Managing to find a lesser kitsune youkai, he wrapped its heart and liver in it's skin that he had removed then left the rest as he could feel several starving bear cubs nearing. Jumping back into the air, he flew back to the warded cave. Passing through the wards, he frowned as he saw Rin near the entrance and saw Seraphina's clothing tossed onto the furred futon but she was absent.

"Father, I tried to stop her," Rin frowned, though she did not seem fearful.

"How long ago did she jump?" he asked as he set the fur pouch into a bowl.

"A few minutes ago, but I've looked and I don't see any way to get back up here."

"This isn't the first time she has jumped into the ocean," he commented and she nodded as he left the warded cave and hovered above the water as he saw her platinum locks illuminated by the jade pendant around her neck. She broke the surface with a sharp inhale, meaning she had been under the surface for as long as her lungs could tolerate and her crimson eyes locked onto his. "Stubborn female."

"I got hot..." she panted.

"And sent this one's pup into another frenzy," he mused as he held out his hand and she wrapped her fingers around his wrist so he could pull her from the water.

"She okay?"

"More concerned than anything, but she's fine," he spoke and she nodded as he flew back up through the wards. Once they touched the cold stone ground, he used his jake to dry her body and her eyes fell to the bowl that Rin was crouched beside as she looked at the organs inside. "Rin."

"Are these youkai organs...?" Rin frowned and he hummed in reply. "Ninngen can't eat youkai meat..."

"Most ninngen..." Seraphina mused. "My piercings... allow me to... eat jaki based foods... cooked or raw."

"Gross."

"It's an aquired habit... one I've been careful... not to show you... Raw meals... rather messy..."

"It's not the worse thing I've seen," Rin shrugged, looking up and Sesshomaru smirked as he saw Seraphina's surpise. "Why's your necklace glowing?"

"Solstice..." she spoke simply and looked over her shoulder to look at him.

"Eat so you can wash any blood off, then we will go," he spoke and she nodded.

Rin scooted back somewhat confused as Seraphina knelt beside the bowl of organs, but remained silent. Leaning against the entrance wall, knowing he'd have to bring Seraphina back up, he watched Rin's expression as she began to eat. Her brown doe eyes went wide as she bit into the raw liver, blood falling down her body but she did not look away as she was interestedly disturbed. Once Seraphina finished off both, she got up and went back to the entrance and dove with perfect form.

"She just jumps...?" Rin frowned.

"There is no danger below that could harm her other than the icy waters," he spoke simply before leaving the wards and flew down to hover over the waters.

His eyes caught sight of the slight green glow of her necklace from deep below the surface, slowly moving back towards the surface. To not get wet as she broke the surface, grinning as she tried to splash him, he transformed and dropped into the water. He heard her squeal as his tail wrapped around her ankle and pulled her back under the surface.

Releasing her ankle, he saw her swim back up the surface and gasped for air. Curious though knowing he could not take too long with Rin waiting, he swam closer from behind and pressed his canine nose between her legs. He heard her scream in surprise and she swam away from him before surfacing and she spun around to face him, her face crimson. Jumping out of the water, he used his jaki to dry off before transforming and held his hand out for her, smirking as he noticed her entire body was flushed as he pulled her out of the water. She kept her gaze averted as her arms crossed over her chest and he could hear her heart pounding. Drying her body as they flew back up to the cave, she stormed over to her clothes but her arousal did not escape his nose as he moved to grab his pelt from the bed beside her clothing.

"Is Nina mad?" Rin frowned as she got to her feet and pulled her cloak on.

"Nei," Seraphina muttered, having fallen back to her language but he could guess that she was denying any anger as she pulled on her strange obi and pulled the strings tight then pulled on her cloak.

"It is time to depart," Sesshomaru spoke and stomped out the fire before walking over to the entrance as the two females came over to stand on either side of him.

"Can I go with or will you be dropping me off at the residence?" Rin asked and Sesshomaru glanced at Seraphina who was avoiding his gaze.

"You may go..." she spoke simply, meeting her innocent gaze as he wrapped his arm around her while Rin slid her hand into his. "There will be... much blood though... Need to charge gems..."

"As long as no one is hurt..."

"Seraphina takes youkai blood directly from the body, Rin. It must be fresh," Sesshomaru spoke as they flew out of the cave and headed into the direction that Seraphina pointed.

"So you will purpously wound yourself?" he heard his ward's confusion and nodded as he looked down at her.

"He heal quick... once enough bled..."

"No actual harm will come to this one," Sesshomaru spoke and she nodded hesitantly.

Following Seraphina's silent directions, he changed their direction and noticed her necklace slowly glowing brighter. Seeing fire in the distance, he was surprised to see that it was close to the residence as he noticed that it was a large clearing with four bonfires around the edges of a large spring that had an island full of blooming flowers at its center with four japanese plum trees. Each bonfire mirrored the trees like directional points of a compass and he could see dozens of small sprites as they landed near the edge of the clearing.

"Are these sprites?" Rin spoke softly and Seraphina nodded quietly as she stepped forward and chittering sounds leaving her lips and the sprites swarmed around her as they started talking with her. "They're beautiful."

"Greetings Lord of the West, I am Gaki," a female sprite flew closer to hover in front of them, her wings a pastel pink while a smaller female with pale blue wings followed. "Young princess if you could follow, Aio, for everyone's safety."

"I thought no one would be hurt," Rin frowned.

"Due to your miko abilites, we need you within a barrier to contain your power so it does not conflict with Seraphina's ritual," the sprite spoke gently and Sesshomaru gently nudged her forward. She went reluctantly towards the tree line near the southern bonfire and an ash barrier around her and the sprite, Aio was formed. "It is an honor, Lord Sesshomaru to witness a ritual like this. Baki of Edo had sent word about her circumstances."

"Will you be using ash to draw this one's blood?"

"No other magic we possess would be strong enough and being in your true form, your healing is expedited when wounded so we must make sure your wound remain open until the necessary amount of blood is taken. Feeling how weak her body and seals are, you most likely will feel the loss."

"Her body?"

"Emotional trauma is a heavy toll and it will continue to eat at her until she can finally accept the loss of her pup, my lord. If there a preferred location or locations you would rather ashen scars, we can mark it then be able to target the marked area directly," Gaki spoke and he nodded and opened his haori and pointed to the four magenta strips along his ribcage that curved up towards his sternum.

"If scars are inevitable then make sure it is along the edges of this one's stripes."

"Using ashen scars to enhance your markings, interesting route," the sprite hummed and flew closer, her small hands tracing the edge of each stripe before backing up as he saw Seraphina walking over an ashen bridge, her clothing missing and hair completely loose around her. "Very well then, you may redress. When you transform, face towards the west and make sure your paws are not on the center island."

He fixed his clothing and she flew towards Seraphina who then turned to face the east. Glancing around, he saw the sprites forming circles, two around each of the bonfires and plum trees while four larger circles around the entire clearing. Transforming to his true size, he moved around the clearing before each of his paws were centered between bonfires as he faced west. Lowering his head to look down at Seraphina, he saw her amazement as she was looking over at her shoulder up at him.

"Þakka þér fyrir," she spoke gently in her birth language, but he understood her tone enough to know she was thanking him and hummed in reply.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw ash rising from the four fires towards Seraphina, merging as they reached her. A tornado of ash suddenly lashed around her and as the glow of her necklace faded, a deep growl escaped him as eight lines of ash shot up towards him and sliced through his fur and skin. He could feel his wounds trying to heal around the ash that held them open, his inner youkai fighting like him to hold still.

He watched his blood fall and as it was intercepted by ash. The ash around her had formed an orb and she was floating several feet of the ground as a circle of sprites appeared around her, her body in a loose fetal position while her arms and head hung below her. Blood seemed to stop falling as it entered the ashen orb and filled, engulfing Seraphina in its center. His vision was starting to swim as he could feel the blood loss, his legs shaking to hold his weakening body. Finally, he felt his wounds start healing and a completed blood orb surrounded by ash blocked his view of Seraphina as sprites from the bonfires and trees moved to surround the orb.

"You may transform and land on the island if you wish, Lord Sesshomaru," he heard Gaki call and gratefully transformed, barely able to stay standing as Rin was released from the barrier she had been and she ran over the ash bridge.

"Father, are you okay?" Rin asked concerned as he lowered himself to the ground, groaning quietly at the pain that radiated from his sides

"This one is well enough," he hummed as his golden eyes lifted to the massive blood orb that hovered above him.

"How long will she be inside this?" Rin asked as Gaki moved to hover near Rin's head.

"Until her body and gems absorb all of the blood given. It may very well take the rest of the night," Gaki spoke gently as music started up from the circles of sprites around the the clearing.

"Can she breath?"

"Fear not, little one, she is safe. Would you like to join in on the celebration?"

Rin glanced at Sesshomaru and she could see her concern. Giving her a nod, she gave Gaki a grin and several sprites guided her away while several others flew towards him. One was carrying a white ceramic bottle, and two others were carrying piles of white cloth.

"Now that she is distracted, we should care for your wounds, Lord Sesshomaru before the ash can no longer contain the blood," Gaki spoke and he nodded.

Allowing the sprites to remove his haori, he glanced down to see ash pressing against his wounds like bandages. A growl escaped him as the ash was removed to reveal quarter inch wide wounds around each stripe that were still rather deep as blood started to roll down his sides. The sprites moved quickly and bound his entire chest in the four inch wide strips of cloths before ash wrapped around his body following the bandages until he could feel a constant gently pressure against his wounds and haori was pulled back over his shoulders. Lowering himself to lay against his pelt, his haori just folded over, the ceramic bottle was placed near his hand.

"This sake will help you replenish your strength so you can heal," Gaki spoke as it was opened and he nodded, accepting it silently and she flew away.

Taking a drink straight from the bottle, he could feel the liquid burn as it went down. Sighing in relief as he felt his pain immediately start lessening, immediately noticing that it was a stronger sake than he normally would drink. Taking another gulp, he looked around and saw Rin twirling around with the sprites around the bonfires. He could hear her laughing as she would stumble and the sprites would stabilize her as they continued to celebrate the winter solstice.

When the full moon had it it's highest point in the skies above him, Rin had stumbled over to almost immediately fall asleep as she laid against his pelt and the sprites covered her with a blanket made from the same material as the cloth wrapped around his torso. The blood orb had shrunk to about half it's size and Sesshomaru was drunker than he ever remembered being, not able to feel anything other than the cool ground under him as he had finished the bottle and finally drifted into a painless slumber.