punkish furball—Hello again! I was so happy when I saw my reviews I just had to get started on a new chapter.

Words to Ponder:

The servant girl is very important in this chapter. You maybe know who she is already.

Thank you, oldestmaiden, Demoness-MalstonWells69ner, 4gVn sOuL, stephanie, sneakeries, Archangel Rhapsody, storywriter10791, iluvchocs, S.T. Nicklian, Mere Image, helikeitheymikey!, Silver Moon Vampire, Crimson Beast, blah., KuroxTenshi, lordsessylover, uniqu3s0u7, darklily6, Ru-Doragon, DeathNoteMaker, acehi-anghel, crystal lilith, and sasuke-luvs-naruto for reviewing.

Chapter 1

The servant girl felt weary as she put the scrolls back on the shelves exactly as she found them. She rolled up her own pieces of parchment and made sure the brush was cleaned and the ink well was securely bottled. She put the ink well and brush back on Sesshomaru's desk. Looking over everything, she saw that it would be very difficult for someone to tell if she was in her. She was also careful to cast a concealment spell, a very simple but useful incantation that erased her scent and finger pints.

As soon as her work was done, the servant girl went back to the servants' quarters. There were many others in there considering the servants were roomed according to age and gender and specific duty. Servants her age mostly cleaned or served their lord's mate and pups. She walked over to her futon and lifted a loose floor board. There were many items in there: parchment, old pages from books and scrolls, small vials, dried herbs, and a small dagger. She put the rolled pieces in there with everything else.

'I have enough information now,' she thought to her self as she put the board back into place, 'The ingredients should be easy to acquire. Most of them I can get from the private stores and many take a few from the fortress healers and maybe some in the military. Sesshomaru's blood…that'll will be difficult. Lady Kagome's should be easier.'

The servant girl yawn before collapsing on her futon.

'I think about it after a few hours,' she thought before succumbing to sweet slumber.

-O0o0O-

Kagome woke up in the bed alone. That had to be the most uncomfortable night of sleep she had in her life. Sesshomaru kept his hold on her throughout the night only releasing her when he woke up to go train with his military. She was sure she had gotten to sleep well pass midnight. The most uncomfortable part was that even though she knew what Sesshomaru thought about her, she still craved his touch.

Kagome wished she could go beyond the fortress more than anything right now. Sesshomaru never allowed her to.

"A lady's place in the household and see to its operations," he said to her. He didn't even allow her to do that!

'Misumi must have liked staying in here all the time and being waited on,' Kagome thought, 'I guess she would after having to grow up at in a village in this time period.'

Kagome couldn't help herself; thinking about all these things caused the tears to flow freely and sobs to feel the room.

-O0o0O-

The servant girl stopped her chores as the smell of salt drifted though the hallway and assaulted her nose.

'That's Lady Kagome's tears,' she thought, 'If the smell is that strong, Sesshomaru can smell it from the training grounds.' She ran towards the training grounds using as much of her demonic speed as possible to get there.

At the training grounds, she saw Sesshomaru standing over a soldier on his knees with his eyes red and a free flowing wound on his shoulder.

"What happened?" she asked one of the other soldiers on the sidelines after tugging on his hamakas to get his attention.

"We don't know," he answered, "Lord Sesshomaru was sparing and the suddenly stopped. The one he was sparing with attacked him and hit his shoulder."

"I thought you were going to take care of it," Sesshomaru said without looking at the servant girl but she knew he was talking to her.

"I did," she said, "Lady Kagome told you of her family; did she not?" Sesshomaru nodded, "Well, her father died at this time and she still mourns him. I gave her a charm so her emotions will not bother you but it does not hinder her tears. I will console her if you wish me too." The lies fell easily off her lips, but she schooled her body to relax.

Sesshomaru's eyes reverted back their normal gold and he gave an affirmative nod. The servant girl had to bit back her sigh of relief. Before she left, Sesshomaru handed a bloodied training haori.

'It's Sesshomaru's blood,' she thought.

"Dispose of it," he said. Servant girl took it and bowed and left. She immediately went back to the servant quarters and back to her loose floor board. She pulled it up and pulled out one of the small vials. Careful not to get much blood on the floor, she wrung the blood out sleeve of the haori into the vial. The vial was only filled less than halfway and her hands were dyed red, but it was more than what she needed.

'That was easier than I thought,' she thought and capped the vial and place it back in the floor and replaced the board after getting another vial and the small dagger. There were fingerprints on floor but she would clean that later. She throw the haori in a pile of soiled clothing; it wouldn't be there when she got back. She looked at her hands and sighed; she'll clean them later since the blood was beginning to dry. Standing up she walked out of the room and into the hallway onward to Kagome's chambers.

She threw open the door to see Kagome sobbing on her bed. The servant girl sighed; she had been prepared for this. Kagome had given Sesshomaru her heart…her soul…her entire being. And he took it for granted; he didn't even see it as her devotion but as another's.

'If he had changed his intentions with her,' she thought, 'and he knew the truth about his so called beloved, he would at least be closer to deserving her. But knowing him, it's gonna take a while and a lot of effort on my part.'

"Lady Kagome," she said, "do you wish to be free of Sesshomaru's bond?"

Kagome looked up and wiped her eyes.

"I don't know really," she said, "I mean, I do love him…and I want him to be happy…" Kagome began to trail off. She felt so much pain and betrayal and hatred not because she hated Sesshomaru for not loving her, but herself. She couldn't bring herself to hate him for what he is doing and she hated herself for it. Who was she to punish him for her own doing? For falling for him?

"But at your own expense?" the servant asked steadily growing angry, "I am not nor will I ever be concern with his happiness. You are my sole mistress. I live to serve you. I will begin by freeing you from this place." Kagome was silent and began to bit her lip. The servant girl mentally sighed, 'I didn't want to resort to this, but she left me no choice.'

"What of the happiness of your family and those you told me of your land beyond the well?" she asked, "Is they combined happiness worth sacrificing for Sesshomaru's?"

Kagome thought a minute before sighing, "I will accept your help, but you must tell me your true reasons for wanting to do this."

The servant girl sucked in a breath, but was inwardly pleased. This was a step forward to her old self.

"I admit," she started, "I do have my own reasons and was going to use you for own benefit. I may look like a child, but I am much older than I appear. I have a lot of time to think about this and, honestly, if you hadn't caused me to care about you and if you haven't first cared for me, I would have simply killed you. That is why you are the only one I will call master. I will do anything to see to your happiness and, though you may love Sesshomaru, he is only able to give you false happiness. I know you think Sesshomaru could change but he won't. Even now as he slowly begins to withdraw and spending only nights with, it is the same way he treated his previous mate. Misumi was a meek woman with Sesshomaru who did everything he asked of her which was nothing at all. She was an object, a painted china doll that he treasured when he pleased. That's not what you want, isn't it? You're not the type to stand off on the sidelines. Even if you do need to be rescued sometimes, you're right out there with everyone else. You don't belong alone and isolated in this place and I won't let you stay any longer."

Kagome was stunned to silence; the ever indifferent, quiet, nameless servant girl cared for her? She smiled and pulled her into a hug.

"Just promise me one more thing," Kagome said, "I know that you will probably live long enough to see me again. Will you look for me five hundred years from now?"

"I will," the servant girl answered.

'I will have to,' she thought, 'Sesshomaru will no doubt survive that long also and I will continue to protect you.'

"Can you tell me your name?" Kagome asked looking at her hopefully.

"Not yet," the servant said. There is much to do and although I did come to comfort you there is something I must ask of you. For my plan to work, I do need some of your blood."

"I take it that is what's on your hands," Kagome said pointing to the girl's red fingers.

"Well…" the girl said showing an unusually sheepish side of her self and her cheeks tinted a soft shade of pink, "Your tears distracted Sesshomaru in his training and he was injured and his blood stained his haori. I wrung out as much blood as I could. I was going to clean my hands later."

Kagome smiled; she liked this side of the small girl better. Even if she did say she was much older she was still a child.

'Maybe…when I met her again…I can save her to,' Kagome thought. It was a distraction from Sesshomaru.

The servant girl held out a dagger and a small vial.

"Prick yourself with the blade and let one or two drops fall into the vial," she said, "That will be more than enough."

"Okay," Kagome said and took the dagger and the servant girl opened the vial. Kagome winced slightly as the dagger pierced the skin of her finger. Two drops fell into the vial before it was topped. The servant girl brought the small wound on Kagome's finger to her lips. She let her saliva heal the small cut.

"I'll be back once everything has been set and I'll tell you what has to be done," she said.

"How long will it take?" Kagome asked.

The servant girl was pleased; Kagome seemed willing, but could be using the whole plan as a distraction from Sesshomaru. Either way, it was much easier.

"Most of the ingredients I could get tonight. The rest I can get in one or two more days and began to prepare the potion. It will take a fortnight for the potion to be ready," the girl answered.

"I know it would be dangerous if you were found out, but could you do that as soon as possible," Kagome said, "In about three week's time, Sesshomaru will leave on his patrol. It would be a good time for me to go missing."

The servant girl nodded.

"It would be a wise choice," she said, "I will have to steal some and make some alliances I would regret, but it will be done." Kagome nodded.

"Just please be careful," Kagome said.

"I will," the servant girl said and turned to leave the room.

"And besides, I would rather like to see what you once where," she said over her shoulder and walked out of the room. Kagome smiled slightly once she walked out of the door. What she once was? She couldn't even remember.

'One thing for sure,' Kagome thought, 'I'm sure the old me would never settle for this. She's right; Sesshomaru is turning me into Misumi.'

-O0o0O-

The servant girl mentally congratulated herself as she washed the blood of her hands in a small bowl of water in her quarters after placing back the vial of Kagome's blood and the dagger. It will be taken away just like the bloodied haori before it. Kagome was cooperating which was a good thing. It made it much easier to help her.

'To think I could come to care for someone that was originally a pawn in my revenge,' she thought. This servant girl was by no means a genius of any sort, but growing up here, revenge was something she knew much about. There is no telling how many battle plans, attack strategies, sparring sessions, and council meetings she eavesdropped on. Being a child and a hanyou, they let her in thinking she couldn't begin to comprehend what was going on. She didn't at first but slowly learned and understood.

'That is the only thing I give Touga and Sesshomaru credit for,' she thought as she dried her hands, 'Giving me the knowledge I need to execute the proper plan and more importantly save the one I care most about, since I was not able to before.'

Taking in her surroundings, the servant girl noticed there was no one in her immediate area. She went to her loose floor board and opened it. She took out a list and a small satchel. She put the bag on her bag and put the list in a pocket of her kimono.

'I should get the soldiers' stores first, then the castle healers', and I could go outside without being noticed and get to the nearest demon village,' the servant thought, 'I could be back by early morning.' She took a deep breath and went out of the room and traveled in the shadows were no one would see her and those who did wouldn't care.

-O0o0O-

punkish furball—That's a wrap. I really like were this is going and it's a lot of fun writing. I will update as soon as I can. L83R, DUDES!

(edited 9/29/07)