Rin and Jaken had left to find food for the girl, taking Ah-Un with them, and Sesshoumaru was left alone to think, which he wasn't sure he appreciated. He preferred to avoid introspection whenever possible…there were too many things he disapproved of going on in his mind. Old sorrow for his father, guilt over his abandonment of and attempts at killing his brother, too many emotions bordering on human.
He found a tall tree and a suitably wide branch and settled down, crossing his legs and closing his eyes, relishing the near silence. Despite that he enjoyed his companions' presence, and despite his annoyance with his own inner turmoil, he did enjoy the quiet. The day was sunny and warm, but the trees provided enough cover to keep the light and heat from being too extreme, and the forest was peaceful without being unnaturally quiet. There were birds chirping and leaves rustling in the breeze, and his strong hearing picked up the sounds of small forest creatures crawling around in the underbrush below. There were a pair of mating foxes nearby, and he wrinkled his nose slightly at the scent, which struck him as acidic and unpleasant. A squirrel scurried up the trunk and perched on the branch beneath him, eyeing him curiously. Squirrels were too curious for their own good; always being killed by predators because they didn't know what was good for him. Most animals steered clear of Sesshoumaru, instinctively understanding his power. Not this creature. Amused, he reached his hand out to it very slowly, and managed to touch its soft head with one finger before it suddenly dashed higher up into the tree and began screeching down at him.
It quieted down after a few moments, and he leaned back against the trunk, not quite dozing, one eye half open, all of his senses still alert and ready to detect any trouble coming. The wind picked up slightly and whisked a strand of hair into his face; he pushed it away and seriously considered going to sleep for a little while. Then the wind blew the other direction, this time landing a larger portion of his hair in his face. Irritated, and knowing full well that the wind was unlikely to naturally change directions so fast, he pulled hair from his face and glared downwind, assuming that was where she must be hiding since he hadn't scented her.
"Kagura, I know you're there."
She surprised him. She came from the opposite direction, apparently appearing from nowhere, walking calmly through the forest a few yards away; mischief written across her face. What had gotten into her lately? He was beginning to wonder about the stability of her mental state. And how had she been there without him noticing?
"Yo, Sesshoumaru! What happened, did you lose the kid and the frog?"
He leapt easily down, and, attempting to make her feel uneasy, landed quite close to her. She recoiled slightly in surprise, and at first he thought he had regained the upper hand in this odd game she was playing, but then she regained her confidence and smiled at him, wicked amusement glittering in those unique red eyes.
"What, now that we're alone you wanna get close to me?"
Startled by her forwardness, and admonishing himself for being startled, knowing he should be used to it by now, he stepped back slightly and frowned at her.
"What is your purpose in coming so often lately? If you wish to say something, speak and be done with it. The first time you said Naraku had sent you. Does he wish you to challenge me?"
She gave him a strange look, coy, rubies peering up from beneath long dark lashes.
"You could say that."
Infuriating woman. What did Naraku create her for anyway? She looked more like a courtesan than a warrior. Perhaps the secret lay in that; who would think this beautiful and unnervingly tempting woman was capable of massacring an entire tribe of armed demon wolves with nothing more than a fan at her disposal? Her power lay in her beauty, perhaps.
He was suddenly aware of the fact that he still could not smell her. He could smell everything else in the forest, but not her? How had she hidden her scent, and why? She was the most confusing, aggravating woman he'd ever met.
"Speak clearly, woman. Why were you sent?"
He never could quite understand what happened then. All he knew was hot, sweet lips beneath his; a warm, curved body against his; and then her scent suddenly appeared, all in one devastating rush, drenched with the utterly intoxicating scent of desire. All thoughts fled, his emotions went mad, and the only clear thing left in his head was the voice of his other side.
That's more like it!
She pulled away, gasping for breath. There was blood running down from her swollen lips, and he was fuzzily aware that he'd cut her with his fangs. He licked the blood away, savoring the taste of it.
Careful with those fangs, we mustn't hurt her. Not more than she likes, at least.
Ignoring that comment, Sesshoumaru found himself oddly absorbed in the sounds Kagura made. A strange sound, half gasp and half laugh, when he drew his tongue down her neck. A moan when he returned to her mouth, insistently exploring. Interesting whining noises when he nipped along the line of her chin, careful now not to break the skin. A whimpering sigh when he ran his hands down her body lightly, hesitating to really touch, held back by whatever shred of sanity was left to him.
Somehow or another, he managed to reclaim his scattered wits, much to the displeasure of his feral side, and stepped away from her, trying not to acknowledge the scent of her want or the desire pounding through his own body. He breathed deeply through his mouth, aware of the faint taste of blood still lingering on his tongue. Kagura was leaning against a tree, panting, a long line of red marks blossoming down her neck, grinning like she'd just accomplished the impossible. Come to think of it, she essentially had. No one made him lose control that much, that easily.
"Sesshoumaru…"
She was suddenly at his side, close, looking up at him with fake concern while her eyes sparkled with delight and mischief and lust. He sighed heavily.
"Kagura, what are you up to? I do not enjoy these games."
That infuriating smirk again. He could actually see small scrapes on her lips where his fangs had been. They didn't seem to faze her.
"Are you sure? You seemed to be enjoying it a minute ago."
He was sorely tempted to take her right there, on the ground or against a tree, not only because his body was practically screaming for it, but also to assert his dominance, to show her where insolence led. He was treading a dangerous line between fury and driving lust…and if she had any intelligence, she ought to leave before he did something regrettable.
He really shouldn't have expected her to do the smart thing. She seemed predisposed to risk taking. At least she shut her mouth, thank Kami…or at least shut it until she pressed her lips to his, then she was opening again, and he was accepting the invitation without thought, lost again in the sensations she brought.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!"
The call came from some distance away, and Sesshoumaru stepped back, internally debating whether to thank or kill Jaken for interrupting. The wind blew, and Kagura flew away on her feather, waving back at him with a big smile. Growling to himself, he realized he had Kagura's scent…Naraku's scent…all over him, and Jaken would undoubtedly notice, so he decided to let his retainer look for him while longer, and took off further into the forest to find a place to bathe…cold water would be welcome at this point for more reasons than one.