Tender Love

Disclaimer- i do not own any of the characters from inuyasha


Chapter 23


He awoke hours later. Hungry again. Cautiously he left the building. It was dark now and he realized that he had slept the day through. On cautious feet the young, ragged street urchin made his way to the docks. The waterfront now was alive with excitement; men and women laughing and fighting drunkenly stumbling along the sidewalk going to some isolated place to cool their lust filled passions or heading to an inn to quench their thirsts. As a woman in a faded, green kimono drunkenly staggered by, Naraku for the first time since leaving the hovel he knew as home, thought of his mother.

But Mitsuka's face vanished quickly from his mind as his eyes constantly moved about the streets. While he had lain sleeping on the pile of filthy rags, he had dreamed of being on a great, sleek ship. He could feel the motion as it rolled with each toss of the sea.

So he walked the streets listening to the drunken talk of the sailors, roaming about. It wasn't long before he heard the name of a ship called the Snow Crane, which would be leaving Japan and heading for China at dawn. As sly and crafty as a fox he found the ship and stowed away, hiding himself below decks, under a large pile of canvas.

It was almost a week before he was found early one morning, as he ventured out from his hiding place in order to find some food. Immediately he had been turned over to Captain Yamane, a tall, lean tiger demon, with three black stripes on either side of his face slashing down below his cheeks and stopping beneath his chin; who constantly wore a frown and snapped out orders with a snarling, sharp voice.

Naraku had not let himself be intimidated by the dour demon and easily answered the captain's questions. The ship's captain had been furious to find a stowaway aboard his ship and especially one as filthy and unkempt as this hanyou who stood before him acting as proud and as noble as if he were some kind of lord. He ranted at Naraku as if he were possessed and cursed and swore that at the next port he would have him put off his ship. Then he told the boy, with an evil smile on his face, that he would regret the mistake of boarding this sip, for he would have to work and work hard, from morning to night to pay for his passage.

Work on the Snow Crane was just as the captain had warned. Naraku was awakened by the cook before dawn and set to swabbing decks, scrubbing pots and pans and cleaning the captain's cabin. Every foul job which came along, the cook pushed toward Naraku and if it was not done quickly and as efficiently as ordered he would be cuffed on the head or flogged with a large rolling pin that the cook kept hanging from a short string.

Naraku took all of the abuse handed him in his stride. Life had never been easy for him and this was no different from the beating Mitsuka had inflicted upon him. He knew he would be treated the same at any other job that he would have been able to find in Japan-if he could have found a job. But here on the ocean, lying on the deck of the ship at night and looking up at the stars and feeling at one with the great motion of the ship, he knew that this was the type of life he had always wanted to live. This was a start to the fulfillment of his long ago dreams.

Life for Naraku held many different kinds of twists which fated deigned to offer. It was fated that before Captain Yamane's ship ever came near the China coast it was attacked by pirates and at this point his fortune changed in Naraku's favor.

End of Flashback-

xxxxx

Naraku snapped out of his daydream as the torrents of rain lashed down upon him and his vessel, the Black Widow, he knew again the power in his hands as the captain of his ship. He had survived being a small ragamuffin, a frightened child, who stood up to a rough pirate captain and he had become himself one of the most feared and hated half demon upon the seas.

Winds as crushing as a battering ram hammered at the Black Widow. The ship rolled and shuddered under the force of the storm, valiantly holding its head up, above the sea which greedily strove to bring its prey into its bowels. The mighty storm lasted for two days but finally it had diminished to a light drizzle and occasional gusts of wind.

Damage was minimal to the ship. Only one sail was badly torn. If they had to be out at sea for a longer length of time, the Black Widow might have suffered losses of life for the sea water had covered the ship and gone into the galley, spoiling most of the rations stored there. But as it was, Naraku hoped to be reaching home port in one day's time, so his spirits and those of his crew were high and a bit joyous.

Pulling the covers up tighter under Shippo's chin, Inuyasha finally sat back and rested against the back of a chair. With Keitano and Shippo sleeping, she at last had a few minutes to herself, for the first time since the storm had started. Due to the shattering force of the rain and wind, Shippo had been taken with seasickness and until now Inuyasha had about given up hope of the storm ever ceasing and the kitsune ever resting. Keitano had not minded the motion of the ship; in fact he seemed rather to enjoy being jostled about.

Inuyasha herself had had no thought during the storm other than how close they were to death. She knew it as she held her child clasped tightly in her arms and tried to walk steadily as she was thrown about the cabin, or as she tried to go back and forth to tend to shippo-to bring a bucket for him to relieve his stomach or to wipe his forehead with a wet cloth when the boy mumbled and groaned in his delirium. Inuyasha had felt with a certainty that they would all be killed and become sunken prisoners of the sea.

She seemed to have aged years in the past few weeks and a part of her wanted nothing more than to give up. Just give up; lie down and sleep and perhaps never wake again. The stronger part of herself fought against such weakness. She had her children to think of and Sesshomaru’s face was constantly in her mind. "Oh Sess," she breathed aloud. 'Hurry, my love. I do not know how much longer I can last,' she silently prayed and then burst into racking, tormenting, soul-shattering sobs.

xxxxx

"Land ho, straight ahead, Captain," came the shout from above. And there in the distance a dark patch of earth rose from the depths of the ocean.

Inuyasha also had heard the shout and rushed to the pothole, but, strain her eyes as she did, she was not able to see anything more than the sea. As she looked out over the water, she glimpsed something in the air. At first it appeared to be a small dot, but soon she was able to make out the features of a sea gull. She clutched her throat as she watched the bird swoop down low to the sea.

A sea gull meant land and perhaps a chance to get off this accursed ship and to find someone to help her. Perhaps the storm had blown them off their course and they would be putting into a port where she would be able to obtain help.

Directly, the cabin door was jerked open, Shippo, who felt much better now with the calmer weather, sat clutching Keitano to his chest but his eyes went to the door as Naraku entered.

Inuyasha spun around at the opening of the door and with her first glance at her captor, her hopes of finding help at a strange port came to an end. "What-what is happening," she stammered, clutching the folds of her kimono.

"Why, my lady, we are arriving at your new home, Grand Gravah. We are in sight of her now and in a matter of a few short hours you will be on dry land once again."

"Home. Grand Gravah!" she gasped. 'Where on earth had I heard that name?' she asked herself.

"Yes, my little hellcat, Grand Gravah, the most famous pirates’ stronghold in the east there ever was. And you, my sweet, will be the envy of every man there. Even Huang Fu Won himself will turn green when he sets his eyes upon your lovely face. But do not be frightened, my precious, for no demon on this island will dare to touch what is mine, unless I bid them to."

"You cannot think to force me to live here?" she asked incredulously. Of course she had heard of this notorious island and the cutthroat pirate, Huang Fu Won, and at the memory of the horrid stories she had heard, she felt her body begin to tremble. Huang Fu Won, scourge of the eastern sea. For years, the pirate had attacked several merchants’ ships going and coming from China and other countries. Her father along with the human emperor from China had tried for years to capture the notorious cutthroat pirate but at every turn he would escape their grasp.

"You are mistaken, little one, for I can keep you here. You will have a large, beautiful house and everything you wish."

"Except my freedom." She murmured.

"Aye, you are mine now and shall ever more be," came her answer. "Now come along, Inuyasha. I would like you to view our arrival." He took hold of her arm.

"My sons," she gasped, breaking loose from his hold and running to her children.

Naraku followed and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Your infant shall be carried by its elder brother. You will not be hindered as you walk by my side, as my lady."

Inuyasha started to protest, pushing at his hands.

"If you do not abide by my wishes, Inuyasha, I shall fix it here and now so you have no sons to concern yourself about. I hope you take my meaning and will do as you are told, my lady."

Inuyasha took his meaning all too well and slowly nodded her head.

As they left the cabin she looked about for Sya, but her searching was futile. The girl was nowhere to be seen. "Where is Sya?" she ventured to ask.

"Do not concern yourself on her account, she is of no importance to us," he replied, dismissing the subject as if Sya were nothing better than an old cast-off shoe.

"What have you done with her? I would wish to have a few words with her," Inuyasha said angrily.

"I do not wish to speak of her." Naraku's own anger flared and the subject was dropped. Inuyasha was frightened for her sons' lives and had not forgotten what this demon had said only minutes ago in the cabin, so she did not mention Sya again.

Inuyasha’s first glimpse of Grand Gravah, from the rail of the Black Widow, revealed a white beach of considerable width and backed by green grasses. From a distance the island looked beautiful, even lovely. Small wooden structures were gathered along the white sand and behind them were a number of larger homes that blended in with the jutting rocks and mountains, which made up most of the interior of the island. These houses, to her mind, looked like fortresses, able to stand off any attack or foe.

As the ship neared her destination, two loud cannon booms heralded its arrival and soon every man, woman and child, be they demons, human or half demons, who resided there, appeared on the beach. Small boats were lowered from the Black Widow and sat awaiting the passengers to take ashore.

Inuyasha felt a lump of fearful anticipation grip the pit of her stomach as she, her child and Shippo were placed in the first boat and rowed toward the mass of people shouting and waving on the beach. As they were brought closer, Inuyasha could see the women were mostly a filthy lot, with ragged clothing, unkempt hair. The men seemed no better; most were even worse than the women about them. And the stares, which were directed toward Inuyasha by this band of brutes, made her flesh feel as though a million ants were crawling all over her body.

When their small boat touched shore, the mass of people swarmed toward Naraku, shouting out happy greetings and waiting for news of the cargo he had brought on his ship.

Naraku himself seemed to pay little heed to these people, but silently helped Inuyasha from the boat. Inuyasha was repulsed by the filthy hands which reached out to help her and also by the vile talk which spewed out of not only the men's mouth but also the women's. "Keep your filthy paws away from me," she snarled as she lashed out at the filthy men. Her claws catching one unfortunate man across the arm. He howled in pain as his comrade's lead him away to a healer.

"You do best to stay away from this one," smirked Naraku looking at the beautiful Inuyasha with lust filled eyes. "She's wild and will kill you."

Inuyasha glared at the pirate captain and slapped his hand away as she got out of the boat on her own. As soon as her feet touched dry land, she turned to help Shippo out also as he clutched his baby brother tightly against his chest. She did not want to let them out of her sight as she glared at the dangerous-looking people nearby.

Leading a pirate's life, none of the men in this crowd had ever seen a woman, human or demon, as beautiful as Inuyasha. Greed and lust showed on their faces but none dared to take hold of the woman Naraku had brought to their island. All of them had seen Naraku’s cruel temper at one time or another. They knew him to be a demon without mercy and one of the most savage of their kind.

The women of the island, as they laughed and shouted out obscenities along with the men, only felt regret for the beautiful demoness Naraku had brought to Grand Gravah. It was better, they thought, as they looked upon her lovely features, to be dirty and unkempt than to attract the attentions of Naraku. They all knew about the other women Naraku had brought to the island. Young women some even beautiful, but all had ended their lives either in torment from his cruelty or roaming the island of Grand Gravah, their beauty lost, trying to survive. No one could envy this girl her status as Naraku’s mistress, but in each of their minds was the glad thought: better she than me.

Naraku led Inuyasha and her children away from the boat and toward the houses, which were barely shacks, set back from the water. Inuyasha stared at these hovels, wondering if her fate was going to be to live in one of these wooden structures.

As they walked past the first house, another smaller group of men could be seen walking in their direction, coming down the sandy road. They came closer and Naraku cleared his throat and called out to them.

"So you finally found your way back to us, did you Naraku? We had about given you up for dead." A rather tall, broad shoulder, masculine demon with long dark brown hair in a ponytail and dark green eyes spoke first.

Naraku acknowledged his words with a slight smile and clasped hands with the man. "It is good to be back after being gone so long, Huang."

"I just bet it is," he said with a grin, looking at Inuyasha. "And who is this you have gone and found and brought back with you?"

"Aha, Huang you do have an eye for beauty, but you had better not let Tao hear you talking so or you may find your throat being cut one fine night."

Another of the men in the small group laughed as his eyes roamed over Inuyasha’s face and bosom. "But say, man, where on earth did a rake such as yourself come across something as pretty as this standing before us?"

"Let me introduce you to her, gentlemen," Naraku said, caressing Inuyasha’s back. "This is Inuyasha. She shall stay here as my guest." He stressed the words "my guest,” so there would be no misunderstandings. "And this, my lady is Huang Fu Won, and his sons, Quon and Deshi."

Inuyasha looked upon the three men in front of her, her body as stiff and unyielding as a mountain of pure stone. Only her eyes told of the turmoil going on within her body.

"It is an honor, Lady Inuyasha," Huang Fu stated, bowing to her.

The other two only gave her a slight bow and smiled their deep appreciation of her beauty.

Inuyasha for a moment had a fleeting hope that perhaps this pirate lord would help her. He seemed the most mannered and well-dressed demon on the island and she thought that maybe he would show some kind of sympathy.

"My lord," she ventured, directing her words to Huang Fu, "I beg your help. I and my children have been taken by force from my mate's castle and have been brought her to your island."

Before she could continue with her plea, Huang Fu stopped her. "Wait," he said raising a hand stopping her flow of pleading. "Before you go any farther, let me tell you that your plea falls on deaf ears. We are pirates, small one and as such we take what we want. Just because some of us dress well and our manners are not crude or rude does not mean we are so soft as to let every prisoner we capture go just because they beg and plead. Whether we look clean or filthy, a pirate is a pirate no matter how you look at it."

At his words, she felt her heart sink into a pit of despair. She wanted to scream and cry out her pain and sadness. But she will not be broken, not by the situation she is in and certainly not by that bastard, Naraku. Inuyasha watched sadly as the men began to talk and laugh. Huang told Naraku to come to his house for a conference within the next hour. Huang Fu turned and gave a small bow in Inuyasha's directions. "It has been a pleasure, My lady, I hope to have the honor again soon." Then the three men took their leave.

xxxxx


Naraku immediately grabbed hold of Inuyasha’s arm and pulled her after him down the dusty road. Shippo followed close behind until finally they reached a large, stone house, set back and away to itself. The house was much larger on the inside than it appeared from the outside. It was furnished beautifully with all kinds of splendid tapestries and paintings hanging upon the walls. Each room held deep cushioned carpeting and exquisite pieces of furniture. This shocked Inuyasha for she had expected Naraku to live in a hovel, such as those along the beaches, not in anything as grand as this.

An almost fragile, elderly woman with a patch over her right eye rushed up to them as they entered the house. She bowed deeply before the demon pirate.

Naraku greeted the gray-haired woman harshly and abruptly. Inuyasha scowled at the way he treated the elderly human. She sensed great spiritual powers coming from the woman and began to wonder how someone like Naraku got hold of someone like her. 'She must be a priestess.'

"Kaede, I hope to find everything in order for our homecoming."

"Yes, lord Naraku," she said still bowing while, keeping her eyes to the floor.

Inuyasha could sense the woman's fear and her heart went out to her.

"I hope you're right Kaede, I would hate to find out that in my absence you have not been doing your duties. Now you can show this boy a room for himself and the child he carries."

"My sons shall stay with me," Inuyasha stated firmly.

The old woman called Kaede looked at this beautiful young demoness as though she had taken leave of her senses. No one ever disputed her master's orders. She had seen them try before and always it had led to the same ending. Naraku always got his own way.

Naraku’s face clouded with anger. "You are going to have to control that serpent's tongue of yours, or I shall have to tend to the matter for you. You shall do as you are told and not question my orders again. I hope you understand me. Now, Kaede, do as I told you and you, boy," he pointed to Shippo, "follow her up to your room."

"Yes my lord." Kaede jumped to do his bidding and started through the main room and up the stairs. Shippo did not want to go but Inuyasha told him to go on ahead. So, he followed the elderly woman while holding his infant brother.

Again taking hold of Inuyasha’s arm, Naraku followed them up the stairs. He led her into a large, lovely bedchamber and then let go of her arm. "I sent word ahead from the Black Widow for Kaede to have everything prepared for you, my sweet. I knew when I first laid eyes upon you that one day I would bring you here to my home and that you would be sleeping here in this room."

He walked over to the closets along one wall and threw the doors back wide. Surprise was written on Inuyasha’s face as she viewed the treasures of kimonos, pien-fus and Shen-I. There were both lacquered and hardwood furnishings with jade, amber and marble inlaid designs. At the foot of the ebony lacquered bed was a small chest with an amber phoenix, wings outstretched being consumed by its own fire, carved into the front of the chest. Running along the headboard and footboard of the bed were flower engravings. There was a large vanity made of redwood positioned near the balcony window.

Seeing the surprise in her face Naraku smirked. "Yes, my pet, I have prepared well for your arrival. I have even had the kimonos and other dresses ordered for you. You, Inuyasha, shall have all the luxuries you could desire. You shall be waited on hand and foot. I shall make one thing clear to you, though, do not try to escape me, for if you do I shall retrieve you. There is no way off this island for you and when I have you back I shall not think twice about sharing you with the other men on Grand Gravah, who will be more than glad to help look for you."

She did not doubt the truth of his words. Inuyasha would not put any foul act beyond his doing. But she knew as she lived and breathed that if the chance presented itself, she would in a moment take up her sons and flee no matter what the outcome.

"I’m afraid for now, I must leave you for a time. Huang wishes to speak with me on important matters but when I return I expect to find you bathed and wearing one of these kimonos that I have had made ready for you." He left her side and started to the door. "We shall have plenty of time to get to know each other better when I return, my sweet."

Inuyasha did not respond to his words of promise. Her body was rigid, her eyes focusing on the flowing phoenix design on the chest.

Naraku slowly walked back to her, brought her chin up with two fingers, and kissed her soft, tender lips with a deep burning force.

Nausea rose in the pit of her stomach, and an overpowering revulsion stole over her. In the grip of panic she pushed him away with every ounce of her strength. She wiped the back of right hand across her lips in disgust and glared murderously at the vile pirate.

Laughter filled the room. "You shall be a pleasure to tame, my little hell cat, but right now I have not the time to show you what thrills you shall receive by being my mistress."

"Never!" came her angry reply.

"Shortly, my vixen, I shall be back to show you. I shall send Kaede to you to help with your bath," he murmured as he went out the door.

Going over to the bed Inuyasha fell upon it. After weeks of holding back her anguish, she dissolved into a flood of tears. What was she to do? What could she do when he came back? "Oh Sess," she wailed, how could she bear to have this vile monster touch her where no other except her beloved had ever ventured? 'If only Sesshomaru had found us before we had arrived on this accursed island,' her mind thought frantically, 'but now even if he did find our whereabouts, would you be able to reach us?'