support! Here is more for you. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Lilacks: Thanks for the compliment. For reading, I give you a flower! *gives you a lilac* Here is the second chapter for you. Thanks for the review!
Curse of the Gypsy
Chapter 2
The camp was awake and moving now. Everyone was doing their jobs, like every morning when they were set to move camp. It was quiet, until the two children came running from the hot springs with no girl behind them. Shippou, the one who always did the talking, was yelling for Sango and Miroku. Rin, the silent one, went to fetch them rather then watch Shippou scream himself hoarse.
Sango came first once she heard Shippou's calls, then a sleepy Miroku emerged from his tent, rubbing his knuckles into wide violet eyes and yawning loudly. Rin raced up to him, grabbing his arm and leading him behind her toward Shippou and Sango. The small fox demon tried to explain everything that was going on in the space of a few breaths.
"We were down at the springs and Rin and I were playing and then we saw this guy laying on rocks and he was bleeding and we called Kagome and she came and she told us to get you with a blanket!" Shippou paused to pant heavily. "And Yumi has to ready a sickbed.
Yumi, who had been listening nearby, didn't need any words. She only rushed off to clear her own tent for a sickbed. Then she went to get the medical supplies and their clan healer, Kaede.
"You understand any of that?" Miroku asked Sango. Rin rolled her eyes and scampered off only to return moments later with a blanket and began leading them away.
"Kagome found another stray," Sango said with a little smile. "Come on." All four of them hurried down to the springs to where Kagome was standing beside a rock formation, scarcely clad, nursing a wounded boy. "Kagome!" Sango called when she saw the girl. Her eyes widened at the picture it made. Kagome must have been freezing! "What happened?"
And then Kagome barked a few orders in a blur of seconds and movements. The two children disappeared to the other side of the spring and then ran back to the village. Miroku and Sango followed what Kagome said as they eased the wounded stranger on to their make-shift stretcher and got him back to the camp as fast as they could. Yumi met them halfway, leading them to the proper tent. Miroku and Sango laid the boy down on the padded ground, then backed away to let the healer to her job.
Yumi and Kaede were heading to the tent just as the two teenagers exited. Kaede was an elderly woman who walked with a hunch. Her full head of gray hair was held back in a bun behind her head. She had but one eye, but the good one was dark and large, set into a wrinkled and wise face. Despite her years, Kaede was a woman not to be taken lightly. "Give her a minute, she's evaluating the damage," Sango said before heading to the fire. Miroku followed after, looking sadly on the tear that had occurred on his vest when he was snagged on a branch near the springs.
"What exactly is happening?" Kaede asked them.
"There was a boy down by the springs. He looks pretty beat up, and he was shot with an arrow. You know Kagome, can't resist helping those in need," Sango said with a shake of her head.
Kaede nodded to herself. "Yes, I'll get a few things from my cart. Yumi dear, come with me."
"Yes Kaede," Yumi agreed, following the old healer back to her cart for some herbal remedies. Miroku and Sango sat down at the fireside, warming themselves as steaming cups of herbal tea were placed in their hands by Mushin--Miroku's guardian--and Kagome's grandfather. There was a funny thing about that man, no one knew his real name. Everyone just called him Grandpa. A young man a year or two older then the others deposited himself in the seat next to Miroku.
"What's going on?" he asked in a hushed tone. They knew the drill. Information and rumors were not to be spread through the clan until they were address by their leader, or in the case of their clan--Kagome.
"Kagome found a wounded boy in the forest, so she brought him home," Miroku said with a shrug. "You know Kagome."
"Yes I do," the other said with a smirk. His blue eyes shined with amusement as he looked to the tent that housed the girl that was on the lips of every clans member.
Kagome leaned over the fallen boy with the eye of a healer. He was bruised in several places, evidence of either a fight or a beating. But it was the arrow that was the cause of problems. It had most likely hit an artery because of all the blood lost. His color was pale and his shirt was soaked. Kagome leaned over him, her breath as ragged as his own. The wounded boy's eyes fluttered open, and unfocused amber eyes looked up at her again.
"Hello," Kagome said quietly, running a cool hand over his forehead to check for fever. She was right, blood loss in this cold had made his body react badly. He was burning up. She brushed the thick silver hair from his face in a comforting gesture. "I'm Kagome," she continued, hoping her voice could sooth him and keep him conscious. "You were shot, and you've lost a lot of blood. I'm going to have to take the arrow out. This will hurt, but I need you to stay with me, ok?"
She took the soft sound her made in the back of his throat as a 'yes'. "Just listen to my voice," she continued. Kagome reached to the ragged hem of her slip and tore off another strip of cloth. This one she wrapped around her own hand as she grasped the arrow's shaft. First, she snapped the shaft in half, discarding the top. Then she held down his shoulder and firmly took hold of the other end of the arrow. "Just stay awake and listen to me." Kagome, running out of things to say, especially since she didn't know his name, she used the trick she had whenever a child was sick. She began to sing. It was true that Kagome was not a singer. The other young girls of the clan were far more talented in that area then she was, but she did it to calm. That was the important thing.
She sang softly the words to an old gypsy love song, one of her favorites. Tales and songs were as dear to her people as their blood. This song was a sad lament by a young girl who mourned the death of her beloved, a song that spoke that of love that would never fade, would never be questioned. The unfailing love that the gypsies were famous for. Kagome felt her charge relax with her voice, and when she reached the middle of the song, she pulled out the arrow.
The boy let out a soundless cry, his back arching in pain. One arm gripped the ground fiercely, the other slashed out at the thing causing the pain. Kagome grabbed the hand in her own, squeezing it to let him know it was over. She continued her song, despite the claws that were biting into the flesh on her wrist. Fresh blood flowed from the wound.
The flap of the tent opened and two figures entered. Kaede, the old healing woman who had taught Kagome much of what she knew of the craft, sat by her side. Yumi, Kagome's mother, carried a large basket of healing herbs and curing supplies which is set down next to the other two women, She sat near the door, ready to fetch anything they needed.
"Mother, please fetch me the cauterizing iron, and heat it in the fire," Kagome said, still holding on to the offending hand. Blood ran down her arm, but she didn't seem to notice. Yumi nodded and left. Kagome turned to Kaede. "He has a fever from the blood loss. The arrow hit an artery I think. I removed it so we'll need to stick and burn it shut." Kaede nodded and rummaged through her basket.
From it, she drew forth a jar of green liquid with a cork stopper. She unplugged it, making the tent fill with the pungent odor of herbs and spices. "For the fever," the old woman said, placing the jar beside her. She then pulled out a poltice of dried herbs. "For the wound." Then she took out two rolls of bandages and a bottle of water. The old woman set about mixing the herbs in the packet into the water, forming a jelly-like substance to spread over the injury.
Kagome, by this time, had let go of his hand and set about removing his clothing from the wound. One can never be bashful or too mindful of modesty when another's life is in danger. She balled up the blood shirt and cast it aside, grabbing a roll of bandages and unraveling enough to add pressure to the wound. She was able to slow the blood flow. Yumi returned with a red-hot iron in hand. Kagome looked to the boy, but saw that he had already slipped into unconsciousness, there would be no pain. She pressed the iron to his flesh and clenched her teeth against the sizzling sound and the smell of burning skin. Then she removed the iron and looked at the wound. It had stopped bleeding.
Kaede had finished mix potion and she covered the wound with the strong smelling substance. Kagome waited until she was done, then wrapped the wound up tight. Together, they worked out the proportions for the medicine that he would need to drink for the fever. Kagome held his head in her lap as Kaede dripped the liquid down his throat. He coughed up more of it then he drank, but it was enough to begin the healing.
Tired and bloody, Kagome left Kaede to the clean up and went outside the tent. The worried faces of the clan greeted her. Kagome smiled a weary smile and walked to the fire. Sango met her halfway, wrapping a blanket securely around her bare shoulders. The warmth was good on Kagome's long-numb skin. She rested by the fire and looked to her clan again.
"I'm sorry if I worried you," she began. "I went to the springs, and found an injured young man. With Sango and Miroku's help, I was able to bring him back here for care. With time, he should recover. I would like you all to know that he is not a human, but a hanyou, a half-demon." There were a few mutters, but no one spoke out against him. There were demons in the clan. No one judged another. "We should all treat him with care while he is with us. If he decides to stay, so be it. If not, so be it. But because of this unexpected incident, I will delay our departure until tomorrow. Camp will remain here until dawn tomorrow. By then he should be awake and we could move him."
The clan nodded, all agreeing with the decision. "Please go about your business, we should proceed as if nothing has changed," Kagome finished.
With that final word, the clan dispersed, going about their chores. Miroku and Sango lingered near Kagome as she stared into the fire. Sango noticed blood soaking through the blanket and drew out Kagome's wrist. "You're bleeding," she said with a narrowing of her eyes.
"He was delirious when I pulled out the arrow. I'll live."
"I should clean you up," Sango said, looking closer at the four small puncture wounds on Kagome's arm. But the gypsy girl pulled away and got to her feet.
"I'll be alright. You should go back to work too." Then Kagome walked back to her tent slowly, where the two children she cared for would be waiting. Shippou and Rin were waiting, and Shippou flung questions at her quickly. She answered her best, then sent them away so she could dress. Once they were gone, Kagome sunk to her knees and dropped the blanket, looking at her wrist. She ran fingers over the still-bleeding wounds, then brought two stained fingers to her lips.
"Kagome!" Shippou announced his return. "Kaede wants you!" Kagome jumped, jerking the blood from her lips and looked at the small demon. She smiled and nodded, then he departed.
Kagome got up and dressed slowly. In truth, she had barely felt when the hanyou boy had cut her. She didn't even realize she was bleeding so badly. It was sobering. She looked at the injuries of others like she was the injured one, and yet when she was injured, she was distanced from it. But the blood on her tongue was only proof that she was still human. It was not yet the time of the Curse.
Kagome entered the sickbed tent with her usual smile. She looked to Kaede for the reason of her summons. "Your charge," the old woman said. "He's awake."
"So soon?" Kagome asked, pushing back a lock of ebony hair as she kneeled at his side.
"Well he is half of a demon," Kaede reminded. "I'll fetch some food." Then she disappeared. Kagome looked to the young man. He watched her with dazed, but focused, gold eyes. Kagome smiled sweetly at him and leaned in a little closer.
"Hello," she said. "I'm Kagome."
"I know," he said in a rasping voice. There was not a trace of emotion on his face, but confusion and fear and suspicion flashed in his eyes. "I heard you talking before."
Kagome nodded, still smiling. "I wasn't sure if you could hear me. How are you feeling?"
"Like I was shot," he said irritably, turning his head slightly away.
"Well, that's because you were shot. And if my eyes deceived me, I'd say the arrow that I pulled out of your chest was a Shrine Arrow." His eyes flew to her face. Her expression hadn't changed. "Or maybe I was mistaken. I have a monk and his apprentice right outside that I could ask for confirmation."
"It was a Shrine Arrow," the boy conceded with distrust in his eyes.
"And why would a priest or priestess shoot you?" Kagome inquired, settling herself beside him.
"I'm a thief," he muttered lightly, waiting for her response. Kagome raised an eyebrow, but didn't scream or scowl or call for help.
"Well then, you shouldn't steal. You'll get caught once in a while, and I won't always be able to fish you out of the springs," she said good naturedly. "What's your name?" It was a simple enough question. Why was he hesitant to give it to her?
"Inuyasha," he said, still mistrustful.
"Inuyasha," Kagome said with a bow of her head. "Welcome to our camp."
"Camp?"
"Yes. You find yourself in the camp of the Higurashi Clan." He looked questioningly. "We're gypsies." Then he scowled.
"Gypsies are low-born. Clans of con-men and charlatans." For the first time, Kagome's brow knit together and she frowned.
"We are nothing of the kind. You should speak kinder of those who save your life." She worked in shaming him, Inuyasha no longer met her eyes. "We are performers. Those of the Gifted. We may be outcasts, but we are proud."
Inuyasha snorted. "Proud of what? A life of trickery?"
"Is that different from a life of thievery?" she retorted. They made eye contact and a heated spark passed between them. Kagome then sighed and got to her feet. "Kaede will return with some food for you. Then you should rest. I have chores to attend to. We leave at first light tomorrow, so you should get all the rest you need."
"But I won't be healed by tomorrow," he protested. Inuyasha tried to sit up, but pain forced him to stay down. "You can't leave me here!"
"Then come with us," she challenged. "Our clan is famous for taking in those with no where to go."
"I wouldn't stay," he cautioned.
"Then stay as long as you can," she said, smiling again. He was struck this time by just how pretty she was. And just how young she was, despite the age in her voice and the shadows in her dark blue eyes. "Sleep well Inuyasha," she said, her mouth quirking in a half-smile that made her all the prettier. Then she turned to leave. But not before Inuyasha caught a glimpse of her vest. The embroidered crest was habit among the Gypsy people. What was not common, was the Jewel that was part of that crest. His amber eyes widened and his mind froze. 'The Shikon Jewel!' he thought with a smirk. 'Maybe I'll hang around these gypsies after all. If they're all like this girl, maybe I can con some more information for the chief.'
A/N: Okay, Chapter 2 is ripe with loose ends that will be tied as I go. I hope you like it! Remember to review! A few thanks to give, and then I'll be off.
Queen of Hearts747: Well, here you go, some of what happened to Kag and the others, lol. I'll be going into their pasts a lot more in Chapter 3. Thanks for reading, and please read again!
Jo-flo: I'm charmed that you like my plot. I thought it was cool. I'm of gypsy heritage myself. I'm half Irish and half Romanian. My mother is a Rom, a modern-day gypsy. The curse won't be fully revealed for a few chapters, so if you read more then you'll see what it implies. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
JC: Thanks for reading! Glad you like it. Thanks for the review too, and keep reading!
Princess Sapphire: Yup, this is my first one. Although I do have another one out. It's called A Fighter's Story. But this is my first to try free-handed. Thanks for the support! Here is more for you. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Lilacks: Thanks for the compliment. For reading, I give you a flower! *gives you a lilac* Here is the second chapter for you. Thanks for the review!