Having tea with his mother had become a common occurrence since the fall of Naraku. Inukimi had demanded his company as penance for saving Rin, but Sesshoumaru was more than willing to indulge her. It was just her latest excuse, and she would come up with another one once this one had run its course, but Rin was pack, and he would be eternally grateful for his mother's interference.
As long as she kept her opinions about his unmated status to herself.
The Tenku no Shiro was a peaceful place, allowing him to prolong his travels while avoiding the politics of the Western Keep. Sesshoumaru would never admit it aloud, but while facing off against the spider and his many incarnations was irksome, it had given him a sense of purpose.
The calm after the storm was needed, and deserved, but his role as the Lord of the West was monotonous. He longed for another adventure, or at least an interruption to the stagnant daily routine.
At least the conversations with his mother kept him on his toes.
"So tell me, my son, how has the pup acclimated to the human village?"
"It is as I have said, Mother." Sesshoumaru paused, staring out the nearest window over his cup. "Rin divides her time between the elder miko's village and sorting herbs with the hanyou."
"Your anecdotes lack intrigue. Why is it you never have anything new to add?"
A sigh escaped his lips. "If you wish for idle gossip, perhaps you should be serving your slew of handmaidens instead."
His mother waved a dismissive hand. "You are the one who should be paying more attention to the pup. She does not spend so much time with Jinenji simply to improve her gardening skills."
"Perhaps not," Sesshoumaru conceded, "but there are far worse suitors who—"
"Mistress!"
Both inuyoukai turned, the guard throwing herself at Inukimi's feet.
"My dear Fuyuko, what has you so frantic?"
"An intruder, my lady," she said, keeping her head bowed. "Natsu has her pinned at the front gates, but she is most belligerent and refuses to leave."
"Oh? And here I thought you brought me something of interest. We are safe behind the barrier—"
"She is already inside the barrier, my lady."
Inukimi pursed her lips, then turned to Sesshoumaru. "Did you feel any disruption?"
He and the guard shook their heads, Fuyuko finally getting to her feet. "There was barely a ripple. And she claims to not even know where she is. It is all highly suspicious. Please allow us to dispose of the miko before she—"
His mother looked positively gleeful. "A miko? Well, this is exciting. Come along, dear son. Perhaps you can show off all those useless skills you practice every day."
Sesshoumaru's mouth hardened into a thin line as he followed her outside. "This is hardly a time for levity, Mother. If a miko has made it through your barrier, you should be more concerned for your safety."
"Ah, but that is what makes this so delightfully curious," she said, brushing one pigtail over her shoulder. "If the barrier allowed her inside, it means she bears no ill-will to the occupants inside."
There had to be more to it than that, but Sesshoumaru's questions were cut off by metal clattering against the castle floor.
"I told you! I don't know who you're talking about!"
Natsu quickly collected her spear, the courtyard ablaze as youki and reiki clashed. "Your lies are tiresome, human. I have been lenient up to this point—"
The human scoffed, laughter flittering along the breeze. "Lenient? And here I thought you were just having an off day."
Sesshoumaru might've smirked at the human's audacity, but he was more interested in how his mother's most proficient warriors had yet to land a hit.
And why the human seemed to be stalling.
"She arrived alone?"
"Yes, my lord." Natsu readied her own weapon. "Her power is strange. We heard her approach. The barrier and the illusion gave us no other warning."
"And yet she demands nothing?"
The guard shook her head. "But she clearly wishes to incite violence! Natsu—"
"Has let her temper dictate her actions," his mother mused. "The miko is merely defending herself. She has barely moved from the top of the steps."
Neither had she erected a barrier. Sesshoumaru tried to quell his curiosity, but he was his mother's son, and both sets of golden eyes watched the battle unfold, unable and unwilling to call a stop to it just yet.
Reiki crackled as Fuyuko stepped forward to join her sister, both set on defending the castle and their honour.
The miko's mouth hardened. "I don't want to hurt you."
The guards refused to heed her warning, or hear reason, and his mother was too curious to interfere, so the woman's power surged, lifting dark locks off her shoulders as sapphire eyes glowed.
Sesshoumaru was taken aback.
He knew her.
But the thought came too late, spears swinging in tandem, set on finding their mark. The miko didn't even flinch, her barrier knocking the weapons aside before spinning around them in a calculated dance. This only incensed the guards, Natsu crying out as she went after her again.
The miko laughed. "You know, for the first line of defence, you're kind of lousy at your job."
His mother's fan clicked open, hiding her smirk. "Scandalous."
"It is typical behaviour for her."
Inukimi's eyes widened as she took in his relaxed demeanour. "You are acquainted with her?"
"Indeed. She is Inuyasha's wench."
Natsu and Fuyuko continued to alternate their attacks, each swing of their spears slicing through the air but never making contact. It was clear that the miko had had more training in the years since her sudden return.
A frown tugged at the corners of his mouth. Her pack had refused to divulge her origins, though they'd given him the impression it was otherworldly. Sesshoumaru's curiosity had eaten away at him, a constant gnawing at the back of his mind, even going as far as to increase his visits to Rin.
And then one day she was there. As if no time had passed at all.
With no explanation as to where she'd been.
After that, his visits had returned to normal; his concern finally sated with the knowledge that she'd survived. But watching her now, he felt the gnawing start up again.
There was something off about her.
Her movements were precise, each dodge and deflection made with purpose, and yet there was something untamed about her that hadn't been there before. It swirled close enough to her that it was ingrained with her reiki.
So this was why he hadn't sensed her.
Having seen enough, Sesshoumaru flared his youki, catching all three of the females by surprise. Natsu and Fuyuko looked at him in question, but the miko, too far gone in her instincts, immediately launched an attack in his direction.
Their eyes locked a moment later, hers widening as she realized her mistake. She sprinted after the blast, managing to put herself in between them as she erected a barrier, the pearlesque dome shuddering as it absorbed the rest of her power. Sesshoumaru didn't have a chance to speak before she whirled on him.
"Are you insane? I could've killed you!" He raised an eyebrow at her, and she crossed her arms. "Alright, it wouldn't have killed you, but who goes flexing their muscles in the middle of a fight?"
"Aside from you?"
Heat stained her cheeks, and she tried to hide her smile. "They attacked first."
"I never knew you to be the kind to play with their food, miko."
"Yeah, well," she brushed her hair over her shoulder. "They deserved it for—" His hand shot out, yanking her behind him, Natsu's spear clanging against Bakusaiga. Natsu's eyes blazed, focused on the woman behind him.
"My lord, she has trespassed on sacred grounds. And attacked you without provocation!"
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed, and he shoved the guard back, sword still raised. "And yet you are the one who dishonours yourself by attacking from behind."
"But—"
"Desist." His words were meant for both of them, the miko shifting into a defensive stance. Fuyuko mimicked her sister's movements, but the strange wind he'd sensed before surged forth, sending both guards tumbling.
He felt the miko relax. "At least someone around here has some sense." The wind swirled around them, rustling his clothes before blowing his sleeves into his face, and the miko chuckled. "None of that. He's a friend."
Pale brows raised, though he was unsure whether it was because she was capable of conversing with the breeze or the label of friendship she'd given him.
Bakusaiga's scabbard rattled, but the miko rolled her eyes. "He's not the one who pushed me off a cliff, remember? Sesshoumaru is—"
A spear was thrust in her face. "You dare address him without formalities?"
"Ummm, yes?" The proximity of Natsu's weapon didn't faze her; she simply turned to look at him, eyes searching. "Is that wrong?"
His mother snapped her fan shut, alerting the miko to her presence. "Dearest son, where have you been hiding this delightful creature?"
The miko glanced between the two inuyoukai, noting the similarities, then bowed to his mother. "I take it you are the mistress they were so concerned with protecting?"
"Indeed. But you must not blame them for that. They are used guests having hidden agendas."
"They are very devoted to you."
Inukimi flashed her a smile, pale fangs gleaming. "Tell me something, miko, how was it that you came to this place."
The woman rubbed the back of her head, giving them both a sheepish look. "I'm not actually sure. I was ambushed by some bandits, and they cornered me on the edge of a cliff."
"You were travelling alone?" Sesshoumaru cut in.
She lifted her chin. "I do that a lot."
"Is it not the halfling's job to protect you?" There was no venom in his mother's words, but the miko's eyes narrowed all the same.
"He has a name," she bit out, hands on her hips. "And I can take care of myself."
"So feisty," Inukimi grinned. "But surely your mate wishes to know of your whereabouts?"
The miko frowned, eyes shifting between the two daiyoukai. "I'm not mated to anyone. By choice."
His mother raised an eyebrow at him, and he shrugged a shoulder in response, more to cover his own surprise than anything. He didn't go out of his way to converse with his brother, but he'd assumed the miko had been his first choice in a mate. Even Rin had mentioned how much better they'd been getting along since her return, though perhaps he should not have relied on a child's insight on such matters.
She continued to answer his mother's questions, and Sesshoumaru's curiosity only grew. It sounded like she'd barely seen his brother at all in the last few years.
What had gone wrong?