Kurome sat with her father, her sister, her cousin, and her uncle as they enjoyed dinner with the Inu no Taisho and his family. They conversed, laughed, Kimiko asked to sit in Yukinobu's lap, and Kurome kept finding Sesshomaru stealing glances at her. She blushed and touched the earrings absentmindedly when she fazed out everything around her to think of their sparring match earlier. It was like they were dancing, like they were made to move together, but then it was almost too intimate for what their friendship was. Then she thought of what her father had talked with her about after she returned from the sparring match and she felt herself blushing even deeper.

"My dear girl, walk with me?"

Kurome walked through the streets of the festival with her father, browsing the wares, saying hello to old friends, before heading out to the fields just outside of the village.

"Kurome, you are nearly a hundred and fifty." Norimoto said, standing with his daughter as they looked out over the village. "You are becoming more mature as each day passes, but it is nearing time for you to choose a mate."

Kurome blushed and looked at her father. "Is now the time to be speaking of this?" She asked, her mind immediately flashing back to her sparring match with Sesshomaru.

Norimoto chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I want you to be happy and you must remember that you are the tribe's crown princess. I want to see grandpups before I get too old and our clan needs to strengthen its bloodline for it to survive any further."

Kurome sighed and settled into her father's chest. "I can't just choose anyone, Father, you know that."

"Oh, but haven't you?"

Kurome looked up at him, confused.

"I've seen how you look at Sesshomaru, how you interact with him, and considering his lineage and own power and prowess, he would make an excellent choice for a mate."

Kurome stepped away from her father and looked at him. "Sesshomaru and I are just friends, Father..."

Norimoto chuckled and touched her earrings lightly. "If that were true, then he would not have given you such a precious gift as this." He stepped closer and pulled his daughter into his arms. "I want you to be happy, pup, and I always see a new sense of happiness spark each time you are with the young lord. Those runes are a very intimate form of protection, infused with his youki. Items such as this are rare enough, but to receive one from one who is not your mate is even rarer. It would seem that he has chosen to protect you, so I do wonder."

Kurome looked up at him and watched his eyes soften.

"Pup, I spoke with the Inu no Taisho and he and I are in accordance. We will not push you or Sesshomaru into this, but we agree that out of everyone else that would be suitable, you are the best choices for each other." He kissed her forehead. "Just think on it, OK?"

"Kurome?"

She vaguely heard someone calling her name, but she was lost in the allure of Sesshomaru's youki singing to her from the runes.

"Kurome."

She looked up the second time. "Hm?"

"You spaced out for a bit there." Kimiko said, still sitting in the Inu no Taisho's lap. "Are you ok?"

Kurome smiled and nodded, taking her cup of tea in her hands. "Of course! I was just thinking of my sparring match with the young lord earlier today."

Kimiko giggled, then looked up at Yukinobu. "She lost to Lord Sesshomaru!" She half-whispered, earning a blush from her sister and a loud chuckle from the Inu no Taisho.

"I am both surprised and unsurprised, Kurome." Yukinobu said. "Sesshomaru has been vigorously training, as have you from what I understand, but there must be a difference in training somewhere."

Kurome blushed, then met Sesshomaru's gaze. "I did not lose. We had reached a stalemate and I conceded the match to Lord Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru smirked and earned a deeper blush from Kurome.

Norimoto stood and bowed to the Inu no Taisho. "I need to stretch my legs. Lord Sesshomaru, would you join me?"

Sesshomaru stood. "Of course." He glanced down at Kurome and smirked when she blushed and pretended that something else had taken her interest.

Kurome watched as her father led the young lord out of the room and she sighed. Beside her, her cousin and uncle stood as well to thank the Inu no Taisho for his hospitality.

"Kurome, we're returning to the camp." Yumiko said, touching her shoulder.

Kurome nodded. "I'll walk with you. I want to look around the festival again tonight."

Yumiko nodded, then looked to Kimiko. "Kimi, let's go OK?"

Kimiko nodded and gave Yukinobu a hug. "Thank you, Inu-sama! See you later!"

Yukinobu chuckled and ruffled the little wolf's hair. "Of course, Kimiko. Why don't you come by again tomorrow and I can show you that magik trick I told you about?"

Kimiko smiled and nodded. "OK!"

Kurome stood, bowing to the Inu no Taisho and his mate. "It was a pleasure spending a meal with you. We look forward to seeing you again."

Yukinobu smiled, Inami narrowed her eyes and replied with a "Hn.", then they watched as the wolves of the north dismissed themselves.

Kurome had parted ways from her family to wander through the streets of the festival and found herself at the stall in which her earrings had been purchased. The tanuki vendor looked up with surprise and beamed at her.

"Hello, milady! It is good to see my work suits you so well!"

Kurome blushed and touched the earrings. "I love the craftsmanship on your items and I wish to purchase one myself."

"Oh?" The tanuki's ears bobbed up. "Was there something you were looking for specifically?"

Kurome thought a moment. "I would like something with similar protection runes as these." She said, gesturing to her earrings. "A pendant purchase?"

The tanuki's ears twitched excitedly. "Ah, I see. Is this for the young lord who accompanied you the other night?"

Kurome's blush deepened and she nodded. "Yes. I wish to return a gift to him in kind."

The tanuki grinned. "Then I have just the thing." He turned away and started rummaging inside his tent, quickly returning with a pendant in hand. "Will this meet your requirements?"

Kurome took it gingerly and turned the pendant over in her hand. It was simple like her earrings, silver with a lotus flower at its center and the same protections runes on her earrings engraved in a border around the lotus. She touched it an immediately thought of Sesshomaru, then the serenity and calm of the lotus's nature in meditation and was reminded more of him. "This is perfect!" She pulled out her coin purse and paid the tanuki. "Do I activate the runes the same way as he did?"

The tanuki nodded. "You wish to protect?" When she nodded, he continued, "Then you must be the one to activate it. As I told the young lord, a simple flash of youki will suffice and it will embed itself within the runes. No matter what happens to you, the youki in the runes will remain and will protect him so long as he wears this pendant."

Kurome smiled and gently tucked the pendant into her pocket. "Thank you...?"

"My apologies. Kiyotame of the Yanagizawa clan at your service." the tanuki said, bowing. "And it is my pleasure."

Kurome bowed in return then started to head to the vendor who sold the sweet buns Sesshomaru got her the other night. Smiling to herself, she purchased a few sweet buns and went out into the fields to sit on the hill where Sesshomaru gave her the earrings.

Munching on the sweet bun, Kurome looked down at the pendant and smiled. Swallowing what was in her mouth, she flashed her youki while concentrating on the pendant, smiling as it glowed and absorbed her youki within it. "There, that should do it."

"Kurome."

Kurome squealed and stood abruptly to find Sesshomaru standing behind her. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Sesshomaru smirked, then his eyes narrowed. "Is everything alright? I sensed your youki flare and that you were alone."

Kurome clutched the pendant behind her back and looked down, blushing. "I'm fine, Sesshomaru."

He walked down the hill to stand in front of her and lifted her chin. "Then why would your youki flare?"

She looked up at him, seeing them soften a bit. "I wanted to return in kind a gift of my own to you." She fidgeted, then gingerly took his hand and placed the pendant into his palm. "I hope you like it." She stepped back and gathered her things. "It's alright if you don't." She bowed to him. "Um, have a good night, 'Sho."

Looking up at the pet name she had given him when they were younger, Sesshomaru watched as she hurried down the hill and felt his cheeks burning. 'It has been nearly a century since she has called me by that name.' He opened his hand and looked down at what she had placed there: a simple silver pendant with a lotus flower at the center and an engraved border of protection runes- the same as on her earrings- surrounding the lotus. He ran his thumb over the pendant and couldn't help but smile as he felt her youki singing to him from the runes. Sensing she had rejoined her people, Sesshomaru slid the chain over his head and tucked the pendant into his clothes, feeling the cool metal against his skin. 'You are quite the curious creature, Kurome of the Rain. Thank you.'