Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters within this fic except those of my own making.
Chapter 4
Kaede stared at the crowd of people within her hut and reflected once again that she was too old to get mixed up in such matters. They had descended on her a few hours ago, told her an amazing story, asked for her help, and looked at her hopefully. What was she supposed to do, pull the answer out of her ear?
"And you say that the semblance of Inuyasha's brother become a great wolf-beast that carried him off?" she asked, poking the fire.
Kagome nodded.
"Is that Sesshomaru's usual form?" she demanded of Jaken, who looked as sad as if he had lost his only friend.
"No, it is not," he said. "Milord's form is that of a great white dog, not a wolf with many tails."
"He only looked like Sesshomaru in his human form," Sango put in. "Do you have any idea what that thing could have been, Kaede?"
"Some idea, but I do not know if it is the right one."
She saw everyone leaning towards her, eager for information.
"If the thing was not a demon, as Inuyasha said it wasn't, but it still reeked of magic, like you told me, Miroku, then it is possible that the beast is some sort of construct from a sorcerer."
"What would a sorcerer want with Inuyasha and Sesshomaru?" Miroku asked.
"I do not know," Kaede admitted. "Mayhap to use them for a spell or experiment, or to bend them to his hand so that he may use them to do his bidding. There are many possibilities."
"Will Lord Sesshomaru and Inuyasha be all right?" Rin asked forlornly.
"For the time being, they are, child," Kaede said, giving the girl a friendly smile. "We shall see what may be done for them, eh?"
"I wish there were a way we could see them," Sango said worriedly.
"There is," Kaede said, going over to a basket and taking something out. "It is not reliable, and it may not show you everything you need to know, but it is something."
"What is it?" Miroku asked as she held out a large clear crystal.
"It is a scrying crystal," she told them. "Thoughts of the one you wish to see is all that is needed to make it work."
"May we try it now?" Kagome asked, worried for Inuyasha.
"Of course," Kaede said, looking at it. Within a moment, it burned a bright white and changed to show a picture....
Space
Inuyasha allowed himself to be led through the corridors of the castle like a child. Indeed, he had little enough energy to do anything else, and he certainly wasn't up to an escape attempt. His escort, who still hadn't given his name, led him through hallways and rooms, and at last into a large receiving room. At first he saw no one, but at the further end of the room he spotted a woman seated on a cushion.
"Mistress," the wolf-beast/human said as he kneeled. "I have brought you Inuyasha, brother to Sesshomaru."
"You have done well, Tala," the woman said, smiling as Tala brought Inuyasha forward to stand in front of her. "Leave us now. I will not require your services for a few days. Refresh yourself."
Tala bowed and left, leaving Inuyasha standing by himself. He looked at her, and felt that a person with such power should not look so normal. She was dressed well and her hair was done nicely, but that was all that was extraordinary about her.
"Have a seat, Inuyasha," she said, pointing to a cushion placed near her for his benefit. "You must wonder why you have been brought here."
"That crossed my mind, yeah," he said, sinking down onto the pillow. "Why'd you have me kidnapped like that?"
"Well, would you have come if you had received an invitation from a strange woman you did not know? You would have been suspicious and would not have come."
Inuyasha thought about this. It made sense. "Why did you want me to come here at all?"
She smiled. "Because I wished you to," she said. "That is all."
Inuyasha looked at her. Was she crazy?
"You had me kidnapped just because?" he said in disbelief as he got to his feet and turned away. "I'm out of here."
"Stay," she said, her voice sounding strange.
He stopped in his steps, and no matter how he tried, he was unable to go any further.
"Come here."
To his horror, Inuyasha felt himself turn and begin to walk back to her.
"Good," she said as he stood before her once again. "Within this room all are subject to my will, Inuyasha. All I need to say is a word, and you shall do whatever you're told. Do you understand?"
He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. This witch was too scary for words. Kaede's necklace made him obedient to Kagome's one word of sit, but she was able to do the same thing without a necklace. Creepy.
"Perhaps you would like to see your brother?" she said, ringing a small bell. "He will be along soon. While you're here, Inuyasha, I expect you to obey me. If you do not, I will force you to. Do you understand?"
"Force me?" Inuyasha said. "How?" He did not like this woman. Who was she to just step in and tell him that he now had to obey her.
A knock interrupted his thoughts, and at the lady's request that the person without enter, the door slid back and revealed Sesshomaru.
"Ah, Sesshomaru, lovely to see you," the lady said sweetly. "Come here, please."
Without a word or outward sign of rebellion, Sesshomaru did so. Inuyasha was shocked: Sesshomaru did not follow orders, he gave them. What had happened to him?
"As you can see, Inuyasha, he is completely obedient. Give me a kiss, now," she said, tilting her face up towards Sesshomaru. He kissed her cheek.
Inuyasha looked carefully at his brother. There was something there that there hadn't been before: around his neck was a silver collar. Was that it?
"It's the collar, as you've probably guessed," she said, smiling. "I won't hold your early disobedience against you, Inuyasha, but if you do not want a collar you had best obey."
