Chapter 4

"Heh…" Seishi didn't pause in her step as she became aware of her quiet stalker… so the great lord of the western lands was following her… Hmm what could he want? Perhaps he wanted to finish what he started when he attacked her… but she wasn't getting a sense of foreboding danger… Perhaps he wanted to apologize for his rudeness? Nah he was too proud for that… that demon lord was differently ruled by his pride, and manners weren't something he showed to others. Although he seemed the type to expect everyone else to give him respect, even if he didn't do so in return… jerk…

Perhaps it was different when he was around those of higher rank… Sesshoumaru of course couldn't know Seishi's background… her noble bloodline… her heritage… Not that she would care to disclose that information to him… it was something she was trying to forget and leave behind…

She just kept walking… giving no sign of knowing of his casual pursuit… It wasn't like he was TRYING to hide his presence… he wasn't going out of his way or anything… maybe he didn't care if she noticed him or not… or maybe he didn't think she was sharp enough to notice him… stupid male…

Closing her eyes as she walked, her ears and other senses working for her instead as she kept walking, she ran a few ideas through her head. Well if he was going to attack her… why didn't he just do it? If he wanted to talk… why not just catch-up to her and do so? What was he up to? She didn't like the feeling of being followed… especially when she didn't know her stalkers intentions…

Making up her mind, she opened her crystal blue gaze and glanced around slyly… Hmm… walking toward some thick underbrush, she passed through it… and out of Sesshoumaru's sight, if it was in a place he could see her in the distance from. Once she passed through, she found herself in a clearing… She walked a little ways into it… but then stopped and looked around… seeing a very old, tall tree, not far from the forests edge that she just exited from, she judged the distance, then sprung up and back into the air, doing a small flip and landing lightly on a thick branch…

She then relaxed down into the sitting position, her eyes narrowing as her mind focused… If Sesshoumaru followed her scent, he would find it ending near the middle of the clearing… and since she now concealed her presence… sitting back silently against the trunk of the tree, one long slender leg dangling off the side of the tree limb. She silently waited, her eyes turned up to the sky, although her ears and nose were trained to her surrounding… it was a few minutes… since he was following at a good distance.

She heard only the slightest indication of someone moving toward the clearing… The demon lord's movements were very quiet and smooth… he had great control of his body… and it was so causal and effortless… Ok so maybe he was pretty interesting… probably much more dangerous then she had first thought… he hadn't been really trying to kill her before… else he didn't expect her to be as skilled as she was… Seishi was very good at hiding her power after all, and most people in this day of age don't expect much from females when it came to fighting… But would a seemingly experienced warrior like this Sesshoumaru be dim enough to underestimate her only because she was female? Then again he did sort of do just that before when he attacked her before…

As she sat there in silence, catching sight of Sesshoumaru out of the corner of her eye as he passed under her and started into the clearing… he paused and turned his head from one side to the other in a smooth motion, scanning the place with his golden eyes… "So tell me Lord Sesshoumaru… why were you following me?"

Sesshoumaru didn't move at first, then he slowly turned around and his golden gaze drew up to where Seishi now sat in the tree. She was partly hidden by the tree's foliage, but she was more or less visible one you knew where to look. He narrowed his eyes at her. These games of hers were wearing on his last nerves. What were the men in her native country thinking? Letting a women turn into such a nuisance. He then smiled, "To quote you, this is a free forest, perhaps I was merely going the same way your were going? Or maybe it is because I find a woman like you so irritating that I feel I must give you a lesson in manners," in a flash Tokijin was in Sesshoumaru's hand a blue energy blast turned the trunk of the tree Seishi was in to dust.

Seishi's eye narrowed as she instantly pushed off the tree trunk behind her and gathered up her feet beneath her onto the tree limb. She then kicked off into the air, flying over the attack and Sesshoumaru's head, doing an elegant twist-flip, then landing lightly behind him, her wavy platinum white hair softly settling behind her shoulders and back. The tree, which she had sat, was now splitters and charred bits and pieces of wood here and there. She now stood there, about ten feet away, her right clawed-hand moving up to rest against her hip. Her gaze glanced down at his weapon, then back up at him, "So Sesshoumaru-sama, I take it you've come to try and finish what you started?"

Sesshoumaru had already turned to face her before her feet hit the ground, he held Tokijin at the ready as his golden eyes locked on Seishi, "Yes and no, I have also come to see just why Naraku would take interested in you. That cowardly scum is always working an angle. I must know how powerful you are, should you fall victim to his deceptions." In less then a split second, the tip of Sesshoumaru's blade was at Seishi's throat, "Now enough of you childish games, fight me with your full strength that you seem to be so desperately trying to hide…"

Seishi narrowed her eyes, either reckless with a death wish, slower then she played, or having somehow known he wasn't going in for the kill just yet… because she hadn't moved and merely stood there with his blade pointed at her exposed throat. "So is that how it is…" she chuckled, "Well, Lord Sesshoumaru… I decline. I have no reason to prove myself to the likes of you, and as for that Naraku, I have no plans to get involved with him any more then I do with you… now that I've seen how you are. I am a wanderer who has crossed halfway around the world to reach this small country; I have seen more then you could probably ever know. Now that I have been here, I most likely will not be staying much longer. With that said, just forget you ever met me and we'll both just be on our ways." She reached up and knocked his blade aside, stepped back, then turned and just started to walk away. She was either stupid or overly confident…

It was then Sesshoumaru's turn to smirk, "You misunderstand, you have no choice..." the demon lord said softly behind her… when she sensed him next… he was now right behind her. She turned in time to dodge under a swipe of sword that would have parted her head clean off her shoulders. She leaped back, putting some distance between them and growled, narrowing her silvery eyes at him… Sesshoumaru's face was unreadable and totally void of emotion… but his gold eyes were locked on her like a hunter on prey.

Her narrowed blue eyes seemed to flash as they took in even the slightest movements of his body… she was reading his body language… watching for any and all signs of his intended movements… She has only a split second's warning as he came at her again, this time from above… There wasn't even time blink; he was in the air coming down at her at startling speeds. A blue aura had surrounded his blade as he swung it down at her, but she was gone by the time he struck, hitting the ground instead… the earth where she had stood exploded with blue light sending clods of dirt and rocks into the air…

Sesshoumaru was already coming at her again… gods this guy was relentless and fast… Seishi's hand flew to the hilt at her side, and with a flash of light on steel, her long, elegant blade was drawn and in her hand as she moved to counter Sesshoumaru's sword. With skill and precision, she parried the Tokijin and leapt backwards to get space between her and the rampaging demon lord. She stood facing him, her stance one of readiness. Her senses were all open and focused, taking in everything from her surrounding, but mostly being focused on the threatening forcing before her… She would not allow herself to be easy prey…

Sesshoumaru smirked. So her sword wasn't just for show. He brought Tokijin up to a vertical position and a bright light suddenly came forth. Seishi was thrown back as an unseen force suddenly collided with her body.

Seishi was caught by surprise by the sudden force, but she had enough instinctual warning to hold up the Kitoiga in a defensive position… Although the force knocked her back... the blunt of the attack was absorbed into the blade held before her… She leaped back, and then landed yards away from where Sesshoumaru now stood watching her, her feet digging into the ground to slow herself, leaving behind trails of disturbed earth. She stayed on her feet, looking no worse for wear from his attack. Actually, she was smiling… and now her blade now seemed to give off a slight glow, of course, Sesshoumaru wouldn't know what that meant, "Interesting sword you have there..."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his gaze upon the female inu youkai. He put his sword back into his belt and raised his hand and his whip appeared. He used it to lash out at Seishi.

She saw his acid green energy whip… Her eyes watched it… but they also watched him… Not allowing herself to be distracted… She made an educated warriors guess on the path of the whip, and met it with her blade. Sparks flew as the Kitoiga reacted to the energy, absorbing some while the whip was in contacts with it. She spun the blade and knocked the whip aside, and then pulled the blade back up, ready to fend off his next attack, the Kitoiga glowing more brightly now then before.

While the whip had been striking, Sesshoumaru had closed in on his prey. He whipped Tokijin out again; the blade collided with the female's sword. He then stuck again and again as she parried. He was impressed by her speed. It was rare to encounter an enemy that could rival him in speed. Sesshoumaru keep up his relentless assault. While Seishi was able to keep up with Sesshoumaru's attacks she found it very difficult to get in an attack of her own. The was pause in the action when they locked swords again, "You are quite skilled with that blade of yours. I seen that since it was drawn, it has started to grow brighter and brighter. Why don't you show me what it can really do!" He punctuated his last remark with a very heavy strike that knocked Seishi back a few paces.

Seishi's feet dug into the ground as she was knocked back, but she kept her balance and reclaimed her footing very quickly. She took a few swift, graceful jumps back, putting a little more distance between them. "Do you really want to see? I didn't think you would wish chancing death," Seishi held her blade horizontally in front of her, the glowing blade lighting her elegant, beautiful features, making her platinum white hair shine. "If that is your wish… Then feel the power of the Kitoiga." With that she leaped up into the air, the blade suddenly flashing with intense power and light… all of the energy the sword had absorbed from Sesshoumaru's attacks now melded together, concentrating into one powerful attack that would carry the force of all of his, only doubled… "Buryoku no Kito!" Seishi brought her sword down and forward into a slash… The blinding energy ripping form the blade and bursting forward in blazing streams of silvery blue light at startling velocity; cutting, tearing, and burning at everything in it's path, including Sesshoumaru if he failed to move out of it's path in time…

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as he saw the blast rip towards him. He was only barely able to dodge in time and still caught a little on his side. He surprised to say the least, but his face remained the same emotionless mask. He had felt his very own energy in that attack. He narrowed his eyes. So that was the sword's power. It absorbed the energy he threw at it and stored it so it could be used against him. He smirked. A powerful sword indeed, such a weapon is difficult to fight against. The more that is thrown at it the stronger the sword's attack will be.

"I see… I understand that blade's power now." He quickly dashed forward lashing with Tokijin again. He locked swords with her again, but then he pushed his feet off the ground and put his full weight on his sword using it to drive the Kitoiga down. Suddenly Sesshoumaru released the Tokijin and grabbed Seishi by the neck. He pushed her down forcing her to drop her weapon.

Seishi of course met blades with Sesshoumaru, impressed he was able to move fast enough to survive the attack, but as he drove the Kitoiga down, she hadn't expected him to release his own sword and reach out, closing his grip around her throat. This of course startled her to say the least. She let out only the slightest of yelps before giving a feral, canine growl, being forced to loose hold of the hilt of her own blade, one hand flew up, gripping his wrist as he forced her down. Her cold, silvery blue eyes were blazing with the heat of battle and the obvious outrage of such an underhanded trick.

Sesshoumaru's poison claws began to burn Seishi's flesh as his grip on her neck tightened. The venom began to penetrate her skin and enter her bloodstream. But Sesshoumaru soon stopped the flow of venom. He looked Seishi in her eyes, "You may be a demon, but my poison can kill anything if they receive a large enough dose. The amount I have given now will not kill you but it will hamper your motor functions. You should surrender, not even your sword can battle poison."

Seishi hissed through clutched teeth, her canine fangs bared. She glared at Sesshoumaru with burning defiance and stubborn pride. She could feel his venom burn through her veins, she knew he was speaking the truth, but the thought of surrendering was infuriating… She, Seishi Ironfang, daughter of Lord Richard Ironfang of the English Isles… surrendering! No, what was she thinking? She couldn't let her egoism rule her; in this case it would only get her killed. Painfully swallowing that stubborn pride, she closed her eyes, still growling. She loosened her grip around his wrist, letting herself go limp in his hold, "Fine…"

Sesshoumaru loosened his grip on her neck allowing her to breathe easily again. He allowed himself a very small smirk of triumph. He had brought the cocky bitch down and now he had her life in his hand. Now that he had her still and up close he took a good look at her as well as a few sniffs, trying to get as much information about her as possible. Judging from her armor and her sword he figured she was not of common origins. No low class demon had such detailed armor, or such a powerful sword, not to mention she knew how to use it. She was definitely a noble born.

Her scent told him a lot of things he already knew, but it did tell him one thing he hadn't noticed yet. She was a traveler; that much was certain, and she had been traveling for a long time and had very little human money, because she smelled as if she had not bathed in a week. "So... you are a long way from home, aren't you?"

Seishi kept her eyes on him, although the blazing quality was gone, and they were just ice cold now. She was still growling slightly, but now that he had loosened his grip she could catch her breath… Her throat was sore and raw from his poison, so she sighed and stopped her growling, it only irritated her throat farther. "Let's just say… if you were to traveled without rest or food, you would still take years to reach where I am from… Now do you mind letting go of me?"

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, what a rude, uncouth bitch she was. If she were a Japanese inu youkai, he would have killed her already for such insolence. So why? Why hadn't he killed her yet? Perhaps he felt the need to give her allowances, as she was a stranger in a strange land. No, stranger or not, he didn't give a damn about where she had come from. Then why? Why couldn't he just kill her and be done with it? "You are either very bold or very stupid. There are very few women in Japan who would dare to be as brash or as rude as you have been. You may well be the first woman I've seen in a very long time to show such defiance, even with death staring you in the face..." Then Sesshoumaru did something that surprised him greatly, he felt his hand release and move away from her throat. 'Dammit,' he thought to himself, 'what the hell is wrong with me?'

She didn't talk as she sat up, reaching out to retrieve Kitoiga from where it fell. She felt Sesshoumaru watching her, but she just rolled her eyes, slowly taking up the sword and slipping it back into its scabbard. She wasn't about to start another fight; hell, she didn't start the first one. She shifted and rose back to her feet, dusting herself off. She felt a bit light headed from the dose of poison she had taken, and hoped the effects would wear off soon. She reached up and tenderly touched her poison burned throat. "If we are done here, may I leave now?"

Sesshoumaru regarded her; she was still insolent after all that happened. "Tell me your name. I would have the name of the only woman to ever make me fight at near my best to win."

Seishi regarded him right back, "It's Seishi… Seishi Ironfang, though my sire name would mean very little to you here in Japan. And if you're curious, yes, Seishi does sound Japanese, because it is. My mother was Japanese born and my father mated and took her with him back to his home country. If you haven't guessed, that's how I learned the language… If I spoke my first language you wouldn't understand a word I was saying." She sighed; looking tired now, "Is that all?"

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, then turned his back to Seishi, "Seishi Ironfang, I'm sure we will meet again," with that he walked of into the foliage and was gone. Seishi watched where he disappeared for a moment, then sighed again, touching her throat once more with a wince, then turned and went on her own way in the opposite direction.

To Be Continued…