Chapter 15: Wanting
For weeks after, Sesshoumaru pondered the baffling demeanor of the miko, a nagging feeling continuing to plague him that something wasn't quite right in Edo village. But the answer continued to elude him.
The miko had ceased to avoid him after their last encounter by the Tree of Ages, much to his delight; but she also seemed to cease venturing towards their secluded clearing, much to his growing vexation. He found that he could not simply approach her whilst in the village proper, and it became increasingly obvious that she was no longer allowed to roam outside of the village borders without a chaperone, as either the slayer, the monk, the old miko, or his brother would constantly be in her company otherwise. He would have found no obstacles had it been one or both of the children that accompanied her.
The miko was ever cordial with him whenever they crossed paths, soft smiles and superfluous conversations offered after asking after each other's health. But each time, her attention had been almost immediately pulled away by one urgent matter or other, ultimately leaving him wanting for more.