DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha, Rumiko Takahashi does, so don't sue me.

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Sesshoumaru sat against a tree off of the path until the morning, when the girl woke up. When she saw him, she promptly sat down across from him and looked into his eyes. Sesshoumaru held her gaze for a moment before he looked away. The sky was beginning to brighten, and soon he would wake Jaken up, who would sleep as long as Sesshoumaru let him. Suddenly, Sesshoumaru heard a racket coming down the forest path from the other direction. It was a group of several humans, who would easily pass by without seeing him or his companions sitting in the shadows. But as they neared, he noticed something else, and stood up, preparing to block their way. The girl stood up as well, and moved slightly behind him, looking out from beside his leg. He turned his attention back to the approaching humans. How convenient that they should bring him exactly one of the things he was looking for. Behind them they had a cart and a wagon, probably hauling goods to another village for the day.

"You, humans," he said, stepping on to the path.

Several of them gasped and muttered "Youkai!" and looked torn between grabbing their weapons and fighting, or running for their lives.

"Be quiet or die where you stand," Sesshoumaru said. "I require something from you."

One of them, probably the leader, stepped forward hesitantly. "Of c-course, my lord. W-what do you need?"

"Food."

"B-begging your pardon, lord, but I'm sure nothing we have would be suitable to someone like yourself."

"Youkai don't eat this stuff!" another man said, his hand still on his sword hilt. "Unless you mean you wanted to eat us! And I'm not going without a fight!"

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes.

"W-what he means, l-lord--" the first man began again, but stopped.

Sesshoumaru raised his hand for silence. Then he looked down, and pushed the girl out from behind him. "Pick something."

The girl looked up at him, and then to the men, who nervously nodded at her. She walked up to the cart, grabbed a few things quickly, and then returned to his side with a smile on her face.

"Go," Sesshoumaru said to them, stepping back as the men quickly began moving again.

"What was that?" one of the men said lowly under his breath.

"Hmph. Probably fattening her up to eat," the angry one said.

They obviously didn't know enough about youkai to keep their voices silent until they were well out of one's reach. But Sesshoumaru didn't care at the moment. He looked down at the girl, whom he expected to be eating her food. But her smile had fallen and she looked worriedly back at the men. He raised an eyebrow at her. She began hopping up and down, and pointing in the direction they had gone.

"There's something up ahead," he said after the men, not really caring if they heard or not.

"We're grateful for the warning, my lord!" he heard the leader call.

Sesshoumaru turned away. At least that one knew how to act. Respect, fear, and obedience. Humans were wary of youkai, as they should be. But most humans were stupid, too. They either attacked or ran, blindly throwing their lives or possessions away. Some youkai were little better than animals, he admitted, and like animals, humans could easily kill them. But youkai such as himself were owed the proper deference by humans inside or outside of their territory. Unfortunately, most humans, especially those outside of his lands, senselessly wasted their lives in front of him, before they could comply. Which brought him to his next problem.

He looked down at the girl, who was quickly eating everything that she had taken. She should have saved some of it for later. But then, it seemed that she never stopped for food in the last three days, and must be incredibly hungry; plus, she probably ate whatever she got as fast as she could, if she didn't know when her next meal was coming.

Sesshoumaru breathed in the air. There was a village in the direction that the humans had been coming from, but there was a much closer one if they cut through the forest.

"Jaken," Sesshoumaru said loudly. Jaken abruptly sat up. "We're leaving."

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama!" he said, standing up. "I am ready to go!"

"Not exactly. The girl and I are leaving. You are going to do something else."

"But, Sesshoumaru-sama! Why?"

"She needs a new garment. I am taking her to the next village. I can't send her alone, and she won't go with you. There is no reason for both of us to go."

"But, Sesshoumaru-sama, I want to be of use to you!" Jaken cried.

"That is why you are going ahead to track down an old acquaintance of mine. He should be somewhere past the western lands. Take the dragon."

"Past the western lands? Mazou?"

"Yes. Come back to the western tip of these woods with him or a message as quickly as you can."

"What should I tell him?"

"The fact that I, Sesshoumaru, require his presence should be enough. But if he presses you, and he most likely will, tell him that it's about a sword."

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"And," Sesshoumaru said, taking off the remains of his armored plate and attaching it to the dragon, "have this repaired."

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama," Jaken said sulkily, as he got on to the dragon. "How long do you think the human will be following you?"

"For as long as I decide."

"Well, at least it's quiet," Jaken muttered.

"Just noticed that, did you? I don't think she can speak. Now go."

Jaken nodded crossly, and then he and the dragon disappeared into the sky.

"Come," Sesshoumaru said to the girl.

She walked beside him at first, but quickly fell behind due to the underbrush and obstacles that weren't present in the fields or on the path. Sesshoumaru found himself taking smaller steps to accommodate her, half wondering why he was doing so. But no, he decided that he was going to keep her for a while, and that meant keeping up with her, or letting her keep up with him. He was also going to have to find something to call her besides 'girl,' he supposed. Since she couldn't speak, it might be some time before his curiosity was satisfied.

They reached the village by midday, and Sesshoumaru paused. He really, really did not want to go into the village. Maybe he should have made Jaken do this. But Jaken would have the same effect that he would, and at least he had a head on his shoulders. Jaken would probably end up getting annoyed and burning the entire thing down, without accomplishing what he went in to do. Sesshoumaru looked at the girl, and then back at the village. There was no other way to get clothes for the girl, and he was on the absolute edge of tolerance for her smell. It could be days before another wagon would come by with what he needed. He thought about going in alone, simply taking several items and coming back, but the girl would probably not understand the concept of 'stay.' And she really should be properly washed, not just dunked in a river.

"We wait until dark," he said, sitting down at the edge of the tree line. The girl sat down across from him and stared up into his face. He was beginning to wonder what was so damn fascinating about him. And the girl's stare was a bit unnerving, even to a youkai. She hardly moved, or even blinked. He turned his head in the other direction, pretending to be interested in something else. When he looked back, she was still staring.

"Don't you have anything else to do? Go pick flowers or something."

The girl smiled and suddenly jumped up, moving a few feet away to a patch of wildflowers. He relaxed against the tree, and watched her out of the corner of his eye. After a few minutes, she walked back over, and dumped the flowers in his lap. Sesshoumaru blinked. She took his random suggestion like an order, thinking that he wanted flowers brought. She was standing, but was practically at his eye level. She had a satisfied looking smile on her face, waiting for him to say something.

"Sit down by the tree and wait."

She did so, plopping herself next to his left side. Sesshoumaru picked up the flowers and put them in the grass next to his other side. It was going to be a long wait until dark.

When night came, Sesshoumaru was ready. He had been watching the village all day, and had picked out where he wanted to go. It was more of a small town, really, being larger and more developed than a simple farming area. He led the girl around the outskirts of the place, and headed for a house at the back that was the most expensive looking. Only a few rooms in the main house had burning lights, and it seemed that just one person was there, a woman. Locating the room that she was in, Sesshoumaru went up to the window and rapped at its frame. He stood with his back against the house, where he couldn't be seen. A light approached the window.

"Yes?" a woman's voice timidly said. "Is someone there?"

"Can you see to it that this child is washed and clothed?" he said, holding the girl up by the back of her rags.

The woman made a motherly noise. "Poor thing. Of course I can. Why don't you both come in?"

"I would rather not. Bring her back here when you are done." He looked at the girl. "Go with her," he ordered. "I'll be waiting." He extended his arm to the window. But the child began squirming and tried to move away from the woman's hands. What was wrong with her? The girl had seemed eager to do whatever he said, until just now. She didn't seem to want to let him out of her sight for some reason.

"Why won't you come in?" the woman repeated. "She looks like she doesn't want to come without you."

"I would rather not, and I am certain that you would rather I not. Girl, go." But the child had now reached up and latched her hands around his arm.

"Please, come in. I only want to help the girl, as you seem to."

This was quickly becoming more complicated than it should have been. Beginning to grow annoyed with the situation, but seeing no immediate alternative to his problem, Sesshoumaru finally stepped away from the house and into the view of the window. He heard the woman gasp as the light of her lantern hit him. Her gaze quickly looked him over, finally hovering over his face and hair.

"Youkai," she breathed, as she took an involuntary step back.

"Still want me in?"

"If you wish it," she said after a pause.

Sesshoumaru stepped through the window in one smooth movement, set the girl on the floor, and looked at the woman, who was acting cautious, but without any signs of her initial shock.

"Please follow me, my lord," she said, leading Sesshoumaru out of the room. This one was brave or stupid, he decided, walking down a dark hallway with a strange youkai behind her. Lucky for her, he wasn't here to kill.

"In here," the woman said, stepping aside for Sesshoumaru and the girl to walk in a doorway. She followed, lit several lanterns in the room, and slid the door shut behind her. She stirred the fire left from the day, and added more wood, before putting water to heat over it. Then the woman disappeared into an adjoining room for a number of minutes before she returned with several pieces of cloth. Sesshoumaru sat down cross-legged facing the wall, with his eyes half closed and a disinterested expression on his face. The girl sat down as well, imitating his stance. He heard the woman pour water into a tub.

"Come here. Little girl?"

The child didn't move. Sesshoumaru reached behind his back and poked her. "Go," he said. He heard her move and slowly walk across the wooden floor, probably looking back to make sure he was still here. "Burn her clothes," he instructed the woman.

"Yes."

Soon he heard the sound of splashing. The woman laughed. "And what's your name?" she said in a sweet voice. "Don't you have anything to say?"

"She doesn't speak," Sesshoumaru said.

"Oh, that's too bad. May I ask how you came to be traveling with a human child, my lord? She is human?"

"She is, and you may not." Sesshoumaru still wasn't entirely sure as to how he came to be traveling with a human child himself. "But if you are so desperate for conversation, perhaps you will tell me why you seem to be so comfortable around youkai."

There was a silence, except for the sound of pouring water. So long a silence that Sesshoumaru thought that she wasn't going to answer, which was fine. He had only half expected a reply. "Like humans, there's some good and some bad, but tales are only told about the bad ones," the woman finally said. "And I haven't been around that many. I've only seen a few, and met less. As the area's lord, my husband occasionally has dealings with some nearby ones. And if you had wanted to kill, you wouldn't have approached in the way that you did," she added.

"I certainly hope you aren't counting myself among the 'good' ones."

"I never said that, my lord, only that you have no intentions this night." She paused again. "One of my cousins in the western lands even insists that living on youkai claimed land is excellent. He says that bandits and other youkai alike hardly ever enter the heart of the lands for fear of the taiyoukai's wrath. All they have to do is recognize him, and give him something if he requests it--a small price for a peaceful life. My cousin says that he's only even seen his lord a few times."

"Taiyoukai are busy," he said. "But I'm sure they patrol their lands more often than that."

"So you truly are a lord, then. I thought you might be--so different from the youkai around here," she said. Then she spoke to the girl. "There now. All done, child."

Sesshoumaru stood up and turned around. The girl was standing in a new yellow and orange yukata, and was smiling at him. She was clean and her damp hair was even shiny. The smell of blood was still in the air, but they would leave that behind. The woman was kneeling, straightening up the girl's clothing.

"This should fit you just fine, and a little room to grow. It belonged to one of my daughters when she was younger. All the children are with their father right now, visiting his relatives. Is there anything else I can get for her, my lord?"

"I do not intend to pay you."

"I realize that. But I can spare it."

"Then wrap up some suitable food."

The woman left and returned a few minutes later with a small bundle. He took it without comment and looked around the room, noticing that there wasn't an opening to the outside.

"And the nearest exit?"

"Through that room," she said, indicating the direction with her head.

"Come," he said to the girl, who smiled and waved to the woman. Without looking back, he began to walk. The girl followed, and the woman watched them go. They were soon out of the town and back in the forest. Sesshoumaru walked until he found a suitable clearing to stop at.

He sat down and waited for the girl to follow him. Then he took only a little food out of the bag and gave it to her, knowing that she would probably devour the whole of it if allowed. She finished it and looked at him. "Go to sleep."

Sesshoumaru sat down against a tree. Damn his hanyou brother. Even though Tenseiga had saved him, it had not restored his energy to its fullest. He would have to sleep tonight, if only for a few minutes. But it would be the last time, for he was almost completely healed. The girl was still sitting up. Maybe she wasn't tired yet. Not particularly caring, he leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes.

Sesshoumaru was asleep when something poked him sharply in the chest. He instantly and instinctively awoke, somewhat surprised that he hadn't felt anything malicious approach. He quickly grabbed and flung whatever it was to the ground, leaning over it with eyes shining red to let it know that it had picked the wrong thing to annoy. It was the girl. He released his grasp and his eyes faded. For a brief instant, he wondered how she was going to react. She was still staring at his eyes, but hers were more filled with startled surprise than anything resembling fear.

"What?"

She pointed into the woods. Two pairs of green eyes were looking at them from a short distance, one set closer than the other. For whatever reason, the girl hadn't gone to sleep yet, and had seen them. He hadn't been paying attention to sensing them in his sleep, because they weren't a threat to him, and they were nowhere near close enough to attack. If they had tried to sneak up and grab the girl, he would have noticed them eventually. It probably would have been a close call, though. If he slept in the future, he would have to make sure that he was aware of everything, not just things potentially threatening to him. How annoying. He sat up and looked back at the girl. He still needed to sleep.

"Sleep over here," he said, pointing with his arm. "They won't come this close."

She quickly scurried over and curled up at his side, grabbing his arm and pulling it around her. Sesshoumaru stared down at her for a startled moment. Not exactly what he'd had in mind. But he had to give the child credit; they could both sleep comfortably now. Even if he looked dead, the things wouldn't come this close.

After she went to sleep, Sesshoumaru watched the eyes a bit more, wondering how long they would stay once their owners realized that they wouldn't be getting a human. Starting to grow annoyed, he flashed his eyes in their direction, and lifted his hand up, beginning to let the green energy show around it. The eyes disappeared, their owners obviously realizing that it wasn't worth their trouble. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, and let the energy dissipate, once more resting his arm on the girl. It felt somewhat odd doing so, but with her there, there was really nowhere else to put his arm. In her sleep, she reached up and closed her tiny hands around his wrist.

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Thanks a bunch to everyone who has left reviews telling me that this was good and encouraging me to keep going! Thank you!