Chapter Eight

Inuyasha peered into the dark room before him and found Sesshoumaru sitting behind his desk. "You called?"

The elder demon nodded curtly and bade Jaken close the door as he motioned Inuyasha closer. "Lord Fujimoto came to see me today," he began in his usual solemn tone. Still, it held a deeper note of concern to the hanyou's ears.

"And what did our minister of defense have to share with you?"

"There are rumors circulating. The nekoyoukai have heard of my condition and are preparing to attack."

Inuyasha sat straighter and peered at Sesshoumaru, looking for some sign of deception. Finding none, he sighed. "So what does this mean exactly?"

"We have a week, two at most. After our last encounter they will want to be prepared, and their warriors are not known for speed. I have already ordered the border guards to train and prepare their weapons, but…"

"But?"

"It would be best if we make the transition of power before the attack."

Startled, Inuyasha looked up at his brother again. "Already? You seem fine to me, in fact I'm almost wondering if this whole thing hasn't been some ruse to lure me here and --"

As soon as the words began tumbling out of his mouth, Inuyasha swallowed them. Sesshoumaru had begun to cough most violently. When the racking convulsions abated, he displayed his palm to the young hanyou, showing him the evidence of his illness. His fingers were laced with deep crimson stains.

"Just because I hide my infirmity doesn't make it any less true," he rasped.

Seeing this weakness in his brother, caused by Inuyasha's greatest enemy, awakened a small piece of his heart that had lain dormant for many years. He actually felt bad for the youkai lord. "How much longer?"

"Weeks yet," Sesshoumaru assured him. "But the last few I won't be of much use to you or anyone else. It is in the best interest of our kingdom for me to step aside now, and guide you in your early weeks."

Inuyasha felt as though a great weight had been placed upon his shoulders at Sesshoumaru's words. "When?"

"I've sent Jaken to make preparations for the taikanshiki* already," he answered, "you should be ready in three nights." Clearing his throat, Sesshoumaru fixed an intent stare on Inuyasha. "We must also discuss your mating ceremony, Inuyasha. There is no law that requires you to be mated, but the longer you leave a girl of her age half-claimed…"

"I know," Inuyasha cut him off. "It looks bad."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "We will host a formal gathering after the ceremony; I would like for you to formally introduce Kagome as your chosen mate by the end of the evening."

"The choice will still be hers," Inuyasha reminded him. "I won't make any announcements without her consent and I'm not ready to ask her yet."

"My patience is wearing thin, little Brother. You know now that our enemies are on the move. We can't afford the luxury of time."

Inuyasha sighed. "I already agreed to keep my claim," he spat, "but I will handle this on my own terms." He stood then, and bowed before the inu lord. "There is something I should do first, but it will take me away from our lands for the three days before the ceremony."

"You are as prepared as you will ever be," Sesshoumaru announced. "Return by first light on the third day to take your position. Whatever else you do in that time is your business."

"Will my friends be cared for?"

Sesshoumaru nodded curtly. "Of course."

With that assurance, Inuyasha strode purposefully toward the door and made his way down the hall.

* * * * *

Reaching Sango's room, Inuyasha knocked loudly on the heavy wooden door and waited impatiently for her response.

"Come in."

He burst in unceremoniously and closed the door tightly behind him, glancing around the room to ensure its security.

"Inuyasha?"

"I need you to come with me for an errand." His eyes continued to dart nervously about the room as though expecting an intruder to appear from some unknown hiding place.

Sango blinked. "Wh- um, where are we going?"

Shaking his head Inuyasha calmed down and took a step closer to the taijiya. "I can't tell you here. We'll be gone for two or three days, that's all I can say right now."

Deciding the hanyou wasn't going to offer any further explanation, Sango smiled lightly, "Hai, I'll come with you. Are we leaving now?"

"Not yet. Do you know where Kagome is?"

The woman nodded. "She just went in for a nap. We were up late last night exploring the eastern garden with Rin."

"Good. I have to take care of something and then I'll come fetch you. Be ready before the hour is up."

"I'll be waiting," she assured him as he dashed back out the door.

* * * * *

Her room smelled of cherry blossoms, lavender, and herself. It was a heavenly mixture that Inuyasha knew he could become drunk off of if he stayed too long. Clutching the jewel shard he'd stolen from her dressing table he stood still, allowing the floorboards to cease their creaking so he could listen for signs of her waking. Assured that Kagome was still deep asleep, Inuyasha padded his way to her sleeping form and looked down at her.

Gods, she's beautiful.

Yes, he had to do this quickly before he risked taking her right then and there. He pulled a small scroll secured with a red ribbon from his haori and lay it on her rising chest, his eyes lingering on the region as she expelled her breath and the scroll rolled a bit to the side. Satisfied that it would remain there until she woke, he started toward the door.

"Inu…sha…"

She was dreaming of him? He longed to stay, to hear more of her sleepy murmurings. For a moment he even entertained the idea seriously. That is, until he noticed her eyelids start to flutter. His heart jumped into overdrive when he saw her stretch her arms above her head. She was waking!

The closest door available was still several feet away and would make too much noise. Seeing no other option, Inuyasha dashed to the window at the foot of her bed and leapt to the ground below, praying she didn't see him.

His prayers were half-answered.

"Who—?" Kagome glanced around the room for intruders. Had she imagined it? She was sure she'd seen a red-swathed lump disappear from her window. Sniffing the air, Kagome detected the slight hint of woody musk. That was definitely Inuyasha's scent. Still, it was quite faint. He'd been sitting very close to her at dinner previous night, perhaps she was smelling him on herself? Yes, it must have been her imagination, she decided.

Then she saw the scroll which now rested in her lap. "Or not…"

She eagerly removed the ribbon encasing it and unrolled the parchment to read the delicate calligraphy inside.

Turbulent ocean; Rises and falls with the tide; But always returns

No orchid. No cherry tree. This definitely required Sango's explanation. Kagome hugged the scroll to herself as her thoughts drifted back to her strange awakening. Someone had been in her room as she slept, leaving this scroll on her own body. The thought both aroused and terrified her. Then she remembered the scent she'd detected and the red blur that leapt from her window. Could it have been Inuyasha?

Yes, she definitely needed to speak to Sango about this.

* * * * *

The hanyou and taijiya were several kilometers away from the border of the western lands before Sango finally became fed up with the secrecy.

"Will you tell me what this is all about now, please?"

It was safe enough, Inuyasha decided. After all, they were moving at top speed, even the birds couldn't hear their conversation. "Hai. I need you to come with me to Kagome's world."

Stunned was an understatement. Sango was shocked. "Kagome's world? Why?"

"Sesshoumaru is putting on the pressure; he expects me to announce my choice of mate in three days when I become the Lord of the Western Lands."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't see that I have much of a choice."

Sango frowned. "What happened to you, Inuyasha? Since when do you bend to the will of others like a whipped slave? To your brother's will, no less!"

"This is bigger than Sesshoumaru," he snapped over his shoulder. "This is my heritage, my father's heritage. I may not have been prepared for this life but it's the life I have to lead."

"So Kagome is just some technicality for you, then?"

"Don't be an idiot!"

"Well?"

"You know I love her."

"You should probably try telling her that, instead of planning her future for her behind her back. Which brings me back to my original question – what's the purpose of our trip?"

Inuyasha dodged a low-hanging branch and took to the sky again, taking the time to center his thoughts. Gazing ahead with an intense ferocity, he answered Sango's question as simply as he could. "You're coming with me to arrange our marriage."

This was certainly an unexpected turn of events. "Arrange your marriage?"

"You didn't expect me to just take her by force, did you?" He was hurt when Sango didn't answer him. "I'm not ready to explain to Kagome about the intent claim, but time is running out. There's an invading army preparing to attack the kingdom and within the next two weeks we'll be at war. Soon, I will ask Kagome to accept me as her mate, but to do so honorably I must seek permission from her family."

Sango was genuinely touched by the normally arrogant and brazen hanyou's treatment of the situation. "What is my role to be in this?"

"The nakado."

"ME?"

"Should I have asked Miroku?"

Good point, she thought. "I suppose not, but I'm hardly a professional matchmaker. I only know what I've seen in other families."

"Works for me," he replied. "Who knows if people in Kagome's time even use them anymore? I'd prefer to go overboard than offend her family." He took in the height of the sun in the western horizon. "If we travel through the night we should make it to the well by noon tomorrow. Will you be okay?"

Sango nodded, "Hai."

With her response, Inuyasha picked up speed and continued toward Kaede's village.

* * * * *

*taikanshiki -- according to my reference, this is the Japanese word for 'coronation'. I would have used the English word but that brought images of crowns and such into my head and I didn't really want to paint that picture. Hope the word is correct…