Disclaimer I don't own much. Of course this means Inuyasha and his crew.

Of Fates Unknown

Chapter Twenty One

Kagome was busy in the surgery the next morning when Inuyasha's young aid appeared and said that Inuyasha wished to see her. The small waiting room was overflowing with sick people and she asked the aide if Inuyasha was having pain again. Then, when the youth assured her that he was not, she told him she was too busy to see him now.

Both the aide and Tadiz' assistant stared at her in disbelief, while the physician himself chuckled.

"I think perhaps you'd better go, Kagome. Lord Inuyasha is known to be a patient man who doesn't always stand on ceremony- but he does expect his summons to be obeyed."

So, with something less then grace, she acceded to Inuyasha's request and followed the aide to a room on the first floor of the keep that she hadn't seen before. It appeared to be a meeting room of some sort, although when she arrived, Inuyasha was there alone.

"The surgery is very busy this morning," she announced as she entered the room. Her mind was still on the people who had stared longingly after her when she'd left. Putting her strange talents to good use was extremely important to her now.

"Tadiz has always managed before, and he knows he can call on healers from the city if he has the need of assistance. Or have they all come to see you?"

"I suspect that some of them have," she replied, knowing that in fact most of them had. Then she inquired politely if he had rested well, trying to ignore the memory of standing there at his bedside last night rubbing his ear. But her eyes kept straying upwards if she didn't pay enough attention. She was also trying not to be affected by his presence now.

"Very well, thank you," he replied. Noticing her errant gaze as he continued, "And as you mist know, the wound is nearly healed."

"Yes, it seemed to be much better when I left," she said as she continued to remember that muscled body all too well.

To her surprise, he removed his shirt. She was shocked to see that all that was now left of the ugly wound was a thin line that she knew would soon disappear. She stared at it in disbelief, so transfixed by this evidence of her powers that she was almost able to ignore the sight of his muscular, naked chest.

"So it's healed even more," he said, noting her shock. Not to mention smell the beginnings of something more.

"Yes," she admitted, still unable to take her eyes from the scar. "It's… frightening."

He put his shirt back on. "To you, maybe. To me, it's very fortunate."

He saw as her head sharply looked up at him, and he deliberately flicked his ear. Watching her eyes drifting upwards again to follow its movement, it was all he could do not to smirk.

Then he surprised her by switching the subject abruptly. "Tell me how your people were ruled in your village."

"We weren't," she told him, wondering why he was asking. Not to mention trying to keep her eyes off of his ears that would twitch from time to time. "There was no need for a ruler. Decisions affection the village was made by all of us- men and women alike. Before that, the Ceadda elected their rulers as equals. Why are you asking? I have no time to discuss this now, Inuyasha."

He remained silent for a moment, and then nodded, "I didn't know how much you knew about your people's past, but I guess that explains your behavior."

She was beginning to see where this discussion was leading and felt that unwelcoming anger stirring within her. "Explain what?"

He smelled her anger and gave her a level look. "I don't think I'm a harsh ruler- and I think others would agree with that. But I am the ruler of Domna, Kagome. Your people may have ruled this place once- but it's mine now."

"I don't recall having suggested otherwise," she stated coldly. Was this the thanks she got for having saved him?

"No, you haven't- yet. But I suspect that's only because you haven't yet become accustomed to being truly Ceadda. And I insist that you show me the respect others show me as their liege and lord."

The bitter bile of anger within her was rising rapidly now. "I give respect to those who deserve it, Inuyasha. And the fact that you are son of the man who stole this place from my people is no reason to show you respect."

Then she drew herself up haughtily. "As far as my not yet being accustomed to my heritage is concerned, you're right about that. But day by day, I know myself to be more Ceadda, and I make no promises about my behavior when I have learned all I need to know."

His golden eyes narrowed to mere slivers. She met his gaze with a challenge in her own eyes, but she wondered how and where she'd found this great bravery- or great foolishness.

And yet, as she wondered, she knew instinctively that he might rant and rave at her, but he would never harm her- or even attempt to do so.

As Inuyasha stood there his youkai was raging inside of him. Golden eyes started to tint red as he stared her down. Everything in him that was youkai was screaming to make her submit to him, make her do as he said. He was alpha, he was pack leader, and he would be damned to back down from a challenge from a mere woman. Ceadda be damn! His human side was intrigued by this mere slip of a woman challenging him, enough to keep his youkai side from doing anything to act on his youkai urges.

She turned to go, fearing that she might be tempted to demonstrate her power by striking out at him. But then, she stopped in the doorway and gave him a cold smile.

"You have only yourself to blame for what I am becoming, Inuyasha. You are the one who brought me here and kept me here." She just barely stopped short of telling him that she knew he hoped to use her powers to his own ends.

She returned to the surgery, half-expecting that either Inuyasha would come after her himself, or he would send his men to get her. But no one came to drag her off, and she spent the rest of the day ministering to the sick and lame. When Shippou came to get her after school they ate a light meal together in her apartment to avoid dinner with Inuyasha, and went with him to go off to play at the Sword and Bow.

Kagome knew that she was pushing herself too hard. She was spending far less time than she should with Souta- and she knew he was spending far too much time with Inuyasha. But as much as her relationship with her brother suffered, the one with Shippou flourished. Still her constant shadow, he only left her when he went to school or when she sent him off to play with the other children at the keep. He was often time eager to learn everything he could during his time with her when they were at the surgery.

She considered telling Myouga and Kaede that she would have to cut back on her playing at the tavern, but she couldn't do it because they'd been so kind to her and the boys and she knew that her playing had meant an increase in business for them.

Furthermore, the harder she worked, the less time she had to think about what was happening to her and what might happen in the future. What she had said to Inuyasha was true: Day by day, she felt less like the person she'd been and more at ease with her newfound talents.

As she climbed tiredly into bed that night with Shippou snuggled against her, she thought about her latest confrontation with Inuyasha and smiled. It was obvious that he had gotten far more then he'd bargained for when he'd insisted she move into the keep. He'd believed he would get a tractable female who would use her powers to do his bidding.

But her smile drained away quickly as she wondered what would happen when spring came and he made his plans for war- and she refused to help him.

Then, as sleep crept up on her, she recalled that moment in the tower when she'd felt a desire for him more powerful than anything she'd ever known before- a desire that could not have come totally from her.

)O(

Review responses:

Ok, here's the deal. Weekends are a busy time for me. Especially when my daughter's birthday falls. I have spent the day dealing with family. Don't get me wrong; I love my mother and family. But my family and my husband's family don't always see eye-to-eye. And the results are often, shall we say… we often have a third party present so that way we know there will be someone who will be able to get to the phone and dial 911. So, please excuse me about only having one chapter posted this weekend. Between dealing with a 68-acre farm, family, and just everything else. I look forward to the weekdays to recover from my weekends… (sigh)

Because of such… I am in such a rush to post this chapter, that I am going to forgo review responses at this moment. I will come back later tonight and repost this chapter with review responses added. But I figured you would rather want the chapter sooner then later.

Thanks for understanding!

Lady Banshee 999