That match had been a waste of time. Cockiness must have been in the water. The elf that had been foolish enough to challenge Hiei in the tournament was likely weaker than the fake lord had been all those years ago. Only a graze on his chest when the fool of an elf was allowed an opening long enough to make a killing shot. Distasteful.

Hiei walked under the stands, fulling intending to head to the royal box to get to Nishi, his girl, and their son to watch the remaining matches, even if he did had to tolerate the prince. That half a boy needed to learn he was not always right.

He turned, hearing someone running up behind him. He turned to see, oh all people, Yukina coming down the hall. She stopped before him, panting slightly. "Your chest. You're injured," she stated, holding her hand up.

Hiei looked down at the mere scratch. "Hardly worth your time," he said dismissively.

She shot him a pleading look, not unlike one her boy used to use when he was younger. Her boy... He looked so much like Yukina that it would be easy to mistake him for her son. Hiei counted it lucky her boy was not here, otherwise it might arise Yukina's suspicions.

"It won't take but a minute," Yukina continued.

He sighed, nodded, and stayed standing before her and waiting permissively for her to start. She did not start right away, but rather wrapped her arms around his upper right arm, leading him down the hall unexpectedly to an unoccupied room with a simple gurney on the far side of the wall. She lead him in there, gesturing for him to go and sit. She was a fuss over nothing, even as he went and sat on the gurney, humoring her.

His leg dangled over the sides, elbows resting on his thighs. He studied the room quietly, bare bones as it was. When he heard the click of the door's lock, he shifted her gaze over to her.

She stepped over to him. "Didn't see you much at the wedding dinner," she commented. She pressed her hand firmly against his chest, her cool, almost cold energy rushing into him. "Saw your wife though."

"Hn," he grunted, feeling the desire to leave the room creeping up on him. One minute to humor her and then he could leave, he told himself.

"She seemed rather distracted, what with your daughter marrying the crown prince and the lack of your eldest son being present," she commented. "Where is he again?"

Hiei clicked his teeth. "In the North. Far north."

"Where only demons reside? Mostly nomadic ones?" she asked. She kept her hand on his chest, even though she had to be finished healing the scratch by now.

"He'll be fine. He volunteered to stay up there," he answered.

"And you think that was a good idea? For him?" she pressed. "For what he is?"

Hiei kept his temper with her in check. "He chose it. I warned him to be wary." Hiei wondered if Nishi had told her about the risk of her boy becoming a fallen angel when surrounded by so many demons.

She gave her an annoyed look. "You warned him what could happen to him if he wanders too far North up there?"

"Yes," Hiei answered. He moved to get up, but he hand stayed on his chest, feeling cold against him now.

"How much did you warn him about?" she pressed. She looked serious now, her eyes blazing coldly. Her judgementalness irked him.

"I don't know what Nanashi has told you, but he won't fall again if he's determined not to fall. He might be surrounded by demons, but that doesn't mean they'll corrupt him into falling," Hiei stated. "He fought to stay up there, volunteered for it. We let him."

Her hand grew colder, would have made him shiver had he not been impervious to the cold. It still did not feel pleasant in his chest. "That's not what I'm talking about," she said flatly. He reached up, grabbing her wrist and using just enough force to remove her hand. She backed away a few steps, looking mournful now. "I'm sorry," she rushed out, holding her wrist in her other hand. "I-I I...," she stuttered.

He stood up, meaning to walk around her and leave the room. He had just barely passed her on the way to the door when she spoke again, "what if they find him?"

He stopped. "What if who finds him?" he asked, not sure now what she was talking about.

She turned around, but her head was hung low. "The ice maidens," she answered. "They'll know what he is. They'll either think he's my child or..." she stopped. It felt like a chill was dancing through his chest all over again. "... or they'll assume you survived." He stared at her, gaping. "If they sense him anywhere near their floating island, they'll send a pack of hunters after him. I managed to evade them when I escaped, but that's because I knew their tricks and knew I could not hope to win in a fight against them. I ran from them for long enough that they gave up hunting me and ruled me dead. But if they find Izo, I have no doubt he'll fight them. They'll see him only as an abomination, and they will kill him."

He stared at her, trying to sort out all there was in what she just said. "Hunters?" his mind landed on.

"You don't know about them?" she asked surprised. "Of course you wouldn't," she sighed. "They didn't come after you because they assumed you dead. My aunt who raised me told me they sent out hunters after the man who raped Mother, but those hunters never found him. The trail had well gone cold by then for that was after we were born. The ice maidens want nothing to do with the world or with men, which is why they isolate themselves from the world. All ice maidens are expected to adhere to their strict social order. When someone violates that, they are hunted down, with the goal of executing them. Hunters may only hunt for month though, unless they can keep following the trail. Once the trail goes cold and a month passes, they are to give up and return back to the island. If they die along the way on the hunt, the hunt also ends."

Hiei was not sure what to say when she finished. He asked the next question that popped in his head, "how long have you known?"

"I suspected it when I gave you blood, but was certain when you saw my tear gem all those years ago," she stated. "You knew what it was." She stepped towards him. "Whatever reason you have for not telling me is your business. I was going to wait for you to say it when you're ready, but when your wife told me about Izo staying up in the North, I had to warn you, to warn him." She stood before him now. She stood before him now, pleading, "get him out of the North. He's not safe there. If he reveals where I am, where you are, they might hunt for us as well. Or my children or your other children. Or my husband or your wife even for falling in love with us." She seized his hand in both of hers. She was trembling.

"Nishi is planning to write to him before we leave the capital. You can warn him. He's more likely to believe it coming from you. Write him a letter to include what you just told me and I'll make sure it's sent with her letter."

Nodded, looking grateful. "Okay," she whispered relieved.