Sesshomaru focused on Seraphina, who was still straddling him, her crimson eyes not giving him any hint of her thoughts. Her free hand fell to rest on his shoulder and her eyes lowered before she removed her other hand from his silver strands. She pushed on his shoulders and carefully removed herself away from his evident arousal from her body being pressed to his, but showed no signs of herself being affected as she got back to her feet.

"Any other female, clothed or not, would have attempted to seduce this one, but you don't even seem affected being pressed against this one's body," he spoke as he stood and she blinked in surprise as she looked up at him. "This one has to wonder why."

"Not...skækja," she frowned. "Not...whore..."

"It was never said or implied that you were," he replied as he reached out and twirled a strand of her platinum hair around his fingers. "Unlike any female this one has met, even youkai, you do not seem to care about you state of dress or of others and despite the reaction of this one's body, you did not react and was careful to not further this one's issue."

"Pack," she shrugged, her tone nonchalant as she spoke, her eyes never straying from his face.

"Hn," he nodded and released her hair, getting out of the water.

He focused on getting dressed, despite the still evident arousal that had yet to fade and dried his silver strands using his jaki. Once his armor and pelt were in place, he sat against the tree with his weapons and her clothing beside him. Glancing over at Seraphina, she had moved and was sitting on a rock near the fire her, water lapping against her thighs. She was wringing the water out of her hair and he noticed a mark in the center of her back between her shoulders that had not been there before.

He got to his feet and walked over to her and she looked up at him as he moved to kneel on one knee behind her. He focused on the mark and frowned seeing a canine sitting on its hind legs with it's head lifted to towards a crescent moon. She craned her neck to look at where he was focused as he brought a hand up to trace it, noticing a distinct texture difference like rose petals between the mark and her soft skin like his own magenta stripes.

"Its design seems similar to the one on your sternum," he spoke and she frowned, bringing her arm over her shoulder and to feel it.

"You two are driving the sprites insane," the Sprite Baki spoke, appearing before them, holding onto a teardrop shaped jade stone on a chain. "Seraphina, you do realize the issue of your pack mate that you caused, right?"

Seraphina spoke to the Sprite , not giving anything away in her tone or expression as she grabbed a small section hair on the side of her head and started braiding it tightly as Sesshomaru returned to his feet. When she stopped talking, Baki laughed in disbelief.

"Geez, you are strange," Baki sighed. "She doesn't believe in casually indulging in pleasure. Her village was very open on sex and nudity but she was taught to not acknowledge it unless directed at her due to how easily it is to pup ninngen females. She's only ever had sex once and since being hurt, she's not sure how much pain would occur."

"Hn." Sesshomaru understood her wariness to even act on any desire if there had been any.

"As for what you were studying, I have some insight," Baki continued as he landed on Seraphina's leg and laid down the jade stone. "When absorbing the blood of low-level Youkai to charge Sprite made seals, there is no actual trust as they are easily manipulated and usually killed for other uses at the same time. Seraphina has only taken in the blood of a high level Youkai who could take human form twice, her pup and you. From the love of a pup for its mother, that left its mark over her sternum. From the trust between you two and your wish to protect her, Lord Sesshomaru, that left its mark."

Seraphina spoke again, having finished three tight braids on the side of her head moved her hair to the other side to start on the other side.

"This stone will guide you to one of our protected shrines that will strengthen your abilities for when you need to do any more rituals. Your seals only feel about halfway charged so I recommend doing another soon. The winter solstice is soon and the sprites guarding each shrine will be celebrating and that could further strengthen your rituals. When you are not fighting for control of your form, Lord Sesshomaru, the jaki in your blood becomes stronger when in your true form..."

"This one's blood is poisonous when in that form," Sesshomaru growled.

"It is poisonous no matter what form you are in, but when you acknowledge someone as pack, your body subconsciously makes it so it is not harmful to them," Baki spoke. "There is a shrine near the western residence that would accommodate your true form."

"True... form...?" Seraphina spoke, her brow furrowed in her confusion as she lifted her head to look up at him as the other side of her head held three tight braids to match the other side.

"This one can change the size of one's true form," he spoke and her eyes widened.

"It seems you are already learning the language," Baki mused. "The more blood shared between you two, the faster you'll learn and it will become easier. Best to keep trying to speak it instead of falling back to what you know even if it becomes frustrating."

"This one can sense the hanyou coming," Sesshomaru frowned as he glanced up at the sky and saw that it was mid afternoon.

"Exploring Seraphina's memories took most of the morning," Baki commented as Seraphina got to her feet, holding the jade stone pendant in her hand. "I will delay him so you can dress."

She started mumbling to herself, annoyed as the rest of her hair was still loose and damp and quickly pulled on her undergarments and hamakas. She pulled on her shirt before gathering the metal clips and tucked them into a hidden pocket of her cloak before strapping her dagger to her calf before sitting down and was in the process of pulling on her shoes and socks when Inuyasha stormed into the clearing, a fresh wound on his cheek and Baki standing on his head, a barrier around him.

"Very ill tempered mutt," Baki commented. "It's amazing that you two are even related, Lord Sesshomaru."

"Why are you here hanyou?" Sesshomaru inquired as Seraphina's finished tying her boots and got back to her feet and put on the pendant Baki had given her.

"Keh, Kagome as acting crazy as soon as I came back from the fields. She seemed concerned about the female being in an extreme amount of pain," Inuyasha frowned. "Then when I came to investigate this insect decided to attack me."

"Not... bug..." Seraphina frowned as Baki flew over and hover near her. "Sprite."

"Keh, whatever. Anyway she's practically in hysterics and it's not like her."

"Pupped... go... crazy..." Seraphina grinned pulling on her cloak, leaving her hair loose and under it.

"She is correct. A pregnant female's emotions become heightened from the increase of hormones as they grow the pup," Baki spoke as she pulled on her cloak.

Seraphina spoke in the sprite's language and Baki pressed his brow to hers for a moment before flying off.

"Come," Sesshomaru summoned his jaki cloud and she stepped on and he ascended before the inuhanyou could react and heard him cursing behind them.

"Foul... mouth," Seraphina whispered, gripping his armor tightly as he smelt her fear.

"Indeed," he spoke as he moved his pelt to wrap around her. "You fear heights but dare to jump from a cliff?"

"Flying...make... dizzy..." she muttered and he lifted his hand silently, covering her eyes as he pulled her so her head pressed against his side. "What...?"

"If it makes you dizzy then don't look," he mused, before increasing his speed to reach Edo as he felt Inuyasha catching up to them from the trees below. "You will calm the hysterical miko, then we will leave. This one must return to one's ward and servants."

"Ward? ...Sho... have... pup...?"

"A ninngen girl this one saved many years ago," he hummed. "She's near twelve now."

Reaching Edo, he landed near the Shikon Miko's hut and dropped his hand from her eyes. Kagome dashed out of her hut, tears streaming down from her red rimmed eyes, hair messy. Noticing the state of her wrinkled clothing, he frowned.

"Are you okay?" Kagome immediately went to Seraphina, moving to touch her shoulder and she recoiled back.

"I... fine..." Seraphina spoke, warily. "Sorry... holy... hurt..."

"Your pain...?"

"Controlled..."

"You're speaking Japanese...?!"

"Learning..." she nodded.

"Keh, Bastard," Inuyasha landed beside Kagome.

"Your mate has been calmed," Sesshomaru spoke and turned to face Seraphina where she had managed to move behind him when Kagome had went to touch her.

"Wait, didn't you bring her because you were curious about her?" Inuyasha frowned.

"This one's questions were answered with the help of the one who wounded you," he smirked, seeing the wound on his cheek still there.

Sesshomaru felt pressure around his arm suddenly and he could smell Seraphina's fear sudden spike. He glanced down at her and saw her eyes fixed on the growing crowd of villagers. Pulling his arm from her grip, he lifted her chin and she shifted her gaze to him as she exhaled sharply.

"Trust this one," he spoke and she nodded once before gripping the side strap of his armor and focused her eyes on her hand. "Miko, a midwife will be sent to assist the elder miko. Youkai pregnancies can be unpredictable and yours is mixed of three due to your miko abilities."

"Keh, we don't need your help," Inuyasha scoffed.

"Nonetheless, it will be done," Sesshomaru growled before summoning his jaki cloud under him and Seraphina and ascended quickly.

Shifting their directing, he brought a hand to the back of her head and pulled her against him as he summoned his light orb to leave Edo quickly. Even if he hadn't been shown her past, her fear of ninngens had been obvious, though he never had been comfortable in Edo due to its growing size. At this speed, he knew he would have to stop soon as he had not hunted like he needed to for some time.

Once he knew he had passed the border of his lands, he landed near a cave that had multiple wards around it that. Seraphina collapsed against him, gasping for air and he pulled her into his arms and passed through the wards. Furs were piled on one side of the cave as a futon and he placed her on them where she immediately curled up into a fetal position.

"This one must hunt," he spoke and she acknowledging that he had spoke, waving him away. "There are wards around this cave and a spring further back. This one will return soon."

"Okay..." she whispered and he left.

It was late into the night when Sesshomaru returned to the cave, having refilled his jaki, carrying a kitsune skin turned into a pouch to carry its heart and liver. A fire was going in the stone pit that Jaken had carved out over time and he noticed her cloak and shoes near the fur futon but she was not in the main area. Placing the makeshift pouch in an empty bowl, he removed his armor before going deeper into the cave where it grew into a large cavern. There was an underground river emerged and went over a waterfall to a spring about ten feet below in the cavern.

Noticing Seraphina's clothes neatly folded, he stepped to the edge of the low cliff hanging over the spring below and saw her floating at its center. She was bare of any clothing and eyes were closed. Her hair was floating around her, the sides still braided and he noticed that she had placed the metal clips into the six small braids. If not for her hands moving slowly back and forth, he would have thought her asleep.

Taking this chance to study her, her breasts were large and waist narrow. Her hips were wide and thighs a little thicker that they would rub when walking. He didn't see any marks from when a pup would swell within its mother but a scar ran across her lower abdomen, where he remembered watching the sprites cut her open to pull her pup. She moved to tread water and as he lifted his eyes back to her face, crimson eyes looked back calmly.

"Forgive this one," he spoke and she shook her head, but smiled as she swam to the edge and pulled herself out of the water.

"You say... we go... once she calm..." she spoke as she walked up the hill from the spring back up to him. "Only... cause... world spin... Hunt good?"

"Hn," he nodded as she gathered her clothes and walked back out of the cavern to where the fire was burning and he followed. "This one returned with food for you."

"Oh?"

She tossed her clothes on the furs and opened the kitsune skin pouch. She moved to sit on her knees, her hair covering her chest before and pulled out the two organs and put them into the bowl before setting aside the skin. He laid down on the furs and watched as she ate quickly, not caring about the blood dripping down her bare body.

"This one has to wonder if you have any manners," he mused and she looked over at him as she finished the second organ.

"I do... organs messy... without... utensils," she shrugged.

"In a proper dining hall, you'd show proper manners?"

"Depends..." she grinned before heading back to the the spring's cavern.

He removed his clothing, leaving them beside hers on the bed and followed. As he reached the cavern he watched as Seraphina used her legs to push herself over the cliff and dove into the water, barely making a splash. He watched as she swam to the far edge of the spring before finally surfacing and inhaled sharply from holding her breath. She turned to look up at him and he copied her movements, diving into the water before swimming over to her and surfaced a few feet away.

"No dive... before," she giggled. "Form... okay..."

"What purpose does that serve?"

"Fun," she shrugged before swimming past him and over to the waterfall, letting it fall on her shoulders neck as she treaded water.

He was going to follow when he heard a familiar annoying voice echo into the cavern. "Lord Sesshomaru is here! Told you I sensed him, you annoying child! Stay here while I bring him clothing."

"Jaken," he growled quietly and glanced at Seraphina, who swam over so she was under the overhanging cliff and wouldn't be seen from above meaning she had heard him.

"Lord Sesshomaru! You were sensed returning so we came to greet you, knowing you would have most likely stopped here to rest!" The kappa hobbled into view holding his hamakas and haori.

"You were not summoned," Sesshomaru growled. "Leave the clothing there and return to the main cave."

"Y-yes my lord," Jaken squawked and quickly retreated after doing what he was told.

"My clothes..." Seraphina whispered with a frown as he swam over to her.

"You would meet this one's retainer and ward eventually," Sesshomaru spoke as he wrapped his arm around her waist and jumped out of the water to near his clothing. Running his jaki over the both of them, they both dried quickly and he handed her his haori before pulling on his hamakas. She started talking in her language as she slid her arms into the sleeves and wrapped the silk around her body, freed her hair then held the haori closed. "Do not fall back on your language when you know ours."

"Bas...tard..." she huffed and he smirked before leading the way back to the main cave.

Rin was kneeling by the fire, cooking several fish and Ah-Un was near the entrance. Glancing at the futon, he saw Jaken folding Seraphina's cloths and put them in a pile near the edge. Kicking a loose stone at Jaken, it knocked him unconscious and Rin looked up and grinned.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" She jumped to her feet and ran over to stand in front of him. "We worried when you didn't come back. Is Lady Kagome here? Those clothes look like something she used to wear... Who is she...?"

"Seraphina..." she spoke as she moved to stand beside Sesshomaru.

"Discovering her in the center of a crater from a falling star is what kept this one away," Sesshomaru spoke as the foreigner grabbed her clothes and disappeared back to the cavern to dress. "She struggles with our language so do not ask too many questions at once. She will be of this pack until she chooses otherwise."

"Why were the two of you in the spring when your clothes where here?"

"Clean... up..." Seraphina spoke as she returned, dressed and he took his haori from her and put it on.

"But you were obviously walking around the caves naked..."

"This one was hunting when she had gone to the spring," Sesshomaru spoke as she moved to the furs and sat down to comb through her hair, immediately mumbling in her language as she encountered tangles.

"No care... if naked..." Seraphina mumbled as she managed to remove the tangles and started braiding her loose strands, braiding two of the three small braids into the main style and tied it off with a leather string.

"With anyone?" Rin asked moving to stand in front of her and she shook her head, smiling.

"Pack... um, family... cleaned up... together... Fish..." she pointed to the fire and Rin spun around and dashed over to pull the cooked fish off.

"Jaken, wake up!" Rin spoke, walking over to the kappa with the two fish and nudged him with her foot.

"Wha...?"

"You should stop fainting when you see Lord Sesshomaru. You keep hitting your head," Rin spoke as she held out one of the fish.

"I didn't... oh, never mind," Jaken muttered as he got to his feet and took the fish. He turned towards the furs, squawking to himself that Sesshomaru didn't understand and stopped as he noticed Seraphina as she moved to hug her legs as she rested her chin on her knees. "Who are you?"

"Seraphina," she mused.

"What are you...?"

"Jaken, that's not nice," Rin spoke around a mouthful of food and Jaken squawked again.

"Ninngen," Seraphina spoke, smirking. "Cursing... not nice..."

"I wasn't..."

"Jaken, she understands many Youkai languages," Sesshomaru spoke and the kappa flinched as he looked at him and noticed him pale before turning to look back at Seraphina who now was grinning, her top fangs exposed.

"Eat," she mused pointing to the fish in his hand.

"Right..." Jaken scurried over to sit near Ah-Un and silently ate.