Characters = Rumiko Takahashi

Story = Desert-Bandit

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Last time:

Now she'll be up worrying the rest of the night about the battle. When he got to the border, he promised himself that he was going to find Saru and kick his sorry ass all the way back to the palace grounds.

Grasping Kagome's hand in his, he brought her in close for a quick kiss and then he was gone; leaving them both open and raw yet amazingly whole.

Chapter 10

In the light of darkness

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With his back against the tree, he prayed that the shadows would conceal him for just a while longer. Not that he expected to live through this but he just needed time to get his mind off the searing pain of his leg before he went on the attack again. The bastard that had sliced and diced his leg had caught him off guard from behind. His men were too busy holding back the onslaught of the Southern army to give him any help but he would have refused anyway. Running into the shadows had been his only reprieve from the imminent danger that was closely on his heels.

He could still hear his enemy lurking around near by. Saru fought to keep his breathing level but it wouldn't have done much, the blood that was currently oozing out of his leg had most likely left a trail on the forest floor. And if that didn't lead his assailant to him then the smell sure would. Grasping his sword with two hands, he patiently waited until the Southern soldier came into view. Just then, a double edged axe embedded itself next to his head, splintering the tree's bark and sending it spraying across Saru's face. Rolling out of the way, he was once again faced with the soldier.

"What is it that your Lord wants?"

Saru wasn't much for talking when in battle but he figured that it was worth a try. The soldiers' answer was a broad arc of his axe towards Saru's head. Quickly bringing up his own weapon to block, he was slightly distracted when a glittering object caught his attention. Jerking his head back caused the small dagger to graze his cheek. Blood dripped from the laceration but it was a lot better than having his throat slashed, which was where the dagger was headed yet again. Saru used the steel gauntlet on his arm to keep the dagger from hitting his mark but his injured leg was beginning to cramp from the pressure of holding back his enemy. He needed to think of something fast if he was going to get out of this before his leg gave out completely. Mustering up some of the last of his strength, he took one step and then two. Finally, he was able to throw the Southern soldier off of him. Stumbling back, the soldier didn't hesitate to lunge back but that had been his mistake for Saru took full advantage of the soldiers' sloppy attack and had buried his sword hilt deep into his gut. The feel of his weapon sliding effortlessly into his enemy's flesh was exciting and seeing him fall motionless was even better.

Dragging his sword behind him, he trudged through the forest, wanting nothing more than to get back to his regiment. They needed him. Going no more than a few yards, his foot caught a root but he gave no effort in catching himself. Landing hard against the cold earth, he knew couldn't find the strength to lift himself to his feet

He hated this. This was not him. He wasn't this weak.

Gritting his teeth together in attempts to ride out the pain of his injured leg was getting harder and the pain in his cheek was stinging more than it should be. Shit, was that dagger laced with poison? The thought sent his heart racing. Demons usually healed quickly and his facial wound should have healed by now. If that was the case then his leg was also cut by the dagger. No wonder the pain was almost unbearable.

If he had any hopes of surviving then he better get to where one of his men would see him. Short of crawling his worthless self that last stretch had proved to be too much for him. His labored breathing drowned out most of the surrounding forest sounds as he struggled to break pass the tree line. He couldn't make it. He was too exhausted to try anymore. Already he could feel the edges of death nipping at his heels; why avoid the inevitable? At last, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to slip away into oblivion.

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It was clear who the victor was but the West found no joy in it. In the end, it was just another unneeded bloodshed. Kami, he hated this. He hated the fact that this was partially his fault. Because he didn't give in to the Southern Lords' demands in the beginning, he was forced to send his army out night after night to keep battles from entering the West. The South may love war but Sesshoumaru didn't. It was pointless and only caused more problems in the end. Sheathing his sword, he assessed the damage. None of the West had lost any lives that night but the many injuries made up for it. The infirmary was going to be a crowded place for the next few days. Maybe with Kagome's help, his men would heal faster.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, you better come quick." One of the captains waved him over from a small bluff off to the far left. Before he landed, the heavy smell of blood permeated the air. Whoever the poor bastard was sure as hell didn't have any luck at all. When he passed the first couple of trees, the captain that had called him and another soldier were kneeling beside something that looked oddly similar to a man.

One of the soldiers pressed his fingers to the man's neck in hopes of feeling a pulse. He found none. Sesshoumaru couldn't decipher the man's scent due to all the blood so instead he nodded to the soldier and captain, giving them the okay to flip him over onto his back. The movement caused a soft moan to escape the man's lips, making Sesshoumaru kneel down to get a better look. What he saw made him curse out loud. Whoever the guy was that did this to him sure fucked him up good. From some of the dried blood that caked Saru's face and part of his leg, Sesshoumaru knew that he'd been out here for a while. How lucky the bastard was for holding out this long until they found him and even though it felt as if he didn't have a pulse, the moan that he would let out when they carried him out into the open was enough to tell them that he was alive – but just barely.

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Rin enjoyed watching Kagome take charge of the kitchen, leaving the staff to either stand behind her and watch or continue to get flustered but in the end, they dropped it all together when Kagome had given in and told them that she was going to surprise them with a little treat of her own. Quickly familiarizing herself with the kitchen, she found everything she needed, though for a few things that the kitchen lacked, she would have to improvise. Giving a few eggs for Rin to crack, she set off to busy herself measuring out her ingredients. Half an hour later and she had Rin, the kitchen staff and herself fed. She figured that pancakes had to be a universal favorite and one of the easiest things to make and though the honey substituted for the syrup, it still came out the top favorite in Rin's book and well as everyone else. Once their meal was over, the staff kindly declined them helping with the dishes with the promise of her making the delicious breakfast again. That left the rest of the morning open for them and Rin was only too happy to show her around to everything imaginable; the gardens, the stables, even the trails on the cliffs that switched back down to the beach below. Despite her first few minutes here being disastrous, she found herself falling in love with this place more and more.

Kagome was about to ask if she wanted to go back inside when she caught Rin staring off towards the front entrance. The guards that were so focused a second ago were now scurrying around like mad men. Kagome was slightly confused but shifting her attention back to Rin only to find her not there gave Kagome a start. Looking back to the front entrance, she saw Rin running the best she could with her kimono and sandals. About half way there, Rin had stopped long enough to kick them off, allowing Kagome to catch up to her as well. She didn't need to ask what was happening; the guards' carrying the injured soldiers into the palace was evidence enough. Where was Sesshoumaru? Where was Saru? Kagome stopped with Rin next to the palace entrance, watching as each soldier was helped in. Most of them already had crude first aid administered to them but she could see that it was just to get them home without bleeding to death. Was this what it was like every time they went to the Southern border? Without wasting time, Kagome placed her hand on Rin's shoulder to gain her attention. Without spoken words, Rin nodded and together they rushed to the infirmary to help in any way they could.

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Rin was still new at this so she stayed close to Kagome, helping to get fresh water and rags to help rid the soldiers of the mud and blood from their bodies. It was a long process, sending out the less injured to make room for those that really needed it. It seemed like every five minutes that Kagome was looking towards the door, magically waiting for either Sesshoumaru or Saru to come through but so far nothing.

"Thank you Rin, how are you holding up?"

Kagome took the bowl of warm water from Rins' hands and dipped a cloth into it and wrung it out before wiping off a soldiers arm.

"Fine"

That was a lie. The poor girl looked pale and scared. Maybe it was a huge mistake to allow her to help but throughout this time, Rin had kept up with her. Sesshoumaru would most likely be proud of her. Suddenly the doors were pushed open and six men, three on either side were carrying a man on a makeshift stretcher. Kagome couldn't see who it was at first but by the looks of it, he was the worst off. When they disappeared behind a white screen at the end of the room, she knew that it had to be bad. Why else wouldn't they let the other soldiers see?

"Papa!"

Kagome turned around to see Sesshoumaru walk into the infirmary, his eyes shadowed by anger…or was it pain? It could be both.

Rin ran to him but she kept some distance, most likely not wanting to touch the blood that stained his clothes. Even his armor had blood splattered on it. She knew that most of it was not his and the thought made her stomach plummet. When the soldier that had interrupted them last night had said that there was a battle, this was nothing what she had envisioned. This was not a battle, this was as close to a massacre as she would ever want to get.

So this was why she was here. To aid the West. To care for Rin. To care for them.

She slowly took in the men that had filled the many beds in the infirmary. Making a promise to herself that she would do everything in her power to help put an end to this war as soon as possible, she made her way to the very back of the room. And she would start with this soldier first.

Sesshoumaru kept a heavy gaze on Kagome while she tended to his army. He was surprised that Rin was there and the thought made him angry. She was not supposed to see this but seeing her next to Kagome, helping as much as she could, he felt a sense of pride. Even for Kagome. How many human women would drop everything to help demons when they're in pain? Not much, he concluded. And she did it with determination and hopes of seeing them well on their feet as soon as they were able. Good, that may just have to happen. No doubt the South had put only half of their army at the border; more would be taking their place and Sesshoumaru needed his men up and out before that time. He hated to know that he was pushing them hard but sometimes you needed to be at the end of your rope before you're able to climb back up.

When Kagome stood, he thought she would be leaving to get more supplies but he had been wrong. Fuck, she was headed to the back. It dawned on him that the stretcher went by too quickly to see who it was that was on it. She had no idea that it was Saru that was lying behind that screen. Moving to block her, he was met with her eyes alight with anger.

"Move aside, he needs the most help." Kagome tried to reason with him but Sesshoumaru stood his ground and so did she. Glaring at eachother was getting them nowhere and they were beginning drawing attention to themselves.

When a loud yell cut through the infirmary, Kagome used the small distraction to get around Sesshoumaru's large form. When she turned passed the thin barrier, her heart stopped. There on the bed with three of the nurses trying to strap him down was Saru. His eyes were wild as he struggled against his bonds, yelling out his pain as one of the nurses tried to pull off his boot and cut away what was left of his pants leg. Oh Kami, there was so much blood. The urge to run out of there was riding her hard but he needed her. Ignoring Sesshoumaru wanting to grab her and do just that, she shoved her way through to the head of the bed. Saru's silver eyes were unfocused but when they settled on her face, a flicker of recognition flashed through before fading.

Taking a breath, she placed one of her hands on his forehead. A soft purple glow surrounded her hand and gradually did Saru begin to relax before closing his eyes, halting his thrashing.

Kagome released a breath that she didn't know she was holding as she turned towards the other nurses. "It won't keep him down for long so let's work quickly. Hopefully his body will keep him asleep most of the night as he heals."

Nodding, the nurses and Kagome went to work on salvaging what was left of the Captain's leg.

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It was well passed noon when Kagome got the okay to head out for a while for a much needed break. She knew that the reason why was because she wasn't a demon and therefore lacked the stamina to stay in there for much longer. Well, she'll show them. As soon as she got some fresh air into her lungs, she'll be right back in there and she'd be damned if they tried to shoo her out again. She was there to stay but first she should check on Rin. She hadn't seen her since Sesshoumaru had sent her out of the infirmary and for good reason too. Stopping at one of the corridor windows, she spotted her outside with Sesshoumaru.

He heard her coming before Rin had called out to her. Kagome waved back and Rin continued to pick what little flowers were left before the winter caused them to lay dormant, most likely they were meant for the soldiers in the infirmary. Standing next to Sesshoumaru, she felt her hand being encased in his. The gentle squeeze he gave her was reassuring. It told her things that he couldn't and in turn she squeezed right back.

"I'm sorry that you had to see that."

His voice broke through the tense silence that befell around them. She didn't remove her eyes from Rin out in the field.

"Is it always like this?"

She didn't have to see him nod. Somehow she knew it was the truth when she bandaged up all those men. The hurt in their eyes brought a pain to her chest. How could they do this all the time? Looking up at Sesshoumaru, she wondered how he could do this all the time.

"Kagome,"

He began and when he knew that he had her full attention, he turned his body to face her.

"I know that what you had witnessed today was hard for you, and I apologize for not being completely truthful but I'm giving you the choice to either continue to stay here or leave."

Kagome didn't know if she should knock him upside the head or give him a hug.

"Sesshoumaru, when I said that I would help you in anyway that I could, I meant it, and now that you have me, it's going to be tough to get rid of me."

And as if to emphasize the hidden meaning behind her words, she lifted herself onto her toes and planted a soft kiss on his mouth.

If she was surprised that she was pulled closer instead of away, she didn't show it. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she felt his hands cup the sides of her face and the world seemed to fade in the background, leaving Rin to think of the possibilities of having her long time dream of having a mother finally come true.

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Aww, how sweet, right?

So Sesshoumaru and Kagome finally reveal their attraction for eachother to eachother, but darkness looms in the shadows of the South!

Don't worry about Saru; he could take care of himself.

He's a tough son-of–a bitch and that you'll see throughout the story.

Chapter 11 in the making – thank you again for the wonderful reviews.

Please continue to enjoy the story.

~ Desert - Bandit