The night's obsidian curtain receded, making way for a pallid dawn. Dull, citrine pillars of light glowed dimly behind the closed eyelids of the great dog demon, Sesshoumaru. A grunt escaped his lips as the gentle luminosity brought with it a mounting wave of discomfort. His eyes fluttered open, revealing a deep-set scowl. His tongue was coated with an acrid metallic tang.
"Water…" His voice, raspy and brittle, broke the silence of the room. "Jaken, bring me water."
But as the shoji screen slid open with a subtle whisper, it wasn't the familiar face of his servile imp who entered. Kagome, Inuyasha's human companion, quietly kneeled before the shoji, meticulously closing it behind her. The soft rustling of her yukata and the gentle pad of her feet resonated in the quiet chamber as she approached him.
Sesshoumaru's brows furrowed in confusion, his hazy memory struggling to piece together the events that led to the human woman's presence in his castle. He neither invited nor welcomed her intrusion.
"Where's Jaken?" He demanded.
Kagome took a seat beside Sesshoumaru's futon, a bowl of water cradled in her hands along with a piece of cloth. "He's with Rin," she replied in a soothing tone, her words meant to reassure. She proceeded to soak the cloth in the bowl, her intention clear as she moved it toward Sesshoumaru's lips. He promptly recoiled.
"What are you doing, human?" His words were drenched in suspicion and contempt.
Nonchalantly, Kagome returned the cloth to the bowl. "You said you wanted water," she retorted, her voice carrying a hint of amusement.
Sesshoumaru's golden eyes fell upon the bowl resting on the tatami, realization dawning on him. Kagome had intended to assist him - a concept that filled him with revolt. "I require no assistance from you, giri no imouto. Hand this Sesshoumaru the water."
Kagome, undeterred by his haughty demeanor, shook her head. "I strongly advise against it. Your intestines were severely injured. You should take it slowly, onii-sama." She relished in her small act of rebellion, knowing well how the honorific term for brother-in-law irked him.
Ignoring Kagome's words of caution, Sesshoumaru huffed in irritation before reaching for the bowl. Kagome merely watched as he gulped down the liquid with an unsettling eagerness. Almost immediately, his face contorted in pain, the bowl slipping from his grip and clattering against the floor. His body lurched forward as he retched, expelling the water and other unpleasantries onto the futon, the tatami, and himself.
"I'll go get some cloths. And more water," Kagome sighed, the resignation in her voice evident as she left Sesshoumaru alone in the mess of his making.
As the days ebbed away, Kagome found herself tending less to Sesshoumaru, who had gradually recovered enough strength to manage simple tasks such as eating on his own. The mighty demon barely concealed his aversion to the humbling reality of being possibly saved by a mortal, who was now emptying his chamber-pots and tending his wounds as though he was reliant on her.
But unlike his scorn for other humans, Sesshoumaru bore a genuine fondness for Rin, always welcoming her in his home. He was sincerely relieved to know she had been unharmed in the forest incident, and was gratified to see her free from worry for him. Despite his unwillingness to admit it, even to himself, her joy was a treasured aspect of his existence.
In the privacy of his chamber, Sesshoumaru stood before the sole window, overlooking the garden where Rin had spent many carefree hours frolicking, dancing in the rain, and teasing Jaken. A rare smile pulled at the corners of his lips, a display of sentimentality he reserved solely for Rin.
His keen senses picked up on the sliding shoji and the soft footsteps that followed - it was Kagome. He could tell from her walk, unlike Rin's lively sprinting, Kagome's steps were measured, revealing her maturity. He detected an unusual scent on her today, something that stirred an inexplicable ache in his heart. Turning to face her, he found Kagome cradling a vase of white spring flowers — ones that grew in a location he had long ceased to visit.
Sesshoumaru felt a jolt of unbidden emotion surge through him. With an agile leap, he seized Kagome's wrist and snatched the vase, smashing it against the wall in a fit of indignant rage. How dare she, he thought. As if she knew the insult and hurt that were hidden in those white petals.
Kagome, taken aback by his outburst, timidly met his gaze that was now brimming with loathing. "How dare you…" His voice was a venomous hiss. "How dare you bring those weeds into my home!" His grip on her hand tightened as his keen sense of smell detected something else. It was a scent, faint but unmistakable — a new life, a fusion of Kagome's and Inuyasha's essences. He released her abruptly, retreating from her as his fury subsided, replaced by cold indifference.
"You've overstayed your welcome," he declared, his voice void of emotion. "This isn't your home. You can't do as you please here." Kagome tried to utter a response, an apology or a plea for understanding, but he cut her off. "Leave."
While Kagome was still grappling with his sudden outburst, Rin entered the room. Her cheerful demeanor wilted instantly at the evident tension. Sesshoumaru, without looking at either of them, coldly instructed, "And take Rin with you."
Rin blinked in confusion. "What?"
"Both of you are leaving," Sesshoumaru reiterated, hardening himself against Rin's imminent tears. "This is no place for a human, let alone a young woman."
His stern words stifled any counterarguments. Despite Rin's futile attempts to negotiate, Kagome gently placed her hands on Rin's shoulders. "Come on, Rin-chan," she coaxed softly, steering Rin out of the room. Though she didn't understand their sudden expulsion, Kagome knew she was no longer required. Besides, she wasn't particularly fond of Sesshoumaru either. If he wanted to brood in his castle, alone, that was his choice.
With the sound of the rustling shoji marking their departure, Sesshoumaru heaved a sigh. He had long resolved not to let any woman be his downfall, knowing too well that love brought only misery and sorrow. Especially with human women, whose lives bloomed briefly like spring flowers, only to wilt and die prematurely. He found Inuyasha's choice of a human mate perplexing. Inuyasha would outlive his wife and their half-human offspring, left to suffer the grief of burying his family. It was a future filled with loneliness and a sorrow that would endure long after they were gone.
"Idiot," Sesshoumaru grumbled, wincing as a stab of pain from his healing wounds coursed through him.
Kagome and Rin journeyed in silence through the forest, their path leading back to Kaede's village. Kagome clutched her bow and quiver, prepared for the men who may pose a threat.
After ensuring Sesshoumaru's condition was stable, Rin had shared details of the events leading to their encounter with the assailants.
The altercation, as Rin explained, was rooted in ancient clan rivalries and territorial disputes. Their attackers belonged to a rival demon clan who claimed the Western lands as their rightful inheritance. For years, Sesshoumaru had been embroiled in this conflict, even during his time traveling with Rin.
The incident that had led to his injury saw Sesshoumaru fending off an ambush of numerous demons, who thought they could catch him off guard on his own territory. Despite their numbers, Sesshoumaru fought them off, ensuring they left defeated and retreating, but not without taking considerable damage himself.
Rin admitted she didn't know much about the disputes or the rival clan, as Sesshoumaru had always shielded her from such worries. As they trekked on, Kagome ruminated on these revelations, hoping they would reach the safety of Kaede's village before dusk.
When they arrived at the village unscathed, Kagome remained oblivious to the danger that had been lurking closely. Unbeknownst to them, a pair of beady black eyes watched from the shadows as they entered the small hut that Kagome shared with Inuyasha.
"...with the little one. They've just returned to the human village," reported a shrill voice.
"That Inu-no-Taisho had a fancy for humans. Looks like the son shares the same taste," a deeper voice remarked, chuckling dryly.
These voices belonged to two rat demons, tasked with tracking Sesshoumaru's movements for several days. Their current audience was their master, Nezuooki — the renowned rat king — who sat imposingly on a throne constructed from bones.
Nezuooki listened attentively to his underlings' report, casually sucking marrow from the bones of a recent prey. "What do you propose?" he inquired lazily.
The rat with the deeper voice, apparently the more intelligent of the pair, offered, "Sesshoumaru is too formidable to engage in direct combat, oh Greatness. We suggest you capture the woman. Use her to lure Sesshoumaru into our terrain, where we have the advantage."
What they hadn't accounted for was that Kagome was not Sesshoumaru's lover. This would have been clear if they'd observed her longer. Instead, they assumed that as the only female visitor Sesshoumaru had received, she must be his partner. The fact that she'd cared for him and stayed with him for several days reinforced this misapprehension.
A similar strategy had been proposed before, to kidnap Rin, the young girl. However, even for a creature as savage as the rat king, using children as war weapons felt abhorrent. Inu-no-Taisho might have been their enemy and arguably deprived their clan of their rightful lands, but he never targeted the innocent.
Nezuooki was a creature of vanity and pride. He refused to lose a moral battle to a despised dog demon, and thus, he would not exploit a child unless his opponent stooped to such levels.
But a woman skilled in combat — that was an appealing prospect indeed.