A/N: Hello, welcome to chapter 5! I am sorry for how long its taking me to update the chapters. Between work and my three children, it really is hard to find time but I am still going to be updating when I can! Thanks to everyone who is sticking with
Chapter 5: Safety
Sesshomaru took his natural post at the helm of the deck, Inuyasha springing up beside him. "All hands!" He barked, eyes sharpening. The flurry began, a crafted rhythm of experience and urgency.
"Report!" Sesshomaru demanded, arms crossed behind his back, shoulders taught and unyielding.
A loud "Captain!" Resounded from above him as his nest hand clamoured down from his view above the crew. The half-spider demon scuttled to the Lord, grunting hastily.
"Three ships, flags with the blood seal. Most likely come to get a shipment a' chains from Sullivan."
Sesshomaru turned, snarling;
"Inuyasha, gather my lieutenants. Shin, return to the nest. Keep post." Shin nodded, his round eyes and narrow face a testament to the spider lineage and sprouted his long, spindly arms that carried him promptly to his roost.
Inuyasha lept in one flawless bound down to the upper deck and Sesshomaru paused to consider his next action. Three Traders ships were dangerous, even for himself, and his prisoner was a valuable asset they could not afford to lose this early on. They would have to run. Once in open water, there wasn't a ship on the seven seas that could catch the Kirena. The harbor of Leones was wide, an easy path for them to slip by and head straight out into the endless ocean. The trouble would be slipping by unseen.
To fight three blood ships would be suicide, their wepons nulified demonic power.
"All hands, quiet!" Sesshomaru roared, "Snuff lanterns and ready the cannons!" The ship fell into silence and all around became covered by a sudden blanket of black. Night consumed them and they began their work. The demons and humans alike moved hastily through the motions, preparing for the possible encounter.
Inuyasha returned, Miroku at his back, Myoga landing on Sesshomaru's shoulder, and Totosai floating over them all to settle on the far side of Sesshomaru. "We must leave the harbor immediately. Before they realize Sullivan is missing."
"Cap'n!" Shin shouted from above. "They've made anchor!"
"Get this ship moving, now!"
"Hai." Totosai chlorted as he and Myoga bounded off to oversee the opening of the sails and monitor ground crew.
"Miroku, I want a heading before we hit open waters. The Mother Isles. We are returning the Hold. Inuyasha, go-"
"Captain, wait!" Miroku interrupted, his lips formed in a tight solid line.
"I gave you an order, get moving." He hissed calmly, glaring down into the violet eyes of the young man.
"Captain, the woman and the child are still below." Miroku interjected.
"I'm aware, I will take care of it. Now go. Inuyasha," white ears flicked in his direction, "take the wheel."
"Keh." He moved in his brother's place, examining him closely. Inuyasha couldn't place why but Sesshomaru was off, on edge in a way the half-demon had never seen. His demonic aura pressed on each creatures' shoulders, stifling and heavy.
Miroku took his leave but the Pirate Lord remained, arms dangling loosely at his side, cold amber eyes sharply studying the movements of his men. His mind trailed to the possibilities concerning the life of the maiden and her charge. If she were to leave with the child and return to the shore unaccompanied they would undoubtedly be spotted and slaughtered. He could spare no man or demon to escort them, time was of the essence. He sauntered to the bottom of the helms stairwell and entered into his own quarters. Their survival depended on time.
First breath of the room brought the charcoal sour smell of anxious worry emitting from the adult females in the room, the child blissfully unaware of the true danger. Two pairs of brown eyes and one cozy blue burned into him immediately. His eyes landed on the stranger of his ship and as she blinked, he was suddenly in front of her. He saw her thin arms tighten protectively once more around the human pup, a maternal instinct. The woman did not realize it, but her actions claimed the girl as a packmate.
Sesshomaru regarded the woman carefully, expression tight, guarded.
"Sesshomaru, what is going on?" Kikyou asked, soft chocolate eyes roaming his face, delicate hands folded over her lap.
Without removing his eyes from the foreigner, he responded, "Shin confirmed its Trader's. We have not been detected, we must leave immediately. Woman," he began sharply, "you must make a choice. I will give you a lifeboat to return you to shore and your village."
"Then we will do that."
"If the Trader's spot you leaving my ship, they will keelhaul you. There is no cover, tonight is clear. This outcome is most likely." Sesshomaru watched her face pale and her expression hardened into anger.
"Why would they kill a human woman and a human girl?" she burst. "I'm not saying that I agree with them, it just doesn't make any sense. Why kill their own kind?"
"Kagome, they will kill you simply for being on this ship. We are known to house demons and humans together. They won't ask questions, they just kill." Songo answered dejectedly.
Her name stirred his inner demon to action, the primal animal swimming desperately through him and Sesshomaru blanched as he wrestled the beast within. His Inner Beast began violently thrashing, bursting, clawing, leaving in its wake an enraged Dog Demon.
Mate.
His demonic energy leapt from him, cloaking the women in its ferocity. Kikyou and Kagome blanched at the wave of demonic energy that swallowed them up. Crew members above the cabin halted, faces hardened in alarm at their master's abrupt change. Inuyasha, ears flipping back, made to intercept Sesshomaru and leapt down to the entrance, ready to fight. Just as his claws brushed the handle, the sensation vanished.
Inuyasha snorted, his protective instinct thwarted but he would get answers later.
Sesshomaru dragged his inner demon back into the depths, but it did not calm. It prowled under the surface of his skin, waiting, demanding. Mine.
Blue eyes crashed into him with awe.
"Are you alright, Captain?" Kikyou asked calmly, soft brown arguing with bright amber.
"We must act quickly." The Demon Lord dismissed, but Kikyou was no fool and she sensed the rage within him.
"What else can I do?" Kagome snapped, desperation and exhaustion settling on her nerves.
He turned, refusing to meet her gaze as the leash on his inner demon snapped securely.
"You may remain on my ship until a time which is safe to return you."
"Stay on your ship?" Her silky face went blank, mind roaring.
"You must choose. Now."
Kagome skimmed over the modest cabin, taking in the faces of the two women who had cursed and scolded the Captain and lived. Both womens' expressions reflected each other, mouths in a solid line and eyes mirroring a deep sympathy. Finally, her head turned down to the round face of the little girl Kagome had unwittingly risked her own life for. Rin's tiny hands were balled once again in Kagome's dress, her doe eyes peeping up at her with absolute trust, with tentative hope.
The image of a lifeless, breathless child flashed behind Kagome's eyes. This girl was now her responsibility.
She would have more chances for escape if they needed to as long as she stayed alive.
"I will stay. How long?"
Sesshomaru growled a gentle approval, to which Songo raised her eyebrows in complete disbelief. Watching her longtime friend and Captain, she waited for his continuation with bated breath.
"We will discuss the details later. Songo, take them below." And with that, he turned, silently relieved he would not have to convince her of the need for a safeguard. The protective feeling that rose in his chest almost over took his sense.
His inner demon purred and Sesshomaru instantaneously shut off that part of his mind. When Kagome blinked again, he was gone from the room, leaving the three women and child alone. He would have forced her to remain had his insistence been ignored. Luckily, it was not necessary as she seemed wise enough to understand the ramifications of the wrong choice. Of course, the fact that he would have disregarded her choice would never be known by her. His thoughts were his own and with that he returned to the stern of the ship, face vacant but oddly at ease.
His sharp eyes followed closely as the precious group scurried across the bustle, Songo leading them. She was wasting no time and they disappeared below deck.
It was time to move.
Kagome clutched Rin to her chest as she moved behind the woman named Songo, shifting the girl's weight and easing along.
Her mind spun to process her surroundings but distracted thoughts were reeling in loops, she simply couldn't.
Step by step, she was entering below the deck. The deck of a Demon ship. Her stomach plummeted, doubt drenching her in sweat. No lights greeted them as they dived into the wall of pitch. Kikyou softly shut the door behind them, and a lantern flickered to life from Songo's hands. Tipping it up, soft orange shone on their faces.
"We are going to take you to the extra quarters in the cabin wing." Songo explained, turning.
"I don't like the dark." Rin whined, curling up on Kagome's open neck.
Soft pats greeted the girls back, Kagome grasping at what to say to comfort her.
As soothing as she could shift her voice, she whispered, "It's okay, I'm right here Rin."
"Once we get the cabin," Songo murmured as she started forward, "I will light the lanterns in the room and it won't be as dark."
Rin nodded without words, her eyes squeezing tight, breathing hitched.
Moments passed as they went down a second flight of stairs, following a corridor lined with rustic doors. A few more paces and Songo was opening one of the identical doors, shuttling them inside. The females intruded into the moderate space. With barely room to walk, a one person bed and single wooden table, it was tight fit. Simple and inelegant, Kagome climbed on the corner of the bed, propping herself up, Rin leaning against her chest.
Kikyou and Songo settled themselves at the foot, sharing a look of unabashed concern.
"I'm hungry." Rin whined helplessly.
"As soon as it's safe, little one, we will feed you. I promise." Kikiyou assured her, voice graceful and warm.
Rin simply conceded, too frail to argue with the adults whom she was at the mercy of.
The boat quaked, less roughly then in the Captain's cabin, but enough to signal their departure. Silence strangled the four as each listened, ears straining for any auditory information. Minutes passed with only creaks and hushed breathing to fill the soundlessness. Kagome's mind careened into a deeper spiral, she had sincerely thought Mr. Sullivan a decent upright gentleman. She could not comprehend the malice behind the child's kidnapping.
I'm naive. She realized bitterly.
Her mother would be distraught. How could she explain this to them when she eventually made the journey home? Would they be angry or relieved to see her? Kagome choked the tears back, a sob lodging itself in her throat. Her life as it had been previously could never be the same. The unknown future closed around her, heaviness settling over her.
Kagome acknowledged to herself that she desperately wanted her mother.
Gratefulness swelled into her heart. She had been lucky, she had been blessed. Blessed to have a mother and father who loved and provided for her, spoiled to never know the bite of hunger or the ache of loneliness. They were not perfect, filled up with flaws, but they were good.
At sixteen, when the topic of marriage finally arose, her father listened to Kagome's plea's to choose her own husband. She could hear the lightness of her fathers tone, the softness of his hands in her hair as he murmured, "Well that's something." He gave a lopsided grin and that was that. He never brought it up again, giving his daughter the ultimate choice, granting her a luxury women were most often denied.
They sacrificed and worked to give her a beautiful childhood with an open future.
Kagome loved them. They were special.
The world around her had been sheltered by a gracious family.
Life outside her home, desolate and brutal, remained a faraway shadow Kagome had never known.
But she was to learn.