Chapter 2
She lay upon the bed, her face deadly pale and wan. Her brown hair cascading to the floor, one hand flung over her eyes and one held to her breast.
Kaede observed her pityingly, sweeping a sweaty curl from her temple with her weathered fingers. She lifted the woman's head up gently, pouring an infusion through her lips.
"Mother?" It was the first word the woman had spoken since her arrival, and her voice was an odd one, low and throaty but gentle.
"Don't speak." Warned Kaede, pressing her finger to her lips. The woman watched silently as the old healer bustled about the hut.
It seemed the injured woman retreated into herself, her eyes darkening to a cloudy emerald.
"Mother, mother, mother…" She stared at the wattle and daub ceiling and let the old healer salve her cuts. "My baby, baby, baby, baby…"
Kaede wrapped her arms with herbs and thick cloth and laid her to rest on a cot of woven rushes.
"My baby, mother?" There was nothing to reply and Kaede reached and extinguished the lamp with a wave of her hand.
"Sleep."
"Come child." The whisper was from the shadows, beckoning, soft, sweet. "Come, sit with me."
Curious, the girl climbed into the shade of the awning, and up onto the bench next to the ever present mystery woman.
"Come child." She held out a hand with a candied tart clasped in it, still urging her closer.
She slid farther stretching out a hand. It a flash the woman had her, cooing, smothering, binding, breaking,; her skin burning! Her breath so hot on her ears.
"Baby, my baby, baby, baby…" The woman was rocking the girl's limp body back and forth, crooning.
"No! Let her go!" They hit her knuckles, wrapped their hands around her arms and tugged her pale, skeletal limbs away fromtheir hold.
"Don't take my baby from me!" Kaede, whispered to her, kissed her tears away.
"My baby?"
"She's dead love, let her be. Let her rest" And she knew no more as the waves of sleep crashed over her head.
"She can't stay…"
"Will my baby be alright? That wretched woman! What was she thinking?"
"Compassion, that's what I advise…Exile? Never! The child…"
"Can't stay!"
"Provisions? What good would…demons in a day!"
"What of our children? Insane! Exile only…"
"Never! Not while I'm…"
"Kaede…!"
"I've been here before you were born…"
"She can't stay! Not in the same village as my baby!"
"…"
"She can't!"
"…No… Provisions? Weapons? Very well…
My poor foundling…what have you done?"
Reviewer Response Corner:
Yavi- Eh...shrugs It's an AU btw, should have put that in the summary, hmmm...ta!
killertrees-Thanks!I glad you like it!
New Fan- Well tell me if this one's long enough...I hope so.
sesshoumarugurlz- I LOVE Sesshoumaru! keening screech as author hurdles herself into Sesshoumaru cutout ...cough Thanks!
AN- Wel, I'm not quite sure if I'm happy with this chapter, it's choppy, and I'll probably have to rewrite it but I wanted to give you guys somethng. Love ya!