Author's Note: I wrote this part a while back and then connected it, so forgive me if there are any inconsistencies.
Mina strolled through the forest, noticing how peaceful it seemed. She wondered if it was because Sesshomaru knew where she was going, or if this was just a nice enemy-free day. She expected demons to come out at night, but even as the sun began to set, the only other creatures she encountered were the animals of the forest.
When she decided to sleep, she climbed up into a tree. Although she had had good luck all day, she did not want to risk being attacked while off guard. Sesshomaru would probably be angry at her arrogance if she slept on the ground, anyway. Sleeping brought dreams of Sesshomaru—not the confusing nightmare from the other night—and she took comfort in the way he dropped his cold exterior.
Just a dream, yes, but for how long?
She awoke when the sunlight had managed to pierce through the treetops and the birds began singing again. She stretched, looking around and sniffing the air to make sure that nothing was waiting for her at the base of the tree. Once again, the immediate forest was clean of demons. She began to wonder if perhaps the human village nearby had sent out exterminators recently. There was no other explanation. Not that she could think of.
In reminding herself of the human village, Mina jumped down and began moving once again. Sesshomaru expected her back in two days, and it would be unwise to anger him. If she dawdled, he might assume that she ran away again. There was no way she would risk going through that again. Mina didn't know how long she would stay at the village, and she would really prefer not to have to run the entire way back to the castle.
Within a few hours, the smell of humans filled the air. She frowned slightly, disagreeing that it was a "filthy stench" as the youkai always called it. It was different and distinct, yes, but not necessarily a bad smell. There was another scent that stuck out among the others, that of a hanyou. The closer she got, the more she could recognize the scent of Inu Yasha's group.
When she broke through the edge of the forest, Minako could see the quiet little village just a little further ahead. She managed to take just a few steps forward when suddenly a flash of red appeared at the outskirts of the village, moving toward her. She could clearly hear Kagome shouting at Inu Yasha. The hanyou appeared before her, irritated as usual. He hit the ground with full force as Kagome shrieked her command, and Mina walked forward toward the small crater in the ground. She peered down at him curiously.
"Hello, Inu Yasha."
He jumped up as soon as he could, looking around as if expecting something before leaning in a little too close to sniff her. The rest of his group caught up, and Kagome shouted at him to stop invading Mina's personal space before she said the word again. He moved back a little, but still seemed rather unhappy.
"You reek of Sesshomaru," he growled.
"Of course she smells like him," Kagome said, whacking the hanyou on the head, "They travel together, stupid."
"Ow!" he rubbed his head and glared at Minako, "No, it's different this time, way stronger. I could have sworn Sesshomaru himself was headed this way."
Mina ignored his bad attitude and smiled at the rest of the group, "Lord Sesshomaru has just sent me here to buy new clothing for myself, as mine are rather torn up."
She turned around, casually showing them the deep tears in the back of her outfit. Kagome and Sango gasped, immediately asking if Mina was alright or injured. Inu Yasha simply crossed his arms.
"That's what you get for traveling with him," he muttered.
Ignoring his comment, Mina pulled out the small pouch Sesshomaru had given her, "Perhaps someone could help me. I have never bought anything before, and I am nervous about the process."
Kagome and Sango happily agreed while the men gathered together, unhappy about the difference they felt in Mina. They left the grumps behind, showing Mina the way to the market. When they asked her how much money she had, she opened her pouch and the girls shrieked.
Mina did not understand how much her small pouch of gold was worth. Sango explained to her that very few villages saw any gold at all, let alone that much, and it was good that she had recruited the two girls. Otherwise she may have been taken advantage of and paid a ridiculously high amount of money for something cheap.
Even in a small village, they could have or make a very pricey outfit for Mina. She was led to a small hut where kimonos lined the walls. An old woman sat in the corner, stitching some torn fabric. She looked up when the girls stepped in, seeming to size Mina up in seconds. She frowned at the pointed ears, but said nothing about it.
"What is it you need?"
Kagome smiled, motioning to Mina, "Our friend here needs a new yukata. We were hoping you could show us some of your more expensive ones."
The woman's eyes lit up, happy to have good business. She pulled out a small trunk and began hanging up the few she had. Mina marveled at the lovely outfits, as the best one she had over worn belonged to Sesshomaru. She had never owned anything expensive before.
The four chatted for a while, having Mina try on a few before settling on a black and red yukata with matching black shoes. The fabric was light and strong, but elegant; Mina knew she would look good in battle without being hindered. The woman seemed to try not to get her hopes up when she told them the price, but she cried out in happiness with Mina gave her some gold, a little more than what the outfit was worth.
The woman thanked them profusely, hugging Mina and inviting her back. She promised to prepare a fine outfit for the next time the girl decided to buy one. Mina was pleased with what she bought, and excited about an outfit just for her. The woman wrapped the new yukata up so that it would be kept safe while Mina stayed in the village.
Sango and Kagome then led Mina to the hot springs, where they bathed and Mina used Kagome's shampoo and conditioner to clean her rather tangled hair. When they were clean, the three sat by the water, brushing each other's hair. When Kagome finished brushing Mina's hair, she pulled it back into a high pony tail and saw the purple crescent moon on Mina's neck.
"Hey, what's that?" she asked. "Doesn't Sesshomaru have that on his forehead?"
"Yes," she said, not wanting to go into details about how it got there, "He put it on me a while ago."
Neither girls noticed Sango blushing, and she stayed silent as to keep from drawing attention to the pink tint in her cheeks. When they were finished at the hot springs, they all dressed and headed back. Mina put on her new yukata, tossing out the shredded old one. She marveled at her new shoes, since she had never worn any before. She was pleased with her outfit, and couldn't wait to show Sesshomaru what she had chosen. She hoped that he approved of what she had picked.
The three traveled back to Kaede's hut, where the boys were sitting around talking. A hot meal and tea was waiting for them when they got there, and everyone sat around the fire to eat. Everything was going fine until Mina turned her head to look out the window, unknowingly exposing the crescent moon to Inu Yasha.
He jumped up, dramatically pointing at her neck, "I knew it!"
She looked up, a little startled from his outburst. "What?"
"Would you just leave her alone?" Kagome exclaimed, not wanting to say the command word in case it broke something in Kaede's hut.
He ignored the girl and went on, looking back to Miroku and Shippo for support, "Sesshomaru marked her; that's why she smells different!"
Mina blushed, rubbing the mark on her neck, "What does that mean?"
Sango's face was just as red as she leaned forward and asked in a hushed tone, "He did it without telling you what it means?"
Mina looked around frantically at everyone, upset that almost all of them seemed to know what the mark meant but her. Kagome was the only other one that seemed just as confused, so she looked to her for support.
"Would you guys just explain it to her," she sighed. "Jeeze."
They looked at each other, arguing about who should explain it. Inu Yasha offered, but everyone else said no. His way of explaining sensitive things was never a good choice. They finally made a shotgun decision when Mina began crying.
"It's not necessarily a bad thing!" Sango exclaimed. "You see, when a man and a woman love each other very much-"
Inu Yasha snorted, earning a hard bonk on the head from Kagome.
"Ow! I just find it hard to believe that Sesshomaru would do it out of love," he snapped.
Sango ignored him, "-they decide to stay together for the rest of their lives. Now, there are different ways to show this. For humans, it involves rings and a marriage. For demons, it's a little different."
Mina knew that her face was bright red, but she had stopped crying and her heart was pounding so hard that it felt like it was about to rip from her chest. Lord Sesshomaru wanted to spend his life with her?
"In order to let other demons know that a female is taken, a male demon will mark her," Sango explained, motioning to the crescent moon on Mina's neck. "It changes your scent, so that even if the male mate is not with the female, his scent is still present."
"Is that why nothing attacked me in the forest?"
"Most likely," Miroku shrugged, "The demons probably ran away when they caught your scent. They'd have to be pretty stupid to want to fight Sessshomaru."
Inu Yasha sent Miroku an angry glare, and the monk grinned in response.
"I think I should be getting back," Mina said quietly.
"But you only just got here," Kagome complained. "If it's because of Inu Yasha, then just ignore the dummy."
"Hey!"
Mina shook her head, "Lord Sesshomaru is expecting me."
"Of course he is," Inu Yasha grumbled.
She said her goodbyes and began walking back to where Sesshomaru was waiting. She did not bother to stop to sleep when night fell. Her mind was so full of thoughts. Sesshomaru had marked her. Did that make them mates? Did he just do it on a whim because she said that he did not own her? She wondered if he regretted it.
Once again, the forest was clear. She now knew why, and it made her feel warm. Sesshomaru was protecting her, even when he was not there. The thought brought butterflies to her belly, and she blushed.
Things would be different when she returned.
