Another's Name But My Heart
By Lady of the Ink
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that . . .I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.
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Chapter Twenty-Eight
What's Going On
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"No."
"But . . ."
"No."
"What if . . ."
"No."
"Not even if . . ."
"No.
Kagome fought the urge to heave an exasperated sigh. In the five days she had spent in Kouga's company, they had had the same conversation more then a dozen times. She had to give the wolf demon credit; he was persistent. His determination to have her as his mate had kept her in the caves for four long days. It had also seen to it that he went with her when she was finally allowed to leave. Since it was the only way that he would let her go on her way, Kagome had had no choice but to agree to his company.
As she had expected before they'd even set off, he was using the time to try and change her mind. If she had thought for a single moment that his attention was a continuation of his plan for revenge against Inuyasha, she wouldn't have hesitated to let him have it. She had been brutally honest with Kouga in order to prevent just such an occurrence, stating all of the many reasons why Inuyasha could care less about what might befall her. Even so, Kouga had continued with his insistence that she was perfect to his "woman", as he put it. There was no chance she'd ever say yes, but she couldn't help but be touched by his sincerity.
His attempts to make her reconsider aside, Kagome was glad for Kouga's company. She had never really been on her own before, and any companion, even a newly found and slightly irritating one, was something she appreciated. The fact that he offered her a high degree of protection form anyone and anything she might meet was another bonus she didn't fail to recognize.
Kagome lowered her eyes to the ground as the path became more uneven. Every few seconds it was necessary for her to step over a rock or branch to keep from taking a fall. Even with her close attention, a rough patch caught her off guard and her foot went sliding. A small shriek left her lips as she lost her balance, both her arms wind milling as she sought to steady herself.
Just before she would have fallen to the ground, a muscular arm wound itself around her waist. With Kouga to brace her, she quickly regained her footing. Even so, she maintained a grip on his forearm until her heartbeat slowed and her breathing evened out. When she finally raised her head to thank him for his quick action, she saw that something else held his complete attention. His chin was raised and his brow was furrowed as though he were listening intently. As she watched, his nose twitched ever so slightly, like he had picked up on an unpleasant scent.
"Stay here, he ordered, gently setting her aside. Kagome was left to stand and watch as he disappeared into the trees in front of her. Time seemed to slow to a complete stop as she waited, straining to see or hear Kouga or what had caught his attention.
Finally she could stand to wait no more. Stepping slowly and carefully in order to be quiet, she moved forward. Keeping a close eye on her surroundings, she headed off in the same direction that Kouga had gone.
It didn't take her long to catch up with him. He was a few hundred yards straight ahead, down on one knee. Kagome instantly knew why he had left in such a hurry when she saw what lay at his feet. She felt a flash of déjà vu when she saw the blood covered figure who held Kouga's concentration. It was a scene almost identical to the one that she and Shippo had come across when they found Kohaku.
She came to a stop at Kouga's side, but her eyes were locked on the injured man lying among the leaves. Upon closer inspection, she realized that he wasn't just any man. Lying at her feet was a member of the army Inuyasha had brought with him upon his arrival at the castle. If her memory was correct, he had even been present at the wedding ceremony that had started it all.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice little more than a hoarse whisper. She wasn't sure why she was being so quiet; the hurt demon appeared to be unconscious. As she stared down at him, one hand rose to press against her throat as she got a better look at some of his wounds. Kohaku's ravaged body had been the most terrible sight she had ever seen; the man struggling to breath on the ground was much worse off.
"He's obviously been attacked, but I can't tell by what, " Kouga growled, apparently agitated by his inability to identify or locate the attacker. His eyes were constantly on the move, scanning the tree line before returning to study the injuries for any clues.
Kagome swallowed hard in an attempt to stifle her quickly rising panic. She tried to comfort herself with the knowledge that Kohaku, a human boy, had survived similar injuries with good care. Surely a strong demon warrior used to fighting could do no less. Even so, she felt the need to so something to help him. Dropping to her knees, she rooted through the bag she'd carried with her. Pulling out one of the several petticoats she'd been wearing when she left the castle, she began to tear it into strips for bandages.
She was so intent on her task that the sound of Kouga's voice caused her to jump. "I'm going to circle around. Don't leave this spot." Nodding her agreement, Kagome paused in her work long enough to watch him vanish into the distance once more. Once he was gone, she started blotting away the blood and seeing to the gash on the fallen soldier's brow. With that as her staring point, she worked her way down his body, cleaning and wrapping his injuries as best she could.
She had just bandaged the bruised and scrapped knuckles of his right hand when a soft gasp reached her ears. Looking down, she focused on her patient's face just as his eyes fluttered open. His forehead wrinkling in confusion, he blinked several times in rapid succession. A few moments passed while he got his bearings, during which Kagome held her breath. Finally he looked back up at her, this time actually seeming to see her.
Before she could utter the reassuring words hovering on the tip of her tongue, his left hand shot out to grip her wrist with strength that belied his condition. He tugged on her arm and Kagome complied with his unspoken request to move closer. When he spoke, his voice was a bare thread of sound that she had to struggle to hear.
". . .attack . . .surprise . . .wedding . . .warn . . ."
"I'm sorry, I don't understand. Can you say that again?"
He swallowed audibly while Kagome leaned as closely as she could without causing him any more pain than he was already in. "They're planning an ambush after the wedding, a surprise attack."
"Who's planning an attack?" she asked gently.
"Naraku . . ." Kagome frowned; the name meant nothing to her.
"So this Naraku is planning a surprise attack at someone's wedding, and you want to warn them?" He nodded weakly. "Whose wedding?"
"Lord Inuyasha's."
Kagome froze. Her entire body reacted to the news, her eyes widening, her hands clenching, her ears filtering out all sound but the heavy thumping of her heart. She felt a wave of coldness and then rush over her skin as his words sank into her mind.
Inuyasha was getting married.
Sure, she'd considered the possibility many times, usually in the darkest and most lonely parts of the night. It had been painful then, when it was merely a theoretical idea she pictured sometime in the distant future. Being confronted with the dreaded situation so much sooner than she had ever imagined was almost more than she could stand.
The shock of the man's second revelation was so strong that it took quite some time for Kagome's mind to combine it with the first. When the facts clicked, she gasped in horror. Someone was panning to pick a fight when Inuyasha was sure to be distracted. While she had great faith in the strength and abilities of both Inuyasha and his men, there was no limit to what could happen if the enemy was powerful enough and the timing was right. If this Naraku of those working for him were skilled enough to get a drop on one of Inuyasha's best fighters without leaving a trace, there was no telling what kind of damage they could inflict on an unsuspecting wedding party.
Kagome roused from her reverie to find that the soldier had lapsed back into unconsciousness. As she looked at his slack features with their slight resemblance to Inuyasha, she came to a decision. Working with a speed she wouldn't have guessed herself capable of, she finished tending his wounds. Stuffing the remnants of the petticoat back into her bag, she rose to her feet.
Determination filled her as she set off to find Kouga. Regardless of what had happened between the two of them, she couldn't let Inuyasha walk into a trap when he could be at his most vulnerable. Her conscious just wouldn't allow it. Once she was sure Kouga would take care of the injured man, she was heading back to the village to warn him.
X
Sango frowned as the shadowy figure of the perverted priest walked past her door without so much as peeking inside. It was the third day in a row that he had been almost completely distracted from his usual, lecherous ways. Aside from a halfhearted attempt at groping when he brought her dinner, he had been keeping his hands to himself lately.
Leaning her back against the wall, a habit ingrained in her since childhood, Sango settle in to think. Miroku's recent behavior troubled her. It wasn't that she missed his advances, she quickly consoled herself. It wasn't that at all. Or, if it was that - just a little - it was because fending him off was the only real exercise she'd been getting of late. Sending him flying across the room a few times a day was a decent substitute for her usual workouts.
No, his change in routine bothered her because it came coupled with several others. For starters, she was suddenly being allowed to spend the majority of her days with Kohaku. It was an amazing relief to be able to see for herself that her brother was truly alive and on the road to making a full recovery. Just during the two days she's been allowed to spend with him so far, she had seen vast improvements to his condition. He hadn't been able to talk much yet, just a few mumbled requests fro water, but she'd seen the recognition in his eyes when he'd looked at her. It had been enough to make her cry.
Luckily for her, the breakdown of her usual tough persona was witnessed only by Kaede, her constant companion during her hours with Kohaku. Rather than resenting the grandmotherly figure, Sango found comfort and reassurance from her company and the knowledge of both her brother's condition and life in general. At least she had until she had begun to notice the same worried and distracted air surrounding Kaede as Miroku was currently wearing.
It was then that she began taking a closer look at all the people she came across on her way to and from Kohaku's room each day. The servants all seemed to be in a mode of hyperactivity that had less to do with a lot of work than it did keeping themselves out of someone's way. The demon soldiers were all either stomping about importantly amidst the commotion or gathered in small groups for intense discussions. She had seen Inuyasha's parents once (absentmindedly identified by Miroku), strolling about, two of the few calm presences.
The people she saw raised more questions about the people she wasn't seeing. Neither Kikyo nor Inuyasha had crossed her path since that first day. At first she'd thought nothing of it, since Miroku was the only person she had any contact with in his capacity as her guard. She had halfway expected a visit from Kikyo, though, since the younger girl had mentioned one in the neat future. Even so, Sango thought nothing of it when the plan fell through since as the Lady of the area, Kikyo was sure to have lots to do.
Inuyasha was another story. He had seemed far too eager to grill her to have so many days pass without so much as an offhand question. The expected inquisition hadn't come, not even after Kohaku regained consciousness. That was when she had really begun to get suspicious.
Standing up from the bed, Sango began to pace. It was clear that something was going on, and from the people that it involved, it was something big. The entire situation had her finely honed instincts ringing every mental alarm bell she possessed. Something was up, and as long as she and Kohaku were caught in the middle of it, she had a right to know the details.
Storming to the door, she banged on it with her fist. It was time to get some answers from the only source at her disposal.
"Miroku!"