Without any visitors around the Cloud Castle felt to Kagome as if after an extinction event. Oh, there were still plenty of people on its grounds: servants, soldiers and members of Tsume's court, all busy with their businesses; but after how crowded it was only few days ago the island could have just as well be completely empty. Sesshomaru seemed to relish in it. The priestess caught few glimpses of him just strolling around with his gaze turned far away, or sitting with her puzzle box, still trying to learn its secrets. But Kagome didn't have any time to spend with him, because most of it now temporarily belonged to his mother.
"To this one's great sadness, your worsening condition doesn't give us enough time to indulge into the theme of female aesthetics as deeply as this Tsume would've liked to," she said with a deep sad sigh in the beginning of Kagome's first lesson. Both of them sat in Tsume's study – a room filled with countless scrolls and curious trinkets, "so this one will just restrain herself with teaching you only basic principles, and then helping you to design your future look. Hopefully, you will have enough time to adjust it later."
"Adjust?" Kagome asked, interrupting Tsume's words when she paused to take a breath. A moment later beginnings of an apology for her rudeness already left Kagome's lips, only to be dismissed with a careless wave of dog lady's hand.
"Ah, don't be afraid to ask questions, girl. This one does not know the depths of your ignorance in the matter, after all, and how far exactly she will need to know to fill that gaping void," as Tsume tapped her chin contemplatively, Kagome was torn between feeling relieved and insulted.
"Speaking of your question, girl, this Tsume is sure that you know that youkai's bodies are made entirely from youki, considering your previous training," continued Tsume. Her eyes twinkled with mirth as she looked down at Kagome's face. "Youkai are beings of spiritual nature, mind for us comes before flesh. And if one can persuade his own mind to believe that his body has different form, it will indeed become so. Even after this new shape was created and solidified it still can be adjusted with right efforts – but one who seeks to do so must remember how hard it is to change an already asserted concept in anyone's head."
Kagome sat with her eyes wide open in interest, all previous troubles forgotten. 'So I guess this is why you can seal even a biggest youkai into a small jar,' she thought. As a priestess, she was taught how to cast such spells, but never really thought about how they worked. Kagome would've liked to ask Tsume more, but she, sadly, had a time limit, so when the dog lady returned to her original topic, Kagome just listened.
"And right now, girl, you are creating this concept in your own head," Tsume poked Kagome's forehead for demonstration before the priestess could even try to jerk away. "Imagining it, learning about it, feeling how it will fit you with your own youki. And after this Tsume is done with you, you are going to have something much more solid before your mind's eye than before."
As Kagome rubbed sore spot on her forehead, Tsume continued.
"Not just your eye, though! Your mind's nose as well, especially since as you could probably guess, girl, the smell is the most important part of dog youkai's good looks. You can gain a great amount of information about a person from just their smell. And with right composition of smells you can show many, many incredible things to anyone who will listen. Alluring opposite sex is only one of them – believe me, girl, while this Tsume's human form considered to be incredibly attractive by any human male, what she truly prides herself upon is the fact that females find it no less aesthetically pleasing. And if this Tsume has any say in it, your youkai form will be just as great! Sadly, your inferior sense of smell, sadly, will make the study much harder, but we will just have to find a way to work around it."
With those words Tsume reached for an ornate box that stood on her writing desk all that time. Before, Kagome didn't took much notice of it, but now she was curious of that could be inside. The dog lady opened the box, showing eight of carefully packed into their separate sections vials. She reached for one and pulled out the cork.
"In those vials are samples of smells of different female dog youkai, collected by this Tsume when she was indulging herself in a craft of perfume making. It was an interesting, if passing, fancy, but she kept her collection of samples intact, and how they will make a great example," the dog lady commented, before bringing the vial to Kagome's nose. "Get a sniff."
She did. The smell was musky and strong – a whole lot of it concentrated in small vial of opaque liquid. I reminded her of Sesshomaru – this one also smelled like a dog. At least when Kagome wasn't transformed – if she tried hard enough then she could remember how his smell felt when all her senses were enhanced to youkai level. The difference was like between looking at something through a waterfall and without it. She could also remember еhose familiar sharp and tart notes in the smell of Sesshomaru's blood that she spilled in the tournament… Now, with her mind clear, Kagome instantly recognized what they reminded her about – yuzu vinegar. 'I hope his wound is healing well. I never had an opportunity to really look at it. At least there is surely some kind of healer in the palace.'
"This one belonged to one of this Tsume's handmaidens when she was younger," Tsume said, returning Kagome to reality. The dog lady took the vial away and closed it. "She isn't much in terms of strength, but she is healthy and virile female, attractive to males and pleasing to one's nose. You shall commit to memory all smells this Tsume will show you, so you will be able to understand their common points and features. This is how you will be approaching to understanding of dog youkai's concept of beauty."
"It just smells like dog to me, Tsume-sama," Kagome complained, making Tsume tsk with annoyance, frown and tap on her chin contemplatively.
"Well, this Tsume is aware of charms that could temporarily enhance your sense of smell, but she presumes that using abilities that you have already will be easier and have less unpredictable repercussions," the dog lady finally said few long moments later. "Thankfully, as far as this one is aware thanks to her dearest son, you should be able to fare acceptably enough without them, girl. Use your own abilities and youki to enhance your senses, and don't let any worries stop you, girl! After all, this Tsume has enough power in her aura to stop you if anything decides to happen."
She flared her youki in demonstration, sending creeping chill over Kagome's spine. Tsume's aura was just as strong as Sesshomaru's, though felt much lighter and active. If Sesshomaru's aura was similar to a blanket made of steel, Tsume's was like an acidic cloud.
"Alright," Kagome nodded decisively. She closed her eyes, concentrating and turning her mind's eye within herself. There, two opposing forces that were now both a part of her lied, continuing to struggle weakly. Carefully, Kagome reached beneath her reiki, pulling on a bit of her youki and tugging it to her body, shaping and putting a purpose to it in the process. It listened obediently, rewarding Kagome with an influx of smells, but the rest of her youki grew restless from the action, and the priestess knew that she won't be able to stay in a calm state for long. She opened her eyes and inhaled deeply, as Tsume looked at her with curiosity in her yellow eyes.
Kagome could immediately feel traces of the smell sample in the air, but they were weak in comparison to the smell of Tsume herself. What was more important, she could now tell the difference between the two of them, and was hoping to remember it for future.
"Can you open the rest of the vials now, Tsume-sama?" Kagome said while trying not to move even a little bit, as if even a slightest twitch could be her undoing.
Quickly, the dog youkai uncorked the rest of the small bottles, releasing a whole bouquet of smells into the air, watching over Kagome intently all the while. For another minute Kagome stayed put, breathing deeply and just trying to separate the smells and engrave them into her memory, but it wasn't long before she felt her self-control slipping into abyss of pain.
"Tsume-sama…" she said in strained voice. Thankfully, the dog lady understood her plea without any more prompting, and pushed with her aura. Another moment later, and Kagome's nose returned to its normal state, leaving only memories of intense smells in her mind. She exhaled heavily, frowning and rubbing her badly aching nose. At least the small metamorphose didn't tired her much.
Kagome frowned even stronger when she saw her fingers come from her face spotted in blood. That never happened before… Thankfully, the amount of blood seemed small, but its presence alone was unsetting.
"This Tsume can't stop being fascinated over your transformations, girl. Sadly, no matter how much it engrosses her to see you slowly self-destruct, this one believes that you will bring more greatness to the world by being alive," the dog youkai said with a shake of her head, closing the perfume vials. "Now, let's get rid of that pungent blood on your face first. This one hopes that you managed to remember the smells, because if not, the exercise will need to be repeated, bloodletting or not. And let's move to things that are easier for a human to understand for the rest of today."
Tsume took her promise to teach Kagome very seriously, and during the rest of the day provided the priestess with a wealth of information not only about the topic of dog youkai standards of beauty, but all other kinds of things as well. Words flowed from her like an endless stream, and Kagome only needed to ask pointing questions from time to time to learn things that she probably wouldn't be able to tear from Sesshomaru in a hundred of years. Her lessons were also very interesting on their own.
The dog lady spent hours lecturing her, telling her of the features that dog youkai found most alluring or pleasing for senses beside smell. All of them, in some way or another, signaled that a dog was a strong survivor, healthy and fertile. In that way, youkai standards of beauty were completely primal, and that put them in sharp contrast with humans'.
For starters, where a scar was a flaw for any human maiden (and for most human men too), both male and female youkai's wore them as signs that they managed to survive some truly terrible injury. It took a lot to scar a youkai, after all – and no scar was possible without some kind of emotional wound lurking behind it, which Tsume referenced to youkai spiritual nature again.
Were there and other things as well that an attractive dog youkai, female one to be specifically, must have in order. Claws and teeth must be of specific length and form; fur is better longer than shorter, and the thicker it is, the better; ears are better lying down than standing upright; snout must be long and elegant… There was a lot.
Tsume only stopped when Kagome felt that her head will soon explode from all that information. It was evening at this point, and both of them were sitting doused in light of ghost-lit lanterns, with pictures of all kinds lying all around the room.
"Oh, This Tsume can't look at you anymore! She will have mercy on you, girl," the dog lady said to Kagome's surprise and rose from the floor, "especially since it's obvious that saying anything of importance to you now will be only a waste of good words. Now, follow after this one. She'd liked to present you with something – hopefully, it will be a good enough respite from this one's teachings for you. And it was long due, after all."
Confused and curious, Kagome obediently followed after Tsume until she was led into a room where a familiar big chest stood – the same one that the priestess saw in the tournament. The realization hit her.
"You want me to take my tournament reward, Tsume-sama?" Kagome asked in slight disbelief. She already had long forgotten about that! Though, after all the pain she went through, she had probably deserved whatever this prize will turn out to be.
"Yes, girl, exactly!" Tsume said, grinning. She lifted the chest's lid, showing that inside of it was filled with labeled boxes of different sizes. "This one will even help you to choose! Now, let's look for what interesting trinkets lie in there…"
With those words Tsume started to pick a box after box and stuck them on the floor. Kagome soon joined her, taking the opportunity to read the labels: 'invisibility charm', 'boots of blinding speed', 'The Elixir'... She wondered what each of those items did. Thankfully for her, Tsume was ready to explain.
"Those on top are all items that were designed with great flaws – ones that render them unusable for most; some of them lied in there for centuries. This charm, for example, makes your body invisible to the sight, but everyone can still see your clothes. And smell or hear you, of course. Boots of blinding speed," Tsume chuckled in amusement, "well, they make a wearer run really fast, but also render him completely blind – not a thing that most will wear comfortably. The Elixir is told to cure any illness, but youkai very rarely fall ill. No, those are all trash, believe this one's word – they were donated for tournament fund because their previous owners didn't cared for them. Best things are on the bottom, girl."
"Well, this elixir seems like a useful thing for me," Kagome noted, looking over another box before putting it to the side. "I could just take it."
"Nonsense! You aren't going to die from some human malady, girl, and this Tsume isn't going to let you have a reward that you will just pass to someone else. That would've been very rude from you… No, there are some real treasures in there, and you will get one!"
"And what did Sesshomaru-sama took as his reward?" the priestess inquired, accepting her fate of getting something really nice and changing topics.
"Ah, as usual – another weapon for his collection. This time it was sword that was named Kanzen," Tsume replied. "It's an incredible in its strangeness thing, a weapon made entirely of glass! It's told to be sharp enough to be able to pierce through all defenses in one strike to cut even enemy's soul itself in half together with his body. Of course, with such power comes a fatal flaw - if one executes the strike less than perfectly, the sword will just shatter instead. And this is a real pity, because not one of its previous owners ever risked bringing it to a fight. This Tsume wonders, though, if her son will be the first one to put it to use."
"He might. It's surely goes well with his name," Kagome agreed. The sword named 'perfection' and a youkai named 'perfect killer' sounded like a match made in heaven. She didn't saw Sesshomaru lugging any new swords around, but he didn't wear his Tenseiga in the palace as well.
After that Tsume continued to explain what items in the boxes were, pointing out on those that held special interest from her standpoint for one reason or another. Finally, after what felt like hours of trying to choose from less than a dozen of items that held worth in them without any more 'fatal flaws', Kagome decided to take what Tsume called 'a haven-gourd'.
On the outside it looked like a normal water gourd, but it held within itself power to make any person or thing (as long as they weren't too big for that) small enough to fit inside of it. And there, as Kagome had an opportunity to see with her eyes, was a real haven – a two-storied house with a little courtyard and even a well that by some magic had clean water in it. It was a great place, even if it was really dusty and requiring repairs from the long lack of use, and the magic of the haven-gourd allowed to be carrying it around anywhere. Kagome thought that if she was going to travel again, with Sesshomaru or not, this item will be very convenient.
Next day, Kagome and Tsume were busy designing the priestess' future image. Now that Kagome had a better idea on what was pretty and what wasn't, she was tasked with drawing a picture of what she wanted to look like as dog youkai. Thankfully, Kagome's calligraphy lessons in the past also included some practice in arts, but even so, the task was daunting. Staring on the pristine white sheet of rice paper, Kagome could see only the towering image of Sesshomaru's true form before her eyes.
"Well, girl? Are you planning to make this Tsume wait until you die from old age?" a remark was heard. Deciding that it's something or nothing, Kagome dipped her brush in ink and set to work.
Her hands shook a little and she spend much time trying to make all lines accurate, but in the end Kagome was somewhat proud of the resulting picture, especially with how long ago she painted anything last time. A lean white dog with sharp snout, floppy ears and fluffy tail looked, in Kagome's opinion, very life-like.
"Hm, copying your betters, girl? A way not to fail, but also not to succeed," Tsume commented, looking at the image. "But this picture will be a great soil for seeds of creativity to grow! Now, let's first work on adding some individuality to it…"
It took a couple of hours (mostly because Tsume pushed Kagome into forming her own opinions, while she was ready for almost any idea that the dog lady proposed, since they all were just as great from her lacking standpoint) and a few drafts before the image was finalized. Now the latest cleanly redrawn design featured a lean stature and main body features of the original, but was now also decorated with a great mane of black fur and 'socks' on her paws, drawn in bright red ink.
It took longer than a couple of hours afterwards for them (or, to be more precise, for Tsume – she and Kagome both accepted the fact that the priestess had even less ideas about that matter) to come up with some definite smell. At some point the lesson about perfumes became a lesson in dog language as well, because Tsume couldn't find all necessary words for smell shades that she wanted to describe in Japanese and was pushed to switch to barks; with that came a lecture about dog voices, though Tsume didn't delve too deep in that matter.
The two of them still weren't finished when Tsume decided to make a dinner break and they moved from her study to a dining room. The dog lady seemed to have an infinite well of energy within herself - Kagome still could barely keep up with the youkai, even after she got used to her manner of speaking and showing emotions. Tsume spoke and spoke and almost never stopped, and even though everything she said was interesting, it was still tiring.
"This Tsume just wishes that her dearest son would visit her more often," she complained as they both sat over a table filled with delicious-looking and enticingly-smelling food. Unlike Sesshomaru, Tsume didn't eat her youkai meat completely raw, and also enjoyed side-dish of human food. "Ever since he left the Cloud Castle to walk his own way, he only ever comes over when he needs something, or for the tournaments that his mother hosts. But this is no wonder – after all, this is why this Tsume organizes them in the first place!"
"I don't know Sesshomaru-sama that well, Tsume-sama, but he seems to be quite warm towards you." Kagome noted after chewing over her own piece of food, "I mean, in comparison to everyone else…"
"Ah yes, indeed," Tsume sighed with exaggerated sadness. "He was always like that, disdainful and quiet, even when he was only just a pup. This Tsume heard once how children of noblemen in Toga's castle called her son an 'ice prince' behind his back, and he only smiled in response. If only this one knew from where Sesshomaru-kun got that attitude, because neither his mother, nor his father were even remotely similar!"
"Toga?" Kagome asked, as they both continued to eat slowly over their conversation. "Who is that, Tsume-sama?"
The question did an almost impossible thing – it made the dog lady fall silent for longer than a moment. Then, she laughed aloud.
"Of course, of course! How presumptuous of this Tsume was to think that you will be knowledgeable of his name! Who would've told you, after all? Ah, this is just seems like such an obvious thing to know for this one… After all, there were few who didn't hear of Toga when he was alive, and sometimes this Tsume forgets about how fleeting human's memory can be…" each word left Kagome more and more confused. She was already thinking of repeating the question, when Tsume finally said the answer for it. "Girl, Toga was the name of this one's late husband and Sesshomaru-kun's father."
"Oh," Kagome now felt somewhat stupid. She should've guessed. Though, now that Tsume started to talk about this, the priestess felt really curious. Sesshomaru never spoke much about his father, but Tsume seemed to be glad to reminisce. "Can you tell me more about him, please, Tsume-sama?"
"Well, why not?" Tsume replied with a slight smirk and sipped tea from her cup. "Do ask your questions, girl, and give this Tsume an ample opportunity to remember nice days of faraway past."
"Sesshomaru-sama once told me that his father was a daimyo, though he was a youkai. But I was really wondering why Toga decided to became one, Tsume-sama," Kagome started with a question that over time became even more tormenting to her than one about Toga's death. It just didn't connect with anything she learnt about youkai. "Why he wanted to rule over humans? And why he didn't become a ruler of all Japan then?"
"Ah, you started with most exquisite questions, girl," Tsume chuckled, "This one must admit, that her acquaintance with her late husband began only after he conquered his throne. Do not fret, though, as this Tsume still has enough insight gathered over the decades to answer your inquiry. You see, Toga was always fascinated with humans. He shared with this one that in his youth he spent what was generations for humankind just living among them, often even pretending to be one of them – he was just like that fox! This one guesses that an idea of becoming a human ruler was just a logical conclusion of Toga's interests. He cared about his land greatly, but not like one cares for his home – for my late husband the land was like a favorite pet that he fended for and cherished. This one would even say that a little too much, as it eventually brought his death upon him."
Tsume's eyes were looking somewhere far away as she spoke, and her hands went to stroke a rimmed stone in her necklace. She was speaking without any sadness in her voice, though – only some melancholy and fond nostalgia.
"How did he die?" Kagome prompted the dog lady to continue with another question.
"In battle, as it was usual for youkai – but not without emerging victorious first, mind you! There was a powerful dragon named Ryukotsusei living at the time, walking over the path of violence and conquest. He was a real brute too – when he decided to test Toga's strength, instead of challenging him formally he started to burn villages under his rule indiscriminately, leaving only enough survivors to let his call for battle to reach Toga's ears. Truly barbaric!" Tsume snorted in disdain, distracting herself with food for a moment before continuing.
"This Tsume told Toga then, that it was most probably some sort of trap, and even if it wasn't, not coming to Ryukotsusei's call would've been the best punishment for such abhorrent conduct. But her husband didn't listen. He rushed in with all his recklessness, leaving this one to protect the palace and his second wife, only to return bleeding from gashes so deep that it was only a matter of time before he succumbed to his wounds. And he had just enough of it to write his last will," Tsume lifted up her necklace, making it gleam in candlelight, "and gift this treasure, the Stone of the Netherworld to his first wife - this Tsume. She guesses that he actually had some real affection for her, if he decided to grant her such a powerful thing!"
Kagome leaned closer, looking into the stone's depths. At first glance it looked just like onyx, or some other dark gemstone, a moment later she could see small stars gleaming inside, like she was looking at night sky. It was truly beautiful, and then Tsume pulled it back.
"Looks enchanting, isn't it? One could see the souls of the dead through it, floating through the darkness towards their final judgment," Tsume boasted, smiling proudly. "It's also a deadly weapon in hands of a knowledgeable and skilled person such as this Tsume, and there is no counter for its abilities besides her son's Tenseiga, the sword of the Netherworld."
"It's amazing, Tsume-sama," Kagome wholeheartedly agreed as her eyes shone with awe. Then she remembered some of the dog lady's previous words and latched on them. Tsume was a flourishing spring of knowledge about Sesshomaru's family (and by connection, about him), and the priestess drank from it like a person dying from thirst. "Wait, did you said 'first wife'? Did Toga-san have other wives? One of them was probably Inuyasha's mother, right?"
Tsume nodded regally, stroking the pelt that was lying on her shoulders as if in deep though. Again, her gaze turned into some deep recesses of memory. 'Hundreds of years back, probably,' Kagome though.
"If you don't know yet, girl, promiscuity is common amongst dog breeds; it is also the reason why our kind was never in good relations with wolves, despite all the things we have in common. Our marriage with Toga was entirely for the sake of our own goals – he needed an heir and a wife to continue to play with his politics, and this Tsume wished for life of luxury and court games. Mind you, girl, this was long ago even for youkai – Cloud Castle at that time was in hands of this one's father and he wasn't keen on sharing it… Well, he came around eventually," Tsume bared her fangs in a cruel semblance of a smile, "but this is another story. As this Tsume was telling before she got distracted, she wasn't even a little bit surprised when her husband showed her his lack of fidelity, especially since she herself had many lovers on the side. But we had our understanding, and it was more than many human nobles were able to say about their spouses, and we made sure that there was no chance of any bastards running around."
Tsume made another pause to drink and chew on some meat. Kagome waited patiently for her to continue.
"Since Toga had no intentions to die, when it became clear that Sesshomaru-kun had no desire to became a daimyo, or to mingle with humans at all if he could help it, this one's late husband allowed him to do whatever he wanted, letting his son to calm his advisors with his existence itself. But, of course, even their eyes, almost blind with fear of death and greed, eventually noticed that Sesshomaru-kun wasn't a promise for stability of the province at all! So they came to Toga with demands to push him into a role of a proper prince, or sire another son. And this Tsume will tell you one thing, girl" she smiled mischievously and hid her mouth behind her sleeve. "At this point, there was no way for anyone to make her son to act against his desires."
Kagome giggled over the image of stubborn, cold Sesshomaru with his father (Kagome imagined him as bulkier version of Sesshomaru in daimyo's robes) shouting demands at him with absolutely zero result. 'Yes, he is like a rock. You can only flow around, never through.'
"So, this one's late husband decided to choose a second option instead. This Tsume, while perfectly fertile, doubtfully would be able to give him a child soon enough, just like any other youkai – trying for a kid can take dozens or even hundreds of years for youkai of his lever of power. Knowing this, Toga went to humans, since, just like mice, they breed with a speed that is just as incredible as their lives are short. This Tsume knew Toga's plight, and while she disapproved the whole idea, she decided to comply with her husband's wishes, giving him her approval to take a human princess Izayoi as his second wife, so all her children would be legitimate in human law," Tsume rolled her eyes dramatically. "Even after so many years this one can't understand some of those silly human customs. What difference a marriage gives? Children are children. But, this one digresses."
Tsume tapped her finger on the table, as if catching a runaway thought, before continuing with some solemnity – one that, for a difference, was not exaggerated or purposefully insincere.
"Just as Toga wished, Izayoi soon became heavy with his pup. It's a source of great sadness to this Tsume that her husband could barely live long enough to see his second son be born, and could not raise him properly – and as far as this one is aware, his mother did no good with that job too," Tsume scoffed in disdain. "Her other failures might have been amusing, but this one is just disappointing."
Kagome opened her mouth to offer her condolences, but closed it. If there was one person who didn't need them, it was Tsume – hell, the woman would be offended by them! Now Kagome could see it clearly. Even if it was hiding behind layers of silk and insincere smiles, a heart of true survivor was beating in Tsume's chest, and there was no grief and no regret in her expression.
"But Izayoi was, indeed, so very much entertaining!" Tsume smiled again, even giggling a little. "An ambitious human princess who was raised to rule over men who, in turn, ruled over everyone else. She hated this one even before we first met – just because this Tsume was the first wife and the mother of the heir, no matter how unfitting he was for the role. She only spent few short years at Toga's side, but left quite an impression! Noblemen, those flies, liked her just because she was of the same kind as them, and loved her with passion for her feminine charms. She had many admirers, but of course, only this one's late husband had right to share her bed. And Izayoi somehow managed to make Toga keep fidelity to her, which this Tsume finds a real miracle, considering how much of a, well, dog her late husband was."
Kagome giggled in her fist over a pun, and Tsume supported her with her own amused smile that only grew wider as tale went.
"But this one's favorite part about the princess were her puny attempts to kill her and gain the status of the first wife to herself; it was such fun to thwart them with ease and watch this woman to twist her face! 'Accidents', hired assassins, she tried everything! Once, Izayoi even poisoned this one's tea – can you believe it, girl? She poisoned my tea! Oh, her face when I just drunk the whole cup and asked for a tea blend!"
Tsume laughed aloud second time for the duration of this dinner, this time so hard that she needed to hold at table to not fall from her uncontrolled laughter. Tears of mirth sprung from her eyes. The joke was a bit lost on Kagome, though, but Tsume's laughter was so contagious and sincere (even if the reasons for it were quite morbid) that the priestess felt her lips spread into a grin anyway.
"Oh, how undignified of this one," Tsume said when she finally stopped laughing and wiped her eyes with a sleeve, though they continued to shine with glee. "This Tsume just can't help herself – this memory makes her explode with laughter even after so long! Ah, but she is sure that she had bored you half to death with her stories already, girl. Well, this one's lessons for you today are over – you may leave her company now, if you wish."
Kagome looked over the dinner table – over the time she finished her meal without noticing, while Tsume's been left mostly untouched due to her constant talking – and fiercely shook her head.
"No, Tsume-sama, please tell me more!" she pleaded with the dog lady. "Why Inuyasha didn't became a next daimyo? Do you know why Sesshomaru-sama hates him so much?"
"About the reason for this one's son's hate you would be wiser to ask him himself, girl, since even his mother can't say for sure that she knows what's going on in his heart. Oh, what a tragedy this is, a man who distances himself even from his own mother!" Tsume lamented. "But well, if you like this one's stories so much, let her tell you that one too… After all, this tale is, very conveniently, also a continuation of the one she was sharing with you before."
Kagome looked at Tsume with shining eyes, listening intently. One more story to Sesshomaru's puzzle – and maybe then she will know what Sesshomaru thinks sometimes. Maybe, just maybe, she will understand him a little bit more.
"Toga's death was a tragic event for the whole province, since he was known as a wise and powerful ruler; many spoke of him as of a benevolent spirit, send by gods themselves to let land flourish under his command. This Tsume, she must say, had considered the thought about grasping the reins of power and taking Toga's place, but in human society woman could only rule as a regent or a wife, and this Tsume had no opportunities to be the former, and no wish to be the latter, even though there were many nobles vying for her attention. Men," Tsume scoffed, instantly reminding Kagome of Haruko with her expression. Sudden resemblance sent a sharp sting of wistfulness in the priestess's heart.
"Inuyasha was officially installed as an heir by Toga's last will, and thanks to that Izayoi became a regent instead – but sadly, at least for her, she never really had the necessary traits to rule on her own. What was even worse is that people in palace became hateful towards the youkai's kind, with this Tsume and her dearest son being the first targets of their scornful attacks. This one blames Izayoi's actions for this, be that assassination attempts or just vile rumors she spread out earlier in attempt to destroy this Tsume's favor with the humans that surrounded her. Not able to bear horrible atmosphere around anymore, this one eventually decided to leave realm of humans together with her son and return to the place of her origins," Tsume pointed down with her hand, "there."
"And what can one say about this?" she continued with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Izayoi finally managed to reach her goal, but at what cost! She herself became just a tool in others' hands, until demon-haters finally caught up with her too," Tsume snorted and made a sip of her tea. Handmaidens were skimming around, quiet and almost unnoticeable, making sure that both her and Kagome's cups were always full and the tea was hot.
"What about Inuyasha? Didn't you try to help him at all?" Kagome asked in accusing tone before she could stop herself. Her sense of justice this time heavily prevailed over common one, even though Kagome could feel fear gripping her entrails as she spoke, "Even if he isn't your son… Why didn't you helped him became a better person yourself? I am sure you would've succeeded!"
"Girl, no matter what her dear son says, this one is not soulless," she said, staring down at Kagome with narrowed eyes. "She offered Izayoi to come with her, but the human princess refused. This one even tried to find Inuyasha after hearing of Izayoi's untimely death, but he escaped into the wild and disappeared seemingly into nowhere. And do you think that this Tsume is a person who will separate a mother with her child, girl? How outrageous!"
"I am really sorry, Tsume-sama!" Kagome groveled and bowed, now paling visibly. "I was just confused over your previous words!" Not only she managed to offend her host and tutor, but also did that for no real reason! 'Please, earth, swallow me whole… And then, when I will fall down to the ground below the island, swallow me again!'
"Hmph!" Tsume scoffed, but looked to the side. "Well, there is nothing uncommon in humans and youkai becoming victims of their own faulty minds. If this one was unable to forgive some missteps, she'd need to slay everyone she had ever met. This is, honestly, nothing in comparison to that one time when this one's son, just a small pup at the time, only this tall," Tsume showed the height with her hand, raising it high above her head, "decided to dig through her whole garden of rare flowers from the mainland…"
Kagome sat straight again, honing her ears for another story – this time about Sesshomaru's childhood! Sadly, in some aspects he was a real devil – as soon as he was remembered, the dog youkai decided to appear.
"Reminiscing, mother?" Sesshomaru said coldly, as he entered the dining room, interrupting whatever tale Tsume was going to share with Kagome this time. The priestess jerked from surprise and turned towards the doors to see him glaring holes in Tsume's face. "Don't you have anything more useful to do?"
"Oh, Sesshomaru-ku-un," Tsume drawled with a sly grin. "If only this one knew that she only needed to start telling stories about his childhood to make her dearest son to finally spend at least a minute in her presence, she would've done that much sooner!"
'Was this why Sesshomaru-sama appeared?' Kagome asked herself, turning from the son to his mother and back. 'Did he overhear our conversation? It doesn't seem like he has any other reason to be here; I've barely saw him these days! And I really hope he will not be angry with me this time.'
"Mother…" Sesshomaru said warningly. His lips pursed, but Tsume didn't show any fear in response; if anything, she looked only more amused.
"Yes, Sesshomaru-kun?" she asked innocently, before continuing with exaggerated sadness, "Did your mother offend you in some way? Ah, this is definitely wasn't her intention! Forgive the lonely woman some indulging into bouts of nostalgia, when the listener is such a grateful one – she just misses presence of her dearest and only son! Last time he visited her was years ago!"
Kagome clearly saw Sesshomaru's brow twitch. She clasped her hands over her mouth not to giggle and felt really glad that both dog youkai were too busy with their strange verbal spar to notice her.
"Is that really so long for you, mother?" Sesshomaru asked, relaxing a bit and leaning his head back a little. "If so, you should have requested this one's presence sooner. Or even came to this Sesshomaru yourself."
"What a brilliant idea!" Tsume perked up. "Yes, yes! It had been decades since this Tsume last time set her foot at the ground below… Oh, maybe this one should leave with you two after she finishes with the girl's lessons!"
Kagome blinked, shocked by perspective, while Sesshomaru threw a long look first at his mother, then at the priestess, before turning to Tsume again.
"You should wait until summer at least, mother," he finally said. Tsume looked at him with questioning look before gasping in realization and then humming contemplatively.
"Right, right, of course… How didn't this Tsume thought about that before? Alright, have your fun without this one, what else can she say?" Tsume shrugged with a look of acceptance, before muttering something about humans and their annoying need for privacy under her nose.
Sesshomaru nodded and left the room without a goodbye, putting an end in the conversation and leaving two females alone to finally finish whatever cold food there was left.
Kagome was already lying in her bed, alone again and quickly falling asleep, when she heard door to the room open. Grudgingly opening her sleepy eyes, she looked at whomever done that, only to see another inhabitant of her room (and bed) coming in.
"This Sesshomaru had solved the puzzle box," he said smugly, as if he didn't spend almost a whole week on that, working days and nights, and placed the box he held in his hands on the floor near Kagome. "It's still yours with all its contents. But, priestess, never open it near this Sesshomaru."
Kagome sat up excitedly. A sleep was forgotten for a moment – this mystery waited for her for a whole week! In dim light of stars and moon she could see that the box's lid was a slightest bit ajar.
"Why?" she asked in confusion, picking the box up. "Did you already looked inside, Sesshomaru-sama?"
"Yes," he replied, turning his back to Kagome. "After you are finished, pack the box tight in some cloth."
That was a strange request. Kagome was puzzled, and Sesshomaru's quick retreat from the room didn't make anything clearer. Then, Kagome's eyes turned to the box again. It held all answers within… So of course, Kagome immediately opened it.
A mix of potent, acute and unfamiliar smells immediately assaulted her nose together with a small cloud of some sort of dust, making it itch with terrible power. She barely had time to put the box on the floor before sneezing violently. Kagome couldn't even imagine how Sesshomaru's sensitive nose reacted on something like this. Closing her nose with her hand, Kagome took of the lid from a ghost-lit lantern and went to inspect the puzzle box's contents closer.
It was filled with small silk pouches, each of which was filled to a brim with something. On the bottom of the box a bit more of the dust was also seen – it seemed to have fallen from the pouches. Kagome opened one of them to see some sort of coarsely ground dried leaves. Other had strange small black balls within – seeds? Similar balls, but red, were in another pouch. It was only when she opened a pouch that was filled with several sticks of something actually familiar – cinnamon - that Kagome finally came to realization of what was protected by the puzzle lock.
'Those are all spices! And I had never ever seen most of them before – they are probably from the mainland! Contents of this box are worth more than their weight in gold… A lot more, actually, considering how light they are,' Kagome lifted a box in her hand, feeling for its weight – there wasn't much, even when counting the wood itself. 'It was probably stolen from some merchant or a noble. And this dust must have been gathered from spices because the box was shaken a lot.'
Closing the box's lid, Kagome looked at it contemplatively. Should she return it to Touran? Kagome knew that her gift was expensive, but not so much expensive. But considering Sesshomaru's reaction, Touran will definitely refuse to take it back even more vehemently than before. And Kagome surely had no use for spices herself, not that she even knew how to best apply them.
She yawned and decided to think about it later. The box wasn't going anywhere, except for the storage. With that resolution, Kagome wrapped it up in one of her spare yukatas, opened a window to air the room from leftovers of the spice dust and went back to dreamless sleep.