Haku climbed to the top of a great ceader to get a look at the terrane. He noticed marks left by the claws of the demon and smiled taking a second to feel the gouges in the bark of the great trunk. "This is the sign of great luck. Genji, Saito, Renka the demon has been here recently, maybe even while we were talking, he is cunning, but I would expect no less." the slayer looked for any other leavings; like hair or extra markings, he found none and smiled. "Are you here for me then?" he wondered and kept climbing. At the top he looked out and saw that they were about a third of the way up the mountain, the surrounding area was mainly forested, with undergrowth and few foothills and clearings that divided the condensed forest.
"Fitting for a priestesses, reclusive, but,far away from the village if an emergency were to happen, what has driven you out here?" he said and looked at smoke that was wafting up in one of the clearings. He drew an imaginary line with his finger,in and connected it with the road and nodded knowing that it must come from the priestesses home.
"Perhaps we should pay you a visit?" he wondered aloud and smirked. Thinking about the inuyoukaI he'd dealt, with he assumed that the youkaI had bonded with the priestess, and thus was unwilling to part with her. This was common, demons possessed and tried to steal the souls and hearts of young maidens constantly, it was a wonder she was still alive knowing that the inu demon feasted on human flesh.
Hojo watched the old man with resentment. Eyes drifting to the forest around him, he felt fear like he had never known it before. He hadn't wanted to come back here until he saw the demon dead, that had been the idea, but now, it was so far past anything he was okay with, he just knew death was around the next corner. He will eat me, he said that he would let me go once, and then he'd eat me Hojo was startled and laughed at by the biggest of the four demon hunters.
"Are you so scared, that you can't look at your own shadow?" Ginji laughed and Hojo sputtered with irritation.
"Y-you don't know what you're dealing with!" he said and Ginji shook his head and withdrew his curved blade.
"Shut your mouth punk, you don't know what you're dealing with, I have hunted demons since I was able to walk, I will not lose to a dog demon." he said and Haku silenced him as he came down from the tree.
"This is not common dog demon, this line is fierce. This has to be the son of the inu no taisho. It's said that his temper is even blacker than his father's and he has never left a victim alive…. It's a wonder he didn't kill you either time he beat you…." he raised his brow at the boy and Hojo began to shake with rage.
"This demon needs to die! Are we going to kill him, or talk about him like simpering village girls." Hojo snapped and tried to grab Ginji's sword. Ginji punched him aside and resheathed his sword.
"Don't you worry about this, we will find him." Ginji laughed. Renka sighed and shook her head. She had been quiet, letting the boys do the talking while she observed the surroundings. Venturing off the trail she began to get a good idea of when and how the demon moved. Looking up she saw the scrapes and gouges from his travel while the forest floor remained pristine.
She signaled to the group and Ginji went after her. They were a team, Haku rarely required help, but the new couple was wary of letting the other go go alone into battle.
It wasn't long before they began to see the evidence of terrible rage and carnage. There were entire sections of forest that the trees were lying as a jumble of shards and gouges in the ground made by a large transformed inuyoukai. Ginji looked at the size of prints left there and was astounded and brought to attention for the magnitude of their coming battle.
"Renka, these tracks are giant. What inu demon could be this large?" he asked and Renka laughed hollowly.
"The silver inu are a legends race, my grandfather was killed by the general over a hundred years ago… I never thought I would even see one in my lifetime, they are rare." she said and withdrew a vial of canine pheromones. "This should draw his attention." she said and uncapped the vial.
The scent of a female's heat wafted through the forest and Sesshomaru stopped and scented for the humans proximity. They had begun to travel into his forest and he nearly laughed realizing that they were trying to attract his attention. "What a feeble attempt… but I will see what you have to offer humans." he chuckled and felt as though he were playing a game with the humans. "There are five of you, I will test you all." he said and looked up at the retreating sun. he sented for Kagome and found her still where he had left her and was content to entertain himself after the day of boredom.
Speed was his ally, strength his friend as he circled them silently, moving between trees to see the so called exterminators. The man had a curved blade with a spiked mace mace and the woman a long poisons that hung off of her like jewels. He smirked through the scent she used was nothing but nausea worthy. He imagined them having extracted the scent from the foulest evil bitch they could kill, and calling it bate.
Renka drew her blade and readied for an appearance from the demon. She felt the hairs on her neck stand on edge knowing that, though she couldn't see him. they were being watched. "Ginji, he's here." she said and felt the adrenaline pulse through her. She gasped at the sound of a limb snap and blocked the impact when that limb came flying at her head. Ginji moved to her, drew his blade and gripped his mace ready to fight.
Sesshomaru was amused and watched as the two charged at the place he had been when he threw the branch. He appeared behind them and gripped the backs of both leather suits and slammed them back against the ground. The two yelled in fear and looked up at the demon with eyes filled with determination. Rolling to their feet the pair sized him up and he bared his teeth at the challenge. "You are in my forest." he said and the man stepped in front of the woman to protect her from his anger.
"You have been terrorizing the countryside, and have taken possession of a priestess, you are unfit to live demon." he yelled and Sesshomaru growled making the man yelled in fury and charge with a fast overhand strike with the mace and follow through with a slash with the curved blade. Easily stepping out of range each time, Sesshomaru watched the edge in the man's eyes as he missed each strike.
The woman was not idle, stepping in with her claymore and causing him to step off balance and readjust his movement to watch both of their stances. The woman drew a vial with a putrid gas, and the scent wafted into the air and into the nose of the inu she was fighting. Sesshomaru felt the burn on his skin and hair as the gas began to work on him. He summoned his aura to the surface and with a single explosion of energy neutralized the poison and gripped the woman's hand as she drew another vial and threw her into the bushes beside them.
Ginji was impressed by the demon, he was fast, agile and met them with the same ferocity that he brought him. Ginji realized that the demon wasn't fighting back, only dodging his blows and diverting their energy to tangle into one another. Ginji watched helplessly as Renka went flying off to the side and made an attempt to slash his side with the moment of exposure he was given.
Smirking, Sesshomaru saw the man's arm move to the sword, and as he drew the blade Sesshomaru stepped back into him and caught his movement with an inside to out block that he converted into a wrist lock and he put the man on his face. "why are you here?" he asked again and the man yelled in pain.
"Please don't kill him." the woman came out stumbling and looking at Sesshomaru with pleading eyes.
"Don't! you can't reason with a demon." Ginji said and Sesshomaru gripped his wrist tighter to shut him up.
"Speak woman." he said and Renka gasped. Coming to him she looked at the wrist lock and then at the man that held her love in his clutches. Sesshomaru was curious, and not wanting to kill such prideful creatures for nothing. She looked at him with the same determination that Kagome had used to shake him awake and he found himself willing to listen to her, even if she smelled like the foulest inu demoness in existence.
"I love him, please don't take him from me. We were sent to kill you but we cannot defeat you as we are. Let us go please." she asked and Sesshomaru scoffed.
"You expect me to let you go after you declare that your intention is my death. What will I receive if you leave now with your life?" he said and Renka looked around for a reason, anything that he might want and she rummaged through her vials and withdrew an elegant vile in the shape of a rose.
"This is my most valuable perfume, it will be yours if you allow us to leave." she said.
Sesshomaru looked at the perfume and released the man and Ginji gripped his shoulder and groaned in pain. The demon approached the woman and she trembled as he towered over her. He reached to the vial and uncapped the cork and scented the essence of honey and wildflowers. "Would my human like it?" he asked and the woman gaped at him as he took the vile and considered the scent of Kagome's form. He sniffed the contents again and looked at her expecting her swift reply.
"I have not met a woman yet that did not covet it." she said and he tucked it in his chest pocket.
"You may leave." he said and Renka sighed her relief and rushed to Ginji to see to his arm.
"I'm okay Renka, really." he smiled and looked up at her. Renka hugged him around the middle and helped him to stand. GinjI and Renka walked back to the trail to the place where their group had parted ways and found the place to be abandoned. "We really messed this one up." Ginji said bitterly.
"But we lived." Renka said and looked into the forest hoping that the demons mercy extended onto her allies.
Sesshomaru raced through the forest and scented for the next of the slayers. "Two down, three to go. He smirked and felt the treasure he had gained from his last battle. He was hoping Kagome would like it. He could imagine her wearing the scent and felt the anticipation for the things to come.
The three had split again into two groups, the leader was toting Hojo toward the woman's hut. Sesshomaru wanted to intercept them before Kagome had to get upset about the demon slayers. If the next were as distracted as the first two, he was going to be done with them within the hour.
Saito laid in wait for the moment the demon would pass him, he had tracked the route to the woman's hut and with his leader walking straight to the demons claim, he was sure to run directly beside him. He held his breath and concealed his scent with mud and scrapings from the surrounding area. Saito heard the first of his alarm system sound of with the ringing of a small bell. He gripped the length of chain that secured his flail and held his breath waiting for the next alarm to sound off his warning.
There was no second sound. Saito peered around the trunk of the cedar he was hiding behind and looked right into the black armour that covered Sesshomaru's chest.
"A very interesting trap. Too bad I could see it." Sesshomaru said bored. This man was different from the other two. He smelled of blood and the scent of his malice wet Sesshomaru's appetite for blood.
Saito gaped at the creature in front of him. Looking up he was fixed with an amused stare and he felt his blood began to boil. "Die demon." he said and lunged swinging his flail and wrapping his wrist when He blocked his face.
The chain stopped when he pulled back. Smiling Saito reached into his back pouch and blew dust into his eyes. Sesshomaru snorted and began to feel a shards of glass in his lungs and coughed, letting the human go momentarily. Saito used the opportunity to lunge at him with his flail meaning to strike and kill him with the force of his weapon, but as it neared the demons head, he caught it out of the air.
"Damn you!" he said angry at his failure and made a kick at his chest.
"Why are you in my forest?" he growled Getting irritated with this one. He coughed again and decide that he didn't like this feeling. The human tried again to strike him and he caught him in the air by his own throat this time.
"All demons will die at my hand. I hate you all. Just the fact that you've taken a human, makes you worthy of death and if she is with child. She will die after you to save the earth from a disgusting half breed." he spat in his face and shoved a blade into Sesshomaru's chest.
Sesshomaru got angry when he mentioned Kagome. "You will never touch her. You think this dagger can kill me? I have slayed dragons, fought entire armies and withstood the trials of a kami. If I had wanted to kill you I would have the moment you stepped onto my land. Since you have shown me the filth of your heart I have decided to judge you." he said and drew his blade shoving it through the human's chest.
Saito eyes widened when the blade pierced him, he looked down at the painless wound and then at the demon. "Death to all demons." he said as he was drawn into the blade.
When he was gone Sesshomaru looked to the women's hut sented for the last of the demon slayers.
Kagome was nearly done with the majority packing of her things into a series of bags that they had used to travel. Inuyasha followed her with longing eyes. "mother, I want to go." he said and Kagome knelt to comfort him, again.
"Inuyasha, I will be down the trail in a hut exactly like this one. I am only a short walk away… BUT make sure you bring Shippo if you want to visit tomorrow morning if I am not back to visit you first." she smiled and Inuyasha whimpered.
"gone forever?" he asked and Kagome shook her head.
"I will make you a place to live in my new home, you are welcome any time you want to come, or stay if you wish." she said making Inuyasha squeal happily.
"with Sessh too?" he wondered and she nodded.
Inuyasha helped her get packed after that and was happy about the move. The half demon made himself a nuisance by throwing things onto her packs that he thought she would want. She laughed and tried to put things back that she knew she could come back for when she needed it, she wasn't planning on staying away from her sister, they were only a few minutes walk through the forest. The dwellings were even parallel to each other and if she walked out to the edge of her clearing she could almost see the hut she and her sister built.
Kagome peered out of the hut at the lowering sun and was nervous that she was talking so long to get her things. "maybe I should go now and get the rest of my things in the morning?" she wondered aloud and Shippo came out of the house to grab ahold of her pant leg to stop her. Kagome looked down and saw a serious look in her adopted sons face.
"Shippo what's going on?" she asked and he frowned.
"can't you stay until Inuyasha changes. It would be easier if we knew he was completely concealed before you left.
"and what if Sesshomaru comes for me? He will be able to tell if Inuyasha is human, he will notice the smell." she said and Shippo shook his head.
"I brought some more of this, smell." he said and Kagome sniffed the herb and smelled nothing.
"what is it?" she asked and Shippo smiled.
"it is dog root, they can't stand the smell of it." he said and pointed out Inuyasha cringing away from the root and beginning to cry bitterly while covering his nose.
"put it away until he's human…. I don't want him to cry like that, he's just a baby." she said and went to grasp Inuyasha in her arms. "I think it's a….. Do you really think that it's a good idea to keep this from him, I hate to lie, and moving out for the sake of keeping a secret feels as bad as lying outright, to me." she said and Shippo shook his head.
"do you know what dog demons do to weak creatures? They eat them. Do you want Inuyasha to live?" he urged and Kagome felt like it was wrong.
Within the hour the sun was beginning to set and Kagome heard some kind of commotion in the forest. It was close but she could not see the things that was transpiring in the forest. She suspected that it was Sesshomaru and reclused into the hut with Inuyasha clinging to her.
Inside the forest, Haku heard the commotion of his comrade and knew that he had been beaten. He gripped Hojos shoulder, stopping him from walking further. "Rena, Genji, Saito, are you all beaten?" he wondered aloud. There was a flash of white and Haku was caught off guard by the demon that struck him from the side. Haku lost hold of the boy and tried to dodge and turn the demons momentum around on him, but he stopped in mid motion and stepped away from him redirecting his movement and moving to kick his feet out from under him. Haku jumped back and readied for the battle of his lifetime.
"Demon, I have prepared to fight you since the day I was able to walk. I will not let this chance escape me." hake cried out with pride and elation. "I am Kohaku of the demon slayers tribe west of here." he said with pride. .
Sesshomaru was amused by the pride he felt in the man's aura, he looked for the healer and saw that he had taken off into the forest and he let him gain some distance before the chase "Kohaku, you will get your battle. Stand now and prepare your heart to be judged by my mighty sword tokijin. I will not use my claws on you, draw your sword." he said and Haku dropped into a stance rasping the hilt of his sword and making himself ready for the onslaught.
"with this blade made of a dragon's fang I will end you demon." Haku said and inspected his mighty sword. Sesshomaru felt the power from the blade and was surprised. He glance up at the setting sun and wondered if he would be finished before sundown, or have to go and wake her after he was done. He decided that his amusement could last and he would retire soon enough.
"come then, I have other things to see to this night." Sesshomaru drew his blade and watched the demon slayer.
The clash of swords rang through the forest and only the cries of battle could be heard over it. Sesshomaru fended off the attacks with some difficulty. He was surprised and delighted with the attacks that the human used. He watched a perfect flat snap that struck the space in front of his nose and stepped to the side to strike his exposed offside ribs. The warrior J-hooked around him, lessening the impact to his side and turned to his left making Sesshomaru turn into a shot that nicked the skin of his arm.
"You are the only human to wound me. I would hate to fall at the hands of such a small creature. "he touched the place on his arm that the blade had hit him. The blood was lessening even as he spoke from his regenerative abilities.
"I plan to do more then wound you demon." he lunged and Sesshomaru had to sidestep a downward strike and fast follow through. He smiled and turned his blade to hit him with the hilt across the back of the head sending him flying forward.
"Kohaku. You are no match I could kill you at any time. Even now. "he said and proved it by lunging for him and grasping him by the front of his leather suit and letting him dangle above the ground. The eyes that looked back at him were filled with determination.
Haku took his shorter blade from his chest strap, and struck the demons arm again and, using the moment of distraction, jumped backwards and refocused on his technique. The demon was toying with him, he could feel the smug confidence that meant he wasn't worried at all about being killed by him, and the words that echoed in his head were messing with his concentration. I could kill you at any time, he had said, then why don't you? Haku wondered and lunged forward with a solid slice and cut only air.
The night came slowly and Kagome watched the transformation of her half demon son and was amazed that he was so angelic as a human boy. Kagome leaned to kiss him when she was leaving and he received her by clinging to her and screaming when she tried to leave. Unable to form speech as he did normally he resorted to crying until Kikyou came over to assist her with his tantrum.
"Shh Inuyasha, there is no reason to cry I will be back in the morning to see you." she cooed and Inuyasha just cried louder. Shippo came to the rescue and held up a wooden horse he had been working on. Inuyasha grabbed it and held it up to his eyes to see it. He smiled and swung it around in his flying fist. Kikyou was relieved and looked at her sister. "Kagome you should go now, what if he comes for you?" she asked and Kagome nodded.
Shippo tried to stop her but Kagome gave him a look that said she could take care of herself. "Shippo don't be so overprotective, Sesshomaru's right here in the forest if anything happens he's here for me." she laughed at his nervous grasping and diverted him with a task to help Kikyou with Inuyasha.
"But Kagome, lord Sesshomaru told me-" he started and Kagome turned and regarded Shippo.
"Is there something I should know about?" she asked giving the fox kit her full attention. Shippo stammered out an explanation and tried to convince her, but she didn't buy it.
"Okay…. there are demon hunters in the forest, and lord Sesshomaru told me to keep you here until he was done-." Shippo admitted and Kagome looked horrified. Shippo saw her line of sight and groaned inwardly when Kagome ran into the forest. "he's going to kill me." he said and gripped his head on both sides.
Kagome ran to her newly build home and dropped her things inside the door and began to look around the clearing. The noise had faded and she walked out to the trees and drew her power to reach out for her demon. She felt his power like a beacon and went towards it.
Kagome was nearly to the place where the sound of battling rang through the woods when she was grabbed from behind. She could not see the person who held her, his arms pinned hers to her side and she was only able to gasp before a hand clamped firmly over her mouth and effectively quieted her.
Hojo backed away from the fighting and hauled Kagome along with him. She fought him but her strength compared to his was laughable and he overpowered her easily making her walk with him or be dragged, he really didn't care at this point. Looking around he fought through the dense undergrowth to find the trail back to the village.
Sesshomaru was distracted by the scent of his human walking toward him, when her scent began to retreat panic took him and he tried to pick out the scent of fear through the chaotic thrum of adrenaline terror and determination from his own opponent. Looking for a quick way out he lunged for the demon slayer and was met with a fierce defense that nearly made him sweat. The demon slayer held his ground still, not giving him a chance to grab him again. He deflected a strong shot to the side with the flat edge of his blade and danced around the demons blade as it sliced air around him at a speed he had never before encountered.
Haku felt the difference in the demons concentration in the hurried movements and too perfect strikes that were an inch from ending his life with every breath. Haku had trained for this, had taken on many powerful demons but none of them had been so fierce as the demon who, though his features were calm, was like a raging ice storm before him. His eyes were cool embers that locked on him with every confidence that he would win in their fight.
Sesshomaru sented for Kagome, and was beginning to feel dread when she didn't stop, though she was far past the point where she would normally. He smelled nothing, and could feel nothing from her now that the binding curse was gone. Seeing the humans will to fight, he was forced to handle this matter with all seriousness. "I, Sesshomaru, am ending this battle now." he announced.
Haku laughed and saw the demon look away from him, he charged and was deflected and grabbed by the collar of his suit. "You are distracted, demon." Haku used his dagger to slice a thin line on Sesshomaru's cheek.
"There is some one else that needs my attention." he said and blocked the strike to the throat the demon slayer delivered
"The woman you have possessed? No doubt that healer's apprentice is taking her to be exorcised." Haku said with resentment in his voice.
Sesshomaru growled and gripped the man's arm hard, making him wince in pain and drop the dagger. "You will be judged by tokijin. If you are unworthy you will be cast into the dungeons of a cruel and twisted kami." he said and stabbed the man through the stomach.
Haku felt the blade and closed his eyes to embrace death. Death eluded him. Opening his eyes he felt the withdrawal of the blade and was dropped to the ground. The demon began to walk away. "What happened?" he called. The demon paused.
"I have won this battle. You are found worthy" he said and began to walk away.
Haku couldn't take it, the demon was walking away from him and he still had no clue on why he was alive. "What if I am worthy?" he called.
"Then you keep your life." Sesshomaru said and was about to take off when the man called him back one more time. "What is it now!" he demanded and the man got to his feet and bowed to him, Sesshomaru groaned and began to turn again.
"I have one question for you, why are you going after that human priestess? You are a taiyoukai, I have never seen one of your kind poses a human." he asked and Sesshomaru shook his head.
"I do not have to answer to a human. I have won this fight." he said and Haku threw himself at his feet and bowed with his forehead on the ground.
"Answer me, please. Why are you letting me live?" Haku urged the demon who was looking at him surprised.
"It is simple. To kill you would hurt Kagome, I must go to her now. Leave my mountain with your men and do not come back here, I have no quarrel with you now." he said and left him in the blink of an eye.
"With my men…. We survived." he said and shook his head as he got up from the ground. Haku was humbled, he took his dagger from the ground and looked in wonder at the silent forest around him.
Sesshomaru raced to the place where her scent was strongest. It had been almost twenty minutes since he had first scented her. She was close. He could smell the faint odor of her herbs and feeling her terror as if it were his own, heard her scream in terror. He felt his heart stop and began to transform with the amount of rage that filled him.
In his natural state his senses were magnified tenfold and he found her and went to the place where she was being held at knife's edge against the trunk of a large cedar.
Sesshomaru saw her sag against the tree and grasp her throat. The healer was there, holding vial and looking up at his beast form with terror. Sesshomaru growled at the man and lunged gripping him in his teeth and eating him whole. Hojo could not even scream as the jaws of the large demon clamped down on him, he went into the black and died. Sesshomaru went to Kagome and smelled her, trying to make her react to him.
"Sesshomaru…. It was poison." she said and she began to wretch and shiver uncontrollably.
It was night when Haku reached the trail to the village, he saw his two companions and looked around for the healer and Saito. They were gone. Rena and Ginji were holding each other and started when they saw Haku.
"You will never believe what just happened." Ginji said and Haku put up his hand.
"The demon let you live?" he said and GinjI gasped.
"How did you know?" Renka said surprised. "He let you live too… Where's Saito, then?" she asked
"That sicko probably ditched us" Ginji said without mercy.
Haku heard something the road and was surprised to see the demon in their midst holding the body of a priestess to his chest. The group of demon slayers had no time to react befit the demon had Haku in his grasp. "you have an antidote to the poison. Help me with to save her." Sesshomaru said feeling every ounce if dread that he had ignored previously.
Haku saw something he had never expected in the demons eyes, true worry for the human woman's safety. "It is late, we must get her to shelter." Haku said motioning for the demon to take her to the village. Sesshomaru stopped him.
"Only you may come to my lair, no one else." he said and began to walk the shortest route to the hut he had finished building only hours before. Sesshomaru called Jakken to his service. "Jakken you are to do as this Kohaku asks. "
"Lay her down, I have to assess her state "Haku said and Sesshomaru took her to the futon that the kamI had provided him. Haku frowned when he reached for her forehead. "her temperature is elevated, her pupils dilated and her breathing is shallow. I don't know how she is still alive." Haku wondered aloud and began to rummage through his vitals. He uncorked a small one filled with blue liquid.
"What is that?". Sesshomaru asked as he scented the hearts that mixed into a potent aroma.
"I have survived many poisonings with this antidote. It is a remedy for the poisoned claws form your own grandfather, courtesy of war." he looked at Sesshomaru and felt the tide of fate. "In the entire history of my people, we have never aided one another. I have just become a shame to my father, who trained me to hunt you to the last breath." he's said and gave the woman the entire contents of the vial.
Kagome choked on the liquid and struggled against the slayer. Sesshomaru moved to her side and the slayer watched with amazement as the inu lord dealt gently with the woman. He looked around and noticed that the hut was as many he'd seen in the villages and was perplexed. "I have always known your people to live In villages and fur lined tents... never a structure as this." he said quietly.
"This is all for her." he answered. "I can scent the poison coming out of her… She will live. You have my gratitude Kohaku, ask and I will grant you what you wish except for my own life, that I will not surrender." he said and Haku almost smiled.
"I would like to make an alliance, inuyoukai." Haku said and Sesshomaru frowned.
"An alliance with a demon slayer? Why?" he said and Haku looked down at Kagome and saw that she was cared for.
"Because you have shown me something I never thought I'd ever see. You have my respect and my gratitude for sparing my life. Call on me and I will aide you." he said.
"Come back in the mornings I will give you my answer." Sesshomaru said and turned his back on the man. "Jakken." he calls and Jakken came to his side and bowed low.
"My Lord?" he said and Sesshomaru pointed at the slayer
"Take Kohaku to the path to the village." he commanded and Jakken accepted with pride. Jakken looked at the human with mixed emotions but lead him out with a wave of his hand and a prod with his staff.
Sesshomaru felt the retreating energy of the human slayer and leaned his nose to Kagome's hair and breathed in deeply. She was breathing shallowly still, but her heart was stronger and her body healing from the poison though the antidote was just administered. He was exhausted, having pushed the limit of his endurance to resist the natural call of sleep. He had to make sure that she was going to be okay.
Sesshomaru was reluctant to leave her, but hearing Jakken return, he asked him to retrieve water for her and within minutes, Jakken had a water skin in his grasp and handed it to his reaching claws. Sitting her up against his chest, he felt her come awake.
"Sesshomaru, "she called to him and clutched his arm that came around her. She was delirious, asking for her sister and talking about the boy.
"We will see them when you're well. Do not strain yourself, you need to rest." he said and she relaxed against him.
"This isn't exactly how we planned the first night together I shouldn't have left the hut, Shippo tried to stop me, but I ran past him, please don't be upset with him." she said and looked up at his searching eyes.
"I only wish to see you well again." he whispered and kissed her temple.
"Let us both rest then, I will be okay as long as you are near. "she whispered and was glad to readjust to laying on the futon while he rid himself or his armor. When he came back to her he was in his hakima with his chest bared, sitting beside her, she fingered a strand of hair and placed her hand in his bare forearm.
"Kagome I cannot lose you." he tried to say the way he felt and could not. He let his bangs fall forward to cover the worry in his features but she reached up and brushed them back.
"I will be okay, just be with me." she said grabbing a handful of his hair and tugged to get his attention. He snorted and laid down beside her taking her form and pulled her to his chest.
He let his nose rest on her temple and felt her small hands caressing lines on his skin and raise goosebumps where she touched him. He sighed feeling the comfort of having her close and relaxed into the embrace.
Kagome turned and kissed his chin and throat, feeling him growl content when he felt her beginning be bolder with her exploration. He was starting to feel the familiar pull of sleep and tried to resist as he felt the lips of his human touching him gently and trying to coax a response from him. He put his claws into her hair and feathers small circles I her scalp making her pause and close her eyes happily.
She was weak still, and he was becoming increasingly more tired as the moments passed and after only a few moments more he succumbed to the exhaustion. Kagome was there too, with her head tucked under his chin and her arms wrapped around him, holding him as a lifeline. When Jakken returned, he saw his master sleeping and took it on to himself to cover the two with his masters haori.
The night turned to day, and the two still did not wake. Jakken stood guard with the metal instrument out just in case the demon appeared, but only the woman and pup rounded the corner as the morning stretched into the early afternoon.
"Mother, cat!" Inuyasha said and pointed at Jakken.
Jakken groaned and ordered the two away.
"Your kidding, Kagome is in there, I want to know if she is alright after joining with that demon." she demanded and kicked at Jakken. Jakken used his staff and blocked her kick.
"See for yourself the demon lord and his mate sleep." he said and he motioned for her to look in. Kikyou saw Kagome as the demon laying together sound asleep and bit her lip. There was another sound through the forest and Kikyou turned to see a demon slayer coming down the trail.
Jakken went to the demon slayer and barred him from coming any closer. Kikyou set Inuyasha down and told him to go inside the into the hut as his mother ordered he saw his mother laying down with demon and went to them. Inuyasha yawned scenting the comfort of sleep between them, and having barely slept during the previous night laid down and closed his eyes.
Kikyou approached the demon slayer, he was an older man with a hardened stare from years of training. He assessed her and looked at her as though he'd seen a ghost. "Lady Kagome?" he asked and Kikyou shook her head.
"What business do you have with my twin?". She asked and the demon hunter nodded realizing that this was the other woman.
"It is with the demon, I am here for his response." the demon hunter said with some hesitation.
"I am waiting also... perhaps you would like to have tea while they rest and you could tell me why you are in my home." she motioned and he nodded graciously. "First I must get-" she went to the hut and saw that Inuyasha was sleeping in Kagome's arms. Kikyou stopped and looked at the scene with a small lump in her throat.
Kagome was being held by both the terrifying demon and the half demon child she had rescued. Kikyou looked at the scene and was brought to tears at the beauty of the small family scene. It was Kagome's family. Kagome's demon, and her son, whom Kikyou loved very much, but had never accepted as half demon. This is her life. She thought, and I have been holding her back.
Haku saw the startled look on the woman's face and went to her. He stopped and looked at the half demon pup laying in the woman's arms and did not doubt may further that this was a demon worth following, He thought for a moment and took the woman by the arm gently
"Lady priestess, I have studied this demon race for my lifetime. The are not woken easily and never with a good attitude." he smiled and coaxed her to come away from the hut. "To tell the truth I would love some tea." he smiled and Kikyou saw a glint in his eyes and blushed nodding.
"Then follow me." she said and lead him away. "Toad, would you watch over Inuyasha until he wakes?" Kikyou asked and looks back at the child sleeping. Jakken shouted 'of course' and crossed his arms.
Kagome woke in the late evening to a small kiss on her nose. She opened her eyes and smiled at her half demon son. Bringing her arms around him, she kissed his forehead and tried to sit up. She was held back by a restraining hold and laughed quietly as he began to stir.
Sesshomaru sniffed the onyx locks under his nose and felt the presence of the pup. He tried not to be too upset when he opened his eyes and saw the boy's small smile. Inuyasha raised his head and sniffed at him and growling a small request for affection. His whimpering made Kagome snuggled him and he clung to her and laid his head against her chest.
Sesshomaru leaned over Kagome and took her mouth with his and moving his arm between the two to make room for himself. Kagome blushed and allowed him to kiss her as he wanted to while Inuyasha sat back and looked at the demon leaning over his mother and stared confused while he kissed her. He noticed a scent that reminded him of family and leaned Into it and tried to take the scent into himself.
Sesshomaru's hand shot out and held the boy back when he began to try and wiggle his way between them again. He turned and gave him a sharp command to do sit down somewhere else. And Inuyasha whimpered.
"Inu, is he being grouchy?" Kagome asked her son and Sesshomaru frowned at her.
"No." the boy said and didn't seem to bothered but Kagome tried to sit up again.
"What are you doing?" he asked somewhat angrily and held Kagome down.
"Well, I was going to take Inuyasha back to Kikyou and then come back…." she trailed off and the demons heard the slope in her heart beat. Inuyasha laughed and pointed at her heart.
"Mother you are silly." he said and Sesshomaru leaned to kiss her again.
"See that you don't take too long." he said and let Kagome get up. She stretched and yawned cutely before sitting up and grabbing Inuyasha to her chest.
"Mother, you smell like demon." he said and leaned in to sniff the place where her scar was. Kagome felt nothing different.
"Well we were sleeping together, just now, it would make sense." she said and started for the door.
"No, it does not. In order for you to carry my scent we would have had to mate. You carry my scent already though I have not yet touched you. How curious that Inuyasha could scent it." he said and sat up to regard her. He had noticed and was content with the smell, though he didn't understand it.
Kagome thought about it logically. "do you think this has anything to do with it." she said and pulled back the collar of her haorI to show him her scar. He considered it and nodded.
"It would seem that violet had been meddling in things she ought not to." he said and Kagome shook her head.
She carried Inuyasha home, he was being sweet giving her small kisses and playing with her hair. She did not hear the sound of voices when she got to her sisters hut. It was late afternoon and Kagome stepped onto the small porch and reached for the door.
"Kikyou you are absolutely wonderful, I cannot imagine finding someone with more dedication to her craft… do you have a husband?" Kagome heard a man's voice in her sisters hut and gasped. Leaning her ear to the door Kagome blushed red realizing that Kikyou was giggling and entertaining the advance of this man, whom she had never met before.
Inuyasha felt the dread in his mother and began to cry. "Mother! Down." he said and began to struggle.
"Darling, Kikyou has a guest, we have to be polite." she said hushed but heard the sound of her sister's footsteps. When she opened the door Inuyasha ran in and Kagome tried to grab him before he began to investigate the man Kagome saw was a demon slayer. Kagome saw his outfit and was startled. "Inuyasha come back here." she said and stepped back from him willing her child to listen.
The man held his hand up and tried to show her that he was not going to harm her child. "Lady Kagome, you do not recall, but I saved your life last night after the healer poisoned you. Your mate has granted me an audience that I wish to see to now, if you would take me to him." he said and Kagome looked around wildly at the occupants of the room.
"You… really saved my life after I was poisoned?" she asked amazed that this same ones that had come to kill Sesshomaru ended up saving her life.
"Lady Kagome, among many of the monsters ive fought your demon does not even compare them. He is unique. A demon with honor and worth following. That is why i've come. To receive his answer to whether or not he will take me as an ally." he said and Kagome gasped.
"You want to be... friends?" she asked and he nodded.
"In a sense." he replied.
"I was going to try and convince Kikyou to watch Inuyasha for me, Sesshomaru is expecting me back alone…. So he might not appreciate your company" she said blushing slightly.
"I will only require a one word reply and you will be left in peace." he said standing.
"Don't be silly you are welcomed here whenever you like." Kikyou said smiling coyly and making Kagome chuckle. She looked at the man in front of her and saw a man in his early thirties with slightly peppered hair and the build of a warrior. Kikyou was smitten. "Kohaku, I would enjoy it very much if you would come back." she invited him.
Kohaku looked at her with some warmth and smiled enjoying the attention, trying to decide whether or not it was a good idea to date the twin sister to the demons mate. He would get his answer first. "Lady Kikyou, you have spoiled me, I would be daft if I ignored such a beautiful request, but first i must see if i truly will be welcomed back" he bowed smoothly side stepping her advance, Kikyou was almost giddy. She reached to Inuyasha and nodded to her sister trying to communicate her excitement, kagome nodded and shrugged while his back was turned..
"You can come to auntie Kikyou, I would love to spend time with my favorite nephew." she said taking Kagome by surprise. Kikyou slyly gestured to the demon slayer, seeing Kagome was a little taken aback. Kikyou nodded towards him and mouthed the words, 'he thinks he's yours'. Inuyasha looked at her and tried to sniff the deception from her scent and his ears twitched at the change in titles
He didn't understand and wanted to go back with his mother to his new home, she had said he was welcomed and yet walked away from him. "Mother!" he cried when they began to leave him in Kikyou's care. "mother I want to go with you! Don't leave me!" he cried and Kagome turned to him in Kikyou's arms.
"I will be back for you tomorrow, please be good for Auntie." she tried to reassure him and kissed him lovingly on the forehead. Inuyasha nodded with tears in his eyes and Kagome had to close her ears to the wails of bitterness when she closed the door behind her and the slayer.
Haku watched the interaction and knew that the child was Kagome's, she was acting just like a mother worrying about her son, talking about him and praising him until she entered the clearing to her home.
"Kagome you were supposed to come back alone." he said eyeing the demon slayer. Kagome ran to him and was taken behind him when he stepped toward the demon slayer. "You have come Kohaku, I will give you my answer now. I accept your alliance." he said.
"Lord, Sesshomaru, I give you the allegiance of my entire tribe, you, your woman and your children will have aid from us at any request." Haku vowed and Sesshomaru nodded.
"You may regret this. But I will not forget." he warned and the demon slayer nodded. "Leave now, you have your answer, I will allow you passage on my land as long as our truce stands." he ask and swept into the hut and closed the door firmly behind him.
AN: ….. Did I say romance? I meant fighting! update again soon!
-inuyoukaidreamer, out