After an afternoon of bonding, Rin and Nazoki returned to Jaken. The group soon retired for the evening. One notable detail was that Jaken was not nervous anymore. Though it was suspicious, Nazoki disregarded the obvious change in demeanor. Not long after the girls returned, Sesshomaru made his appearance. The man smelled of blood, yet none was found on his clothes. Rin happily greeted him, and Nazoki bowed to the man. Jaken also greeted him, yet not as pleasantly surprised as Rin. The child slipped her flower wreath around Sesshomaru's wrist, and he stared down at it curiously. Next, Nazoki placed one on his head. When he shifted his gaze to her, he found that she was not even looking at him. Moments of cheerful conversation passed, (Rin provided most of the cheer) and Sesshomaru calmly endured the girl's polite questions. Nazoki noted that Rin never directly asked what he was doing; simply wondered if everything went well, or if he was happy about the wreaths.
The Lord simply replied "Yes" in a low tone, donning no emotion whatsoever. Though she wondered if he even had emotions, Nazoki refrained from asking. Instead, the woman excused herself to collect a meal for Rin.
Alone, she scavenged the forest to gather food. As Nazoki picked a branch from a tall blueberry bush, a sound caught her attention. Leaves crunched, under what she assumed to be a footstep. Upon shifting her gaze in the direction of the noise, her eyes widened.
"H- Hideki!" Gasping the name, Nazoki stepped away from the man.
The wind gripped the man's short brown hair as he leaned his shoulder against the stump of a tree. He wore his usual blue yukata, and held a smug look. Not a single thing had changed about the man, and Nazoki wondered what he was doing in the western lands.
"There you are. We've been looking for you for months." He stated casually. Straightening himself, Hideki started towards Nazoki. When only a few steps remained between them, the woman leaned away, and backed up. Hideki's steps changed to match her pace. He did not stop until almost no space was between the two. The man leaned down, locking his brown eyes to Nazoki's emeralds.
"You know, you've caused a lot of tr-"
Before the sentence could be completed, flames consumed Nazoki. She dropped the few branches and fruits she held, and backed away once more. Her nervousness earned a mocking chuckle, an Hideki shook his head.
"You still haven't overcome your fear of men? We are supposed to be married, you know. You could at least-"
"Leave me alone." Nazoki interrupted, placing a hand to her chest. She tightened her jaw, and glared at the man, hoping it would dissuade him. The flames around her died down, yet her heart did not slow. When she first resolved to enter the western land, she was positive that nobody would dare follow her. Apparently, she was wrong.
"Don't act like that, Naki. Come with me. Your mother is worried."
The man started away, expecting her to follow but she shook her head.
"I refuse. I have a task to complete, and a promise to fulfill. Never, will I combine with a troop as uncivilized as your own. Not after what your father did to mine... You may as well be strays!" Though Nazoki tried to keep her voice down, she couldn't help but exclaim the last bit.
"As you are now?" Hideki retorted, and she shifted her gaze.
"Why would you want to join a family such as my own? After my mother has birthed a-"
"My prize is you. The most seductive and attractive of the village. Then again, it doesn't make sense for you to fear men, and look like that." Darkly chuckling the words, Hideki turned back to the woman. She shook her head once more, allowing her hand to fall to her side. Hideki's broad shoulders untensed with a sigh.
"My Arashi-"
"Is dead." The man stated flatly, cutting Nazoki off. The words brought tears to her eyes, and she dropped her head. Instead of attempting to console the woman, Hideki coldly gazed at her. He warned about Sesshomaru, asking if she had forgotten who the lord of the west was. Not wanting to reveal that she was residing with his group, Nazoki remained silent. Frustration settled over Hideki, and he aggressively started towards her side.
"Come on." He commanded as he pulled her away. Remaining silent, Nazoki scowled. Without warning, she snatched away from the man, and shot a flame towards him. Obviously, his clothes did not catch, but the burn was undeniable. Angered, the man grasped her yukata, and pulled her towards him. When she gripped his wrist, he stared at her left arm.
"Where is your sleeve? What have you done?" The man asked. Shock crept into his voice, and Nazoki's eyes widened.
"I- I haven't mated. I lost it in a fight..." Though it was obvious that the words did not lessen the air of accusation that surrounded them, Nazoki could not let him go home and tell her mother that her sleeve was missing. That was a horrible thing to hear about one's daughter. Seeing that Hideki was still caught up on her purity, Nazoki allowed her hands to heat to an unbearable degree. To her disappointment, the man did not seem bothered by the burning. He scowled at her, and it became apparent that he had assumed the worst.
"What are you doing?" When the man tightened his grip on her collar, Nazoki couldn't help but ask.
"You haven't been claimed yet... I will-"
Before he could complete the statement, Nazoki kneed him in his middle. A low wail of pain sounded; signaling that she had done it properly. As the man slumped over, she shifted, grabbed the branches of fruit she had gathered for Rin, and rushed away.