Title: The Encounter

Author: InuDemi

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha anime, manga, or characters. All rights and property belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Viz.

Summary: How Izayoi first met InuTaishou.

(Inner thoughts)

The air was cold but she could barely feel it under all the layers of her kimono and the sky was still tinted light orange and gold from the rising sun. The garden was beautiful but in a hopeless way. Autumn had come and gone so quickly. Winter was slowly moving in and the flowers would be dead soon. It was her own personal garden behind her portion of the castle, and though it was the smallest of all the others, it was also the best kept. She wanted to arrange some bouquets to have around the castle before they all wilted. Akiko assisted her and they worked in relative silence. Talking would probably help distract her from the painful ball of stress growing in her stomach, but she just couldn't force herself to make small talk. The rest of her maids were taking the dishes from her morning meal back to the kitchen.

Today she woke up earlier than usual, which meant that they had also. She was waiting to hear the news from her mother, who was currently hosting the new vassals from Lord Takeda in a dawn tea ceremony. Everything had gone as she predicted. Her father was irate but not so rash as to break off the betrothal. He and the Takeda clan had been communicating back and forth for two months now, negotiating new terms. Lord Imagawa used the situation to his advantage, accusing the Takeda clan of neglecting her safety on purpose in the hopes that she would die in transit and they would be free of the alliance. He even gave them a delicate threat of wedding her to someone of the Date clan and joining forces against them. The Takeda were now scrambling to set everything to rights.

I will have to leave again.

Ever since that night in the woods nothing had been calm. She could still see it in her mind; the uproar the castle went into when she and Gensai-dono came charging up to the gate with her maids in tow. Their horses were very near death and the castle was put on high alert in case the youkai followed. She never worried over that for a moment. It was that stranger on the road who said they would be safe from the youkai once they passed and she believed him. It gave her an unusual feeling of sadness to consider that, in all reality, he was probably dead. She tried to remember what he looked like, the shining hair, golden eyes, and marks on his cheeks. It was a preposterous image but she could not convince herself it was exaggeration caused by fear.

It didn't matter. There was no possibility that he survived those monsters and even less possibility that he was in his correct mind to place himself in such danger. The sliding of doors turned her thoughts back to reality. Akiko opened the door leading to her rooms and Takanaka stepped outside on the balcony and bowed.

"Izayoi-sama, Chiyoko-sama wishes to see you."

"Very well," she sighed. Handing the flowers over to Akiko, she rose and followed Takanaka back inside.

The Imagawa castle was five stories tall and was at least two hundred years old. There was a seemingly endless amount of hallways and rooms and new servants always got lost. The outside was an imposing sight of stone and sharp points on a high mountain, but the inside was all gleaming wood and neutral colors. The walls were decorated with scrolls of calligraphy and landscape paintings. Some of them were treasures dating back to Heian era. The servants stopped and bowed to her but she had no kind smiles for them today. She was too busy brooding. Takanaka led her to the door of the formal tea room and bowed as he spoke.

"The lady of the castle awaits you, Izayoi-sama. Please note that the honored guests have excused themselves, so your conversation will be private."

"Thank you, Takanaka-san." She schooled her face into a pleasant but blank expression and slipped gracefully to her knees. Holding her kimono sleeve, she slid the door back gently and emulated Takanaka's bow, with her fingers touched together and her eyes were downcast.

"Come here." Her mother's voice was gentle but commanding. She slipped into the door and closed it behind her. The screen to their left was open to allow the sun in for the dawn tea ceremony but the room was relatively warm and the pot was still nestled into the sunken hearth. She sat down on the tatami mat to the right of her mother.

Chiyoko of the Takeda clan was the youngest daughter of the former Lord Takeda. Her father died some time back and her elder brother succeeded to the title. Marrying his daughter to young lord Imagawa was old Lord Takeda's final political act before dying. The marriage had worked well for everyone. Both the lord and his lady had been young and healthy when they married. She was beautiful and obedient and he was strong and wealthy. Their marriage had produced two legitimate children.

She heard the whispers that her father had concubines once and at least one illegitimate child, but no more. Her mother could not stand them near her and she managed to seduce her husband back to her bed. With a gentle smile and a caress, Lady Chiyoko defeated her would-be competition. The concubines were dismissed and Izayoi had never met nor heard tales of her bastard sibling. Today Chiyoko was still beautiful at the age of thirty-five and after bearing and birthing twice. Her hair had no trace of gray and only the faintest of lines were visible on her face. She took great pride in the fact that she had passed her looks on to her children. Now, she was preparing to marry her daughter off and groom Izayoi's younger brother, Eito, for family leadership.

"As you know the negotiations have been conducted by hawk until now. Since the death of the former vassals neither clan has been anxious to send more nobles into danger until it was perfectly clear that the marriage would proceed. The vassals arrived today with news that my brother is sending a small army to escort you to the Kai province, which is what he should have done in the beginning. The host will arrive any day now and your lord father will add his own troops and samurai to the ranks. You have nothing to fear, daughter. You will be well protected," she said, with a reassuring smile.

"Please give my gratitude to the vassals for bringing this news. I am joyous at the sound of it."

"I was told of your sickness during the first attempt of the journey." She felt terribly guilty under her mother's gaze.

"Mother, I did try not to-"

"No matter," her mother said briskly. "It is unlikely rumors of your illness traveled to Kai after the death of the last vassals and the new ones have said nothing of it. This is a brief respite born out of that tragedy. You have another chance and I will see to it that ginger tea is on hand to help prevent this from happening again."

"Yes, mother."

"You bring great honor to your family by securing this match. I have heard nothing but of how intelligent and reasonable the young lord is, so you should have very little trouble. A great deal of trust has been placed in you, Izayoi. Your brother will need this alliance one day if the enemies of Imagawa are not defeated. Will you fail him? Fail the clan?"

"I would never," she said earnestly.

Her mother excused her and gave Takanaka strict orders to see that everything was packed and prepared for her departure. The worst part was that she didn't have to do a thing. Her maids handled everything and she was left to her own devices. She threw herself back into flower arranging but everything about it suddenly annoyed her and she gave up. Her mother was right. A fine marriage to a powerful lord is what any woman wanted, but she hated the idea of leaving home for good. None of her new feelings would stop her from doing her duty but they would stop her from being happy if she did not come to her senses.

It must be me.

That night she slipped outside to walk in the garden as she often did. She was on the third floor of the castle so her garden was also something like a balcony. Since the castle was built to incorporate the landscape, the mountain itself was part of their defense. There was a high wall surrounding the garden, and on the other side of that, a sheer drop. She pulled her robes close around her. The cold didn't bother her that much but she was wearing silk and it provided little protection. She drifted over to her sakura tree in the center of the garden. There was a stone bench where she could sit. She loved it here at night. She loved nighttime anyway but here under the cherry blossoms and surrounded by purple hydrangeas, pink maiden lilies, and bright red spider lilies, the night seemed magical. She leaned back and rested on the tree and concentrated on nothing but inhaling the scent.

She could not count the times she sat here gazing at the moon and the stars, but when she opened her eyes to look at them now, she noticed a shadow in the corner of the garden. She wasn't frightened at first because she did not know what she was looking at. Her mind had not yet made sense of what she was seeing. She squinted at the shadow and it moved. Now, she was frightened. Panic coiled tight in her stomach and her heart began to beat faster. She was suddenly very aware of how loudly she was breathing. She sucked in a large breath but before she could scream, he moved into the light.

He didn't make a move to come closer and she was frozen where she sat. They just stared at each other for an usually long time. He was just looking at her and those were indeed golden eyes. He looked exactly the same as when she first saw him. His hair looked silver under the moonlight and was in a high ponytail. She could see the marks on his cheeks were red. Some nagging logic in the back of her mind was whispering that he should not be here. But there he was; standing there as if he were part of the garden.

"You should be dead!" It was the first thing to tumble out of her mouth and she immediately felt rude. That same nagging logic came back and it pointed out how odd it was to feel guilt over being rude to an intruder.

"Should I be?" That voice again.

"How did you get here? Why are you here?" There was a cliff on the other side of that wall and guards posted everywhere.

"Your scent is very interesting."

The fact that he completely ignored her questions made her panic more. The castle defenses suddenly seemed ridiculous to her. It would take ages for the guards to come because the only way to access her rooms was to travel through the castle. But maybe…she gripped the folds of her robe and tried to run. It was unexplainable but she had only stood and taken the first step and he was already in front of her. Now, she was too shocked to move. He leaned forward and sniffed her.

"Fear is tainting your scent," he said matter-of-factly.

"If you do not leave I will scream," she threatened.

"You are in no danger from me. I simply wanted to investigate your smell."

"Are you a mad man?" She could see the side of his mouth quirk into a little smile at her question.

"Not to my knowledge."

"Then how do you justify the risk of sneaking into the fortified castle of a daimyo in order to sniff his daughter? Are you a spy for the Oda or Date clans?"

"Your petty family power struggles are of little interest to me and I serve no human."

"You serve no one? Then you must be a ronin as Gensei-dono suspected, but how did you survive that night in the woods? There was a youkai attack." Her curiosity was overriding her sense of self preservation. She should be running for the door, not asking questions, but he was still blocking her way.

"They were nothing to me."

"They did not attack you?"

"The humans they attacked distracted them. Their gluttony made them easy to slay."

"You killed them? Without assistance?"

"As I said, they were nothing."

"Who are you?" She asked, but he seemed distracted now.

She blinked and he was gone. There was nothing except for a slight wind as if something had rushed by her. It unsettled her to such an extreme that she gathered her skirts and ran back to the castle. That night she broke protocol and slept in the empty guest quarters on that landing of the castle. Since everyone was asleep it was no trouble to leave her rooms and slip into the other. The trouble came in the morning when her maids entered her rooms to wake her. Though they found her quickly the news that she was missing from her bed traveled through the castle. She had to go to the trouble of sending maids to inform her mother that she was indeed safe, before her father was told. She told a simple lie that the sounds of wild life outside kept her awake. Her mother sent word that the Takeda troops were sighted not far off. They would arrive soon. Preparations were accelerated for her departure and the only time she stopped thinking about the man on the balcony is when she was worrying over her travel sickness.

"Takanake-san, I would like to take some of the scrolls from the library this time."

"I shall clear the request with your mother, Izayoi-sama," he said, as he bowed.

"Takanaka-san, is it possible that our enemies have hired shinobi to fight against us?" The question seemed to take the old retainer by surprise. He looked up at her in shock before bowing his head down again.

"Forgive me, Izayoi-sama! I have been a loyal servant of the Imagawa clan my entire life, but more honorable men than I sit on your father's war consul and are privy to details of the struggle. I cannot answer you, my lady."

"Of course not, I am sorry, Takanaka-san. I did not mean to burden you."

"There is no need for you to apologize, Izayoi-sama!" If it was possible, he bowed even lower.

"I have heard it said that shinobi can come and go like the wind."

"They are an enigmatic people, my lady. Indeed, they are deadly. Some say they possess demonic powers that allow them to become invisible and slay an enemy at great distances."

"Thank you, Takanaka-san. You may go."

"Yes, Izayoi-sama," he left to carry out his duties. She considered what she had just heard against what happened last night. The man had appeared and disappeared without a sound. He had blended in with the shadows too. How long had he been there watching her before she noticed him? He claims to have stopped the youkai the night they met. Is it possible that he had followed them to Kai that night?

The rest of the day was consumed with packing. Her mother was too busy to take meals with her so she ate alone. She insisted on helping with what tasks she could and tried hard to speak cheerfully to her maids. There was no use in showing her trepidation to them. They were in the process of packing her various kimono and silks when Takanaka rushed and fell to his knees in a bow.

"Lord Imagawa has come to see you, Izayoi-sama!" She had no time to respond. Her father entered the room with at least ten servants in tow. She and her maids bowed immediately.

"Let me see your face, my child!" Her father's booming voice always made her smile. She looked up at him and he smiled and nodded in approval.

"Leave us, all of you. I must speak with my daughter." The servants bustled out as her father sat.

"It has been weeks since I've had a chance to speak to you, Izayoi."

"I understand that your affairs keep you busy, father. I am grateful that your skillful negotiating secured more protection for my next journey."

"Yes, you shall have no problems on your way to Kai this time. This is not the reason for my visit, however." He eyed her critically. "Takanaka informed your mother that you were asking questions concerning enemies and shinobi."

"I was merely curious." Inside she felt pang of guilt. He didn't know about the intruder on the balcony and for some reason she did not want to tell him.

"Ask your question, Izayoi."

"I only wondered if shinobi were being used in the current struggles."

"By the one-eyed dragon?" There was something about how he looked at her now. It was as if he was testing her as he used to. When she was younger and still attending lessons her father would often ask her questions to see if she were learning.

"By any of the daimyo." He gave another nod of approval and sighed.

"Izayoi you possess your mother's beauty and it would give me great pride to know you have something of my own cunning. If this is true then you are no ordinary woman. Unlike other women, you may have a mind for strategy, but do not get ahead of yourself for there is very little even a gifted woman can do in these matters."

"I understand, father. I only seek to know the essence of the struggle. I am to be the wife of a future daimyo and my brother will take your place someday. How would it look if the wife and sister of daimyo did not understand the danger her two clans were facing?"

"You are truly my child. You will be an asset to the young Takeda lord, if he is wise enough to see it. Truth between us, daughter. You are right to suspect the involvement of the shinobi, but not from the one-eyed dragon. He is no longer a threat to us. It is the Oda clan that may be moving against us once again. And they have attacked the Iga shinobi," he said and looked at her pointedly.

"Attacked them?"

"Indeed, he wiped out the shinobi clans there and the survivors have fled. Why do such a thing?"

"Not fear," she said. "At least, not fear in a cowardly sense. It is possible he feared the potential an enemy would have if they hired shinobi. He sought to destroy that possibility."

I am very proud, indeed. I will tell you, Izayoi that I am seeking these survivors. They could be useful allies against the Oda if they desire vengeance."

"So, the shinobi would be our allies and there is no chance they could be working for the Oda?"

"It is unlikely. He can only hope to persuade the Kouga shinobi, but judging from his ruthlessness in attacking the Iga, he has no love for any shinobi." He looked at her intently again. "Why did you suspect shinobi involvement?"

"They would be the most skilled at stealth attacks and assassinations." The pang of guilt was stronger now.

"You have nothing to fear on your journey. Why attack someone who is not the enemy that just destroyed their home? Tomorrow the Takeda force will arrive, we will feast with the vassals a final time, and you shall depart the day after. It saddens me to lose you. Has a father ever had such a daughter?"

She thanked her father for his kind words and he kissed her forehead before leaving her chambers. That night she was kept awake, not by wild life, but by a strange excited feeling in her stomach. If the man was a shinobi, then it's possible he came to the castle to approach her father, but she only ran him off with her questions and accusations.

He must have been a shinobi.

She was walking in the garden again, circling the sakura tree anxiously. She was hoping he would return so she could tell him of her father's desires. She fantasized about helping her clan, being the one to usher this new ally to her father. He would be so proud of her.

"Are you waiting for me, little flower?" She spun around and he was there again, hiding in the shadows.

"I hoped to speak to you again."

"Did you?" His voice was barely a whisper and it made her shiver and a blush.

"Are you a survivor of the Iga shinobi?" She couldn't be sure but she thought he was smiling at her again.

"Are you," she asked again.

"No," was all she heard before he disappeared and everything went black.