Authoress Note: This is a repost. I started this story a while ago and certain complications have led me away from my writings. Now I am back, and I read through this story and I was awed at the grammar, or lack of. I slightly rewrote it. I expect the next chapter to be up in no more than a couple of days, since I basically already have it written.
Beginning:
Rin 9
Kagome 13
By The Blossom
Chapter 1
A tall youkai with long silver-haired held a small teacup in his slender hands, turning it constantly while keeping full attention on the ambassador from the South. He gave no expression of content or anger, which often made the ambassador nervous. The ambassador was a rodent type youkai. He fidgeted often and tweaked his nose once or twice after every sentence. The large elegant chair he sat in made him look even more miniscule. They sat across from each other in a private meeting room, which looked more like a library. The ambassador from the youkai-ruled lands to the South spoke formally and with a tone of business, "Our lands have been attacked consistently by Naraku's forces and we have suffered much damage. I am here to warn you that several stray letters have informed us of attacks against your kingdom. I am not doubting your inability to fight back with devastating damage but…"
The Taiyoukai of the West took a sip of his tea before interrupting the envoy, "Good, do not doubt me and my ability. My forces have not failed me as of current and if Lord Naraku does decide to make such a rash move on my lands, I will spare him no mercy."
The demon envoy nodded in agreement and Lord Sesshoumaru went on, "Taiyoukai of the South, Kreima, has been ill lately, correct Rolinio?"
The rodent youkai nodded once again and inhaled deeply trying to forget the sleep that was looming over him, "Yes it is such a shame that my Lady has no strength to fight back. Her General has been commanding for her but he was wounded in one of the last battles. The Southern Lands are not a Warring Kingdom, and we are suffering greatly."
Rolinio tried to stifle a yawn but he failed and reddened in embarrassment, "Sorry, my Lord. I have been traveling…"
Once again he was cut off but he did not mind much for Sesshoumaru's face gave a courteous look, "Oh of course. I have had a room prepared for you; we can talk over any other fine details tomorrow. Rest assured, I will have one of my best legions accompany you back home, and aid your kingdom. "
The envoy thanked him and they both stood. Lord Sesshoumaru reached for the door when it burst open, nearly hitting the Lord and the ambassador in the face. A middle-aged man ran in and almost bumped into the Lord, "Oh my Lord! I'm sorry to disturb you and cause such a clamor but Kryodo is under attack by a flag bearing Naraku's Baboon Skeleton!"
The envoy, now more attentive and awake, looked at Lord Sesshoumaru with interested eyes. The silver haired inu-youkai's expression darkened as he spoke in a very tense voice, "As I said before, if he were to do such a rash movement I'll put a stop to it. I will see you tomorrow, Rolinio."
Sesshoumaru left the both of them with a quick pace.
Naraku's forces had broken through the borders with hostile attacks but not from the South but instead from the North. The army of Naraku has glided silently through the countryside attacking smaller villages and borderlines so fast that they were gone in a matter of minutes. Kryodo was a major trading center and it lay ten miles from the north border, surrounded by forest to the south, and the Kira Mountains to the east. The city lay in ruins before Lord Sesshoumaru had gotten there.
His own troops had already killed the vast majority of the stragglers of Naraku's forces leaving few for the Taiyoukai to take his anger out on. The remaining idiots met the Western Lord's sleek blade. Fire leapt from every house and building, licking the edges of Lord Sesshoumaru's clothing as he went through the village. He walked among the dense collection of houses and found only a few were saved from the blaze.
Corpses of men, women, and children lay on the grounds; many, even the children held weapons in their hands. No one had been sparred. A reported three hundred men destroyed a city of two thousand in an hour's time and most disappeared. Blood mixed with soil, and flesh was burned by fire. Each of the smells overwhelmed Sesshoumaru's senses, making his nose feel like it was on fire.
He made his way to the south side of Kryodo where the housing was now sparse and the forest was in view. A house that was untouched by the consuming flames that other houses were engulfed in. It held a dozen and a half men at its grounds: Naraku's soldiers, two village men, and a mother and baby. Blood was splattered onto the wooden house and the sight of the dead mother and baby were even worse than the ones he previously encountered. Besides the ones his own men killed, this was the only place he had seen the fallen soldiers of Naraku.
He made he way towards the house, feeling a gentle cold breeze brush past him. It was a welcoming feeling against the inferno that blazed throughout most of the town. The door to the house was thrown off and all the windows smashed. He entered and felt a surprising pain in his shoulder. It hit him again and he looked to his side and met the eyes of a young teenager with a sword in her hand. The smell of the corpses prevented him from noticing her scent before but now he could identify her intense fear in her scent. She drew up her sword again, aiming for his heart but she never reached her desired target.
Sesshoumaru caught the sword without hurting himself in the process, not that it would have matter since his wounds heal quickly enough. Fear, true fear, was held in the eyes of the girl for only a moment but then replaced with anger.
She grasped the sword tightly and took it back preparing to strike again. Lord Sesshoumaru growled in displeasure, "Enough wench!"
His voice shook her as she lowered her sword to her side, somehow sensing that he would not inflict any immediate harm to her. The Taiyoukai turned his attention back to the girl, "You humans have no respect for your Lords. Unbelievable how you cannot identify your own Lord. What do they teach your pups at these mortal schools?"
The young teen's eyes widened in disbelief and she began to tremble uncontrollably as she saw her Lords discontent face and the blood trickling from the wounds that she gave him. She dropped her sword along with her body as she knelt down, "My Lord, I am sorry. I could not tell who you were and I was scared for my own life. Please…"
"Shut up and rise. We will be leaving."
Sesshoumaru took in the setting once more and tried to plot out in his mind what had happened here. He took a quick look around and saw four other soldiers near the entrance, dead, and another dead soldier at the kitchen. The far, visible side of the kitchen held a large scorch mark and an overturned bucket of water at the base. She rose quickly without asking questions and followed him as he left the house. The girl limped as she made her way out. Bile rose to her throat as she passed the dozen bodies around her house. She had heard and known her parents and grandpa had died yet she had not seen them.
Their bodies in distorted positions and their blood mingled with the blood of murders. Her mother and her baby brother lay on the ground with arrows through their bodies. Obviously arrows were not enough for whoever killed them finished the job by separating each body by sword. She stood there, gazing that the mutilated bodies of her family and a single tear escaped her, which the Taiyoukai did not miss the scent of.
Lord Sesshoumaru's own soldiers were coming towards them and she unknowingly moved closer towards her superior. She would not cry in front of her Lord but it became harder for her to keep the tears in. Sesshoumaru moved to her other side, blocking her gaze at the corpses and gave her a push forward.
"Do not cry here in public."
It was not the harsh voice the girl had expected from her Lord. It was a voice with care and kindness to it but only enough to be noticed and nothing more.
Lord Sesshoumaru sat at the council table with youkai and human commanders, officers, and vassals to report to him. There was a large amount of talking about the previous night's events. After the attack on Kryodo there were no further reportings of any trouble throughout the kingdom. It was as if they had vanished without a trace. Lord Sesshoumaru's voice did not falter from the long night, "How many survivors do we have from Kryodo?"
A human officer spoke, "Two, my Lord. An old lady that is in terrible health and expected to die within the next day and the girl you found. The old lady is just a traveler and her records are almost non-existent and I picked up records of the girl's family. Father is a well-known smith in Kryodo and also a retired soldier. The grandfather was an old monk that works with the father and the mother has no job of importance besides taking care of their newborn."
Lord Sesshoumaru nodded but noticed that he had not even learned the girl's name or her family's, "What is the family's name? Does the girl have a recorded name?"
"Higurashi. Kagome Higurashi."
"Make sure all bodies found when we quench the fires are buried and given a special prayer. The Higurashi family will be buried at the clearing near the palace. The girl, Kagome, is now in my ward."
There were some surprised murmurs but none disapproved. Sesshoumaru had already taken in another ward before, a much younger ward. An orphan girl by the name of Rin, whom Sesshoumaru brought home after traveling to the North, brought Sesshoumaru more popularity as a more merciful leader. The girl was sweet with a kind temper and almost no one complained of her except Jaken who never found the girl to be pleasing. Jaken could now be heard making groaning noises at the additional child his Lord had taken in.
A smaller girl jumped on Kagome's bed tugging lightly at the sheets. The girl was about three years younger than Kagome and held her hair in a side ponytail. Kagome groaned and opened her eyes to the wide smiling girl, "Hello."
"Hi," replied Kagome quite groggily. Events of the past night already raced through her head as she desperately wished that the girl would leave her in peace. She did not know exactly where she was but at the moment she wanted to be knocked back out.
"My name is Rin! Sessy said that you are my big sister now. Rin has never had a big sister before. Will you stay with Rin and Sessy forever and ever?"
Rin's eyes were almost pleading and Kagome took a while to connect that 'Sessy' was her Lord Sesshoumaru. Kagome nodded with slight understanding and more sleepiness. Where else was she going to go? Kagome fell back to sleep, her brain over riding the sound of Rin's happy humming.
10 years later
Rin walked in the private garden with Sesshoumaru in tow. Every once in a while she would kneel down a pick a few flowers for her vases. Sesshoumaru, who had been slyly convinced to accompany her, waited patiently as a—dog, one might say. She chatted relentlessly about the different types of flowers and occasionally about the economics of her Lord's lands.
Rin had turned nineteen not to long before and had matured into a beautiful woman. Kagome watched her little 'sister' on a bench, enjoying the summer breeze. Life had changed drastically for her ever since the fateful night of Naraku's attacks. For ten years Naraku's forces did hit and runs on the towns and cities, but at such an unbelievable speed that most were never caught. War was pending on Lord Sesshoumaru's mind; a war would draw Naraku out for a fair fight.
Never had Kagome expected to be taken in by the Taiyoukai of the Western Lands and found him to be a close father, or even brother, figure. She was his ward after all. Well, as soon as her and Rin turned eighteen they were officially not his wards and able to leave the palace if they wished. Lord Sesshoumaru could have also set them up in noble houses as wives to rich caring families. None of them did what could have been done, though.
Kagome chuckled to herself as she saw Sesshoumaru sniff a flower with a disdain look. Her Lord was still as handsome as always. Even when she first arrived at his palace she had been attracted to him. It was only natural since no sane women could over look the flawless tyrant. Although, his looks were definitely something to drool over, she carried only the slightest interest in him.
She focused more of her attention on the duo when she heard her name at Rin's lips, "…Kagome's birthday is coming up."
Kagome nodded and Sesshoumaru spoke up with a smooth voice, "Yes, I have business to attend at my brother's lands, I'll be bringing her along with me. She has not been able to tour the lands as much as you, Rin."
Kagome stood up and smiled happily, "Really Sessho? Thank you so much! I need nothing more than that."
Sesshoumaru and Rin looked at her unsatisfied and he spoke, "I spoil Rin endlessly and I should do the same to you. Every year you say you do not want much, but I will give you something very special this year. There will be more than just a trip planned for you. You should go and pack we will be leaving tomorrow."
Slightly shocked at the lack of time she nodded and excitedly went off to pack her belongings.
The private garden was small but lush with flora and guarded by high walls and not even the servants were allowed to come within any distance of it, unless there was a good reason. Rin gently touched Sesshoumaru's shoulder and looked up into his eyes and he spoke slowly, "Would you like to come with us, Rin?"
"You know very well that we are having a gathering with the wives of your vassals. I would like to accompany you but I am needed, even more so than Kagome, to attend to it. I'll be fine here."
Sesshoumaru was always amazed how Rin adapted to the life of politics easily. Kagome was just as good helping him with advice and strategies but she was used to a more active style of life. He looked disappointedly at her, "Very well. I'll be gone for two weeks. Be good and do not give Jaken a heart attack, even though that worthless mutant is good for nothing."
"Everything will be in order, Sesshy."
He narrowed his eyes and left her to finish arranging flowers. He walked down the corridors with a stoned frown on his face. The two women in his company were certainly not helping his thoughts towards the war with Naraku. The edges of the empire were constantly raided with only minimal help from his allies and yet he found his mind drifting off towards Kagome and Rin.
The women, who were his wards, until the recent years, plagued his mind in their special ways. He had considered them not as daughters but just as responsibilities and later as friends. Kagome was an interesting child to raise through the years. He had not found her young like Rin and her mind had already been semi-molded into a young woman with her own beliefs. Lucky for him that she was a well raised child before he took her in, although it took much longer for her to get used to Court life than Rin.
Kagome was eccentric to him and very unlike Rin. She held pleasure in the more violent arts such as marital arts and sword handling. Rin was amused with watching her practice and did not dislike the practices of a warrior (she had also been trained in the basics and enjoyed it but never went to pursue such learning) but kept to the more lady-like arts. Both were calm, respectful, beautiful girls. Rin...his lovely daughter, was someone he knew changed his life forever, even more so than Kagome. Rin was calm and polite most of the times, although it did not mean she could not pull a few tricks on her Lord, once in a while. She seemed to have transformed over a matter of days from a little spoiled brat to one of the two most trust worthy women in his life
Many a times Sesshoumaru tried to decide and predict their futures, their mates. Kagome was more of a challenge and needed a strong husband to calm her but not drive the spirit from her. Rin on the other hand he had not even wanted to think of her with any other male, no matter what status. For some reason she always seemed like the little girl he found beaten and mute and all he wanted was her complete safety. He knew someday she would fall in love and he would have to decide whether the man was fit to take care of her.
Rin was more than just useful by keeping the vassal's wives from complaining. She also had a knack for being a natural spokesperson that easily persuaded many of the court members to accept new laws and ideas. "What to do with the both of them…"
"Fuck, he purposely does this!"
A silver haired hanyou dressed regally in black and gold yelled as he tried to calm his horse from his outburst. Reins in one hand and a silver letter in the other, which was just delivered to him by a servant. The servant said that the letter in turn was delivered to the palace no more than an hour ago while Inuyasha was off riding along his nearest borders. A man with black hair tied roughly up in a small ponytail laughed and patted the horse he was riding, "Of course he does. You have about until tomorrow night until he arrives to have this place in order."
"I am going to kill that dirty rotten bastard."
Inuyasha, the Lord of a great deal of Sesshoumaru's lands, was respected yet spited. The hanyou was a…hanyou. A half-breed, not accepted by one half or the other. Yet he was the Great Lord Sesshoumaru's brother and needed to be treated accordingly. Inuyasha was a magnificent fighter and rivaled his brother in both youkai fighting and swordsmanship, which earned him the title of General in the Imperial Army.
The man next to him was a monk or a sort, more like a perverted monk and the hanyou's right hand man. 'Miroku the Lecher' as his female companion, Sango, deemed him, had a tendency for letting his hand wander under the skirts of any woman, no matter of class.
Now those three companions of the Taiyoukai's southern land had roughly over a day and a half to prepare the entire palace for the coming of Sesshoumaru. Much was to be done; even with the vast amount of servants it wasn't going to be a walk in the park.
"At least my troops are ready for inspection. Miroku, get Sango to gather all the servants to be reassigned jobs and give them some incentive to do a fast clean job. Money perhaps?"
"Okay but it's coming out of your treasury, not mine."
No one was getting much sleep that night.
Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru as he gazed out the window in perfect stillness. She could only guess a million things of what he was thinking. The carriage was beautifully designed inside and out but she really wished that she were on horse like the guards around her.
"Sessho? Wouldn't you like to go on horseback?"
His gaze returned to her and he frowned a tidbit, "I usually do. But for this occasion I would like you clean and we have much to carry this time. It is also safer for you to be riding inside a carriage rather than on a horse."
"Oh I see," she looked back down at her kimono and smoothed it out. There were a few more seconds of pause.
"Sessho?"
He looked at her again, his voice in playful annoyance, "What now?"
"Are you ever going to get married?"
Sesshoumaru's face stayed calm and for the most part emotionless, "Take a mate, you mean. I have not met the proper youkai yet. Besides most just bitch and gripe about every single insignificant thing."
Kagome pursed her lips and smirked, "What about your legacy?"
Sesshoumaru's frown deepened, "I have many years to live, unlike you. I do not need to think of such irritating situations at the time."
"You know I heard Prina from the Upper South lands is planning to seek your hand."
Kagome smiled innocently and Sesshoumaru smirked, "Lady Prina is a fat cow. I do have taste in women you know."
Kagome laughed and looked back out the window.
Thanks to everyone who supports me and all your wonderful reviews.