Inukimi rose from her throne, elegance reigning in all her movements and doings. She stood tall before her son, with Sesshomaru taller still. She put herself between Rin and himself, and when he realized what she had done his anger was up in his mouth, pushing at the back of his teeth. "Why do you conspire to keep her from me?"

"Conspire?" his mother repeated innocently. "Why accuse me of this thing? Do you think I would dream of keeping you from what enthralls you so?" Silence. He merely listened to her words with scornful incredulity. His own eyes were not to be disbelieved. "Pray answer me truly, Sesshomaru. You've become attached to the forests with her, with the completest abandon to all else, have you not?"

It was then Sesshomaru glanced over his mother's shoulder to see Rin shaking her head. He thought as much. She wouldn't share something like that with her when she could hardly talk about it herself with him.