Only Human

by effinsusie

[COMPLETE] Winter is coming, and Kagome is prepared. A thoughtless wish binds Kagome to Sesshoumaru. Winner- FC Awards 2021 Q2, Best Angst- 3rd place Winner-FC Awards 2021 Q3, Best AU/AR- 3rd Place

27. Compounded

They weren't far into their departure from the village when Sesshoumaru instructed the monk to have Kirara land them. Kagome thought it was strange that he'd insisted on taking the middle seat for this ride, because in addition to preferring her safely wedged between the two human men, he was also quite opposed to being touched by anyone but her.

But with her arms wrapped tightly around his middle – at his own stern command – she could feel it every time Sesshoumaru leaned in to mutter directions into the obedient monk's ear. Running down below with Sango as his cargo, Inuyasha was forced to follow suit despite his justified confusion. This was not the predetermined path they had discussed taking to get them to the tiger's compound, and the further they veered off course, the more aggressively the hanyou attempted to get his brother's attention to alert him of this.

Once paws touched dirt, he finally skidded to a stop to vocalize his concern.

"Why are you taking us this way? The compound's in the other direction."

Sesshoumaru leapt off their newly-healed sabertoothed friend while Miroku did the same, before grabbing the miko firmly at the waist and assisting with her dismount. Unaware of the change in plans herself, she only looked up in silent question at the man who was still holding her gently by the hips. Sesshoumaru ignored his brother's question and issued his own demand.

"Miko, follow me."

She watched him begin to make his way further into the dense woods before turning to relay her confusion to the rest of the pack. Seeing that the reaction was unanimous, she spun back around quickly and jogged a bit to catch up to her long-stridden packmate.

"Is everything okay Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha called out while he still had the chance. Despite his curiosity, he trusted his brother now. He also knew that if the short-winded former demon didn't want to tell him something, it was a waste of breath to try and demand it, so he kept his requests simple.

"Wait here," he instructed once the miko reached his side. "We shall return shortly."

Furrowing his brow, the hanyou turned to Miroku in silent question, but was only greeted with a crude two-handed gesture that was international sign language for intercourse. Accompanied by his trademark eyebrow waggle, it was clear what the monk's assumption was. Inuyasha simply made a face, while Sango saw fit to roll her eyes.

Back straight and eyes forward, Sesshoumaru had yet to acknowledge Kagome's presence as he led them deeper into the woods. He strode confidently past various rocks and bushes, maneuvering around trees when necessary as the miko tried her best to match his pace without tripping over branches and roots.

She would occasionally cast him a suspicious sidelong glance, but decided to wait quietly for him to reveal his intentions. After about fifteen minutes, however, she finally broke.

"Where are we going?" she asked, and earned herself a side glance of her own. When his pupils returned forward, she knew she was barking up the wrong tree. She would try again.

"Okay, well, how far is it?"

"Not far," he immediately deigned. She supposed that would have to satisfy her for now. Whatever he had planned, she was sure he had his reasons; so she should just enjoy the nature hike for the time being. Which she would have – the surrounding landscape was growing more picturesque the further they strayed – if not for a sharp, constant pain distracting her from the scenery.

"Gods, my foot is killing me."

"How could that be?" he wondered aloud, and tossed her another glare. "You have been sitting on a fire cat all day."

"I don't know! But I got this awful cramp deep in the arch of my foot."

He watched her walk awkwardly as she tried to stretch her toe without stopping, but didn't slow his pace to accommodate her in the slightest.

"As a matter of fact, you have done nothing but get carted around lately," he condescendingly, yet accurately, saw fit to point out. Lifting a brow, he at last twisted his neck. "What have you gotten into while I was away?"

"I'll tell you when you tell me," she smartly replied, fairly confident that if he hadn't told her where he went by now, he wasn't going to. Her teasing smile was met with silence, and he returned his attention forward, proving her right.

After a few more minutes of walking, Kagome couldn't help but wonder; if they had to make this detour, why wouldn't he have simply flown them closer to their destination... whatever it was? Time was of the essence, as per his own anxious decree. So if he was willing to waste precious minutes waltzing through the forest with her, she figured he had to have a pretty good reason.

It was a reason why she was so curious as to where he had scampered off to for those days he'd left the village. Sure, they couldn't depart anyway until Kirara was all healed up from her demon trap – she was their only mode of transportation, after all, not to mention the only full youkai remaining among them – but he tended to air on the side of efficiency, and used his time wisely. If he wasn't getting his plans together for the upcoming raid, she wondered what could have possibly been so important as to distract him.

The upcoming battle had her nervous, and no matter how she tried, she couldn't seem to get the knots in her stomach to untangle. Bottling it up made it worse, so she hoped he might be willing to indulge in a little relevant conversation.

"So this is it," she announced. "We're almost to the compound, huh?"

They'd been over the plan, as it were. She supposed it was as thorough as it could be, given the information and resources they had. But it was far from air-tight. There were too many variables at play to let her be comfortable, and despite her confidence in him, Kagome hated surprises.

"Indeed," he confirmed. "We shall be there well before sundown."

She nodded in understanding, but this little side-trip had her wondering, "Any more stops after this?"

"No."

That was good, she guessed. They were as ready as they were going to get, but that was what concerned her. Looking up at Sesshoumaru, he portrayed confidence, but he almost always did, so that gave her little solace. She knew him well enough by now to know that he would never allow any misgivings he may be having to seep through, if he could help it.

"Are you nervous?" she asked, not quite sure which answer she wanted. His assurance bolstered her own, but it was also nice to be on the same page once in a while. He slid his gaze down to her again, and seemed to consider his response carefully. That was enough of an answer for her.

"I am confident we will be aptly prepared for victory."

"Speak for yourself," she scoffed. "I don't even have my bow." The reminder had her deflating a bit. "I better hope I can get close enough to fry those tigers without getting my arm chewed off."

Just because she didn't have a weapon, it didn't mean she was unarmed. Her attack was very effective against demons, but she would have to get close enough to touch them. The prospect was unsettling, and apparently, not only for her.

"You will not. I will not permit it." His no-nonsense tone brooked no room for argument, but that never stopped her before. She scowled deeply at him in response.

"What am I supposed to do, hold your coat?" she asked sarcastically. "Why even bring me then?"

If he thought she was going to sit on the sidelines while everyone she cared about was fighting to the death, he was dumber than she realized. His smooth reply tempered her a bit.

"You will be crucial to our success."

"How?"

Before he could answer – if he even intended to – Kagome was stopped short by a sudden drain on her senses. Magic she was unaware of dissipated in an instant, revealing before them a large property in what had only seconds ago appeared to be an empty clearing.

It was like when Sesshoumaru, or some other powerful demon, had been masking his aura, and suddenly lifted the cloak to make his presence known. Power, and youki, and auras and essence went from zero to a hundred in an instant, and overwhelmed her with the sudden tax on her unprepared system. A rush went through her, making her light-headed and setting her holy powers on edge.

A respectable cabin sat in the middle of the landscape. From the outside, it appeared unassuming and cozy, but the fact that it was hidden was enough to rouse the miko's concerns. Sesshoumaru didn't seem bothered by it, or surprised, so she figured they had finally gotten where they were going.

"What is this place?" she asked him, still marveling at the new scenery. When he began walking forward, she followed.

"Come."

The closer they got to the cabin, the better she was able to scrutinize her new surroundings. For a humble little home, it sure had a lot of fancy accessories decorating the area around it. A wide, beautiful fence surrounded the perimeter, and each post and plank appeared to have carved in it a different pattern with some sort of image or symbol. With all the fine detail, it must have taken ages to construct.

Once through it, they passed under a tall-standing archway, also made of wood, that had designs so intricate and complicated Kagome wondered how such a thing was even possible. It was like some amazing artist had been hired to litter the property with pleasing aesthetics.

But most incredible by far was the house itself. Someone sure knew their medium, because made entirely of gorgeous cuts of wood, every inch of the domicile from top to bottom, and all the way around, was shaped to perfection. The edges curved fantastically into each other, and managed a pleasing flow that guided the eyes around it seamlessly, like a story with a start and a finish, and arcs and development in between. Kagome got the feeling she was in on something spectacular, but coded enough to be a secret that only a very few who really paid attention were capable of discerning. It was breathtaking.

She was successfully distracted by the display as Sesshoumaru led her to the front door, which in and of itself was enough to keep the young woman's focus occupied for hours on end, and casually let himself in like he owned the place.

Wait, did he? Was that even possible? She was 99.9% certain he said he had never been this far north before.

She wordlessly followed, and was even more blown away by the interior. She would have been lost in awe all over again, but another sudden rush riled her miko blood, and forced it to simmer a bit at the proximity.

Youkai, her body warned her, and snapped her from her stupor. And seemingly out of nowhere, the owner of that youki made herself known.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, you've returned." Upon closer inspection, it looked like the female had simply stepped in from another room. Behind her, an open doorway was now visible that Kagome hadn't noticed upon first sight. She couldn't tell if it was the way this house seemed to have its way with her eyes, or if she'd simply overlooked it. "Have two days already passed? I suppose time flies when you're not around."

She looked to be a little older than Sesshoumaru, but with demon aging and all, that could very well mean centuries, if not more. She had a kind face, but knowing eyes that lent her an otherwise intimidating air.

Other than that, this youkai just looked so terribly plain. Like, distractingly so. The demons Kagome had met either tended to be impossibly beautiful – like Sesshoumaru – or frighteningly ugly. There was nothing noteworthy about this woman's appearance, though that might be a weapon in and of itself, if not a defense mechanism. Her simple clothing might also have aided in achieving such an unremarkable air.

She was some sort of woodland rodent, that was for certain. A woodchuck, or a beaver perhaps, would make perfect sense, considering her surroundings.

Sesshoumaru hadn't reacted to the casual jab, but halted his ingress – and in doing so, Kagome's as well – allowing the youkai to approach them instead.

"Are you stalling? Or is it finished?" His curt impatience was familiar, and neither surprising nor frightening to Kagome despite his icy delivery. The beaver youkai, Kagome decided she was going to go with, didn't appear at all shaken by his arrogant demand either.

"Aye, its finished. I wouldn't dare keep you waiting."

She drew closer, and Kagome noticed she seemed to have won their host's full focus. She was being looked upon with incredible scrutiny, but there was something placating in her rapt gaze that prevented the miko from becoming unsettled. Regardless, she still turned to her companion and asked her very valid question.

"Who is she?" She half-whispered, despite being fully aware of youkai hearing. It just seemed more polite that way.

But Sesshoumaru didn't answer her, just watched lazily on as this female he apparently knew rounded on her, and roved appreciatively over her form. If she didn't know any better, Kagome would have thought he'd brought her as a meal. But when her gaze made it to her own sapphire blue eyes, it seemed to rest there somewhat reverently.

"This is her," she declared softly and confidently with an awed smile. Reaching forward, she looked as if she was going to touch Kagome's face, and the miko braced for contact. She stopped short however, and let her hand fall back down slowly. Her stare never faltered. "You described her perfectly. She looks just as I imagined she would." Releasing her from her open assessment, the youkai finally returned her attention up to Sesshoumaru. "You're right, she is very beautiful."

Blushing slightly, she felt inclined to introduce herself.

"Hi, I'm Kagome."

"The Shikon Priestess, yes I know." With a slight bow of the head, the youkai turned back to her. "A pleasure."

The demon did not appear to deem fit to offer her own name, however. And when that became clear, Kagome felt empowered to question the odd stranger.

"He told you about me?" She was tempted to glare at Sesshoumaru, but kept her focus straight ahead. A little preamble would have been nice in this case, if for no other reason than to tell her how to behave. Was this a test, or some weird ritual? Was she supposed to do something here? He didn't appear to be taking command of this encounter, but rather letting this beaver youkai soak her in to her satisfaction.

"Hn. He had to," she explained, and then, abruptly spun back around. "Would have been a rather dull commission if he had not."

Commission?

Scowling, the miko turned to her friend to silently demand answers. But with his stoic mask in place, it didn't look like she would be getting any cooperation. Knowing a dead end when she saw it, she took a step forward, and addressed the female's slowly retreating back.

"I'm sorry, and you are...?" she prompted hopefully, and earned another modest smile.

"Just a humble craftsman with good connections." The cryptic answer seemed like the best she was going to do, and she suddenly realized what may have drawn the former youkai behind her into this beaver's orbit. "Have a seat," she insisted, gesturing to the cushion-laden sitting space made up nicely in the middle of the room. "Would you like some tea?"

Kagome began to take another step forward, but a sturdy hand on her shoulder held her in place. She looked up over at him questioningly.

"We cannot stay, as you know. I've spent too much time here as it is. Give me my commission and we shall depart."

Wait, was this where he was that whole time? What could he possibly have been doing here for all those days? And what was this commission he wanted so badly? It was hard to keep her questions behind her teeth, but Kagome got the feeling she was about to find out, so she managed to remain silent.

The youkai bowed submissively at the command. "At once, my lord."

But instead of leaving to go fetch whatever it was he was expecting to receive, she called into the back room for what looked to be an assistant.

A smaller, much younger youkai – also rodent in nature – appeared in an instant, and was instructed to take Sesshoumaru to retrieve his due. Without a word to her, Sesshoumaru followed after the little demon as he was led deeper into the cabin.

Kagome looked hesitantly after him, uncertain if she should follow. But the beaver youkai's voice kept her in the room.

"His father was also quite impatient when he called on me for his commission."

She turned back to the self-proclaimed craftsman just in time to see her stride over to her cushions, and kneel down upon one. Kagome walked closer while the youkai adjusted herself more comfortably, and with a wordless gesture, instructed the young woman to join her. She complied.

"You knew his father?"

Kagome had so many questions, and that was as good as any place to start. Folding her legs under her, she settled in, never taking her inquisitive eyes off of the kind ones across the way.

"Oh, yes," she confirmed with another easy smile. It became slightly wistful as her gaze seemed to gloss over for just a brief moment. "I was devastated when he passed. We all were."

How and why she knew the great dog general did not strike Kagome as terribly relevant. She was much more interested in the things Sesshoumaru likely wouldn't tell her, and Inuyasha couldn't.

"What was he like?" she asked eagerly. The wistful smile remained, but adopted a touch of gratitude as well. She seemed eager to talk about him, or at least pleased to have a reason to do so.

"Tough," she instantly replied, and Kagome smiled too. She could have guessed that. "But fair. Cruel when he needed to be, but with a capacity for great kindness as well. Terrifying if he didn't like you, incredibly charming if he did. And handsome," she added deviously. "So, very handsome." Kagome's cheeks pinkened. She could have guessed that too. "A good ruler. It was my pleasure to serve under him."

So this youkai was old. And apparently, a friend of the family. Or at least a fan. Her anxiety lessened significantly at the knowledge.

"Sesshoumaru got all the best parts of him, it would seem." The knowing way she looked at her then required effort to withstand sans fidgeting. Kagome noted how though she called him lord to his face, the youkai dropped the honorific when speaking of him. "Though I believe his mother's influence gives him an edge in the looks department." The wink she threw in relaxed Kagome even further.

"You've known Sesshoumaru a long time then," she ventured.

"Long enough," she confirmed gently, and made a fuss of straightening her kimono. Kagome couldn't tell whether it was a nervous gesture. "Though it has been centuries since I have seen him last. He has not paid me a visit since I moved out here. I was surprised to find him finally upon my doorstep, for many reasons."

When the youkai's warm, nostalgic smile finally dropped, Kagome's did as well. She voiced the realization she had the moment she entered the cabin.

"Well, he must trust you, to let you see his secret."

Sesshoumaru had taken progressively more drastic measures to conceal his identity as the weeks wound on. From changing his clothing to assuming an alias, it was a difficult – yet necessary – concession for the proud lord to make. For all the trouble and indignity, he would not compromise his painstaking efforts, and expose himself in a foolhardy display. But if this demon knew him and his family as well as she proclaimed, it was just as likely she would have recognized him regardless. It was a calculated decision, Kagome was sure, to seek this demon out. Whatever she was doing for him, it had to be worth it.

"With how long I have known his family, he has enough of mine in his vault. It is only fair that I now hold one of his."

"Enjoy it while you can, I shall not be this way much longer."

Both females turned back to the doorway he had disappeared into a few minutes prior to see him gracefully reenter their company. His little guide mouse was nowhere to be seen, but he now held a large, oddly shaped item wrapped inside some sort of cloth sheet. Kagome's interest was piqued.

"I should hope not," said the demon as he made his way over to them. When he arrived, he forwent claiming a cushion in favor of simply kneeling down at Kagome's side close enough to brush his arm against hers. The contact warmed her instantly, and caused a giddy thrill to roll through her. Their host's somber toned tempered her a little. "I fear what may come if you are not able to return soon."

"Have you heard anything new?" Sesshoumaru asked after he placed the bundle down gently in front of the both of them. But his focus was on the beaver youkai, while Kagome's remained fixed on the mystery item.

"Not in the last two days, I haven't."

He didn't respond, simply made himself busy unfolding the cloth before them. Reaching wide across her; he managed to completely expose its contents as if an unveiling, and for a moment, Kagome forgot to breathe.

Before her lay a bow. A bit smaller than the one she had grown used to carrying, this was by far superior in regards to quality and aesthetics. The first thing that caught her eye was the intricate, purposeful engravings and smooth, artistic shape it held. Just like the cabin, and all the structures outside, the glorious wood captivated the eyes, and took them on a journey around its entire expanse. A story was being told around this bow; she was certain. What it was, she didn't know, but was beyond compelled to learn.

The material was solid. She was no connoisseur, so she couldn't name the specific kind of wood on sight alone. But she had no doubt it was of the highest quality. It looked rich, strong, and heavy. The dark chocolate brown shined as if polished, and looked sanded until smooth. There was something about the shape that spoke to her, it was hard to pinpoint. Looking more like an art piece than a deadly weapon, this bow looked like it belonged on a wall in some fabulous mansion, or museum as opposed to in someone's hand.

The top end folded forward where the thick string attached, and morphed seamlessly into the head of a frightening, yet beautiful dog. It didn't take a second look to recognize Sesshoumaru's true form, with the unmistakable markings and flawless edges and curves of his bestial face.

On the bottom end, was a perfect sphere, with an elongated diamond carved into the center of it. And just above that was a small flat plane on either side. She couldn't see if anything was carved into the downturned side, but the one facing her harbored the exact to-scale crescent that should be adorning the brow of the man kneeling beside her. Up and down the length of the bow was several beautiful but unrecognizable markings. More than simply random, eye-pleasing shapes, these etchings definitely held significance that Kagome ached to know. She was in awe, and it took a moment to find her voice.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, trance-like. Unable to help herself, as if on their own accord, her fingers reached out to the magnetizing wood below, and stroked the glossy material with the gentle pads of her fingers.

"Thank you, priestess," the demoness nodded gratefully as she traded her gaze between the entranced young woman, and the fruits of her painstaking labor. "Not bad for a rush job, I must say." Her kind eyes turned slightly admonishing as she shifted her focus to the man across from her. "A little notice next time, Western Lord, if you please. I had to put all of my other commissions to the wayside for this. Perhaps you would be so kind as to apologize to my more insistent customers for me."

Sesshoumaru tore his attention from the miko's appreciative fawning, and was forced to temper his displeasure in doing so.

"I have told you; you will be compensated once I return West," he insisted almost defensively, and with a slight frown. The youkai waved him off.

"And I have told you, it is not necessary. You have put more than enough work in around here this last week to compensate me for you gift."

Kagome ripped her covetous gaze off of the beautiful weapon as several things became clear to her in that moment. She turned toward Sesshoumaru, who was attempting to stare down the youkai in her own home. The miko's question hindered his ambitions.

"You had this made for me?" she realized. He leveled her with a snobby look, half-hearted as it was.

"For whom else would I commission a bow, miko?"

He was trying to look lordly, and dismissive. But there was something about the way he lifted his chin and lowered his lids that was different from usual. It was almost... timid. If he was even capable of such a thing. She studied him carefully, trying to make sense of his gesture.

"Why?" she finally demanded, as the direct route was always the most fruitful with him. He cracked an eye at her, and ached his brow above it.

"This One swore to find you a replacement, did he not? It would be foolish to wage war without a miko's magic arrows, if one has the option."

Losing her bow when getting captured had been a major blow to their arsenal, for certain. After the Tetsusaiga, it was hands down the most damaging play they had against any youkai foe. All other attacks were helpful, but meager in comparison, even his own simple human sword. Going into battle without her holy arrows would have altered their odds severely, and he seemed to know this. She just didn't think they had any other option.

His faith and acknowledgment of her was beyond flattering, and left her momentarily speechless. As his imploring, violet eyes bore into her with paralyzing intensity, he anchored her by placing his hand on her shoulder.

"I cannot do this without you," he freely admitted, resigned but in no way resentful. He seemed to soften as he issued his plea. "Will you help me to victory?"

She had a feeling he knew she wouldn't refuse. This was more a token of faith, and an admission of her skill and necessity in this mission. He knew she had adequacy issues, and alongside his other motives, was attempting to assuage them. It was so sweet of him; it was so attentive. It was so... wait!

"That's where you were? Here, working off a debt?"

At her incredulous realization, he removed his hand somewhat sheepishly. By her tone, he felt the need to defend himself.

"I had nothing else to offer her," he simply explained, "and she expressed need of a well."

Ah yes, that male pride thing. For a warlord, he sure drew his lines in funny places.

"Don't blame me. I told him I wouldn't charge him, but he insisted." After declaring that, their youkai hostess rose from her cushion, and made her way into the back. Kagome barely registered the departure as she continued to stare at Sesshoumaru in bewilderment.

She couldn't understand why on earth he would have kept this from her. Why let her worry, and think the worst of him when he was actually out doing something she would have been grateful for? She just couldn't believe he was so against being viewed as kind that he would manufacture mistrust just to throw her off his scent. It was confounding.

"Why wouldn't you just tell me? I was worried sick!" Just the thought of him allowing her to be unnecessarily upset was making her upset all on its own. She could have just been perfectly thrilled this whole time. "I thought you left! I thought..." Well, she didn't really want to admit what she thought.

"I wished to surprise you."

"I hate surprises!" she countered hotly. His face remained passive.

"So you hate it."

"No, I love it," she yelled back. Damn it. Why did he have to ruin everything? Why did he insist on making easy things hard? The hard things were hard enough. Couldn't he just let her have this? Couldn't he just let her bask in his kindness for once?

"Then it was worth it." He was attempting to guide her down the path of reason, as he was so wont to do. And he would succeed, as usual, so she decided to just give in early. She really did appreciate his gift.

"Yes," she relented, but placed a calming hand over her heart. "Just next time, please; don't surprise me. You're going to kill me."

"Next time?" he asked haughtily, as he straightened his posture enough to look down steeply through half-lidded eyes. "You think I am made of bows, miko? My human shoulders cannot take another week of digging, so you had better hold onto this one better than your last."

His indignation was weak, and obviously so terribly forced. She'd heard enough of the real deal coming from him to easily discern the difference. If anything, she swore he sounded somewhat insecure that she might refuse it, and it was his way of masking that very irrational fear.

"It will never leave my sight," she assured him. Thankful eyes began to well with tears, and he suddenly found himself faced with the very real possibility that this woman would fall to pieces right here in the craftsman's cabin. "They're going to have to bury me with it. Thank you."

Those fears were shelved immediately as pride and pleasure swelled within him, knocking out any other pesky reaction to this woman's acceptance and joy. It was a bonus that she seemed to gather herself then. She looked like she wanted to hug him, and he was torn between hoping she would, and praying she wouldn't. Not here, not with... witnesses. He smirked warmly.

"Thank me by shooting each of those arrows into a tiger's skull, would you?" She realized why he did this for her, why this was so important to handle before they reached the compound. But old insecurities wormed their way back into her foundation. Because she wanted more than anything to help him with this; she knew what was riding on it. Without his demon power, he would rely on her to do her part in this uphill battle they were facing.

She hadn't felt this inadequate since her first months in the past, when she could hardly use a bow or pull her weight. When she needed to be saved, and couldn't do any saving. She couldn't afford to blow it, and she had only a few hours of traveling before showtime. She began to panic.

"I haven't been practicing," she admitted nervously. He noticed her breathing become quicker. "I'm out of practice."

"There's a tree out back, have at her." When the beaver youkai returned from the back room, she was not empty handed. Stopping beside the miko, she leaned down to hand the sitting woman a finely made companion quiver, complete with a full set of hand-carved arrows. Kagome looked from them, and panned up to the female they were connected to, only to find the demon's attention aimed at the man beside her. "While you're out there, you can show her the well that has kept you from her. He worked tirelessly for four days until it was complete. Was quite eager to return to you." As she winked at Kagome, Sesshoumaru grabbed the quiver.

"To my mission," he corrected irritably, a sudden scowl marring his handsome features. He knew what the older youkai was doing.

She declined to acknowledge his reply, instead turning back to apparently return to whatever it was she had been doing before the demanding couple intruded on her homestead.

"Don't leave without coming back to see me," she ordered. "I made something for you."

"Something else?" Sesshoumaru asked, rising from his knee. Once he did, he shouldered the arrows, and aided the miko to her feet while she grabbed her new bow.

"This one's for you." And then she was gone, leaving the duo to go off on their own in search of the practice tree out back.

It was easily located; the dozens of nicks and gouges told of this particular tree's duty receiving practice blows from various weapons. Several sawed off branches also relayed that it had generously donated of itself for a number of projects taken on by the professional woodworker.

Kagome took a moment more to marvel at her new bow before taking aim. Despite its appearance, it was actually very light. Surprisingly so, given the strength and quality of the wood, and even considerably lighter than the others she had carried around so far.

The handle fit perfectly in her grip. Comfortable and secure, she was amazed at how well her subjectively small hand seemed to mold into the wood like wearing a glove. It made holding it far less taxing, as her previous weapons were made for someone considerably larger and stronger than she.

But the real surprise came after she finally took her first shot. The taut bow string was thicker than she was used to, but no more difficult to pull back. When she released it, however, her artisanal arrow cut through the air like a rocket. More akin to shooting a bullet, Kagome got the thrilling sensation of firing a crossbow into the poor tree trunk.

"Woah, what's this string made of?" she wondered, holding it closer for inspection. Looking to Sesshoumaru, he only shrugged, unable to identify the exact material used without his demon senses.

He watched on as she fired every arrow, and his smirk grew more sinister with each ensuing shot. She hadn't missed a beat. She was ready. They were ready.

When she was done, he retrieved her arrows for her – not a one misspent – and organized them neatly into the cylinder as she raked her eyes over her new acquisition in admiration, and mounting curiosity.

She'd discovered that the other side of the flat panel was engraved with the crest she recognized was displayed on the shoulder of his trademark silk haori. It was even easier to verify, as he was wearing his usual clothing this very moment. He'd decided there was no point in hiding his identity from those who had already seen him transformed, and announced that when making his attack, he desired his victims to know exactly who was killing them.

With that mystery solved, she lifted her roving eyes to the front of the bow to inspect the unfamiliar markings more intently. Upon closer inspection, she was able to interpret that she was looking at an alphabet of some kind, or at least pieces of one. But in all of her studies, she had never encountered anything resembling it even remotely.

"What language is that?" she asked him, finally giving up. "I can't' read it."

"It is ancient youkai tongue." He lifted his hand to lightly brush against the beautifully etched demon lettering, and let his lips curve proudly upward. "That is your name right there."

"All that is my name?" The markings ran nearly the entire length of the bow. She couldn't help but wonder if some descriptors, or a title was added to spruce up her common birth name. "Kind of a difficult language, huh?"

"Very," he confirmed, and removed his fingers. "If you are not taught at birth – and a youkai – you cannot speak it."

He seemed pleased to share this with her, and she was very eager to learn more.

"What does it sound like?" she asked, enjoying the contented smile he leveled her with. Getting lost in it.

"When I change back, I will tell you."

She felt the urge to flinch, but he didn't seem upset at the reminder that he couldn't achieve his demon form, nor the language that accompanied it. Still, embarrassed at her thoughtless slip, she drew attention to the other side of the bow – the side that would face her when shooting it.

"What about inside?" She touched the markings there. They were obviously the same language, but different than what was written on the front. "What does this say?"

He looked puzzled a moment, and she thought he might not be able to read it. He narrowed his eyes in the way he did when carefully considering something.

"It is...ah... difficult to..." His expression changed, and she gaped at the unfamiliar sight of him trying to explain something, but having great difficulty. He floundered a bit, but seemed to decide on an answer. "In youkai tongue, it sounds much more poetic," he explained as a preamble. "It roughly translates as 'strong alone, stronger together.'"

She understood. Motivational mantra, perhaps? The prospect elicited a soft warmth to course pleasingly through her bloodstream.

"Just like the ants," she recalled from their conversation that night in the kitchen. It was by far not the most memorable part of that evening.

She blushed when he smiled back, and wondered if he was recalling the steamy incident too. But when he reached into her quiver and plucked put a random arrow, he directed her focus to a small carving on the arrowhead that she had to squint to see.

She could hardly believe it when she was able to make out a tiny rendering of an ant. Each little arrow, doing their part to achieve something great.

"You thought of everything," she mused, somewhat exasperated. "This is so personal."

He returned the sharp-tipped ammunition to rest with its brethren, and shouldered the full case for her.

"Typically, these commissions tend to be," he explained. "It is said to make them more formidable, but I suspect that is just superstition."

"So, you're superstitious?" she ventured, but it came off more as mockery. Recognizing that, he smiled back with his trademark superiority.

"I would put it as 'traditional.'"

"Semantics," she declared dismissively, and went back to admiring her bow. He watched on with fondness for a moment, but couldn't help obsessing over her objections to his secrecy regarding the commission.

"Did you truly think I was off frolicking about when I have an attack on the horizon?"

Sometimes, it seemed no matter what he did for her, or how often he proved himself, he would never be able to quash that indestructible seed of doubt that threatened to jeopardize her trust in him. He had given her more than enough reason to place her unconditional faith in him, but despite her assurances to the contrary, she always faltered at the slightest test of that trust.

His brother must have really done a number on her, to render her to such a pessimistic and suspicious state. Had he but gotten to her first...

He regretted snuffing out her contentment with his question when he saw her features alter. It took her a moment to answer, and when she did, she still wasn't looking at him.

"No. I didn't." He supposed he was happy for that at least. She finally met his eyes to find them patiently, and raptly seeking hers. "I didn't know what to think. It wasn't like you just to leave without telling me, and then keep it a secret." He could tell she was being honest, and he was grateful for that. But confused as he was, he desperately wished to understand her better. He was resigned to keep trying until he did, and wondered if he ever would.

"Guess I've gotten kind of entitled, haven't I?"

She always did this. Was always rightfully ashamed after doubting him only to learn her fears were baseless. And despite that, she would do it again. She wanted to trust him, and knew that she should. Something inside her was just broken. It wouldn't let her.

If she weren't worth it, he would abandon any attempts to make her see otherwise. But she wasn't a lost cause. And she wasn't the only one who would benefit from his interference. He got something out of it too. It wasn't her fault. And it wasn't unendurable. She was well worth it.

With an internal sigh of resignation, he took in her apologetic features, and offered her a small, but genuine smile. He reached forward to run his long fingers through the locks of hair at her temple, fanning them out over her ear just so he could tuck them back into place again.

"Perhaps," he conceded. "Though perhaps it is justified. We have not been apart often as of late."

He inwardly preened when she closed her eyes at the soothing contact, and leaned into it.

"I know. I got accustomed to having you around. Especially at night." That was when the weight of his absence hit her the hardest. Those nights when he held her protectively in his arms, keeping her warm and fussing over her comfort, made the subsequent nights without him all the lonelier.

That first night in the village, when they had been gifted a hut to share, she was surprised and disappointed when he took the bedroll they had given him and set himself up on the opposite side of the hut. She wondered why he'd sought to distance himself after the previous couple of nights holding her close. And then, when he left for all those nights, she had begun to take it personally. He'd still not opted to bed down with her since leaving the river.

"I miss sleeping with you." She blushed, and shyly met his eyes once more. "I mean... you know what I mean."

"I do." Her bashful innocence never ceased to amuse him, though he should probably only be annoyed. But as always, he found himself leaning in like a moth to a flame, and he had no desire whatsoever to resist. "I suppose I assumed you had been doing so lately out of necessity, as opposed to preference."

Just as he was, she leaned helplessly closer.

"Maybe it started out that way," she mused dreamily, "but that's how they getcha."

He made a point to never dwell on her strange little sayings for too long, but he rarely needed to. It was funny how at times, not a single word was required between them and they communicated as though through some advanced form of telepathy. And at others, even perfectly articulated thoughts and feelings could not be relayed no matter how much they tried.

They were touching now, chest to chest, as if pulled in by gravity, unclear to either whether the contact was intentional. Then his hands moved to rest on her upper's arms, while her one free palm splayed itself on his hard chest to seek out his heart.

"Are you saying that you wish to share a bed with This One, even when circumstances do not demand it?" He thought he'd gotten the gist of it, but the way she shifted her eyes, outwardly displaying her attempt to gather her thoughts and deliver them in a way he could understand, had him second guessing his comprehension.

"I'm saying," she started carefully, after brief consideration, "that circumstances have become so that sharing a bed with you is now a necessity. Does that make sense?"

Her bold confession left him raw, and perhaps more exposed than she even allowed herself to be in that moment. The implications were made painfully clear to him, and he was stunned at the sensation her heart wrenching flattery shot through him.

He could barely lift his voice enough to answer her, but he managed a soft reply.

"Yes."

"What about you?" she fairly demanded. He noted the hope in her tone, and retained no small measure himself that his honest answer would please her. Or at the very least, not hurt her.

"It is still a preference," he informed her gently. "But it is a preference."

He didn't need anything, or anyone. No matter what, Sesshoumaru could get through this life with nothing but his honor and his name. If anything, his recent troubles have more than proved that theory.

But if given the choice, he'd recently realized, he would get through it with her by his side. He wanted her. It was a rather large concession on his part, but he knew she often didn't see things as he did. He only hoped that she took his admission the way he intended it to be; the highest compliment he could deign at the moment.

When he felt her bow-filled arms slide around his middle, and pull him snugly against the cheek she cuddled into his chest, he knew he succeeded.

"That's good enough for me." He wrapped one arm around her shoulders to trap her against him, and used his other hand to cradle the back of her head. He petted her hair, and rubbed her back, and rocked them slightly where they stood. In return she closed her eyes, and squeezed him tighter, and tried not to knock him in the back of the head with the bow he'd given her.

"You must learn to trust me. Even if you do not understand why."

"Because it might be a surprise?" she laughed out in that way that she did when she was struggling to hold in her tears. That was when he had to be at his firmest with her, yet somehow at the same time, his gentlest. He looked down where she was burring herself deeper into him.

"Because whatever my reasons may be, I am acting in your best interests. I would never do anything to harm you."

"Unless harming me is in my best interests?" It was the bitter reality of their relationship; his predicament, theirs. He could taste her resentment as if it were his own, because it was. He was relieved she at least was beginning to grasp it. It wouldn't change anything, but at least she would know that it nothing to do with her, or any shortage of regard on his part.

"So you do understand."

They held each other a moment more, unheeding of their friends who were waiting, or any beaver youkai who might be watching, and cursed the gods without fear... though this was admittedly a poor time to jump on their shit list.

As she often was, Kagome would be the one to break the weighty silence.

"Did you really tell her I was beautiful?" She pulled back enough to take in his considerate features, and he relaxed his hold.

"Of course not," he offered coldly, but she wasn't duped in the slightest. "I merely... described you accurately."

She smiled up at him, and released him from her hug. He seemed reluctant to do the same, but complied.

"Why? For what purpose?"

She noticed him stiffen a bit, his telltale sign of discomfort.

"Usually, when a gift is commissioned, the recipient is present so she can make it to your specifications. Without you there, I was forced to improvise."

At her questioning stare, he took her empty hand in his. Then, he lifted his other to run his fingers over the expanse of her palm, and her whole body sung.

"That bow is made perfectly for your hands."

She knew he was right. The way it melded to her so perfectly as if it was fitted. The perfect size, the perfect weight. The perfect resistance of the bow string. This was a customed weapon, made just for her. And he'd done it all from memory.

He must really be paying attention to know her body so well. It elicited a burning desire to let him know more of it, all of it, and see what he could do with that knowledge. Subtly as she could, she squeezed her thighs together as she remembered the last time they explored each other's bodies, and how wonderful it felt.

She'd made him a weapon that day, and he'd killed for her. She smiled as she recalled their playful banter when she'd given him the spear.

"Indeed," she began haughtily, and removed her hand from his. He knew when he was being mocked. She used her newfound freedom to lift her bow, and inspect it as he had done with his spear. "Beautiful toolmarks, perfectly reinforced... a formidable weapon. What do I owe for a fine bow such as this?"

He smirked as his ostentatious assessment was thrown back at him almost verbatim. Strong fingers wrapped firmly around the wooden rib as he loomed close enough to put his lips near her ear. His low, threatening tones purred into her skin, and encouraged her to press her thighs once again.

"I have already told you; the blood of as many tiger youkai as you can manage."

As promised, he took her to the well he had solitarily dug and stoned. It was not wide, but fairly deep, and she only hoped he had not overtaxed himself. It would all be for naught if he couldn't summon his strength for battle.

Hanging above it was a bucket on a levy, and the structure that would hold it. Apparently, the little mouse from earlier was not an assistant, but an apprentice, and had built the addtion once Sesshoumaru was finished.

Before leaving they returned inside, as per their host's request, and Kagome remembered the question she'd saved from her target practice.

"What is that bow string made from? It's really got some juice."

When the beaver replied 'tiger guts,' Kagome thought she was just being cute. But it turns out, cat's guts were used quite commonly to make instrument stings. And with the extra benefit of demonic youki, the tiger's sacrifice increased her weapon's power, and would ensure poetic justice was sweet.

As promised, the woodworker had a little something for Sesshoumaru as well, and Kagome was surprised to find it was not made of wood.

Dragon scales, not incredibly different from the ones adorning the shirt he'd stolen from the castle, had been fashioned together and constructed to make a formidable set of armor, and the youkai eagerly strapped it on him. It was nothing like what he had worn as a demon, thankfully, as he never would have been able to walk around in it. It was smaller, lighter, less bulky. It sat atop his shoulders, and only came down to about his bottom ribs, if not a little higher. It was thin, and flexible, but strong, as established when the demon took a quick stab at him, only to have the dagger knocked brutally from her grip at the contact.

It fit him perfectly, much to the beaver's pleasure and pride, and though not impenetrable, would make strides in protecting his heart and his lungs, and all the important stuff around them.

Sesshoumaru expressed no gratitude, but Kagome got the feeling he was pleased with the acquisition, if not simply for the fact that he hadn't wrenched the thing off him at the first opportunity, so she thanked the youkai on his behalf. She thanked her again for her own weapon, and expressed hopes in perhaps crossing paths again someday, before Sesshoumaru finally insisted they leave. The others were probably starting to worry.

"Long live the Western Lands." The beaver pounded her right fist over her heart, in what Kagome assumed was some sort of secret handshake she had not been made aware of, and received a nod of acknowledgement from Sesshoumaru in response. He ushered Kagome out in front of him with bow in hand, while he shouldered her quiver for her. Before he followed her out, the beaver youkai loomed close to issue one last request.

"Cut one of those bastard's throat good for me."

He nodded in agreement, and attempted to leave once more. As he turned to step through the doorway, however, her voice halted his progress yet again.

"You've chosen well. I was starting to wonder if you'd ever come to me for your commission."

He spotted that Kagome had stopped to admire one of the many gorgeously crafted structures out front, so he took the time to turn back to the demon.

"These are extenuating circumstances," he reminded her, his irritation quite clear. "I have already explained my dire predicament as if it wasn't plainly obvious. My intention was to arm a soldier, not woo a mate."

"Why can't it be both?" she asked innocently, cutting her gaze over his armored shoulder to the woman right outside. Knowing, playful eyes found his once more. "She obviously accepted."

But his glare was hard, and unamused. Insistent. This didn't seem to intimidate her.

"You know why."

"No, I really don't." His menacing tone had no effect either, and she seemed to condemn his whole body with her roving glare. "I'm starting to doubt whether you do either."

His eyes narrowed, but he said nothing, and the beaver relented out of sheer frustration. She knew how stubborn, and thick-headed dogs could be.

"Well, I hope she is a stellar soldier, because I won't make you another."

She started to turn from him, but the return of his icy timbre demanded acquiescence.

"You will do as you are told."

She boldly held his gaze; it could be seen as a challenge. Were she not who she was, he likely would have met it. He hadn't spoken to her like that in such a long time. But, then again, he hadn't seen her in just as long. Perhaps his humanity had let her forget.

"I take it back. Your father was much more charming."

He leaned in closer and lowered his voice, and sharpened his glare distastefully.

"You see where that got him," he sneered, and left to finally retrieve his miko.

---

At long last, the eclectic search party made it to the tiger's compound in the North, and they made it there together. Though everyone maintained their composure, a collective inward sigh of relief was palpable within the traveling camp. It was a difficult journey, and not without its trials, but when they'd concocted this pie-in-the-sky plan back in Inuyasha's village, there was an unspoken understanding that the odds were against them, and there was a good chance not all of them would make it there.

But beating the odds had always been in their wheelhouse. So after a long, tiresome, depleting trip to the top of Sesshoumaru's map, they had finally reached their destination; the end of the road.

They weren't out of the woods yet, but if Rin was here and they could wrest her away from her captors, all that was left would be to go home. And after almost a month sneaking through unfriendly territories in the dead of winter, home was sounding pretty damn good right about now.

If she wasn't there... well, they were all just praying to the kami that she was.

But they couldn't celebrate just yet. They still had a battle to win, and from the size of this compound, it could be a quite crowded one.

They'd managed to creep up to their vantage point undetected, as far as they could tell at least. No tigers had yet been spotted, but they had a clear view down into their difficultly accessible fort. At the bottom of a steep valley, surrounded by high, unforgiving canyon peaks was a large cluster of several structures clustered together to form a compound.

Were it not for Kirara, they never would have been able to get down there in one piece, but a bout of suspicion made the rounds when they realized just how out in the open the establishment appeared to be. There were no walls, no gates. No magic even to shield it from sight. Unless of course, this was the magic, and it was hiding an even bigger, more fearsome stronghold. But for now, they were going to go with no magic.

Most troubling though, was the lack of evidence of any guards. There were several guard posts littered throughout the valley, but none of them looked to be occupied. No one making rounds, no one doing patrols. If anyone was here, they were down hiding in the compound itself. Even looking down into the large property from above, there didn't appear to be anyone roaming around outside, or lingering out in the open. It was somewhat disconcerting.

It was possible that the tigers were so confident in their discrete, isolated location that they foolishly saw no need to guard it, and were lounging about inside within a swell of hubris. That would be a favorable outcome.

Another, however, was that they had seen them, or been tipped off to their pending arrival, and were lying in wait for the pack to make themselves known, poised to attack at the first scent of human. If so, they were in big trouble.

They'd hoped to find a somewhat undisturbed operation. A regular day for them with nothing out of the ordinary. To be fair, none of them knew what a clan of tigers considered to be normal. They were just going to have to go down there and find out.

Low and still and reasonably quiet, Inuyasha's pack had taken their time to observe the compound, and the time had come to make a plan.

"Do you see anything?" Inuyasha asked his brother, who was straining for a glimpse of anything down below. Beneath a tree on the crest of a small hill, the small group knelt low as they peered out over the distance. Sesshoumaru's mouth was set in a frown.

"No," he replied without looking at him. "But your eyes are better." He was clearly uncomfortable admitting such a thing aloud, but everyone knew it was the truth.

"I don't see shit," the hanyou concurred. "You think it's magic?" Even with his demon eyesight, he'd yet to detect sign of anything living and breathing. It already didn't seem right, and it was making him edgy.

He should at least be able to sense a demonic aura, but for any advanced youkai worth his salt, concealing it was no difficult task. Spells were also fairly common.

"Perhaps. If so, it is undetectable."

"They could just be inside those buildings," Miroku ventured from the half-demon's other side.

"Or hiding," Sango threw in, her hand already clutching her giant boomerang tightly and ready to go at a moment's notice. Unlike the others looking downward, her nervous attention kept straying over her shoulder to scan their surroundings. "Do you think they sensed us?"

"It is possible, though they likely would have attacked as opposed to hiding." Going by his own wealth of experience in demon warfare, Sesshoumaru was subscribed to the notion that if any of those tiger youkai had managed to anticipate their approach, they would have been accosted well before encroaching on their perimeter, and dealt with early. You just don't let the enemy meander to your front gates, no matter how confident you are in your power.

"It could be a trap," Inuyasha added. It seemed to be a common method employed lately, at least against many of the demons he himself had fought. "Someone could've figured it out and tipped them off."

"Maybe they aren't there," Kagome suggested. They hadn't seen any evidence of a youkai for miles, and her miko blood wasn't indicating that there was. She turned to her hanyou friend hopefully, leaning around Sesshoumaru to address him. "Can you scent them, Inuyasha?"

"All I can smell is fucking cat stink." The way he wrinkled his nose spoke clearly of his distaste. "The place is saturated. It's too hard to tell how many there are."

That was something, at least. This was the tiger's compound that they'd found.

Sesshoumaru's eyes hadn't left the structures, as he seemed to be waiting anxiously for any sign of demon activity... or any activity. In uncertain times like this, he knew you had to prepare for the worst, and hope it wouldn't be as bad as you thought.

"We must plan for a full camp," he informed them solemnly. But Inuyasha was getting restless. He wasn't the type to sit around and make plans. He was ready to get this show on the road, so he attempted to speed things along. He turned to his brother.

"So what plan are we going with? We sneaking in ninja style, or swords swinging?" He knew what he voted for, but this was Sesshoumaru's mission.

"Stealth is not on our side with this layout and their cover. The latter may be our best bet."

That was just what he wanted to hear, and a sinister smirk dominated his features at the green light to pull out his sword and start cleaning house.

"That's my specialty anyway."

"Indeed," Sesshoumaru agreed with a nod, for once pleased with his half-brother's propensity for making a brash and brazen entrance. If they could go big and catch them off guard, it could very well work in their favor.

"Inuyasha, you take Sango through the front. Miroku and I will use Kirara to enter from above." Apparently, when instructing soldiers for battle was when Sesshoumaru saw fit to respectfully refer to everyone by name. "There appears to be no one outside, so enter each building at your discretion. Let instinct guide you, but make an attempt at efficiency." Inuyasha watched him point to the main entrance. "If you find nothing upon entry, head west throughout the compound until you do, and we shall head east." He used his hands to gesture where he wanted everyone to go. When Sesshoumaru turned to the others, they nodded in understanding. "If you cannot get answers, kill indiscriminately, but be mindful of your wind scar. I do not have Tenseiga for protection, and Rin may be in there, so remember that."

"Got it." It would make the whole thing a piece of cake if he could simply unleash his signature attack down onto the unsuspecting valley below, but Inuyasha was not unmindful of collateral damage. He'd had plenty of practice slaying troublesome demons within villages that had innocent bystanders about.

Sesshoumaru was still looking down below, but it was clear his thoughts had turned inward. Inuyasha could see his gears turning as he played out possible scenarios in his mind.

"If she is not there, we need prisoners to torture," he decreed simply, as if it were an everyday occurrence. Knowing him, it probably had been. "Unless they start talking early, then simply kill them afterwards."

"Damn."

He didn't know why his brother's cold-hearted instructions surprised him; they really shouldn't have. But after seeing this previously unfathomable other side of him over these past few weeks, his natural cruelty was not at the front of his mind. It was hard to believe someone could harbor such a propensity for carnage and vitriol, while possessing the capacity for the thoughtful compassion he had seen him display as of late. He supposed he had to admire his range.

But it was an eventually he had to be prepared for. If Rin was not there, they had to use whoever was inside as their resource to finding her. Somebody had to know something, and then they would at least have a lead to follow rather than blindly trapsing throughout Japan, rudderless.

"But kill if you must; you must protect yourself first and foremost." After getting Inuyasha's agreement, Sesshoumaru turned to make eye contact with every other member of his party. "They will all be dead eventually; we simply must gather what we need from them beforehand."

Maybe that was how it was so easy for him to kill without feeling. To Sesshoumaru, these guys were already corpses. They just didn't know it yet.

Inuyasha continued to watch gruesome scenarios play out in his brother's eyes, and he could no longer stifle his curiosity.

"If you find the guys, what are you gonna do to them?" It was something he had been wondering ever since embarking on this journey. He felt he was finally within his rights to ask. The way his brother's eyes darkened and facial muscles went slack sent a haunting chill all the way to his toes. If these guys were down there, they were toast, no matter if he was human.

"That entirely depends." His deep, menacing voice came out quiet and sure. But the hanyou opted to try again.

"Say you get Rin and capture them alive-"

"I have enjoyed my fantasies, but I will not know until the time is upon me." He knew what his brother was asking, but he didn't have any better answer for him than that. "There are too many factors at play to give you an accurate estimation. The most important thing is to grab her, and leave with our lives. Beyond that, we shall see."

"What about me?"

His whole sinister countenance disappeared the moment he heard Kagome's voice. It was hard to tell if he sought to correct himself in her presence, or if her very presence ushered away the unpleasantness of his aura. Either way, she had a softening effect on him.

"Kagome, you will remain here." But his gentle command was not answered in kind.

"What?" she seethed indignantly. "No way! After all you told me-"

"I need you to protect us from an ambush," he clarified, and instantly tempered her outrage. "If we get inside, and any demons advance on us, you must use your arrows to purify them." He pointed down the valley again. "If you see any danger from this vantage point, you must eliminate it. Do you understand?"

She was the only one with an effective long-range weapon, and a powerful one at that. He would have no other watching his back, and picking off any youkai who attempted to follow them into the compound and trap them. Also, from here, she could watch the battle unfold. She was going to be their sniper while they fought the front lines. This seemed to satisfy her.

"Yes, as long as you aren't just trying to keep me out of harm's way."

"I assure you; it is merely a bonus." She tried to look admonishing, but she'd never seen him pull off a boyish smile before, and she actually broke into a grin. He never looked more like his brother than he had in that moment. "I am just as uncomfortable leaving you behind. I do not like you being far from me, or the rest of the pack. But I need you here, and I trust your skills. Understood?"

He had turned his back on the others at this point to face her completely from his kneeling position. Though her friends were visible over his shoulder, they remained distant and out of focus, and all she could see was him.

"Yes."

They shared a meaningful stare that no one else would dare intrude upon. A million things went unsaid between them, but were easily discerned.

He wanted nothing more than to kiss her in that moment. To pull her to him, and assure that he would return to her side. But this wasn't the time for that, and he refused to engage in a display that hinted at any uncertainty of success. He did not plan for failure. Ever.

This was not the last time they would speak, and they would have plenty of chances to celebrate their victory later. Perhaps when this was over, they could congratulate each other privately, and revel in the life they had won. It was something else to fight for, another spoil to earn. He would fight all the fiercer for it.

"Please, guard yourself." She could feel the honest and unconcealed plea as he begged her openly in front of her friends to not be reckless with her own life. Because doing so would be acting careless with his own, and all of theirs. "And the rest of us."

"I promise."

He didn't want to leave her; it nearly killed him to do so. But he had to trust her. He did trust her, and he was going to show her. His life was in her hands, and he didn't question his choice for a second.

"Good girl," he smiled approvingly. He pointed down to the cluster of buildings once more. "Keep your eyes down there, but your senses back there." He pointed back behind her then, into the canyon at her back. While watching them, she would have to keep her keen focus abreast of what was coming up behind her, and all at once. It wouldn't be easy, but she could do it. She nodded in understanding. He rose to his feet as they all followed suit, but her uncertainty forced a nervous question.

"When do I come join you?"

He saw the fear in her eyes, and it was not unexpected. She let him run his fingers through her thick hair and pull her closer, tilting her face up to his.

"Let your instincts guide you."

Foolish, immature yearnings wordlessly willed him to close those last few inches and claim her mouth for his own. Just like before embarking on the bridge, she wanted proof of his regard, in a romantic display that left no question of the deep devotion they both knew was there. Just in case...

But then, disappointingly, he simply released her and turned back to the rest of the pack.

"Are you ready?" he asked them. To answer, Sango jumped on her lover's back, while Miroku readied Kirara for flight.

Kagome watched all of her friends prepare to leave her, and struggled for something to say. Wishing them luck implied there was a chance at failing, and she didn't want to draw attention to that notion, or even acknowledge it. They would win. She wanted to show her confidence in them.

She'd missed her chance with Inuyasha and Sango, as in an instant he was already racing with all his might down towards the front entrance. The sudden urgency that inspired had her lips moving ahead of her brain.

"Sesshoumaru."

He had just mounted the fire cat to take his place behind the monk, when Kagome's urgent call drew his attention back over.

Seeing him up there on his steed, sword drawn and ready to go to war, he just looked so perfectly comfortable. Right at home, regardless of being mortal. He hadn't looked so much like himself since his digression into humanity. She smiled wide at the sight.

"Go easy on them."

That request managed to startle him into an incredulous posture, offended at the very notion.

"Not a chance."

But a smirk broke through his war mask, and she let it wash over her just before the neko youkai took to the sky, and flew them quickly down below, roaring fire all the way.

Their terrible speed would see them breaching enemy territory in a matter of seconds, so she frantically fumbled to get herself into position. Backing up against the tree for a shield, Kagome removed her quiver and placed it down at her side. She readied an arrow immediately, and held her bow in place.

After her first arrow was nocked, she managed to look down just in time to see Kirara land in the middle of what appeared to be some sort of courtyard. The open area lay in the center of the compound, surrounded by the mass of buildings, and currently occupied by only her friends.

Her breathing picked up as she set her bow to aim. Seeing nothing yet, she simply kept her arrow pointed carefully at her packmates, keeping them in her crosshairs and poised to protect at the first sign of trouble. She watched the men dismount; Sesshoumaru with his sword in hand, and Miorku holding the barrier over his cursed hand, prepared to unleash it the moment it was required.

At the same time, she could see the unmistakable red of Inuyasha's fire rate robes blurring in through the front of the property with Tetsusaiga shoved out in front and a large boomerang at his back. Once he entered, however, he was out of her sights, as he'd disappeared into the first of a series of structured dwellings.

The miko continued to scan, looking for any sign of movement. But when the men and fire cat also ran into another row of buildings, everyone was now officially out of view. She didn't like that.

She didn't like not being able to see what was going on. She tried to strain her hearing, or let her aura seep out in search of theirs for some clue as to what was occurring beneath her notice, but it was all beyond her range.

Her desire was to flee, to run down there and chase after them, but Sesshoumaru wanted her up here helping from above, so that's where she would stay.

Several minutes passed anxiously by, and her pack had yet to reemerge. She did her best to swallow the unsettling feelings that arose as a result, and tried to spend her pent-up energy wisely. Remembering what he'd told her, she let her senses bleed out behind her, reaching out desperately, and determinedly with her aura in hopes of colliding with any opposing force that might mean to advance on her friends, but once again, she'd come up empty.

In the absence of action, her meandering mind filled the heavy holes with perilous possibilities. Threatening thoughts of treacherous trouble. But to be fair, their position was precarious.

They say idle hands are the devil's plaything, but idle thoughts are his lifeblood. Not knowing what was currently taking place had to be infinitely worse than whatever was. At least, she hoped so. After the seventh sickening scenario, she commenced cursing her creativity.

The minutes continued to tick by at a snail's pace, and when it began to tremble from strain, she finally relaxed her arm and lowered her bow. Something was wrong. It had been too long, and nothing had come out of the compound since her friends had gone in. Not them, not a tiger youkai, nothing.

She was able to last another minute before she decided she'd had enough. Sesshoumaru told her to follow her instincts, and every one of them was screaming at her to run down the valley, and make sure her friends were okay. So with bow and arrow in hand, Kagome rose from her spot, and swiftly made her way down into the fort.

She still had an eye out for danger, but by this point, she was fairly confident there was nobody watching from their post. Without Kirara's aid, it took a little longer to get herself down there, but with adrenaline as her copilot, she managed impressively well. She flew through the open concept entryway, and the first thing she noticed was two unmanned guard stations; one on either side.

Each was a precursor to an indistinct row of buildings, unmarked, and unclear as to what their purpose may be. They could be dwellings, or storage, or some sort of clubhouse, she really couldn't say. All she remembered was that Inuyasha was told to go left, while Sesshoumaru would be heading right. Going forward would take her to the courtyard, and she already knew there was nobody out there, so momentary indecision gave her pause. Which way to go?

After mulling it over briefly, she'd decided that her half demon friend might have an advantage over the two humans, so she made a split-second decision to go right. But just before she took off, a very loud crashing sound occurred in the other direction, and she immediately started running toward it.

Her arrow was nocked again, and held out in front of her as she entered into the first building. She entered cautiously, unwilling to let her haste override her better judgement again and get her into trouble. But upon entry, a quick perusal informed her that the structure was empty. It looked like a kitchen of some kind. Various cooking supplies were left strewn about, as well as certain ingredients she'd recognized as favorites among demons she had encountered. They looked rifled through, or perhaps simply left out? It wasn't important, so she cut through the area and made her way over to the next structure.

This one appeared to be a dining hall of some kind. Made sense, right next to the kitchen. Several tables were nicely set, and provided with ample seating. Aside from a few teapots and various matching cups, however, this room was also empty.

She went along like that, making her way through each separated building as she following the destructive noises. Crashing and banging and the sound of things breaking became louder the closer she got, until she found herself at last inside the final structure on this side.

Upon entering the first room in this building, she was relieved to find the familiar faces of her friends standing unharmed off to the side. Her tightly coiled tension left her with a heavy sigh, and she lowered her bow to rush over to them.

The violent sounds were still occurring, and painfully loud in this room. With each mysterious impact, the walls rattled and shook, making the floors vibrate like a tuning fork as both the structural integrity and architect's good name became compromised under the strain. It was clear this building had another floor, and whatever was going on was happening right above their heads. Kagome was confused, as none of them seemed concerned with the thrashing sounds, but noted that each of her packmates did look dejected, if not somewhat uncomfortable. All accept one, who was still notably absent.

"What happened?" she demanded, running up to Inuyasha's side. "What's going on?"

"Keh, nothing."

The large room they were standing in appeared to be some sort of rec room, for lack of a better term. Several large, luxurious cushions and furs were strewn strategically about for comfort lounging, and looked to be the place you came to relax in your down time. Other buildings she'd passed through all looked to have their specific use; a conference room, a dojo, a library... And she hadn't even been to the other side yet. But each one, just like the one before it, was completely bereft of life – human or otherwise.

"Nothing?" she repeated, and looked to the others for confirmation. The only answer she got was from Kirara who began licking her paw, and Miroku who unhelpfully flopped face down onto a large pile of plush cushions. When she noticed brand new dragon armor discarded thoughtlessly against the wall, she began to panic.

"Where's Sesshoumaru?" Another loud thud reverberated through the ceiling, followed by the sound of something smashing into a million pieces. She pointed up above them. "What's that noise? Is he fighting someone? Why aren't you guys helping?"

"Trust me you do not want to go in there," Inuyasha warned, and made his way over to claim a pile of soft fur padding for himself. "He's livid. Just let him blow off some steam."

He collapsed onto his ass, crossing his legs as he laid his unsheathed sword across his lap to inspect it for damage.

"What happened?" she demanded again, following him to where he sat. Sango had reattached her weapon to her back, and was proceeding to assist the neko in grooming, picking dirt out of her fur and untangling a few unruly patches.

"I told you, nothing," he repeated, slightly exasperated. "There's nobody here."

"No One? Anywhere?" How could that be? Kagome's inquiring eyes made another trip around the room, only to become distraught when nobody refuted his claim. She turned back to him. "But I thought you smelled cats."

"I did," he insisted with a bewildered shrug. "I do. But its stale." Realization dawned, causing Kagome to finally return her arrow to its quiver and shoulder her weapon. Doing so freed her up to rub both frustrated hands down the length of her face. She stifled a groan. "From a distance, I can't tell how recent it is, and there used to be a lot of them here, so its strong."

His explanation was enough to put the pieces into place. This was bad.

They were prepared for the possibility of Rin not being here, but not to find no one at all. Sesshoumaru was relying on torture to get any information he could – if not an outright location – from the unlucky inhabitants of this compound. But with nothing to go on...

This was the end of the line, their final destination. Beyond this compound, they had nothing planned as far as going forward. Aside from finding her dead, this was the worst possible outcome for the travel-weary packmates. At this rate, they were never going to get home. And Rin's chances were looking increasingly dire.

"What do we do now?" she asked helplessly, hoping he could tell her something, anything hopeful. It was getting harder and harder to put a positive spin on this mission, and the result was wearing her thin.

"That's what he said he was going to figure out," said Inuyasha, pointing skyward. At the same moment, another, especially loud boom from above shook the entire building, and caused a bottle of some sort of demon liquor to tremble off of a nearby shelf and break apart on the floor, making the hanyou wince. "Sounds like it might take a while."

She watched her friends settle in a moment before making a decision, and bolted for the stairway off to the side. Seeing her intention, Inuyasha called after her.

"Kagome, don't-"

"I have to go check on him." Looking around at her friends, she couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed at their defeatist attitude. She could understand getting discouraged, but this was no time to surrender. Sesshoumaru needed them to rally. "Why don't you guys snoop around and see what you can find? Maybe there is something that will lead us to them."

Inuyasha's mocking tone reached her ears before she reached the stairway.

"Keh, look at pack alpha bitch living up to her role. Yes, milady."

The scowl she leveled him with did not have its desired effect.

---

By the time she reached the top floor, Sesshoumaru's vicious attack on the innocent room had ceased. Her nerves made her timid, but once she'd caught sight of him, all of her trepidation washed away in an instant.

This floor appeared to be someone's bedroom, and a nice one at that. At least, it had been before the Killing Perfection got his human hands on it. He may not be a demon, but it sure looked like one had torn through this room – after setting a bomb off.

Furniture lay strewn about, cracked and splintered apart from impact. Possessions had been rendered unrecognizable, and unsalvageable in thousands of tiny pieces across the generous layout. The floor was littered with what had once been clothing, but was now nothing more than fine cuts of fabric shredded apart and ripped asunder.

And on the other side of the room through all that carnage, Hurricane Sesshoumaru sat atop a tall futon with his back to her. The mass of soft furs piled atop remained undisturbed, and appeared to be the only thing left undisrupted by his destruction.

She could see him hunched over, head in his hands, and any fear she felt at approaching him in this state disappeared in an instant. She hurried her steps to reach him, careful to avoid tripping over broken furniture and sharp shards of porcelain like they were roots in the forest.

The sounds of glass cracking beneath her shoes must have given her away, because he didn't even have to look up when she stopped to stand at his side.

"I was certain they would be here," his deep voice imparted, his disappointment on full display. "My instincts led us astray."

She claimed a seat beside him, close enough so that their hips were touching, and lifted her hand to rub across his upper back. Her touch didn't win his attention, and she looked down at his elbows digging into his thighs.

"Your instincts were good," she insisted, and moved her far hand over to grasp onto his bicep. "They were here. They just got the slip on us, but we will find them."

"How?" he demanded, finally dropping his hands to slide his gaze over to her. His bangs were left mussy from abuse. "I brought you all the way up here on a hunch, a whim. I put everything into getting us here, only to fail to catch them." She watched as he flexed his fingers impotently, and shifted his focus to his hands. If it were possible, she was sure they would be oozing poison. "They could be anywhere. I... I do not know what to do."

His voice was foreign to her in that moment. He was beyond defeated, he was... lost. His own uncertainty was probably as new to him as it was to her, and she didn't know which one of them was more frightened in that moment. Because he was always so sure of himself, even when the chips were down. His confidence could be annoying at times, but it was also her security blanket. Seeing him look so hopeless, it made her worry that hope might actually be lost.

He had been unflappable until now, despite everything that had happened to him, he never lost sight of his goal. But he'd given it everything he could at this point, and had nothing to show for his efforts. When the rest of them were shaken by doubt, it was always his assurances that had been able to pull them back. But it looked like even his confidence had its limits, and it had apparently been wrung dry.

He looked weary and worn thin. For the first time ever, he looked weak. It was terrifying.

"I thank you and your friends for your assistance." She didn't know if it was shame or exhaustion which prevented him from looking at her, but his measured voice startled her with its finality. "You have no idea-"

"What are you doing?" she demanded, and he deigned to offer a glare. Apparently interrupting him was enough to distract him from his helplessness, and earn his focus.

"Expressing my gratitude, miko. You would do well to listen, as I do not bestow it often."

She removed her hand from his back, but kept hold of his left arm as she retreated back a bit.

"You sound like you're giving up, but I know Lord Sesshoumaru would never do that."

He eyed her a moment, and let his gaze travel down to where she still touched him.

"You are correct," he confirmed. "I will never give up. Not until I find her." Something soft reached his eyes when he returned them to her briefly, before removing them again to look out in front of him at apparently nothing in particular. From the quick glimpse she's seen; he looked exhausted. "You, however, and your friends, are dismissed."

"No." She rejected that instantly, shaking her head, but he went on as if he hadn't heard her.

"You must return to your- "

"No!"

"Miko!" he all but snarled, and was annoyed when she didn't flinch when he raised his voice. It quickly dissipated into desperation, however, and she didn't miss the plea in his tone. "Listen to me, just this once."

He wasn't expecting her indignant scoff, and was effectively knocked off his game when she leveled it at him aggressively.

"This once? Excuse me, but I always listen to you." She could tell he was going to refute that claim, so she dug her nails into his arm more painfully than he would ever admit, effectively stifling him. "Every order, every command. You tell me where to go, I'm there. You say jump, I ask how high." He hadn't been the target of her righteous anger in some time, but the fire in her eyes as she pinned him with it was something he would never get used to, or tire from. It was captivating enough to distract him while she jabbed her bruising finger into chest.

"You tell me to heal myself, or hold Tetsusaiga, or stay back with my bow, I do it!" She leaned in close, and almost had him retreating an inch when she put her spiteful lips beside his ear. "Even when I'm dragging your pants down your thighs, aching for your cock to finally fill me, you tell me to stop, and I fucking do it." His eyes widened noticeably at her assessment, and it knocked him off kilter too much to allow him to become aroused at the memory. But her next lowly-spoken statement was enough to break through and ignite the stirrings of lust deep within him. "Then you stick your hand in my panties tell me to come, what did I do? I came, hard, right in your fucking hand." She released him harshly, leaving him speechless, and probably with a few crescents in his arm courtesy of her fingernails.

"Do not act like I am some petulant, disobedient child. I'm a grown-ass woman, and I have been loyal to you. I followed you all the way up here without ever questioning-"

"And where has that gotten you?" he demanded, putting an end to her tirade. He'd been generous enough with her. "Nearly killed. Stranded in a dangerous province behind enemy territory." His terrifying sneer was aimed at her, but she knew it was really for himself. So was his angry tone that would probably frighten just about anyone else. "You are right, you do obey me. To a fault. Its time you ceased." A regretful look claimed his features then, and she knew her horrified expression was not entirely to blame. He softened his tone, but remained firm as he held her gaze.

"I refuse to lead you any further. I am not fit to do so." She wanted to protest, but he wouldn't give her the chance. "Rin may be lost to me forever, but I will not lose you in a wild goose chase."

He forced himself to look good and long in her eyes. Everything he saw there was all that he needed to remind himself why it was best for her to go. He wanted her with him, but it wasn't in her best interests to remain. He'd taken enough liberties with her safety, and if he didn't stop now, she was going to end up just like Rin. It was only a matter of time.

"Take your friends, and go home, Kagome." The order given as he returned his gaze forward completed her dismissal. "I will travel alone from here."

He didn't know why he expected to feel the furs shift, indicating she had risen to leave. But if not for that, a more reasonable expectation was for her vehement protests to the contrary. When neither occurred, he twisted to find her indeed still seated beside him, defiantly looking away with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Did you not hear me?" he asked her menacingly, as if a precursor to a threat. He was becoming aware how useless such things were when the opposing party was privy to your bluff.

"You said to stop listening to you," she reminded him, still looking away. He scowled, but without looking at him to see it his next observation came off as pouty.

"In not listening, you are listening," he reasoned, and missed her victorious smirk. Over the weeks, she had become an expert in the pastime of arguing with Sesshoumaru. A common ploy of his was to get you lost in the semantics until he either proved himself right, or made you forget your original point. If you knew this and were savvy, it wasn't too hard to detour him.

She threw a look at him over her shoulder, and reveled in his petty irritation.

"That was the last order, I promise."

"Foolish, infuriating woman."

His brow was knit together in annoyance, but it severely slackened when she spun back around, and threw her arms around him too quickly to avoid.

"We will find her; I know we will."

For the second time that day, her cheek was pressed against his chest with her surprisingly strong arms wrapped around his middle. It brought on the most confusing combination of relief and distress that threatened to rip him in two.

If he had to pick what he missed the most about being demon – besides Rin – it would have to be the control he used to have. Over himself, over everyone, all of it. Because it was hard enough trying to determine what was right, but if he couldn't even get his soldiers to follow orders, he realized it didn't really matter what he decided. If they would not obey, there was really nothing he could do anymore. So, resignedly, he lifted his arms, and returned the miko's embrace.

"How can you know?" he finally asked, once he wrapped himself loosely her shoulders.

He could feel her smile against his warming skin, and squeezed a little tighter.

"Because, no one escapes Lord Sesshoumaru's wrath. I have no doubt in my heart that he will get his man." And then she squeezed him tighter too. "I trust you completely. I believe in you."

She loosened her grip just enough to pull back and let him see her face, and when she did, she could see the surrender in his own. She could only feel relief because his white flag waved for her, and she made a silent vow to him that it only ever would.

"If it wasn't obvious, I would follow you to the ends of the earth," she contentedly declared. "All over the map, and even off a cliff. If you run, I will chase you." She clung to him again as she remembered how he chased her onto the bridge that day. The way he clung back, she suspected he remembered it then too. "You're stuck with me, so you might as well deal with it."

He was silent for a long moment after that, in which she would've given anything to hear his troubled thoughts. But she allowed him to simply hold her, and be held, and know that she never wanted to leave him. And never would, if only he'd allow it. When he spoke again, it was to give voice to his most shameful fear.

"I cannot protect you."

"I don't need you to," she assured him, and for some reason, that made him feel even worse.

She could feel his heartbeat increase along with his breathing, and imagined scenarios once again playing themselves out before his eyes when he squeezed even tighter.

"If anything happened to you, I..." And that was it. He truly didn't know. But the prospects frightened him almost as much.

"You have such little faith in my abilities?"

Startled by the accusation, he looked down to see her quirking a mocking brow. Even though she was teasing him, he answered her question seriously.

"Of course not. It is my abilities I do not trust." Not anymore. Not like this.

That was all it had ever been. Taking these humans with him was a risk, but at the time, he didn't have any options. He also didn't have any particular regard for their lives either way. They were a means to an end for him, and his only chance at finding Rin. Things had changed drastically since then.

If they were starting back at his brother's village, knowing what he knew now, he didn't see how he could have possibly taken that chance. But as long as he was forced to start again from square one here at the tiger's compound, he couldn't in good conscience drag these humans along with him.

"Then trust me," implored Kagome from her cozy place in his arms. "Trust in me. Like I trust in you. Can you do that?"

He should be upset at her defiance, distraught at the danger it would place her in. But her unflinching confidence when his was tapped dry was more comforting than he cared to admit, or could even understand.

He had never been wanting in that regard, and in fact had often been told he possessed more than enough to go around. Was this how it felt for his own soldiers, when he was so unwaveringly assured of their victory? If so, he supposed he could see why they would follow him.

He answered by resting his chin on her crown, and felt satisfaction when she melted into him as a result.

"What if your friends do not share your sentiment?" he tried, in a last-ditch effort to convince her to abandon him. "You would force them to aid This One?"

"Of course not," she immediately dismissed. "They are free to do whatever they want. If they aren't smart enough to see what you're capable of, that's on them." He didn't know if she realized that the others would likely follow her, even despite their own preferences. He couldn't imagine a scenario in which any of them would willingly leave Kagome. "But it doesn't matter. Either way, I go with you. Period."

And like that, it was settled. He could hear the finality in her tone. The miko was apparently ride or die at this point, and he had to ensure it wasn't the latter.

"And I was never, never going to stay with Tadaaki. Ever." He allowed her to untuck herself from under his chin so she could level him with a half-hearted glare. "So don't harbor these fantasies of me going back to that village to live some simple, boring little life. Kissing him only gave me one thing."

His arched brow was her signal to proceed. "Proof of your superiority. But to be honest, I never needed it."

He watched as she untangled herself from his hold, and finally rose to stand before him. He could only remain seated, and watch the miko's undeterrable display. She was running the show here, apparently, which was good. He was all out of ideas.

"Now, come on. Let's find the others." She reached out and took his hand in hers. "We will put our heads together, and come up with a plan. Okay?"

She couldn't tell what he was thinking as he simply stared back at her. But when it didn't appear that he was moving, she starting leaving anyway, with their hands still attached. He allowed her to pull him up off the bed, and drag him through the mess he'd made before leading him back downstairs.

---

Back downstairs in what Kagome had dubbed the 'rec room,' the pack had reconvened and were attempting to formulate a plan.

With the majority of his aggression out of his system, Sesshoumaru was now able to approach this new problem with a cooler head. So everyone had pulled up a fur, or a cushion, and made themselves comfortable while they inventoried their knowledge and attempted to identify their options.

"The only other tiger territory I know of is east of here, but it is far."

Against the back wall, Kagome had arranged some of the more comfortable padding into something resembling a couch. It surprisingly didn't take much convincing to get Sesshoumaru to take a seat beside her while the others made their own arrangements.

As he laid out the extent of his knowledge in regards to neko geography, he found himself grow increasingly distracted by the distracted young woman at his side. Her aggressive attempts at stretching was bad enough, especially while he was trying to think. But as soon as he took the floor and starting talking, she popped her shoe off and began violently digging into the high arch in her foot, making him lose his train of thought more than once.

"There are no human villages left between here and there."

He remembered her saying something earlier about a terrible cramp, and he felt for her, but he was beginning to see the focus of the others casually drift away from him and over to her. This was all pointless if nobody was paying attention. So, in an attempt to regain the floor, he snatched her foot out of her own hands in between sentences, and with a sturdy tug, maneuvered her to lay back with her feet in his lap.

No one dared comment when he dug his strong thumbs deep into the arch of her foot, and apparently hit paydirt on his first go, if the relieved look on her face and accompanying groan were anything to go by. She offered no protest as she tilted her head back, and Sesshoumaru was pleased to see three sets of wide eyes return to him so that he may continue. Which he did, as if he weren't giving a woman a foot massage in the middle of hashing out his rescue plans.

They, in turn, were willing to listen as if he was not.

"Only demons reside, or can travel that way, and there are miles upon miles of caves. I do not see how we can make it over there."

Their plan had worked so far because there were villages for humans to stay in, and civilized people to question. With none of those things, it made traveling together impossible, if not simply pointless. So what to do?

"Maybe traveling there isn't the way to go," Inuyasha was the first to chime in. "Is there any other option?"

"Can we get them to come to us?" Kagome asked with her eyes closed, in bliss from his continued attentions, but at least still able to contribute. He'd easily located the disruption that was causing her so much woe, and she was trying not to sound pornographic each time he rolled his thumbs over it firmly.

"Can we trick them?" Sango threw in next, followed by Miroku's suggestion.

"Is there anything we can do politically?"

It was clear to everyone that they could no longer keep going on like they were going, especially if the landscape would be changing so drastically. With unforgiving terrain, and even less-forgiving demons living upon it, it was completely unreasonable to expect to continue going on as they had been thus far. They had to think outside the box, and so far, there were no obvious solutions to the former warlord.

After spit balling a few fruitless ideas, Inuyasha piped up again.

"Maybe it's time to let your demon friends know what happened to you." It wasn't the first time he'd brought this up to his brother, but had been filed in his brain under 'last resort.' It appeared they might be approaching that requirement. "We are kind of running out of options here."

Sesshoumaru frowned, but didn't dismiss him outright. He had considered that as well, but he hoped to avoid it after some vigorous brainstorming. He continued to rub the rather large knot out of Kagome's foot as the searched his mind for anything else he could do. Her gasps and moans were white noise as he broke the terrible knot apart, and smoothed it over like rolling dough. He was working out his tension by working out hers, using the distraction to occupy his all-too-idle hands while he tried to clear his head and discover a solution. She was his bonsai tree; his rock garden. And she was absolutely loving it.

But it wasn't working. Not on his end anyway. At least someone was getting something out of this little session. But it appeared there was nothing else he could do. He was just about to concede, when a voice from the doorway announced the stealthy appearance of an intruder.

"Is that the Lord of the West giving out foot rubs? Where do I get in line?"

The taunting female voice startled the crew into action. Inuyasha scrambled up instantly with a transformed Tetsusaiga in hand, while Miroku and Sango jumped to their feet and prepared themselves for an attack. Kagome had also attempted to rise, but Sesshoumaru's firm hold on her leg prevented her from being successful.

She turned as if to question him, but only managed to do so with her eyes. He didn't seem too concerned with moving, so she had to assume there was no threat. But the glare he was sending the strange female's way betrayed that he in no way appreciated the company.

She looked back over to see the female still standing there casually, not intimidated in the least by the threat her friends posed. Upon closer inspection, it was clear she was a demon, but that Kagome couldn't sense her, she had to be powerful enough to mask her aura from detection.

"Toran."

The name left his lips with no shortage of disdain, and with the way she addressed him earlier, it became apparent that the two knew each other. Whether that was good or bad remained unclear.

After her name was spoken, an impressive curse tumbled out of the hanyou, and he lowered his sword slightly. Miroku and Sango looked at each other in confusion, but got back on guard when the demoness began to saunter slowly over to greet them.

"So it's true," she spoke again, still confident in taunting them, and seeming to relish doing so. "I had to see it with my own eyes."

"What are you doing here?" Inuyasha demanded angrily, and she finally tore her gaze from Sesshoumaru to rest on his younger brother. With a smirk, she let her eyes rove over the hanyou as she appeared to be doing her own silent assessment.

"Inuyasha," she acknowledged, and changed course slightly. It was telling when she got in striking distance and he made no move to attack. "It has been too long. Look at you. You're nearly grown enough to ravish."

When she reached out audaciously to touch his ears, he batted her hand away.

"Keh, you wish." She was entertained by his response.

"You're sounding more like your brother than ever." At mention of the former dog demon, she shifted her focus back to him. "Have the two of you finally been bonding?"

"Sesshoumaru, do you know her?" Kagome asked, but his attention was fixed on the panther demon. HIs mask was back in place, but another look at his eyes made it clear he was displeased.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru, stop being rude," she demanded before gesturing around them. "Introduce me to your companions here. Inuyasha I already know, obviously, but look at all these humans."

When her laughing eyes raked hungrily over the miko halfway in his lap, he finally released her and deigned to stand. Once up, nobody missed how he stepped in front to block her from the panther's scrutiny.

"State your business," he ordered coolly. "I am in no mood for your games."

He felt his eye twitch as she gave a dismissive laugh.

"You are in hardly any position to stop me." The way her eyes traveled over him showed amusement in his predicament. Once she'd gotten her fill, she met his spiteful gaze again, and quirked a brow. "Now, be a good dog and play nice, and maybe you'll find out what I can do for you."

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A/N: I had to do it, yo. lol. I love Toran, and I couldn't have a cat story without throwing her in the mix!

I had to make some changes though. In my world (this world, right here) all the panther diva stuff still went down, but I'm writing it so that Toran wasn't involved in that fight. All her sisters met Inuyasha and company for the first time in that episode, but I wanted to give her a sightly different back story, so we're just going to play this like Inuyasha actually met Toran when he was younger, and the inu-tachi never met her until now. Sound good? Feel free to comment with any concerns XD