Affliction, Violation, Salvage

Two

"STOP! PLEASE NO!" She screamed, but he ignored her pleas, leaning down to her quivering skin. Suddenly the cell door opened, and in stepped another guard. Tears fell down Kagome's face as she felt his mouth near her skin. Clawed fingertips roaming all over her body.

"Sir." She heard the voice, but her eyes were closed, not able to look at him as he moved forwards to raping her. Then she felt him pull away, and she opened her eyes, the tears still falling.

"What? You miserable whelp, can't you see I'm busy?!"

"Message from Lord Inu-no-Taishou," Katsura sneered, nodding his ascent for the guard to continue with the message. "Lord Inu-no-Taishou wishes for you to release one of the prisoners, to go under his son's protection." Katsura leered at him.

"Which Prisoner?" The fair-haired guard shook his head.

"I don't know the name, just the appearance."

"Well hurry up with it!" the guard looked about the cell, scanning the agonized prisoners carefully, and then gestured.

"Her," Kagome's eyes widened, it was her, and she noticed how pale Katsura had gone.

"But if they get her they'll…which son?"

"I wasn't told, but they said they want her out of this dungeon as quickly as possible," then, it was the younger guards turn to sneer. "Better let me have her, or Lord Inu-no-Taishou himself will be down to get her, and you wouldn't want your master finding out what you do to his prisoners now would you? Especially when he says that they are to be treated humanely."

It was as if Kagome could see his brain working. If he let her go his secret would be found out, but if he didn't he'd be found out. It was a lose on lose situation. Before Kagome knew it, she was dragged down to the ground, and thrown at the guards feet, wincing as she smacked her head on the stone floor. "Take the wench, let Inu-no-Taishou's sons have her as their whore." The guard wrenched her to her feet, and she whimpered in pain. "If she talks, I'll do oh so much more than kill her," Kagome quivered in both fear and the cold air pricking her skin. Katsura stepped closer to her, seizing her throat and locking his fingers around it, "you'll beg for death before I kill you, so keep your mouth shut," he hissed dangerously, digging his claws into her flesh, making her wince as the blood trickled out of the punctures. As Katsura released her, the other guard said nothing, throwing a blanket roughly round her and dragging her out of the cell by her bound wrists. He slammed the door behind her, making her jump, and she pulled the blanket tighter round her freezing, naked body. Being pulled up about a hundred staircases, Kagome nearly tripped at every step, the guard dragging her too fast for her to follow. She stumbled along the corridor, until he paused at a door, opening it. She looked at him a moment, confused, before he pulled the blanket off her, kicking her in the door, and slamming it closed behind her.

Her body hit the floor sharply as he shoved her, and she closed her eyes, her head spinning from the wound she took to her head earlier. Her skin felt like it was being pricked all over with white-hot needles; she was so cold. Distinctly, from her dazed, wounded state, she heard something move, but she still hadn't the strength to open her eyes. The pained girl curled on the ground, crying hard, tears falling fast down her cheeks as she felt someone approaching. Kagome whimpered as she felt someone kneeling over her. Trying to cover her exposed flesh but far from being able to do so, she flinched as she felt a hand on her arm. Hesitantly, she opened her tear-stained eyes, and looked up, seeing silver hair and golden orbs staring back at her, filled with confusion and concern.

Kagome shrank into the corner like a wounded animal, drawing her knees up to her chest whimpering in the pain she was rewarded in moving. Inuyasha watched her carefully, edging closer to her. As he moved closer she flinched again, backing as far into the wall as she could go. The half-demon stopped, watching her with soft eyes, not knowing how to help her. Slowly he took off his kimono, but Kagome not realising this for the innocent move it was, whimpered in terror. Inuyasha knelt next to her, and draped the kimono round her shoulders gently, stroking the stay hairs back behind her ear. She recoiled from his touch as he accidentally touched the gash on her forehead. Inuyasha pulled his hand back sharply with her sudden gasp of pain.

"Sorry," he said, "how'd you get that? It wasn't in the battle, you didn't have it before." Kagome said nothing in reply, she just looked desolately at the ground, tears falling silently down her pale face. Steadily, Inuyasha got to his feet, leaning down slightly. "Here…can you pull your arms round my neck." Kagome didn't say anything, but far from having the energy to resist, leaned into his chest as he scooped her up into his arms.

The girl whimpered as Inuyasha pulled back the sheets on the bed, sliding her under the blankets. "You're really cold," he said softly, pulling the blankets up over her. He looked at her thoughtfully, she was like a wounded animal that had been mistreated by people and was now afraid of everything and everyone; every noise, whether it was the flames in the fireplace or servants passing up and down the corridor, made her wary, and her tired eyes were wide at all times. He sat at the bedside watching her for a while, trying to make her see he wasn't going to harm her. Kagome recoiled again as he tried to stroke the wisps of ebony hair that hung into her eyes, and he sighed. "I'm not going to hurt you, you know? I Promise you can trust me." Still receiving no reply, the half-demon got to his feet, leaving her side. Just as his hand rested on the door handle, he heard her.

"W-w-w-wait…" she pleaded weakly, and he turned to face her, finding her sitting up on the bed, clasping the sheets round her chest. "Please…don't leave me all alone…" Inuyasha smiled.

"I was just going to see if I could find something for you to wear."

"Please…" again he smiled, and approached the bed. His clawed fingertips traced along the covers and entwined themselves loosely with hers, surprising him when she didn't back away.

"I take it you trust me a little more now?" Kagome nodded weakly in exhaustion, fighting to keep her eyes open. "Well, then why don't you get some rest?" She shook her head.

"I don't…I think that maybe…"

"You don't have to be afraid anymore…no one's gonna hurt you, you're under my protection now. So get some sleep." Hesitantly, she nodded, her eyes drifting shut. Inuyasha watched her contently, until he heard her breathing deepen, knowing she was asleep. He got to his feet slowly, placing his hand on the handle once more, when he heard her.

"Lord Inuyasha?" he turned and saw her eyes half open, when she smiled at him. "My name is Kagome." He smiled in return, and quietly slipped out of the room.

***

Katsura shivered as the freezing night air hit his demon skin. He rested against the wall quietly, lurking near the vinery, just below where he knew Inuyasha's window was. He heard a light cough, and turned to see his second in command standing beside him.

"Well?" he asked hoarsely.

"The girl has been taken under the protection of Lord Inuyasha, Sir." Katsura sneered.

"If she tells that half breed why she killed Ueda and the others, Inu-no-Taishou will have our necks."

"And what if she tells the half-demon about what you and those idiots do to the prisoners, huh? Didn't think about that, did you?" Katsura leered at him with sapphire orbs through the darkness.

"It's simple, we have to get her away from the mongrel before she tells him." The man nodded. "You know what to do…"