The Bow that Breaks

I don't own Inuyasha

Chapter 10

Satomi stretched as she laid back on the floor, the mental exhaustion finally defeating her as she stared up at the ceiling. She'd tried everything to get Sesshoumaru to engage in conversation but nothing was working. To his defense he'd tried. He didn't lack understanding, he watched, listened and just when she thought he was about to make an attempt at connecting more than two words he would pull back and wait on her to finish it, maybe deciding that it was too much or that he was risking failure by trying and not getting the words right.

Satomi was sure Sesshoumaru was simply sticking to what he knew and would be successful at. Even with the apology she'd made him give to Atsana and Koji he'd tried to back away from it but she'd stood her ground despite a willful protest. Sesshoumaru had gotten the words, I'm sorry, out swiftly followed by a grab at her dress for cover. Satomi smirked when she thought about how Atsana had handled the apology when she'd dashed Sesshoumaru's plan of staying hidden away from her, instead picking him up. Sesshoumaru explored a vast array of actions trying to escape as Atsana remained the face of calm and waited him out. Satomi quirked a brow at the oddity of the eventual stare down between nephew and aunt before Sesshoumaru gave in to accepting that his aunt was not a threat. Atsana had seemed pleased with this and even Koji was willing enough to forgive his cousin.

Satomi couldn't help but smile as Sesshoumaru crawled onto her stomach, his expression inquisitive. She hadn't been prepared for his weight and she was sure Sesshoumaru didn't care as he now seemed completely comfortable, a hinted smile pulling at his features enjoying her expression. She was beginning to like the rare moments like these when there was no conflict. Satomi playfully attacked his sides where she found him to be the most ticklish. Sesshoumaru did his best to retreat as he giggled and tried to push her hands away but she was too quick. Satomi continued until she was able to lift him on her legs. She hadn't expected him to use the motion to attempt flying. Sesshoumaru was still too young to fly in their human form but she could feel the weight of him lift off her legs. Testing him, she brought her feet back to the ground. She watched him hover for a moment before catching him.

"Flying!"

"Yes you were flying."

"Try again?"

Atsana covered her smile as she paused with the sight of her sister and nephew.

"Satomi…what are you two doing?"

"Teaching. Can't you tell?" Satomi didn't make an attempt to sit up and look at Atsana.

Atsana couldn't help but to find the humor.

"How?"

"Sesshoumaru was holding flight lessons."

Satomi caught her pup again, finally sat up hearing her sister laugh.

"Koji and I were just going out to spar a bit. You two should join us."

Satomi and Sesshoumaru joined them but something Atsana said stood out. Sparring was never part of Atsana's thoughts or vocabulary when they were growing up. Satomi was sure her sister left such practices to her mate, the soldiers, or teachers to show Koji how to fight.

"When you say spar, you're just talking about playing right?"

"No, I mean spar."

"Doesn't his father do that?"

"Ichiro is here as much as Taisho is with you. Koji isn't much of a fighter as it is and he'll fall behind if he waits on his father. I tend to let Ichiro take credit for anything new that Koji learns though. It makes him feel better about being gone so often."

Satomi fell silent looking away from her sister. Maybe sparring was outside of Atsana's comfort zone but the loyalty to her mate's and son's images was not and that was what made her the image of perfection.

Atsana glanced Satomi feeling her sister's mood shift to guilt.

"Taisho must be very proud of Sesshoumaru. There's no doubt he'll be a fine warrior. He catches onto actions very quickly."

Satomi gave her sister a quick smile, "It is pretty natural for Sesshoumaru."

Atsana nodded as the four of them shifted. Sesshoumaru and Koji immediately fell into play, running and chasing each other. Atsana huffed at the unstructured play that had now commenced since she'd been hoping to make a lesson of it but let it be. Satomi watched, concerned for a while until she was sure that Sesshoumaru wasn't taking Koji's playfulness seriously. In his true form he seemed to understand the nuances of play much better and would quickly pull back at any sign that Koji protested the force of a bite. He would wait until Koji ducked down again on his front paws, hind up and tail wagging before starting to wrestle with his cousin again. Sesshoumaru didn't hesitate to best his cousin on every attack physically but Koji was still more vocal, barking, growling, whining, and making other audible noises.

"Satomi"

Satomi inclined her head to her sister to show that she was listening through their thoughts as they followed their pups.

"I know you're worried but Sesshoumaru's strength may not lie in his words, instead they lie in his actions. Koji is a talker but clearly from the way Sesshoumaru and most of the other children he's played with are able to best him in battle his strength will not be in his physical attacks. He will have to outwit his opponents. I accept that my son will never be the strongest but he can get stronger. Don't give up and more importantly, don't let Sesshoumaru see that you've given up finding his voice. An arrow will never fly straight if the bow is broken."

"I won't give up. I want him to be confident in his words even if he doesn't choose to use them often. But I do fear that he's already relying on me to understand what he wants without saying more than he absolutely needs to say and I don't know why."

"He'll come around."

"Mommmmmmmmm."

Satomi snorted at Koji's long drawn out whine for his mother as Sesshoumaru pinned him again but she was more surprised by her sister's playful jog over to the pups before making her challenge to the two of them to team up against her. Satomi shook her head trying to interpret what she was seeing. There was her older sister playing around, tail wagging like a puppy as she instigated a chase, letting Koji and Sesshoumaru catch her and pretend to attack her as she fell and rolled over in dramatic display pretending that the attacks were lending real damage. This was not the image of ladylike behavior that they'd been taught. Satomi sat down momentarily but stood back up confused and concerned that someone was watching and she was right. A few of the guards were clearly smiling and the some the ladies of the castle were giggling.

"Atsana, you are making a fool of yourself. Stop this!"

Atsana huffed and rolled her eyes further pushing her little sister's limits as she exaggerated playing dead allowing her tongue to lap out of her mouth.

"Atsana!"

"Satomi, it's okay to relax and play with the pups. They expect it."

"There are people watching you act like an idiot. They'll never respect you again."

"You seem to think that this is the first time my constituents have seen me play with Koji. They do the same and I could care less what they think when it comes to my pup."

Satomi sat back as she continued to watch her sister and the pups play. She knew Atsana was right. She'd seen Taisho do the exact same thing when he'd showed up for a short lived visit and she'd found herself envious of that interaction. Even now she felt left out again watching her son enjoy the company of her sister and his cousin.

"Mama...?"

Satomi gave her full attention to Sesshoumaru as he ran toward her, placing his paws against her chest before turning to get her to follow. Satomi still felt apprehensive as Sesshoumaru waited for her to move. He became persistent in his attempts, undeterred by her reluctant reaction.

"Mama, play with us! Please? Aunt Atsy plays."

Out of her periphery, Satomi saw Atsana look up at Sesshoumaru and that was confirmation enough that her ears hadn't deceived her. Aside from a few L's that sounded like R's and Atsana's name, Sesshoumaru had perfectly used form voice. Satomi was stunned and even more so that he was still talking.

"I won't bite...hard."

She couldn't deny him and decided that Atsana was right about not caring what anyone else thought.

Satomi was overjoyed and tried to concentrate on playing but she wanted to know what triggered Sesshoumaru to talk in true form. It was possible it was easier or simply came more naturally. To humans they looked as if they were not communicating at all. Form voice allowed some demons to communicate through thoughts and Sesshoumaru always looked like he was thinking something. Was it possible he didn't know she couldn't hear his thoughts in their false human form?

A/N: I will work on the time it's taking me to update. I'm doing my best to keep carving out the little moments I have to enjoy writing.

*The idea of form voice came to me when Sesshoumaru was in battle with Magatsuhi. Jaken is thinking to himself that Sesshoumaru doesn't understand to transform from his true form to free himself from Magatsuhi because he's just a dog. When Sesshoumaru transforms to human form, he glares at Jaken. Rin confirms that for Sesshoumaru to glare at Jaken he was thinking something while Miroku makes the observation that Sesshoumaru and Jaken are somehow connected.