Chapter 54 - Stirring the Pot

Was there anything in all the Realms more stubborn than a bitch? Sesshomaru sat for months at the mouth of the cave where his young son resided, waiting for Inazuma to come negotiate the terms of their campaign with him. While he sat, exerting silent pressure with his mere presence, he had gleaned a few useful facts from the traffic around the cave.

The bitch in charge of his son was Inazuma's littermate, Kazeko. She was lean, hard, fearless and capable, but she didn't have Inazuma's imagination or daring. Inazuma would have been hard-pressed to find a better lieutenant; Kazeko got done whatever Inazuma wanted and kept her mouth tightly shut. Kazeko wasn't pleased by Sesshomaru's presence, and she was even less pleased that she had found no way to dislodge him. Frosty waves of disapproval flowed continuously from the mouth of the cave as she, too, awaited Inazuma's instructions.

The only indication either of them had that they had not been written off was an occasional overflight by one or another of the palace staff tanuki who were evidently monitoring the location.

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Was there anything in all the Realms more stubborn than a dog? It had been nine months since Inazuma had installed her son in that windy mountain cave with her sister and still Sesshomaru sat outside the mouth of the cave, an immovable impediment to her plans. Did he have any appreciation whatsoever of the delicacy of her position? She didn't dare leave the litter unattended with the Lady this close by; she had no doubt that Kouri was just waiting for the opportunity to spirit them away to train them herself. In the meantime, she and Karimaru were cautiously dancing around each other; plain speaking was utterly impossible and they both knew it. She could not plan her campaign without a complete understanding of where Karimaru stood. Could she work with him? How much did he know? Most importantly, what did he really want? Ultimately, Karimaru was the one thing that could make or break her. She really didn't need Sesshomaru being difficult on top of everything else.

If she could just draw the Lady out of the palace for a few days... What would do that? She was tempted to start some rumor concerning that hanyou bastard the Lady was so obsessed with, but that was too obvious. Still, it would be interesting to see how Karimaru reacted to it. She considered it for a while, then shelved it for another day.

Damn Mother anyway! This was not where she intended to be. She had selected a fine young dog from the Sea Dogs and they were just waiting for her heat to come on to seal their union. Instead, that social cripple Sesshomaru was foisted off on her. She really owed Mother a thank you gift. She also wanted to find the breach in security that had clued Mother in to her plans. Perhaps she could kill three birds with her stone.

Inazuma went to her calligraphy table and took up paper and brush to compose her message.

Ice seizes my heart, Storm and Sea shall not unite. Repent, guilty Rain!

She grimaced at the artlessness of it. No subtlety to tease out, no harmonics to appreciate, a very poor effort indeed. She sighed and shrugged; it would have to do. She sealed it and called her maid.

"Sanjuusan..."

The little tanuki maid scurried before her and prostrated herself. "Yes, Hime-ue."

"I wish to send a message to Oukiinami of the Sea Dog Clan.

"Yes, Hime-ue."

"Take this necklace. Do you see the shell mounted in the medallion?"

"Yes, Hime-ue."

"Go to the small island just visible from the peak of the Mount of Souls in the Eastern Sea. On the south point of this island, you will find a torii gate formed from the stone of the cliffs by the sea. Place this shell on the shelf within the gate and wait for him there. Oukiiname holds another jewel, one filled with stormy currents and lightning that I gave to him. You may know him by this jewel. Give him this."

As Sanjuusan turned to leave, Inazuma added, "Oh, and while you are there, collect for me the leaves of the red sea-plant which grows on the rocks of those shores. It is an excellent tonic for developing youki reserves in growing pups."

And an excellent cover story for an excursion to the sea by her maid.

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Oukiiname and his hunting party stood on the windy headlands of his Clan's citadel island and looked down at the Gate. The blue-gray dogs with restless, shifting gray-blue eyes blended with the dark gray granite of the cliff and restless, moody blues of the ocean. Oukiiname was answering a long-expected call from a certain black-haired princess of lightning and storms.

Oukiiname's chosen one was not down there, although her token was. Instead, he saw a miserable little tanuki maid shivering in the spray of the rising tide.

"Brother?"

"Secure the Gate. I'm going down."

Oukiiname's brother nodded to the rest of the party, who silently arrayed themselves on the cliffs above the Gate, bows drawn.

Oukiiname jumped down from the cliff and entered the Gate, picked up the shell and closely inspected it, then turned to the little tanuki girl prostrated at his feet.

"Inazuma-hime-ue sends me with a message for Oukiiname-sama," the girl said softly.

"I am Oukiiname."

"Hime-ue spoke of an answering token," the tanuki said diffidently.

Oukiiname pulled a necklace from under his kimono and handed it to her. Set in its medallion was a stone with restless swirling clouds undulating through it punctuated with small sharp flashes of white light.

Sanjuusan bowed and handed him back the jewel, then gave him the poem. He read it carefully, then blew out a breath as he gazed out to the restless sea. Was it a fake? The poem was not up to Inazuma's usual standards. It was as blunt as a bludgeon. He sniffed it delicately; yes, that was her scent-seal on it. So. Was she being forced to write someone else's message?

There had been rumors - a forced mating concocted by the two powerful Clan Ladies of Sky and Storm to deal with their most troublesome whelps, privy only to the Houses involved. It explained why she had vanished for so long.

Oukiiname waved down his brother and handed him the poem. "It appears that I have lost my bride."

The other dog read the poem, then said, "So it was to have been Storm-Dog Inazuma. You aimed high, Brother."

"It looks like her mother agreed. She didn't waste any time clipping her wings."

"So, what will you do now? It looks like she wants to recruit you to get back at her mother. That's just asking for trouble."

"I'm in the mood for stirring up some trouble," Oukiiname replied.

"Mother won't thank you for starting a feud with the Storm Dogs."

"That's not what I intend."

Oukiiname knew exactly where he should go to gain satisfaction. He may have been Inazuma-hime's chosen dog, but he was by no means the only dog captivated by her when she took her tour of the courts. Her most publicly determined suitor was a scion of the Cloud Dogs. The Cloud Lady, eager to infuse new vigor into the attenuated bloodlines of the Cloud Clan, had actively supported her son's courtship.

The Cloud Clan was an ancient dynasty whose many generations had accumulated so many traditions, protocols and rituals that life in their world was stifling. Most of the dogs raised in that rarified, oppressive atmosphere had been smothered to dullness, many of the remainder were highly eccentric and utterly impractical, but there was the rare dog who survived the training to become brilliant and subtle. The current Lady of the Cloud Dogs was one of the rare prodigies.

After years of chafing futilely against the restrictions of her Clan's customs, she did an apparent about-face and ran with it. She now amused herself by making her court a satire of Heian Court practice, complete with waka poetry parties, moon viewing excursions and spicy petty scandal. The ironic comparison was not lost on the rest of the Dog Clans, most of whom occupied themselves with hunting, industry and the serious business of raising strong children, but the Cloud Elders never caught on to the joke.

After describing the dreamlike confection that was the Cloud Court, Inazuma had summed it up to Oukiiname by saying, "There's no there there." Oukiiname had to agree. The spectacle was dazzling, but the air of vigor and purpose that marked most courts was missing.

Upon arrival, he was officially greeted by the Lady Kusoko and her painfully simple mate, Chinpumaru. Kusoko-sama dominated the room with her presence. Like most of the Cloud Dogs, she was tall, slender and very fair, with a knee-length sweep of straight white hair caught at the nape of her neck, clear sky-blue eyes and gleaming white fur. She was dressed in a shimmering multitude of fluttering robes of sparkling white, gleaming silver, soft gray, pale icy blue and the most delicate of lavenders. The pattern on her brocade over-robe seemed to drift hypnotically across the fabric like clouds across a lazy summer sky as she moved. Oukiiname fought to keep his head clear as she escorted him about the Court, introducing him to various family members and the other guests of the Court.

Oukiiname soon found himself surrounded by a flock of fluttering, bright Cloud maidens who flirted and chattered around him, eager to hear the tales of the other Courts. He obliged them with a humorous tale of the courting of his sister by a Seal Lord, an exciting account of running in The Great Hunt with Susano-o and the Storm Dogs, then he whispered to the wide-eyed girls the scandalous, yet romantic, rumor that Inazuma of the Storm Dogs had been spirited away to a clandestine match with the last scion of the Sky Dogs. All the Courts were speculating about it, but nothing could be verified except that Inazuma had not been seen for over a year. It was easily the juiciest piece of gossip to enter the Cloud Court in years.

Oukiiname was not greatly surprised to receive an invitation the next day to ride in the Lady's boat to a waka party in honor of the colorful autumn leaves. He joined Lady Kusoko, Lord Chinpumaru, their son, Fubatsu, who had been avidly courting Inazuma and their extremely quiet, almost mousy, daughter, Yubiko.

"It's so stimulating to have another opinion to help us judge the waka," Lady Kusoko remarked as he settled onto a cushion and looked out over the water. "Tell me, everyone, what shall we award points for this time?"

"Five points if the poem mentions leaves," the Lord Chinpumaru said promptly.

"Of course. It couldn't be any other way," the Lady murmured, although the other occupants of the boat had the frozen look of distaste that suggested they had heard this far too many times before from him and had given up on hearing anything more profound.

"Perhaps we should have points for thoughts on how the leaves' reflection echoes their reality," Yubiko said softly.

"A worthy thought," Lady Kusoko said as Oukiiname looked at Yubiko anew. She had been so very quiet that he had believed her simple also, but perhaps there was more to her than he thought.

"I think points for comparing the transience of the leaves to the durability of the mountain," Fubatsu declared.

"Also a worthy idea," Lady Kusoko remarked, noting it down. "Does our honored guest have any thoughts?"

"Let us judge also on how Autumn speaks of the other seasons."

"Ah! I knew you would not disappoint us," Kusoko said, writing down the last criterion. "This should be an interesting competition."

The boats docked at a picturesque island and all the guests disembarked. Lady Kusoko gathered them around to draw lots for teams, then she listed the judging criteria and set them loose to compose.

"They have until the Tiger Hour to write, then we shall judge. In the meantime, let us try our hands at sumi-e painting." Kusoko gestured to her maid, who place a large basket before them and passed out paper, ink and brushes.

This was quite outside of Oukiiname's experience. Yubiko took him in hand and quietly explained some basic brush techniques, which she demonstrated by creating a sketch with a few deft strokes that was a suggestion, rather than a depiction, of the trees and the lake's shore. She blushed prettily and became very embarrassed by his compliments of her work. She seemed even more flustered by his clumsiness as he took his turn; she wanted to correct his stroke, but didn't have the nerve to say anything critical.

Fubatsu approached to look over Oukiiname's shoulder, ostensibly to look at his work, but really to whisper, "I don't think much of your lies about Inazuma-sama. We have been negotiating a match with her for some time now."

"Ah," Oukiiname replied. "Perhaps you know something I do not. When was the last time you saw Hime-sama?"

"I last saw her at the Mountain Dog's Snow Festival."

"That was nearly two years ago," Oukiiname remarked. He remembered it well. It was at that festival that Inazuma had pledged to him her troth by giving him her storm-stone. "Have you heard nothing since?"

"We got hung up with questions of protocol," Fubatsu growled. "Out Elders are so particular. Ame-onna-sama sends endless questions clarifying the correct procedures, and it's never quite right."

"Do you think it will ever be right?" Oukiiname asked cynically.

Fubatsu frowned. "What are you implying?"

"Nothing at all. The Cloud Elders are legendary for their exacting and difficult protocols."

Fubatsu continued to frown thoughtfully as he pondered the apparent stalemate in negotiations. A short time later, he excused himself and could be seen talking with increasing agitation with his mother.

The next day, messengers were dispatched north by the Lady. As she awaited their return, it was evident she was having to work to maintain a gracious demeanor. It was common knowledge she had been having words with the Elders; she invariably emerged from those meetings with vividly flushed cheeks and flashing eyes. The staff stepped carefully around her and still suffered the brunt of her seething anger.

The atmosphere in the Court changed from hovering suspicion to blazing fury shortly after the messengers returned. Despite Lady Kusoko's explicit instructions, they had not been permitted to speak with Inazuma. They ventured the opinion that she was no longer in the Storm Dogs' domain.

Oukiiname found himself summoned before Lady Kusoko shortly afterward for a thorough questioning about every scrap of information and rumor he knew about Inazuma's whereabouts and condition. Lady Kusoko then closeted herself with the Clan Elders once more to grimly press for vengeance upon the Storm Dogs for this grave offense to the Cloud Dogs' honor.

As the Cloud Dogs prepared for war, Oukiiname took his leave of their court, very pleased with the hornet's nest he had stirred up.

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Weeks later, clouds gathered in serried ranks in the Southern Isles, then swept north toward the rough shores of Hokkaido. They passed over the length of Honshu in their legions, provoking much speculation in those who watched their passage.

Toushi looked up at them as she played outside in the meadow below her house.

"Mama, look!" she cried pointing at the sky. "The clouds are all in rows. How do they do that?"

"I'm not sure, dear," Kagome replied, also looking up from the herbs she was setting out in her new garden. "I think I saw a weather book that talked about cloud types. Maybe it can help." Still, she wasn't sure of that. Something about those clouds looked unnatural, like they were going somewhere with a purpose. South to north also wasn't normal for this time of year.

From his mountain perch, Sesshomaru frowned as he watched them pass. Not only was the weather pattern contrary to normal early spring patterns, those clouds were infused with a Dog-youkai aura. Only one clan had the resources to field a force of that size. Who had stirred the Cloud Dogs out of their self-indulgent dreams?

xXxXxXxX

Four black dogs swept in from the North on an icy wind, then landed at the gates of the Sky Dogs' Clan palace. Scarcely waiting long enough to be announced, Kurokumo, First Litter daughter of the Storm Dogs, escorted by three of her brothers, strode into the audience chamber of the Sky Dogs to confront the Lady Kouri.

"Lady, we have a situation," she said grimly.

Kouri noted that Kurokumo chose not to bow when she approached. Ame-onna had not been exercising herself too hard teaching her brood etiquette, she thought with a sniff.

"We?" she asked pointedly.

"We," Kurokumo said shortly. "You requested Inazuma specifically for this match, so you are in this as deep as we are. You promised us you could control her."

"You're just digging for excuses," Kouri declared. "Ame-onna-sama should have found a way to break off negotiations with the Cloud Dogs months ago. I can't possibly be held accountable for your clan dealings."

"Nevertheless, the Clouds are not likely to be satisfied with exacting their vengeance on just us. They'll want a piece of the Clan who got her, too. You can fight them with us or you can fight them here. It's your choice." Kurokumo nodded curtly, then turned on her heel and strode out of the audience chamber,

Just before she reached the palace gate, she paused and beckoned to one of the anxious tanuki who lined the halls, watching from servant's nooks and peering around corners at her as she passed. He flinched and scrambled to prostrate himself before her.

"Hime-sama."

"Tell your dear mistress, Inazuma, Mother knows exactly what she's doing," she said with soft menace."

"Hime-sama?" he gasped, not fully comprehending her implication.

"Just tell her."

"Y...yes, Hime-sama."

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Author's Note: Lately I've been wishing that portions of my life would just take a vacation so I could have a chance to catch up. It's not been obliging very well, so I'm taking the vacation instead.

I've just reached a reasonable breaking point in the current thread, so, even if it's shorter than usual, I figured it's better than waiting another month. The notebooks are going with me, but not a computer, so...

We only had the barest of glancing hits on the Taiba character contest. Shoomy2003 ventured that he was quiet. It's not the main way he drives his parents' crazy, but it is a contributing factor. Soon enough, I'll let that cat out of the bag. In the meantime, we need to catch up with the other threads.

Other projects include a character glossary to eventually be added to my profile, but not today.