Author's Note: Hopefully picking up the pace just a little this time. . .all suggestions are welcome, and please read n' review! Thanks!
Disclaimer: don't own Inuyasha
The next few days past relatively quickly for Sesshoumaru. He spent a lot of his time wandering in and among the mountains surrounding the fortress. On his fifth day at his mother's home, his father arrived early in the morning wet and cold, as he had expected. A servant came to Sesshoumaru's quarters before the sun had risen and informed him that his father had arrived.
Inutaisho was glad that he had made such good time on his way north, and had spent less time in the snow than he had expected. He was anxious to see his son, it had been many years since they had seen each other for any extended amount of time. In truth, he was becoming weary with all the monotonous trappings of everyday life in his domain as well.
"Sesshoumaru, are you awake?" he asked through his son's door.
"Yes father, please come in." came the reply.
Inutaisho stepped through the door and regarded his son for the first time in several months. There was an air of restlessness about him that hadn't been so evident before.
"Is there something you wish to speak with me about father?" Sesshoumaru asked. "Since you sent word for me to meet you here I can only assume the matter is important." he said.
Inutaisho gave a heavy sigh. "Sesshoumaru, I need to speak with you about your supervision of the western lands when the time comes." "I must confess that I have grown tired of the life of being a noble lord." "I have restored my homeland and reestablished my army to the best of my ability, and there has been peace for many years in the western lands." he told him. "But, one day if something happens to me, you should rule in my place." he said.
"But, I have given this much thought over the past several years." he continued. "If I should perish or become unable to rule, I wish for my army to be disbanded, and my domain to be run on minimal maintenance." "I have found after all these years that all these successes have done nothing to fill the emptiness inside me that has lingered all of my life." "I would wish for you to be free from running my domain to pursue whatever you wish that will make your life full, instead of spending meaningless years trapped in nobility." he finished.
Sesshoumaru stared blankly at his father. He had never heard him speak this way, and looking at him now he seemed to be carrying a great weight on him. His father really was unhappy, despite being one of the strongest rulers the land had ever known.
"Father, I do not understand." Sesshoumaru said finally. "What is this emptiness you speak of?" he asked. "What has caused you to make such rash decisions as these?"
Inutaisho gave his son a long look. He was still so young and naive. "I know you feel the emptiness I speak of as well." he answered. "It is as plain in you as it always has been in me." he said. "I am sorry that there was not some way I could have prevented it while you were still a child." "But I still do not know what the answer for it is myself." he finished.
"What of your swords?" Sesshoumau asked his father. "What will become of them if you relinquish your lordship?" He knew the reputation of the swords his father wielded well. He had only seen Tesssaiga and Souunga in action a handful of times, but his father had explained them in depth. He knew how powerful they were, and also knew that his father owed much of his success to their power. The other sword, Tenseiga, held little fascination for him, born from his father's weakness for creatures beneath him. He had never seen him use it.
"As long as I am alive they will remain with me." he answered. "Especially Souunga." "It would be a great misfortune to have any of them fall into the wrong hands." he said.
"Do you think the swordsmith that made your swords would make one for me as well?" Sesshoumaru asked. "Do you think he could make me a sword as powerful as Tessaiga?"
Inutaisho sat silently for a moment and looked at the floor. "Why do you wish for such a sword my son?" he asked finally.
"For the same reasons you had Tessaiga forged." he answered. "I must find a way to add to my power so I can become an unquestionable force." he said.
His father gave a grim laugh. "You really think that is why I had Tessaiga and Tenseiga forged?" he asked. "You have much to learn Sesshoumaru." "I had those swords forged to be able to rebuild and protect my domain." "Not because I desired power or to become an incontestable ruler." "These things will not give you peace." "Power is useless unless you have something or someone worth protecting." "You must learn that." he told him.
"Your great power may not have given you the life you seek, but we are not the same, father." Sesshoumaru replied. "Only when I have control of all the things around me without question will I finally be at peace in my life." "I will have my own empire someday, and no one will question my authority." He stood looking at Inutaisho, unable to read the emotions in his face.
"There is nothing I can do to persuade you otherwise?" his father asked finally, not looking at him. "Do you intend to walk this path regardless of my advice?" Another long moment passed in silence. "If so, I will leave you to find these things out the hard way, as much as it may pain me." he said, an air of sadness and regret in his voice.
Sesshoumaru didn't answer. He was not the same as his father. The things they spoke of may not have given his father peace, but Sesshoumaru was certain they would for him. He stood and looked at his father, uncertain if he should continue the conversation further, or try and persuade his father to believe his feelings. His father did not speak, and he looked away from him, seemingly lost in thought.
Finally Inutaisho turned to him. "I suppose I will return to my lands in the west now." he said quietly. "I only wished to tell you what my feelings are concerning my legacy, and what should be done in the event of my demise." "I will leave you to continue your journeys, and I truly hope you can come to find something that gives you peace my son." he said. "I would wish nothing for you but true happiness and a content life." he told him. Once again, Sesshoumaru stood looking at him in silence. He didn't know what to say to his father. He wished the could convince his father to believe him, but he knew they were too much at odds on the subject.
Inutaisho turned to leave. "If you need anything from me, come and seek me out, Sesshoumaru." he said, not turning around. "I shouldn't be too hard to find." he told him as he left Sesshoumaru's chambers.
"Thank you father." Sesshoumaru said quietly as he watched his father go.
Inutaisho made his way down the hallway, aggravated at the conversation that had passed between him and his son. He was greatly pained that his son wished to throw himself into a life that he knew wouldn't make him content, and that he stubbornly insisted to pursue it as only someone young and inexperienced could. He knew that he would have to learn things on his own, but being his parent he did not wish his son the unhappiness it would bring. Suddenly he heard a voice behind him.
"Are you leaving already?" Kagetsu's voice asked. "Is everything well?"
"I only wished to tell Sesshoumaru how I wished things to be handled in the event of my death or abdication." he answered. "I have told him all he needs to know, I suppose I will return to the west now." He suddenly had a thought and turned to her. "If something ever happens to me, part of my army will return here and serve as your guards." he told her.
"I thank you." she replied. She looked at him for a moment. "You seem more unhappy now than I have ever seen you." she told him. "Your sentimental nature must be continuing to cause you pain." she surmised. "It seems you will never be free from it driving you to seek something you cannot find." she said.
"You must feel considerably lucky to never have had to worry about that." he answered. He did not wish to rehash this with her. He didn't know why she was so concerned about his happiness. After all it had been years since he released her from their marriage contract.
"I have never wished you ill." she snapped at him. "I have told you that before." "I would be glad to see you find whatever would ease your heart." she said.
Inutaisho softened a bit. She really had her own ways about her, peculiar as they may be. He knew she told the truth. Even if she couldn't love him in the way he had come to wish at one time, he knew she cared about him in her own way.
"Thank you." he said sincerely. "I will take my leave now." "Take care and be well." he told her. She nodded as she bowed, and turned and left him.
Inutaisho left before it was even noon. The sun was at least out, and it would make traveling in the snow less burdensome. He decided to head to the east instead, he needed a break from his duties in the west and Tessaiga could use a few repairs from old Toutousai. He picked up his pace a bit, vowing he would make the most of his journey.
He headed south and was close to reaching his destination after only a few days; the weather had certainly been kind to him this trip. He was just to the north of where Toutousai lived when he smelled fear and blood in the wind. It was close, probably on the road at the base of the mountain where he was traveling. He headed down the mountain to see what was wrong.
A small entourage of humans came into sight below him. There seemed to be a carriage and a few guards traveling to the south. He could see that it was human nobility, and that a group of bandits had attacked the small group. Three of the guards were already dead and one was badly injured and unconscious. The carriage had been overturned. One of the bandits was going through the contents of the chests that had fallen from it while the other was making his way to see who was inside.
"These fine silks and jewelry will fetch a fine price!" one of the bandits said excitedly. They had no idea he was approaching them in silence.
"Well well, what have we here?" one of the others said with glee. He pulled back the curtains from the side of the palanquin. "A lovely young princess, and already unconscious!" he called to his comrades. "What do you think we should do with her?" "Keep her for ransom or do as we like with her and kill her later?" he laughed.
"I think you should get away from her." a voice came from behind the group. They all turned to see who had come upon them unnoticed. They were stunned to see Inutaisho standing there, clearly not human.
"Just who the hell are you?" the apparent leader asked him. "You're not even human!" he exclaimed as he got a closer look at him.
"You need to put the young lady's belongings back in those chests and leave here now." Inutaisho said, ignoring his question.
"Why you. . .how dare you!" the bandit roared and charged at him. Inutaisho dispatched him quickly. He didn't like killing humans, but found that killing men such as these afforded him little unrest. The others fled in terror at the quickness their leader had met his end.
He made his way over to the carriage and looked inside. Indeed there was a young woman inside, obviously of a noble family. She had a small cut on her head, but seemed otherwise unharmed. She had probably bumped her head when the carriage overturned and been knocked out temporarily. He pulled her gently from the wreckage and laid her on the ground in the sunlight.
Inutaisho felt his breath freeze in his throat. She was the most lovely human he had ever seen. He usually didn't pay much attention to humans' looks, but there was something about this girl that stirred something inside him. She looked strangely peaceful lying in the grass, almost like she was sleeping. He stared at her for a long moment, taking in her beauty. He shook his head after a moment, coming back to his senses. He should not be watching her this way and thinking of her beauty, he knew well what problems those feelings would cause.
She began to stir after a moment, and Inutaisho wondered almost frantically what would happen when she awoke. Before he could think of a plan or whether or not he should help her, she raised up and turned to him. She gasped and stared at him, unsure of what to think. Had bandits attacked her carriage? Where were the guards now? Who or what was this creature staring blankly at her now? Had he saved her? A thousand frantic thoughts ran through her shaken mind.
"Did. . .did you save me?" she finally asked him. He found he tried to speak but couldn't. She stared at him and observed his silver hair and golden eyes. He was a demon, she was sure of it. But she saw no malice of any kind in his eyes. She suddenly knew that he would not harm her. They stared at each other in silence, both unsure of what to do now.
