Another's Name, But My Heart
By Lady of the Ink
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.General Reminder:All references to Kikyo mean Kagome unless that section is in Kaede, Kagome, or the real Kikyo's POV.
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Chapter Twelve
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
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"I'm leaving."The words were simple but the meaning behind them was much more complex. Inuyasha caught the faint derision underlying his brother's tone with the ease of long experience. He was amazed that Sesshomaru had lasted for as long as he had given his distaste for all things human.
As the imperial, white-garbed form moved off across the courtyard without another word, Inuyasha thought back to what Kikyo had said the night before. If there was something that had managed to interest his half brother, he had no clue what it could be. He wasn't even sure that he wanted to know. But he was sure that, whatever it was, better it than him. Having been on the receiving end of his brother's attention many times as a child, he knew it was something to be avoided at all costs . . .and he had the scars to prove it.
Now that Sesshomaru had finally decided to remove himself, Inuyasha could focus his full attention on his remaining problems. Surprisingly enough, they weren't as big or as numerous as they might have been. The humans in the village were dealing well with the change of rulers and had seemed happy with the improvements he had already implemented. There had been a few rumblings of discord early on, but they had quieted once they accepted that he was going to be firm but fair.
The other "problem" had also improved recently, as well. As much as he hated to admit it, taking the priest's advice had actually been helpful. Although it still felt strange to talk with her, the nightly meetings with Kikyo had definitely changed their relationship.
His knew knowledge wasn't limited to what he learned in the parlor, though. He also found himself watching her go through her usual routine. The past days had allowed him to see her thoughtful when she was trying to help one of the maids find a misplaced bauble. He'd seen her playful as she romped with Shippo in one of the castle's several gardens. He had seen her pleased as she praised the man who had built Shippo's bed and stern when she refereed a small dispute between a few of the servants' children.
But he'd been the only one to make her laugh . . .
It had happened earlier that very morning as she worked to get the brat and herself ready for their walk. He had been walking past her room, completely by chance, of course, when the door suddenly flew open. A reddish brown blur hurtled toward him, shrieking when the inevitable collision occurred. Shippo might have been a fourth of his size, but the smaller demon managed to catch him mid-step and off balance. The end result left both of them on the floor with Shippo dangling upside down by a handful of Inuyasha's hair.
Inuyasha had been all set to let the kitsune have it when a sound from the still open doorway caught his attention. Kikyo stood there, one pale, slim hand pressed tightly to her mouth in a futile attempt to stifle her laughter. Whatever expression was on his face seemed to push her beyond her control. A giggle broke from her throat and her brown eyes contained a decided twinkle. As her humor escalated, she dropped her hands to her sides, revealing flushed cheeks and a wide smile. Just memory of her face in that exact moment was enough to cause him to slow his steps.
"My experience has taught me that the look you're wearing always comes at the hands of a woman, one way or another." The cultured voice originating from his elbow brought Inuyasha's focus back to his surroundings. A small turn of his head revealed Miroku standing beside him, his hands forming a steeple under his chin. When he saw that he had the hanyou's attention, he lifted one eyebrow. "Would I be correct in assuming that it was doing of the fair Lady Kikyo?"
Inuyasha uttered an unintelligible grunt while wiping any and all expression from his face. The unexpected reactions he was having to his wife were still so new and uncomfortable that the last thing he wanted to do was broadcast them to the world. If the priest was able to recognize them, then others might be able to as well.
He lengthened his strides in the hopes that Miroku would take the hint. The other man merely matched his steps, clasping his hands behind his back as he walked. Apparently oblivious to his companion's darkening mood, the dark-haired man blithely pressed the matter. "So where is your lovely wife this morning? I haven't seen her around."
"She's out."
The minimalist reply didn't seem to faze the black-garbed priest. "I certainly hope she didn't go far. It would be a shame to be robbed of her presence for too long."
Inuyasha had to bite back a growl at the subtle insinuation in that comment. He settled for a sharp tone he hoped would speed his escape from the unwelcome questions and comments. "She went on a picnic in the North woods with the runt."
Miroku's mouth paused, but unfortunately for Inuyasha, it was only for a moment. "Are you sure it was wise to let her go that far away with no guard other than Shippo?"
Inuyasha was staring him down in less than two seconds. "Are you implying that she's up to something?" he snapped, remembering that that very concern had been raised during their last conversation. It didn't matter that he once thought something similar; what mattered was making sure the priest knew his place, and that was not to question his wife's integrity.
Miroku hastened to correct him. "I was referring to Lady Kikyo's safety, actually, not possible ulterior motives." A look that was thoughtful bordering on sly crossed his features. "I'm assuming from your outburst that you've given up at least a few of your doubts about your wife."
Inuyasha did growl then, but it was directed toward himself rather than Miroku. He was annoyed with himself for the reaction he hadn't been able to control. He was surprised at the degree of his response, but not that something concerning his wife had inspired it.
The anger that had flashed through him was as unexpected as every other emotion Kikyo managed to raise in him. He wasn't sure when or even why, but sometime over the past five days, he had begun to trust her more and more. It might have had something to do with their increasingly easy conversations or simply the sight of her smiling face. He wasn't sure exactly what it was that drew him to her, and he wasn't sure that he really wanted to know. Such a revelation might challenge many of the things that he thought he knew about himself.
Anxious to get back onto safer ground, he ignored Miroku's last comment and backpedaled to an earlier one. "Why wouldn't I let Kikyo go alone? It's not like there's anything that could happen to her around here."
If he noticed the sidestep, Miroku was wise enough not to mention it. After only the merest pause, he, too, switched back to the older topic. "I know that when compared to the trials of the Western Lands, this village may seem safe. But you should keep in mind that the things you deem hardly worth noticing could be quite dangerous to those of less . . .robust fortitudes than yourself.
"I personally wouldn't dream of letting someone as . . .tempting as Kikyo venture out alone. And by tempting," he hurried to explain after one look at Inuyasha's face, "I mean as a target to those of a less virtuous nature than myself."
Inuyasha scoffed at the obvious cover. He was beginning to form an idea of why the holy man hadn't taken up permanent residence somewhere else. He'd probably been run out of each town as soon as their husbands and fathers saw his manner with the women of the area.
"I would give thought to finding a bodyguard for her," Miroku continued. "You can never be too careful. In fact, this is something that I feel so strongly about that I'd like to volunteer myself for the task."
Stunned by the sheer audacity of the man, Inuyasha didn't know whether to laugh or yell. The conflict resulted in a sound that was a combination of the two. It didn't matter, as Miroku just gave him a firm whack between the shoulder blades and continued making his case.
"After all, who better to oversee the all too important physical well-being of an - based on your temperament, almost assuredly still - innocent maiden than a man of the cloth?" He laid a hand over his heart, the earnest and sincere expression he wore belying his words from just moments before.
He was saved from Inuyasha's immediate, and in his opinion, more than a just a little deserved, retribution when the hanyou caught a flash of movement heading their way. He barely had time to recognize Shippo before the kitsune slammed into him full force. Amidst heavy breaths and vague gestures, he was trying to say something.
His senses kicking into overdrive, Inuyasha knelt beside the smaller demon. As he focused his full attention on the stammered words, he managed to make out a few of them. " . . .someone . . .bushes . . .Kikyo . . .get help . . .quick!"
If the message hadn't been enough to push him into action, the scent that trailed after Shippo would have done the trick. Though it was faint from distance and half-hidden by other smells, Inuyasha's sensitive nose picked it out and identified it immediately.
Blood.
Human blood.
x
Sesshomaru had decided quite suddenly that it was time to bring his visit to an end. It could have been because he was tired of being surrounded by the scent and sight of so many humans. It could have been because he had had enough of dealing with his inferior half brother. It could have been because he had fulfilled his obligation to his father and was therefore free to leave. It could have been because he had responsibilities at home that required his attention.
But it wasn't for any of those reasons that he was making his way back to the Western Lands.
The truth of the matter was that he had met an obstacle in the smooth path that he chose to follow in life. Something had caught his attention, a feat that was not so easily accomplished. From the first day that he had stepped into the meadow, the mystery of its daily visitor had occupied a portion of his mind almost nonstop.
It was a situation not to be tolerated.
He was the next Lord of the Western Lands, one of the highest-ranking demons ever to have lived. He could not - would not - allow himself to be distracted by the oddities of a human that he had never even laid eyes on. So he was removing himself from the annoyance - by no means would he acknowledge it as a temptation - by the quickest route available.
And if that route just so happened to wind its way past the clearing . . .well, that wasn't his doing.
Sesshomaru continued telling himself that even as he maneuvered around trees and bushes that had become almost familiar over the last days. He stopped only when he arrived at his destination. Not that he had headed there deliberately, of course. It was just on the way.
His chin lifted slightly as he drew in a deep breath. His heightened sense of smell quickly separated all the scents, picking out the one he was most interested in. It was old, telling him that the girl had yet to stop by that day. It was the first time he had arrived before her, and the situation began a mental war in his head.
On one hand, he could remain where he was until the human came, which would assuage his curiosity and allow him to remove her from his mind. But doing that would acknowledge that he had been curious, which was surely a sign of weakness in one such as him. He shouldn't care one way or another if he ever saw her. She was human and thus beneath his notice. Just because there seemed to be something . . .different about her didn't change that.
He was still debating when a sound from behind him caught his attention. He turned, but not quickly enough. In the moment before a blinding mist surrounded him, he caught a flash of dark hair and a body clad in armor. Sesshomaru, knowing that his eyes were useless for the moment, tried to rely on his other senses. It took only one breath for him to know that his enemy was more cunning than he had thought. A heavy scent erupted on the air, blocking out any useful information and making him almost dizzy with its overpowering intensity.
A stinging sensation struck his neck, not really hurting but painful enough for him to be aware of it. His hand slid to the wound, finding several small darts still stuck in his skin. Since they obviously couldn't have been meant to injure him that left only one possible purpose. Poison.
His guess was confirmed when a prickling burn began spreading from the spot. The dizziness became worse almost immediately, telling him that his attacker had taken no chances, using an extremely strong mixture. As he began to go numb, Sesshomaru summoned all the energy he could. He might not have been able to see or smell anything, but that alone would not be enough to make him go down without a fight.
Just as he felt the full force of the poison taking effect, he released the energy he had gathered in a wide arc. He felt the power of it sparking on the very air and took a small measure of satisfaction from knowing that no matter where the unseen enemy had been standing at that moment, it should have hit them.
Then the world faded to black.