War had finally ended for the time being, but he knew more would come; this was just another victory to his father's name.
No thanks to the half breed, who found running off with a woman more important than helping their family. What bothered him the most is his father did not care and had not spoken a word about it.
Of course, his half brother's lack of loyalties only fueled his own rage on the battlefield; he showed no mercy. He would be hailed a hero in his father's lands on their return.
He was no hero; he was a killer and in indulged in it.
But true to it, like every battle they won, crowds gathered to praise their deadly heroes. Demon and human men made their way through the fields and into the town, some walking, some riding, some hurt, others not. His father liked the show; he did not share the same enthusiasm as his father. For show, they road on horses, high above the rest, and he scanned the crowd of men and women, mostly women, they all fought for his eye, he would not indulge them.
Of course, one child did catch his eye; her toothless grin and head of flowers always looked at him with great admiration, no fear, and general excitement about his person. She was a homeless child who lived in an orphanage; her name was Rin. Next to Rin was a fox kit; he also wore a crown of flowers, no doubt placed there by her.
Sesshomaru nodded to her, and she clapped with happiness. "Lord Sesshomaru has returned!"
She was always happy, even when she wasn't. He watched as Rin ran up to the street and held up a crown of flowers; he didn't stop, but he grabbed it from her; he would make Jaken wear it later.
He could feel her smile behind him.
They continued on out of the village and down a dirt path across the ponds; he looked at the tree that stood across.
She was not there. Inuyasha's friends would always wait at that tree, and while he really paid no mind to it, he had grown used to it over the years, but times were changing; they were not there. Then something sputtered in the water below, and the men drew their swords, but then she popped out of the water, white robe and all.
His father laughed, "Why so jumpy men, lay down your swords; they won't do you any good here."
The men hid their swords.
"Kagome, my girl, why are you in the river?"
Kagome looked at his father, and a blush graced her face,
Sesshomaru rose an eyebrow at her blush.
"I do love it when she does that," His father whispered, many times; his father told him of his obsession with his human's wives blush. Demon women didn't blush. His father had told him once that they could read a human female like a book and write what you wanted on their back like blank pages.
He really didn't want lessons on sex and human females from him.
She looked back; her basket of apples had fallen over and was spilling into the water; his father laughed again.
His father signaled his men to return, and he and Sesshomaru met her at the bank; his father offered his hand and helped her climb out. He smiled softly at the girl, and she handed him an apple; his father studied it.
"This is how I met my human bride."
"Oh, she fell into the river too?"
He chuckled, "No, no, she use to gather apples here; she use to offer me one every time I came back from war." He smiled at the memory. "Many would say it was not a worthy gift, but it is fruit that bears the sweetest reward."
Kagome smiled; his father tossed the apple to him, which he caught without a blink. "Sesshomaru, do be a good Lord and help her retrieve the apples."
Lord Inutashio returned to his horse. "We will see you tomorrow, yes, Kagome?"
"Oh, um, yes, my Lord!"
He smiled once more before taking his leave, leaving his son to her.
Sesshomaru looked at her, then the apple; he offered it back to her, "You can keep it."
"I don't want it."
Kagome slowly took the apple from him and placed it back in the basket. She then watched as he looked at the tree as if all the sudden it offended him,
"They won't fall just because you give it a death glare," She said,
His green wipe formed, and with moments he retracted it, and then apples started to fall, one hitting her on the head. "Ouch, hey!" Payback, no doubt, for her comment to him.
Then she found a crown of flowers sitting on her head, and he was gone.
She huffed.