Chapter 10

"Rule number one." She said, looking him in the eye. "Watch your mouth." She heard Shippo giggle in the background. "As Shippo will tell you, that is one of my biggest pet-peeves. Like I said earlier, you are not a lowly bandit that will disrespect everyone. I'm sure you were raised better then that. I didn't tolerate my husband speaking that way, I don't allow Shippo to, so what makes you think I will allow you too?" He said nothing as he cradled his cheek. "If looks could kill." She thought.

"Rule number two. You will pull your own weight. Shippo and I both hunt, prepare the meat, gather herbs, build shelters and fight. You will do this as well. If you don't know how, ask. That is the game your father is playing." Her look softened. "He only wants you to see how great he knows you can be." She listened to him give a disbelieving snort. "Maybe you will be even greater then him someday." She looked at him as he suddenly found the dirt at his feet interesting. "Rule number three." She continued. "As you have seen, and I'm sure Sesshoumaru has told you, you can not attack us. You also will not be able to distance yourself too far from either of us. Your title was given to you at birth and, much to your disservice, you were coddled because of it." Ah, there is the glare again. "You now no longer have the title or the coddling. You are simply Takeshi. You will be treated with the same respect you give and you will learn how to win an argument without killing someone. Just because someone doesn't agree with you or does something you dislike doesn't mean they must die." they all stood there for another breath before she clapped her hands. "Well, that's enough deep discussion for now." She began to put out the fire and picked up her own pack as Shippo picked up his. "First we will head to a nearby village to trade for some things we need. Then we will head off to the various villages so you can begin to balance your karma back out." She smiled at the young boy's pout.

The trip to the closest village was rather uneventful. She had them hunt for their supper, and though Takeshi went out into the woods, Shippo told her he stood around most of the time. He didn't eat for the first week of the trip, despite his whining, pouting and growling about not being able to catch anything. Kagome silently figured that Saburo did most, if not all their hunting. She saw the pride that crossed his face when he brought back a rabbit one night after finally taking the hint that she and Shippo weren't going to share their kills. She showed him the correct way to prepare it while not destroying the fur and he made his own meal for the first time.

Both boys sulked while she went in to the next village and traded for what she needed. The local priestess was only too happy to give her enough beads for the necklace she had to make for Takeshi. She wanted to trust the boy, but she realized she was too much like Inuyasha when they first met. She hoped he wouldn't make her use them... too much, anyway.

When she was done, she went back to the woods to find the boys arguing and preparing to lunge at one another. "What is going on?" She shouted, gaining their attention.

"He's trying to get me to take the anklet off Kagome." Shippo accused. "Said if we worked together, he would make sure I'd be rewarded. Said he knew where his family's riches were hid. As if I'd do something so low." He turned to Takeshi, "Idiot."

Kagome looked at Takeshi and sighed. "Is this true?" She asked, though she was sure she knew the answer.

Takeshi crossed his arms while throwing his nose into the air and turned from her. "When I am Lord of the West, you will fall at my feet fox. You had the chance to help. Now you've lost it... you sick little momma's boy... oh, wait, guess you can't be that, if you haven't got one." he sneered.

Kagome grabbed Shippo by the shoulder before he could pounce on the mouthy demon. "I thought you didn't care for your title." She stated, ignoring the mamma comment. He looked over to her with disgust.

"I don't, but either way, it's mine." He said, "I will be Lord of the West and you will still be sad, pitiful pieces of shit to clean off my boot."

"I don't feel so bad about this now. Not if you are going to be this childish." She said, and she raised her hands in front of her as she began a prayer. Suddenly beads floated out of the pouch at her side. Takeshi's eyes widened as they flew towards him and circled his neck.

"Sit!" She yelled and the boy was drug to the ground by said beads.

Shippo was rolling on the ground with laughter as a single tear escaped Kagome's eye. The scene was all to familiar to her.

"What the hell is this?" The boy yelled as he sat up. "Get it off wench! How dare you! Lord Sesshoumaru will kill you for this insult!" Another 'sit' and he shut up for the moment.

"This was Lord Sesshoumaru's idea. It was the same type of beads that his brother wore, so he's very familiar with the insult. If you attempt to attack someone without cause or do something that I deem dangerous, I only need to say that word and you will be kissing the ground. And Shippo can't remove them, so don't even try to get him to." She sat on the ground in front of him. "Now Takeshi, I know you've had your life change drastically over the last year, but you will have to accept things as they are now." She said with an air of calm. "You will not be Lord of anything if your father doesn't give his approval... that means you will have to work for the title, it's not yours by birthright any longer." Takeshi's eyes widened when he realized what she was saying. It was finally sinking in that he wasn't Prince of the West. That it had been taken away, like everything else in his life had. Kagome rather doubted that Sesshoumaru wouldn't hand over the West to him, but she didn't want him to keep thinking of his title as a way out. "Also, if you know where your families riches are hid, you should tell Sesshoumaru so he can retrieve them. You want to make sure they are protected, don't you?"

Takeshi mumbled. "What?" Kagome asked.

"I don't know for sure. I just want the anklet off." He admitted.

"Well, that's what I thought, but you should still mention it's possible location to your father, so he can look into it himself. I'm sure he's in that general area while he's looking into your family's assassination."

Takeshi's eyes grew a bit wide. "I wasn't aware Lord Sesshoumaru was looking for the killers." He said.

"Takeshi, he is your Lord, yes, but he is also your father and was Mi's mate. I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess he wasn't around a lot." She stated.

"I had only met Lord Sesshoumaru once when he visited about 3 years ago. I was told he was there after my birth to name me, but I have not seen him any other time." He shook his head.

"Wow Sesshoumaru..." She running her hand over her head. She had suspected as much, but was hoping they'd had a little more interaction. "Well, you will be happy to know that he will be finding us every few weeks so you can begin your weapons training under him." She stood and loaded Ah-Un with her packages.

"I thought it was a few more summers before that." He said.

"Under normal circumstances, yes, but yours is hardly normal. He will begin the training early, you will be able to show him the kind of person you are becoming." And with that they were on the road to the next stop.