Chapter 55 - A Matter of Trust

"Yes, hime-sama, that was what your onee-hime-sama said." The little tanuki servant remained prostrated, face down, before Inazuma, trembling slightly from the stress of delivering sharply worded messages between the masters.

"Hff." Inazuma chuckled softly. Kurokumo never had cared for her. And Mother... Well, whether or not Mother truly knew what Inazuma was doing, she was up to her ears in hot water right now and unlikely to be able to do much about her suspicions.

She laughed again, still mildly surprised at how well her little note had worked out. Oukiiname truly knew his way through the courts. It was such a pity that Sesshomaru was not so adept.

So. It would be interesting to see what the Lady Kouri would choose to do. If she left to support the Storm Dogs, she risked leaving Inazuma and her litter unwatched; if she sat here, guarding her prize, she risked a siege from both the Cloud Dogs and the Storm Dogs. Mother would not be forgiving.

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"You told us you could keep her under control."

Interesting, Kouri mused. Ame-onna obviously thought Inazuma was somehow behind her current misfortunes, and Ame-onna was not given to either hysterics or paranoia. This would be the second time she had underestimated Inazuma. It must not happen again.

She stood at a tower window, looking down at Inazuma and her litter as they enjoyed the sun in a courtyard garden below her. Inazuma seemed to be completely absorbed in the work of rearing her litter. Even the exacting Kouri had found nothing to criticize in the way her daughter-in-law was handling her brood. Kouri had also seen no sign that Inazuma had either the time or the energy to pursue other projects. How was she doing it?

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Sanjuusan brought word that evening to Inazuma that the Lady Kouri had chosen to take the fight abroad. Even now, she was ensconced with the Forest Dogs and her Mountain Dog relations, discussing tactics and logistics for a mission to aid Ame-Onna and the Storm Dogs.

"Is she going with them?" Inazuma asked nonchalantly as she brushed her pups' fur before their bedtime.

"Yes, Hime-sama," Sanjuusan reported. "She wishes to confer with Ame-onna-sama."

"Ah." Damn. Mother was sure to put a bug in Kouri's ear. Judging by the way Kouri was watching her this afternoon, she was ready to listen now.

Inazuma finished grooming her children and put them to bed, then dismissed Sanjuusan for the evening. Now alone, she checked her hidden cache of escape materials. Perhaps she should take advantage of this opportunity to break free. What a difference it would make to have full control of her life!

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While the Lady Kouri prepared for war, Inazuma maintained an illusion of being so absorbed in her pups that she essentially lived in an isolated little bubble, untouched by the outside world. Runners came and went from the palace, retainers arrived with their retinues, battle drills took place overhead and rang from the surrounding mountains, and still Inazuma went about her normal routines, unbothered by the commotion that surrounded her.

In time, Kouri declared herself satisfied and departed with her force for the Northern stronghold of the Storm Dogs. As the Sky Dogs' forces streamed out of the palace and took to the sky, Inazuma made an appearance on the wall with her pups to cheer them on their way, looking vulnerable and brave and grateful for their efforts. The little show piqued Kouri's suspicions; it was just too well timed, too carefully presented. She glanced sharply at Inazuma from where she stood in review, but Inazuma remained coolly irreproachable, smiling gamely and wishing Kouri and the army good fortune.

Inazuma lingered at the wall, watching the Sky Dogs and their vassals vanish to the north, then returned to her suite, her heart lighter than it had been in ages. She set the pups loose to tumble about the room while she recovered her cached supplies and prepared for departure.

"Lady, are you leaving so soon?"

Sparks flickered across Inazuma's fur, a scintillating net of electricity that glimmered across the velvety black. He called her 'Lady'. The deep thrill within her was undeniable, even though it meant he found her dangerous, and was thus dangerous himself.

"Karimaru-sama," she said, "I would have thought the Lady Kouri required your services."

"So she does," he replied. "Here, with her greatest treasure."

"I see. And who attends her in the war?"

"My sons have earned a chance to hone their skills."

"Of course." The Clan Lord who permitted his heirs to exercise their skills retained them longer in his service. Karimaru was wise in this regard.

Inazuma turned to face him. He was as smoothly urbane as ever, but the keenness of his gaze betrayed his interest. Kouri was gone; they could speak plainly at last.

"So, Karimaru-sama, what do you intend to do? Will you aid me or hinder me?"

He tilted his head, considering her. "That depends on you. What does Inazuma-sama intend, herself?"

"This Inazuma intends to visit her mate."

"That is an excellent idea. I highly recommend it. However, surely Inazuma-sama can do so without taking her pups."

"And what assurance does this Inazuma have that her pups will remain hers? Karimaru-sama is the sworn vassal of the Lady Kouri."

"The Forest Dogs are sworn to the Sky Dogs, and that is not necessarily the same thing," Karimaru remarked.

"You would betray your Lady?" Inazuma asked pointedly.

"I would serve the Sky Dogs."

"I ... see." How very interesting. Karimaru seemed to be shopping for a change of regime, but what was he looking for in his potential candidates? And just what did he mean by saying he served the Sky Dogs, not Kouri? "You served under Kazan-ue, didn't you?"

"I still do."

The racing strategies spinning in Inazuma's mind stopped short as she realized that even though she finally had the key to Karimaru, it would not serve her. Kazan's legend still resonated through the Dog Clans; he was their shining example of loyalty and integrity. Karimaru might choose to put Inazuma in power, but the instant she deviated from Kazan's standards, he would not hesitate to remove her. Still, the sword cut both ways; she could require him to maintain Kazan's standards in exchange for her cooperation. Now was a good time to test this working relationship.

"Then, by your oath to Kazan-ue, I charge you with guarding this product of his seed until I return to reclaim them. I will know everything that happens to them, and if they are disturbed in any way, I will be very displeased."

"By my oath to Kazan-ue, I pledge that they will be here and undisturbed when you return."

Inazuma let the lightning ripple through her fur again as a reminder of what she could do. "Just so we understand each other. I accept your pledge. The pups will remain here in my suite and Sanjuusan will attend to their needs. No one else comes in unless there is grave danger."

"As the Lady wishes." Karimaru bowed, and summoned Sanjuusan while Inazuma settled her litter, then he escorted her to the border of the Sky Dogs domain.

"Remember, they are mine!" Inazuma said fiercely as she transformed into a dog for her journey.

"They are the hope of the Sky Clan, not yours alone," Karimaru returned gravely. "Let us speak again when you return."

Inazuma leapt into the sky and ran north, seething for a time over her frustrated plans, then growing thoughtful as she chewed over the implications of what Karimaru had said. So, he still served Kazan and worked to rebuild the Sky Clan. What did he have to gain? Kazan was many years gone and Karimaru was much too practical to retain a pledge to a dead dog without some benefit to himself or his clan. He was risking a great deal treating with her; if the Lady ever found out, she would shatter the Forest Clan beyond recovery.

This meant that Karimaru trusted her judgment to some degree. Maybe she could work with him, within the parameters he required. She would have to consider this in depth.

First though, she must use her freedom effectively. She had some loose ends to tie off and, if all went well, an alliance to secure.

North, then east, she traveled, across the sea to the Citadel of the Sea Dogs. Inazuma plunged through the mists that surrounded the island and landed by the gate, then placed her token on the shelf.

A short time later, scouts arrived and took their positions on the headlands while their Prince came down the the gate to investigate.

"Inazuma-chan!" he cried, hastening forward to greet her.

As much as she had wanted to see Oukiiname, the bonds formed by her mating forbade his approach with a visceral rejection.

She held up her hand, reminding him she was taken. "I only have a short time, but I wanted to speak to you myself; it's only right. I did not betray you. Mother beguiled me into a trip to visit the Sky Dogs, 'for diplomatic training', she said. She intended diplomacy through breeding as it turned out. I am now mated to Sesshomaru of the Sky Dogs. I'm so sorry. This is not at all what I intended."

"Yes, I guessed as much. I got your note, and there have been rumors." Oukiiname's restless gray-blue eyes grew darker and grayer. "What's he like, this Sesshomaru? I only know the tales."

"I... I scarcely know," Inazuma admitted. "I've only seen him twice."

So that rumor was also true. "And yet, you are mated," Oukiiname declared.

"Yes."

"Are you mad, or is he?" The idea that a mated pair was not in close contact was against all nature, in Oukiiname's view.

Inazuma sighed. "Probably both," she admitted. "Neither of us is very pleased with our mothers, so we thought of a scheme where we would raise and train the pups right under their noses; let them teach the the pups everything they need to know to bring them down. Sesshomaru pretends to reject me to force his mother to take me in if she wants the pups to survive. It sounded good at the time, but it's proving more difficult than I thought."

"Kouri and Ame-onna? I should think!" Oukiiname snorted.

"They're not the hard part," Inazuma retorted. "I grew up with Mother, after all. I know that sort of bitch. It's Kazan's vassal, Karimaru, who's proving to be a challenge."

Oukiiname frowned. "Don't you mean Kouri's vassal?"

"Oh, no, Karimaru is Kazan's. He is most definitely Kazan's."

"That ... explains a great deal," Oukiiname said thoughtfully. Many had wondered why Kouri's ambitions had not been pursued more vigorously after Kazan's death.

"Yes, but it certainly doesn't simplify anything," Inazuma snapped.

Oukiiname quirked an eyebrow at her. "Of course not, but the thing that interested me most about you was the notion that you would be equal to great challenges. I would so hate to be disappointed."

"Even now?" Inazuma asked pointedly. "I'm never to be yours."

"I would prefer to have you, of course, but there are advantages to having us spread between two clans," Oukiiname proposed.

This was perhaps the greatest difference between Sesshomaru and Oukiiname. Where Sesshomaru had dedicated his efforts towards developing his battle skills, Oukiiname understood that the greater power lay in who one knew. He was already known across the Clans and had formed ties in many courts. Inazuma knew that once she had secured the Sky Dogs, she was going to need allies to keep her place, and Sesshomaru was not the one to provide them.

Unfortunately, Oukiiname was in not yet in a position to become her first great ally. He still needed to find a mate and establish his place among the clans in his own right. "Since we know that you can't have me, tell me, who would you now choose to be your mate?" she asked. Oukiiname's value to her would be heavily affected by whom he selected.

"I don't know yet. I've scarcely had time to look, but I did find a prospect in an unexpected place. She has wit enough, I believe. Right now, I'm waiting to see if she has the courage."

"Who?" Inazuma pressed.

"No, not yet. You'll know when I've chosen."

Inazuma mocked a pout, then said, "Very well, but choose well, my friend. I would so hate to be disappointed."

Oukiiname bowed slightly, the sparkle in his eyes matching hers.

"I have many sons, you know," Inazuma remarked. "If I am pleased with your Lady, perhaps I'll save one for you."

"I shall forbid him entry to my court," Oukiiname returned. "It will give him an incentive to prove himself and impress my daughters."

"Of course. We wouldn't want it to look like we approved."

They both laughed, remembering how the irresistible appeal of the forbidden had drawn Oukiiname, himself, into the Court of the Storm Dogs to find a black-furred princess who longed for a rascal daring enough to test her Father's wrath. Through the laughter, tears welled up in Inazuma's eyes. The dream they had shared truly was lost, she realized with an echoing sorrow. She turned away, hiding the tears, holding onto her dignity as best she could.

"I need to go," she said. "Sesshomaru, he's waiting for me. I... I wish you better fortune than I have found." She jumped into the sky and fled south, to seek the stranger she had wed.

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A whiff of a long-awaited scent crossed Sesshomaru's nose, rousing him from his meditation at the mouth of the cave. At last! He had been thinking he would need to steal his son, himself, to get her attention.

Kazeko joined him, also sniffing the air and looking out into the sky.

"She's here," she said.

"Yes," Sesshomaru replied, rising to his feet. "You will await our return here." He held her eye until she reluctantly nodded acquiescence, growling softly under her breath. She turned with a sniff and strode back into the cave as Sesshomaru leapt into the sky to meet his mate.

Inazuma dropped quickly to land in a secluded mountain glade shortly after Sesshomaru joined her. She touched down first and spun to face him, a dark, swirling cloud of black and gray. Once again, he was struck by the exquisite beauty of his mate, the silver-tipped black hair and clear, moonstone gray eyes, the deep gray fur-lined brocade haori, the gleaming layers of silk kimonos in smoky purples and blues and palest yellow. Unaccustomed longings tugged at his heart, drew her into his arms to cling for a time while the tattered bond between them rewove. Until now, Sesshomaru had not fully appreciated just how much they needed each other to be whole, and yet...

"Who is he?" Sesshomaru asked. The scent of another dog hung about her faintly, mingled with the iodine tang of salt air and brisk breezes.

"The one I would have wed," she replied, pulling free of his arms and facing him with her chin lifted defiantly, daring him to comment. "I said goodbye today."

"I see."

Tears brightened her moonstone eyes as as she considered this mate whom she had not chosen. " 'I see'? Nothing more?"

"What more would you have?"

"Aren't you even curious? He asked about you. You know, I had to tell him I really don't know anything about you. Isn't it extraordinary that I know nothing about my mate?"

She took a step forward, gazing intently into his eyes. "It's not like I haven't tried. I've been studying you for quite some time. Your mother becomes very nostalgic when she visits the children. She tells me all kinds of stories about you with just the slightest prompting. Your creature, Jaken, is very talkative, too. But, despite all the effort I've put into learning about you, I still don't know you. You don't do what I expect you to do. I can't have that."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed dangerously. He had had his fill of meddlesome bitches and being unpredictable was his best defense from their machinations.

"You will just have to learn to live with it."

"No, I will not," she retorted. "If I am to succeed in our campaign, I must know what to expect from my pack."

"Our campaign? You have not been telling me anything," he snapped.

"Because I don't know what you'll do with the knowledge," she snapped back. She pushed down her rising temper with a few deep breaths, then added, "Look, I know you didn't grow up in a litter, so you just don't know how it works. My... my siblings and I, we know each other intimately; what we think, how we'll react... There are no surprises. I know everything Kazeko will do in any situation, so I can direct her, choose assignments that suit her. But you are not open; I don't know you."

"Mother taught me many things; her greatest lesson was to hold my heart close."

"Even from your mate?"

"Especially from my mate. I saw what became of Father."

"I see. So we find ourselves at an impasse. Is there nothing I can do to earn your confidence?"

"There is one thing."

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Kazeko sniffed testily as she saw a pair of flying figures come over the peak of the nearest mountain. They were back, Inazuma and Sesshomaru. Now, perhaps, this foolishness about males near young pups could be resolved. The Sky Dogs were a strange batch, she mused, there was no disputing that. They indulged far too much in interacting with human mortals; Old Kazan had even sired a half-blood. Perhaps that's where their queer notions came from. Even so, it should not be tolerated. Inazuma was sure to set matters straight.

As soon as they landed, Inazuma embraced her sister briefly in greeting.

"Sister, it's been too long."

"It has indeed," Kazeko replied. "Have you been well? You look stretched."

"It's been a difficult day, that's all," Inazuma said. "I'm fine, but..." She took a breath, then asked, "How is he, my little dog-pup? I want to see him."

"Of course you do. Come in and see. He should be just waking up from a nap," Kazeko said.

"No, I'd rather you brought him out," Inazuma said, glancing at Sesshomaru.

Kazeko's jaw tightened. She gave Sesshomaru a venomous glance, then stalked into the cave, returning a moment later with a silver-gray puppy cuddled in her arms. He yawned and looked around with still-sleepy interest at his visitors.

"Say hello to your mama, Aisoku."

Inazuma stroked him gently and scratched him behind the ears. "He's so small," she said softly.

Kazeko bristled, taking umbrage at the implied criticism. "I've had no opportunity to take him out, as I should have. He was always around." She favored Sesshomaru with another venomous glare; he stared back at her coldly.

"I want to hold him for a moment," Inazuma said. "I haven't seen him since he was born." Kazeko turned her attention back to her charge; she gathered him more securely in her arms and held him out to his mother. Meeting Inazuma from the security of Kazeko's arms was one thing, being handed to her was quite another, in Aisoku's estimation. He squirmed violently in alarm, kicked himself free of Inazuma's arms, then scampered to hide behind Sesshomaru. A moment later, he could be seen peering around from the security of his father's legs.

Kazeko quickly snatched him back up and scolded him softly as she brought him back to his mother.

Sesshomaru's and Inazuma's eyes met.

"He knows my scent," Sesshomaru said. "I'm not a threat."

"And I am," Inazuma mourned. She stroked her son's fur again, then took his head to gaze long into his eyes. She turned to face her mate soberly, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Very well, he's yours," she said with a quavering voice. "Take him and raise him strong. He... he needs experiences and... and challenges to develop fully. And... and you must let him fail. He cannot grow strong until he's failed a few times. We'll... we'll meet again as soon as I can manage it." She kissed a blessing on her son's forehead, then nodded to Kazeko to hand the pup to Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru took his son, nodded to his women, then took to the air, heading south and east like an arrow. The bitches watched him go until he disappeared over the horizon.

"How could you?" Kazeko cried. "He's much too young to be out with a dog."

"Trust, Kazeko," Inazuma whispered vehemently. "If we are to become a pack, I must have his trust. To get it, I must give mine."

"But... it's too soon. What does a dog like him know about infants?"

"Enough, Kazeko. Aisoku is a weanling and his son. He can manage."

"You're just telling yourself that," accused Kazeko.

"What else do I have?" Inazuma whispered desolately.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Forgive me, sister." Kazeko cried, pulling her sister into a close hug to share a good cry. "I'm just worried, too."

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Author's Note:

I don't even want to talk about how long Inazuma and Sesshomaru stood there just looking at each other. They both have issues, loads of them, but Sesshomaru is the original great non-communicator. I was having a devil of a time getting him to say anything believable. Ugh! Anyway, I think they finally managed to drag the biggest bugaboo in their relationship out into the air. We'll see how Inazuma's sacrifice works out as the story progresses.

Next, though, back to InuYasha's household...