Author's Note: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.
...
Reconciliation
Chapter 32 – The Separation: Year 1: Autumn: Part II
The next morning…
"Shippou! Time to get up! I have rounds this morning, kiddo!"
Kagome shook her head again, shrugged the navy yukata tighter around herself, and stepped lazily out of the house toward the well out back to draw water for the day. A wide yawn interrupted her half-hearted tugging on the rope and she ran her fingers through dark bangs with a sigh.
'I'll grab Chisato and we can make our way through the village to check on all of the elders before I do some hunting this afternoon. Gotta start preparing for winter earlier this year to keep us fed.'
Hazy memories of last winter's depression surfaced but she shook them off and grabbed the water-laden bucket with a grunt. Suddenly, all thinking stopped as a low, reverberating growl from around the front of the house fully woke her sleep-muddled brain. Startled, the miko clapped a hand over her mouth to stop the surprised yelp from escaping as her blue eyes pinned to the front corner of the house. A mass of white fur draped up onto the porch and out into the side yard and it was breathing deeply in between growls.
Silently as she could, Kagome crouched and set the bucket on the ground while casting a net with her reiki to find out who, or what, was stalking her home. The static prickling of youki answered her probing and she was immediately on high alert.
'Definitely youkai… and powerful but I can't tell what it is.'
She crept back inside the house to peek in on Shippou, who was still sleeping soundly despite her yelling, and then quietly palmed her staff from its resting place on the pegs above the door. Lifting the bamboo screen with one steel tip, blue eyes blinked at the sudden bright light as the growling resumed once more.
Quietly sticking her head out of the front door, Kagome took in the odd sight of a huge white dog with its head resting on her porch next to a knapsack of some kind. It had a massive paw slung over its face to block the morning light that flexed with gleaming, ivory claws as she stepped forward. The rest of the massive youkai trailed away from the house and Kagome could make out a large, fluffy tail over its sleek back.
"A wolf?" she whispered to herself.
'No… not a wolf. It sort of looks like Sesshoumaru but smaller…'
Her eyes landed on the fluffy, triangular ears atop its head and her heart clenched. The beast slept on as she inspected it, pert ears twitching occasionally as a fly or sound disturbed it's clearly needed and deep sleep. The growl resumed and Kagome realized the wolf-dog was snoring.
'What are you?'
The youki felt vaguely familiar, as if she had encountered its like before, but this energy felt primal and unpredictable. Its aura swirled around the beast even in sleep, warning lesser beings away. The answer was there, in her mind, but she couldn't place it after being caught so unaware.
'What demon in their right mind takes a nap on a miko's front porch?'
The beast twitched, grumbling, and yawned widely revealing a mouthful of pointed ivory teeth. It stretched like a cat in the sun, paws lengthening toward her beyond the long snout and white, twitching nose. Pale green eyes blinked slowly open above a startlingly fuchsia facial marking Kagome could see now that its paw had moved. She watched warily as the wolf-dog looked first at her feet, then her staff, and finally into her steel blue eyes which narrowed in warning.
"I don't know who you are or why you're here, but you should nap somewhere else, demon."
Its answer was a low growl as it stood on large paws and ducked its head under the overhang until its huge, green eyes were even with her own.
"This is your last warning. Go on, now." The miko jerked her head. "Back into the woods with you."
She pointed the tip of a staff at its nose and the beast shifted its curious gaze down to the weapon, and back up to her scowling face. With a growling yip, the wolf-dog turned its head, snatched the rod from her hands between ivory fangs, and took off running across the field at a lolloping pace with its bushy, white tail waving happily in the air. Kagome was so caught off guard that her mouth hung open, glancing down at her empty hands and processing the missing staff in contrast to the grinning youkai in the field.
"The hell? He- Hey! You drop that right now!"
The priestess took off from the porch at a run, barefoot, and the wolf-dog looked back over its shoulder to find her catching up quickly. She was within arm's reach of its tail before a burst of speed left her stomping mad several yards behind.
"Drop it, dammit! If I have to get my bow, you're gonna regret it!"
The beast circled around the field, avoiding her shoeless and clumsy attempts to corral it. Finally, she simply stood still and called her power.
"Okay then. Have it your way!" she yelled.
An ice blue barrier erupted in thin air over the giant wolf-dog and pinned it to the ground. The beast's eyes blew wide and it dropped the staff and whined before aiming a panicked bark at her. Too late though because Kagome shrunk the barrier by half, forcing the wolf-dog down to the ground.
"Now stay!" she yelled, stomping over to the barrier.
A swirl of neon green flashed within the barrier and Kagome readied an orb of reiki in her hand, prepared to fight the stranger off since whoever it was didn't seem keen on leaving.
"Now let's see why you're really here…"
When the angry priestess stopped and crept forward, however, all she found amidst the tall, dying grass was uncontrollable laughter and the dark shadow of an armor-clad person rolling on the ground. The laughing daiyoukai rose and brushed the weeds from its armor. She saw white hair fluffed and tangled and woven with grass, intricate armor, and an impressive sword befitting a…
"Captain?"
The young inudaiyoukai beamed at her, fangs flashing and spring green eyes still sparkling with laughter. He stood tall, intending to greet her properly, before doubling over again at the sight of her: barefoot and red-faced, arm cocked back with an orb of reiki ready to pummel him, and her mouth hung open in shock and disbelief. What's more, her yukata was nearly untied and coming dangerously close to revealing what he could easily tell were cold and unbound breasts. Ren covered his eyes to preserve what little modesty she had left and was lost to another fit of laughter.
"I am- Ah ha! I am sorry, Kagome-sama, but you were so honestly unaware and it has been ages since I had any real fun!"
"Ren?" she asked again, releasing the orb to diffuse into the air and dropping her hand. "What in the seven hells were you doing asleep on my porch? And what are you doing with your hand?"
"Drop this barrier, my Lady, and I shall report for duty as I have been commanded… once you see to your state of dress, that is."
"The state of my…" Kagome's eyes curiously angled down and the bared miko yelped in embarrassment. "Son of a bitch!"
The barrier disappeared immediately in a shower of icy flecks. Ren turned away to give her some privacy while he picked the remaining grass from his armor and waited.
"In most cases, you would be correct," the Captain chuckled, still turned away, "however, my mother was human, as you well know."
"Oh, shut up." She finished closing the navy-blue yukata once more and tapped him on the shoulder. "You can turn around now. I had forgotten you were coming. Sesshoumaru told me last night to look for you but he never told me when. I didn't recognize you like that."
"So quickly forgotten, am I?" the young inu frowned, adjusting his sword and glancing playfully over at her.
"No, but I've never seen you all…" She swirled a hand in the air, "transformed? Your aura didn't feel right."
"Everything about us changes in our true forms. Scent," he stepped closer, shaking his shoulder length, silver hair into place, "appearance, our youki… Even our appetites." he winked.
"Still like chewing on sticks, though." she grumbled, crossing her arms then holding out a delicate hand. "While we're at it, I'll take my staff back, thank you."
"She tells me to 'sit' and now to 'fetch'…" he lamented. "I am not a common dog, Kagome-sama."
"Sleeping outside, playing with sticks, rolling in the grass? Could've fooled me, Captain." Kagome giggled. "Now that you've made your dramatic entrance, come on back to the house. I have to get Shippou up and ready for breakfast before I start rounds for the day and I'm already late. Have you eaten?"
"I have." He nodded respectfully. "I hunted on my way then thought it best not to wake you when I arrived in the early hours of the morning. I patrolled the perimeter for several hours but found nothing of import, and then decided to wait by your door for you to wake. Your forest is so beautiful that I lingered longer than I should have."
"Inuyasha loved it, too." Ren watched her eyes soften and the miko stopped to gaze lovingly into the shadows between the trees, almost as if she expected someone to come walking out. A sigh escaped and she looked back up at him. "That's why he built our house out here, as close as we could get without leaving the village."
"A wise man." Ren nodded.
"He was. Not everyone could see it." Kagome smiled gently and her guest smiled back.
Ren then stepped back, raised his chin, and snapped to attention.
"Now, as is required of my post, I formally introduce myself as Ren, first Captain of the Western ground forces, and your personal guard, my Lady, until my Lord relieves me in the spring of next year. I apologize for my lateness and submit myself to your command, Kagome-sama."
His accompanying bow was deep and sincere. He was a man of honor and despite his antics only moments ago, she supposed he intended to take this guard duty as seriously as he had the last time. She mentally hoped this one went much more smoothly for both of their sakes.
"I thank you for your protection and your service, Captain. Now, formalities notwithstanding, move your ass. I have lots of work to do today." Kagome turned around set off across the field toward the house, leaving Ren to follow. "So, what are you supposed to do while you're here? Surely, you don't want to just follow me around all day."
His carefree eyes hardened and scanned the forest's edge before focusing on her back once again. The air was free of unfamiliar scents and Ren's casual stride lengthened to catch up to the human already many yards ahead of him.
"When you are working, I will patrol the perimeter of the village as I did last night. I am aware that the humans are not so receptive to daiyoukai company and I wish not to cause you trouble."
"Too late for that, I'm afraid. The gossip is rampant since Sesshoumaru's last visit."
"My Lord said the same. I am sorry for it. If my behavior can in any way aid our case, do not hesitate to correct me. When you are free, I would prefer to remain within striking distance but if you are uncomfortable, I can alter my strategy."
"So formal, Ren… Relax. In the whole time I've been back here, I haven't caught wind of anything dangerous. Well," she chuckled, "more dangerous than an inu napping on my porch."
"I cannot, milady. When Sesshoumaru-sama recounted your attack, I was surprised to hear of the foul magic they employed. I have not encountered such a thing before. If you are ever in doubt of the identity of even familiar humans, you must tell me at once. Youkai, I can sense well enough, but humans as a species are still mostly a mystery."
"Prepare for a crash course then. We have all sorts here. You can't change your appearance, can you?"
"How? My bestial form, you mean?"
"No, to look more human? Less 'noble daiyoukai' and more 'unassuming mortal'?"
He scoffed. "I would sooner lose my other arm than disguise myself, Kagome-sama. To ask such a thing is an insult to both my heritage and my pride in it."
"May I remind you, as you just did to me, that half of your heritage is human, Captain? Don't insult our heritage."
Ren froze and bowed deeply.
"I apologize, my Lady, if I have offended you!"
"Oh, stop it. Just- Just don't pretend with me, okay? Be proud of her, Ren. I'm sure your mother did everything she could for you. Don't dishonor her, either."
"I suppose I am… so used to hiding it now that it is a reflex to deny it." Ren grinned sadly. "Maybe, staying here will educate me on those parts of my heritage I have missed. Thank you, Kagome-sama, for reminding me."
Kagome nodded and crossed the threshold of the small house. A second late, she surprised him by shouting loudly in the small common room.
"Shippou! Up now, little man!"
Ren took in the modest house with a guarded curiosity while Kagome busied herself at the prep table. The dwelling was so simple, so plain, and yet its occupant was anything but. This woman had freed the Lord of the East, bested him in training, and adapted herself to wearing kimono worth more than her entire village in less than a week in the West. Yet here she stood, in a simple yukata, cooking a simple breakfast over a common hearth and humming happily as she did it.
'She moves nearly effortlessly between two vastly different worlds. How unlike all of the humans I have ever met. Was my mother the same, I wonder?'
He truly hadn't considered it before. There was a time when Sanayo had battled in the Four Points Wars alongside his father and the Western Army as a group but she had never spoken of her life before that. Ren could remember his mother's pale golden hair, beautiful face and green eyes, her laugh, and the way her loving aura had surrounded he and his brother in the few short years they had with her before her death.
Here with Kagome, he could sense the same care and attention in her movements and it drew a deep ache from the pit of his stomach. Something like longing and heartache lodged itself in his chest as he watched her. The inu swallowed thickly and pressed on.
"Shippou-chan lives here with you then?"
"Yep. When he's not at school. And you live with Kenshin, don't you?"
"Yes," Ren sighed deeply, "and I am so relieved, and much happier, to be away from both he and his intended."
"Oh no." she called over her shoulder with an air of sympathy. "That bad, huh? I had some girlfriends that became impossible to be around in the first few months with a new man."
"My brother has never acted in such a way in our entire lives! If I have to endure one more conversation about clothing or Bonding arrangements, I might very well move to the woods. And the noise! All hours of the day and night, he- My Lady, forgive me, but even daiyoukai have to breathe. However, Ken's face is so often locked to hers or buried between her le-"
"Good morning, Shippou!" Kagome interrupted him with a knowing jerk of her head to her kit's door.
Ren merely snorted a laugh and stepped away to sit near the hearth, out of the way.
"Mornin', Momma. I heard voices. M'roku here?" he said, lazily scrubbing at his face.
Shippou pulled his small, pale yellow yukata closed and leaned back to comb his clawed fingers through his sleep-mussed and unruly auburn hair. Kagome grinned at the gesture, so similar to Inuyasha's.
"I have never been confused for a human male before but I suppose there is always a first time, young Shippou."
Emerald eyes flew open and he grinned widely, scampering over to the kneeling Captain.
"Ren!"
"Hello, Shippou-chan." Ren said warmly, fluffing the kit's hair. "You have grown in the last year!"
"Hm. It's all my traveling and hard work." the kit said proudly. "That and she feeds me right." He jerked a thumb back at Kagome who giggled and nodded with her hip propped against the prep table.
"My cooking's not so bad, if I say so myself."
"And I'll be training like you next year!" Shippou continued excitedly. "Sesshoumaru said he's gonna teach me once we move."
"Has he now? My Lord trained my brother and me as well, beginning only a handful of years older than you are now. Be warned: he is a fierce and demanding master-" Ren said seriously.
Kagome felt the breath leave her lungs as the memory surfaced of the future Sesshoumaru's praise of the accomplished warrior Shippou had become.
"He is a master in his own right…"
The glint of twin blades in the morning sun of the shrine courtyard.
"-but you will be equally fierce when he is through with you." Ren continued.
The battle-hardened, emotionless look in her son's eyes. His piercing, emerald gaze narrowed above the angrily clenched jaw that once held the carefree smiles she was used to.
"My Lord does nothing without purpose and if he asks it of you, it is best. Always remember that, Shippou-chan."
Golden eyes, lit with hope and desperation, bore into hers from the end of a welled and worn couch. The scent of cypress and lavender fill her nose, amplified by the heat of the room and his nearness. He's close enough to touch her but refrains out of respect for the vast emotional distance between them.
"We must forge a deeper Bond, first and foremost, if the future is to be changed."
The colors of her daydream warm with the safe, comforting embrace of strong arms, shoving away the cold and loneliness that had been her constant companions since autumn. Searing amber eyes gaze down into hers that are, at this moment in time, so full of life and purpose but will become almost unrecognizably dulled by pain and sadness if she fails.
Suddenly the future and the past connected. Shippou was talking about the training he would receive from Sesshoumaru. The training that led him to six tails, two swords, and a reunion at the bottom of the well that nearly broke her heart for the second time that year.
The sound of a shattering bowl caused two youkai heads to whip around. Kagome hugged herself against the chilling realization that she was still very much on her own to alter the tragic future of the West. Shippou and Ren exchanged looks as the scent of salt permeated the air a moment later.
"Kagome-sama?" Ren asked, concerned.
Shippou was up and over to her, leaping first to the table and then placing both hands on the miko's arm as she hugged herself.
"I'm- I'm sorry. I'm okay. Just forgot what I was doing for a second."
Shippou wouldn't smell a lie because it was the truth. She had forgotten entirely in the last few months that there was a life or death war coming, and she had better be prepared for it. In the future, Sesshoumaru had remembered her place in their shared timeline for centuries, and waited patiently for his chance to make things right. Remembering her task, the miko felt guilty for her lapse in focus. She had all winter now to train. The eyes of the inu Captain were fixed on her face, curious about her lapse in dexterity. She caught sight of his sword by the door and began to wonder.
'Maybe I can convince Ren to train with me again…'
Come the spring, Sesshoumaru would come for her, to begin their public life as an intended pair. The memory of him reclining by the hearth warmed her heart. His face was so at ease, his eyes so open and unguarded as he teased her for the ambitious ideas that were so like his own.
But there was so much this Sesshoumaru didn't know. So much she could protect him from if only she had the strength. Her resolve and determination grew exponentially in that moment. It was time to get back to work. Whatever opportunities presented themselves, whatever information about the movements of their enemies she could learn, she would do it.
Kagome would stand proudly at his side, strong and ready, no matter what awaited them.
…
Later that morning…
The coal black eyes of the Southern phoenix Lord blinked rapidly with curiosity, his head ticking this way and that as birds do. Fushijirou beat his flame-wreathed wings faster to catch sight of the vast mountain range that guarded the West. Ancient onyx eyes watched as a massive silver inuyoukai below clawed its way to the peak that loomed over the Western Fortress. Seconds later, youki sizzled through the air and the celestial bird shivered midflight as a skull-rattling howl echoed between the mountains and down through the valley.
The Lord of the South and his brilliant Mate dropped from the sky in front of the Palace gates, clawed feet skidding in the gravel as the two birds beat their massive wings faster to slow down. Golden flames burst into life around Fushijirou as he transformed, and Samidori's pheasant form melted away in a flurry of crimson feathers to reveal beautiful emerald hair, vermilion eyes, and pale skin wrapped in an elegant ivory kimono.
"By the Sun, what is Sesshoumaru thinking?" scowled Fushijirou, shaking his shock of wavy, golden hair in disappointment. "He will alert half the island to our gathering."
"And this concerns you?" Samidori asked gently, crimson eyes lit with amusement as she walked to his side.
"Kouji was nervous for the proceedings this year based on the attacks on both the Palace and its Lord, and I trust my son. Hardly seems appropriate to draw attention to us. This meeting is waste enough."
"The Lord of the West is more aware than we are of the situation and you brought the Eiderclaw, beloved. Have no fear."
Fushijirou glanced over his shoulder at the gleaming, golden polearm strapped comfortably onto his tanned back. At the base of the blade, a golden tuft of feathers flitted in the breeze and a stone the color of blood pulsed like the beating of a heart.
"At your insistence. I wish I had not. Ietsuna will ask once again to use it during the trials."
"And it will protect him then as it has protected you for centuries."
"No. This blade has seen enough blood for this lifetime. Let us hope we are able to get him, get all of us, away should the worst happen."
"It will not." she soothed. "Sesshoumaru keeps what is his."
"Let us hope." came a stern voice from the doors of the Palace.
Lady Kikuko raised her chin as she approached. Her long silver hair lay across her back, unbound and undulating gracefully in the constant mountain breeze. A voluminous ivory pelt lay draped around pale, exposed shoulders. Her resplendent kimono was a shimmering, deep indigo patterned with embroidery of a pond illuminated by a crescent moon.
"Welcome, Lord and Lady of the South. Your journey was uneventful?"
"Pleasantly." Fushijirou nodded, inclining his head.
"Your children and new grandpups? All well?"
"All well. The chicks are a joy," Samidori said smiling, "and I am pleased to hope we shall have more in the coming years."
"How wonderful for you." Kikuko said flatly, plucking some imaginary dirt from her kimono sleeve. "Shall we get you settled? The meeting will proceed on schedule this evening and then tomorrow, we start the tournament. I admit I missed it last year. Livened up this dull, dusty Palace."
"That loss was so sudden," the Lady of the South balked. "It was appropriate to cancel, Kikuko."
"The past is past." the inuyoukai dismissed. "Now, since you are the first to arrive, you have your choice of rooms. Follow me."
The small group walked lazily between the gargantuan columns at the entrance to the central hallway of the Palace. Fushijirou considered the snarling ivory carvings of silver inu that ringed the dark stone pillars as the three noble youkai passed beneath them. Their steps echoed lightly through the cavernous room, and servants scattered in and out of side entrances trying to avoid being seen or addressed.
"Why was Sesshoumaru bellowing above?" the phoenix asked.
"Ah, that. He is… issuing orders from afar. Now come."
"How is your son's intended Mate?" Samidori asked innocently. "Well I hope?"
"She is well, I hear. I have yet to see her again. Sesshoumaru is making his preparations for her arrival next year, however. Going out of his way, I should say." The Lady Mother clicked her tongue. "Human needs are so troublesome."
"They are going forward with this odd Mating then?" Fushijirou asked with an air of detachment.
"It cannot be helped. My son has agreed, and he is nothing if not steadfast and honorable." Kikuko said proudly.
"His honor is to be applauded, then. A lesser male might kill her and be done with it."
"Mate," the pheasant frowned, "you are speaking of the death of the future Lady of the West. Have a care."
"Oh, I care not." Kikuko dismissed. "Sesshoumaru knows her life is short and soon enough, he will be able to find a true lifelong Mate and restore our house properly. His dalliance with both of his pet human females will come to an end in the blink of an eye and then order can be restored."
"And what of these attacks my son recounted?" the phoenix asked. "Disturbing to think the old kitsune magic is in use once again."
"Pardon?" Kikuko asked, rounding on the couple with her eyes narrowed.
"Kouji said that Sesshoumaru reported a doppelganger that could speak and react with no scent or youki of its own, and a charm that dissolved as he touched it. The only beings I have known to employ such a tactic were ancient kitsune but that is old magic even by This One's estimation. Touga once said he encountered such abominations during the great Wars but I have not heard of its use since then. There was a small army of them back then, I believe. Gave us much trouble on the Southern front."
"Kouji often divulges matters of Western security, does he?" the inudaiyoukai asked sharply.
"Only when he wisely questions his honored father for the ancient knowledge he possesses." Samidori replied warily.
"Hn." Kikuko muttered, appeased. "See to it that you keep discussions of this matter between you. We are still waiting for the ambitious fool to show himself."
Fushijirou stopped walking in thought, gleaming black claws sliding over his smooth chin. He grunted behind the two females, causing them to stop and watch him. His open black kimono settled around his bare feet as his dark eyes narrowed in consideration.
"The timing of this worries me as well, Kikuko. Your son is on the precipice of his first Bonding, whispers of doubt and old prejudice plague the humans and the youkai near them, and the reappearance of forgotten kitsune magic…"
Kikuko continued walking and waited for them at the corner between the infirmary and the long overhang leading to the guest quarters.
"And a powerful priestess has appeared on the wrong side of the battle, singled out by Katsurou, Lord of the same territory that once housed your greatest enemy."
"You are drawing dangerous parallels, Fushijirou." Kikuko lilted. She had had the same thought more than once but felt relieved that the similarities were not going unnoticed.
"The Four Points Wars were not so long ago. You were not yet in power then, Kikuko. Touga had yet to fully conquer his territory and take you as a Mate when the Wars were started. You cannot deny the coincidences seem too unlikely."
"Then it is fortuitous that my son has wisely sought alliances with your great house, Lord of the South." Kikuko said cheerily. "I would not be your enemy. I enjoy these talks too much to meet you on a battlefield. The conversation there is always so bawdy and uncivilized."
Fushijirou laughed loudly and shook his effortlessly wavy hair, dispelling the tension in their conversation. The crimson marquis in his brow flashed in the morning light.
"No, dear Kikuko, I would not meet you on the battlefield again if it could be helped."
"Then we are in agreement. Should these echoes of unrest grow louder, we will maintain our alliances and prevent such losses ever again."
"If we lost more of our chicks again…" Samidori shook her head sadly. "I cannot bear the thought when our numbers grow so small already."
"Be still, beloved." Fushijirou crooned, gathering her in his arms. "It will not be so."
Kikuko continued walking as the couple embraced in the abandoned hallway. No, it would never be so again. Her son was working toward the peace he wanted, away from the humans' interference, and that slip of a woman he was forced to Mate may very well be the key to his long-term success. Sesshoumaru had wisely recognized such already and, though she was loath to admit it, perhaps it was for the best as this fragile peace developed.
Kikuko raised her chin in defiance of the depressing future the miko had described in her letter.
'I will never allow my son to bear such a pitiful existence. His simple cure of changing the past may be the most direct way but then again, subterfuge was never one of his strengths. He inherited his mother's fine looks but his father's subtlety, poor pup.'
Her plan solidified then and there to visit this Kagome during the winter when she would most surely be in that human village of hers. There was a simple way to ascertain the truth of the holy woman's words and Sesshoumaru need never know the horrible possibilities should he fail in the coming years.
'What fun we shall have, little miko, as you tell me all of your secrets…'
…
At the same time, in Edo…
The road was littered with fallen leaves that skittered up and down the packed dirt road. The villagers nearby were warily watching the odd couple walk through town as they worked through morning chores. Kagome warmly greeted anyone who came close enough to make eye contact and Ren stayed well back with his head down, trying not to bring attention to himself.
"Their house is just up the road. There." Kagome pointed out.
Ren lifted his chin to see the plain thatched roof of the monk and retired taijiya's modest house. The indigo cloak he wore to cover his striking and unusual features slid back, the hood dropped to his shoulders, but he tugged it quickly forward. Kagome sent him an apologetic look but he was too focused on the entirely average house beyond.
"And it was they who trained you in combat and archery?"
"Yep. Well, I learned archery on my own but I was still pretty terrible. Sango and Kaede helped me out a lot. They all whipped me into shape for months before I left to find Inuyasha."
"Impressive. Would they be willing to meet with me? I have so many questions for the taijiya and monk who trained the great Shikon Miko." he said playfully.
"I feel like you're making fun of me, Captain."
"Hardly." he scoffed. "No, your story may be the most interesting I have ever heard in my three hundred years."
"I'm sure they'd love to meet you. They loved Inuyasha. They have three small kids now so I try not to bother them too much but I'll ask if we meet Miroku at the shrine."
"Excellent."
Ren looked out over the empty fields with gathering piles of leaves hung here and there on the empty furrows.
"And the humans farm all of this land to feed themselves with different plants from season to season?"
"Yes." Kagome giggled at his oversimplification. "Without farms, humans would never be able to congregate like this in larger and larger villages. It takes lots of hands and lots of food to keep so many of us fed. It's a hard life but it has its benefits, too."
"I imagine. When do these busy farmers find time for betterment or higher learning?"
"They don't, for the most part." she said sadly, playing with the tuft of hair at the end of her long braid.
"How awful."
A strong, easterly breeze lifted her sleeves and sent the wide legs of her hakama fluttering around her ankles as she stared out into the open and barren fields. Ren suddenly froze, lifted his nose and scented the air as Kagome continued their conversation.
"Very little leisure time and very little play in their-"
"Wait. Quiet!" Ren commanded, cupping his right ear.
"What are you-"
"Shh!" he scowled.
The Captain tipped his right ear up and Kagome watched his nose twitch as he instinctively sniffed for evidence of whatever his youkai ears had heard. Her breaths came faster and the fear of an incoming attack gripped her heart as Ren stood like a statue and listened. Finally, he dropped his hand and looked at her.
"Remain here. I will return presently."
"No, wait-" she tried, reaching for him.
Before Kagome could blink, Ren was gone and leaving a trail of swirling leaves in his wake through the empty fields as he dashed out of town. The miko stomped her slipper in the dirt in frustration.
"Dammit, Ren! Youkai and their stupid, speedy-"
"Who is Ren?" Sango asked from behind her distracted friend.
"Ah! Kami, Sango-chan…" Kagome gasped, laying a hand over her heart. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"
Sango chuckled beside her. "I did not mean to, Kagome-chan, but you were very focused. Now, who is Ren?"
"He's- uh… Well he's my bodyguard. An inudaiyoukai from the West. He arrived last night so I haven't had a chance to tell you guys yet. Ren is my full-time watchdog until spring, courtesy of Sesshoumaru, and he just told me to hush and then sprinted like a bat out of hell somewhere over that way." she growled, pointing across the field. "He wants to meet you, by the way."
"Me? How does a soldier of Sesshoumaru know of my existence?" Sango asked, confused.
"Because," the miko said impishly, "he wanted to know who taught me to knock him on his rear."
"You defeated a daiyoukai in combat?"
"Just sparring," she shrugged, "and try to sound less surprised. It was fun and educational right up to the moment he skewered me…" Kagome pointed at her right side, then laughed nervously and palmed the back of her head as Sango's eyes went wide.
"He gave you that scar?" her friend gaped. "You told me that soldier was a Captain the Western army. Why would Sesshoumaru send a Captain of his army to sit in a human village all winter? Kagome, why is he really here? This doesn't make sense."
"Fine," the miko sighed, glancing nervously over at her friend, "just… just don't get mad."
Telling Sango about the attackers in the West and the second attack during the journey from the kitsune village was a good distraction from the worry that clawed at her gut every minute Ren was gone. He had given her no clues about the reason for his hasty disappearance. Was he tracking an assassin? Was he fighting for his life all alone right now?
When Kagome was finished with the whole sordid story, Sango looked both ready to slap and hug her at the same time.
"You should have told us!"
"What good would it do? You have your own problems to work out, and children to raise, and I didn't want to add to your worries."
"Kagome, wherever you go and whatever you do, we will always care about you. If a youkai assassin comes here, looking for you, we would want to help."
"No! This is exactly why I didn't tell you. You have your own lives to worry about. I'm- I'm just me. If something happened to you now, I'd never forgive myself for robbing your children of a parent. Don't get involved in this. That's why Ren's here: to protect me and help when I need it."
"No, that is what friends are for, Kagome-chan, and do not forget it."
"Fine, you win. I'll call you the second an evil youkai assassin rears its head. Satisfied?"
"No, you will not."
"No. I won't. I'm glad we understand each other."
"Stubborn woman." Sango glared.
Kagome let out an unladylike snort and pointed first at Sango, then herself.
"Pot. Kettle."
Kagome surprised her friend by sticking out her tongue, grinning widely, and the memories and mutual comfort developed in their long time as friends smothered their mutual frustration.
Sango wanted to help but Kagome was right: she was no longer free to run away and fight for her life. And Kagome wanted to handle this alone, prove to herself that she could, but knew help would be welcome, maybe even required, should her enemy come around again. So, the two women stood together in the road, knowing life could never be as it once was, but supporting each other now in the only ways they could.
…
Standing atop the nearest hill west of Edo, Ren stood impossibly still with his pale green eyes closed and listened as Sesshoumaru howled his message for the Captain to translate. After several minutes of mentally noting every booming tone, the valley was silent. Ren nodded firmly but the concern was knit into his brow and the firm clench of his jaw.
"Very well then, milord. I shall tell her." he said quietly, disappearing in a burst of speed.
Several miles passed beneath his feet in a matter of seconds and soon enough, the village was back in sight. As he sped through the woods surrounding, her scent met him on the wind and his direction changed without conscious thought, chasing it through the trees. Following his nose and his instincts, he felt drawn to following its promising and comforting trail. Kagome's distant relieved and welcoming smile as she spoke to another woman made him stumble on a split-rail fence at the edge of town.
"Shit!"
It took a long leap forward to right himself again and Ren cursed, amused, at his lapse in attention.
'You're not a pup in your first heat, idiot. Focus!'
He was still chuckling to himself when he skidded to halt in front of Sango's house, prepared to greet her and relay the message. He had no sooner opened his mouth when her anger sizzled in his nose; the intensity of the shishito pepper spicing the air and causing him to flinch.
"There you are, you jerk! Don't leave like that again! I thought you were off fighting without me and then I realized you didn't have your armor on and- Argh! Just don't do that again!"
Her azure eyes reflected his stunned look. The angry flush of her cheeks and rigid, threatening posture roused his instincts to submit to this Alpha female. To soothe her worries and promise never to repeat such an action again. He nearly whined as she chastised him in the street like a mother would her wayward pup. He forced his head to remain upright instead of baring his throat to her, and swallowed thickly past his instinctual need to apologize.
"I am-" he stuttered, "I am sorry to have worried you, my Lady, but I return with a message from Lord Sesshoumaru."
"Oh." she said, quieting. "Wow. I knew you were fast but to the Western Palace and back?"
"Your confidence in my agility is flattering but no. You did not hear the howls on the wind just now?"
Kagome shook her head and her dark bangs settled above those sparkling, ocean eyes. A large curled lock of inky hair broke free of her braid and temptingly caressed her face. His hand twitched at his side, consciously stopping himself from tucking it away, but he forgot about relaying Sesshoumaru's message as a waking dream stilled him.
The entire dark mass of her wild hair, freed and carelessly fanned beneath her as she struggled to catch her breath, pale breasts heaving, abused lips swollen and pink. Her delicate features flushed with the heat of their-
"…en? Ren? Earth to Captain Ren?"
A small hand entered his field of vision and snapped loudly just beyond his nose. Spring green eyes blinked rapidly to clear the daydream from his mind. Damn it, where had that come from? And why was the autumn sun suddenly so hot?
"Hey. Are you okay?" Concerned cerulean eyes bored into his, shifting from eye to eye, assessing him with a healer's skill.
Her caring scrutiny caused his heart to hammer in his chest and the Captain took a necessary deep breath and a step back.
'What is happening to me?'
"Apologies, my Lady." he bowed, out of respect but also so she wouldn't focus on the flush of heat he could still feel in his cheeks. "I return with a message from Lord Sesshoumaru."
"You said that already." she said curiously. "What did he have to say?"
"In a moment. You have a guest, Kagome-sama."
Ren jerked his head over at Sango who stood there bewildered as her friend chatted away with an armed daiyoukai like they were old friends. What's more, the power he held in his young body was enough for even Sango to sense from several feet away.
"Oh, right." Kagome stepped aside and gestured to her bodyguard. "Sango-chan, meet Captain Ren of the Western Army."
"Ah! Greetings, honorable Sango-sensei!" Ren bowed enthusiastically. "I have heard great tales of your teachings."
Deep brown eyes regarded the newcomer with suspicion and a warrior's eye. The Captain knew he was being appraised by a professional and Ren didn't miss the calm stroke of her hand across her obi for what he was sure was a hidden blade.
"Is he joking, Kagome? I cannot tell."
"No, he's dead serious. Apparently, when I beat him twice in a row," Kagome grinned, causing Ren to choke on his tongue, "he decided a human slayer was worth meeting."
"You did not beat me. You won two sparring rounds and I was prepared to continue until we had a better measure of each other's skills until I- until I nearly killed you, that is."
"It wasn't your fault. We've covered that. He's right, I suppose."
"I would speak more with you and your accomplished Mate if you can spare the time." Ren continued.
"Right now?"
"No, we have work to do at the shrine and it is getting late!" Kagome grumbled, tapping her foot.
"At your leisure, Sango-sensei. I will maintain guard over Kagome-sama through the spring when my Lord comes to retrieve her."
"Retrieve you?" Sango asked.
"Mm. Ren's brother is getting married and Sesshoumaru thinks it's a good chance for me to see what I'm up against."
"My brother is hosting his Bonding ceremony, my Lady. Quite different. And Sesshoumaru-sama is not putting you 'up against' anything. Each ceremony is unique to the packs that host it. Tomomi has been more than informative on the matter in the last several months." he shuddered.
"Then you can teach me what you know in our free time. Oh! And what did Sesshoumaru have to say?"
"Ah, yes. My Lord bids me tell you that he is well, the Cardinal Council meeting will begin this evening, and the tournament begins tomorrow to continue until the last contest is won." Ren's verdant eyes narrowed seriously as he continued. "He also warned that the Lord of the North is diverting his path to verify your presence before making his way to the West."
"You heard all of that in howls on the wind?" Kagome asked curiously.
"In so many words. If my Lord meant something other than what I have told you, I cannot say. It would be more accurate to say I interpret to the best of my ability based on my familiarity with your situation, Sesshoumaru-sama's usual pattern of speech, and my own interpretation. Our ancient language is not as descriptive as your modern tongue but I have confidence in my accuracy this time."
"More daiyoukai are coming here to see you, Kagome-chan?"
The anxious concern in Sango's voice made Kagome flinch, remembering her friend was standing right behind them and incapable of missing the details of the conversation.
"Thanks a lot, Ren. Yes, Sango-chan. The Lord of the North, Katsurou-sama, and I'm assuming Ryouzou-san as well?"
"Again," Ren began, "milord's instructions were not specific but I would assume so. If he comes, it is to keep Katsurou-sama in line, I am sure. You did make quite an impression on the East, my Lady."
Ignoring the Captain's praise entirely, Sango laid a hand on the miko's shoulder, turning her around.
"Kagome, didn't you say the Lord of the North is the one who forced you to agree to this marriage?"
"He is, and Sesshoumaru warned me that he might come here. I'll meet him outside of town and keep him well away from the village. Ren can give me notice when he comes into range," looking over her left shoulder, Kagome locked eyes with the wary Captain, "right?"
"I see no reason why not. I will widen my perimeter checks until they arrive."
"There? See? They won't hurt me, Sango-chan. He only needs to see that I haven't disappeared."
"Sometimes I wonder if you should, Kagome-chan…"
"I can't." Kagome said quickly.
"Why not? We wish every day for your happiness but this marriage you agreed to grows more and more complicated with every passing season. You are involving yourself in matters that could have impacts north, south, east, and west; and in worlds of both humans and youkai. Why not just leave? Go back home and live the life you want."
"And if this is the life I want?"
Her friend's brown eyes hardened.
"The life you wanted was with-"
Sango stopped the words and looked away in frustration, even though Kagome could easily guess what they were.
"With Inuyasha? It was. You're right. But that life is over, Sango, and… it hurts but I need to move forward. If that means finding my own path through a sea of daiyoukai to have my voice heard, to feel valued, to make a real difference; then this is the life I want. This is the harder road than going back to what's familiar and safe but if I can change-" The miko stopped, thinking, and looked up at the clouding sky then into the concerned brown eyes of her friend. "If I can make them all see that we are worth the aggravation for a better and more cooperative future, I have to try. I don't want to leave you and your family either and I'll still be able to visit if I stay on this side of the well."
"Kagome-chan, I did not mean to-" Sango glanced at Ren, who was doing his best to appear detached and unaware of the awkward conversation by examining a strap of his armor. "Come to dinner. We can talk more there. I am sorry to have lost control of my frustration."
"I understand. I can't explain everything right now but I promise I know what I'm doing. Please." Kagome grabbed both of Sango's hands in her own. "Please. Trust me."
"I do, Kagome. If you say this is the way it must be, then I believe you. Captain Ren, you are welcome to come as well. I would know the soldier Sesshoumaru-sama personally assigned to handle Kagome."
"Wha- Handle?"
"It would be my pleasure, Sango-sensei. I look forward to it."
Kagome scoffed at Ren's casual bow and agreement. His impish grin flashed as pale green eyes met hers. He expected the glow of amused and incensed sapphire eyes as he rose, but her withering look and tightly crossed arms were simply endearing. Instead of correcting him, the miko turned on her heel and continued their walk up the road and into town. The inudaiyoukai chuckled to himself and fell in line several feet behind her.
"Nothing? Not even a little denial?" she called over a shoulder. "You're not here to 'handle' me, Ren."
The Captain stopped short in the middle of the road, indigo cloak wrapping his legs. His charge didn't notice the sudden flush of his pale face or the quick jerk of his cloaked head to the side lest she could see his embarrassment. Unaware, Kagome continued walking toward the shrine in a huff.
'I am not; she is right. Then… why this ache in my chest? Why do I feel compelled to deny it?'
"Admit it. You just needed an excuse to get away from your brother. Oh, word of warning: my initiate is more than a little wary of youkai and she may have some unkind things to say before we can settle her down. Don't take it personally and do not, whatever happens, retaliate."
He latched on to the change of subject, determined to sort out these sudden and disruptive feelings later, and took a deep breath before jogging to catch up to her.
"You wish me to simply stand immobile while this untrained priestess of yours hurls insults or worse?"
"Yep. She's young and inexperienced. You may be the first daiyoukai she has ever met so it's up to you to show her how you intend to interact with humans. We're continuing archery practice today and she's still grasping the basics so no derogatory comments, please."
Ren watched Kagome watching him and grasped his chin in thought.
"My patience is not legendary, but I will endeavor to try."
"Thank you, o' benevolent Captain. Now let's get moving." the miko chuckled. "It's not often Shippou beats me to the shrine in the morning…"
'And I have work to do.'
…
Late in the evening, Ren held the door screen open as Shippou ran out between his boots, and Kagome ducked out of Sango and Miroku's house with a cheerful smile, a full stomach, and a peace in her aura that he had never witnessed. The sun was shrinking behind the hills to the west and the fading light was a spectrum of pale yellows and burnt oranges painted across the high clouds. He followed the miko away from the house, keeping a safe distance behind. The Captain's right hand rested firmly on the pommel of the sword at his belt.
"Good night, everyone," Kagome waved, smiling, "and I'll see you tomorrow!"
Miroku waved back from the doorway and Sango appeared behind him, holding Komori on her hip and smiling contentedly.
"Good night, Kagome-sama, Shippou." the monk called. "And Captain? Keep an eye on her for us."
"Both eyes. I will endeavor to keep her safe from evil and also, I now know, from herself."
"Hey, wait a second!" the miko protested, ebony hair whipping around to gape at Miroku who left the doorway with a hearty laugh. Ren heard him recount the statement to his wife inside who also chuckled warmly and replied "I am glad he knows."
"That was uncalled for." Kagome scowled.
"Was it?" the inu grinned behind her. "You nearly purified Sesshoumaru-sama with your terrible aim!"
"Hey! She's worked really hard since then!" Shippou chastised. "She only missed a few really critical shots back then!"
"Thanks? Anyway, he would've been fine. He caught the arrow, didn't he? Besides, I was practically a kid! They conveniently forgot to mention that Kaede put a bow in my hand and expected me to just figure it out! What was I supposed to do?"
"And you never sought a master?"
"Who had the time? Between sch- between my family obligations and our never-ending hunts, there was never time to stop and focus on much besides sewing us up and scraping a meal together before we were up and gone again. Mastering a bow was at the bottom of my list until that moment in almost every battle when I wished it wasn't. I think, back then, I was just moving from minute to minute without a plan, just hoping we would live through it all."
"And you did." Ren said.
"We did." she said proudly, looking down at Shippou who smiled right back.
Crickets chirped in the dark forest to their right beyond the dirt road and a breeze whispered across the road as they walked quietly back to Kagome's house, all lost in thought.
"So, did my accomplished teachers meet all of your exaggerated expectations?"
"Hm. Without a doubt. I was amazed, to say the least. They- All of you accomplished so much with so narrow a margin of victory."
"Ha! I guess that's true. At the time, though, it was never a question of whether we would, but we all knew we had to. Even Sesshoumaru lost a few fights back then."
"Yeah, he lost his arm then tried to use Naraku… Tsk, tsk." Shippou shook his head in mock disappointment. "I'm glad he came to his senses before it was over."
"Hm." the Captain nodded. "I remember the uproar in the West when he returned with an absent arm, smelling of a human girl. The talk was less than kind."
Kagome dropped back to walk beside him with her hands clasped behind her back.
"I know how it happened, obviously, but after… Now, that's a story I've never heard. What happened?"
"Tell us!" the kitsune bounded to Ren's shoulder and waited, tail flicking excitedly.
"Very well." he chuckled, ruffling the kit's hair. "I was not privy to the details but only the gossip. His return was brief, he spoke with no one, but was seen changing his ruined clothes by one of the servants and then it was all over. Since he smelled of them when he returned, it was assumed the maiming was done by humans. The imp, Jaken, screamed his defenses from dawn to dusk but in the end, nothing could be done. Challenges for my Lord's title and territory poured in from all corners. Ours is not a society of mercy," Ren said with a side glance, "or it was not in the past. Sesshoumaru-sama beat them all back while leaving regularly to hunt for Naraku."
"I never thought about that before. I guess I'd be jaded, too, if I had to deal with all of that and losing an arm, too." Kagome gasped and looked over at her bodyguard, who grinned with understanding acceptance. "Oh, Ren. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."
"But now that you have, my mother's pendant weighs heavily on my conscience. Have you made any progress in your research?"
"I would love to say yes, but I have no one to ask. The best I can offer is that I have an understanding of rebuilding organisms when they are injured. By that I mean, I've successfully regrown tree limbs in my free time."
"And she's really good at it." Shippou added.
"That is hardly-"
"I know but it isn't as if I have living subjects to practice on."
"You very easily could." Ren said with a serious frown.
"I won't help you if you go around tearing limbs from innocent animals. No, if we're going to do this-"
"Shh!"
Ren's silver head tipped straight up into the sky and his pale green eyes went wide.
"Your reiki, Kagome! Call it now!"
"Shippou, here! Now!"
Without a word, the kitsune jumped down from Ren's shoulder, dashed between her legs, and hunkered down. In the next second, Kagome crouched, spread her arms wide, and a barrier shielded them all as Ren drew his sword and kept narrowed eyes fixed on the twilight above, head ticking left and right for the first sight of their enemy.
"What is it?" she whispered.
"We have company. Youkai, but I need more information. Release me and then protect yourself. I will return."
"You'd better!" Shippou barked.
The barrier melted away and Ren leapt into the air, climbing higher than her human gaze could track him through the wispy autumn clouds. Cerulean eyes sparkled with concern and anxiety as she searched the sky for the Captain's return.
"Where'd he go?" the young kitsune asked from the dirt.
"I dunno… Damn it, Ren."
A few moments later, her shoulders slumped in relief when he reappeared through the cloud cover and landed down the road, jogging toward her with a concerned look.
"Three daiyoukai approaching from the northeast. The Lord of the North, I recognize. Two others," he sniffed the air, "I am less sure of. They are still beyond the first hill to the east."
"He's just here to see me, right? Why do you look so worried?"
"You sound more sure than I am, my Lady, and until I am certain of his intentions, I respectfully request you maintain your barrier."
"No. If it is them, we need to get as far away as we can from the village before they find me. Shippou, I want you to go back to Sango and Miroku's house, tell them what's going on and to stay there, and I'll come get you when our guests are gone. Ren, this way!"
The barrier disappeared and Kagome vaulted over the split rail fence to her right, sprinting into the woods. Ren stood in the middle of the road with his nervous gaze shifting from the sky to the woods.
"Ka- Kagome! My Lady, wait!" Ren sheathed his sword and silently planned. "Dammit…"
"Best do as she says, Ren. Keep her safe, okay?"
"Of course, young Shippou. Stay safe as well."
Her son nodded and bounded back the way they'd come. The young inudaiyoukai shifted his focus back to the darkening forest. The sounds of her slippers crunching through the leaves was fading and he shook his head before leaping from the road high into the air while scanning the ground for her. She was halfway between the village and the river when he landed nearby and began jogging beside her.
"Warn me, my Lady, before running away!"
"If you can't track one human through the woods on a clear evening, Sesshoumaru sent the wrong soldier!" she chuckled, still running through the black bands of shadowy trees.
Ren barked a laugh and skidded to a halt as they reached the river. Kagome was another step behind but walked out of the shadows of the forest plucking leaves from her hair with a sigh.
"Are they here yet?"
"Momentarily. Be on guard. I will not hesitate to remove you from their reach if the situation changes."
Kagome nodded, faced the river, and called her power, beckoning their guests directly to her and away from the village. The blazing youki of Katsurou was bearing down on them and the others… Her face split into a wide smile.
"It's Kouhei!" the miko beamed.
"Who?" Ren asked, still focused on the sky.
"Kouhei, the Eastern heir. Then the other must be Ryouzou."
"Ah, that makes sense. And Kouhei-sama is the Lord of the East now. Well," the Captain sheathed his sword, "let us hope they all come in peace. That dragon Lord's uncle is a force I would rather not reckon with."
"He just wants to protect Kouhei. I can appreciate that. You said Ryouzou would probably come to keep Katsurou in line. You were right."
"And yet you sound surprised." His grin disappeared as he cast his eyes skyward again. "Here they come. I am with you, no matter what happens. Do not act rashly."
Kagome nodded and shivered as Katsurou burst through the cloud cover above at the epicenter of a spider web of crackling electricity. Thunder roared from the shockwave as the unnatural lightning spread and discharged to the ground. From her place in the grass, even Kagome could see the glint of his black plate armor and the similar black mass of his wild and bushy mane. A roar echoed from the sky and within several seconds, the proud and unpredictable Lord of the North slammed into the forest floor nearby, shaking leaves from the trees all around them.
Ren took two large steps back to stand behind her right shoulder. Kagome simply stood taller with her back straight and waited. Let Katsurou be offended. He hadn't earned her respect or her trust, regardless of his position or power. If the trick in the clouds was supposed to impress her, she had several of her own she could show him.
Ren scented the first waves of spicy pepper spiraling around Kagome and grinned in the curtain of his silver hair.
'Oh, my Lord, you may regret coming here today.'
Before her anger reached inappropriate levels, another roar echoed from behind the clouds. Ren's voice rose from behind her.
"It is indeed Lord Kouhei and his retainer, Ryouzou, of the East, my Lady."
"Thank you." she said curtly, steel blue eyes fixed on the forest where Katsurou would appear.
The proud toradaiyoukai of the North strode from the shadows with an overly friendly grin and his arms thrown wide. The dark mane of his hair was pushed back by a golden band that shined in sharp contrast to his tanned skin and dark hair. Onyx plates of made of a collection of wicked sharp angles trailed his chest and legs down to bare feet. A long, black steel scythe rested across his back and she could sense youki from within it that was dwarfed by his own expansive aura. Katsurou's golden eyes gleamed a pale citrine and his narrow pupils were focused entirely on the human woman standing proudly before him.
Kagome raised her chin and stared right back. It took conscious effort not to squirm or fidget but this was not the time to show weakness or be distracted. The Captain bowed low beside her and straightened, completely unnoticed by the tiger Lord.
"Ah, little miko. You are a human of your word."
"I presume you're here to make sure I haven't run away?"
"You presume correctly." His fangs flashed as his mirthless grin remained. "My punishment for the pup means nothing if the promised miko has run away."
"I am not just a priestess, Katsurou-sama, and there are many others like me."
"You are the only holy woman I need know of. The only one I need to extract justice and I am glad to find you well."
"You diverted your journey to the West just to see me?"
"Hm. Your presence here is confirmation you intend to take your promise as seriously as I take my punishment."
"I would never betray Sesshoumaru or a promise made to him. As long as Rin's life is in question, I will go through with this marriage."
"A female of honor. I am surprised to find such in a miko. I assumed I would need to search long and hard for such a one to bind him."
"A priestess? Any miko to Mate Sesshoumaru? That was your plan from the beginning?"
"Hm. For what would humiliate Sesshoumaru more than to Mate our most hated modern enemy? And a human, at that. The suggestion was a good one but I had no idea that you would already be acquainted. A strange twist of fate, indeed."
'Suggestion? Someone else suggested forcing Sesshoumaru to marry a priestess? Why? Shippou said that Sesshoumaru got bad advice from someone, too, that led to the battle in the Palace that changed everything. If someone else is pulling the strings all over, I need to know who.'
"What suggestion?"
Katsurou recognized her sudden interest and tipped his chin up with a knowing smile.
"Ah, a story for another time, I believe."
Kagome opened her mouth to question him further when another powerful youki disrupted the air, and the stoic and emotionless visage of Ryouzou appeared silently as a shadow on the other side of the river. His thigh-length black hair was woven in a complex tail at his back and hung heavily over the sky blue, high-necked robes he wore. Silver slippers that matched his mercurial eyes covered feet that took long strides closer to the edge of the river. One leap brought him gracefully to the other side where he stood, disinterested, several steps behind the Lord of the North.
"Ryouzou-san," Kagome nodded, "I am glad to see you well."
His shimmering silver eyes closed and he silently bowed his head.
"May I also present the Lord of the East, Kouhei. Heir to the Umbral Tide and tamer of the Blue Island."*
A blue streak leapt out from the forest to her right, where Ryouzou had appeared, and suddenly she was face to face with a toned, pale, and naked chest framed with pearlescent silk. When the newcomer turned his head to speak to Ryouzou, a wave of deep ocean blue hair fell over his shoulder and while he spoke, Kagome was trying her hardest not to gawk at the expanse of muscular flesh right before her eyes.
"Uncle, those titles were hardly necessary."
"Neither was quelling that volcano but you insisted."
"Families of humans and youkai alike live there, and none of them powerful enough to stop the eruption in time."
"As you say."
Pale silver orbs grabbed her attention from above and he smiled, so genuine and warm, that she was smiling back purely out of comfort and ease. A silver circlet set with a large moonstone rested above his brow, and it seemed to swim like water as he tipped his head down to greet her.
"Hello again, Lady Kagome."
"Hello, Kouhei… sama. Is that really you?"
He chuckled and held out an open palm.
"It is. So much has happened, so much has changed, since last we met."
She grasped it, intending to shake, but he gently turned it instead to place his lips against the back of her hand.
"Kouhei, what…?"
"A conversation for another day but I would like the chance to speak with you after the tournament."
"I'll be here, but is everything okay?"
"I hope that it may be. May I visit you again when the tournament is over?"
"Of course. We'll both be here."
"'We'?"
Kagome stepped to the side and gestured to the inudaiyoukai to her right.
"Ren-taii is here with me through the winter."
"Captain Ren?" the dragon Lord blinked. "Of the West?"
The inu Captain stepped forward from behind her and bowed stiffly.
"Yes, my Lord Kouhei."
"But why?" Silver eyes flashed with worry and he watched Kagome fidget. "Are you in danger?"
"Sesshoumaru-sama assigned me to this post," Ren began, ending her worry about whether or not to tell the dragon Lord the truth, "to watch over Lady Kagome through the winter when he is detained in the West."
Kouhei's eyes narrowed and he looked curiously down at the young woman whose scent swirled with pleasant but edgy notes of citrus.
"The Lord of the West cares for you enough to leave you alone all winter?"
"Mind your words, Kouhei-sama." Ryouzou warned quietly.
The bitter accusation was there, just behind his question and to Kouhei's surprise, Kagome answered just as quickly.
"No, I didn't give him a choice." Kagome fisted a hand on each hip and stared them all down, remembering the careless attitude they had all had about the health of her village during the last Council meeting. "I need to stay here to help my village survive during the winter. Illnesses can be swift and terrible during the months when there's less good food to go around. My mentor is aging and she can't keep up like she used to. I chose to stay here alone. It has nothing to do with him."
"Eh?" Katsurou interrupted, "Such a fierce defender of your intended, miko."
"He wouldn't be my intended if it weren't for you. Sesshoumaru wouldn't be worried about me at all if not for you. I would be enjoying my life here, planning for a future all my own if it weren't for you. All Sesshoumaru and I do is cause trouble for each other."
"A pleasant bonus, by my estimation. Enjoy these easy days, little human, for I'm sure the Palace will be a challenge all its own when you arrive."
Three pairs of daiyoukai eyes stared at her in the fading light and finally, the miko lost the battle against holding her tongue.
"And whose fault is that?" Kagome nearly growled. "The least you could do would be to tell me why you decided to ruin two lives at once. Your version of justice seems ridiculous to everyone who hears about it."
Katsurou dismissively and calmly examined his claws.
"The reason has always been to satisfy the blood payment to my house… but I have heard that you are getting on well with the stodgy dog."
Her ocean gaze narrowed angrily on the tiger's face.
"Do we have a choice?"
His mischievous grin grew wider and more wicked.
"I suppose not."
"Then won't you tell me the story of why you chose Mating a priestess as your 'justice'? You owe me that much."
"Very well, little one. In return, I maintain my expectation that you Mate the Lord of the West but also," the tiger clapped jovially, "that you join us for the tournament!"
"I can't." she said quickly, cutting her eyes, "I'm needed here. I have more work than usual now that I'm preparing to leave next year."
"Is that so? Humans work so very much and accomplish so little. Leave them. Come to the West."
"I'll think about it."
Katsurou barked a laugh and rested a fist on each hip. "Your agreement, little miko, or else I keep the tale to myself."
Was it worth it? It could be a wild goose chase for information that was worthless. Would Sesshoumaru be angry she was there? Would Katsurou demand she come with him right now?
"I need to talk it over with the Captain first."
"By all means. Consult your guardian pup." Katsurou folded his arms and shooed them away.
Kagome grabbed Ren's arm and walked to the edge of the woods. Several steps into the forest, she stopped and opened her mouth to begin the discussion. Ren shook his head.
"They can hear us from here, Kagome-sama."
"Doesn't matter. It's not a secret. Is it safe for us to travel? Just be as vague as you need to. I'll get it."
"I could bravely say it is, but I am not certain. There are any number of reasons that being in the Palace would be unsafe. A bodyguard's nightmare, putting it bluntly. There are a hundred or more daiyoukai of all species as contestants, servants, and nobility. Their identities would be hell to verify and we simply do not have enough information."
"I wouldn't want to distract Sesshoumaru anyway. Is Rin safe?"
"I am certain milord has her well-kept during the event since she will be his primary concern."
"Ah. I get it. Well then, staying here it is."
"How disappointing!" Katsurou yelled from across the clearing.
Kagome sighed and made her way back to the river's edge with Ren in tow.
"I'll be staying here. Perhaps I'll hear the story behind this ridiculous and unfair punishment some other time."
"The punishment is just."
"I'll have to take your word for it but from where I stand, it's just petty vengeance."
Katsurou growled and was before her in an instant, looming over her much smaller frame with anger in his pale golden eyes. Ren drew his sword but pointed the tip toward the ground, remaining beside her. Blood drawn here meant war and there were verifiable witnesses. Even Katsurou wasn't stupid enough to kill her with all of them standing only a few feet away.
"Hear this, human," the tiger seethed, "he named that whelp his heir out of selfishness to stop the calls for his Mating. He refused to bind himself to another out of pride, and hundreds died as a result."
"It wasn't pride!" Kagome blurted, clapping a hand over her mouth. Katsurou's eyes narrowed but Ryouzou only sighed and held an arm across Kouhei's chest to stop him from acting rashly when the scent of tears reached them. "It wasn't- it wasn't pride. You don't know anything about him."
"I know he failed to keep his kin in line and that damned half-breed slaughtered half of my streak!" Katsurou bellowed, leveling an accusatory finger at her. "I sentence the Lord of the West to pay penance with his soul and should you bear his children, he will watch them all die just as I watched my family die."
"That's not justice; it's just revenge."
"They are the same to This Katsurou."
"Then we're done here. Now I think you should leave."
"At last, we agree, little miko."
Without another word, Katsurou vaulted into the sky with a roar of anger and sped away. Ren watched him leave and then shifted his focus to Kagome, sheathing his sword. Her shoulders were slumped under the heavy emotional toll of this impromptu meeting. Ryouzou approached and laid a large clawed hand on her head. He spoke slowly, carefully, and Kouhei remained behind, confident that his uncle meant her no harm.
"I will not ask you to forgive him. He is failing to deal with a pain we all know. Our long lives are a curse more often than a gift. I offer you this wisdom for the future with the Lord of the West: strengthen each other in the time you have, and do not allow the doubts and prejudices of others affect you."
"How? I'm just a human and all I seem to do is cause problems for him. The humans I know won't accept him, and the youkai around him seem only half accepting of this predicament neither of us has any control of! It's just hurting us both. Now and in the future. I don't want that. He doesn't deserve it. I don't either."
"I have known Sesshoumaru since he was a pup. Our clans hated each other, and until your generosity touched my nephew, our silent feud might have continued for generations." A pale, clawed finger lifted her chin to gaze sadly up at him. "The storms in your eyes reflect the furious but giving nature of your aura. Use your power, human though you are. Aid him and guide him, as I am certain he will do for you. If you continue down the path of prevention and caution, as your hesitance suggests, you will live a half life, pleasing no one and accomplishing nothing. In the future, rise to the occasion, miko, and be the Mate of a daiyoukai worthy of your support."
Ryouzou froze as she hugged him fiercely, sniffling and squeezing. It had been so long since a guiding, parental voice of reason gave her any hope.
"Kagome-sama!" Ren warned, reaching out to pull her away.
The ancient black dragon retainer merely held up a hand to stop the Captain before laying it gently on her head.
"Can you do as I ask?"
"Mm hmm." The young woman swallowed and looked up at him. "Thank you so much. You're a good friend, Ryouzou."
"Friend?" The retainer clicked his tongue. "Perhaps that goes too far, little human, but I do not wish you ill. Our world is balanced as it is and I see the wisdom in that now. We must maintain it. Allies, we shall be…" Ryouzou cleared his throat, "unless you persist in dampening my robes."
Kagome lifted her head and saw the widening circle of darkened silk on his chest. Immediately she began wiping at the tearstains with the sleeve of her haori.
"Ah! I'm so sorry! Here let me-"
Kouhei stepped forward and the silver circlet glinted in the evening light when he leaned forward to inspect her.
"Kagome? Will you be all right?"
"Mm. Yes, Kouhei… sama." Kagome gave him a pale smile. "I'll be fine. Good luck during the meeting and tell everyone I said 'Hello'."
"I shall. When the tournament and meeting conclude, I will return alone if that is acceptable to you."
"Okay. It'll be nice to see a friend again. Safe travels to you both."
Ryouzou gave a nod and leapt from the ground. Kouhei stood awkwardly where he was for another moment then dropped his hands limply at his sides and gave her a wan smile.
"Until next time, Kagome-sama."
"Good-bye, Kouhei-sama."
With downturned eyes, the dragon Lord of the East slowly lifted from the ground with a sad backwards glance before turning west and following Ryouzou's trail through the clouds.
"Well, that was weird." Kagome said, blue eyes following the distant shadows into the darkening sky.
"You handled them well," Ren said, "but Kouhei-sama wanting to return is odd indeed."
Suddenly, the miko turned on her heel and took off through the woods as quickly as her human legs would carry her, headed for the village.
"Wait! Kago- Not again!" the Captain groaned.
It was a few seconds until he caught up but she failed to notice. Her brow was furrowed in thought, lips pinched together, and she took deep breaths as she pushed her legs faster.
"What is the hurry, milady?" the Captain wondered.
"I need to know that story Katsurou was going to tell." she said firmly, not looking at him.
"Why? He was only baiting you to get what he wanted. You made the right decision staying here. I cannot guarantee your safety in the West with so many unknown youkai present."
"I know that but it might be important. Trust me."
"I do, but why the hurry to the village?"
She turned her head and smiled quickly at him.
"I have a letter to write and you have a delivery to make."
He nearly tripped on a fallen log in surprise.
"Whoa! What?! No, I am to stay here. It has been less than a day since I arrived! Lord Sesshoumaru will skin me alive if-"
"You're my bodyguard, 'mine to command' you said, so this me commanding you to take a letter to the West, directly to the Lady Mother."
"Kikuko-sama?" he blurted. "Why in the seven hells to her?"
"Because if anyone can get information out of that tiger daiyoukai, it's her."
"I agree with you, as a matter of fact, but this is reckless and the complete opposite of my Lord's goals in assigning me here."
"But not opposite of mine. Trust me. Come right back here as soon as she gives you the information."
"Dammit! No! It could take days! I am facing Lord Sesshoumaru's whip as it is!"
"I'm sending one to him, too, as a cover. He can't know that there's one for his mother first."
"And now you want me to lie to the most powerful daiyoukai I have never known."
"Yep. Can you do it?"
"Can you regrow my ass as well as my arm?" he chuckled, still running beside her.
"Ha!" she laughed, stumbling in the fallen leaves and nearly falling. "Why would I need to do that?"
"Because my Lord may whip it beyond repair."
Her laughter was light and free as they reached the village, collected Shippou, and raced home. An hour later, Ren had donned his armor, belted his sword and bound his hair for the journey. They stepped out of the house and walked quickly down to the road.
"Straight to her, Ren. Don't stop until she has that letter in her hands."
"As you have said many times. I maintain that this is a bad idea."
"Noted. Now, give the second one to Sesshoumaru after Kikuko has hers. Wait for an answer from her before returning."
"And do what exactly, when Sesshoumaru-sama commands me to return immediately?" He pinched the bridge of his nose and hung his head. "Or throws me in the dungeons?"
"The Lady Mother should help you with that, if she reads my letter. I'm sorry to ask you to do this but I can't fly and you can and this is important."
"I understand, and that is the only reason I am going on this fool errand for you." he grumbled, palming the pommel of his sword.
A small hand touched his, curled over the fingers resting loosely over the pommel. Ren looked down with curiosity at the pleasant image of her hand atop his, and then raised his gaze to her serious face. Grateful sapphire eyes blinked up at him.
"Thank you, Ren. Really."
The Captain shook his head, silver hair tickling his jaw, and he stepped forward, nearly toe to toe with her. She looked quizzically up at him, dropping her hand and tipping her head to the side in curiosity. The young inudaiyoukai sighed with longing in his eyes.
"Consider how you intend to repay my kindness when I return."
And before she could answer him, a pair of warm lips pressed gently against her upturned cheek. The innocent kiss was so light and brief that Kagome wondered whether she had imagined it, gently touching her face as his shadow disappeared into the night sky.
'Ren?'
...
*A reference to Aogashima, the volcanic crater island of Japan.
...
AN: Well, it took a while but here it is! Autumn 3 is in the works and will be up when it's up, sorry. Next time: the second Council meeting, the tournament of heirs, and the close of the first year of their promised separation!
As always, I hope everyone is well and happy, and I promise I haven't disappeared.