Inuyasha

Love's War

Chapter 8

Vanishing

September 24, 2018

"I don't understand they come fast and hard then just vanish…" Inuyasha said confused as he stood on the Fort wall of the Western border garrison. He put one hand on his hip and the other on the hilt of his sword frowning out at the empty fields around the garrison where hundreds of solders had just been not moments before.

"It is perplexing, and we can't return to the castle until we know what and how it's happening." Sesshomaru said frustrated as he glared out over the deserted fields again. It's been more than a week now that he's been trapped here in the southern garrison away from his mate he could feel she was fine, but it was his job to protect her and he couldn't do that here.

"I have no idea how he's doing this I feel like I'm always apologizing to you for his behavior." Tatsu said with a frown on her face as she looked around at the men on the wall. The garrison had been reinforced with her and her five guards weeks ago. The bulk of the recalled Western Army was now protecting the border awaiting the other Lords completed preparations.

"Surprise Hotoru is a pain in the ass to everyone." Shippou said annoyed as his tail twitched and he rolled his eyes.

"Shippou!" Sesshomaru snapped at the boy to get him to mind his manners. "I apologize for my young ward Lady Tatsu." He said turning his glare from Shippou to look at Tatsu with a look of indifference but putting an emphasis on Lady for Shippou to remind him she was the Lady of the Southern Lands.

"Young ones are always hot blooded and ready for action no apology necessary." Tatsu said as she nodded over to Sesshomaru acknowledging the fact that he had apologized for Shippou's bad behavior. The boy had become more pleasant after finding out that Hotaru couldn't force Sachi to be his mate, but he was getting restless and wanting to move against Hotaru and the fact that they were bottled up here was infuriating to the boy a point that also irritated her.

"Apparently. Back to the matter at hand we must find a way to beat these wraiths." Sesshomaru said irritated as he turned and walked down the stairs back across the compound to the central command building.

"I don't see any way of beating them without knowing what they are doing and how they are doing it." Inuyasha said frustrated as he followed Sesshomaru into the war room. The whole main floor was a war room with a single desk at the far end and a huge table in the middle with a map of all of Japan separated out into each lands.

"I don't sense them approaching or retreating it's like they just don't exist until they are on our doorstep." Shippou said as he put his hands on the table bracing himself as he looked at the map for the thousandth time trying to find a natural reason for such unusual activity. Some way that would naturally hid an oncoming attack or a quick retreat but to no avail there was nothing known in this area that could do such things.

"Don't worry about it kid none of us do." Inuyasha said comfortingly as he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "A scouting party is no good, we've sent out two and neither has returned. We've been able to sense them till they just disappear beyond the edge of the forest, I'd say they are dead or prisoners, but dead is most likely." He said turning his attention over to Sesshomaru across the table studying the Southern Lands against his border.

"I tend to agree Inuyasha, but what are we to do without information we will never beat them without it and any time we get the advantage over them they just flutter away like they were never here." Sesshomaru said irritated with a frown on his face as he looked up at his younger half-brother. The last ten years had brought the two of them together and they had learned to rely on each other which was a first for both of them. Neither of them had ever wanted nor needed to rely on anyone else let alone each other.

"One of us is going to have to go out there and track them." Inuyasha said seriously as he looked Sesshomaru in the eyes. It was the only plan they had left unless they wanted to be stuck here in this dinky little fort for the rest of the war.

"I don't like it." Shippou said as he looked back and forth between his friend and his father figure knowing they meant one of them would have to go out there if not both.

"There is no other choice if we want to end this master Shippou." Tatsu said as she watched the two Western Inu's agree but the question was which one was going out there.

Sesshomaru leaned up putting one arm across his body and the other propped on it with his chin resting on his right thumb. His teeth bit into his index finger lightly as he broke eye contact with Inuyasha looking down at the map letting scenarios play thought his mind for several minutes. "You're right Inuyasha there is no other way." He said finally looking back up at his brother.

"Then I'll go." Shippou said suddenly dragging every one's attention to him. "Kagome would never forgive me if you got hurt Sesshomaru-Sama and I need to do something." He said locking eyes with Sesshomaru.

"No." Sesshomaru said simply then turned back to Inuyasha.

"Relax young one, I believe you going out there is what he wants." Tatsu said as she laid a hand on Shippou's shoulder lightly.

Everyone looked at her curiously. "Thought you had no idea what he was doing." Inuyasha said accusingly as he narrowed his eyes at her like she was withholding information from them.

"I assure you I have no idea what he is doing. But my hunch is these attacks have hidden motives, what he's doing I believe it to kill Master Shippou here, Sachi's intended. Just like we can't get to Hotaru in the palace, Hotaru can't get to Shippou here in this Fort. He's trying to frustrate the kit in order to provoke him into going out alone. Which means who ever goes out of this fort is walking into a trap set for you." She said locking eyes with Shippou at the end.

"That makes me feel so much better." Shippou said irritated as his tail twitched yet again as he frowned at Lady Tatsu.

"Or he's trying to trap us here and keep us away from the Western Castle." Inuyasha said leaning over the map tracing a circle around the area in which the Western Castle is situated then drew a line across to the border. More and more of Sesshomaru's army had been pulled south to defend against the border crossings leaving the border in the Northern half of the territory lightly defended with a straight shot to the castle.

Sesshomaru walked away from the table with his back to them all as he concentrated on his mate over by the window. Kagome seemed happy and healthy no sighs of stress or fear in their link, but he wanted to be sure, so he waited for several more minutes then turned around. "The castle is fine at the moment." He said then walked back over to the table.

"So, they are after me?" Shippou asked curiously he had learned over the last ten years that Sesshomaru and Kagome had a very special link that allowed them to know what the other was feeling in times of need like a warning mechanism, so he knew that Sesshomaru was concentrating on Kagome over by the window. He silently wondered if all mates had this ability or just those that were completely bonded like the two of his surrogate parents.

"It's a very good possibility kid. He has to kill you to get Sachi to drop her claim on you and pick a new mate to be." Inuyasha said sadly as he glanced over at his young friend he had watched the kit grow up to be an amazing young man with powers and abilities that would rival the Northern Lord easily at such a young age. He was too proud to say it but Shippou could now probably rival himself in battle.

"Even if he does kill you that doesn't mean she will give up her claim on you. She may die an old maid never to be mated to anyone. It's unusual but I've seen it happen in my lifetime." Tatsu said with a frown on her lips as she looked down at the map paying no attention to the others in the room.

"Not helpful." Inuyasha grunted out at her with a frown on his face. He turned back to Sesshomaru curiously. "So, oh great leader which of us shall it be? You or me?" he asked resting his arm on his sword hilt.

"I'm the fastest with the best chance of success." Sesshomaru said with a raised eyebrow as he looked at his brothers frown.

"I don't think that risking the lord of these lands is wise." Tatsu said with a frown as well.

"I'm disposable, am I?" Inuyasha asked annoyed as he looked over at Tatsu again irritated by her constant interruptions. "Anyway, she's right you should remain here and in charge incase anything changes at the castle you will be the fastest to get back there and the first to know." He said changing his attention back to Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru did like the idea of being free to go back to the castle incase anything dangerous changed the mood of his mate so he agreed to Inuyasha's suggestion. "After dark which seems to be in an hour or so slip over the wall unnoticed then take a long sweeping trail around to find our enemy figure out what and how they are doing this irritating nonsense then report back here." He said officially giving Inuyasha a mission.

"Nice pep talk." Inuyasha said with a smirk and a small laugh. "I'll go rest for this long night then slip out under full darkness." He said then turned and walked over to the stairs heading up to the next level where the guest quarters were situated. Sesshomaru's master suite was the next floor up to keep enemies at bay for as long as possible as well as giving him a command view of the situation over the entire area with large windows on all sides.

Inuyasha came down just after full darkness and he made his way over to Sesshomaru who was standing at the window again but had his eyes closed. He figured Sesshomaru was again concentrating on his link with Kagome. "Kagome alright?" He asked softly as he walked up beside his older brother.

"Hn." Sesshomaru said lightly as he opened his eyes and turned to look at Inuyasha. "I expected constant worry in our link but it's happiness." He said confused now that it was just the two of them he could talk more freely. Shippou was out on the wall and Tatsu was in her quarters asleep on the second floor.

"Perhaps she just feels your frustration but no pain and understands you are safe, so she decided not to worry." Inuyasha suggested with a slight shrug. "Besides she knows I'm here to protect you." He said slyly as he tried to keep his face from betraying him, but a smile started to break through his resolve.

"I doubt the second part has any bearing on her happiness." Sesshomaru said with a slight roll of his eyes.

"Ouch… I believe that hurt a little." Inuyasha said with a quite laugh as he turned and followed Sesshomaru over to the table in the center of the room.

"Oh, shut up." Sesshomaru said as he leaned over the table placing a clawed finger on the fort they were in. "Slip out back here then swing around meeting up with the rear of my army then slide back towards the fort here is where you should find something, anything." He said tracing along the map lightly making a huge circle on the map.

"While suppressing my power naturally." Inuyasha said as he took in the path Sesshomaru had planned out for him. "Do you want me to come straight back here or retrace my steps back here?" he asked curiously looking up at his brother trusting his judgement. Long had passed the days of resentment, doubting, and mistrust towards his brother.

"Depends on your situation at the time. Unnoticed by the enemy retrace your steps, noticed get back here as fast as you can." Sesshomaru said then looked up at the door opening.

"Sesshomaru-Sama the moon will be rising soon I'd say an hour at most." Shippou said as he walked into the massive room. He had noticed several minutes ago that Inuyasha had joined Sesshomaru down in the war room, so he had done one last sweep of the perimeter then returned to the main building.

"We better get this done soon Sesshomaru tonight is a last quarter moon, tonight and 5 more nights is all I have." Inuyasha whispered over to Sesshomaru this wasn't a topic he liked nor one that he wanted more than the necessary people to know.

"I understand Inuyasha. In five nights if we are not done here you will return to the castle on the pretense of getting us more supplies." Sesshomaru said softly understanding Inuyasha's nervousness about such a touchy subject for him. That one night of the month was his weakest and most vulnerable.

"Right let's get started then." Inuyasha said then turned and walked out of the building and made a quick look at the defenses then did as Sesshomaru had suggested slipped over the wall at the back of the fort to weave his way around to the back of their defensive line on the border.

~*~*~*~ Western Castle ~*~*~*~

Without Sesshomaru here to mother hen her Kagome was more active around the castle, mind you it wasn't to her normal standards as Lady of the West. But she could be seen popping in on the guards, the kitchen staff, or the serving staff at any moment checking on them. She had even returned to teaching Hikaru, who loved his mothers teaching a lot more that the grumpy old lady Tsubaki. Kagome had snickered lightly when he had told her that. "Hikaru that is the former Lady of the West, your Fathers Mother, and your Grandmother that you are talking about dear do show her more respect than that." She said then pointed back down to the work she had assigned to him to get accomplished in a clear sign of back to it.

Kagome also had a constant flow of energy being expended throughout the grounds and beyond the castle walls. She was determined that no one was going to get near this castle without her knowing about it much to the displeasure of Tsubaki and Himeko. "I will be fine you two worry warts. It's not like I'm using more than an infinitesimal amount of my powers. If I get too wore out I will stop but not until then or my Mate returns. He may have entrusted the two of you with my safety and that of the castle, but this is my duty I am Lady of the West."

"My son has truly chosen well." Tsubaki said with a faint hint of a smile on her lips. This human priestess showed more loyalty than she could have ever hoped to have gained by an arranged mating like her former mate had tried to do with Sesshomaru just before he passed into the afterlife. That conversation had been three days ago and still Kagome kept up her surveillance without wavering.

After dinner Kagome was now in her traditional spot in the nice soft cushy chair that Sesshomaru had brought out here to the stairs for her with a book in her hand from her time, a nice mystery novel, she pulled her feet up under her off to the side slightly as she leaned over on the arm rest watching the final comings and goings of the castle staff and guards. "Kagome why don't you sleep in your room?" Sango asked curiously as she came in ushering three children with the help of Miroku into the castle before it became completely dark outside.

"That is Lady Kagome Human respect her rank." Jaken squawked irritatingly as he was coming down the stairs from checking on the boy Kohaku with young Rin to be sure of no funny business.

"Shut up Jaken!" Kagome sounded off irritated without even looking at the imp. "My mate has yet to return so I wait for him." She said pleasantly looking up at her friend with a sweet smile.

"But surely Lady Kagome your room would be more comfortable?" Miroku asked curiously he had been quite confused about this arrangement from the first moment he had asked about the chair.

"I'm sure it would be Miroku but it's not the same without my mate." Kagome said sweetly glancing up at small patter of feet coming down the stairs. "Come along Hikaru you're not interrupting anything." He had stopped about half way down unsure if he would be welcome seeing all the adults by his mother.

Hikaru smiled down at his mother then made his way down the rest of the stairs. "When's father coming home?" he asked curiously as he crawled up in the chair beside Kagome.

"I don't know dear he's… extremely frustrated at the moment." Kagome said softly as she ran her fingers through the boy's hair to get it out of his face. "He does miss us greatly." She said softly as she leaned over and kissed the boy's forehead.

"We'll leave you to rest." Miroku said herding his children up the stairs with a sideways look at his wife to make sure she was coming as well.

"Good night Kagome, Hikaru." Sango said with a small smile then turned and walked up the stairs after her own family it was time to put them to bed and get ready herself.

"Good night Sango, Miroku, and children." Kagome said pleasantly with a small wave as they began to climb up the stairs to the second floor.

"What's Father frustrated about mama?" Hikaru asked curiously as he looked up at her, he had long since given up trying to guard her at night so now he just spent time with her to keep her company.

"Not sure dear but it's a good bet whatever it is, is keeping him in the Fort to our south." Kagome said with a small frown as she watched the guards close the doors for the last time of the night.

"Are we in danger?" Hikaru asked softly as he followed his mothers gaze he could tell a shift in Kagome's emotions and was curious as to why they had changed, that and he had seen the increase of guards on duty at all hours of the day and night. The fact that there were 5 guards at all times around Kagome not including Himeko or Tsubaki who seemed to never be too far away from his mother.

"No I don't think so, we have your father and uncle out there to protect the border." Kagome said changing her mood as she turned to smile sweetly down at her young son. She had no wish to worry the boy, so she tried to cover her own concerns over Sesshomaru being gone so long. She could tell he was frustrated but in no pain, so she believed he would work out what ever the problem was and return to them soon.

"My sweet Lady I hate to bother you so late, but I do have a question for you?" it was the old fox Hero at the bottom of the stairs. She hadn't heard that sly old one make his way down two flights of stairs he was one that could sneak up on anyone and go unnoticed.

"Oh…" Kagome started as she turned around quickly knocking the book off her lap and into the floor.

"I am sorry My Lady I didn't mean to startle you." Hero said softly as he picked up her book and handed it back to her then quickly retreated.

"Oh, it's alright Hero just lost in thought and I didn't hear you approach." Kagome said with a slight dismissive wave of his apology. "What is it you wanted to ask?" she asked curiously looking up at him.

"The colors for your next birth announcement what would you like them to be?" Hero asked curiously as he studied her and her son quickly making mental notes about measurements.

"Wow you're starting early." Kagome said with a quick giggle.

"Yes I want to make sure I have everything ready for when the time comes. Your outfit will be most elegant My Lady I assure you." Hero said proudly with a huge smile on his lips.

"They usually are Hero and I thank you for all that. Uhm well the pups will be born at the earliest in late fall so lovely orange, red, yellows, and greens will be perfect. And of course, you know I have to have a white base with our red and pink sakura blossoms somewhere in the mix." Kagome said with a sweet smile up at the old fox he always had them dressed magnificently during all those formal functions.

"That seems like a magnificent color choice My Lady." Hero said with a huge smile on his lips his mind already working on the designs of the kimono she would be wearing. Then he slipped up the stairs talking to himself lightly going over the layers in his head and what order he could put them in for her.

"He's a strange one." Hikaru said softly up to his mother.

"Yes Hikaru but a very good and loyal man. We have him to thank for saving your life when you were but a baby." Kagome said softly as she watched Hero topping the stairs then start up the second set of stairs to return to his room.

"Yeah, yeah I've heard a hundred times." Hikaru said with a small huff, that old fox was crazy he wasn't like any of the rest of the staff here in the castle. He didn't bend to Hikaru's will ever. Hero would be heard telling him "Young one to go tell your father that then we'll see how this plays out." He would say with a smirk.

"Don't yeah, yeah me Hikaru. That is a good man you should pay more attention to him, spent more time with him and then maybe you'll learn something about him besides he's that crazy old fox. He has a lot of neat stories about your Father as a pup." Kagome said bopping her son on the head with her book. "Now let's see how far along we get tonight before falling asleep." She said happily opening her book to begin reading.