Captured Soul

Untitled


Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters.

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Chapter 11:


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Sesshomaru's eyes slid open to a dark room. A small fire crackled, illuminating
the chair, the floor and part of the futon he lay upon.
He groaned. Every part of his body ached.
Lifting his left hand in a slow gradual movement,
he looked at his wrist. It had been bandaged. In fact, under the covers, he
could feel many wrappings scrapping against the sheets. Someone
had even bandaged his.....he swallowed.

He knew better than to try to get up this time. His Mistress had given him
many wounds which would require a great deal of time to heal.
As he watched the fire from his position on the bed, he blinked back some
of the wetness threatening to spill.
She had....hurt him in ways he had never heard of.

A faint knocking at the door made him start.
Closing his eyes, he feigned sleep as
the door opened and someone entered.
Immediately, he knew by small steps and the smell of wild spring flowers that it
was the servant girl.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
The young female went about the usual task of tending the fire.
She turned to him and blinked through the semi darkness, trying
to ascertain whether he were awake or not.
Lightly, she eased over to his bed and kneeled before him.
"Is there anything you need? Do you want something to eat?"

He looked up to the young girl. "Water....please?"
Her brow creased with worry for a moment. "Do you feel well?....That is
the first time you have....said please."
An emptiness flooded him, coursing over his soul as he averted his
gaze away from her. "I....hurt....but it is good....My Mistress....she is
good to me. She s mes me....pain."

Hesitantly, she stood up but left the room quickly.
Liana came back a few moments later with a large pot filled with water anda wooden cup.

She kneeled by him once more. "You will have to sit up some to drink."

He complied but not without great effort. He drank greedily from
the cup she held, for his hands did not work right yet and could not
hold the small cup.

Sesshomaru could not remember when he had tasted water this sweet or cold.
After he had finished all of the water from the clay pot, he laid back
down on his stomach.

He stared at he flames as the emptiness gathered stronger, invading his spirit.

Liana delicately smoothed sof hif his hair away from his cheek.

His breathing deepened and the scent of despair, not his own, filled his
senses.


Looking up, he could see green eyes, misted with unshed tears.
She touched his hair and face with light caresses. It felt nice.
A slight quivering came to her bottom lip.


In a tiny voice tainted with sorrow, she whispered. "She broke you....didn't she."



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The aroma of cooked venison tingled his nose.
His mouth watered and his stomach rumbled, pulling him out of his healing sleep.
Licking his lips, his vision fluttered open to dim sunlight peeking in
from the small window close to the bed.


A whimper escaped from his throat when he tried to move.


No.

He was hungry.

He wanted to eat.

Liana entered into his line of sight. She smiled. "You have been asleep for almost two days. Are you hungry?"

He nodded his head.

She sat on a small stool near his bed, next to him.
In her lap she placed a plate covered with roasted meat.
Without protest, he let her feed him.

When she had finished helping him eat, the young female put the dish away.
Turning to him, she asked. "Can I look at the wounds on your back?"
He said nothing and she seemed to take it as his consent.
Moving his hair out of the way, she pushed the covers back and proceeded to
look under some of the wrappings.
Her words carried a hopeful tone. "Your injuries are healing fast. You should
be able to get up soon."
With skillful hands, Liana removed most of the wrappings on his back then
washed his skin with a wet cloth.
After spreading a herbal substance on his skin, she bandaged the cuts once
more.

While her small, gentle hands eased some of his ache, he chanced a question.
"Is.....Mistress here?"

Liana sighed. "No....she departed for one moon's cycle."

He held his breath. "Was she.....angry?"

The young girl shook her head. "No...My Lady's mood seemed very light."

Letting out the breath he was holding, he asked another question. "When
did My Mistress leave?"

"My Lady left the day you were taken down.....I am sorry.....I did not
come back....while you were.......My lady commanded me not to go
back out to you. She kept me under her eye. I would have secreted out
at night but I was.......afraid of what she might do to you if she were
to find out."

He asked nothing else, choosing instead to fall back into the land of dreams:
his only refuge.


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An afternoon breeze blew in from the open window.

He blinked.

How long had he been asleep?

A tremor took hold as the thought that he may have slept long
enough for his Mistress to return.
As his trepidation evolved into slight panic, the dog demon tried to
move.
Sitting up, he realized the cuts had healed, yet ached somewhat.
Inwardly, he mussed that it must be the magic which prolonged the
soreness.
The room was quiet.
And the fire had not been lit that morning for it had no embers.
Glancing about the room, Sesshomaru heightened his senses.
He relaxed.
The only presence he could detect nearby was Liana's:
a smell of kitchen spices mixed with the warmth of the sun.

Looking down, he could see the blood soaked bandages wrapped across his chest.
With one clawed finger, he lifted a soiled cloth to see his skin, smooth but
crusty and brown, had healed completely.

Purposely, he cut the red and brown strips of cloth from his chest, dropping
them in the floor beside his bed.
Liana's dress rustled as she walked down the hallway.
He looked over to the open door just as the young girl entered.
She wore a pretty smile and some of her
long, brown hair had been braided. "You are awake, that is good. I was afraid you
would sleep forever."

He watched the girl as she brought a small, covered tray to the table close to the
bed.

Bending down, she began picking up the discarded wrappings. "Do you wish to bathe?"

When the girl looked up to him from her position on the floor, he nodded.
"Yes."

Liana rose then walked over to the hearth. After tossing the soiled cloths onto
the cold ashes, she turned to him and tilted her head. "Do you wish to eat first?"
Letting his gaze fall to the floor, he answered. "No."

The young girl swiftly gathered some of his garments from the
wardrobe, laid them on the end of the futon then waited by the door.

He stood up from ted aed and walked slowly towards the girl.

She led him back to the bathing room.

Standing by the steamy, inground pool, he removed the tattered
garments and soiled wrappings before slipping into the hot water.

After picking up the dirty clothes and bandages, Liana
walked out the door. She returned a few moments later. "I put fresh linen on your
bed."

She kneeled behind him. Reaching over, she picked up a small, covered clay
pot. The fragrance of scented soap floated around them.
He breathed evenly while the girl lathered and washed his hair.
With a wet cloth, she gently scrubbed the crusty brown from his skin.
While her small hands worked with purpose, she hummed a little then
spoke. "It must be nice...bathing in My Lady's bath.
I have never senyonnyone else bathe in here before. I think she
considers the pool sacred."

He had closed his eyes, calmed by the water and the bathing.

"How long have you been in this place?"

She washed his shoulders. "I have been My Lady's servant for six winter seasons.
My Lady found me one day. I was cold and alone. My mother and father had died of
the sickness...so had most of my village....all of my friends. I stayed for
about two moons in my home until.....bad men came.....
They.....killed the few that were left. I ran from my home and
hid from them. They took the village as their own. I dared not go back. Momma
had told me about bad men.....so I fled into the forest. I survived well
enough until winter. Before I froze, My Lady found me and brought me here.
I have worked as her servant ever since."

Sesshomaru opened his eyes and stared at the slow, churning water. "What is
your age?"

"I am fifteen spring seasons old." she said with a hint of pride.

"Momma said I was special because I was born on the first day of flowers
new bloom."

He said nothing more and rose, the water dripped from his skin, falling
in small splashes onto the tiled, stone floor.

The young girl held out a large drying cloth while averting her eyes.

"Do you wish for me to dry your hair?"

"Yes. but not in here. Can you dry it in....the chamber where I sleep?"
After helping him wrap the cloth about him, she shrugged. "Yes."

With a smaller drying cloth in her hand, she walked out of the
steamy room. He followed Liana to his chambers. Sitting on the bed, he
watched while she started a fire.

The futon dipped slightly when the female sat behind him.

Taking the smaller cloth, she began to dry his silver hair.
Warmth from the fire helped in the task and broke the slight chill from the oncoming evening.

He felt better. Liana had made him feel......better.

She brushed his hair after it had dried, having to take long
awkward strokes just to reach the ends.

When finished, she slipped off the futon. "Do you need anything else?"
Sesshomaru gazed up at the young female standing by the bed and nodded
his head slowly. "Yes."

As she watched he let the cloth fall from around him.
Pink tinted her cheeks as her green eyes looked away. "Do you need me to help you
dress?"

He rasped out deeply. "No."

Sesshomaru grabbed her hand. The young girl had no time to realize or resist before
he had her on the bed laying beside him.

She trembled while he held her down, his chest firmly pressed against her back.
Helenclence and scent suggested that she was too frightened to speak.

Nuzzling his nose in her hair, he inhaled the sweet fragrance:
fresh water and wildflowers.
He reached one clawed hand up to touch her cheek. She flinched.

Undaunted, he moved his lips close
to her ear and breathed out whispers in between small,
light licks.

"I want to...matth yth you.

I need to be......inside you.

I need you....Liana."
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Thanks to all who read and were entertained. Next chap will be intense.
I won't tell you if it is a lemon or not but I will give a warning at the
front of the chap if need be Hope you like. Please Review.