Sesshomaru walked alone threw a forest trying to think of a way to solve his dilemma. How was he to find someone he could trust to watch out for Rin and make sure she wouldn't be captured? That was going to be hard. Jaken was of no "real" use to him besides the fact that he was one hundred percent loyal. He looked around at his surroundings. The trees were thick and dense and it took a skilled demon such as he to be able to navigate threw the thickets.

A little ways off he could hear a waterfall. He walks towards it and the trees began to clear. As the trees cleared he saw a figure. Getting closer showed that it was a young inu demon. Her sent was too masked by grave yard soil and blood for him to distinguish an exact sent for her. She was covered from head to toe in blood. That was probably the main reason he couldn't distinguish her scent. She wore what used to be a black outfit that looked like a dress the was hooked to black sock like boots that were ten inches above her knees but was now an almost undistinguishable bloody outfit.

The girl jumped off the cliff. He went to the edge of the cliff and saw her sprawled out on the ground. She was still alive for she was moving but he could tell lots of her bones had been broken from the hard impact. He jumped down and stood next to her.

He looked at the inu demon that was sprawled out in the field. He thinks what a pathetic demon. Trying to commit suicide is just the thing weak bakas like you do. He watches as the girl turns over and opens her eyes.

"Baka inu. Why would you jump off the cliff?" he looks at her with a cold stare.

"Don vi doe re mi," she looks up at him with tears in her eyes.

He looks at her in confused. He had never heard this language she was speaking.

"Nani?"

"I wanted to die for it must have been his wish," more tears stream down her cheek.

He looks at her again confused. Who was this he she was talking of? Would she tell him or would she refuse as many did who did not know who he was.

"Do you know who I am?" he looks at her with an ice cold piercing trade mark glares.

"Don ne re miso jen to ray kith pot."

"Nani?"

"You're a pompous jack ass inu demon looking for his next kill or meal or maybe both."

He glares at her with disgust. He kicks her and she makes not sign of fear or screams of pain. She doesn't even look at him with anger. She had an indifferent out in space stare. It was cold without meaning to be yet lost at the same time. It showed misery and hurt yet showed no feeling what so ever. How could eyes hold such darkness? She looked at him and gave him a cold piercing glare that made him flinch. What was with that? He Sesshomaru flinch or even show signs of fear to a weak suicidal inu demon such as her? Let a lone show fear at all. She was the one. She was weak and he could manipulate her easy for her life but she was able to draw fear from the strongest of demons.

"You shall become my servant," he picks her limp body up in his arms.

She was cold and her bones poked in many directions. She struggled to get free. He tightened his grip on her and took off. She wondered who he was and where he was taking her. She had no clue what he meant by servant. Did he mean she was to be his slave? She tried to struggle out of his grip again but he tightened his grip around her body yet again. Her body lay across his arms, her head and legs dangling. He had took off and had been flying threw the sky. The clouds skimmed across her face for they were up pretty high. She thought he would have liked this. She thought about what he last told her.

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He lies there on the ground on his back looking up at the clouds, "Someday I'll be up there flying with all the power in the world."

"Of course you will Kotsu-chan. You're like the most powerful and cutest man alive."

That's just the thing. I'm not alive," he says laughing.

"But you're alive to me," she snuggles up under him and smiles.

He roughly tosses her to the side. He roars with anger and disgust. He looks at her with hatred. He looked as though he truly despised her. He kicked her in her side.

"I'm not alive and I will never be! And I will never love a wretched wench of a demon like you, do you understand? I will kill Inuyasha and me and my brothers will rein with supreme power. That's when I'll come and end your pathetic excuse of a life," he picks up Banryu and leaves.

"Bankotsu!" she lies there crying tears of sorrow.

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She never saw him again. And why would she? He got part of his wish which was to fight and kill Inuyasha. He was able to fight that inu demon but was unable to kill him. Unfortunately yet again Bankotsu died along with his brothers. She looked around again as she realized they were descending to the ground. They were going to land on the giant steps of castle that was able to fit a huge……she knew where she was and whose possession she had landed in. She began to regret what she had said earlier.

Sesshomaru landed on the stone marble steps of his castle. He was quite glade she had ceased her struggling and had also not opened her mouth. It made his decision on keeping her a whole lot easier. He decided to get her healed before he presented her to Rin. He walked threw the enormous doors that opened slowly as he approached them.

Her eyes wandered to the walls. They were garnished in lovely embroideries of what had must been the demon's ancestors. The castle was lavished in nothing but the best which was only expected. She was but "only" in the presence of royalty. There were also large statues of what she guessed were the demons true form. These statues sat on the corner of each hallway and there were many of those. They came to a hallway where he turned and went down. This hallway had many doors unlike the other. They were small doors though so she guessed he either had many guess over or he liked the company of little people to make himself feel even bigger than he already was.

Sesshomaru stopped at a door to a room. He opened the door and it lead to a very extravagant room. By the size of the door you would have never guessed the room would be that big. The room contained a huge round circle shaped bed the sat in the middle of the room. It had black curtains draped all around it that were closed at the time. There was a wardrobe and a small vanity that sat next to the wardrobe that sat in a corner. The mirror on the vanity was in a crescent moon shape. On the other side there was to different doors to the balcony. The balcony was enormous. It was maybe half the size of the room itself. It had two sets of tables and chairs and it had a staircase that led to the ground from it. He walked over to the bed, opened the curtain, and dropped her on the bed. He walked out the room without saying a word.

In no time many servants came to attend to her. They undressed her and began to mess with her arms and legs. She looked around at them and without knowing it in a matter of seconds all her bones had been mended. They all filed out and left her a light blue kimono. One little servant stood there.

"What does he expect me to do with that?" she asks the servant.

"He has discarded of your old garments and wishes you to put on something more cleanly," replies the servant.

"Well he's shit out luck. I'm not putting those on. He better undiscard my garments and I'll clean those. I don't care if he's the Lord of the Western Lands. Don ve di do kay mo ne tai ti!" she throws the cloths on the floor and the servant quickly picks them up and runs out of the room. She could hear Sesshomaru roar in the hallways and something break. The servant returned quite startled and scared.

"He says if you don't put these on he shall kill you," she shivers and hands them to the girl.

She takes them and stands up. She wobbles but quickly gains her balance. The sheets drop to the floor and expose her bare body. There were no bruises or marks apparent on her body that showed where all the blood had come from. She had a small yet very elegant slender body that to any demon she would be a very prized mate. She walked to the door and opened it. Just as she expected Sesshomaru stood waiting for her to get dressed. When the door opened he turned around to look at her and lost his calm cool collective look when he saw her walk out naked. She shoved the cloths into his hands.

"As I told the little servant in there, I shall NOT where that kimono. You shall give me my cloths and I will wash them and wear THEM only. They are not torn or ripped and no, I mean not a single ever back then, now, or to be Lord of the Western Lands can make me," she walks back in slamming the door.

She looses her cool as she reenters the room. She leans against the door and slides to the floor blushing.

"He's intimidating is he not?" asks the servant with a sly smile as she leaves down the balcony steps.

What was this she was feeling? Could she be intimidated by him? No she was intimidated by no one. Could she actually have feelings for him? She shakes her head no…you can't be and you're not. The only feelings I have are for Bankotsu and he is dead so that meant the same for her feelings. There was a knock on the door and she hadn't realized she'd been blocking it. How long had she allowed herself to daydream?
She answered the door just peaking out. It was that same servant who gave her the sly smile. She held in her hands her outfit and it was clean. She let the servant in and quickly closed the door behind her. It was dark outside now so she had allowed herself to doze off for maybe an hour or so.

"The Lord says to put on the night cloths in the wardrobe for now and put on your clean cloths tomorrow morning," she said as she put the cloths on the bed and went to the wardrobe. When she turned around the girl was already dressed in her own cloths.

"Tell him I said arigato for being a ton'ma," she gets under the covers.

"You are bent to defy his rules which are law?"

"Hai I guess you can say that."

"And may I ask the name of this brave or foolish demon?"

"Hai you can. It's Kinu."

"Why would one as pretty as yourself and soon to be bride of the Lord disobey him if you don't mind me asking?"

"BRIDE! I am no mate of his. I have no clue why he brought me here and have no intentions on staying to find out for long."

"Well then why leave? Not many, no let me rephrase this no one has ever told him no or ever got him to do anything their way. He obviously likes you or you would have been one dead inu demon."

"I like to see him try," she gets out of the covers and walks to the balcony.

She goes down the stairs. The stairs lead to a private garden sealed off with a very high wall. She jumped over the wall as though it were a picket fence. Beyond the wall there was an even bigger garden. It was a breath taking site. There were sakura blossoms and lilacs and every other flower you could name. There was a stone sidewalk for you to walk on. There were also many fountains. Each fountain was in the shape of an inu. This was the garden of a self confident and over bearing demon. She walked down the sidewalk.

She thought she would love to stay in this garden forever. No I can't. What are you thinking Kinu? This is Sesshomaru Lord of the Western Lands we are talking about. As if he'd ever want you. But who said he'd have to want her? All she had to do is be of some importance to him. All the while as she was lost in her own complicated thoughts she hadn't realized she was still walking and tripped over something falling into a pond. She came to the surface gasping for air.

"Were you trying to escape?" Sesshomaru asked. He lay on the edge of the pond lying on his side.

"How did you know?" she shivers in the lake. It was very cold.

"To escape you'll have to at least get past the inner garden."

"I did as you see for I am here. That wall was easy to jump over."

"Oh that little thing below the balcony doesn't count as a garden. That is a mere fancy for ones eyes. This, what you are in is the inner garden," he waves his hand in a sweeping motion as if some more extravagant garden would unravel.

She hits the water in anger and begins to cry. Sesshomaru picks her up by the neck and sets her on the bank. He stands up and walks away. Kinu ends up crying herself to sleep. When she awoke she lay in the same spot. She thought the garden showed ever more beauty under the rays of the sun than the glisten of the moon. Birds of many varieties chirped and butterflies and bumble bees flew every which way pollinating the gorgeous flowers. She was warmer than she had been last night which was weird. She looked at her body and there lie a blue blanket.

"The Lord sent me out to watch over you Miss Kinu. I saw you shivering so I gave you a blanket," the same servant again from before stood in front of her.

Of course he would have never thought of giving her a blanket, "Why has he sent you to watch me?" she looked around yawning. If it didn't get so cold at nights she would think about always sleeping out there.

"Well it's so you don't try to escape again. Did you sleep well?"

"Iie I didn't. I dreamed of hell and things I lost," she looks at her reflection. She was starting to turn pale. If she allowed "it" to keep going on than she loose too much blood and die. No it didn't matter so long as she killed that inu baka before it happened.

"Oh what of, a lost lover Miss Kinu?"

"Hai it was it was. But I'm over it now," she stands up and stretches the way dogs tend to do after waking.

"Have you been thinking of what I said?" the servant said this with an almost forbidden whisper to it.

"About what?" Kinu asks wondering what this servant ever said that was important.

"Well about becoming the Lord's mate of course. You have yet again survived where many would have been killed. No job around here is that important to the Lord to keep you."

A frozen shock came over her but soon disappeared and became a glare of anger, "I shall not nor ever become that stupid mutt's mate!"

"I really hope you're not talking about me for your sake," said an icy cold voice that ran chills down Kinu's back.

She turned around to face none other than Sesshomaru himself. He had that cold stare of indifference, "Actually that's exactly who I was talking about. Now if you don't mind, I…." she was cut off. Sesshomaru had had enough. His sharp claws were thumping at her neck waiting for her to make one false move.

"I've tolerated your little rude remarks for long enough and I'm getting quite tired of these little attics so if you don't mind, stop it! Now I have brought you here so that you can watch over my human companion. You are to watch her and make sure she doesn't get captured while I'm out. Sometimes I may take you and her and sometimes I may leave you both here. Either way your only mission is to watch over Rin," he slams her against a tree and walks off, "I am going to breakfast where Rin is. You can either come now or come during lunch. One way you need to have met her," he walks off back to the castle.

She sat there gasping for air. Why did he have to pick her? Why was it her that always got the short end of the stick. She began to cry. Why did everyone hate her and want her dead. First her parents wanted her dead, then Bankotsu, and now Sesshomaru. It was the same where ever she went. If she could just die it would grant all their wishes. Maybe she shouldn't go kill that baka inu. Maybe just let "it" continue its job and then there. She would never have to worry again. She felt hands on her shoulders. She looked up and saw the servant. She motioned her to follow and she did.

Sesshomaru sat at the table. Why does she insist on trying to test me? Why does she try to piss me off? It's like she wants me to kill her. What happened to her to make her this determined to die? Would she tell me that? No she hasn't even told me her name. It's pathetic that I fount it out from a mere servant. Kinu, that's a beautiful name. It suits her considering she wears nothing but that silk outfit. No she's not. He mentally kicks himself. Why are these thoughts coming in my head? Why now, why her? He mentally pictured her in his mind. Not only did she look slender and silky but she felt the same way. He thought about what had happened last night.

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Kinu finally cried herself to sleep. Sesshomaru came from behind the tree he so stealthily had hide behind. How could something as wretched and weak as her look so…No I can't think this. She's a slave, a servant. She's nothing. Yet she intrigues me and makes me want to keep her. Just pissing her off and seeing her get mad as I toy with her makes me have this feeling that only weaklings such as my hanyou brother and his wench express.

"Her name is Kinu sir. If you don't mind me telling you," the servant who he had roared at was also standing behind a tree watching him gaze at Kinu.

"She told you?" he asked this questioningly as if it was absurd that she knew something he didn't.

"Hai she did sir. She was quite willing to. Will you woo her sir if you don't mind me asking?" she bowed deeply as to show no disrespect.

"Hmp. Quite the inquisitive little servant you are. Go fetch me a blanket. One of the finest silk for our new silk servant," he waves her off with an evil but intrigued smirk as she took off quickly to obey.

He went over and sat by her as she shivered in the cold night breeze. He wrapped his tail around her and stroked the strands of her silvery blue tinted hair. He had never met another inu demon that had silver hair besides his hanyou brother. But his hair didn't count for it was more bleached white than silver. Her hair was just like his. It gave off a very beautiful shine or glow when the rays of the sun or the glisten of the moon reflected on it at just the right angle. He could tell her cheeks used to be a light rose color but the color was faded and replaced with a pale complexion. Was she sick? He couldn't have her getting sick when her job hadn't even started. He stroked her arm. It was smooth just like silk. Her parents named her well. He continued to run his fingertips down her entire body. He liked the feeling she seemed to give off. What was this she emitted that he took secret pleasure in? Was it hate? No it was softer than hate. Was it anger? No it wasn't that either. What ever it was it made him feel as though he had a certain power that he hadn't seem to have before. The servant had come back and coughed to get his attention.

He looked up and quickly stood. He took the blanket and gently laid it across Kinu's body, "You are not to tell her I got this blanket for her nor tell her anything you saw. I don't know how long you stood there before making yourself known but I know you shall not utter a word to her for if I find out you've said anything, those words shall be your last," he walked off towards the castle.

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The servant took her to a servant's corridor, "You should make yourself acquainted with this place. We all got the nice room before he put us here. I will be fast and you are not to repeat anything I say. You hurt the Lord and that is why he did what he did. But I am putting my life out to tell you this, so please don't repeat. Think briefly then forget I ever said anything," she walks off quickly looking both ways.

She had hurt Sesshomaru? How? It just wasn't possible. She thought back to what she said? What could I Kinu Mitsurugi ever do to hurt the Lord of the Western Lands unless…….no she didn't want to think of that possibility.

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