XXXII.

Remedy Child

Kagome and Eldest returned to the Curtained Rooms very quickly, and Kagome was not pleased with what she found there. A circle had formed in the center of the room, and the smiles on the faces of the females that were part of it were spiteful, their eyes cruel. In the center of their circle was Rin, the victim of their taunts. Claws were plucking at her robes and pulling her hair, but none of them had yet dared do worse.

Disapproval brought a tight frown onto Eldest's face, and she opened her mouth to speak – but Kagome was already moving toward the offenders like a whirlwind, her anger dark on her face, red in her eyes.

"Out of my way! Move – move!"

Inu scattered away from her like leaves, leaving only the guilty few, exposed in their attempt to flee. Kagome crouched immediately by Rin's side, looked down at her face and saw stillness there, the mask the girl had stolen from Sesshomaru. Fury woke in Kagome that made her earlier anger seem faint by comparison. She took a deep breath, and a flicker of pinkness came to life in the flow of blood dripping from her clenched fists. The room took a collective step back.

Kimitsukiko spoke up from a chair in the corner.

"I told them it was unwise to risk my son's displeasure; they did not listen. I told them it was not wise to risk your displeasure, and they did not listen to that, either...even with the evidence before their eyes."

She shifted so that the empty sleeve at her side flopped and rustled alarmingly. There was an equal rustle of whispers, which were silenced immediately as Kagome laughed. As much as Sesshomaru had insisted that he wanted her in an untouchable position, it still felt wrong to imply that her victory against his mother had been anything more than chance.

"You make it sound like it was so easy, winning in battle against you."

Her statement, the ease of her humor, both saved her mother-in-law face and made it seem that Kagome was experienced in these matters, when nothing could be further from the truth. More, louder whispers, accompanied the sudden and immediate retreat of the five females who had been tormenting Rin. They thought to take advantage of this new distraction to escape, but Kagome turned swiftly, beads jangling, gold flashing, and glared at each one of them. They were fixed into stillness as she spoke.

"This girl is Rin, who was the ward of my mate. As I will be Marked, so will she! Sesshomaru has chosen her to become his daughter; she will be one of the House of Blades. I have been told that he has killed to protect her already, when she was only his ward. Now that he intends to adopt her, what do you think he will do? I wonder if killing you would be enough for him..."

All five of the females she had confronted faded from youkai paleness to bloodless white. There was a swaying moment, and then, one by one, they dropped on their knees in front of her.

"Forgive us, Lady -"

"Yes, forgive us, forgive us!"

But Kagome stood stern over them, and did not allow her expression to change in the slightest; Sesshomaru would have been proud, but Kagome was truly disgusted. This little incident was only one more in a long line of experiences that touched on one of her greatest problems with this world. Humans and youkai, neither trusted the either; the two peoples had drawn themselves into opposing camps and neither side thought of crossing that invisible line.

Those that did suffered consequences...like Rin was now.

Like I have...and Inuyasha did -and his mother. And even that – that – even Kikyou.

The fact that she was forced to feel pity for Kikyou when really she wanted to hate her made Kagome's anger even sharper. The words she threw at the trembling offenders were harsher than they might otherwise have been.

"It is not me that you should be begging forgiveness from. I won't give it to you – I think you're despicable, tormenting a child, a little girl! What could she do to you – what could she possibly do? No – I'm not the one you need to be begging!"

She turned to Rin and gestured at the females kneeling horrified at her feet.

"It is up to you, Rin. Will you forgive them?"

Interesting thoughts flickered across Rin's face. Kagome saw uncertainty there, but not as much as she thought there would be - and anger, which was understandable...but there was also a cold flicker that Kagome had not expected. Intently, Rin studied each of the aggressors, and then turned her back on them all.

"No. No, I won't forgive them. Sesshomaru-sama wouldn't; I won't either!"

She spoke firmly, and then looked up at Kagome and smiled her widest smile.

"Sesshomaru-sama will punish them!"

There was an assurance in her voice which was chilling to hear, and Kagome refrained from thinking about what such punishment was likely to entail. Rin sat beside Kagome, taking in the silence, taking in everything, colors and scents and the reawakening of soft youkai speech, with renewed and equal pleasure. She nodded happily when Kagome found a moment to ask if she was "all right"; Rin thought it an odd question, and wondered what could possibly be wrong. She was not bothered by the sneers of females she didn't know. Soon, she would belong to Sesshomaru-sama; soon, she would be his daughter – his daughter.

It was obvious from their demeanor that the youkai clustered around them had many questions, not least about what Kagome had said – a human girl, counted as one of the House of Blades? But Kagome's face did not appear open to questions, and none of them dared to address Eldest...or Rin. The smiling girl-child had returned their awareness to the danger which was Sesshomaru.

While the offenders dispersed, sinking back toward the walls, Kagome sat beside Eldest and kept her hand on Rin's shoulder. After a few moments the girl relaxed on her cushion by Kagome's feet; within a minute, the trio was surrounded by females again, both Dragon and Inu.

Eldest had been pleased to see that her own companions had been intelligent enough to restrain from joining the taunting, and now she was more pleased still to see them moving with the apparent intention of putting aside hostility. The Inu, too, were quiet. There were occasional snarls, and the two groups seated themselves in opposing semicircles, not mingling – but there was no violence, no open disrespect. When they were finally settled and Eldest spoke, all of them listened.

"Well, now that we have overcome that difficulty, it is time to turn to the business at hand. This gathering is for the sake of my sister-daughter, to teach her the ways of her new kin, to Mark her in the name of her mate. Miho!"

For the second time, the little female stepped forward with a bundle in hand and turned it over to Eldest. This time, Eldest opened the package in full view of the many peering eyes, untying the leather wrapping and unfolding it to lay the contents bare: black roots, bent and twisted like withered fingers; a knife-needle with a long, thin blade of glass or some sharp crystal, and a blue iron bowl, its inside stained rainbow-black from long centuries of use. The shimmer of the surface reminded Kagome of spilled oil on a blacktop, revealed by a rainy day.

"At Kagome's request, I am the one who will Mark her. According to tradition, in the absence of her mother, it is I who bear the responsibility for mixing the Ink. I sought out the roots of the Demon Flower, long ago when I thought I might sit at such a rite for my own daughter; now I crush them here, in the name of this female who is my sister-daughter. Who will help me? Who speaks for Kagome, that she might enter the House of Blades?"

Suddenly concerned, Kagome's eyes darted around the circle, wondering. She knew none of these females well, and none of them had reason to support her – indeed, a few among them had reason to resent her, even fear her now. But she need not have worried. Kimitsukiko stood, her features set, and did not spare Kagome a glance.

"I speak for her; I was the Lady of the House of Blades, and now I pass my place to her, the mate of my son. As the mother of her mate I will help you, as the Rite requires."

Kagome let out a silent sigh as her shoulders relaxed. She had been afraid that no one would speak up, and then – well, she didn't know what then, and that was part of the problem.

Without further words, Eldest and Kimitsukiko knelt together and began to squeeze a thin, dark juice from the shriveled roots, one at a time. As it collected in the iron bowl, the fire was stirred to new life in the hearth by invisible hands. When the last of the roots had been wrung dry, Eldest placed the bowl in the embers of the fire, and then sat back with a nod. The soft chatter that had sprung up while the others waited died immediately.

"It is begun. At dawn, it will be ready. We have some hours ahead of us until then, so I will begin the Telling of Stories."

The fumes of the bubbling root-liquor settled in the fire spread calmness through the room along with a bitter, fermented scent. Kagome relaxed and stopped worrying about what was going to happen. She found herself deeply involved in listening to Eldest's tale; she recognized elements of the story from the history she had read at Sesshomaru's instruction, as well as some things he had told her in the very beginning, when he was trying to prepare her for the change that had come over her.

"I am old; ancient. Eldest you call me, and I answer. Now I will tell you the story of my life, sister-daughter, that you might gain wisdom to guide your footsteps on the long path ahead. Listen; listen...once, long ago, I was like you and I stood on the threshold of life with my chosen mate. Strong he was and beautiful, in his passion and in his anger, a Dragonlord...the last Dragonlord. Yet he was not strong enough, for after time had passed and we had grown used to peace, Death came visiting and did not leave empty-handed. It was the Inu-no-Taisho who Challenged my mate, furious at the complacency of our people, seeking ceaseless for power, and my mate had long forgotten that thirst, had long before quenched it. So it was that for him that day of Challenge was the last day of his life, and the Inu-no-Taisho banished the fallen House of Fire to the frozen North.

"I went there, and my son with me, and my daughters – my sister too, and her mate, my brothers and their sons – our people, all our people, North, into snow, into darkness. And there were some who went in silence, and some who went with indifference, and some who went with burning vengeance in their hearts. There were battles, and there was retribution, and Death walked heavily laden between the strength of the Inu, here in the fortress he had stolen from my fallen mate, and the strength of Dragon vengeance, hidden in secret places in our exile.

"In anger, in fear, hunted, I hid; my son, my daughters too – my sister and her mate. Inu came, the allies of the Inu no Taisho; they found us and for a time, there was no hiding, only running. Many times my sister begged me for my power, begged me for a concealment which she could not work alone. Many times I refused her, until finally there was tragedy. My son, slain. My daughters, one killed by the other. I walked over my own blood to greet my grief, and when I was buried deep by it and my sister came to me again, asking me to add my power to her own, I could not argue. I acquiesced. I gave her what she asked for - a human life - and after she left me that day I never saw her again. War passed over the land, and time. I found the wood in the North, full of ancient dreams, far from the kin that were left to me. I stayed there alone, until there came a day that I learned of you, my sister-daughter...and this day, when I came once again to this place. Listen well, and learn from my life, sister-daughter. Do not make my mistakes; do not make the mistakes of age."

There was an extended moment of silence. Some of it was the ritual, and some of it was the impact of Eldest's story, known in part by some but told now in full in her own words. Kagome was very still, contemplating what, to her, was the most important part. "I gave her what she asked for – a human life – and after she left me that day I never saw her again..." Eldest had helped her sister become human, and then had lost her; where had she gone? Kagome tucked the mystery aside in her thoughts, and took a deep breath.

It was Kimitsukiko who took up the thread of the Rite when it became clear that no one else wanted to follow such a legend. She was surprised when Kagome's attention on her became nearly as intense as it had been on Eldest.

"I have born a pup, my son; you call me Mother, and I answer. Now I will tell you the story of my life, mate of my son, that you might gain strength to guide your footsteps on the long path ahead. Listen; listen...once, long ago, I was like you and I stood on the threshold of life with my chosen mate. Strong he was, and beautiful in his passion and in his anger, the Inu-no-Taisho. And he lived for a thousand years, and was defeated in no Challenge. And a second thousand years, and many vied for his attention, and desired him...yet he took no mate, and sired no pups, and sat alone in his fortress, taken from his conquered foe, the Dragonlord...the last Dragonlord.

"And a third thousand years, and I went to him then, a female in the entourage of my father, the Lord of the House of Night; and perhaps it was the intention of my father, and perhaps it was the intention of fate, but he was moved by me. He killed for me, and Challenged for me – and as is the way with such things eventually my eye turned toward him, and he took his encouragement for what it was. My father agreed, and it was summer when I became his mate, the Lady of the House of Blades; its first Lady. Time passed. Then came terrible days, days I do not like to remember. My son had been born; my son was growing - near his fiftieth year, and the image of his father in looks and in strength. Rebellion whispered in the north, and my mate answered with a roar; blood followed, and my mate made enemies in his glory, and my son distinguished himself in battle, and even I stalked the forests seeking a foe, wrath in my heart. But again, time passed; a hundred years, and then again a hundred years. Silence came to the rebellious whisper, the silence that belongs to the dead. My son gained in strength, in reputation. It was well, until the accusation came from the shadows that accompany power. That I had sought undue influence over my son; that I might seek to rule him, take away his will, absorb his power. The Inu-no-Taisho did not believe...but neither did he disbelieve.

"Perhaps it was only a rumor meant to disconcert me, perhaps it was only meant as an excuse to cover the truth; it was not long after that I discovered the human, his human, who my mate had chosen for a lover – the mother of his second son. I exiled myself; I would not be part of his destruction. My mate was killed, killed by humans, killed by Dragons; even I could not save him, even I, who was his mate...once it was my pride, that my son was like him. Now the similarity between them is darkening to my eyes. On those rare occasions when my son visits me, the sight of him at the foot of my stairs is always a knife of memory; the pale, tall figure, white-robed, armored, hair blowing in the wind. It is only afterward that my vision clears, and I remember. The bond of a mate is a bond for all time; even now, when I can do nothing but live with the ragged ends of my...regret. Do not make my mistakes, mate of my son; do not make the mistakes of a mother."

There was, again, silence. Most of the females in the room were quite familiar with the unsteady history of Kimitsukiko's life, the roughness of her relationships with both her mate and her son. Kagome had not known; Sesshomaru had not mentioned any of it, and it was not the sort of story that would be included in a history...at least not yet. After several moments, when no one continued, Eldest prompted them all.

"I have spoken for age, and she for a mother; who speaks for youth?"

Earlier, while Eldest and Kimitsukiko had been preparing the Demon Flower roots, Kagome had engaged in nothing-conversations with several of the females near her: one was a younger half-sibling of Kimitsukiko. Another, so pale that even her eyes were colorless, had introduced herself as a granddaughter of Akira, the Inu-lord Kagome remembered from the day she had burned the Fox; Aoi was her name.

It was that female who spoke up now, and her words were brief and soft.

"I am like you; Youth you call me, and I answer. Now I will tell you the story of my life, that you might gain courage to guide your footsteps on the long path ahead. Listen; listen...I am like you and I stand on the threshold of life with a chosen mate. Strong he should be, and beautiful in his passion and in his anger. We are taught that we are savage flowers in the forest of life, deadly and beautiful; we are youkai, and when we choose our mates we choose for power, and for glory, and for love. Power, the moving drumbeat of our lives; glory, that our lives might be remembered; love, that the memory might have meaning.

"And, too, I have seen the darkness and the tragedies of life; I have lived through Challenges lost by siblings, I have seen the blood run black from my brother's throat, I have watched the fire eat his white bones. I have learned that this is the fate that awaits us all; I have learned that an immortal span does not mean we will live forever.

"Before I learned this I walked in dangerous ways uncaring and took my breaths for granted; before I learned this I did not revel in the hunt or in the Challenge. Now the thrill in my blood is the thrill of my waking life, and it moves me every day to the edge of my senses. Do not make my mistakes, though you are like me; do not make the mistakes of youth."

Kagome felt tightness rising in her throat, a burning in her eyes. Eldest's warning, Kimitsukiko's warning...those were warnings for the future. The words of Aoi, on the other hand, touched her own past and all those things which had brought her to this point.

"The mistakes of youth"...she knew them too well, and they had caused her pain; but those mistakes had also brought her here. She found herself unable to regret that.

More strange stories were told, some that were legends and some that came from the lives of the females around them, but the night wore on, and the dull black sky gained the purple warmth which comes just before dawn, and Rin fell asleep, her head pillowed on Kagome's lap. Kagome, too, was beginning to feel drowsy. She had been sitting still listening for a long time now, such a long time. The vapors of the liquid still boiling in the hearth had an influence, too; she saw other heads nodding around her, eyes blinking sleepily in the pink rays of sunlight sneaking over the horizon.

At that touch of morning, Eldest held up a hand; the female who was speaking, an older Dragon whose name Kagome couldn't remember, stopped mid-sentence.

"It is enough; it is done. It is dawn, and now we must finish the Ink; there are two before us now who must be Marked. Someone take it from the fire to cool; sister-daughter, awaken the girl-child."

Unnoticed by everyone, Shippou was prowling the quiet and empty hallways alone. He and Rin had expected to be left alone together, but then Sesshomaru and Kimitsukiko had intervened, and now Rin was with Kagome, dressed up and waiting to become part of the House of Blades...to become Sesshomaru's daughter – and Kagome's.

Their daughter, their real daughter, adopted and everything...

He was trying as hard as he could to be happy for Rin, and not jealous, but his eyes were burning and his cheeks were wet and his thoughts kept going over and over a question that he couldn't answer.

How come...how come I can't be part of their family too?

Without really intending to, Shippou wandered toward the East Wing. Kagome's scent was stronger in that direction, and he could hear voices murmuring quietly, hers among them. On tiptoe, he passed through clinging curtains and made his way to a hallway shut off at the far end by a painted door. He paused longingly; his nose and his ears both told him that Kagome was behind the closed door. Faintly, the sound of female laughter accosted him, and he bared his teeth at the door and took a step closer.

A hand closed on his shoulder from behind.

Shippou jumped several feet into the air; no one had said anything specific, but he had a distinct feeling that this wasn't somewhere he was supposed to be right now. The fact that a now-familiar scent revealed it was Sesshomaru behind him produced a mixed response. Fear, because perhaps he really wasn't supposed to be here; surprise, because the sounds of a few dozen youkai milling around outside had come to him clearly, and he had expected Sesshomaru to be distracted with his kin – and frustration...anger, really, because Shippou had expected to have his family back, his okaa-san, even if the circumstances were changed. Instead, he was alone again; alone as if he were still waiting for Kagome to return to him.

"Shippou, I have been looking for you."

Slowly, Shippou turned around and met Sesshomaru's gaze.

"For – me? How come?"

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow.

"You think there is no place for you in the Rite? You do not wish to tend to your mother and sister? You have not even dressed, Shippou; it appears that you have not been back in your room since you woke this morning."

Shippou's mouth opened and closed silently for a moment, and then finally he shrugged.

"I didn't...I mean, it's not like I'm really part of your family or anything, so I was just trying to keep out of the way."

He tried to make his voice nonchalant, and failed. Sesshomaru's stance straightened almost imperceptibly.

"You call Rin sister. You call Kagome okaa-san."

"Yeah, but that's...that's just words! Tomorrow 'kaa-san will be a Lady, and Rin will be a daughter of your House. Really your daughter -"

And Kagome's too. Shippou didn't say it, but Sesshomaru heard the unspoken continuation and suddenly understood. It wasn't being bound to him that the kit was desirous of, but rather being bound to Kagome.

"Kit, if Kagome were to hear you saying that your relationship with her is "just words", she would be very unhappy. You know that is false; she saved your life, there is a true bond between you. If she did not consider you her son she would never have been drawn to you like she was."

"But I can't...why can't I be Marked, too? Or...do you not want me? I won't be any trouble - "

Sesshomaru looked at Shippou in surprise.

"You are Kitsune, youkai. There can be no Ink for you until your Awakening, when you come into the fullness of your power. You are too young now."

"But – but Rin is younger than I am by three whole seasons, and she's human! How come -"

"Because she is human there are...different restraints on her participation in the Rite. It is dangerous to work demon magic on mortal flesh regardless; her youth is not a problem. There is no Awakening in her future, and no day of binding when she will be made one with the House of her mate. Do you understand, kit? It is not because she has been chosen over you; there was no choosinginvolved."

Shippou stared up at him for a moment, and then let out a sharp sigh.

"I understand."

He contemplated for a moment, and then a quiet, carefully worded question wrangled its way out of his mouth.

"Does...does that mean that someday - when I'm older - I'll be part of your House, too?"

Sesshomaru barely hesitated. Kitsune or not, Shippou belonged to Kagome – and had he not healed the kit with his own blood?

"Yes."

Shippou grinned; Sesshomaru nodded once, sharply.

"We understand each other. Now – as I first said, I have need of you, kit. The reaction of a human to the Ink is always a dangerous proposition, but Rin is strong. She will survive it, and she will be stronger still, but she needs someone to watch over her while your mother and I are involved in the Presentation and the end of the Rite. I would like to leave Rin in your care today; do you accept this responsibility, Shippou?"

Shippou's chest swelled; his nod was emphatic.

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama! Is Rin -"

"Rin is with Kagome and the females of my House...and meddling Dragons who cannot leave well enough alone."

There was a sneer in this last bit which Shippou didn't understand.

"Meddling..."

Sesshomaru pulled in a swift breath and let it out sharply.

"Never mind, kit; they won't bother you. Now – the one who Marks Rin will ask for the blood of the one who claimed her to mix in the Ink, because she is not youkai herself. I expect that Kagome will offer, but that is not enough; Rin is mine."

Carefully, Sesshomaru retrieved a small glass vial from within his sleeve and then pierced the ball of his thumb on the claw of his forefinger. Blood welled to the surface and he pressed his thumb against the edge of the vial, keeping the small wound open until the glass was full.

"Take this, Shippou, and bring it to Rin. You may remain with her, if you like. I do not insist, but I believe it would make Rin happy if you, too, were to offer your strength for her Ink."

Shippou nodded, his expression serious, and took the small vial with a careful hand.

"Should I go now, Sesshomaru-sama? In there?"

"Yes. Yes, it should be nearly time."

Eagerly, Shippou took a few steps toward the door at the end of the hall, and then stopped and looked back over his shoulder.

"Sesshomaru-sama, why don't you just bring it to her yourself?"

Sesshomaru glared at the door.

"During the time of seclusion, males may not enter. If Eldest had not come, it would not have -"

But he stopped, and shrugged faintly.

"You are only a kit; the restriction does not apply to you."

Shippou nodded, and continued down the hall. Shippou knocked twice, and Sesshomaru watched until the door slid open to admit him and then turned away. He was unsatisfied; he was displeased. He could not be at Rin's side during her ordeal, and he could not to be with Kagome...though they were his, both of them. He damned tradition, for denying him – and Eldest, for being present to enforce it.

Then again...there were ways around anything, weren't there? Rin would be surrounded by females, would have Shippou with her and his mother to watch over her, however much she might dislike the task...but Kagome...Kagome would be sent off at sunset for her ritual bath.

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he tamed it with effort. Slowly, he walked away; this would require some planning, and perhaps a guard would be best – someone trustworthy. Akira was busy already, and not yet close enough for a task of such a personal nature. But -

"Sesshomaru, I was looking for you."

Sesshomaru turned.

"Kinawai. Just the person I wanted to see."

Kinawai looked at Sesshomaru's face and dread collected cold at his temples and slid towards his feet.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like what you're about to say?"

Sesshomaru allowed his wild smile free reign, and did not miss Kinawai's shudder in response. He laughed.

"Walk with me, Kinawai..."

It was invisible hands that opened the door for Shippou, and the females on the other side were greatly surprised by the little Kitsune who came in and marched purposefully between them. He made for Rin unerringly, and handed her the glass full of thick crimson fluid.

"From Sesshomaru-sama. You'll need it for the Ink, he said."

Rin nodded, but before either child had a chance for further words, Eldest interrupted.

"The black juice is ready; it is time for the making of the Ink. Where is the girl-child, Rin?"

Leaving Shippou behind, Rin stepped forward and a little circle was cleared around her.

"I am here."

Eldest stepped forward, carrying a small bowl which had been filled from the simmering liquid on the hearth – and the glittering knife-needle.

"Have you chosen someone to hold the knife?"

Rin shook her head and turned to peer around her. Kagome could see a studious expression in Rin's face, and the girl looked at her for a long moment, brow wrinkled. Then she turned to Kimitsukiko.

"Lady Mother of Sesshomaru-sama, will you Mark my Ink?"

There was breath-holding moment that captivated the entire room, as Kimitsukiko stood regally and approached the human girl.

"Very well."

She held out her hand, and Eldest gave her the knife-needle. Then she turned to Rin again.

"Girl, you are human; the ways of youkai are not your ways and the thinness of your blood will never awaken the Ink. Do you carry the blood of the one who claims you?"

Rin nodded and held out the small crystal vial that Shippou had given her, full of red liquid. It stood balanced carefully at the center of her palm. Eldest took the vial and handed Rin the bowl of steaming liquid in exchange.

"Drink, girl; a single mouthful only."

Rin accepted the bowl without question. She took a single sip of the dark liquid, and then Eldest relieved her of the burden. Carefully, she pulled out the stopper from the little vial. For a moment Kagome's eyes widened; the scent that came from the opened glass was strong and familiar.

Sesshomaru...his blood? Why?

Rin's eyes had grown glazed, glassy. Careful not to spill a drop, Eldest poured the blood into the root-liquor. The liquid bubbled for a moment and then turned a deep, glossy red while Kimitsukiko spoke.

"This girl-child, human though she might be, is to be taken into the House of Blades. My son has said this will be so. She brings the blood of the one who names her: will anyone else claim this girl, offer her a place, give their life-blood for her life's bonding?"

There was a moment of silence as all the eyes in the room wandered from one face to another. Only Kagome stepped forward at once; she didn't even have to think about it. Rin already called her okaa-san; this would just be a formalization of that tie.

"I will give my blood for her -"

"Me too!"

"If she is to be a daughter of the House of Blades – I, too, will strengthen her."

"And so will I."

Kagome whipped around. The second voice that had spoken was Shippou's, but the third belonged to Kimitsukiko and the fourth was Eldest's. The whole room went still, absorbing what had been said, and then erupted in silence as Kimitsukiko came forward and claimed what had been offered: first from Kagome, a thin slice across her palm, and then from Shippou, and herself - and then from Eldest, though Kimitsukiko's fingers trembled as she made the necessary cut and let the blood drip into the fuming Ink.

No one else moved. The red liquid cycled through glaring violet, shimmering cyan, and again rich red before it finally took on a brilliant golden sheen. When it appeared to have finally settled Kimitsukiko pulled Rin flat on the floor, and then, very carefully, dipped the shimmering knife-needle in the Ink.

"Someone hold her. This will not be easy."

A few of her own females came forward and knelt beside Rin, holding her arms and legs and especially her head still.

While they were thus readying themselves, Eldest touched Kagome's shoulder and drew her away toward the door that led out into the rest of the fortress.

"You must go now to the baths. Some of those who serve your mate will be with you soon, to purify you for the Marking and the Rite. Things are not quite the same for you as for her; you are youkai, and she is human – you are a mate, and she is not."

Kagome turned, and hesitated, her eyes on Rin, and Eldest reached out a reassuring hand to pat her arm.

"Don't worry, sister-daughter; I will watch her, and your kit, too, will stay. She is a strong child. She will survive."

A momentary horror drained Kagome's skin of all color – Rin would survive? She felt suddenly pregnant with second thoughts, but it was too late. Already, the scent of Rin's blood had joined the nurtured Ink; Kimitsukiko had made the first cut. Fascinated, Kagome watched over her shoulder as the gold shimmer of the Ink seemed to flow willingly off the knife and into Rin's skin.

"Go, sister-daughter. Go; your time will come soon enough."

Invisible hands hurried Kagome out of the room. She paused in the hallway, still looking back over her shoulder, and caught Shippou's eye. He gave her a sharp nod, and then the door was closed and Kagome sighed and walked slowly toward the stairs that would bring her to the basement.

A/N: Ta-da! I am faster! Two in one month, and February's the shortest month there is! :D I'm so pleased with myself. At any rate, Rin is now Marked, Shippou is no longer feeling left out, Sesshomaru is plotting, and Kagome is...going to take bath. :P I had planned on having the Marking of both of them in this chapter, but...it was squashed! There are already about a thousand words in the next chapter, just because I had to cut them off of this chapter, heh. Coming Soon, Rin's Reaction, Sesshomaru Breaks the Rules, and...some other stuff :D Read and Review! Also: I know it's been my habit to answer reviewers at the end of the chapter. From now on, I'm going to answer anyone I can in the review page; that means only non-logged in people and anonymous reviewers will be down here. There've been so many reviews that the A/N has been really bogged down lately, and I've had trouble answering reviewers who aren't yet on the current chapter. So, with that in mind, Reviews!

TQ23: Your PM feature is disabled, so I will respond here! Much thanks for review, and I have to say, I appreciate your attitude about updates. Granted, nobody buys my stuff (yet- ha!) and a chapter is shorter than a whole book...but I would still rather update with a good chapter later than a really dumb one soon. Eldest will continue to be helpful for Kagome - and I will continue not dying! (I hope!)

AMUTOLOVER09: You don't have a message bubble, so you stay here too! Great thanks for review, and good wishes - I do my best not to die, but sometimes...well, I fail. :P Shippou has been included - ta da! He was sad, but now he is not; and...AH, I TRIED...but the ceremony was waaay too long. I forgot, you see, that I was Marking both Rin and Kagome...poo. So, Rin starts off Chapter 33, and Kagome finishes it off - and then it seems like the Presentation bit after the Ink will be in 34! And then... VIOLENCE. But I won't say whose :D.

Onward!