As the group walked, Sesshomaru watched for any intruders in his land. It was his usual rounds in a sense. He would eliminate all who trespass, or dared cross him. One thing that he found strange was that the Kitsune woman's steps were almost impossible to hear. It was a rather notable feat; for such refined senses such as his own to barely be able to detect somebody. Her form did not matter, either way she was still practically nonexistent. The Western Lord was just thankful that she was not outspoken, and obnoxious. Once more thought was put towards her previous statement, he concluded that it made the most sense to have the woman protect Rin while he was away. Also, entertain the girl whenever she needed. That would suffice, as Rin seemed to like the Kitsune.
Jaken rode on A-Un's back with Rin, occasionally murmuring back and forth with the girl. The lord found himself glancing at the fox from time to time; barely able to hide his curiosity. The man figured that it was due to the fact that Rin liked her. Also that the woman readily served the child. Strangely, Nazoki kept a large distance between him and herself. She seemed to prefer traveling as a fox at their side, and either walked by Rin or behind them. But the woman always stood opposite of the lord. She would be by A-Un's side, where he could not see her, or no less than four meters behind the group.
He could not help but wonder why, but did not ask. Though Sesshomaru appeared to be aloof most of the time, he was well aware of all the events that transpired around him. Not a single conversation was unheard, nor a motion unseen. A gust of wind surrounded them, gripping their hair and clothes. The breeze also carried the scent of Youkai. Tuning to face the direction of the wind, Sesshomaru caught a glimpse of Nazoki who had stopped mid step. The red fur covering her body had risen, and she was peering into the forest. The woman's ears had flattened against her head, and she bared her teeth. Sesshomaru gracefully pulled his Tokijin from his side. Without warning, a beast charged from the dense foliage only a few meters away from the group.
"Sesshomaru!" It exclaimed, and Sesshomaru calmly watched as the ōgumo raced towards the group. This one had a grudge against him, for killing what it considered "important" family. Yet Sesshomaru did not understand how a spider could consider a cat family. The lord stepped between A-Un and the beast, ready to strike it. To his surprise, a whip cracked across its face. A pained cry erupted from within the monster, as green flames shot over it. Sesshomaru glanced at Nazoki who was now in human form. From the way she was standing, she appeared to have all of the confidence in the world. Her back was straight, and the chain whip hung by her side. Prying his eyes away from the red waves cascading down her back, he glared at the spider, which was writhing in pain. When it continued towards him, he leapt towards it, ignoring the fact that Rin had called his name. The man easily removed one of the eight legs of the demon, and the human body atop its form shrieked. He was forced back as the three hands gripped at him and before he could retaliate a web shot towards A-Un and Rin.
"I will take everything you care for!" The demon exclaimed, and before the web connected with his companions, Nazoki shot flames at it. The startled Rin was silenced, once the woman moved in front of her. Nazoki continuing to ward off any webs that attempted to grab the girl or Jaken; constantly moving in the way of the sticky silken rope.
It seemed easy enough to hold the spider's advances off until Sesshomaru could land the final blow. Somehow, the beast managed to evade most of the lord's attacks. It wasn't until multiple webs shot towards the group that Nazoki's position became somewhat tedious. Sesshomaru was slightly surprise to hear an eerie shriek of pain, and glance at the woman in time to find her restrained. Five webs had charged her at once, and three managed to wrap around the woman's torso. He could smell blood, and as he swung his blade towards the spider's head, Nazoki burst into a black flame.
It seemed as though her fire revealed her mood, interesting. As he delivered the final blow, flames danced over the spider. The black flames surrounding Nazoki didn't seem to die down, and the web which had once surrounded her melted, and fell to the ground.
"Nazoki! Nazoki! Are you okay?" Rin was the first to ask, and the woman turned to face her. Nazoki's eyes seemed to be glowing green, and she offered a slight nod. The scent of blood still hung in the air, and Sesshomaru walked to her side, being mindful of the fire around her. Surprisingly, her clothes seemed to be immune to the heat, which radiated from her body.
The lord gazed at the woman, attempting to locate the source of the scent. Along with the blood, there was a faint hint of something Sesshomaru could only describe as "burning"; and it was not from the vixen's flames. The green fabric of her strange yukata had dark areas, which contained crimson over the ruffles that revealed her thigh.
Nazoki did not look at anybody. She sighed as though she was either tired of being injured, or her composure needed to be regained. Of course, Sesshomaru figured he could not expect much from a lesser demon. The spider was easy to him. Not having to watch Rin and Jaken made it easier, of course, but it really only took a single direct strike to kill.
"Please, excuse me..." The words were spoken in an undertone, which even Sesshomaru could barely hear. Leaving it at that Nazoki shifted, and ran off into the forest from which the demon had come from.