Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha; this is only a fanfic.

Authors Notes: Hi everyone, sorry for the delay in posting. This chapter involves Mayura's past and how she became acquainted with Sango. Read, enjoy and drop a review.

Warning: Violence

Volume II

Det-toko shobu

(To gamble as the dice fall)

Chapter 22: The Hand of Fate

The sun rose high over the mountains bathing the village in its glory. Mayura's eyes were lined with fatigue as she sat at her dressing table. With Junnosuke's threat, she had been unable to sleep the entire night. The henchmen's words haunted her and she could not forget the cold gleam in his eyes.

Whenever Hajime visited, he had always brought the scout with him. Although she had noticed Junnosuke's appraisal a few times, she had never considered him a threat. What she saw in his eyes last night was neither admiration nor desire, but a malicious lust that frightened her.

He had said that once Hajime tired of her that nothing would stop him; stop him from what, she wondered? She did not want to think about what he was capable and there would be no one to protect her this time. As tears threatened, Mayura reflected on that terrible night two years ago…

"Come on, May-chan, be a good girl and deliver these prints for me," Sai said charmingly. "I would go myself, except I have another obligation that I can't miss."

"Well… if you insist," Mayura pouted prettily. "Will you come back here after your meeting?"

Sai pulled the courtesan into his arms and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. "Of course I'll return… always," he said passionately. "If my designs sell, May, you can say sayonara to this place. It'll be just the two of us; just you and me."

"That's sounds heavenly," Mayura sighed. Sai was an inspiring architect and like most creative persons, he was selective about to whom he sold his motifs. He claimed that being choosy was the reason he was not as successful as he could have been.

Finally, she would be free of this life. Sai had promised to take her places where no one knew of her past. She could lead the type of life she had always dreamed of and maybe, just maybe…

"What time should I leave?" She was now just an anxious as he.

"Right at sunset," he said bluntly.

"That's a bit late; isn't it?" Mayura questioned.

"Sorry, May." He sounded contrite. "It's the only time they would agree to look at my prints. Unfortunately, it conflicts with my other obligation and I trust no one but you to go in my place."

"Oh… why thank you, Sai." The courtesan was clearly flustered, but she beamed at his praise. This client must be very important and she would not let him down.

"Wear something pretty, but then I don't have to tell you that." He continued to compliment her. "You have such impeccable taste."

Even though she was unsure, he charmingly put her fears to rest. By dusk that evening, Mayura was escorted to one of the sea front lodgings. She was used to being around and handling men. Her business skills were not shabby either as she had managed her own money for some time now. This was for a decent future with Sai; therefore, she would do her best. By the time she arrived, the courtesan was confident this would be a success.

Crossing the threshold, she knew immediately she had been misled. All eyes turned as she entered the room and she resisted the urge to cower under the brazen stares of the men. She flinched slightly as the doors behind her slammed shut.

The only other women in the room were tied together like cattle as they waited their auctioning. A few of the women Mayura recognized from the village. They were all young, fresh faced with fear in their eyes. A variety of women…daughters, young mothers and even a newlywed was amongst the group.

Mayura, however, was going to the highest bidder dressed in all her finery. She was considered an asset; she would not have to adapt to the lifestyle and she could be utilized to train the novices. Although heart broken, with her head held high she stood silently as the bidding began.

Sai had deceived her in the worst possible way. How much was he to receive for his part in the deception.

Finally, the women were led to a chamber and locked away while the finances were settled. With a spurt of defiance, Mayura snatched the ornaments from her hair and began picking the lock. After what seemed an eternity the lock finally gave way. The courtesan rushed out thinking the others would naturally follow, but they did not. The women stayed, huddled close, in the back of their cage.

Turning from the doorway with a puzzled look, she spoke to the women. "This is your chance to escape; why do you stay?"

"They will kill us, if we leave," one of the women whispered.

"You fool," Mayura snapped. "They could kill you if you stay and you would have no say in the matter! You…" The courtesan spoke to one of the women. "You would leave your new husband without a fight. And you," she pointed to another woman, "you have a beautiful daughter; will you not fight to remain with her?"

"Someone like you couldn't possibly understand," one woman said. "You have nothing to lose."

That hurt Mayura to the core. None of them knew of the deceit that had brought her here, none knew of the family that had abandoned her to this life. "That's right!" The courtesan eyed each woman. "I have nothing to lose but my life," she snapped. "However, even I, will fight for something so pitiful."

With that said Mayura fled down the corridor, as she opened the main door she turned to find about eight of the women behind her. They continued on, undetected, until they reached the door that led outside.

"The woods to the east will take you back to the village," the courtesan instructed. "Stay on that road and it will lead you home. Stay together and stay quiet." Mayura wished them luck and moved in the opposite direction.

"Where are you going?" one woman asked.

"I must go another way," Mayura stated, but smiled at the woman. "I'm not part of your village, remember."

"Then please…" The woman removed her worn shawl and handed it to her. "Take this, yours is too noticeable, they would find you in no time."

Mayura blinked before taking hold of the shawl. "Uh… thank you," she whispered.

"No," the woman said. "Thank you." The woman rejoined the others and they melted into the dark forest.

Tossing her decorative wrap to the ground, Mayura made her way back to the brothel. She doubted Sai would be there, he would not dare show his face there again. This was the second time she had let her heart rule her common sense. How could she have been so gullible? She cursed herself for not being aware, but in many ways, Sai had reminded her of… him.

It seemed like hours that she walked, but took comfort that no one appeared to be following. Although tired and cold, when she came across a campsite, she attempted to go around it and continue on, but...

"Well… well, what do we have here?"

Mayura braced herself and turned to confront four of the lowest rank Ashigaru troops. They eyed her hungrily and snatched the shawl from her head. They moved in close as her hair spilled over her shoulders in disarray.

"Look boys," a short soldier with a large belly spoke. "We caught ourselves a hime," he stated, taking in her fine clothes.

"Yeah," the one with missing teeth said, as he stepped close. "She smells real nice too."

"Whatcha doin' out here girlie," the tall one spoke. "Didya' come ta' entertain us?"

Swallowing, Mayura squelched her fear and answered. "I'm sorry, gentleman, but no… I was simply enjoying the night air. If you'll excuse me I'll get back to my home." With a respectful bow, she tried to inch around the four men.

"You're not going anywhere, Mayura." The man that stepped from the shadows was a regular at the brothel. He was not a client of hers, but not for want of asking. "Since we're not under house rule, there's no one to stop us from sampling your wares."

The courtesan's eyes widened in fear as the others nodded in agreement. Following her instincts, she turned and ran.

She did not make it far when they tackled her to the ground. She struggled, but it was useless. Hearing fabric tear, Mayura screamed and was savagely struck across the face. She was then, pulled to her knees by her hair and a foul cloth was stuffed into her mouth. The fourth man whispered close to her ear, "This is what happens when you make a habit of refusing. You can't say no now; can you Mayura?"

She squeezed her eyes tight and tried closing her mind to what was to come. She knew they would kill her and discard her body afterwards, but right now, she had to focus on surviving their brutal violation. She tried to stiffen her body as they forced her back to the ground. Their hands were rough and they were everywhere as they pinned her arms overhead. A body covered hers, blocking her view of the night sky. Taking a deep breath, Mayura braced herself.

Suddenly, there was a loud grunt and Mayura heard signs of a struggle. She opened her eyes as the body atop hers was wrenched away and thrown to the ground. Sitting up, Mayura spat out the cloth and slid backwards along the ground trying to cover herself with her tattered clothes. She sat shivering as a body stood over her and was afraid to look up.

"Come," the raspy voice, said. "Come with me and you'll be safe."

Her rescuer reached down to take her hand. After a moment's hesitation, Mayura placed her hand in theirs. Rising to her feet, the shawl was placed gently around her shoulders. As the masked warrior led her away, they stepped over the four men lying unconscious on the ground.

Following behind her rescuer, the trials of the day finally took affect and Mayura started to shiver and weep uncontrollably. The courtesan fell to her knees as she thought of Sai's betrayal. She had no choice but to return to the life she abhorred. Kami… how she hated it, she hated that she was not strong enough to leave, but she had no one to turn to.

She felt her protector kneel in front of her. "Stop that," they ordered and proceeded to remove their jingasa and mask. Mayura looked up into the face of her rescuer and gasped. It was a woman.

A pair of warm brown eyes, surrounded by flawless features, smiled down tenderly at her. The woman's hair was pulled back into a long ponytail. It was braided and wrapped several times around her neck, possibly to keep out of her way while fighting.

"You… you're…" she stuttered.

Sango placed a finger to her lips and then grabbed Mayura's hand to pull her along. The men she had knocked unconscious would awaken soon and would be searching for them. Mayura rose to her feet and both women disappeared into the night.

The laughter of children…

"I must be dreaming," Mayura thought. She opened her eyes and turned to see two little faces peering at her curiously. A boy and a girl, about four years old leaned in as they noticed she was awake. With a giggle, the girl hopped up and yelled, "Haha-ue, the pretty lady woke up!"

Mayura and the boy child, both, jumped at the girl's high-pitched tone as she ran for her mother. The male child moved closer to her, reached over, dipped a cloth in water and began to dab at her cheek. The courtesan flinched as pain shot up the side of her face.

"I'm sorry," the boy spoke softly. "You have a bruise there."

As the child continued his administrations, Mayura watched him in wonder. His small face was quite serious as he attended to her. He informed her of everything he was going to do before he did it, preparing her for any discomfort.

"What is your name?" she asked the child that acted like an adult.

"His name is Shun'ei," Sango spoke from the doorway, "and this… is his sister, Suiren. They are my children."

The week she spent recuperating in their household was one of her happier times. Although the woman called Sango knew her vocation, it did not seem to matter to the young mother and the children's kindness almost made her weep.

A woman named Rie came to visit with her grandson Akio. The old woman was direct and bold in her inquiries, but Sango made it clear Mayura was a guest and would be treated as such. The grandson was watchful and quiet, but always smiled. She enjoyed her newfound friends, she admired Sango's strength both in life and philosophy. The twins were a mixture rebellious obedience. Suiren's fierceness motivated her while Shun'ei's calmness offered her peace. However, the past always catches up with you.

Through an unknown source, the owner of the brothel found out where she was and sent his henchman after her. He claimed to know nothing of Sai's deception and stated he was losing his best clients in her absence. Sango was prepared to put up a fight, but Mayura would not allow her 'Angel' or any member of her family to be harmed. The courtesan pulled Sango aside and spoke with her.

"This is who I am Sango-chan and nothing will change that," Mayura said. "This is the only life I have known since age thirteen and I must return to it. Thank you for the kindness you've shown me, you will forever be my guardian 'angel'."

The courtesan blinked back to the present as she heard Hajime move behind her.

Turning her to face him, the daimyo saw that she looked tired and tactfully mentioned this. No matter how delicate he put it, Hajime found himself backing up as the courtesan rounded on him.

"As I well should," Mayura said huffily. "You kept me up pretty late, Hajime-sama." she slapped playfully at him.

Although he laughed, Hajime tried to recall last night's events. "I'm sorry, my dear, I'll make it up to you."

"Oh, you will," Mayura pouted. He had no idea, Mayura thought, that after the sake and herbs he had slept soundly.

"Tell me, Mayura-chan," Hajime began hesitantly, "did we discuss anything regarding a monk last night?"

"Why, yes," she responded. "Someone named Miroku. I believe you wanted me to meet him and then to set him up with one of the girls."

"Would you do that for me?" he asked anxiously. "I would be forever in your debt."

Mayura thought about Junnosuke's threat and decided the lesser of two evils was Hajime. The scout had threatened that once the daimyo lost interest, that he would lay claim to her. Therefore, she would become invaluable to Hajime until she could make her escape. The thought saddened her; there was a reason she had stayed in this quaint village. Coming to a decision, the courtesan smiled wickedly.

"Of course, Hajime-sama. Anything for a price."

Suiren was the first to wake and ran into her mother's room. The child entered to find Sango dressed in a form fitting keso and hakamas. The demon slayer pulled her hair back into a ponytail and began braiding the length.

"Were we to practice today, haha-ue?" the little girl asked and then gasped. "You're not leaving again; are you?" she cried.

"No," Sango turned to her daughter, "I'm only going to spar with Inuyasha."

"Oh," Suiren released a breath.

Sango smiled inwardly as she watched her daughter's eyes scan the room, her delighted expression became gloomy. "Your father is outside speaking with him now," Sango said to ease Suiren's fears. The child's face radiated happiness and the mother laughed at the rapid change in her daughter's expression.

It was incredible how father and daughter had bonded so quickly. To Suiren, it was as if Houshi-sama had always been a part of their lives; the child had readily adapted to his presence. It appeared it would be that easy for Shun'ei, nor for her.

She noticed last night how her son faded into the background and avoided his father. Any interaction between father and son was brief and usually arranged by Suiren. However, how could she put her son at ease when she wasn't?

Last night, while the monk had carried a giggling Suiren to bed, Sango had laid on her futon and tried to recall the past. The images of 'Miroku' had projected a person with a jovial countenance. He had always appeared to be smiling or wearing a suggestive smirk. But… there were also images of a tortured soul, she had remembered those beautiful blue eyes full of sorrow and had wondered at the cause. Did his grief have something to do with her?

The other images were provocative and had appeared to her before. For years, what she thought were dreams were actually replayed events from her life with the houshi. How often had she imagined those blue orbs staring down upon her followed by the most erotic images? Through her haze of pain at the stream, she had responded to the monk with wild abandon.

His eyes, his mouth; just the scent of him had aroused her senses. She had blushed furiously knowing his hands were capable of creating the same sensations from her dream. It was that moment that the monk had chose to return to the room.

Her reaction to him had been so powerful it frightened her. Squeezing her eyes tight, she had pretended to be asleep. She needed time… time to know him again.

Sango thought of her folly, she had not fooled Houshi-sama. The monk realized she was not asleep and it appeared he also knew the reason. She was able to relax and smile as she heard him say, "Rest, beloved wife, we have all the time in the world."

"Haha-ue," Suiren's voice interrupted her mother's thoughts, "Is Inuyasha-sama a strong fighter?"

Sango turned with a blank look to her daughter, "Ah… well, yes. I'm sure he is," she laughed to cover her uncertainty. "We will find out soon enough," she said, tying the ribbon to the end of her braid and getting to her feet.

"What will it be, mother," Shun'ei asked from the doorway, "weapons or hand to hand?"

Beaming a smile at her son, Sango responded, "I guess it's Inuyasha's call."

Mother and children walked out of the house and approached Miroku and Inuyasha. The hanyou leaned nonchalant against the base of the tree; the monk stood to the side with Kirara perched on his shoulder.

"Keh!" Inuyasha snorted. "It took ya' long enough!"

"I was not about to disappoint you," Sango stopped, put her hands on her hips and smirked.

Miroku stood quite still beside his friend as his wife came towards them. The practice outfit she wore was light brown, although it was not as tight as her slayer uniform, it came in a close second place. His gaze traveled from her feet and moved upwards. She was magnificent; her movements were mesmerizing in the supple fabric.

He could tell she took care of her body, after having twins the changes were almost nonexistent. However, Miroku could tell her curves were a bit softer and her breast… the monk groaned. Watching her place her hands on her hips, the demon slayer was unaware of the vision she portrayed in that pose as she glared at Inuyasha.

"Are you all right, Chichi-ue?" Suiren's voice snapped the monk from his lustful thoughts.

Miroku's color rose as he pulled at the collar of his keso and mentioned something about it being a little warm. His eyes met Sango's and he noticed her blush. It seemed he was not the only one having trouble controlling their ardor; the taijiya was just as affected as he was.

"Ready, Sango, "Inuyasha caught wind of the two lovesick adults and decided to move things along. At this rate, he would never get to fight.

"Whenever you are," she snapped back.

"Come children," Miroku spoke to the twins, "its best if we get out of harms way." The monk then ushered them to take a seat on the stairs. He, Suiren and Kirara sat, but Shun'ei chose the engawa and leaned on the railing.

"Weapons or hand to hand?" Sango repeated her son's query from earlier.

"Keh! Why not both!" Inuyasha snapped. "Let's start with hand to hand!"

"Then… it's over already!" Shun'ei shouted from the engawa, confident in his mother's abilities.

"Shut up, you…" Inuyasha yelled and then stood in shock as the boy started to laugh. Everyone, especially Miroku, turned to the sound.

Shun'ei's lips curved in a soft smile and then a low rumble emanated from his chest. Although it lacked the lively energetic quality of Suiren's, it was still a joy to hear.

Sango went through a series of warm up exercises and the hanyou stamped his foot in frustration. "Can we get on with it already?" he complained. "Miroku, she's wastin time!"

The monk had no complaints as he watched, near drooling, as Sango bent and stretched her muscles. Breathlessly, he recalled how supple her body was. Miroku eyed her curvaceous backside as her braid brushed enticingly behind her. His hand hadn't itched like this in years and he gripped his hands together in his lap to keep them still.

"Ready!" Sango shouted suddenly and fell into her stance. "Come on, Inuyasha, let's see what you got!"

As usual, Nari was the first to rise with the morning sun. She liked to get an early start in preparing the morning meal. Opening the shutters, she jumped back startled as the strange customer from yesterday appeared.

"Good morning, mother of six," Junnosuke smirked, before stepping through the doorway.

Nari retreated a few paces, keeping her distance. "I'm sorry, sir," she gasped. "The… the teahouse is not open for service yet," she stammered.

Junnosuke stopped short as the young woman backed into a table and began to inch around it. "Tea… is not what I'm after." His eyes roamed her figure.

"Then… what are you after?" Akio came from the back and stood with his arms folded across his chest.

The scout did not bat an eye as he turned to the young man and gave him a once over, as if sizing up an opponent. "The husband?" Junnosuke slid a glance to Nari.

They were not married yet, but the man did not know that, she thought. The server had told him that the other night to put an end to his eerie advances, but Akio was not aware of that. Therefore, Nari lowered her head and stayed silent.

"That's right, I'm her husband." Akio's eyes never left the scout as he walked to his fiancée's side. Sliding an arm around her waist, he pulled her close to his side and asked, "What's it to ya'?"

Junnosuke's eyes narrowed on the young couple and then, suddenly, his demeanor changed. Bowing respectfully, he announced he was there on official business.

"I'm sorry to disturb you so early, however, I have a summons for the monk called Miroku," the scout informed them. "His presence has been requested by Daimyo Hajime Asano-sama. I was informed this location was the last place he was seen."

"Well, he's not here," Akio snapped, wanting to get rid of the man. He could feel Nari trembling beside him and lightly squeezed her waist to comfort her.

Frowning, the scout asked, "Do you happen to know where he is?"

Akio was about to say no when Tsuneo, yawning and stretching, entered the room. Realizing he was not alone and that he may be interrupting something, the young monk hastened to apologize when he noticed the army scout from the procession.

"Good morning, Junnosuke-san," Tsuneo greeted cheerily. "What can we do for you?" he smiled.

"I am looking for your senior, the houshi, Miroku," Junnosuke said and repeated the request for his attendance.

"Oh… well, Miroku-sama is…" he halted as he noticed Akio shake his head and his mouth formed the word 'no'. "… performing an exorcism," Tsuneo continued smoothly. "When he returns; where shall we meet with Hajime-sama?"

"At the Keikoku-ikki at noon," Junnosuke said and turned to leave.

"A brothel?" the young monk squawked.

"Yeah," the scout smirked. "The den of iniquity," he laughed a humorless laugh. "Don't worry young monk, nothing much goes on in the daytime." With that said, he turned and walked out.

"What was that about?" Tsuneo turned to the young couple, but stayed quiet as Akio spoke soothingly to his future wife.

"What happened, Nari-chan?" Akio asked softly, cupping her face to look into her eyes.

"Nothing," she stared back, "He just scared me. To see him standing there… I…" Nari stopped and trembled again.

"It's all right," Akio pulled her into his arms and laid his chin on the top of her head. "I'll just go and deliver the message to Houshi-sama and…" he stopped as Nari held him tighter.

"I will go," Tsuneo spoke up, thinking Akio's fiancée needed him more at this moment. The young man nodded his consent and the young monk turned and headed to his room to dress properly before going out.

As Tsuneo entered the back of the teahouse, he bumped into Rie. "Good morning, Rie-sama," he bowed to the old woman.

"Good morning, young houshi," she said not meeting his eye. "Did we have a visitor this early?"

"Yes," the monk said. "It was only a sekkou from the Ashigaru regime. He came with a message for Miroku-sama." Tsuneo was not about to tell this woman the contents of the message. The older monk had just found his wife again, for him to visit a brothel might cause some problems.

"Oh," Rie said. "I believe I saw him here the other day," the old woman was thoughtful. "What did you say his name was?"

"Junnosuke-san," the monk provided with a smile and moved on to get ready for his trek.

A look of anguish crossed Rie's face as she whispered, "Junnosuke."

Their sparring was intense and it was exactly what Inuyasha needed. They had been at it for quite some time and his opponent showed no signs of tiring. Sango was even better than before; although he would not admit it, Inuyasha was having a tough time countering her moves. The demon slayer's skills had enhanced and she had picked up some new ones over the years.

"Your too slow, Inuyasha-san!" Suiren yelled from the sidelines.

With a growl, the hanyou threw a straight-arm punch, which had Sango stepping to the side and trapping his wrist between hers. Using her upper body strength and holding a horse stance, she drew Inuyasha forward aligning their bodies. Clamping down on his wrist with one hand, she delivered two strikes to his midsection with the other.

The hanyou was knocked back, but recovered enough to charge again. He was strong, but the taijiya was nimble and demonstrated precise counteraction, using his own attacks against him. Again, he appeared to throw a straight-arm punch, but stopped as Sango met him halfway. As she made to block the anticipated punch, Inuyasha used his power to push her off balance causing her to overextend.

Before Sango could right herself, the hanyou came from behind and put her in a stranglehold. Surprise registered on the taijiya's face as she struggled in Inuyasha's grasp.

"Hah!" the hanyou laughed triumphantly, "let's see ya' get outta that!"

Sango's struggling ceased immediately and she relaxed in Inuyasha's hold. The smirk was wiped from his face as he felt her slide, like water, effortlessly down his body. Before he could reach for her, Sango spun on the balls of her foot and swiped the hanyou's feet from under him. Inuyasha hit the ground, for the fifth time, with a hard thump.

Rolling to her feet, the taijiya returned to her stance as she watched Inuyasha stood up. Stomping over to Sango, he stopped suddenly, glared and bowed to her. "Weapons!" he spat, his golden eyes shooting daggers at the demon slayer.

Shun'ei was quite during the fight, but now jumped up and let out a whoop. Inuyasha had bowed to his mother's superior fighting skills and now they were to move on to weapons. The boy did not voice his opinion on the outcome of the next round. He had never seen his mother use the Tessen, but he saw the hanyou use his sword and was impressed.

His mother had taught him and his sister their martial arts. She had taught him to use his shurikens and was told that he excelled in throwing weapons. The rings were his favorites; they were easy to handle, but he looked forward to her guidance in other areas. Even though he knew his mother was a formidable opponent; how would she fare against Inuyasha-san's sword?

Suiren could not sit still throughout the fight. She went from standing, to sitting, to jumping up and down and yelled constantly. Even Kirara had moved out of the exuberant child's way. The little girl stood behind Miroku, her arms tight around his neck. Everything their mother had ever taught them was displayed in this fight and Suiren's heart swelled with pride.

Her mother had always told her that just because she was girl, did not mean she was weak. To watch her mother take on a half demon and win, inspired her to dig deeper within herself to become better. What she lacked in precision, she made up for in speed, agility and determination. "Isn't she wonderful, Chichi-ue?" Suiren breathed.

Before he could answer, Miroku had to pry her arms from around his throat. Holding her hands, he placed a kiss on her knuckles. "Yes… yes she is," the monk said looking across at his wife. She had fought well. He had also noticed her skills had enhanced and it was a pleasure watching her perform.

"Houshi-sama!" Sango called out to him. "Would you hand me my weapon?" She pointed to a large sheath leaned against the wall on the engawa.

With his brow furrowed, Miroku walked over, picked up the weapon, and cradled it in his arm. Thinking it a sword, the monk notice it was heavier than the Hiraikotsu. Had it not been for his conditioning over the years, he would have had trouble lifting it.

Sango watched as the monk lifted her weapon with ease. Not many could do that, not even Akio. She focused on him as walked towards her. He moved with a loose-limbed natural grace, but she sensed a power within him. The weapon was held within the circle of his arms and the taijiya remembered being there.

Miroku handed Sango the sheath, but stayed where he was. He gazed deep into her eyes and she returned his stare. They were so engrossed in each other; they were oblivious of the others.

"Geez!" Inuyasha exclaimed and the two people jumped guiltily apart. "Get a room; would ya'? Can ya' at least wait 'til the fights over?"

Smothering a lusty smile for the children's sake, Miroku watched Sango turn the most attractive shade of pink. It was another of Inuyasha's figurative sayings that needed no interpretation. The monk resumed his seat on the stairs and the demon slayer, again, turned to her opponent.

Although quite skilled with the Tessan, Sango was no match for Inuyasha and the Tessaiga. The demon slayer kept her weapon closed for most of the battle; she did not want to injure the hanyou with its claws. Her final attempt to best him ended when she caught Inuyasha's thrust within the folds of her weapon. Snapping the fan shut, Sango pulled. Instead of snatching the sword from the hanyou's grasp, she found her fan being ripped to shreds as Inuyasha cut clean through her weapon.

"Sorry about that," the hanyou sniffed, but the smirk he wore belied that.

The demon slayer looked down at her tattered and torn Tessan and smiled. There wasn't much damage; the fan could be fixed and she had to admit, the sparring had been exhilarating. Turning to Inuyasha, she bowed as he had done earlier.

"Nice round, Inuyasha," Sango sniffed back, "I concede you as the weapons master."

"Keh!" He responded before his stomach growled. "All right," he said. "So… when do we eat?"

To be continued…

Glossary:

hime – princess