InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Lifetime Loving You Part 1; Seasons in Owari ❯ A Matter of Trust ( Chapter 21 )

Chapter 21; A Matter of Trust

(Mika's POV)

When I awoke that morning, the sounds of water running, maids sweeping, and food cooking in the room down the hall, were not the first sounds I heard. Rather, I woke up with a fright when I heard growling and roaring coming from the garden. I looked to my door that led to the garden and opened it fully until I could see the dust and dirt coming from the small window in the garden shed. The walls were rattling and looked as though they might break down, but they held.

I stood there in my white gown wide eyed and grabbed my robe and threw it over my shoulders as the maids and my nurse came to my door. "Milady, that beast has awoken! If we do not release it soon it will kill us all."

I looked at the rumbling shed and listened to the growls. I held up my hand. "The seals will hold."

With haste I tied my hair back, and ran out to the garden feeling slightly curious and scared, not knowing why I wanted to check in on my demonic guest. My nurse ran after me calling out my name until we both came to the door of the shed.

"Milady, no! That beast will cut you to ribbons."

I smiled and shook my head. "The chain, Dear Nurse, will protect me and all from harm. He's probably just as scared as we are. Poor thing waking up in a place so unfamiliar."

I looked at the door and pulled at the seal as we both heard snarling from within. My nurse gripped my sleeve. "A poor thing, aye? I think not. No demon is a poor thing when it could be dead."

I didn't listen to her and removed the seal and opened the door a crack. It creaked and I looked in and saw that our guest had made a mess of everything in the shed. "Well, he's certainly not happy," I stated and my nurse moaned nervously as I opened the door completely. I looked around and found the mess in the shed was far greater than my first look at it.

My nurse looked around and stayed close to me as I took one cautious step in. "Wh-where is it?"

In a moment we then heard a low rumble from the corner of the room and both of our heads shot in that direction to lay eyes upon two large red ones. He backed himself into a corner, crouching into a dog like sitting position with his head low and ears pulled back. The silver mane of hair now seemed to stand on end and his fangs were bared as his lips curled back and trembled with each snarl. His bandages had become dirty and were in need of new dressings, but with him conscious, dressing may prove more difficult now than before. "Congratulations, Milady!" my nurse said with an audible gulp, "You now have a perfectly healthy dog demon."

I felt fear build in my chest for a moment just looking at him and then pushed that emotion aside. "Nurse, subdue your fear. If he can't sense it, he will feel less threatened."

My nurse snorted at the idea. "Milady, demons do not trust humans to help them. They trust those to try and do them harm, as they do to us."

I looked at the snarling dog demon and shook my head. "There must be away."

I slowly looked at the chain I had placed around his neck in order to protect us and subdue him. He had done a wonderful job tangling the chain in the mess, and I kept my eyes on him while I took a step to wear the chain was tied.

I slowly crawled to the first tangle keeping my eyes locked to the red ones that were watching my every move. With all my strength I subdued my fear and followed the chain to every tangle. "It's alright," I said soothingly, "I won't harm you."

He barked and backed into the corner a little more glancing down at my hands often. I watched him and followed the chain, and gradually making my way closer to him. "He so frightened. There has to be away to calm him down."

My nurse shook her head. "He's wild! There's no way possible of getting him to calm down."

I watched his eyes as his snarling seemed to get louder as I came closer. I then came to the last tangle which was within his striking distance. I grew confident and bolder as my hand reached out for the chain. I slowly let my fingertips touch the links. "It's alright, now. I won't harm you."

I took hold of the chain and glanced down to see what I was doing. I risked looking away, and it cost me. Within the second I glanced down his claws jumped out and scratched my hand. I gasped and pulled away covering my hand and looking at the small scratch on the back of my hand.

My nurse jumped, "Milady!"

I looked back at the dog demon as he snarled back into his corner. I swallowed and nodded. "You're right!" I said as though he could understand me. "That was a bold move. You weren't ready for that yet."

He snarled and stayed low. I picked up the chain and got to my feet slowly backing away letting the chain move out of my hand in a straight line. I walked to the door as my nurse guided me. I looked at him as his eyes slowly lost their red coloring and turned into the gold I had seen once before. I smiled gently. "Now, you come on out, whenever you're ready."

He took one step out of his corner and his ears pulled forward just slightly. I slipped away and ran to the nut tree and secured the chain with a spell once more. Once this task was done, my nurse and I went to the deck by the shrine. "Won't do us any harm, aye?"

I looked at my hand as she took it and began to dress it. "It's only a scratch."

She huffed, "Now it might be a scratch, next time it will be your arm or your head."

I rolled my eyes and watched the door of the shed. I sat there all day watching the door of the shed in the complete silence as the day went by and meals were brought to me. I only my rice and waited for any sign of the dog demon to come out of his shelter. I only saw the chain sit in the same spot where I had laid it and there was no movement.

Hours went by and I hadn't moved from my spot, and soon night fall came as the waning moon hung over my head in the star decorated backdrop. I looked at the moon for only a moment before looking at the nut tree and the boulder not far from it.

I looked away and closed my eyes to rest for only a moment and folded my arms over my knees so I could have a place to rest my head. Then, I heard the chain rattle and I sat up. I watched as he took his first few steps out of the shed and looked around. I didn't move and watched in awe as he prowled out cautiously on all fours.

He was a magnificent sight to be hold. So much wild sprit and yet something about him made it seem as though he denied his own immortality. He was a demon, but as the same time he seemed lost and sad. The look on his face and the grace in which he stalked made him a sight to behold. "He's so beautiful!"

I watched in awe as he made his way to a pond and lowered his head to the crystal water. He brought his knees up and cupped the water in his hands as he drank. I smiled, "So part of him does act almost human."

A moment later he leaned over the water completely still and then shed his clothing without even acknowledging my presence from far off. I was too far to see anything important, but still I took in all that I saw with great interest. He waded into the water like a dog until only his head was above the water's surface. He then stood up and began to remove his bandages, and from what I could see, I was amazed. For such wounds, he looked as though nothing had happened.

Though, one wound was still there, a scar on his arm. Four narrow scratched or cuts that had scared recently it seemed, but I took them in as an old wound that never quite healed right.

I watched him bathe in the pond water and watched as the water rippled over his back and shoulders as he squeezed the water from his silvery mane. He was so beautiful, the most beautiful creature I had ever seen in my entire life.

He got out of the water not much later and shook the water off of him like a dog would before dressing again. He itched his ear with his back foot, and giggled softly while he did. A moment later he climbed into the nut tree's strongest branch and went to sleep in the tree.

A moment later, I got to my feet and went to my room, but as I closed the door I heard a yawn from the tree and a light distant sound that seemed to be purring. It was a soothing sound.

~~~~

Come morning, I awoke fully rested. My maids came and dressed me and I went to the table to eat. I sat down on the floor as our priest said his prayer. I looked at my food a moment later and discovered that I wasn't hungry. I took up my food and slipped into the garden where my guest was.

I looked around for where the chain led and felt no fear as long as I didn't invade his personal space. I took a risk and sat on my rock while I looked at the bowl of food in my hands. I picked up my chopsticks and played with my food while I tried to search for the yokia on my land.

I sighed when I found no sign of him and continued to look at my food until I heard the sound of a growl from high in the branches. I jumped as my eyes met gold hidden in the greens of the nut tree. He was so well hidden I could hardly make him out. The strangest thing was that I wasn't afraid, but found myself fascinated by his ability to hide in the fullness of the tree. I turned my body completely toward him and watched him as he watched me and his growling stopped.

I smiled and looked at him with the same awe as before. "Amazing," I whispered, and looked down at my food and slid down the side of my rock, earning his grow of warning as I placed the food some ways away from the rock and returned to my perch. I watched him as his eyes watched me for a moment, and then he looked down at the food. He backed away and jumped out of the tree, landing at the base. His golden eyes watched me cautiously as he prowled toward the food on all fours again, as though he were stalking it, but watching me at all times.

Finally, I watched as a white clawed finger reached out to the rim of the bowl and he pulled it toward him and quickly jumped back into the tree. He sat on the branch with his legs bent like a dog and ate the food with his fingers hungrily. Even though he seemed to hate the taste, he continued to eat savagely. Rice and bits of egg dribbled down his chin and out of the corners of his mouth, but astonishingly I thought no less of him. "You must be so hungry," I said even though he paid not mind to my presence as he ate.

A moment later the bowl was on the ground and smashed. He had cleaned it, and I was amazed as I looked from the broken bowl to him as he cleaned himself. His gaze returned to me and he acknowledged my presence with less of a threat. However, I wasn't blind to the look in his eyes that told me he was still hungry and that he didn't trust me completely.

I smiled and bit my bottom lip as I turned to the shrine. "Nurse, Maids, bring food to the garden, he's hungry."

If there was one way to get him to trust me, perhaps it was through his stomach.

Within moments, rice and all kinds of meats were brought on three trays. I ordered my maids away as I took a piece of pork and placed it in a bowl. I made my way out under the tree, earning his warning before I placed the bowl down in his comfortable spot and returned to the rock.

He jumped down and looked over the bowl a moment before taking the meat in his mouth. This time he retreated to the base of the tree instead and ate. I crawled out to the bowl as he ate, and took it away without earning any real warning except his watchful eye.

I stared at him until he was finished and caught his eye again. I watched him as I removed another piece of meat and placed it in the bowl. I earned his warning, and placed it down before backing away. This time I only came within reaching distance before he took the meat from the bowl.

He ate and I delivered the next sliver of meat before only taking two steps away from the bowl. He watched me for sometime before taking the meat from the bowl and not retreating to the base of the tree completely. I picked up a tray and brought it over as I broke off a larger piece of meat with the bone and placed it in the same bowl.

He took and ate, but this time he stayed at the bowl while I was only an arms reach way. His eyes watched me for sometime, until three ribs past before he finally looked down at what he was eating instead of me.

Finally, I took the bowl away and broke two pork ribs away from the tender cooked meat. This time I held the meat out to him with my hand as far as I could reach. He watched cautiously before gradually reaching out to it and quickly taking it from my hands. As he ate, I took a fruit and ate, finally feeling my own appetite kick in.

Slowly, I reached out with another rib for him and this time I was more relaxed, and his grip on the rib was more at ease. I came close enough to touch him, but instead I sat down comfortably in the grasses as I ate my fruit and watched him clean his face before looking to me for more. His eyes relaxed a little, and I smiled as I placed the remaining ribs before him, and he ate.

Soon, the food was gone, and he curled up in the grass completely boated from the food since he had eaten a large quantity of it. I watched as he turned on his side and watched me still with some caution, but I had become less of a threat.

I watched him as he drifted and sat down not far from him. I looked at his ears as they flicked the flies away. He then opened his eyes and nipped at them before trying to get comfortable in the grass again. I saw the fly return and it bit his ear. He yipped and shooed it before aiding his ear.

My concern grew suddenly, and my reaction was what any woman would do for a person in pain. I touched his arm, and in the moment I realized I had I pulled away. I watched him carefully with a slight fear and waited. He opened his eyes again and looked at me, and I could understand his own confusion in the matter. I drew closer again, feeling my curiosity return and I went to aid his ear. He showed a slight fear and uncertainty and he tensed as I slowly reach out to touch the ear that was harmed.

He was content and his breathing was steady as my hand touched the velvet soft appendage. It was warm from the pain, and my fingers gently soothed the pain. I looked at the ear and motioned softly in small circles.

A moment later his eyes drifted and he seemed to show enjoyment in the soothing touch. I giggled at his contentment and his body vibrated with the sound of a low growl. He liked it, it wasn't to threat, but it was to show his contentment.

I withdrew my hand and he opened his eyes and watched as my pulled away from his ears. "Does it feel better?" I asked.

He looked at me curiously and then his gaze returned to my hand. He grasped it in his clawed hand and looked over my fingers almost observing me. My heart was pounding from the contact and the fact his palm was so warm. The dog demon looked over my hand before placing his palm over mine. It was an observation, like he was trying to make sense of me and the similarity between his body and mine. He touched my fingertips and nails, and then looked at the other hand, the one he had harmed the other day.

He untied the bandage and looked at my injury. When his fingers applied pressure, I pulled it away wincing at the slight pain that went through my hand. He looked at me carefully before taking my hand in his again and encircling it in his large clawed fingers. I watched as his claws slowly began to glow with a black light, and I feared it at first. Yet as I watched, they slowly began to help the pain subside in my hand, and the scratches he had inflicted himself had begun to heal until it looked as though the mark was never inflicted.

I looked at him as he withdrew his hand and I moved my fingers again. "Amazing," I said softly as I touched my hand to look for signs of pain. "It's all gone!" I said softly.

Then, I felt something in my lap and found the demon's head sleeping below me. He nuzzled the side of his face into my thigh. I tensed as the slight uncomfortable position he and I were in, and then his throat rumbled with purring.

I let out a sigh of relief and looked up into the nut tree before looking down at him. I let my fingers stroke the sliver mane of hair for a moment as it was soft. "I wonder if this is the first step. Perhaps he trusts me enough to know that I won't harm him. But will he still not harm me?"

I looked at the tree as the yokia slept on my lap. My fingers continued to sooth as he slept soundlessly atop my lap, and my gaze returned to his sleeping form. "I wonder if you even understand me, or if you can even tell me your name, but how does one talk to a demon? Are you mute, or do you know no form of tongue at all?"

I had so many questions in my head and I sighed as I bowed my head wondering if any of those questions could be answered. "One thing is certain...I've never seen something so beautiful as you."