Just over a week has passed since Sesshoumaru departed. True to his word he eased Rins worries, and the young teen came back with a little bounce in her step. Kagome wasn't sure what he had said to his ward but thought it best to not question it. She had a suspicion that doing so would only further her ire with the demon.

While the priestess and Rin busy themselves harvesting pods of snap peas, she noted it was now late spring and soon they would get to plant the kabocha seeds she got while doing trades in a nearby village last autumn.
Smiling and laughing to herself she remembered how Shippo loved the soups she would make with the squash during the winter months. The young fox would spend a few weeks with Kagome while on break from his schooling. During that time, he would help around the home to ensure the harsh snow and freezing rain did not cause extensive damage. Without Shippo she really didn't know how she would have survived that first winter alone.

A tickle of power brushed up Kagome's spine causing her to his up straighter. It would seem Sesshoumaru was finally back. Carefully she got to her feet while Rin continued to pile more crops into the basket and quickly wiped away dirt and mud on her apron. Turning to greet the demon lord, she noticed he wasn't alone. Seeing the shorter male following close behind him Kagome could not help the wide smile that spread across her lips. Her smile only broadened when she saw the young demon stumble.

"Welcome back Lord Sesshoumaru. Give us a few minutes to clean up and then I'll prepare some tea." As Kagome spoke Rin quickly shot up to her feet intending to barrel towards her demon lord. Catching the priestess words about washing caused her to pause mid-step only to spin around and dart off for the stream. Kagome watched her dash away in a blur of orange while bending down to collect the basket full of their harvest. She figured she might as well rinse the dirt off them as well and began a more leisurely pace following Rin.

With a quiet, "Hm," Sesshoumaru made his way to the patio to begin his usual routine of discarding his weapons and armor before stepping into the cozy hut.

Lieutenant Masaru had faced many enemies while patrolling his lords' lands and never hesitated to strike down any who sought harm to the West. He had spent countless hours training and sparring with some of the best warriors in the realm and never backed down from a challenge.
Yet here he was feeling lost and out of his depth for the first time in his life. Witnessing this young, beautiful, alluring priestess dare to tell Lord Sesshoumaru of The Western Lands to wait before seeing to his needs was shocking to say the least. Then said lord clearly saw no reason to force this small woman into submission for her audacity and instead accept her words and took long strides towards the rickety hut.
The young demon continued to stand in the middle of the clearing looking between where the girls had gone and his lord who was currently making himself at home.

Sesshoumaru saw no need to address his lieutenant just yet. Instead, he sat along the low table and slowly began to commit the sitting room to memory, in both sight and scent. It would be some time before he was able to come back and wished to be able to recall every detail and smell. A glance at the infamous wine cabinet brought a slight grin to his face, the priestess thought to deter his indulgence by placing a holy seal on the doors. The sound of small feet racing back to the house pulled the demon lord from his thought.

Nearly toppling over as she came to a sudden stop before her lord, Rin didn't even spare the new male a glance and instead committed her full attention to Sesshoumaru. She wanted to spend as much time with him as possible before he left and nothing would distract her. Still waiting on Kagome, Rin decided to inform her lord about how an encounter with poison ivy led to a lesson in herbology.

Kagome made her way around the hut while adjusting the heavy basket on her hip so the damp apron on top didn't fall. The action caused the bottom of her violet robes to open just enough to allow one leg to slip through the folds and expose it up to her mid-thigh. The priestess paused briefly to assess the newcomer before deciding it would be best if Sesshoumaru were to make the introductions. The last thing she wanted was to part on bad terms with the lord.
She proceeded to make her way to the entrance only stopping to bend over and place the overflowing basket on the patio before going about her routine to start the tea.

Blood rushed to Masaru's cheeks at the sight of the priestess's smooth tan leg. He was starting to understand why his lord allowed his ward to stay here. Emerald eyes followed her, and he nearly choked on his breath when the woman presented her backside to him. She is not a dog demon, she does not understand, her actions are meaningless. The distressed lieutenant recited this mantra in his mind until she disappeared past the shoji doors. Was this post a blessing or a punishment?

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath helped clear his mind. Looking back over to where the demon lord sat just beyond the open door caused Masaru to lose air once again. Gilded eyes were glaring back at him.

Lord Sesshoumaru was not happy.