Behind Enemy Lines

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Chapter 12: Seed of Doubt

Sesshomaru watched as she drifted through the day. It was unusual to see the cat so withdrawn. She normally had enough spark to scare off the others but this past week had been hard on her.

He'd seen the way she'd been treated but she hadn't fought back. For some odd reason he didn't like that thought.

Really he didn't know much about her. Of course he knew she was a Keeper and a trained fighter but what else did he know? Curiously he didn't even know what kind of cat she was.

Black hair was common and so were blue eyes in a white tiger or a leopard but she had none of the traits. She was long and elegant, taking her time. A tiger was usually stronger and bigger muscled while a leopard was often lazy. None of that portrayed her in the least.

Her secrets were just that; hers. He had never seen her in any group together so she couldn't have been a lioness. There were so many to choose from yet none fit her at all.

As they sat in the den he watched her as she did her homework at the dinner table. He was well aware she had been overloaded and was still working hard even after the rest of them had finished.

She was almost as studious as he was. His ears pricked when he heard the sound of her pencil hitting the table and her head lowering. Her breathing was slowed and he knew without a doubt her eyes were now closed.

With a sigh he closed his book and stood making his way over to the table and standing over her. He smirked slightly at her. She looked almost peaceful as she slept.

He leaned down and carefully slipped his arm beneath her legs and behind her back, cradling her against his chest and lifting her from the chair and carrying her toward the guest room. For once he was glad his idiot of a brother and his friends weren't home or he would never live this down.

He walked inside her room and laid her out on the bed, taking the time to pull the covers up to keep out the chill. Why exactly, he wasn't sure.

He was silent as he left her then made his way back into the dining room to look over what she had not finished. It seemed she had the most to do in history and grimaced. Professor Hiroki was one of the hardest teachers in the school and he was an inu-youkai to boot.

He probably hated the cat the most. With a growl he picked up the work and filed it away making a mental note to speak to the old man tomorrow; discreetly of course. He didn't need anyone thinking he actually cared for the wench. He needed her well enough when the council finally made up their minds about what they wanted to do.

He wondered how long they would wait to act.

Sesshomaru moved back to his couch and reopened his book. He sighed quietly as his mind refused to focus on the book and constantly went over the feline in the other room. Why was helping her? She'd stolen from him, she was his prisoner. Furthermore she hated his guts.

Then why would he care at all for her well being? At the moment he wasn't sure but he knew he had to find some way to stop it. It just wasn't healthy.