Sesshomaru meets his match

Sesshomarus P.O.V

I walked silently through the trees compared to my companions. Jaken kept calling for me to wait for him. Rin rode on Ah-Un singing and Ah-Un's foot steps were to loud for the forest. I was about to tell them that we were going to stop in a clearing up ahead when I heard a scream. I could tell by the pitch that it was a woman, judging from the shrillness of the scream it wasn't a scream of laughter it was a scream of fear. I was going to ignore it until Rin's pleading tone stopped me.

"Lord Sesshomaru please don't leave her help her Lord Sesshomaru please." pleaded Rin.

Inwardly I sighed in frustration had it been anyone else that asked me to save a woman I would have kept walking, but the tone of Rin's voice let me know how upset she would be if I didn't help the woman. I looked back at Jaken who was just catching up holding his staff of two heads.

"Jaken stay here and keep an eye on Rin." I ordered before vanishing.

I walked in the direction of the scream and I heard the sound of men's laughter. Stopping at the edge of the trees I kept my scent and aura concealed. I watched the scene before me with growing disgust. A group of five men were circled around a woman who was on the ground with a sixth man on top of her. The woman cried in pain and began to struggle until the man on her slapped her. My disgust continued to grow until the man on her got off her finally finished. Another man moved to mount her and my anger at what they were doing got the best of me. Stepping from the trees I let my scent and aura be known. The man above the woman snapped his head toward me sensing the danger I posed to them.

"Well well girl now it appears a demon wants a taste of you." sneered a man.

I heard the woman sob and I felt my eyes beginning to bleed red from outrage. These foolish men assumed that I would lower myself to rut with a mortal woman. I held up my hand and let my poison whip form. Swinging my arm I brought the whip around, and let it wrap around the one who was still on the woman. I allowed the whip to wrap around his throat before pulling my arm firmly back toward me. The man clawed at the whip until he could no longer breath, and he went limp as the poison in the whip seeped into his flesh. The men moved from the woman and formed a circle around me. Glancing at them from the corner of my eye I swung my arm again and the whip lashed their chests and stomachs. When I moved to the woman she had curled in on herself. I could see lacerations on her arms and legs. She was shaking I couldn't blame her after what those men had done she may never trust a man again. Looking at her I realized that the men had completely destroyed her kimono. I used my left hand to remove my armor and haori. Kneeling next to the woman I draped my haori over her exposed back. The woman's head whipped around to look at me. I could see the shock in her eyes but I made no comment, instead I eased myself back to my feet. Walking to my armor I heard the sound of rustling behind me, I picked my armor up and waited for the woman.

I heard the sound of movement and turning my head slightly I saw the woman moving to a discarded sword. Assuming it had belonged to one of the bandits and I had left it alone. I realized how wrong I was when power flared around the blade when the woman picked it up. Turning around to look at her, I watched as she slid the blade into a sheath. The woman looked at me and slowly walked toward me with the sword sheathed and strapped to her waist.

"Thank you for saving me...I hope you don't mind if I travel with you...I can find a kimono in one of the abandoned villages..." she whispered.

I said nothing but waited until she realized that I didn't care if she followed me or not. The woman bowed and began to make her way through the trees in the direction of what I assumed was a village. I followed her at a distance and waited at the edge of the village she had come to. Like she had said this village was abandoned it made me wonder how many were abandoned in this area. Watching as the woman disappeared in one of the huts I began to wonder for the first time what was wrong with me. I saw the woman come from the hut she had gone into wearing a blue kimono with what looked like lightning on it. The woman came toward me with my haori draped over her arm. She stopped a few feet from me and held my haori out to me. I stepped forward and took it. Setting my armor down I slipped my haori onto my right arm and as I was reaching across to get the left side of my haori I felt it move onto my left shoulder. I glanced back and saw the woman behind me before she moved in front of me and crossed the left side over the right and tucked it into my hakamas. The woman bowed once more and backed up.

I led the way through the trees to where Rin, Jaken and Ah-Un were waiting. Looking up I noticed that it was almost dark. I inwardly sighed once again, I seemed to be doing that a lot today. Turning my head slightly, I watched the young woman behind me she was indeed young very young. She had straight white hair with odd yet lovely amethyst eyes. She was tall and slender the kimono she wore made that bluntly obvious. I turned my eyes forward again and kept walking. In the growing darkness I heard the woman stumble and yelp. Turning around I saw that she had tripped and fallen. Judging by the angle her left leg is at I'd say its broken. I walked to her and lifted her up. She flinched at my touch and I couldn't truly blame her not after what she went through. I carried her the rest of the way to the clearing.

Setting the woman down I straightened and headed back into the trees. I heard Rin scamper over to her not long after I left.

"Hello I'm Rin. Whats your name?" I heard Rin say.

"Hello Rin my name is Mine." The woman responded.

Mine huh?

It was truly a strong name for someone so fragile. I continued my path through the forest before I found what I was looking for. After gathering the leaves and herbs I turned and headed back to the clearing. Upon entering the clearing I stopped and stared Mine's back was to me and I saw a scar on her back. I suddenly felt my anger rising at whoever put that scar there. Fighting my beast down was always a challenge but this time he didn't want to go down without a fight. Mine's scent washed around me suddenly as I felt a flaring aura in the clearing and my beast went down after that.

Looking up I saw that Mine suddenly had pointed ears like a demon would, but there is something different about her. She's not a normal demon. I heard Rin squealing excitement. I walked from the trees and set the leaves and herbs down beside Rin. Walking toward the trees I grabbed Mine by her throat and slammed her into a tree. Mine coughed and gripped my arm. I didn't flinch even though there was pain coursing through my arm.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

"Lord Sesshomaru I am truly Mine, but I am not a human as you thought I am the eldest daughter of Riokotsai." she replied hoarsely.

"You're the oldest daughter of Riokotsai? Why are you here?" I inquired.

"I was banished because I murdered my older brother and our younger who was his heir found out. He banished me after beating me." she replied.

I felt my blood boil at that but I kept a firm grip on my beast and Mine's throat.

"How do I know your not here to kill me?" I demanded.

"Because I owe your father much more than anyone knows he saved me from a tyrant of a father." She informed me.

I slowly let Mine down smelling no lies on her. She rubbed her throat watching me silently. Her eyes were showing her apologies for not telling me sooner. I remembered my father telling me of a dragon demoness who was related to Riokotsai, and wanted freedom from him. Her kimono hadn't changed it still had lightning bolts on it letting me know plainly she had lightning abilities.

"You may come with us Mine, but if you do anything to betray me or harm Rin I will kill you." I informed her.

"Yes my lord." she responded bowing.

"I am not your lord Mine. Because of your blood we are equals until we test your strength in battle." I said.

"Of course Sesshomaru." she said her eyes flashing with amusement.

Mine would be an interesting traveling companion of that I was certain. I walked from Mine and sat at a tree across the clearing from her. Mine sat down next to the tree her back was to. I watched over my companions as they slept. If Mine slept I couldn't say for sure she looked like she did, but that is not much to go on considering Mine's parentage.