Mamezo fell hard into the mud as the others laughed around him.
"Is that the best you can do, even with Fawks-sama's fancy training?"
Mamezo glared up at the other inu, spitting blood from his mouth.
"You're hopeless…! And it's just a matter of time before she realizes it too and moves on…"
Mamezo grit his teeth.
"Oi!" Fawks bellowed across the yard. The other males looked up at her approach.
"Just what the hell is going on here?"
"Nothing…Fawks-sama…!"
She shoved them aside, helping Mamezou up off the ground, "Yeah…I'll just bet it was nothing…"
"I don't need your help…" he grumbled.
"Shut up, you're like a broken record…" she scoffed. "And you…"
The other soldiers straightened up.
"If I catch anyone of you messing with him before his training's done, I'll cut off your balls myself" she growled. The soldiers looked nervous.
"Looks like we don't have to interfere this time…" the heavily scarred male commented as he watched Fawks drag Mamezou away.
"Hm" was all the other one said.
"You think the rumors are true? Is she the one Sessho-maru-sama passed Sachiko over for?" The scarred one asked.
"I doubt it. If she were truly the next lady of the west, his lordship would never allow her in battle. She's merely one of his whores, he gave her the title of general so she wouldn't raise too much of a stink about him finally taking a mate" the other one replied.
"Feh, I doubt Sessho-maru-sama plans on leaving her even after he's finally picked his mate…not that I can blame him…"
The other male smirked, "What, is she your type?"
"A female who looks that good and can hold her own in a fight? I'd bet anything she's a little monster in bed too" the scarred one growled huskily. "Hell, she'd have to be in order to keep Sessho-maru-sama's attention"
"Maybe his lordship will give her to you when he's done with her"
Fawks flung Mamezou ahead of her into the training hall, "Just what the hell was that about?"
"What?!" he barked, prodding his still sore cheek. "Those assholes like to pick on me because I'm weak and I want to become one of Sessho-maru-sama's private guard ahead of them. That's all"
"That's not what I meant. What the hell is all this crap about you being weak? With the way you are now, you could've taken all of them" She crossed her arms over her chest.
Mamezou looked away, "I…won't show them anything until I'm strong enough to enter the guard unrivaled. If I had fought back today they would have seen how strong I was and have trained even harder to surpass me"
"Huh, I gotta admit that's pretty smart…" Fawks began.
"Now, are we going to train or are you just going to lecture me?" he glared.
"Maybe a little bit of both" she grinned.
"Great…" he smirked.
"Are you finally done playing with that pup?" Sessho-maru asked as Fawks slipped back into their rooms, still wet from the bath.
"He passed out so I guess yeah. Why? Are you going somewhere?" Fawks began, rubbing a towel through her hair.
"As a matter of fact, we are. Hurry and dress, beloved"
"Alright fine…" Fawks huffed, "What, are you just gonna watch?"
"Is that a problem?" he raised an eyebrow"
"Why just watch when you can help?" she purred coming closer. She untied her robe, letting it slip down her arms. Sessho-maru's eyes smoldered as he took in her nude, damp form, "There is no time for that now…"
"Wow…it must be serious if you want to forgo the pleasantries" Fawks began, she turned from him giving her hips an extra sway as she went to her wardrobe.