Chapter 14

Aphedron - This is a term for latrine/bathroom.

I felt numb. The last of the firewood had burned out. I was beginning to lose feeling in my hands and feet. I mustered up what little energy I had left and curled up on the floor in the fetal position; trying to conserve what little warmth I had left. I could no longer see out of my left eye. What had I done to deserve this? Had I angered the Gods? Or was I simply just unlucky? I was unsure if minutes or hours had passed by. I just stared at the wall. It was all I could do. Flashes of my mother and my husband raced through my mind.

"How strange... why would I think of them?" I whispered to myself.

Oh, I see. This was it. Is this how it was going to die? Cold and alone; slowly losing my sanity in my final moments. Where no one would ever find me... I would never see Sesshomaru again. He would come back and find me lying here dead. Livid at the fact that he would not be able to torture me, make me pay for what I'd "done"... because I am going to wither away here. That at least gave me some modicum of peace.

Scenarios flashed through my mind. Of all the disgusting things he would do to my body. Where he would dump my body after he'd defiled it. I was pulled from my thoughts. I could hear more than one pair of footsteps heading towards me. I stiffened and my blood ran cold. I had no fight left in me. It was over. I accepted my fate. I silently sobbed as their footstep came closer and closer.

He had brought them back... the men who had taken me. Surely he wanted me to suffer.

I could hear the fumbling with the lock and latch on the door. My heart was pounding in my chest. The door pushed open and the cold air rushed in with the leaves. My breath hitched in my throat. I couldn't look away from the door. A strange man walked in, he looked around the room; his eyes landing on me. The fear crept up my spine and wrapped around my throat, as he pointed to me.

"I found the woman! She is right over here-"

A knife was plunged into his neck. Quickly being pulled out he grabbed his neck, and the blood sprayed splattering the ceiling and floor. Blood spilled out of his mouth when he tried to speak. He stumbled backward and crashed into the things in the corner. My heart was racing. I couldn't understand what was going on. A head craned around the door, their eyes landing on me. The anger disappeared from her eyes; turning soft. A wave of relief washed over me.

"Sango," I said. My voice was barely a whisper.

She rushed to my side. She pulled me closer, hugging me. Sesshomaru followed right behind her; a frantic look plastered on his face. I could hear him gasp when he saw me. The absolute look of horror in his eyes hurt me. As if I had taken a punch to the gut. I turned my head away from him. I do not know where I found the energy to move. It was as if my body had a mind of its own its own. I did not want him to see me this way. She took her tunic off and covered me with it. I wanted to disappear. To be anywhere else but here... like this. I felt so filthy I did not want him to touch me. Not after what they had done to me... I was ruined. He would never want me again.

"We are here now. You will be okay. You are okay." she whispered in my ear.

"Kagome," I heard him say.

I could hear the hurt in his voice. Then, the doubt crept into my mind.

Was he hurt? Or was he disgusted by the sight of me?... I was disgusted by me.

I could not meet his eyes. I bit the inside of my cheek trying to focus on the pain. So, that I would not cry; but I failed. I sobbed into her chest. The cries that left my mouth sounded inhuman. She rubbed circles on my back hushing me, trying to calm me down.

"Please make him go," I whispered. "I'm begging you," I said, my voice cracking.

"Sesshomaru..." she hesitated. "She wants you to go. She does not want you to see her this way."

She hunched over me, trying her best to shield me from his view.

"I cannot-"

"Sesshomaru! This is not about what you want. This is about what Kagome needs. I understand that you care for her, but not right now. She needs time."

"Am I supposed to just stand by and do nothing?" he bit out harshly.

"You are to return home when she is ready. I will send for you."

"You ask too much of me," he whispered. "The woman I love is hurt. She is hurting. She has been taken, beaten, and viola-... I cannot just leave her."

"Sesshomaru I understand, but I am here. She is with me. I will keep her safe. If you cannot simply do nothing. Hunt down the son of a bitch that started all of this."

He said nothing else. I listened to his footsteps, as he walked away. I swallowed hard. Sango pulled clothes from the bag; layering them on me. She rubbed my feet before she slipped them into a pair of shoes.

"Do not worry Kagome. I will keep you safe."

I had waited a while after Sesshomaru left. I wanted to put some distance between us and Sesshomaru. No doubt he was walking slowly, just to be near Kagome. I sat by the door with my knife in my hand. Waiting; no, praying that this son of a bitch would return. So, that I could get my hands on him and make him pay. I waited until the sun went down, but he never came. I had carried her on my back, all the way back to town. Grateful that the townspeople were in their homes. I constantly looked over my shoulder, to make sure no one saw us. I safely made it to my shop door; stopping once I remembered what was waiting on the other side. The bodies were beginning to smell

"Kagome."

She squeezed my shoulder, letting me know she was awake.

"Close your eyes."

I felt her nod against me. I leaned to the side and pulled the key from my pocket opening the door. The smell wafted out towards the moment I had. I could hear Kagome gag. I slipped in quickly and kicked the door shut behind me. I sidestepped the bodies and puddles of blood. Going up the back staircase to the top floor of the house. I set her down on her feet. She wobbled from side to side. I set my hands on her shoulders steadying her. I pulled a chair up and sat her down. I stooped down and looked up at her. She seemed like the furthest thing from herself. Her hair was disheveled. She was covered in cuts and bruises. The light in her eyes had gone out completely. She stared at the spot on the floor. She said nothing. My heart wrenched in my chest. I made sure the shutters were locked and started a fire. I turned back to look at her.

What could I even say? There were no words I could find that would fix this; or make her feel better.

I sighed. "I will be right back. I am only going downstairs. If you need me, you only need to call my name. Okay?"

She managed a small nod. I hurried downstairs and grabbed the saw off the wall. I sawed their limbs, tossing them into a pile. I ripped the clothes from them. Stripped them of their shoes tossed them into the fireplace and lit it. I carried the hacked bodies out tot he back. To dump them into the feeding pen, in the pig's shed. Their bodies would be gone by the next morning. I grabbed the bucket and quickly filled it with water. I scrubbed the floor to the best of my ability of my ability. I knew it had stained, but I hoped she would not notice. I tried my best to be quiet. I did not want Kagome to hear. I looked down at myself I was covered in blood. I did not want to show up in front of her like this. I heard a floorboard creak behind me. I spun around and saw Kagome standing there. She finally looked me in the eyes. Part of me wishes she hadn't. Her eyes were so empty. I was struggling to find my friend in them.

"Kagome." I said softly.

"What happened here?" she asked.

Her voice was so monotonous.

"Sesshomaru and I... we took care of them. Of the men who took you."

She swallowed hard and wrapped her arms around herself.

"I would like to bathe." She whispered.

"Of course."

I gestured for her to go up the stairs, to show her to the aphedron. I did not want to touch her again without her permission. I guided her and we headed up to the 3rd floor.

"You can sit here," I said and pointed to the stool.

She sat quietly and kept her eyes on the floor. I filled the tub with water, from the gourd; lighting the small fire beneath the bath. I grabbed the herbs and sprinkled them in the tub. Her eyes shifted to them.

"You bathe with herbs?"

She was talking, that was good.

I nodded. "Where I am from, that is how we bather. Herbs are natural exfoliants."

"Where you are from?"

"I am from a place far from here. It is a place called Japan.

I turned my back to her to give her some privacy. I could hear her clothes hitting the floor. I waited for her to get in the water, before turning around. I turned around and her back was to me. I pulled the stool over and took a seat. I pulled her hair to the side. I swallowed hard at the sight of her back. Dark purple and green bruises covered her.

"Kagome..." I said softly trailing off. "I know that there are no words that I could say, that could even slightly make you feel better... but I want you to know that you are strong," I reassured her.

She hung her head and rested it on her knees. Her body slightly trembled while she cried.

"I am not strong," she whispered harshly. "Not anymore... they have broken me."

I let out a deep sigh.

"Kagome. You are strong. Do not let any man take that from you. You have your life. You have me and you have Sesshomaru. You are not alone. I need you to understand that. You are not lost. When Sesshomaru finds him; and he will find him. He will make him pay."

"I would like to be alone." Was all she'd said.

I went into the hall and closed the door behind me. I leaned against it and sank to the floor. All I could do was sit there in silence and listen to her cry. My friend was unraveling before my very eyes, and there was nothing I could do to save her. I sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

Hurry Sesshomaru.