The fire crackled loudly as rabbit grease dropped off of the cooking meat.
Juanyu poked at dinner and sniffed. They were almost done; there were
faint traces of blood left. He had some of a wolf's enhanced senses, but
not as fine as Lady Hikaru.
Inuyasha, in human form, was leaning against the wall looking annoyed. Juanyu fought down a flow of anger. Hikaru would tell him that it wasn't right to mad at the visitor. It wasn't Inuyasha's choice to be here, to see Hikaru's secret, or reveal to them his. But he couldn't help it. He only hoped that Inuyasha would leave soon and things could return to normal around here.
******
Hikaru sighed and finished the potion she was working on. Juanyu was still angry at Inuyasha and the now human was avoiding looking at either of them. She didn't think that things could get any worse, for as one of her teachers pointed out, whenever someone thought that something would come along and make it worse than before.
"So, what's wrong with the headman?" Inuyasha asked. He was tired of the silence and didn't know what else to talk about.
Hikaru was glad to talk and was tired of the silence as well. "I'm not sure and that worries me. He was fine a few months ago, but now, his strength weakens. Nothing that I give him seems to be working at all."
Juanyu interrupted the conversation with "Dinner's ready." He served Hikaru first then Inuyasha reluctantly before getting his own food.
"Have you tried everything?" Inuyasha asked. He had to admit that he was a bit curious. Then he remembered that the headman was the only reason why Hikaru was allowed to remain here. She would have to leave when he died. The healer had a great reason to worry.
The priestess nodded. "I don't have any idea what I'm doing wrong. His symptoms don't match anything that I know.
"Maybe he's possessed by a demon," he suggested.
She shook her head. "No, I would have sensed its presence."
"Poison?"
"Who would want to do that?" she responded. No one voiced an answer to that. But Juanyu had a thought for who the culprit might be.
"Besides," Hikaru continued, "even if it is poison, without knowing which one it is, I can't create the antidote."
They finished dinner and got comfortable for the night. Juanyu curled up by the fire again, Hikaru settled herself by the door and Inuyasha laid down on the bed provided for him. Inuyasha was almost asleep when he thought he heard someone humming. The man turned and saw Hikaru looking out the door. She was the one humming.
"What's that?" he asked.
She turned to him. "What's what?"
"What you're humming just now?" he said, propping himself on an elbow.
She smiled. "It's just a little song I was taught when I was a girl. I sing it when I'm feeling depressed or panicked. It helps to calm me down. Would you like to hear it?"
He had no idea why he nodded but he did. Hikaru faced him then composed herself. Then she began to sing.
"Kor re nu to ra se le no."
++I'm just making up the words here, Inuyasha isn't supposed to know what the words mean.
Whatever the strange words meant, they sounded beautiful. Inuyasha could understand what Hikaru meant when she said it had a calming effect. He could feel the frustration that had been with him ever since he woke here fading. It puzzled him briefly that he couldn't understand the words, but maybe if he did, the song wouldn't sound so lovely. Hikaru had a lovely singing voice as well.
By the fire, Juanyu also listened. He had heard Hikaru sing only once before, and her voice was just as beautiful now as then. She had been singing to herself when they had first run into each other. He was under Sanusha's control then and had standing orders to attack any intruders in the forest. His wolf body had tried to attack the passing half-demon girl but was surprised at how well she could defend herself against him. He smiled. What had happened as consequence of that encounter had rescued his village and himself. It was good that she was here.
"Por re te no-o-o ko."
She lowered her head when she was done, savoring the calm that welled up inside of her. When Hikaru raised her head, she saw that her two companions were already asleep. Inuyasha had pillowed his head on the arm that had supported his head earlier. Juanyu was stretched out instead of curled up like he had been doing lately. She took that as a good sign as she spread blankets over their sleeping forms. Maybe they would get along better when they wake up tomorrow. One could only hope.
She found a third blanket and wrapped herself in it before settling down to sleep. Hikaru had done the right thing to sing. With all of the stress and hopelessness gone for now, she might be able to figure out what was wrong with Juanyu's grandfather in the morning. The happy thought lulled her successfully to sleep.
******
"Yugi?" the priest called out.
The young man turned from the fire to face his mentor and guide. Yugi was only twenty and almost finished with his training in being a Buddhist priest. They, along with the other two apprentices, were traveling to the village that Yugi was to care for.
Yugi's mentor was an older man nearing his forties and his head was a shining bald. His robes were modestly, if richly, made and dressed. Santo came highly recommend in training new priests in their beliefs and Yugi was sent to him within days of learning he had the power and potential to be a powerful priest.
"Yes, Houshi-san?" he said.
"When should we reach your post? Do you remember what the message said?"
Yugi nodded and withdrew a folded piece of paper from within his robes. It had come weeks ago. The writer explained that his village had no priest or priestess to tend to their ills, no one except some half-demon with (the writer was certain) minor healing abilities. If someone would be kind enough to come and relieve her, it would be a great relief to the headman and his family, who were responsible for her stay. Included were directions to the village and a request that a reply be sent.
A reply had been sent immediately. Santo had then told Yugi that since his training was nearly over, he would have to find something to do and somewhere to go. And good luck had provided him with a village in need of protection and guidance. So the entire entourage had packed were on the journey. Santo was coming along to help Yugi settle in when they got there and the apprentices were along to learn.
"I have them here, sir. According to the map, we should reach it within the next two days. But I don't understand. If this half-demon is doing such a good job caring for the village, why are we interfering?" Yugi said. He had this question turning in his mind ever since he had been told of his assignment and it bothered him.
Santo shook his head slowly and his face took the expression he used when explaining something to a new student. "Because, Yugi, she is a half- demon. No one with demon blood should be trusted with such an important task. In my opinion, they shouldn't be trusted at all! They are no better than their demon relatives. It will be better for everyone concerned if the half-demon left. If she will not go willingly, then we will simply have to make her leave."
Santo yawned and settled back, ending the discussion. But Yugi was still uneasy. He had never met a demon before, let alone a half-demon. As a child, he had heard mixed stories about demon attitudes toward humans. Most of them were bad stories, but there a few that cast the demon in a better light. As for half-demons, well, they were half human weren't they? So they couldn't be all bad. He decided to reserve judgment about the half-demon healer until they got there. Then he would make a decision.
This left feeling marginally better and after he made sure that there was enough fire to last the night, he settled down to sleep.
Inuyasha, in human form, was leaning against the wall looking annoyed. Juanyu fought down a flow of anger. Hikaru would tell him that it wasn't right to mad at the visitor. It wasn't Inuyasha's choice to be here, to see Hikaru's secret, or reveal to them his. But he couldn't help it. He only hoped that Inuyasha would leave soon and things could return to normal around here.
******
Hikaru sighed and finished the potion she was working on. Juanyu was still angry at Inuyasha and the now human was avoiding looking at either of them. She didn't think that things could get any worse, for as one of her teachers pointed out, whenever someone thought that something would come along and make it worse than before.
"So, what's wrong with the headman?" Inuyasha asked. He was tired of the silence and didn't know what else to talk about.
Hikaru was glad to talk and was tired of the silence as well. "I'm not sure and that worries me. He was fine a few months ago, but now, his strength weakens. Nothing that I give him seems to be working at all."
Juanyu interrupted the conversation with "Dinner's ready." He served Hikaru first then Inuyasha reluctantly before getting his own food.
"Have you tried everything?" Inuyasha asked. He had to admit that he was a bit curious. Then he remembered that the headman was the only reason why Hikaru was allowed to remain here. She would have to leave when he died. The healer had a great reason to worry.
The priestess nodded. "I don't have any idea what I'm doing wrong. His symptoms don't match anything that I know.
"Maybe he's possessed by a demon," he suggested.
She shook her head. "No, I would have sensed its presence."
"Poison?"
"Who would want to do that?" she responded. No one voiced an answer to that. But Juanyu had a thought for who the culprit might be.
"Besides," Hikaru continued, "even if it is poison, without knowing which one it is, I can't create the antidote."
They finished dinner and got comfortable for the night. Juanyu curled up by the fire again, Hikaru settled herself by the door and Inuyasha laid down on the bed provided for him. Inuyasha was almost asleep when he thought he heard someone humming. The man turned and saw Hikaru looking out the door. She was the one humming.
"What's that?" he asked.
She turned to him. "What's what?"
"What you're humming just now?" he said, propping himself on an elbow.
She smiled. "It's just a little song I was taught when I was a girl. I sing it when I'm feeling depressed or panicked. It helps to calm me down. Would you like to hear it?"
He had no idea why he nodded but he did. Hikaru faced him then composed herself. Then she began to sing.
"Kor re nu to ra se le no."
++I'm just making up the words here, Inuyasha isn't supposed to know what the words mean.
Whatever the strange words meant, they sounded beautiful. Inuyasha could understand what Hikaru meant when she said it had a calming effect. He could feel the frustration that had been with him ever since he woke here fading. It puzzled him briefly that he couldn't understand the words, but maybe if he did, the song wouldn't sound so lovely. Hikaru had a lovely singing voice as well.
By the fire, Juanyu also listened. He had heard Hikaru sing only once before, and her voice was just as beautiful now as then. She had been singing to herself when they had first run into each other. He was under Sanusha's control then and had standing orders to attack any intruders in the forest. His wolf body had tried to attack the passing half-demon girl but was surprised at how well she could defend herself against him. He smiled. What had happened as consequence of that encounter had rescued his village and himself. It was good that she was here.
"Por re te no-o-o ko."
She lowered her head when she was done, savoring the calm that welled up inside of her. When Hikaru raised her head, she saw that her two companions were already asleep. Inuyasha had pillowed his head on the arm that had supported his head earlier. Juanyu was stretched out instead of curled up like he had been doing lately. She took that as a good sign as she spread blankets over their sleeping forms. Maybe they would get along better when they wake up tomorrow. One could only hope.
She found a third blanket and wrapped herself in it before settling down to sleep. Hikaru had done the right thing to sing. With all of the stress and hopelessness gone for now, she might be able to figure out what was wrong with Juanyu's grandfather in the morning. The happy thought lulled her successfully to sleep.
******
"Yugi?" the priest called out.
The young man turned from the fire to face his mentor and guide. Yugi was only twenty and almost finished with his training in being a Buddhist priest. They, along with the other two apprentices, were traveling to the village that Yugi was to care for.
Yugi's mentor was an older man nearing his forties and his head was a shining bald. His robes were modestly, if richly, made and dressed. Santo came highly recommend in training new priests in their beliefs and Yugi was sent to him within days of learning he had the power and potential to be a powerful priest.
"Yes, Houshi-san?" he said.
"When should we reach your post? Do you remember what the message said?"
Yugi nodded and withdrew a folded piece of paper from within his robes. It had come weeks ago. The writer explained that his village had no priest or priestess to tend to their ills, no one except some half-demon with (the writer was certain) minor healing abilities. If someone would be kind enough to come and relieve her, it would be a great relief to the headman and his family, who were responsible for her stay. Included were directions to the village and a request that a reply be sent.
A reply had been sent immediately. Santo had then told Yugi that since his training was nearly over, he would have to find something to do and somewhere to go. And good luck had provided him with a village in need of protection and guidance. So the entire entourage had packed were on the journey. Santo was coming along to help Yugi settle in when they got there and the apprentices were along to learn.
"I have them here, sir. According to the map, we should reach it within the next two days. But I don't understand. If this half-demon is doing such a good job caring for the village, why are we interfering?" Yugi said. He had this question turning in his mind ever since he had been told of his assignment and it bothered him.
Santo shook his head slowly and his face took the expression he used when explaining something to a new student. "Because, Yugi, she is a half- demon. No one with demon blood should be trusted with such an important task. In my opinion, they shouldn't be trusted at all! They are no better than their demon relatives. It will be better for everyone concerned if the half-demon left. If she will not go willingly, then we will simply have to make her leave."
Santo yawned and settled back, ending the discussion. But Yugi was still uneasy. He had never met a demon before, let alone a half-demon. As a child, he had heard mixed stories about demon attitudes toward humans. Most of them were bad stories, but there a few that cast the demon in a better light. As for half-demons, well, they were half human weren't they? So they couldn't be all bad. He decided to reserve judgment about the half-demon healer until they got there. Then he would make a decision.
This left feeling marginally better and after he made sure that there was enough fire to last the night, he settled down to sleep.