"Ten-chan…!" Fawks called as she entered the house. Itnasha dozed in the outside corridor and she nudged him awake.
"…done already…?"
She ignored the barb, "Where's Tensei?"
"…her friends came to get her a while ago…" he yawned.
"I just asked them, they said they hadn't seen her…" Fawks began.
"…Well that's not right…" Itnasha grumbled, scratching himself. Fawks turned on her heel, going out the way she came. She went back to the servant's quarters, glimpsing the children sitting about anxiously.
"Oi…! Where is Tensei?" she called to them. None of them would meet her gaze.
"It's like we said, Fawks-san, we haven't seen her…" Kaku muttered.
Fawks crossed her arms, "Oh really? Well neither has her father…care to explain that?"
The children shared anxious glances.
"Stop fooling around, where is my daughter?"
Sessho-maru watched as Tensei folded the paper, she hummed while she worked, some little melody Fawks had taught her no doubt. Once the paper had taken the shape of a crane, she held it in her hands before her, face scrunched up in concentration.
The paper bird's wings began to flap and it launched into the air, flying around the room for several moments before unceremoniously bursting into flame, ashes falling to the tatami mats.
"…that's as long as I can hold it for. It always flames out like that…" she sighed.
"Very impressive" Sessho-maru nodded and he was impressed. Already so young and she was beginning to harness her youki, pride swelled in his chest.
Tensei started folding again, "Mommy taught me how to do it and papa…"
She hesitated, her smile faltering.
"What is it?"
"He's…not my real papa…" she sighed.
Sessho-maru hid his surprised behind a mask of indifference, "How do you know?"
Tensei shrugged, eyes still on the paper in her hands, "We don't look alike…my friends all look a little like their papas. I asked mama and she said he wasn't"
Sessho-maru was surprised Fawks would admit to such a thing, "Did she tell you who your father is?"
Tensei shook her head, pouting a little, "She said it was too dangerous for me to know…"
'She's right' the words stuck in his throat. At that moment, he wanted nothing more then to reveal himself to her and be her father. But so many other reasons held him back.
The shoji screen was thrown open and Fawks stood panting in the doorway. Tensei quickly pulled the kitsune mask back over her face as Fawks glared at them in disbelief.
"Is something the matter, Fawks-san?" Sessho-maru raised an eyebrow.
Fawks grit her teeth, "Yes, my lord, my child knows she's not allowed to be in the palace without me…"
"…But I covered my face…" Tensei muttered from behind her mask.
"That doesn't matter and you know it! Do you have any idea how worried I've been?! I didn't know where you were…!"
"…I'm sorry, mommy…"
Fawks shook her head, "Come here"
Tensei stood, bowing to Sessho-maru as she passed.
"…come back any time you like…" he whispered to her.
Fawks glared at him incredulously for a moment before bowing as well. "…thank you for looking after my girl"
With that she pulled Tensei from the room, shutting the door briskly behind her. Sessho-maru lifted the new paper crane the child had made from the floor, tucking it into his robe, close to his heart.
'…Our girl…'