Even a Cold Wind Can Warm
By Slayer Enfiniti
The Inu Yasha group sat around a campfire. Miroku was nursing his latest wounds from Sango, who was determinedly keeping the fire between herself and the monk, still glaring at him. Kagome was cooking ramen for everybody, and explaining to Shippo the wonders of plumbing.
"…So then you turn the tap, and water comes out."
"Wow!" Shippo sighed in awe. "Water anytime and not having to go to the creek to get it? Can I come to your time, Kagome?" Miroku laughed.
"Now, now, Shippo, you know only Kagome-sama and Inu Yasha can use the Sacred Well." In the firelight it was apparent his cheek was swelling. He touched it and sighed. "Yet another bruise from the Lady Sango have I for my collection."
"Maybe you should try not touching the women's butts, Miroku." Shippo commented thoughtfully. "It seems to get you hurt." Kagome tried hard to keep a straight face. Sango snorted, most un- ladylike. Kagome heard an echoing snort from the tree above her, where a certain hanyou was sitting.
"Feh! Like that'll ever happen. Some monk he is, always chasing after women instead of concentrating on the Jewel." Miroku scooted a little closer to Shippo.
"You see, young fox, a lady is worth whatever bruises she may give you." Miroku said, with the air of someone imparting an ultimate truth.
"It better be. That's what, the sixth time today?"
"Ninth." Sango corrected with a shudder. "And a peeping."
"Ah, yes, what a view it was…" Miroku found himself greeting the ground thanks to Hiraikotsu yet again.
Inu Yasha twitched an ear, and jumped down to the ground.
"There's something over there a way. I'm gonna go check it out. Stay here." And with that, he bounded off. Sango looked disgustedly at the smudge-that-was-Miroku.
"And leave me with this pervert? I think I'd rather the demon! How about you, Kagome-chan?" Sango asked as she shouldered her weapon. The younger girl thought for a moment, before something occurred to her.
"The well's just the next clearing over. My medicine kit is getting a little low, so I think I'll go restock it. And since Inu Yasha's not here to argue, I don't have to fight him to go."
"Good idea," came a muffled groan from the ground. Miroku picked himself up. "But I can't just let a pretty lady wander off to fight some demon all by her lonesome!" He said, looking at Sango's retreating form. Shippo sighed in resignation.
"And I better go with to make sure Miroku doesn't do anything stupid." He jumped onto the monk's shoulder.
"Hey, tenth time pays for all, you know."
"Yeah, she'll make you pay all right…" And the two walked off toward the north. Kagome sighed and turned east.
"Hey, at least Inu Yasha can't complain this time," She told herself. Warily she looked around, aware of how alone she was. There weren't any jewel shards near, but that didn't mean anything. Cautiously she crept up next to the well.
"Girl." Kagome jumped and whirled, but whoever it was was too fast for her. She caught a glimpse of white, but that was it before the person clamped a hand over her mouth from behind. The same arm was used to keep her immobile. She looked down at the hand. It was clawed and had stripes on it, clearly not a human hand. Letting out a stifled shriek, she struggled, but she might as well have been fighting an iron pole. The grip did not slip.
"Do not scream, little filly. Your Inu Yasha could not come fast enough to save you if you did." There was something familiar about that icy voice…
"You are the woman who travels with Inu Yasha, are you not?" The grip of the hand shifted, still holding her immobile but freeing her mouth.
"Y- Yes." Her bow was all the way across the clearing. When did that happen?
"The one with miko powers, but only partially trained?"
"Yes." She replied, a little firmer. The hold relaxed further, then released her completely. Sesshomaru stepped sideways, into her line of vision. She opened her mouth, but he cut her off.
"I mean you no harm, nor even any harm to my idiot half- brother, at the moment. I require your assistance."
……………………….
"Kagome, now that ye be an official miko in training, if anyone asks your assistance, peasant or lord, ye are not allowed to turn your back on them. Understand ye this?"
"Hai, Kaede, I understand"
………………………
She drew a shaky breath. She couldn't refuse to help.
"You won't hurt me or Inu Yasha?" Did his face never change at all?
"You have my word as the leader of the west." She nodded, breathing a little easier. Whatever else he did, he couldn't hurt her.
"Alright. Just let me get my bag and my bow."
"The bow you will not need. Nothing in this forest is stupid enough to attack me. Other than Inu Yasha, of course." He said, with just a touch of amusement. He picked up her bag and lifted an eyebrow in surprise.
"Hmm. I wasn't aware humans could carry this much weight." For some reason, this made Kagome relax even further.
"Oh, well, it's necessary stuff, like my schoolbooks and clean clothes, and I'm kinda used to the weight from school, so…" She realized she was babbling, and shut her mouth. Sesshomaru led the way, still holding her bag.
Oh, great, that's what I'll tell Inu Yasha. Yes, he was holding my bag hostage. She sniffed mentally. Like he'd believe that.
Sesshomaru headed east, in almost the opposite direction of her friends. With a sigh, she resigned herself to being in Sesshomaru's control. Then she noticed something odd. Normally she had to remind Inu Yasha to slow down for the humans in their party, but his brother kept to a pace that was easy even for her to keep up with. Filing that away in her mind, she continued following him. After about 5 minute's easy walking, he stopped in front of an empty clearing.
"I must swear you to secrecy for what you see here. You must tell no one of this encounter or of what I reveal." He said, his eyes revealing nothing.
"As long as it doesn't endanger me or my friends, I agree." He nodded once, showing his acceptance to the terms, and raised his hand. The clearing shimmered, and where there had been nothing, now there was Jaken, a two headed dragon, and a small figure nestled up on the other side of the dragon, barely visible. Jaken turned to them.
"Awp! Milord, what is that filthy little human doing in here!"
"S- Sesshomaru-sama?" A weak voice called. "Is that you?"
Recognizing her patient, Kagome hurried over to what turned out to be a little human girl. After a bit of shock, things started to fall into place in her mind. Sesshomaru handed her her bag and looked down his nose at his minion.
"I invited that 'filthy little human.' She can help Rin. She will do what she can, and then she will leave." He stated simply. Jaken stared in shock as Kagome knelt down by the little girl.
"Hello, there." She started, a little unsure.
"'lo." Came the quiet reply.
"My name's Kagome, what's yours?" The girl glanced over to Sesshomaru, who nodded. The girl relaxed.
"Rin." Kagome saw the glint of fever in her eyes.
"Rin, then. Can you tell me what's wrong?" Rin nodded slowly.
"I fell down bad three-four days ago. It hurt, lots, but I kept up with Sesshomaru-sama and didn't say anything. But the ouch got worse, so Milord says stay here, quiet, and I do, and he brings you." Rin lifted her right leg. "Can Kagome-sama make the ouch better?" Her leg was split open from knee to ankle. Kagome sucked in her breath.
"Kagome's gonna try." She pulled a bottle out of her bag and measured out some. "Rin-chan, can you drink this for me? It'll make you sleep so I can look at the ouch without hurting you." Rin nodded and drank willingly. A few moments later she slumped back against the dragon supporting her, breathing easily. Briskly Kagome got out her water bottle. She noticed a fire already burning and nodded her thanks to the demon stoically watching. She brought the water to a boil and got out several medicines, both modern and herbal.
"The wound's infected. I'm going to have to clean it out before I can close it up." The demon lord nodded, his eyes not leaving the little girl.
………………………
After pulverizing a rat demon, Inu Yasha washed his hands in the nearby river and turned to go back to camp. He was startled to see Sango, Miroku, and Shippo coming toward him. His shock faded as he realized why they were there.
"Keh. You guys are way too slow. I crushed that demon a long time ago." He looked around and noticed a face missing. "Where's Kagome?" Miroku shuffled his feet.
"She needed to restock her medicines, so we split up and she headed for the well." The hanyou's eyes widened.
"You let her go ALONE!" He half-yelled, half-growled. He dashed off, still growling, leaving his bemused friends staring after him.
"Kagome, you idiot, you better be all right." That wench! Didn't she realize the danger? She couldn't be that thick. Could she?
He landed at their camp and easily picked up Kagome's aroma. He followed it toward the well. About 10 feet from the well, however, her scent changed from normal, and fear soaked it. Inu Yasha felt his insides go cold. He saw her bow, and realized she was unarmed. Then he smelled…
Growling, he took off, as fast as he could while tracking his brother's scent.
………………………
Sighing, Kagome sat back, examining her work.
Kaede would be proud, she thought, looking at the tight stitching.
"Well, girl?" Kagome jumped. How could he move so silently? She turned to him, angry.
"Next time she's injured, why don't you stop? If she'd rested and washed this in river water when she got it, it wouldn't be near as bad, you know! She could have had permanent damage!" She blushed, realizing she had just lectured someone who could snap her head from her neck before she could blink. Red faced, she continued. "Rin'll be fine. She just needs some rest." In his eyes she saw amusement and… relief? Nah, it couldn't be. Could it? "Leave the stitches in for 3 weeks, to make sure the wound closes, then remove them. Carefully. The flesh'll still be tender. Watch it carefully, and if it gets red streaks, call me again, please."
Sesshomaru nodded, then lifted his nose to test the wind. He grimaced.
"The joy never ends. More company."
"Huh?" Suddenly she heard a distant crash in the trees, then a much louder crash as Inu Yasha cleared the trees and ran face first into Sesshomaru's barrier. Sesshomaru smirked.
"SESSHOMARU, CURSE YOU!" A thoroughly ticked Inu Yasha pulled out Tetsusaiga. Red shimmered down the length of the blade, and Inu Yasha proceeded to demolish the barrier.
"Hah! There you are! Curse you, Sesshomaru, what have you done with MY WOMAN!" Red faced, Kagome stepped out from behind the two headed dragon. Inu Yasha's face suddenly matched his clothes.
"Uh, hi." She said. Sesshomaru looked at his brother as if he were dirt on his white kimono.
"As you can see, 'your woman' is fine. I have not harmed her at all." Inu Yasha looked between the two, clearly trying to decide whether to get Kagome or attack his demon brother. He turned a bit redder at Sesshomaru's words.
"Uh, what I meant was, um, my… jewel shard detector!" He stammered. Kagome stomped toward him.
"Yeah, well, your precious jewel shard detector is just PEACHY." She stomped past him. "Now this oh so precious jewel shard detector is going home."
"Uh, Kagome?" he asked tentatively.
"WHAT!" He cringed.
"The, uh, well's that way." He pointed almost opposite of the direction she had been heading. She flushed.
"Ah." A tic appeared over her head. "Sit, boy." THUD! She stomped off again, this time in the proper direction. Jaken reappeared from behind Sesshomaru and poked Inu Yasha in the head with his staff.
"What sorcery is this, Milord? The Inu Yasha is rendered harmless!"
"We are going, Jaken." Sesshomaru gathered Rin up in his arm.
"B- B- B- B- But Sesshomaru-sama! The opportunity!"
"I said we are going." Icicles dripped from his voice as he glared at his toady. Inu Yasha struggled to pull himself out of his self made crevice as Sesshomaru and his followers walked away. He scratched his ear.
"What the heck just happened!" He demanded.
…………………………
"Grr, he's so… dense!" Kagome muttered as she stalked toward the sacred well.
"Oi, Kagome!" Don't go!" Inu Yasha raced out of the trees and stopped in front of her. Kagome raised an eyebrow.
"What do you want?"
"I wanna know what the heck that was all about back there!"
"Why? I'm not hurt, nobody's in any danger, so why worry?" She asked.
"Because that was Sesshomaru!"
"So?"
"SO! S- s- s- so that was Sesshomaru!" He spluttered.
"You said that already." She said coldly, putting a leg over the well.
"Wait! So, what did he want? Why did he take you?" Kagome considered how much she should tell him.
"He needed my help. Oh, and I went willingly. Bye." She jumped into the well.
"Wait! But, but, that doesn't tell me anything! Kagome!" Her voice echoed back up the well.
"SIT!" WHAM!
Owari
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This was actually a dream of mine a short while ago. I thought it would make a good story, so I stayed up and wrote it down. In the morning, though, I couldn't even tell what I'd wrote! I remembered, though. I hope you enjoyed!
Ja, minna-san!