A/N: I'm in the process of doing some major reworking on the rest of this story so it'll likely be at least a few days in between chapters from here on out. I had it finished, got some ideas to make it better, and it's now in little pieces until I put it back together again. Ah, well. Hopefully it'll be a better story in the end and worth the wait. Meanwhile, enjoy the next chapter! :)

Chapter 6

The next two days passed without incident. The weather was warm and comfortable and the terrain fairly easy to traverse. They came across a steam suitable for bathing late on the second afternoon and decided to camp on its banks that evening. They took turns washing and then dunked the pups in the water for a bath. It turned out that both of them could swim quite well so they were allowed to play in the water while camp was set up and the evening meal was being prepared.

There was a sudden loud splash, followed by some sputtering. "You splashed me, Sesshou!" came an indignant little voice.

Kagome turned to see Inuyasha with his bangs plastered to his face, dripping into his eyes, clearly soaked through. Sesshomaru stood a short distance away, the picture of cherubic innocence. "I just jumped, 'Yahsa," he said. "You in the way."

Inuyasha scowled. He sent a wave of water at his brother, hitting him right in the face. Sesshomaru spat and wiped the water from his eyes. He grinned evilly and his eyes took on a predatory gleam. Using his tail like a third arm, he sent a wall of water over Inuyasha. He resurfaced, ears twitching and sending water droplets everywhere. His expression matching his brother's, they set to seeing who could make the bigger wave.

"Maybe we should get them out before they drown one another," Sango said as a particularly large wave carried a laughing Inuyasha to the far bank.

They called the pups in and got them dried and dressed. By then, dinner was ready and they all settled around the small cook fire to eat.

"We should reach the point marked on the map by midday tomorrow," Miroku said, breaking the uneasy silence that had settled over them as they finished their meal and cleaned up the remains.

"How do we want to approach?" Sango asked, finally voicing the question that was on everyone's mind but no one had wanted to be the first to ask.

Kagome shook her head. "I don't know. I mean, whoever did this must be pretty powerful. They left the map for us and are expecting us to come. It's not like we have much choice," she concluded.

Inuyasha, sensing her unhappiness, approached and bumped his head against her. She smiled and stroked his ears. While a part of her had enjoyed seeing him as a carefree pup, she still missed his usual confidence. It would make her feel a lot better right now.

"There's not much around out this way," Sango said. They hadn't passed a village all day and somehow doubted they'd find another one on the morrow. There had been no other travelers or signs of life aside from the usual forest creatures. It seemed the mysterious spell-caster wanted privacy for their meeting.

They mulled it over for a while, tossing out different ideas on how to approach. Finally, they agreed that planning was probably a futile exercise. Their 'host' seemed to have all the advantages. They would have to take things as they came and make decisions on the spot. They bedded down for the night, each unsatisfied but knowing that there was nothing more to be done tonight.

######

The group was nervous and on edge as they continued their journey the next morning. Picking up on the tense atmosphere, Inuyasha whined softly. Sesshomaru joined him and looked about with large gold eyes nervously. As they traveled, the wind picked up at their backs. Sesshomaru pawed at his long hair which had blown forward and into his mouth. Inuyasha giggled, momentarily forgetting the nervous energy around him.

"Oh, Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin said sympathetically as he gagged on a mouthful of hair. "Let me help!" She went over to him and brushed his hair back with her fingers. Then she tied his long silver hair back into a high ponytail to keep it out of his way. She smiled. "There! Now it won't keep getting in your face, my lord!"

Sesshomaru's hands explored the back of his head, feeling where his hair had been secured. He tugged at the end of the ponytail. "Father…" he said sadly.

"That's how your father wore his hair?" Rin asked.

He nodded. He looked up at Kagome. "We see Father soon?"

Kagome didn't know how to answer. His father had been dead for two centuries but she could hardly tell this innocent little pup that. She had no idea how he would react to the news and they didn't need a grief-stricken pup on their hands on top of everything else at the moment. She glanced sideways at Sango and Miroku who also looked at a loss of what to tell him.

"Sesshou, look!" Inuyasha said, distracting him, much to Kagome's relief. She followed his finger to see what he was pointing at. A thin column of smoke was just visible above the trees. Her stomach clenched. From the direction, it appeared to be coming from the place indicated on the map that they were to go.

They continued cautiously, everyone alert for signs of attack or traps. Finally, they found the source of the smoke – a small hut sat among the trees. It was a crude dwelling, not very well constructed and would be barely adequate for protection from the elements. They stood watching it for some time. Their eyes picked up no signs of movement from inside. If not for the column of smoke coming from the chimney they would have thought it was abandoned.

"What should we do?" Kagome asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Maybe we should go back," Shippo said from Miroku's shoulder. His tail was bristling with fear.

"We can't do that, Shippo."

"Why not? Inuyasha should just grow up again. Maybe we can keep Sesshomaru and make him nice this time around."

"They're not stray dogs!" Kagome said. She flushed as two sets of gold eyes looked at her in reproof at her poor choice of words. "Sorry."

Inuyasha glared at Shippo. "Sesshou nice!" he defended his brother.

"For now," Shippo muttered. "Just wait 'till he grows up again."

"Whatever we're going to do, we should decide soon," Sango put in quickly before someone slipped and mentioned the brothers' animosity towards one another. "I don't like the idea of fighting an unknown opponent at night." She hefted Hiraikotsu to a more comfortable position on her shoulder.

"Alright," Kagome said, drawing in a deep breath to steady herself. "Let's go." She looked at Rin. "Maybe you should stay here, Rin. It could be dangerous."

The little girl shook her head. "I want to stay with Lord Sesshomaru."

"Don't even think it, human. I go where Lord Sesshomaru goes," Jaken said in warning.

Kagome started to protest but thought better of it. There was nothing to say the girl would be safer if they left her here. At least they could keep an eye on and protect her if she was with them. She lifted Rin, Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru onto Ah-Un's back. "Alright. But if any one of us says so, I want you to take Ah-Un and get away with the pups. Immediately and without question," she added firmly, looking right into Rin's eyes. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Lady Kagome. I'll keep Lord Sesshomaru and Lord Inuyasha safe."

"Good. I'll be counting on you, Rin."

Ah-Un snorted and looked at Kagome. She had the feeling the beast understood perfectly and was telling her he'd oblige. She patted one of its heads in thanks. Everyone reflexively made certain their weapons were ready though they did not draw them. They didn't want to start a fight if they could avoid it. Especially not with the two normally strongest fighters currently nothing more than children who needed to be protected. With determined nods at one another, they strode forward towards the little hut.

They were almost to the hut when the door swung open and a cloaked figure stepped out. They halted, tensing expectantly.

"Who are you?" Kagome asked.

"My name is Ichiro, though it is no doubt meaningless to you. I am not going to harm you," came a male voice from beneath the hood. "I simply want the son of Inu no Taisho."

"What do you want with him?" Kagome asked.

"That is my concern, girl."

"Not good enough."

A low chuckle came from the dark figure. Hands reached up and pushed the hood back. Gold eyes regarded them with amusement. He was almost as tall as Sesshomaru in his normal state, though broader. His white hair was cut shoulder-length and tucked behind pointed ears. He had a single jagged orange stripe across each cheek.

"You're inu yokai," Kagome realized.

He smiled, showing his fangs. "You're not completely unintelligent. Good." His eyes swept over the rest of the group. They landed on the silver-haired pups. Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head and he growled softly. Sesshomaru glared at the stranger, his face hard, reminding Kagome eerily of his adult self. "Ah, that would be Lord Sesshomaru," he commented, noting the magenta stripes and crescent moon. His eyes flickered to Inuyasha. "What's this? Sesshomaru's whelp? I never would have thought he'd lower himself so far as to mate with a human."

"Inuyasha is his brother!" Kagome said, indignant.

"So, the Dog General had another son, did he?" Ichiro sounded almost bored. "I had heard rumors that he fell in love with a human. Fool. It is of no consequence, however. He is useless for my purpose."

"Just what is that?" Kagome demanded, trying to sound more confident than she felt. "Why transform Inuyasha if it's Sesshomaru you're after? Why turn either of them in to children in the first place?"

"I was unaware of the existence of second son. The spell was carefully crafted to cause the son of the Dog General to revert to three years of age. Since the half-breed is also his son, it affected him as well."

That must be why they're the same age now even though Sesshomaru is older, Kagome thought.

"Undo the spell."

He threw his head back and laughed. Before anyone could react, a blur shot past them and Ichiro stood back where he had been except he held Sesshomaru by the back of his shirt. The pup snarled and tried to claw and bite at him but he couldn't reach the hand holding him. He growled, baring his tiny fangs.

"Now, now, Lord Sesshomaru, there's no need for that," he said. His eyes snapped up and a blade appeared in his free hand. He pressed it against Sesshomaru's throat. The growl became a frightened whimper. Inuyasha leaned forward and whined. Rin's arms were holding him tight, preventing him from jumping down and going to his brother's aid. "Do not draw your weapons," he cautioned, seeing Sango begin to shift Hiraikotsu and Miroku tightening his grip on his staff. "It would ruin all of my careful planning if I had to kill the pup. In fact, why don't you just turn around and leave now. I have what I want."

"We're not leaving Sesshomaru with you!" Kagome said.

"I assure you that I will not harm him. Quite the opposite, in fact. I intend to keep him in excellent health."

"I don't believe you."

"I need Sesshomaru alive and healthy," he repeated. "He will be restored to his regular self soon enough."

"But why go through all of this just to restore him? Why turn him into a pup in the first place? Why give the village priestess a map to lead us here? Why not just grab him yourself once you cast your spell?"

"So many questions," Ichiro said, amused. "The spell could be cast from anywhere. I saw no point in revealing myself to find the pup. Sesshomaru is arrogant enough to travel with an entourage and I knew they'd look for answers. And here you all are, delivering him right to me as planned. The game amused me." His expression hardened. "Enough of this foolishness! I have what I want. Leave now and to prove that I harbor no ill will towards you I shall return the half-breed to normal. Start walking. When you are a sufficient distance away I shall undo the spell upon him."

"How do we know you'll keep your word?" Sango demanded.

He smiled, a predatory expression devoid of any mirth. "You don't. As I said, I have no use for him. If I restore him, I figure it gives you incentive to leave me alone. I do so abhor unnecessary killing." Not a single person believed his final statement.

"No! We can't leave Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin cried.

"'Yasha… Rin…" Sesshomaru whimpered. His eyes were wide with fright. They could see him shaking with fear even from this distance.

Kagome felt her heart break at the sight of the terrified pup. She started to reach reflexively for her arrows. Ichiro pressed the knife harder against Sesshomaru's throat, drawing a thin line of blood. Her hand dropped instantly.

"Sesshou!" Inuyasha whined.

"It would appear we have no other choice for the moment but to withdraw," Miroku said, his voice heavy with anger and defeat. He hated the idea of turning around and leaving as much as any of them but he recognized they'd been outmaneuvered. Ichiro would kill Sesshomaru before they would be able to get anywhere near the pup. It was better to withdraw for now and come up with a new plan of attack. "We must leave for now."

Kagome wanted to protest but she knew the monk was right. This entire thing had been a trap from the very beginning and they had walked right into it. Even knowing that it was a trap they had gone straight into the lion's den, overconfident in their success. They had always managed to find a way out before and she had believed they would again. But it seemed there would be no last-minute rescue this time. Her eyes burned with bitter tears.

"Come on, Kagome," Sango said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "This isn't over yet," the last was spoken softly but with the same icy determination that she usually reserved for her vow to defeat Naraku.

They started to turn away.

"There is one more thing I require before you go," Ichiro said, halting them.

"I thought you just wanted Sesshomaru," Kagome challenged.

Ichiro chuckled. "I did. However, I see you have Inu no Taisho's swords. Swords that now belong to his son. You will leave them here."

"The Tessaiga is Inuyasha's sword!" Kagome protested.

Ichiro snored. "You expect me to believe that the Great Dog Demon left his most powerful weapon to his second son? A half-breed no less?" He shook his head. "It matters not. It is now mine."

"You can't use it. No one but Inuyasha can. Even Sesshomaru can't draw it."

"Leave the swords and go." He tightened his grip on Sesshomaru. His tone hardened to a low growl. "I will not ask again."

With great reluctance, they removed Tessaiga and Tenseiga from Ah-Un and placed them on the ground.

Ichiro's eyes lit up as they stepped away from the swords. "The Fangs," he murmured.

"'Yasha?" The pitiful little voice broke Kagome's heart. "'Yasha! Don't go!"

Inuyasha whined, straining against Rin's grip. "Sesshou!" he cried. "Sesshou!"

"Lord Sesshomaru…" Rin said softly. Her eyes filled with tears. She held Inuyasha tightly to keep him from jumping down as they began walking away from the hut. She had promised to keep the pups safe.

As they moved further away Rin hugged him tightly and sobbed.