by: Del_kaidin and Tiranth.
Chapter 9 - Group Dynamics
Sesshomaru followed Leena and remained behind the trees, his back modestly turned away so that the woman could undress and get in the water first. Then he joined them in the cool water. He closed his eyes and sank below the surface, wetting his long thick hair. When he resurfaced he remembered the injury Taka had recieved. The girl was in the water up to her chin, keeping her back away from the both of them, no hint of emotion on her face. "Let me see your wound."
It was hard keeping her injuried shoulder away from them. She didnt want them to see it. She had been careless. Taka sank down in the water, letting it soothe the sting. Sesshomaru turned to her and asked to see her wound. "I'm fine," she growled.
"Taka. You will show him your shoulder. You will be no good to us injured." She commanded in her sensei voice, it left no room for debate. Not bothering to look if the girl obeyed she stood and grabbed her armor. With quick efficent strokes she rinsed the blood and gore from it. Leaving the cool water of the lake she spread her armor across a limb of a nearby tree and lay back on a rock allowing the warmth of the morning to dry her. "How bad is the shoulder?"
She nodded, her sensei had given her a command and she would obey. She turned, rising so Sesshomaru could see her shoulder and tossed her now clean clothes on a rock, to spread out in a moment. When he touched her she stiffened and bit her lip. She wouldnt show weakness, she couldnt show weakness. Taka wasn't really sure how bad it was, she looked over her shoulder at Sesshomaru. "Well?"
He shook his head as he moved closer to inspect Taka's wound. It was not as bad as he initially thought, it had been a glancing blow, more of a flesh wound than anything. Again he was amazed that the girl had no scent whatsoever. "It will heal quickly," he patted her shoulder, "You did well little one." She merely nodded and made her way to her clothes to lay them out to dry. The inu taiyoukai waded back to the shore line and picked his own clothes up, rising the little blood that had gotten on them off. After laying them out to dry, he found a rock to sit on and watched the sun come up the rest of the way. He sighed. "Akari liked to watch the sunrise," he said softly, more to himself than anyone else, then he looked at Leena. "I know where Naraku's castle was. We should look there first."
Leena met his golden eyes, she considered his request. She couldn't explain to herself why she felt it her responsibility for their small group. Maybe it was the fact that Taka was so young and early on she had taken the Alpha role, which the pup encouraged with her request to be her student. With Sesshomaru's apperance, she could have allowed him to take the Alpha position, but something within her fought against it. They had fought side by side, defeating the enemy, she knew he would not attack her, yet she couldn't, no wouldn't submit to another. Her decision made she spoke. "First we must find the 'One who is cursed'. Midoriko felt the inclusion of this individual important. We will begin towards Naraku's castle, but our priority is to find the final member of our group. Taka must have time to heal, and I must learn to trust you at my back."
He nodded, understanding her unease. After all that was what had kept he and Akari apart, his brother's distrust of him. The aristocrat in him raged at being second to this female but he had no real desire to take the leadership she seemed to have already fallen into. Sesshomaru also knew that he was in no state to be leading anyone. He would however have to find someway to show Leena that he would not be as her Sesshomaru. He glanced away and noticed that Taka was gone. "Where is Taka?"
She burst up through the water from a deeper part of the lake, spraying water in every direction, in her mouth she held on of her catches. She grasped the tail of the fish with her free hand, shaking water from her curly red hair,it would be a mess later. She held up both the fish. Her shoulder was already feeling better as she looked at her companions. "Want to try to cook again or should we just eat them raw?"
At Sesshomaru's question, she had leapt to her feet. Seeing the pup so obviously pleased with herself Leena relaxed. She considered both options and finally spoke, "Cooked." Sitting back down she looked to Sesshomaru she had seen his questioning of her leadership. A question rose within her she feared she knew the answer. He had said Rin was his daughter and still a child. Finally she asked "Who is Akari?"
She swam to the shore as best she could with her catches. Taka heard Leena ask the question she herself had been wondering. The girl turned to look at him, his face was devoid of all emotion but she saw his body stiffen and his eyes flicker with pain. She set the fish on a rock and waited for his answer.
He had known that quesiton would eventually arise but he had not truley been prepared to answer it. The was a long quiet moment, the only sounds were the wind in the trees and the cheerful chirping of the birds. He swallowed around the lump in his throat and spoke his voice calm and even revealing none of the hidden pain. "She was my mate. She was from the future as was the miko who became Inu Yasha's mate. She knew all before it happened, said our travels were part of stories in her time. I dont know how I fell in love with her but I did. She said she was sent back by Fate to kill Kagome, to prevent something from happening that would destroy all existence. She didnt kill the miko, but they were both murdered...." he stopped speaking and stared at the calm surface of the water.
She watched him as his eyes dropped to the water. 'Kami-sama I am a bitch.' she berated herself. 'I didn't need to know that.' "Gomen Sesshomaru. I had no right to ask." She thought hard as to how she could help him. "Do you know who would have wanted your mate dead? A rival perhaps?"
Someone who would want Akari dead? Who could possibly...the growl rose in his chest before he could stop it. He rose and began to dress. "Arigato Leena, I know now who to seek for vengence." He stifled the snarl. It was time to concentrate again on Naraku.
Taka dressed as Sesshomaru thought, she heard the rumble building in him and he thanked Leena for helping him. She picked up the fish again. "I'm going back to camp to cook the fish. I promise not to burn it this time."
At hearing his growl she had tensed, unsure if he intended to attack, then he thanked her. Relaxing she nodded her head. She watched as Taka left to cook the fish. Feeling the kinks in her body she decided to work them out. She stood and began the kata she had developed, it was one of lightning, god-like speed. Full of leaping, and twisting. Her sword moving in intricate paterns around her. As always the exercise calmed her mind and body. Finishing she stepped once again into the stream to remove the sweat of her latest exercise. Leaving the coolness of the water she dressed once again in the demon armor. She saw that Sesshomaru stood watching. "Tonight, is the new moon. If you wish assistance call on the Maiden of your world. She will assisst, she can not refuse." That said she turned and walked towards the now enticing scent of fish.
For a moment he wondered what the significance of tonight being the new moon was. Then he remembered his little brother's time of weakness. Leena's night must be the same. She had been chosen to be the Maiden. He hoped that the Sesshomaru of her time would come to see the amazing woman that was his daughter. After one last look at the rising sun he too returned to camp. 'Soon Akari, I will avenge your death.'
Taka looked up as Leena and Sesshomaru returned. She handed them their shares of the fish, which she had not burned. They ate in silence. She wondered as she chewed, how much time had passed in their times. Would anyone be missing them? Shaking away the thought she remembered that she wanted to attempt the demon kata again, for she felt suprisingly good. The mornings battle had worked out the soreness in her muscles. She turned to Leena and asked if she should now or wait until they had stopped again.
Looking up she noticed the position of the sun. Half the day was gone. "Yes, you make work on the kata now. We will rest here today." She turned her head and thought for a moment. "Sesshomaru may I speak with you, privatly?"
She stood and gave Leena a bow then began to practice the kata. She concentrated on every movement, trying to make it perfect. She wondered what Leena wanted to speak to Sesshomaru about. She hoped they wouldnt start fighting. Taka knew she was having a hard time keeping herself from running to him as she did when she was smaller and wrapping her arms around him. She faltered on a movement that she had been able to do yesterday and realized it was because of her shoulder. Returning to the starting position she began again, shutting out everything beyond her motions.
He watched a moment as Taka practiced. She was so determined to perfect in hours something that took centuries to perfect. Then looking at Leena again, he inclined his head toward the small lake. He went to the shoreline and turned back to her. "What is wrong?"
Motioning for him to sit she did so herself. Keeping her eyes on the suddenly fascinating ant crawling on a blade of grass she spoke. "Nothing is wrong. But there is no one else I can discuss this with." She couldn't believe she was about to do this, but she had to know. "The only facts I'm sure of are that," She paused he thought of Rin as a daughter not a mate deciding that to fully understand and answer the question, he would need to know everything. "Is that when my mother was a child she was killed by wolves. You revived her with Tensaiga. She followed you faithfully and eventually she became your mate. She became pregnant with me months before I was born she sent Tensaiga to Uncle Inu, with a message not to return it until Jaken either brought him something or you came with something. He didn't realize until later what that something was. My mother died giving birth to me. She had told Jaken when he took the sword to either take me or the both of us to Uncle Inu. Obviously, only I was taken." She looked up at him, "My sire walked away from me, he left me to die. Why?"
He did not turn from her inquiring gaze, he thought for a long moment, then slowly he spoke. "When Akari died, a part of me died with her. I have not seen Rin since they brought her to me the day after it happened. Her presence only pained me more," he reached out and brushed her hair from her face, "You look like an older version of Rin. There is no excuse for what he has done to you, only small understanding for what emotions are behind his actions." He stopped, waiting to see if she understood, what he was trying to say.
Leena
She looked at him. She who had never spoken her questions to anyone. The hurt she held locked deep within her, why did being with this Sesshomaru open the doors to her doubts. "He blames me?"
Sesshomaru again thought on his words before speaking. "It may be that he does. Though he is definitly wrong in placing his blame on you. Losing one's mate leaves a deep wound, it will take time to heal."
She nodded. She still didn't fully understand, but at least she knew now that it wasn't her fault. "Keep an eye on Taka. She is so determined to learn the kata in a few days she will injure herself. I need time to think. I will return before nightfall." Standing she started to run. Allowing the wind in her face to calm her as always.
He nodded, watching her go, hoping he had done something to ease her pain. He sighed and stood, returning to the camp. As Leena had said Taka was trying over and over again. He watched her for another hour, noticing the growing weariness on her face. "That is enough Taka. You may continue tomorrow." She did as he said, going to the lake to rinse the sweat away. When she left the western lord sat against a tree. Again the sense of loss and the empty place in his soul overwhelmed him. Tears brimmed in his eyes put would not fall. He heard Taka return but did not look at the girl. She knelt beside him.
Kneeling beside Sesshomaru, she stared up at the blue sky. "My grandsire once told me that it was allright to cry sometimes. Everyone needs to I think." They sat in silence until night fell.