Lady in the Dog's Den

I feel deeply ashamed for not having updated in over a year. Especially with that ending! Sorry :( If my writing style changes sorry, I'll try to keep it the same as much as possible!

Chapter 12

She sank into black oblivion…

It seemed as though only a few seconds had passed before the misty blackness began to clear and Kagome became aware of the throbbing in her head, of strong arms that were holding her, and muffled voices through the fog clouding her senses. She struggled to move, but had little strength and could not even force her eyes open. As she stirred, the arm that held her gripped a little more firmly and a familiar voice bade her lie still, and despite her discomfort and throbbing head, a warmth stole over her and she relaxed against him knowing that she was safe…

Someone was bathing the side of her head with cool water, and a goblet of hot, fragrant liquid was being held to her lips while a familiar, female voice told her to drink. Obediently she sipped it, its bitter sweetness making her grimace in distaste, but after a few moments her head cleared and she forced her eyes open to find herself looking at Rin, who smiled a little with compassion in her eyes.

Shifting her gaze upwards to InuYasha's face, she encountered gold eyes full of concern. She avoided them for the disquiet they caused, and glanced about her; they were in the bedchamber she had occupied earlier, and a heavy quiet seemed to settle over everything.

A sharp anxiety over Kyo seized her, and she half rose, but sank back with a gasp as a wave of nausea washed over her.

'Lie still, little fool,' the half demon chided gently, and then as if guessing the reason for her panic, added, 'Kyo is safe and unharmed. But we will talk of it later. By some miracle you were not killed, but your head has taken a mighty blow and you must rest.'

He lowered her gently on to the bed and put her hand to the cloth he held over the wound. 'Hold this, it slightly bleeds.' He pulled the pelts over her. 'Rin will sit with you. Try to sleep.'

He departed, leaving Rin to take up her stitchery and retreat to the chair by the fire. Kagome eased her throbbing head to a more comfortable position and closed her eyes.

Of the rest of the day she knew little, vaguely aware from time to time of hushed voices and someone quietly moving about the room, and occasionally she was lifted and made to sip some of that pungent brew. But it all seemed to be happening through a mist, and it was some time before her head ceased to throb so violently and she was able to sleep a little.

When, finally, she came fully to her senses, the room was almost in darkness, lightened only by the glow of the fire, and Rin was gone. Gingerly she sat up and pushed aside the pelts, waiting for the throbbing in her head to return; but it seemed to have gone and she swung her legs down and stood up. Splashing some water on her face and drawing a comb gingerly through her hair, careful to avoid the healing wound, she straightened her clothing and stood for a moment, listening. The place was unnaturally quiet, and she was conscious of a little stab of anxiety. Perhaps something dreadful had happened. Perhaps after all, Kyo had been harmed.

She left the room and went to the door of the adjacent chamber; Kikyo was not there and she went on to the hall. A low murmur of voices greeted her as she pulled aside the curtain ad found everyone already at the evening meal. Her eyes sought Kikyo, and she smiled at the look of relief that flooded the elder girl's face.

InuYasha rose instantly from his place between Miroku and Rin and cam towards her.' You should not be up,' he said severely, 'Return to the chamber and I will have food brought in to you.'

She shook her head. 'I am well enough. My headache is almost gone.'

He sent her a searching look and then nodded. 'Very well then. Come. Sit with us and eat. There is fresh caught meat and-'

'I thank you,' she said coolly, 'but I want nothing.'

He took her arm firmly to lead her towards the tables. 'You have had nothing all day and little enough yesterday. You must eat.'

'So that I may not fall ill and spoil your plans for me?' she asked sweetly. 'I am sorry, but the food here tastes bitter in my mouth.'

'It seems,' said InuYasha in a low tone, 'that the accident has neither sweetened your tongue nor put sense into you head. If you do not wish to be fed by force like a child, you will sit down and eat.'

Toying for a moment with the idea of telling him exactly what she thought of him, she fully realised that he was quite capable of carrying out his threat. She sighed heavily, allowing him instead to lead her to the table, where room was made for her next to Kikyo – and under the watchful eye of the Lord himself.

Under his gaze, she forced herself to eat a little, though the food seemed tasteless to her and stuck in her throat so that she was compelled to drink more ale than was her custom.

'Why is it so quiet, KiKi?' she asked softly in Miron. 'InuYasha told me that Kyo was unharmed, but-'

'Kyo is perfectly well,' Kikyo told her. 'But the half demon has insisted on complete quiet in the hall since it happened, so that you might not be disturbed.'

Kagome cast a swift glance towards InuYasha, who was laughing at some remark of Rin's. She looked away, quelling a pang of something uneasy as Kikyo went on: 'When he carried you inside and would not allow me near, I thought you had been killed. But then he said you were not badly hurt and were sleeping, and that I should sit with you. He was almost pleasant, and seemed more than a little concerned over you. He's been prowling around the hall all day like a caged lion, not knowing where to settle until he finally gathered some men and left to hunt what you see before us. Are you quite recovered?'

Kagome reassured her, and as she turned her head suddenly and disconcertingly encountered InuYasha's intense gold gaze upon her. A strange sensation coursed through her veins, and she averted her eyes quickly, blushing. What was it about this man that he could have such an effect on her?

She could eat no more, but made pretence of nibbling at the meats, and it was with heartfelt relief that she rose from the table with the other women at the end of the meal.

Kikyo, who had spent the afternoon working on the tapestry, returned to it quite happily, leaving Kagome reflecting wryly that however bad a situation, her aunt, despite her temper, could be made to tolerate it quietly enough if she had a needle in her hand and a cloth to work upon. Even if that cloth was intended to hang on Nightingale's wall after they had been forced to leave.

Kagome herself would have gone directly to her chamber but for Kyo's mother, who came up to her, eyes bright and shining with tears and gratitude, to grasp her hands and, dropping to her knees before her, thanked her in a voice choked with emotion for saving her son's life.

Taken completely unaware, and her head a little light because of the ale, Kagome was momentarily nonplussed, but she recovered quickly and drew the woman to her feet. 'I did only what any other close enough would have done, Tohru.'

The woman shook her head, and glanced swiftly round before drawing the younger girl into the shadows of the doorway. 'Nay, mistress, you were quicker than many another would have been. But I have nothing to give you save-' she stopped, and lowered her voice. 'My lord has no right to keep you here thus, and if there is some way to help you, I will do it. Anything. It would not be difficult for me to-'

'No, Tohru,' Kagome quietly but very firmly hushed her. 'I will not have you taking risks for us. We have only to wait for my uncle's return from the King to be freed from this dog's den.'

Shadows passed across the young woman's face. 'I fear for us when that happens, my lady,' she confessed in a trembling whisper. 'Lord Hiroshi will want vengeance for this deed, and the King will not be easily appeased-'

'But it is not our way to punish the innocent, Tohru. I confess that when we were taken from Nightingale I was angry with you all for the way you repaid my uncle for his kindness towards you. But I know now that InuYasha is not a man to be trifled with, and you would have had little choice. This I shall tell my uncle.'

Thus allying the woman's fears, and acknowledging her expressions of gratitude with more than a little embarrassment, she escaped to her chamber thankfully. She felt cold and a little faint so she pulled the pelts off the bed, wrapped them around her and then prodded the fire into life before sitting huddled up in the chair beside its blazing warmth.

But her solitude was short lived, for the door opened and when she glanced up and saw it was InuYasha, her heart gave an uncomfortable jolt, and she looked quickly away again. He came and stood before her. 'Do you feel unwell still?' he asked gently. 'You are pale.'

She moved her head in denial. 'I have a slight headache, nothing more. Perhaps it would go if I were left to rest in peace!'

He chuckled. 'You would do as well to learn my humours before you sharpen that tongue on me, my sweet, for I am not always in a mood to tolerate such a cutting edge, and at such times would prefer a gentler maid.'

'I shall not be in your company long enough to learn anything about you,' she retorted and half turned away, presenting him with her shoulder and staring defiantly into the fire.

He reached down, took her arms and raised her to her feet, and she, light-headed from the ale and still shivering slightly, was powerless to resist as a strange weakness washed over her at his touch.

His eyes, dark and intense in the firelight, searched hers as though looking for an answer to the some question he was asking himself. 'I am a fool,' he said quietly on a heavy sigh, more to himself than to her. 'It has been badly done…'

He left the sentence unfinished and, drawing her slowly towards him, he very gently touched her lips with his, and held her firmly as she tensed and tried to pull away. His kiss aroused all her senses and set her pulse racing, and suddenly she felt herself lean against him, felt her lips respond to his and could do nothing to prevent it.

Eventually, he pushed her gently away and held her at arm's length, and she, struggling to regain her composure, defied a strong desire to flee, and said caustically, 'You were a fool to add me to your terms! Your people will not respect you any more for such folly. You have stretched their loyalty enough already, I think. And I fear this stupidity will lose you your cause and Washoru will have none of you. I, I began by sympathizing with you and would perhaps have tried to help you. Now I have only contempt for you.'

He stared at her long and hard for some time, his thoughts impossible to guess. But then, in a quiet voice, he said, 'I am truly a fool, wench. But I think not for the reasons you believe.' He stopped, and after a moment, sighed heavily. 'Yes, but it is done now.'

'It can be undone.'

He shook his head. 'No. But perhaps it will yet come right.' With that, he dropped his arms and turned away, but then paused and looked back at her. 'Why did you come back when you ran into the woods? You had a chance to escape.'

She stared at him, 'You saw me, but you allowed me to go? Why?'

'You would not have gone far. I should have caught you easily.'

She was silent a moment, knowing the truth of it. 'I came back because it was a foolish thing to attempt, and because of Kikyo.'

Again, that long look that made her doubt the truth of her own words. He said nothing, merely nodded, and then turned and left her alone once more.

She was left, also, confused. Every confrontation with him seemed to reveal a different man, and her own feelings towards him were in such a turmoil of hate, distrust, contempt, resentment and, somehow, a grudging admiration and respect, that she was totally at a loss to know how to deal with him.

It was something that kept her awake that night, for she was unable to banish the disturbing sensations that thoughts of the half demon aroused. The sooner she could return to her uncle, the happier she would feel. The sooner she and Naraku married and returned to Miro the better.

Even thoughts of Naraku were not enough to soothe her and banish the feel of InuYasha's lips against her own, and eventually sheer exhaustion brought her sleep. But it was sleep disturbed by strange dreams of large white dogs, wedding feasts and little children with ears much like her captor's…

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Just a couple of notes on the story, a horse running down a person was and still can kill that person so no one think it's over dramatised! Also, ale in medieval times was a lot stronger than it is today! Depending on how it's made it could be a strong as absinthe! For a person who's had a nasty knock to the head, lost a fair bit of blood and who hadn't eaten properly for almost 48 hours on top of it, you'd think she'd be pretty tipsy!

Brownie points to whoever picked up the reference to Fruits Basket! :D

Excuses:

So hi… umm technically I have a lot of excuses which I won't bother telling you seeing how you all are most likely bored already with my little bit of chit chat here! I'd like to say, I'm having my wisdom teeth out this Thursday so won't update for a couple of days after that, probably, unless I decide in my boyfriend-less state of the next few days (he's got 3 exams) to write up another chapter.

For those of you who'd like to hear about my (love) life from the past year and 2 months, Read On!

Ok, so a month after I last updated I got my first ever REAL boyfriend! HOMG! So for 5 and a half months I was the envy of quite a number of girls who thought my boyfriend was hot. Yay. Me. Not so much actually. During those 5.5 months I didn't want to acknowledge that he wasn't the right one for me because my mother pestered me constantly and I dug my feet in and kept dating him and he made me do things that I wasn't prepared for (not drugs just so you know!) but we won't get into that. So during month five of (un)happily relationship bliss, I get a phone call from him saying 'I want to break up.' Because I was too clingy. I hadn't seen the bastard in week because I wanted to concentrate on uni work. 3 hours later, after a bit of tears, coming to the realization of 'hey, actually I'm happy he broke up with me! I'm freeeeeee!' and then having THREE of his close friends who knew he was going to break up with me call and ask me out, I was feeling pretty awesome! Until he called me again. This time to tell that he'd made a mistake, that he loved me and that we should get back together. The fact that I said no didn't seem to stop him from calling me in the next three weeks more than he ever did during the whole 5.5 months we were dating nor did it stop him contacting me and stalking in any form possible. Needless to say I hate the bastard.

That's relationship one out of the way :)

Relationship two I don't actually call a relationship. I dated him for a month over the summer holidays. It was short and sweet and he made me feel like a worthwhile human being again. He told me I was beautiful and for a time life was pretty simple.

My life changed again come January. It was two weeks after relationship two and I had drifted apart for no other reason other than we didn't have much in common. It ended up being for the best though, because I met Him, the one I love. His name is Elliott, with two t's :P We've been together for four and a half months now although it feels like much, much longer. He doesn't judge me when I do something stupid or be a clutz because usually he's there to catch me, and not in a corny way. If I start babbling insensibly he'll wait patiently till I've finished and then call me silly before he proceeds to kiss me until I forget what I was even trying to say, but he somehow always seems to know what I mean and just wants to use it as an excuse to kiss me. It amazes me how I don't feel ashamed of how I look or how I act when I'm with him and that even when I think I look my most disgusting or when I'm bloated (sorry to any guys out there!) or whatever he still says I'm beautiful and that he wouldn't have me any other way. His favourite animal is a snow leopard and he'd like to think he's as fierce, strong and majestic as one, but most of the time I see him more as a daring puppy, full of energy and curiosity (not always good when he sees a scrap of lace caught in my lingerie drawer!).

And if I don't stop now, I could keep going on forever.

From a love struck author,

Regards,

Alexandra