Chapter 24: Home
Ah, Panic–his newest and most-hated companion. Panic burrowed deep within him, finding cracks and crevices that he had long-since denied existed. Panic thumped ruthlessly at his chest from the inside out, threatening to burst through his defenses to proclaim to the entire world that he was not the cold, calculating, and formidable daiyoukai that he perceived himself to be. In the span of seconds, the unknown fate of a mere mortal woman was nearly enough to bring him to his knees.
Words drifted into his ears, filtering heedlessly through his brain, as his ward spoke of village life during his long absence, until mention of the miko brought him out of his self-induced torment.
"...and then Kagome-sama went home," Rin finished, rather succinctly. She watched him carefully with her hands clasped behind her back, features extraordinarily neutral as soulful brown eyes searched his face whilst he continued to emulate a statue.
Home. What was "home" to the miko? Was Edo village not her home? From where did she hail from, then? How far away was it? It was certainly far enough that he could not pick up her scent on the winds. Could that have been where she had gone those years after Naraku's demise?
His mind wandered introspectively, reaching backwards to recall the time she had been sucked into the meidou, his brother following in after her. He recalled his brother returning to them a few days later, simply stating that she was safe, but never elaborating. Sesshoumaru, at the time, had not sought to inquire further, as the miko was simply another member of his brother's pack at the time; if she was safe, that was all that had mattered.
Now, he wasn't so sure.