Chapter 26

The three-day patrol went smoothly and Inuyasha was looking forward to a hot bath and warm bed. He was about to return when he was met by Sesshoumaru.

"What's up? I was just on my way back."

"Good, I've come to get you. Don,t you smell them?"

"Smell who?" Inuyasha sniffed the air. "I can just barely catch the scent."

"They are coming from the far side of the valley. There are at least three. We have our work cut out for us." Sesshoumaru turned to leave. "Your son smelt them first. He has a good nose, that one."

The two brothers ran back to the house. Sesshoumaru outlined what he thought would be the best plan of attack. Both of their sons, Inumouru and Sugumi, would have to fight with them. He hoped that they were trained well enough. This battle would take all their cunning and strength.

Back at the palace the boys were preparing themselves for battle. Katame and Kagome had gone into a back room with Samotoyame. He was unhappy because his father had forbidden him to leave his mother. Sesshoumaru had spoken to his young son saying, "You are not trained yet. You would be eaten and your mother would never forgive me for that."

It was a small consolation. He was given the task of protecting her but all he had were his claws and a bamboo rod. He didn't feel very effective.

Sugumi and Inumouru were out in the yard when their fathers arrived. "Do we wait here for them father or do we go out to met them?" Inumouru asked. He was very much like his father. Always wanting to have a plan, always thinking.

Sesshoumaru said. "We go out."

The men and boys left and headed south to meet up with the coming trouble.

Sesshoumaru explained. "There are three that I can scent. I want you two to hang back and let Inuyasha and I size them up. We will signal you. Then you two go around to the back of the group and work with us on each demon one at a time.

Coming through the forest were Sotoban, Shanto and Yacota. These three demons were friends and had always traveled together. They had heard tales of the palace of Sesshoumaru. How he and his brother have set up a nice little piece of paradise where they can raise their half-breed sons. They had heard rumors that the brats were now trained to fight and had helped to take down Shai-gogon. They had to be stopped.

The sons of Sugumi-sama must be destroyed.

Sesshoumaru signaled for the boys to stay hidden. Sesshoumaru would show himself while Inuyasha would go around to the side using the trees as cover.

"You trespass on the land of Sesshoumaru! Turn back now, and I may spare your lives." Sesshoumaru's voice boomed from above. He was hovering overhead. He had his whip in one hand while the other one glowed green with poison.

"We are not here to play Sesshoumaru. Where are your brother and the brats you two have produced?"

"You wish to face us all? Are you sure that's wise?" Sesshoumaru drifted down closer to them. "The last demon who faced us fell. You do know of Shai-gogon don't you?" Sesshoumaru was sizing up his opponents. They were strong enough to give him a good fight individually. Their strength was in their number and whether or not they could fight as a team.

"You got lucky with him you will not be so with us." Shanto spoke and drew his sword. "I will remove the stain of the sons of Sugumi-Sama forever." He raced forward to meet Sesshoumaru head on.

Sesshoumaru decided he needed more time to assess his opponent and so simply sidestepped him.

"Who do you think you are fighting Shanto, some wet behind the ears pup? You will never be able to defeat me, if you don't improve your aim. You ran right past me."

Shanto was an impatient fellow he would not play Sesshoumaru's games. He let fly a volley of darts from his hand. The darts were not poisonous but they were long and sharp and could pin a demon to a tree.

Sesshoumaru was faster than Shanto he used his sword to deflect the darts. "Perhaps you should join my sons in the training. They at least could show you how to aim those things better."

Shanto was losing his control. Just the way Sesshoumaru liked it best. He taunted and teased the demon into a rage.

Yacota was watching his friend. He was aware of Sesshoumaru's technique. He was about to intervene by attacking Sesshoumaru himself when Inuyasha hit him. "Iron reverse soul stealer!" Inuyasha cried out. And slashed though the belly of the demon. The boys heard the loud call. It was the signal they were waiting for. They ran around to the back of the group and selected the last demon to target.

Sotoban, on the other hand, was a cautious demon always fighting on the fringes never getting into the thick of a battle. He often was the first to run at the turn of a battle. He was a bit of a coward.

Inumouru leaped up into a tree above Sotoban. Sugumi drew his sword and readied himself. On a signal from Sugumi they lept into action. Inumouru landed on the demon's shoulders and stabbed down with his sword. Sugumi lept up and slashed the demon cutting off his hand and leaving a great gash across the chest of Sotoban. He screamed and dropped to the ground holding on to his wounded arm.

Inumouru stood before him and spoke. His voice was firm. "Do you want to live or do I take your head now?" It was an unusual offer.

"Let me live, please!" The demon's voice was hoarse with pain.

"Then run! Never return. For if you ever see my face again, you will never breathe again." Inumouru pointed in the direction he wanted the demon to run. Sotoban ran. In fact he didn't stop running until he had made it into the next state.

The boys turned their attention to the adults. Inuyasha had already dispatched his foe and Sesshoumaru was enjoying himself toying with Shanto.

Inuyasha called out to his brother. "Are you almost finished? I'm hungry and want to go home and eat."

Shanto stopped and looked around him. He saw the dismembered body of Yacota. Sotoban was nowhere to be found. He looked at Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru smiled. It was a deadly smile. "My brother grows impatient with my play. I will have to end this now. I gather you would prefer a quick death? Shall I take your heart or would you rather I take your head?"

Shanto's eyes went wide with fear. He dropped to the ground. "Mercy, Lord Sesshoumaru. Please sire, let me live. I promise you I will not trouble you again."

Sesshoumaru let out a low growl and readied his sword. He didn't like leaving unfinished business, and he liked cowards even less.

Inuyasha stepped forward and motioned for him to wait.

"If my brother extends this mercy you ask for, what will prevent you from returning?" His voice was hard.

"I give you my word. Please, Lord Inuyasha, don't let him kill me. I'll go away, far away. Please." He was pathetic cowering on the ground and shaking like a leaf in the wind.

"Grrrr...." Sesshoumaru was disgusted with the display of cowardice. "I should kill you just for being a coward." He hit Shanto with his whip several times and ordered him to leave. "If I ever see you again there will be no amount of begging that could possibly spare you from my wrath."

Beaten and stinging from Sesshoumaru's whip, Shanto ran as fast as he could away from the valley of Sesshoumaru and was never heard of again.

"Father, Father. Did you see us? Did you see us uncle Inu. We did it we brought him down and he was so scared of us he ran away. Just like Shanto did with you father." Inumouru was in rare good form. He couldn't stop talking about how he and Sugumi brought down a demon with no help from their fathers.

"He's going to be impossible to live with. You know that." Inuyasha muttered under his breath to his brother.

"It's a price you have to pay when you teach them to fight for themselves." Sesshoumaru ruffled his son's ears. "You did very well both of you. You have made us proud."

Sugumi's eyes lit up. He always felt out of place because he was so different in appearance from his uncle and cousins or even his own father for that matter. Hearing his uncle's praise made the little man-demon's day, week and month. The two boys ran back to tell their mothers about their victory. Inumouru knew his mother would be especially happy because they had shown mercy to their opponent. Instead of killing him they had let him run away.

Katame was always concerned that the boys were only learning to kill and that they would end up with no respect for life at all. So she had taken it upon herself to instruct the boys in mercy and compassion. "You don't want to die so why would you think your opponent wants to. Give him a chance. If you have defeated him he will be so ashamed of his failure that he will not return." She would tell them. "If they are so foolish as to return then and only then should you have no mercy? But until then try it."

"Momma, momma, you should have seen us." It was Sugumi's turn to brag. He had the approval of his uncle and he was going to tell it to anyone with ears. "We fought a demon all by ourselves and we brought him down. Momma you should have been there. Inu sounded so strong and mean when he asked the demon if he wanted to die or not. Hee Heeee" The little demon couldn't contain himself.

He put his hands on his hips and did an imitation his cousin Inu. 'Do you want to live or do I take your head now?' "You should have seen his face momma I'd thought he'd die right there. He ran so fast he probably is still running even now. Hee hee." He gave his mom a hug. "You were right aunt Katame. You don't have to kill every time. Even uncle Sesshoumaru let his demon go."

"He did!?!" Katame was surprised. Sesshoumaru never lets a demon live who challenges him.

"Oh yes aunt Katame. He was just playing with him really, the demon Shanto, wasn't much of a fighter. And when father was done with his demon, Yacota. Uncle Sesshoumaru asked his opponent it he wanted to lose his head or his heart. The demon was so afraid he begged for his life."

The little man-demon was so excited about the battle that he could hardly breathe. He stopped to catch his breath and then continued. "Uncle Sesshoumaru beat him with his whip, but then let him run away. It was so cool. I wish you could have seen us."

"It sounds very 'cool'." Katame never really understood the strange words Kagome had taught her son but knew this word meant something good. She looked up at her husband. He was filthy from the battle. "You look like you could use a bath. Shall I get one ready for you? You too Inuyasha, do you want to bathe?"

"That would be great a little later, right now I'm starved." Inuyasha said plunking himself down at the table.

"You get the tub ready I'll make them something to eat." Kagome was already on her way to the kitchen as she spoke.

Katame went to get the water heating. "I'll help you momma." Inumouru rushed to help his mom. All the while relating to his little brother the joys of battle.

"Wish I could've been there. When do you think I'll be big enough to fight Inu?" Samoto really looked up to his brother.

"Father and Uncle Inu are training you now it probably won't be long now. Besides you can jump pretty well already. I've been watching you."

This made the little demon's day. He loved his brother and wanted to be just like him. "I've been working very hard." He said solemnly.

"It shows." Inumouru took his brother to the pump and they drew water for their mother. Katame got the fire going and started heating the water for the bath.

"You two go and get something to eat. I can handle this on my own."

Later that evening she bathed the boys and then her husband.

Kagome looked after Inuyasha's needs herself. The two demons soaked in the tub relaxing for a change.

"Those two did well out there today. We should focus their training now on each one's own special strengths." Sesshoumaru noted. "They need to learn to control their swords as well as their own personal talents."

Inuyasha nodded. "They aren't really using them are they? But all points considered they still are pretty strong." He mused for a moment. "I'll begin tomorrow with the boy's personal strength. They should learn the full power of their claws and poison. The women won't be happy with that though."

"Why not?" Sesshoumaru was a bit confused.

"Because." He smiled showing his fangs. "We will have to take them into the forest for a few days to do this. They always complain that we eat some strange plant or other that makes us, how shall I put this? Extra happy to see them when we return." He chuckled. He had overheard Katame complain to Kagome about the mysterious food the demons must be eating out there.

Sesshoumaru broke into a broad smile. "Oh yes." he said. "What is that plant any way?"

"I don't know but if it does exist, I want some." Inuyasha had enough soaking. "I need some rest I've been out for days. See you in the morning."

"Don't be too hard on Kagome or she'll be trying to find those plants and burn them all away." He laughed.

Katame saw Inuyasha leave the bathing room and went in to see if her husband needed more hot water or if he was done.

"Ah, just who I wanted to see." He still had a dangerous smile on his face.

She took one look at him and said. "You weren't on patrol why are you smiling like that? Did you eat that plant you always say you don't?"

"Come here woman." He grabbed her and pulled her into the tub clothes and all.

"Aiiiieeee." She screeched. Your getting me soaked. You horrible...."

She could say no more he had his mouth on hers. Sesshoumaru had a demon's appetite and why not he was full demon after all. He stripped his wife right there in the tub and took her where she was. She would no longer go into season but the smell of his wife could still drive the powerful lord wild with passion.

After a while Sesshoumaru released his wife and got out of the tub. He lifted her out and dried her. "Go get some rest Katame. I have to go out and make sure those two we set free are still running for their lives." With that he left her.