Father's Lullaby

"You will pay, dog demon. You will pay for everything you've done!"

The roaring sound of the voice echoed among the marble walls of the great palace. The evil demon was panting, clutching a sword, his eyes bloodshot and hateful. He was approaching another demon, whose yellow eyes watched him with no signs of fear.

"I will kill you. Kill you for good! And together with you I will slain all of your blood."

This time, fury glimmered in the yellow eyes.

"Don't you dare to raise a hand upon my son," the dog demon growled, quickly moving forward. A metal sound could be heard, followed with a splash of blood.

"No!"

Sesshomaru woke up, gasping for air. He sat up, looking around with fright. The horrible smell of blood, the terrible sound of the sword, the feeling his father was dead...

He closed his eyes. That dream came again. Fourth time in the last seven days. Any time he managed to fall asleep, the dream would come back. But this time, Sesshomaru felt like it wasn't even a dream. Didn't he hear it for real? Wasn't his father really slaughtered?

He crawled down the bed, ready to go and make sure his father was fine. But then he stopped with his heart racing. If he came to him, scared like this, his father would think he was weak. Not mentioning he forgot his father wasn't even in the palace, as he was far away from more than a month.

Sesshomaru didn't move, fear grasping his heart. The darkness all around, the shadows in his room... He returned to his bed, hugging his knees and looking ahead, waiting for morning to come.

Suddenly he heard steps behind his door. A soft knock on the linden wood stirred his anxious thoughts. Sesshomaru turned his head, breathing in as the door started opening. With relief that washed over him like a warm, pleasant wave, he realized it was his father behind the door. Wearing dark blue robes, he walked inside, closing the door behind him.

"Father..."

Sesshomaru didn't even think about it, he slid down the bed and rushed toward his father, happy to see him alive and not hurt. He hugged his legs briefly before stepping back and giving him an uneasy glare.

"Sesshomaru..." his father said to great him, smiling lightly. "Why are you still awake? It's after midnight."

Sesshomaru didn't say a thing. He didn't want to tell him he was afraid, but yet at the same he longed to confide so much.

His father bowed and took him into his arms. Sesshomaru liked the moment he was carried more than he would admit. His father sat him back on his bed then and looked at him with concern.

"Is anything wrong?"

Sesshomaru shook his head. He couldn't take his eyes off him. He was so great, so powerful... And despite Sesshomaru tried his best to appear strong and self-reliant, once again he felt small and insignificant in his shadow.

"I can see you are troubled," his father said. "Why don't you tell me?"

I can't. I can't look weak. You mustn't think that about me. Ever...

His father just watched him, waiting. But when Sesshomaru didn't say anything, he sighed slightly.

"As you wish," he said silently. He raised a hand and stroke his son's hair. Sesshomaru met his eyes, deep in his heart glad his father didn't go away. As if he could hear his thoughts, he said: "I'll stay for a while."

Sesshomaru was even more grateful, albeit unable to say. His father told him to lay down, putting the covers over him. And then he started singing a lullaby. Sesshomaru widened his eyes firstly, surprised with the strange sound of his father's voice singing. But the unknown words, although he didn't understand them, spoke to him nevertheless. Like a soothing whisper, like a comforting embrace, like a loving voice breathing into his ear.

"Hashee-ka nay,
lakhsi sen,
hashee-ka nay,
illta sur,
hashee-ka nay,
tuulne d'un,
washnai myar-lin, washnai lin..."

And without actually realizing it, he was drifting to sleep. With his father by his side, he wasn't afraid anymore. He was perfectly safe. Before sinking into slumber, he heard his father murmur quietly.

"I must cherish moments like this. When I have you so close, my child."

His father placed a hand on Sesshomaru's head, a gesture of protection and care he was doing every time he came into his room late at night, believing Sesshomaru was asleep. His young son missed it very much while his father had been away.

"Istima yatee, shintawa ifa..." his father whispered. Sleep well, dear child...

Huh, that's it. Hope you don't mind I used the rhymes from my previous fic, but suddenly I wanted to write about the first time Sesshomaru had heard it. I've always wondered about Sess and Papa's relationship and I think they were the closest when Sesshomaru was still a little child like here. (His age in this fic is approximately six years in human terms, don't know how many that means for a demon, though:-)

Enjoy and don't forget to review, please. Tell me what you think!

Thanks!