Disclaimer I don't own much. Of course this means Inuyasha and his crew.
Of Fates Unknown
Chapter Nineteen
"Lord Inuyasha's been hurt! A wolf got 'im! They're bringin' 'im in now!"
Kagome and Tadiz stared at the guard, then at each other. Tadiz had grown pale.
"Wolf bites are often deadly," the physician told her. "It isn't often the wound itself- but what happens after. 'Tis a long, ugly and painful death."
Kagome swallowed hard, thinking of all the times she'd come close to wishing Inuyasha dead. Was it possible that her powers extended even to wish fulfillment? It was not an unreasonably question, since she had decided that her wish to see the obelisk that night had somehow transported her there. She was truly horrified at the thought, and her expression must have shown that, because after Tadiz told his young assistant to boil some water, he turned to here.
"He's a strong healthy hanyou- and not all who are attacked by wolves die." He paused, smiling gently at her.
"Then there is the matter of your own abilities, my dear."
They both knew by now that the young child she'd touched was growing stronger by the day. And in thee past week, she'd brought relief to the seemingly incurable aches and pains of several others, simply by laying her hands upon them. But she hadn't yet dealt with any wounds.
"This is different," she said uncertainly- and then they both turned to the doorway as they heard footsteps.
Inuyasha walked into the surgery under his own power- but just barely. And when his aid removed his heavy cloak, they could see the blood covering his thick tunic from his left shoulder down across his chest.
Horrified at the thought that she might have caused this to happen to him, Kagome simply stood there and stared. Inuyasha's eyes met hers only briefly, but she could see the pain they held at bay.
While Tadiz and his young assistant cut away Inuyasha's clothes and then began to cleanse the wounds, Kagome went to the outer room, where she found Miroku, who was just hearing the story from one of Inuyasha's men.
Inuyasha and some of his men had left on a hunting trip the morning after their encounter in the tower. Miroku, who'd been left in charge during Inuyasha's absence, told her that they would accompany Lord Naraku's party to the borders of their respective lands. Although the keep was in need of fresh meat, the hunting trip was actually an excuse to keep an eye on Naraku until he was gone from Inuyasha's lands. The man had been known to steal from farmers and villagers in the past.
The hunting party had been attacked by a pack of marauding wolf youkai and their wolves as they were making camp two nights ago. The men had driven them off, but then the pack had returned later to attack, keeping downwind of the camp. The youkai in his camp were able to hold of most of them, but when a few went after Inuyasha's dogs the lord went to defend them. He couldn't risk firing at it out of fear of hitting the dog, so he'd gone after them with his claws. Before he killed them all one managed a sneak attack, latching onto his back and tearing into his shoulder.
After hearing the account, Miroku shook his head. "Trust Inuyasha to do something foolhardy like that. He's loved those samsets as long as I can remember."
The men dispersed and Miroku went in to see Inuyasha. Kagome remained alone in the outer room with her thoughts. Surely what had happened had nothing to do with her. Not one thing the man had said suggested anything out of the ordinary- unless one counted Inuyasha's risking his life over his dogs, and from what Miroku had said that wasn't surprising.
Having relieved herself of the terrible burden of guilt, Kagome thought again about what the physician had told her. She shuddered. Inuyasha certainly hadn't looked like a person near death, despite all the blood- but what if that sickness Tadiz spoke of struck him? Could she save him? Could such a thing bother a hanyou, even?
I must, she told herself. I cannot let him die. If these powers mean anything at all, I will be able to save him.
She was just beginning to let herself think about why he was so important to her when she heard Tadiz calling to her from the other room. Abandoning her tangled thoughts gratefully, she hurried back into surgery.
Inuyasha still sat on a stool, bared to his waist, with a clean bandage now hiding his wound. As she walked in, an aide was handing him a cup, from which he drank thirstily. His eyes followed her progress as she went to Tadiz.
"Are you all right, my dear?" Tadiz inquired solicitously. "The sight of so much blood has been known to make even strong men faint."
"Particularly if it's their own," Inuyasha added dryly before finishing off the wine.
Miroku raised his hand to the back of his head and sheepishly chuckled, "I am never going to live that down am I?" Sighing he lowered his arm and gave the lord an even look. "You were a damned fool, risking yourself like that."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and tried to cross his arms in front of his chest, then winced at the pain. "Whatever. I survived didn't I?"
"That remains to be seen," Tadiz said solemnly. "You know as well as I do that men have survived wolf attacks only to die later, even youkai."
Inuyasha had gotten up from the stool, and he laid a clawed hand on the physician's shoulder. "That's not in my stars, Tad."
"Nevertheless, I think that you should let Kagome treat you," the physician stated, apparently repeating an earlier suggestion.
Inuyasha's golden amber eyes moved to her face, then dropped to her hands. "I'll think about it," he said- then walked out.
As soon as he had gone, taking the others with him, Tadiz turned to her. "You should persuade him to let you heal the wound, Kagome. If you can cure the wasting sickness, you can almost certainly cure the wolf sickness as well."
"Did you suggest that to him before I came back?" she asked curiously.
Tadiz nodded, "I think he's very uneasy about Ceadda powers. Inuyasha is not accustomed to anyone having powers that he himself could not understand. It's always been that way."
"His only brother was not heir to the throne and left when he was very young. Inuyasha was Lord of Domna in fact, if not in title by the time he was fourteen. His mother had died when he was 6 and that is when his father took to drink. His father never recovered and only got worse when the years went on. Secluding himself in his apartment and refusing to see anyone."
"Power has always sat easily on his shoulders, as it did with his father before his mother's death. If he hadn't been born to be Lord of Domna, he would have become it anyway, by one way or another."
"I think he's feeling challenged by you- and he doesn't know what to do about it." Tadiz stopped and smiled.
"He may be also feeling some other things he doesn't know what to do about. You have to understand that when dealing with him, you have to consider the human and the youkai sides. Both are complex by themselves, but put them together, and it gets to be… shall we say, interesting." Shaking his head, he added, "The women that try to attract his attention have been human, and not understanding the inner workings of a hanyou, tend to be more… tractable than you have been. But that has a tendency of calling to a youkai. A challenge of authority if you will, that some youkai instinct can't resist. Even if he is only half, the instinct is still there."
"I'm not 'in his life' in that way," she said firmly.
"No doubt that's part of his problem," Tadiz chuckled.
)O(
Review responses:
Josie'n the P.cats – Thanks! And beware, there is plenty of sappy but also a good deal of … we can't make it to easy for them now could we! (evil grin) Especially when a mystical stone pillar is trying to push two peeps together. LOL, although my mind is equating the stone pillar in replace of Kagome's school girlfriends trying to push her with Hojo. I just get the biggest chuckle about those three. Especially their covert ops on keeping tabs on the poor boy. I use to laugh my head off at girls in school like that. (granted that was over ten years ago)
Poor Miroku, so misunderstood. (snorts) Actually, to be perfectly honest… I um.. sort of forgot about the whole hand to butt magnatizim he has. But when I went back to recast him, I just couldn't. I liked him to much like this. Besides, I figured since Sango and him were already married, if he tired that to anyone but her, in private, he would be a eunich. LOL!
Well, this chapter is down… I haven't counted how many chapters this story is total. :P Thanks for reading and don't forget to review.
Brightest of Blessings,
Lady Banshee 999