Chapter 14: Ignorance

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14

Ignorance

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Morning chores were always fun. But today, the heat was unbearable. So much that even she was looking at the scattered sheets with laziness.

"Mom," Shippo began as courageous as always, "could we leave them like this only today?" At his side, Rin nodded euphorically.

Kagome had the need to resist temptation today. "I don't think we can," she began softly, "what if tomorrow is hot as well?"

Both young-lings sighed and dropped their shoulders, but joined to help anyways.

"Kagome-sama," interrupted Rin softly, but it was not a bad thing, her voice was always a welcome distraction, "can we bathe afterward?"

A small smile appeared in Kagome's lips. "Of course," she replied as she finished rolling her sleeping bag, "We can take Ah-Un since Sesshomaru said he needed to go to his house for something."

"Sesshomaru-sama has a home?" asked Rin with big wide eyes, "Is that where he has gone to?"

Kagome watched the girl with a smile. Rin was so easily distracted, but at the same time, it was endearing. Rin had stopped helping because of the internal debate she had.

"Rin!" whined Shippo, "Come bring me the sheet; we are almost finished with the folding." Rin squeaked and did as Shippo asked. She took Shippo's half of the sheet and doubled it, then Shippo once again took the other end and repeated the process.

"I imagine he has a home, after all, he is a powerful demon," Kagome commented while she took out the utensils to make breakfast, "but I have never visited."

"Me neither," Rin said happily, the curiosity building in the little girl, "Maybe his house is very big."

"Impossible," murmured Shippo, but all of them heard him, "his house must be a castle."

Both females grinned: a castle. It would be so nice to visit. And then their eyes met and they all voiced at the same time, "Maybe we should visit."

"Visit Sesshomaru?" asked Kagome with a knowing smile.

Both nodded.

"But, he will be here with us. How could we visit him home if he's here?"

Both shoulders fell, but Rin added bravely, "But, can we ask Sesshomaru-sama to take us to his house?"

"Well, maybe, but imagine, it would be infested with demons," warned Kagome.

"I am not afraid of them; I am a demon too," replied a proud Shippo, but soon a glare from Rin stopped him.

"Rin is not afraid. Sesshomaru-sama will protect Rin," but deep down, the girl was afraid of a single kind of demon: the wolves.

"Very well, I will tell him, but didn't you say you wanted a swim?" asked Kagome with a big smile.

Shippo was the very first one to run to the lake, but seconds later, Rin reacted and started to follow as well. Kagome shook her head at the kid's eagerness and promptly followed as well.

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"Rin doesn't know how to swim," explained the little girl when Shippo prompted her to join him in the deeper waters.

Kagome smiled reassuringly. It had been a while since Rin referred to herself in third person and Kagome was starting to guess she only did so when she felt uncomfortable. "I can teach you, if you wish."

"Really?" asked the girl willingly, "Rin would like that very much!"

It was only a moment before beginning her lessons that Kagome felt a nagging in the back part of her brain. Her golden eyes roamed over the dark green tress with apprehension, but her gaze could find nothing. Still, the feeling didn't subside. Her skin was now crawling, but she remained unaware of the reason. Movement at her side caught her attention and her nerves became more erratic as her gaze landed on a fidgety Ah-Un.

"Is there something wrong, Kagome-sama?" asked Rin when she noticed Kagome's distracted gaze.

Kagome eyed Rin with concern, "I don't know," she confessed and once again inspected the area, but she couldn't pinpoint a location. "Ah-Un, protect the children."

The dragon breathed his affirmative and began to move closer.

"Momma, where are you going?" asked Shippo, swimming his way out of the small lake.

"I'm not sure, but something tells me to go that way," Kagome vaguely explained, but when her eyes landed on Shippo and his stubborn eyes she continued, "Shippo, I need you to take care of your new sister."

She hated the look of shock in Shippo and the realization that Rin indeed was his sister. He silently conceded, his kind heart wouldn't allow him to leave Rin, his sister, unprotected.

"I will be back soon," promised Kagome and began to walk away.

Rin darted to her and caught the blue hem of Kagome's kimono, the blue that was identical to her's, "Take care." After that the small brown haired girl raced to Ah-Un and expertly climbed up and then ushered Shippo to follow.

After she was certain they were safe, she followed her new instincts.

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There was a strange spell taking over Sesshomaru. It was a magical spell that had the sole goal of making him impatient, or at least, that was what it was accomplishing.

Three days had passed since he departed from his pack to check matters in the West. There was no reason to remain now since he had informed his subordinates about his future plans. He had also informed the elders of his new mate. No one had said anything averse, but no one had congratulated him either. However, he, Sesshomaru was in no need for such useless reassurances. He was always right. Mating the miko had been the correct decision.

Then again, the matter of the invasive spell came back to him. It was not the same insistent tugging his beast forced on him when there was danger. Something, subtly, told him it resembled it somehow, but he wasn't sure.

A strong and disturbing scent hit him squarely in his nose. The scent of his half-brother turned demon. His demonic speed took over his still confused body and pushed him forward. The feeling of wrongness, or better described as the strange spell, was now turning to be very easy to understand. His pack was in danger.

Adrenaline was singing in his blood and his senses were turning eagle eyed with desperation. The forest was a drunken blur as he passed by green and dried trees. The birds hitched their voice out of surprise and the rabbits barely had time to jump out of the way: that was the energy he was putting in this single task.

After a few minutes of scouting, he could not detect the hanyou's presence. Still, his lingering presence was enough to make him wary. What had the hanyou come to find? Was he not happily mated?

A threatening growl escaped the Taiyoukai, a growl that would scare minor demons and would also draw foolish power-hungry demons towards him. If Inu-Yasha was around, he would most definitely come.

A few moments passed, but no being responded to his territorial growl so he departed and continued to search for minor disturbances.

As he walked down the forest, he could not stop the feeling of distrust that hit him. Had the half-breed returned to collect the miko? Had she willingly left his side? Had she abandoned the pups? Was she going to return to the half-breed in order to defeat Naraku? Was this one of Naraku's schemes?

The miko was now his, she was his mate. Her new station limited the free spirit she had always seemed to relinquish on. She was now the Lady of the West, and even when her current job consisted out of the rightful land, it was still her post to convoy with him in the scouting of the lands.

As he stopped in front of a river, he realized that he had been walking distractedly. He unknowingly walked towards the river, but he, Sesshomaru, had always trusted his instincts. The question now was… why was he here?

Golden eyes sharpened around the river for his nose was always weakened by the flowing waters. It was silent, eerie silent he noticed. Curious about this fact the Taiyoukai moved deeper into the river, until a hurting whine permeated the area.

His wild gaze moved from one side to the other in search of the pained animal, but as soon as his eyes focused on the being, his lungs turned hard-cold. He moved at blindly speed to the bleeding miko curled in between a pair of boulders.

As soon as the small miko felt his presence, another whine escaped her closed lips before a puff of air escaped her mouth. His arms clamped over her protectively and his nose immediately went to her neck and he sniffed her mating mark. Reassurance washed over him as soon as he detected no life risk in his mate.

"You will rest," Sesshomaru ordered the pale miko. His eyes roamed over her long scratches and her bruised legs. Every human aspect of her glaring it's susceptibility to him. He had failed as her mate; he had allowed another… male to injure her.

The miko weakly nodded before closing glazed golden eyes.

He knew she was fast asleep, for her breathing had eased and her muscles had become flaccid, but he would not have said it in any other moment. He spoke his mind to no one, he explained to no one, but himself.

"This Sesshomaru will not allow his mate to be hurt again, never again. Furthermore, every single being that hurt his mate…will pay."

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To be continued…

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