Sesshomaru took a sharp breath in through his nose. His eyes only slightly narrowed at his brother. Across from him, not more than a meter away, Inuyasha looked steadily at him. He wondered if perhaps Inuyasha was insinuating anything. Was there a hidden accusation that he, perhaps, pined for the hanyou's wife? Such an idea was preposterous, and he, Sesshomaru would not entertain it. "Could you be suggesting that there is someone this Sesshomaru longs for?"

He purposely added a mocking emphasis on the word. He noted his brother's ear twitch. "Maybe. Is there someone?"

The two brothers stood, fully facing one another. Sesshomaru kept his arms to his side, while Inuyasha's remained in his sleeves. Their stares were hard, unbroken. No noise went past them. Just the sounds of the forest. The dull hum of insects mingled with the soft sounds birds, flapping their wings. The sound of the leaves rustling from soft vibrations of the constantly moving earth. The soft, swift footsteps of passing rabbits and other small creatures, crawling along the forest floor. Despite the world moving around them, the two brothers stood still in their face off.

"Do not be foolish." Sesshomaru said more to himself, but spoke out loud to break the tension. It would be hasty to believe Inuyasha had any implications whatsoever.

Inuyasha turned his body slightly to the left, cocking his head to the side, and scoffing. "Keh, you're the one who got tense suddenly."

Rather than waiting around, and wasting time staring at his brother, Sesshomaru turned around, again, ready to leave. It did not make sense to pursue the conversation he already anticipated. Behind him, he knew Inuyasha hadn't moved, from just the sound – or the lack of the sounds of Inuyasha's feet. He could smell the distance being created by own steps, not Inuyasha's. He could feel Inuyasha's unending stare.

"You really don't wanna- Ah, forget it."

Suddenly, he stopped. Sesshomaru pivoted to his right. His brows pulled together, as he concentrated on the noise. His eyes slowly moved around the forest, taking in each bush, each tree and its trunk. Something other than the two of them was roaming the forest. From where he had not moved, Inuyasha also turned in the direction Sesshomaru had, one had was holding the sheath in his obi, the other waiting on tessaiga's hilt. The two quickly leapt to each other, going back-to-back. How had this gone unnoticed by the both of them?

"It's too quiet."

The elder brother kept his look of concentration. He did not voice a response, but his right hand also moved to grab bakusaiga. A small breeze picked up loose threads of silver from both the brothers. They immediately turned their attention to the source. The sharp hiss of metal resounded in the forest, as both brothers unsheathed their weapons without hesitation.

"Who goes there?" Inuyasha barked. Sesshomaru glanced at him quickly, before returning his focus to the sudden appearance of mist. It frustrated him that this thing had somehow hidden itself rather well. It was not surprising that Inuyasha did not pick up on it. But for him, Sesshomaru, a dog daiyoukai to let it slip past him, it was vexing. His senses were still keen, as he honed in on his brother's growing agitation. He knew Inuyasha was thinking about Kagome. Any time danger was a possibility, she was always where Inuyasha's mind raced off to.

The fog began to concentrate into a thick mist, before water began to gather in a puddle on the ground. Despite the anticlimactic development, neither of the two let their guard down, rather they focused intently on the forming and growing puddle.

By now, said puddle had expanded in diameter, to the size of two large – and old – tree trunks, however it did not appear to get any deeper. Until, the puddle began to develop a whirlpool, that seemed to vortex down deep. They defensively took a step back, as the vortex regurgitated a cowry shell. "What the fu-"

A gush of water emerged from the shell suddenly. The water quickly took form into a girl. She was not very intimidating in stature. Despite remaining wary, Sesshomaru dropped his guard. There was little to fear regarding this youkai. She was shorter than even Kagome. The girl picked up the shell at her feet and slipped it back into her kimono. Her kimono was cut shorter than the typical one. But at the very least, it was more modest than the revealing green one Kagome used to wear years ago.

The girl brushed out her kimono, then straightened her sleeves before turning to the boys. "Hello!" She smiled, and waved a hand at them. She looked at the unsheathed swords. "Ah, y-you don't need those. Not against me at least."

Sesshomaru completely dropped his guard and defense, as he sheathed bakusaiga. Inuyasha did the same, but he noted that the hanyou emanated some reluctance. He figured, it was due to Kagome's current location being but a short distance away.

"Sorry, pardon me. You are Inuyasha, correct?" She pointed a slender, dainty finger to the red-clad male.

His brow twitched, and temper flared. "Yeah, and who's askin'?"

The girl ignored this, then turned the offending finger to the second male. "And you, Sesshomaru?"

He remained silent. For whatever reason, this seemed to please the girl. She offered a close-lipped smile, as she pointed to herself. "Tsukimai."

"What do you want, and how do you know who we are?" She seemed absolutely unphased – or at least oblivious – to Inuyasha's brash response. Actually, it seemed more like she was completely ignoring him, as she took a step forward. Sesshomaru noticed she, much like his brother beside him, was barefoot. He felt the unpleasant feeling tugging from inside his chest. He looked up the girl again, and into her lavender eyes. Somehow, this caused the feeling to go from tugging, to a clawing feeling. There was something deeply familiar about her eyes. Yet, he had never met this youkai before, and so he concluded Inuyasha was wrong about calling it this feeling 'longing'.

"You." Tsukimai began, as she took one final step so she was just in arm's length of Sesshomaru. Her steps were very graceful and sure. One could describe them as fluid, just as the water that had appeared. "I need your help."

Sesshomaru's frown deepened, again the inner corner of his brows pulling downwards. He was obviously unimpressed with her boldness. The girl seemingly mimicked his facial expression. However, hers was more a look of determination. "Please! My sister is gone and I-I need your help."

"Are you askin' him to be some tracker dog?"

"You have the skills necessary to finding her!"

From his peripherals Sesshomaru could see Inuyasha was getting blatantly annoyed by the girl having ignored him the entire time. Even though she indirectly answered his question - other than confirming who he was, she otherwise paid him no notice. Sesshomaru knew it was not the lack of attention that bothered the younger man, but the obvious lack of respect. "And why would I, Sesshomaru help you."

The girl brought her hands to her chest, her mouth opened, the closed. "I know there is no sense in bargaining with you, but-"

She looked up at him, almost like she was waiting for him to stop her. When he gave no indication of this, she continued. "But I-I overheard your conversation with Inuyasha."

"Were you eavesdropping? Ya little sneak."

"You are longing?"

Mechanically, Sesshomaru lips pulled into a scowl, his gaze turned into a glare. Longing? He had not been longing. It was a mere hypothesis, given to him by a newly-wed love struck hanyou. He hated how she had emphasized the word. It was almost like she was mocking him; something he had no tolerance for.

Tsukimai seemed to pick up that he was getting aggravated. She took a step back, looking somewhat worried. One of her hands dropped to her side, and she fanned her fingers wide. Suddenly, the temperature had dropped, and the clouds above them gathered, thickened and darkened. Sesshomaru paid no mind to the weather change, but beside him Inuyasha began to look between the girl, the clouds and himself. "Inuyasha, if you are afraid, go home to your wife."

"Tch, I ain't afraid."

"I can help you get rid of it." They looked at her. "I can make the feeling go away."

"That's bullshit." Inuyasha spat, as he drew his tessaiga. "That's a bunch of bullshit and you know it."

For the first time since pointing her finger at him, the girl turned to Inuyasha. Sesshomaru noticed she did not look fearful, more intrigued if anything. Unlike Inuyasha, he remained calm, unmoving as he observed the girl. She looked back to him, a look of curiosity developing on her face. One brow elevated, the other still pulling down into her eye. Her lips pursed together. Sesshomaru's right hand moved to bakusaiga's hilt, as the Tsukimai's hand reached into her Kimono. "Think about it, Sesshomaru. I can make it go away."

With that, her body dispersed into vapour. The shell fell down into the puddle. Before it could even ripple, the puddle was absorbed back into the ground.

"What the hell was that?" Inuyasha asked to no one in particular. He moved to where the puddle had formed and stepped into it's previous spot. "Dry."

Sesshomaru sheathed his sword, as he turned in the direction he had left Jaken and Ah-Un.

"Hey, Sesshomaru. Did you know her?" Inuyasha called, as he also sheathed his fang.

"No."

With that he made his way back to the clearing.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" Jaken called, running towards him. Sesshomaru kept his pace and moved forward. He could feel a pulsating in his left temple. His heart was not rapid, but it was intense. He could almost feel it, hitting against his armour. All the while, the sick churning he felt remained constant.

He wondered why the girl looked at Inuyasha with such a face. Did she have any plans for him? Was there a threat to Inuyasha and Kagome? "Jaken, you and Ah-Un remain close to the village."

"Ah, b-b-but, Milord-"

"Do as I say." Sesshomaru stated before, taking lift with his mokomoko and gliding into the air. He would find out more about this Tsukimai. But first, he would go see if Rin was unharmed.

Several days had passed since the brothers were visited by Tsukimai. Sesshomaru had once again returned. He came with a new kimono to give to Rin, but he was actually there to check on her once more. As he bent down to give the folded fabric to her, his eyes surveyed the land around them. The same huts lined the village, across from Kaede's hut was the same plain fields. By now, Rin had grown accustomed to Sesshomaru's mannerisms. "Milord? Is something the matter?"

Sesshomaru looked down at the girl. In the three years that had gone by, Rin had matured. She learned that there was a time for work and time for play. She knew her herbs, her medicines and knew her way around a garden. Recently, she had shown him the various vegetables she had pickled on her own. This time, she showed him the calligraphy of her name she had written. Alongside her name was his, Kaede's, Sango's and Kagome's. Perhaps in time, he would need to find her a tutor so she could learn proper grammar and proper mathematics. His heart began to swell and twist again. By now, he was beginning to get used to it. There seemed to be no pattern in their occurrences

Kagome stepped out of the hut as well. "Oh, hey onii-san."

"You may address me as Sesshomaru." He hoped dropping a suffix would be satisfactory for the miko.

"That's not respectful, at all." Kagome grinned. She did not get the hint. "Can I speak with you, in private please?" She looked at Jaken and Rin. Jaken was currenty allowing himself to be provoked by the riddle Shippou had taught Rin.

Sesshomaru stepped off to the side, just a few steps from the hut. Kagome followed closely. "Hey, does Rin know about…" she paused. "…your aches?"

Though it bothered him that Kagome would call it 'aches' as if he were still a child, he did find it better than her calling it 'longing'.

"I'm going to take your silence as a 'no'."

"Rin has no business knowing."

Kagome sent him a sharp look. If she were not his brother's wife, he would strike her. "What do you mean she has no business knowing. You come here almost every week, giving her gifts and checking on her socialization and education. You're her family, of course she has business knowing."

"She is a child."

"She is a smart child. You don't think she'll figure it out?" Kagome huffed at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Besides, what if it's something serious?"

He could hear the concern coating her voice. Though he knew she meant well, he found it insulting. "Am I to suppose you can heal it?"

"No, but I heard you met someone who can."

His eyes narrowed at her. Inuyasha had told her no doubt. "You know."

"Well, yeah; Inuyasha told me once he got home."

He looked back at the hut. Rin had sat down by Ah-Un. He could see her lips moving. From the distance, he could hear her small voice telling the dragon-horse youkai all about the people in the village, her day to day chores and the many things she was learning. He felt proud of how far Rin had come. He was also proud at how quickly she had picked up on a new life. She adjusted well and got along with the village, and the young girls her age.

"She has a lot of friends her age." Kagome's voice interrupted Rin's. "Every afternoon, when she's done grinding the herbs and mixing them into medicines, and when she finishes washing the bowls and utencils, she goes to the village square."

He turned his face to look at his sister-in-law, and noticed she had a sad expression. "You seem down cast, as if this were bad."

Kagome shook her head, and smiled, a forlorn smile. "It's just… they play until dinner, when the girls' mothers come to gather to trade goods and buy things from the market, they bring the girls home for dinner. And Rin is…"

He knew what Kagome was going to say. Rin was motherless. Truth be told, Rin was also fatherless. He was not much of a father to her, as much as he was a caretaker. He would not admit it out loud, but this actually did sadden him. He could bless Rin with all the fine silks, and all the finest jewels, and give her the best education. But, he would not be able to give her, the family she wanted, the family she deserved.

"Inuyasha." Sesshomaru called to his brother, who was approaching the two of them from within the village.

"Hey, Inuyasha." Kagome said, her voice soft with affection. "How was the hunt?"

"Fine. I left the goods at home. We won't be needing rice for a while."

Sesshomaru watched the two interact, while tuning them out, and listening to Rin. He could hear her telling the dragon-horse about one of the girls, who had a talent for doll-making. Meanwhile, he watched as Inuyasha greeted Kagome with quick embrace and kiss on the forehead. He did not dream he would ever see his brother act in a sickeningly affectionate way. But still somehow, it did not bother him. Not in a way that disgusted him, at least. He could see their lips moving, talking about nothing in particular. Just cordial talk, he asked how her day was and she asked if he was tired. The odd, unsettling feeling simmered inside his thorax.

"Ne, Sesshomaru." Inuyasha called to him. "What are we gonna do about Tsukimai?"

"She doesn't sound like a threat, Inuyasha." Of course, the miko would say something so naïve.

"She is formidable." The couple looked at him. "She was able to mask her presence, only making herself known at her choosing."

Inuyasha nodded. The both of them would have detected her immediately if she was an average, run-of-the mill youkai. But something about her, something about the way she appeared before them, told him she was to be taken seriously. It did not matter that her demeanour was oddly similar to Kagome's. Actually, that made her a bit more threatening, considering the miko was one of the most powerful humans he's known, and she was still, well, Kagome.

The miko shifted her weight onto her right leg, her hands rested on her hips. "You can be formidable without being threatening."

Sesshomaru chose not to dignify her statement. "She may be around."

"Yeah, that don't help anyone though. What good is knowing she might be around, when we can't confirm it?"

"Wouldn't Sango, Mirko or myself be able to sense if she were around?"

Inuyasha tucked his hands into his sleeves, standing in his signature posture. "Nah, there's something odd about her."

"What, is she like Kanna?"

"Kinda."

"Jaken, and Ah-Un will remain close. There is something she needs from me. I shall find out her intentions." Sesshomaru went to Rin and bid his goodbye, as well as break the news to Jaken.

"I don't like this." Inuyasha grunted.

Kagome, pushed a needle through his hanjuban. "I know you don't."

"It's been five weeks."

"I know it has." She bit at the thread to cut the excess off, and tied the las bit into a knot close to her weave.

Sesshomaru stood outside Kaede's hut. He hated how this nuisance of a girl has gotten under their skin, and into their heads. For whatever reason she had chosen to not make her self known. Or perhaps she truly had left. To Sesshomaru, this was no longer just about Rin and her safety. This was also about his pride. This little youkai girl would not best him. He would find her, and he refused to fall for any of her trickery. There had been too many times in the past, where he would take easy bait and be lured away, leaving Rin defenceless. This was his reason for keeping a close proximity. The sun was setting in the west. In his lands. From inside, he could hear his brother whining, and Kagome passively agreeing with him, as she worked on repairing his inner clothes. He wondered why she tolerated him. Why she accepted his childish complaining, and went along with it.

He looked to the entrance as RIn stepped out. "Sesshomaru-sama, is something happening? Is the village in danger?"

He could see Rin did not seem afraid. Considering, a year ago she was kidnapped, and taken hostage, she looked unaffected. He had to admire this quality in her. Despite all the times she was captured, faced death (literally; three years ago), taken hostage, Rin took everything in stride. She was brave, and seemed resilient to these events, that would usually traumatize girls her age.

"No."

"No, because you're here?"

He did not answer. Was her response because, despite her maturity, she was still a child? Or because she had grown so used to him rescuing her.

"You're here a lot." They locked eyes, briefly, before she turned hers up to the sunset. "I'm not complaining. But, it is unusual. Your visits used to be twice a month, not once a week. Sesshomaru-sama, are we in danger?"

"I will protect you, Rin."

She nodded, still looking forward. "And the village?"

He nodded once.

They stood for a moment in silence. He wondered when Rin had come to appreciate the silence. In the days they travelled together, she was constantly singing, talking, anything to make some noise and keep herself entertained. The girl had grown quite a bit. She was not very tall, but she reached up to about Kagome's clavicle. Each time he came back, he was surprised by how she was growing. Kagome had to assure him, that it was fast and sudden for now, but soon would slow down. In the past few weeks, he had to keep bringing new sized kimonos to cater to her height gain. He realized Rin should be approximately eleven. Her face still held the youthful glow, but he could see her face beginning to develop and take it's womanly features. He also noted how she carried herself. She was poised and refined. Not like before when she would lean or slouch. Or perhaps, she was standing like this in his presence. In any case, he could see: Rin was, indeed, growing up.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" Rin paused for a moment. He knew from how she left his name hanging, that she was hesitating, not thinking about what to say. "Have you ever wanted a family?"

He had not found this surprising, given the conversation he and Kagome just had a month or so ago. He knew that even though Rin counted herself blessed, and counted all the things she could be grateful for, she was always longing for a family. Just moments ago, Sesshomaru had witnessed it happen. A girl had made Rin some straw dolls, with her mother. from his distance, he could see the wistful, sadness in her eye. Unfortunately he could not answer her. Given his own situation, he had not developed a great need for family. He was raised by many servants and many tutors. His mother was always there, but at a distance. She seemed to find entertainment in him, but it was not that of a mother and her son. He'd also never known love. Not the kind Kagome and Inuyasha shared. Not the kind Miroku and Sango shared. His own parents were an arranged marriage between two daiyoukai families. His birth was more of a uniting of strong genes. Between the two of them, Inuyasha was a love child. He was the child of two powerful daiyoukai. Now that he had thought about it, he never genuinely heard his mother tell him she loved him.

His mother's side was fairly involved in his childhood. At least in the sense that they always encouraged masking feelings, and holding back emotions. They discouraged over emotion and encouraged pacifism. The only time they seemed to care for passion, was when it came to the passion of ruling, power and conquest. Growing up with this frame of the world, the concept of family never seemed to be a strong value in Sesshomaru. He looked at Rin, who had lost her own family years ago. He wondered what her years with them were like. Were they ones who instilled courage, indiscriminate kindness and joy in her? Likely so. That is why Rin wore her heart on her sleeves. Perhaps, for that same reason, the Miko did the same. Inuyasha, he knew, was abandoned. His mother died, and Sesshomaru had chosen to take on his mother's indifference, and turn it to malice. The prejudice and discrimination Inuyasha endured for years made him hold back his feelings, made him feel like his feelings were invalidated, until Kagome came along. She taught him to weep, to laugh, to feel more than just anger and hate.

Sesshomaru stood quiet, giving no sign of his introspection. Rin rested her head on the wall the hut, closing her eyes slowly. The day's chores were arduous. She had done the laundry, cleaned the bowls, checked on her pickling collection, she had gone to Sango and helped her with the children, as Miroku and Inuyasha had been gone for the day. Then her play with the village girls was fun, but taxing. "It'd be nice. Having a family, again."

Sesshomaru heard her soft, sleep-induced whisper. If she had his keen hearing, she may have heard him agree.