The sun’s bright beams were dutifully smothered by thick gray clouds that pelted the earth below with continuous unrelenting snow.
The thick layer all but covering one fading individual wedged in between sharp and uncomfortable rocks on the side of a cliff, Sesshoamaru. His form was pale, wounded, and tired. His eyes remained open, not because of his need to survive but due to the shock of betrayal that replayed itself in his mind over and over again.
He struggled in vain again to move but only managed to painfully fall down another steep slide into another terribly uncomfortable position. His normally silver hair began to slowly dye to the red that seeped from the wounds of his head and back. His vision was getting blurry, he knew he would not last much longer. He tried calling on some inner strength but that too was sealed. With one more weak effort to escape from the confines of his sure to be death bed his vision faded to black.
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A brunette’s small frame sat bundled up as best she could with a fire burning bright in front of her. A stark contradiction to the biting cold just mere feet away threatening to out it. Despite that, Kagome felt lucky today. Sure she was in the middle of nowhere and had no real idea of her current surroundings but she was warm and safe. She actually sensed the storm brewing butwas too far away from the village to make it back in time, she hoped the others wouldn’t worry. She managed to get shelter just before this hell of a storm went ape crazy all over the place. It was hard to find and she was not quite sure how she got to the cave she was currently claiming. Especially one that was that high on a mountain. However her aching arms proved that she scaled it in record time. Fear, being a human’s best motivator, kicked in with the quickness when she saw the storm clouds form.
Kagome sighed again as she set up a pot to boil some hot water, she felt like some tea. Never did she expect to get stranded during her little vacation/adventure but dang it she was going to make a day out of it. Just as she thought that, a blur of white dropped into the caves entrance.
Kagome fell back in shock and fear as this giant polar bear seemed to drop from out of no where.
‘Wait…there are no polar bears here…” Kagome muttered and then upon looking closer she saw a limp hand.
“Holy crap it’s a person!” Kagome said throwing her bundle back to land on the rest of her things in a hurry to get this poor thing out of the cold.
As Kagome approached the situation only got worse. The individual was beginning to slide out of the cave's entrance due to the harsh winds of the storm. Seeing that she would be swept away too unless she acted fast. Kagome doubled back and grabbed some of her rope and hooked it on a sturdy rock protruding from the side of the cave and wrapped the other around her hand and quickly yet tensely went for the hand near the entrance, already feeling the winds pull on her.
She grabbed and with all the strength she could muster pulled. Unfortunately all the strength she could muster was not up to par against the raging winds and barely budged the individual quickly being covered by snow. The snow that covered the person made it even harder to pull. Using her feet and getting a little bolder, her other hand; she began to awkwardly yet effectively get rid of a majority of the snow off and managed to get the body in half way. Then she wrapped one side of the rope around the upper body, now she noted it was a male, and used the rope as a make-shift pulley system to bring him all the way in. His body also doubled as an anchor so even though he was in, she did not get blown away. After both she and him were a safe distance away she ran to his body and brought him close to the fire.
It was only then did she get a good look at him and instantly thought, ‘Holy Crap…did I just risk my life to rescue a dead person?'
His face was pale, lips blue and he was very cold. That and the fact that she was pretty sure that his hair was not naturally or randomly red in certain places as it was matted and splayed out in random places below him. Kagome was saddened by the sight. He was a beautiful creature non the less. Then she saw a twitch of his eyes and jumped back.
“Did I just imagine that? Hello…Mr. Polar Bear?” Kagome said poking him and sure enough the twitch was their again. ‘Holy crap this guy is alive! In retrospect I probably should have checked for a pulse or something earlier…’ Kagome berated herself as she got her first aid supplies from her backpack.
“Okay Mr. Polar Bear, try not to panic, you are safe. I am going to do what I can to help you so do not freak out.” Kagome said now eying his face markings with renewed interest. She could tell that if he was up to par or felt threatened that he may be quite a force to be reckoned with. She quickly abandoned the idea that she would be getting tea with the water she boiled and instead used it to clean him up. She dragged him deeper into the cave on the other side of the fire before she retrieved her warm blankets to cover him up.
Now came the tricky part, his back wounds. Kagome maneuvered around his body that although was still cold and pale, was gaining warmth and color. She leaned him up on one arm and tended to the wounds on his head which thankfully weren't that deep. The wound on his back however, was.
“Geez who stabbed you in the back?” she muttered not knowing how deep and literal that statement was to the youkai whose wound she was addressing. It was a stab with a long gash as if they dragged the knife across his back. She figured that was probably what made him fall off the cliff. After an hour of care she felt that she got all the main injuries and then looked at her work. The man looked much better. She could see him breathing now and although he was still a bit pale he was much warmer. She could practically see him recovering slowly but surely as his internal healing process began to kick in. 'Yup, not a human.' she thought distractedly as she watched an almost unnatural healing process begin to kick in.
It was then all the adrenaline that was cursing through Kagome’s veins ran out and she was cold, thirsty and hungry.
She wished some game fell from the sky rather than this guy, then after a moment of looking at his sleeping face still slightly struggling she took it back. He must have God on his side because if he fell any other way he could have broken his neck or simply could have fell to his death.
“You won’t miss this blanket…” Kagome said snatching one of the many she placed on him in her worried state to wrap around herself. It was thin but she felt much warmer instantly. No use in freezing to death herself, she needed to live too.
It was only then that she absently realized that his hair was still a mess. She inched up and sat next to his head and gently pulled his hair from underneath him.
“It be a shame if I didn’t fix this up too.” Kagome muttered with hidden glee and excitement.
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The next morning was a shock to Sesshomaru to say the least. He was not expecting to wake up let alone warm and healed and in a cave by a roaring fire. He looked around and saw that the snow was falling lightly outside rather than the hailstorm it had been when he fell under.
How long was he out? Where was he? Most importantly who helped him?
He wondered if it was one of his loyal colleagues that saw the betrayal when it went south and recovered him. He highly doubted that, anyone still loyal to him would be imprisoned if not killed by now. He also wondered briefly if they would go after his younger brother as well seeing as he would be the next candidate in their way if anything but even he had no idea where the boy was so that was also unlikely.
He silenced his thoughts momentarily to assess his current biological state. He sat up with great difficulty and his head instantly became dizzy. He realized that he was out for at least a week because he was starved. He spotted a make shift bowl of sorts with water near the fire and after sniffing it tentatively he deemed it was safe to drink and downed it in one go. It was then that he realized that there was something pressing on his back. With a flick of his wrist he pulled it forward only to realize it was his hair. Never in his life was his hair ever that soft or braided in such a manner. Unbeknownst to him it was in an intricately woven fish tale braid that seemed very freshly done.
Before he could destroy the hard work done to his hair with yet another flick of his wrist, something flew into the mouth of the cave. It was a dead rabbit followed by a couple others. He figured it was his savior returning but still tensed ready to fight. Given the week he had, he had a high degree of trust issues at the moment.
Time passed but no one came through the mouth of the cave. Upon closer inspection he saw a face had been staring at him from the corner of the entrance eyeing his tense form.
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Rabbits where a crap to catch but they cooked easier and no way was she lugging a fat butted deer all the way back up to the cave. Mr. Polar bear was looking much better recently, he would need food to eat when he woke up which she believed would be soon. She wanted to leave much sooner when the storm died down a day later and she saw him healing well on his own but doubt clouded her mind. Why was she even helping him? What if he was evil? If not; What if those who left him for dead found out he was alive and finished him off in his weakened state? What if he lost his senses during the whole ordeal and fell to his death! Who would care for his hair when she wasn’t around?
It was obvious that she became way more attached to him than she should have in a short amount of time. All this and more she pondered as she made her way back up the mountain side, now with practiced ease. As she arrived to the cave one of the rabbits she carried began to slip from their holding spot around her waist. She quickly caught it and flung it in the cave and the others too while she was at it.
That is when she sensed something dangerous. Did someone sneak into the cave when she wasn’t there? Did they hurt her polar bear… there would be hell to pay if they had. That would wait after she assessed the situation. She poked her head in and her silently almost chocked on her breath in surprise. Mr. Polar Beer was awake! It was so weird to see him so animated and alert. That and he looked tense like he was expecting an army to bash through the cave door. With that gash on his back she assumed that kind of response was to be expected. She did not realize that she was staring at him for quite some time just taking in how all her hard work paid off and how boss that braid made him look. He was quite the specimen. Just as she thought that she saw his eyes catch hers and out of instinct she ducked.
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As soon as he made eye contact it disappeared, along with his tension. Clearly this was not a hardened warrior sent to end him but a human female. How one ended up this far out was beyond him. He was going to tell her to come but his voice was unused for quite some time and he went into a fit of coughing. That on top of his hunger made him dizzy again but this time with a headache and not from bloodloss hopefully. He stabilized himself by placing a hand on the ground. When he opened his eyes again she was now before him and putting a herb under his nose that instantly soothed his aching head.
She was fast and very beautiful. They were the only two things registering in his hazy mind as he began to fade away again.
“Mr. Polar Bear! Wake up!” she said slapping his face on both sides to bring him too. If the slight pain didn’t wake him up the shock did. She just slapped him…twice and what was she calling him?
“Don’t glare at me, you shouldn’t go back to sleep in your state, you need food. Wait a minute let me get one of these things ready. Something tells me that you wouldn’t mind it rare.” She said as she turned to one of the rabbits that she hunted.
She hunted for him? His passing thought was that it something that only lovers did in their culture and it caused his earlier annoyance to dissipate but only slightly. He bowed his head in thanks not ready to trust his voice lest it go into another annoying and demeaning coughing fit. She smiled as a response to his nod and he felt that pull of attraction again. Even a fool couldn’t deny she was pretty but he made sure it stayed as just admiration. He had some vengeance to exact when he recovered completely, he couldn’t dream of muddying the waters with beautiful distractions. He’d pay her back someday but for now his focus was on recovery.
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The coughing fit was not something she expected out of the beautiful creature. It sounded like he was about to cough out a spleen. She instantly worried that his insides were damaged far more than she thought and that soon he would be spitting up blood but instead he soon calmed only to grip his head in pain and became unbalanced. Quickly Kagome went into action. She rummaged through her knapsack as she hopped into the cave and retrieved one of the many herbs she collected for headaches (since she usually has her fair share of those)and that did the trick. His face instantly calmed but he still looked dizzy. She rectified that with two back to back cheek smacks He shouldn’t go back to sleep in his state, he may never wake up and he has already come so far. He didn’t look too happy about the smack but calmed soon after when she informed him of the upcoming meal.
It looked like he was going to say something but seemed hesitant and just nodded his head. He looked too adorable with that braid in his hair and muted actions she couldn’t help but smile not noting how he looked at her as she did. She turned her attention to preparing the rabbit. After a 20 minutes and a couple pinches and slaps later she got him to stay awake to drink and eat.
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Sesshomaru simply wanted to nap while he waited for the meal to be ready but the female was adamant with keeping him awake. He couldn’t have a blink last too long or a slight smack or pinch would follow. He growled weakly in annoyance but that just caused her to giggle at him. This woman was a weird one at that. She was caring for a dangerous wounded male stranger who was healing at a rapid pace and could be a danger to her at any moment. He sensed no fear, it was if she was caring for an old friend but at the same time a stranger. He was curious to know her name but pride kept him from attempting to communicate with her in a way that wasn’t words so he decided to try again with his voice after drinking some tea she made.
She began to pass him his meal and he uttered a thank you. It didn’t come out the way he intended barely over a whisper but she chirped a ‘you’re welcome’ seemingly not even aware that he had spoken to her. It wasn’t until that he was able to properly clear his throat and ask her name did she realize that she was being spoken to. The shock on her face had him stifling a laugh of his own.
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While Kagome cooked she momentarily forgot about her patient and thought on how she would calm down her people back home. Surely some kind of lost fliers were out by now. She sent a message to them saying she was safe but would they believe it? Ugh why did she have such stubborn friends and family. She absentmindedly handed her Polar Bear a drink to help with his throat and even responded to his thank you out of habit. She probably would have giggled at the prepubescent sound of his voice. All thoughts cleared however when his throat did and a smooth deep voice asked her what her name was. She whipped her head around so fast she gave herself a slight whiplash.
She decided that she just imagined that there was mirth in his eyes at her comical reaction to his voice but man did it give her shivers. His voice was a testament to how fast he was healing, he would probably be ready to go by tomorrow morning or by night fall the soonest. The thought made her happy but at the same time sad. She wanted to get to know him more. It was only natural seeing as potential friends don’t just fall out of the sky every day.
Then she looked up and realized she had yet to answer his question.
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The woman was an odd one at that she was just staring at him then seemed to loose herself in thought as if she were contemplating life rather than an answer to his simple question. Without warning it seemed like she caught herself before she blurted out,
“Kagome! Sorry….my name is Kagome. I know you’re not Mr. Polar Bear so what’s your name?” the girl named Kagome babbled as she righted herself with her meal now in hand.
Sesshomaru raised his eyebrows in disbelief. Polar Bear…that’s what she kept referring to him as! He finally fully understood what she was saying all this time. How on earth did she come up with a name like that.
She must have sensed his unasked question and began to explain animatedly.
“Well when you fell from up there it was a pretty huge thud and snow piled ontop of you so much that it looked like you seemed much fluffier than you were. Sorry I thought it was a suitable name…at the time.” Kagome giggle only seeming to dig a deeper hole for herself at this time.
“It is fine, you have my eternal thanks. I never expected…assistance to come my way.” He muttered as he finished up his meal only to have another helping shoved his way. He was not sure if he should tell her his name as yet. It was odd for a ‘stranger’ to treat another so kindly. Although he sensed nothing amiss with his meal, he had his doubts.
“Pfft assistance, don’t downplay your very real near death experience. How..” Kagome bit her tongue from addressing her elephant in the room. She just met this guy, albeit she saved his life and all, she did not feel she had the right to pry into what is most likely a very painful and fresh memory of how he got in his current predicament.
Unfortunately for her he was smart and she could tell by the distant and dark look in his eyes that he was reliving it at that very moment.
“Why did you help me, I could have killed you... out of instinct.” He asked shifting the topic.
“Cause you were near death, not dead…duh. Didn’t sense too much danger. You should’ve been dead like 5 times since I met you already but here you are a picture of almost complete health.” Kagome gushed as if she couldn’t believe it herself.
Sesshomaru stared at her as he soaked in her words. Odd, but wise in his opinion. “You are not a normal human aren’t you. I sense that I am not your first patient.” Sesshomaru asked as he finished up his second helping only to have yet another put his way. Was the woman even eating?
“I already ate. You need this more than me.” She said noting his resistance to her offer. “and yes I have done this before. I often travel a lot helping the sick with my skill or as you sensed healing abilities.” She provided sipping her tea.
She wondered briefly if Mr. Polar Bear forgot the name question or purposely avoided it. He took her answer in silence and forced himself to eat the unwanted but needed piece of meat. She took that time to analyze him more. He clearly gave off the air of a person that was trained for battle. Aside from his muscle definition that she just “glanced” at while healing his wounds, he sat and spoke with trained grace that would seem natural if she were unfamiliar with it. He either worked with nobility or he was one.
If so this situation just got a whole lot clearer. She bit her tongue with advice to hang low for a while. He needed more rest and a cave would probably hinder the progress. The weather was better and she could probably get him a bed or warmth at somewhere in a distance he can manage.
“I am fine here Ms. Kagome, no need to contemplate the future, I will be healed completely by tomorrow morning.” Sesshomaru said interrupting her thoughts.
“How in the world…”
“You are surprisingly easy to read.” He muttered as he finished off his tea.
“Am not…” Kagome muttered opting to look out at the snow which started to pick up just a bit.
Sesshomaru took the opportunity to let a smirk out at her actions. Unknowingly getting used to her company.
True to his words he flexed his feet in and out regaining feeling in them. He would probably be good by tonight. Then he could venture around a bit and figure out where he was. Followed by who planned and did this too him and then who to kill. He had a lot of work to do and so little time. The longer the opposition stayed in power, the more they would make a mess of things.
“Eager to get home?” Kagome asked only to be met by his silent gaze. “Ha, I’m not the only one whose an easy read.” She laughed.
He rolled his eyes at her attempt to play Sherlock. Anyone could see that he was eager due to how he was fidgeting.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure your people are fine. You must heal up before your journey to avenge your name.” Kagome smiled lightly as she looked into the fire, her thoughts seemingly drifted away as if in a memory.
That however, Sesshomaru thought, was Sherlock worthy. Did he give off that many clues as to who he was or had she known all along. He found himself tensing tiredly with suspicion then forced himself to relax. If a fight was to go down, it would have by now. He would give her the benefit of the doubt and just deem her observant.
She must have once again sensed his worry when she continued talking in defense for herself.
Kagome instantly picked up on his uncomfortable feeling and couldn’t help but respond to it. “Patients often can’t speak to explain their pain or what they’re going through but their wounds tell a story. Normally when I read a story like yours it is often at the end chapter. You don’t have the air of us commoners.” Kagome joked but saw the look of understanding in his gaze as he listened.
Sesshomaru no longer saw an odd, whimsical woman but saw a seasoned warrior that fought another type of battle, one that seemingly never ended.
They stared at each other in silence for quite some time. Both knowing that this would probably be the last time that they saw of each other. Each silently grieving the thought in the back of their mind because of the almost palpable need to make this moment last just one moment longer.
He would be gone tomorrow and so would she, each on their different paths.
“I’m glad you made it out okay Mr. Polar Bear.” Kagome sighed with a smile. There were so many things each wanted to say and ask the other during their comfortable yet at the same time heavy silence.
“My name is Sesshomaru, and I’m glad I made it out too.”
END
A/N: Hope you enjoyed it. I put more information about my new "Just Your Typical" series on my page. XD Edit was limited so their may be typos. Aside from that! Happy New Year all! Hope you liked your gift.