Characters do not belong to me and I make no money. This is for catwho. Thanks to calophi for the beta.
Alliance
His reflection stared coldly from the cool mountain stream. It projected its own persona-- one of indifference. Sesshoumaru's growing admiration of that projection was suddenly interrupted as Rin dove into the stream on the hunt for her breakfast. "Yah... I caught it! Lord Sesshoumaru, did you see?" She did not wait for an answer, skipping off with her prey. It was for the best-- she would not have received one.
He raised his eyes towards the craggy walls of the mountain valley. The mist had not yet dissipated, and the sun had only barely risen. The small group had been traveling further each day, nearing the lair of the great Miyazawa. Miyazawa was a Great Dog Demon-- a ruler in the Northern province and a vassal of Sesshoumaru's father. Sesshoumaru had not visited him in many, many years. Miyazawa had always been a very loyal ally-- though he was most certainly not blindly loyal. Sesshoumaru had reason to fear that his alliance with (sovereignty over?) Miyazawa was in jeopardy.
Today, after a week of travel -- partly by air, partly on foot -- they would finally reach Miyazawa. "Jaken, get Ah-Un; we will travel on foot up this valley, and reach Miyazawa before mid-morning."
"Yes, m'lord! It will be a great honor to see Lord Miyazawa again! I do hope he's been well. He--"
"Jaken. Silence. Do as I say."
The adoring imp bowed, ashamed. "Sorry, m'lord. Right away, m'lord." He scampered off.
Gazing North once again, Sesshoumaru's impatience got the better of him. "Hurry, Jaken. We are expected."
And expected they were. As the midmorning sun burned off the last vestiges of the mountain mist, the craggy walls suddenly sloped into a rocky, bowl-shaped valley. The entire valley seemed to be moving, and the ground trembled below their feet. It was the rumble of hundreds of servants-- perhaps thousands, even-- at work in the Lair of Miyazawa. The "Lair" was actually a complex of very fine palaces lining one of the valley walls. The palaces and servants' town, which lined the other wall (and, in truth, looked no less 'fine') were linked by an extensive array of gardens overflowing with workers scurrying to and fro.
It was a suitably isolated place for a lair, but had the disadvantage of being surrounded on all sides by good vantage points: a prime opportunity for any spy.
Miyazawa was the strongest lord in all of Japan, save one, the son of the Great Dog Demon. Miyazawa's palace was widely renowned to be one of the most beautiful in the land. Starting down the slope to the palace gates, followed by his modest entourage, Sesshoumaru simply felt the palace poorly situated and ill-kept. And Miyazawa, if Sesshoumaru's memory was reliable, was a rather silly lord.
"Rin, wait here with Ah-Un. You will be safe here." Much safer than inside the gate, at any rate. "Come, Jaken." Sesshoumaru coolly bridged the last few steps to the gate.
"You will come back, right Lord Sesshoumaru?" the girl called. Sesshoumaru turned just enough to favor the girl with a glare. He started to respond, but thought better of it. "Jaken, please let them know we have arrived."
Jaken rapped on the heavy wooden gate with his Staff of Two Heads. Nary a second later the gate swung open and they were greeted by a fish-faced youkai underservant. He bowed deeply. "Lord Sesshoumaru, we are honored by this visit. We hope our preparations will be to your liking and that--"
Sesshoumaru cut him off with a dart-like glare. "Where is Miyazawa." It was not a question, but a command.
The underservant, visibly shaken, bowed again-- more deeply this time, if that was possible. Sesshoumaru suppressed a sigh of disgust, not due to the underservant (after all, what could you really expect of an isolated lesser servant besides wide-eyed admiration and flattery?), but because of Jaken, whose silence had forced Sesshoumaru to speak directly to such a servant. I don't keep a retainer simply to make my entourage seem larger. But then why did he keep the girl? Feh, I don't keep her. She does what she likes. Sesshoumaru silenced his thoughts and followed the servant across the decadent gardens to the most ostentatious of the palace buildings-- the main house.
Inside, Miyazawa was standing expectantly next to a low ebony table. "Ah, Lord Sesshoumaru of the West." Miyazawa bowed, but not quite low enough. The West, thought Sesshoumaru. The implication that Sesshoumaru was not lord over Miyazawa could not have been plainer. I was right to come, then, he thought.
Sesshoumaru paused to survey the room: three guards, crudely armed. Miyazawa only wore a single, unimpressive sword. Hand-to-hand, the older demon would be no match for Sesshoumaru. At least I can be sure it's not a trap. He has severely underestimated me. Good.
After the uncomfortable pause, Sesshoumaru caught Miyazawa's golden eyes with his own. The younger demon did not bow at all. To anyone. Ever. "Miyazawa." Sesshoumaru was not in the habit of adding honorifics to names. He hoped his meaning was clear, even to the foolish and dense older demon.
Visibly flustered, Miyazawa motioned to the low table. "What brings you to my lair, Lord?"
Sesshoumaru took the invitation and sat. Miyazawa sat across from him. Jaken, suddenly less ignorant of his duties, stood behind and to the left of Sesshoumaru, against the front wall of the main house.
Before answering, Sesshoumaru studied Miyazawa. He was thick in the stomach, his thinning white hair gathered in a topknot. He wore a typical white hakama trimmed in austere black. The clothing and hair gave him a more dignified appearance than he deserved. He had once been genuinely dignified, but those days had long passed. Miyazawa's sun was clearly setting. As mine rises.
"I've heard a distressing rumor that you are forgetting your loyalties to the West."
"Ah. Lord Sesshoumaru, now… You are not your father. Were you ever sure that my loyalties were yours?"
"If your word is to be honored. You did give it to me." Both your loyalties and your word, he added silently to himself.
Miyazawa's eyebrows knit themselves together. "That was a different Sesshoumaru. One that didn't play with a human child, or cater to his illegitimate hanyou brother." Miyazawa nearly choked on the word.
So, thought Sesshoumaru, we come to the crux of the matter. "The child follows me-- I do not play with her. And I owe you no explanation of the matter."
"Ah, but what have you to say about the illegitimate..." he could not even bring himself to say the word a second time.
Illegitimate implies that InuYasha was unclaimed by my father. My issue with the situation is that he is far too legitimate, he and his fang-sword. Sesshoumaru opted not to share this information with Miyazawa.
Sesshoumaru stood. Miyazawa, confused, followed suit. In three strides, Sesshoumaru had circumnavigated the table. Before Miyazawa could react, Sesshoumaru's poison claws had penetrated Miyazawa's neck and the Great Dog Demon of the North was no more.
"Lord Sesshoumaru!" cried Jaken, startled by the turn of events, more startled, it seemed, than Miyazawa's guard.
Sesshoumaru turned to the imp. "Come, Jaken, we are done here." He gave one wary glance to the guards, who were vigorously avoiding his gaze.
"But you've killed the Great Dog Demon!"
Sesshoumaru turned cool eyes on the imp. "There was no Great Dog Demon here. I killed an honorless mange-hound. Even his guards would not defend him."
With that, Sesshoumaru turned and left the hall. His reason for killing Miyazawa was simple. No enemy was more dangerous than one clothed as an ally.