A/N: I'm sorry for the slow updates but rl is rl and I'm not in the best shape. I will try to update soon, but no promises.
Enjoy!
Beta; Cstorm86
18
As they walked, Sesshomaru's form shifted. One moment he was a big white dog, but the other, as he passed through a shadow of a tree, he was no longer a canine.
Inuyasha followed his lead, assuming the humanoid form yasha so often favored for the convenience. His brother was just like he had been all those years ago, when Inuyasha had seen him the last time. Tall, regal, clad in white and gold. His luxurious fur was replaced with smooth, long hair that flowed behind him like moonlight. His tail was now the mokomoko, his prized pelt.
Beside his dignified brother Inuyasha looked like a ruffian, with his hair wild and his attitude much more untamed. It made sense, since Sesshomaru was the heir of their father and also schooled by his mother in the ways of the sages. The crescent moon upon his forehead was the sign of his sage standing and Inuyasha guessed it wouldn't be very sage-ly to act brashly.
There were many differences between the brothers. Sesshomaru knew a lot, had been taught since a young age all the secrets of being a senin, while Inuyasha had been allowed to explore on his own and learn what interested him the most. For the most of their youth, the brothers had been separated, seeing each other only on occasion. He sometimes pitied Sesshomaru for being born with his tree being an oak, the tree of sages. With a cherry, Inuyasha had been granted far more freedom. Of course, for the most of time, Inuyasha was too busy scoffing at his big brother to be sympathetic. Over the years they had had their quarrels and disagreements, but before Inuyasha had gotten himself sealed, their relationship hadn't been that bad.
After a lesson in patience and a lot of time to think, Inuyasha wondered if he could understand his brother a bit more. Or maybe it was just a matter of time before they started bickering again.
He shrugged it off, it was no use wondering about it right now. He was just glad to see his family member alive, even if he would rather hug Kouga than admit to that.
And it was so amazing to be in his old forest, where he knew every tree and rock by name and scent, where the magic in the air was stroking his ears in gentle welcome. It was like diving into a warm water that could wash away all the tension and dirt from his body and spirit. As he walked beside his brother, under the canopy of ancient trees, between the columns of their noble trunks, he was hard pressed not to sing, not to leap up into the swaying branches, not to do something his brother certainly would call foolish.
His tree was back where it belonged, no longer spelled and bound away from Yasha no Mori. It stood where it had been growing since the day of his birth, roots digging into the soil, branches swaying on the breeze. He had left a pup, an adolescent boy, but he was returning as a mature man, his energy at its prime. He had missed not only his brother's wedding, but also his coming of age ceremony.
The brothers entered a big round meadow that housed a sizable hill covered with blooming flowers. Lilies grew among bushes of silver roses, fragile petals seemed to glow with their own light. Sesshomaru led the way to the side and soon they approached the entrance to the den - what appeared to be a cave in the hill side. Tall blades of grass stuck from the blanket of dry leaves under the trees, the green carpet growing thicker as they moved away from the treeline. It cushioned his bare feet, grass tickling his ankles as he stepped closer to his home.
It was a tradition many old families followed to live in hollow hills. Some yasha adapted to live in different dwellings, a few even building houses akin to what humans used for their dwelling. But shiro inu lived in their ancient dens under hollow hills and Inuyasha fel nostalgia as he walked in the shadows of the passage, the carved walls that provided shelter, following the white figure of his brother. Back when Inuyasha had been younger he'd always tried to push his way in first, to walk through the doors before his steadily walking elder brother. As he watched his brother's hair and pelt not losing any of its shimmer when he walked inside the shadowed entrance, Inuyasha smirked. This one time he didn't try to usurp his elder's right. Sesshomaru didn't seem to notice his kind gesture, leisurely walking down in the shadows.
They didn't walk even three steps in, when someone walked out to meet them.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" called a happy voice of a child and Inuyasha blinked when he saw a human girl run out of the inside of the den to greet his brother. She wore a patterned robe of orange and yellow squares, her wild hair partially pulled in a sideways ponytail. Her big brown eyes glimmered like rich maple syrup, sweet and innocent.
Her aura was soothing like the breeze after a hot summer day.
"Rin." his brother stopped and put a hand on the girl's head. "You should never venture so close to the entrance unescorted."
"Master Jaken is dozing off a bit further in," she explained, pointing a finger back from where she'd come. The elder inu hummed, showing acceptance of her reply, but not approval. She cast her eyes to her bare feet, muttering her apologies and assurance she'd be more careful. That granted her a sound of his approval. When these dark eyes glanced up, they were back sparkling and excited as she cast a curious glance at Inuyasha, who simply blinked at her.
"This is Inuyasha, my younger brother," Sesshomaru introduced. "Inuyasha, this is Rin. My ward. My wife and I are very fond of her, so don't have any ideas about stealing her from us."
"I wouldn't have dreamt about it," Inuyasha grumbled and glanced back at the girl again, to offer a small nod of acknowledgement in return for her bright smile.
That girl was spirited. Spirited as hell. Even being close to her was soothing. And by the look of it, she had weaseled her way in the heart of his brother in the time he had been gone.
"Good. Now come. Our parents are away, but I presume you'd like to refresh yourself," Sesshomaru glanced at him, as if to make sure he wouldn't snatch his prized ward. Rin happily skipped ahead, promising to wake up the toad. She ran inside the darkened tunnel with the sure step of someone, who knew it well. Which meant she was living here for some time. Inuyasha grinned when he heard the outraged squeaks of Jaken when she woke him up. Judging by the noises, she'd kicked him and now he was chasing her deeper inside to exact his revenge. Inuyasha twitched his ears when after a few yells Jaken's voice grew winded, the kappa was surely not a keen runner.
"Possessive much?" Inuyasha smirked and shook his head. He walked to join Sesshomaru, who started deeper inside the den. "What's the deal with the kid? You never were keen on humans, even spirited ones."
"Hm," Sesshomaru was silent for a long while as they walked down the coiling corridor, able to see in the dark with their golden eyes. The walls of the passage were adorned with colorful stones. The tunnel spiralled in a gentle curve, going down in a smooth manner. Inuyasha could smell the fresh air against his face, the clear sign they were nearing the end of the passage "Rin is an exception. You are forbidden from upsetting her."
"Sure," Inuyasha shrugged, thinking about a certain spirited girl he was fond of. "So, when will our parents back? I kinda want to speak with them."
"Soon," the brothers entered a big chamber with a high ceiling, the main gathering room of the den, where feasts were held and their father met with guests. Now the room was empty, the round low table adorned with a bowl of fruit, the fireplace prepared to be lit. Screens of painted paper and carved thin wooden planks stood here and there alongside the stone walls, depicting forests and mountains. Banners hung from the high ceiling, the sign of the Empeiror's Tree shimmering with gold and gems above the fireplace, flanknet by the banner of shiro inu - the rampant white dog on either side of the glimmering tree. A handful of doors, all opened, led to the other parts of the den.
In one of the doorways, Inuyasha saw Rin and Jaken, who bowed to his lord and ignored Inuyasha. He didn't really expect anything more, so when Sesshomaru looked back at him, Inuyasha paused in surprise.
"Whatever you have been doing during your absence, little brother," Sesshomaru's cold eyes stared at Inuyasha with this annoying impassiveness Inuyasha disliked so much. "It was not worth staying away from your pack. You are one of us, even if your blood isn't as pure as one could wish it to be.
"Oi, asshole, I tried to be civil and the first thing you're doing is insulting me!" Inuyasha barked, his ears laying back. Of course, his brother stood calm and passive at his outburst.
"Lord Father says that we might be soon sent to put the moths in their place. It will be acceptable that the pack will be whole. It will be... entertaining to see you in a real battle, little brother," Sesshomaru didn't smile, but there was a note of amusement in his voice.
"Keh! I will do just fine, you'll see!" Inuyasha grumbled, his heartbeat speeding just a bit. Back before his entrapment he had been still considered a pup, he hadn't been able to join the rest of the shiro inu in battle or hunt at the Emperor's order. Now, he was finally an adult and the only thing he lacked was...
"The New Moon keeps your heirloom sword well hidden and protected," Sesshomaru turned away to follow Rin and Jaken in his part of the den. "They will wish to give it to you after their return. Use this time to at least attempt to make yourself look decent. And bathe. You stink of human incense."
"Feh, that ain't that bad of a smell," Inuyasha objected, but he couldn't lie, a nice bath before meeting with his parents would be nice. And so would be a small raid on the kitchen. He turned to go to his room, feeling a pang of nostalgia. How many decades had passed since he had been there! His heart was full of emotions as he took in the aura and the smell of the den, trying to keep in the emotions that welled inside of him.
He was home. He was back with his family, his pack. After so many years, after almost losing hope, he was back.
Thanks to Kagome.
.
Kagome woke up the next day feeling pretty positive. She had survived her visit to Lord Kagewaki's and didn't plan to go back there again, or get anywhere near the kelpie. As much as she pitied the captured yasha, she had no wish to approach him.
She spent most of the day outside, not wanting to be indoors. Hojo, along with some men from the town, was working to restore Inuyasha's room to be useful again. It included cleaning the walls and putting up new wallpaper, sweeping the dirt from the floor and patching holes. The room was nothing like that magical place it had been when Inuyasha had been there, but Kagome still didn't like that others were in his sanctuary, erasing what was left of it.
All she had was her pendant, the carved key and the few pages of her notebook with his writing and drawings. She couldn't wait to see him again, to hear him play his flute again, but she knew he needed some time to meet with his family and friends. Kami knew how long they hadn't seen him; she couldn't imagine how worried they must have been.
She spent a while in the garden, tending to her flower bush. It wasn't really hers, but it was left by Inuyasha and she decided that she didn't like the idea of someone else watering flowers left by him. Besides, the smell of the flowers reminded her a bit of Inuyasha's tree.
She missed him. Not only the fact that he was her secret, but also him as a person. He had been an intriguing company when he had been awake, he had joked with her and had listened to her. And, despite often telling her that he was dangerous, he had never made her afraid of him. No, the feelings he had brought to her were different - awe and wonder, curiosity and easy companionship she had never felt around any other man. She missed his fiery eyes, his cute ears tilting this way and that, his witty responses full of amusement.
His sturdy arms wrapped around her, his body heat seeping through their clothes to warm her, the sound of his flute soothing her worries.
"Ah, so your yasha friend gave you flowers, Miss Kagome," Kagome gasped and turned around to see Mr Kaze standing a few paces away, smiling at her. "Good day, Miss Kagome. I came to return the books and thought to seek you out and say hello."
"Oh, good day," Kagome smiled at him and turned to face him fully. "I... Um, his tree used to grow here, but when he left, it was replaced with the flowers, Mr. Kaze."
"Miroku, please," he said and frowned, approaching the flowers to lean down and smell their sweet fragrance. "I always wondered why a yasha tree was growing here, but no one seemed to know the answer. Care to tell me, Miss Kagome?"
"Inuyasha was sealed here," Kagome explained after casting a wary glance around to make sure no one could overhear them. "I released him."
At her last statement, Miroku smiled briefly
"I take it that he isn't the malevolent variety then?"
"He's a..." Kagome frowned, trying to remember what Inuyasha had called himself. "A shiro inu."
At her words Miroku's head turned towards her, his face full of surprise. "A shiro inu? As in: guardian of Yasha no Mori shiro inu? The ones scholars call cwn?" he asked, taking a step towards her."
Kagome nodded hesitantly. "I... Yes. He said he is a shiro inu."
"My gods, it's very fortunate you unsealed him then. I can't imagine what his pack would've done with the area if they found out he was being held here," he sighed and tension left him, making Kagome relax too. A small smirk appeared on his face when he looked at her. "You have a very powerful friend, Miss Kagome."
"I... I don't really know much about his kind, or Yasha no Mori, or anything..." Kagome bowed her head, blushing a bit at her ignorance.
"That can be changed," MIroku said goodheartedly. "I will be going to visit some of my yasha friends in this forest tomorrow, maybe you and your brother would like to join me?"
Kagome looked at him with wide eyes, clasping her hands in front of her. "There are yasha in this forest? I've never known!"
"Yes, there are a few families," the man looked to where the forest-covered hills started not far from the shrine. "Most of them live far from us humans, so they don't have to deal with us. Some live at the borders. And a few live in enclaves surrounded by our towns and villages. But these are especially good at masking their presence."
"If you think they won't mind us being with you, we would love to join you," Kagome looked at him with gratitude and curiosity.
Miroku obviously knew a whole lot more about yasha and the forests around here than she did. It was wonderful that he wanted to share his knowledge, and not ban her from learning, like her grandfather did. And it would be so nice to talk about this sort of thing with someone else than Souta, who wasn't exactly more knowledgeable than herself in the subject.
She was certain her brother was going to be elated to meet some other yasha. Kagome for sure couldn't wait to meet more of the supernatural beings of the wild.
"Till tomorrow then," Miroku bowed his farewell and left, his aura reflecting her own excitement and amusement at her eagerness.
.
His private den was exactly like he had left it. It was located next to Sesshomaru's, but thick walls separated their dwellings. It consisted of a big stone room, veins of quartz providing most of the light in the chamber, that was divided to smaller areas by painted paper screens depicting woods and fields. Thick furs and mats covered the cold floor,, leaving an empty space only near the fireplace. A crate of firewood stood next to it. Shelves for his belongings were carved in the walls, some hidden behind paper screens, some displaying his old trinkets. A low table sat in one corner, his bed hidden behind a sturdy screen of wooden planks painted with colorful shapes. A thick curtain led to a smaller room for storage, another one led to a bathroom. housing a small pond of hot water and toilet. Albeit beings of wind and nature, yasha, especially of ancient descent like his family, did their best to make their dwellings comfortable. A magic stone was set in the side of the pond, so it was always full of fresh hot spring water. A similar spell made the toilet always ready to use.
Inuyasha returned to the main room and went to the corner of the room, where wooden shutters covered the window opening to the hillside opposite to the entrance of the hill. Here, the hill was much steeper, coming down to a creek flowing through the forest. Inuyasha opened the window and went to grab a change of clothing before he went to the bathroom to wash. As much as the smell of incense didn't bother him, he wanted to soak in - and not only in the way one soaks in a hot bath.
He was home. As he walked around his room, his steps silent against the furs, as he threw his fire rat robe into the laundry basket, as he grabbed a bar of soap, as he sat in the hot water of his bath, Inuyasha felt oddly misplaced in his mist private den. Familiar scents hung in the air, all his things were there, his body knew how to move about the chambers, but...
He was not entirely the same as the naive boy, who had gone on a small trip to learn about humans and had gotten himself stuck for decades. He had learned to be more cautious, to always pay attention to possible danger, to never again trust a human wouldn't turn against him only because he wasn't trying to harm them.
Well, this last one didn't apply to Kagome. Inuyasha leaned back in his bath, closing his eyes and thinking about his lovely friend. It was just a short time since he'd left her, but he already missed her, missed teasing her, missed playing with her. He wondered what she had been up to lately, what kind of things she was sneak learning from Souta. Was she missing him too?
"I will visit soon. In a few days," he murmured his promise as he started to scrub himself with his soap. "I need to talk to parents first."
Yes, he was going to tell them about Kagome, tell them that he liked her, that he was entertaining the idea of courting her. That she was a genuine girl, an honest human, a lovely lady, a feisty female that had unsealed him and had danced with him around wolf yasha fires.
After what felt like hours of soaking in the water and planning his speech, Inuyasha came out of his bath, dressed in new clothing and walked back into his room, for the time focusing on now and then.
It was so strange to approach his table and see century old half-finished drawings of things he no longer remembered he had wanted to draw. He found a few sheets with notes for his flute, songs he barely remembered. He pulled a sitting pillow from under the table and summoned his flute to play some of them, his fingers slowly relearning the patterns.
He felt odd in one of his old favorite robes of soft silk, it felt like water against his skin after so many years of wearing his fire rat robe. His gaze went to the shelves with his possessions, all of them dusted and in perfect order, obviously someone had been keeping his room clean in his absence. But they never had removed anything he'd left. All his carved figures of animals were where they should be and Inuyasha smiled, remembering how much he liked to carve wood. Back at Higurashi shrine he hadn't had much wood to work with, aside from that piece of his own tree he'd carved the key to his room from.
He wondered if Kagome still had it.
A resurfacing memory had Inuyasha leaping to his feet and running to his bed. He laid on top of it and pushed aside the pile of pillows to reveal a small wooden door closing a shelf. He reached in and when he pulled his hand out, a string of polished quartz of various hues of blue hung from his claws. He smirked, remembering how he'd won it in a competition and poor Kouga had had to settle for the second spot. Back then Inuyasha hadn't had anyone he'd like to give a necklace like this to, but now... Now he had someone in mind when he closed his eyes again, his thumb rubbing gently the smooth surface of one of the gems as his mind drifted.
