Chapter 13

(This has a good fight in it. Hope you like it. Ladysesshoumaru41)

Two days later Katame had finished changing Sesshoumaru's bandages and was trying to get him to eat something.

"You need to eat."

"I told you woman I am a demon, I don't need to eat your human food."

"Well I for one don't care. You have to keep up your strength. Now come on and eat. Kagome fixed it especially for you. You should at least try it."

"Hmff..." He huffed, but eventually relented and took the dish she was offering." Katame made him some tea and the two of them sat for a while talking quietly when a familiar scent touched Sesshoumaru's nose.

"Katame go quietly and look out the window. Tell me what you see."

Inuyasha was outside and preparing to do battle with yet another demon. She did not know his name but he, evidently, knew hers. She described the demon to her husband. "He is tall, about your hight and he has hair of a flame color. He wares a fur of silver about his shoulders."

"Enough. I know him. Katame come here and help me up." He struggled to his feet. She rushed to his side.

"What are you doing. You can't go out there, your wounds aren't healed." She moved to in front of her lord trying to stop what she knew he was about to do.

"Out of my way, woman." He brushed her off. Weakened though he was still surprisingly strong.

"No, Sesshoumaru, if you are destroyed we will all be lost."

"Take the boy and hide yourself. Now!" He went off to meet his old friend Shotaiga. He would have to be careful. Shotaiga and he were evenly matched at the best of times but with his injuries... Sesshoumaru would have to rely more on cunning than anything else.

"So, you have decided to join us Sesshoumaru. I am disappointed in you, my old friend. Not only do you forsake your vow to kill that cursed brother of yours. But you lower yourself to mate with a human producing a half-breed yourself."

Back in the house Inumouru was giving Katame a terrible time. He could smell the demon outside and his little eyes betrayed his desire to taste the blood of battle for himself. The little demon wriggled until he managed to slip from her hands and run outside with Katame hot on his heels.

Shotaiga caught the two of them as they came out. Katame he had caught by the hair and Inumouru by the front of his clothing. He held them up as he spoke. "Once you would have agreed with me, my old friend, human females are good for only two things raping and eating." He went to take a bite out of Katame when he suddenly howled and dropped her.

Inumouru had bitten down hard on the demon lord's hand and was growling for all his worth. Shotaiga shook his hand to try and disengage the pup. The little pup flew out over the court yard. He hit the ground and rolled.

Katame was on her feet the instant Shotaiga let her go. She ran toward the child and scooping up the boy in her arms as she ran. She raced across the court yard and hid behind a large tree by the wall encircling the palace. She sat behind the tree and looked the pup over he was bruised and a bit shaken up, but otherwise he was fine. He cuddled into his mothers arms. 'Perhaps he would wait till he was older before trying that again.' the little pup thought to himself.

Inuyasha raced toward the demon as soon as he had let go of the woman and child. His claws ready to rip him limb from limb. "Iron reverse soul stealer" Inuyasha yelled rushing toward the demon.

But Shotaiga had the speed of Sesshoumaru. He simply sidestepped and let Inuyasha go by.

Sesshoumaru's hands were glowing green. But he would have to be careful. Shotaiga could generate a blast that could send a demon through a stone wall.

Inuyasha was coming around for another attack when Sesshoumaru having transformed grabbed hold of Shotaiga's arm from behind. He had it in his powerful jaws crushing it.

Inuyasha raised his sword to strike as a powerful blast hit him hard and he flew backward into the gardens. Shotaiga blasted at Sesshoumaru too, but could not reach him at the angle he was at.

Sesshoumaru himself was clawing at the back of his friend but could not seem to reach the heart.

Shotaiga grabbed Sesshoumaru with his free hand and threw him down. Shotaiga turned again to see Inuyasha coming. With Shotaiga's attention diverted, Sesshoumaru returned to his human-like form and struck his friend in the chest. Penetrating deep, he pierced the heart.

"Sesshoumaru." He gasped as he fell. "My old friend. Why?" His eyes glazed over. He was dead.

Sesshoumaru was exhausted. He had succeeded in defending both mother and son. And lived. He collapsed.

Katame and Inuyasha brought the injured Sesshoumaru in and laid him down on his bed. "He'll be his usual grumpy self in no time, Katame. Don't worry he just needs rest." Inuyasha knew this from experience. He himself had been seriously wounded and survived. His brother would be no different.

Inuyasha now had an unpleasant task to do. "Inumouru, come with me." His voice was firm as he took the boy into a back room. "You have been a very bad boy, Inumouru." Inuyasha's eyes were red. He sat the boy down near a basin of water. "You disobeyed your father and put your mother in danger. He scolded the boy. "This time I spank." He tipped the boy over in his hands. He didn't want to hurt the lad but he had to learn. Battle was no place for a boy. Smack! Only once, and not hard enough to damage him, but hard enough to teach.

He sat the boy down and proceeded to bathe the boy's cuts all the while scolding. "You're lucky you weren't killed." The little boy was not talking yet but he understood every word his uncle spoke. He would not again risk his uncle's hand. It hurt. One of his little hands drifted to his bottom and the other to his eyes. He cried. Inuyasha finished with the pup and picked him up and hugged him.

Inumouru nuzzled into the folds of Inuyasha's garment, trying to bury himself away from the trouble he was in. Inuyasha returned the boy to his mother. The toddler squirmed to get closer to the one who he thought might provide him some protection. She pulled away his pants and peeked down. The hand print of his uncle was beginning to show.

"Your uncle spanked you, didn't he?" The little boy nodded. "Good! Next time maybe you'll listen to me." Inumouru lowered his head, he had hoped for comfort but none was coming. She hugged the little tyke. "You could have been really hurt, my Inu. You have to stay out of your father's and uncle's way. Battles are dangerous. Your father wont even let me near when he fights, and I'm bigger than you." The little one seemed to understand that part. If mom wasn't allowed then neither was he.

In the morning Sesshoumaru was his usual self. He despised weakness in others but especially in himself. He wanted to be alone and that insufferable woman he had for a wife would not stop fussing. She was either trying to torture him with bandage changes or stuff human food down his throat.

"I promise you woman, the instant I am strong enough you are going to feel my wra... Ungh. Damn you woman what are you trying to do?

"Oh hold still you. You are the worst patient any nurse could ever have. Now here let me clean this. Kagome says to keep the wounds clean or they will fester."

"Kagome. I will beat her as well."

"You will do no such thing we are all just trying to get you well. And if you'd just stop rushing off into battles, maybe you would get better." She finished cleaning the wounds. He had reopened them when he went out to meet Shotaiga now he would have to begin the healing all over again.

"Here eat this, and no arguments! You can't get better on an empty stomach." She gathered her bandages and wash basin and left the angry lord to his meal.

Sesshoumaru's eyes were red. 'Wait till I'm stronger woman.' He thought to himself and ate the food.

Two day's later Sesshoumaru was in better spirits. His leg was all but healed and he was looking forward to beating both wretched wenches Katame and Kagome. Katame was the first unfortunate to face his wrath. He was careful not to let his eyes betray his wishes as he called her to him.

"Katame." She dutifully came to him and knelt by his side. "I made you a promise girl." He grabbed her and tipped her across his legs. lifting her skirt he announced. "And I intend to keep it."

"Aiee.... No! no! no!" She cried as he did this. "Please, I wasn't trying to be bad. Honest, I was just trying to help. I was just helping." Putting her hands to her face she cried. "You're not really going to ... are you?" Her voice cracked and she was trembling.

'No.' He thought to himself. 'She was a good wife even if she couldn't obey a simple command like, leave me be. No, he would not beat her in the true sense. But he would scare her.' He tapped her behind. Less that his usual smack more than a pat. Just enough to warn her to behave. He put back her skirt but would not let her rise. He would enjoy his tea with his wife draped neatly over his lap.

'Now what to do about Kagome?' He thought.

Later that day he asked for Kagome to come to him. She stood before him at a safe distance, for she had heard rumors of impending doom. He couldn't run yet, or so she thought. If she was fast she could get away. He scolded her.

"So! It was you who told my wife to keep troubling me in my rest."

Kagome was unmovable. "Why, you ungrateful beast! She had work hard to help you. We all did. We should have let you rot outside!"

Zip! Sesshoumaru could run, and was at up and in front of her before the words had left her mouth.

"Eeeep." Was all she could get out before. Smack! "You're fortunate that I'm in good temper today woman. Otherwise your tail would be on fire." He put her down and walked out of the room.

That done, there was only on more piece of unfinished business, his son.

"Where is Inumouru? Bring him to me." The master had spoken and the servants rushed to find the boy.

Sesshoumaru was at the head of the table when they brought the little half demon to him. "Inumouru!" his father's voice was hard. "You put your mother in danger by running into the middle of a battle. You know that don't you?" the little demon child bowed his head. "Come here."

Sesshoumaru lifted the little tyke up to his lap. "I hear you're uncle spanked you." The little guy nodded. "Good." and tipped the boy over. Lowering his pants Sesshoumaru noted that there was no bruise. Inuyasha had been too lenient again. And he smacked the boy. Only twice, but hard enough to teach the boy obedience.

Setting him down on the floor beside him he said. "You must learn your place little man." Inumouru whimpered and rolled over to show the tummy. "You are too old for that now. You must use the proper method of apology." He put the boy on his knees and pressed his head to the floor. "There, that is the way you must apologize. Now, are you sorry? Inumouru nodded quickly for fear that another smack was coming. "Good, next time obey me. Go."

Inumouru ran to the kitchen straight into his mother arms. Crying and rubbing his sore bottom.

She hugged him. There was not much more for her to do. Her husband was getting everyone for any and all transgressions real or imagined. She and her son stayed well away from him for the rest of that day.

While Sesshoumaru was recuperating Inuyasha had buried the body of Shotaiga. Now Sesshoumaru stood at the grave of his friend. He had grown up with Shotaiga. Had many good times with him, even battled and won with his help. And when the full import of the birth of Inuyasha hit, he had vowed to Shotaiga that he would kill his half-breed brother. How could he fulfill that vow now, when he himself had produced a half-breed son of his own. And now, he had killed his friend.

Katame was in another part of the garden. She was looking at her husband. He was in pain but this pain was deeper. This was pain of the heart.