Two days time finds us once again at Totosai's skull. Inuyasha's group has left, leaving the old man free to service Lord Sesshomaru's sword. Totosai appears from inside the gaping maw, wiping his sooty hands on his haori.
"Sesshomaru. While I can't say it's a pleasure to see you, I can say it's been a while. Is something wrong with Tenseiga?"
Lord Sesshomaru shakes his head and pulls Tokijin from his belt, sheath included, and tosses the sword rather roughly to the ground at Totosai's withered feet.
"I need repairs done on Tokijin." The authority in his voice is hard to dismiss, but Totosai manages to do so with one clean shake of his head.
"Nope. No can do. Sorry, Sesshomaru." Totosai backs up wisely, springing onto his cow with more agility than I ever thought possible. From atop A-unn, I wait for Lord Sesshomaru's reply with a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. Saying 'no' to Lord Sesshomaru wasn't wise… even I knew that.
"You mean to say you will not repair my sword?" Lord Sesshomaru's voice has gone deadly, and he cracks his knuckles in an attempt to instill fear into the old man. Maybe it's the look of hatred Lord Sesshomaru is bathing Totosai in or the way his claws glowed green, but Totosai's resolve abruptly changes.
"What I mean to say is... uh, since it is not one of the fang, I will be of no use to you!" Totosai crosses his arms and seemed pleased with his answer.
Lord Sesshomaru, however, does not.
"One of the fang?" Lord Sesshomaru echoes. "I care not. You will fix my sword or you will pay the price with your life." Beads of sweat shimmer on the old man's brow as he mulls over Lord Sesshomaru's furious expression and the danger in his words. I gulp.
"Are you prepared to die, old man?"
"Well, I, uh, I don't suppose so," Totosai rubs his head quizzically. "And besides! Even if I wanted to repair your sword, I could not! I didn't not forge the blade, and therefore, I will be of no use to you!" Totosai repeats himself, as if he thinks reiterating his previous excuse will lessen the fury in Lord Sesshomaru's eyes. "Tokijin was forged by Kaijinbo, don't you remember!"
Lord Sesshomaru leans forward and leaps at Totosai, claws brandished, a snarl dominating his features. Totosai slams his heels into the sides of his three-eyed cow, and the creature rises into the air quickly, out of danger. The elderly man inhales more air than I could imagine and exhales quickly, blowing scorching flames at the daiyoukai. Lord Sesshomaru leaps backwards, managing to evade the flames and return to the spot he had been in before, unharmed.
"Now let's not be hasty, here! I think there might be something I can do," Totosai dismounts his cow and toddles on bowed legs to where Lord Sesshomaru had discarded his cracked sword, picking it up with gnarled hands. He slides the blade out of the sheath and examines it with a critical eye for several minutes.
I can tell Lord Sesshomaru is getting impatient. The look on his face screams the fact that he'd love nothing more than to end Totosai's life right then and there.
"Ahh, yes. Seeing as how Tokijin was forged right here in my smith, I do believe I will be able to repair your sword, Lord Sesshomaru!" Totosai slides the sword under his arm and beams, proud of himself for keeping his head – literally.
"Fine. I will return for my Tokijin in three day's time. Know that failure to produce my sword to me in excellent condition will result in your death, old man. Your blood will be the first my re-forged blade tastes." Lord Sesshomaru's ruff swells underneath him and lifts him into the air.
I am about to hasten A-unn after him when I notice something leaning against the side of Totosai's home. The old man has since gone back inside to begin work on Lord Sesshomaru's sword, so there is no one but Master Jaken and I around.
"Ai? What are you doing, child?" Jaken queries as I slide off A-unn's back and run to fetch what I see now is a bow and quiver of arrows.
The bow is finely made, carved from the finest mahogany oak, and seemingly well-used. The arrows inside the quiver are tipped with white swan feathers – a real luxury. I rush back to Master Jaken and urge A-unn into the air once I'm seated, trusting the dragon to follow Lord Sesshomaru's scent, for he has all but vanished from sight.
"Look at this, Master Jaken," I turn around and present the bow to him for his examination. He takes it in his small hands and strokes the polished wood.
"What a fine bow," he agrees. When Jaken turns the bow to the side, I can make out something carved into the side.
"What's that say?" I ask, pointing out the writing.
"Oh! It says 'Kagome'," he observes, running his finger along the kanji inscribed there.
"This is Kagome's bow?" I wonder, pulling the quiver into my lap. Sure enough, that same name is carved in identical kanji along the side. "I must return it to her!" I exclaim excitedly. "Perhaps this will give me a chance to get to know the young miko better. She seemed awfully friendly when we encountered her a few days ago!"
Master Jaken snorts. "She is, yes, but you've got to get past that thickheaded Inuyasha first!" Jaken chortles at his own joke and I snatch back the bow rudely, suddenly offended.
"It's not funny!" I exclaim, hitting him over the head with the end of the bow.
A-unn begins to descend suddenly, and I can make out Lord Sesshomaru's figure standing along the shore of a small, cerulean blue lake. I jump from his saddle immediately, managing to push Jaken down as well and snicker to myself when he faceplants into the grass.
"Next time," Lord Sesshomaru begins, turning around. "I expect you to keep up." His voice has a hard edge to it. Guilt shames me, but it's a momentary thing.
"Lord Sesshomaru, look at what I found!" I grab the bow and quiver and present it to him. His hard eyes look over the weapons, only, I think, to appease me.
"Those belong to Kagome, do they not?" I nod curtly. "Do you intend to return them to her?"
"I had hoped so," I tell him eagerly. "She'll be happy to get them back." I hug the bow and quiver to my body, feeling as though these items are precious. It instantly reminds me of my lacquered comb, and my heart aches for it.
"Do as you see fit, Ai," Lord Sesshomaru replies. "I believe Inuyasha's group is somewhere in these woods. I wouldn't be surprised if they show up here at the lake soon." Lord Sesshomaru looks out at the shimmering water for a long moment, and when his gaze returns to me, his eyes have finally softened some.
I feel a nervous flutter in my stomach and resist the urge to look away. Instead, I smile, crinkling my eyes with the greatness of it, and finally look down, taking an attempt at being coy. My attempt seems to have worked, for when I look back up, Lord Sesshomaru's face has pinkened and his gaze is soft enough to melt butter.
"Come, Ai, take a walk with me," Lord Sesshomaru suggests. The hope in his voice is strongly disguised as indifference, but I know it would mean everything for me to go with him. And, of course, I will deny him no request.
"Right away." I shove the bow and quiver into Jaken's reluctant arms and follow Lord Sesshomaru into the forest, my heart pounding against my ribcage. I follow close behind Lord Sesshomaru, keeping my eyes on his mokomoko and telling myself not to run away. As strong as my feelings for Lord Sesshomaru are, he still is a very powerful daiyoukai with a known dislike for humans. I wonder what his interest, if any, is in me.
"The forest is always so beautiful," I break the uncertain silence. A path opens up and I take a few steps ahead of him, reaching out and plucking a flower from the ground, tucking it behind my ear.
"Very," he agrees. When I look to him, I notice he isn't looking at the trees or the flowers. He's looking directly at me.
I feel my heart quicken and my pulse thuds in my ears, so instead of letting him know how nervous I am, I smile.
We walk for a few more minutes, chatting idly. Well, more like I'm doing the talking, and he's listening. A clearing surrounding a giant tree opens in front of us, suddenly, taking me off guard. This tree is incredible; the trunk is swathed in emerald moss and thick vines, wrapping it all the way up until it disappears into the cover of the leafy canopy. Roots protrude from the ground and extend out, almost until half the clearing is filled with them.
"Wow," I breathe in awe, continuing forward until I'm close enough to touch the trunk. The moss feels springy and soft to the touch. I peel away a tiny piece to reveal the black trunk underneath, darkened by a lack of sun and the thin layer of soil that somehow covers it. A pill bug scuttles across the exposed surface, its gray accordion shell shining in the sun.
"This is one of the Trees of Ages," Lord Sesshomaru comes up behind me and lays his hand flat on the trunk, closing his eyes. It's almost as if he and the tree have old history.
"Tree of Ages?" I echo uncertainly. He nods once.
"The oldest trees ever come across," he explains. His silky baritone voice sends shivers down my spine, and perhaps he knows it, for he opens his eyes and watches me gently. Nerves tingle through my arms and I resist the urge to reach out and touch him, knowing it would be too much. His wild eyes see my fingers twitch, and the tiniest of all smiles crosses his face. I blush, embarrassed, and face the tree instead.
A single vine hangs down from the canopy, close to the trunk, and I reach out to grab it. It feels like a rope in my hand, albeit a natural rope, so I tug on it as if I were ringing a bell. Shiny leaves rain down on us from above, sparking my laughter as I cover my head and try to catch the leaves. Lord Sesshomaru watches with impassive eyes, but underneath it all, I can tell he's amused.
A sudden thought strikes me, and I realize I've never heard his laugh before.
I balance on one of the roots, mulling that thought over.
"Shall we sit?" Lord Sesshomaru suggests, gesturing to the ground with a short movement. I smile and agree, finding a large enough root to sit on easily. Lord Sesshomaru perches upon it and leans back, resting against the trunk, closing his eyes. I stretch out on the ground in front of him, extending my legs and arms until I've stretched all the laziness from my muscles.
Lord Sesshomaru watches with barely contained interest. His mokomoko trails on the ground in front of him, so I scoot closer and grab it, pulling it in my lap.
"What is this thing, anyway?" I ask. "Is it like a tail?"
Lord Sesshomaru manages to suppress a smirk before he answers.
"Something like that," he answers. I grin and laugh, lifting his mokomoko to my face and brushing the soft fur across my cheek.
"Can you feel that?" I stroke the creamy white fur and bury my fingers inside it.
"Yes." Lord Sesshomaru closes his eyes, as if he's enjoying the attention.
"Can I ask you something?" I say suddenly, remembering something from when we were facing Inuyasha. Lord Sesshomaru's eyes open and he searches mine with hesitation.
"I suppose," he agrees. I smile broadly, amused at what I have planned to ask.
"Do you have dog ears like Inuyasha?"
Lord Sesshomaru gapes at me, as though I've just sprouted deer antlers. I erupt into laughter and fall backwards, clutching my sides. It wasn't my question I found so hilarious… it was the ensuing reaction.
"Not hardly," Lord Sesshomaru replies, pushing back his hair to reveal ears that resemble mine, save the pointed tip, of course.
I clamor to my feet and kneel on the root he perches on, resting on hand on his shoulder and reaching out hesitantly to his exposed ear. When he makes no move to stop me, I touch my finger to the very point of his ear.
A slight shudder runs through his body at my touch. It is so small I barely see it, and it is only the quivering of his ear that alerts me to the reaction. A new idea forms inside my mind.
I trail my fingertips gingerly along the stripes under his eye, watching with satisfaction as Lord Sesshomaru sighs and closes his eyes, allowing this intimate contact. I am, after all, touching the face of the powerful and well-known Lord Sesshomaru.
Slowly, very slowly, I left one leg and slide into Lord Sesshomaru's lap, keeping my gaze fixed on his face when I straddle him, keeping my weight off his lap, just in case. His eyes open briefly and I freeze, but when he closes them again, I know it's all right. Besides, I know he wants this.
I reach up and brush the hair off his forehead, revealing the blue crescent moon inked there. The marking stares brightly back at me, so I trace the outline with my finger before placing both my hands on either side of his face and simultaneously tracing the magenta stripes with my thumbs.
Then, before I can lose my nerve, I lean in and press my mouth to his.