She, The Wind Dancer

Kazubana fled through the narrow corridors of the inner house. They were much less spectacular than the parts of the teahouse accessible to the guests. She was passing by various sliding door that led to storage rooms, bedchambers and rooms where teachers were giving lesson.

She ran like the wind itself, as always light on her feet and fast. She stopped when she reached the room she was sharing with Hana and Mika and sneaked into it to find all her missing friends from before sitting there.

"Kazu! Why didn't you leave with us?" asked Mika, obviously relieved to see Kazubana. The wind youkai sank to the floor and took a few calming breaths. She could see curious eyes of her friends on her, practically burning for answers. "You could've been found out and punished!"

"It's the Lord of the West, he's here," she explained, taking control over her fast beating heart.

"Ah, now I understand," Riwa smiled shyly. "He's so handsome, you got distracted by looking at him and didn't notice us go."

Kazubana merely nodded, blushing. There was no shame in admiring a handsome male and Lord Sesshomaru was the most handsome one there, at least in her eyes.

"It's good you're here," Mika said and smoothed her obi. "Alright, everyone to their rooms and try to practice for tomorrow. And no sneaking on the honorable guests again, the lord wouldn't appreciate anyone spying on him."

Kazubana felt a block of ice in her stomach. She had been practically caught doing just that. As the rest of her friends, sans Hana and Mika, left the room, Kazubana went to fetch her brush, paper and ink stone, planning on practicing her calligraphy. Mika was practicing a transformation spell while Hana was, from the look of it, trying to memorize poetry. They looked like dutiful daughters of the teahouse, striving to be artists in their own right and to be able to provide entertainment.

Yet, even knowing she should use her free time to practice, as any dutiful girl should, Kazubana found herself daydreaming.

She could remember the air swirling around the lord as he walked, his youki wrapping around him like a mantle. His hair was flowing and long, much longer than hers. He was awe inspiring and emanated authority and power. Kazubana had seen many strong youkai, but none of his status.

Suddenly she wanted to just drop the brush she was holding and go outside, to run across the hills and forests surrounding the teahouse. She rarely dared to follow such urges, it wasn't safe to leave the teahouse. After all the world outside was violent and scary. Kazubana was lucky she had a place to stay and wasn't abused by her superiors. Still, sometimes she just couldn't help herself, roaming freely through the lands around felt so right. She loved the feeling of freedom and independence. Maybe one day she'd leave to leave the teahouse and wander around, free as the wind itself. But first she had to pay her debt to the teahouse for taking her in.

Still, she sometimes couldn't help herself... She longed for much more than just being controlled by someone else, she wanted to be in control of her own fate. Sometimes, she dreamed of being a fierce warrior or a sorceress able to raise dead and make them do her biding, fighting for her. In those dreams she longed for her freedom, knowing she was missing something very important and she'd always wake up to the deep feel of longing.

Suddenly all the girls in the room stopped whatever they were doing and started listening carefully. Someone was hastily walking through the corridor until the footsteps came to a stop in front of their room.

"Girls," one of the older servants stuck her head in the room. "Prepare swiftly and come with me, you have to entertain our most honorable guests in the private room."

"We? But why we? There are more skilled girls!" Hana covered her mouth, obviously frightened by the idea she was going to perform in front of a daiyoukai.

"The honorable guests want to see a wind youkai dance and since Kazubana's the only one here and you and Mika are good musicians Mother Mi ordered you to do it." the servant explained and waited for them to move.

Kazubana wasn't sure what to feel as she made sure her make up was perfect. On one hand she was frightened to stand in front of the odd trio who most certainly knew that it had been her spying on them. On the other hand... She felt excited to perform and to do so in front of the lord. A fleeting thought that she could catch his eye and make him return to see her someday entered her heart.

Five minutes later Kazu and her two companions stood in front of the private room, the servant looking at the nervous trio.

"Do make Mother proud," they heard before they were left alone. Mika took a calming breath and slid open the door. All three were supposed to bow and ask for the permission to enter, but a loud growl coming from the room gave them pause and all three young women looked at the guests in shock and fright. Kazubana expected to be killed on the spot for spying, but it quickly became quite obvious she wasn't on the killing list just yet.

The human woman was sitting under a wall, holding a teapot as if she barely managed to save it, a look of alarm on her face. The elegant cherry wood table was laying on the floor, two legs broken. The hanyou was laying across the maimed furniture, with the daiyoukai bending over him, his hand grasping the half-breed's throat while he was growling at him. The youki of both males filled the little room so thickly Kazubana doubted anyone could breathe easily while inside. The hanyou growled up at the stronger dog, obviously not wanting to submit. The daiyoukai lowered his head and bared his fangs at the hanyou.

"This one shall deal with this matter alone," he said in a low tone.

"Like hell you are!" the hanyou hissed and pulled his legs to himself, probably wanting to kick the daiyoukai off of him. "You want me as your general, then let me act as one!"

Before the hanyou could do or say anything more the lord let go of him and stepped back.

"We shall continue our discussion later," he said in a regal tone before turning his cool eyes to look at the three young girls still kneeling in the doorway, staring at him with mixture of fright, awe and confusion. "You may come in."

"Don't be afraid," Kazu was shocked when she saw the human smile as if she hadn't been the witness to a youkai power struggle. For some reason it felt like the miko was used to seeing these two fighting. The hanyou moved to sit beside the miko while the three girls entered the room.

Mika was the one who spoke when they bowed to the unlikely trio who were observing them, The miko was smiling encouragingly, but her male companions looked indifferent, but alert, their golden eyes focusing on Kazu and making her shiver.

"Honorable guests, let this unworthy ones entertain you," she said and picked her small drum. Hana raised her flute to her lips and Kazubana slowly stood in front of them, feeling numb and fearing she wouldn't move a muscle, bringing shame upon herself and the teahouse, waking the lord's wrath.

She had to perform and do it flawlessly. She had to show she was worthy of the guests' time and maybe.. Maybe the lord would come back again and wish to see her dance? Hope filled her heart and pushed her anxiety away for a moment. She dared to look in his yellow eyes and saw something there... recognition? She felt her heart skip a beat, but then remembered the event that had happened not too long ago. The lord probably only recognized her because she had been spying on him earlier. After all it was the first time they were seeing each other...

Hope dimmed in her heart, replaced by bitter taste of longing and regret after something she had lost or never had. This was the moment when Hana and Mika started to play, both a little anxious because of their performance in front of the daiyoukai, but not nearly as much as Kazubana. After all they hadn't been uncovered spying on him. And they never felt this heart-squeezing longing she felt.

But somehow they picked the best song to reflect Kazu's feelings at this moment, a melancholy filled lament of a lover who was betrayed by a man. Mika's soft voice added to the music and Kazubana somehow found herself dancing.

She had been afraid she wouldn't move, but now she was, her movements fluid and graceful, portraying the emotions of the betrayed girl left behind by a cruel lover. She put her longing in the dance, her hands raising and swaying like fading flowers in autumn. For the duration of the dance, for a blissful moment, she didn't remember she had an audience.

Mika and Hana glanced towards the guests. The miko and the hanyou seemed to enjoy the performance. The daiyoukai's expression didn't betray his feelings, but his eyes were following Kazu's every move. Their sister was a sight to behold, as all wind youkai she was agile, graceful and moved with ease.

Finally the music stopped and both girls put their hands in their laps. Kazubana bowed her head and resumed her place on Mika's left, all three waiting for the guests' command.

"That was so beautiful!" the miko praised, clasping her hands in front of herself. "Sad, but beautiful."

"You performed well," the daiyoukai spoke, his voice emotionless. "You brought honor to your Mother. For your effort this one wants to give you a small token of appreciation."

The hanyou looked surprised at the lord as he reached into his sleeve and pulled out of it two gold coins. Hana and Mika almost didn't dare to approach him, but he gestured for them to take them. Both bowed and thanked for his too generous gift. after all guests didn't have to give money to the daughters of the teahouse, only to pay the Mother for their services. Then he reached into his other sleeve and pulled out...

"You had it all this time?" the half-breed and the miko exclaimed when the lord opened a white and red fan. Lord Sesshomaru ignored them as he closed the fan and offered it to Kazubana.

"Accept this and keep the giver of this fan in your memory, wind dancer," he said, his voice sounding almost soft. Kazubana slowly reached a hand and tentatively picked the item from his hand, she didn't dare to look into his face as she pressed the gift to her chest. She bowed her head, trying to find the right words to thank him.

"My lord... I don't know how..." she started.

"Open it," came his order and Kazubana licked her lips before she raised the fan and opened it with a snap.

She took a deep, hissing breath as images flashed before her eyes, faster than a lightning, changing in a rapid succession. Youki swirled around her and she was vaguely aware of the other people in the room watching her, saying something, but all she could hear was the howl of the wind.

With a cry of distress the young wind youkai fell to the floor.

Mika was about to jump towards her friend and call for help, confused by what was happening, but she was too slow. The daiyoukai was already at Kazubana's side. He gathered the fainted girl in his arms and stood up, glaring at both her and Hana.

"Inuyasha," he spoke.

"What?" the hanyou barked, obviously annoyed at whatever had transpired a moment ago. The miko at his side rose to her feet and whispered the lord's name.

"You are allowed to take care of the matter we had discussed earlier," the lord stated.

"What's wrong with her? Can I help?" the miko asked.

"The girl is merely overwhelmed," the daiyoukai stated. "You may stay here or leave. Jaken will take care of speaking to the Mother. Tanuki."

"Y-yes, my lord?" Mika bowed immediately.

"You are to pack her personal things and give them to this one' retainer. You are allowed to go to your quarters."

He didn't wait for her confirmation and left the room, carrying Kazubana out of her life and the teahouse. Mika turned towards the hanyou and miko, both looking pretty shaken, but not afraid.

"What do you want?" the hanyou barked, scowling. "It's not my fault he never explains shit."

"Inuyasha!" the miko scolded and offered the girls a warm smile. "Don't worry, your friend is safe. Thank you for playing for us."