Enchanted Orbs
Chapter 21
Sesshoumaru sat down to dine at the table as Rin chattered away about her adventures. She was still updating her lord on all her activities since he had last seen her, but Sesshoumaru was far away in his own contemplations.
It had been two days since he had arrived here, four days since his departure from his other estate, 'And Kagome.'
He was to the point of losing the battle to his anger and destroying something. Since he had left he had been frequented with flashbacks and glimpses of his former friend, now annoying ghost.
She was only a few days journey from him, and he hadn't even been absent from her sight for a week. Why was he being affected so?
Emotions were always irritating which was why he practically banished them from his life, but now the floodgates had been opened. With the seemingly harmless admission of friendship to someone, admitting he 'cared' somewhat, he was now haunted by her.
Though haunted might not be the best word. He enjoyed the flashes of her smiles, the melody of her voice floating carelessly around his mind, and the soundless visions of her expressions or activities.
But he was getting exceedingly tired of dealing with them. They interrupted his life, 'Just like she does.' They force him to feel whereas he was accustomed to dealing with everything with his aloof manner and bored countenance. She disrupted this in all ways, but then again she kept the boredom at bay. She kept him constantly on guard.
Kagome was a refreshing breeze of spontaneity.
But she was still ruining everything...
"Sesshoumaru-sama? You did, didn't you?" Rin's slightly worried voice broke through his mental arguments.
He looked at his ward, and his head dropped slightly in an affirmative answer.
Her hands fisted and trembled with excitement. "Rin knew you would enjoy them!!"
Before he had a chance to pry out what he had just agreed to, the meal was set before them.
He gracefully lifted the chopsticks, and before he could begin his meal, another memory plagued him.
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"Sesshoumaru, I don't care what you say. I'm going to try you meals before you eat them. I have already defeated the poison, and I can do it again if necessary. I will not allow your arrogance and stubborn attitude to endanger your life."
"Kagome, do you honestly believe that whoever is behind this is foolish enough to attempt to poison me again after failing to do so once? And, yes, you defeated the poison, but you were unconscious for two days. I would call that a close battle."
"Maybe they expect you to become lax in such assumptions, and I didn't know what I was doing the first time. Now that I've learned to deal with such attacks, it won't take as long to recover."
"Fine, do whatever you wish, just do it quickly and quietly."
Kagome quickly kneeled near his pillow. She quietly took up his chopsticks and, with dainty mannerisms and impeccable manners, tasted a small portion of each dish to ensure its safety. Afterwards, she raised his cup to her lips to certify that the drink was safe.
"Are you satisfied now?" The smooth tone belied its irritation.
"Yes, I'll excuse myself now. Enjoy your meal, Sesshoumaru." Kagome quickly exited the room to leave him in peace.
Sesshoumaru enjoyed quiet solitude when he took his meals, so the fact that Kagome had dismissed herself relieved his frustration over her intrusion.
Without thinking he picked up his utensils and swiftly began his meal, but something pierced his thoughts.
His meal now had a different taste added to its normal composition. 'A new spice, perhaps?' It was sweet, but had a jolt of an unnamed flavor that peaked his interest.
He leaned forward and inhaled to try to discern the new taste when Kagome's scent, which still lingered in the room, registered.
Glancing at the chopsticks, he realized that he had picked up the same set she had used only moments before. The new seasoning was Kagome's unique taste.
He resisted momentarily before he reached for his drink, sniffing slightly before finding where Kagome's lips had pressed into it, and sipped from the same point.
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Sesshoumaru tried desperately not to remember what she tasted like because it only brought alien thoughts of wanting to see what her flavor was like from the source.
Kagome was only a girl; she was nothing to be desired. Or so he kept repeating to himself, but he was fighting an uphill battle and losing.
He felt lost, completely disoriented. Sesshoumaru was one who attacked his problems and found its solution quickly and easily, but the solution to this problem escaped him.
If she was causing him all this trouble in his presence, he would send her away with all haste, thus solving the dilemma. But none of this came to light until he departed. 'Could it be that I miss her? Impossible.'
But no matter how he tried, he could come up with no other theories on why he was plagued by her memories, disillusioned by her images, daydreaming of her company.
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Aishi paced around his room. Questions he had fumbled over for the past week were now clearing themselves up nicely.
He had been curious as to why Sesshoumaru had interfered with his...plans for that one servant. At the time, he had been furious, but as the sexual frustration passed, Aishi could think more clearly.
His lord did not need a report; Samon had just entered one two days prior. Why did his lord need another, especially from him when it was Samon's duty this session to summon and register the soldiers?
It had to be an excuse. Sesshoumaru was intentionally protecting this female. Why? His first thought was that he had taken up his father's affinity for ningens, but was unwilling to allow for others to have knowledge of this. In this line of reasoning, it would make sense that this particular female was his favorite. This theory had held when Aishi went to her quarters during the night and she wasn't there. Her scent was hours old, so all held solid under his theory except for one thing.
If she was a concubine, even his favorite, why would Sesshoumaru risk estranging his generals for a woman? He wouldn't; it is as simple as that.
Sesshoumaru was known throughout the lands for his intelligence. He wouldn't risk his life or lands over a concubine.
So there had to be more there. Was he in love with...not even imaginable. So what else is there?
He had been completely confounded by this until a few days ago. He heard someone thinking behind him.
Aishi thanked his ancestors once again for his abilities. He was one of few youkai who possessed the capability to hear thoughts. Yes, there were several who could telepathically tap into someone's mind, but Aishi didn't need to do that.
He had an all access pass; he did not need to actively try. This ability had once been the bane of his existence. Hearing everyone around you even in silence was enough to be driven mad, if youkai could be so afflicted, but he had learned to suppress it.
Aishi very rarely let loose his capabilities, most had very idiotic beliefs and random thought patterns, very confusing. But when alone, he allowed his control to slip.
Which was how he knew someone was following him; he heard their thoughts.
He couldn't place the voice at first even after hearing it through the vocal cords, but after a day of reflection, everything fell into place.
The woman's "job" of following him, the defiant servant, and Sesshoumaru's protection of a human female only to "kill" her a few days later all began to form a new theory. This one was much more like his cunning lord.
This human servant had power. He hated to admit it, but she did place him in a kill position even when she was in one herself. But who would ever look twice at a ningen, let alone a female ningen?
Cunning indeed.
She was a spy, that much was certain, but one thing still didn't fit into place. Why is Sesshoumaru bringing in such a formidable spy? Yes, every lord has their spies placed within a household, but most are expendable.
'It is obvious that Sesshoumaru wants this one to survive if he, himself, stepped between her and me. As defiant as she was, it is obvious in hindsight that she would have attacked me instead of submitting, thus revealing herself and her powers. I have to wonder about the extent of her capabilities. But most importantly, why does Sesshoumaru feel threatened enough to create such a plan?'
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Kagome lay in bed awake. It was the middle of the afternoon, and even though she had been sleeping here at this time for the past few days, she still could not get the hang of sleeping through the sunlight.
Plus, it was hard to sleep with burdens on the brain. Kagome had racked her mind trying to come up with ways Aishi had discovered her in the hallway several days ago.
She avoided him at all costs in the hallways, and if she was forced to follow him because of suspicious conduct, it was a 'deer in headlights' response. Simply put, she froze. Everything stopped, breathing, moving; she did nothing and allowed him to walk past. When he advanced down the corridor a certain distance away, she would pick up the pursuit until she passed him slightly only to repeat her actions.
It was annoying, but that's the only thing she could think of to keep him from finding her.
Because of her irritation with Aishi, she had been spending more time observing the other generals.
Shouron seemed rather aloof. He spent the majority of his time alone, in his room. She could often tell he was reflecting on issues of which she was not aware. Kagome secretly wished she could do something to help, but revealing herself would not be wise, especially when she had yet to find incriminating proof on any of the generals.
Sesshoumaru was right. His generals are very intelligent, and they cover their tracks well. Kagome had not found any hard evidence, and she had not been fortunate enough to stumble across the traitor while conversing on the assassination plan.
'Dang it, Kagome, just relax and let yourself go to sleep.' She reprimanded herself. After stretching out and then letting her muscles relax, she finally found a comfortable position wrapped up in her covers and drifted into dreamland.
00000000000000000 Kagome's Dream 0000000000000000000
Kagome was walking through the forest, but everything around her seemed to be moving in hyper speed. Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Shippo were all walking in front of her.
Sango quickly glanced over at Miroku, and Kagome could see the brilliant pink line connecting her to the monk. The tajiya looked away and the affection line vanished.
'I remember this. Wait. No, I don't want to relive this, please, no.' Kagome pleaded, but as this thought floated through her consciousness, she glanced to the figure in red leading the troupe.
'No, I don't want this.' She pleaded with whatever guides her dreams to stop, but as she continued to look at Inuyasha, another line appeared connecting her to him.
Brilliant pink once again colored the line, but she also saw a silver strand braided into the main rope of line.
'Silver. I never figured out what that meant.' She continued to watch as if her body was not her own, she felt pain, heartache, and loss as she once again will the affection line to turn green.
The instant the color change was completed, Kagome was no longer in the forest. Looking around, she recognized her location. She was in the dojo.
Sesshoumaru stood in front of her; his lips were mouthing words which went unheard. Kagome felt herself crouch into a defensive position, and the disappearance of the demon lord followed.
She relived one of their shorter spars, and Kagome ended up back against the wall, pinned by her neck. 'Anyone else see a pattern here?' She thought sarcastically without bidding her mind to work.
Sesshoumaru's mouth began to move again, Kagome could read his lips well enough to make out a few words. This was one of the few times when he had actually recommended strategies to her.
Of course he never spoke of weaknesses, but he did teach her, in his own twisted way, how to defend herself against his recent attack.
As Kagome realized what he was saying, she saw it. The affection line she was just so recently reacquainted with decided to make its arrival known. A thin silver line snaked its way towards her partner.
'I do not love Sesshoumaru, so that rules out that choice. What else is their between him and me. What is silver?'
She felt time pull her through more twists, and again she was in the dojo. Her outfit had changed, so she assumed it was a different day. Her body once again took control, and she found herself erecting a barrier to protect herself.
Kagome felt a smile form on her lips as Sesshoumaru's wrist twitched slightly. Before she knew it, Kagome's shattered shield was now a weapon, and one dangerously sharp shard now hovered at his throat.
Silver appeared again, only this time, Kagome saw that it originated from him.
00000000000000000000 End Dream 000000000000000000000000
Kagome woke completely confused. Thoughts and images floated through her mind. She had relived the pain of loss of Inuyasha, but now was not the time to focus on that. She needed to figure out what her dream was telling her. Silver, she was supposed to find its meaning.
'When I defeated him, he began to respect me. Yes, that's got to be it. Silver is respect. It makes sense. I respect him, and now I know, that he respects me as well.'
Kagome smiled as she began to sleep again, but this time, no dreams harassed her.
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Sesshoumaru arrived back two days earlier than planned. Although this really didn't cause any problems, it did throw the servants into a tizzy.
Everyone rushed around making sure everything was perfect. Kagome had quite a time avoiding the frantic individuals.
Sesshoumaru had Kagome report to him the minute he had a few minutes peace.
Kagome told him of her suspicions. Though, she hated to admit it, her main suspect was no longer Aishi, but Samon.
There was no hard evidence to support her theory, but Sesshoumaru hadn't suspected her to find any. All of his generals were very intelligent; easy evidence would not be collected.
Kagome spoke of how tense he seemed at all times; he was constantly looking over his shoulder as if he didn't want someone to see what he was doing, and he just had a guilty countenance.
But above all else, as she was walking away from him, she could have sworn she heard him mumble something about poison to himself. At that time, she sprinted back to him to see if she had heard correctly, but he had stopped speaking his thoughts.
Though this proves nothing, Sesshoumaru tended to agree with her. Kagome had no idea of Samon's usual attitude, so she had nothing to compare his recent actions with past attitudes. But Sesshoumaru had noticed a difference in the demon general as well.
Without hard evidence or an overheard conversation, Sesshoumaru would do nothing but watch him. If Samon was not the traitor and he was punished for intended crimes, the true turncoat would go into hiding. If this happened, he might never be found.
And Sesshoumaru wanted this to end, now, but he would not get his way as of yet.
The new troops would be arriving tonight and through tomorrow evening. He needed to go to his generals and ensure the proper accommodations, conduct, and training. He also had the duty to greet his soldiers as a whole once they arrived.
He needed to make a few last minute preparations.
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Lord Sesshoumaru, Taiyoukai of the Western Lands had officially greeted his new recruits and had dismissed them to their quarters for the evening.
Tomorrow training would begin. He was always present on the first day of training and would sporadically show up to assist in the more difficult lessons, but tomorrow would be a hard day.
He needed to get some rest. Sesshoumaru retired to his quarters, changed and slipped into bed.
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Kagome had given up on sleeping for the evening. There were too many people walking through the corridors to be safe spying right now; everyone was too wound up after the official ceremony welcoming the new soldiers. But she couldn't sleep, so what else was there to do but spy?
She put on some comfortable clothing and began combing the hallways looking for suspicious activities.
As she was making her way towards the soldiers' areas, she was alerted to a powerful aura headed straight towards her; it was still quite a distance away, but she recognized it as Aishi. Kagome felt him stop momentarily, then it blurred.
He was racing towards her at an unimaginable speed. On instinct, Kagome placed a barrier in front of her.
Aishi sped around the corner only to plow into her shield. Shaking himself, he leaned forward to make sure what just happened, but before anything could be done, a huge explosion rocked the far end of the corridor in which they stood.
Flames began to lick the walls, rubble now littered the aisle, and she could hear the clang of weapons and metal ringing throughout the area.
Everything was going down now, and Aishi had started it. Why else would he be running from the explosion? 'Coward.' Kagome thought as she prepared herself for battle.
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A/N: Ok I have gotten several reviews on Kagome's "obvious" "stupidity" about not suspecting the other two generals. (Funny, nobody can ever remember their name...) First of all, no, I am not offended. I would probably be thinking the same thing if I was reading the story, BUT since I'm writing it, I am trying to put myself into the character's mindset.
Let's think of this from Kagome's point of view...this guy has tried to force her to do...unseemly things (misogynist bastard), has a massive inferiority complex towards pretty much everyone but Sesshoumaru, and ...well she basically is just looking for any reason to fry his ass. So, yes, she is overlooking the other generals, but...have you ever wanted something so bad that you convinced yourself that it was true? If you have, that's pretty much what Kagome is experiencing. If not, well I guess you couldn't relate, but it is a(n) (common in my experiences) experience.
But as to Kagome's ignorance (stupid is such a harsh word), I have tried to portray how intelligent she is through her banter, abilities, speech patterns, and battle strategies. If ya'll are still questioning her intelligence...I have failed in describing her character. I guess I'll have to go back and fix that...eventually.
SORRY for the long A/N, but I got enough reviews on this subject for me to feel the need to clarify. Hopefully it won't happen again.
IMPORTANT::::Ok, I know I cut it of in a bad place and before I normally do, but a huge, HUGE battle scene is coming up. I didn't want to interrupt that, SO I'm going to update again on Wednesday because of the short chapter.
Hear that??? I'M GOING TO UPDATE AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY!!!!
Chapter 21
Sesshoumaru sat down to dine at the table as Rin chattered away about her adventures. She was still updating her lord on all her activities since he had last seen her, but Sesshoumaru was far away in his own contemplations.
It had been two days since he had arrived here, four days since his departure from his other estate, 'And Kagome.'
He was to the point of losing the battle to his anger and destroying something. Since he had left he had been frequented with flashbacks and glimpses of his former friend, now annoying ghost.
She was only a few days journey from him, and he hadn't even been absent from her sight for a week. Why was he being affected so?
Emotions were always irritating which was why he practically banished them from his life, but now the floodgates had been opened. With the seemingly harmless admission of friendship to someone, admitting he 'cared' somewhat, he was now haunted by her.
Though haunted might not be the best word. He enjoyed the flashes of her smiles, the melody of her voice floating carelessly around his mind, and the soundless visions of her expressions or activities.
But he was getting exceedingly tired of dealing with them. They interrupted his life, 'Just like she does.' They force him to feel whereas he was accustomed to dealing with everything with his aloof manner and bored countenance. She disrupted this in all ways, but then again she kept the boredom at bay. She kept him constantly on guard.
Kagome was a refreshing breeze of spontaneity.
But she was still ruining everything...
"Sesshoumaru-sama? You did, didn't you?" Rin's slightly worried voice broke through his mental arguments.
He looked at his ward, and his head dropped slightly in an affirmative answer.
Her hands fisted and trembled with excitement. "Rin knew you would enjoy them!!"
Before he had a chance to pry out what he had just agreed to, the meal was set before them.
He gracefully lifted the chopsticks, and before he could begin his meal, another memory plagued him.
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"Sesshoumaru, I don't care what you say. I'm going to try you meals before you eat them. I have already defeated the poison, and I can do it again if necessary. I will not allow your arrogance and stubborn attitude to endanger your life."
"Kagome, do you honestly believe that whoever is behind this is foolish enough to attempt to poison me again after failing to do so once? And, yes, you defeated the poison, but you were unconscious for two days. I would call that a close battle."
"Maybe they expect you to become lax in such assumptions, and I didn't know what I was doing the first time. Now that I've learned to deal with such attacks, it won't take as long to recover."
"Fine, do whatever you wish, just do it quickly and quietly."
Kagome quickly kneeled near his pillow. She quietly took up his chopsticks and, with dainty mannerisms and impeccable manners, tasted a small portion of each dish to ensure its safety. Afterwards, she raised his cup to her lips to certify that the drink was safe.
"Are you satisfied now?" The smooth tone belied its irritation.
"Yes, I'll excuse myself now. Enjoy your meal, Sesshoumaru." Kagome quickly exited the room to leave him in peace.
Sesshoumaru enjoyed quiet solitude when he took his meals, so the fact that Kagome had dismissed herself relieved his frustration over her intrusion.
Without thinking he picked up his utensils and swiftly began his meal, but something pierced his thoughts.
His meal now had a different taste added to its normal composition. 'A new spice, perhaps?' It was sweet, but had a jolt of an unnamed flavor that peaked his interest.
He leaned forward and inhaled to try to discern the new taste when Kagome's scent, which still lingered in the room, registered.
Glancing at the chopsticks, he realized that he had picked up the same set she had used only moments before. The new seasoning was Kagome's unique taste.
He resisted momentarily before he reached for his drink, sniffing slightly before finding where Kagome's lips had pressed into it, and sipped from the same point.
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Sesshoumaru tried desperately not to remember what she tasted like because it only brought alien thoughts of wanting to see what her flavor was like from the source.
Kagome was only a girl; she was nothing to be desired. Or so he kept repeating to himself, but he was fighting an uphill battle and losing.
He felt lost, completely disoriented. Sesshoumaru was one who attacked his problems and found its solution quickly and easily, but the solution to this problem escaped him.
If she was causing him all this trouble in his presence, he would send her away with all haste, thus solving the dilemma. But none of this came to light until he departed. 'Could it be that I miss her? Impossible.'
But no matter how he tried, he could come up with no other theories on why he was plagued by her memories, disillusioned by her images, daydreaming of her company.
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Aishi paced around his room. Questions he had fumbled over for the past week were now clearing themselves up nicely.
He had been curious as to why Sesshoumaru had interfered with his...plans for that one servant. At the time, he had been furious, but as the sexual frustration passed, Aishi could think more clearly.
His lord did not need a report; Samon had just entered one two days prior. Why did his lord need another, especially from him when it was Samon's duty this session to summon and register the soldiers?
It had to be an excuse. Sesshoumaru was intentionally protecting this female. Why? His first thought was that he had taken up his father's affinity for ningens, but was unwilling to allow for others to have knowledge of this. In this line of reasoning, it would make sense that this particular female was his favorite. This theory had held when Aishi went to her quarters during the night and she wasn't there. Her scent was hours old, so all held solid under his theory except for one thing.
If she was a concubine, even his favorite, why would Sesshoumaru risk estranging his generals for a woman? He wouldn't; it is as simple as that.
Sesshoumaru was known throughout the lands for his intelligence. He wouldn't risk his life or lands over a concubine.
So there had to be more there. Was he in love with...not even imaginable. So what else is there?
He had been completely confounded by this until a few days ago. He heard someone thinking behind him.
Aishi thanked his ancestors once again for his abilities. He was one of few youkai who possessed the capability to hear thoughts. Yes, there were several who could telepathically tap into someone's mind, but Aishi didn't need to do that.
He had an all access pass; he did not need to actively try. This ability had once been the bane of his existence. Hearing everyone around you even in silence was enough to be driven mad, if youkai could be so afflicted, but he had learned to suppress it.
Aishi very rarely let loose his capabilities, most had very idiotic beliefs and random thought patterns, very confusing. But when alone, he allowed his control to slip.
Which was how he knew someone was following him; he heard their thoughts.
He couldn't place the voice at first even after hearing it through the vocal cords, but after a day of reflection, everything fell into place.
The woman's "job" of following him, the defiant servant, and Sesshoumaru's protection of a human female only to "kill" her a few days later all began to form a new theory. This one was much more like his cunning lord.
This human servant had power. He hated to admit it, but she did place him in a kill position even when she was in one herself. But who would ever look twice at a ningen, let alone a female ningen?
Cunning indeed.
She was a spy, that much was certain, but one thing still didn't fit into place. Why is Sesshoumaru bringing in such a formidable spy? Yes, every lord has their spies placed within a household, but most are expendable.
'It is obvious that Sesshoumaru wants this one to survive if he, himself, stepped between her and me. As defiant as she was, it is obvious in hindsight that she would have attacked me instead of submitting, thus revealing herself and her powers. I have to wonder about the extent of her capabilities. But most importantly, why does Sesshoumaru feel threatened enough to create such a plan?'
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Kagome lay in bed awake. It was the middle of the afternoon, and even though she had been sleeping here at this time for the past few days, she still could not get the hang of sleeping through the sunlight.
Plus, it was hard to sleep with burdens on the brain. Kagome had racked her mind trying to come up with ways Aishi had discovered her in the hallway several days ago.
She avoided him at all costs in the hallways, and if she was forced to follow him because of suspicious conduct, it was a 'deer in headlights' response. Simply put, she froze. Everything stopped, breathing, moving; she did nothing and allowed him to walk past. When he advanced down the corridor a certain distance away, she would pick up the pursuit until she passed him slightly only to repeat her actions.
It was annoying, but that's the only thing she could think of to keep him from finding her.
Because of her irritation with Aishi, she had been spending more time observing the other generals.
Shouron seemed rather aloof. He spent the majority of his time alone, in his room. She could often tell he was reflecting on issues of which she was not aware. Kagome secretly wished she could do something to help, but revealing herself would not be wise, especially when she had yet to find incriminating proof on any of the generals.
Sesshoumaru was right. His generals are very intelligent, and they cover their tracks well. Kagome had not found any hard evidence, and she had not been fortunate enough to stumble across the traitor while conversing on the assassination plan.
'Dang it, Kagome, just relax and let yourself go to sleep.' She reprimanded herself. After stretching out and then letting her muscles relax, she finally found a comfortable position wrapped up in her covers and drifted into dreamland.
00000000000000000 Kagome's Dream 0000000000000000000
Kagome was walking through the forest, but everything around her seemed to be moving in hyper speed. Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Shippo were all walking in front of her.
Sango quickly glanced over at Miroku, and Kagome could see the brilliant pink line connecting her to the monk. The tajiya looked away and the affection line vanished.
'I remember this. Wait. No, I don't want to relive this, please, no.' Kagome pleaded, but as this thought floated through her consciousness, she glanced to the figure in red leading the troupe.
'No, I don't want this.' She pleaded with whatever guides her dreams to stop, but as she continued to look at Inuyasha, another line appeared connecting her to him.
Brilliant pink once again colored the line, but she also saw a silver strand braided into the main rope of line.
'Silver. I never figured out what that meant.' She continued to watch as if her body was not her own, she felt pain, heartache, and loss as she once again will the affection line to turn green.
The instant the color change was completed, Kagome was no longer in the forest. Looking around, she recognized her location. She was in the dojo.
Sesshoumaru stood in front of her; his lips were mouthing words which went unheard. Kagome felt herself crouch into a defensive position, and the disappearance of the demon lord followed.
She relived one of their shorter spars, and Kagome ended up back against the wall, pinned by her neck. 'Anyone else see a pattern here?' She thought sarcastically without bidding her mind to work.
Sesshoumaru's mouth began to move again, Kagome could read his lips well enough to make out a few words. This was one of the few times when he had actually recommended strategies to her.
Of course he never spoke of weaknesses, but he did teach her, in his own twisted way, how to defend herself against his recent attack.
As Kagome realized what he was saying, she saw it. The affection line she was just so recently reacquainted with decided to make its arrival known. A thin silver line snaked its way towards her partner.
'I do not love Sesshoumaru, so that rules out that choice. What else is their between him and me. What is silver?'
She felt time pull her through more twists, and again she was in the dojo. Her outfit had changed, so she assumed it was a different day. Her body once again took control, and she found herself erecting a barrier to protect herself.
Kagome felt a smile form on her lips as Sesshoumaru's wrist twitched slightly. Before she knew it, Kagome's shattered shield was now a weapon, and one dangerously sharp shard now hovered at his throat.
Silver appeared again, only this time, Kagome saw that it originated from him.
00000000000000000000 End Dream 000000000000000000000000
Kagome woke completely confused. Thoughts and images floated through her mind. She had relived the pain of loss of Inuyasha, but now was not the time to focus on that. She needed to figure out what her dream was telling her. Silver, she was supposed to find its meaning.
'When I defeated him, he began to respect me. Yes, that's got to be it. Silver is respect. It makes sense. I respect him, and now I know, that he respects me as well.'
Kagome smiled as she began to sleep again, but this time, no dreams harassed her.
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Sesshoumaru arrived back two days earlier than planned. Although this really didn't cause any problems, it did throw the servants into a tizzy.
Everyone rushed around making sure everything was perfect. Kagome had quite a time avoiding the frantic individuals.
Sesshoumaru had Kagome report to him the minute he had a few minutes peace.
Kagome told him of her suspicions. Though, she hated to admit it, her main suspect was no longer Aishi, but Samon.
There was no hard evidence to support her theory, but Sesshoumaru hadn't suspected her to find any. All of his generals were very intelligent; easy evidence would not be collected.
Kagome spoke of how tense he seemed at all times; he was constantly looking over his shoulder as if he didn't want someone to see what he was doing, and he just had a guilty countenance.
But above all else, as she was walking away from him, she could have sworn she heard him mumble something about poison to himself. At that time, she sprinted back to him to see if she had heard correctly, but he had stopped speaking his thoughts.
Though this proves nothing, Sesshoumaru tended to agree with her. Kagome had no idea of Samon's usual attitude, so she had nothing to compare his recent actions with past attitudes. But Sesshoumaru had noticed a difference in the demon general as well.
Without hard evidence or an overheard conversation, Sesshoumaru would do nothing but watch him. If Samon was not the traitor and he was punished for intended crimes, the true turncoat would go into hiding. If this happened, he might never be found.
And Sesshoumaru wanted this to end, now, but he would not get his way as of yet.
The new troops would be arriving tonight and through tomorrow evening. He needed to go to his generals and ensure the proper accommodations, conduct, and training. He also had the duty to greet his soldiers as a whole once they arrived.
He needed to make a few last minute preparations.
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Lord Sesshoumaru, Taiyoukai of the Western Lands had officially greeted his new recruits and had dismissed them to their quarters for the evening.
Tomorrow training would begin. He was always present on the first day of training and would sporadically show up to assist in the more difficult lessons, but tomorrow would be a hard day.
He needed to get some rest. Sesshoumaru retired to his quarters, changed and slipped into bed.
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Kagome had given up on sleeping for the evening. There were too many people walking through the corridors to be safe spying right now; everyone was too wound up after the official ceremony welcoming the new soldiers. But she couldn't sleep, so what else was there to do but spy?
She put on some comfortable clothing and began combing the hallways looking for suspicious activities.
As she was making her way towards the soldiers' areas, she was alerted to a powerful aura headed straight towards her; it was still quite a distance away, but she recognized it as Aishi. Kagome felt him stop momentarily, then it blurred.
He was racing towards her at an unimaginable speed. On instinct, Kagome placed a barrier in front of her.
Aishi sped around the corner only to plow into her shield. Shaking himself, he leaned forward to make sure what just happened, but before anything could be done, a huge explosion rocked the far end of the corridor in which they stood.
Flames began to lick the walls, rubble now littered the aisle, and she could hear the clang of weapons and metal ringing throughout the area.
Everything was going down now, and Aishi had started it. Why else would he be running from the explosion? 'Coward.' Kagome thought as she prepared herself for battle.
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A/N: Ok I have gotten several reviews on Kagome's "obvious" "stupidity" about not suspecting the other two generals. (Funny, nobody can ever remember their name...) First of all, no, I am not offended. I would probably be thinking the same thing if I was reading the story, BUT since I'm writing it, I am trying to put myself into the character's mindset.
Let's think of this from Kagome's point of view...this guy has tried to force her to do...unseemly things (misogynist bastard), has a massive inferiority complex towards pretty much everyone but Sesshoumaru, and ...well she basically is just looking for any reason to fry his ass. So, yes, she is overlooking the other generals, but...have you ever wanted something so bad that you convinced yourself that it was true? If you have, that's pretty much what Kagome is experiencing. If not, well I guess you couldn't relate, but it is a(n) (common in my experiences) experience.
But as to Kagome's ignorance (stupid is such a harsh word), I have tried to portray how intelligent she is through her banter, abilities, speech patterns, and battle strategies. If ya'll are still questioning her intelligence...I have failed in describing her character. I guess I'll have to go back and fix that...eventually.
SORRY for the long A/N, but I got enough reviews on this subject for me to feel the need to clarify. Hopefully it won't happen again.
IMPORTANT::::Ok, I know I cut it of in a bad place and before I normally do, but a huge, HUGE battle scene is coming up. I didn't want to interrupt that, SO I'm going to update again on Wednesday because of the short chapter.
Hear that??? I'M GOING TO UPDATE AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY!!!!
