Note: Yes, it's about time for those two to get back together. I would like to thank those who reviewed or at least read my previous chapters. Between work and then house cleaning it's hard to keep my focus on the fic. Knowing that someone at least reads a chapter or two keeps me at it though. I'll give a cookie to the next five reviewers (if I get that many that is). Thanks so much Jul-chan
Eternity's Passing: Kaede's Tale Chapter Seven: Fever and a Promise
It was a beautiful morning with the sun shining in resplendent glory along other cliché's describing such beauteous mornings. On some days the priestess, Lady Kaede would appreciate such beauty. The summer air was not as merciless as it had been in prior years. The summer blossoms were all out with their colorful petals and their aromas were the ambrosial balm to the nose. She would normally appreciate the fact that no one had any ailments, possessions, or counseling. It was very unfortunate that Kaede was unable to appreciate the beauty around her that day. When she had woken up that morning, her throat and mouth were dry, but she wasn't worried about it. It had been dry with the past few days because of the summer air and no rain. It was when she stood up from bed, her temples throbbed and the world began to spin that she was a little concerned. Stumbling, she moved towards a wall to hang onto until it seemed the world was stationary once again. Slowly letting go of the wall to make sure she didn't have another spell, she briefly wondered at it. Assured she was not going to meet the ground anytime soon, she looked around the hut and noticed Raiken had long risen before she had. It had been weeks since she had taken the initiative and had given in to the torrent of feelings she felt for Raiken. Ever since then she had been staying in his hut, only stepping foot in her own to replenish her supplies of herbal remedies and spiritual implements. Trying to come up with a reason on why she was feeling so strange, she concluded that it was because she had been up all night after tending a sick child. Kaede had rarely been ill, the only time was when she was very young after her parents had died. Dismissing the thought she had gotten dressed to greet the day despite feeling a little foggy.
Thinking a dip in her favorite spot would clear her head, she walked to the stream where she always bathed and refreshed herself. Yet each step she had taken had her thinking her feet were laden with stone. A drops of sweat beaded on her brow as movement became a struggle. It seemed the world wanted to take her for a spin as another flash of dizziness had hit her. She just needed to make it to the stream. The heat was becoming unbearable, despite it being cooler than normal. Feeling as if she was to fall at any moment, she reached out for a tree to lean against. She should have stayed in bed, she thought sullenly. Everything around her seemed to go still. Carefully she let go of the one thing she was sure that was steady and began to take tentative steps away from it. Sure that she could make it without everything turning upside down on her, she tried to continue her trek to the stream. It did not last long for suddenly a sharp pain shot through her stomach and a wave of nausea washed over her. Suddenly the forest ahead blurred before her and she collapsed, her temples throbbed painfully from whatever affliction that had assailed her all of a sudden. She stretched her hand out to try and catch a hold of a nearby tree or anything sturdy to pull herself up, yet there was nothing but air.
I should have stayed in bed. Was her final thought as the world seemed to welcome her in enveloping darkness.
The sensation of movement had stirred her. She felt strong arms carrying her in the opposite direction from where she was originally heading, curious at the identity of the one carrying she looked up and a weak smile managed to light on her lips.
"Kaede, I would really appreciate it if I could take a walk without finding you in some kind of trouble." Raiken stated in his attempt to bring humor in the situation, but Kaede's heart melted at worry that shown in his eyes. She knew that her fever was high enough to worry him and the urgency in his steps shown he wanted to get her some help immediately.
"Sorry, Rai. I'll be sure to let you know first." she whispered hoarsely. A small cough followed afterwards and she felt his hold on her tighten a bit.
"Shh… Don't waste another breath, why don't you go back to sleep and I'll make sure that you get back to the village." He whispered softly, a soft command her body was willing to obey. She was not aware of when they reached the village, nor was she aware of the many worried stares and questions the villagers directed towards Raiken as he carried her to her hut where Nidoriko and another village woman took over in her care. Kaede had not been aware of the soft words of encouragement Raiken whispered to her in order for her to get better. She had not been aware that he said the most important words that a man could ever say to a woman, for sleep was the only bliss she had found when she had been in his arms.
Nidoriko reapplied a cool wet cloth to the young priestess' forehead and sighed when the fever had not cooled down significantly enough for her assurance in her friend's health. Raiken entered the hut quietly as not to disturb their beloved priestess as she slept through whatever ailed her. While he had tried so hard to be strong throughout all the activity of finding the same herbal remedies the priestess had used for sick villagers and the constant battle of bringing her fever down, his gray eyes clearly conveyed all the worry he was feeling now.
"How is she doing?" He asked as he kneeled beside her and taking her hand that, despite her fever, was ice cold.
"Her fever had went down some, but not low enough for us to leave her be." Nidoriko bit her lip as she remembered when she had been bed ridden like this years ago. Shaking her head as if trying to rid herself of the thought of her friend meeting the same fate or worse. She looked towards the handsome young man that Kaede had grown so fond of. He looked a little worse for wear, his hair disheveled from him running a hand through it in worry, his slightly tanned face was pale as he did naught but worry over Kaede's health.
"Do you know what's wrong with her?" he asked tentatively, not really wanting to hear anything that would shatter his hope that she would get well.
"Other than obvious sign of fever and a small cough, I really have no idea on what ails her. Kaede has been exposed to various illnesses and afflictions and has never came down with one herself. This is a first for me and I do not know what else to do. I can only think that this is a result of working nonstop with no rest."
"So she's never been sick before?" he asked, both incredulous and afraid. From his experience with robust and healthy people, most do not survive their first major illness. Seeing the worry on his face, Nidoriko smiled and patted his hand comfortingly.
"She's strong, I believe she'll survive. Kaede loves life too much to let it slip away from her fingers. Thanks to you, she has more of a reason to live." She allowed a small smile to appear on her lips as if she had a small secret.
Raiken raised an eyebrow, losing some of his worry. The silent question hung in the air of what she meant. Nidoriko just smiled before a shadow of worry revealed itself in her sightless eyes. Hiroshi appeared in the doorway as if he knew she was about to leave. He assisted the beautiful widow from the hut. She turned and with all seriousness in her voice, stated once before leaving.
"Take care of her, Raiken, for she is all that we have. No matter what she chooses to do, we will love her always as long as she is well and happy. Just make sure her heart stays intact throughout the journey you two are sure to embark on." She allowed Hiroshi to lead her away with Raiken watching her leave, puzzled at her words.
Kaede… She was blindly trying to find her way out the tangled shrubbery around her. Tangled vines grasped at her bare ankles and snatched at her pale yukata Her hands were bleeding from fighting against thorns that scratched her pale skin leaving scarlet ribbons. Brambles stuck to her hair that had been matted in her struggle to seek the source of the voice beckoning her.
Kaede…the voice sounded warm and comforting. Kaede wanted that comfort that the voice hinted at. Yet it seemed to move farther and farther away as the thorny vines hindered her progress. It seemed that as soon as she would almost clear the path, a wall of briars would suddenly form in front of her. Just as she was close to the source, a thick wall covered with the thorns blocked her from her goal. She suddenly started to pound on it, ignoring the sharp needles of pain every time her hand came in contact with the needle like thorns.
Kaede… come.
"I'm so close, let me in!" She cried as she pounded harder on the wall. The voice was a woman's voice that seemed to offer everything her heart had longed for since she was a young girl. She couldn't put her finger on what it was about the female voice that made her long to break down the walls to reach it.
"Please let me through. I have to get on the other side." she pleaded. When it appeared as if no one heard her request, she ran along the side of the wall in hope to find a way through. As she ran, her bare feet stepped on some thorns and the shock caused her to fall. A tear streamed from her good eye as the voice called as it sounded even further away. The salty tear stung slightly as it hit the scratches on her face as she cried out her despair. A hand touched her shoulder gently and it sent warmth and feelings of kindness through the young priestess. She never felt such things, even when Raiken first embraced her. The being bent down and Kaede felt the breath warm upon her ear as they whispered.
"You are needed elsewhere, Kaede." The voice was disembodied, but it sounded strangely like a female's voice. The same one that beckoned her. She wanted to cry out that she traveled so far to get there, but the words could not leave her as she pictured the villagers and Raiken. She tried to see who it was that spoke to her only to be swept away by darkness.
She had awoken to a blinding light. It had been the sunlight streaming through the window of her home which shined directly in her face. Raising a hand, she placed it over her good eye and tried to peer through the visible dust motes to see if anyone was in her hut. The action proved to be a tiring one, for it had worn her down quickly. Yet she could not go back to sleep with that light hitting her face. Allowing her hand to slide away, too tired to hold it, she groaned in mild irritation and took notice of how dry her throat was. Apparently the small sound reached another occupant in the small hut and she heard frantic shuffling as they tried to reach her. The light was immediately blocked by a head covered with long dark locks with a silvery streak and gray eyes stared down at her with a mixture of relief and worry. She couldn't help but smile at how adorable Raiken looked with his hair slightly mussed, but she did worry about his pallor for it was very pale.
"Thank the gods, you are finally awake." He said gazing down into her face. Leaning down, he touched his lips to her forehead then smiled in relief as his gaze found hers once more. "Your fever had finally broken as well. You gave us such a scare, my beauty. Please refrain from doing it again."
She wanted nothing more than to smack him for making such a silly command, but she was too tired to even summon a glare in his direction. He had gently taken her arm and placed it by her side when it was apparent she could barely lift it and smoothed the covers over her.
"How do you feel? Do you need anything?" he asked while stroking her hair.
"I'll feel better if this light was not shining in my face." she said, her voice in a dry croak, "Some water as well. Feels like I ate sand."
Raiken chuckled as he untied the cloth in the window so it would block the sunlight, then he poured her some water in a cup. He sat behind her head to prop it up while holding the cup to her lips. After she drank down all its contents, he leaned down and pressed a kiss where the cup once rested on her lips.
"How long have I been asleep?" She asked, her voice a little more clearer now that she was hydrated.
"Almost two days. You had a frighteningly high fever. Nidoriko and I feared that we were going to lose you." He answered, slightly tightening his hold on her. "Thank the gods you recovered quickly. Again, please don't scare me like that again. I don't know how I would go on if you left me."
While he fought them back, his eyes began to water slightly with unshed tears. It tore at her heart to watch him struggle to not cry, but she said nothing of it so it wouldn't dent his pride.
"I will try my best not to, Rai. It's all I can promise." she said, summoning a weak smile. He smiled, rubbing the bridge of her nose, the action causing her to close her eye and almost putting her to sleep.
"Then that's all I will ask." He whispered as he continued to rub her nose and he hummed slightly, his deep voice soothing enough to cause her to drift back to sleep. Hiroshi had almost entered the hut, but quickly backed out as he noticed the scene. Raiken didn't seem to notice, so Hiroshi decided to wait and relay Tanosuke's message. He decided he would visit Nidoriko, but couldn't help but smile as he remembered the scene with the village priestess' head cradled in Raiken's lap as he hummed her a lullaby of sorts. With that replaying over and over in his mind his steps quickened. Nidoriko did love tales of romance.
Tanosuke stared down the leader of a small group of warriors that appeared outside the village. They had demanded that they speak to Raiken, which did not help with his feelings about the man. He stated that Raiken normally assisted the villagers with their tasks and that it would probably awhile before he could be reached. He suggested having Raiken meet with them later that day or at least the next day. There was no way he was allowing a strange group within the village without the priestess' approval, and she was currently unavailable. They carried a flag with a weird symbol that he never recognized before and they had this air about them that was disconcerting, while not dangerous the captain really did not want to take any chances… Eventually he managed to talk the group into waiting until at least the next day for Raiken. In return the group was welcome to camp outside the village and have food brought out to them. After making sure preparations were made, Tanosuke made sure the defenses were secure. He had a strong feeling that there were about to be some major changes, and he was not sure if they were good or bad. It was better to be prepared, just in case.
Note: There, finally I updated. More fluff between the lovely couple and some changes that are coming up. The story will finally be moving past the pairing and getting more to the point. There is some symbolism in Kaede's dream, but that will be revealed in later chapters. I plan on peppering this with tons of symbolism. I seem to be getting better at this with every chapter I write. I also plan on dedicating an entire chapter to Nidoriko. Her past is so interesting and so tragic, I felt it should be shared, but again that will be later chapters.
I am so determined to finish this fic, and I'm glad this chapter was posted before New Years. I want to thank you for reading and reviewing this. It makes me so happy that I get at least two reviews per chapter. I would love it if I have more, but it is a little hard seeing that there are tons of Inuyasha fanfics being submitted all at once. Can't have it all I suppose. As I said, the next five reviewers get a cookie. Brownies to those who reviewed already. I'm a crazy brownie addict and I tend to push, so look out! Anyway I am currently half way done with next chapter. Hopefully I'll have it up soon. Merry late Christmas and Happy New Year everyone. Thank you again! Jul-chan