All characters, unless stated as original creations or additions, belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Media and Shogakukan. Blame them. I'm just taking their characters' concepts to a different place. Also, feedback would be appreciated. Writers do not improve without criticism and suggestions from their audience.
Each step in the deep, cold snow meant nothing as he trudged along. Jaken and A-Un would follow him loyally and if Tōran chose to follow, she was free to do whatever she wanted. For now. However, it was quite an inopportune time for war. At least for him. No preparations had been made for a conflict of such scale. Sesshōmaru, himself, had not predicted an invasion by the Northern Trolls for a few more years and had planned accordingly. Nonetheless, if war was on the horizon, then at least he, Sesshōmaru, would have plenty of strong enemies to test himself against. That was how his father, the first Demon Dog Lord of the West, had won his name, title and lands.
The first thing to do was to confirm Toran's information. Any large gathering of trolls near the border would be easy enough to smell. If Tōran proved to be correct, then he might even listen to her second piece of business with him. Sesshōmaru did feel some curiosity tugging at him but suppressed the desire to ask Tōran, lest she become even smugger. Whatever she wanted would reveal itself in due course. For now, she was going to have to hold onto the secret, which she seemed so eager to keep. The Demon Dog Lord did not indulge in feline games far beneath his station.
They had walked for some time and traveled many miles in the harsh winter climate. Neither Tōran nor Sesshōmaru seemed bothered by the inclement weather but the little imp, Jaken, shivered as he followed behind. Neither of the two powerful demons spoke to each other. One was contemplating his next move while the other was trying to get his attention by any means she had. On the few successful occasions which she gained it, Tōran would immediately pretend to be entirely uninterested by looking in every direction but Sesshōmaru' and then smiling triumphantly at his frown.
There was a tall hill in his land from which the wind would blow from every direction. From there, Sesshōmaru knew that he could survey what was currently amassing to the north without having to travel all the way to his northern border. The first scouts were probably entering his domain right now but that was unavoidable. And might even be to his benefit since there wasn't any standing army for then to find and track. Yet. By the spring thaw, when the main host descended upon them from the month, Sesshōmaru intended to meet the trolls with his own force of demon warriors.
Sesshōmaru ascended the hill, beginning to breathe more heavily from the extra effort needed. His breath came out in short, steady puffs as Jaken tried to follow. Light-footed Tōran skipped beside Sesshōmaru, silently boasting of her immunity to cold, egging him to say something. The male demon tensed, straightening his back and turning his head from side to side slowly. There was definitely the stench of trolls in the winds coming from the north and that was all the confirmation Sesshōmaru required.
The scent of rotting earth was foul upon the air, despite the sharp coldness. It was the winds, which brought the scents and just as quickly whisked it away, replacing it with the smell of a hearth fire. "Is there an air demon living in your realm? I can command the air and wind around me but I would swear something or someone else is manipulating it here," Tōran muttered to Sesshōmaru.
He almost said, "There was," but checked himself. She did not need to know. Sesshōmaru turned his attention to the future.
"Jaken," he commanded the little imp, "Take A-Un and find that boy, Kohaku. I am recalling him to my service for this war. He may be a human mercenary but the boy has his uses. He will tell Tōtōsai and from him, word will spread." Rōyakan would hear of it from Tōtōsai and so demons seeking his favor would gather.
"As you command, O great Lord Sesshōmaru! But what will you do?" Jaken bowed obediently, planting his face into the snow.
"I will see to Rin's safety. Go now," and with that Jaken scrambled down onto A-Un's back and the dragon took to the skies.
"Who's Rin? Your daughter?" Tōran asked inquisitively. "I didn't know you had mated already!" she continued, teasing him and following him even as Sesshōmaru took flight. His only response was to deepen his frown. She really was an irksome woman. Much like another long past.
"How can your thing be poison? You're just as good as being cold as I am! Or maybe you just need a real woman to warm you up?" The teasing and the playful jabs wore on Sesshōmaru's patience. But it would not do to greet Rin with another demon's blood on his hands. Inuyasha and his motley companions were hardly be receptive of him in the first place, possibly less so if he appeared with Tōran. That led Sesshōmaru to wonder about the other "trivial" matter the irksome woman had with him.
It was probably something stupid like marrying one of her sisters to form a marriage alliance. Unless they were significantly more powerful than previously, Sesshōmaru found them too weak to be even worth considering. One played with fire so much she didn't seem to have much feminine grace while the other was so dainty that her best tricks were to simply use illusions to baffle her opponents while her underlings killed them.
In any event, any union between a canine and feline demon was unimaginable. What would their offspring be?
"Oh! So this is the human village Karan visited!"
Chapter Notes: All I can say is that I wish I had a better picture of Sesshomaru's mother. Many edits have been to make the chapter flow more smoothly. I am unsure if Jaken needs to be more sycophantic.