Trudging down the road, they became aware of a familiar figure appearing on the horizon. Inuyasha snarled, having no difficulty recognizing who it was, but didn't stop or start running.

At Kagome's puzzled look, he muttered darkly; "My brother."

After a moment or two, he became aware of walking alone. stopping, he looked back at her; "What?"

"Shouldnt...shouldn't we find another way, then?"

"I'm not afraid of him."

"Well I am!"

"What, you don't trust me now?

He wants to fight we'll fight. If he don't, that's fine too."

"If he...don't?"

"Keh." was the dog-demons only reply as he turned his attention back on the now more distinct figure...and saw that it wasn't alone. He had expected the glimpses of a small form following his brother, but not seeing two of them. He stopped, watching the elder demon do the same, evidently due to the same puzzlement from his companions Inuyasha caused in his;

"Now what?" The reborn priestess demanded irritably, mentally prepared(with difficulty) to let the demonlord end up behind her, only to find her 'shield' parrot her former hesitation.

"Let him come to us." Inu yasha told her, well aware that unless he moved, Sesshomarou would either wait until he grew bored...which could take a while...or simply attack.

"Why does it seem like he has stopped, too?"
"Because he has."

"But then..."

"Keh." Inu Yasha broke her off, and began to jog toward the group in the not-to-remote distance, a surprised exclamation from Kagome leading into the sounds of an all-out run that nevertheless grew more distant behind him.

No doubt aware he had left his human behind, his brother had evidently done the same, leaping high to the surprised outcry of young girls voice.

"Why my dear brother, am I rubbing off on you?" the dog-demon muttered, giving a sly smirk as he skidded to a halt, watching Sesshomarou touch down a few good spearlengths away.

"Brother." was the noncommital greeting, to which Inu yasha nodded sharply; "Brother."

A moment of silence as they stared each other down, then; "Who's the girl?"

A faint frown on the older demons face made Inu yasha smile; "I thought keeping such company where beneath me? How is it for you?"

"I need not explain myself to such as you...far less your companions."

Following his brother's eyes as the amendment was made, he found Kagome slowing to a stop as far from the hanyou as he were from his brother, leaning on her knees to catch her breath, her eyes locked on the pair in front of her, half-disbelieving, half-uncaring.

Lifting one hand...his only hand...Sesshomarou paused as he saw Kagome cringe and Inu yasha crouch with a snarl, holding until they made cautious progress toward relaxing then lifted it higher and snapped his fingers.

In response, the two figures still a ways off started moving again, the one far faster than the other, the sound of them making Kagome blink; "...a girl?"

"Yeh. My brother has found my example not so terrible a one after all." Inu yasha sneered, just barely dodging a grab for his throat, and tearing his sword from it's sheath.

"Put that away, I have no wish to fight you today."

"Heh. So you were just gonna shake me around for the fun of it?"

"Something like that."

Looking to Kagome, the greater demon added; "Would you too have observations to make on how similar we are?"

Waving her hands frantically in front of her in a manner most unpriestess-like, she shook her head for added emphasis;" Nononono, never in a million years."

"Wise." Sesshomarou nodded briefly, turning to watch as his own companions caught up, the child's laughter nigh-unbroken until she became aware of the other two sharing the road with them, and latched on to the greater demons leg as she stared wide-eyed at Inu Yasha, still wielding his father's fang.

"Put it away, dog-boy, you're scaring her!" Kagome chided, slapping him upside the head and earning herself a snarl for her efforts.

"Or do you intend to make me challenge you for it?" his brother added, snapping his hand meaningfully.

With yet another snarl at the gesture, Inu yasha held still for a moment more, then slowly did as he was told, half disbelieveing himself, though he could understand his brother's reasoning.

"What's your name?" Kagome asked of the child, approaching to kneel by the child, evidently uncaring that the white-clad leg the girl clung to belonged to a demon that would 'cheerfully' watch her kind wiped from existence without so much as a raised eyebrow.

With a glance up at her benefactor, the girl gave a tentative smile; "Rin."

"Rin? Well, nice to meet you, Rin. I am Kagome."

"Hello." Rin nodded in acknowledgement, more at ease with this strangely-dressed woman.

The other two of the party(Jaken's loud objections upon seeing the proximity of the females cut short with slight gesture from his master) observed the exchange for a moment before looking back to each other, the elder with his usual unperturbed mask, the younger with a distasteful twist of his mouth.

"You disapprove?" Sesshomarou queried after a time, to which Inu yasha's reply was swift and unhushed;

"You showed her what you think of her kind, yet?"

The two girls stopped their conversation to look at their respective demons, Kagome with a silent snarl, Rin with a puzzled look.

Neither demon seemed aware of the event beyond keeping silent until the muted conversation picked back up.

"I see." the hanyou nodded, most pleased with himself, and even moreso as his brother frowned deeper; "No, you do not."

"Then you explain it. Or shall I? Kid, listen..."

"SIT!"

"Interesting." Sesshomarou offered noncommitally as he watched his younger brother scramble back up to demand an explanation even though he very well knew why.

At the word he paused however, looking back at the greater demon with uncertainty. 'Thrice-blasted girl. Now he knows!'

Glancing toward the girl in question, he found her staring back at him with a mix of accusation and apology. The resulting expression made him crack a smile; he'd like to see any companion's of his brother manage that.

"Have you seen...your friend...deal with such as us before?" Kagome asked of the child by way of derailing any further need for violent action.

"Yes. Very often. They are usually very mean."

"You doing good deeds, now, brother?" Inu yasha needled, grinning. His brother hardly offered him a glance from his study of the frailer members of their combined party.

"That is good. That is very good." Kagome assured the child, wondering much the same thing as the hanyou herself. Granted, it should be well done to find honest folk along the roads and times the greater deomn probably used for travel, but still...

"I like you, though. Haven't been many who has spoken to me before."

"Have there been many who got this close?"

"...no, not really. Sesshou-sama don't let them."

"Do you like that?" Kagome asked, more for the fact that the girl'd likely ask herself something similar as a logical follow-through than any interest in bringing the unavoidable problem to the light.

"I...I don't know."

"Kid, you said 'most' of them were mean. what of the others? and how did he deal with them?" Inu yasha interrupted, making Kagome tense up before she realized he did not intend to cause trouble or insult.

"He makes them go away."

"Keh. So I imagine."

"I do not think you quite understand me, brother. I do not hate such as she. Nor do I love them. I simply do not care for them."

"Sessh..!" Kagome began in shock before stopping herself and shifting over, further away from the demon without straying from Rin's proximity.

"She is different."
"How so? Because you say so?"
"Essentially? Yes."

"KEH!"

The sharp snap of a lash, and Inu yasha tumbled backwards across the ground. "DO not antagonize me needlessly, brother. Or do you seek to challenge me after all?"

Kagome gathered Rin into her arms and stood, backing away from the greater demon. Taking another step back as he turned to look at her with a deep frown, she whimpered but did not back down. "If you are to fight, I'm not letting her get hurt!"

Inu yasha already snarling his charge, Sesshomarou took the time to consider, then nod his acknowledgement before leaping away in the other direction, adding to the distance between the battle and the child.