Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape or form own InuYasha or any other characters.
Chapter Four: Conan
When May Lee walked back into the widow's hut, she found the woman awake, standing by the stove.
"I am glad ye has awakened, though, I must admit, I was surprised to find ye gone," the woman spoke, not turning to look at the girl who stood in the doorway. She continued to stir the soup over the kettle fire.
"I'm sorry if I scared you, I just went to look for some food," May Lee said earnestly.
The widow waved her hand, as if to dismiss the whole subject. "Did ye find any meat?"
"No, I didn't, I'm sorry. I wanted to ask you a question though," May Lee informed and inquired.
"Go ahead, child," the widow replied patiently.
"I walked east," May Lee paused, to make sure that it was indeed east that the had traveled. She looked out the window, that was the direction that the sun was rising from. "Yes, east, and I saw a horse. Are there wild horses around here?"
"Ahhh, child. Describe the four legger you saw to me," the widow said, looking up from the stew briefly to read the young girl's expression.
"He was mighty. The color of flames. He walked about like a king, and his mane resembled a fire itself. I don't think he lead a band though, for I saw no other horses around," May Lee explained.
At this, the woman stopped. She took the pot off of the fire, and began to pour it into some bowls. She talked as she did. "If I am correct, the horse ye have described to me is Conan, the horse of flame. There is legend through these parts that he once belonged to a powerful goddess, and her powers keep him from aging. Even now, long after she's gone." The woman handed May Lee a bowl and motioned for her to sit and eat. The girl sat obediently and quickly, wanting the woman to go on. In her haste, the spear at her side was pushed deep into the skin on her arm.
"Ow!" May Lee yelped in pain. She pulled her other arm across her chest to hold the fresh wound. Her hand was quickly covered in blood.
"Dear child, have ye no balance?" the widow said in mock chastisement. Though she put her soup down and leaned over to the girl. She looked at the wound, the cut deep, and clean. "I need to take ye straight to Kaeade's hut, for she will take good care of you."
"Please tell me more, this is nothing but a simple scratch, I will see the doctor later, please?" May Lee begged, trying to hide the pain on her face.
The woman touched the wound, and May Lee winced. "A simple scratch, ye say?" Leaving no room for May Lee to make excuses or protest, the woman continued. "Ye speak nonsense. I will take ye to Lady Kaeade."
Seeing that this was a battle not to be won, the girl submitted. She followed the widow out of the hut, and onto the busy street. Though just a few short minutes ago, all had been desolate. She looked the street up and down, and noticed the girl she had seen yesterday from the forest. She also saw the man in black and purple robes. It seemed to May Lee that the girl was attacking the man. She slapped his cheek, where there was now a large red mark, and was hitting him on the head with her oversized boomerang.
As they entered the dark hut, which May Lee assumed belonged to 'Lady Kaeade', the woman turned to her. "This is where I will leave ye. Kaeade is sure to take very good care of your wound."
May Lee nodded her head and with that, the woman left.
May Lee sat comfortably on the floor, Indian style. She felt hot, and dizzy. She didn't know if it was the change in lighting, or temperature. She was settling down, when an old woman walked in. She presumed that this was 'Lady Kaeade'.
"Do ye have a wound I need to tend to?" the woman asked, in a welcoming tone.
"Oh, uh….yeah," May Lee moved her hand away from her arm and revealed her gash.
Kaeade made a tsking noise with her tongue and knelt down to May Lee's level. She examined the wound quickly and got up to fetch some herbs. When she returned, she probed the wound gentley with her fingers.
"This looks as though it may be infected, what was it that gave you this wound?" the woman questioned.
"Uh, an old spear. I guess it might have had rust on it…' May Lee tried to explain.
"Oi, child, you need to rest. This may become deadly, if not treated properly," the woman reasoned.
"How long do I need to rest? I was hoping to find Conan…." May Lee said, but let her voice trail off, she didn't want this woman to think her crazy for chasing ghost horses.
"Ye must stay here, 3 nights," the woman said assertively, there would be no negotiating. "Now, is this Etlanshina's horse, Conan, that you seek child?" the woman said, dismissing the whole chance that May Lee had of defending her reasons to leave.
"I guess. The widow that I am staying with said that the horse I saw this morning was once a goddess's, and his name was Conan. He looked like fire, he was beautiful," May Lee replied.
Kaeade prepared a pallet on the floor, and took some cloth to wrap the cut in. She came back to where May Lee sat, and began to tightly wrap the bandage, she spoke as she did. "Indeed. The horse that you speak has roamed the hills and valleys east of here for many years, though he does not age. Etlanshia, the earth goddess that widow Kimar has told ye about. He is kept alive by her lost powers, and therefore, is ageless."
May Lee winced as the bandage was tightened, and struggled to get up, where Kaeade ushered her to the fixed pallet. The old woman continued, "Why is it that you seek this horse, Conan?"
"I saw him, in the valleys east of this village. I don't know why, I feel so…. connected…..to him. Why, if I can ask, would the goddess make her horse live for eternities, without her?" May Lee replied.
"Etlanshia made a promise to Conan, as they were very close. She promised that at her death, she would release her powers, and the one who gained them, would find him, and free his wandering soul." Kaeade explained.
"Oh." May Lee said, absently, as she settled herself into the pallet. "Do you know where Kagome is?" May Lee remembered. She wanted to at least figure out why she was here, how she could get back, or what it was she needed to do. Obviously, she was brought here for a reason.
"Kagome-sama? How do you know Kagome?" Kaeade said, a little taken aback.
"Well, uh, we go to the same school…" May Lee said, she didn't want to mention the well, and exposed Kagome's secret.
"Then ye came from the future era that Kagome did as well?" Kaeade asked thoughtfully.
"Yes, I did," May Lee said, since the woman already knew about the well, and it's enchantment.
"How did ye get through? I thought only Kagome and InuYasha could travel through the well." Kaeade observed.
"I just sorta, fell in, then, when I got out, I was here." May Lee said, angry that she knew nothing about why she was here or what she needed to do.
"Strange, well, I shall explain to you about the well, and Kagome, the Shikon Jewel, and such things ye will need to know," Kaeade offered her knowledge generously.
While Kaeade explained about Kagome, Kikyou's reincarnation, and the well, made of the tree of ages, and about InuYasha, and the trick that Naraku had preformed, it grew dark outside. Near the end of her explanation, Kaeade was interrupted by Miroku and Sango, coming into the hut.
Not very surprised to see a patient in Kaeade's hut, Sango went over to the pallet that she usually slept on (farthest from Miroku's and nearest to Shippo and Kagome's) and set her Hirakos down. Miroku, however, made his way to the beautiful maiden, sitting by Lady Kaeade.
"Maiden, may I ask your name?" Miroku said as he sat down next to May Lee.
"My name is May Lee. You are…?"
"I am Miroku, a monk known to these parts. I have a proposition for you. Would you do me the honor of bearing my children?" Miroku said with great confidence.
There was a smack! and a thunk! Miroku rubbed his cheek, where he had gotten smacked by May Lee, and his head, where he had been hit by Sango's Hirakos.
"Ugh…" were the only words Miroku could utter at the moment.
Then, Kagome and InuYasha walked into the hut as well. Instantly, InuYasha was set in a glare at the girl on the floor, while Kagome rushed to meet her.
"May Lee –chan! How did you get here!" Kagome said, sheer joy lit her face.
"I…err…well, see, I uh, saw you go into the temple, and you didn't come out. So I went in after you and you weren't there and so, I started climbing down the well and a ladder rung snapped, and I fell, and then I was here, and he attacked me." She said in a ruch of words, gasping for breath, after gesturing to InuYasha about her last statement.
"You wench-" InuYasha started, but Kagome cut him off.
"How did you get through? I didn't know anyone but me and InuYasha could get through the well…"
While Kaeade and May Lee took turns explaining what had happened, and about the lost powers of Etlanshina, (with a few protests from InuYasha) Sesshomaroudesigned his planfor the destruction of InuYasha from afar. He could not let these ningens and InuYasha ruin his plan. Victory would be his, with InuYasha out of the picture.