A/N: Again, thank you for all the nice reviews. Mm, I was only supposed to do a few night shifts but now I've been moved to that schedule permanently (or at least until the end of august). That means I need to re-adjust my schedule and I'm gonna have to find a new writing schedule. So the next updates for my stories might take a LITTLE longer (not 6 months, just maybe a bit more than week, while I find my new rhythm). Thank you all for your understanding.
This was not beta. I'm sorry. I barely re-read it... because I work long hours and I'm tired.
'U'uyeh: listen!
Firangi
Chapter 25: 'U'uyeh
The sky was a dark and grey as the hearts of the people. They all stood around glooming, sad, filled with helplessness as the death rituals were performed. All of them remained in silence, going through the motions. Izayoi was a big loss for all of them. She was their leader's mate, their queen. And now she was no more. Wars, enemies, spirits; everything was taking from them. They were all dying one by one and they could not stop it. Was this the end for them?
The black haired inuyoukais stood around, in the back, by respect. They all kept their heads low and stared at the ground. All of them experienced loss as well but none of them could feel the pain the others were feeling at the moment. Instead, they were planning a take over, they were planning to be the tribe in charge. It would not be easy and it required a lot of planning; unfortunately they were lacking time. They had to act quick while everyone was weak and broken.
In the line, Rin was staring ahead instead of down. She looked at her sister while she prayed for the loss. Kagome was on their side. She was no longer hers - she belonged to Sesshomaru. Rin accepted that long ago and knew it was the decision that had to be made but how she wished Kagome was hers to protect. She knew her sister loved them dearly and she would do anything for her family but what if - what if she chose the other side and… no their Father would never hurt Kagome would he?
She dared to glance up and saw the determination in his eyes.
She was not convinced. Maybe, if he wanted the power, if he wanted to protect their family and their tribe…maybe he would go that far. He did toss Kagome away without a second thought.
Once the ceremony was over, Byakuya dragged Rin away. "I need you to speak with your sister."
Rin arched an eyebrow, worried. "Why?"
"This is not time to question me, Rin. You will have to do exactly as I say if we want this to work."
She nodded though she was reluctant; nothing good would come out of this.
"Your sister could be very useful to us; she can gather information."
"You want Kagome to be our spy?" she said, louder than she intended.
Byakuya glared at her. "I need your sister to do right by her people."
Rin chose not to voice any of her concern regarding Kagome's allegiance. She did not know how forgiven her Father would be. "What if she refuses? This could put her in danger?"
"Her best chances are with us and she is well aware of that fact. She is not one of them and they know it. She will always be the first to go." He sighed. "Now, do as you are told and go to her. She is grieving and you are her sister. It is not suspicious and she does not trust me."
He always had a tense relationship with his daughter. If it could not be fixed then, it would not be fixed now. Nonetheless, he knew he raised her to do the right thing. It was why she followed his orders and mated this foreigner. He believed she would do the right thing again and help her family. They were all she had. She had no children and her mate did not seem very affectionate with her. They could give her what she did not have.
"I will," Rin finally agreed.
She was not comfortable with this plan. She hated the idea of using her little sister as a pawn in their plan. Kagome deserved better, especially after everything she went through lately. But, she would obey her Father. As she always did. It did pain her and it made her worry. If he could not accept their own, how would he ever accept Onigumo? It had only been a few sunsets and she already missed him terribly. He made her feel alive that night; it was the first time since the death of her mate that she felt like herself. She suffered too many losses. He gave her back some of her light, some of her soul.
Rin would be able to stay hidden for a while but one day she would need him, all of him. Right now she needed his advice. He saved her sister once, he knew her and he knew Kagome. Perhaps he would be able to show her how to deal with this whole mess and how to make sure her sister would not get hurt.
If only she knew how to contact him. There was a river here too and he might come around but… it would not be safe. The river was an area she needed to avoid at the moment; it was where that woman died and they would not appreciate her trying to cross it. As a matter of fact the water was not their friend, not while something lurked around. Perhaps there was another way for her to get on the other side…maybe Kagome would know!
Rin slowly advanced on the other side, where the silver inuyoukais where. She wanted to catch Kagome before she went back to her den but she did not want to attract any attention to herself. If was better if she blended in - though with her hair it was a rather difficult task. As if they did not know she was a stranger.
Once most of the people left the main area, Rin advanced towards her sister. Unfortunately for her, she was so focused on Kagome, she missed what was right in front of her.
And it hit her hard. If it was not for her quick reflexes, she would have landed on the ground. Once she managed to steady herself she glanced up to see what she had hit. And it was a he. At first, he looked like all of them; silver hair and amber eyes. However, once she looked carefully, she noticed that she remembered him. He was that man's brother. He came to her tribe!
Inuyasha appeared to be trying to remember her as well. She seemed awfully familiar. She was - Kagome's sister. Yes. Even though she was a lot more tame than Kagome he could see the same fire in her eyes.
He pointed at her. "Kagome?" He did not know how to say sister in their language.
She nodded. At least this would be a short conversation.
He bowed. "Inuyasha."
She returned the gesture. "Rin." The daughter of the man who wanted to take over his tribe.
Inuyasha stared at her a little longer before moving out of her way. It was not as though he could talk to her and he had no real desire to do so. She simply took him by surprise. For a moment, she truly resembled Kagome and he was unable to look away. It was best for him to leave. He was in enough trouble when it came to Kagome and he did not need to complicate his situation.
Rin on the other hand was unfazed by the encounter. All he did was slow her down. She was forced to search the crowd again to find her sister. When she did, she headed for her but this time she made sure nothing stood in her way. Once she was close enough, she called out to her. "Kagome."
Kagome immediately turned her head in her sister's direction. She managed to smile a little. It was nice to have someone so concern about her well-being. Though, Sesshomaru cared a little. She did appreciate that he took time to teach her a few things. Those moments were so rare. It made her feel more comfortable around the others. At least she was able to somewhat express how sorry she was to Inutaisho. He took her in and treated her as one of his own. The least she could do was share with him a few comforting words though she doubted it did any good.
"Walk with me?" Rin offered with a smile.
Kagome took her hand and followed her. She would have followed Rin anywhere. Izayoi was her stand in mother and she was gone. Rin was her mother - at least in Kagome's eyes. She wanted to hold on to her and never lose her again. She remembered that she would have to pray and thank the Kamis. After all, they returned her sister to her and they gave her hope - despite all the losses.
She would have followed her sister anywhere.
Almost anywhere.
When she saw Rin was getting quite close to the water, Kagome was forced to come to a halt. "We should not go there."
Rin dropped Kagome's hand in surprise. She had not realized they were that far. She took a few steps back, not wanting to attract any attention. "Sorry, I am not used to this place, I did not notice where we were heading."
Kagome nodded. "What is the problem, Rin?" She could read her sister like an open book and she could tell something was bothering her.
How was she supposed to ask her sister that? How was she supposed to even explain it to her? Kagome never really followed the rules, she never understood why they did what they did. She would not understand this. She would not want a pointless war. Especially now that they were all at risks. Even Rin knew this should be avoided.
"Father wanted me to ask you something."
Kagome's smile dropped and her blood froze in her veins. The last time her Father wanted something from her, she ended up mating Sesshomaru and leaving her family and tribe behind. This could not be good.
"Kagome - he - he wants you to spy on them."
"Them?" She could not mean - no. No.
"It is for us. So we can be the strongest tribe."
Kagome backed away, her limbs shaking. "This is not supposed to be about war. We are supposed to be one."
"Father does not trust them."
"They took me in." Was she really defending them? Again?
"They had no choice. They wanted something. They do not really care about you Kagome!" She grabbed her sister's hands and held on tightly. "Do you think he loves you and cares for you? He does what he has to do, nothing more. It is his duty to look after you. He does not want to."
Kagome was never really angry at her sister. She always understand why she followed their Father's orders but now - now she did not understand her. "He is not the best man and he has been cruel but - he has not toss me away. And we both know why he could have."
"It is only because we are here now."
"No, he made the decision to keep me before you came here. He has respected me and our mating."
She never wanted to be tied up to him, she never wanted her life to end up like was she fighting to stay like this? He did do right by her. He gave her rage and feelings while she was all numbed out. He rescued her, he made her body feel alive again. And for a moment, he gave her a life inside of her. Although it was cruelly ripped away from her, for a moment, it was the most beautiful thing to ever happen to her.
"Kagome we are your family. We need you." Saying those words, using that against her; it was killing Rin. Her Father asked something of her and she had to carry it through. He was all she had - him and Onigumo.
"I cannot do this, you cannot ask that of me. We are one tribe now, we are not supposed to fight each other," she begged. Why did her Father always have to ruin everything? Why? She was finally getting her sister back and now she had to fight with her; it was unfair.
"I cannot," Kagome repeated with tears in her eyes. She pulled herself away but Rin prevented her from walking away.
"I am trying to protect you, Kagome. It is all I have ever done."
"As long as Father allows it," she spat back.
"I love you, Kagome. I raised you. I do not wish to see anything happen to you. Father will not be happy if you refuse his request." Rin forced Kagome closer and wrapped her arms around her. "I cannot bear this markings on your skin. I do not enjoy this scent of death the covers you. You were meant to be yourself Kagome, not broken. I want to see you strong and thriving. I want to see you with children. I do not want more harm to come your way."
She held on tighter. "Please, consider Father's orders. Not for his sake and not for mine but for yours. You could be happy again Kagome. Perhaps they were wrong, perhaps you can still have children and -"
"No," she answered, her face pressed against her sister's cheek. "They were not wrong. I know I cannot have children."
Rin grabbed Kagome's head and pressed their foreheads together. "We will fix it. We will fix you. Please, I do not wish for him to toss you away. I need you. We all need you." She kissed her nose. "You have to heal, Kagome. I failed you, I failed you and I do not want to fail you again. I have to protect you. You need to listen to me. I know you do not want to but you have to. Please, just this once, do as you are told."
It was a hard task for Kagome but it had to be done. Rin's heart would break if she lost her sister. "Do not give me an answer now. Think it over. Please."
As her older sister brought her into another hug, Kagome felt warmth. It was not because Rin was hugging her or because she felt at home in her sister's arms - it was different but she could not explain it.
"I will," she said in resignation.
Kagome's mind was already made up. She would not betray anyone. Refusing to help her Father was not betraying him. And she did not want to go against the people who gave her a second home. All of it was wrong. She might have slightly different opinions than everyone but she did not wish for more blood shed and death. They suffered enough.
Still, for Rin's sake she would pretend. She recently got her back and she had no desire to lose her again. Rin used to be her everything. She needed her.
Rin smiled brightly. "Thank you." She kissed her forehead. "Now, go, think about it, and smile."
Better days were coming for them, Rin was sure of it. One day soon, there would be no more war and they would all be together. She did not care what Kagome said, Rin would find a way to fix her sister, all of her. Even if it took forever. Her sister did not deserve the punishments that were inflicted upon her. She deserved freedom.
She would give it to her, one way or another.
-F-
Liars.
Everyone was a liar.
As Kagome sat beside Sesshomaru as everyone ate, she kept looking at everyone, calling them liars in her mind. Her Father could not have possibly be the only one to think about such a plan. It must have crossed someone's else mind - on either side. It felt so fake to have them all sit in a circle as though nothing was wrong. As though they all respected each other.
All evening, Kagome avoided her sister's gaze. And Sesshomaru's.
For once, she was quite glad that her language skills were lacking. At least, if he asked her about her strange attitude she could pretend she did not know how to answer him. He taught her a few things but it was still hard to remember and she could not really make sentences or anything. Also, if she looked at him, she might feel some guilt. After all, maybe she should share with him her Father's request. A proper mate would because a proper mate would have no secrets for her other half.
But Sesshomaru and her were not proper mates. They were just mates. They kept things from each other and most of time they acted as though they could not stand each other. Could she really betray her own Father? He infuriated her, he made all the decisions for her…but that was the way it was supposed to be. If she told Sesshomaru - they would probably kill her Father. He did not deserve to die. Nobody did.
Then cam along another question; what if her silence cost them everything?
She did not think her people really stood a chance against the silver inuyoukais but…her Father would not risk such a plan unless he thought he could win. There was some information she was missing. All that changed, all that happened was Izayoi's death. Was that the element her Father was relying on? It made no sense. How could he use Izayoi's death to his advantage? Perhaps she could ask her sister more questions later. Ugh, she despised the current dilemma she found herself stuck in.
For now, she would remain silent. If she saw things were getting out of control, then she would speak and she would choose a side. The question was, which one?
Kagome finally dared to raise her head. That was when her eyes met Sesshomaru. She thought he would scold her or mention her weird attitude but instead he was looking at her food. She barely touched it. She could hardly be blamed; she was not hungry. She could not explain it, her stomach simply hurt and she did not wish to make herself suffer more and preferred to forgo food instead. Plus, what would she do with a few extra pounds? And one day would not make a difference.
Sesshomaru on the other hand had chugged down his food. Though he was forcing himself to eat. The loss of his mother put a damper on his appetite. Regardless of those events, he had to keep his strength up. It was his only chance.
Kagome noticed. It was why she pushed her food closer to him. He would probably accept it since it was not an offensive gesture. She was not wasting good food, she was weak and she offered her mate more nutrients. He should be happy.
But he did not take it.
"Eat," was all he replied.
He would not mind the extra food. Especially since they were currently very limited; they were a bigger tribe than before but they did not have more food resources. Everyone had to cut down. As if they had not ration down the food enough already. As always, he kept it to himself. What else were they supposed to do? Nobody could starve.
Sesshomaru pushed it back in her direction.
Now was the time to see what she would do. If she refused it after he made it sort of obvious that she had to eat it, she would be insulting him. However, she truly did not want to eat; her stomach hurt. Maybe she could voice her pain out to him. He did teach her a few words and it could be a good way to put them to use.
She lowered her hands to her stomach. "It hurts."
Sesshomaru frowned while looking at her stomach. He appeared different. Less bruised? He was not sure. Though he had seen her stomach up close not too long ago and he could have sworn it used to look worse than that. Perhaps it was the bad lighting in their den. Though that was irrelevant; he had a decision to make. He had no desire to see her throw up while everyone was present and decided not to push the issue.
He nodded and she slummed back.
He listened.
She spent the rest of the meal time avoiding everybody's else gaze. Once she crossed eyes with her sister but it was extremely brief. She made sure nothing like that happened with her Father. He probably wanted an answer - unless Rin gave him one. Her Father asked a briefing from her sister, she was sure of it. She felt sister that her sister had to wriggle herself out of that situation. She wished it was easy to answer but it was not. No matter what she did, she was betraying people and that did not sit well with her.
She refused to turn her back on anyone.
"Come."
At the sound of Sesshomaru's voice, she jumped. Once she saw he was already standing on his feet, she imitated him. He began walking and she followed. Lately he had been more busy with his own thing and only conversed with her when they were in the den. Did something happen? Were they in danger?
She followed him all the way to the entrance of the tribe. He leaned against the nearest wooden pole and stared at her. "Has your father spoken to you?" He made sure to articulate each word and to keep his pacing slow. He did not expect her to learn their language overnight but he knew she already had a foundation since she picked up a few things all on her own.
Did he know? How could he know? Did something listen to the conversation between Rin and her? She could already feel the pain from her heightened heartbeat. "One."
That was the truth. And he was not even kind to her when he spoke to her. Rin was the one doing all the work for him.
"What did he want?"
"He mean."
Sesshomaru did not like the way she, her father, and her sister were acting. He got used to Kagome's quirks and habits and tonight something was off about her. She was nervous about something and he could not figure out what - and it had nothing to do with her stomach.
Izayoi's death made him more distrustful. Even the water could not be trusted. The spirits were against them. The real question was, did they do it on their own or had they join someone from the other side and made an alliance? He prayed it was the first one. They could survive one attack but he was not so sure about multiple ones. And he did not want anyone else to die.
It made him think that it was good his son did not make it. Although he would forever be angry that his pup was taken from him, he was not sure he would have survived all this. Izayoi was strong and she did not. Kagura was a warrior and she failed. Kagome was only half of what she used to be. What made him think his son's fate would have been any different? Sesshomaru had even failed to protect himself. At this moment, he could not protect another life.
Though, the creature that took his son from him would pay. One day he would find him and he would slice his throat - even if it was the last thing he ever did.
"Careful." It was the only warning he gave Kagome.
He could hardly tell her not to trust her own family. He could but she would not listen. He would do the same if someone told him not to trust his own Father. However, he wanted her to know he was watching. He would be no fool. He often relied on his instincts and they were usually spot on. He knew something was wrong, he simply did not know what it was.
Kagome nodded, while her guts twisted. This was what she feared. This was the reason why she knew she had to make a decision in the near future. How long would she be able to push it back and ignore it?
"Den. Lay down."
She crunched her nose.
"Sleep."
He wanted her to sleep already? She was well aware that he retained his bossy attitude but this was pushing it a bit, even for him. "Not sleep."
"Your stomach," he said as he put his hand on it. "Sick."
If they had to be on their guard, he needed her well and rested. Granted she could not do much but she was recovering and he might not be able to protect her; he needed her to watch out for herself. If she did not want to listen, it was not him would might pay the price in the end but her. Then again, she often enjoyed saying no simply to spite him.
Instead, she surprised him by nodding.
She did not want to talk to him and at the moment she could not face her sister or her father; the best place for her was the den. She doubted she would find any rest but she might find enough solitude and quietness to come to a decision. Rin would be bothering her again soon and this time she did not think her sister would leave without an answer.
Sesshomaru watched intrigued as Kagome simply walked away. He was right, something was off. Their conversations were limited but he knew her. She lost a lot recently but there was still always that twinkle of fire in her eyes. The one thing that made her earn his respect. It was not there anymore.
He had to find out what she was hiding.
-F-
The sounds of branches breaking echoed through the forest. The wet grass bundled with each footsteps. Rin's eyes were darting all over the place while fear wrapped around her heart. She should not be out there in the middle of the night. She should not be alone so far from her territory. However, there was nothing else she could think about. She saw the way her sister avoided her, she saw the way Kagome looked at her earlier. This was not what she wanted.
She was lost and she needed to find the one person who could piece her back together.
He might not be there but…at least if he came around, he would smell her scent and know she was here. Perhaps he would wait for her next time. Perhaps he would realize this was their meeting place. The only problem was, she did not know how far she had gone or if this was safe. Hopefully she would be able to find her way back without trouble. It was foolish but - her heart needed him.
She had to try one last time. "Onigumo!" she hushed.
Just like all the others times, she obtained no responses. He was not here.
At least she left her scent all over the place; it was the only comforting thought she had as she slowly turned around. Once she was out of sight of the little clearing, the bushes parted and he came through.
This was rather unexpected. He thought she would wait longer before seeking him. Oh how precious she was! She made it easier for him. She made his plan better. He could hear her heartbeat, smell her sweat; she had nothing to fear. Everything here was under his control; nobody would harm her without his permission. Although, it was too bad. He might have enjoyed a little show. He was rather stressed out lately, especially since it had been so long since he had last laid eyes on his mate. He missed her.
He would be with her soon though, not in this form but it hardly mattered. His puppet would do the work. It would be enough for now. As long as he got to keep an eye on her he would be happy.
We should go after her.
No, it is useless. Before we give her advices, we need to see what she will do.
She might surprise you.
I doubt it. She hates him. She hates everything about him.
We both know hate is a very powerful feeling. It can fuel someone forever.
Oh yes. It could. And soon, all his hate would be rewarded. Izayoi was only the beginning of his revenge. Too bad he could not take more lives that way; if he did, they would get suspicious. He did not want that.
No, he would be patient. Last time, his haste almost cost him everything.
He knew not to worry; soon, all their fangs would hang around his neck.
-F-
Instincts.
There was a reason Sesshomaru always followed them, always trusted them. He knew something was off about Kagome's family and he decided to act upon it. He followed her. Actually, he mostly tracked her from afar. Since he had one arm missing, he was quite slow and he could not afford to be discovered. Especially since she would probably pick up his scent very easily since she was not used to it; it would stand out.
He lurked in the bushes and in the trees.
He almost went as far as the water. From then, he used his nose. It was not the best way to locate her but he had a little idea of where she was heading. As a matter of fact he was pretty convinced she was making good use of his little personal spot. The question was, why would she got there? Rin did not know their village and yet she headed into the woods with purpose. As I she had a reason to be there. That was suspicious.
Obviously he could not find out what she was doing but now, he had a reason to confront Kagome. Perhaps he would even be able to pick up a scent on Rin when she would return. Hence why he was waiting.
What could she be doing out there for so long? Meeting someone? But who? Did she lead someone to their tribe?
He could not care less that she was related to Kagome. His mate broke all ties to her family when she mated him. And her family meant very little him. They were there out of necessities and nothing else. If they were doing something behind their back and trying to betray them, he needed them even less and he would not hesitate; if he had to get rid of them, he would. Even if that made her hate him. His people came first, they always would.
However, for now, all he could do was wait for Rin's return.
And he waited, and waited.
He was almost startled when he saw her re-appear into his sight; he did not even smell her coming. He should have known her scent, he should have been prepared for it. He observed her; her eyes were darting all over the place, her heart beat was slightly elevated and she had bruises on her feet. What did she do out there? She certainly did not go exploring, he was sure of that.
Instead of letting her walk away, he stepped out of his hiding place. As he expected, she was startled by his presence. She even gasped before taking a step back. He saw the fear shining in her eyes but she quickly recovered. She forced a smile, nodded and headed her way. As if she had done nothing wrong. But it was too late; he saw it in her eyes. She was up to something and he refused to believe that Kagome had no part in it.
Rage stirred inside of him as he headed inside the den. He violently tugged away at the curtains and found Kagome inside, laying and sipping water. Her stomach. She was still feeling ill.
"Rin," he spoke rather harshly.
She heard him coming, she felt him coming but she had hope his rage was not directed towards her. She did not feel good enough to deal with his anger.
"Yes."
"What is she doing?"
"Doing?"
"What. Is. She. Doing. She. Liar."
Kagome frowned; her sister was not a liar. As a matter of fact, her sister and Sesshomaru never spoke before; how could he accused her of spreading lies?
"No."
"I saw her," he said while pointing at his eyes. "River. Water. Forest" She had to understand at least one of those words.
Rin was doing what? Why? Could this have something to do with the spying? Were her people meeting somewhere far where nobody could hear them talk? This was not good. She had even less time than she thought.
"Likes walk."
"This was not walk."
"Not know."
He had to drop this. She did not want him forcing her to choose. She did not want to make a decision at all.
"Lies. What did she talk to you about? Why is she always talking to you? And your father? Why does he stare at you that way?" he spat.
Too many words; she barely understood his speech but the tone of his voice conveyed his words fairly well. He was angry and he thought she was hiding something from him. She was.
"They gave you away. The are using you."
She did not understand his words but she did not like them. She sat up, almost glaring at him.
"Stop. No. Nothing."
"Lies."
"No, nothing."
"They do not care how broken you are. They do not care about your wounds. They are using you."
"Stop talking! I am trying to protect you!"
At her own words, her eyes widened. He did not comprehend a word she said which was obvious by the blank look on his face. However, she knew the impact of her words.
She was trying to protect him? From her family? All she ever wanted in the past was for her family to keep her away from him. She should not care what happened to him and yet she did. She could not let her Father destroy everything. She could not let her Father destroy him.
She approached him and pressed a finger to his lips. "No more."
He looked at her with fiery. He wanted answers and he knew she had them.
In her tribe, she was the wild one, the strange one. Her, she was the foreigner. In either case she did not belong. Which one did she want to help?
Would she choose him or her own?
-F-