Chapter 4

Tokijin sang as it was pulled from its sheath, the evil within causing Kagome to shiver. That's when she saw it. A small tornado was spinning its obnoxious way toward her. In the moment the wind settled, Kouga was tenderly holding her hands. Jakken puffed up in tiny toad fury.

"How's my woman today? Ready to settle down with me yet?" Her hands were suddenly empty as the incorrigible wolf leapt out of the way of Sesshomaru's sword. "Oh no! Not another stinking dog!" Kouga dodged a couple more half-assed attacks by the quiet lord, until Sesshomaru realized that Kagome's life was not in danger. He promptly turned, sheathed his sword and continued walking.

"Stupid wolf is lucky my lord is so generous." Jakken mumbled to himself.

"Kouga! I have some business with Sesshomaru right now, so we'll have to talk more next time. Say hi to Ayame for me!" Kagome called out to the brown wolf as she was carried further away by Ah-Un. She could see him wink before disappearing back into a funnel of clouds.

"Lady Kagome, why do you know such an unsavory wolf?" Jakken squawked up at her.

"He kidnapped me to find more jewel shards." The miko blushed in embarrassment and giggled at the memories. "I don't really remember what triggered it but I remember beginning angry and then suddenly he was calling me his woman. He really is in love with Ayame, you know?"

A couple more crackly outbursts from Jakken about wolves and the company she keeps properly summarized the next two hours. This brought them to be surrounded by wolves as they walked closer to the Palace of the North.

The main gate stood grandly with an ox and bear demon posted on each side. A one-eyed owl perched over one of the doors, head twitching at impossible degrees of rotation. It was watching them; Kagome shivered.

"Halt!" The ox demon snorted, the ring in his nose shining with every movement. "This is the Northern Lord's Palace, what business do you have here?" As Jakken gasped at his insolence of not recognizing the "Great Lord Sesshomaru", Kagome softly smiled at how deep and clear his voice was regardless of the bull head.

Brown eyes shifted carefully over to the white cladded figure and the smiling miko, "Ah, yes, Lord Sesshomaru and his guests. My lord has been awaiting your arrival; you may pass."

This palace had one entrance into a large building built into a mountainside, but glimpses of smoke and rooftops around the side showed that there were more buildings behind it. The strange owl flew overhead and into the main hall. Kagome's eyes flittered from the stone floor to the beautiful pelts adorning the walls. She suddenly wondered if it was weird to see your family member skinned and hung up on a wall.

"Welcome!" A friendly voice called out at the end of the room; Kagome jumped a little. A large man with battle scars adorning his face and arms clad in armor and white pelts greeted with open arms. "I am Gorai! Lord of the North!" He kept walking closer until he held the miko in a fierce hug. Jakken watched on with his staff ready to strike and his mouth still agape, while Sesshomaru couldn't have looked any more bored.

"You must be Sister Kagome!" This wolf had yet to lower his boisterous volumes, "Ayame and Kouga's pack have talked about you with the highest of praise! Come!" Gorai released his hold just to slip his clawed hand to sit reassuringly at her mid-back.

"We will feast tonight! Your lord shall meet my two daughters and I shall hear the stories of the Shikon Miko!"

With that, Kagome was swept away to a guest room to rest before the festivities. The silent dog and toad demons simply followed after. This was not what she was expecting from the northern lord after having known Sesshomaru. He even offered her access to the main hot spring to bathe, and she was all over that. Kagome hadn't even fully put down her poor yellow bag before snatching her bathing supplies and fresh clothes.

"I'm going to bathe; I'll be back after a good soak." The miko called over her shoulder as she closed the door.

"Eep!" The poor girl squeaked as she turned to see a guard posted at their door. The grey wolf demon bowed deeply in apology, "Might there be something this servant can do for you, sister?"

"Um, yeah. Can you show me to the bath?"

With a fanged grin, the servant motioned for her to walk with him, "This way, Sis." It was a pleasant walk to the enclosed hot spring; he only told her basic information like where to find fabrics for drying and such. The miko and wolf stopped in front of a closed screen door, "Here we are. I shall wait here to return you once you have finished." His green eyes turned to stare at the wall as if he was already waiting, but Kagome knew he meant well.

"Thank you." She muttered while entering the mystery room.

Walking through a preparation station to store her clothes while she bathed, the miko stripped and placed her supplies beside the water's edge. The warm liquid felt like heaven as it slowly engulfed her aching body. After a moment of melting into bliss, Kagome reached for her shampoo and began the ritual of cleansing.

All was right with the world, as long, black hair floated freely around the priestess's body. That is until muffled voices caused blue eyes to crack open.

"But, sister, we shouldn't bother her while she bathes. That's rude." A hushed yet reprimanding voice echoed within the preparation house.

"So, we bathe too." A much louder and enthusiastic girl explained, right before she came barging into the room.

Kagome turned in the water to rest on her folded arms along the stone rim. The loud one, although only wrapped in a towel, had a bushy brown tail and long, bounteous, brown hair. The other girl modestly followed after with straight, black hair and tail. She looked like a doll with painted red lips and sickly pale skin, while her sister was as tanned and healthy looking as Kouga. However, the miko did notice the touches of white in both of their hair and tail, reminding her of a certain lord.

"Hiya! I'm Rina, the eldest." The brunette barked while stomping into the spring with her hair bows still resting above pointed ears. The doll-like one bowed with as proper greeting she could manage in this situation, "Good afternoon, Sister Kagome. I am Rika and the second daughter to the northern lord. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Kagome bowed in return and there was a moment of peace between the two until the half-lidded, green eyes widened comically.

"Dear Sister! Your ribbons!" Rina had already carelessly submerged herself, leaving only the longest strands of hair still floating along the surface. By the time the meek girl reached her, the green bows sagged forward like hound ears.

Like a chime of bells, the miko laughed. She laughed and then they laughed. It's addictive spell weaving through and lightening their hearts.

"Sister Kagome" Rika hesitantly started, "You know Brother Kouga and his pack, yes?"

"I do." Blue eyes sparkled with fond memories.

"And Ginta? Do you know Ginta?" The poor girl's voice was getting quieter and quieter as her cheeks grew more and more red.

"I do."

"Is he- is he…" The pale complexion was as red as a tomato and her hushed voice was now only small squeaks as she finished, ""Is he well?"

Kagome's own cheeks had grown red as well as she realized the true meaning to the question. Rina had remained mutely laughing in hysterics behind her sister. When Rika noticed, her cheeks puffed up in a mighty pout sending her elder sister into a fit of giggles and cooing over her cuteness.

"He was well when I saw him last." Like the warmth of a flame, Kagome's words melted the scowl from the girl's face and left a lovely, elegant smile in its place.

Within moments, the girls finished their bath and ushered Kagome to their dressing room. The guard that had waited by the door merely followed behind the giggling group to stand at that door until needed.

The wolf demons that Kagome had met tended to wear pelt skirts, arm and leg bands, and black, armor breastplates, but that was in a world where they expected battle. This world had ladies in garb fairly similar to her miko outfit, but with extra flair. It seemed even the ladies of court needed to be able to rid themselves of their tiers of open kimono and move freely in hakama.

As she looked down at the outfit the sister's had convinced her to wear, Kagome smiled in awe. She was thankful that she wouldn't be confined in a tight kimono with her luck. The main, light blue kimono tucked securely into the indigo hakama just below her bust. There were three layers of orange, white and red covered in a beautiful blue kimono. She hadn't really felt the four layers until that fifth one had been slipped on. There were orange and gold embroidered koi swimming everywhere. Rina and Rika wore similar outfits but both in shades of green with gold wolves and cranes to distinguish them.

There was a moment of worry as Kagome studied her wet, combed hair as she stared at the mirror; she looked too much like Kikyo. Rika paused in applying her makeup and took the brush from her guest.

"Wolves are wild and free." She calmly spoke while tying the long, black tresses into a high ponytail. "Our hair is only bound enough to not endanger our lives if at all." Blues eyes glanced to the loose black and brown hair tinted with white. In four years, she hadn't noticed. Pigtails were such a trend to look cuter in her time that she hadn't second guessed Ayame's style.

"Her mom is a black wolf from the mainland, so she turned out extra pretty. That's why she looks so good with makeup. It doesn't look quite right on me. Dad and the others say that I won't need makeup if I plan to lead our pack someday." Rina piped up while fumbling with new green hair ribbons. The young sister stepped over to help her elder before finishing her eye makeup. And soon enough, it was time to go to the feast.

The three ladies glided into the room, only parting when Kagome went to sit beside Sesshomaru. Jakken stood against a far wall, eyeing everyone in a squinty glare. With a glance, she found that the stoic face only looked to his tea and to the northern lord. Did he see her new outfit?

"Welcome my family and guests!" The boisterous lord raised his sake dish, "We are here to celebrate the arrival of our Sister Kagome, the Shikon Miko, and for two of my daughters to meet with Sesshomaru, Lord of the West. Girls! Introduce yourselves so that we me eat!" His deep laughter and joyous voice penetrated everyone except Sesshomaru, whose gold eyes slid upon the two sitting across from him.

They bowed, Rina a little faster than her sister so that she could speak first. "I am Rina, Princess of the North. Pleased to meet you." Rika offered a soft smile, "And I am Rika, younger Princess of the North."

Sesshomaru set down his cup before returning a bow, but did not speak. Gorai burst into chuckles, "As silent as I've heard! You've met, now let's eat!" Humanoid demons cheered and howled in delight as they began eating from the many roasted and raw boars.

Things continued smoothly with the exchanging of stories regarding Koga, Ayame and their packs. It turned out that Gorai was originally from the same pack as Ayame, but he fought with her grandfather about everything. He laughed at how he became the northern lord out of spite for "that old dog".

Even amongst such warmth and laughter, Sesshomaru sat quietly unless directly addressed. His features were ever blank and cold. Kagome frowned a little at her companion, who still had not glanced her way.

They were well into the hours of the night when Kagome stood to excuse herself for bed. The tipsy demons stopped their singing to melodically wish her a good night. Rika had long been excused and Rina was currently in an arm wrestling match with her friends. To her surprise, Sesshomaru stood as well, triggering a dozing Jakken to snap awake.

They walked together down the hallways with Jakken complaining, "About time you get to sleep, stupid girl! You better not sleep in all day tomorrow!" She smiled before yawning, "I'll wake up early, Jakken. Don't worry."

And true to her word, Kagome awoke just after dawn. Inuyasha had trained her to wake up early while they were hunting jewel shards. It was almost impossible to sleep in nowadays. Sesshomaru, according to his most loyal servant, had taken it upon himself to privately talk with the sisters. She couldn't imagine him actually saying much, but something is better than nothing.

The miko donned her white kimono and red hakama, stuffing her modern pajamas into her bag. As she did before, the report on the two wolves had to be amended. Rika, being interested in some other man meant that even if she were loyal to Sesshomaru, she'd be unhappy. Then, she thought on Rina's personality. She was rough and loud like Inuyasha, and she looked and acted like a fifteen year old. Rina would love her pups fiercely, but she was very set in the ways of wolves. Sesshomaru might keep the child to be raised in the western palace, and that would keep her from her family and friends.

It's no good, the miko decided. "Jakken, could you fetch Sesshomaru so that we may continue to our next destination?"

After a pointed stare of intense thought, Jakken responded, "Yeah, don't hurt yourself while I'm away or Lord Sesshomaru will be most angry." The short green imp waddled out of the room, staff in hand. She could hear his mumbling about frail human females while casually packing her things.

Kagome met with Gorai one last time to announce their departure and say her goodbyes. He hugged her again and welcomed her back at any point in the near future. The princesses and Sesshomaru arrived shortly after the hug, Rina and Rika grabbing Kagome's hands to give her their best wishes.

It wasn't long before they were once again traveling through the morning air, Ah-Un pleased with their rest. And yet, something bothered Kagome greatly, causing her lips to dip in a subtle frown.

"Sesshomaru! Have I angered you in some way?" She called out against the opposing wind.

Again, he ignored her.

It was best she didn't push him. Unlike Inuyasha, there weren't any subjugation beads or any memories of the dead to protect her life. It was the longest taking short trip she had had with the lord and her nerves were twisting in worry. When they started to descend, Kagome watched in terror as they flew into a large, dark hole. This sinister cavity had to be a hundred feet in diameter and the pitch black engulfed everything she knew.

Squeezing her eyes closed, the miko summoned her powers and opened her holy awareness. First, she saw the aura of the dragon beneath her and then she found Sesshomaru and Jakken. With a sigh of relief, Kagome watched the powerful demonic energy glow in the darkness and remembered pictures of nebulas in space. He was truly beautiful.

Warm light touched her cheeks and she knew it was time to open her eyes. Blue eyes widened as they focused past the familiar white figure and onto the cavern around them. There were glowing bugs and foliage everywhere. It all looked ghostly and translucent but illuminated prettily in blues and greens.

"You did not return as you said you would." His soft, deep voice almost didn't reach her, but before it truly could, thunder echoed throughout the cave. No, it wasn't thunder but thousands of wings circling the shadowy ceiling. One of those dark shadows dropped, the glint of a blade catching Kagome's eye.

"Sesshomaru!" She yelled.

Sparks from Tokijin clashing with the sword of the attacker lit the scene and showed that it was a female bat demon. Her long, dark hair whipped through the air, braided with bulbs of light tucked within them.

Here and there, images of her companion and the demoness would appear with sparks flying from their swords. Jakken cheered on as Kagome left the safety of Ah-Un's saddle. The bat demon slammed into the ground and bounced from what looked like a right hook from Sesshomaru, but she wasn't done. Hopping up quickly, they disappeared yet again. It was the white form of the quiet lord that dropped harshly to the ground, before rolling out of the way of another attack.

This was taking too long; a fight with Inuyasha would have been over with within the first three minutes. More bat demons stood just barely out of the shadows to laugh at the lord.

"That's what he gets for keeping a human as a pet." One faceless shadow taunted.

"Dogs always show their bellies for affection." Another one bellowed, "An ugly human like that could only be for a good fuck."

Kagome gritted her teeth in anger, her nails digging painfully into her palms. The loud battle noises of the fight might have been unbearably loud in the enclosed cavern, but those voices were crystal clear.

"That good-for-nothing mutt will die protecting a whore, just like his dear ol' daddy."

"ENOUGH!" Her furious roar ceased everything. That was it. Kagome drew her bow and notched an arrow toward the crowd. Even on the cloudiest days, the light of her powers seemed dim, but in this darkness it was different. In this world of shadows her pink aura, her power, engulfed the whole cavern in her warm light.

"We came here to meet with Lady Miyako." Her voice remained strong and commanding as the demons squinted and shifted at the slight burning on their skin. They looked amongst themselves as if not knowing what to do.

"I am Miyako." The warrior who had been fighting Sesshomaru stepped forward.

Lowering her bow, Kagome hastily walked past the lord and into Miyako's personal space. "Attacking without provocation is just rude." Fiery blue eyes shifted back to crowd as she continued, "Secondly, Inu no Taisho died so that my best friend could live. Anyone who would insult such a man knows nothing of respect and honor."

Although Miyako stood taller than Kagome, the look in the smaller girl's eyes showed she believed her words with every fiber of her being. The miko hadn't gotten so furious in such a long time. Azure eyes were locked with the darker sapphire ones as the ladies fought a silent battle of wills.

There was a flash of a smirk before Miyako leaned forward and captured Kagome's lips in a passionate kiss. The demoness then walked past her to address the crowd, "I approve of this miko and her dog. Insult my guests and I'll kill you." She then sashayed away, leaving the group to follow her. The villagers bowed in apologies as the holy power dissipated from the air and returned them to the shadows.

Kagome glared at the screen door separating them from the currently changing Miyako. Without checking on Sesshomaru's location, she spoke, "I did not return directly after my bath, but I returned. The girls wanted me to look nice and its fun to escape my miko's garb from time to time." The priestess didn't expect a response so she kept her eyes locked onto the door.

"You are better suited to blue than red." Kagome's eyes widened for the second surprise today as she swung her head to look at him. It wasn't a compliment; it was just a fact to him. But, damn the effect, Kagome thought her face was going to split in two from how big her smile was. His metallic eyes only flickered open to allow for a moment of shared eye contact before sliding back closed.

The sliding of the screen door caught their attention as Miyako entered the room. Her wings were gone and she looked about as demonic as Sesshomaru, very different to the armored warrior they had just confronted moments ago. Instead of wearing a full length kimono, the demoness came in wearing a grey hakama tied over a navy kimono barely a shade lighter than her dark blue hair. As masculine as the color scheme was, the glowing gems in her braid and jewelry gave her an elegant tomboy feel.

"My father isn't here, or else he would have properly greeted you." The navy haired woman spoke, "You are here to seek a mate that will produce you a strong heir." The cold lord didn't respond, so she continued, "I could give you a strong child, but I am now unwilling. The Lord Gorai has already accepted me into his army."

"Did you join to become closer to your father?" Kagome chimed.

"Yes, in a way. My father is very good at being a general for the north, and with no sons, there aren't many distractions from said position." Miyako answered while pouring tea for her guests. She and Kagome sat the closest together, but the demoness made sure to turn to face the miko properly. The ladies allowed Sesshomaru to just sit and listen against a far wall, undisturbed.

"That sounds lonely, but it explains why you would want to become a powerful soldier." The miko somberly sipped her tea, "What about the others? Why are they so cruel to strangers?"

"The last stranger we welcomed was a half demon a couple years ago. He was a beautiful man until he sought out our strongest and absorbed her. My father wasn't here and I was just a silly girl. I pledged that day that I would become the strongest so that should Naraku ever return, I could get revenge for my mother." Kagome flinched at the name; it held the dark memories of all those that suffered by his hand.

"We have concluded our business. Miko let us depart." Sesshomaru regally left to collect Jakken and Ah-Un. Said miko, floundered for a minute as she switched from anger at Sesshomaru for interrupting some girl bonding to apologetic for their sudden departure.

Silver hair sparkled prettily in the blue glow of plants, as he waited for her to mount the two headed dragon. She only had a moment after securing her yellow backpack before Ah-Un jerked forward at the command of their owner. Kagome wasn't scared going back through the dark tunnel, because she knew there was light and warm breezes waiting for her on the other side.

Well, she was wrong. The sun decided to hide behind dark clouds, reminding her that February was still a part of winter. She had been given one month to introduce him to twenty-one women. Kagome pulled out her map and held it against the saddle. Ah-Un paid no attention to the miko releasing the reigns and continued following after their master.

Today was the fourth day and they had met with the five prospects of the northern island. If they could stay on schedule, the eastern coast would only take three days. That would give them plenty of time to visit a certain village with certain children.

"Hey, Sesshomaru!" Kagome called out in melodic tone. "I made sure to schedule a day with Rin while we were in the east. So, after we meet with the first three ladies, it's Inuyasha's Forest!" The silly nineteen year old held the map above her head to cheer, while the demon lord hummed in agreement. Upon hearing the plans, Jakken joined in the cheer until it turned into mindless praises to Sesshomaru. He then found himself thrown to Ah-Un, Kagome catching him just in time.

Now that the priestess felt comfortable enough to ride the two-headed dragon without holding on, she hooked the straps of her backpack over the front corners of the saddle. Sliding her legs beneath the bag was a little tricky, but once she was secure, Kagome used the back of the backpack as a table. Jakken would peak around to behold what strange thing she was attempting this time.

"So, Yukiko is a 'no' due to seduction attempt, and Haruka is… passable?" The miko checked, watching for any sign of interest for the stoic lord. Again, he surprised her by falling back to fly at her side. His sleeves flapped by her head as gold eyes peered down at her work. The subtle, "hn" would have been lost to untrained ears, but as it were, Kagome understood and continued.

"What about Rina? She was the brown wolf princess." Black lashes fluttered over blue irises from the forceful wind as she glanced up at the lord. He was gone, but the flapping noise was still nearby.

"Why ask now when you have already decided both wolves unacceptable?" His voice much closer than before, Kagome jumped in surprise. Sesshomaru leaned back to better judge her expressions while lazily sitting across the back of Ah-Un.

"That's true, but this is your mate." The miko watched him over her left shoulder; his white and silvery appearance contrasted with the dark blue ocean and green trees bellow.

"Why did you find them unworthy?" Sesshomaru's tone was both casual and flat.

"They were not 'unworthy' Sesshomaru." Kagome reprimanded, "Rika loves another, and Rina plans to stay with her pack."

White lashes rested on pale cheeks as Sesshomaru turned his head skyward, "Then, it is as you say miko."

"My lord is so wise!" piped in the little green servant who had managed to climb to Ah-Un's reigns. With a snicker at the toad's antics, Kagome carefully wrote the judgement placed on the two princesses. Admittedly, a good portion of her joy was from the demon lounging behind her. This moment between them was nice and it made her want to believe that he trusted her.

Raven hair floated in the breeze like silk fabric caught on a branch, her ponytail effectively keeping it out of her face. Her bangs were still shifting in crazy new positions, as she turned to him again. "Ok! So, Miyako is a 'no' because she would rather be a fighter than a mother, right?" There was no reaction, but she took it anyway, "Right!"

She'd always seen him flying ahead as if he was too proud to use Ah-Un, and yet he also had the same "I'll do what I want" personality as Inuyasha. Kagome struggled not to look at the demon lord again and focused on replacing her current work with a textbook. It was a beaten up book from her high school days, but she still studied from it and others.

The miko spent the rest of her day going over the different written forms of the current era. Kagome already planned to send out messages to the accepted ladies and she couldn't have spelling errors.

The night followed a familiar routine of building a fire, cooking ramen, changing into pj's and then curling up in her sleeping bag. Kagome drifted off with her thoughts lingering on the small note she had made for herself about the next two girls. 'Beware the songs.'