Sesshomaru grabbed the front of her kimono and pulled her to her feet, gazing deeply into her eyes. The only other he had ever seen with eyes to match his own was his useless hanyou half brother InuYasha. He took Sora's face in his hand, turning her head this way and that examining her.
"I'm not a damned horse, you know," She blew up at him. Then instantly wished she'd stayed silent. His eyes took on a crimson tinge and she shivered. He dropped her onto the ground and called to Uzo. "I want her," He said simply.

Uzo tried to protest, but Sesshomaru would not hear it. "You are on my land. I could kill you all where you stand. Give her to me and you have free passage over my land. For now." Sesshomaru said simply and grabbed the back of Sora's kimono, lifting her to her feet and prodding her toward the castle.

A short while later, Sora found herself in a hot bath, surrounded in scented bubbles and being scrubbed from head to toe by a maid. The woman dunked her under the water and Sora came up sputtering. "Are you trying to drown me?" She screeched as the woman vigorously began scrubbing her hair. Sora winced and then was dunked again as the woman rinsed her hair. The woman motioned for her to stand and when Sora did, wrapped an enormous piece of drying cloth around her.

She sat Sora in front of an enormous fireplace where the heat began to dry her hair. The long strands began to curl as they dried, and two silvery streaks began to show in the otherwise dark hair. The woman stared but said nothing, she just began combing Sora's long hair and then braided it simply down her back.

She handed sora a pair of pale blue hakama pants and a plain white yukata, the only ornamentation a crimson dragon design stitched along the sleeve cuffs, hem and collar. The woman then gave Sora a pair of plain soft indoor tabi to wear and escorted her to Sesshomaru's office. She knocked lightly on the door and then seemed to disappear, leaving Sora alone to await his answer.

"Enter." He said. When she opened the door, he was sitting behind a large table that served as his desk. On it was a book, a ledger of his tenants and lands, the taxes they owed him and that he owed the Emperor. He motioned for her to sit, when she did he handed her a sheet of paper, an abacus, an inkwell and brush and a list of figures. He waited while she added and subtracted and came up with a sum. He checked it and nodded. Her work was tidy and neat, the sum correct and she worked as quickly as he did. Within a short time, they should be able to correct the errors his last steward had made.

Now he really looked at her. Her skin, now that it was clean, was clear and pale. He was slightly surprised at the eyes and now the silver streaks in her hair. She was actually quite pretty now that she was clean. He thought for a few moments and then spoke, his voice quiet yet commanding.

"You are here to be a companion and teacher to Rin, my ward. You will also help me here in the afternoons with the accounts. Now, tell me, where did you learn to read and write? It is not a quality found often in such small insignifigant villages."

Sora lowered her gaze. "No, it is not. I was an insignifigance to my village. No one cared where I went as long as I was not underfoot. As a small child, I often would hide in the temple while the priests taught the village leader's sons. When they found me, they would simply move me out of the way. One day, one of the priests, Akio, found me writing some of the calligraphy that he'd taught the boys earlier that day. Mine was already better than theirs, and he began to teach me in private in his spare time, allowing me to use paper and ink from his own stock. In time, my calligraphy rivaled that of even the Emperor's assistant. I know this to be true, I have seen his work many times."

Suddenly there was another knock on the door. Unhappily, Sesshomaru granted entrance. The young woman stood there waiting. Sesshomaru's eyes suddenly softened just a bit. "Come, Rin, and meet your new companion. Rin, this is Sora."

Sora stood and bowed to Rin. Rin giggled lightly. "May Sora and I go to the gardens, Sesshomaru-sama?" Sesshomaru thought for a moment and then nodded, he could finish his questions later.

Rin grabbed Sora's yukata sleeve and hauled her out the door and down the stairs to the gardens. There the two young women sat and spoke about their lives. It was amazing how similar and yet different they were.