In His Arms

All previous disclaimers apply.

“My lady Miko,” a soft, gentle voice that she didn’t recognize was calling her up and out of the healing fog that had wrapped her in it’s safe arms for so long. She fought the voice for as long as she could. When she was in the fog she didn’t have to think about missing her child, her friends, she didn’t have to think about what she and Inuyasha had done just the night before they had all disappeared, and she didn’t have to think about Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru. Just his name made a sick, hot wave run through her body that left her nauseous and with a headache that she wasn’t entirely sure wasn’t caused by no longer being kept in a constant state of fog by drugging. She had pledged her life to him, had declared herself that she was to be his slave. Such a pact could not be broken easily, if Sesshomaru allowed her to break it at all. She doubted that he would. The idea of being his slave was not what sickened her. She was not afraid of hard work. She was strong from her many moths and battles in this era. She could make herself into an acceptable slave if there was no other choice. What sickened her was the way she had just given into him without a fight on so many different levels. Nothing about him sickened her. In his position she would have probably done the same things. No, she just disgusted herself.

Along with her self-loathing came an even deeper emotion that she was not ready to confront quite yet. Grief. If she was Sesshomaru’s slave, there was no way that he’s allow her to continue her search for the kitsune she had adopted as her own child and all of her friends. What if they were trapped somewhere? What if they needed her? There would be no way that she could get to them. For all intents of purposes, she now had to consider them all dead to her. She felt her chest tighten and her stomach revolt violently at the thought. So, she pushed it to the back of her brain. She couldn’t think about right now. If she did, she would kill herself. She was strong, yes, but she wasn’t that strong. Once she had settled into her new life here in this city where she felt yokai all around, she would allow herself to mourn alone at night.

She allowed herself one final thought on the matter before closing it down in her mind. No mother, adoptive or not, should have to mourn the death of her child.

“My lady Miko, please wake up now. You must wake up and eat something.”

Kagome opened her eyes slowly, waiting for a blinding light that never came. Instead, only soft flickering candlelight met her eyes. Leaning over her was a beautiful kitsune with bright eyes and a smile on her beautiful face. Without words, the kitsune helped her to sit up, making soothing hums when Kagome gasped in pain at the white hot lightning that flashed through her body as her shoulder was moved in a way contrary to the healing flesh.

“How do you feel?” the kitsune questioned.

“Like I’ve been kept asleep for weeks,” Kagome answered dryly, wincing as her throat protested.

“Only two,” the kitsune answered honestly as she placed and earthen cup to Kagome’s lips and helped her to drink, “I did not want to take the chance that you would awaken in a panic and then undo all of my fine healing to your body.”

“Where am I?”

“Nishi, Lord Sesshomaru’s castle city.”

“And you are?”

“Miyuki. The general of Nishi.”

“And that means?”

“So many questions!” Miyuki surprised Kagome by smiling and throwing her hands in the air in a playful show of frustration, “My lady Miko, there will be time for questions later. Right now I think that it would be best if you bathed, had something to eat, and then came back to bed.” Kagome looked at her pointedly, “To sleep. I do not want your body to become addicted to the pain medications.” Miyuki added when Kagome lifted an eyebrow in question, “Do you think that you can move?”

Without a word, Kagome stood as fast as she could, wanting to prove to Miyuki that she was at least strong enough to stand and walk on her own. She was grateful when Miyuki caught her before she could fall down again.

“Slowly, My lady Miko, slowly. You have been abed for a very long while. It will take time for your body to be the same again. For now you must take things very slowly. Please do not reject my help, my lady. I only want to help you.”

“Help me?” Kagome scoffed, “A slave? And you a general. That doesn’t make much sense, does it?”

“Perhaps not,” Miyuki agreed as she helped Kagome through the dark halls, “But, Lord Sesshomaru has given strict orders that you are to be treated with every respect that the new position he has decided to grace you with demands.”

“Where is Lord Sesshomaru?” Kagome asked, suddenly aware that she had not seen him at all. Miyuki giggled when Kagome’s eyes darted around the hall as if expecting Sesshomaru to come out of the shadows of the walls.

“He is touring his domain, as he must once every year. He will return once he has seen to the happiness and safety of all those on his lands.”

“And how long will that be?” Kagome asked warily, almost afraid of the answer.

“At least two moons.” Miyuki answered, opening the door to the bathing room, “Perhaps longer if there is any trouble in any number of the villages.

Kagome sighed happily, half from the news that she would not have to see Sesshomaru for the time being and from seeing the bathing room. Most of it was a large heated hot spring, laid with flat stones to keep the bottom and the sides smooth. To the side of the room stood small spigots for washing. She felt a little embarrassed when Miyuki began to undress her, but felt weak as a kitten and knew that she would never be able to do it herself. She drew the line, however, at Miyuki washing her. Miyuki smiled and nodded at the request.

“I will go find you some sleeping clothes,” she bowed, “Please stay in the shallowest end of the hot spring. I would rather not come back to find you drowned because you fell asleep in the water.”

Kagome did not allow herself to think as she washed, and then crawled over to the hot spring on her hands and knees, too weak to stand. If she allowed herself to think, she would allow herself to mourn. If she allowed herself to mourn she might just drown herself purposefully. When she was finally sitting in the water, she allowed herself to think on a different matter. Miyuki had said that she was to be treated with the respect the new position Sesshomaru was going to give her demanded. So, her position would demand respect. What kind of position could it be that demanded respect for a slave? She decided to ask when Miyuki came back.

“My lady Miko,” Miyuki entered the room again with clothing draped across her arms.

“Kagome.”

“I’m sorry?”

“If I am to be a slave and you are a general than it only makes sense that you do not call me ‘my lady.’ My name is Kagome.”

“Your new position is not that of a slave, Kagome,” Miyuki said quietly, as she helped the weak girl out of the hot spring, “Were anyone to treat you like a slave save for Lord Sesshomaru he would kill them as a matter of protection of your honor. No one here will treat you as a slave. Whether you decide that a slave is what Lord Sesshomaru has made you or not is up to you and no one else.”

“Miyuki,” Kagome stared off into space as Miyuki set about drying her hair, “What position has Lord Sesshomaru decided I should fill?”

Miyuki hesitated for a moment and then whispered so that Kagome barely caught the words, “You are to be his most favored concubine, Kagome. You are now a courtesan.”