Part IV

After weeks of sweltering heat and several days of smoke lingering in the air, the village and nearby forest was given a reprieve when a heavy rain fell over the countryside. The fires had at last fizzled out and the parched earth received the moisture gladly. It had taken two days before the rain subsided and when it did, Kouga had returned to the village. Sesshomaru had sent Jaken into the village when Kouga arrived, knowing that Rin would not leave Kaede's house without someone accompanying her. As Jaken had headed out of the forest towards the village, he had commented more to himself than Sesshomaru, "I don't know why he's still alive after what his clan did to Rin!"

Standing on the small cliff that overlooked the river, Sesshomaru had to admit to himself that he would have eliminated Kouga and his entire clan sooner if not for Naraku. Enacting revenge on the wolf demon had been low on his priorities at the time and the first time he had encountered him, Sesshomaru had only been there because Rin had been kidnapped. By the time Naraku was dead and he had seen Kouga again, he had stayed his hand out of respect for Rin's position in the village and the wolf demon had always avoided him, as if sensing Sesshomaru's dislike for him. The irony of it was not lost on Sesshomaru. He wanted to kill Kouga out of revenge, yet he did not because of the same creature that initiated such a feeling.

Rin was far more forgiving than Sesshomaru would ever be, something she taught him when he would otherwise not be so generous. It was a quality he had appreciated in her over time and something he has glad to see had not faded as she grew older.

A fresh breeze blew in, ruffling Sesshomaru's long hair and bringing in the after scent of rain and damp grass. Above him, the clouds had dissipated over the night sky, leaving it clear to see the starry sky. The cliff was situated across the rice fields, far enough away that the village was only dark shapes of buildings behind him. In spite of the distance, his ears and nose would pick up a demon before it was even in the village, so he had no qualms about being out this far. It was a new moon tonight, which meant that Inuyasha would be hiding away in his house with Kagome until tomorrow morning. It was the one weakness that Sesshomaru had despised more than anything when he had been younger. To have one's noble demon blood revert completely to that of a human was shameful and, if one was not careful, could lead to a disgraceful death.

Sesshomaru frowned to himself at this thought, looking away from the stars and turning to gaze to the quiet village.

Seven years ago, he had left Rin with the idea in mind that the most he would ever want from the human girl would be a lifetime of companionship if she so chose it. He had never experienced any physical attraction to any woman, nor had it ever crossed his mind to dwell upon such superficial details in the opposite sex. He had been so absorbed in his pursuit of power and proving himself worthy of Toga's bloodline that such mundane things had not been of any importance. The only trait he had looked at in his interactions with others was whether they could be defeated. It was a narrow viewpoint in life, one that had been shaken when Inuyasha had overpowered him and Rin came into his life.

The last time he had been at the village, he had lingered longer than usual. It had not been his intention to stay that long, knowing that Bushuugi would likely be gathering his armies to defend his lands since Sesshomaru had been systematically killing the demons and demon lords that had imposed on Toga's territories. The sight of Rin and her overall femininity had captivated him, though, and he had taken more pleasure in her company than usual. Rin's personality had changed little over the years and, as she was accustomed to touching Sesshomaru and being close to him, that had never changed. The closer she stood to him, though, the more he wanted to pull her even closer. When she touched him, he wanted to return the touch more often. In the times he would look at her face, he found that outside of the fondness he had for her character, he was appreciating her beauty and it gave him a deep satisfaction to see the glow in her eyes when only looking at him. In their moments together, she had made him feel as if no other man existed on earth. He had been seized with an intense possessiveness that was unlike anything he had experienced with Rin.

Even though he was inexperienced in the realm of mates or relationships, Sesshomaru had the faculty to recognize the feelings for what they were and had accepted them readily enough. It was a foreign feeling for him, though, to suddenly want physical touch and intimacy with anyone, let alone Rin. His partnership with her had been an abstract idea, one that Sesshomaru had only conceived of based on his established interactions with her. He had never in his life wanted to hold someone, let alone the strangeness of wanting to experience kissing her, to see how that glow in her eyes might transform to something more in such an intimate moment. It was a bizarre feeling and one that had taken him some time to wrap his mind around.

Nonetheless, it did not change his plans for himself or Rin, although it did cause some discomfort in his heart. He had gone through his life scorning half-demons and the intimate relations between humans and demons. To accept Rin as his mate would not only put her at greater risk, just as it had Izayoi, but any children of theirs would live a hard life caught between two worlds. He had seen how Inuyasha had been treated as a child and knew that the world had not changed much in terms of how half-demons were regarded. He also knew that the human mates were treated no more fairly.

It was not a fate he would have forced on Rin. As he had done his best to remain unbiased and scarce through the years, Sesshomaru could not predict what Rin would choose in the end. He had always made sure that Rin chose her own path, even when humans had tried to take her away from him, believing him to be an evil spirit. He had told her to do as she please then, and she had still chosen to walk with him. It would be a hard rejection to bear if she chose the humans over him, especially now that his attachment ran so much deeper. To him, she was the only one worthy of being his mate and the only woman for whom he would sacrifice some of his strongest held values. If she viewed him as nothing more than a benefactor or protector, it would wound his ego deeply, but he would not crawl away like some dog licking his wounds. He respected Rin too much to ignore her wants and needs.

Whatever she decided, he would accept it.

Sesshomaru continued his vigil on the cliffside until day break when the sunrise began to turn the sky a deep lavender. Many of the villagers had begun to trek out towards the rice fields, ignoring him as he walked along the fields towards the village. The older villagers had become too accustomed to his appearance to pay him any mind, while the younger children gaped at him in open curiosity. Once out of sight of the rice fields, he was once again alone as he continued his travel towards the small training ground that Sango and Kohaku had developed. As expected, Kohaku was alone and was sitting cross-legged on a raised dais, appearing to be meditating.

Opening his eyes, Kohaku looked to see who his visitor was and smiled upon spotting Sesshomaru. "Do you want to join me?" he asked the demon, moving aside so that Sesshomaru could sit with him. Sesshomaru considered him for a few seconds and then crossed the levelled earth, sitting next to Kohaku. If anyone else had asked, he would have ignored them. After all, a demon lord did not require meditation to compose one's mind.

Kohaku returned to his meditation, focusing on his breathing and Sesshomaru looked out at the training grounds, watching as the sky began to lighten, the sun rising into the sky. The rest of the village had been roused and he could hear the shrieks of small children and mothers yelling after them. Before where they had been peaceful silence was now the bustling sounds of a village beginning its day.

After some time, Kohaku opened his eyes and rose to his feet, stretching and then stepping off the dais. "Did you need something from me, Lord Sesshomaru?" he asked him, a puzzled look on his face.

Gazing at him, Sesshomaru thought that if he had to give up his claim on Rin, he would have done so for this one if she chose him instead. Kohaku had an unblemished, selfless soul that was rare in humans. Like Rin, he had been through a horrifying ordeal as a child and yet had made it through the experience without darkness in his heart. He was also unerringly loyal, something that Sesshomaru respected and appreciated. It had been why he allowed the boy to follow him rather than eject him from his company.

It was also why he suspected Kohaku had not attempted anything with Rin.

Sesshomaru would have cared little about this if it was not interfering with his own plans. Of all the boys, he thought that Kohaku would have the greatest chance of piquing Rin's interest or at least proving to be an advantageous marriage match. He had no intention of involving himself in the strange love triangle happening between him and his best friend. He fully expected Hiroshi to do something foolish that would make Kohaku step in, hopefully before Sesshomaru would be obliged to do so before him. When Kohaku finally decided to make it known to Rin, Sesshomaru knew that he would come to him out of deference rather than any sort of custom. Kohaku had been there when Sesshomaru had taken Rin out of the underworld and had broken down upon seeing her lifeless body. Outside of Jaken, he knew better than anyone how much Rin meant to Sesshomaru. He would not want to cross that line without his full approval.

"I was under the impression you were training Rin on self-defense," Sesshomaru said at last. He also stepped down so that he was standing next to Kohaku. Sesshomaru was much taller than most humans, rising slightly above six feet, and making Kohaku's own tall stature appear diminutive. This did not appear to concern Kohaku, whereas it would have intimidated most other men.

"Oh, that," Kohaku said, laughing slightly. "I was, but then Rin wanted to learn archery more when she saw Kagome shooting. We've done some footwork together. She's usually busy in the fields when I'm here or I'm out with Sango. That's my fault for not making time, sorry." He reached up to tie his hair up in a leather thong. "Do you want me to ask her again?"

"No, I will take care of that." Sesshomaru looked away from him, inspecting the training grounds. "She asked me to teach her."

"Ah, I see..." There was the slightest hint of rueful resignation in the response. He turned away from Sesshomaru and picked up his kusarigama and weighed it in his hand, looking at it with a half-smile on his mouth. "It's probably for the best. I'm trained against demons, Rin's probably more worried about humans."

"Humans," he repeated mildly.

"Yeah." Kohaku straightened up, dropping his hand to his side. He seemed to become aware of what he had said and, seeing in the error in it, smiled to dispel any suspicions from Sesshomaru. "Because Rin doesn't think she's strong enough to take on a demon."

Sesshomaru chose not to address this fumble. He knew that Kohaku would no sooner give up information on Hiroshi than he would betray any of his other friends. The fact that Kohaku was aware left him with few concerns. Whatever he had learned in regards to Rin and the other boys in the village had put them on his radar. When he could, Kohaku would keep her safe.

Brushing that aside, Sesshomaru turned from him and walked across the training grounds. "There will be more demon attacks on the village for a time," he said to Kohaku. "You might see an increase in demon contracts come through. Who is handling those now?"

"I am."

"You should be more careful about which ones you accept. There will be some who wish to remove the defenses of the village. Inuyasha should be leaving the village soon and that wolf demon is worthless in a fight. All he does is bark."

Kohaku looked at him curiously. "Does this have to do with the other demon lord?" Sesshomaru flicked a glance over his shoulder. "Rin and I were attacked by him. That's how she ended up in the forest when you found her. That was my fault." Kohaku abruptly bowed to him. "I'm sorry, Lord Sesshomaru. I was supposed to be protecting her."

He looked at his bowed figure interestedly. He had not asked Rin or Inuyasha why she had been in the forest when he found her. One look at her made it clear she had fallen from some height, but since he saw little of Rin since he arrived and Inuyasha had not offered the information at any point, he let it slide. He had been too enraged at Bushuugi for hunting after Rin to put another thought into how she had gotten there, assuming he had grabbed her and dropped her over the trees. Kohaku's admittance, knowing Sesshomaru's temper when it came to Rin's safety, and baring his neck so readily earned him a great deal of respect. The sincerity behind Kohaku's words did not allow Sesshomaru to accept the apology, though. Inuyasha should have been at the village, as he was the equivalent of a village head – he should have been there to defend the people there. Moreover, none of that would have happened if Sesshomaru had killed Bushuugi before he had gotten a chance to get away. Because of that, Sesshomaru had shouldered the blame for Rin being in the middle of the forest.

"No," Sesshomaru said at last, looking away from him. "It was no fault of yours."

Kohaku slowly straightened and there was a determined, obstinate look on his face.

Sesshomaru listened as Kohaku launched into his explanation, filling in the gaps of information that he had not yet had the energy to pursue. It was clear by how Kohaku framed the story that he felt personally responsible for the attacks made on them, even though there was no way either of them could be avoided. The fact that Kohaku had not tried to battle the demon and had instead fled told Sesshomaru enough that he had more wisdom than most demon slayers, let alone humans. He had known not to spar with a demon lord with so few weapons at hand.

After Kohaku had relayed all that had been done that day, he stood with his shoulders drooping slightly in defeat. In spite of his posture, though, he still met Sesshomaru's eyes – not as a boy to his idol, but as a man awaiting judgement.

"Bushuugi uses lowly tactics," Sesshomaru told him at last. "He relies heavily on tricks and schemes to catch his enemies."

"But Lord Sesshomaru – "

"What would you rather have done? If you had your armor and other demon slayers, would you have stayed and fought? Do you think you could win against a dragon demon lord? Or do you think you could have sensed him when he attacked you and Rin fell off? You are limited in your capabilities as a human – you cannot fly, you are only as fast and as strong as the human body allows."

Kohaku stared at him, stung by the casual insinuation that he was weak. Sesshomaru did not do him the disservice of turning his back on him and walking away. He remained facing him, allowing Kohaku to collect his thoughts and assemble his tattered pride as a warrior. He knew that Kohaku would not snap at him. He did not have the harsh personality of Inuyasha, where when insulted he resorted to anger. Perhaps because he was a demon slayer or because he had been controlled by Naraku for so long, Kohaku often approached many things with a single-minded rationality in order to separate out his emotions from a situation.

This time, it seemed, was one of the few times that Kohaku could not find the will to do such a thing.

"I know all that," Kohaku spoke up finally, frowning, "but if I had been paying attention, you have to admit that I should have been able to grab her."

"Rin isn't your responsibility."

"I disagree."

Sesshomaru smiled slightly. "That demon lord is after Rin because he has a vendetta against me. If he hadn't been allowed to leave when he did, none of that would have occurred. The blame for that lies on me. If Inuyasha had not been so stupid as to leave the village, you and Rin would have had no reason to leave, so that makes him at fault, as well. I find it hard to blame a human for being slow like a human."

Kohaku sighed slightly and turned away from him. He raised his kusarigama and with a swift motion, sent it flying towards a target where it hit the center neatly. In spite of the accuracy, Kohaku did not look pleased.

"It's hard to compete with a demon," Kohaku said at last, though it seemed more to himself than Sesshomaru. Hearing the wistfulness, Sesshomaru did not think the demon he referenced was Bushuugi. He turned around to face him again. "I get where you're coming from, but it was up to me to keep Rin safe while she was with me. I would have felt the same way with anyone." He gestured towards the village. "None of them know how to protect themselves. I know I'm weaker than a demon or even a half-demon. I'm stronger than the average villager, though, and so I have to have some kind of responsibility. Isn't that part of what being a warrior is? To protect those who are weaker than them?"

"You're referring to the human notion of honor."

"Is it any different?"

"I don't know," Sesshomaru answered disinterestedly. "I have none."

"But that doesn't answer my question. What's the point of being strong if you can't protect other people?"

At another time, Sesshomaru would have scoffed at such a question. Now, though, the question gave him pause and made him eye Kohaku suspiciously as though he were taunting him. There was nothing deceptive in the manner that Kohaku looked to him, though, only a fierce stare that seemed to beg that he be provided some context to his role in the world. There had been a time when Sesshomaru would have said power was the only reason in being strong, yet his perspective had changed dramatically over the years. True, he did still covet that power to some extent, but it was not without reason as it once had been. Outside of banishing the demon lords from his father's lands, the only reason he wanted to be strong was to protect Rin, to keep her safe from every harm in the world. Even as he acknowledged that to be his motivation, he also knew it was entirely ridiculous to think that one could stave off death purely by becoming a powerful demon.

But Kohaku was looking for Sesshomaru's reasons. He wanted a general answer from where he could cultivate his own opinion.

"Don't be nonsensical," Sesshomaru dismissed. "The world is not that simple. It is up to you to decide why you want to be strong, nothing else."

"That's what I think, too. That's why I feel like it's my responsibility to protect Rin – at least while you're not here."

Sesshomaru snorted softly. "So be it, then."

Kohaku smiled and then crossed to the target to pull out his kusarigama. The conversation's end had seemed to please him. "I'll keep an eye on the contracts for you," he called over his shoulder. "Don't worry about it."

He watched the human boy's retreating back for several seconds before deciding to leave the training grounds. For some reason he could not place, the conversation had annoyed him.

It had been such a brief interaction that he could not understand why it had roused his temper. Of all the humans, Kohaku was the only one who had not irritated him in some form or fashion. He was not given time to ruminate on this, though, as he spotted Rin as he made his way through the village. She was carrying a large basket against her hip with two identical children trailing behind her, tugging at a doll between the two of them. Kin'u and Gyokuto were scowling at each other as they each tried to wrestle the doll from the other and, without so much as looking at them, Rin turned around and snatched the doll from the two, depositing it inside the basket.

Even from his vantage point several yards away, Sesshomaru could hear them both bawl in protest at the doll being stolen away from their greedy hands. Rin ignored them, continuing along with her burden even as the twins chased after her and tugged at the hem of her kimono, whining and making entreaties for the toy. It was such a domestic scene that Sesshomaru was rooted to the spot for a second. As he rarely came into the village of his own volition and when he did Rin was usually with him, he had never had the chance to see her in a normal human environment. His perception of Rin over the years had changed so much that this should not have been a surprise to him. There had been multiple times over the years that had begun to alter his perception of Rin. Seeing the warmth and ease in which she handled the children unearthed a strange sensation from the depths of his belly.

The question came to his mind without warning: What would she be like with his children? With two-half demons?

He savagely shoved the unbidden thought back down, wrenching his gaze from her and scanning the other villagers. He was not here to seduce her into being his mate, let alone occupy his thoughts with fanciful futures.

He spotted his quarry far down along the other side of the village and his mouth sank down into a frown. He had expected Inuyasha to be wandering around the village, but he was with Kagome. Any time he had the unfortunate misfortune to be in the presence of the priestess, she felt the need to preach to him about his morality and values when it came to Rin. It had been tiresome the first few times; now it was downright unbearable. With his temper rising slightly in annoyance, he waited until Rin was out of sight with the twins and then made his way into the throng of humans, not sparing a glance to those that scuttled away from him in alarm.

"Sesshomaru," Inuyasha said in surprise at his approach, "wasn't expecting you here this early."

"Where's the wolf demon?" Sesshomaru asked without preamble.

"I was just about to meet him. He's staying out by the neighboring village." He jerked a thumb towards a lone wolf demon some feet away, which would explain the scent Sesshomaru had picked up on when he had left Kohaku's training grounds. The demon seemed to shrink in upon himself when Sesshomaru looked at him, as if hoping to make himself look small. "He sent a messenger."

Sesshomaru eyed him thoughtfully for a few seconds and then looked back to his brother. "You look ill-prepared to hunt down a demon lord."

Inuyasha scowled. "Who said I was hunting anything?"

"Stop wasting my time, Inuyasha. Or is this your way of admitting that you're not as strong as your big brother?" Sesshomaru's gave him a small, unpleasant smile. "I was under the impression a demon lord would be nothing for you after Naraku. Too scared?"

"I could take you right now, Sesshomaru, I'm not scared of anything!" Inuyasha snapped, moving to withdraw Tessaiga.

"Inuyasha, stop!" Kagome intervened, grabbed at his arm.

He shook her off, saying loudly, "I'm not your damn dog!"

"Inuyasha – "

"Go and deal with your own demon lord on your own! You piece of – "

"Sit!"

Inuyasha went crashing to the ground, garnering the attention of a few passing villagers that were leaving the village with a cart in tow. The injustice of this treatment seemed to be too much for Inuyasha. He remained splayed on the ground, unwilling to get up immediately even after the charm had worn off. Kagome's anger at him seemed to fade when Inuyasha remained on the ground, his hands over his head. Tentatively, she knelt down to put her hand on his, but he slapped her hand away impatiently, raising his dirty face so that it could be seen.

"I'm sick of you using this, Kagome," Inuyasha told her sharply, gesturing towards the beads around his neck. "Kaede gave this to you so I wouldn't attack you, not so you could use it whenever you pleased!" Kagome looked taken aback at this sudden temper. Inuyasha rose to his feet, dusting himself off and briskly and glaring at Sesshomaru. "Are you coming or what? I don't have all day. It's not that far from the village, we'll know if anything happens."

Sesshomaru cast a sidelong glance towards the village, but Inuyasha did not wait for him. He sprinted off, hopping into the trees and leaving his wife with only his elder brother for company. Deciding that he did not want to hear the laments of the priestess, Sesshomaru followed Inuyasha, floating into the air after him. Since it was so near the village, he supposed it would not be too troubling to join Inuyasha in the visit with Kouga. It was clear his brother would need further convincing, anyway.

It was a few minutes' travel until he was on the ground again where Inuyasha was standing with Kouga. The wolf demon eyed Sesshomaru warily, but gave him a curt nod in greeting when the demon lord approached the pair. The other wolf demons were all milling about in the copse of trees. Kouga had only brought a small group with him when he had left his clan behind.

"What's your problem?" Kouga asked Inuyasha, taking note of his irritated expression.

"Like I'd tell you," Inuyasha muttered.

Kouga's eyebrows shot up and he planted his hands on his hips, smirking. "Trouble in paradise? You know, if Kagome had married me – "

"Oh, shut up already!" Inuyasha made a rude gesture with his hand. "Don't you have something to tell me? Or are you just jerking my leg?"

"Fine, fine," Kouga sighed. "We were able to track the movements of the dragon demon, but then lost him. He made a lot of land, though. His demons attacked and set fire to a bunch of villages on their way to follow him." He made a disgusted expression, shaking his head. "My men were able to stop some of them. Anyway, it seems like he retreated to re-mobilize. For now, the demons are away from these villages. It seems like they've fled for now."

"You didn't kill them before they got back to him?"

"I'm not going to sacrifice all my men just for some demons that want a bite to eat," Kouga answered with a shrug. "The only reason I'm here is because it seemed like they were heading towards your village and I wanted to make sure Kagome was safe."

"She's got me," Inuyasha said tightly.

"Well, sure." Kouga grinned. "But on the off chance that you died, I should be close by."

"You're pathetic. What kind of loser hangs around a girl that's already rejected him?"

"The dragon demon's already wiped out the northern wolf demon clan," Sesshomaru cut in before he had to listen to more bickering over the priestess. "Where did you leave your clan?"

Kouga had stiffened when Sesshomaru had spoken and he raised himself up straight. "They're safe enough."

"You sound very sure."

"Are you just trying to stir things up today?" Inuyasha demanded.

"Let me put it a different way," Sesshomaru said languidly, ignoring Inuyasha altogether. "You might think of the priestess, if you won't think of your clan. Bushuugi will tear down the entire village if he wants. It doesn't matter to me whether she or any other human dies."

Kouga's eyes narrowed slightly and he glanced at Inuyasha before cautiously venturing, "You're not that good of a liar. You'd care if your girl dies."

"That goes without saying," Sesshomaru replied, unabashedly frank.

"Yeah? Well, I'd keep an eye on her. Wouldn't want her to turn into a snack."

Sesshomaru smiled. Finally, a reason to kill this pup.

"Is that so?" He raised his hand, cracking his fingers as his kimono sleeve slid down the length of his arm. "You should know that 'snack' is the only thing keeping you alive. But if you want to try your hand at Lord Sesshomaru, be my guest. I've been wanting to kill you for a while."

If Kouga had been in his wolf form just then, his hackles would have been rising and his hair standing on end. Inuyasha seemed to sense the impending danger and, while they were not exactly friends, it was clear that Inuyasha no more wanted Kouga dead than Kagome did. He hastily wedged himself between the two, shoving Kouga back a few steps.

"Alright, alright! I'll take care of it, okay?" Inuyasha said to Sesshomaru, keeping his hand on Kouga's shoulder to prevent him from lunging forward. Sesshomaru lowered his hand, shaking his kimono over his wrist and giving the pair of them a cold stare. His temper, already on edge as it had been from the morning, was one step's away from unleashing on them. He knew he could not kill Inuyasha, but at least he could take it out on the impertinent pup behind him.

"Both of us will," Kouga added in a grudging tone, aware that Inuyasha had some part in saving him just then.

"Make sure that you do," Sesshomaru told Inuyasha, "or I will know."

He turned then and scanned the group of wolf demons that were looking at him with trepidation. In the faces, he saw the messenger that Kouga had sent to the village. He was the weakest of the bunch, it seemed, which was why he had been delegated such a menial task. Raising his hand, a whip of light shot out from his fingertips and circled around the throat of the messenger demon. In a few short seconds, his head was separated from his body and there was a brief spray of blood. The other demons scrambled away from his fallen body in horror, trying to put as much space between them and Sesshomaru.

Casually, he looked over his shoulder and caught Kouga's shocked gaze. "A life for a life," he said to him. "Consider that next time when you make threats."

Satisfied, Sesshomaru swept from the silent group and rose into the air to return to the village with his mokomoko. It was a small repayment for the fear and trauma Kouga's wolves had inflicted upon Rin, but it would do for now. He would not disobey Rin's wishes. Unless Kouga actively attacked him, he would leave the wolf demon alive. That did not mean he would tolerate another remark like the one he had made. If he were wise and wanted to keep his men safe, he would think twice about threatening her life to him again.