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Chapter 4, Asking for help

Sun had already set. Ayame was tired and sweating, but still continued. Kouga had weakened and could hardly walk anymore. Little by little she realized that he had no hope.

"Leave me, Ayame." Kouga said quietly. "I can't continue…"

"Don't give up yet!" Ayame said. "You have never given up before, so don't even think doing it now!"

He fell onto his knees, his wounds bleeding a lot. Ayame kneeled next to him, despair and fear starting to grow inside her. He was panting and it seemed that he would lose consciousness anytime.

"I can't do this…"

"Please Kouga! Hang on a little longer, until we get away from this gorge!" Ayame pleaded.

Then suddenly they heard a voice, what gave a new hope to them. Ayame raised her head and looked towards the other side of the gorge.

"Hey! Are you okay?"

"Ginta! Hakkaku!"

Ayame was so relieved when those two ran to them. They seemed very shocked and confused when they saw Kouga's wounds.

"What happened?" Asked Ginta.

"I thought he went to save Kagome…" Started Hakkaku.

"That's not important right now!" Ayame snapped. "Kouga is badly hurt. That damn demon hit him with poisonous jibe."

"Right, give a little help. I'll carry him to the bank." Said Hakkaku, and the others helped Kouga onto his back. He had lost his consciousness already.

"Ginta, go and find Kagome and the others. Maybe they can help." Ordered Ayame.

"I'm on my way!" Answered Ginta and ran further.

Hakkaku and Ayame returned to the bank of the lake and Hakkaku put Kouga down, under the tree. He was hardly breathing and his heartbeats had weakened a lot.

"Do you think he will die?" Asked Hakkaku.

"Don't talk like that!" Snapped Ayame, and then sighed. "I hope not."

"Maybe I should go and find something to tend his wounds…" He mumbled.

"Go if you want. I'll stay here." Answered Ayame, and so Hakkaku left.

For a while Ayame sat there in silence, watching the fireflies dancing above the calm and quiet lake. She could see some stars in the sky and the moon was shining. It could have been romantic night if Kouga hadn't been dying.

Many questions filled her head. What if Ginta wouldn't found Kagome and the others? What if Kouga would really die? And… why he had saved her, though he loved Kagome?

Ayame sighed and looked at Kouga. His wounds were still bleeding, but Hakkaku hadn't returned yet. She started to be worried. Would Kouga stand pains and resist the poison over the night? He was strong, Ayame knew it, but still she was afraid.

Ginta returned a bit before Hakkaku did, but he didn't have the antidote. He told that Inuyasha's gang was heading into north and Kagome had lost her medicine pack. Hakkaku had found bendy, long leaves and they three started to tend Kouga's wounds with those leaves.

"We have to do something. He dies in poison soon." Ginta remarked when the sun was about to rise.

Kouga was sweating and the others saw he was in great pains. He'd had nightmares when the others had slept and the poison had started to spread through his body.

"Yeah. Maybe we should take him to some place where somebody could heal him?" Suggested Hakkaku.

"Alright, let's take him to my tribe. I'm sure grandfather can help him." Decided Ayame.

So she went first to tell about Kouga, when the others came after her. Ayame was waiting when they arrived to her cave. Ginta was carrying still unconscious Kouga and both of them were very tired. They took Kouga to the end of the cave and Ayame's grandfather started to examine his wounds.

"Will he survive?" Asked Hakkaku.

"I'm not quite sure." Answered Ayame's grandfather. "We'll see tomorrow."

Next chappy is the last one…