Façade of Order
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"It began in mystery, and it will end in mystery, but what a savage and beautiful country lies in between."
-Diane Ackerman
~0~
The sun was high and warm by the time they stopped their search. Sesshomaru blinked up at him and the soothing sea breeze tangled his hair lazily. He had already ordered the men to leave, and with them they carried chests and crates filled with various artifacts. A few more men carried bodies—wrapped in dirty linen—that had washed up later. So far only the boy had survived, and it was questionable how long he would last.
Toku waited patiently for Sesshomaru. Between them was another chest filled with sopping priestess robes that were wrapped around an ornately carved bow. This, being the most curious of discoveries, was what Toku and Sesshomaru were preparing to heft up the hillside.
"A pity only the boy survived," comment Toku somberly. Sesshomaru had informed him earlier of the survivor.
"Hn," Sesshomaru replied, squatting to pick up the chest on his side. Toku mimicked the action. "I am curious as to what this ship was and where it was headed."
"Not a sympathetic bone in your body. I was speakin' for the boy's sake," Toku replied dryly.
"I am not a sympathetic man."
The chest was not heavy, but it was bulky and unwieldy, and the muddied path saw to them slipping awkwardly up the meadow.
"Blast it!" Toku cursed, while Sesshomaru scowled and glared and tried to remain as dignified as possible with mud smeared across his hollow cheek.
After setting the chest in the armory with the rest of the boxes, both men retired to the hall, which was bursting with everyone enjoying their midday meal. Ayame, a young wolf demon, scampered back and forth to provide lunch and ale to all the bodies seated on the floor. Sesshomaru accepted a plate and cup from the auburn haired girl politely before adjourning to the far wall once again. Toku mingled with a few of the younger warriors, laughing and sharing crude jokes while telling exaggerated stories of their battle prowess. Sesshomaru allowed a little bit of amusement to filter in before digging into his simple meal of boiled vegetables and slightly burned lamb.
Seeing that most of the men were engaged more in blustering than eating Sesshomaru clapped his hands and snapped at them to begin training before he beat their worthless hides. Good naturedly the men filed out, kissing wives before resuming work on the practice grounds. Sesshomaru followed them, standing at the edge of the field as men wrestled and shouted.
Sesshomaru stayed long enough to ensure they were sweating before making his way to the medical hut. Sesshomaru was a demon who enjoyed battle, who enjoyed fighting. Occasionally he would read, and as necessary he would perform other duties like roof thatching and herding, but it was the feel of a sword in his hand that set his blood to boil.
Rarely, though, would he practice with his men.
They were skilled, and Sesshomaru allowed himself to feel a certain sense of satisfaction as he watched them duel, but they still were not at his skill level. Even Toku, a respected hands-on fighter, was not on Sesshomaru's level.
When a batch of new recruits joined the island, or when men got uppity, Sesshomaru would display his tightly honed skills: enough to ensure respect and loyalty from those that inhabited the island. Other than these few instances, Sesshomaru watched, correcting stances and murmuring cold insults.
He had never been a man of words, and doubted he ever would be. If asked to give a speech Sesshomaru would respond with a cutting glare. Yet his honor exuded from every action and insult, every deed Sesshomaru did for the little community. He led in a unique way.
Sesshomaru made a detour to the kitchen to retrieve some honey cakes and wine. Kaede, while staunchly loyal, was always a little less snippy when bribed. Ayame wrapped the items in a wax cloth with a knowing smile and a polite bid of farewell.
Sesshomaru cradled the bundle in the crook of his arm as he strode down the path and entered the medical hut with fluid silence. Kaede glanced at him as his he entered, but said nothing as she focused on mashing some kind of thick substance in a rough wooden bowl. On the middle pallet lay the young man, pale but looking more alive than he had earlier. His flowing, wild hair had been tied haphazardly to the side with a leather thong.
"Kaede," Sesshomaru intoned, "how is he?"
"I couldn't tell you how he is doing."
Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at the crone's odd demeanor. "Don't be daft, woman. It's a simple question."
"Don't get wordy with me, boy," Kaede threatened, turning away from her work bench, "You may be older, but I am far wiser."
Sesshomaru stiffened, but Kaede interrupted him. "And I would tell you to check on her, but I think that would be improper."
Sesshomaru's mask slipped for the smallest of seconds to reveal surprise. Quickly he gathered his composure. "A girl."
"Yes, a girl," Kaede affirmed, "disguised as boy. This one's got quite the explaining to do once she wakes."
Sesshomaru didn't respond, instead busily reassessing the unconscious person's visible features. It made sense now: the slender waist, the delicate brow and long lashes. He was disappointed that he hadn't noticed it earlier. Too distracted by their job and ship wreck puzzle left, Sesshomaru had not been as observant as he should have.
Kaede glanced the sack in his arms and grinned a smile filled with gaps. "For me, Sesshomaru? How nice." She quickly shuffled forward to relieve him of the bribe, though he barely allowed a nod, still intently focused on the girl buried beneath the blankets and furs.
"Will she wake?" He finally asked.
Kaede glanced up distractedly. "Aye, she'll wake. I cannot say when though." She set down her burden on the table. "There's something else you might want to see."
Sesshomaru nodded, intrigued.
Kaede padded over to the girl, kneeling with creaking bones and a barely repressed groan. She beckoned him over impatiently. Sesshomaru loomed over her as she reached beneath the heavy fur to pull out the girl's arm. Sesshomaru frowned at the bruises and scrapes, but what truly caught his attention was the obvious rope burn that encircled her wrist. The girl had been tied up.
Kaede tucked the slender limb away and stretched to reach the other one on the opposite side. The same marks resided on that wrist as well.
"What is she holding?"
Kaede shrugged. "I wouldn't know. She refuses to let go of it, though I refuse to push it either."
Sesshomaru stepped over the prone figure, kneeling to closer inspect the girl's clenched fist. His clawed hands gently attempted to open the tense fingers, but they just tightened further instead. Sesshomaru wouldn't be able to open the hand without causing the patient further harm.
Like Kaede had done Sesshomaru tucked the arm beneath the warmth of the furs before standing. Kaede followed suit, shuffling to her chair to seat herself.
"This was not a simple trade ship," Sesshomaru commented, half to himself, half to the healer woman.
Kaede studied her rough fingernails thoughtfully. "If it was then there was something extremely devious going on aboard."
Sesshomaru crossed his arms. "We will know the answers soon enough."
O o o o o o o o o
She was burning. She could feel it. The ice rushed in, stabbing at teeth and gums and tongue, forcing its way down her throat and nostrils, salty and painful. Her lungs screamed and she knew: she was going to die.
Her body buffeted back and forth between opposing waves, but her wrists were now free—how, when did that happen?—and she clawed blindly towards the surface, limbs flailing ineffectually against the riptide.
Did she do this? So many lives.
Unworthy lives, an evil voice whispered in her mind. They were going to kill you. Rape you. Feed on your remains.
No, another voice responded weakly, ignored as air is felt and she gasped and sputtered, freeing her lungs from the terrible blistering. And the howling was deafening now, ensnaring her in a tornado of desperate cries and screamed prayers. The crew, the passengers, and her.
But then a large plank knocked her under the water again, a faint reprieve from the terrifying noise. She grasped at it from underneath, pulling herself up to cling tightly to its coarse body. She noticed that there was something in her hand, and it was pink and warm and it was filling her body with peace and sleepiness.
O o o o o o o o o
Toku awaited Sesshomaru in his little box room with a missive in hand. Sesshomaru glanced at it sharply before kneeling to unlace his boots. Toku gently unfolded the parchment.
"A request," he informed Sesshomaru softly, "hefty price, inland. A man named Onigumo."
"The request?"
"It doesn't say," replied Toku as he leaned against a wall leisurely. "He wants to meet in person."
"Reject it."
"So quick to refuse."
Sesshomaru straitened, frowning. "The rules will not bend, no matter the price. My men's lives mean more than a few extra coppers."
Toku shrugged. "Less work and more play then," he commented lightly. Sesshomaru waited patiently for the man to leave so he could wash up and change. Toku noticed the dog demon's barely contained impatience, and ignored it.
"You checked on the boy?"
Sesshomaru paused. "…Yes."
Toku glanced at him curiously. "He'll live then."
"Yes. Though, it is not a boy."
Immediately Toku's thick, dark eyebrows shot up in surprise. He straitened from his pose against the wall. "A girl?"
"Yes," Sesshomaru replied, a grimace almost threading through his voice.
"She was dressed as a boy."
"I am more than aware of that fact, Toku. There is more."
Toku muttered something beneath his breath that sounded remarkably like an oath.
"Bruises, not only from the wreck, and rope burns on her wrists. The girl was not willing."
Toku rubbed his hands together ponderously, a scowl marring his gruff features. Stubble shadowed his jaw line.
"You figured what to do with her yet?"
Sesshomaru shot the boar demon a sharp look. "She has yet to awaken."
Toku shrugged, all but impervious to Sesshomaru's deadly glares and cold moods. "Then I take it you are going to wait until she wakes."
"Do you expect me to send someone down the coast? Perhaps search all the ports. Look for all the slender girls with dark hair who are missing?" Sesshomaru asked coldly.
Toku held is calloused palms up, placating. "I was not criticizing, Sesshomaru."
Sesshomaru remained tense for a millisecond longer before letting the irrational anger flow out of him like the melting of ice under a spring sun.
"I think I'll take my leave now," Toku said, taking the two short strides to the door. "Get some rest. You need it."
A scathing response was on the tip of Sesshomaru's tongue, but the bulky man was gone before it could be made. Sesshomaru stared blankly for a moment, then sighed. As much as he disliked admitting it, Toku was right. Sesshomaru needed to rest before he tore into some other undeserving dummy.
Quickly stripping, followed by a brief scrub, Sesshomaru lay down and was asleep within seconds.
O o o o o o o o
Kaede woke from her doze only half alert. The only sound was the cackle of the fire in the stone hearth and the somber creak of the hut as earth settle gently beneath it. Blinking, Kaede realized what had woken her. A soft gasp. A mere twitch. The girl was waking.
Cautiously Kaede stood and padded over to her patient. The girl's brow was furrowed, her face scrunched into an intense expression of discomfort, bordering on pain. She shifted and her head moved back and forth, like the ticking of a grandfather clock.
"Girl," Kaede croaked, clearing her throat. "Girl!"
A whine was her only response. Kaede reached to shake the girl's shoulder, only to have her freeze. A few seconds later her eyes were open and Kaede was staring into oddest eyes she had ever seen. Blue would never begin to describe them. They held the deep ocean in their depths, the lapping of a serene pond and the playful trickle of a wayward stream. Clearer than all the glaciers on earth, and even more clearly terrified.
Kaede shushed the girl softly, as though humming a lullaby to a startled pup. "There, there," she murmured, and the girl's gaze was darting around the room desperately. She twitched away from Kaede's hand, and Kaede withdrew gracefully.
Slowly, like feral cat, her panic faded. Breathing evened and the unhealthy flush that stained her features faded to only paint her cheeks like the blush of an unripe apple early summer. Kaede hummed in her own creaking voice, and the girl's eyes focused on her, consuming her features with little reserve. Like the setting sun the girl's eyes drifted shut and sleep overcame her once again.
Kaede stared, questions bubbling up like a geyser. Something was off about the girl, something not right. If she didn't know better, Kaede would suspect the girl of being demon, but she was too old to make such a mistake. The girl was clearly human, despite her unusually colored eyes.
The healer woman stood slowly, her age bearing down on her all it once. She was too old for mysterious patients and angry demons. Kaede poured a little of the ruby wine into a chipped clay mug and sipped it while warming herself before the fire.
She had slipped from the hut earlier to inspect the bodies, followed by the discovered valuables in the armory. None of the corpses had any of the marks the girl did. She was also intrigued by the chest with the bow and priestess cloth. Perhaps the girl was of holy origin?
No. She did not have the manner, or bearing. Having once been a part of the sisterhood Kaede was hypersensitive to her previous brethren. Holy power, maybe. Trained? Absolutely not.
And then Kaede glanced at the girl's clenched fist, which was now loosely relaxed. Kaede set down her wine and padded to the girl's outstretched hand. Carefully Kaede uncurled the girl's fingers and hissed when something rolled out.
A jewel. Dull, pink, nondescript, and only the jagged half of a perfect whole.
"What are you—?" Kaede murmured to herself, studying the murky crystal. She reached to touch it, but snapped her hand as the thing flashed and burned the tips of her wrinkled fingers. She withdrew a kerchief from her pocket, lacy and stained, and wrapped it around the jewel cautiously. It didn't respond again, but Kaede still handled it with care before slipping it into her pocket.
The girl slept on, oblivious. The rise and fall of her chest was steady, strands of her inky hair free and curling against her pale neck. Kaede hoped the girl would truly wake soon, because she had never been a patient woman, and she was fit to bursting with curiosity. Sesshomaru would be in a similar predicament. He detested unraveled ends and unsolved quandaries, and the girl was a messy tangle of both. Whatever her story, it was sure to be one of deep interest.
O o o o o o o o o
Despite his automatic refusal to the request Toku had delivered Sesshomaru still decided to do some research. He pulled out maps and old proclamations, looking for the unfamiliar name of Onigumo. Vexingly, he found next to nothing on the man. He was not one of the major warlords, nor a mayor of one of the bustling metropolis.
The man was a figurative ghost, which could mean two things. Either the man was an expert at hiding his dealings, which were most likely illegal if that was the case. Or, the man was relatively new to power, yet to prove strong or unique enough to make any sort of record. Sesshomaru assumed the latter, for if the man had already established himself he would have little need of their mercenary group, especially to meet in private.
It was a quandary, and Sesshomaru was severely disappointed. The bulk of the men had been too lax recently. It was a slow season and they spent more time fumbling about the practice yard than on real missions. A few small groups had been dispatched, but nothing truly noteworthy.
Sesshomaru rolled up the crumpled maps and old parchments to stow delicately away in his chest. Soon he would need to make a trip inland to update his information, but it would need to wait after the rainy season. He refused to make the journey while the roads were churned with mud and beggars who heckled any passerby for change or a meager slice of cheese.
Sesshomaru turned his thoughts away from work to the unconscious girl who slumbered a few buildings over. His last trip had been odd; Kaede had been acting sly. She was disturbingly closed-lipped when Sesshomaru inquired of her medical status, and an odd glint had been in her remaining eye.
With any other human Sesshomaru would have threatened them and had been done with it, but Kaede was a stubborn old coot and would just dig her feet in further. Sesshomaru would discover what bothered her in due time, and whatever it was would be overshadowed when the girl woke up, surely. Sesshomaru just hoped the girl wasn't prone to hysterics or the vapors, because he was not able to deal with such silliness. If it was to be so he would just ship her over to the village across the channel with Hisinki and be done with her.
Hopefully after he had learned her story though.