Update: Chapter Edited.
Disclaimer: Usual stuff, I don't own Inu Yasha and co.
A/N: Yeah, like this would happen…well it could I suppose…
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Chapter Six: Truce
Sesshoumaru waited near enough to the wolf den so that he would know what was going on, but made sure he was far enough away that no one would pick up on his presence. It was nearing dawn and he knew that Inu Yasha and his group would, more than likely, be making a move sometime soon. However, all was still quiet….except for…he quickly turned towards the direction he had sent Rin and Jaken off to the previous day to see a small dot flying towards him. It was Jaken flying atop Ah-Un, repeatedly calling his name.
"Of all the incompetent…" Sesshoumaru mumbled to himself as he sped off to stop Jaken.
He appeared right in front of the two-headed dragon, causing it to come to a complete stop and almost send Jaken out of the saddle.
"Lord Sesshoumaru," Jaken cried, trying to get properly seated again.
"Jaken, what are you doing?" he asked, letting a little anger show in his voice.
"Please Lord Sesshoumaru, do not be angry with me!" cried the little demon, finally regaining his seat. "They have taken her! I tried to stop them, but there were just too many." Sesshoumaru stared at his servant and for the first time noticed that Jaken was badly injured. He had large lump on his head and a gash on his cheek. Sesshoumaru could see small spots of blood on Jaken's now-tattered clothes.
"What happened?" Sesshoumaru demanded.
"Rin and I were traveling to the castle, as you instructed, when we were set upon by a horde of demons commanded by that young human whelp Naraku has bespelled. We tried to flee from them, but they were just too fast. We landed and I tried to protect Rin but that boy used the other demons as cover and captured her. He then threw this at me…and then they all retreated." Jaken held out a small dagger with a message attached. "Please forgive me Lord Sesshoumaru!" Jaken wailed once more, but Sesshoumaru ignored him, took the dagger from him, and began reading the letter.
Lord Sesshoumaru, it pains me to resort to such tricks again, but you are interfering with my plans. Unlike last time I have no desire to draw you to me, so if you attempt to come and rescue the girl, I will order her death. If you aide Inu Yasha, I will order her death. Stay out of this matter, or the girl will die. I will return her to you when this matter is concluded.
There was no signature, but Sesshoumaru had no doubt who it was from. Damn Naraku! Sesshoumaru's first impulse was to track the half-demon down and make him pay for thinking that he could manipulate Sesshoumaru in this manner, but he knew that Naraku had written the truth. Naraku had wanted him to come to him last time, but this time Rin was as good as dead if he tried to go get her. Do I want her back? Sesshoumaru wondered. True, my life would be simpler without her…but… The demon lord thought about her gap-toothed smile when she had first tried to help him after Inu Yasha had wounded him. Her joy at his inquiry as to what had happened to her when she came to him wounded. He was not sure what it was he was feeling, but he knew he did not like it.
Yes Sesshoumaru decided, I want her back. He shook away his uncomfortable feelings, and focused on his outrage at Naraku. How dare that Naraku? How dare he take what belongs to this Sesshoumaru? Yes, he would save Rin. He would make Naraku regret playing with him, but first he had to make sure his brother did not make matters worse for Rin.
However, doing that without Naraku being aware of what was going on would be difficult. Somehow Naraku knew of their movements, of that Sesshoumaru was sure. He was just not sure how extensive Naraku's network of spies was, or if the half-demon had some other means of surveillance. Sesshoumaru could tell that Inu Yasha's little group had already gotten underway, but how long would it be before Naraku struck?
Jaken was currently rearranging the saddlebags atop Ah-Un, which had come loose during his frantic flight to find Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru could see that the little demon had apparently calmed down; probably because he realized that he was not going to be punished. How do I tell Inu Yasha…the saddle bags! Sesshoumaru moved Jaken aside and searched through the bags. There it is. He pulled out a piece of Rin's parchment, and her ink, and began writing a quick note.
"Jaken, take this to the wolf's den and tell one of Kouga's men to deliver it to Inu Yasha," he ordered his servant as he returned the ink to the saddle bag, "and if they don't listen to you, tell them their leader will not live to see the next sunrise if the note isn't delivered." Sesshoumaru handed the letter to Jaken and stoically watched him ride off towards the wolf den.
Sesshoumaru had a plan, but it depended on Naraku holding off on an attack, Kouga's men getting the letter to Inu Yasha, and Inu Yasha actually doing as he was commanded. The odds were definitely not in Sesshoumaru's favor, but he would have to take the risk.
Naraku was not going to win…he was going to see to that. Nobody used Sesshoumaru!
Julia walked along with the others. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon as they began their journey towards where they believed Naraku was hiding. Kagome thought that heading back to the place she had been taken to when she was captured was as good a place to start as any. There was a possibility that Naraku was still there, and if not then it would be the best place to try and figure out where to go next.
They had just reached the foot of the mountain path that led down to the valley where Kaede's village lay when Julia heard the sound of fast feet behind her. Turning, she saw that Kouga and Inu Yasha had already turned to investigate, as they had taken up the rear of the company. Within seconds Hakaku and Ginta came grinding to a stop before them.
"Kouga…you're…safe…" panted Ginta between deep breaths.
"Here," said Hakaku, just as out of breath. He handed a letter to Inu Yasha and then promptly fell to the ground.
"What is going on?" barked Kouga, clearly as puzzled as the rest of the group.
"This is from Sesshoumaru!" exclaimed Inu Yasha, "Where did you get this?"
"That little green demon that travels with him told us that unless we got that to Inu Yasha immediately that you would be killed," answered Ginta, finally breathing normally again.
"I would be killed?" echoed Kouga. His two men only nodded to him.
Julia looked over at Inu Yasha, who had unfolded the letter from his brother. His face was a myriad of emotions. Confusion, uncertainty, curiosity, all played across his face as he read the letter.
"What does it say?" asked Kagome, as she approached him. He handed her the letter and waited for her to finish reading it
"There must be a good reason for this." She waved the letter to indicate what she was talking about. "I think we should do it." She handed to letter to Miroku and Sango who also agreed. Surprisingly, they then handed her the letter. As she read its content Julia was thoroughly amazed.
Inu Yasha, a new development has occurred. You will meet me at the cave west of the family home. Do not delay. –Sesshoumaru
"Do you know of what place he speaks?" Julia heard Miroku ask as she handed the letter back to Kagome. Inu Yasha nodded, but said no more. "Then if we are agreed, shall we go?"
"Maybe I should go alone? It could be a trap." Inu Yasha looked mainly at Kagome as he said this, worry evident in his features.
"No," responded Kagome quickly, "we are NOT letting you go there alone. We work together, Sesshoumaru knows that. Besides…I don't think this is a trap."
"How do you know?" asked Sango.
"I don't," Kagome responded simply. "It's more of a…feeling. I mean, why would he have Jaken deliver the letter to the wolf den and not directly to us?" Julia could see the pondering looks on the others' faces, and she had to admit Kagome had a point.
"Fine," replied Inu Yasha as he walked ahead of the group. "We should get there by nightfall if we don't stop. Kagome." He held out his hand to her. She immediately walked to him and hopped onto his back. Kirara transformed, and Sango climbed on, motioning to Julia to join her. She did so with Shippou hitching a ride on her shoulder. But, something seemed off.
"Sango, can Miroku really keep up with Inu Yasha and Kouga?" she asked. Sango turned to look at her as if to assure her that he could, but stopped.
"Under normal circumstances he could, but we will be traveling all day…" Sango said quietly, and then added a bit louder, "Miroku why don't you ask Kouga for a ride?" Julia could see a smile in Sango's eyes as she said this. Then looking over at Miroku she saw why. Miroku appeared to turn a bit green at the thought of climbing onto Kouga's back, a womanizer through and through thought Julia with a sigh.
"Yeah, come on Miroku," taunted Inu Yasha.
"Wait a minute, here!" cried Kouga. "Don't I get a say in this?"
"Oh, for crying out loud!" Julia shouted. These kids were too much. "I'll go with Kouga, if he doesn't mind, and then Miroku can ride with Sango." Kouga nodded vigorously and Miroku's color returned. Julia hopped off of Kirara's back and placed Shippou in her spot. As she passed Miroku he smiled gratefully at her and quickly went to take her spot behind Sango.
"It's been a while since the last time I had a piggy back ride." Julia commented as she climbed onto Kouga's back. "Thanks for the lift." The wolf-demon smiled at her and helped her adjust herself so that they were both comfortable.
"Can we go now?" whined Inu Yasha, before he bounded into the trees with Kirara following close behind.
"Hang on." was all the warning Julia got before Kouga took off at a full run after them. Following his instruction she tightened her grip around his shoulders and ducked her head behind his. I'm definitely not going to be seeing any scenery on this trip.
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"Soooo, do we follow them?" ask Ginta after the others had left the clearing. It was just like Kouga to ignore them.
"I don't even know where they were going," replied Hakaku.
"Soooo, ya wanna go hunt something then?"
"Sounds good to me."
The two wolf-demons wandered off into the forest, silently grateful at having been completely forgotten by the others.
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By early evening the group had reached a small canyon. As the sun set, its waning light did not make viewing the surroundings any easier. Kagome hoped that Inu Yasha really did know where he was going. Granted, he can see better than I can, but I can't even tell what is a shadow and what isn't!
"Inu Yasha." Kagome spoke softly to get his attention, and when an ear flicked back towards her she continued. "What is this place we are going to?"
"It's a place our father once took us when we were younger," he replied, his voice low. She could tell he was running those old memories through his head, probably trying to understand what purpose his brother could have for this meeting. She also realized that it was not a subject he wanted to discuss, so she dropped it.
Looking behind her she saw Sango, Miroku and Shippou flying close behind on Kirara. It looked like Miroku had a fresh slap mark on his face, though Kagome figured he was probably becoming immune to that by now. Kouga also trailed closely behind, Julia on his back. It looked as though they were talking, and whatever Julia had said had made the wolf-demon laugh. Kagome was grateful that Julia had taken charge of the situation at the start of the day. Julia definitely had a way of handling people. Kagome only wished that as she grew older she might learn some of the confidence that Julia possessed.
"We're almost there." She heard Inu Yasha call back to her. It was then that Kagome felt a chill run through her. What was that? She turned to see if the others had felt something too. Sango and Miroku both nodded to her as if they had heard her unasked question.
"Inu Yasha, what was that?" she asked, now confident that the feeling had not been just her imagination.
"A barrier," came his reply.
"But, we passed right through. How was that a barrier?" Kagome asked, confused by his answer.
"It was not meant to keep us out." He turned his head to look at her as best he could, "This situation is getting more and more interesting."
"Why is that?"
"That barrier is the same type that's used to cloak my family home. It acts as a sort of shield. You can only pass through the barrier if the caster allows it. You cannot see what is beyond it, or hear anything said behind it." Kagome kept silent, not really sure what to make of this. "Sesshoumaru must want to make absolutely sure there is secrecy in some matter or he would not have gone this far. This could also be the reason the letter was not personally delivered to us. But…why?"
Inu Yasha was now focusing on the path ahead. Kagome was impressed by how calmly Inu Yasha was handling this situation. It was as if all the bad blood between the two brothers had disappeared. Even when he had claimed it might be a trap earlier she could tell he was not being serious about it. There was something about this place that had made Inu Yasha follow his brother's commands, but she had yet to figure out what that was. Could it have had something to do with their father? Kagome wondered. Inu Yasha had turned his attention and thoughts inward once more, so Kagome let him be. He would tell her in time.
They continued on for a few more miles and finally came to an opening in the canyon. It seemed to open up into huge bowl shape with a dead end opposite of them. Looking around she could see that the cul de sac was littered with caves and she wondered which one Sesshoumaru had been referring to. Inu Yasha stopped and knelt so that Kagome could easily touch the ground. Kouga did the same for Julia, and Kirara landed, allowing Miroku and Sango to dismount. Shippou, however, chose to stay with Kirara.
"You would bring humans here, Inu Yasha?" Kagome heard a voice ask as she was about to ask Inu Yasha what to do next. All eyes turned towards the owner of the voice. Sesshoumaru floated gracefully down from one of the higher caves and stood before them as impassive as ever.
"They are my friends, Sesshoumaru, not just humans," shot back Inu Yasha. "Besides, you allowed them to pass. You could have set that barrier so that they would be stopped." Sesshoumaru only glared at him and seemed to ignore Inu Yasha's insight.
"What did you want, Sesshoumaru?" Was Inu Yasha actually being civil? There was no anger in his voice, some impatience, but none of the usual cockiness that he displayed around his older half-brother.
"I desired to speak with you without being over heard," replied Sesshoumaru, using the same monotone as always.
"Yeah, I kind of figured that out, but why?"
"Naraku has taken something of mine," replied Sesshoumaru. His face was unreadable, but Kagome could tell that he was not happy with having to talk with Inu Yasha. "Naraku will destroy it if I go after it, or if I inadvertently aide you when he attacks."
"So, why not just sit back and let me kill Naraku? It's not like I wanted your help in the first place." Kagome could see that Inu Yasha was enjoying the fact that his brother had come to him. She just hoped that he would not let his pride get in the way of his reason.
"Because you, little brother," shot back Sesshoumaru, putting an added emphasis on the 'little', "might cause what is mine to be…damaged." Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, as if to calm himself. "Naraku also wishes to use me as a pawn in his game, and no one attempts to use this Sesshoumaru." Inu Yasha had folded his arms across his chest and seemed to be weighing what Sesshoumaru had told them. Kagome still wished she understood the significance of this place and why it would cause the two brothers to act in such a civilized manner, but at this point she was just grateful that it did.
"So, what is it that you want?" asked Inu Yasha.
"A truce." The words shocked all present. Kagome looked at the others and knew that her mouth must be just as wide open as theirs. But Inu Yasha merely looked back at his brother, waiting. "Naraku seems to have eyes and ears everywhere. If you were to attempt an attack on him he would know of your plans and be prepared for it, and you would fail. That is why I called you here, a place that is not directly associated with me, so that I could tell you my plan."
"What makes you think we would follow your plan? We don't owe you anything," replied Inu Yasha. Sesshoumaru only stared back at him, his face unreadable. Kagome wanted to silence Inu Yasha and hear Sesshoumaru out. This was something that she had wanted to do ever since she realized that Naraku feared the two of them working together. But, somehow she felt it was not her place to argue with Inu Yasha here. The others had seemed to pick up on it as well and kept their distance from the brothers. Even Kouga had kept quiet, and for that Kagome was grateful. If only there was someway to make Inu Yasha understand that this may be the best way to beat Naraku. Then, almost as if in answer to her wishes, Inu Yasha bowed his head, took a deep breath, and then looked back up at Sesshoumaru. "What is this plan of yours?"
For an instant Kagome thought she saw some emotion flash across Sesshoumaru's face, but what that emotion was she could not say.
"Naraku wishes to destroy you, and your human friends, and obtain the remaining pieces of the Jewel of Four Souls. Whether or not he accomplishes the first, I care not." Not the best way to get us to help him thought Kagome.
Sesshoumaru continued. "However, Naraku must not be allowed to complete the jewel. He is an already an annoyance, and with that extra power he would become even more of an annoyance, an annoyance that I do not want in my lands. Already he has more power than should be allowed to such filth, but because of that power he has become bolder. He no longer sends his puppets out to do his dirty work - he now comes to gloat in person." Sesshoumaru paused for a moment and Kagome could see that Inu Yasha was growing impatient. She hoped that Sesshoumaru would get to whatever point he was making quickly.
"So here is what you will do," Sesshoumaru finally stated. "You will not take the fight to him. You will wait for him to come to you. When he is gone from his hideout I will take back what is mine." He stopped then and waited for Inu Yasha to respond.
"You want us to wait around for Naraku to attack us?" Inu Yasha questioned. "Be your bait so that you can get what you want and then go on your merry way?" Kagome could see the anger growing in Inu Yasha's face and hear it in his tone. She could understand why, his brother's plan sounded as if it involved using them and then throwing them away. Inu Yasha hated being used just as much as his brother - he would never agree to this.
"No," replied Sesshoumaru, his voice as level as always. "Once I have what is mine, as much as I loath to do so, I will work with you to destroy Naraku. I am many things, Inu Yasha, but I am not like Naraku." She could see that Inu Yasha looked as though he might launch into another 'We don't need your help' speech so Kagome stepped forward and placed her hand on his shoulder. Inu Yasha looked back at her. She motioned her head towards the others and hoped he would understand. She saw understanding reach his eyes as he nodded curtly and turned back to his brother.
"I will talk with my friends."
"Fine, but do not leave the barrier," Sesshoumaru replied in a very bored tone. With that he leapt back up to the ledge he'd been previously waiting for them on and disappeared inside a cave. Inu Yasha watched him go and then turned back towards the others.
"So, what do you think Inu Yasha?" Miroku asked. Inu Yasha and Kagome now stood directly in front of Miroku and Sango. Kirara, with Shippou on her head, stood beside them, and Kouga and Julia completed the circle.
Inu Yasha did not immediately reply. Kagome could see that he was enduring some kind of internal battle. He knew as well as the others that having Sesshoumaru's help on this would make the probability of their success higher, but he did not want to admit to needing his brother's help.
"Yeah, dog-breath! What are you gonna do?" prompted Kouga. Kagome glared at him, but he did not look at her. His eyes were fixed on Inu Yasha, as were all the others'. It seemed as though they were leaving this decision up to him. And with good reason she thought.
"Can we trust him?" asked Sango.
"Yes," replied Inu Yasha, looking up at her. "He wouldn't lie to me here. He will do as he says, but that means we will be bait. Do you want that?"
"If it means we can finally be rid of Naraku and freeing Kohaku," Sango paused and took a deep breath, "then yes, I don't mind playing the bait."
"Does he even know where to find Naraku's hideout?" asked Kouga, arms crossed, looking smug as ever.
"I don't know," Inu Yasha shot back, "but if he doesn't now, he will. Sesshoumaru has my father's spy network at his command. Though, he doesn't use it often - he likes to think he is above needing their help." Inu Yasha rolled his eyes, indicating that it was nothing out of the ordinary.
"True," agreed Kagome softly, "this is why it is odd that he would come to you for help in this matter. What would Naraku be able to steal that is so important to Sesshoumaru?"
"I don't know," replied Inu Yasha, "and that's what I don't like about this." The others nodded as well.
"Hey," piped in Shippou, suddenly looking around. "Where'd Julia go?"
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Julia was as stunned by Sesshoumaru's performance as the others were. She had watched him leap back up to the cliff, still in wonder at his actions. He was so against working with Inu Yasha yesterday…what is it that Naraku has that would make him change his mind? She listened to the others for a moment, but they were not doing much talking initially. When Kouga made his comment she knew that everyone's attention would be on Inu Yasha, and she decided to slip off. Julia told herself it was to go see Rin, whom she assumed would be up in the cave that Sesshoumaru had disappeared into, but she knew she was more than just curious as to why Sesshoumaru had chosen to help them.
Reaching the base of the cliff, Julia noticed that there was a small pathway that climbed up to the ledge where Sesshoumaru now waited. She climbed it carefully in the failing light, picking her way along the side against the cliff's face, since she was unsure as to how wide the path actually was. Upon reaching the ledge she could see that the mouth of the cave was much bigger than she had thought it was from the ground. There was nothing on the outside that marked it as being any different from the others, so she wondered why it was that Sesshoumaru had chosen this one.
She could not see very far inside the cave, but decided that going in was the only way she was going to get any answers. Taking a deep breath, she began to walk into the cave. After a few steps she could see that there was a faint light starting to show deeper in the cave.
"Why are you here?" a voice came from the darkness, startling her. She jumped and turned only to come face-to-face with Sesshoumaru. At least, she thought it was him. He was outlined by the dwindling light outside the cave entrance, but she could not see his face.
"I came to see Rin," she replied evenly, her courage coming back to her. She hated dark places like this. He had really spooked her there for a second.
"She is not here," he replied, confirming that he was Sesshoumaru, "so leave." He began to move around her towards the back of the cave.
"Wait," she called after him. "Where is she, then? I promised her that I would come see her again if I could." He stopped; at least, Julia thought that he had stopped. She couldn't hear him moving anymore.
"Do you ever do what you are told?" he asked.
"Sometimes," she replied, placing her hands on her hips. "That depends on how I feel at the moment. And right now, I don't feel like listening." She could hear the swishing of fabric coming closer. Then, one of the last rays of the sun illuminated Sesshoumaru's brilliant golden eyes, causing Julia to inhale quickly in surprise. She had not realized that he was that close.
"Rin is what Naraku took." Julia's breathing stopped momentarily. It was Sesshoumaru's turning to leave that brought her back to reality.
"What!?" she cried and reached out to turn him back to her. He was not going to just leave on that note. She reached out to grab his left arm, caught nothing but material, lost her balance and found herself falling forward.
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Sesshoumaru instinctively reached out with his other arm to catch the woman before she hit the ground. She'd twisted as she fell and he now held her about her shoulders, face up. Despite the lack of light, the small amount of illumination coming from the back of the cave was enough for him to make out her features. She stared up at him, or at least, he figured, where she thought he was. She looked slightly shaken, and if he was not mistaken, surprised. Did she think he would let her hit the ground? Granted she was a human, and rude, and impertinent, and stubborn, but…No I would have let her hit the ground in the past.
"Thank you," she said quietly into the darkness, shaking him out of his sudden realization. He quickly brought her back to her feet and released her as he took a step back from her. He was not even sure why he had told her of Rin's plight. He had hoped to keep that a secret. It must be this place Sesshoumaru thought as he glanced around the cave. His father had been quite clever in creating this place, but this was the first time Sesshoumaru had used it since his father's death.
"What do you mean, Naraku has Rin?" The sudden question brought him out of his thoughts. He was amused that she had not said anything about her blunder in reaching for his missing arm, though he knew she must be too proud to admit it. He wondered if the others had told her how he'd lost it. He still cursed Inu Yasha to this day for doing it, but he had been enraged and taken off guard when that whelp had actually managed to transform the Tetsusaiga. He'd tried to get Tenseiga to heal his arm so that he could deal with Inu Yasha, but the sword had not responded. It was really only recently that the sword had started to obey him.
"Exactly what I said," he responded curtly.
"But …how?" she asked, disbelief obvious in her voice and on her face. Sesshoumaru was starting to become annoyed. It seemed as if she was thinking that he had failed somehow.
"I'd sent her back to my castle with Jaken," he explained, "and somewhere along the way one of Naraku's lackeys managed to kidnap Rin."
"Naraku has Rin?" chimed in another voice. Turning, Sesshoumaru could see that Inu Yasha and the rest were now standing at the mouth of the cave. It had been Inu Yasha's woman who had spoken, and who was now making her way towards them.
"What are you doing here?" he directed the question to the group.
"We were looking for Julia," responded the girl, now standing beside Julia. Julia smiled sheepishly, and shrugged her shoulders.
"And I came looking for Rin. Apparently, Naraku is holding Rin," Julia said softly. Sesshoumaru was sure she was trying to get the attention back to him and away from her.
"Well then, we will definitely help, right?" Kagome stated surely as she turned to her comrades for approval.
"Of course," replied Sango and Miroku. Sesshoumaru could see Kouga's silhouette shrug, but Inu Yasha had remained silent with no indication of his answer. Sesshoumaru knew that Inu Yasha could see almost as well as he could, so when his little brother walked straight towards him he was not surprised.
"We will help for the little girl's sake," Inu Yasha replied as he stopped right before him. "She did not need to be involved in any of this." Sesshoumaru stared back at his younger brother, wanting to shout "Hypocrite!" back in his face, but knew that he was beyond this child's game of name calling. Let Inu Yasha think whatever he wants. What does it matter to me?
"Uh, can we go back outside now?" asked Julia, who didn't wait for an answer. Instead, she grabbed Kagome by the arm and led her out, passing the other two humans. Inu Yasha turned and followed. Sesshoumaru wondered why the woman had even bothered to phrase it as a question in the first place, and also followed outside. It would be good to get the humans out of the cave anyway. "Now, that's better!" he heard her exclaim as he exited the cave. She stretched and then stared up at the stars, a look of wonder written on her face.
"You will travel south," Sesshoumaru began, taking back control of the situation. "That will take you away from Naraku, and will make him to come to you. The woman and Kouga will come with me for safe keeping."
"Won't that be seen as helping us?" asked the monk.
"No," Sesshoumaru replied, annoyed that his plan was being questioned, "Naraku cannot track me, or anyone directly with me. Kouga does not always travel with you and it will not seem out of the ordinary if he is running alone. I will take them back to my castle where Naraku cannot find them."
"So they are safe, but how will you know when Naraku is on the attack?" This time it was the demon exterminator who spoke up, but she at least had a valid question.
"With these," Sesshoumaru replied, pulling a pair of small ornately decorated hand mirrors out of a small pouch tucked behind his sash. He saw the recognition in Inu Yasha's eyes. These were mirrors made so that Inu Yasha's mother could contact his father whenever she had needed to. "Tap three times on the surface of the glass and it will activate the link." Inu Yasha took one out of his hands with a 'hmph' and placed it inside of his fire-rat coat. Sesshoumaru knew he was angry with him for using a trinket of his mother's; he was always touchy when it came to her, but he was too proud to show it in front of his friends.
"Stay here tonight." Sesshoumaru continued. "Start south in the morning and the moment Naraku strikes, contact me. Let's go," he concluded as he turned towards Julia.
"What, we're leaving now?" she asked.
"Did you not understand my words?" he asked, annoyed that she was making him repeat himself.
"No, it's just that it is getting so late, shouldn't you rest awhile here, too?" she explained. "It has also been a long day for Kouga."
"I do not need to rest," Sesshoumaru retorted, offended that she would imply he was as weak as a human.
"I don't need to, either," replied Kouga. Sesshoumaru knew that as a weaker demon Kouga would need to rest more often than him, but the wolf should be able to make the journey to his castle, especially with the added power from the jewel shards in his legs.
"Awk, men," the woman sighed. "Well, guys, I guess this is good-bye for now. Be careful." She gave the girls and the small fox a hug, and then walked over to Kouga. "Ready?" she asked him.
"You are coming with me," interrupted Sesshoumaru. "You must be with me or Naraku will detect you." She stood there with her mouth formed in a silent 'oh.' Deciding he'd waited enough for these silly humans, Sesshoumaru walked over and scooped her up with his arm so that she was seated on it. This caused her to inhale sharply in surprise and throw her arms around his neck to gain her balance. The next instant he took off, but he knew that the wolf was close behind.
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"Well, that was interesting," commented Miroku as they all watched Sesshoumaru and Kouga disappear over the canyon wall. "Well…" he continued, "shall we set up camp in the cave?"
"No," shot out Inu Yasha. Granted, he felt very little love for his father, but this place was…well…special for him. It was the one place he ever really remembered feeling like they were all a family…even with Sesshoumaru. "Pick one of the other caves if you like, but stay out of this one."
"Okaaay," replied Miroku. Inu Yasha could tell that the monk was curious about his behavior, but he did not have to tell him anything. He considered Miroku a friend and he was definitely good to have around in a fight, but Inu Yasha was just not one to share his feelings, especially with an audience. "Well, then let's pick one and get some dinner." While Inu Yasha continued to gaze into the cave he heard the retreating footsteps of his comrades as they walked down the path to the base of the cliff. All but one set, that is, and he knew to whom they belonged.
"Inu Yasha," came a soft call. It was Kagome. He knew who it was before she had spoken. Kagome was different from the others - he could talk to her in a different way than them. Granted, he did not do it often, but she never judged him when he did. She liked him for who he was…unlike, he reflected, Kikyou. He shook his head free of the thought, and turned to look at Kagome. She stood slightly behind him, obviously waiting to see if he would acknowledge her.
"This cave," she gestured, "what is it?" Inu Yasha glanced back at the cave. Should I tell her? It was only a small part of his past, but it had left a big impact on him. He had not been here since that last time with his father and Sesshoumaru. It was a secret that his father had shown only to his sons.
"It's a secret," he replied, his voice low.
"Oh, I see." Kagome sounded a bit hurt, but he couldn't resist the joke.
"No," he corrected as he looked back at her. "That is what it is - a secret." Kagome only stared at him, her face the definition of confusion. He could have left it at that, but some part of him really wanted to share this with her. "Here," he said, holding out his hand, "I'll show you."
She placed her hand in his without a moment's hesitation. As he closed his fingers gently around hers and led her into the cave his heart skipped. He might tell himself that who Kagome chose to be with was her choice, but no matter how he tried he could not escape the feelings he had for her. Yet he could not bring himself to tell her. There were moments when his heart had betrayed him and he had spoken words of affection to her. But, he had told himself that he could not allow himself to feel that way towards Kagome because he owed Kikyou his life. He could not let Kagome waste her life on a dead man, and still…every time he tried to push her away she came right back, and all he could do was silently cheer because she had returned.
They walked further into the cave towards a slightly illuminated area. Sesshoumaru would probably have a fit if he knew what Inu Yasha was doing, hell he was surprised that Julia was still in one piece when they had found her. Sesshoumaru probably felt this place was far more sacred than he did. For Inu Yasha it was just a fond memory, but for Sesshoumaru it was about high demon pride.
As they entered the chamber Inu Yasha heard Kagome breathe in quickly at the sight. Against the opposite wall stood a huge statue that depicted several species of demons coming together in peace. All took part in holding up a spherical crystal. It was this crystal that held the inner glow that illuminated the cavern.
"This was my father's secret." Inu Yasha told Kagome as they came to stand in front of it. "He took me and Sesshoumaru here. He told us that while anyone was in this valley there could be no conflict. Anyone meeting here would be held to a strict code of conduct whether they knew it or not. Anytime a treaty or peace agreement needed to be worked out he would hold it here so that he did not have to worry about tempers getting out of control and ruining the talks. He'd told both of us that it was the job of any good leader to make sure that the people's interests were looked after, and that meant not resorting to bloodshed when it could be avoided. He treated me as if I someday would be a leader as well." He felt Kagome's hand slip out of his as she gently placed it on his shoulder. He looked over at her, her eyes full of compassion.
"It sounds like your father was a good leader," she said in hushed tones, "and perhaps a good father," she added with a small smile upon her lips. Inu Yasha did not respond, he only turned his gaze back to the statue. "Was that him?" He did not look at where she was pointing for he knew that she had followed his gaze.
"Yes," he replied as he looked at a father he had only known for a short time. He'd forgotten how much Sesshoumaru resembled him.
"This is why you knew Sesshoumaru was telling the truth, isn't it?" Kagome asked, pulling him out of his comparison.
"Yes," he replied with a lighter tone in his voice. "Sesshoumaru is a stickler for ceremony. Since we are not exactly on friendly terms I figured that what he had to say would be pretty interesting if this was the place he'd picked to meet."
"Why tell us not to come then?" He looked back at her and could see the hurt in her eyes.
"I," he began, but could not find the words to explain it and looked back at the statue of his father. "This is the only place I have a real memory of my father, and feeling like we were a family. It is a part of me that I did not know if I wanted anyone else to know about it."
"And now?"
"Now, I am glad you are here with me," is what he would have liked to have said, but what actually came out was, "It doesn't matter. It is not like I could have stopped you if I wanted to." He turned just in time to see her face scrunch up and her mouth form the word 'sit.' He prepared himself, but nothing came. Seeing her surprised look he gave a silent thanks to his father. Kagome could not even get the word out.
Feeling suddenly empowered Inu Yasha turned towards her and started to edge closer to her, a mischievous grin firmly in place.
"Now why would you try to do that?" he asked
"You know why," she responded, taking a step backwards.
"I only answered your question." Okay, that wasn't quite the truth, he admitted to himself, but it is still the truth. "I can't stop you when you want something, especially with that sit command of yours," he added, still walking towards her.
"Well, you were being mean! I could hear it in your voice," she shot back, still continuing backwards. He sounded mean because he was trying to cover up what he had really wanted to say. Kagome had come in contact with the wall behind her and had nowhere else to go. To prevent her from moving to either side he trapped her between his arms. He really had wanted to tell her that she was the only one he could talk to about his past, the only one he really trusted, the only one…for him. But, how? How did he tell her these things?
"Inu Yasha?" her voice was small and wavered as she spoke his name. He stared into her questioning eyes, eyes that cared for him and offered him comfort. She cared about him as more than just a friend, he knew that, but he had done nothing about it. Now that he no longer had his oath to Kikyou he wondered if he even still deserved it.
He'd been feeling pretty cocky about her not having her usual power over him, but staring down at her he knew that it was not just the prayer beads that gave her power over him. Simply being with her affected him in ways that he seemed unable to control. Finally coming to his senses he realized that his little power play had somehow turned against him and now he was in the hot seat and did not know what to do next…so he gave up.
"Come on," he said as he dropped his arms, turned and started to walk away, "we should go find the others, I'm getting hungry."
"Inu Yasha." Kagome called softly to him so that he turned. She walked over to him and grabbed his hand. "Thank you for showing me this place." He grinned at her and began to lead her back out of the cave. She followed silently at his side. For now he would be content to just simply have her with him.
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Julia held on tightly to Sesshoumaru as he flew. He had shocked her when he'd just scooped her up and took off. At least Kouga had given her some warning before he had started to run. Thinking about Kouga caused her to look down at the ground in search of her friend. Now that she was separated from the others he was the one friendly face that she knew she would have. But, looking at the ground, all she could see was a blur. Can Kouga really keep up with this pace?
"The wolf is following. Do not concern yourself with him." She looked at Sesshoumaru's profile since he had not actually looked at her when he spoke. It was as if he had read her thoughts, though she knew he could not, at least she thought she knew that he could not. She really had no idea what kind of powers demons had.
"What if Naraku attacks him while we are traveling to your castle?" she asked in an attempt to break the silence.
"He will not." Still he did not look at her, and he said no more. This is going to be a long trip if he decides to clam up.
"How do you know?" No answer.
"Fine, I get the idea. You don't want to talk." She relaxed her grip a bit and leaned into the soft boa-like thing he always seemed to wear. She could take a hint, if he didn't want to talk she would deal with it. She hoped that the others would be safe as well. They had to be able to hold Naraku off long enough for Sesshoumaru to rescue Rin and get to them. Would they be able to pull it off?
Sesshoumaru rescuing Rin was another oddity. He appeared to only tolerate her presence when she had observed them the other day, and now he was swallowing his pride to save her. Maybe Rin would be the way this 'prince' learned his lesson, he certainly seemed to be changing already.
She suddenly yawned, and marveled at how tired she was. She hadn't actually done anything all day, and yet she was having trouble keeping her eyes open. She nestled into her soft pillow and found herself drifting off to sleep despite her precarious perch on Sesshoumaru's arm. Somehow she knew that she would be safe.
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Sesshoumaru was replaying the day's events over in his mind, making sure that he had made the right choice. He didn't really want to talk, and when the woman, Julia, had finally fallen asleep he was grateful. Kouga was keeping up since Sesshoumaru was setting a pace he knew the wolf could follow.
He'd figured out where Naraku's base was earlier that day. Naraku may be good at covering his tracks, but his little ninja henchman had a lot to learn. The demons that had assisted the boy in Rin's capture were not clean in their getaway. He had been able to trace them back to Naraku's hideout with no trouble. He'd even kept watch to make sure that it was not another of Naraku's games. Naraku was indeed there, and so was Rin, so Sesshoumaru had left to meet Inu Yasha.
All of the pieces were accounted for and soon they would reach his castle. Then it would be a waiting game. When would Naraku strike?
The woman shifted and he adjusted his hold on her so that she would not roll out of his grasp. Sesshoumaru wondered why it was that he would reduce himself to playing ferry for a human, and he was slightly more disturbed when he realized that he did not mind. She was a different human than he was used to, and more prominently a different kind of woman than he was used to. Where had she come from?
The light from the moon suddenly reflected off of the pendant she wore about her neck and caught his eye. And how did you come by that? he wondered. The shard puzzled him. It seemed that anyone who had come in contact with a shard was somehow changed by it, but this woman seemed to have some kind of hold on the shard. And, in fact, she did not even seem to be using the shard in any way like the wolf was. It seemed to him that she treated it as though it was no more than a piece of jewelry.
A strange human indeed, and now, with her in his possession without the interference of his half-brother and his companions, he would get the answers he wanted. She was going to be in his domain now, and there would be no escaping from him.
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A/N: Uh-oh, now he has her all to himself, but I have a feeling things won't go quite as he plans…wait I'm the author…oh well.
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