Chapter six: A prize well earned
Yasha grunted as she opened her eyes and looked around the dimly lit room Inuyasha had pushed her in.
She heard Inuyasha chuckling then his booted footsteps walk into the hut and as her eyes got used to the light saw his extended hand.
She frowned and took it, grasping it tightly as he pulled her up.
Even though the sun was at its peak, it was still an extremely cold winters day, and the cold seeped through the jacket and through the barely there dress. Instinctively she pulled it closer, smiling inwardly at the smell of it.
"Ah, Lord Inuyasha" a husky voice drawled from the shadows.
Yasha gripped the jacket, eyes wide, knuckles white."Good Morning Mrs Toshiko, I have a favor to ask of you" Inuyasha greeted politely.
The woman came out of the shadows, heavily clad in various wool shawls and skirts, a
single beaded necklace around her withered neck, "And what would that be, young sir?" she asked, smiling warmly up at Inuyasha who smiled back.
Yasha watched the interaction in amusement crossed by amazement . . .somehow Inuyasha didn't seem to cross her as a friendly person to everyone.
"I would like to ask of your services" he asked, sitting down on a wooden chair.
The woman nodded, "For you?"
Inuyasha chuckled and shook his head, he folded his hand and rested his chin upon
them, and motioned towards Yasha with a flick of the eyes, "For her"It was only then that the woman seemed to know that Yasha existed and looked at her, blinking twice,
"Well she's a skinny bon lass, ain't she?"
Yasha blinked and curtsied to the woman.
Inuyasha's lips twitched, "I want to stay"
The old woman looked Yasha over and then to Inuyasha and rose an eyebrow, "Are you courting?"
Inuyasha choked on his breath and Yasha looked like she was about to burst out laughing, seeing as Inuyasha looked at a loss for words Yasha decided to answer for him, "No Ma'am, I'm his new slave"
The woman nodded slowly, "I see"
Inuyasha could plainly see, that she didn't see, bloody old hags with their romantic ideas.
He rolled his eyes and tapped his foot, "Can we make it snappy please?" he asked in an exasperated sigh.
The woman tutted under her breath and muttered, "Perverted pervert"
Yasha looked wide-eyed at the two of them, "What exactly are we doing?" she asked. Inuyasha watched her in mild amusement at her actions whilst the woman started to try and pry the jacket off the girl who was holding on to it like it was her life.
"Just take the dress off," The old woman grunted.
Yasha ducked and dived trying to escape her strong leech like hands, "Mrs Toshiko! Please, I don't understand"
The pair was now basically running around the small hut, like a cat and mouse.
Inuyasha had finally had enough and stood up and caught the small surprised girl by the shoulders.
She gulped and looked up at him.
"Take it off," he said slowly and quietly.
Yasha swallowed, her eyes burning in ambition, "Tell me why! You know my dress is ruined!"
Inuyasha swore under his breath, "Just take the damn thing off!"
Yasha scowled and crossed her arms in a defensive pose, "Make me" she managed to ground out between her teeth.
Why did she have to be so stubborn? Inuyasha thought as he stared into her eyes.
Yasha challenged his gaze.
"You're the slave, I'm the master" he began, "So do as I say!"
Yasha stared at him and pouted, "That's unfair!"
"It's perfectly fair!" he answered.
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
During their little argument, Yasha had dropped her arms and they now hanged loosely by her sides.
The old woman came up behind her and tore the jacket of her.
Yasha screamed as her hands came crashing up to hold the material together.
Inuyasha chuckled and spun her around to face the old woman, "How much?"
The old woman cocked her head to one side, "It depends . . .do you want the full deal of what I specialize in. . .Or just some basic pretty ones?"
Yasha's anger was rising, "CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT'S GOING ON
PLEASE!" she yelled, her face turning a bright pink.
Inuyasha ignored her plea, "I think the full deal, after all, we'll be home by tomorrow
night, I want her presentable"
Mrs Toshiko nodded, "About eight shira for you my lord"Inuyasha nodded, "That's a fair price"
The old woman nodded and dragged the fuming young Yasha behind a screen.
"Girl! calm down, we're only cleaning you up and re-dressing you" the old woman soothed as she patted Yasha on the shoulder.
Yasha gulped that was all? And here she was making a big scene out of nothing.
"Now take off all your clothes and any jewelry you may have on and get into the basin over there" The woman instructed, pointing at the tin basin behind Yasha and eyeing the ring on the girls finger, now why would a slave have something like that?
Yasha nodded slowly and took her clothes of slowly and folded them and placed the ring gently on top.
She turned around slowly, shivering in the cold air and stepped into the water.
She had to bite back a scream, the water was freezing!
She closed her eyes and chanted to herself, It's warm, very, very, warm, over and over until she felt herself grow accustomed to the coolness of the water.The old woman scrubbed her back with a nice smelling soap and washed her hair, wondering why on earth it was splotched with black.
Yasha stared blankly at the water, feeling relaxed with the movements of the scrubbing
on her head and back.
The old woman took in all the bruises and cuts the girl had, surely not Inuyasha had done this?The scrubbing stopped and Yasha faintly heard the woman say, "I'm just going to get some things for you, when you're finished, there's a toweling cloth folded over there next to you "
And then everything was silent.
Inuyasha watched the screen from where he sat, kind of like a shape play, except more entertaining.
He had to stifle his bark of laughter when he saw the girl go rigid when she stepped into the basin of water.
The old woman walked over to him and placed the bundle of clothing on his lap, "Her old clothes, my lord"
Inuyasha looked them over and spotted the ring and bracelets lying amongst the folds of clothing.
"Thank you" he said, smiling slightly at the old woman.
The woman nodded and bowed, "I'll go get her clothes now, it may take awhile to get them fitted properly"
Inuyasha nodded, "That's alright, I'm planning on staying here for the night"Mrs
Toshiko nodded and was silent for a moment, "My lord"
Inuyasha looked up at her, "Yes?"
"Are you aware that the girl has severe bruising over her abdomen, back and neck and
also many a graze and cut?" she asked quietly, trying not to sound that she poking into something that was none of her business.
Inuyasha nodded slowly, "We got attacked last night, I didn't think it was that bad"
Mrs Toshiko nodded, "That would explain it then"
Inuyasha nodded, and returned to his thoughts. The woman left leaving Yasha and Inuyasha alone.
Inuyasha pushed back the thoughts of the fight from the previous night and looked at the ring carefully, scrutinizing it's every detail.
A family crest, bearing a wolf's head with a single small sapphire imbedded in it as an eye and it was sterling silver
It didn't look like a ring a girl would wear; and not only that, but the ring looked just as familiar as the girl.
There was only one meaning for this ring.
"Hey Yasha" he called out quietly.
There was silence for a moment before she replied, "Yes, my lord?" she answered quietly.
Inuyasha was oblivious to the strained embarrassment that decorated her voice.
"Why do you have this ring?" he asked. Yasha stared at the wall, her eyes wide, he had it...he had her ring.
She jumped up and grabbed the toweling cloth and wrapped it tightly around her, and stepped out from behind the screen.
Inuyasha looked up in surprise.
Yasha walked over to him and looked down, her hair falling around her in wet locks,
her eyes suddenly clouded over with some sort of emotion.
"Please, may I have it back . . ." she asked quietly, looking directly into his eyes.
He looked right back into them, trying to decipher exactly what her eyes were saying.
Noting that he wasn't going to give it back anytime soon she added in a pleading tone, "Please, my lord"
Inuyasha flinched at her tone, he stood up directly looking down at her, "I'll give it back to you tonight"
Yasha looked up into his gaze and swallowed and was about to open her mouth to object when he continued.
"Believe it or not, this place isn't safe, this is a town created out of bandits" he
finished, placing the ring in his breast pocket.
Yasha swallowed and nodded slowly, "Till tonight then"
Inuyasha smiled, 'Till tonight"Just then the woman came bundling back in with her arms full of cloth.
Yasha eyed them with disgust, she didn't like dainty clothes. She hated to feel prissy.
The woman beckoned for Yasha to follow her.
Yasha turned to get Inuyasha's approval, and he nodded.
Yasha followed the old woman behind the screen.
She watched as Mrs Toshiko began to lay the beautiful gowns over chairs and on the walls of he small hut, "Take your pick"Yasha stared at them all, mouth slightly agape,
"They're all so beautiful" she managed to mumble, "but I..."
The old woman nodded, "Is there a problem?"Yasha turned to her and nodded, "Yes, I can't stand dresses, they drive me insane."
"Well then I think I have just the thing for you." the lady walked into a room and came back with some pants and shirts.
"Perfect!" her eyes glittered with excitement. Yasha grabbed a loose, white, silk shirt/blouse, a silk red cloth with white buttons down the back(like a sleeveless shirt), and a snug-fitting pair of black pants.
After what seemed like years, Inuyasha sighed in rejoice when he saw Yasha come out of the dressing room, but scowled when he saw her wearing a simple white dress with silver trim. "Is that the one you chose?" he asked, rasing an eyebrow in protest.
Yasha grinned, "No, I'll wear what I chose tomorrow when we leave"
Inuyasha let his breath out, smart girl.
"Besides, it's about time you find a room to stay in for the night, it's not safe to stay out in the open in this sort of place" the old woman said, looking outside as the sun was beginning to set.
It was only then that Inuyasha realized how long they had spent in the hut, nearly an
entire day!
He rubbed a hand over his face; he was exhausted, damn girl business.
"I've given her this dress for the rest of the day and a nightgown and chamber gown for
tonight and then the what she picked for tomorrow" the old woman said.
Inuyasha nodded and fished around in his pocket for his leather purse.
He handed her the small brown pouch, "There should be enough there"
The old woman nodded, "You can have my place tonight, I can go stay at my sister's hut" she told them quietly as she picked up a small wanderers bag.
Inuyasha bowed to her, "Thank you for you hospitality"
The old woman nodded and rolled her eyes, "Inuyasha, don't mock me"
And with that was off.
Inuyasha and Yasha looked around the hut; it would do for the night.
Inuyasha walked out of the door, Yasha ran after him, "What are you doing?"
Inuyasha turned to face her and blinked in surprise at her hand that was grasping his sleeve tightly, "Just getting our horses"
Yasha blushed, "Oh, sorry"
Inuyasha smirked and strode off, leaving Yasha standing behind him.
She walked back into the hut and looked around, the screen with the tin bath behind it, a small wooden table and fireplace, a rocking chair and stool, and over in the corner a fairly large bed.
She swallowed.
Not good.
She walked back outside and decided to play the part of the slave.
She looked around the hut and found some buckets and went to the nearby river to
collect some water, she passed Inuyasha on the way, who was leading the brown mare and his white gelding towards the hut with her stallion following close behind; following because when Inuyasha walked over to him, if Inuyasha wasn't as quick as he was, he
would have lost a finger...or four. "Where are you going?" he asked, stopping to turn around to catch the back of her.
Yasha turned to face him and smiled, "Just going to get water for your bath, my lord" and turned around and strode off.
Inuyasha watched her retreating form and sighed, she was a weird girl.He tied the horses to the post next to the hut and picked up another two buckets and decided to go help her out.
He followed her tracks, following her scent and the tune of her song she was singing under her breath.
And found her crouching down next to the river, filling the buckets with water.
He walked towards her quietly, trying to try and catch the song she was singing, but even when he was a meter away he couldn't hear it properly so he came right behind her and bent over slightly accidentally stepping on her skirt.
Her first impulse was to scream upon feeling someone step on her dress, but she brought her hands around, dropping the buckets and caught the intruders feet, tripping whoever it was, and ducked as they tumbled forwards into the cold water.
Her breathing was in pants as she stared at the silver haired man lying in the water.
oops...
She ran forward and helped Inuyasha up, "I'm sorry! I thought you were some bandit or something," she said in a rushed sentence as she wiped his hair from his face.
Inuyasha blinked in surprise and felt a massive headache come on, "I think I hit my head on something"
Yasha frowned slightly, and gently lifted his chin with her fingertips to see the graze clearer on the side of his face, "Come on, help me with the buckets and I'll clean it up for you"
Inuyasha nodded, and filled his two buckets and followed Yasha who seemed to show no trouble upon carrying her two.
Somehow they managed to get back to the hut and Yasha went to the task of heating the water and emptying the tin bath outside.
Inuyasha sat down on the stool in front of the fire, watching the girl work.
After a while she came out from behind the screen wiping her hands on her dress, "My
Lord, your water's ready" she said quietly.
Inuyasha nodded and strode over to the screen and disappeared behind it, leaving Yasha to get to the cooking.
She chopped the small amount of vegetables they had and placed them in the water to cook.
And went over to the screen, "My Lord?"
There was no answer, surely he didn't have a concussion and had fallen asleep, "Inuyasha?" she called, a bit more loudly.She really didn't want to go in there."Inuyasha?" she tried once more.
Still no answer, so she peaked inside, Inuyasha sat there in the tub a toweling cloth draped over the basin, only showing his upper half and him observing her ring once more.
Yasha let out the breath she didn't no she was holding and stepped forward and tapped
his shoulder.
"Huh!" he jumped, suddenly turning around to face her.
She stood there, she looked like she could cry at any second, "I-I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to scare you, but you weren't answering me. And please, d-don't."she pointed a
shaky hand at the ring he was fingering. Her ring.
Inuyasha was going to say something mean, but changed his mind, "I do- didn't hear
you. I won't touch it if you really don't want me to, I guess." He was gonna say 'I don't have to answer you, you're my slave.'
Yasha nodded and grabbed his wet clothes and walked away silently.
She walked out of the room and placed them neatly around the fireplace, lying them flat so they could all dry.
After a moment, Yasha stood there at a loss at what to do.
She had just done everything that there was to be done. As if hearing her thoughts
Inuyasha called her "Yasha?" he called, voice bored and quiet.
Yasha padded over to the screen. "Yes?" she asked calmly, small tears slipped down her cheeks.
He wasn't facing her but could sense she was saddened by something, "Can I ask a favor?"
She stood there, waiting for it.
"Can you bring the stool in so I can talk to you?"
Yasha's eyebrow's shot up, "You're bathing! It's not proper!" she half yelled, trying her best to hide her embarrassment at the request.
Although she wasn't that embarrassed, after all, she had done more embarrassing things
with Nar. . .
No, she would not talk about him.
Inuyasha closed his eyes, "I don't feel too well, please?"
Yasha sighed and walked out and grabbed the stool and walked back in and put it up
against the wall.
She sat down and leaned against the coolness, and crossed her legs, resting her head against the wall.
"What is it?" she said softly, not opening her eyes.
He didn't answer for a moment, "How badly are you hurt?" he said, turning to face her.
She opened her eyes in surprise and looked into his eyes, "Just a couple of bruises and
scratches, why?"He shrugged, "The old crone just said something about it, that's all"
Yasha nodded, "I'm sore, but I can handle it" she answered quietly.
Inuyasha rested his head in his palm as more tears fell from her eyes.
"What about you?" Yasha asked, holding back a river of tears that still managed to trickle down her face.
Inuyasha looked at her, "The same basically a couple of deep grazes from this one guys sword and the graze from you, but that's it"
Yasha raised her eyebrow and picked up her stool and dragged it over to Inuyasha, and sat behind him.
She picked up the bath rag and the soap the old woman had left behind and started to
wash her masters back.
Inuyasha didn't say anything, "I'm sorry"
Yasha slowed her actions and frowned slightly, "What for?"Inuyasha didn't answer, "For everything, messing with your ring, for being a jerk, and for not protecting you more when we were attacked"
Yasha frowned and continued to rub the cloth in circular motions across his back and shoulders, "It's not your fault" she said quietly, "You can't feel guilty for who and what I am. And what little bit that you did protect me, was strange, because I've only always ever been alone to fend for myself." she finished.
Inuyasha relaxed with the scent and the motions of her hands.
"It is my fault, you don't belong as a slave" he said quietly.
Yasha stopped everything, "What do you mean?" she asked, swallowing hard. He opened his eyes and stared at the wall, "Your ring. You don't seem the type to steal anything."
Yasha didn't like where this was going.
"It must've been hard, being rich and born into a nobleman's family and accustomed
to that sort of lifestyle, then been thrown into the ravines of hell" he said quietly.
Yasha dropped the cloth and stood up and walked around to face him, "H. . .How do you know?"Inuyasha smiled, "Family coat of arms" he said, extending his arm placing the ring in her palm.
Yasha stood there, gazing down at it, before placing it on her finger and walking quietly out of the room.
Inuyasha stood up and dried himself, and wrapped the cloth around him and walked out into the hut, Yasha was outside, and his clothes were lying on the ground nearly
completely dry, he walked over to them and quickly got dressed, then heard a girl talking, to someone.
"Oh what are we gonna do? I wish just one of them were here, they'd know. Daddy, I wish you were here right now, then I could tell you about that dirty snake you married." she sobbed quietly. "You remember what it was like, don'tya boy? Member when Daddy, you, me, and Ryuku and Shikoku spent the day in the woods?" Then she snapped; she buried her face in the dog's coat and let the river loose, and her dog whined
sympathetically. "What did we ever do to deserve this? I hate her. I hate her!" she sobbed. Inuyasha was starting to feel really sorry for her, he'd never felt sorry for anyone. Was he going soft?
Inuyasha walked quietly out of the hut and put his hand on her shoulder, "Yes my lord?"
"You wanna talk about it?" he asked quietly.
Yasha nodded, "sure." She was a mess. Her whole life was a mess. They walked into the
hut with Kyushu and Shikoku following their sorrowful master to where they sat on the bed.
"My mother and father were the king and queen of the Kenishwei district. My mother,
Sakashima, was a snake. She was a cheat, thief, liar, and a traitor. My father Kijen, however, was so different from her. He trusted her, and she played him like a pawn on a
chessboard." she began slowly, and her sorrowful tears, turned into bitter tears of resentment and cynicism.
Inuyasha waited for her to continue."And my father and I were so close, but my mother didn't not even want me because she thought I looked unsightly. She tried many times to get rid of me, but she could not convince my father to banish me. But then, she finally
slipped under his nose...and mine. I was only five when it happened. She wanted to 'start over' with me, or at least that's what she said. My mother said we could go for a
ride and talk so we could get to know each other, and that bitch left me in the forest. And I figured out that she had sprayed her perfume on my dogs' and horse's nose when I
wasn't looking; then on mine when we stopped to eat lunch, she sprayed me when we were messing around. We sat on the ground and talked a while, but then she left when I fell asleep along with my horse and dogs who were napping as well. That way, she could be sure that we'd never get out of that forest alive." he could hear the resentment in her
voice.
"Then a boy found me the night I was abandoned. The next day, when he was taking me to meet a friend of his, I was taken away by someone sent by my mother. He was supposed to kill me, but didn't and kept me as his slave, but treated me as his daughter. I lived with him for five years, then I was taken away by another man. I met the friend that I was supposed to have met five years earlier. She was only there a year after I arrived because the boy promised to return for her before he knew I was there, and took
her away during her sleep, leaving me all alone. We had helped each other stay strong, but the minute she disappeared, I knew I was a goner. The new master I had, was trying to make the perfect slave, one that does whatever you ask. The perfect slave, was one with
one reason to live: death to your loved ones if you disobey. He wore me down easily after she left. It was horrible."
The tears streamed down her face. "The last four years were the worst. I didn't think I would live to ever see the light of day ever again. For those five years, I never got to leave
the castle once."
Inuyasha stood up and pulled her up off of the bed, "Come on, lets have something to eat" Yasha wiped away her tears, which had finally stopped.
Yasha was surprised when he pushed her down into the rocking chair, and passed her a small wooden bowl.
He ladled some of her vegetable soup into it and passed her a spoon, and then served himself some and sat on the stool.
"What about your ring and those bracelets?"
The tears came back, "When I was really little, my father gave them to me. He said 'never take them off.' and 'as long as you wear these, I'll always be with you.'" a heart-wrenching sob tore from the girl.
"That must have really hard for you." Inuyasha stared at her, deep in thought, not noticing that Yasha was staring right at him the whole time. "Stop it!"she snapped angrily.
"Oh! Sorry..." Inuyasha quickly turned away to hide the blush that invaded his face.
After a while they finished eating and Yasha stood up and hauled Inuyasha off the stool and lead him to the bed.
Inuyasha stared at her in surprise, as she pushed him down onto the straw filled mattress, "Uh . . ." was all he managed to say.
Yasha got back up again and filled a bowl with warm water and salt and walked behind the screen to get the bathing cloth, she came back to him and sat down at his side, and dipped the cloth in the bowl, "Keep still, this may hurt a little" she said quietly.
Inuyasha felt her gentle cold fingers pull his hair away and dab the moist material over the wound, he winced when he felt the salt hit some particular saw bits.
"I'm sorry" Yasha whispered, as she stared down at him.Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, "Hey, at least it was in self defence"
Yasha felt very ashamed of herself, "Sorry"
Inuyasha looked up at her and his heart missed a beat, "Don't worry about it, I'll try and do something about your problem as well"
Yasha stared up at him and shook her head with a fake smile, "No, it's okay, I'm happy being your servant"
Inuyasha started to get up but Yasha pushed him back down and leant over him,
"You sleep tonight, I'll keep watch, It's only fair" she said quietly.
Inuyasha looked into her eyes and saw her desperate need to contemplate her thoughts.
He nodded, and turned over slightly and felt Yasha pull the covers over him and sit down in the rocking chair.
No one said he HAD to sleep so it came as a surprise when he heard Yasha begin to cry an hour or so later, making him close his eyes in anger and hidden melancholy as he thought of her as he drifted off to sleep. After all he was invading her thought space.
"Inuyasha? Are you still awake?" she called quietly. He wondered if he should answer her. What could she possibly want? "Yeah. Why?" he made his voice sound like he was irritated.
"I wanna ask you something." she was on the verge of tears. Just thinking about what she was going to ask made her want to cry.
"Fine, come and sit on the bed," Inuyasha sighed in annoyance.
"O.K." she stood up and over to the bed and lay down on the end of the bed with her legs hanging off the end.
"What did you wanna ask me?" Inuyasha sounded a little sweeter now.
"Did you ever have any friends when you were little?"
"What do mean, like how little?" he answered carefully.
"Seven-ish I guess."
"Yeah. I did. I think she was a princess, and my parents had visited her parents a lot. They still go and see them sometimes but I don't come along unless I'm needed." he answered flatly. "What about you? Before you were taken away I mean."
"Yeah, this boy and his older brother. I think that they were the princes of the district. I got to see them often." she sighed. "I don't know why, but when I look at you, I think of him. I can't remember his name though."
"Oh. Ya know, I've never seen you with that thing off not once." he said, pointing to the headband.
"I've been so afraid to take it off for fear I might lose it. Even though it's a simple sash, the fact that my father gave it to me is what makes it important. Not only that, it also hides things I don't want anyone to see. But maybe I'll take it off tomorrow so you can see underneath it." she told Inuyasha.
"Okay. –yawn– I think we should get some sleep." Inuyasha suggested.
"Yeah. Good night Inuyasha."she whispered, then wandered back to the rocking chair.
"Yasha?"
"Hmm?"
"Sweet dreams." he said quietly.
"You too Inuyasha." she whispered, smiling. But curiosity grabbed her, 'Since when did masters wish you sweet dreams?' she thought, 'sometimes I wonder if– naa. He couldn't be, could he? Oh well...' was her last thought before drifting off to sleep.
lemme know if it's good. and remember, DO NOT COVER YOUR REVIEWS WHITH SUGAR AND SWEETNESS, i wanna know what you really think. i have enough sugar already anyways -mmmmm. ice creammmmmm- bye