Chapter Four: The InuYoukai
There had been no complaint from Izaoi as she ate her dinner. She had devoured it as if she hadn't eaten in over a week. The small hanyou pup had fallen asleep before she had finished, and now was curled up in his fur pelt he had given to the human woman to keep warm. Izaoi was now sleeping, also curled up in his fur, and he frowned, as he sat hunched on all fours watching them.
Sitting back on his heels, Sesshoumaru sighed. His pelt would need a good washing after he dumped them off near a human village. Their stench would hopefully come out. Standing up, the youkai moved away from the fire and crossed his arms in annoyance. Why did he insist on helping them? What relation were those two insignificant people to him? True the pup was his half brother, but why protect the woman? Was it because his father loved her enough to die for her?
That thought brought a scowl to his face, and he looked over his shoulder at her. Tilting his head to the side, he stared at her wondering what it was about her that caused his father, a great daiyoukai, to fall in love with her. Shaking his head, he turned back to the trees and glared at them.
Lowering his head slightly, he still didn't feel the full impact of his father's death. Silently he didn't want to believe it. Would his father have died for him? He wondered. Sesshoumaru was now alone in the world. Before, even though he traveled by himself on most occasions, there was always that lingering thought in the back of his head that he could seek out his father for company or advice when needed. It was a rarity that he would ever seek out his father but knowing he was there, was always a comfort. Now his father was dead. What was he to do?
Their parting words had been ones filled with greed, well his were. His father was calm, as he always was, but Sesshoumaru remembered the anger in his father's words when the younger youkai mentioned power and conquest. Closing his eyes, he wondered if he could have ever have brought himself to kill his own father. Did he desire power so much, with his overwhelming need for the swords, to actually bring him cause to raise a hand to his own flesh and blood?
Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru didn't know. True, he had thought about defeating his father in battle, but would he actually be able to kill him? He would never know. His father was dead. Lifting his head to the sky, Sesshoumaru felt his eyes sting from the wind. They were watering, and he growled softly. 'Do you have something to protect?' Those were his father's words to him before he had left. Feeling defeated, Sesshoumaru turned and stared once again at his fur housing two mortals. Was his brother indeed a mortal?
Frowning, Sesshoumaru took a step in their direction, but froze when a soft coo reached his ears. 'The hanyou is awake?' He silently thought. Frowning deeper, Sesshoumaru walked over to them, and stared down at the small pup whose eyes were wide. Little fists clenched and unclenched. Then those golden orbs locked on his and they grew wider, if that were possible.
The eyes brightened at a familiar face in his short life and Inuyasha cooed louder.
Sesshoumaru knelt beside his half brother and shook his head. "Stop that!" He whispered. "You will wake your mother."
Inuyasha stilled immediately at the hushed words and then reached out his little hands towards him. Sesshoumaru flinched at the silent plea to be held. Scowling, he brushed a finger across Inuyasha's face, and tweaked the small ears. They twitched out of the way, and Inuyasha's eyes grew teary.
"Tender are they?" Sesshoumaru smirked. Sighing, and against his better judgment, the youkai picked up his brother, and folded him into his hakama. Walking away from the sleeping woman, Sesshoumaru faced the trees once again. "You are going to be a nuisance, do you realize that?"
Inuyasha blinked, locking his eyes with Sesshoumaru's. The golden eyes moved away from his and locked onto a strand of his hair as it flew into the tiny pup's face. Sesshoumaru snorted in disgust. "Not this time. I do not wish to have to bathe in this cold weather to clean off your slobber. Thank you." The youkai snatched his hair away quickly before Inuyasha's tiny fingers could grab it.
Inuyasha whimpered, and his lower lip pouted.
Rolling his eyes, Sesshoumaru watched the eyes tear again, and he felt his eyes widen in surprise. "You would cry? How unbecoming. Youkai don't cry, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru sneered.
Inuyasha stilled immediately at those words, and the golden orbs slid over to meet his once again. "You are breed from a powerful inuyoukai, but also from a weak human. Do you know who I am to you?"
The small pup frowned seemingly trying to understand the soft words.
"I am nothing to you." Sesshoumaru smirked. "I do not care if you live or die, nor do I care about your mother. The only reason for my doing this is because of my father." His words filled with disgust. He was disgusted with himself. Startled, Sesshoumaru frowned and locked his eyes with Inuyasha's. Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru sighed again. "Listen to me. I am talking with a weak hanyou as if you would understand what I'm saying. Hnn. Am I fooling myself?" He asked the boy.
Inuyasha shifted and blinked confused.
"Know this Inuyasha, after this night you will never see me again. I do not need you, nor will you know I even exist. Damn pup. I'm not making any sense to anyone. Not even to myself." Sesshoumaru sighed, and tucked the folds on his hakama closer around the tiny pup in his arms. "This is father's job, not mine. Why did he have to die? It's your fault you know." Inuyasha's lips quavered slightly. Whimpering softly, Inuyasha curled up closer to Sesshoumaru's warm chest.
Blinking, Sesshoumaru stared at the small hanyou confused. "Are you cold?" He whispered. Frowning, Sesshoumaru lifted his arms slightly, and tucked Inuyasha closer to his chin. Softly, he growled in his throat, and felt Inuyasha still at the sound. The small pup's breathing calmed, and Inuyasha's ice-cold hands touched his throat curiously. "You are cold." Sesshoumaru whispered.
A gasp from behind him caused Sesshoumaru to turn around and stare at the woman who had woken to find her child missing. Her eyes found his, and then trailed to the small pup in his arms. Izaoi's mouth dropped open. She stood up and wrapped his fur around her shoulders and walked over to him.
Sesshoumaru remained frozen in place as she stopped before him, staring at her son in his arms. "Did he wake up?" She whispered, seeing Inuyasha's tiny body curled up comfortably in the youkai's arms. She noticed a small hand on Sesshoumaru's throat, and her mouth turned downward.
Sesshoumaru nodded, his soft growling continuing. Stopping his soft animal noise, he lowered the hanyou and handed Inuyasha to her. Turning away, Sesshoumaru wondered what had possessed him to do the exact same thing his father did when he had been a pup. He remembered it had comforted him, and eased all fears and worries. Why would he care if Inuyasha's fears were silenced?
Shaking his head, he jumped into the trees and left Izaoi standing there, holding her child tightly. She walked back to the fire and wondered if the son of her husband would return. Izaoi had no idea where she was, and was suddenly afraid. What if there were demons here who wished harm upon humans.
When she had met Inutaisho, he had been cold and angry. However something in his eyes made her doubt his evil intent upon her. His words had been filled with hate and disgust, even contempt, but somehow, she knew that it was all a façade with him. Perhaps it was the same with his son.
Seeing Sesshoumaru with Inuyasha was touching to say the least. Sadly, she curled up on the fur pelt once again, holding Inuyasha to her heart, crying softly in the darkness.
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Sesshoumaru cursed to himself. He sat in the tree overlooking the small camp, and still didn't understand why he just didn't leave them. All he wanted was to seek power. Not sit here watching over two mortals. Turning away from the camp, he stared out over the snow-covered lands, wondering why he was protecting them. Sitting up scowling, once again thinking back to his father, Sesshoumaru jumped out of the trees and entered the camp. Now he was angry. So far, his thoughts either lingered to his father, or they would drift over to that damn pup and his mother.
She had cried after he had left the camp, it hadn't been hard to hear. Even despite her attempts at keeping them hushed. Standing over her once again, watching her sleep, again his mind wandered to his father and what had caused him to fall in love with her. Love was a weakness. Obviously it was, seeing as his father had died protecting her and the pup.
Shaking his head furiously, Sesshoumaru stared at the open eyes of the Inu pup. Inuyasha had the inuyoukai eyes. Filled with emotion, which was definitely not a youkai trait. Silently, he wondered if Inuyasha would grow up soft, or if he would learn by instinct. The pup would need training, in order to protect himself in a world filled with hate and despicable malice. Once again, his thoughts trailed over to who would train the small pup in defenses.
Sesshoumaru certainly didn't desire the task. He had far more important things to do. Firstly, he needed to find the swords. Now that his father was dead, he could wield them, and become a stronger and more powerful youkai. The swords crafted from his father's fangs, more importantly the Tessaiga, would hold some of his father's power in it, which once wielded would be passed onto its holder. Smirking, Sesshoumaru felt a sudden thrill of excitement at that thought.
True he was already powerful for a youkai his age, but being given his father's power on top of it, would make him undefeatable. The other sword, the Tenseiga, was useless, although the thought of having another of his father's swords, crafted from his fang, perhaps it would give him some more power. Snorting, Sesshoumaru cast that sword out of his thoughts. What use would it be? It would always remain sheathed, so what was the point of having it?
Now Sesshoumaru possessing the Sou'unga, now that was a sword that would give him ultimate power. He remembered the first day his father had arrived back home with it. The aura emanating from the sword was remarkable. However, it was still a mystery to Sesshoumaru. The unknown somehow frightened him. Snarling with rage, Sesshoumaru didn't feel fear. Turning away from the fire, Sesshoumaru stared once again at the trees and watched them sway in the heavy breeze.
The snow still didn't stop, and he shook his head in annoyance. He always hated the snow, it was wet, and left a chill in the air that always angered him. Taking a deep breath, he smelled the chill and wrinkled his nose in disgust.
He was brought out of his thoughts when a small whimper reached his ears, and he turned around to stare at the mound piled by the fire. Rolling his eyes, he walked back over to the fur and glared down at the hanyou. "Cease your whimpers, pup." He snarled softly.
Inuyasha jerked at the harsh words, and he began to cry.
Sesshoumaru blinked rapidly, and quickly scooped the pup into his arms. "You're going to wake your mother." Sesshoumaru cursed.
The small youkai cried a little harder at the harsh words that were once soft from the same voice.
Closing his eyes, Sesshoumaru panicked. How was he going to silence the pup up? Lifting Inuyasha once again, he tucked the hanyou under his chin, and began growling softly. Almost immediately, Inuyasha stopped crying, and once again lifted his cold hand to his throat. It wasn't long after, that the breathing calmed and slowed into sleep.
Pulling Inuyasha back slightly, Sesshoumaru frowned at the small hanyou curiously. Smirking, Sesshoumaru wondered if perhaps through some twist, he could be the one to train this hanyou into something powerful. Emotion was a weakness, so perhaps showing nothing but hate towards him, and training him in some way could give the pup a chance in life that most half-breeds never had.
Most hanyou children died before they reached adolescence. "However, perhaps we can give you a chance at life that most hanyou don't have. Between you and me, Inuyasha, you shall be under my protection. You won't remember this conversation, and one day you will spit out my name in disgust, but perhaps one day you will understand what I will do for you." Sesshoumaru placed the child back onto his fur and smiled a rare smile that usually never crossed his face. "Nothing shall harm you, or bring upon your death. If anyone shall kill you, it shall be me, however as the years pass, we will see what fate brings our way."
Standing and staring down at his half brother, Sesshoumaru quickly washed the smile away. "For a few years at least, you shall live without fear." Nodding, Sesshoumaru moved away from the fire and stared up into the snow-covered sky. "I seem to have something to protect, father. I only wish you were here to be his protector. I shall miss our conversations." Lowering his voice to nothing more then a whisper, Sesshoumaru added. "I shall miss you." The words were lost in the howling wind.