Sesshoumaru, Kanai, Rin, and Jaken traveled for three uneventful days before reaching The Forest of InuYasha. The demons could smell his scent every where. Sesshoumaru had actually never been to the forest his brother had been sealed in. Quite frankly, he didn't care. At least if he did then he did a good job at not making it evident.
"My lord, this is the tree your brother was pinned to when I came to retrieve him to help you fight so long ago," Jaken spouted as they approached the god tree.
Neither Kanai nor rin heard the remark, for they were a few paces back, and the toadish didn't make the comment particularly loud. Sesshoumaru didn't respond, he could also smell the girl his brother traveled with, along with the rest of his weak human companions. But the scents were old, several weeks in fact. The demon lord and his groupies were just about to move on when Kanai caught the scent of something recent. It was the smell of a young fox.
The origin of the smell became apparent after she tripped over a rather large stone. Kanai wasn't stupid, she knew that stones didn't yell ouch when kicked, nor did they start to quiver in fear as a certain demon lord approached. Sesshoumaru started to reach for Tokijen when the stone suddenly transformed into young fox demon and dashed in the direction of the large tree that stood above the rest. The tree his brother was sealed to he concluded. Sesshoumaru did not speedily peruse the kit, but rather he strode confidently in the direction he ran. Kanai and the shorter half of the group promptly followed."Oh No! Oh No! What am I gonna do?" Said Shippou aloud.
He had fled from Sesshoumaru and up into the God Tree, hoping Sesshoumaru wouldn't find him. But the kit knew better and he knew that the demon lords sense of smell would locate him. Sure enough, Shippou saw approaching from the direction he had just ran, a regal looking dog demon, followed by another dog demon he didn't recognize, and two short cronies that he knew were associates of Inuyasha's brother. The poor kit was scared stiff. Sesshoumaru was just about to persuade the kit out if the tree when he was interrupted by an elderly voice from behind.
"Who are you who feel so compelled to peruse young Shippou?" The voice asked.
"Who are you, who dare intrude on matters that do not concern you?" came Sesshoumaru's reply.
Before an answer was presented, an elderly priestess stepped forth from behind some trees.
Though she had never seen Inuyasha's brother before, she had heard of him from Kagome and the others. When she spotted the boa on his shoulder, and lack of a right arm, the priestess knew she was gazing upon the aristocratic brother of InuYasha.
Sesshoumaru took a step in her direction and she shot the arrow directly at his head. But the demon effortlessly caught it between his first two fingers, and darted it into the ground at Kaede's feet. Without breaking eye contact, she reloaded and reaimed her bow. She knew it would be futile to try and shoot him again though. The forest was quite. The old priestess and the demon lord staring intently at one another, waiting for one to break the silence. Neither knowing why the other was there.
They stood that way for several minutes. During which time Rin ran off to find the kit, and Kanai walked back to the God Tree to try and put together their reason for being there.Kaede was perplexed."Why dose not he strike?" She thought. "Surely he knows I am no match for him."
The demon lord finally broke the stillness.
"Ware is the kitsune child old woman?" He asked cooly. Kaede's arm was fast becoming tired from holding the arrow in the bow taut in the string.
"What business have you with young shippou?" She asked the demon lord.
Not really expecting an answer. But Sesshoumaru could think of no reason not to answer the priestess and so he told her that he recognized him as one of his brother's companions.
"I have received unclear news of my brother, and I feel compelled to investigate," he also said.
Kaede took in this information for a moment before responding...