Chapter Three
Sesshoumaru looked up at the girl who was standing in front of him. He stood up and was about three or four inches taller than her. Maybe he was actually more than that. He wasn't really concerned with how much taller he was than this woman standing in front of him. This woman didn't have a name that he could call her by. His golden eyes closed for a moment. Maybe he should have her come with Rin, Jaken, and himself. Wait… what was he thinking? She was a human…. Or was she? He wasn't sure because her scent was that of a demon. He looked at her black hair that was just a long as his own... It actually looked longer. After thinking he opened his eyes and then looked back down at the woman in front of him. "What is you name?" he asked in a low tone that had no hint of emotion.
Nazomi looked up at this man who was now speaking to her. She looked at the ground and then made a circle in the ground with the tip of her shoe. Her hands were now behind her back and she was unsure if she should speak. "Um…" she started in a timid tone that was almost silent. She then sighed to herself. 'I must… speak louder…or at least…not so afraid…' she told herself in a firm voice in her thoughts. She looked up at this man and then began to speak. "My name is Nazomi Takahashi…" her voice was no longer timid and but her voice was still quiet. She felt his eyes on her and then his hand came to her face. She was expecting a slap but he only moved hair out of her face. She looked up at him and she could see her own pale face in his golden eyes. She looked back at the ground and then she noticed him walking over to the two people that were waiting for him about a foot away. She sighed to herself and then she heard his emotionless voice. What was he saying? She was unsure but she looked over in his direction.
Sesshoumaru looked at Jaken who was rambling. Jaken's voice was high and squeaky and it was starting to annoy him. He looked down at Rin who was looking over at the young woman he just walked away from. He heard Jaken's voice again. "Jaken…" he said as he looked over at him with a cold glare. He looked at Nazomi and then blinked as he saw she was looking at him. He blinked as they made eye contact for the second time in about five minutes. His golden eyes were scanning over the young woman again. She was pale… extremely pale. He wondered if she was sick yet again. Deep inside something was telling him to let her follow him just like Rin and Jaken did. Well Jaken really didn't follow him, Jaken was his servant. Rin on the other hand… well that was his choice to let her continue to stay with him. He could have left her long ago but something was telling him to let her stay with him.
He looked back at the girl now identified as Nazomi. "You may join us for a while…" he said in an emotionless tone again. He turned and then began walking again. He heard running footsteps behind him and then the young woman was behind him. He looked behind himself and then saw she was looking at the ground. "I'm Lord Sesshoumaru…" his voice still hadn't changed. He turned around and saw Rin and Jaken bickering. Inside he felt himself smile but how was he smiling? Even if it was on the inside this was not like him at all. Sesshoumaru looked at the girl who was now next to him. He blinked and then looked back at Rin and Jaken.
Nazomi looked at Sesshoumaru and then smiled slightly. "Thank you…" she said in a low tone as she walked beside him with her hands at her side. She fixed her navy blue skirt and then her blouse and then sighed to herself. Where was she? This seemed like Feudal Age Japan. Or at least that was what it look like. The books she read describe it this way. One of her books told her about a legend about a great demon lord that fell in love with a human. The demon's name or supposed name was Inu no Taishou. There was a picture of this demon in his true form running in the moonlight. It always seemed to amaze her; the stories of the past. There was something in the writing that said that Inu no Taishou had two sons. Neither of them were named in the story but they had different mothers. One was a youkai and the other was a hanyou. She sighed and then looked up at Sesshoumaru. He had been silent for a while but that was okay. Nazomi never really talked anyway so this was good in a sense. She looked at the ribbon that she had been holding. She sighed and then tied her hair up into a pony tail and then looked at the little girl and that strange creature with the green skin and big eyes. The little girl looked back at Nazomi and Sesshoumaru and then ran over to Sesshoumaru. Nazomi could hear the little girl talking to the man next to her as they walked. The man who was extremely handsome in her opinion made a hand gesture for her to go play with Jaken. Or at least that was what she thought. She heard the name Rin a few times. Maybe that was the girl's name.
Sesshoumaru looked back at Nazomi who seemed to be deep in thought. He wondered what she was thinking about. This girl that was now traveling with him was different then any other human or demon woman that he had ever met. His golden eyes looked up at the sky that was now beginning to get dark. He listened to Jaken complaining that they should rest. Sesshoumaru made a nodding gesture. They were near a hot spring area. He sighed and then looked over at Nazomi. "We'll be stopping for tonight…" he said in a low tone as he walked a bit into the woods with the rest of the group following. He noticed that Nazomi was now behind Jaken and Rin.
There was something drawing him to her. Was it her pale skin? Her eyes? Or maybe that she reminded him of someone or something that was once in his life. His golden eyes looked over at Jaken. He whispered something to him. Jaken started bickering about it not being fair but all Sesshoumaru did was give him a glare. Jaken of course listened and walked over to an opening with Rin. Sesshoumaru was now alone with this young woman. He had no intentions to hurt her or even get close to her he just wanted to say a few things. But what could he say without making it seem like he cared for her? Of course he didn't care for her in any way but why did he let her travel with him and the others? He stood there and then waited for her to get closer to him. Suddenly he felt someone bump into his back, a quiet voice saying sorry about three or four times, and then silence.
Sesshoumaru turned around and looked at Nazomi and then saw she was looking at the ground. What lead him to lift her chin so he could look into her eyes? Not even he himself knew that answer. His golden eyes looked at her crystal blue eyes and then he gave her the slightest smile that seemed to be hidden under his hair. She probably didn't see it. The girl that stood below him in a sense looked back at the ground. Was she… Okay? She fell into him suddenly. There were tears leaving her eyes again. He could smellthesalty smell of tearsin the air. Why was she crying? Did she miss someone? His golden eyes turned darker. He had only known her for about maybe... five or six hours. His arm was around her trying to make sure she didn't fall. What was he doing?
Nazomi tried to stop crying but she missed her home and her only friend. What is they were all worried about her? Well maybe her mother and father weren't but they were probably pretending. That was enough for Nazomi even if it wasn't real love. She felt Sesshoumaru's arm around her shoulder and his hand was touching her spine. Her body stopped shaking. She backed away from Sesshoumaru and then looked up at him and wiped her tears away. "I'm… sorry…" she said in a low tone that was almost barely audible. Nazomi bit her lip and then a hand was moving the one strand of hair out of her face. She looked up at Sesshoumaru and then he turned and walked away. She felt confused. She saw that Rin girl and Jaken over in an opening with out Sesshoumaru but she walked over there and sat on the ground. The young girl's eyes looked towards the sky and the sky was almost completely dark. What was she to do? She wanted to know? The little girl Rin walked over to her and smiled. Nazomi smiled back and then they started talking quietly with each other. Rin started saying that Lord Sesshoumaru wasn't always the way he was at the present time. She continued saying that he normally acted different when he would see someone or something on the ground. Nazomi's eyes just closed… She soon fell asleep to Rin's bickering.