The fog spread across the mountain, turning it pale gray. November is the month when Konaki-diji cries especially loudly, waiting for travelers at the bend of the river.
The boy wandered away, hiding from Sesshomaru behind trees and bushes. This has been going on for several days. Fool: even if the daiyoukai didn't see or hear him, he would feel his smell, the disgusting smell of a hanyo - a demon mixed with a human. The smell of their father with the smell of Izayoi.
Still, Sesshomaru stopped when he noticed that Inuyasha was far behind him.
"Puppy Inu-no-Taisho, I heard about you," the demon growled, hovering over Sesshomaru, holding out his clawed paws, "pray for mercy..."
As always, all it took was a wave of the hand - everyone was too weak for the son of a dog general. Sesshomaru stepped over the corpse, from which steam was rising, walked through the clearing and involuntarily listened - Inuyasha walked around the dead demon a minute later, slipping on a pool of blood and saying "bleh" in disgust.
Yesterday, the boy came very close for the first time - thinking that Sesshomaru was sleeping, he curled up behind a nearby tree like a puppy. It was pouring rain, everything was damp. Demons didn't care, but Inuyasha was shaking half the night, so Sesshomaru couldn't stand it and threw a mokomoko on top of him - only his ears remained visible.
"Sleep"
Inuyasha actually fell asleep, warmed under a cloud of fur, but in the morning, he began to hide behind the trees again, like a savage. As if he didn't understand that Sesshomaru allowed to walk next to him.
A hot spring appeared - a common resting place in this forest. The daiyoukai stopped, threw his armor onto the wet grass, and unfastened his swords. There was a movement nearby - the hanyo had finally caught up with him.
"Come here, Inuyasha"
The rustling in the bushes stopped, and, with his ears back, the boy straightened up, looking warily from under his brows. There were branches and leaves stuck in his hair, and his haori was even dirtier than on the grave - the sleeves were covered in scraps and grass.
Sesshomaru looked Inuyasha up and down, then turned his gaze to the source.
"Wash yourself," he ordered.
"Why do you know my name?" the hanyo suddenly asked.
The daiyoukai was silent. He looked at the splashes on his sleeve - still, the blow was not accurate enough, since the blood reached him. Meanwhile, the boy's ears perked up curiously on the top of his head.
"Bro... ther?" Inuyasha suggested hesitantly.
Cool facial features froze even more.
"Go," Sesshomaru repeated dryly. "Even a half-demon shouldn't look like you."
Inuyasha clumsily washed all his clothes and laid them out on the rocks under the dim sun. He sat in the hot spring until the evening, stealing glances at his brother - it was cold to wait on land until the haori dried. He was still afraid that Sesshomaru would leave at any moment, and he would have to run after him, but Sesshomaru waited - just as he waited for him when he stopped hearing steps behind him.
It got dark early, and when the daiyoukai lit the fire, boy's clothes were still wet.
"Get out"
"It's cold..."
Sesshomaru silently shrugged off the fur from his shoulder, just like last night. The fog cleared, but inside the daiyoukai it seemed to become thicker. The future is not visible. The hanyo's ears perked up happily, and Sesshomaru didn't like his look - too full of hope for something he didn't promise...