Chapter Fourteen
"I despise this cold season..." Jaken complained, letting out a deep breath and raising his yellow eyes upwards to stare at the sky, which were now concealed behind a new formation of heavy clouds, passing through the day's light and blocking the setting sun as their shadow cast all over the land, shortening the hours of light and summoning the darkness of the evening too soon for comfort. The day was nearly over with his master and the priestess remaining in the camp area while he himself was once more tasked with maintaining Rin's safety as she ventured for food, causing the imp demon to boil with silent irritation.
"Would you rather it was summer instead, Jaken-sama?" Rin asked, stepping to the water current in order to fill her drinking wooden container.
"I would rather not concern myself with having to keep you safe through premature and dangerous hours of darkness, child." He answered, annoyance clear on his face.
The fact that he was once again forced to accompany this child to the river in order for her to fetch water and improvise something to eat sparked both confusion and displeasure within him, strengthening his thoughts from earlier about the necessity of inquiring his master about the undead human priestess.
'Sesshomaru-sama...' The imp-demon sat himself down against a nearby tree as he watched the child hop around, now filled with renewed energy, 'What is that impudent miko to you, really...?'
"Oh, Jaken-sama!" Rin called excitedly, popping her head from between the trees, "There's so many tasty mushrooms here! I think they're your favorite kind, too!"
Hearing this, the imp-demon sprung to his feet.
"Well! At least you're good at something, Rin." He said, stepping in her direction.
But as soon as the small youkai reached his companion's location, an impossible strong surge of youki shot through the entire area, the intense compression against the environment causing the earth beneath their feet to shake as both Jaken and Rin wobbled on their legs, nearly falling to the ground.
"J-Jaken-sama?!" Overwhelmed, Rin quickly latched onto a nearby tree for balance.
Jaken whipped his head to the source of the sudden occurrence in the distance, quickly recognizing the sensation.
"T-That's Sesshomaru-sama's powerful youki! And... his despicable half-breed of a brother's too?!" His expression crossed with shock, a large drop of sweat falling down his worried, green brow.
Turning to the child, Jaken quickly straightened up.
"Come, Rin! We must return!" He announced, both of them hurriedly beginning to make their way back, stepping up the hill which would lead them to their desired campsite, between the dense trees and bushes, their steps quick and worried expressions overcoming their features.
"Jaken-sama! is Sesshomaru-sama alright?" Rin voiced her concern, using her hands to part the growth before her as she climbed further up behind the imp demon.
"Not that I am capable of deducting that from this large distance, Rin, but rest assured that Sesshomaru-sama would most definitely never lose to a filthy half-breed!"
Taking his words in, Rin kept silent for a moment.
"What is Sesshomaru-sama's brother like?"
Directing his disgusted expression to her, Jaken stopped in his place.
"Half-brother!" He angrily corrected, "And also an existence not even worth talking about!" Exclaiming loudly, he puffed his chest with false pride, "Sesshomaru-sama is superior to him in every aspect there is! ...and evidently also sturdier against that miko's deadly attacks." The last part of his sentence was let out through a mutter.
Resuming their movement, the two continued their climb up the grassy hill, now with steady steps between the tall plants surrounding their every direction. The compressing feeling of the youki had now surprisingly disappeared as if the battle had been abruptly stopped, making Jaken's brows meet with confusion.
'Has Sesshomaru-sama finally slain that foolish half-breed?' He hopefully wondered to himself.
However, as they reached the top of the hill which could finally grant them with a clear view of their campsite in the not so far distance, both Jaken and Rin's expressions crossed with pure shock, their mouth dropping open as they instinctively lowered themselves down to hide beyond a thick bush, attempting to conceal their existence from the sight of the priestess tending to their master's wounds.
"W-W-What is the m-meaning of this...?!" Jaken whispered without realizing, his round yellow eyes bugging out of their sockets so much they nearly popped out of their place and dropped to roll on the ground. Rin, however, was suddenly overcome with happiness and pleasure to the occurrence before her, letting out a soft giggle.
"See, Jaken-sama. Sometimes Rin is right!" She whispered back to her companion, still cowering behind the bush, "Sesshomaru-sama most definitely lik –" But before she could even finish her sentence, the imp demon hurriedly sent both of his hands to cover his pointy ears, prompting her to stop.
"Hush, child! Do not dare say it!" He jerked his head in her direction, sweating profusely.
He swallowed hard as his eyes once again darted to the unbelievable sight of his master sitting so obediently before the priestess, his sole hand supported by her left one as the fingers of her right slowly spread some sort of a mixture on top of his injured skin. From his position and from such a large distance, Jaken couldn't see Sesshomaru's expression nor hear their conversation, but the way the inu daiyoukai sat so incredibly still in her presence, how his attention seemed as if it was so invariably fixed on the woman before him, the smooth flow of their powerful conflicting auras as if harmonizing with each other and the fact that he had even failed to notice both himself and Rin hiding in their current location, all reluctantly leading his mind into discovering some sense behind Rin's unthinkable assumption.
But just as he was about to finally begin to accept the possibility;
Both him and Rin witnessed as Kikyo suddenly rose to her feet, shooting the daiyoukai with a sharp look that sent chills down Jaken's spine even from his distanced location. Another moment of unintelligible shared dialogue between them and Sesshomaru soon followed in her example, stepping so close to her that it almost appeared as if they were the ones about to exchange fire between them this time, their harmonized auras from before now violently clashing against one another in their usual intense fashion, yet somehow still precisely restrained and maintained.
The concealed duo could only silently observe as the daiyoukai soon ended the exchange, stepping around the priestess while moving forward and away from the campsite, his fur sash extending far below him, lifting him away to fly to an unknown destination, with Kikyo's gaze lingering after his form as he slowly disappeared into the partly clouded, early evening sky.
"Oh, did they fight again?" Rin wondered with avid disappointment.
Easing his shoulders as he let out a breath he didn't even notice he was holding, Jaken used his Nintojo to prop himself back to his small feet, his expression turning displeased, once again.
"Just what did that insolent miko say to him now that made him once again leave us like that?" He muttered under his breath, letting out a deep sigh while shaking his head.
Then, he only sent his wooden relic to move the thick bush before him away in order to allow himself to pass through it.
"Come, Rin, there's no point in us staying here." He informed her, turning his head back to meet her gaze.
Soon picking on their presence as they reached closer to the campsite, Kikyo turned her head at their direction, her expression as always not hinting them of any information regarding the latest events. Noticing the imp demon's boring fierce stare into her being, however, she only tilted her head slightly to the side, setting her gaze down at his being.
"What is it?" She nonchalantly inquired down at him through a stoic expression and a steady voice.
Assessing her for another moment, Jaken swallowed hard and narrowed his yellow eyes up at her, then only whipped his head sharply to the side with a loud scoff, stomping away to sit by the fire, alone.
"Kikyo-sama..." Rin stepped to the priestess, one hand clutched into a small fist and raised to her chest, "Is Sesshomaru-sama alright?"
Kikyo lowered herself down to the child's eye level, her lips curving up to a hint of a reassuring smile.
"His wounds shall be fine." She informed, propping her right hand on her bent knee as her gaze shifted back to the darkened sky above, the same direction in which his form disappeared to, "Hopefully, Sesshomaru will be back shortly, however, I reckon we shall be spending another night in our current location until then."
With Rin's quiet nod of acknowledgement, Kikyo lifted herself back to her feet, then stepped past the child to the center of the campsite, where A-Un had rested. Stopping before the two-headed dragon's side, she reached inside the bundle tied to his saddle, soon pulling out her now dry, neatly-folded priestess attire and replacing its vacant spot with the empty bowl she still carried.
"Where are you going, Kikyo-sama?" Rin voiced her interest, both her and Jaken watching as she calmly made her way further towards the forest, with Rin's sudden question causing her to stop right before the wall of lush plant life and trees before her.
"To change." She answered simply, maintaining her gaze forward and soon resuming her steps.
The rocky ground was warm below the soles of his shoes as Sesshomaru landed on top of the steaming volcanic mountain, his golden eyes setting on the large skeleton of an unknown demon before him, marking the entrance to the house of the swordsmith. Hearing the sound of metal clashing against metal echoing from within, the daiyoukai began striding forward to it, his steps steady and his fierce gaze aimed at the old youkai sitting inside his workshop.
Turning to face him, however, the scranky old man jolted with alert, his already wide eyes expanding even more at the presence of his old friend's eldest son, and he could only stiffen in his position as he sat on the scorching ground, swallowing his sudden fear.
"W-What the hell?!" He croaked, halting his actions as the hammer in his hand froze in the air before his current task.
"Calm yourself, Totosai." Sesshomaru ordered with a low voice, narrowing his golden eyes down at the old youkai.
Totosai eyed him in silence for a few moments, a bead of sweat falling down his temple.
"H-Haven't I said it countless times before? I am not going to forge you a new sword, Sesshomaru!" He protested, lifting the hammer in his hand in a hesitated gesture and attempting to threaten the inu daiyoukai, yet the evident fear in his eyes failing from letting him appear as anything but a frightened insect from the latter's elevated point of view.
Quietly staring down at him, Sesshomaru said nothing, his expression unnervingly calm.
"That is hardly the reason I am here." He eventually answered.
Hearing this, Totosai lowered his hammer down.
He only studied Sesshomaru for a few more moments, attempting to assess the reason for the daiyoukai's visit, yet with little success. And once his curiosity got the better of him, he turned fully in his direction, an interested look crossing his wrinkled features.
"Have you finally come to thank me for the wonderful sword resting at your hip, then?" He dared asking, not a trace of fear appearing on his now blank face as the bold words left his mouth.
Sesshomaru only scoffed at his question.
"Do not push your luck." He cautioned dryly, his intense stare fixed on the old youkai.
Neither spoke for a moment, making Totosai's expression overcome with mild confusion. He found himself leaning more and more towards the conclusion of Sesshomaru simply coming there to kill him, the thought prompting him to silently begin calculating the fastest route of escape out of his own workshop.
But instead of charging for his throat, he noticed something shifted in the inu daiyoukai's expression.
"I have come to inquire about Tenseiga." Sesshomaru steadily informed him.
Straightening up in his seat, Totosai took a moment to make sure he had heard him correctly.
"Is that so?" He asked, visibly confused by his sudden interest.
Lowering his head slightly, Sesshomaru's piercing gaze evaluated the swordsmith in silence.
"This blade links life with ease." He began, his voice low, "However, can it also link flesh and blood, achieving a full-scale resurrection of the body along with the soul?"
Jumping eccentrically at his question, Totosai's round eyes widened further.
"How did your mind wander in that direction?" He voiced his bewilderment, lowering the hammer to rest on the heated ground below him as he quickly crossed his hands before his chest.
But his negation from providing a reasonable answer only sparked irritation in the younger youkai.
"Choose your words carefully and do not waste my time with pointless small talk, Totosai." Sesshomaru warned strictly, hints of annoyance in his tone, "Now, answer."
Tilting his head comically, Totosai sighed deeply.
"Something of the sort..." He weighted the possibility, noticing Sesshomaru's attention was completely focused on him, "Tenseiga truly is a great sword, but it cannot possibly achieve a feat like that on its own."
"On its own?" The daiyoukai further investigated.
Balancing his head back, Totosai narrowed his eyes up at him.
"Mind telling me who's life do you intend to preserve, Sesshomaru?" The old youkai asked, testing the boundaries of his patience as if unfazed by his threats, "Must be a very impressive existence to have you go this far."
"Hmph." Sesshomaru retorted, his expression as unreadable as ever, yet in that moment undeniable shock flashed behind his golden orbs for a mere moment, one which did not go unnoticed by his father's old friend, "I am merely interested in testing the limits of this dull blade, that is all."
"And yet, you have never appeared this attentive before me in your life... what happened to have you suddenly so intrigued by the sword's abilities?" Totosai pressed boldly, but as soon as he noticed Sesshomaru's murderous glare, he stiffened in fear, realizing he had successfully located and crossed the line altogether.
Clearing his throat as if to purge the bad atmosphere between them as well as lower the chances of his upcoming death, he closed his eyes.
"Well, Tenseiga was never meant to resurrect life in that way, I'm afraid." The swordsmith concluded, turning back to his work as his right hand once again gripped onto his trusty hammer, "It is restricted to the soul of a being, nothing less and nothing more."
Hearing this, Sesshomaru went quiet. The final answer echoed in his mind as he processed the information, not sure how to name all of these emotions which suddenly swirled inside of him. He narrowed his gaze with a deep breath, setting his thousand-yard stare on Totosai and his work as his thoughts drifted to faraway places.
Noticing his sudden silence, Totosai glanced up at Sesshomaru, catching his odd expression. If he did not know any better, he could swear to read that look which crossed his features in that moment as nothing short of disappointment. But the old youkai could only shake his own head from the absurd thought, his wide eyes eventually caught by the sight of his injured hand.
He stared at the wounds for a moment, realization soon hitting him just as Sesshomaru noticed where his evaluating eyes were resting, his clawed hand quickly balling into a fist as he swiftly turned on his heel and began stepping out of the workshop without sparing another word, thus terminating their exchange.
Totosai simply watched him in stillness as he made his way out of his house, disappearing behind the bony walls of his residence into the smoky air of the volcano.
Then, he let out a deep, relieved sigh.
"What a strange fellow, I really dislike him." He muttered under his breath, shaking himself from the residue of Sesshomaru's compressing and hostile youki still lurking in his house. "First Inuyasha comes asking about his Oyaji-dono's tomb and now Sesshomaru about the Tenseiga..."
He only resumed his actions as he let out a large breath of fire onto the now already cold metal rod positioned before him, heating the material and soon using the hammer in his hand to clash it repeatedly in order to finish his work, which was so suddenly interrupted.
"Those wounds on his hand, though..." Totosai noted to himself, his brows meeting with confusion to his following deduction, "Those burns were most definitely caused by a highly powerful holy spiritual energy."
Flying back to the campsite and carried by his long sash engulfing his legs, Sesshomaru was consumed by his own thoughts. He set his golden eyes on an unnamed point far into the distant night sky, feeling the chilly wind against his face and in his long silvery hair, the contrasting soothing freshness to the suffocating volcanic climate he had just visited as if coaxing him deeper into his own thinking.
"This is an opportunity that was given to you by none other than your own father whom you claim to have valued so highly, perhaps it's time for you to stop contradicting yourself, Sesshomaru."
He narrowed his gaze as Kikyo's harsh words surfaced in his mind once again, her sharp look and undeniable passion and belief behind her mahogany eyes burned onto the back of his eyelids every time he closed his own, the memory successfully added to the unwanted compartment which accumulated all of the snippets from their numerous shared exchanges until now.
This time, however, Sesshomaru could only scoff at her arrogant words and false hope in this useless blade which was so unfortunately bestowed upon him;
Just as he had already deducted, Tenseiga was nothing but a mere one-feat gimmick, useless in battle and unfit for his being.
And to think the priestess had managed to persuade him into wasting his time by even considering anything more simply because she had appeared so invariably confident before him...
'How unbecoming.' He thought, his eyebrows meeting with displeasure at his own actions.
But the rebuttal to her vain belief surprisingly sparked a feeling far different than the one he had expected, making him clench his jaw in silence as he lowered his head slightly, releasing a steady breath. And his mind once again delved into the recent past, displaying Kikyo's form before him once more, the setting warmth of the sun illuminating her expression from when she had shared the details of her exchange with Naraku, how the deepest shades of mahogany in her eyes carried the weight that her words and expression seemed to lack, the way her aura had weakened and wilted to the concept of her inevitable destiny, all of it aiding him in comprehending her concealed sadness to her own condition.
Why was he even so detained on this image? On her obvious attempt to hide her silent dissatisfaction to this entire idea regarding her existence?
And most of all... why did he find himself suddenly so unable to accept it, as well?
"I dare say you should consider the possibility of true strength lying beyond just a flashy blade and a fancy title, Sesshomaru."
That's right.
The same priestess who was able to appear so subtly vulnerable before him, was the same who so fearlessly suggested that she could comprehend his own reasons, as well as the same one who so insolently dared to insist on him giving this weak blade a second chance based on her unwavering belief in human emotions.
He frowned as the same fierce urge from before spread in his chest to his sudden understanding, the same one forming his resolve right after their talk and now causing him to fill with new motivation which easily overcame the sensation of defeat and confusion ruling him only moments prior.
Sesshomaru raised his head, setting his focused gaze on his destination.
He would not accept this pitiful capacity for his own capabilities and admit failure, and he would make sure to grant the priestess with a more dignified way of following with her presumptuous words while proving her ironclad theories before him.
'If the path to full-scale resurrection does not yet exist, then I, Sesshomaru, will forge it.' He decided.
But he would not tell her, just yet.
Kikyo let out a deep breath as she untied the straps of her cream mo-bakama, causing the burgundy kosode to hang loose on her body as the robe fell down all the way to her exposed calves. She folded the garment neatly, soon placing it on top of a tree branch to her left, making sure to balance it enough in order to prevent it from accidentally meeting with the moist soil below. Surrounding herself with dense bushes and trees while making use of the darkness of the fast-approaching night, the priestess began changing back into her miko outfit, not forgetting to allow herself a clear view of the campsite from afar, in case anything happened.
Lowering the colorful garb from her shoulders, Kikyo quickly replaced it with her white haori shirt, now already clean and mended. She wrapped the fabric around herself, reaching back to pull all of her long straight hair out as it fell all the way down her back. Pausing for a moment, however, the priestess slowly lowered her hands back down, joining them together as her gaze dropped to her actions.
Somehow, they still felt so impossibly warm from his body heat.
She quietly used her right thumb to gently rub the surface of her left palm to try and wipe the feeling away, but she found the sensation rather persistent, seemingly already deeply absorbed into her false skin and not planning on leaving anytime soon. Staring down at her hands for another moment, Kikyo couldn't help but wonder what is it about the inu daiyoukai that always sparked this unnamed warmth within her, a kind of warmth that was so subtle, flowing so peacefully inside of her, planting residue of tingles on top of her flesh like small bolts of lightning, almost making her feel as if her fake body had blood once again flowing through it, the sensation undeniably making her feel so alive, it was almost comically absurd, considering its source.
She blinked as she recalled their latest conversation, her mind somehow picking to display the sight of Sesshomaru's expression when they discussed his father's decisions, the undeniable yet rare hint of vulnerability and confusion flashing in his fierce golden eyes now etched into her memory.
She did not expect him, a full-fledged youkai, to carry such an honest and heavy burden like this, especially when considering the hundreds of years he had most likely already been alive for, with possibly no other soul to share it with. Granted, Sesshomaru was hardly the one to admit needing to rely on another being, however, the more she found herself dwelling on this fact, the more Kikyo found herself uncovering answers for questions which previously occupied her mind.
She lifted her brown eyes back to the camp area where Rin and Jaken sat, happily conversing.
Then, she let out an amused breath, closing her eyes.
'To try and surround himself with something other than hatred, for once...' She concluded, lowering her gaze back to her hands, 'A way for him to fight off his unspoken loneliness, to distract his own mind from sinking further into his own endless uncertainties regarding his insecurities...'
Yes, this was most likely the reason for him taking Rin under his care.
But her quiet realization did not stop there, making Kikyo lift her head as she breathed in deep.
'Just as I did when I first followed the child...'
Slowly wrapping her arms around herself, the priestess suddenly filled with the same warmth inside her chest at the idea of herself sharing such a basic human need like this with Sesshomaru of all people, the sensation surprisingly so pleasant and comforting, it was almost too consuming.
But a silent thought soon rose into her conscious, making her frown slightly with confusion;
How come... she had never experienced this particular warmth with Inuyasha, before...?
However, before she could explore the meaning behind this mysterious fact;
"A dead woman, pretending to be alive... there's truly nothing sadder than seeing how desperate you've become."
As if on cue, the memory of her encounter with Naraku only hours prior to that suddenly resurfaced, his malicious words regrettably reminding her once again of the harsh reality she's in, grounding her back to her roots.
With a swift movement and an unreadable expression, Kikyo parted her hands and reached for her hakama trousers, soon dressing herself fully with the ceremonial garbs, fastening the red obi onto her high waist and finishing her preparations with binding her long hair back in its traditional white ribbon, with two silky strands falling over her shoulders.
Collecting the pieces of her previous outfit supported by the branches around her, she stepped out from the thick bushes and headed back to the camp, where both Rin and Jaken's stares soon fixed on her. Keeping her silence and steady features, Kikyo only calmly stepped past them both until she reached A-Un, opening the package tied to his back and placing her folded kosode and mo-bakama inside.
"Kikyo-sama, why did you change?" Rin's innocent question hovered behind her back as she tied the bundle back with a swift movement.
Turning around to face the child, Kikyo only granted her with a hint of a smile.
"I guess you could say these garbs assist me in staying focused on my objective, Rin." She replied, reaching down for the string of her arrow quiver, then propping it on her right shoulder.
"Good!" Jaken suddenly interrupted their exchange with a screech and a displeased expression as his judging yellow eyes bore into the priestess, "That flashy appearance from before was only distracting! It only makes sense for one to stay true to their duty and therefore dress accordingly!"
Closing her eyes, Kikyo let out an amused breath.
"That is correct." She respectfully agreed, shifting her gaze to the flames, "There is no room left for any more distractions."
As soon as the night reached its halfway mark, Kikyo suddenly sensed the presence of a familiar and intense demonic aura rapidly approaching her location. Not moving from her spot as she rested her body against the familiar tree trunk, she quietly observed as Sesshomaru gracefully landed before her at the new small clearing his fight with Inuyasha had managed to forge through the middle of the dense greenery. Completely silent, his golden eyes immediately found her mahogany ones and he soon began striding in the camp's direction, his tall form and demonic features bathed in the moonlight above as he calmly made his way towards her.
Kikyo rose to her feet at his presence, watching him eventually reach where she stood through a placid expression.
Stopping at a respectful distance from her, neither of them spoke as they only stared at each other in silence, the peaceful sounds of their companions sleeping around the crackling flames soon filling the air.
A part of her wanted to inquire where he had been gone to, but Kikyo found that need surprisingly overcome by the chance of allowing her gaze to quietly hover over him for a moment, assessing his being as if compensating for the inability to do so while he was away, testing her musings from earlier and applying them onto the actual individual standing before her, rather than only doing so in her mind, surprisingly finding all of her deductions about him still very fitting.
Keeping her quiet for a moment more, her eyes soon trailed down to his right limb.
"How is your hand?" She asked, mahogany flickering back up to meet with gold.
Sesshomaru raised his chin slightly at her sudden inquiry, never breaking away from her gaze.
He could tell there was something different other than her obvious change of clothes, a variation in the way she was looking at him, a quiet, subtle shift in her expression as if the priestess had come to some kind of a silent understanding about him, one which only slightly softened her features and granted her expression with an unnecessary hint of worry.
Was she perhaps still feeling guilty over this trivial matter?
"Your concern is misplaced, miko." He answered dryly, never breaking from her gaze, "My wounds are soon to be fully healed."
Hearing this, Kikyo maintained her unwavering stare for a moment more.
"Can I see?" She asked simply with a steady tone.
Sesshomaru tried to protest within himself against her subtle yet intense plea, but he soon resolved to simply letting this stubborn woman see for herself, and he could only reluctantly raise his right hand to hover in the air, following to her request and opening his burnt palm.
Approaching closer, Kikyo sent her left hand to support the back of his large, clawed one once again, making the daiyoukai tense at her touch. He maintained his unruffled expression, yet only immense displeasure at his own newfound unexpected lack of sturdiness spread in his mind. Tilting her head as she examined his injuries, her expression soon crossed with surprise and relief at the confirmation to his words;
Sesshomaru's wounds were already in their final stages of healing.
"I have already told you, this body of mine heals faster than that of a mere human." He began, attempting to focus his attention on something else other than the way the moonlight fell across her face and caught in her long eyelashes, "Your herbal mixture had perhaps quickened the process by a single day due to its soothing qualities, no more."
Raising her mahogany orbs back up to collide with his sharp, golden ones, Kikyo blinked at the information. Her sudden attention placed back on him and her expressive eyes searching into his own making his cursed heart quicken in its usual traitorous fashion against his ribs, as well as the unnamed warmth he had known so well to once again reside in his chest. The effect the priestess had on him was so impossibly strong on this night for some reason, her caressing spiritual aura as if pulling him in slowly but surely, almost dulling his senses.
Was it because she had occupied his mind since their departure that their current exchange feels this charged?
"Must be a very impressive existence to have you go this far."
His heart skipped a beat as Totosai's sudden words flashed through his thinking, making him regret not killing the old fool for planting these budding ridiculous thoughts into his brain.
Thankfully, however, Kikyo's following words snapped him out of his dangerous and irrational trance.
"Well, I am rather pleased that it had any effect at all." She replied nonchalantly, her expression still unreadable, "You are the first full-fledged youkai I had ever treated, Sesshomaru."
Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at her absurd answer as he took a moment to process the meaning behind it.
"You dared to experiment on I, Sesshomaru?" He demanded with a low voice, narrowing his gaze.
But Kikyo only let her lips curve up into an amused slight smile before him in response, the pale rays shining her eyes with a quiet, yet definite reply full of confidence and hinted with tease about her methods still proving to be successful and efficient, despite the daiyoukai's current realization.
She only basked in her silent victory for another moment, then let go of his hand, turning on her heel and stepping back to sit in her previous spot.
Sesshomaru kept his narrow gaze on her, his jaw clenching at the nerve of this woman which, much to his dismay, never failed to catch him off-guard. He let out a quiet breath, focusing his sharp eyes on the rest of the sleeping camp members as he stepped his way towards them. After scanning the surface for another minute, Sesshomaru located a raised tree route just outside of the camp's area, shortly stepping to it and eventually using it to support himself as well, his attention focused on the woods surrounding their location and with his back to the priestess, sitting in his usual regal fashion.
Kikyo's eyes were left to follow his frame as she calmly studied his latest reaction.
And silence reigned around them once more, with only the sounds of Rin and Jaken's shallow breaths filling their space, combining with the burning embers of the fire breaking against the heat of the low flames.
"Rest, if you wish." Sesshomaru suddenly said, once again grabbing the priestess' attention, "I shall keep guard until sunrise."
Kikyo tilted her head slightly to the side at his unexpected offer as her gaze ventured over his long silver hair and straight posture.
Then, she smiled softly to herself.
"Thank you."
A/N:
Whoever guessed right about Sesshomaru's decision, congratulations! Unfortunately for him, though, following his pride never got him anywhere good.
So, there are a few headcanons here regarding the characters, and also the reason I have decided to write this entire story in the first place(Which I can now finally tell you a part of, without spoiling), that being the interesting parallels I could see with Kikyo and Sesshomaru's relationship with Rin, had Kikyo ever joined their group. There is no doubt in my mind that both of them would have been able to relate to each other while also benefit from Rin's existence in the exact same way, which is something that to me is very interesting and such a shame we didnt get to see in actual canon.
Well, that is why I'm here for you, my readers, with this little project of mine.
I would also like to thank everyone who's so loyally supporting this piece! Your reviews and messages are what fuels me. Quick shoutout to: InuKag25, Western White Tiger, 8579, Proxy57, JustAReader, Yami2703, happycookiie, SoYukid, sastra, fabelliot, Noey, Kali, IHoneysuckle, Emma-D612, TeamCullenPotterJackson, frozenseed, Shion Lee, carla camacho and Guests!
Thank you for your continued support! I appreciate it!