Disclaimer; I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters.
Sesshoumaru bore no emotion across his face as he came across the ground in one stepping motion. He extended his hand out to tilt her head upwards so that he might look upon her delicate facial features, but was to find out rather quickly how disturbed this maiden was with his presence.
"Keep your hands off me!" She shouted, striking him across the cheek with her hand.
The demon lord was not usually one who could be taken by surprise, but it would seem that she had gotten him off guard. He fluttered his lashes upon his cheeks as he shut those eyes, taking a moment about himself to focus on what had just happened. It wasn't long after this had happened that Sesshoumaru opened his eyes to look back over his shoulder at the brother he had long since despised. Acting quickly he turned his head back to the maiden so that he might grab her up by the face and lift her off of the ground. Kagome flinched at the mere touch of his hand, gripping his wrist in one attempt to free herself.
"Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha grunted deeply as he wiped some of the blood from his lip.
"Let go of Kagome!" He demanded, lifting up the transformed Tetsusaiga to his brother.
Sesshoumaru raised a fine eyebrow as if asking his brother with his expression if the hanyou actually believed that he would listen to him. Kagome uttered a soft groaning sound as she gripped his wrist tighter to keep the demon's attention off of Sesshoumaru. The demon did turn his head back to Kagome in that instant, golden optics flaring before he leapt away from the attack that his brother made with that heavy blade. She dangled from his tight hold that had now been shifted from her face to her throat, which made carrying her a whole lot easier. The demon lord leapt upwards into the air to the saddle where Ah-Un had been perched in mid-flight.
"Kagome!!" Inuyasha shouted as he leapt to the air, narrowly missing one of those legs that belonged to the dragon beast.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted, stumbling against the saddle and Sesshoumaru's leg in an attempt to reach the half demon.
Inuyasha shifted his attention around then looked at the Tetsusaiga. There was no way he could launch an attack without running the risk of hitting her.
"Damn." He growled, whipping around to the moving Sango and Kirara.
"Sango, I need Kirara!" Was all he said before he leapt to the back of the transformed feline and they took to the air.
The hanyou pinned his canine ears back down against his skull as the feline rose higher and higher into the air. Kirara roared, baring her large fangs in protest of going any higher as the dragon was just dead ahead of them. Energy whipped through the air, narrowly missing the face of both creatures as Ah-Un tossed both of its heads. Jaken narrowed his eyes as he looked back over the scaly rump of their beast to point a finger at Inuyasha.
"You filthy half demon! How dare you try to intervene in Lord Sesshoumaru's affairs!" He shouted, waving his staff around, which of course was barely missing the back of the dog's head.
"Jaken." Sesshoumaru warned, keeping his stare set ahead despite the struggling girl and the brother he had following after.
The canine would lean down to whisper something into the girl's ear, his lips brushing across her cheek before his breath even touched her ear.
"If you scream again or move from this saddle… I'll kill you myself."
Kagome's body went completely rigid, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end at even the slightest contact. She raised her head then to watch as Sesshoumaru released his firm hold on her to stand up. Sesshoumaru flexed his claws against the cloth that covered his pale arm, seeming to be waiting for the right moment to make his appropriate strike. It be at the last minute however that this happened:
"Sit boy!!" Kagome screamed at the top of her lungs, gripping the tight leather of the saddle to watch in awe as not only Inuyasha went down but Kirara went down as well.
Inuyasha screamed loudly in irritation rather than anger as they went flying down for Kirara to come out from beneath him at the last minute. The hanyou face planted in the dirt and left a crater that was about a foot deep and the overall shape of his form. He twitched his ears then lifted himself from his hole slowly, spitting out small clumps of dirt and rocks in the process.
"Damn." He grunted.
Sesshoumaru turned his head to look down at the human girl as she leaned over the edge of the saddle to watch for the hanyou. He rolled those orbs of his as he came down to a seated position, grabbing her by the back of the shirt to pull her back into the saddle as she was supposed to be.
"Don't underestimate me, woman. A fall from this height would kill you a lot slower than you think." He muttered.
She furrowed her brow then crossed her arms against her chest, turning her head away from him as if to say that she wasn't going to bend beneath him. Sesshoumaru lifted his eyebrows then turned his head away without releasing the back of her shirt. He may have been born years earlier than her in the ages where no one even knew what shampoo really was, but he did have quite a bit of knowledge in this head of his. He understood what went on in most people's minds when they were put in a dangerous situation. And that was, 'which would be quicker on me? A fall from a high up place or to die by the hand of a powerful demon?' He wasn't a fool. Kagome looked over at him from the corner of her eyes as her expression softened up a great deal. He's not mutilating me? Wow… Okay Kagome! You can do this… Or maybe you can't. No! Don't think like that. You can do it. All you have to do it wait until he decides to leave the castle and then you can pummel the toad and run!!! Wait… What if he wants to enslave me and torture me? What if… What if he wants to have sex with me!!!! Her eyes widened a great deal, and she felt a heated blush come across her cheeks at even the slightest thought of it. Sesshoumaru felt one of his eyebrows curl up in question of her rather confusing expression. He turned his head away from her at this point, keeping his confounded expressions to himself at this point. Emotions are but a weakness. Nothing will change that. He had learned this himself after he had lost his master all that time ago.
Sesshoumaru raised a hand instinctively to touch the mark on his forehead, feeling an oncoming headache beginning to make the scar throb painfully. Why was it that it always did that? He suppressed a grunt, leaping down from the back of Ah-Un right before the beast could land before his lair. Kagome squealed on the landing, gripping the saddle as tight as one might grip their lifeline. He snorted audibly then began to walk towards the steps that lead uphill to the castle in which he resided.
"Jaken, see to it that she is scrubbed free of that half-demon odor, and have Rin bring her a change of clothing." He muttered, disappearing up those steps in a matter of one jump.
Kagome opened her mouth to complain then shut it quickly after when she realized that Sesshoumaru was standing at the top of those steps watching her.
"Come on you!" Jaken commanded, tugging on her skirt as a sign for her to come down and follow after him.
Kagome gulped, pushing her body over the edge of the saddle to grit her teeth while following after the little youkai. He didn't intend to bathe her did he? She could only hope that he didn't. Jaken would lead her away to a spacious room that was filled with steam and scented by the finest herbs imaginable. She swallowed as she felt him tugging at her skirt again, looking down at the little male when he began to speak.
"Get undressed and scrub your skin with those bath salts, there." He instructed, pointing at some of the small salt scrubs that were setting by the screen that surrounded the spring.
Kagome nod and stepped over to the screen, stepping on the other side of it before she undressed.
"Toss those contraptions over the screen, wench!" The youkai demanded, throwing his hands up to catch them the moment they were given to him.
Jaken caught the odd items when they were tossed over the top to him, but on the unfortunate side it was to be that the bra landed right on his head.
"What is this?" He inquired of himself, holding up the white contraption to get a good look at it.
"Is it a mask?" He questioned, pressing the cups of it right against his face so that they covered his bug eyes.
The little youkai buckled it against the back of his fat head and began to walk out of the room, managing to not only bump into the door but to walk straight into the wall as well. Meanwhile on the other side of the screen Kagome was slowly slipping down into the spring water. She eased herself down into it, resting back against the edge of the spring for support. Her hand reached out very cautiously to grab one of the bath salts, scrubbing her flesh with it vigorously as on request of the demon lord. She just needed to bide her time until Inuyasha came to get her, and then she would never have to come here again. That was a perfect plan. There couldn't be a single hole in that plot, could there? Kagome sighed, sinking deeper into the water so that her nose and mouth were beneath its surface. Her tresses fanned out beneath the water to tickle at her sides and stick to the parts of her face that weren't wet. She moved about, skin tainted red by the scrubbing salt that she had scrubbed her flesh raw with. The water burnt against her raw skin but she made no note of it, too relaxed by the enchanting scents of the room to realize it.
By the time she realized that she was beginning to prune she could make out the form of a small child standing on the other side of the screen.
"Ma'am." The little one said before pushing the screen aside to enter into the small space between the bath and the screen.
Kagome would rise up and walk over to the edge of the bath where the little girl was standing.
"Master Jaken requested that I bring you these." She said, holding out a small pile of folded clothes. "Rin is here to help the lady in any way." She said softly.
The young lady lifted the attire from Rin's arms to stare at it before she gave a small nod and came up out of the water. She shivered the moment she hit the air, realizing then that the spring was hotter than the room's temperature was. While the dressing was to be happening there would be a rather noisy stirring in the library as a large demon threw his fist down on the table.
"Dammit Sessh-" Of course, the demon found his words to be choked as the demon lord had him down on the floor and restrained by the throat.
"You will not raise your voice to me when you are in this castle, do you hear me? I won't hesitate to kill you… Remember that." The demon lord muttered, rising up off of the man to take a step back from him. Moments later there would be a small knock at the door and Rin would poke her head inside to look at Sesshoumaru.
"She is ready." She whispered, ponytail bouncing against the side of her head as her lord rose up along with his guest.
Rin pushed the door aside very slowly to allow Kagome to step up towards it in her new attire. The maiden was dressed in a soft purple kimono of the finest silks that hugged her form all the way down to her hips. From her hips it got loose to suit her legs since she needed some room to be able to walk of course. A little train of a couple inches brushed the surface of the ground behind her feet that were placed in a pair of knee high socks. The silk kimono had little flower designs on it, the pattern's coloration being that of a dark, violet purple. Her hair had been brushed until it was soft and shone with a healthy gloss as well. Rin had left the hair down for a good measure since according to the painted pictures of Mizuki her hair had been left down. Sesshoumaru shot a glare out the corner of his eyes at the male who stood about three feet from him, furrowing his brow slightly when the demon began to approach Kagome.
"You will keep your distance, sir." She whispered, keeping her stare on the demon instead of Sesshoumaru.
