Disclaimer I don't own much. Of course this means Inuyasha and his crew.
Of Fates Unknown
Chapter Twenty Four
Before going to the surgery, she stopped by to see Sango and the baby. Sango had summoned her the day before because the child was feverish, but this morning, she was gurgling happily on a thick rug before the fire, while her proud parents finished their breakfast.
She told them about her conversation with Souta, and both agreed that she should take him with her to the surgery.
"When he sees how much good you do, Kagome, he'll change his mind," Sango said.
"But he can't hope to change the minds of those boys at school," Miroku said disgustedly. "They're echoing their parents, who are merely repeating what the priests tell them about you. Inuyasha's headed for a showdown with old Tomas one of these days. The man's always been a thorn in his side and he hasn't improved with age. I hear that you've become his favorite topic of conversation. Before that it was the fact that Domna was being ruled by a hanyou."
Kagome told them that she had offered to meet with the high priest, but Inuyasha had feared the outcome of such a meeting. They both laughed at the thought of Tomas being flung over the keep's walls.
"I gather you haven't been throwing Inuyasha around again," Miroku said with a grin. "I'm not sure he'd survive another such blow to his pride."
Sango snorted, "I say, to hell with his pride, it would actually be worth it just to see you do it." Which caused the two of them to laugh.
Kagome was surprised that Inuyasha had told them about it, and they both saw that on her face.
"Oh, he told me about it, all right," Miroku chuckled. "In fact, he had quite a lot to say about it, but most of it doesn't bear repeating in civilized company."
Sango smiled with an evil glint in her eye. "I must admit that I rather enjoy the thought of my cousin being bested by a woman."
Miroku sighed and patted his wife on the shoulder, "Don't worry dear, spring is coming. Then you can get back to training again."
Kagome smiled at the longing look Sango gave out the window to that. Kagome had learned long ago that Sango was one of a few women who were trained in the art of fighting. Her family never did think highly of females who couldn't defend themselves, but Sango had shown a true talent for the art and was now as good as most men in the keep.
Sango smiled back at the others, "I just now have something to shoot for. Kagome can't be the only one to best him."
Kagome laughed with them, but she didn't feel triumphant. She was as much as Inuyasha's mercy as he was at hers, though perhaps for very different reasons.
)O(
When she arrived at the surgery, the waiting room was filled with sniffling, coughing people. Tadiz' assistant was going from one to the other of them, deciding which ones could be sent home with medicines and which needed to be seen either by Tadiz or by her.
A short time later, an older woman was brought in from the city on a litter carried by two of her sons. Her right leg was bandaged from foot to knee, and when Tadiz unwrapped the bandage, the stench arising from her sores made them both avert their heads, then glance at each other in silent agreement that the leg could not be saved.
Kagome had discovered by now that there were limits to her powers. She could not heal the ravages of old age- of bodies that, Tadiz said, had lived their lives. And she was immediately certain that this poor woman's leg was beyond saving, though perhaps she might have saved it if the woman had been brought to her sooner.
Nevertheless, she placed her hands cant inches away from the festering sores, only to remove them after a moment and shake her head sadly. She'd felt nothing because there was no life left in the limb.
Tadiz explained to the woman and her sons that the only way she could be saved was to remove the lower part of the leg. Kagome was surprised when the woman stated in a strong tone that they should "get on with it, then", saying that she could manage without it and her grandchildren needed her.
Tadiz drew Kagome aside while the sons carried their mother into the surgery. She knew what he intended to ask her and dreaded it.
"Can you take away the pain while I operate?"
Shuddering she answered, "Yes, I think so. But I don't know if I can… watch."
"Then close your eyes," he said matter-of-factly. "I could give her whiskey, but I've seen this disease many times and strong spirits are not good for people who suffer from it."
She nodded and followed him into the surgery, then laid her hands on the forehead of the trembling woman. When Tadiz picked up the ugly saw, Kagome closed her eyes. Her hands began to tingle, and she felt the woman's tremors cease. She even made a soft sighing sound as she lapsed into unconsciousness- probably, Kagome thought, the first peace she'd known for some time.
Kagome had no idea how long she stood there with her eyes closed and her fingertips resting lightly on the woman's brow. She heard the terrible sounds of Tadiz at work, but it was as though they came from a great distance. Several times, she felt herself beginning to sway, but righted herself quickly, fearing that if she were to faint, the woman would awaken. Then, finally, the physician was touching her arm gently.
"It's over, Kagome. Now if you could just tend to the wound-"
Kagome opened her eyes, then felt herself swaying again as she saw the blood. Tadiz' assistant was carrying the severed limb, wrapped in a blood-soaked cloth, over to the back door of the surgery. The physician put his arm around her shoulders to steady her, and she drew in a deep, shaky breath, immediately regretting it when the foul odors assaulted her nostrils. Her arms ached, as though she had been carrying a heavy burden for a long, long time.
But she did what was required, feeling the healing warmth pour from her fingers as she held them over the suppurating stump until the bleeding stopped. Tadiz then applied bandages and they went to talk to the sons.
When he told them that their mother would live, thanks in no small part to Kagome's help, both young men bowed to her clumsily.
"We dinna know if t'would work," the one said. "The priest told us 'tis work of the devil ye do here, but our ma said that the Ceadda weren't no devils."
"And now you know that your mother was right," Tadiz said sternly. "The priests know very well that I would never permit the devil's work to be done here."
Both men nodded respectfully. Kagome was very grateful for Tadiz' words, since she knew that only Inuyasha himself was held in higher regard by the people. When the woman had been carried off to one of the small rooms where they kept patients who had to be watched over, she thanked Tadiz for his support.
He waved away the gratitude, "Ignorance- that's all it is. I have no time fore those muttering old men who call themselves servants of god. Doing good is doing god's work- and what you're doing here, Kagome, is good. I don't know where or how the Ceadda got their powers, but I do know that they used them for good, not evil."
Kagome felt so grateful to this man, who had from the beginning welcomed her assistance when he might as easily have been jealous of her abilities. She started to tell him that, but a soldier who burst breathlessly into the room suddenly interrupted them.
"A building's collapsed in the old market. There're people trapped inside, and Sergeant Havers says come quick! I got horses waiting."
Tadiz grabbed his cloak and bag and Kagome picked up her cloak as well. Within moments, they were clattering through the narrow streets of the city's oldest section.
"Have you been there?" Tadiz asked her.
She shook her head. "I thought Kaede Sheppard told me that those buildings were unoccupied after the market was moved."
"They were. They were to have been taken down come spring, but there were some squatters living in them for the winter."
"Squatters?" Kagome echoed, as they had to slow down because of the milling crowds. Everyone she'd seen in the city had seemed so well fed and housed.
"They came in from the hills at the beginning of winter," Tadiz told her. "From Naraku's lands. He didn't leave them enough to get them though the winter. We've had a few of them before, but not this many, and there was no other place to house them."
Before she could ask as to why the increase, they reined in their horses as the crowed became impenetrable. Kagome could hear men shouting somewhere ahead of them. The soldier who had led them here called to the crowed to make way, and the sea of people parted. In the distance, she could hear the clanging of the fire bells, announcing the arrival of the big water carts.
A well-dressed, but dirt-covered man hurried up to them and Kagome recognized him as one of the city's physicians who'd visited Kagome only recently at the keep.
"There are people still trapped inside the building that's burning," he told them. "No one can get through to bring them out. But we've got plenty of broken bones and burns to treat already."
They followed him through thickening smoke, and as they drew closer to the scene, Kagome could hear the screams of those still inside the burning building. Leaving the other two men, she ran towards the screams, halting only when a hand grabbed her roughly.
"What'ya trying to do, lady? Ye canna go in there."
She turned towards the uniformed man and saw slow recognition come over his smoke-grimed face.
"Ye're the Ceadda!" he said, letting her go quickly.
She nodded impatiently, trying to see through the heavy smoke. "Why are they trapped?"
"Roof beams fell in," he said. "We tried to budge them, but they're too heavy. Even for the youkai. They're trapped, poor souls."
"Show me," she ordered, lifting her skirts to pick her way across the rubble.
The solder caught up with her and took her arm again. "Lord Inuyasha wouldn't want ye to risk yourself, ma'am. There's naught to be done. Ye can't even get to the beams now, 'cause of the flames."
Kagome pulled free and ran toward the flames, finally able to see well enough through the smoke to find her own way. The beams had caved in to form a giant "X" across the doorway to an inner room, and flames licked greedily at the entrance. Beyond it, she could just make out the figures of the screaming people. And then, even above the roar of the flames and the screams, she heard a shout.
"It's her! It's the Ceadda! She'll save us!"
Kagome saw her now, a young woman holding a baby in her arms. Across thirty feet of flames and roiling black smoke, her eyes met those of the trapped people. And then she felt a surge of energy so powerful that it very nearly knocked her off her feet.
Her hands came up to trace an intricate pattern of blue light in the semidarkness and ancient words came to her lips. She was vaguely aware of men rushing up to her side, and then heard their shouts of surprise as the flames vanished and the fallen beams trembled and then turned to black dust. The screams beyond the barricade turned to exultant cries of deliverance as certain death were exchanged for life.
Trembling and exhausted, Kagome stumbled away, waving off their gratitude as she sought Tadiz and the other physicians. The rest of the building was still burning and it took her a few moments of wandering through the unnatural darkness until she came upon Tadiz.
One look at her and he tried to order her back to the keep, but she shook her head. All around them, people were crying out in pain, and some of them already recognized her and were reaching out to her, their auras of pain calling to hers for comfort.
Time had no meaning for her as she stumbled from one injured person to another, healing when she could and taking away the consciousness of the more seriously injured so that the physicians could tend them. The pain in her hands was so great that she winced each time she took away the pain of others. Her throat felt as though it were on fire and her chest ached with every breath.
She was oblivious to the sounds around her by now, but one voice had just begun to penetrate the fog that was filling her brain when two strong and familiar hands gripped her shoulder and spun her around.
Inuyasha's eyes were blazing with anger, but when she raised her face to stare at him, it died very quickly. Then, for a moment, it seemed to her that there was two of him. And after that, there was nothing.
)O(
Review responses:
hana no tenshi – LOL, as soon as I post the lemon I will let you know. I think it is going to have a small story attached, not sure yet. I don't think I can do just a P.W.P (or my favorite 'Plot? What Plot?') Yeah, so anyways, I know some people aren't into the whole lemon thing so that is why it will be done away from the story. That way they don't get offended, and Fanfiction can't get snippy about the whole ratings thing. :P And about if she got transported there or not… well, you'll just have to wait and see.
s-jane – Thanks for your wonderful review. And yes, I am a big fan of both magic (the history of and modern idealism) and Celtic culture. But not just the Celtic culture, but also all those who share mysticism type background. Bard, Norse, Druid, Native American, ect. I find very fascinating in their beliefs and the way it structured their day-to-day living, even how the very beliefs bleed over to the Christian culture. So, it was easy for me to pick a topic for the story. :) And you will find, that his reaction will get more… shall we say 'intrigued' by her.
Josie'n the P.cats – Yup, good things come to those who wait. Ok, about Tarren and Kagome. See, a few years back, (probably about oh, say 2) Tarren and Kagome were engaged to be married, and just days before they were to be wed, Vali killed Tarren in an attack. So skip forward to the day of the village's final attack and she was deciding, from the way back from the forest) to accept Hojo's proposal to wed. Since the village elders were pressuring her to do so. Kagome and Tarren never went all the way. They decided to wait until after the wedding, but that doesn't mean there isn't other things one can do besides just losing your virginity. See. I hope that clears it up.
animeturtle932 – Aw, thanks. Yeah, I was hopping for an original. There are so many wonderful ideas floating around there already, so it is sometimes hard creating a new one.
Abovefaith – No, I wouldn't do that. I am so waiting for the update of 'The White Dog'. It is such a wonderful story! Have you gone the author's homepage? There are some wonderful illustrations that go along with the story. (while you read the story, words in red are a link for the picture.) My favorite is the one where she is brushing his hair and he is stretched out on the towel. That one is soooo cute! It was a bit short, but that was due to the fact that it was the only way to break up the chapters. (sigh)
Aitu – (falls out of chair cause she is laughing way to hard) OMG, your reviews are a riot! (has a visual of both Inuyasha and Kagome both in opposite corners with their noses to the wall. Kagome is silent, blushing up a storm but silent. Where as Inuyasha is being his loud mouth obnoxious self, basically bitching about the fact that he was only doing what the script said and why the hell is he getting in trouble for something that I typed.) HA-HA-HA!! Nah, you don't have to bring a knife… just borrow Tetsusaiga! Thanks for your review, they always make me laugh.
Ramzgurl – Nope, no fluff… but don't worry. There will be more fluff then can be used to create a whole cast of Inuyasha plushies before this story is done. :P
Obliviandragon – Thanks, although I don't know about gloating. But I will say that I am pleased beyond belief that my story is well liked. :)
Alrighty people, Thanks for the wonderful reviews! I think I may just see one hundred with this one. (Wow) Also, there is one big announcement: I have to drop the postings from twice a day to once.
Only reason being is that there is going to be a whole lot of stuff going on this coming week, in both real life and in my story. (Let's face it, spring is coming to Rhea… and that means war season.) Also, I am the process of trying to find a job. Luckily, I am looking for a second shift job, that way my mornings will be free. (cause I also deal with my kids too.) So, I hope you all can stand only a single update a day. I am sorry about it, but our lack of cash flow is creating a bit of a problem. (sigh)
Brightest of Blessings,
Lady Banshee 999