Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I do, however, own the poem that appeared at the beginning of the previous chapter!
The Flow of Time
Her feet hurt; her knees and back, sore from their new alignment, make it unbearable to walk. She cannot stop, though. She must get the jewel to someone who can purify it, someone who can set her mistress' spirit free. Her body cries for rest, but she will not appease it until her mission is accomplished. She does not last long; after days of walking her wounds and hunger force her muscles into silent submission. She collapses.
Black overtakes her and she is lost to the world.
When she comes to her wounds are mostly healed. She picks herself up and keeps walking from village to village, knocking on every door, trying to find someone to purify the jewel. Some sneer at her unbecoming clothes and ignore her obvious distress, some kindly offer her a bowl of grub or whatever they can muster in such turbulating times, some even offer her a place to stay and earn her keep; she keeps walking.
Days turn into weeks, then months, then years, and all too soon the tale of Midoriko becomes a legend. Nigh on a century and a half from her mistress' death she is no closer to finding the answer. The many priests and priestesses she has asked have all refused to help or succumbed to the darkness of the jewel. She has been attacked countless times by those who want it in their possession; but, with the passing of time and the turning of history to myth, passions wane and she finds she can travel peacefully once more.
It is no relief. She continues her search dutifully.
She camps alone, in forests, places where her youkai feels at peace. Catching her face in a stream she cannot help but ponder the large amount of time since she has taken her other form. The more she stares at the unfamiliar human face the more she realizes she is not yet ready to return to that – the form that failed her mistress. Only after she has atoned for her failure she will be free to change once more.
The night at hand she is exhausted; her stomach clenches painfully to remind her she hasn't had a good meal in days. A slight noise in the bushes makes her go on guard, and rightly so; moments later she is ambushed by several men. A growl forms itself in the back of her throat. She fights, but she is tired, and to transform she would need even more energy. She curses herself silently for her idiocy.
She strikes, kicks, scratches, but she is one and they are many. She feels the kiss of a sword in on her leg, and a knife near her ribs, mindless laughter and eyes glinting malevolently at her nearly make her wretch. She knows what they want. The knowledge gives her strength and in a whirl of maddened punches and erratic kicks she manages to knock out two of the men. Five more remain. She is running out of strength, but she refuses to give up. She does not see the hit coming and she is thrown off balance. The rock that breaks her fall also breaks her link to reality.
Author's Notes: To knittingknots, Santorsola and mysterychild who seem to be the only ones actually following this story. Thank you guys very much for your time and your feedback!