Disclaimer: Honestly, do people even care if you put a disclaimer on your story or not? I don't own Inuyasha. (What a waste of space...)

Chapter 2

"So you just found her in the woods?" Dero demanded.

"Yes." I responded for the fourth time, sharpening my hunting knife.

"Do you think she's from the village?"

"She did have an arm band."

"A gold one?"

I nodded my ascent and he sat back to consider this new bit of information.

"Think she's the head man's daughter?"

"It's possible."

"I wonder what the reward is?"

"Dero!" I smacked him lightly on the shoulder as he laughed.

"Can't blame a guy for asking!"

I shook my head in disgust, sheathing my knife as the Wise Women exited the medicine hut.

"She's lost quite a bit of blood, and the arrow head was in deep. But I have extracted it and giving her some herbs for the pain. Her wounds are bandaged now and she is asleep. I can do little more for her, but I will pray for her recovery."

Dero and I bowed our thanks.

"May we visit her?"

"Perhaps in the morning. She has been through much, and needs her rest."

Again we bowed and the Wise Women wandered away, muttering to herself.

"Should we sneak in?" Dero wondered out loud. "I haven't seen her yet."

"There will be plenty of time for that in the morning." I said, steering him toward our hut.

"Easy for you to say!" He said, snorting slightly as I led him away. "You've already seen her! You're not the one that has to listen to everyone talk about the dark-haired angel and wonder what she looks like."

"Is that really what they say?" I asked, entering the dark interior of the hut.

"Everyone's talking about her. Is she really that beautiful?"

I considered, thinking about the girl I had saved in the woods.

"Even more so."

OOOOO

I slowly opened my eyes. I sat up, feeling the pain of my injury, though it had faded into a dull ache. I could see a shadowy outline of someone in the tent with me.

"Where-?" My voice was raspy, my throat dry as dust.

The mysterious person thrust a mug of cool liquid into my hand and I drank gratefully.

I set the cup down on my lap, and slowly surveyed my surroundings. Herbs and spices hung from the ceiling, giving off a pungent odor. I lay on a pallet of woven reeds, covered with a blanket. I noticed my clothing had been changed, and although I wasn't surprised, I felt helpless without it.

"Where am I? And who are you?" I tried again, watching the figure move about the room.

"I am the Wise Women Hiroma. And you are in my village. One of our scouts found you yesterday, and brought you back here."

Reminders of yesterday flooded through my mind and I began to struggle to get out of the bed. "I need to go! I have to warn my father!"

"You are in no condition to go anywhere." The Wise Women said firmly, watching as I tried to stand and collapsed back onto the bed again as a fit of dizziness hit me.

"But my father..." I protested weakly, trying to stand once again.

"Will have to wait." She said, pushing me down and settling the blankets around me once again. "The ladies will be in shortly to take you to the hut you will stay in. As you are too weak to do it yourself, they will bathe and dress you. Then you will be assigned a guide to take you around the village if you desire. When and only when I see that you have regained your strength, you will be allowed to leave."

She left then, opening the flap to reveal a bright shaft of sunlight, then closing it to leave me in darkness once again.

Too tired to protest any longer, I lay quietly, trying to think of a way to warn what remained of my family. However, too soon for my liking a large group of women came to usher me to a nearby hut, shielding me from the prying eyes of the villagers.

They pushed my inside, crowding in after me, stripped me of my clothes, and more carefully my bandages, and settled me into a large basin of warm water.

My wound stung for a moment, before adjusting to the water and I quieted as the women fussed over me, scrubbing every inch until every speck of dirt had been removed.

The removed me from the water and dried me, despite my protests, taking great care not to touch my injury, for which I was grateful.

When they were done, one of them bandaged me up, while the others debated what would fit me and what color would look best.

By the time my bandages were secured, a large amount of spare clothing had been gathered and an outfit selected.

The bundled me into it, sighing in contentment when they finished, before brushing out my hair.

Apparently, I was ready. They smiled and told me I was as beautiful as a summer flower. They cooed over me until a drum sounded outside. Each looked up, then back at me.

"We must leave now." One told me. "The head man wishes to speak with you." One by one the women exited, until only one was left.

"I am to take you." She told me, answering my unspoken question. By now I was too tired to walk on my own, so she helped me to the gathering of people that had begun in the center of the village.

I could feel everyone's eyes on me as I was helped into the circle. I kept my head down as my helper settled me on a pallet near the Wise Women.

Everyone began to whisper, as I miserably kept my eyes glued to the ground, sure everyone was talking about me.

A hand on my arm interrupted my thoughts.

"Put your head up child." The Wise Women told me quietly. "Look them in the eye and let them know you are the daughter of a head man. Do not sit here as if you do not belong."

Slowly, I raised my head, looking out at the group of people staring at me.

I looked around the circle, locking eyes with each, until they looked away in embarrassment. Finally I came to the last in the circle, a boy about my age, who sat next to the head man. I knew that that meant he was his first born son. His dark hair and eyes seemed to look right through me as I glanced at them. I looked away respectfully when I came to him and did the same for his father.

"Very good." The Wise Women murmured approvingly. "Now they know you have courage as well as beauty."

I blushed slightly at her praise. "Thank you." I told her, smiling at her slightly.

She nodded and rearranged her face into an expression of utmost seriousness. "When all are gathered, they will ask you to speak. You must tell them your story, so that we may gauge for ourselves if this is a threat worth our notice."

I nodded, contemplating what to say as the people gathered.

OOOOO

Blue. Like a stream's waters. I had wondered for some time what color her eyes were, and cursed myself for caring.

She had seemed so afraid when they had helped her into the circle, so worried. But after a moment, she had looked up and stared down every villager, effectively putting them in their place.

Silently, he admired the way she looked in the garb of his people. Her dark hair looked even darker in the shadows. Her light robe bringing out the pale color of her skin.

Turo shifted slightly on the pallet next to his father. He hated these gatherings. Tried to avoid them as much as possible, considering he has the head man's son. He usually succeeded, but since he was the one that had saved the girl, he was required to attend.

His father sat deep in contemplation on one side of him. The villagers were gathered, each whispering amongst themselves, but none daring to look at the fierce, blue-eyed girl again. Each waiting to see what the meeting was about, as if they didn't already know.

"Silence." His father's voice swept through the village, each person falling silent almost immediately.

His father rose, stepping to the center of the circle to speak.

"My village. Tonight we bring you grave news. The village in the valley has fallen. Warriors have slaughtered it's people, and destroyed the homes."

Turo glanced over to see how the girl was taking this. His father was talking about her home as if it wasn't important!

She had pressed her lips together into a thin line. Her hair falling over her face to cast shadows across it. Her eyes were downcast, but anger glittered just below the surface.

"These warriors injured a girl. She was brought back to our village by my son Turo." Turo tore his gaze from the girl and inclined his head to except his father's words.

"We will hear from her and find out more about these intruders before we decide what action to take."

He beckoned the girl to the center of the circle. A women rose to help her, but she shook her head and the women at down again. Slowly, she made her way to the center to join his father.

The people looked around amongst each other, until a voice piped up, "Who is she?"

His father looked down at the girl, waiting patiently for her response.

"I am Nightingale. Daughter of the head man of the village in the valley."

Nightingale. The name fit her perfectly. As beautiful as the bird, and as sweet.

"How were you injured?"

"I was chased and shot by the warriors that destroyed my village."

A low murmer started up at that.

"Silence!"

Everyone was still.

"Child, please tell us what happened so that we may better understand."

She took a deep breath, slowly expelling the air from her lungs before she began.

OOOOO

Shock. That was the only way to describe the looks on the faces of the people around her. Horror, maybe. Fear, a few.

"Thank you for sharing with us your story." The head man told her formally. She took that as her cue to take her seat. She was glad, she was getting dizzy from standing for so long.

The same women rose to help her back to her seat, and this time she didn't object. She was supported all the way back to her seat, but she made a small noise of protest as they passed it and continued out of the circle.

"Where are we going?"

"You have not the strength to continue on this night. The Wise Women has ordered you back to bed."

She wanted to stay and see what was about to happen., but she knew she had already pushed herself too far. If she didn't get some rest soon, she might fall asleep on her feet!

A low voice interrupted the women's sympathetic clucking.

"You can return to the meeting Fiori. I can take her the rest of the way." She could feel the women's hesitation as she reluctantly gave Nightingale over to the stranger.

"Don't worry..." He chuckled slightly. "She'll be safe enough with me."

"It's not that I don't trust you Turo. I just wonder what your father will think when he sees you gone again."

"He knows I hate those gatherings. But if you're worried he'll punish you, I'll tell him I made you give her to me."

Fiori's laughter was quiet, held back so those still in the gathering could not overhear. "I'll be the first to tell him this was all your idea." Fiori wandered back to the gathering, leaving Turo alone with the girl.

She looked up at him with sleepy eyes. "You're the head man's son aren't you?"

"That's right." He responded, shifting her so he could carry her the rest of the way.

"You're the one that saved me, right?"

"That's right."

He had reached the hut she had been assigned to. He stepped inside, setting her gently on her pallet.

"Thank you."

"It was no trouble."

She grabbed his hand as he turned to leave. "No, I mean for saving me. And for being so nice and, well... just, everything."

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak as he gently released her hand. "Sleep well Nightingale."

A soft sigh told him she had already fallen into the dreams that awaited her.

OOOOO

Author's Note: Thanks to my two reviewers (so far): suicide-greeting (Thanks for taking the time to read my story!) and DarklessVasion (Actually, the arm bad was not my idea entirly. I wrote this story to enter in Silver's Blood Chit Challenge- and the arm band was just a necassary evil I had to work my way around. Although, I admit I might have liked it better if I didn't say anything about a reward. Who wouldn't have helped her even without a reward?)

MysteryMaiden7