Okay now we are to chapter 5. I really do want your feedback so please send a review. As I have said before flames ARE acceptable. Again thank you for reviewing byakugan-master93. Don't hesitate to give me advice on writing. I want to get better at writing. Especially with showing details and character development. Here we go. I am just continuing the flashback where it left off.

Chapter V

THE START OF HIS JOURNEY

Inuyasha was shocked. He watched the demon lords' eyes for any sign of deception or maybe humor. 'He considers me to be his brother, but why would he care about a hanyou?' There was so much about this Healo that Inuyasha simply couldn't grasp. He was obviously a demon lord, Inuyasha could see the silver snow flake on his forehead, but he was so compassionate and seemingly fair. Not at all how he had pictured a lord to be.

Inuyasha began to feel uncomfortable when the subject of his thoughts smiled secretively as if he could guess the struggle going on in his mind. He was relived when Healo finally pulled his attention back towards his mother. The demon lords voice was very serious when he spoke ", My lady I think that you should consider leaving this village. I was not just trying to frighten these villagers when I said that Sesshomaru would be cracking down on the semi-independent areas. I would hate for him to find Inuyasha."

Inuyasha felt a cold hatred and grief at his words. Sesshomaru. The one who had forced his mother to flee from everything she had known. He was destroying there lives again. 'How would we survive? Where would we go? North, South, East?' he thought with uneasiness. Even he knew that it would take at least four to five days for them to leave the Western Lands.

That concern was held within Izayoi's eyes when she replied quietly ", We have no where to go." She bowed her head slightly as she continued ", My family disowned me for daring to mate with a demon. I cannot return to the East." Inuyasha glanced up at his mother as the scent of salt tortured his sensitive nose. Her anguish was obvious despite the fact that her obsidian hair hid her eyes from view.

Healo's eyes softened as the others mercilessly stared at the distraught woman. The demon lord spoke slowly with authority ", My lady you do not have to worry about that. I will not send you back to your human family. I wish that you and your son would consider coming with me. My party and I were just now marching towards the Northern Lands. Within three days we will arrive at Brilith. There you and Inuyasha would live safely and with as much peace and bliss as the North can provide."

Izayoi slowly raised her head, her eyes were now filled with hope and gratitude. She looked down at her son and said slowly ", What do you think Inuyasha?"

His ears flattened as he hesitated and said ", You want me to decide?"

Her voice was calm as she replied ", Yes it is your decision to make."

The hanyou looked towards Magus who narrowed his eyes with a grim grin. Surprised Inuyasha's eyes widened when Healo's voice spoke firmly in his mind ", Inuyasha don't let him influence your decision. As your mother said this is your decision to make, if you do not wish to accompany us north I will send the rest of my party to continue north and guide you to a destination of your own choosing."

'I must be going nuts, Healo can't be talking to me mentally,' Inuyasha thought as he stared at the demon lord.

A small smile graced Healo's features as his voice came to him again ", Can't I? I think your mother and I are still waiting for your decision."

Inuyasha blushed as he realized how long the exchange had taken and noticed that everyone was staring at him. Obviously, they were expecting his answer. The western soldiers watched him with a neutral expressing, and Magus with a decidedly negative opinion, but Inuyasha didn't care. He knew what he wanted. It was the chance of a lifetime.

He stood proudly and said in a bored voice ", We accept your offer." Healo smiled warmly and nodded once at the young half-demon before turning back to his mother. He said cheerfully ", Is there anything you need to get, my lady, the sooner we start the sooner you will both arrive at your new home."

Izayoi smiled and shook her head slowly before answering ", No my lord, there is nothing we need to take with us." She turned to her son for confirmation who merely shrugged his shoulders. There was nothing in this village that he wanted to take with him. He didn't even want to take away any memories of the place. 'Except for mother,' he thought resolutely.

Izayoi smiled even brighter as she turned towards Healo ", We are ready to leave all of this behind us." He only nodded and replied solemnly ", So be it." He offered his arm to the lady who graciously accepted and waved to Inuyasha to tell him to follow.

Healo turned to the villagers and spoke to them in a commanding voice ", Remember my warning. It won't be long before the Lord of the West comes even here. You would do well to be especially courteous to him." He turned towards the soldiers who obediently lowered their gaze as he spoke to them ", The Lady Izayoi and her son, Lord Inuyasha, are under my protection. It is your duty to protect them as well as you have protected myself and my brother so far."

They all nodded in agreement and their captain said confidently ", We hear and obey my lord." Healo gave a military nod then turned towards the villagers and asked respectfully ", Do one of you have a horse that you would be willing to sell to me for Lady Izayoi's use?"

There was silence for a moment before a young, broad-shouldered man stepped forward. Obviously a soldier he answered Healo's question ", Aye my lord. I will give ye a horse for the lady." Healo smiled and said gratefully ", Thank you. Your price for the animal?" The man hesitated for only a moment before glancing at the somber woman and her hanyou child with sorrow filled eyes. "Nothing. I will take nothing. It is the least I can do, as a token of my regret."

Healo gave a somber smile before giving a hand signal to two soldiers who immediately stood at attention. "You two will go with this man and bring the horse back here." They both bowed and followed the young black haired man back towards the village.

Izayoi took a step forward and spoke carefully to the demon lord ", Healo you shouldn't go to such trouble. Inuyasha and I both know how to walk." Healo laughed and answered with a grin ", I do not doubt that, but we will be traveling a great distance to get to the North. It would not do for my guests to arrive there gasping for breath. You both have suffered enough." There was a quiet finality to this statement and Lady Izayoi responded by bowing and stepping back beside her son.

Inuyasha was still trying to figure out if what he had just experienced was real so he decided to try something. 'Healo, can you hear me?' The response was instantaneous as a strong, comforting feeling came into the hanyou's mind accompanied by a response "Yes." When Inuyasha looked up his eyes were caught by the demon's sapphire stare. Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably as he thought 'Why can you hear my thoughts?'

The demon lord smiled as he answered ", It's a secrect. Maybe when your older I'll tell you." Inuyasha sighed as he thought ', Can you hear everyone's thoughts?' Healo turned his head slightly before answering ", Most to at least a limited degree. However, there are defenses that can be learned to prevent this kind of intrusion." Inuyasha thought hesitantly ', You will teach me how?' The answer was swift and sure ", It would be improper for me not to teach you how to block things from me that you don't want me to know."

Inuyasha was prevented from responding by a small tug on his arm. He looked up to find his mother smiling at him secretively. "He spoke to you didn't her," she asked very quietly. Inuyasha nodded with wide eyes as his mother spoke again ", You must never tell anyone about this. It could endanger him." Inuyasha nodded with a determined expression. 'He seems like a very nice demon, and very strong too. Maybe he will teach me how to fight. Then mama won't need anybody but me to help her.'

Healo laughed softly as everyone stared at the demon, except Magus, he only frowned. The demon's eyes found Inuyasha as the hanyou heard ", Yes in time. First you will need to learn survival skills. When you're a little older I will instruct you in the arts of warfare." It was meant as reassurance to Inuyasha's decision and was accepted gratefully enough.

Izayoi spoke again with a curious tone ", My lord, you say that Lord Sesshomaru has indeed taken his place at last?" Healo answered solemnly ", Yes. The other lords finally agreed to allow him to take over the lordship. As you know for two decades we only held power by combining our lands and disobeying any commands from the other lands." Healo paused here as he sighed then continued ", This caused a great deal of civil war and uneasiness. I was finally able to push through a compromise that both Sesshomaru and the other two lords were willing to take."

The soldiers quieted as the listened to their objective's words. He was speaking about their lord and their lands after all. Izayoi frowned as she asked ", What were the conditions of this compromise?"

Healo gave a small laugh and answered ", Sesshomaru and I had to promise that we would never allow our two family lines to be combined. The reason for this is obvious, the North and the West are the two strongest lands at the moment. Sesshomaru also had to agree to give the panther demons all of his land south of the Great River. I fear that this will later result in war. The panther's hate the line of Inutaisho, they will never abide by Sesshomaru's rules."

Izayoi's voice was filled with confusion as she replied incredulously ", Surely you gained something from this compromise than just recognition." Healo nodded and said ", In all fairness that is true. We are allowed to keep our military alliance. Sesshomaru received recognition as the sovereign over the Western Wolves even though many of them live in the Imperial Lands, where Bianen, the Eastern Lord, has set up a puppet regent. Also we received the right to maintain our own navies on the Great River."

Izayoi's eyes filled with sadness as she asked ", You say that the Imperial Lands are headed by a regent? Then no heir has been found to young Prince Malus?" Healo sighed as he said quietly ", I am starting to doubt if the imperial line survived this last war. The treachery of the Bianen was very great. It is well known that he caused Emperor Leonius to be killed. It is widely speculated that he was also involved with the prince's demise."

Izayoi smiled suddenly breaking the gloom of the moment ", Don't be so downcast, my lord. The imperial line has been frayed many times and has always returned. Have some faith." Healo gave a ghost of a smile as he replied ", You are correct my lady. It is when things are most grim that we must cling to hope the most. It is in those dark moments when all good things are in the greatest danger of falling away."

'Yadda…yadda…yadda.' What did all of this matter to Inuyasha? He could care less about all of these foreign people and their political problems. All he cared about right then was leaving this place…and maybe finding some food.

Yay! Another chapter. Remember to R&R. Next update may be a little while because I am going to my dad's Friday. Hope to get another chapter done and posted by next Friday. Unsure if I should keep talking about these memories. Let me know what you think. Trust me they are relevant to later storyline, but I want to know your opinions.