The golden sun crept over the horizon, casting a seeming peace over the
lands. A silver blur flickered through the depths of the forest, barely
disturbing the carpet of leaves. Finally pausing in the relentless
movement, the blur solidified into the tall form of a young demon. Amber
eyes scanned the surrounding scenery, searching out a destination.
Sesshoumaru mentally cursed Yoshiro yet again for not returning to the palace. Inu Taisho had "insisted" that Sesshoumaru go and fetch the missing demon. Smirking slightly, the young lord recalled the fact that his father had avoided him like the plague after the confrontation with the couple the previous night. Sesshoumaru knew that the only reason for such avoidance was the fact that Inu Taisho knew that what his son had so blatantly said held true. Regardless of the reason, however, Sesshoumaru was simply glad that Inu Taisho had been otherwise occupied.
In the small amount of time leading to his mother's death and Inu Taisho's new choice of mate, Sesshoumaru had lost all respect for his father. Once, Inu Taisho had been the most feared demon in all the Lands, a strong, resourceful leader who had been cruel and ruthless when and where it was needed. Now, the demon that stood in his place was a mere shadow of the glory of the once-great Western Lord. Inu Taisho had become lazy and decadent, appeasing himself with more and more concubines.
Shaking himself free of the unpleasant thought, Sesshoumaru began walking again at a slower pace, this time pondering at the occurrences that were bound to take place in the Youkai Council. Even before his father's stunt, there had been dissention among the Cardinal Lords. Inu Taisho was still powerful where brute strength was concerned and therefore still headed the Council.
However, there were those who had spoken against him, Ryuukotsusei, a dragon youkai who was one of the few to be able to hold his own against the Western Lord, had been the first to confront Inu Taisho about his dalliances. While the actions were not halted, the dragon had instilled enough doubt within the Council to cause Inu Taisho to rapidly fall out of favour. And now, to add insult to injury, a hanyou cursed the House of the West.
Barking out a strangled sound, Sesshoumaru thought of the irony of the hanyou's name. "Inuyasha". It was strange that the little miscreant was named for something that he was not and would never be, no doubt Inuyasha would suffer for his origins as well, rejected by both human and youkai society alike. After all, who would want to have anything to do with a half- breed?
For the thousandth time, Sesshoumaru imagined his rule over the Western Lands. He had, as a young pup, sworn to mate only to produce an heir as his father had done. Chuckling darkly, the young lord acknowledged the fact that in his childhood, he had wished to become another version of his father. Looking back, Sesshoumaru grimaced at his naivety. He hadn't realized then how much a person could change. Look at the hanyou for proof.
Growling softly to himself, Sesshoumaru sighed in frustration. The whelp was all he could think of right now. No matter what the young lord was thinking of at any given time, the problem that Inuyasha presented would always make itself known.
Stopping short at a small snap, Sesshoumaru cursed himself for stepping on a particularly brittle twig. The art of silence and its benefits had been drilled into the heir of the Western Lands since he could understand words. Sensing the aura of another being, Sesshoumaru chastised himself even more for making any noise at all.
Glancing around, Sesshoumaru saw a young woman in miko garb lying on the grass. He could also see that while she appeared to be relaxed, she was aware of his presence. From her aura along, the demon knew that this wench held a formidable power, one which he wouldn't wish to encounter anytime soon.
While he knew that the miko's feeble sense of smell was not enough to detect him, Sesshoumaru cursed the fact that he was standing upwind of her, his scent blown towards her and her scent blown away from him. He had wished to know her scent, simply for the sake of knowing what one so powerful would smell like. Taking another look at the miko, Sesshoumaru decided that it would be wise to leave as fast as possible.
Scenting the air again, Sesshoumaru followed Yoshiro's scent once again towards the human village, sniffing in disdain at the putrid odours that the humans emitted. Somewhere amid the smells was something that teased and tantalized his senses. Wanting to discover the source, Sesshoumaru steeled himself against the urge and willed himself to do the task that he had been sent to do. Getting another whiff of the stank odour pouring from the village, Sesshoumaru swore yet again to hurt the whelp as soon as he found him.
Coming close to the village, Sesshoumaru stopped abruptly. The scent of death hung fresh in the air. Unconsciously growling, the young demon lord changed directions and headed towards the smell. Arriving at the edge of a clearing, Sesshoumaru saw a small mound, clearly a grave, surrounded by lily of the valleys. Purifying magic clung to the area around the grave. Taking a deep breath, Sesshoumaru detected vast amounts of Yoshiro's and Hikaru's scents along with a hint of that of a child's blood and pungent roses.
Musing silently, Sesshoumaru wondered if this had been the reason for Yoshiro's delay. If it was, then the demon would at least have a plausible explanation for Inu Taisho. Perhaps Yoshiro could avoid punishment if this indeed was an excuse. A wild youkai trespassing on any human settlement in any Land was considered to be a direct insult to the Lord governing that Land. Silently musing, his face expressionless as ever, Sesshoumaru focused his attention back on the task of retrieving Yoshiro.
Kagome was in a realm of bliss. She was shut away from the world as she concentrated on gaining control over her inner power. It seemed as if she was touching ice, so cold that it burned her. Colours swirled around her, capturing her attention. Faintly registering the fact that Eriko had stopped ordering her, Kagome tried to grasp the elusive power inside her.
Eriko stood to the side, the elder miko pleasantly surprised at the progress her student was making. During her years of training, it had taken Eriko months to search out her miko power and then even longer to be able to control it. Yet here was her young pupil, seeming to develop her powers in a matter of a few days. Just another part of the mystery that was Kagome.
While Eriko was deep in thought, Kagome, still in her own trance, had managed to gather what was apparently her power into a sphere the size of a pearl. 'How'd I do that?' she wondered. All Kagome remembered doing was attempting to hold the power. Swirls of blue and lilac danced inside the small circle, casting a glow on everything around it.
Reaching out a delicate hand, the young priestess gently touched the glowing orb, drawing back as it burned her slightly. Somehow understanding that she needed to be able to hold the small sphere, Kagome tried once again to take it. This time, her touching the orb resulted only in a slight tingle.
Deciding that the tingle was bearable, Kagome closed her hand around the physical manifestation of her miko power. Gasping in awe, she found that the sphere no longer felt uncomfortable to touch. Instead, it gave off warmth that felt so familiar to the young miko. Smiling slightly, Kagome giggled as the small ball that she held broke apart, the colours swirling and dancing around her.
Deciding that she had stayed inside her sanctum for long enough, Kagome woke herself from her trance. Eriko was apparently meditating as well. To her surprise, Kagome could both feel and see Eriko's aura emanating from her body. The elder miko's aura was a swirl of green and yellow. Feeling proud of her newfound "sight", Kagome decided to wake Eriko from her trance as well.
"Eriko? Hello?" Kagome wrinkle her brow, slightly perturbed as Eriko completely ignored her. Bending her head slightly to the side, Kagome smiled and shrugged, deciding that Eriko must have been overly tired from staying up all night to take care of Sakura. Deciding to let the elder miko rest through her meditation, Kagome decided to explore the surrounding forest.
Leaving the small clearing in which Eriko trained her, Kagome followed the sound of bubbling water, coming to a small stream bathed in sunlight. Giggling softly at the picturesque beauty of the scene, Kagome settled down to sit on the grass of the riverbed.
Lying back, she closed her eyes, drinking in the sounds of the forest. Kagome hear the sound of rushing water, the birds chirping in the trees, and the wind rushing through the leaves. Memories of yesterday began to swim in her mind and Kagome felt tears come to her eyes. Wanting to stop the sadness, the young woman focused her attention on her surroundings, her ears trained on the sounds of the forest.
Just as she was about to doze off, Kagome heard the sound of a twig breaking. Not moving, the young priestess prepared herself to fight if it came to that. Kagome felt a familiar presence, strong and overpowering. Thinking hard, she remembered where she had felt it before; that day in the woods, when she had just been sent back. Then, as abruptly as the presence appeared, it vanished yet again.
Shaking her head at the strange occurrence and wondering to whom the aura belonged to, Kagome decided that it was time to return to fetch Eriko. The two mikos had begun training at dawn and now, judging by the sun, it was almost noon. Her stomach agreed with Kagome as it rumbled, demanding to be fed. Drinking in the sunshine, Kagome walked back to Eriko, trying her hardest not to cry at the thought of a small, sweet girl.
Yoshiro stood at the door of the hut, eyes trained on his brother. Hikaru hadn't moved from Sakura's side, constantly clasping the hand of the fragile child. The older of the brothers knew what it was like to feel so helpless, to want some miracle to happen but knowing that it wouldn't. After all, their sweet, loving mother had been executed before their very eyes.
Blinking away the tears that threatened to fall at the memory, Yoshiro thought of the consequences of staying in the human village for the night. No doubt Inu Taisho would be livid, arranging some punishment or another for him. Shaking his head, Yoshiro thought of days long past. Once, the excuse that he was required to stay to guard the village due to the youkai attack would have sufficed. Now, it would be worth nothing, just as honour was worth nothing to the Western Lord.
As a pup, together with Sesshoumaru, he had worshipped the ground that Inu Taisho had walked on. But now, while he still respected the Western Lord, Yoshiro no longer felt the reverence that he once held Inu Taisho in. It seemed that Sesshoumaru had inherited the traits that the Western Lord had once possessed, and in Yoshiro's eyes, it was Sesshoumaru who was the true Lord of the West.
Unbeknownst to all, Inu Taisho had long ago shirked his duties concerning his Land, choosing instead to create of a façade where he would be able to play with his whore while Sesshoumaru attended to matters of the state. Breathing deeply, Yoshiro wondered what would happen if the past Inu Taisho met the present one. It would be shameful.
Halting his thoughts, Yoshiro looked to his brother again. His adopted daughter hadn't gotten better during the night. Her wounds had brought on a heavy bout of fever. The child tossed and turned through the night, almost reopening her wounds, no doubt reliving the horrors that the boar demon had inflicted upon her. No matter how skilled Eriko was, Yoshiro knew in his heart of hearts that Sakura would not survive if she was left here. The elder miko didn't have the resources to heal something this serious.
Hikaru suddenly rose, the movement startling his brother. Turning to his brother, Hikaru gave him a hopeless look.
Voice hoarse, the younger demon spoke. "Yoshiro, you know I've rarely asked you for anything, but I need this favour from you. When you return to the Western Palace, please bring Sakura with you. Say she's a servant, an orphan, anything. Heal her, please... I'm begging you." Unable to keep the tears of desperation from his eyes, Hikaru blinked hard to keep them from falling.
Sighing, Yoshiro replied, "You know that I would if I could. Inu Taisho's become unstable, his rule unbalanced. I couldn't bring Sakura into the middle of it, even if Inu Taisho allowed it. Even if he gives his permission, Sesshoumaru wouldn't accept it and it's Sesshoumaru who runs the Western Lands."
"So you would let her die, then?" Hikaru whispered.
"If Sakura goes to the palace, she could die!"
"If she doesn't, she WILL die!" Growling in frustration, Hikaru began to pace to length of the hut... only to stop short as his eyes fell on the person who stood at the door of the hut.
Following his gaze, Yoshiro eyes widened and he looked sheepish. Straightening himself, he bowed slightly. "Sesshoumaru, what are you doing here?"
The aforementioned demon lord nodded towards the two brothers in salutation, and then turned to look at Yoshiro. "One would think that if the bodyguard of the Western heir went missing, there would be a search for him."
Snorting at Sesshoumaru's reply, Yoshiro replied, "Inu Taisho sent you, didn't he?" Seeing the lord's nod, Yoshiro continued. "What punishment is the old buffoon thinking of this time?"
Raising an eyebrow at the blatant show of disrespect to the Western Lord, Sesshoumaru replied, "None. The birth of my 'brother' has created such an uproar that Inu Taisho doesn't have the time to think of ways to torture you. Aren't you lucky?"
Yoshiro merely raised his eyebrows at Sesshoumaru's dripping sarcasm. Hikaru was the one to speak this time. "Pardon me for prying, milord, but since when did Lord Inu Taisho have a second son?"
Snarling slightly, Sesshoumaru barked out, "Since he took his human whore as mate three days after the death of my mother." Sighing slightly, Sesshoumaru swore to avoid that topic for as long as possible. Turning to Hikaru, the young lord regarded him silently.
Unlike most of mixed blood, Hikaru was strong, extremely so. Unlike most humans and demons alike, Hikaru was also honourable and loyal. This was what had convinced Sesshoumaru to accept Yoshiro's brother in the first place. Looking at the two, Sesshoumaru saw that the only trait the two brothers shared was the flowing chestnut hair that their mother once had.
All three demons turned to the futon as its young occupant made a sound resembling a whimper. Sakura seemed to once again be in the throes of a bad dream, her small body tossing and turning. Amber eyes met those of Yoshiro in question as Sesshoumaru reached out mentally into Yoshiro's mind to find the answer, an ability given to him by his mother.
Understanding instantly what had happened, Sesshoumaru went up behind Hikaru. "If you still wish to have the child return with us to the Western Palace, she is welcome to come. However, you must provide someone who is able to take care of the child and protect her. Some of the youkai under Inu Taisho's employ are, shall we say, less than pleasant."
Kagome grumbled angrily as she pulled back the string of her bow yet again. After she had returned to wake Eriko, instead of allowing them both to rest, the elder miko had forced Kagome to practice her archery. Her stomach growled yet again, echoing its demand to be fed, agitating the already frazzled woman even further.
Shooting her arrow at the target that looked like a pinprick from Kagome's vantage point, the young miko felt grateful that the arrows returned to her quiver by themselves. This trick was discovered after Kagome had trudged all the way to the target to retrieve the arrows that she'd fired. Pulling another arrow from the quiver, Kagome prepared to fire again when she heard Eriko's voice.
"It's time to stop Kagome. I'm afraid that if I let you continue, your stomach would scare away all the animals in the area."
Not in the mood for Eriko's teasing, Kagome retorted, "Well it'd be your fault for not letting me eat when I wanted to. So there!" Huffing, Kagome slung her bow over her shoulder, heading in the direction of the village with Eriko at her side.
The two walked in companionable silence, each deep in thought. Eriko pondered what she would do to treat Sakura. The girl's wounds were beyond her skill and the surrounding area didn't have the herbs necessary for Sakura to make a recovery. Eriko dreaded Hikaru's reaction, hoping for a miracle. Inhaling deeply, Eriko continued her train of thought.
Meanwhile, Kagome's pang of hunger had passed for the present, leaving her mind to settle on other things. Now that she had control over her inner strength, Kagome thought that maybe she would be able to heal Sakura. However, the young miko was hesitant to try. If she didn't succeed, Kagome knew that Sakura could potentially be hurt even more during the process, a chance that she was willing to take on the child's already weak body.
At once, the heads of the two women snapped up. Looking at each other, both felt the powerful aura of a demon in the village. Kagome recognized it as the one she had felt on two occasions in the woods. Sensing each other's urgency, Kagome and Eriko broke out into a run towards the village.
Trees blurred past the two as they sprinted at a breakneck speed towards the source of the power. Skidding to a stop, they saw that they were in front of Eriko's hut. Eriko carefully opened the door, sensing that Sakura, Yoshiro, and Hikaru were inside with the owner of the incredibly large aura.
Seeing that Eriko entered without harm, Kagome followed, not expecting in the least what she was about to see. One word passed through the startled young woman's lips.
"Sesshoumaru..."
Sesshoumaru mentally cursed Yoshiro yet again for not returning to the palace. Inu Taisho had "insisted" that Sesshoumaru go and fetch the missing demon. Smirking slightly, the young lord recalled the fact that his father had avoided him like the plague after the confrontation with the couple the previous night. Sesshoumaru knew that the only reason for such avoidance was the fact that Inu Taisho knew that what his son had so blatantly said held true. Regardless of the reason, however, Sesshoumaru was simply glad that Inu Taisho had been otherwise occupied.
In the small amount of time leading to his mother's death and Inu Taisho's new choice of mate, Sesshoumaru had lost all respect for his father. Once, Inu Taisho had been the most feared demon in all the Lands, a strong, resourceful leader who had been cruel and ruthless when and where it was needed. Now, the demon that stood in his place was a mere shadow of the glory of the once-great Western Lord. Inu Taisho had become lazy and decadent, appeasing himself with more and more concubines.
Shaking himself free of the unpleasant thought, Sesshoumaru began walking again at a slower pace, this time pondering at the occurrences that were bound to take place in the Youkai Council. Even before his father's stunt, there had been dissention among the Cardinal Lords. Inu Taisho was still powerful where brute strength was concerned and therefore still headed the Council.
However, there were those who had spoken against him, Ryuukotsusei, a dragon youkai who was one of the few to be able to hold his own against the Western Lord, had been the first to confront Inu Taisho about his dalliances. While the actions were not halted, the dragon had instilled enough doubt within the Council to cause Inu Taisho to rapidly fall out of favour. And now, to add insult to injury, a hanyou cursed the House of the West.
Barking out a strangled sound, Sesshoumaru thought of the irony of the hanyou's name. "Inuyasha". It was strange that the little miscreant was named for something that he was not and would never be, no doubt Inuyasha would suffer for his origins as well, rejected by both human and youkai society alike. After all, who would want to have anything to do with a half- breed?
For the thousandth time, Sesshoumaru imagined his rule over the Western Lands. He had, as a young pup, sworn to mate only to produce an heir as his father had done. Chuckling darkly, the young lord acknowledged the fact that in his childhood, he had wished to become another version of his father. Looking back, Sesshoumaru grimaced at his naivety. He hadn't realized then how much a person could change. Look at the hanyou for proof.
Growling softly to himself, Sesshoumaru sighed in frustration. The whelp was all he could think of right now. No matter what the young lord was thinking of at any given time, the problem that Inuyasha presented would always make itself known.
Stopping short at a small snap, Sesshoumaru cursed himself for stepping on a particularly brittle twig. The art of silence and its benefits had been drilled into the heir of the Western Lands since he could understand words. Sensing the aura of another being, Sesshoumaru chastised himself even more for making any noise at all.
Glancing around, Sesshoumaru saw a young woman in miko garb lying on the grass. He could also see that while she appeared to be relaxed, she was aware of his presence. From her aura along, the demon knew that this wench held a formidable power, one which he wouldn't wish to encounter anytime soon.
While he knew that the miko's feeble sense of smell was not enough to detect him, Sesshoumaru cursed the fact that he was standing upwind of her, his scent blown towards her and her scent blown away from him. He had wished to know her scent, simply for the sake of knowing what one so powerful would smell like. Taking another look at the miko, Sesshoumaru decided that it would be wise to leave as fast as possible.
Scenting the air again, Sesshoumaru followed Yoshiro's scent once again towards the human village, sniffing in disdain at the putrid odours that the humans emitted. Somewhere amid the smells was something that teased and tantalized his senses. Wanting to discover the source, Sesshoumaru steeled himself against the urge and willed himself to do the task that he had been sent to do. Getting another whiff of the stank odour pouring from the village, Sesshoumaru swore yet again to hurt the whelp as soon as he found him.
Coming close to the village, Sesshoumaru stopped abruptly. The scent of death hung fresh in the air. Unconsciously growling, the young demon lord changed directions and headed towards the smell. Arriving at the edge of a clearing, Sesshoumaru saw a small mound, clearly a grave, surrounded by lily of the valleys. Purifying magic clung to the area around the grave. Taking a deep breath, Sesshoumaru detected vast amounts of Yoshiro's and Hikaru's scents along with a hint of that of a child's blood and pungent roses.
Musing silently, Sesshoumaru wondered if this had been the reason for Yoshiro's delay. If it was, then the demon would at least have a plausible explanation for Inu Taisho. Perhaps Yoshiro could avoid punishment if this indeed was an excuse. A wild youkai trespassing on any human settlement in any Land was considered to be a direct insult to the Lord governing that Land. Silently musing, his face expressionless as ever, Sesshoumaru focused his attention back on the task of retrieving Yoshiro.
Kagome was in a realm of bliss. She was shut away from the world as she concentrated on gaining control over her inner power. It seemed as if she was touching ice, so cold that it burned her. Colours swirled around her, capturing her attention. Faintly registering the fact that Eriko had stopped ordering her, Kagome tried to grasp the elusive power inside her.
Eriko stood to the side, the elder miko pleasantly surprised at the progress her student was making. During her years of training, it had taken Eriko months to search out her miko power and then even longer to be able to control it. Yet here was her young pupil, seeming to develop her powers in a matter of a few days. Just another part of the mystery that was Kagome.
While Eriko was deep in thought, Kagome, still in her own trance, had managed to gather what was apparently her power into a sphere the size of a pearl. 'How'd I do that?' she wondered. All Kagome remembered doing was attempting to hold the power. Swirls of blue and lilac danced inside the small circle, casting a glow on everything around it.
Reaching out a delicate hand, the young priestess gently touched the glowing orb, drawing back as it burned her slightly. Somehow understanding that she needed to be able to hold the small sphere, Kagome tried once again to take it. This time, her touching the orb resulted only in a slight tingle.
Deciding that the tingle was bearable, Kagome closed her hand around the physical manifestation of her miko power. Gasping in awe, she found that the sphere no longer felt uncomfortable to touch. Instead, it gave off warmth that felt so familiar to the young miko. Smiling slightly, Kagome giggled as the small ball that she held broke apart, the colours swirling and dancing around her.
Deciding that she had stayed inside her sanctum for long enough, Kagome woke herself from her trance. Eriko was apparently meditating as well. To her surprise, Kagome could both feel and see Eriko's aura emanating from her body. The elder miko's aura was a swirl of green and yellow. Feeling proud of her newfound "sight", Kagome decided to wake Eriko from her trance as well.
"Eriko? Hello?" Kagome wrinkle her brow, slightly perturbed as Eriko completely ignored her. Bending her head slightly to the side, Kagome smiled and shrugged, deciding that Eriko must have been overly tired from staying up all night to take care of Sakura. Deciding to let the elder miko rest through her meditation, Kagome decided to explore the surrounding forest.
Leaving the small clearing in which Eriko trained her, Kagome followed the sound of bubbling water, coming to a small stream bathed in sunlight. Giggling softly at the picturesque beauty of the scene, Kagome settled down to sit on the grass of the riverbed.
Lying back, she closed her eyes, drinking in the sounds of the forest. Kagome hear the sound of rushing water, the birds chirping in the trees, and the wind rushing through the leaves. Memories of yesterday began to swim in her mind and Kagome felt tears come to her eyes. Wanting to stop the sadness, the young woman focused her attention on her surroundings, her ears trained on the sounds of the forest.
Just as she was about to doze off, Kagome heard the sound of a twig breaking. Not moving, the young priestess prepared herself to fight if it came to that. Kagome felt a familiar presence, strong and overpowering. Thinking hard, she remembered where she had felt it before; that day in the woods, when she had just been sent back. Then, as abruptly as the presence appeared, it vanished yet again.
Shaking her head at the strange occurrence and wondering to whom the aura belonged to, Kagome decided that it was time to return to fetch Eriko. The two mikos had begun training at dawn and now, judging by the sun, it was almost noon. Her stomach agreed with Kagome as it rumbled, demanding to be fed. Drinking in the sunshine, Kagome walked back to Eriko, trying her hardest not to cry at the thought of a small, sweet girl.
Yoshiro stood at the door of the hut, eyes trained on his brother. Hikaru hadn't moved from Sakura's side, constantly clasping the hand of the fragile child. The older of the brothers knew what it was like to feel so helpless, to want some miracle to happen but knowing that it wouldn't. After all, their sweet, loving mother had been executed before their very eyes.
Blinking away the tears that threatened to fall at the memory, Yoshiro thought of the consequences of staying in the human village for the night. No doubt Inu Taisho would be livid, arranging some punishment or another for him. Shaking his head, Yoshiro thought of days long past. Once, the excuse that he was required to stay to guard the village due to the youkai attack would have sufficed. Now, it would be worth nothing, just as honour was worth nothing to the Western Lord.
As a pup, together with Sesshoumaru, he had worshipped the ground that Inu Taisho had walked on. But now, while he still respected the Western Lord, Yoshiro no longer felt the reverence that he once held Inu Taisho in. It seemed that Sesshoumaru had inherited the traits that the Western Lord had once possessed, and in Yoshiro's eyes, it was Sesshoumaru who was the true Lord of the West.
Unbeknownst to all, Inu Taisho had long ago shirked his duties concerning his Land, choosing instead to create of a façade where he would be able to play with his whore while Sesshoumaru attended to matters of the state. Breathing deeply, Yoshiro wondered what would happen if the past Inu Taisho met the present one. It would be shameful.
Halting his thoughts, Yoshiro looked to his brother again. His adopted daughter hadn't gotten better during the night. Her wounds had brought on a heavy bout of fever. The child tossed and turned through the night, almost reopening her wounds, no doubt reliving the horrors that the boar demon had inflicted upon her. No matter how skilled Eriko was, Yoshiro knew in his heart of hearts that Sakura would not survive if she was left here. The elder miko didn't have the resources to heal something this serious.
Hikaru suddenly rose, the movement startling his brother. Turning to his brother, Hikaru gave him a hopeless look.
Voice hoarse, the younger demon spoke. "Yoshiro, you know I've rarely asked you for anything, but I need this favour from you. When you return to the Western Palace, please bring Sakura with you. Say she's a servant, an orphan, anything. Heal her, please... I'm begging you." Unable to keep the tears of desperation from his eyes, Hikaru blinked hard to keep them from falling.
Sighing, Yoshiro replied, "You know that I would if I could. Inu Taisho's become unstable, his rule unbalanced. I couldn't bring Sakura into the middle of it, even if Inu Taisho allowed it. Even if he gives his permission, Sesshoumaru wouldn't accept it and it's Sesshoumaru who runs the Western Lands."
"So you would let her die, then?" Hikaru whispered.
"If Sakura goes to the palace, she could die!"
"If she doesn't, she WILL die!" Growling in frustration, Hikaru began to pace to length of the hut... only to stop short as his eyes fell on the person who stood at the door of the hut.
Following his gaze, Yoshiro eyes widened and he looked sheepish. Straightening himself, he bowed slightly. "Sesshoumaru, what are you doing here?"
The aforementioned demon lord nodded towards the two brothers in salutation, and then turned to look at Yoshiro. "One would think that if the bodyguard of the Western heir went missing, there would be a search for him."
Snorting at Sesshoumaru's reply, Yoshiro replied, "Inu Taisho sent you, didn't he?" Seeing the lord's nod, Yoshiro continued. "What punishment is the old buffoon thinking of this time?"
Raising an eyebrow at the blatant show of disrespect to the Western Lord, Sesshoumaru replied, "None. The birth of my 'brother' has created such an uproar that Inu Taisho doesn't have the time to think of ways to torture you. Aren't you lucky?"
Yoshiro merely raised his eyebrows at Sesshoumaru's dripping sarcasm. Hikaru was the one to speak this time. "Pardon me for prying, milord, but since when did Lord Inu Taisho have a second son?"
Snarling slightly, Sesshoumaru barked out, "Since he took his human whore as mate three days after the death of my mother." Sighing slightly, Sesshoumaru swore to avoid that topic for as long as possible. Turning to Hikaru, the young lord regarded him silently.
Unlike most of mixed blood, Hikaru was strong, extremely so. Unlike most humans and demons alike, Hikaru was also honourable and loyal. This was what had convinced Sesshoumaru to accept Yoshiro's brother in the first place. Looking at the two, Sesshoumaru saw that the only trait the two brothers shared was the flowing chestnut hair that their mother once had.
All three demons turned to the futon as its young occupant made a sound resembling a whimper. Sakura seemed to once again be in the throes of a bad dream, her small body tossing and turning. Amber eyes met those of Yoshiro in question as Sesshoumaru reached out mentally into Yoshiro's mind to find the answer, an ability given to him by his mother.
Understanding instantly what had happened, Sesshoumaru went up behind Hikaru. "If you still wish to have the child return with us to the Western Palace, she is welcome to come. However, you must provide someone who is able to take care of the child and protect her. Some of the youkai under Inu Taisho's employ are, shall we say, less than pleasant."
Kagome grumbled angrily as she pulled back the string of her bow yet again. After she had returned to wake Eriko, instead of allowing them both to rest, the elder miko had forced Kagome to practice her archery. Her stomach growled yet again, echoing its demand to be fed, agitating the already frazzled woman even further.
Shooting her arrow at the target that looked like a pinprick from Kagome's vantage point, the young miko felt grateful that the arrows returned to her quiver by themselves. This trick was discovered after Kagome had trudged all the way to the target to retrieve the arrows that she'd fired. Pulling another arrow from the quiver, Kagome prepared to fire again when she heard Eriko's voice.
"It's time to stop Kagome. I'm afraid that if I let you continue, your stomach would scare away all the animals in the area."
Not in the mood for Eriko's teasing, Kagome retorted, "Well it'd be your fault for not letting me eat when I wanted to. So there!" Huffing, Kagome slung her bow over her shoulder, heading in the direction of the village with Eriko at her side.
The two walked in companionable silence, each deep in thought. Eriko pondered what she would do to treat Sakura. The girl's wounds were beyond her skill and the surrounding area didn't have the herbs necessary for Sakura to make a recovery. Eriko dreaded Hikaru's reaction, hoping for a miracle. Inhaling deeply, Eriko continued her train of thought.
Meanwhile, Kagome's pang of hunger had passed for the present, leaving her mind to settle on other things. Now that she had control over her inner strength, Kagome thought that maybe she would be able to heal Sakura. However, the young miko was hesitant to try. If she didn't succeed, Kagome knew that Sakura could potentially be hurt even more during the process, a chance that she was willing to take on the child's already weak body.
At once, the heads of the two women snapped up. Looking at each other, both felt the powerful aura of a demon in the village. Kagome recognized it as the one she had felt on two occasions in the woods. Sensing each other's urgency, Kagome and Eriko broke out into a run towards the village.
Trees blurred past the two as they sprinted at a breakneck speed towards the source of the power. Skidding to a stop, they saw that they were in front of Eriko's hut. Eriko carefully opened the door, sensing that Sakura, Yoshiro, and Hikaru were inside with the owner of the incredibly large aura.
Seeing that Eriko entered without harm, Kagome followed, not expecting in the least what she was about to see. One word passed through the startled young woman's lips.
"Sesshoumaru..."