Hitting Snags

Jaken watched the azure crescent above his master's smooth brow furrow deep and settle into a familiar pattern of creases. It was no stretch of the imagination for what, or rather who, was on Sesshomaru's mind. Even when she's not around that girl hasn't lost her touch for worrying him. But with every step, the daiyokai treaded farther from Rin's village. They had been traveling for a few days now and, considering that he hadn't taken to the skies in the last two, Sesshomaru was seeking out a particular location. Between the unfamiliar terrain and taciturn attitude, it left his vassal stumped.

"Lord Sesshomaru, why are we going this far into the northern territories?"

When the dog-demon didn't dean to answer, Jaken sighed and kept walking. He missed Rin if only to hear his master talk more. After a couple hours' more walking, Sesshomaru finally did speak. It simply wasn't what Jaken would have liked to hear.

"Stay here."

The imp's knee-jerk response promptly shaved off a century more of his life expectancy. "Stay?" he blustered. Alone? Without you? Or even… "Why?"

"You will follow?" Sesshomaru allowed a light smile to curl the corners of his mouth.

Feeling his squat legs quake, Jaken obediently reassumed his position, allowing his lord to complete the trip alone.

oOo

The caves in the far North housed one of the few remaining ancient yokai. Creatures of time immemorial, there was still debate if they had appeared before or after the first drops of the islands had formed. This one under a dormant volcano was expected to be of such a class. Although he possessed claws the size of sailboats, his skinny frame was covered in a silvery shag and the enormous beast just passed for some semblance of a canine. For several centuries now he had slumbered under a mountain range and none dared wake him. They say that you could tell when he snored by the sulfur that rose from the volcano above his head. Although no one could recall a time when this creature was young, the stories still rang fresh about this being the first servant of Tsuki Yomi that herded the dead to the underworld, snapping at their heels and devouring the stragglers. Many knew this sleeping hell hound as Death itself.

Sesshomaru called him Grandfather.

Abandoning his usual stealth at the cave's entrance, Sesshomaru tread with a heavy-footed gait, purposefully kicking stones and sending gravel ricocheting, leaving no question to his advancing presence.

"Young dogs have selective hearing; it's the half-deaf old-timers you should be concerned about," Mother had once admonished.

Rounding into a final cavern, Sesshomaru stopped and listened. A cool wind that had been swirling through the tunnel abruptly stopped and blasted back, hot and muggy with just a hint of an acidic underpinning. Sesshomaru waited until the chilling inhale returned, then proceeded to walk forward. He didn't have far to go when a pair of crimson slits cracked open, lurid in the surrounding darkness. Devoid of even the blue iris most red-eyed demons possessed, the pooling gaze widened, blinking twice until the strange visitor came into focus.

He stepped nearer to the giant snout, placing a hand on the pale, quivering nose. The span from his thumb to fourth digit didn't even bridge the gap between the two canine nostrils. Interesting. He is ancient indeed. Sesshomaru saw the moment recognition took hold, but just to ascertain, he inquired, "Do you know me, Elder?"

The answer, when it came, was emitted from somewhere deep in the throat of the inu-yokai, raked out in a guttural sludge suggesting the number of millennia that the voice had gone without use as his jowls remained unmoving. "I...know thee…son of third daughter…mine."

Sesshomaru nodded. This information in hand, he moved to the crux of his visit. "This Sesshomaru," he said, enunciating his name clearly, "has a question, Grandfather."

A low growl that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle reverberated through the cave. The pair of nostrils before him snorted, and the Western Lord had to bring up a sleeve to shield some of the spraying mucous. "Woken for a pup's inquisition?...Ask."

Ignoring the demotion and doing his best to banish thoughts of his father's flea-demon lackey, Sesshomaru sprung on the edge of the grizzled snout, in view and out of discomfort's way. From where he now sat, the young daiyokai noticed the poison-user's mark that also arced over his grandfather's brow. He focused on that smooth, furred surface when he presented his thorny question. "How does one…give a daughter?"

"Speakest of quandaries…not mere questions!" boomed the reply. "Unfortunate not to sire a son."

Tenseiga shifted at his side, but Sesshomaru didn't bother with technicalities. Instead, golden eyes tracked the long gray ears that trailed down either side of the old dog's head. Ragged and worn, they remained motionless, but for the muscle at the base of one that swiveled in the slightest show of interest.

"What worth… has this girl?"

"Little," Sesshomaru admitted. "But much for whomever marries her."

The cold nose behind him crinkled in an imitation of a smirk. "That much is true…of the Dog General's line." After a thoughtful pause, the elder daiyokai mused, "What of the Eastern clan, Masho—"

"The issue is not choice of clan," Sesshomaru said. "Rather, choice of the girl."

Red eyes fluttered half-open, requesting elaboration.

"Whether she is secured in matrimony or…granted sovereignty."

"Sovereignty?" There was almost a mocking undertone to the reaction. "Pup, how runs thine estimation…of this girl?"

Sesshomaru chose his words carefully. "She thinks like a son."

Another chuckle shook the cave. "Speakest as proudly as I didst, Grandson…However, I smelt a conflicted scent at thine entrance…Art thou worry-wracked?"

Isn't this where the conversation started? The dog-demon fought down his testy reply, waiting for the ancient canine to continue.

"Children know not what is best for themselves…it is up to you to discern…"

Sesshomaru waited, listening.

Several minutes later and the old dog still hadn't carried on. Instead, his breath rose and fell in easy rhythm. Sesshomaru snarled. Asleep! Mother never mentioned anything about waning strength. He'd seen decrepit humans prattle on with more gusto. The Inu no Taisho's son snorted; he may have inherited the venomous qualities of the distaff line, but it was obvious where the stamina ran. In an indignant flurry of silks and fur, Sesshomaru stalked out of the cavern. He could figure it out on his own.

Unaware of his departed company, the elderly demon picked of the thread of conversation he had nodded off on. "Children do not know what is best for themselves, it is up to you to discern the best of their situation," he finished. "This mountain range…rests upon my spine…and I…beneath it all," the old dog sighed. "And with my years I am left shiftless, and legend is my only vehicle. I gave myself to be the living border for the then Western Lord. No regrets I have. Dost thou understand, pup? Pup?" The grizzled muzzle sniffed around, but couldn't find fur or flicker of his grandson. With a snort, the ancient yokai lolled his head askance.

"Huh. Case in point."

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A/N: Sesshomaru's grandfather was inspired by a Deviant Art image (that I sadly can't find now. But the artist called him "Inu-Bossu," or Dog Boss, lol). Also, if you have any questions pertaining to the story directly, particularly for my kind anonymous reviewers who don't have accounts here, please feel free to email me at kitsune(underscore)no(underscore)kaji(at)yahoo(dot)com. Thank you!