InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Princess and the Pauper ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

"My lady!" called one of the guards as he caught sight of her, "The lord of the castle is looking for you."

"I apologize for my lateness. I guess I was caught up in my thoughts." Colleen said to the vassal.

"Nevermind that. It is urgent that the lord sees you." the guard urged, as he pushed Colleen into the castle.

As she knelt on a pillow awaiting the lord, Colleen's thoughts drifted to the young man in the forest. She smiled to herself as she remembered his silver hair and amber-colored eyes. But what really fascinated her was his ears,

"MY LADY!" a voice broke through her thoughts.

Colleen turned to face the lord. She did not like the look on his face,

"Why were you out in the forest? I strictly forbade you from going!" he demanded.

"I needed some fresh air, my lord." she answered politely.

SLAP!

The slap on her face sent her reeling across the room,

"YOU BOW WHEN YOU SPEAK TO ME WENCH!" the lord yelled.

Colleen rubbed her left cheek delicately with her hand as the tears fell, "I ... I ... I'm so sorry, my lord." she said, as she knelt down and bowed.

"I GIVE YOU A HOME AND SPARE YOUR FATHER AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME! YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR INSOLENCE, WOMAN!"

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A gentle rain drizzled down as Inuyasha headed into the woods. After Colleen had left, he found himself feeling things he didn't understand. His mind was filled with her eyes, her smile, her voice. He had decided he needed to go see Kikyou. Maybe seeing her would get the foreigner off his mind.

He spent the rest of the afternoon chatting with Kikyou on the hillside, something they had started doing more often. He didn't mention Colleen. He had no way of knowing that Kikyou was hiding her own secret.

As Inuyasha walked into the woods, he spotted a tree,

'This'll do.' he thought, as he hopped high into its boughs.

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Lightening flashed and thunder rolled through the midnight sky as the rain came down in torrents. The lightening revealed the image of a figure running desperately through the rain. The figure ran into the darkened forest and tripped, sending the figure sprawling in the mud. A load roar was heard and then,

"GET OUTTA THE WAY, BIRDBRAIN!" screamed Inuyasha, as he landed a sucker punch on the creature's jaw.

As the creature disappeared, Inuyasha went back to the figure sprawled on the ground, unmoving,

"Colleen." he said softly.

He picked her up and ran deeper into the forest and into a huge cave. He sat down crosslegged, holding her limp body in her arms. As lightening flashed, he was able to see her torn dress, covered in mud. As he sat there, she squirmed and cried out in pain and then came too. As she held her head, he gently laid her on the ground. Again she whimpered in pain,

"Are you alright, Colleen?" he asked, concern dripping in his voice.

Her tears mixed with the rain dripping from her hair. With each lightening bolt, Inuyasha was able to take in more and more detail,

"Who hit you?" he demanded.

"The lord." she said, through her tears.

She looked up at him as her eyes adjusted to the dimness. As she did, her eyes grew wide when a bolt of lightening flashed,

"Inuyasha? Your ... hair ... it is ... black." she stammered.

"HMPH!" he said, crossing his arms across his chest, "Yea well..." he started.

"Why?" was all she could ask.

Inuyasha sighed and lowered his head, 'No use denying anything.' he thought, "I'm ... I'm a half-demon."

"Yes. I remember the guards saying that. What does that mean and what does it have to do with your hair being black?" she asked.

"My ... uh ... mother was human and my father was a demon. Once a month, I lose all my demon powers and turn human. My hair turns black, my eyes turn violet, I get human ears and my fangs and claws disappear. All half-demons have this day. Mine is on the night when there isn't a moon." he told her.

Colleen just looked at her friend and then smiled, "So, do you look like your mother now?"

He looked at her, surprised, "Uh, yea, I guess so."

"That's nice. Everybody says I look like my mother. Where is your mother, Inuyasha?"

"She died.", he said, turning away from her, "A long time ago."

"I'm so sorry. Where's your father?"

"He died too. The night I was born."

Colleen hung her head, "I feel so sad for you. Being all alone in the world."

"HMPH! Don't be. I've been alone for so long ... well it doesn't matter." he said.

"Yes, it does." she insisted, "Everybody needs someone."

He looked at her. The lightening lit up her face and he saw the seriousness in her eyes, "Look. Just rest, ok. You need it." he said, as he removed his hitoe and laid it on the floor.

"When will your powers return?" she asked, through a yawn.

"In the morning. Now sleep. I'll ... I'll stay here and protect you." he said to reassure her.

"HmHm." she said, as she drifted off into a deep, but troubled sleep.

As morning came, the sun peeked into the cave. As Inuyasha returned to his half-demon self, his senses returned and for the first time, he smelled the dried blood on the girl. Looking her over, he realized just how injured she was. The back of her dress was in tatters, the skin of her back ripped to shreds from a good, hard, whipping. Her face bruised, her right eye sealed shut from blood. Inuyasha shook his head as imagined what she ahd been put through. As he finished his inspection of her body, he saw deep welts and bruises on her wrists. She appeared to have been chained up.

Hurrying outside before she awoke, he found some dry wood, picked some medicinal roots and herbs, and finally hunted for breakfast. Colleen awoke to the smell of venison and fish sizzling on the fire,

"HMMM. That smells good." she said, stretching her arms into the air, then recoiling from the pain, "OUCH!" she cried.

"What happened to you." Inuyasha said, looking at her, "I want to know the truth."

Colleen looked at the ground, "The lord was very upset that I went out without his permission. He had me chained in the basement and whipped for my disobedience. When they finally freed me, all I could think of doing was running. I just wanted out of there." she said, softly, tears forming in her eyes.

"DAMN HIM! He has no right to do that!" Inuaysha said angrily.

"Yes he does, Inuyasha. I'm his property. You're Japanese, you should know that."

"HMPH! I don't live with humans. I don't follow their rules."

Colleen smiled softly, "I'm glad you think like that. I don't know why, but I am."

"Hmmm." Inuyasha said, "Here, let me treat your wounds. I made a paste that will help heal them. But, I need some cloth."

Colleen reached down and tore cloth off of one of her petticoats and handed it to him, "Will this do?"

"Uh, yea." he said, as he ripped the cloth into strips and loaded paste onto them. Instructing her to lay on her stomach, he laid the strips on her wounds as she hissed from the pain. Using the last of the cloth, he wrapped it around her shoulders like a coat. He then gave her some breakfast. They both ate heartily and soon Colleen indicated she had better get back. Not wanting her to get another beating, Inuyasha agreed and walked her to the edge of the forest where he bade her goodbye. After watching her walk inside the castle grounds, he turned around and raced away. His mind was racing and he had the urge to kill. His demon blood raced inside his body. He headed to the nearest stream where he jumped into the cold water, determined to cool off. He then headed to Kikyou. He again felt he needed to see her.