AN: To start off this chapter is shorter than the rest but the reason will be explained in at the end. So anyway this is the second chapter to my story and I hope you all enjoy it and R&R!

"W-who are they?" Rin asked as she watched the mysterious intruders approach downhill to where Inuyasha stood.

"I don't know," said Kohaku while he held a hand on Rin's shoulder as to keep her from getting to far ahead of herself. "But they don't look too friendly." The young slayer took note of the weapons the intruders carried, and knew that if things got ugly Inuyasha might need some backup.

"I think I better go with Inuyasha," he said with flames of courage igniting in his brown eyes.

"Kohaku….." Rin said with her eyes full of what he could only describe as distress. "Don't worry Rin," he said reassuringly with his heart fluttering at the thought of her being so worried about him. "I'll be alright."

"Oh," she said as her own brown eyes grew large. "Well yes please be careful, but do you think you can also let go of my shoulder," she mentioned as she pointed to his hand clenching her shoulder almost painfully. "It's starting to hurt," she said with a small laugh of amusement.

Kohaku's courageous eyes disappeared to reveal red stained cheeks and a goofy smile plastered on his lips. "Sorry about that…..I uhh," he coughed some to gain control of his speech. "I'll be back."

Rin saw her friend make his way over to the silver haired half demon, and not long after she noticed Kaede leaving the hut.

"Lady Kaede," Rin said as she ran to the cold old woman. "You shouldn't be out here its cold. Let's go rest by the fire."

"Nae child, I must see for myself who these newcomers are," she said as she kept walking despite the cold weather freezing her wrinkled skin. Kaede felt a warm blanket drape over her shoulders, and when she turned around she saw Rin walk right beside her.

"Very well, but I am going with you." Kaede smiled and nodded her head as she and Rin walked to meet the mysterious group that lay ahead of them.

xxx

Cool wind blew against fair skin and whistled through silver silk tresses of the Lord of the West. Sesshomaru allowed himself a few seconds to allow the weather to relax his muscles from the long patrol he had to endure for the past few days.

His duties as lord led him to travel up North of his lands, and he didn't waste a single second in searching every section to make sure no mischief or mishap was occurring. Everything looked well so far, but there was a faint smell of blood not too far that he did not find pleasing.

Next to a black steel boot a pile of leaves began to shift back and forth to reveal a shivering green servant.

"Seems Mother Nature has decided to grace us with the cold temperatures early this year wouldn't you say my lord?"

As usual Jaken was given no answer, but even the little imp could tell from all his years of servitude his lord was very fond of the cooler seasons. He wasn't sure if it was the dog demon inside of him that enjoyed it, or if it was just his lord himself that always seemed more relaxed during these specific temperatures.

Jaken could not blame his master for feeling such a way. When they had to take part in the war up North five seasons pasted of cool temperatures, but alas his poor lord was always the target of attacks for the opposing side knew the victors of the war all depended on the survival of the dog lord.

Nobody was able to relax, and Sesshomaru never once got to enjoy not even a moment of his most enjoyable cold seasons; especially with the scent of hot blood spilled on the war inflicted battlefield.

Well that was all in the past and Jaken was happy to see him master's satisfied look when the cool wind would blow in his face and for a spit second it looked like his whole stance relaxed some.

"Not just that," Jaken thought, "But with Rin now back Lord Sesshomaru has been acting even calmer than usual. I've also noticed we are patrolling these parts rather quickly. Usually master takes his time and rests every once in a while. His hot temper seems to have subsided since his reunion with the girl. Maybe his attitude will no longer be so violent."

"Jaken….." came the rich smooth voice of the servant's master.

"I WASN'T THINKING ANYTHING!" the little imp shouted knowing his master was always able to tell when he was being badmouthed by his servant even if it was within the contents of Jaken's mind.

"Do you not sense it?" Sesshomaru asked, completely ignoring the imp's comment.

"Sense what?" Jaken sniffed the air to see if he could pick up what his lord was talking about, and after a few sniffs from the imp's nose he too was able to pick up the scent.

"Blood?" questioned Jaken as he took another sniff of the air to make sure what he was smelling was correct. "It is blood! And here I thought this place seemed peaceful."

Sesshomaru began to walk toward the scent with Jaken running after him, and after a few minutes of traveling through a thick forest Sesshomaru revealed himself from the thin trees to gaze at the scene before him.

"What on earth happened here?"Jaken's voice complimenting his wide eyed face of shock. The demon lord too was baffled as to what had occurred.

Upon the red stained field the scent of blood was overflowing and breached the dog lord's keen nose like an alcoholic drug. Over a hundred demon corpses layed in the field, and each beast killed in its own way. Some were beheaded while others suffered from direct shots to the chest or neck. Sesshomaru could also tell that some of the weaker demons were taken down by a certain stench of smoke. A scent he found highly displeasing, but had no affect on one such as him.

"What a horrifying sight," Jaken said as he walked around minding not to step on any of the bodies or what was left of the bodies. "Who could have done all this, or was it a battle against each other? Such pathetic fools and not a single one of them survived."

"It was humans," said Sesshomaru as he picked up the very faint scent of mortal blood, but as far as he could see there was no sign of human corpses.

"H-human!" Jaken was completely shocked at the discovery for so many reasons. "Humans did all this, but how could they look at all these slaughtered demons. It must have taken a whole army or maybe two to take down this many demons."

"There is no sign of human corpses," Sesshomaru then said as he was observing more to himself than for his servant.

"So the humans won this whole battle without losing any of their own kind." Jaken took a few steps back toward Sesshomaru's leg and found a nice little spot to hide himself in case any more of these so called humans were to come out and attack them.

Jaken felt his master's leg move, and he watch as Sesshomaru began to leave the battle scene without another word spoken.

"Wait for me Lord Sesshomaru!"

Jaken took one last look back, "Who could have done that?"

xxx

"Who are you and what do you want?" asked Inuyasha as he looked at the group of intruders. The leader pulled out his spear and aimed it at the half demon.

"Huh, well I can see you're not much into friendly greetings."

The spear striked at a breathtaking pace that even Inuyasha found he could barely dodge. Any closer and his face could have been…..

"Why you," he said as his anger started to build up. They all smelled like humans, but they also reeked of blood.

"You are a half demon," the leader finally spoke. His voice very deep and full of authority, but Inuyasha could care less.

"And what of it," he said as he cracked his knuckles.

"Half or full you still have demon blood within you," the leader took his spear to aim at his prey again. "And as such we cannot let you wander this earth any longer!"

The spear striked again, and Inuyasha once again barely found himself able to dodge the attack. "He's fast," he thought.

"Well I must say you can certainly put up a fight," Inuyasha complimented while his hand went for tetsseiga.

"Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha turned his head to find Kohaku running up to him; armor and weapon included. The slayer took his stance by Inuyasha and looked the leader square in the eye that was visible under the hay hat.

"You will explain yourself," Kohaku said as calmly as he could as to not start up any more trouble. "I am sure my friend did no such thing as to gain such a terrible greeting from you."

Kohaku looked to Inuyasha as his eyes practically screamed out what did you do!

Inuyasha matched his stare with a nothing! "I don't know what their problem is, but I'd gladly put them in their place." Inuyasha placed his hand on tetsseiga again only to have another voice stop him from unsheathing it.

"Inuyasha," Kaede said sternly to stop the half demon's brutal behavior. "Now what is it?" he asked, completely aggravated that he had yet to wield his weapon.

"Violence will cease to solve anything," she said as Rin helped her walk next to Inuyasha. Rin looked to all the strangers before her. They all looked…..intimidating. She could barely see their faces, but took it that they were all men.

"Violence!" the half demon barked. "If you're going to lecture on violence tell it to them they started it."

"You are lucky I have not unleashed my army on you half demon," the leaser spoke as he unveiled his hat to reveal a middle aged man with a strong sharp face as well as a black bead covering up his mouth. His eyes were pure black as well as his hair that was braided down to his back.

"So you're nothing more than an old geezer," Inuyasha said.

"Enough of your rude behavior Inuyasha," Kaede said as she stepped in front of him to face the leader. "And as the head priestess of this village I do ask that yae refrain from unleashing any more of your weapons. This is a peaceful village, and as such I plan to keep it that way."

"You are a priestess," the leader said. "Yet you associate yourself with half demons."

"Aye," Kaede said in truth. "Inuyasha is a member of this village, and he be a lot stronger than he looks. I am a priestess, but I have never been taught that all demons possess an evil soul."

"A foolish thought," the leader said though Kaede did not take it as an insult.

"Enough being out here in this bitter cold," she said as she turned on her heels. "Come and have some tea."

"Y-You're inviting them to tea!" Inuyasha barked again.

"Aye, and you may have some as well if you wish Inuyasha." The old priestess then looked to the strangers and spoke to them all. "I have asked that yae all join me, but if that is not what yae wish then so be it. Just know that if yae don't I will have to ask that yae kindly leave this place."

The whole group waited on their leader to call the shot, and after much thinking the bearded man nodded his head which led to horses walking toward the village. He gave Inuyasha one last dirty stare as he cursed to him with an added on, "This isn't over."

"That's it!" the half demon shouted as Kohaku held his from under his shoulder trying to calm him down. "Come on just let the comment pass Inuyasha Kagome will be really mad if you start a fight," he said as he desperately tried to calm down the pissed off half demon.

xxx

A white figure above a cloud covered sky. The sun long before had become shrouded by pure white clouds blocking off any sunlight and giving the atmosphere an even chillier feel than before.

Sesshomaru felt the wind blow even more in his face but he did not care. The cold weather was not so much a bother to him, and it was better than baking in the hot sun.

Over his years of training in every temperature known to the world he had learned to develop immunity to all types of weathers. If it was raining he did not get sick, if it was too cold he did not freeze, if it was too hot he did not burn. Still though that did not mean he couldn't feel them, and out of them all the winter seasons were always most enjoyable.

And if he remembered correctly he was even born in the winter season, but as far as details went he didn't even bother to remember.

"Please slow down my lord," mumbled Jaken as he hid his face in the soft, warm fur. Though as soft as it was that didn't help the rest of the imp's body from feeling like a block of ice.

Jaken knew the reason why his lord didn't patrol on his route back. The reason was young, pretty, and always had a smile on her face whenever their lord showed.

"I don't know why he is rushing Rin is obviously going to be there," he thought.

Jaken noticed a sharp golden glare being sent over his lord's shoulder.

"I WASN'T THINKING ANYTHING!"

AN: I have already updated the next chapter simply because I am experimenting with the size of chapters and such. Normally this chapter would have been combined with the next but like I said I just want to see how this goes.

A comment for each chapter though would be greatly appreciated, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!