"Vann?" Ivanna looked over at the bedding from her place by the fire as she tended it and saw Rin sitting up slowly, her hair tousled from sleep as she rubbed her eyes.

"You are up early," she spoke quietly so she wouldn't wake Jaken or disturb Sesshomaru who seemed to be in some form of meditation though to others, they would have thought him sleeping. "Are you okay?"

"I need to use the bathroom," she mumbled sleepily.

"Okay," she got to her feet and helped the child untangle herself from the furs and pulled her too her feet.

She glanced at the meditating Youkai and saw his eyes open before taking Rin's hand and guided her out of the camp to where she could take care of her needs. It was still dark so she made sure she could still see the glow of the campfire though she knew that if they had gotten lost, Sesshomaru would respond. Rin finished before they made their way to the river so she could wash up and stumbled in her sleepy state. Ivanna smiled, kneeling down and pulled Rin onto her back before heading back towards camp as she fell asleep again.

"What's this? A female in heat wandering around with no form of protection? And a child... The perfect entertainment before becoming my breakfast."

Ivanna froze as she heard the voice hissing in the darkness but could not see any shapes in the darkness. She adjusted her arms under Rin, holding the sleeping child tighter as she strained to hear where the voice was coming from. She searched for the glow of their campfire and took a step towards it when a large shadow suddenly appeared before her, blocking out all light and she felt her throat tighten in fear. She knew Sesshomaru was awake but she didn't how far his senses could go.

She moved to take a step back and and felt something close around her neck, just above Rin's arms and lifting her up that she could barely feel the ground and squeezed just hard enough that she struggled to breath and couldn't make a sound just above a whisper. She knew that she could let go of Rin, letting her drop to the ground to wake her and give her a chance to escape but the being in front of her had only used one hand against her. She didn't know if Rin could orient herself fast enough to escape or if she'd find the right way to go or if this being was alone. Her only thought was to do her best to keep Rin safe from any harm and for now that meant she kept hold of her, keeping her on her back despite the frantic beating of her heart as she struggled to breath and keep hold of the child.

"Your fear is intoxicated," the voice hissed and as the being moved closer, yellow snake like eyes became visible in the darkness. Something wet slithered across her cheek and she grimaced as she realized it was his tongue. "Tell me, Onna, why not drop the child and attempt to fight back?"

"Because my life is not more important than hers," she wheezed quietly.

"Pity. I will enjoy you very much," the being grinned and she saw rows of pointed yellowing teeth inches from her face.

"No, you won't..." she acknowledged as she saw a flash of white behind the large being, "but you fucked with the wrong person."

"You don't scare me."

"Maybe so, but the Western Lord standing behind you should," she grinned menacingly as she saw his golden eyes encircled by red as he appeared behind him.

"Wha...?"

She heard a squelch and something splattered onto her clothed chest and face before the arm holding her up went limp. She stumbled as her feet hit the ground and fell to one knee, her only focus on not jarring the child asleep on her back. She looked forward as she saw the being hit the ground and could see the white of Sesshomaru's hamakas through the middle of his body making her realize the contents splattered on her was blood. She bit her lip from letting out any loud cries as her heart went into overtime as she worked on breathing as she heard the faint sound of his clothes as he moved to kneel beside her and carefully slid Rin off her back and into his arm.

"I feel disgusting," she whispered as she felt blood roll down her cheek.

"This one is surprised by your stamina to keep ahold of the child while in such a position," he commented.

"When did you sense him?"

"Before you had moved to tend the fire."

"And your motive to wait?"

"To learn the snake's objective and to judge how well you would do. This one would not have let harm come to either of you," he replied as he stood. "This one will return in just a moment."

"Fine," she sighed as she let herself fall back onto her bottom, using the back side of her sleeve to wipe her face.

He was true to his word and returned quickly, two separate bags held in his hand. She got to her feet and gripped the empty sleeve of his haori and let him guide through the darkness. Soon the darkness lightened some as they reached a hot spring with milky water that as the setting moon reflected upon it, made the immediate area enough light to see.

Ivanna immediately worked to strip from her kimono and left it in its crumpled pile before stepping away from the bloodied clothes. Ignoring the Inuyoukai that watched her, carefully removed the rest and stepped into the spring, only caring about getting clean. She dunked her entire body below the water and held her breath as she worked to start scrubbing away any blood from her face and hair before coming up for air.

"Why did you not let go of the child and fight?" He asked and as she glanced over, she saw him sitting against a tree.

"I could not guarantee that she would escape unharmed. Yeah, I could have dropped her and I know that she would have woken but I didn't know if she would have been able to orient herself quick enough to run away, neither did I know if he had friends or if he would have just grabbed her since it had only taken one hand to lift me off the ground and limit my breathing so I kept holding on. The safest place was were she was. Did any blood get on her?" She frowned.

"This one cleaned it away from her arms without disturbing her slumber. How is it that you are able to contain the blood of your cycle?"

"Um... do I really have to answer that?" Ivanna mumbled as she turned her back on him as her face heated up.

"No but this one is most curious."

"I guess you'll figure it out one way or another," she sighed after a moment and pulled the diva cup from her body, making sure to remove any blood before bringing it out of the water and waded closer to the edge of the spring and held it out for him to see.

"This sits inside you?" He frowned and she nodded as he took it from her to examine it further.

"The opening folds before being inserted and it unfolds and rests just before the cervix and collects the blood," she explained as she moved away from the edge as she saw his eyes flashed red just for a moment. "Don't loose control or have those kind of thoughts while I'm bleeding. That's just disturbing to think about."

"You forget that Inu mate when a female bleeds, that is why it is alluring despite the different meaning of yours," he smirked. "This one is fully in control. This item just this one to have certain thoughts."

"So you admit that you are a pervert?" She teased.

"Only for one but this one knows better than to push her."

"And she appreciates that he finally understands that so she will give him knowledge he has searched for," Ivanna spoke softly while mimicking his form of speech, retreating to the center of the spring but kept facing him. "Her lord will one day regain the limb lost when finally gaining the one thing he has always searched for."

"How...?" She saw surprise fill his eyes as well as confusion while she split her hair and pulled it over both shoulders.

"Her lord just needs to stop searching outside of himself. The power resides inside him, it always has."

"When?"

"She knows not," she whispered, bowing her head as she heard his armor clink against rock before she heard a splash near shore.

"Is there more she hides?" His voice was low, full of threat and something else that caused heat to coil in her abdomen.

"Yes," she answered simply, knowing better than to try and lie.

"Does it pertain to her?" He took a step closer, the ripples of his movements reaching her quickly and she stayed still.

"Yes."

"Does she know when she dies?"

"Yes," she whispered shakily as she watched him move closer at an agonizingly slow pace out of the corner of her eye.

"Then why does she remain silent."

"Because then her lord would not keep her by his side and the West would lose their lord."

"If her lord were to give his word to let her remain by his side?" He growled as he reached her and forced her to lift her head to look up at him.

"She would have to disobey her lord for even if he gave his word, it would distract him and possibly negate the very reason for her being spirited to his side," she cried softly as tears fell, bringing her left hand up and placed it over his sternum while she reached up with her right and cupped his cheek.

"Then would she allow her lord to touch her and claim her fully before morning?" He whispered as he lowered his head towards her and kissed away the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Only if her lord can promise that it would be more than just so she can experience that pleasure," she whispered, feeling his hand slide down her shoulder to her back before wrapping it around her waist and pulled her body flush against his.

"Her lord only wishes that she had the longevity of him so that he could one day fill her with pups," he whispered and she whimpered quietly as she felt him nibble her ear.

He claimed her lips and she slid her hands into his hair as she responded. She felt his arm tighten around her waist and lifted her off her feet and she wrapped her legs around his waist as she felt him wade through the water to the edge. He sat down and she ended up straddling his abdomen with the water shifting around her waist. she felt his hand slide up her abdomen before cupping her breast and she moaned. A sigh left her lips as he moved to kiss down the side of her neck and she titled her head so he had better access.

She moaned as he nibbled the junction of her shoulder and felt him massage her breast, his thumb rubbing over her nipple. A shiver ran up her spine as there was a breeze and he bit into her neck for only a moment and she felt her body relax and no longer felt the chill. He lowered his head further and brought her nipple into his mouth, sucking and nibbling, causing her to breath a little faster. He switched to give the other breast the same treatment as his hand moved to her back and she shivered as she felt his claws gently run down the center of her spine before cupping her bottom.

She groaned feeling the heat coil in her abdomen move down to her core. She tightened her grip in his hair and brought him back up up and kissed him. He growled against her lips and she felt his hand slide down her bottom before his fingers brushed along the outside of her core making her gasp. Curious, she kissed her way down his neck and felt something press against the back of her thigh.

Taking what she had learned from the things he would do to her, she bit the junction of his neck and felt him flinch under her. She brought her hands down his chest, feeling scars that were no wider than a strand of hair, the only evidence of his many battles. Feeling a finger slide into her core, she moaned against his skin and shifted her hips against the appendage. He pumped his finger slowly inside her as she slowly moved her hips and kissed his skin and soon he slid a second into her and she gasped, his fingers moving faster. Feeling the coil in her abdomen tighten further, she cried out as it burst within her and her body stiffened around the fingers inside her until she collapsed against his chest, her breaths shallow and felt him pull his hand out.

She lifted her head and saw him bring his fingers to his mouth and lapped up the fluids, languidly while his eyes watched her. She pulled herself to him and slid her tongue in his mouth, tasting herself. His hand moved back to around her waist and she found herself pressed against the edge of the hot spring with him above her.

She wrapped her arms around him, encouraging him further and his hand moved from her waist. It slid down her hip slowly before disappearing from her skin as he moved to kiss down her neck again. She gasped as she felt something large press against her core gently before stopping.

"This may hurt," he whispered before she felt him bite her neck again as he pushed.

She whimpered and her legs came around his waist as he worked himself into her. It was slow and painful that slowly faded as she realized he was carefully feeding her his Youkai so not to make her completely high. Soon he stopped and she took a breath she didn't realize she was holding and it came out shaky.

He let go of her neck and pulled back a couple inches and she saw his eyes surrounded by crimson but still held their golden hue and blood dribbled down from his lips. His hand came up and slid into her hair before she felt him thrust suddenly and felt something tear but her cry was muted as he kissed her before pulling back again.

"It will only get better from here," he growled quietly and she noticed that his markings had become jagged.

"Give me a moment," she gasped and he nodded.

"If you wish to mate fully, bite hard into this one to draw blood when you reach your peak."

She nodded as she shifted around him and moaned at the sensation that was completely different than what she had ever felt. He growled at her as his hand moved to the rock under her and she whimpered as she felt him pull almost all the way out before thrusting back into her causing a loud moan to escape her as her eyes rolled back at the sudden wave of pleasure that racked through her. That seemed to do what he had wanted before another growl escaped him and started to thrust into her at a steady pace, causing steady moans to escape her lips as she held onto him.

She wrapped her arms around his torso and dug her fingers into his back, hearing his breaths quicken and his pace seemed to become unsteady. She slid her arms his back to grip his shoulders as she pressed a kiss to his neck and heard him groan at the action. Feeling the pressure build up in her core she started panting for air and a vicious growl from him vibrated through her triggering her explosion and she bit hard into his neck as she cried out and tasted blood and felt the high hit her as her neck got bitten into as he thrust into her as far as he could before his body tensed.

She kept her jaw locked onto his neck while he did the same until she felt his body relax above her as her body became numb and her arms fell into the water as she lost feeling in them as well. She let go of his neck and her head lulled back as she rode through the high and felt him lick her neck before pulling back. She was panting and opened her eyes a little to stare at the golden orbs that looked down at her in concern.

"I'm... good..." she struggled to form words and let her eyes close again. "Just can't... feel... below my neck..."

Feeling him kiss her, she responded and opened her mouth as he plunged his tongue into her mouth. Heat rushed through her chest and arms but nothing below her navel. He pulled back and she couldn't help but laugh as he looked like a worried puppy.

"Guess your theory wasn't completely right," she smiled as she brought her arms around his neck as he moved back to the center of the spring. "Waist down is still numb... but maybe that is a good thing. After all, I felt something tear..."

"That is common for an Onna's first time," he whispered gently. "You ingested more blood than last time."

"Hn," she mused, lazily as she felt water down her chest as he washed the blood away from her body.

She opened her eyes as she felt him move and saw him wading to shore. She reached out for a rock at the edge and held onto it before he moved to get out. She rested her head on her arms, letting her body float and watched him. She felt her face heat up as she studied his toned ass. His thigh length wet hair stuck to his skin but did not interrupt the view. He pulled a towel from one of the bags and dried off quickly, his hair drying instantly somehow but she had never asked about it.

She smiled as she saw him sort the bloodied kimono so she'd be able to sit on the layers that hadn't been bloodied before turning towards her as he reached his pants. She bit her lip as she had an uninterrupted view as he pulled on his hamakas before he came over to pull her out of the water. He sat her on the cloth he had just laid out carefully before draping a towel over her and started drying her.

"I can do it," she frowned and swatted him away causing him to smirk but he stepped back.

Searching the bags he brought over, she pulled out a clean diva cup and covered her lap as she put into place before using the towel to wrap her hair up so it would stop dripping, knowing it was a mass of tangles already. She slid on her underwear and armor pants before frowning as her vision swam. She tried to call to Sesshomaru but she felt herself falling as everything went black.