A/N: Here is the 2nd installment of Feudal Era Magic! I started to get so excited during one of the "scenes" between Sesshomaru and Katelyn! LOL I will let you guys figure out exactly which one ;) Oh! And please tell me what you think so far of my characer (Katelyn)? I put alot of thought into her and her personality. I think y'all will come to love her :D Please R/R at the end?
DISCLAIMER: I, happy and loving friendwriter, do NOT own any of the characters from InuYasha. Nor do I own ANY of the Harry Potter series. (But I soo wish I did. Sesshomaru is uber hot...and Draco, too. LOL)
Now, onto the story! XD
Chapter 2 – Lost Memories
"Lord Sesshomaru? Lord Sesshomaru!"
Said demon youkai clenched his teeth and tried to ignore the hushed whispers of Jaken. They had stopped for the night when their new travel companion, Katelyn, began to show signs of fatigue. Convincing himself that it was best for her not to die and be responsible with dispensing a human body, Sesshomaru had suggested they rest for the night and resume the following morning when light broke. He, however, would stand guard and keep watch for any creeping demons.
Jaken, who was tugging on his sashinuki*, seemed to not desire the sleep was bugging him. Sesshomaru, through his teeth, softly growled at the imp demon. It was quiet enough so it wouldn't wake the sleeping pair of Ah-Un and Katelyn, but it got Jaken to stop tugging.
"What is it, Jaken?" He asked him in a whisper.
Jaken answered back in low tone as well. "Why must we bring the human girl with us, m'lord? She's only slowing us down."
Sesshomaru sighed deeply. "You already know Jaken, so there's no need to explain my decision. Not like I am obligated to tell you."
"I know her village was attacked and destroyed, but she is not our responsibility–much less yours, m'lord."
"She is now. When we get to our destination, she no longer will be and we can go on our own way. The old woman can take care of her."
Sesshomaru then looked over at Katelyn. She was sleeping soundly, leaning against Ah-Un. Her eyelids twitched suddenly, her thin mouth turning to a frown as to whatever dream she was having turned to that of a nightmare.
"What do you think humans dream of?"
The thought that had suddenly plagued his mind was voiced without so much as him knowing till it was too late to stop. He realized his mistake soon after as Jaken blinked, then stared in puzzlement at him.
"M'lord?"
Sesshomaru held out his hand and shook his head quickly.
"Forget I mentioned it and go to sleep. We leave first thing in the morning. Sooner we get to the village, the better."
Jaken only nodded, doing as his master commanded and soon fell asleep.
Sesshomaru glanced once more at Katelyn before switching his gaze and attention back to guarding the group. He closed his eyes, allowing his other senses to take control. What seemed like just moments later, however, Sesshomaru felt the tug of his sashinuki again. He sighed.
"Jaken, will you please leave me be and just go to sleep? Whatever you have to say can wait till tomorrow."
Instead of the imp demon, a clear, female spoke back to him.
"But, it is tomorrow."
Sesshomaru opened his eyes then, greeted with the sight of Katelyn kneeling in front of him. Sure enough, behind her, was the light of the sun shining brightly as ever through the canopy of trees. Sesshomaru blinked, trying to focus more on the girl in front of him, who was smiling at him.
"Katelyn?"
She looked herself up and down, and nodded. "I believe I am me." Katelyn then looked back to him.
Sesshomaru looked around them. "Where's Jaken and Ah-Un?" Both demons were gone and nowhere to be seen.
"I asked them to go wait for us by the road so that you could rest more." She stood then, and held out a hand out to him to take.
He ignored it, though, and stood up by himself with some aide from the Tenseiga.
"And they listened to you?" He asked her, narrowing his eyes in disbelief.
She shrugged, tucking her hands away in the folds of her kimono.
"I was able to convince them. Or, more like Ah-Un, who dragged Jaken off with his teeth when he flat out refused." Katelyn smiled, obviously proud of her abilities.
Sesshomaru smirked as he put away the Tenseiga back into its sheath. They said no word until they were back on the narrow road that they had been traveling on. Jaken and Ah-Un were there; Ah-Un was lying on the road, facing them and the forest that they had took shelter in. Jaken had his arms crossed over his chest and was clearly irritated by his next words.
"M'lord! Please tell that wretched girl to not boss me around? She had the nerve to ask me to leave you behind and wait here at the road!" Jaken said, pointing a thin, green finger at Katelyn. Ah-Un merely huffed in Jaken's direction, which made the other demon face it.
"And you! How could you take orders from her?"
Ah-Un completely ignored him as it stood, walking a little ways until it met with Katelyn, nudging her shoulder with each of its heads. Sesshomaru glanced over just in time to see this, watching her as she petted each of the dragon demon's heads. The group, then, set off, continuing their journey from where they had left off.
Like before, Jaken walked close to his side, while Ah-Un traveled alongside Katelyn's. Katelyn was nestled in between him and Ah-Un, with just a couple feet separating them. They were all relatively quiet, and had been for quite some time, when Sesshomaru heard what sounded like humming. It was low enough to not bother anyone with a normal sense of hearing. But, not like humans, demons usually had a sharper sense of hearing. He was of no exception, and heard it clearly. It sounded that of a lullaby, but not of one that he had ever heard of in his lifetime.
Sesshomaru stole another look at Katelyn, who seemed to be the source of the sound. One of her hands was on Ah-Un's back, stroking the back of the demon as they walked. Suddenly, she stopped humming, and looked over at him, frowning a bit.
"I'm sorry. Am I disturbing you?"
He shook his head. "What was that humming?"
Jaken shifted his gaze to them. "Is that what that was? I thought I had heard someone singing but it was too low for me make out."
Katelyn giggled softly. "A thousand pardons. I thought it was low enough to where it wouldn't bother anyone. I was only humming a song I once heard to Ah-Un. It seems to relax him some."
Jaken tilted his head at her. "That was you?" When she nodded, he continued. "That was…actually pretty good. I never heard that tune before but it was soothing."
Sesshomaru surprised himself by nodding in agreement with Jaken.
"Is that a lullaby, by any chance?"
Katelyn shook her head. "I don't believe so. But the lyrics I remembered were a little dark so I started to hum it in a slower, and softer, speed to make it a bit more pleasant."
"What are the…lyrics?" Sesshomaru asked her.
She looked up, as if recalling the words.
"Double, double, toil and trouble
Fire burn and cauldron bubble;
Double, double, toil and trouble
Fire burn and cauldron bubble;
Something wicked this way comes."
Both Sesshomaru and Jaken were quiet, blinking and staring at her until –
"That has got to be the strangest song I have ever heard," Jaken told her.
Katelyn's cheeks turned a bright red hue. "That's what I thought, too, at first. I think there is more to it, but that's all that I could remember."
A thought occurred to Sesshomaru then. "Have you started to regain your memories?" He asked her, remembering when they found her she couldn't recall anything but her name at first.
Katelyn nodded. "Yes, but," she sighed deeply. "It's not much. There are a lot of empty spaces, as if there are pieces to the memory missing."
"What is it that you do remember? You can worry about the 'empty spaces' later."
"I remember the song." She smiled softly. "It was being sung by a group of kids, who were wearing these long robes that had, what looked like, emblems over their breast. They weren't all the same color, though. Also, I was sitting at a long table on the far side of this long, but mostly empty, room with three other long tables in front of me. There was no one else there though, but me and the group kids. Oh! And it looked like some of them were holding these large, croaking toads."
"Toads?" Jaken and Sesshomaru said in unison. Ah-Un even made a grunt-like noise at her, who had been quiet up till now.
Katelyn shrugged her shoulders. "That's what I remember. I swear I'm not making this up," she assured them.
"Well, I say you had a rather interesting, odd but interesting, life before we found you," Sesshomaru remarked.
"Oh! I don't think I ever properly thanked you for finding me then, or for allowing me to travel with you." She spoke to both of them, but looked mostly at him.
Jaken huffed and Sesshomaru waved her off dismissively with his hand.
"No thanks are needed. We were heading to the village anyway."
Katelyn grinned. "May I ask what for?"
Jaken snapped at her. "That is none of your concern-!"
Sesshomaru knocked Jaken swiftly in the head with his fist, making the imp-like demon rub his head with his staff-free hand.
"Now, Jaken. There is no need to be so rude. She was only asking a question." Sesshomaru reprimanded him. He glanced over at Katelyn again, who seemed not to be too bothered by Jaken's outburst as she continued to smile.
He sighed, looking ahead of them again. "There is someone we are going to see there. She's a young woman by the name of Rin, who has become my ward of sorts for the past few years since I've known her." Sesshomaru remembered then when he first met Rin, who had been mute at the time, orphaned at a young age.
"Why isn't she traveling with you? Is anything the matter with her?" She asked, concern in her voice, frowning at him.
Sesshomaru shook his head briskly. "Not at all. Rin, she used to travel alongside our group but she needed to grow in surroundings more suitable for a young girl, and out of any trouble. Right now, she is being taken care of by a priestess there until she is ready travel once again."
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Katelyn nod in understanding. "I see."
When Ah-Un sighed deeply and lowered its heads, Katelyn smiled gently at it, and patted the demon's back.
"You miss her, don't you boys?"
Sesshomaru allowed a small smile to form in the thin corner of his mouth.
"I'll admit, you seem to get along with demons quite well for a human," he remarked.
Katelyn looked up and over at him again. "Hm? Oh!" She let out a small laugh.
"Well, Ah-Un seems like such a gentle demon. He's a bit fierce-looking because of his size and appearance, but most things that look destructive and mean are also the most understanding of others."
He perked an eyebrow at her. "Most?"
She frowned, looking down as if recalling the demon that had attacked her and destroyed her village and home.
"I didn't say 'all,' now did I?" She smiled faintly at him.
"And what do you think of demons like us?" He asked her.
"You and Jaken?" Sesshomaru nodded slowly, and she considered her words carefully.
"Despite your appearance and, may I say, attitude." Katelyn looked over at Jaken, who paid her no heed. "You're decent."
Jaken scoffed at this. "Decent, she says. What an odd thing for a human to say about two demons-one of which is one of the strongest and most powerful ever known throughout feudal Japan."
Katelyn smiled though. "And what's wrong with that? Why must one be judged because of their strength? Is it not the heart and soul of the person, or demon, which really determines what we're like? You could have left me in that burned down village, but you didn't. Instead, you brought me with you with the promise that I would be safe."
Jaken waved his staff around. "That is because, without us, you would surely die. My Lord Sesshomaru happens to have a kind enough heart to let a girl go with us."
Katelyn frowned. "What makes you think that I can't take care of myself?"
Jaken glanced over at her. "Besides the fact we found you, in the middle of the road, with a wound that looked like the death of you? And then left with no memories till now? You couldn't protect yourself if you tried."
"That is so not true! Yes I was attacked, but that had not been my fault! I was chased by a demon, which then struck me, probably leaving me for dead in that road."
"Yes, chased andthen left to die. A more able human being would have properly defended themselves."
"You don't know what happ-"
"Okay you two!" Sesshomaru broke up the fighting that had ensued between the two. It was clear that Jaken did not take much liking for her, and he could see that the demon was trying to get a rise out of Katelyn.
"But, m'lord! She can't protect herself! That human will only create problems for us if anything were to happen."
"Then," Sesshomaru had to only think for a moment before his next idea popped up. "I shall teach her to defend herself in case of battle."
"WHAT?!" This time it was Jaken and Katelyn that had spoken at the same time.
"I-I don't know how to fight. Or, at least I don't think I do." Katelyn tried to tell him, her voice a tad frantic.
He only shrugged. "No matter." Sesshomaru stopped walking then, facing her. His other travel companions ceased their walking as well.
"I will teach you to wield a weapon and how to fight with it."
"But, m'lord!" He ignored Jaken's protests.
"What say you, Katelyn? Want to learn how to fight?"
She looked down, fidgeting her hands and picked at her fingers. They were long and slender, manicured nails even. Not fit for fighting but he could turn them dainty hands and make them master a sword. If anyone was to teach her, Sesshomaru knew he would be the best to do so.
Katelyn looked up at him, smiling a little. "I think I can. But, I don't have a sword to practice with."
With no hesitation, Sesshomaru reached to his side and pulled out the Tenseiga from its sheath. Jaken saw this and his eyes went wide.
"M'lord! The Tenseiga won't work well with fighting! You may as well hand her a stick to fight with!"
Sesshomaru rolled his eyes at him, whilst Katelyn narrowed her eyebrows at him.
"Tenseiga? It looks like a regular old sword to me…"
He shook his head, holding the Tenseiga upright in his palm. "Whether you want to believe this or not, but this sword can revive the dead."
Katelyn's eyes widened in surprise. "It can? Did you…"
"Revive you when you had died?" She nodded. "No. For some unknown reason you were able to come back yourself."
"Oh," she frowned once more.
"When someone dies, over a certain amount of time demons, known as pall-bearer imps, take the soul. These demons are completely invisible. But, with the Tenseiga, I can see them clear as day and cut down them, thus leaving the soul in the body. Because the soul doesn't leave the body, the corpse then revives itself."
"Tenseiga also keeps Lord Sesshomaru protected by creating a barrier of sorts," Jaken chimed in. "But it's not very good with fighting, not like m'lord needs a sword to fight."
Katelyn blinked. "What does he mean that you don't need a sword?"
"Don't worry yourself about that." He gestured for her to take Tenseiga from him. She hesitated at first, but then gently took it out of his hands, as if it would turn on her at any second.
Sesshomaru let out a small chuckle. "It won't do anything for you. To you, that is just like any other sword. Now, hold the hilt with both your hands. That's good. Next, using your arms, swing it back and forth. Excellent."
After she had mastered holding and handling a sword, Sesshomaru thought it was best to move the lesson to the next stage. He walked a few steps away from her, creating a distance of, at least, 10 feet between her and himself.
"Now, I want you to try and strike me with the Tenseiga." He smirked as her face changed to one that had been cheerful curiosity to one of horror.
"What?!" Katelyn exclaimed.
Sesshomaru grinned. "It won't hurt me, remember? That's why I said try. However, you can use more than the sword to attack your opponent. Your legs, for example, can swipe right underneath mine and try and make me fall. That would then, usually, make the opponent more vulnerable and susceptible to attacks. Now, come at me with all you got."
He watched her take a deep breath before settling off in a run toward him, the Tenseiga high above her head. She didn't stop as she reached him but instead brought the Tenseiga down. It, of course, didn't come into contact with him but he gripped the blade closest to him. Seeing him stop her attack, Katelyn then used her legs – one of them, her left, to sweep under him. He switched his hand to her leg, grabbing her ankle to stop her. What he didn't seem to notice was, while he had been distracted with stopping her left leg, the other came rushing toward him, actually hitting his own legs and sending him staggering a couple spaces back.
Shocked that she was able to make contact and throw him off, Sesshomaru looked at her then with wide eyes. Her eyes, though, seemed to darken in color before setting back into the lighter shade that he had been used to seeing by now.
Jaken, who didn't notice the slight change just then, checked him before applauding her, and Ah-Un nudged each of their arms.
"I have to say, well done! Where did you learn that?" He asked Katelyn who shrugged.
She looked out of breath but fine all the same so Sesshomaru relaxed.
"I didn't see you move. You are incredibly fast for a human." Sesshomaru told her.
Katelyn smiled then. "Thank you! I don't think I should hold onto this much longer though," she said, handing Sesshomaru the Tenseiga back. He took it back into his hand, looking it over once before sheathing it.
"It's a fine sword, and has amazing qualities for not being a fighting sword. Thank you for allowing me to train with it," she bowed at her waist.
He patted her shoulder gently. "We will continue this lesson later. I won't be so careless next time, though."
She stood up straight and they continued on their way. There was no more conversation to be made, or none that Sesshomaru felt he needed to bring to attention until he understood clearly on what he had just seen. What had taken over Katelyn that had been there one second and gone the next? Surely she wasn't a demon, as well? No, he would have been able to sense if she was a demon, so that couldn't be it.
There was something the matter with the woman though. Even if it was small, it was a good idea to make sure that it was nothing to worry about nor would get out of hand later and potentially grow even more serious.
Some time past by and they happened upon the stone-arched entrance of another village. It would be the last one they would see for at least a day before reaching the one where Rin and Kaede lived, so stocking up on any essentials would be best.
Sesshomaru remembered that the kimono Katelyn was wearing was still stained with her blood from when they had found her.
"We should probably find you another kimono to wear as well," he said aloud and mostly to Katelyn, who looked at him in shock.
"Th-that is not necessary! I'm fine with wearing it the way it is now. It's just," she looked down at her waist where her 'wound' had once been. There was a dark red stain there, which didn't look well with the white and blue flowered kimono she was wearing, and it was clearly visible to anyone that saw her.
She blushed. "I-I guess it is, then."
Sesshomaru smiled a little. "If you happen to see one that you like, let me know. Don't worry about the costs, or paying me back," he added the last part when he saw her try to argue. "Consider it a present for your lesson going well for the first try."
Katelyn smiled. "Thank you."
With no further discussion, the group furthered more into the village. Upon entering, they saw many villagers out walking. Sesshomaru knew how strange it would have been for a human to be traveling with 3 demons, but he didn't think there would so many taking account of their presence. He first felt the eyes on them, and it just sweeping over Jaken and Ah-Un, but then there were many audible gasps as they all gazed on Katelyn.
She seemed to notice, her voice lowering to that of a whisper. "Why are they all looking at me like that?" She asked, as they walked past a group of gawking villagers.
"I don't exactly know-"
"Lady Katelyn?"
They all turned to see who had spoken out Katelyn's name, meeting a woman with long black hair as she came out of one of the huts. Upon catching her gaze as well, her azure eyes widened in shock, her hands moving up to cover her mouth.
Katelyn smiled in the corner of his eye. "Do I know you, ma'am?"
The woman frowned at this, her brown eyes softening. "You don't remember me?" Katelyn shook her head.
"I'm afraid not. I'm sorry."
The woman, not taking too much care for the demons there, stepped forward, reaching forward to cup Katelyn's hands in one of her own before brushing the side of Katelyn's face, caressing her forehead and back down to cup her chin so that she could look deep into her eyes. Her eyes widened again, looking as if they would tear at any moment.
"You poor girl. You have suffered so much." Her gaze shifted down to Katelyn's waist then. "And you were injured." She tsked under her breath as she looked up at Sesshomaru and the others. He caught her gaze and the woman smiled at him.
"Thank you for taking care of Lady Katelyn," she said as the other humans nodded in agreement.
"Ma'am?" The woman turned back to her. Katelyn, who was now frowning at her, took a deep breath. "How do you know me? Have we met before?"
The woman smiled a little. "We have. My name is Kana. Why don't we get you situated and out of that dirty kimono. I'm sure I have one here for you in your size." She gestured for them to follow her into the hut, Jaken and Ah-Un settling to stay outside instead.
Sesshomaru and Katelyn followed Kana through the hut, ending at a large room with a bed and a wardrobe. Kana walked toward the wardrobe, pulling the doors open. She shifted through some of the clothing there. She stopped moving some, letting out an "Ah! There it is!" before turning back around to face them. She held out the folded kimono to Katelyn then.
"Here you go, dearie. Why don't you change into this in the room next to this one and when you're done I will throw out the one you're wearing. No need to have bloody clothes hanging around, now do we?"
Katelyn gave her a small smile before going into the room Kana showed her. As she changed, he and the other woman went to another room where she served him tea.
"You're being awfully kind. Don't you know what I am?" Sesshomaru asked her, to whom she merely smiled as she poured his tea and then sat down next to her cup.
"I know what you be, demon. But, if you were a threat to me or my people, I would know. Besides," she looked up at him with a glint in her eye. "You allowed a woman to travel with you, did you not?"
He smirked. "I did. But I intend to only let her travel until we reach the village where we're going. But, that may change now."
She had been sipping her tea, but stopped at his last statement. "Oh? And why is that?"
"You know her. You can take her off my hands, can't you?"
Kana smiled a little. "Think what you want, demon. But Lady Katelyn doesn't reside with us."
He narrowed his eyes at her. "But you said…"
"We, my people and I, know her because she came to us one day. We probably know her just as much as you do. She's a mystery, but strong nonetheless. Kind, and stubborn in her own way."
Sesshomaru let out a sigh. "That she is."
They each took turns sipping their tea as they waited for Katelyn to finish. When the sliding door moved near them, Sesshomaru and Kana looked up to see Katelyn. For a moment, Sesshomaru felt something jump within his chest. Ignoring it for now, he gazed at the newly dressed woman before him. With her long hair in tresses and two red ribbons in her locks, Katelyn adorned a long dark blue kimono with small pink sakura flowers, a red sash holding the kimono against her waist. It stopped right above her knees, but looked suitable for traveling nonetheless.
Kana stood up and went over to take Katelyn's hands in hers. "You look beautiful, Lady Katelyn. I'm so glad that you decided to keep your hair down. And the ribbons are such a nice touch! They blend wonderfully with your auburn hair. Please, come sit and have some tea." Kana ushered Katelyn to the table, sitting her on the other side from her.
Sesshomaru looked from Katelyn to Kana, as they each took a sip of tea.
"Would you care to explain how you know Katelyn, now?"
Katelyn gasped at him. "Sesshomaru!" She smiled apologetically at Kana before turning back to him. "Kana is being kind enough to allow us in her home. At least say 'thank you' before demanding answers."
Sesshomaru sighed hard and forced a smile on his face. "Thank you for your hospitality."
Kana smiled at them. "It is my pleasure to help Lady Katelyn and her friends. But, he is right to get to the point, m'dear." She told the last part to Katelyn, brushing her hands over her kimono.
"It seems it's been quite some time since I last saw you. You came to us less than a month ago –sent from another village to help us with a demon problem that we had been having. We had been terrorized by a group of demons that would come to our village and steal our most precious supplies and kill anyone that tried to stop them."
"Why me? Do you know?" Katelyn asked her.
Kana nodded. "We were told by a priestess that you possessed some rather unique qualities that would help us with our situation. We didn't inquire about it but welcomed any help that she could give us. Less than a day later, you showed up at our village…"
"That night, the demons showed up and you chased most of them out. One, however, stayed behind. It was the leader and he ravaged the town, burning everything and anything in sight. You…you led him out though. You bravely challenged him, and he chased after you. Ever since then we hadn't seen or heard from you. We prayed you had just returned to the other village."
Sesshomaru, who had been listening to the woman, turned to Katelyn then. "That must have been why we found you on the road and why you had been hurt."
"I-I was attacked. I remember it all now." She looked from him to Kana, who was now looking worried over the new bit of information as to what had happened to Katelyn.
"Dear? What happened to you? You can tell Kana."
"I-I let the demon chase me, that's true. When we were far enough from the village, I turned around and faced him. He…he came at me, swinging a dagger at me. I managed to dodge it at first, and delivered a blow to his stomach, which made him stagger backwards. He lunged at me again, and we fought back and forth. In the middle of the struggle, he grazed my waist. I was able to deliver greater damage though and he ran before I can do any more. I was trying to go after him so he wouldn't hurt anyone but, I fell. Last thing I remember after that was waking up to three demons standing over me."
Kana shook her head somberly. "You poor, poor girl. I'm glad you are fine now."
Katelyn nodded, and then suddenly sat up straighter. "The village! This isn't the one where I went to. I was sent to the one further down the road, closer to the mountains. I saw it before we came here. It was burned down." She frowned.
Kana frowned as well. "Yes, I'm afraid the demon came back and burned it while everyone was sleeping. No one died, but some were greatly injured."
Katelyn lowered her head. "I'm sorry. If I had only been able to finish it off. Your village was burned because I didn't do what I was sent out to do."
The other woman leaned across the table to pat Katelyn's hand gently.
"You protected us. It wasn't your fault. You were injured."
When Katelyn didn't say anything but keep her head lowered, Sesshomaru spoke instead.
"Have you seen this demon or any of his followers since your village was burned?"
Kana nodded slowly. "We have, but they haven't been taking anything or hurting anyone. We've seen mostly sightings but they don't seem want to disturb us. They seem to stay in the woods near this village. We would move again, but I don't want to risk my people getting ambushed."
"They may be waiting until your guard it down and attack when you least expect it. And, since Katelyn did interfere last time they actually did anything, they will probably increase the rate of their killing."
Katelyn suddenly stood. "I will do what I was sent to your village to do. I'll personally wipe out the demon and his followers."
"But, Lady Katelyn! You can't just go out and track them down! If they're waiting to pounce, as Lord Sesshomaru has said, then they will surely strike you down where you stood!"
Sesshomaru nodded. "She has a valid point, Katelyn. You can't go after them. You don't even know how to fight yet."
Katelyn turned to him. "I was able to throw you off. I can take them just fine. All I need is a sword-"
Kana jumped up as well. "Oh! Your sword!" She hurried off to another room, throwing open the sliding door.
"My sword?" Katelyn questioned when Kana returned with a bundle, tied securely with a belt.
Sesshomaru stood as Kana came over to them with the bundle, placing it on table carefully before them. She quickly unbundled the package, revealing a long-bladed sword. Kana handed it to her, which Katelyn took carefully. Suddenly, words appeared on the blade when she faced it towards herself. They read, "Strength, Love, Loyalty."
As if in a trance, Katelyn spoke in a low voice, but they both could hear her.
"With Strength, I will fight my enemies. With Love, I keep my friends close. And with Loyalty, I stand for justice for souls in need."
After she spoke the words, however, the ones on the blade glowed in a bright light, enveloping the blade in Katelyn's hands before dimming once again to nothing.
Sesshomaru blinked. "What the hell was that?"
"I-I…I am not sure. But, just now. That reached inside me." She looked up at Sesshomaru. "It wants me to fight. To do what I am meant to do."
Katelyn sheathed her sword and strapped it to her sash, bowing to Kana. "I will bring peace to your village and people once again, Lady Kana. I swear on my life." And, with that, she walked out of the hut.
Sesshomaru shared a quick glance with Kana before going after her. He hurried past Jaken and Ah-Un who looked up at him.
"Lord Sesshomaru. We tried to stop her, but she just kept on walking. It looked like she was heading toward the woods." Jaken faced him, and pointed to his right.
Sesshomaru pushed past him and, when he sensed Jaken and Ah-Un start to follow him, he only called back to them. "Stay here! I'm going to go get that girl back and put some sense into her. I'll call you if I need your assistance."
He found her about 10 feet inside from the entrance. She was looking around, clutching the sheath by her side tightly.
"Katelyn." She turned to her name, but then turned back around, shaking her head as she did so.
"I didn't ask for you to come with me, Sesshomaru. I can handle this matter on my own," she told him.
Sesshomaru scoffed. "Like hell you can. You've had one lesson with a sword and you honestly think you can go up against a group of demons on your own?"
"I was asked to protect those people because apparently someone thought I could. This sword belongs to me, responds to me. I can do this."
"You hardly know who you are. Unless you have your memories back fully, then you stand no chance."
Katelyn faced him again, walking till only a few inches separated them.
"You don't need to protect me anymore, Sesshomaru. So, just let me do this and go."
"Why do you think you have to do this by yourself? Because of what that woman told you? Or is that sword strapped to your waist that glowed at some words you spoke?"
"NO!" She yanked the sword from its sheath and held it at her side. "It spoke to me! It's telling me that I can, and will, do this. If I die, then I would have died with honor."
"You will die because you were such an idiot to think that you are some almighty hero that can swoop in and save a town of people you don't even know!"
"Why do you even care? You don't know me! You came across my body on some road, and then took pity on me!"
"I don't know why I'm so concerned, or whatever feeling you stupid humans call this. But, I won't just let a woman run off into a battle that she has no chance of winning."
"I don't need to win. I just need to take out the leader and possibly some of his cronies before I go down with them. But, as for your 'problem'…You're a demon. Demons have no feelings toward humans," she told him.
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her. "Then you haven't ever met my brother." When she was about to open her mouth to question him, he held his hand up to stop her.
"Don't. It's not worth discussing." He sighed. "Look, since you are being so stubborn and insistent on doing this, I will go with you to fight these demons."
Katelyn shook her head again. "You don't have to-"
"No, I don't. But until I take you to that village, you're my responsibility. I volunteered to take you with us, and I will keep that very promise. Besides," he grinned wickedly. "I've been itching for a battle lately."
Katelyn smiled warmly at him.
"Now isn't that sickening sweet? A demon youkai and a human woman agreeing to fight alongside each other…"
A voice dripping with venom and hate came from above them. There, on one of the branches and leaning against the trunk of a tree, was a demon. It jumped down from the branch, but so did many others like him from the other trees surrounding them. The leader stood before them at about 6 feet, but not much taller than Sesshomaru, and taller than most of his followers. All of them wore tight-fitting pants and loose jackets, their chests exposed. But, only one of them had a patch-like badge on his breast, over his heart, making him the leader for sure. There was at least a dozen, if not more, before them, all inching toward Sesshomaru and Katelyn. At their sides, were daggers strapped to their calves.
The leader grinned at them. "Fellas, it looks like we will be having a bit of fun!"
Sesshomaru muttered under his breath, "Aw, hell."
To be continued…
A/N: Haha! I left y'all on a cliffie! I am SOO sorry! I couldn't help myself! I saw it in my head - BAM! It was written and looked too good to get rid of. LOL But at least I left it on a "funny" note :D Oh! And for those who don't know what a sashinuki is, I have left a brief definition below my name there vvv
Much love and I look forward to any reviews!
-friendwriter
*sashinuki: a type of hakama that are meant to be worn blousing over the leg and exposing the foot. To accomplish this, they are somewhat longer than normal hakama, and a cord is run through the hem and drawn tight, creating a "ballooning" effect. (Source: Wikipedia, search Hakama, then link Sahinuki Hakama, under bullet 2)