As the sun was falling on the horizon, Nazoki went about her daily chores in the village. After changing, that is. Cooking, serving, cleaning, and most importantly entertaining. The vixen skipped around the bar, smiling at all, and refilling cups of mead. Once she found an opportunity, Nazoki slipped out of the bar. Still seething over Sesshomaru's command, and lack of tolerance, as well as understanding, Nazoki returned to her quarters. She did not have much to call her own, just a few goods, most being dresses, and a bit of jewelry. She had spent her free time making crafts, but none was necessary to keep.

The vixen tied her things in a small cloth, taking care to fold and roll her clothes. Undeniable annoyance took her, growing every time she thought of Sesshomaru. For him to initiate something like that, then felt that he could order her around once they finished... Huffing in frustration, Nazoki grabbed her bowl of saved coins, and left the inn. She offered the tailor her pay for Rin's kimono, and kept the remaining total in case she would need it in the future. Without offering a single warning, Nazoki left. It would be easier that way, as any men would probably propose and try to make her stay. The woman would undoubtedly throw a party; considering it their victory. Children would cry, and guilt Nazoki into staying until they grew old and died; it was much easier to disappear.

Still in her human disguise, the vixen started in the direction of Sesshomaru's scent. She could tell that the group was nearby; probably waiting for her. Orange light tinted the sky a million different shades, signaling the sunset. While the village appeared to be a dingy wooden structure from afar, the contents of it made it worth the stay. Behind the blanket of forest to her right, Nazoki could hear the river rushing. She would not be able to play with the nymphs today, but they would understand. Most likely, she could send a double of herself to explain to them, and they would play with its hair and send it off. It would relay their cheerful banter and farewells to her, and she could rest easy, knowing they were not worried.

When Nazoki venture into the forest, the scent of foliage and water was tainted with that of sweat; blood. Of course, it did not make her nervous, the smell was obviously humans, which were easy to defeat. Lush grass crumpled under the vixen's toes, and she wondered if she should have worn her boots. She had opted to pack them, and had not thought to put them on before she left the village. Before she could reach a conclusion, metal sounded. Barely surprised, Nazoki paused. As she turned to peer over her shoulder, footsteps rushed around her and she found herself circled by bandits. Two held swords, and the others seemed to have short daggers, and bows. In total, there were ten, all dressed in similar, dirty sets of armor, and working clothes.

Farm hands gone bad? Nazoki's surprise passed as quickly as it had come, and the vixen calmly turned to face the men pointing swords at her. Annoyance sparked within the woman, at the thought of this being Sesshomaru's fault; for commanding her to return. Of course, nothing bad would happen. A human, no matter how many, stood no chance against her. The men all wore wide smirks, as if they had hit the jackpot after a long night of gambling in a tavern.

"What's a pretty lady doing in the forest all alone?" The first to speak was one of the swordsmen. He was obviously establishing himself at the leader. The threatening tone he used raised Nazoki's eyebrow, as she waited to hear their little speech, or intended warnings.
"It's not proper for a wench to walk around at night. Especially not in that strange dress." Another commented, and Nazoki stared at them; unfazed. Maybe her dress was a touch strange, but what could she say? Nymphs had odd taste. They loved to dress her up, and once she change her hair to dark brown, they gave her an abundance of clothes. After her encounter with Sesshomaru, Nazoki had changed into a dark blue gown. It was thin and simple, with a small slit to her thigh for easy movement.

It was possible that the vixen looked far too innocent and weak in the form of a human. Short nails, no ears... But when she saw her reflection, she thought it was pretty.

"Looks like this one is too scared boys, let's wrap it up." One man stated, yet Nazoki didn't feel like turning to see him.
"Yeah, come with us, little lady, and maybe, if you're good, we'll let you live." Another added, and Nazoki rolled her eyes.

"What exactly do you seek? Surely, you plan more than to rob me." Though she didn't intend to, Nazoki sounded annoyed, and condescending. It took all she had not to cross her arms, and stare at the bunch as if they were the funniest, most ridiculous creatures to walk the planet.

"Oh, you'll see. You're gonna respect us when-"
Tired of the long, dragged out conversation, Nazoki smirked. She extended a single hand, and the men stared in awe as a flame sparked in her palm. In a matter of seconds, she was cracking her whip to the ground. Humans, they just don't know when to give up. Originally, she expected them to yell "Demon" and run. Apparently, they were too stupid to do so, and instead, called her a witch. Sighing, Nazoki twirled at a speed they could not keep up with, and struck every man. Any who did not fall got a whip to the face, as Nazoki's rage boiled over. It was just frustration. Sesshomaru had made her that angry. She even wondered why she was listening to him.

Cries of surprise escaped the men as Nazoki hovered a foot above the ground. Black flames consumed her hair, causing the dark locks to writhe around her in fiery tendrils. Just as she was about to roast the men (because they would clearly continue to be bandits, even after she scared the life out of them) she was interrupted. A dark figure leapt from the trees, and slashed through the throats of the men on the ground with a single burst of energy. Utterly amazed and surprised, Nazoki's flames died down. She stared on, as what turned out to be a woman walked to her side.

The woman was dressed in a black robe, with a hood pulled over her head. When she gazed at Nazoki, the vixen found that her eyes were completely white, and seemed to glow where her iris should be. Long silky black hair hung to the woman's waist, appearing to be effortlessly beautiful. Blood red lips contrasted her pale skin, and twisted into a smirk as she stopped in front of Nazoki.

Still suspended in the air, Nazoki gazed down at the woman; completely dumbfounded. She didn't know what to think of her, and wondered why she interrupted. On top of that, when Nazoki thought to "roast" the men, she wasn't really going to do it. They were still humans; weak ones at that. The woman stared up at Nazoki, seeming to silently search her soul for something. Confused, Nazoki floated to the side. The woman's dead eyes followed her, indicating that she could indeed see.

"Why did you interfere?" The vixen finally asked, and the woman's smirk widened.
"You needed me to."
"Huh?" Frowning in confusion, Nazoki tried to make sense of the words, and the dark tone which held them.
"I will escort you." The woman stated, not bothering to ask if that was necessary. Without another word, the woman started in the direction Nazoki had been headed. Still frowning, Nazoki dropped to the ground, and followed behind her.
"Wha- Who are you? I need no escort. I am perfectly capable of fending for myself!" Tightening her grasp on her whip, Nazoki ignored the weapon as it burst into a flame, and seeped into her hand. The woman ignored her for the most part, and continued walking.

Thoroughly annoyed by the righteous, pompous woman who was walking in front of her as if she was a child, Nazoki moved ahead to block the woman.
"Listen, I appreciate your help, but my group is a short distance away. I can fend for myself." The vixen repeated, trying not to sound angry with the woman. For some reason her annoyance had been furthered. Especially when the woman passed her, stating "come on, pup".

How dare she? Who did she think she was? Nazoki was almost three centuries old! In the past she had stated that she was over two hundred to Jaken, to point out that she was no longer a child, but this was preposterous! Sesshomaru was closer, and Nazoki assumed it was because he felt her heart beat through the ring. In a matter of seconds, the lord stood in front of Nazoki, between her and the woman. But he paid the woman no mind. He was facing Nazoki staring straight down at her. Though she was surprised, the vixen stopped herself from backing away mid-step. The lord's golden eyes held an obvious question, which Nazoki did not know the answer to. Who the heck was that woman?

Breaking the eye contact, Nazoki placed her hands together.
"Forgive me, M'lord, I did not mean to call you..."
"Call?" He asked, and Nazoki nodded. She motioned to the ring on his hand, and he mirrored her nod in understanding. The reason he had come to her was because it overheated, and started to pulse more quickly than usual. He had not known that it was her calling him; if anything, he figured that it probably had to do with her, so he came.

The woman was standing behind him, watching the pair. After a short second, she approached the man, and bowed. Not a regular, respectful bow, though. She knelt before him, and lowered her head as if she was reporting back to him. Sesshomaru turned to face her, a slight frown playing on his features.

"Lord, forgive me for the untimely encounter. As I was on my way to find you, I saw this pup in danger. I felt obligated to assist her, as she was not in the position to defend herself."

Nazoki's jaw immediately dropped and she frowned at the woman. Sesshomaru's ring pulsed, and he glanced at the vixen over his shoulder. The blank expression he held convinced Nazoki that he believed this random woman's word.

"I beg your pardon! I was doing-"
"I am Hitomi; come to serve you in any way you deem fit." The woman peered up at Sesshomaru, and Nazoki silently seethed over her strong, yet delicate features. A small chain hung from her hair, holding a silver crescent on her forehead, which only furthered Nazoki's foul mood. First Sesshomaru and now this. Another reason to be angry was not necessary at the moment, but that was exactly what she had.

Jealously tinged within the vixen at the words "in any way". What did she mean? To serve Sesshomaru in any way? That did not sound like anything Nazoki wanted this woman to do. All Nazoki wished for was that this woman jumped off of a cliff, possibly into the jagged rocks below. Extra points if she could manage to impale herself, or land on her head.

"That is not necessary." The lord spoke in his usual calm tone. The smoldering tone that Nazoki didn't want this "Hitomi" woman to hear. When the woman's lips curled into a smirk, Nazoki pressed herself into Sesshomaru's back. He turned to frown at her over his shoulder, as if asking why she felt the need to be all over him. Well, little did he know, Nazoki was contemplating turning into a fox and walking around his legs until his scent was completely masked with her own.

"Ah, but my lord, are you entirely sure of that? Do you not seek powerful artifacts?" Hitomi asked, and Nazoki tightened her grasp on Sesshomaru's haori. He was still staring at the vixen, clearly not understanding. The man slowly turned to gaze at Hitomi, before raising an eyebrow.
"Explain yourself." He commanded, and she nodded.
"But of course... Have you heard of the Shadow Bow?"
Sesshomaru slightly nodded, and Nazoki continued to scowl at the woman, peeking over the lord's shoulder. Because he was taller than her, she slightly raised herself from the ground; barely floating a few inches higher than she stood.

"I have the string. The rest is lost, and must be found to put together."
Sesshomaru continued to blankly stare at Hitomi, waiting for her point. When she did not continue, the lord grew somewhat impatient.
"That is of no concern to this one." The lord stated, and Nazoki peered at him. From the side, she studied the maroon stripes of his cheeks, and her lips curled into a smirk.

"Do you not know that the Shadow Bow is capable of shrouding the entire land in darkness? Surely, only you could control it." Hitomi reasoned, and Nazoki's scowl reappeared. Sesshomaru coldly stared down at the woman.
"Hn."

Convinced that the interaction as over, Nazoki tightened her hands on the man's haori. He glanced at her, and Hitomi continued.
"Another from my clan seeks the bow. It will surely be pieced together, and I may be slain in the process. I humbly request your protection, as well as aid, my lord. If the bow is indeed found, you may do as you please with it."

That last line seemed to catch Sesshomaru's attention. Seconds passed, and the man nodded.
"Hn."

With that, he started away, only to turn to peer at Nazoki who was still clutching his haori. She seemed to have forgotten her irritation towards him. Instead, the vixen was focused on Hitomi. The woman was raising to her feet, watching Sesshomaru and Nazoki. Seeing that the lord appeared to be annoyed with her hovering behind him like a child, Nazoki backed away and allowed him to continue towards the camp. So he was still upset with her; great. Hitomi passed Nazoki, walking behind Sesshomaru.

The vixen dropped her human disguise, allowing her ears and tail to be seen. Crimson leaked into her falsely dark hair, as her nails and fangs elongated. As Nazoki looked on in confusion, Hitomi stopped and turned to her.
"Come on pup. You wouldn't want to get left behind in the dark." The woman turned back around and continued behind Sesshomaru, whom was still walking away.
Tightening her jaw, Nazoki balled her hands in to fists. Irritation welled within the vixen, and she suppressed the urge to huff at Hitomi. Though she had been upset with Sesshomaru, she had been excited to return. Now this mystery woman came from who knows where, looking to join Sesshomaru's group. The lord glanced back at Nazoki, commanding her to follow with his eyes. Sighing the vixen obliged. This didn't look like it was going in the right direction.

A/N: Hi all, so it took a while to update, but I tried not to take too long. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! What do you think is going to happen? Who do you think the new, mysterious woman (who seems to be trying to make Nazoki look bad) is? So many questions! lol

Thank you for all your reviews, they make me smile, and remember, even if you don't have an account, you can still comment.Until next time, take care :)