I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters.

Sesshomaru glared at the dragon as the evening light faded. Two days. Two days they had battled, delaying him from reaching his wife. He had sent Jaken a head, but if Melissa died there was nothing the kappa could do. He had to get to her.

The dragon was not that powerful, but fast. It was able to dodge every blow of his sword. Bakusaiga was capable of slaying a thousand youkai, but he had to land the blow. He needed to slow the dragon down. As it was they'd spent the whole two days dancing around each other. Both had been grazed, but neither could land a good blow.

There was one way to slow the dragon, but it was dangerous. He had to poison the dragon, but to do so would leave him open to serious injury. But it was the only way to end the fight and get to his wife. He had to make sure she was safe. For her he would do anything!

His eyes turned red and his hair swept back as he took his true form. He was less agile, and had no way to use a sword in the form. Dog and dragon flew at each other. The dragon shot a bolt of ki at Sesshomaru and he nearly dodged it but it caught him in the side of his belly leaving a long gaping wound, then the dragon's fangs sank into his chest as the beast coiled it's body around him.

Sesshomaru sank his own fangs into the dragon and released his toxic drool into it's blood then transformed and flew out of his coils. The burning heat spreading through his body now told him the dragon was also venomous. Venom did not usually bother Sesshomaru but this was potent, his entire body was burning!

The dragon roared and began to writhe in agony from Sesshomaru's venom, this was his chance! He swung Bakusaiga and his aim was true. The damage traveled the length of it's body and it died with one final roar of pain. Sesshomaru didn't wait to see the dragon's end, he had to get to Melissa.

As he flew her scent grew stronger, but then he caught the smell of a dead body. He heard Jaken ahead calling her name, still looking for his dear wife. He caught up with the kappa just as Jaken found the body of the dead soldier and a wave of relief swept through him immediately replaced with horror, why was there a dead man here so close to his wife's scent.

He also heard the soft strange sound of a blade. He found Raven in a pile of leaves very near the dead man. He picked it up and slid it next to Tenseiga, both blades fell silent. This was why Tenseiga had led him here now, Melissa was in danger and Raven had called out to his sword for help.

"M-milord?" Jaken called nervously and Sesshomaru turned to see the kappa holding up a small misshapen pearl.

"It is Melissa's." He confirmed even as he heard a horse approach, followed by a cold laugh.

"Strange name for a strange woman." The man told him. "I knew if I returned to where she'd been captured you'd show up eventually. The general sent you this momento."

Sesshomaru did not bother to catch the piece of silk the man flung at him. He did not need to lift it to smell what was on it. Tears of pain and terror, blood, and a strange man's semen, his beloved wife had been raped.

"You are invited to come fight to get her back if you still want her. Personally I would advise against it. The general is a potent man and he's had her three or four days, she's probably already carrying his son." The man never realized the danger he was in as he fell dead from his horse nor did Jaken have a chance to grab hold of his moko moko.

Melissa and the boy moved quickly through the dark shadows until a supply wagon came into view. The young boy directed her to the shadows near by then threw a pebble at the young man checking supplies who then spoke to a man nearby who was helping him load the wagon. The other man entered a nearby building and the young man began to move objects off a large box as they ran forward.

He reached down to help her up and directed her to lay down in the box which had very recently been emptied of it's original contents. As soon as she was in it he closed the lid and replaced the items that had been on top. Though the box was nowhere near air tight she found it hard to breath and her heart was pounding so hard she was afraid her pulse would get them caught.

The wagon began to move then stopped. Then it began to move again. After an eternity they picked up speed and she was bounced and jostled in the box. The lid flew off and the teenager helped her sit up. "Sorry to leave you in so long, but we couldn't pick it up or let you out until we had tree cover. We'll leave the path shortly in case they try to follow."

True to his word they slowed the horses and turned off the trail before long. The boy jumped down to cover their wheel tracks with leaves and move branches to cover all evidence that they had passed that way.

"How are you doing my lady?" The older of the two asked after they had been driving for a while.

"I OK." She replied, "Thank you! Thank you so much for save me!" She replied, still stunned that they had gotten away.

"Can you ride? I don't think we can go much further in the wagon."

"Yes. Where we go?"

"Our village. We'll get our families and go into hiding. Once our wives and children are safe we'll help you find your husband. You'll live with us until you're back with him."

Sesshomaru clenched a hand over the bloody wound in his side, trying to slow the loss of blood as he gazed at the fort in the dim light near dawn. The guard was heavy, they were expecting him to attack at night. He wasn't so foolish as that, he was too visible in dim light. It was nearly dawn, he would wait for the sun to rise and use it as cover to conceal himself.

A supply wagon left the fort. He ignored it, he was after one thing and one thing only, his wife. If he could gut her rapist while he was at it all the better, but first he had to rescue her.

He skirted the tree line to attack from the east, from the rising sun. He was injured and it was important he was victorious, she was there! He could smell her, frightened and injured. He could smell what had been done to her! If he died he had to get her to safety first. He had to be careful for her sake.

He waited until the sun rose above the horizon then flew at the fort. He was nearly upon them when the warning of youkai was heard from the east wall. The men quickly swarmed to the east wall and he was flying in a rain of arrows. Most bounced off his armor and the few that found flesh were like the stings of bees. But in great numbers even bees can cause damage.

He raised his hand and with an elegant flick of the wrist the first line fell like mowed hay. Then he heard the guns. He managed to send several back the way they had come, but there were to many. Two tore through his upper chest above the armor, and another tore through his leg hitting an artery in the process.

He saw the second line forming and dropped like a falling star to use the other humans as shields that he tore through one by one. Then something amazing happened, the humans started to turn. Some ran away, into the woods to save their own lives. Others began to fight their fellow humans, to help clear a path for Sesshomaru. The general demanded obedience, but he had not earned loyalty and they now saw their chance at freedom.

He fought his way through the fort, then he smelled him! There was no mistaking the general, the man who raped Melissa! He flew forward and disarmed the general as he grabbed him by the throat.

He rose into the air with the man in his grip desperately trying to free himself. One by one the men below stopped fighting and stared up at Sesshomaru and the general.

"You raped my wife!" Sesshomaru declared in a deadly whisper. Then he tore open the general's armor, exposing his soft belly. He sank his claws into the man and pulled out a fistfull of intestines and held them up to show the screaming man. Then he looped the intestines around the eaves of a nearby building and left the man to die hung up by his guts. He landed and many more men ran into the forest while the rest sank to the ground and lowered their heads to the dirt in respect.

"Where is my wife?" He asked.

One man nervously looked up, "We are not sure my lord, she escaped. She killed her guard and stole his armor early this morning, just before you attacked. We don't know how far she may have gotten."

"She was disguised as a soldier?"

"We believe so my lord."

No soldier had run up to him during the battle, none that he'd noticed in the chaos. She must have gotten away. Or had she been caught up in the battle? Was his precious wife among the slain? He thought about the supply wagon, it had left shortly before he attacked. Had allies smuggled her away? He had to be sure before he followed, he was losing a lot of blood, he had to be sure of his choice.

"Gather the bodies together, I must know that my wife is not among them. Separate the drafted from the willingly enlisted." Once the men were busy gathering bodies he slipped away to tend to his wounds. He needed to slow the bleeding until he found her.

He returned to them when the spokesman called for him. The drafted group was much larger. Many of these men had died fighting for him. He slowly walked between the bodies, nose working furiously. She was not among them.

"How were these men coerced?" He asked.

"Our families, my lord. He threatened our wives and children. What happened to your wife, he'd do that to our daughters. Even the little girls. We had no choice."

Sesshomaru felt no pity that these men had died. But then he thought of the women who waited at home, with no one to protect them. He thought of the sons growing up without fathers to teach them. The daughters who had no fathers to provide for them. Tenseiga pulsed and began to glow with a brilliant light as he drew it. Before the light had even faded he turned and walked away.

"We've made good time, my lady. We should stop and rest a while." The younger brother suggested as they rode along through the woods. The wagon had been abandoned but they had taken the horses and some supplies.

"Not yet." Melissa replied, anxious to put as much space as possible between herself and the general. She would have to stop soon, the adrenaline had worn off and the days of insufficient sleep and food were catching up. And her body was nowhere near healed from the beatings, but she wanted to get as far away as possible.

"What children you have?" She asked, hoping to be distracted from her fatigue.

"I have a son. My brother's wife was pregnant when we were drafted this spring, we've had no contact with our families since so we don't know if she had a boy or another girl." The boy replied. His brother frowned and rode ahead out of earshot.

"Must be hard for him not to know. How many girls?"

"He had one daughter. My niece was eaten by a youkai last year, at the start of fall."

"I sorry to hear." Melissa replied.

"Many people were eaten. The rest were killed by the centipede for fun."

"How terrible! How many people die?"

The boy gave her a strange look then, then shook his head as though amused. "Of course you wouldn't remember us, but I remember you. We were all killed my lady, all of us. I was badly wounded fighting her. Then I saw her attack my wife.

"Some time later another youkai came to the village. I don't know how, but suddenly I was alive again. My wounds were healed and I was no longer in pain. I lifted my head and the first thing I saw was you and your husband. You were holding my son, putting him back in his mother's arms."

Melissa gaped at the boy. "You Stinky's father?!"

"How did you know I call him Stinky?"

"Is real name?" She asked in astonishment.

"No, his real name is Kenshin. It drives my wife crazy that I call him Stinky, but the kid has terrible gas!"

Melissa laughed, "That is why Sesshomaru call him Stinky."

They rode on a little further in silence. Fatigue was overcoming Melissa but she refused to stop. Then she began to sway in the saddle. The boy looked at her and grabbed the reigns, stopping her horse. "My lady, we need to stop."

She nodded and he began to dismount. Then she slid sideways in her saddle. He reached for her but could not grab her before she fell from the horse. She never hit the ground, she was caught in a strong pair of arms and opened her eyes to the golden gaze of her husband.

He looked up at the men who had helped his wife escape. "You needn't fear retribution. The general is dead."

Then he turned and walked away with his wife in his arms, settling himself against a large tree near by. The brothers looked at each other and tied their horses right there, busying themselves with untacking and tending them all.

Sesshomaru ignored them and gazed down at his wife. She sat up in his lap then realized how badly he was bleeding. "Sesshomaru! You hurt! We have bandage, wait!"

"No, you must listen to me first. Bandages can wait, they will make little difference now."

"No! Talk later, rest now."

"I will rest in a moment. If I do not awaken-"

"You will awake! You have to! I need you!"

"Melissa, listen to me. If I do not awaken you must go to Inuyasha's village, Jaken will find you there. He is under instructions to return you to my mother if I should be slain."

"No! I love you! You not die!" She replied crying. "You not die! Please promise!"

Sesshomaru wished he could make that promise, but he did not know if he could keep it. He raised a heavy hand to touch her face. "Melissa. I love you, my wife." He whispered, then he laid his head back against the tree trunk and closed his eyes.