I offer a brief apology to all of you who have been waiting patiently and I thank you sincerely for keeping up with this fic even though I know my updates are on the sporadic side.
In particular, I offer my thanks to:
Shessomaru`s#1 gril, avatargrl11, Butterfly, Koren-Dasha, Darrakk, SxR Foreverandever, Erilin-chan, BeautifulSamurai, Saikoubi-Megami, mady, Nocturngirl, sara, Taraah36, whitehitsugaya, MissBrown22241, birdlady, vanilfrappe, HawkAngel XD
Thank you all so very much.
Ties of Blood
Chapter 16
Agreements
Sesshoumaru took in the woman before him.
The first thing he noticed was that she was fairly young, about the same age as Kikyo. Her skin was free of blemishes and she had long, black hair. He supposed that she was pretty by human standards but he wasn't sure, nor did he care. He was cautious about being near a human woman since he'd been acting quite unlike himself since the advent of Rin. However, that strange fascination he held for the young girl in his care didn't seem to transfer to Tsubaki and he relaxed slightly.
His youki didn't even put up a token protest to her presence, so weak were her powers, and he was pleased. She was barely strong enough to weave power into her arrows and they both knew it.
It wouldn't have bothered him even if she had been stronger but her weakness insured that she would be cautious about rousing his ire and he was not above using that fact to achieve his own ends.
To her credit, she kept herself composed and he got the distinct impression that her sharp brown eyes missed very little. She had a sort of presence that was in no way diminished by her lack of power and he suspected that she would have been a formidable opponent for any mid-level youkai and even a few of the stronger ones if she handed been sealed.
"I doubt you're here to chat with me over a cup of tea," she said after a while, "and I haven't touched more than the few vermin youkai who creep around here from time to time, the sort you would consider to be no more than a light snack, so I can't imagine that you are here to exterminate me for harming any of your subjects. So, Sesshoumaru - Lord of the West and proclaimed enemy of all things human - what could possibly bring you to my home?"
He stared at her a moment more before responding, "You know who I am. That is mildly surprising."
She actually had the nerve to snort before replying, "Show me a miko who doesn't know who the all-powerful Sesshoumaru of the West is. You are infamous among my spiritual sisters. Besides, I might not have much in the way of offensive power but my senses are sharp enough."
"Since your 'senses' as you call them are so acute, you are no doubt well aware of the fact that I would have no problem ending your life if I so chose."
"But of course," she replied in a more neutral tone and he saw her hand tighten reflexively on her bow. No matter how brave she appeared, her scent belied her fear. She wasn't terrified per se, in fact she was doing an admirable job of maintaining her composure but his aura was overwhelming and no matter how bold she was trying to be, she was a miko first and foremost. He knew every fiber of her being was screaming at her that he was dangerous and he had no intention of reining in his youki. Let it serve as a reminder of who held her life in his claws.
"However," he said, "I did not come here to kill you. I desire to use your knowledge as a miko."
Her eyes widened in surprise before she hid it. And then she began to laugh – a low, bitter sound that caused her body to shake. He smelled her anger moments before she fixed him with a glare, her lips compressing themselves into a thin, hard line.
"Is it not enough that you can kill me with no more than a thought? Must you mock me as well? I have no power, as you and I are both well aware, and only another miko – and a very strong one at that – can undo what Kikyou has done to me. As pathetic as I may seem to a youkai of your standing, I still have my pride."
Her strong words took him aback. It was rare that a person spoke so directly to him. Rin was the only one he'd met so far who he'd allowed to continue breathing and while he had made an exception for her, he was loath to let yet another human get away with it. He flexed his claws in annoyance but controlled himself. It was hardly worth it to end her life over something that was relatively small, especially when he knew that he was her enemy and had most likely been such for years.
He settled for narrowing his eyes at her in warning as he replied, "I understand that you despise my kind but I will allow it to pass – as you stated earlier, you are hardly a threat. Rather, to clarify, what I want is your mind."
She blinked and took a step back and he could only imagine what wild thoughts were going through her head – well, perhaps, not so wild because he knew of a few youkai who would consider the brains of a human female to be a delicacy. Opting to clarify his statement he said, "You have the experience and training of a miko and it is that knowledge which I seek to put to use."
"So you seek to have me betray the secrets of my own kind to you?" her tone indicated exactly how little she thought of that and he forced himself to be patient, reminding himself that humans like Rin and her brother were rarities. Not every human took the time to look before they leapt when dealing with his kind and he could admit that the same was true of most youkai as well.
Deciding to change tactics, he stated bluntly, "I have a young servant that I want you to train."
She raised a brow and tilted her head to the side before saying evenly, "Unfortunately, training a youkai is out of the question. Our powers are from two completely opposite sources, which is why so much damage can be caused by either when they come into contact with each other. I might as well try to fly as teach a youkai how to be a miko."
Sesshoumaru could see that, while she was maintaining an even tone, she was being deliberately stubborn. The thought of helping him was obviously distasteful and, while he didn't believe in bowing to the personal preferences of others, he could see that the only way he was going to get her to cooperate was by manipulation.
"The servant in question…" he began, pausing to make sure her full attention was on his next words, "…is human. A young woman to be exact."
That got a reaction out of her.
"Human? But you hate humans. What would you…," she cut herself off and gave him a hard look, "You want me to train a poor girl that you've fooled with that pretty face of yours? What, it isn't enough that you've lowered the girl to no more than a whore but now you seek to train her to do new tricks like some sort of pet?"
The taiyoukai didn't know what came over him. He wasn't sure if it was the disrespectful way she addressed him, or the fact that she would dare to imply that he had his father's complaint…or the way she was speaking about Rin because, human or not, his servant was just that – his. Whatever it was, he could not stop a deep, rolling growl from sounding and he flexed his claws, knowing by the way they tingled that they were glowing green as his poison began circulating.
The fool woman snapped her mouth shut and he didn't speak until he knew for sure that he wasn't going to tear her heart out if she so much as blinked – though his youki was egging him on with great pleasure.
"I will say it once," he said evenly, "you will treat me in manner that indicates to me that you want to continue breathing, human. Not only that, but you will not open your mouth and insult any of my servants or I will have it sewn shut, do you understand?"
He could see the way her jaw worked from biting back what she wanted to say but she nodded anyways, though he could see her eyes blazing in aggravation.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and he imagined that she was praying to whichever kami she served for patience.
He allowed her to have her moment but he did bring a hand up to rest on the hilt of his sword, indicating that his patience was running low.
"I don't understand you," she said after a long while, "you hate humans and yet you not only have a human servant but you want me to train her to be a miko, the natural enemy of your kind. Why?"
"I have my reasons."
"I'm sure you do," she said mildly though he thought he detected a note of sarcasm.
"I'm not even sure if I can train this girl. It's not like every human girl can become a miko, she might not even have the ability."
"She does," he replied simply.
"And how would you…nevermind, I don't doubt that a youkai of your caliber could sniff out the tiniest hint of power. Well, then," and she gave him a shrewd look that put him on guard, "supposing I help you - as unnatural as your request is - what do I receive in return?"
"Your life," he replied.
"Not good enough," she said without hesitation, "a miko who is sealed as strongly as I am might as well be dead anyways. Also, just so you know, I'm sure you are used to utilizing threats to get your way but I am no naïve child. If you really wanted me dead, I do not doubt that you would have killed me the moment I opened my mouth and disagreed with you."
Sesshoumaru had to give her marks for bravery and intelligence – she was no fool. Of course, he wouldn't let on that she was right but he would allow her to make a request of him…if it was small enough.
"If it is not your own life that concerns you, what is it that you seek to secure from me?" he asked, wondering if she was going to ask for something as mundane as riches. He didn't know much about human values but he knew there were many who desired a better life for themselves. It would not be a hardship for him since he had more than any human or youkai could ever spend in several lifetimes.
"I ask that you please allow me to speak with this young woman first. I want to be sure that this is something she wants to do herself. The life of a miko is not an easy one and training her means that she is going to open up senses that she has never used before. There are some women who cannot handle the increased awareness that comes with the awakening of their powers and they can and do lose their minds sometimes."
Sesshoumaru went over her words in his head for a moment. Bringing Rin to the miko was out of the question since the thought of taking her away from his castle was distasteful to him. He had set guards at her door to keep her from going anywhere while he was gone and he didn't want her getting any ideas of escape into her head.
The problem with keeping her in his home was that he ran the risk of a repeat of the situation with Hiten. Though Rin had some power, he would not rest easy until she knew how to use it because she was considered fair game as a human female in a castle full of youkai. There were some of his kind who would enjoy raping her just as much as eating her and he was surrounded by enemies who sought to usurp his power the moment he showed any weakness.
On the reverse side, he supposed that he could bring Tsubaki to Rin. That way, he could keep an eye on the both of them and observe firsthand the making of a miko. He could admit, if only to himself, that his curiosity was getting the better of him and he wanted to know how Rin would grow and blossom under the tutelage of a trainer he had chosen. Of course, his subjects wouldn't be pleased but he didn't particularly care. He was still in the process of pruning the "bad fruits" from his domain and anything that would encourage the youkai plotting against him to make their move sooner was welcome.
"Do you accept those conditions Sesshoumaru?" she asked, and he chose to ignore the fact that she had yet to use the honorary suffix, "Sama", when uttering his name. He suspected that it would be too much to ask.
"Your request is acceptable," he replied after a moment.
"Good, now let me…," she began but he cut her off. He was quite tired of allowing her to control the conversation.
"I will give you an hour to gather your belongings," the taiyoukai stated, his tone brooking no argument.
"After that, someone will be here to collect you."
"But I…" she tried to interject.
"I have been patient human and it has now come to its end. I am not so foolish as to bring my servant to you so that you can try to help her to escape and I tire of you trying to stall for time," that said, he sent his youki out and swiftly located the points of energy holding Tsubaki's protective barrier together.
Her eyes widened and he allowed a very small and very cold smile to touch his lips, it was true, her senses were very keen indeed.
His youki cackled like mad in the back of his mind as he used it to tear through the bonds of the barrier. Slowly, so very slowly, it collapsed in upon itself, the strands of energy woven into it dissipating like dust in the wind until there was nothing left but a few bits here and there that were lapped up in seconds by his youki.
Sesshoumaru met and held Tsubaki's gaze, reveling in the scent of her fear. He had effectively removed any choice about whether to come with him or not. She could stay but without the barrier to protect her, she wouldn't last more than a few days. Her fellow humans had seen to it that she was days away from the nearest town and most youkai in his territory were hostile to her kind.
"One hour," he repeated simply and, as she nodded slowly in acknowledgement, he gathered his power and whisked himself away, eager to get his plans moving and curious as to what Rin would say when he informed her of his decision.
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"Why should I?" Rin asked, folding her arms across her chest as she stared at Sesshoumaru.
She was in a less than charitable mood after waking up to wander around her room before finding out that she was confined to it while Sesshoumaru was off on "taiyoukai business" as the two youkai guarding her door put it before shutting their mouths and ignoring her altogether. Her mood hadn't improved, either, when the taiyoukai returned and walked right into her room without the benefit of knocking. She swore that if he ever did that and she was in the nude, she would die of embarrassment.
And now, now he did that thing with his eyebrow that drove her crazy and made her feel like she had just asked the stupidest question in the world before replying in that aggravatingly deadpan voice, "Because I wish it."
That didn't help her temper. She gritted her teeth together and took a deep breath before replying in a tight voice, "I realize that you feel you don't have to respect me and that you have a reputation to maintain but can you please explain to me in more than four words why you, a youkai, wish me, a human, to become a miko of all things. Surely you understand how ridiculous that sounds to me, do you not?"
He stared at her for a long moment and she forced herself not to blush from being under that beautiful golden gaze for so long – cursing him and Kami both for the way he made her feel. There was this eerie awkwardness that had cropped up because she kept replaying the events of the previous day over and over again in her mind. It had robbed her of her sleep during the night and seeing him now, so close that she could literally reach out and touch him was driving her crazy.
She forced herself to tear her eyes away from him and said quietly, "Besides, what if I lose control again like last time?"
"You will not lose control if you are properly trained," he replied.
"How do you know that? I don't want that again. I know I'm your servant but why can't I serve you in other ways besides that?" she blushed, realizing that she sounded like she was propositioning him for sex again – the first time being when she met him in the Daimyo's courtyard and begged for Souta's life.
He stared at her a long while before stating bluntly, "You are afraid."
She flinched and glared at him for a second before closing her eyes and biting her lip, knowing that he could probably smell how nervous the idea of harnessing as much power as she had the day before - intentionally this time - made her. That was somewhat scary, that he could read her just by the way she smelled but, at the same time, a tiny part of her was intrigued.
"Look at me…Rin," he said the words softly and she opened her eyes again, finding his own gaze once more because there was something hypnotic about the way he said her name. She was not just another human to him, no matter what he said.
'Stop it Rin! Don't start thinking that you're special,' she chastised herself silently.
"Why are you afraid?" he asked her.
"I don't…want to hurt other people," she said softly.
"You do not have to," he replied.
"What good is a miko, then? Oh, I know they say prayers and all of that for people but I doubt that any of your subjects need me to do that for them. The only other thing they are used for is exterminating youkai and I've already demonstrated proficiency in that area haven't I?"
"Control your tone," he said in warning and she immediately quieted, realizing that her panic was causing her voice to rise. Sometime in between the previous evening and now, she had decided that she wanted him to see her as an adult and she wasn't helping her cause by yelling like a little child.
'Remember Rin, you are trying to understand him,' she thought to herself. Of course, she refused to look too closely at exactly why she wanted him to see how mature she was or why she wanted to pin his thoughts and personality down even though she most certainly did not like him. Instead, she wrote it off as just wanting to get along with her self-proclaimed master and left it at that.
Mentally weary and desperate to eat something after two days and nights of excitement with no nourishment, she rubbed her temples and said quietly, "I just don't understand why you want to send me down this path. Not only that but what if I hurt you?"
"You wouldn't," he replied, the epitome of arrogance at the mere notion.
It was a mildly endearing trait that had her wanting to either hug him for his confidence that she could control herself or scratch his eyes out since he clearly didn't perceive her as a threat.
Since neither response would be productive Rin opted to move over to her bed and sit down on the side, trying not to show how keenly aware she was of his eyes being on her. She just couldn't look at him normally without recalling the soft feel of his bed and the divine sight of him hovering over her as he explained to her that she was not a monster.
'But he himself is a monster,' she thought. The odd thing about Sesshoumaru, though, was that even his description of himself and the things he had done did not frighten her. Instead, she was fascinated by him. She bit her lip in consternation – she was treading on dangerous ground there.
"If I agree to be trained, what will you use me for?" she hated to utilize the word "use" but that was what it boiled down to and she was a bit hurt that he might see her as a tool in any way, shape, or form. Again, it was foolish of her since he had made it abundantly clear that she was his to do as he wished with.
He paused for a long moment before replying, "I want to understand how your powers work."
"And…?" she prompted him to elaborate, sensing that there was more to it than satisfying his curiosity.
The corner of his mouth dipped down a bare millimeter before he added slowly, "You are a young human female."
"So I realize," she responded, amused at the way he was beating around the bush.
As if he could sense her amusement – and he probably could with that keen nose of his – he furrowed his brow slightly and continued, "You are also in a castle full of youkai who do not care for your kind. There are some, like Hiten, who will seek to take your life – either because you are human or because you belong to me."
"I don't understand, I'm not even that important to you. I mean, I know there are some odd politics going on here but I should be of little account. Shouldn't I?" she said but the last few words trailed off as she got a good look at his face. She was no expert on reading his moods but he was definitely getting agitated.
It shouldn't have been a big deal what other people thought but then she recalled what Keroko had said about his father and the human woman he had taken. She could put enough together to realize that the youkai standing before her did not have pleasant memories of that time and, thinking on it further, she could actually understand where his disquiet came from. He didn't want to be compared to his father.
It hurt a little that he was fighting so hard to keep his subjects from thinking that there was anything more between them than a master/servant relationship but she pushed the feeling away. It was silly anyways.
Swallowing her pain, she said softly, "I can see where they might misunderstand my position here but I am sure that a youkai of your abilities would never be so foolish as to consort with a human. I have no problem informing anyone who might seek to harm me that such is the case."
He gave her yet another long searching look before replying, "Not all youkai will stop at words. I will not always be there to protect you. That is another reason for training you."
Rin wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or cry. He wanted her to be able to defend herself which was nice but at the same time he couldn't have made it any clearer that he was going to begin the process of withdrawing from her once again. Perhaps it was because she was so hungry and because her night had been restless, full of strange dreams and even stranger longings – all of which revolved around the youkai in front of her – but she suddenly had the urge to do something stupid. Something like throwing herself at Sesshoumaru and asking him why he wanted to abandon her now after bringing her into his world.
Of course she wouldn't do it, but she got that sickeningly hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach that she hadn't felt in ten long years. It was like she had been left alone all over again – just like after her family had been murdered – and she blinked back sudden tears. It wasn't in her nature to cry, she had squelched such urges years ago, but this was the second time she had been about to lose it in Sesshoumaru's presence and she desperately reached out to grab onto any emotion she could to keep the tears at bay.
What she found was anger.
It was frightening how easily she stood up and slipped into what she called her "lady" mode – the face and manner that she had perfected for times when she was feeling strong emotions that couldn't be let out at any cost. Carefully composing her face, she said with unmistakable coldness, "It shall be as you wish, Sesshoumaru-Sama. When shall my training begin?"
There was no way he could miss her change in mood or the way her speech pattern took a turn for the formal. There was a brief flash of confusion that danced across his face before disappearing entirely. She couldn't even find it in herself to be amused.
"The miko who will train you will be here shortly. Her name is Tsubaki."
"I thank you for taking the time to search out a worthy instructor. I will aim to be an excellent pupil as my lord and master requests," she even tacked on a pretty bow that even the most stuck up lord would have applauded.
Sesshoumaru actually paused before saying, "Your response is pleasing. She will be here in less than an hour. I will send someone to bring you to her."
'So you can't even be bothered to introduce me to her yourself,' she seethed silently but her face was the picture of calm acceptance as she bowed again and when she brought her face back up to his, she made sure her eyes were demurely turned towards the floor as befit a young lady of good breeding.
She imagined that he growled slightly but she wasn't really sure of anything beyond the fact that she felt like wringing his pretty neck. A thought occurred to her and she decided that now was as good a time as any to take care of a few pressing needs.
"If it pleases my lord," she began, bringing her gaze up but keeping it focused on a point beyond the taiyoukai's shoulder, "his humble servant would like to request a chance to perhaps bathe and change her clothes in order to be at her best for your honored guest."
"Also," and she forced herself to blush in feigned embarrassment, "she wonders if she might obtain nourishment. It has been a long two days," she made sure to emphasize the fact that, while two days might be nothing for him, it was certainly long to a human.
'That's right Sesshoumaru, please bathe and feed your pet like a good master,' she muttered internally.
"Your requests are acceptable," he responded and she controlled the urge to introduce her fist to his face for making her beg for the most basic of human needs.
"I thank you, my lord," she said mildly, "I will await the servant you send to collect me. In the meanwhile, perhaps I may request the assistance of Keroko in showing me where to bathe?"
"That is fine," Sesshoumaru said in that regal way of his before he turned and exited her rooms, closing her door on the way out.
Rin waited until she was sure that he was gone before she picked up one of the expensive vases decorating her room and tossed it, without ceremony, out of the window. She waited for a satisfying crash but none sounded and she crossed her arms with a huff, cursing Sesshoumaru and his stupid, idiotic castle. Why did it have to be so high up that she couldn't even hear it when things hit the ground?
She seethed and prowled around the room before sitting down once more and hiding her face in her hands. The good thing was that she didn't feel like crying anymore. The bad thing was that she couldn't help but feel lonely. It was ridiculous because Sesshoumaru hadn't been her friend in the first place but still…she took a deep breath and lay down on the bed to stare at the ceiling, wishing that she could sort out the way he made her feel.
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Sesshoumaru did not know what to make of the conversation he had just had with Rin. The only thing her could discern was that she was angry with him for some reason. He had thought she would be fine with him speaking his mind but that apparently wasn't the case. Perhaps she had sensed that he wasn't telling her everything. For example, he had no idea how to explain to her that no matter how much she denied being his, she positively reeked of him and any members of his race with half a brain would conclude that she was his consort.
He did not want his fellow youkai to start dragging old, painful memories out and so he was doing what he had been trying to do from the beginning, which was distance himself. Unfortunately, he hadn't factored in the power of a human's ever-changing emotions. Whereas he would have thought that Rin would be more than happy to leave him to his own devices a day or so ago, that did not seem to be the case now and he wasn't sure how to cope with that knowledge.
Summoning Jaken, he instructed him to send Keroko to Rin's room and, after giving it a bit of thought, told him to have her show Rin around as well. He supposed that he couldn't keep her locked up in her room all the time, no matter how much he wanted to protect her.
That was dilemma number two actually. Rin needed to be able to defend herself because there was going to come a time when he wasn't going to be there. It just was not possible for him to keep his distance from her while protecting her – not when being near her confused him so much. He forgot himself when Rin was in close proximity. The barriers that he had so carefully erected around himself to shut the rest of the world out came crashing down and it didn't help that she filled his senses so that he had a hard time focusing on anything but her when he was in her presence.
Looking at her again had brought the events of the previous night rushing back and his youki fed him images of her there, in his room and lying across his bed. In his memory she looked so fragile that he wanted to stalk her like a predator stalks its prey though he didn't dare imagine what would happen if he caught her. Either blood would be spilled…or history would repeat itself. So as the father was, so the son shall be.
However, as much as he tried to push Rin away, that didn't keep him from being irritated by her latest tactic. He was used to other people saying one thing to him when they really meant something else but it was unsettling when it was Rin adopting that same attitude. He could have scented her anger and pain a mile away – it had been so strong – and yet she had looked at him with that unnaturally calm face and been polite to the point that his teeth were on edge by about the third or fourth sentence out of her mouth. His human girl was supposed to be straight-forward and animated, with her thoughts printed clearly across her face, not so…so cold.
She had shut him out and retreated to someplace far away where he could not follow and it angered him, though he had kept it hidden. After all, hadn't he been the one to insist that she be more respectful of him and his position? And she had been polite, albeit to the point of nausea. He couldn't complain and she knew it.
What made it even worse was that she had made him look the fool by bringing to his attention the fact that she hadn't had the opportunity to wash up or eat for two whole days. Servant or not, human or not, it reflected poorly upon him if he did not make sure she was taken care of. There were some lords who treated their prisoners and servants as no more than beasts and while he was not above torturing others to get what he needed, he preferred not to do it if it wasn't necessary. In addition, if he planned to have Rin's cooperation in the future, it could only benefit him to provide her with the basic necessities.
As much as it pained him, he admitted that he might have bitten off more than he could chew when it came to Rin. She was far too clever and far too unpredictable. He had a feeling that he was now caught in his own trap because, as irritating as the realization was, the more he analyzed her change in demeanor the more he realized that she had been acting like a polite version him.
It was an eerie idea at best and ridiculous at worse and he actually had to physically shake his head to clear it of such crazy thoughts. He actually welcomed it when his youki perkes up as Ah-Un entered his domain once more carrying the miko who was going to train Rin.
He hoped that he wasn't going to regret the choice he had made because, after his talk with Rin, he foresaw quite a bit of trouble coming his way if he didn't remain vigilant.
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Thanks to those who are still reading this fic and I apologize for the delay and slowness of the chapter. Hopefully I'll get the next one out sooner. Thanks again and please let me know what you think.