InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Love's Lessons ❯ Inuyasha: The Provider ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3: Inuyasha: The Provider

 

A few days later the girl was hanging about the village, just inside the tree line. She was hungry and knew she was going to have to steal and she was not looking forward to it. One of the slaves at the lords castle had stole a crust of bread once. His hands had been cut off, the lord making sure everyone watched. No one took food from him again without his express permission.

 

She had not eaten much more than berries for about five days, and although she was used to going a few days without food, she was reaching her limit. She could smell the rice boiling in a pot in the hut she had been in when the demon lord brought her here. She reached down and put her hand across her painfully growling stomach as she sniffed the delicious aroma.

 

She did not understand why the dog lord had let her go. She saw by watching, that he was definitely the leader of the group he was with. He seemed kind. He never hit or beat his companions, he carried a sword, but she had yet to see him take it out. The other villagers seemed to have no fear of him and, in fact, showed him great respect. She had never seen such a lord. She had heard him growl and complain and even yell at the strangely dressed girl, which had frightened her the first time she saw him do it. She was expecting the girl to die right there before her eyes, but then the girl said something she wasn't able to make out and the demon fell to the ground prostrate before her. Why would a lord do such a thing? She just couldn't figure him out.

 

She stopped her musings as the real problem of getting food took her attention again. She had watched as the others had left the hut leaving only the old woman inside and a small fox demon. She wished they would leave as well so she could just go in and take the food. Her stomach growled again, louder, as she snuck up towards the window of the hut and peeked in. The older woman was by the fire pit stirring the pot while the young fox child was at a low table playing with a toy. Her leg still hurt but her stomach hurt more, she wiped the drool off her lips. Making up her mind, she jumped into the window as quickly as she could and pushed the old woman to the floor, feeling bad that she had done that to someone who had shown her compassion but not bad enough to stop. She grabbed the pot right off the fire burning her fingers and limped quickly back to the window, intent on jumping back out.

 

Shippo was shocked when he saw that girl jump into the window and push Kaede over. No one can do that to Kaede! He thought angrily. He leapt up from the table just as the girl was about to escape through the window and yelled, “Fox Fire!” He hit her squarely on her left side but she managed to get out of the window and limp off into the woods.

 

Inuyasha barged through the door just as he heard Shippo yell. He caught a glimpse of a grey kimono going through the window. Kagome, Sango and Miroku came in behind him and helped Kaede up. “Are you okay?” asked Miroku.

 

“Yes I'll be fine, she just wanted the food,” Kaede returned calmly. She had been surprised by the attack but was unhurt. She figured the girl must be half starved to do something as daring as that.

 

Inuyasha seeing that Kaede was unhurt growled out, “I'm going after her, this can't happen again.”

 

“Don't scare her Inuyasha,” Kagome admonished “We were going to help her remember?”

 

“Humph,” returned Inuyasha. He had been trying to track the girl since she left but she had left confusing scent trails and he had had more difficulty that he thought. He knew she hadn't gone far because her scent was all around the village. Smart girl, she keeps doubling back on her own trails and sends out false ones so she can't be tracked.

 

Inuyasha left the hut by the same window she had, and setting his nose to the ground, he followed her scent. It was easier this time as the scent of the cooked rice was only with one trail and he finally found her hiding spot. She was hunkered down in a small cave by a hot springs shoving the food into her mouth as fast as she could. He could smell burnt flesh as well. Must be where Shippo got her with his fox fire, serves her right. As he watched her Inuyasha suddenly remembered how hungry he had been all those years ago and his anger simmered to sympathy. He stepped out so she could see him but not so close to frighten her into running.

 

She looked up at the demon lord that was in front of her watching her. She grabbed the still warm pot to her body sure he was going to take it from her. She had stolen and now she would be punished. She sat waiting for him to grab her and beat her, keeping her eyes lowered. She knew she was not able to run, her leg hurt like hell and now her side, where it had been burned by the little fox, was stinging. When he didn't yell and come after her, she looked up in curiosity to see him sitting on his haunches staring at her with an odd look on his face.

 

“Hungry, huh?” he asked quietly.

 

She nodded to him and began to shovel the food in as fast as she had before.

 

“Why don't you come back to the village? There's lots of food there, no one is going to hurt you.” Inuyasha reached out his hand to her and she shrank back, shaking her head no. He put his hand back down at his side and continued to watch her eat the rest of the rice. Shit, that was a lot of rice. That was supposed to be for all of us.

 

She did not want to stay in the village; someone may recognize her as the lord's slave and turn her in for payment. She had tried her best to confuse her trails so the lord's dogs would not be able to track her.

 

“What are you so afraid of?” asked Inuyasha curiously. He had an idea she must be trying to hide from someone or something and if he knew maybe he could help her. She didn't answer and Inuyasha's patience wore a bit thin. “Cat got your tongue or what?” he asked a bit brusquely. She dropped her eyes to the ground and nodded, touching her throat.

 

Inuyasha saw the scars there again and suddenly realized in horror that something must have happened so that she was unable to speak. “Sorry,” he mumbled dropping his eyes. What the hell happened to this girl?

 

She looked at him astonished, never had anyone ever apologized to her, let alone a demon lord. She came out of her cave a bit more, watching carefully to make sure this was not a trap, and then came forward and put the empty pot down in front of him.

 

He looked up into her blue eyes but did not move towards her. She immediately lowered her eyes from his and bowed her shoulders as she had been taught, you did not look into the eyes of your betters.

 

Inuyasha was confused by her actions. He could understand if he had been his brother, but for someone to bow, twice now, before him was a little weird. “Hey, don't do that,” he said, embarrassed by her gesture.

 

This caused her scent to spike in fear as she bowed lower, trying to placate him. He did not want her to be afraid so he softened his voice so she would know he wasn't mad at her. “I just meant, you don't have to bow to me, I'm nobody special.”

 

This surprised her, He's not a lord? She asked herself. She wished for the millionth time in her life that she could speak. She didn't even know how to write so could not even put marks on the ground to ask him her questions. Inuyasha smelled her frustration.

 

“Can you tell me your name?” he asked. “I'm Inuyasha.”

 

She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. Inuyasha got the drift

 

“You don't know your own name?” he asked astonished.

 

She shook her head no, her brow furrowed in misery thinking I am not worthy enough for a name.

 

He couldn't believe that someone wouldn't even know their own name. How could you not know your own name unless… It hit Inuyasha like a punch in the stomach; he thought nobody had bothered to give this girl a name. “I'll give you a name,” he stated firmly. “Just give me some time to think about it, I'll bring you some food too, okay? I'll be back tomorrow.”

 

She nodded her head, astonished yet again. He, this demon, was going to give her a name. Even if he wasn't a lord she still recognized him as leader and he was going to give her, her own name. She smiled for the first time in a long time and Inuyasha saw a sparkle appear in her eyes that had not been there before.

 

“Okay, I'll see you tomorrow.” He stood and headed back to the village.