Greetings All! Welcome to chapter 6! Apologies for my absence all around. Hopefully it will be worth the wait.

"If you go home with somebody, and they don't have books, don't fuck 'em!"
— John Waters

"It is always sad when someone leaves home, unless they are simply going around the corner and will return in a few minutes with ice-cream sandwiches."
— Lemony Snicket (Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid)


CHAPTER START

Aiko couldn't help but smile to herself as the relief of home swept over her. Her shoulders unlocked from a long held tension as she finally allowed her spirit to expand and flow as it so desired. The trees reached out to greet their too-long-departed friend with tremendous enthusiasm, each expressing greeting in their own way. One tree, in particular a large old oak, took the liberty of scolding Aiko in a rather gruff tone about taking such long trips, and how annoying it was to hear the evergreens pining after her when she wasn't around to give them their daily chat, and then, when she finally did come home, she brought a stray with her. The whole tirade hadn't had an ounce of bite to it and Aiko returned the tongue lashing with the energy equivalent of a hug and sent her affection toward the old tree.

Aiko had long since learned that trees possessed a depth of individuality and self identity that easily rivaled that of more mobile living things. They had well established communities, interdependent relationships, a governing system, laws, and even stereotypes. Yes, you read right. And, no, I'm not joking. Just like the human categorizations of prep, red neck, emo, scene, ect., trees had their own labels they both adopted and applied to one another. For instance, birch trees had a tendency to be a bit flighty and vain but almost always had a cheerful disposition, while willows were reputed to being rather quiet and philosophical. Indeed the primary distinguisher between human and tree stereotypes was that trees didn't get stuffed into lockers, have gum thrown in their hair, or generally made into public ridicule for being different. No, that dark quirk of society was reserved for what trees called the unconnected if they were being delicate. If they were being indelicate, well, we will leave those expressions to your imagination. Needless to say they were not flattering in the least.

Aiko continued to revel in her exchange with the trees that she had come to recognize as the closest thing she had to a family. She was engulfed in the conversations, questions and comments being flung about merrily. In fact, so caught up was she that she nearly forgot about the stoic demon lord that was probably absorbing and analyzing her every twitch. Allow me to emphasize 'nearly'. She had managed to keep walking straight toward the center of the woods where her house stood, rather than meandering about and speaking to each and every one of the tree spirits that shared the plot of land; as was her usual custom upon returning from any journey that lasted longer than a full moon cycle.

Aiko spared a small fraction of her consciousness to snag a glance over her shoulder. Sesshomaru was, as she had suspected, watching her every move. She had felt the change in him the instant they stepped across the barrier's threshold moments ago. While she had relaxed for the first time in days, Sesshomaru had tensed and gone on the alert almost instantly. Aiko understood why. Her energy print, not to mention her scent, was all over this place. In demon terms, it was her territory. Any dog demon worth his fur would be at least bristled by the knowledge of entering a new acquaintances territory; it went against several of their more prominent instincts. After a moment's study, Aiko saw that Sesshomaru was in control of them. Honestly, she would have been disappointed if he wasn't. A youkai of his rank and power didn't get there by flippantly following every impulse his baser nature hurled at him. Still, just to be sure, and to perhaps ease some of the tension that had been crackling between them for the entire trip, Aiko filled her aura with friendship and welcome and let it flow toward him. The results were marginal but satisfactory for the moment.

Sesshomaru felt the brush of the woman's aura against his own and the welcoming invitation it carried. It seemed to appease his instincts a bit and he was thankful for it. They were becoming mildly distracting and unnecessary. He had sensed no danger in the area at all. Quite the contrary, the whole place seemed to ripple with an atmosphere of safety and a promise of protection. It was largely different from the forest outside the barrier though exactly how and why was difficult to pin down. It was lighter somehow: livelier. The plants appeared greener. The air seemed cleaner; lacking any stench of travelers or blood from petty youkai scuffles that seemed to permeate the air outside the small Eden. Sesshomaru suspected that, whatever it was exactly that made this place different could be attributed to the woman, Aiko.

Sesshomaru had originally been reluctant to travel with the female. Truly, if her plan of attack hadn't been so perfectly fitted to the situation, he probably would have refused altogether. He had been given next to no information about her. She was obviously very close to his half-brother and his mate. He knew that Inuyasha wasn't the best judge of character but his friends did have the reputation of being loyal to a fault. More importantly, Aiko radiated a aura that was undeniably powerful and an even greater testament to her strength was that she could control and conceal it so delicately. She was no average forest dweller. So why hadn't he heard of her? Sesshomaru vowed to himself that he would find out.

After a short walk alongside a bubbling stream that flowed toward them from deeper in the wood, the two travelers came to a small glade. In the small glade was a smaller hill. And on the hill was a structure could only be called a cave. But there was something particularly unusual about this cave. Rather than being carved out of the side of a mountain, as caves tend to be, it appeared as though it had been pulled out of the ground below it. As though a massive toddler had reached into the dirt and half unearthed a long buried toy of his. The grass on the hill climbed up the sides and over the top to create a sort of hill on top of a hill. The area surrounding the double-hill-like cave was purposefully tamed and cultivated. A thick, healthy carpet of short grass was broken in two places by strategically placed sections of flat paving stones fitted tightly together so as to prevent new grass and weeds from growing through the cracks. The first of these paved areas was just in front of the entrance to the hill-structure, about six feet by twelve feet in size, and appeared to act as a porch or veranda of sorts with a few tools organized neatly on a rack to the left of the entrance and a pole sitting across two A-frames that probably served as a clothes line on right side of the entrance. The other of the paved surfaces was considerably larger and separated from the structure off to its left side. No distinguishing marks indicated its function but the stones looked to be considerably more worn down and smoother than the ones on the porch. The entrance was composed of well-crafted wooden door that fit snugly in its frame. Aiko flipped a latch of some sort and pushed the handle inward causing the door to hinge rather than slide like the doors of a typical Japanese house. Aiko stood to the side and gestured toward the opening.

"Please, come in." She smiled warmly and added, "It's small, but comfortable enough. I call it home at least." Sesshomaru nodded in understanding and stepped through the door; it happened to be just tall enough for him to enter without bending over in the slightest. He was met with a simple entryway that led to a step up into the rest of the house. Aiko entered behind him, leaving the door open to let light stream into the space, and sat on the raised step to remove her strangely styled boots and place them neatly against the wall. Sesshomaru followed suit and watched her out of the corner of his eye as she flitted about the rest of the house opening a window here, a tapestry door there, then retreating to what appeared to be the kitchen to light a small fire and prepare tea.

Sesshomaru made his way to a connecting sitting room and chose a spot where he had a good view of the house and its owner, currently fiddling with a kettle. The inside of the house was as simple as one might expect from a woman living in the woods alone. It appeared to have four rooms: the kitchen, sitting room, a small concealed room that probably served as a bedroom and one other room with another one of those hinge doors covering the entrance. Sesshomaru's ears told him that the stream flowed through that room along with another underground water source: a small bathhouse perhaps? The floors, walls, and ceiling of the residence were made of stone that seemed to be honed from the landscape itself, all smooth and flat. The floor in the sitting room and a smaller room off to the side were covered in tatami mats and a single hallway covered in wood boards divided the house in half. The kitchen floor remained exposed smoothed stone and the entire effect was rustic but sleek in an odd way. Everything was perfectly spotless with not even the fine layer of dust that one would expect from a house that had been without a keeper for several weeks. This was a bit curious, but so far today he had seen more unusual things and wouldn't put any sort of magic passed the female.

Here and there were bit's of culture and beauty hung or set on a surface: an ink painting of distant mountains, a vase filled with, oddly, fresh flowers, a poem written in flowing calligraphy and, most impressive, a shelf bursting with a small library of books that threatened to outgrow its container at any second. Everything in the house was arranged purposefully, deliberately. The house was by no means elaborate but it was, in its own right, beautiful.

Aiko entered the sitting room carrying a tray with two earthen-ware cups and a clay teapot balanced atop it. With feminine grace she knelt on a cushion opposite the low table from Sesshomaru and served them both a sweat smelling tea. The demon lord couldn't help but be amused by the scene. She certainly didn't dress like a Japanese woman, nor had she behaved in the manner they were associated with, but she did appear to have a domestic side that she was more than comfortable sliding into should the situation call for it. He took a sip of his tea. It was delicious.

CHAPTER END


Wow, I just realized that there was almost no dialogue in this chapter. Pfft I could probably write a whole book without dialogue. Don't worry though, I won't. I promise. But you gotta admit if Sesshy was being talkative we would wonder when the aliens replaced him. And, truthfully, Aiko's no Chatty Cathy. Trust me, I'm doing all I can to get them taking. I mean , jees I stuck them together-alone-on a long journey-by themselves-in the middle of a-secluded-forest. I might have to add a little special magic to the mix to get these two a little cozier. Lol

But seriously, I love every ounce of feedback I have been getting. Your input is much appreciated everybody! I have another chapter almost ready to go up. You'll probably see it sometime tomorrow. So maybe that will help make up for my lack of activity.

Later All!