Sesshoumaru sighed, lounging against a boulder as the surf washed over his feet. He'd thought escaping was the answer, lying to himself that out of sight meant out of mind, but the silence only allowed his mind to wander.
Hobbies helped, but he'd soon grown bored of the scrolls, paints, and stitchwork he'd brought with him, spending more of the time on the beach.
The whole point was to bask in the solitude, especially since it allowed him to avoid his duties back home. Jaken had been more than happy to be left in charge, though he'd paled when Sesshoumaru had informed him the kit would be along shortly due to a break from school.
Shippou had required the space to practice his kitsune magic, and since Rin's village, along with Kohaku's, was mainly inhabited by humans, the shiro had been the obvious choice. The boy had been surprised by the offer, questioning him to no end as to why it had been made in the first place, but Sesshoumaru had simply stated that he'd been kind to Rin, and that was enough.
It was a lie he continued to spout until this day.
Sighing again, he slowly got to his feet. The sun was going down, and soon, the water would be filled with a slew of sea creatures looking for food, so if he was going to swim, it would need to be soon.
He hadn't bothered with clothing since he'd arrived—what was the point if he was the only one here?—and he waded into the water, the tips of his silver hair trailing behind him.
A pulse of power had him pausing his descent, the height of the waves increasing as they crashed against the shore. Scowling, he looked around. No one was supposed to be able to disturb him, so where had—
Another pulse and the familiarity of the power skittered up his skin, his eyes widening in shock before he noticed something bobbing in the distance. Diving under the water, he swam toward it, youki and the desperate need to be wrong propelling him forward.
She made no sound as his arms wrapped around her, struggling to keep her head above water as they broke the surface. Youki engulfed them, and he flew them back to the shore, laying her gently on the sand.
He could scent her blood now, the crimson liquid oozing from two puncture wounds on her arm. Cursing violently, he pulled her close, sending his power into her body to eradicate the toxin from within. As soon as the last drop dissipated, she gasped for air, chest heaving as her eyes fluttered open.
They both breathed a sigh of relief, droplets from his bangs falling onto her face like rain. "How did you find me?" she asked, voice hoarse.
"Find you? You appeared out of thin air, miko." His heart beat wildly against his chest at how weak her aura was. How close to death had she been?
"Did I?" She looked around hazily, a frown pinching her features as her gaze landed on the water. "That explains why I'm all wet."
"What happened?"
She groaned, attempting to lift an arm but unable to do so. "Snakes ambushed me on the way home from Sango's village. I wasn't paying attention, and they bit me."
Sesshoumaru placed her injured arm across her stomach. "You require care. I rid you of the poison, but it will be a while before you are able to function normally. Why was your pack not with you?" He bit out the final question, unable to keep his voice steady.
"They're all busy with the wedding," she said, and his face went blank. Of course. How could he have forgotten?
Gingerly, he got to his feet, careful not to jostle her as much as possible as he walked to the only hut on the island. The miko looked around as best she could, eyes searching. "You will have to remain here until you are well. I am the only inhabitant, so you will not be disturbed."
She offered him a tired smile, leaning against his chest. "I guess that's why I was sent here. What place is safer than a remote island?"