InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Because you asked me to ❯ First blood ( Chapter 6 )

 

 

The sightless woman woke with a yawn as she felt a tight cramping in her abdomen and a desperate need to relieve herself. Damnit, she thought as she gingerly stood and moved away from where she had been curled against Sesshoumaru's side trying not to wake him. As far as she could tell she was the only one that was awake so far, and though blind she was right.

 

She carefully stepped away from the dragon's side, the right head of the dragon coming up to touch her stomach gently, giving her a slight start.

 

“Oh, hello you,” she whispered to the dragon as she petted his large head, the left head still sleeping. “I just need to relieve myself. I won't be gone long.”

 

Ah moaned softly and nodded the side of his head against her stomach before moving and allowing her to continue on her way. She didn't know where she was going and moved slowly, every now and then catching herself on protrusions of old tree root or rocks that stuck up out of the ground. After a few moments she found her way to a large tree and moved around it until she felt safe in her seclusion, though she couldn't tell if anyone was near or not, and lifted the bottom of the kimono up around her hips as she squatted low near the base of the tree.

 

 

 

Sesshoumaru woke with a slight start feeling something was wrong and noticed quickly that the blind woman was no longer at his side. The taiyoukai carefully lifted Rin and carried her over in front of Ah-Un, laying her in the nest that the two headed dragon made with their necks. As he stood and turned away from the dragon and his youngest charge he saw the woman coming back from behind a cluster of thick trees, her arm clutched to her abdomen as she walked.

 

“Are you unwell?” he asked as he came to her side, gaining a startled gasp from the woman.

 

As he looked her over he smelled it and his eyes widened. The woman was beginning her blood cycle, the scent soft and barely there, and although he knew she hadn't shed her womanly blood yet, she would soon. More than likely later that very same day, he would need to find something for her to use.

 

“It hurts,” she said softly, her face blushing.

 

“How long has it been since your last heat cycle?” he asked as he guided her back to the others that were still sleeping.

 

“I don't know. They're sparse and few. It's been a long time but it's never hurt like this before,” she said as she tried to breathe through the heavy and hard cramps.

 

“Hm.”

 

He had to give humans some credit in this area. Unlike youkai females whose heat cycles were regular and unbroken, a human female's would not happen were they under too much emotion or physical stress or if they were malnourished. It was a wise trick of nature that kept human women from becoming pregnant when their bodies could not sustain a growing life well, let alone the woman's own. No doubt her cramping was far worse this time and she would more than likely bleed heavier because of how much she had eaten, her body becoming well fed and holding far more protein thanks to the fish and rabbit meat that he had made sure she'd eaten.

 

“We will travel to a hot spring,” he told her softly. “The heat and minerals in the water will soothe your muscles.”

 

She nodded and winced at a particularly painful cramp that clenched her tightly and caused her to bend over with the severity of it. She felt the comforting familiar warmth of Sesshoumaru's tail wrap around her middle as he pulled her toward him, the tail pulsing around her with snake like contractions as he used it to try and soothe her cramps.

 

“Tell me woman, what have used in the past.”

 

“Used?” she asked confused, used what for what?

 

Sesshoumaru bit back the blush that was threatening to color his cheeks at such a discussion of woman's time.

 

“Yes, what have you used during your heat cycle in the past?” this time he could not keep the blush from rising and coloring his cheeks.

 

“Oh…honestly…I didn't. It's never been much and if it was there was a small hole I dug near a water bed that I would sit over and let it go into. Then I'd wash in the water as many times as it took until I felt clean of it. I'm honestly not even sure what it is that comes out of me.”

 

“It is blood,” he said with a blush as he clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, the scent of her heat scent was getting to him. “It will flow after you are fertile,” he said his voice lowering to a growl as he tried to get his youkai under control.

 

Sesshoumaru stood with her leaning against his chest, his armor still lying next to Ah-Un's side as he used his tail to massage her cramping muscles. It was getting harder, with each passing breath to calm his youkai. His blood had awakened at the first scent of her heat and barreled against the tight hold he had over it commanding him to take the woman, that she was ready for him.

 

“Are you alright?” she asked when he trembled and then felt him jerk in her arms.

 

Her blood was beginning to flow, he could smell it and so could his youkai. The damn thing was beginning to break his hold, his eyes flashing between the red of his youkai and their normal gold. In seconds he had moved, thrusting his fist into the earth and creating a hole, positioning her over it as he raised his kimono over her hips before releasing her from his hold and dashing away.

 

Sesshoumaru stood in the middle of a large grouping of trees nearly half a mile from where the campsite of his pack was. He was growling loudly, a constant rumble like thunder issuing from his throat as it rumbled in his chest. His eyes were closed tightly as he panted harshly, trying with all his might to get his youkai blood back under his usual tight control.

 

Take her; she is ready for us, his youkai raged at him.

 

“I will not,” he spoke aloud as he battled with all his might until he once again had control of his youkai, panting as his face dripped with the sweat of his effort.

 

She is ours!

 

“Perhaps so,” he growled at his youkai, “but she is not well, not strong enough yet.”

 

We wait? his youkai asked as it calmed and began to recede.

 

“Yes. We wait.”

 

It had taken Sesshoumaru nearly two hours but he finally had his youkai back under control. Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, he wiped the sweat from his face and made his way back to camp. When he returned he found the woman sitting where he had left her, her face damp with slowly falling tears and moved next to her quickly, kneeling beside her.

 

“What is wrong?” he asked as he brushed at her tears with the backs of his fingers.

 

“You left,” she said her voice a weak whimper as more tears fell. “I thought you weren't coming back.”

 

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes as he bent his head low. Leaning forward he brushed a kiss to her forehead and pulled her close so that her forehead rested against his chest.

 

“I will always return, always,” he said as he held her upset that he had upset her.

 

“What happened?” she asked as she sniffled and brought her hands up to scrub away her tears. “Why did you leave? Did I upset you?”

 

“My youkai was called by your blood.”

 

“I don't understand,” she said her voice barely audible as she struggled not to begin crying again.

 

“I know you don't,” he said with a silent sigh.

 

“Sesshoumaru,” she called to him with a whisper.

 

“Yes?”

 

“I…I'm…hungry,” she said hesitantly.

 

He actually smiled softly and gave a soft chuckle. It was the first time she had asked for anything. Shaking his head slightly he gave a soft sigh and once again returned to his stoicism as he helped her up and guided her back to camp.

 

“Rin,” he said as they approached the others, “is there any of the meat from last night left?”

 

“Yes Sesshoumaru-sama,” she said and handed him some of the rabbit that she had been eating, holding it tightly as he broke off the two hind legs and handed them to the blind woman at his side.

 

“Me lord,” Jaken said as he came up to them. “Is there anything you require of this lowly Jaken?”

 

“We will be leaving after they have fed.”

 

“We will we return to the castle?” the toad youkai asked and it was then that Sesshoumaru realized just how close they were to his home.

 

“Yes,” he said stoically.

 

 

 

“Shh, it is alright,” Sesshoumaru said softly as he led the woman away from the rest of the group where they had stopped and set up camp for the midday meal.

 

“Are you sure you're alright?” she asked as he led her to the hot spring hidden in a circle of trees and wild flowering bushes and tall feathering grasses.

 

“I'm fine,” he said as he led her through a fringe of waist high grasses to where the hot spring lay.

 

She gasped softly when his hand came to her waist and loosened the tie that held the borrowed kimono closed. She heard his soft rumbling purr that soothed her and closed her eyes as her breath caught. She knew his touch was innocent but for whatever reason it caused the same fluttering in her stomach that his kiss had earlier. There hadn't been a repeat of the kiss or any touch like it but she felt light headed as the water encased her, for whatever reason she felt as though she would pass out but wanted to touch him and wanted him to touch her.

 

What the hell was wrong with her, she wondered almost angrily as she shook her head. She wasn't worthy of his touch, hadn't she said that herself?! Four days and she already forgot what she was. A wild girl, a blind girl, that's what she was. It had been proven to her time and time again how worthless she was, from the memory of her mother's voice as she cast her out for being blind to the memories of her attacks, to the memories of passing travels who had laughed at her and said she wasn't worthy of their trash when she would ask for food from them.

 

Tears filled her eyes as reality came crashing down around her as her inner voice raged at her.

 

Stupid girl! Do you really think he'd want anything to do with you? Whatever he said just forget it! When he takes you back to the castle you will be made into a servant. You'll be lucky to serve as anything above a chambermaid, whatever that was. You remember those noblemen laughing at you and the women saying you were more worthless than a chambermaid? Do you really think he'll make you a lady of his lands? Oh you fool, you pathetic pitiful fool, how stupid could you be?

 

The tears that had earlier filled her eyes cascaded down her cheeks in great rushing rivers as she sobbed silently, painfully, her breath catching in her throat and her chest aching terribly. Oh how stupid could she have been? Her hands rose to cover her face as her shoulders shook with her silent sobs. No one else wanted her, no one else had ever thought her worthy of even there trash, why the hell would he think her worthy of being a Lady of his lands?

 

Sesshoumaru returned to the spring's side holding the small pouch that contained his bathing herbs. Why was she crying, he wondered. Did she think he had left her again? That couldn't be it; he had promised her that he would always return. Taking off his armor and haori he held his pouch between his teeth as he removed his hakama and boots as well, laying his clothing on top of his white under kimono that she was wearing for the time being. He left his armor and swords leaning up against the large rounded boulder that the clothing lay upon and stepped silently into the water, not making a sound as he moved toward her.

 

His brow furrowed as he moved up behind her, the woman not paying any attention to the movement of the water. She was crying almost violently now, her whispered sobs forming words and he listened intently to them, wanting to know what had caused her distress.

 

“St-stupid,” she whispered as she sobbed quietly. “How stupid could you be?” she asked herself as he listened quietly. “You believed him when he said that you were worth all of that. Idiot. After all those travelers said I wasn't even worthy of being a chambermaid and I believed him about being worthy of silk. How stupid can I be?”

 

“You are most certainly not stupid,” his soft voice startled her and she spun around, her sightless eyes wide and still swimming with tears that were falling and those that had yet to fall. He pulled her to his chest and held her in his arm as his soaking tail wrapped around her waist and he kissed the top of her head as he held her close. “You are not stupid, and you are worth far more than those `passing travelers' said.”

 

“No I'm not,” she said soggily as she continued to cry into his bare chest, her tears wetting his skin.

 

“Yes. You are,” he said his voice still as soft but leaving no room for argument. “You are worth far more than you know and I have every intention of proving it to you.”

 

“Why are you doing this?” she sobbed. “I'll only bring you dishonor.”

 

“No you won't,” he said and shushed her, holding her tighter as she began to struggle in his hold. “Shhh,” he said to her as he took her over to a flat sided boulder and leant up against it as he held her in his embrace. “Stop,” he whispered to her as she tried once again to struggle weakly, her tears and inner voice making her feel weak and stupid. “It is alright,” he soothed her and began purring to her, his chest rumbling as the sound worked to quiet and calm her.

 

She yawned after a while and curled up against his chest, her fist resting next to her face as she rested in his hold, she wasn't sleepy, but her tears had made her tired nonetheless. He held her, comforted her, he made her believe that she was beautiful when he held her. She yawned once more and felt him rub his hand over her back, up and down, slow and smooth as he held and comforted her. If she could just spend forever in his arms, she thought as her eyes drifted closed and she fell into a blissful state between the waking world and the sleeping one.

 

Long immeasurable moments later she felt him move, felt him pick something up. He handed her a small pouch, asked her to hold it as he had her pour some of its contents into his hand. He stopped her, shortly after she began to gently shake the herbs out, and took the pouch, pulling its cord in his teeth as he closed it. A moment later she felt his hand in her hair as he rubbed the herbs through the damp locks and then waited a little while before tipping her back and telling her to use her hands to wash them out.

 

Kami she was beautiful, he thought as he held her and continued bathing her. He watched her face as he gently washed her chest. He saw her eyes flutter close as his hand traveled lower over her as he washed her and smelt the soft scent of her arousal once again just as he had when he had disrobed her earlier before helping her into the spring. He wanted to kiss her again, his first taste of her not nearly enough, but he didn't want to scare her and she frightened so easily. His eyes softened and he nearly laughed at himself when he thought his situation, he the dog chasing a frightened rabbit in hopes of getting her to trust and love him.

 

Love? He wanted her to love him? He shook himself of the thought as he felt her hands bracing themselves on his trim hips, her touch exciting him. He washed lower, washed her hips and legs and as he came back up he gently, carefully washed between her legs, the woman trembling as the scent of her arousal grew stronger, the water doing nothing to hide it from him. His eyes smiled upon her as the same smile from his eyes tugged at the corners of his mouth, barely lifting them into a smile, but it was there nonetheless.

 

He finished washing her and simply held her in his embrace of arm and tail once more. Holding her to his chest as he rubbed her back and stroked her damp hair. She curled up against his chest once again, yawning as she brought her hand to lie flat on his chest next to her face and gave a soft sound of contentment as she began to once again drift off into that peaceful in between state. He too closed his eyes as he held her there in the water, letting the heat of the water and the pulsing constrictions of his tail soothe her.

 

“Pappa fell asleep,” he heard Rin's whispered voice say moments later.

 

“Come Rin,” he said his eyes still closed and heard her gasp. “You need to bathe too.”

 

“Yes Sesshoumaru-sama,” she said and disrobed before slipping into the water.

 

As she swam up to them in the water, Sesshoumaru's arm lifted away from the woman and wrapped itself around Rin, lifting her out of the water just enough for her face to be level with his.

 

“Only when we are alone Rin,” he said softly to her as the woman napped against his chest. Rin tipped her head and her brow furrowed as she showed him that she didn't understand what he meant. “Pappa. Only when we are alone.”

 

Rin smiled brightly as she leaned closer and wrapped her arms around his neck, careful not to disturb the sleeping woman.

 

“Pappa,” she said for the first time aloud to him and she smiled as she watched his own golden orbs soften as they looked upon her. “Only when we are alone,” she repeated his words with a nod and he set her back in the water as he handed the child the pouch of washing herbs.