A wheezing maid stopped by the dojo's opened door. "Princess Sara has a high fever, come quickly!"

"Oh," the younger priestess was closer, so she was getting up.

"Not you!" The maid huffed, "you're too young! Hotaru-sama, come!"

"Yes, in a moment." She didn't look up and continued tying bandages around a man's arm stump.

"He will wait! The princess is more important."

"A fever will not kill Princess Sara in five minutes. I saw her in the morning. She wasn't in top condition, but she was well enough. I will go once I am done here." She said calmly, focusing on the patient in front of her. She couldn't leave his wound open, not when there were so many injured men in one room on hay makeshift beds. Infection could spread like a wildfire. It was a miracle it hadn't happened yet.

The maid's eyes narrowed.

"Milady," the man was pale with worry, "do not anger lord Asano. Or the maid. She will tell him you made him wait." He whispered in warning. "I am as good as dead without my arm anyway, you are wasting your time on me. You should go to the princess."

"In front of a doctor, all are equal in status. And I believe, your daughter will be happy to have you back alive." She smiled.

"Happy? All I will be is a burden for her and her family." He hummed and closed his eyes. There was no will to live left in him. His life was fading away like the setting sun.

With his embrace of death, his aura changed. She could sense it, almost see it. Hotaru's jaw tightened. "What are you saying? You cannot give up, not on a night of a full moon." She hissed.

"Full moon, eh? I like full moons." He smiled, looking out of the door. A gentle breeze brought in the scent of baked meat and bonfire smoke. "I'd kill for a piece of meat."

I can only accept his wish… She did all that was in her power, but she couldn't refill someone's will to live... "Maybe I'll bring you some later." She finished the wrapping and glanced at the purple twilight sky.

The moon was slowly rising from behind the hills. Nights of the full moon were strange for Hotaru. The full moon carried power, stirred and emphasised emotions. The healing was slower. Bleeding was heavier. It affected her powers as well; it was harder to concentrate, to keep the powers contained, hidden and under control. She felt edgy, uncomfortable, restless, she could never sleep. And on top of it, the full moon meant her monthly bleeding was draining her of energy too. That's not good. Not good at all. A shiver ran down her spine.

"Are you done?" The maid was standing above them with her arms crossed. "You can do your spells and stare at the moon all you want when the princess is back to her full health." She grabbed Hotaru's elbow and pulled her up roughly.

Hotaru shook the hand off and remained on the spot, glaring at the maid. "You are not the lord of the castle. You came to ask me to come, I am not obliged to fulfil your orders, nor the lord's orders when we are at it. I am a priestess, I don't serve." She said coldly. She loved helping others, but she's had enough of their arrogance and mistreatment. Priestesses were proud women, shrine protectors, not servants of lords. Her power flickered, pricking the maid.

The older woman stepped back, under the icy glare of the pair of piercing blue eyes. "What did you-"

"Take me to the princess." Hotaru demanded and pushed her way past the maid, who was frozen on the spot. She glanced over her shoulder: "Will you show me the way, or not?"

"Uh… sure…" The maid was blinking as if she saw a ghost. Did I imagine it, or did her eyes change colour just now? … ! … A demon! She must be a demon.

######

"If we don't come up with a plan, we will run out of supplies in three days. The enemy is aware of it." Lord Asano's brow furrowed, during the late-night meeting with his generals. They lost several villages and if the enemy got the castle, they were keeping safe so far, his little piece of land would be lost.

"My lord-" Knocking on the doorframe interrupted the general's thoughts, he glared at the door.

"Yes?"

The maid's head peeked into the room. Her eyes were wide and she was tightly squeezing the doorframe, looking over her shoulder, she whispered: "Asano-sama? May I speak with you? Regarding the older priestess, I think she might not be a priestess at all."

The lord's frown deepened. "Where is she now?"

"With Sara-sama, as you required. She is treating the fever."

He nodded. "What is your suspicion then?"

The woman shuffled into the war room and slid the door behind her back. "I fear she might be a disguised demon."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow, doubting the statement. "How so?" He talked with the priestess more than once, he believed he would have detected any abnormalities if there were some. He wasn't as superstitious as common people, but he was well aware of demons and threats they posed. And as the lord of the castle, he always listened to everyone's concerns.

######

"Are you feeling better?" Hotaru changed a wet cloth on Sara's forehead.

"The tea helped." The Princess smiled weakly. "I am sorry for causing you trouble. Miyuki is not exactly a pleasant maid."

"I haven't said anything about her."

"You didn't have to." Sara glanced at the full moon. Her bed was right under a window, she had a clear view of the enemy camp below the castle. If the men down there wanted to shoot her with an arrow, they could, but she refused to change rooms, relying they wanted the princess alive. And she liked the view. "I don't get what poets and men in love see in the full moon, I get sick every time it comes. For all I care, the legendary dog could eat it whole." She sighed and burrowed her head in the covers.

Hotaru chuckled. "I agree with your sentiment. But I fear the moon eating dog is just that, an old legend." Although all legends are true in one way or another.

Sara waved her hand dismissively. "I've always had bad health and the moon always made it worse. Do you think we will survive the siege?"

"I hope-" A shiver ran down her spine a second before an immense youki enveloped the castle and the surrounding valley.

She stood up to see outside the window just as screams and crashes from the enemy camp startled Sara. The princess sprang up on her bed and searched for the source, which was easy to spot with all the fires burning in the enemy camp.

In the middle of the chaos stood a proud demon dressed in white. His long silver hair flew around in the night's breeze as his green whip and claws sliced down anyone intercepting his way. In the full moon's light he looked almost ethereal.

Sara gasped. "How beautiful."

Hotaru raised an eyebrow at the princess. "He is an aristocratic demon." Could the delicate lady not see the carnage? She wondered what made the demon land inside the samurai camp, because he wasn't in the killing frenzy feeding on the humans he slaughtered. Then she zoomed on his damaged armour and bloodied left sleeve which was obviously empty as he spun to cut down another man attacking him from behind.

He's injured... Despite the serious injury, he looked stoically calm. He moved with precision, with no unnecessary movements. And a very skilled fighter, killer. She tried to read in his raging violent but quickly fading youki. She couldn't concentrate well. Not tonight and not while keeping the perception spell working.

One man turned tail and ran away from the demon, who didn't bother to chase. Hmmm… If she was interpreting the situation right, then maybe… if those men stopped attacking, the demon would have spared them and left. And if he landed in the castle's courtyard, we would be dying.

"What kind of demon?" Sara asked, not taking her eyes off him. "Can you tell?"

"...Inugami. A dog demon. Purebred."

When there was no living soul left to attack him, the demon retreated into the forest. For one, fleeting moment, he looked their way, but turned around and walked away like nothing was wrong, nothing amiss.

"The dog demon saved us." Sara said with her eyes wide, oblivious to the carnage and mangled bodies in the enemy camp. "He's our saviour." The princess's eyes were filled with awe. "The siege has ended!"

"I don't think saving us was his intention." Hotaru hummed for herself, feeling his youki waver and dissipate. That carnage was his last outburst. It took his last strands of youki.

Her eyes remained pinned on the battlefield. The scene of death felt all too familiar.

######

Everyone in the war room was staring out of the window, speechless. Their enemies were wiped out by a powerful demon.

"He didn't take the castle."

The maid gulped. All the dead bodies and smell of death were overwhelming. "... See? He must've come to free her. I tell you, her eyes were blue! She is an impostor, not the priestess she claims to be."

"It's worth considering, my lord. There is something strange about that woman." The general nodded.

Lord Asano scratched his chin. "As it seems. We have two problems now. The priestess and the demon somewhere in our forest. What do you suggest?"

"What if we throw her to the demon? If he came for her, he should take her and leave. If not, he might feed on her. Maybe he prefers women? I didn't see him eat any of the men as he slaughtered them."

"Will you take her to the demon?"

The general gulped. "If that is your order, I will."

He nodded and lit a pipe. "How do you want to proceed? If she is a demon, or even if she is just a priestess, she is most likely skilled in fighting. You have to bind her somehow."

"But she must be weak if she needs to hide among humans and rely on the demon to get her out of the siege, right?" The maid joined the plotting.

"I wouldn't underestimate her."

"We can ambush her, while she returns to the injured and tends to someone who needs it. I think I know which man we can use." Miyuki's lips twisted into an ugly smirk. "He said he wanted to die anyway. At least he will have a good cause."

######

Patching an unexpected, heavily bleeding wound without help, she failed to notice the shadow looming over her. With his last breath, the man tried to warn her, but it was too late.

A powerful blow to the back of her neck turned her world black.

When Hotaru came to, the general was finishing his bindings. She blinked, biting her lip to remain silent. Ropes were roughly biting into her wrists and thumbs. Her arms were twisted and tied behind her back. A noose was hanging around her neck, loosely for now, but if she yanked her hands downward, she would choke herself. Even her upper arms, elbows, ankles and knees were securely bound to the main rope aligned with her spine.

The general felt her cold accusing eyes on him and glanced at her. "Your eyes truly change colour."

There was no point trying to mask her appearance anymore. The dojo was silent, if some of the men were awake, they showed no signs. She glanced at the dead body lying only a few paces away. "You killed him for this?"

"He was as good as dead anyway." He scoffed.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Calm down. Control your emotions.

"..." I'm sorry. "Where is Anko?"

"The young priestess?" He chuckled. "She ran the moment the enemies were killed. She was smarter than you."

"So it seems. What are you going to do with me? Burn me at a pyre?"

His eyes narrowed. She was unsettlingly calm in the given situation. "You will satiate the demon's hunger. One or another." He sneered. "He obviously didn't feed on the men."

She grimaced. "What if I am a demon myself?"

"Old Miyuki thought so, but you are not."

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. "Why do you think that?"

"No demon would treat humans. They are ruthless creatures."

"They have a point if this is the thank you I get for helping your men. And you call yourself a samurai." She sighed and relaxed against the ropes, accepting the inevitable. The ropes were tied by a master and she had no superhuman strength to tear them.

"Tch, it's nothing personal. We can't have the demon take the castle or the princess."

"Heh, the princess would happily go. She was awed by the demon."

"Silence." He slapped her across the face. "If you don't want to be gagged."

Blood trickled down her cheek and dripped on the floor. She glared at him.

Her insides were quivering in both anger and fear. She had no way to run away or fight back. She couldn't snap her fingers to burn through the ropes. She couldn't control the general's mind, or at least Saki didn't teach her how and cursing the man would have no immediate effect. It wouldn't help her. All she could do was hope the demon would not eat her, but he still might kill her. Sorry Kou, without a miracle, I am doomed.

"At least take my stuff and offer it to the demon too. It might just save your life as you drop me and run away. It is made from demon wood. A human cannot open my case and demons might come to claim it."

The general hauled her and her case over the back of his horse and slowly manoeuvred the animal through the enemy camp in the direction where the demon walked off. The horse was threading between the bodies unwilling to step on the dead men, it could also feel the lingering youki. The animals had better self-preservation instincts than their human handlers.

She sighed and hung her head, the blood was thumping in her ears, she was uncomfortable, but she refused to navigate the general towards the demon. His youki was weak, but rougher, wilder than before. It missed the refined edge it had had when he'd slaughtered the enemy. He is barely keeping in control.

At some point the horse outwardly refused to approach the demon's meadow any further. It neighed, backtracked, turned around, stomped on the ground and no whip could force it to continue.

With a groan, the general threw Hotaru roughly off the horseback. He grabbed the rope at her ankles in one hand, her case in the other and dragged her, belly down, through the dense undergrowth and mud. She was trying her hardest to keep her back arched and head above the ground.

"Hey," she hissed when they were a few metres from the meadow.

The general didn't listen. Beads of sweat were rolling down his face. Damn horse! He didn't plan on crossing the imaginary border made from bushes growing around the meadow and coming face to face with the white demon.

He clenched his jaw and tensed his muscles gathering his entire body strength to haul Hotaru up and throw her over the bushes.

"URGH!" She grunted upon the harsh impact that knocked her breath away.

Her case followed, landing a foot away from her head. So did her staff.

She flinched: "Hey! At least look where you're throwing it, you coward!" She shouted after the general, who was already hurtling away as fast as his legs carried him.

A dangerous, warning snarl echoed from behind her.

She closed her eyes and remained unmoving, forcing her spiritual energy to remain as calm and steady as possible. A difficult task with the full moon above her head and the injured demon behind her.

Long seconds passed and she was still alive. The snarling wasn't fading, but it wasn't getting closer. She warily wiggled around to face the threat head on.

A pair of glowing reddish-green eyes with a hint of gold was fixed on her. The moon was providing enough light for her to see the silhouette of the demon prompted against a huge tree. She took a deep breath and focused her powers behind her eyes, a little trick Saki taught her.

With enhanced vision, she noticed the dark black pool of blood spreading underneath the demon's missing arm. The bleeding didn't stop yet and the old oak tree was thirstily absorbing the blood. That's not good.

"What do you want?" His snarling and hoarse voice startled her.

"I believe…" Her voice trembled and she bit her lip. Don't fear him. He is not going to kill you. "I'm an offering from the castle, to satiate your hunger. General forgot to tell you that when he was fleeing."

He growled in disgust. "I do not eat humans."

"Oh. Interesting. … I'm sorry for the bother," a barky laugh escaped her, "but as you can see I'm tied like a sack of rice and I can't move." Whatever switch flipped inside her, she wasn't scared anymore. On the contrary, she was amused by the absurd situation she was in.

"..." He took a deep breath. The scent of her blood invaded his nose. Focus. Feeding on humans is beneath me. "...Don't move." He leaned forward, painfully forcing his eyes to see the ropes binding her.

Huh? She could feel him gathering the shreds of his youki. Her eyes widened as a green light flashed, cutting through the binding. The ropes were so tight, the whip touched her skin. The venom covering the whip bit into her abrasions from the rough material and burned the uncovered tissue. She sat up, rubbing her wrists. A familiar warmth washed over her, cleansing the venom and healing her wounds. The barrier?

"Eh?" She blinked in disbelief in the rapidly regenerating skin. She shook her head and looked at him. "Thank you?"

"Hn. I don't need your thanks. Get lost, or I will kill you." He threatened, but the power his whip stirred was not one he could challenge. And judging by her surprise, she wasn't very aware she had it.

"I will." She agreed. "But… before that. Can I see your wound? I might be able to stop the bleeding."

"I don't need your help, human." He sounded harsher than before. All he needed was rest. The effect of the Tetsusaiga would wear off, he just needed to endure it until morning.

No thanks, no help… Stubborn and proud. But I cannot force a demon. "Allright, allright." She opened her case thoughtfully. "I will leave something here. A cure of sorts. It should break off whatever energy that is hindering your healing."

"I don't need-"

"I know. I'm sorry." She interrupted him, sensing his tolerance wearing thin. "I am doing it for myself, okay? I don't remember my past, but if I can help, I simply can't seem to leave an injured person unattended. Be it a human, an animal, or a demon like you who could have killed me, but instead freed me. I owe you." She huffed, then chuckled at her own speech. "Owing a demon… I hope I won't be damned." She glanced at him, and to her surprise, his eyes were glowing gold. Mostly.

"Hn… I didn't free you, I simply want you gone." Focusing on her, allowed him to redirect his attention from pain and anger.

Her smile widened. "Interesting logic. But I'm still leaving it here."

He sighed. "Do as you wish."

"Thank you!" She rummaged through her case and placed one vial and a small package wrapped in cloth a few paces closer to him. "A cure should be applied directly to the wound. It will hurt and burn, but it will enable your own youki to prevail and heal the tissue. Whether you use it, or not, is up to you. But I've got no reason to wish you harm." She smiled at him again and got up. "Oh, and these," she tapped the package with the tip of her foot, "are some dried demons, refuse all you want, but you need food. They don't taste too bad."

He was observing her. So she stared back. He was an interesting creature.

Seeing him from this close, and she still kept a respectable distance from the blood pool, she had to admit that princess Sara wasn't so off. He was a tall, well built and very handsome demon male. He possessed the ageless beauty of all powerful demons, but she got a feeling that in his mindset, he wasn't much older than her.

"What?"

"What is your name, demon?" His eyes pinned on her intrigued her, they were like cold liquid gold now that his demon side calmed down.

"... Sesshomaru."

Destroyer of life. She nodded, thinking back to his slaughtering. "Fitting indeed."

He didn't ask her name and she didn't tell him.

She pivoted and stared into the distance, feeling her surroundings, choosing a path that would feel right. There, but first I need to clean my clothes. "Well then, Sesshomaru, until our paths cross again."

She didn't notice his frown as she walked away.

Sesshomaru spent the rest of the night drifting from semi-consciousness to sweet oblivion. His wounds needed time to heal. Two blows from Tetsusaiga's cut through his armour, shattering it. One blow took his left arm, the other gashed his chest. He lost a lot of blood and youki. The blood was still dripping from his stump but at least it was slowly stopping.

What his hanyou brother had done to him, with the help of his woman, was another proof. By taking away his left arm, he had stripped him of his previous status. His kin, his enemies, would look down on him, pity him. In the eyes of the clans, he was now ineligible.

Inuyasha took away his esteem. And not just that... His pride had taken the biggest blow. Tetsusaiga now belonged to the half-breed; the sword which should have been his. He should have been the one to inherit their father's heirloom, not the lowly half-breed, for whom his father lost his life.

"Damn you, Inuyasha..." He growled as he forced this thought away. Dwelling on this matter wouldn't help him get Tetsusaiga or his revenge.

He glanced at the vial and the dried demons still placed where the priestess had left them the previous night. It was a pointless effort, he would never use any help from a human.

He snarled, his lips curling upwards baring his fangs.

He wasn't sure what power refrained him from killing her on the spot when she landed on the meadow. In his state, he couldn't see her properly at first; red hue shrouded his vision in favour of other senses, he reacted rather to scents, sounds and movement of objects than recognising their shapes or colours. His demon side wanted to feed to replenish the lost blood. And she was bleeding, which made it worse, but feeding on humans was even lower than using their help. He would rather die than stoop so low, especially if she was offered, tied and disarmed for him.

But why did she smile at him? Why wasn't she terrified? He smelt her fear at first, but it was far from the usual terror, and she soon overcame it. Why was that? And what was that power his whip nudged? It certainly wasn't the old Bokusen-Oh's.

He tilted his head backwards and stared at the leaves gently rustling in the spring breeze. A crow was sitting on a branch, observing him with its shrewd beady eyes.

"Grh, what do you want, Soumei?"

The crow stretched its wings and graciously glided down. Mid-glide it transformed into a tengu, who landed in a crouch next to the vial.

"Hmmm, you truly must be weakened. It took you too long to notice me." He picked up the vial and examined it against the light. "Maybe you should've used this."

He was in no mood for games and in no shape to fight, nevertheless he shifted to sit straighter. "Why did you seek me?"

"Curiosity. I wanted to see if you found the pearl." He shrugged and lazily turned his eyes towards him. "It seems you found more than that, but sacrificed more than you ever expected. You were refused by the blade."

A low rumble shook his chest, a red hue was creeping to shroud his eyes again.

Soumei laughed. "If you try to attack me, I will force this cure into your wounds and make you use something prepared by a human. You know I could do it." His piercing blue eyes fixed on Sesshomaru's. His youki enveloped the younger demon; invisibly and secretly subduing him as if he was still a pup. "Choose wisely."

"..."

"Very well." Soumei tapped the side of his nose. "You need to feed, or you will be stuck here for the next week or two."

"I don't need you to provide for me."

"I am not. But don't forget, we might feel that we are immortal, but we are not, Sesshomaru. We are killable and we form murders and packs for a reason."

"I need no one. I will provide for no one."

The tengu's lips twisted into a knowing smile. "Yet, she provided for you, without understanding the gesture." He poked the cloth with the dried demons.

"You know her." It wasn't a question and he wasn't certain, but this was no coincidence. He'd known Soumei long enough.

"I observe her, occasionally. Like I do your half-brother and his new companions, you even. Intriguing characters, all of you. Wouldn't you agree?" He got up, throwing the pack of food up and down in the air.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. "What is your goal? What are you chasing?"

"My fate?" He laughed. "A-ah… I honestly have no idea. I don't see the picture yet, not even the pieces. But my feathers are tingling, she might or might not have something to do with it and I will unravel whatever's happening." His wings abruptly spread out. He spun and threw the food, aiming at Sesshomaru's face. "You truly should eat, silver one, or you will never become ancient." With a strong gust of wind he took off. "Until our paths cross again, Sesshomaru." He called out over his shoulder.

The goodbye. He blinked, staring after the quickly disappearing black dot. The vial with the cure was gone. When did he take it?

He shook his head and refocused on the food. His stomach tightened and rumbled. The damn bird had a point. He needed to feed and she provided it when he needed it the most. Appealing to nekomatas, distasteful for us.

At least no one saw him when he bit into the first dried demon from the pack.

A/N: Let me know what you think but remember, reviews are appreciated but never necessary.

S.