Sesshoumaru could scent her. The hot springs brought out her natural scent and perfumed the entire area with it. The small neko had approached him and sat in his path. Nodding to the neko, he sat against the tree. The tiny creature defending her honor bounding off to look for other threats.
He unfurls tendrils of his aura. Snaking them through the trees.
His aura brushes along the monks aura. Not in the camp and far too close to the hot springs. He senses the flare of the nekos aura as she takes on her larger, true form, and bellows out a roar of warning. His lips quirk up when the monk lets out a startled cry of surprise and he knows the firecat has scared him off.
He has never been fond of cats, but that one, he will make an exception for.
Kagome, having been warned of the interloper, is returning to her campsite. Sesshoumaru can see her traveling through the trees. He stretches his aura to the left, and she turns towards it, eyes wide. He releases a little flare behind her, and she spins, searching.
He approaches and runs his claws gently through her hair. She gasps and turns around facing him.
"Sesshoumaru!" His name from her mouth feels right.
"Have you time, Kagome?"
"Yes, but not much. I need to return soon or they'll come looking for me"
"Then your first lesson has already begun. You can sense auras and Youki and accurately pinpoint its location. I will be testing your range and accuracy over the next several days."
He knows her fears and concerns and wants to help her, and by the smile on her face, he knows it makes her happy. He bends down to rub his nose along her cheek before leaving.
Inuyasha and his pack have gone towards the coastline. Sesshoumaru has brought his own little pack, and is about a half days walk from his brother.
Little Rin is enjoying running and playing on the sands, and he makes sure she doesn't go too deep into the water. She is looking for more shells to weave into his hair, as if he didn't already have dozens braided into his hair already.
The light breeze off the ocean causes the shells to hit together.
He knows of the deadly pull in the water. One that can drag a creature to the depths where only those that live in the dark deep water would be able to survive.
He recalls his sire, and how he would be able to gain attacks with Tessaiga. He is sure that Inuyasha is looking to break into the barrier of the Hyakki bats. Even this far, he can hear their high pitched noises over the crash of the waves.
As he digs his toes into the sand, for the first time in many years, he thinks of his dam.
He had seen her periodically in his youth. Mostly as she bound across the sky in her true form. The last time he recalled seeing her he was sitting on a beach like this one. His paws digging into the sand. He hadn't a bipedal form then, but his father had scooped him up, and pointed to the female inuyouki crossing the clouds in such a graceful motion and he was transfixed.
His sire told him of the floating castle beyond the clouds where she lived and watched over all the lands.
His eyes travel to Rin. This child he has taken in. He provides for her, and cares for her. He wishes he were able to bring her to live at his Shiro and ensure her safety. He keeps her close and travels with her so as not to make the same mistakes.
He will protect what is his.
Her smiling face turns toward him and he wonders why he seems to prefer human women. They show those in their packs, no their families, that they care. When they raise their young, they don't seem to just abandon them like youki do.
It may be that the instincts of the beasts are stronger in some ways, than in others. He has seen wild dogs and although they may live in Packs, once the pups are weaned they don't have much to do with their dam.
Kagomes aura reaches for him, even at this great distance he can feel her. The joy and pride in her aura tells him that they had accomplished what they had come for.
Her lessons have been going well. He keeps extending the distance in which he tries to reach her. Soon he will teach her how to control it the way that young learn to control their youki. Forming small objects in their hands such as a ball.
As the sun sets over the ocean Sesshoumaru can't help but be transfixed by the Changing colors. The yellow of the sun against the blue of the water makes Sesshoumaru think of Kagome.