Chapter 3

Oto no Joka Kabe

In that moment, the weariness on Shinokiri's face had shown more than she cared for it to. Seeing this Inuyasha came to stasis, quieting his grand amusement in the unconscious memory of her Shinokiri being an authority. "Do not exasperate my patience Sesshomaru-sama. Have more faith in your great father than that!"

The demoness extended her index finger, using only her claw to gently gate at a string of the instrument. This sweet faint singular sound hollowly echoed in the room. It would be unnoticeable if a stunning chill had not been sent straight through the bodies of the two brothers, like an electric shock. From above a moth fell to the ground; sizzling and burnt.

Shinokiri's hands glided over each carved relief on the body of the instrument, careful only to hover over the strings. Bluebells. Knots of bluebells showered the dark wooden base of the koto's face. She admired it with great ceremony. Bell…Rin…As if the Inu no Taisho had seen into his son's life beyond his very own.

"Oto no joka kabe…when struck, each string, each note, produces a purifying barrier. When mastered, not even tessaiga can penetrate its barrier. The child will be protected without the sullying filth of bloodshed. Any enemy shall simply be eviscerated if that be her will."

She extended the koto out to Sesshomaru to take, and in taking it he placed it back in its silk covering. Only the sloppiness of his wrapping of the instrument betrayed how offended he was. The fabric half covered it, slipping off and askew.

"She has no need of that. This Sesshomaru warrants no help"

"There is always a need, even with you as her protector. Do you reject this gift? Have I made this sacrifice for naught?" Her eyes met his in challenge. Locked in this battle neither backed down.

Inu no Taisho clutched on to his mate to steady himself and pressed the Meido stone into her hands.

"How could you Inu no Taisho? You will risk your life and abandon me just to witness your bastard's birth," his mate chided in an inappropriate amusement.

"Regardless of where I am, I am not long within this realm. Do you remember what I had asked of you?"

"Yes, even if he seems in danger, yes."

Sincerity flashed across the great demoness' face as she nuzzled into the great dog's neck for the last time.

"Go then," She has accepted this long ago.

Inu no Taisho stumbled backwards before straightening up. He could not afford to let slip how very weak he was in this moment. His glance then fell on Shinokiri. Faithful Shinokiri.

"I trust you to do as I said"

"No matter what, my lord, exactly as you said." She bowed low as a massive sadness erupted through her. She may never see such a powerful force in this world again. She would savor these last moments as much as she could.

With the reassurance of both females, Inu no Taisho leapt from the castle in the sky. Both followed the diminuendo of his yoki into the chasm.

The elder woman stroked the ponytail of the younger in distant rumination gently raking strands of it in her claws before pausing.

"How silly" she breathed as Shinokiri blinked slowly. "Gobodo-sama?"

"Never mind Shinokiri, this is the way of the world," and with a meager pivot she retired into the interior of the castle.

It was the hanyou who broke the silence. "Don't be an ass Sesshomaru. Just because pops never actually gave anything cool to you directly doesn't mean you should behave like a spoilt brat. Stop being bitter." Inuyasha got up gruffly. "Kagome! Let's go home!"

The collection of eavesdroppers at the door poked their heads through whatever opening they could find with a synchronized "Bye Shinokiri-hime!" Kagome, in addition, hurriedly re-entered the hut with a jerky bow and cheerfully rang, "Get better soon one-san! We'll check on you tomorrow," before escaping the furrowed brows of the two inuyokai on the floor inside.

"Ugh, don't be gross Kagome"

"What?! I was only being nice!"

Kagome ran after the huffing hanyou, eventually joining in the excited chatter of the gang as they made their way to their homes. Only Kaede, Jaken, and Rin were left over to hesitantly spill into the hut, quite aware of a questionable tension abound. Against her better judgement, Kaede took a breath to speak.

"Will you be staying with us Lord Sesshomaru?"

The great dog looked to his impish companion who clambered upright on his own staff.

"His Lordship is grateful for your assistance priestess! We will return!"

His silver hair swept over his estranged mate as he left with his servant.

"Goodbye Lord Sesshomaru," Rin waved in a manner fit to make her very arm take flight without her. Her enthusiasm for the demon was taken in by the demoness and the priestess.

"Rin"

The low sweet feminine sound startled the girl out of her enamored daze. With a jump she twisted her body toward the lady youkai.

"Shinokiri-hime?"

Kaede watched the interaction with apprehension and strain. Her old heart could not take the emotional activity it was being placed under in just one day.

"In the corner," she lazily pointed toward the half wrapped koto with a limp wrist. "One day, you must master that instrument. In the meantime, tomorrow you will find a koto master, and have him tutor you with a human instrument. Do you understand?"

Rin nodded with great vigor.

Her body had extended itself enough for the day, she still could even flex the muscles in her legs. She was stuck under the tolerant kindness of the inhabitants of this hut and the village it was in. An unfamiliar predicament for so powerful a youkai.

"Are you Lord Sesshomaru's wife?"

Every muscle and every tendon in the old priestess' decrepit body seized. Kami, can I survive this nonsense?

The inu youkai only let her head fall to the right of her, peering in the direction of the view of the window, but looking at nothing in particular.

"I suppose, if that is how humans put it, yes, something to that effect"

Rin gulped an exited intake of breath and girlishly squealed, "How romantic?"

Shinokiri arched a delicate brow in reply.

Her blood pounded, stampeded through her veins. It drummed in her ears and griped tightly at her heart. Air was hard to come by. The great lord had summoned her with such formality as to demand panic. She lay prostrate, hands so sweaty as to have her feel as if they were slipping from the earth on the flat cold stone floor.

"Shinokiri…you have given me many years of commendable service, and in recognition of that fact, I shall bestow upon you a great honor."

Shinokiri dare not look up. Her excitement adhered her forehead to the floor more in anxiety than reverence.

"You will bear the future offspring of my heir, and as such, you will always have status and clout in my lands."

"I am not deserving of such favor my lord!" She all but vomited the words out. Her face felt exceedingly hot. This was a most unexpected turn of events.

"Sesshomaru," the clear voice of Inu no Taisho's mate rang out beckoning to her son. "Are you not thrilled at the prospect of such an intriguing female as your own? She is most acceptable, is she not?"

Shinokiri in all of her state of sensory overload, could feel the lack of any sort of excitement coming from the aforementioned male. Without lifting her head. Her brows lifted as a curtain would, pressing her nose down to lift her eyes further off the ground. She could see his indifference even in his feet.

"What would possess you to think that this is what I wanted?"

Inu no Taisho shifted in discomfort and emerging anger, "Do you question my judgement?"

"Always," and with a whip of his hair, the future lord of the western lands eft the room in gelatinous state of awkward silence.

Is this to be my life? Is this my reward?

The little girl's hands felt good in her hair. Rin cooed in delight at the shiny soft strands slipping through her fingers, not even holding a braid. It had been so long without contact with another living thing, floating around in the empty spaces of a serpent, that the few brief exchanges of touch she had today were precious. Even to her; a demon. She luxuriated in those tiny hands, as she did, in spite of herself, have somewhat of a fondness for children…human or otherwise.

"When you are better…will you travel with Lord Sesshomaru and Master Jaken?"

"Most likely not?"

"But aren't husbands and wives supposed to live together?"

Rin could feel an upsetting dose of reality coming her way. He mouth tensed in readiness to the response, but it never really came in the way she expected.

"That's for humans, we are not human"

A patter rather than a thud. A very soft blow indeed. This, Rin could handle.

"So my koto is magical?"

"Yes"

"When do I get to use it?"

"When I am sure you won't kill anyone by accident"

Rin gulped. "Oh…ok…will I learn on another koto then"

"Presumably"

"Then I shall do my best and be a great koto player for Lord Sesshomaru!"

Rin's eyes were filled with steely determination as she tightly clutched the demoness' hair, tugging at her ponytail unconsciously.

"Girl"

"Oh! Sorry Shinokiri-hime! I got carried away!" Rin quickly and contritely released her hair and Shinokiri made a humming sigh to reassure the child.

"Lord Sesshomaru said I must stay here and be with my own kind, like Kaede-baba, until I am old enough. Then I can decide if I want to stay with him or not. I don't think it matters though…now that you're here! You can be like my mom, and we can be like a real family, even if we don't have a house"

Rin's eyes darted excitedly at Shinokiri's face.

What does he intend to do with this child? What does she mean 'old enough to decide'? Is she like Izayoi? Is he just waiting until she's old enough to bed? What a peculiar family trait…to be drawn to the innocence of children so…to fall in love with humans…to breed with them.

"My lord, we must lea—"

A large obviously strong hand elegantly cut Shinokiri off with a wave. Inu no Taisho's gaze never left Izayoi.

"You have grown into a fine woman Izayoi"

Shinokiri observed her nervous fidgeting and blushing as he took the human's hands into his own. Izayoi, within the incremental visits she had been privy to, had truly become a beautiful woman, and Inu no Taisho's gaze steadily changed from the melting affection bestowed upon a precocious child to the singular fixed leer of a wanton male. Even though it was softened by honest affection to her person, Shinokiri could tell that Inu no Taisho had come to desire Izayoi in a completely altered manner.

She twisted her heel into the ground impatiently and tried to find a direction to stare in, any direction but there's. This sort of interaction was alien and unnatural to her. She had never known such obvious and mutual affection.

"I don't know if that will work out like you want it to Rin"

"I think you should think about it. It wouldn't hurt. I'm a good girl. You won't mind me! And we'd have so much fun toge—"

"Rin, come have your dinner and leave Shinokiri-hime be. She needs to rest"

Kaede shuffled to her with a covered bowl.

"My lady, I have saved for you the organs of an ox: heart, lungs, liver…" Kaede trailed off twisting around the bowl as she needlessly reviewed the contents. "I imagine this will give you much needed strength…after all, there could not have been much to eat within the serpent."

Kaede let out a nervous chuckle. She did not understand how right she was…a century picking at the sloppily masticated remains of a lesser youkai's meal.

"I am humbled by your consideration, and forever grateful to you for your kindness…having done nothing to deserve it."

"Aye, well, I owe it to Inuyasha. He obviously holds you in high regard."

"Yes, Inuyasha"

Shinokiri absentmindedly took hold of the bowl of raw meat and made an attempt to demurely pick at it. She was awash with feelings of guilt. She has always tried to keep a respectable distance from the hanyou. Partially for his sake, but mostly for hers. She despised her own fondness for the creature, one that she had been taught should never exist. Still, she did grow fond of him, and felt a duty towards him, beyond what her deceased lord had asked of her. Her prolonged absence was not fair to him, and even from within her putrid cell, she felt masses of guilt and worry over the hanyou. Hoping to one day see him again. She was glad at her renewed opportunity. Her affliction had worked out to be a convenient excuse to make up for how remiss she was in her treatment of him—how much she had missed, how greatly her absence…lack of protection exposed him to the unforgiving cruelty of this world.

At least this, she could remedy.