Healing the Moon
Disclaimer: Oh dear gods do I wish I owned Inuyasha.
Chapter Six
A small group of servants rushed forward to greet their lord as the group of travelers landed in the courtyard of the shiro. He instructed each of them to take the bags to their respective places before gesturing for one of his guards. "Aide Hikari-san off of Ah-un, then tell Ryuuske to report to my study."
The soldier bowed before turning to the human woman who sat atop the two-headed dragon. He took her uninjured hand, then placed his free hand on her waist and steadied her as she slid from the dragons back. Once she was steady on her feet, the soldier bowed to both her and his lord before walking off.
"Come, Hikari-san," Sesshomaru said as he began to walk towards the main house. His keen hearing picked up the woman following him and he mentally approved of her obedience. However, he didn't see the dark glare that the human female was directing at his back.
They walked through the shiro until they came to a set of rooms that Midori guessed to be in the family wing of the house. Sesshomaru slid open a door and turned to her. "This shall be your room during your stay at the shiro. Rin's room is directly next to yours." He moved to walk away, but the woman stopped him.
"And what am I to be doing during my stay here, milord?" Midori asked, her calm tone belying the irritation that she felt toward the male.
"Healing. This Sesshomaru will only suffer your presence until your wounds are completely healed. Then you will leave," the daiyoukai moved to walk away again.
"Milord, forgive me for being so bold, but I have not been idle for the last ten years of my life. I need to have something to occupy my time. Also, where do you expect me to go once I am healed? I have nothing."
Sesshomaru could feel a headache forming even as he glared at the human female. Was it not enough that he had taken her in? Apparently not. "You are learned, yes?" At the woman's nod, he smirked. "Then while you are here, it shall be your duty to instruct Rin and occupy her time. As for after you heal, I care not where you go. My houses' duty to your family is over once you no longer need its protection." That said, he swiftly walked away, going to his study to meet with his general.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Midori didn't know whether to sigh in relief or scream in frustration. The daiyoukai was completely insufferable. He had allowed her a servant to aide her while she was within the shiro, and while she was thankful, his complete disregard for her situation frustrated her. Currently the servant girl, Machiko, was helping her put away her personal belongings.
"Machiko-san, what kind of youkai are you?" Midori asked as she placed the ornate comb box on the vanity. Looking at the youkai, she froze when she saw that Machiko was staring at an ornate kimono. The female turned questioning brown eyes to the human woman. "It was my mothers'," she said in response to the unasked question. "My grandmother gifted it to her upon her betrothal to my father. It was one of the few things that survived the first destruction of my clan."
Machiko nodded slightly. "I am a rabbit youkai." She finished putting the last of the human woman's belongings away before moving to the doors. "I shall bring dinner for you, Hikari-san, and aide you in putting Rin-san to bed. I will bring breakfast for you at dawn. Sesshomaru-sama has instructed me to inform you that after the morning meal, you are to begin Rin-san's lessons."
Slightly taken aback by the frankness of the youkai female, Midori simply nodded. "Before you leave, Machiko-san, is there a place nearby where I might bathe?"
"There is a hot spring at the end of the hall, through the shoji doors there," Machiko replied before bowing and sliding the doors to the room shut.
Sighing, Midori pulled a sleeping yukata from the bureau and layed it out on the end of the raised futon. She had been surprised when she'd seen the futon, but had attested such a thing to being in the home of a powerful daiyoukai. Gathering her bathing supplies, Midori set everything atop the vanity for after her meal. "It will be a long two months," she said to herself as she sat at the low table that was in the room for private meals.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"The entire estate?"
"Yes. Hikari no Midori, the last surviving member of the clan, is currently being housed in the family wing of the shiro."
"That vile hanyou is becoming more bold. Aside from the woman, was anything salvaged, my lord?"
Sesshomaru glared at his general. "What little was salvaged is being fiercely guarded, Ryuuske. The Hikari clan's service to my family has long since been concluded, but this Sesshomaru will not allow their secrets to fall into anyone's hands."
"Such is probably for the best, my lord," Ryuuske nodded, gulping reflexively. After all, his lord was one of the most powerful youkai in all of Nippon. "What will happen to the woman?"
"Once she is healed fully then she will leave. My duty to her family will be complete."
"Forgive me for saying so, my lord, but would it not make more sense to employ the woman as a healer for the house, or perhaps a caretaker for your young ward?"
The daiyoukai seemed to think on this for a moment. "We shall see how useful she is in the coming months. And inform the guards that until she is healed, Hikari no Midori is to be guarded closely. Have two youkai stationed with her at all times."
"Hai, my lord," Ryuuske stated as he bowed and left the study.
Once his general was gone, Sesshomaru turned to the shelf of scrolls, and pulled away one of the scrolls that had been brought from the Hikari clan's estate. Perhaps there was something in the journals of her family that would shed some light on the circumstances of the clan's demise.
~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Well, there's chapter six. I'm actually proud of myself; two chapters in just as many days. This one actually wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it. Expect another update on Wednesday.
To all of my reviewers: Thank you so much for reviewing, I greatly appreciate feedback.
To Sammie-Jane: Lol. I'm actually impressed that you caught that. Actually it was purposeful on my part. I wanted to show that Shippo respected Midori a great deal, and that he appreciates that she would teach him something that would aide his companions. Therefore, he calls her -mama. I thought it would be appropriate considering she is teaching him as his own mother would have done.
Bye all!