Chapter 9

Danger all around for the group. Keep watch for the winner of the contest on the 16th.

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and story belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, this is just a fan fic.

Pain, a searing pain in her left shoulder, was all that Elish felt as she body slammed into a tree after dodging a rabid wolf that was swiping at Rin and herself. Sesshoumaru was livid and quickly grabbed Rin and placed her and Shippo on Ah-Un and ordered them into the sky. He turned to grab Elish, but she was already running back to Kagome's side to help with arrows. His eyes flashed as he saw Kouga move to strike a wolf heading for the girls again. Elish was bleeding and had quickly wrapped a bandage around her upper arm. The sight of her bleeding was making Sesshoumaru's eyes turn red.

A possessed wolf got a little too close to Sesshoumaru and he lashed out and grabbed the wolf mid-leap and crushed the breath out of him. He quickly tossed the wolf to the side and grabbed his sword and began the dance of death. He moved quickly to the left of Kouga and may his way directly towards the spider hanyou.

It was another puppet, but it had three jewel shards in its forehead and it was flanked by six, large wolf demons with a jewel shard each in their foreheads as well. Inuyasha's Wind Scar was tearing up the land and putting a dent in the number of wolves that were the vast army of Naraku; but the group didn't want to kill all the wolves, they just wanted to stop the dark magic and release them. Miroku was bashing a wolf in the head when another wolf swiped at his thigh, producing a huge gash, as Sango knocked the wolf out.

Miroku was down on one knee trying to stop the bleeding when Inuyasha and Kagome moved to disarm the six wolf guards with Kouga's help. Sesshoumaru was ripping the puppet apart and tossing the three tainted jewels to Kagome as the wolf army collapsed to the ground. Everyone was breathing hard and tired, except Sesshoumaru. Miroku's pale brow was drenched with sweat and Sango was quickly tying his leg with one of her bandanas. Elish caught her breathe and raced across the field to Sango's side. The whole group focused their attention to Miroku's plight. Elish was completely in her element now. The group looked on in amazement as the once shy and quiet member was quickly barking orders for Miroku to be moved to level ground as she quickly cleaned her hands and began inspecting his wound.

After fifteen minutes of cleaning, stitching, and dressing Miroku's leg, Elish leaned back and produced some pills from her first-aid kit and popped them into the lecherous monk's mouth. He didn't even have much time before he was knocked out and resting peacefully.

"Thank you Kagome. You're good with the bandages. Not too tight, nor too loose."

Kagome chuckled, " Well I've had some practice with Inuyasha over the years. But you're amazing with the needle. I've been thinking about going into medicine too when I graduate high school."

"Ha! Well I was the top of my class when I graduated so I was planning on specializing in general surgery after I returned from my overseas trip."

Elish paused and looked around searching for Rin. The little girl was watching her and helping Sango make a frame to carry Miroku. Rin seemed impressed with her work and had the heroine worship look. With a smile, Elish turned to glance at Sesshoumaru and found the daiyokai was staring at her. His look was not aggressive, yet Elish felt that she was under a microscope. As if he were watching and searching for a other reason to believe that she was not human. It unnerved her and made her want to yell at him that it was okay to be human. She turned away from the demon and began helping Sango lift Miroku into the splint.

Inuyasha came to carry the monk off the battlefield to a nearby clearing where the group would stay the night. Kouga was rounding up the injured wolves and helping carry his distance tribesmen back to their home. He had stated that he would return the following day and then the group would move on to meet with the Southern Lord, or at least try to find out if he were still alive.

Dusk fell on the camp and everything was taking twice as long to do that night. Only the children, Inuyasha, and Sesshoumaru were doing okay. After Elish had helped the others set up camp and fetch water for boiling for food and wounds, she finally sat down to rest. She was slightly startled when Sesshoumaru's black boots came into her view as he stood in front of her. The next thing she knew he was kneeling in front of her and had gently grabbed her left arm and was eyeing the blood soaked bandage.

"This wound needs to be addressed."

The thundering of her heartbeat was all that Elish could hear and she swallowed hard before she took a breath to answer him.

"I hadn't thought about it with all that was going on."

She glanced at her arm and raised her free hand to take the bandage off, but Sesshoumaru's hand beat her to it. He gently untied the bandage and looked to Elish as if waiting for her to give him instructions on what she wanted him to do. The blush was deep and her voice wavered as she whispered for him to bring some of the boiling water from fire so that she could clean the wound. He immediately rose to fetch the water and Elish had to hold back the sigh that wanted to escape. He was being so sweet and attentive.

Sesshoumaru could feel the eyes of the rest of the group on him as he made his way to camp fire for a cup of the boiling liquid. Kagome wordlessly handed him a cup and looked back and forth with a look of incredibility. This was certainly not his style, but he couldn't help it. The girl had gotten hurt trying to save Rin when he couldn't reach her in time, and then she had repaired the monk so quickly and efficiently that he had been impressed to say the least. She had definitely gained his attention. He hated that he felt that he had failed twice that day, once for Rin and then for the golden-haired beauty. She was his to protect; and the first time that she was in danger, he had been so focused on Rin and the wolf guards that he hadn't realized that she had thrown herself in harms way to protect Rin. He carried the steaming water back to the healer and gently took the cloth in his hand and began cleaning her wound.

"Thank you. I-I can finish if you like?" Elish blushed and mumbled as she stared at the kneeling demon lord.

He was on his knees in front of her as she sat on a log and he was gently washing dried blood from her arm. Sesshoumaru seemed to be in deep thought and did not acknowledge her comment. He took the bandages and that she handed to him and applied the ointment and began gently wrapping her arm.

"This Sesshoumaru will not let this happen again."

"What? But this isn't your fault. I wasn't watching what was going on, and that wolf would have gotten Rin!" Elish protested.

Sesshoumaru met her eyes with a look of skepticism and continued with his work.

"I don't want you to think of me a burden. I can take care of myself. I made the choice to do what I did, and I will suffer the consequences," she pleaded as she realized that he felt guilt for her becoming injured.

"You are a ward of the West. It is my duty to protect what is mine."

"I'm not yours in that sense. We barely even know each other. And before you say anything about my humanity or lack thereof, you should know that until two weeks ago we didn't even know that the other existed so you can't blame yourself for my getting hurt like it's wounding your pride or honor. We are barely even friends!"

The ache that Sesshoumaru felt when she declared that they barely knew each other hurt deeper than he would have liked to admit. He wanted to know her better for some reason. It was as if his instincts were forcing him to be there with her in that moment. He looked at the bloody rag in his hand and it made him angry that her blood had been spilt, as if he wasn't good enough to take care of her or to have her.

"You are my mine to protect!" he grounded out as he stood.

Elish jumped up and met him eye to eye. "Lord Sesshoumaru, look I know that you are a deadly demon and what you did today was just unbelievable, but I'm not some weakling that can't keep myself from getting killed. Now I appreciate you looking out for me until I return home, but you shouldn't worry about me that much."

Return home. Those two words threw him into a loop and he stared at the girl in front of him as if he were seeing her for the first time. She wasn't from this time, and she would possibly go back one day. There was a pain in Sesshoumaru's chest and a gnawing ache; he turned his back on the sparkling green eyes that beckoned his soul.

"Rest. Tomorrow will be a long day."

Elish was shaking and worked up. He had been too close; she was drowning in the molten pools of gold, and he was acting like she mattered to him more than just something to watch over. Her emotions were raging; she wanted him to do more than talk to her. And now he was walking away from her and she could barely breathe. She wandered away from the clearing in the opposite direction that he had taken. Breathe, just breathe she chanted as she made her way deeper into the forest.

Frazzled nerves and the beginning of a headache accompanied Elish through the woods. Her arm had a dull pounding and she was hungry. It had been two weeks and she wasn't sure if she would ever get home again. She sat there and stared into the night sky and wished that she hadn't sent Sesshoumaru away. Maybe it would have been okay if he was worried about her. Maybe he cared for another reason her heart whispered to her. Elish stayed that way until her eyes fell closed and a gentle sleep stole over her.

When Sesshoumaru made it back to camp after doing his rounds, he found that all the humans and Jaken were asleep. Inuyasha was sitting close to Kagome and the monk and keeping watch, but the healer was missing. Inuyasha saw his half-brother start when he realized that Elish was missing from camp. He really did have something going on with the girl.

"She's in the forest about a quarter of a mile to the east."

Sesshoumaru wordlessly turned and headed in the direction that Inuyasha pointed out for him. He was upset that she had wandered off, but he knew that the area was safe. He approached her slumped form and knelt down to caress her hair.

Elish stirred when she felt the gentle whispers of slender digits on her temples. She blinked and caught her breath when she saw a striped wrist. She looked up into his eyes and for a pregnant moment neither moved.

"I'm sorry for my outburst earlier," she whispered.

"Hn."

She didn't know what she was thinking (and later when she lay in her sleeping bag she swore that she had an out of body experience) but in that moment while staring into the golden pupils of the demon lord underneath the starry night, Elish felt that she knew exactly why she had fallen down the well. He was beautiful like an angel and he was looking at her as if she were the only thing in the world. She wanted his protection in these dark times, and as she sat up straighter she realized she wanted something more than just protection. Without a second thought Elish leaned forward and slid her arms around Sesshoumaru's neck and kissed him.

He could see her moving toward him as if he were under water. He could have stopped her, but he wasn't quite sure what she was going to do. He had thought perhaps she was going to hug him, but when she pressed her warm lips to his mouth he couldn't feel anything but her. In that moment, time stood still for the daiyokai that dedicated his life to a pursuit of power. And he knew as he held on to her quivering body that his path would never be straight again.

Author's Note: Thanks for reading and welcome to anyone that just started following :)