The Bow that Breaks

I don't own Inuyasha

Chapter 14

Sesshoumaru held onto his father as he carried his mother back inside the castle, finding a room where the healers could tend to her wounds. Taisho directed his other soldiers to round up the wounded to be treated.

Sesshoumaru curled next to his mother as he alternated his attention to the sound of her heart beat and the chaos that began to settle down around them. He'd watched his father give orders, the soldiers moving in a less frantic manner. It took some time before he heard one of the soldiers return to his father.

"They've conceded and are retreating. The war is over my lord."

Taisho laid a hand on the soldier's shoulder as he nodded.

A woman came over and kneeled at Satomi's side smiling gently at Sesshoumaru. Satomi winced as the woman applied pressure to her shoulder to stop the bleeding.

"Stop it!"

Sesshoumaru batted the woman's hands away.

"Your mother needs my help. Do you not want her to heal?"

Sesshoumaru laid his head back against his mother's chest his question muffled against her.

"She's dying?"

"She won't if you let me help her."

The healer hesitated for a moment to pull back the sheets as Sesshoumaru seemed fixed on her movements and his mother's reactions. She thought better of it before summoning Taisho over to assist her.

"My lord, the lady's wounds are deep and the prince is young. I fear he will not understand what needs to be done. The healing is not initially an easy process for most to bear quietly."

"Understandable. Sesshoumaru come with me."

Sesshoumaru remained still and Taisho could see worry surface in his child as he looked up at him.

"Mama's hurt. Stay."

"The healer will make her better and she'll be fine. Come on."

Sesshoumaru shook his head as he focused back on his mother. Taisho was a bit surprised by the reaction. Sesshoumaru rarely disobeyed him. Still, he tried to understand what his son and his mate had been through in the last few weeks. The messengers had reported to him that Satomi and Sesshoumaru had had to escape from their home and travel here for refuge. The trip would not have been a short one and Satomi most likely had to fight to get to her sister. Even then, their struggle was not done. He knew that sending notice ahead of their arrival was a risk and he had not planned for Satomi and Atsana to put themselves in the midst of battle but he knew there was a possibility. Satomi's father had made it clear that she was not the traditional lady, taking to watching fight training outside her window rather than concerning herself with more feminine things. A fighter was in her and when the time came he knew that she would use her ability. Her strength and stubbornness was what drew him to her as a mate but he kept from admitting that the same qualities that he admired did not lend him to believe she would be the most fit to be a mother. His concerns were initially being proven as Satomi started to distance herself from Sesshoumaru but seeing his son so attached to Satomi now told him that was no longer the case. Whatever they had gone through had shown Sesshoumaru that his mother was irreplaceable, that she was more than capable of being the mother that he needed and wanted.

Taisho kneeled for a moment next to them. He rested his hand on Sesshoumaru's back as he kissed Satomi's forehead. Sesshoumaru sat up and stared into his mother's face hopeful as she took a deep breath in response to the contact. Sesshoumaru frowned as she only seemed to settle without opening her eyes. Sesshoumaru looked back at his father expectantly before tapping his knee.

Taisho raised his brows.

"Kiss her again."

"Sesshoumaru…"

"Daddy, kiss her! Hurry!"

Taisho sighed before kissing his mate again. Satomi's reaction was the same and Sesshoumaru was convinced that if he did it enough she would open her eyes.

"Again?"

"Why don't you try it?"

Sesshoumaru quickly kissed his mother's cheek before watching her expression. Her eyes remained closed but a small smile pulled at her lips. Another breath settled her expression and Sesshoumaru turned back to his father seemingly puzzled.

Taisho inwardly smiled at Sesshoumaru's attempt to wake his mother. It would be hard for him to explain that Satomi was simply in a hibernation state to help her body heal. Scents, sounds, and contact could still be smelled, heard, and felt but it was hard for her to act on the painless. He was surprised that she could even manage a smile but maybe she was attempting to set Sesshoumaru at ease.

"Daddy?"

"Let her rest Sesshoumaru. It will only take longer if we continue to interrupt her and the healer."

Sesshoumaru pulled back slightly, wanting to stay with his mother as Taisho picked him up. He quickly relented the refusal as he heard a low growl escape from his father, warning him not to put up a fight. He buried his head into his father's shoulder, low whines escaping but quieting as he felt his father's hand against his back.

"Lord Taisho"

Sesshoumaru immediately turned to see the soldiers accompanied by Mai, Tomiko and Koji.

Taisho found it odd that Sesshoumaru let out an audible gasp.

"Please forgive us my lord!"

"For what?"

"The Lady Satomi left us in charge of keeping your son safe. We did our best my lord. We became distracted by a fire and were attempting to put out the flames but he escaped us despite our best efforts! Please…we did not mean to let your son run into the dangers…"

Taisho stopped the soldier before he could continue. He wasn't sure how Sesshoumaru had wound up on the battlefield. He assumed his son had possibly been taken or Satomi had had no other choice but to keep Sesshoumaru with her. He knew Satomi would never put their son in danger unless the circumstances were dire. The matter had been pushed aside with the satisfaction that he'd arrived in time to save his family. But now hearing that Sesshoumaru had intentionally escaped from a place of safety left him on edge. Taisho kneeled as he put Sesshoumaru down to face him.

"Is what the soldier says true?"

"…"

"Sesshoumaru?"

Taisho's mouth pressed into a line as Sesshoumaru continued to try and avoid giving him an answer but the unshed tears hanging in his son's eyes was telling on him.

"Was there any damage done?"

The soldiers and servants looked between each other unsure of what to say but Koji nodded quietly as Sesshoumaru growled at him.

"Well, while the rest of you try to figure out the answer, the two children in the room seem to have one. Show me."

Sesshoumaru lingered at a distance behind his father stopping occasionally to lean against the wall, stalling, as they entered the safe room hall. He could already see some of the damage to the walls further down. It only seemed to worsen as they entered the safe room or what was remaining of the room.

Taisho assessed the damage noting the shattered wood of the doorway which was no longer a doorway but instead a gaping, jagged hole, the walls standing but shaky, the burned portion of the room, claw marks deep into the grain of the floor, portraits unrecognizable.

"Sesshoumaru, did you do this?"

Sesshoumaru looked up at his father and reluctantly shook his head but changing his mind as his father continued to stare him down.

"Not...all..."

"Why did you disobey your mother?"

"…"

Taisho's patience began to feign at his son's silence.

"Do you not understand that your mother left you here to keep you safe? She was sacrificing herself to keep you alive and that sacrifice would have been in vain if you'd been killed. Yet, you disobeyed her anyway. Why?!"

Taisho relented as he heard Sesshoumaru's explanation. The words were few, small, and a bit broken up through the sobs but he meant them. Taisho found himself speechless only able to hug his son to him. Sesshoumaru's reasoning behind leaving had nothing to do with purposefully disobeying his mother, it had nothing to do with not knowing the weight of her sacrifice. In fact he may have understood it better than most because even at his young age he was willing to do the same for her.

Taisho wiped the tears from Sesshoumaru's cheeks as he spoke to him again.

"As your punishment you must do one thing."

"What?"

"Tell your mother what you told me. Enough?"

Sesshoumaru nodded as he hugged his father.

"I miss you."

"As I did you."

Over the next few days, Taisho watched his son lay at his mother's side, waiting quietly and letting the healer tend to her. He'd checked on Satomi's sister and though still a bit shaken, Atsana had managed to get back on her feet to Koji's reassurance. Ichiro's fate still laid in the hands of the healers but his condition was at least improving and they were optimistic of his recovery.

Sesshoumaru noticed the sunset lingering for a third time, the disappointment rising knowing that his father would not let him stay through the night. He curled closer to his mother wanting to stay, wanting her to wake up, wanting her to say something…anything.

"Sesshoumaru, come on. It's time to go."

Taisho stood at the doorway as Sesshoumaru held to his mother a few moments longer. He'd wanted to wait until his mother was awake to tell her what he'd said to his father but he tried the words anyway to see how she would respond. Even saying the words out loud her eyes remained closed and he got up to go to his father.

"Let him stay Taisho. He's been the perfect company."

Taisho smirked as Satomi sat up and Sesshoumaru ran back to hug her.

She couldn't help but pull him to her despite the wounds as she kissed his forehead.

"I heard every word you said. I love you too."

A/N: I hope you've enjoyed this story thus far. As always I thank you for reading and reviewing!