Yes, I don't own Inuyasha cause if I did...I'd be finishing the series, not writing fanfiction

Love Undaunted

Izayoi watched the face of her sleeping lord with a small smile. Relaxed in a way he never was with anyone else, his fearsome face could almost be called cute. Almost. Inutaisho's features were too strong for that. She sat up,wondering at how once those features had frightened and intrigued her. It had been almost two years sine she had met Inutaisho, merely by chance. She had been running away from home again after being promised to yet another boorish general. Strategic marriages were not to her taste, and she ususally changed into peasant clothing and hid out near the castle until her father realised her will would win out, as always. This time had been different. Unfortunately for her, several demons had begun chasing her as soon as she entered the forest near her home, and she was rapidly tiring from trying to outrun them. She finally slumped agasina tree, turning around, determined to meet her doom head on. As the lizard youkai closed in her, each snapping its jaws something white and blurry flasehd across her path and headed towards them, quickly reducing them to small pieces of flesh that hung in the air and then fell to the ground. Now that the figure was no longer moving, she could make out pale skin and silvery white hair, down past the person's waist. The armor gave the person away as male and she gasped as he turned.

"Youkai!" She said startled, backing into the tree. He looked at her, as if surprised.

"What are you doing there? Don't tell me you are a taijiya," he said. He walked to her and she tried to burrow into the tree. he sniffed her. "Definitely not taijiya. They stink of dead weak youkai. What is a noble lady doing in the forest at night?" Seeing her panic stricken face he gace her a rogueish grin. "Do not worry, little human, I will not devour you." He quickly became annoyed at her continuing silence. "If you be mute, and so obviously stupid as to wander these woods at night, I shall take my leave of you."

The word stupid broke through Izayoi's fear glazed mind. She snatched her head up, walking forward and pushing the youkai backwards. Surprised, he took a step back.

"Stupid? Mute? Didn't you hear me say "youkai" three seconds ago? Or are you such an old man your hearing is starting to go?"He gapedat that and Izayoi smiled, folding her arms,"I'll have you know my family owns these woods! I can wander in them whenever I choose! And ifI didn't reply to your question, it is because confronting four youkai in one night is enough to scare anyone's wits away and-" She said and he clapped a hand over her mouth, looking at her.

"I regret my words. Please return to that fearful silence. You were much prettier mute." He said, the smile gone from his face and a look of annoyance replacing it. He shook his head, muttering, "Old man..."

"Why you overbearing-!"
"Oh, and for future reference, as this palace is on my lands, I own those woods. Otherwise your flesh would be digesting in those lizard's stomachs." He said, picking her up.
"What are you-?" Izayoi started to ask, her face flushing
"I am returning you to your home, so that your family can suffer as I have." He said.
"Suffer!"
"Yes, that incessant tongue of yours. Hopefully they will lock you away somewhere and this Inutaisho will no longer have to concern himself."

"No one asked-"

"Or I could leave you here," The youkai said chillingly. Izayoi looked at the remains of the youkai on the ground and shook her head no. He smiled at her coldly and held her under one arm, as if carrying a small child. Cheeks burning she said nothing more.

"Does this thing belong to you?"

Izayoi fumed as she was held up by the collar in front of her father and the suitor come to court her. Her father gasped, knocking over his sake cup in his haste to stand. Her would-be suitor went white, and started to shake.
"Inutaisho, if you could put this noble lady down," Izayoi said gritting her teeth. He glanced at her.
"Inutaisho-sama, you disrespectful wench," He admonished her. She ground her teeth, glaring at him.

"Inutaisho-sama, if you could please put this humble Lady Izayoi down,"Izayoi said, practically growling the words. Inutaisho laughed and set her down gently. "Thank you," She said as he turned to leave.

"Of course." He replied.

And then she had not seen the demon lord for an entire month. After being returned by Inutaisho, her father had kept her carefully guarded. The spineless man she had seen upon returning to the castle that night was to be her husband. As a courtesy effort, as well as a strategy to gain a powerful ally, her father had sent an invitation to Inutaisho. To her surprise, he had shown up, not through the front door, but directly in her room.

"We meet again, little human." He said, leaning agains the shoji doors. She jumped, startled.
"Inutaisho..." She started and he gave her a warning glance. "-sama. I did not expect you would lower yourself to consort with humans"

"Did you not know that if you save someone's life you become responsible for them?" Inutaisho chuckled, it coming out as more a of bark. "So, getting married to another pathetic human? How sad for you. Is that why you were in the forest that night?"

"You think I would want to get married to a spineless, slobbering fool?" Izayoi bit back, angry at him for being amused at her plight.

"Come here," he said. She blinked and he looked at her expectantly. She stood and went out standing in the doorway with him.

"If you travel to the south of that star, you will eventually reach my home." Inutaisho said, pointing out the star with one claw. "I have no actual right to take you away from this place, but if you leave, I will not refuse you asylum. It is a long journey. It is up to you if you decide to make it. You may lose your life." Izayoi stared at him.

"Why...?" She said, utterly surprised.

"I told you, as I have saved your life, however unwittingly, I am responsible for you." Inutaisho said uncomfortably, his voice dropping to a rumble. "Izayoi." He straightened up, tails flicking slightly behind him. "I shall await your arrival"

"Await-but I haven't even decided yet!" Izayoi yelled after him. She watched the youkai disappear and slumped back to the floor, frowning. Expecting her to come automatically, how arrogant. On the other hand...she had a chance to save herself from the countless suitors and a miserable marriage.

Despite her various misgivings, Izayoi had taken that chance. She snuck away from the palace, gathering only what she needed, and traveled to the home of the Lord of the Western Lands. Despite the fact he had not openly accompanied her and had not said he would look after her at all on the journey, she suspected that he had, glimpsing a flash of white here and there. And he had been at the gates of his palace to greet her, simply saying her name and nodding. What followed afterwards was both pleasing and embarassing to remember. She had misinterpreted the invitation as platonic, and when she realised his intentions, she had punched the taiyoukai squarely in the jaw and made haste to leave. He had stopped her, and, shockingly enough,apologized, grumbling that he was a man of few words, and those awkward. He invited her to stay as a guest. Before she knew what was happening, she found herself looking forward to seeing the gruff and arrogant lord each day. Despite the coolness of the youkai around her, she enjoyed herself more by Inutaisho's side then anyplace else she had ever been. He allowed her a freedom she had never experienced. A chance to escape the confines of her duty and simply be herself, a self that amused him to no end. He made a habit of showing how her "antics" caused him no small amount of mirth, one of the things that usually sparked their arguments.

But that too had changed, in time. His amusement with her changed to affection, and affection into love. Her admiration and exasperation for him had changed into a wary sort of friendliness, and into love like his. He had taken her for his mate. After asking, of course.

Izayoi smiled, thinking back on those memories. That had been quite some time ago. Their son, Inuyasha, cried in the other room, prompting her to rise. She stopped as Inutaisho wrapped his hand around one of her wrists.

"What is it?"
"Dragon..." He growled, sitting up.He dressed swiftly, and accompanied Izayoi to Inuyasha's room. Picking up his son, Inutaisho smiled slightly, then handed him to Izayoi, kissing her gently. "I will be gone some time. This is an old and formidable foe."

"You will come back safely?" Izayoi asked quietly, grasping his shirt. She heard a roar in the distance.

"Why would I not return to you?" Inutaisho said, grinning at her misgivings. He opened the shoji doors and bounded away. Izayoi stepped out of the room with Inuyasha, then looked to the side. Testsusaiga and Tenseiga rested against the wall.

He had been leaving them behind lately for her protection, claiming he did not really require their use, but it made her nervous, still. She would have liked for him to at least take Tenseiga. There had been so much trouble in the Western Lands. She shook her head, kneeling and rocking Inuyasha gently. Surely he would be back, bloodied and grinning at her for worrying so much. Still, she prayed for his safe return.

Yeah, its been a while since I've updated, but I'm back! And I do plan on updating much sooner next time, I really really do. Really. I've got a full length story in the works too, if I ever get around to finishing it...

As always, read, review, comment,criticise, point out bad grammar, leave an opinion, and even flame me if you feel like it!