Steam.

Just as Sesshōmaru expected, the white stag led them back to the river. To top it off, there was visible steam rolling off the top of the water. Steam. Despite nearly knee-deep snow covering the ground, the warm water was flowing unobstructed. It caught Sesshōmaru's eye, and his nose, as the smell of the steam seemed to hold a very prominent earthy scent. It was very similar to natural hot springs he'd found during his travels, so it wouldn't be of any surprise this was the source of the warm water. However, typically hot spring water didn't have to travel far before cooling, and many springs were not too much warmer than average body temperature. Taking this into consideration, the source of this river had to be an earth-formed cauldron of boiling water. Then there was also the theory the water was heated by other means, such as demonic or spiritual power, and that is what kept it warm so far from the source.

Jaken stepped a little closer to the edge. He held onto his staff to brace himself as he leaned over to look down the cliffside at the flowing river. It was perhaps ten or fifteen feet down now, as the trail the white stag was following led them up the sides of this cliff while the river down below seemed to remain the same. Some snow broke off from where he stood and tumbled down the edge only to melt quickly once it hit the water's surface. "My lord, do you think this hot water has anything to do with the forge of the swordsmith Kaijinbō told us about? It seems unnaturally warm, and it's only getting warmer the farther we go."

There was a high possibility Jaken was right. Nonetheless, they would have to wait and see for themselves once they reached the end. Sesshōmaru had paused briefly to look at Jaken, then gazed past him and down the mountain to see the village had completely disappeared. He didn't feel they were too far, but the height of the mountain was so great by now that fog was most likely the reason for not being able to see further. The pattern of the land was becoming clear to him now, and he felt they were very close to their destination. By this time, however, the sun had begun to set which brought another bushel of problems. One in particular being yet another dramatic drop in temperature. Sesshōmaru was incredibly resilient, but even his sturdy bones were chilled. He'd never let it show, his face as stoic as ever, but he couldn't deny the cold he was feeling now was unlike any cold he had ever felt before. It seemed almost...in excess, as if it were there on purpose instead of naturally occurring because of the biome. Just one more question to tack onto the ever-growing list of questions left unanswered thus far on this short journey.

Sesshōmaru returned pace with the white stag, Jaken struggling to follow close behind. The imp was barely making it through it seemed, and the dog demon began to feel a bit grateful the village had been insistent on taking Rin. She would have never made it this far. He started to question how anyone of lesser strength than a fairly strong demon could get through at all. The rough landscape coupled with the feline cat demons from earlier was enough to run most things off. Was this planned? Was it a sort of test?

Darkness surrounded them, the only light now being from the white buck's oddly glowing eyes. They were so bright it was easy to follow him, even for those of average ability. It was such an unusual color; a pale blue-ish green, like cambridge, similar to teal. Its glow was so intense, the light reflecting in Sesshōmaru's calm, gilded eyes. He looked forward, the pale sheen of a crescent moon barely making out the formations of land before them. The river down below had now turned into a reclusive gorge of pitch black, and at the front of it, the waterfall finally came into view.

The lunar light caused the water of the falls to shimmer in the darkness. Droplets sparkled down like glittering jewels. Sesshōmaru's keen eyes couldn't see the top of it, nor could he see the bottom. Even the moon could not reveal to him where he was. All he knew was the land beneath the gently padding hooves of the stag in front of him, which he noticed dropped off sharply into blackness as if they were on the skirts of a ledge.

Jaken recoiled when his boot tipped over the edge, causing crumbles of earth to tumble down into the abyss below. "M-My lord, where is this deer taking us?" Jaken exclaimed, his nerves a bit wrecked.

Sesshōmaru chose to ignore him; clearly, the imp couldn't see it yet. Up ahead, in temporary shimmers of color, a bubble-like barrier reflected pearlescent light. The twinkling came in slow pulses as if it were breathing, like a giant, slumbering beast. He was unable to see it in its entirety, most of it shrouded in blackness. As they drew nearer, he could see it encapsulated part of the falls as well as what was turning into a natural land bridge. Their path veered right, toward the center of the gorge where the falls roared next to the narrow catwalk. Should anyone stumble here, there was no telling just how far down they would go.

The demon lord watched as the stag stopped in front of the falls, the spray collecting on his white fur. He looked back at Sesshōmaru for a brief moment before taking a step into the tumult. Though there was no land visible there, the buck did not fall nor did he become engulfed in the falls. Instead, they opened up almost like curtains and allowed him passage on an invisible path. Sesshōmaru's pace quickened to catch up when the deer disappeared, now standing in front of the falls which were now closed.

Jaken remained a small way down the bridge, having been trending lightly and slowly since his near-demise. When he looked up where his master was standing, he couldn't help but to be in awe. The moon's light presented Sesshomaru in a most picturesque form, the glittering spray of water combing through his achromatic mane. The outline of his features seemed to illuminate with soft light as if he were a child of the celestial body itself. His eyes glimmered like a polished golden goblet as the wind caressed the folds of his sleeves.

His master's voice snapped him out of his daze when he tossed the severed demon's head towards him. "Hold this."

"T-This better not be a waste of time or this deer will surl-AHH! Y-Yes my lord!" Jaken quickly fumbled to catch the head, dropping his staff in the process. The thing was so massive it nearly flattened him. After he got a new handle on things he regathered the staff and hurried back to Sesshōmaru's side. "Anything for you, my lord!"

Sesshōmaru reached into the top of his hankimono to pull out the stone Kenkō had given him before departing the village. The stone had been trembling in its place in Sesshōmaru's garments since they reached the perilous ledge. Even in his hand, it was shaking as if trying to escape the demon's grasp. Sesshōmaru's claws released it, the cut bit of iron then rising into the air and shooting through the falling water. As it did, an opening appeared just as it had for the stag before him.

"Ah ha! A barrier has opened! So the village people didn't lie after all. But, ehh…" Jaken leaned to look over the edge, not seeing anywhere to walk. "How are we supposed to-M-MASTER SESSHŌMARU!"

The man didn't waste any time. He stepped onto the nothingness of a path the barrier had revealed with bold confidence which did not fail him. He passed through the falls on this invisible segment into the darkness where only the eyes of the stag remained.

Deep behind the falls loomed darkness where a massive, wide-open cave delved deep into the cliffside. It was so wide it must have spanned to both sides of the falls. Sesshōmaru stood just inside of the barrier, his sharp eyes watching the little clump of iron spin in the air next to him. It slowly came to a stop before hovering in front of him, prompting him to regather it. He closed his fist around it and felt it become still once again.

The buck did not wait for him, only pressing forward into the mouth of the cave. Sesshōmaru moved on, his arm at his side after he tucked the stone away. "Let's go, Jaken."

"Right away my lord!" The imp, always in a rush, teetered behind as quickly as he was able with the weight of Goshinki's head dragging behind. "This place is rather beautiful, and so serene! Even with those massive falls it's still so quiet. And warmer, too! Why, it almost feels like a warm spring's night in here!"

Sesshōmaru would have to agree, though not audibly. The place did have an incredibly peaceful air about it, and the rushing water was unnaturally quiet once inside. The stag was a good ways ahead of them now, only the light of his eyes visible around the corners of the deep cave. It seemed to go on and on, but instead of getting cooler it only got warmer. Jaken waddled up beside his master. "M-My lord, if I may, but what if this is all a trap? It feels too calm in here, it's making my skin crawl!"

"So what if it is? I will kill whoever is at the end."

Jaken gulped, remembering his place. "O-Of course my lord, I was only concerned about your safe-er, nevermind."

Sesshōmaru's eyes narrowed in thought. Even if this place was unnaturally tranquil, deer were known to be symbolic of that very thing. Blessings of peace and fertility, deer were seen as messengers of the gods as well. A deer with demonic powers could pull off such a thing, however, he did not sense any demonic energy coming from the stag. Rather, if there was any, it was so little he was hardly picking up on it. He didn't know any deer to be demons, much less demons of ill will.

There was only a strange scent now, one he had noticed while still outside the cave and somewhat along the trail. A dull, sweet kind of smell that could have only been produced by flowers. But they were surrounded by thick snow, and there was no way a bed of flowers was just growing deep inside of this cave. It was even sticking out among all of the burning coal and straw he could smell when the falls would open.

"Mmm what an odd scent; flowers? I don't see any flowers. Where would they even grow in such a place?" Jaken inquired, equally curious.

This scent… It almost seems too much, as if it is masking something. Sesshōmaru pondered silently, nearing the point of being overwhelmed by his curiosity.

There was a light in the distance now; a yellow-orange glow which was flickering ever so slightly. A jumble of shadows could be seen on the far wall of the cave as the two demons drew nearer, a combination smell of iron, clay, coal, and flowers filling their senses. Rounding a final curve in the long tunnel of the cave, the forge finally came into view. It was a lot larger than Sesshōmaru had expected, the cave itself having opened up into an enormous, dome-like space. At the center was the forge itself, a high-walled rectangular firepot. On one side was a shallow trough of water and the other a push-petal fan that was connected to the bottom of the forge. There were also two buckets of unknown materials nearby. Along the walls of this enlarged cave were a few wooden tables, some with several different kinds of weapons strewn about them and others with clay bowls, leaves, twigs, herbs and rocks upon them. There were several swords leaning up against the hard stone walls, some in a messy pile just beside them. In the far back there appeared to be a living space: a couple beds of straw and fur tucked into a carved out part of the flooring and a low table. The light was coming from a pair of tall stone lanterns rather than the forge. The place was large, yes, but humble. Most notably: messy.

The white stag had already walked into the opening, seeming to simply bypass a figure which was settled on the floor near the forge. It was a woman, and in her lap rested a long piece of bark with a blade atop it. As it appeared, she was carefully working something onto the blade with her fingers.

"There she is! This must be the sword-maker!" Jaken screeched.

As soon as he spoke the woman jolted, yelping once as the slab of bark tumbled over onto the floor. "AH! O-Oh no…!" She quickly scrambled for the blade, examining it only to frown deeply. "It's smudged.. I'll have to start all over…"

Sesshōmaru heard a deep sigh escape her lips, prompting him to wonder if the woman realized she even had visitors. His piercing gaze studied her from afar. As soon as she had come into view he stopped walking, keeping a fair distance just in case. He couldn't determine much from where he stood, but what he could see was the woman appeared young. Her hair was an odd shade of red, and she was wearing a simple white kimono under a pair of black hakama.

Jaken moved Goshinki's head out of his way so he could see, thus dropping it onto the floor. He only hesitated for a brief moment after looking at the woman, quickly shaking his head and stabbing the Staff of Two Heads into the dirt. "You there! Are you ignoring Lord Sesshōmaru's presence?! He has traveled a long way to find you, you'd be wise to show respect! Ugh…" Pausing, Jaken's pointing finger went limp. "Are those horns on her head…? I-Is she a demon? Those human villagers were protecting a demon?"

The woman looked up then, her eyes open as if only just discovering them. They were the exact same color as the white stag's: an odd cambridge blue. Sesshōmaru's amber eyes flickered, a small frown present on his face. Jaken's suspicions were nearly spot on; there was, in fact, a small set of antlers atop her head. Were they for show, or actually attached? So this is Lady Ishimaru… Her scent…

She smells…

Human.

And in that very same moment, the Tenseiga pulsed.