Chapter 24

Ayame came to stop as they approached a cliff face. She turned to Seishi and pointed to a snow-capped mountain. "That is Mt. Borehime. I'm sorry, but Hana-chan and I can't go any farther."

Seishi turned her pale gaze up to the mountain, then sighed, looking back at the two she-wolves, "I understand, and thank you for coming this far. It was nice having company on the way. Please thank your grandfather again for me when you return to him."

Ayame nodded to Seishi, "I will, and please be careful while you on that mountain. They say the spirits on Mt. Borehime despise visitors and will play all kinds of tricks on your mind."

Seishi chuckled, "What's left of my mind anyway, right? Well I wish you a safe return journey… and I hope you wish me luck as well…" Gave the wolves a small smile, then started toward the mountain.

"Good luck Seishi-chan!" Hana called and waved after the dog demoness… The white wolf Shiro gave a yelping bark as if calling out his encouragement as well.

Seishi glanced back once to see the wolves running off on their way, then turned her gaze forward… hopefully soon she would fine the sage that dwelled here and he'd help her with whatever it was that Totosai sent her here to find.

The landscape was anything but welcoming… the lower landscape of the mountain was barren and rocky… there were only a few rare scrawny weeds here and there. Then up ahead as she climbed was the snow-covered peak. Not exactly an encouraging atmosphere, but she tired not to think about that, and just kept her senses open for any sense of life or power that might be the sage.

Seishi walked for hours… climbing the barren landscape… she frowned as weariness was creeping over her… that wasn't normal… she had ran for hours with the wolves without tiring, but climbing this mountain was making her feel sapped. The air was getting colder the higher up she got, and the air thinner. She was starting to feel hungry, but this place, void of life, held nothing to eat. Eventually clumps of snow littered the ground and mountainside and chilling mist filled the air.

The mist grew thicker making it more and more difficult to see. As Seishi pushed onward the shadows around her seemed to twist and change drawing in closer to her. Then through the mist the figure of a person began to appear. As Seishi stepped closer to it she recognized it as her brother, Alexander.

She blinked, her mind racing, wondering if Alexander was foolhardy enough to come after her even though she asked Sesshoumaru to tell him not to. But wait… she was seeing Alexander, but she wasn't feeling him as she normally would… was the cold numbing her senses? Confused she moved closer. "Alexander?"

Alexander smiled and stepped closer to Seishi, "Seishi, why have you come to a place like this? It's hardly a fitting place for someone like you."

Seishi frowned… still getting the feeling something was very off here… It looked and now even sounded like Alexander… "I… Need to find someone, then I will return to Sesshoumaru's palace… I told him to tell you not to come after me…"

Alexander frowned, "Seishi it's time for you to stop playing these games and come to your senses. You need to come back home with me. Forget this place and get back to you old life. Come to your senses... before you hurt someone else..."

Seishi blinked, taking a step back as if he had slapped her in the face, "Alexander… I didn't mean… It wasn't like I… … …" No she wouldn't make excuses, "It wont happen again… I would slay myself before I let something like that happen again."

Just then a voice come from behind Seishi, "You brother is correct. Japan has no place for you. Leave... go home to England..."

Seishi's eyes widened at the new voice, turning to look behind her… Sesshoumaru stood there, as emotionless as ever, Jaken to one side, and Rin as well. "Sesshoumaru… Rin…?"

"I cannot clean up your messes forever. Give us both some piece of mind and leave." Sesshoumaru said rather flatly.

Rin looked at Seishi with tears welling up in her eyes, "I'm sorry Seishi-sama, but you should really go home. It's too dangerous for you here."

Jaken snorted in agreement, "I've been saying that from day one. Think about what might happen if Naraku attacks you again..."

"We are all in agreement sister. The only place for you is England. Stpo being so stubborn." Alexander said crossing his arms.

Seishi couldn't believe her ears… Did everyone really want her to go back to England… did Sesshoumaru really want to get rid of her… she had to admit she had been nothing but a burden to him since she came to Japan… She supposed it had been a matter of time before he got tired of her and wanted her gone… … Her eyes stung as she stood there, feeling defeated. Maybe she should just give up and let her brother cart her back home to England…

But something still was telling her something was odd… Like how did Sesshoumaru, Alexander, Jaken, and Rin get here so suddenly? She didn't sense her brother or Sesshoumaru anywhere nearby… hell she still didn't sense their energy… was the mountain interfering? She could dismiss her nose being weakened by the cold, but very little should interfere with her demon sixth sense. "Rin… please come here…" moved toward Sesshoumaru's group.

Rin blinked and moved behind Sesshoumaru's leg. "No, I'm scared! You might turn into a beast again..."

That stung… so much that Seishi felt tightness in her chest, but at the same time it brought up alarm bells. "… Sesshoumaru wouldn't let me hurt you even if I tired… Please just let me give you one last hug, Rin-chan…" She moved closer to the trio. Seishi watched Rin… something just wasn't right here… even if what they said had truth in it… something was still false. She moved closer, "Sesshoumaru… Alexander… how did you find me here?"

"We followed your scent. It was not difficult" Alexander replied

Seishi narrowed her eyes, "Strange..."

Alexander quirked a brow, "Oh why is that?"

Seishi turned her gaze to her brother, "Because I can't smell any of you. I admit the cold might be cutting into my sense of smell, but if that were true, then it should have made it hard on you as well."

Alexander's expression hardened, "Well of course it did. What I meant was that we followed you here to the mountain using your scent. Once we got here we had to search for you using our eyes."

Seishi just continued to look at him, her hand held out to Rin, "Also I find it strange that I can't sense your energies… I know you bother are adept at masking them, but you don't 'feel' like my brother to me. Nor does he feel like Sesshoumaru, and Rin has never acted afraid of me, even after what happened."

Alexander glowered at Seishi, "What are you saying sister?"

"You are not Alexander," replied calmly. She was more suspicious with every action and word out of them now.

Seishi growled now, "Disappear phantom; never again pretend to be people I love." She turned to face him, then moved forward and walked right past the Alexander-imposter, continuing her climb up the mountain.

The Alexander imposter slowly faded away into the mist as Seishi left as did the apparitions of Sesshoumaru, Rin, and Jaken.

Seishi stumbled in the knee-high snow… She had been climbing and hiking for hours, and the summit of the mountain never seemed any closer… She was numb with cold, hungry, weary… and her strength was starting to waver as fatigue gripped her. She stumbled again, going face first into the icy snow. Why was she doing this… putting her self through this? …

She remembered what happened with Kitoiga, and Totosai… and Rin, Alexander, and Sesshoumaru would be waiting for her return… well at least Rin and Alexander would… She forced herself back to her feet and started forward again.

Night came and she knew she would do more harm then good to try and continue in the dark, so she found an overhang to curl up under to get a little sleep. She wished she could have had a fire, but there was nothing to burn. As she sat there curled up against the mountainside, she really wanted to go home. She tried not to let herself give in to loneliness of the touch of despair she felt, and drifted into slumber… though it was a fitful sleep to say the least.

As soon as she had light she was up and moving again, but it didn't take long for her to get overly frustrated at getting nowhere. She had been climbing for hours when she cried out as suddenly the ground seemed to shift under her and the next she knew she was knocked off her feet as something pulled her up and she found herself suspended in the air in a net of some sort.

From through the mist a man emerged. The man wore the black clothes with silver trim and had a head wrapped that crisscrossed his forehead but did not cover up his short silver hair. He walked closer and sighed, "What the hell is this... another climber? Figures there are no animals up here..."

Seishi could sense this guy, unlike the fake Alexander and others… She looked down at him, "Mind letting me down?"

The man smirked, "I suppose so... I can't stand the taste of dog..." he snapped his figures and the threads that made up the net fell limp releasing Seishi abruptly.

Ended up crashing to the ground with an oaf. She growled some as she got up out of the snow. "Well thank you." Her voice was a little sarcastic as she brushed snow off herself… She then eyed this man… he didn't give the sense of a full demon, but he wasn't human either; Hanyou probably. But she really doubted this young guy was who she was looking for… So why was he here? Was he looking for the sage as well? "You're not Sakaju, are you."

The man snorted, "that old fart? Don't make me laugh. I'll assume you didn't mean that as an insult."

Seishi shook her head, "No, a observation… But seeing how you called him 'that old fart', I take it you know of him? Or maybe know him personally? Can you point me in the right direction to find him?"

The man narrowed his eyes, "Well that would all depend on why your looking for him," then his eyes grew dark and dangerous, "and depending on your answer I may have to kill you..."

Seishi blinked at him, then sighed, "The sword smith Totosai told me to find him, else I can't get my blade Kitoiga reforaged. I don't even know why I'm here, since I don't even know if I want to repaired, but I just didn't know what else to do with myself. I guess I am just here to hear what the sage has to say."

The man looked at her carefully, "and you're sure that's the only reason you came?"

Seishi looked at him questioningly, "What else could I be here for?"

The man looked the other way, "Never mind that, if that's all your here for then I guess there is no harm in telling you." The man reached into a pouch he had strapped to his belt, withdrew a small stone and tossed it to Seishi. "Here, catch!"

Seishi blinked and held out her hands, catching the tossed stone in numb hands, "And this is?"

The man smirked, "a dispel stone. With that you should be able to see through the illusions that have been erected to protect this mountain from trespassers." he pointed towards the summit, "Doesn't it look a lot closer now then it did a moment ago?"

Seishi followed his gesture and sure enough it did. "I see… then I thank you… I suppose if I hadn't fallen into your net I would have been wandering here for days."

The man turned as he waved to her, "Yes you would have. Well I must be going now. Take care missy." as he spoke he quickly vanished into the screen of snow.

Seishi opened her mouth to call after him to ask him his name, but he was already out of sight… Sighing, she gripped the stone in her hand, and started out again, this time the summit didn't seem unreachable…

Seishi finally found herself somewhere that looked promising… It looked like a temple carved into the mountain… but her senses told her there was life here. She climbed up to it and moved to the entrance, "Hello?"

An old man with short gray hair and a long bread and mustache, slid the door open. He gazed out at Seishi through his squinted eyes and took a swig from the sake jug he was holding, "hmm I don't remember scheduling a dancer for today... oh well come on in young lady..."

Seishi sweatdropped at his comment, but she moved on inside; it would be nice to get out of the cold a while… "Are you the sage, Sakaju?"

The old man shuffled about clearing away a spot on the floor. He belched as he did, "aye aye that's me... so you dance with or without music?"

Seishi sighed, "Sage Sakaju, I'm not a dancer…"

Sakaju stopped and looked at Seishi, "yaz aren't? Then does youz want then?" he said as he flopped down on the floor taking another swig of sake.

Seishi looked at him, was this really the sage Totosai sent her to find? This drunkard who thought she was some dancer? "Um… My name is Seishi… I came here because the Swordsmith Totosai told me to."

Sakaju snorted, "Totosai? Never liked him... what he'd send ya to me forz?"

Seishi was starting to not like this man much… but she moved over, scooted some stuff aside and sat down, "Let me start from the beginning…" She went on to tell him her story, starting with her arriving in Japan from a foreign land, then how she had been staying with Sesshoumaru, then the stuff with Craven and her brother, to what happened with the corruption of Kitoiga. "Sesshoumaru took me to Totosai to have Kitoiga repaired, but he said if he reforged my sword with me as I am now, then disaster might happen again, and then he told me to come here and find you."

Sakaju took another swig of sake, "I see... now it makes sense why he sent you to me, and I'll have to say you'll be a tough nut to crack." Sakaju stood up and looked down at Seishi, "First thing for you to do... is get me some water... I'm rather parched."

Seishi looked up at him and said dryly, "You know alcohol has a habit of doing that to people." But she stood up in any case, "Do you have a well? Where do you get your water from?"

Sakaju nodded; "the well is out back... hurry back," Sakaju then lied down on his side and yawned.

Seishi sighed and moved off to go find his well... she didn't look forward to the freezing cold outside, but she stepped out into it anyway. She moved around his temple like home and looked for anything that resembled a well.

Seishi found the well and filled a bucket to take inside… she was amazed the water wasn't frozen solid and could only figure that maybe this mountain was a sleeping volcano and there were under ground springs warmed by it.

As Seishi drew water from the a voice came from up a tree next to her, "Well looks like you found Sakaju alright..."

Seishi paused, and then continued getting the water, "Is that drunkard really a sage?"

The man Seishi had meet before on the mountain dropped out of the tree and landed behind Seishi, "Oh he's the real deal, make no mistake about that. When men get on in age they tend to lose touch with a lot of things. Sanity and self-control included."

Seishi sighed and turned, bucket of water in her hands, "Lovely… I hope I'm not wasting my time here. Getting up here has been hell in itself."

"I should warn you not to make him angry. He become a completely different person when that happens."

Seishi looked at him, "I'll keep that in mind. So who are you? His apprentice or something?"

The man smirked, "I'll say that he and I have had our disagreements. He really doesn't like me at all so I'd appreciate you not telling him you saw me. Also I wonder if you could do me one small favor seeing as I helped you earlier..."

Seishi looked at him again, but didn't let anything show on her face. "What kind of favor?"

The man smiled, "He has a pendent that used to be mine but he took it from me and I'd like very much to have it back. I don't know where he's keeping it so if you happen to see it, help me out would you? Oh and don't say anything about it to him, otherwise he'll know you spoke with me."

Seishi said nothing a moment, then replied, "I'll keep a eye out for it…" She moved past him to take the water inside.

He bowed and waved to her, "much obliged young lady. The name's Zetsumaru, and I'm sure we'll meet again." He then disappeared as quickly as he had appeared.

Seishi wasn't sure what to think of this Zetsumaru, but she pushed it from her mind for now and headed back inside.

To Be Continued…