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The silence was like a gentle breeze, soft and hushed as it caressed her skin, she closed her eyes and hugged her body with both arms and rocked in time with the sway of the wind against the door frame. Taking a deep breath she sighed and closed the door. Sesshomaru had left at her request, and had left her alone with her thoughts which were confusing and chaotic at best.
What should she do? She questioned herself in torment. Sesshomaru will not cease in his quest to save his kind, and even if she should ask him to stop, and she wouldn't because it would seem unconscionable, he would not. Oh kami help her Provide her with the answers. She implored internally for divine intervention.
And then she did something that she had not done in a long time regrettably. She dropped to her knees on the hard floor, clasped her hands in prayer and prayed.
"Divine and holy ones please, please grant me with the answers to save mankind if the course of history is altered, give me wisdom, give me the knowledge and understanding to help Sesshomaru to save his species, if they can be saved, guide me in the ways that is right and true."
She wept and prayed throughout the night, and it was only a few hours before dawn that she finally felt at peace, and fell into an exhausted sleep.
On the other side a troubled Sesshomaru was restless and could not sleep, the priestess's rejection greatly disturbed him, and he was not one to dwell on petty emotions, but somehow he and Kagome had become very close in a short amount of time which was understandable. They both shared something equally powerful and devastating; knowledge, and if found in the wrong hands, the effects could be catastrophic.
Power and greed were not synonymous with one race of individuals, it transcends all boundaries. The information that they had, they would have to keep it among the small group that already knew.
It was mid morning when the consistent rapping on her door woke her up, and lazily she dragged her weary body across the room and opened it.
"Good morning lady Kagome," the bright and musical voice of the young woman named Hana greeted her.
She blinked rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight streaming through the door before answering. "Please come inside," she said. The young woman did as she instructed after taking off her shoes.
"Lady Kagome the students are outside the classroom waiting…Are you ill?" She asked concerned.
Kagome smiled sheepishly and responded. "I can't say that I'm ill, but I have a lot on my mind and I've been tired. I am sorry."
Hana had been Kagome's apprentice for a little over a year, and was quite capable at sixteen years to take over running the school and teaching the material that she taught. After boiling some water she made some tea and was feeling less stressed, suddenly something important came to mind.
"Hana, now that you are here, would you do me a favor and take over the classes for awhile?"
"Oh thank you," she beamed excitably, "I would be honored…Are you sure that you are alright?" she asked again still not quite believing her good fortune.
Kagome laughed softly and responded, "I am sure that I am fine, it's just that I will be gone for awhile, and I would appreciate it much if classes were held in my absence."
The two women got up from the table. Kagome escorted Hana to the door, where she replaced her shoes and left. When she had taken a dozen steps or so, and Kagome was still standing at the door, she turned around and faced her directly and asked. "When should I start?"
Kagome couldn't help but to feel a little better, and smiled at Hana's youthful exuberance. "You can start now; the children are waiting,"
"Yes, "she responded immediately, and hurried away.
With more sleep she felt even more refreshed after she had taken a bath and changed her clothing. The answers that she seeked came to her as she slept. She was pleased and could not wait to share them with Sesshomaru; maybe, just maybe they could make it work.
She had some washing and packing to do, and had a feeling that her stay in the west would be an extended one, and somehow she was welcoming it. She felt revitalized, like she was injected with a stab of adrenalin straight to the heart, one that was beating slowly, barely alive, and now it kick started and was thumping with excitement.
The day came and went and she was up at the crack of dawn preparing herself. She brushed and twisted her long hair into a bun and secured it with pins on the top of her head, it was neat and professional. She wore minimal make-up, only lining her eyes with the black charcoal; she liked the look that it gave to her blue eyes.
Her mode of dress was a pale green yukata with billowy sleeves and matching hakamas. She blew out the candles after she had dressed herself and sat in the dark waiting on Sesshomaru's arrival, where a new destiny awaits.
He didn't announce his arrival with his enormous or sometimes oppressing aura, in fact it was quite subdued, almost as if he was cloaking it, but regardless, she felt him. He approached her window, she was sitting there looking outside, and he did not say a word as she handed him her bag with her meager belongings and climbed out the window.
They walked in silence, and she knew that he was waiting on her to say something, because the last time that they were with each other she practically threw him out of her home, albeit politely, but still he must be feeling at odds because of it.
"I am sorry," she said softly as she walked behind him.
He stopped immediately when he heard her apology and waited on her to catch up. When she was at his side he glanced down at her. "Forget about it, I understand."
She took a deep breath in relief, and when they started to walk again, she was by his side.
They travelled northeast following the winding banks of the river in the morning, when suddenly he stopped and pulled her to him, she shrieked. "What are you doing?" And he let her go.
he gazed at her and she was sure that she saw a twinkle of amusement in his eyes and then he answered. "It will be quicker if I carry you as we travel."
She thought about it for a short time twisting her lips as she tried to make up her mind. "Alright," she answered unsurely, "but I need to tell you some things before we reach your home."
He looked at her fixedly trying to figure out her mood, because she was unusually quiet. She looked away abruptly from his piercing eyes, she had a huge fascination for them. She'd thought that they were beautiful from the time that she first saw them up close.
They stopped right where they were, and after sometime she told him all her thoughts and recommendations on the current issues. He was very interested and found some of her ideas to be workable and a great solution if all involved agreed.
But the crux of the matter was that there were no impending threats against their survival from the holy men and women for another sixty or so years, so for right now they needed to form alliances. They both agreed to present their case to the council together.
Without further caution he scooped her up in his arms and orbed them away speedily, her stomach lurched, she gasped and took deep breaths trying to calm the nausea rising in her throat and from hurling on him. It worked, her stomach calmed and she clung to him even tighter, but her head still swum, and she felt faint.
"Oh kami please let us reach quickly…I cannot last much longer," she mutterd in his clothes. Her prayers were answered shortly as their feet impacted nicely with the ground. She looked around and saw that they were standing in a beautiful garden.
Immediately he let her go and led her through an entrance which opened up in a huge space like a gallery, there were pictures hanging on the walls, and servants cleaning and dusting. They passed through the hall and at the end of it was a wide polished door, and she knew instinctively that was the council room.
On the inside of the door you could hear quiet chatter, she hesitated and stopped.
"Don't be afraid, there is nothing that they can do to you. It will become apparent soon enough that we all need your wisdom." He assured her. She blew out multiple breaths and calmed down in the process.
They all watched suspiciously and enthralled at the same time as the door opened and Sesshomaru entered followed by a beautiful human woman.
Lady Harumi was seized with a spurt of jealousy and resentment as she stared at the gorgeous and dainty human. She was reminded of the betrayal by her mate with the human hime Izayoi, and she would not make this easy on her, and the fact that her son seemed to be infatuated only made her hatred more profound. Her jaws tightened with her disapproval, but now was not the time to display such emotions, and so she tried to curtail it, to be civil, but with little success.
Sesshomaru took his seat, and the one beside him he allowed Kagome to occupy. There were bickerings of disapproval as she sat; humans were not allowed in the meetings, much less to sit in the presence of noble youkai at a high council gathering.
She ignored their prejudices against her humanity, and reminded herself that this was the signs of the time.
"Stand Kagome," the voice of Sesshomaru commanded her and she did. He then focused his attentions on the council members and spoke.
"Mother, and members of the council, this is Kagome, the once keeper of the Shikon no Tama, and the priestess who aided in the defeat of Naraku."
All were stunned, then a huge uproar went around the room, the chattering and bickering were never ending as they contemplated the truth of their leader's statement.
Lord Miffoon an elder from one of the provinces just outside of Sesshomaru's region challenged him. "You lie," he snapped, and pummeled his fists onto the table, crushing the wood and breaking it.
"Do you expect us," and he pointed around the table on his counterparts, "to believe that this…this whore is our savior, the real priestess should be long dead. What do you think; do you think we are fools?"
The cheers that went around the room was loud, and it had the effects of being in a sake house and all were drunken on cheap liquor, talking and sniping at each other all at the same time. Kagome did not look away as the demon insulted her and stared at her like she was shit under his boots.
However, lady Harumi was not as foolish and judgmental as the others, she knew her son, and knew that he was not a liar or a deceiver; she stood and barked out her orders.
"Shut up you idiots, don't you feel and smell the power rolling off of her."
The room quieted instantly. Sesshomaru smirked inwardly, Now they were beginning to understand. He turned his head to Kagome and nodded at her.