Chapter 5

The next morning, Kagome woke the children up as usual, helped them change, and then walked with them towards the training halls on the in-between level of the castle. Normally she would go into the first with Rin and Shippo would meet Sesshomaru in the second. Today, however, Kagome instructed Rin to begin meditation on her own then led Shippo to the other dojo next door. There was an atrium between the two training spaces, though the plant life, like most of the other green things in the castle, was left to grow wild.

Kagome knelt down in front of a slightly nervous looking Shippo. He knew Sesshomaru was already inside, and he also knew that Sesshomaru didn't like to be kept waiting.

"Shippo-chan," Kagome said softly, "Sesshomaru has asked me to talk to you about your…form."

The young fox looked a little confused, so she continued.

"I know this is the way you have looked for a long time, but Lord Sesshomaru would like you to take a form more suitable for your age."

Shippo nodded his head slowly. Of course he was not as young as he looked, but maintaining this form made demons less inclined to kill him. He also didn't know if Kagome would still take care of him or love him if he stopped being cute. However, as though she could sense his inner turmoil, she reached out her arm and comforting aura, stroking his head.

"You know, I will love you no matter how big you get. And I bet one day you'll be even taller than me. Maybe even as tall as Lord Sesshomaru!"

Shippo's eyes got big. "Really!?"

Kagome smiled at him, and that smile turned to wonder as she watched her son grow from a large toddler to a child of about 8 or 9. He was probably only a little taller than Rin, though his other features remained more or less the same. She noticed, however, that his legs were straighter and more human in shape than before. Kagome shook her head as her smile widened. Kids really grew up too fast.

Kagome hugged him tightly and told him to work hard with Sesshomaru, then returned to be with Rin.

When Shippo entered the dojo, Sesshomaru stood waiting for him; the demon lord studied the young boy's transformation before nodding his approval, and Shippo let go of the breath he didn't know he was holding.

Kagome and Rin sat cross-legged on the tatami floor in the middle of the training hall. Most of their current training involved meditation, as it was both the most basic technique and the one in which both priestesses had the most difficulty. Kagome had not learned to properly meditate until after the defeat of Naraku, and she usually had little patience for meditation when it was so much faster (and more gratifying) to channel her spiritual energy into a nearby weapon or object. Rin, being young and energetic, simply got distracted easily.

Kagome decided to give up and let herself fall back and sprawl on the mats. Rin laughed and crawled on top of her. They listened intently to the other training hall, trying to figure out what the two demons were up to.

Since coming to this particular arrangement, Sesshomaru had many times wondered what he was thinking in agreeing to train the kit. And he had not just agreed, he had volunteered! He sat in the middle of the dojo, cross-legged and seemingly relaxed, but on the inside his mind would not still.

He currently had Shippo practicing a kata, much the same way his father had trained him. The repetition, the committing of movements to muscle memory left less room for error in battle. It took discipline and patience to train like this, and Shippo lacked both of these qualities. In fact, Sesshomaru blamed these faults on the influence of his half-brother. Inuyasha also lacked discipline, patience, and a regard for the art of the sword, choosing to swing the Tessaiga around wildly and without control. Sparing a glance down to his still mostly missing arm, Sesshomaru snorted.

To each their own…

He did not miss the appendage and it would regrow eventually, however, it was the blow to his confidence at the time that bothered him. He had been so sure that he was right. He had been so sure that his father was wrong. He had been so sure that Inuyasha was worthless, weak, and a disgrace to their house. But now…

Sesshomaru remembered their battles. The times Inuyasha fought him. The times Inuyasha saved the human miko, Rin, and his friends from danger, even in the face of near certain death. There was definitely something to be said for his brother's strength and character, although he would never admit it aloud. He could see why the human miko followed him without reserve. She trusted him implicitly, much like how Rin trusted him.

Sesshomaru's thoughts were interrupted when he sensed the kitsune was becoming exhausted. He could hear the thundering heartbeat, the heavy breathing, the tension of strained muscles. Sighing lightly, he reminded himself that even with an older looking form, Shippo was still a child. He supposed he was not much better at the same age. The fact that Shippo had not given up or spoken out gave the demon lord some hope that he could be made a strong, disciplined fighter yet.

"That's enough. Clean up the room and get changed for breakfast."

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru," Shippo panted, bowing his head until the older demon left the room.

Back in her room after the morning's training (or lack thereof), Kagome fiddled with her obi, unwilling to admit defeat this time or call for one of the servants to help. She vehemently refused to wear the traditional miko garb for training because it made her look too much like Kikyo for her liking. Not that she had a problem with Kikyo… not anymore. It was just more comfortable to wear track suits or sweats like she would wear for P.E. at school. However, her day to day wardrobe had seen an influx in kimono with the season change.

Today she had pulled out a light peach-colored kimono with a green and gold grass motif that stretched from the hem to the knees. The obi she chose was also green, a rich forest shade with a light hexagonal design. She was not entirely sure where this kimono (or the other two with it) had come from. They had suddenly appeared in a neatly folded pile on her bed about a week after her arrival. She thought perhaps Sesshomaru had sent them as a not-so-subtle hint that he didn't like her clothes, but he had said nothing about either sets of clothes in the interim and neither had she.

Her initial reaction was to stuff them in the chest of drawers in her room. Out of sight, out of mind. But after more than a month and half of living at the castle she gave in. The first two times, a servant happened to be in the room with her already, and it hadn't been necessary to actually ask for assistance. This time, however, she was determined to do it herself.

Frowning and grimacing slightly, she pulled at the misshapen bow in front of her and tried to twist the whole obi around to position it correctly behind her. It immediately undid itself.

I'm gonna be late…

Sesshomaru sat down at the table. Rin and Shippo were already seated to his left, chatting together about something they had read yesterday in one of Kagome's books. The place on his right where the miko should be seated was curiously empty, however. Shin and Shun brought in the breakfast trays, setting the four platters in their respective spots.

Sesshomaru wondered if he should begin without the miko. Normally, he couldn't care less about the rules governing meals. In any case, she was the one who was late. However, something seemed strange about starting without her, so he made no move to begin. The children seemed unperturbed, continuing to talk quietly between themselves.

He was about to ask the children if they knew what was keeping the miko when his ears picked up the sound of someone running down the hallway.

Kagome opened the sliding doors of the dining hall a little harder than necessary, causing the one she had opened with her right hand to hit against another. She froze. Upon realizing no harm had come to doors, she straightened out her kimono and made her way to her spot as gracefully and with as much pride as she could muster.

She saw Sesshomaru spare her a glance. While his eyes were usually blank and devoid of any emotion, she saw a shimmer of confusion and… was that amusement?

Kagome blushed hard and looked down at her plate, which was the precise moment when she noticed that her obi was attempting to undo itself again.

Not again… Hmph!

Kagome sat up taller and stared straight ahead, unwilling to admit anything was wrong with how she was dressed. The demon lord took his cue from her and picked up his chopsticks. The children, realizing they could eat now and completely unaware of the dressing issues faced by their teacher, picked up their own utensils and began to eat with gusto.

The meal passed with little conversation, the same as most of those before it. Kagome was suddenly thankful for the naturally reticence of their host. How embarrassing would it be if she had to explain why she couldn't tie an obi…

As she gave her thanks for the meal and stood, she saw Sesshomaru do the same.

"I'll escort you to the library," he said, reminding her of his offer to lead them back to their rooms the first night they had stayed there.

"But I know the…" She trailed off, realizing that he must already know this.

He probably wants to criticize my lack of obi-tying skills or ask me to keep the kids quieter of something.

"Rin, Shippo. Why don't you guys go play outside for a bit?"

"Ok, Kagome-chan!"

"Ok, Kagome-sama!"

Kagome followed Sesshomaru down the halls, attempting to adjust her obi covertly and keep up with his long strides at the same time without tripping over her own feet. If Sesshomaru noticed her external and internal struggles, he gave no indication. Instead, he opened the door to the library and entered, leaving her to close the door behind them.

Kagome had expected him to lead her directly to his study, so she was surprised when he walked in the opposite direction towards the lesson space, which was also connected to the library much like Sesshomaru's study. The corner of the library where the majority of their language lessons took place was strewn with different books, toys, and supplies from Kagome's time. To Kagome, it looked like an older kindergarten or nursery school, as it combined more traditional architecture and furnishings, like the tatami mats, low table, and shoji doors, with modern toys and materials.

Before he spoke, Sesshomaru took in the mess before him. Although it was true he had been nearby and in sight for some of her lessons, this was the closest he had come to the materials she used. On the desk there were numerous papers of the whitest color he had ever seen. Some of them seemed to have childish writing and scribbles on them, but he passed over those in favor of looking at the large circular object in the center of the desk. It looked to be some sort of a map, although he had never seen such a shape used for a map before.

Looking to the right of the globe (and trailing down to the tatami below) were a series of long, cylindrical objects of varying colors and materials. The shorter objects he recognized as the things called "crayons." Rin had shown him an impressively colorful drawing done with such a medium within the first week of their lessons more than a month ago. The other objects, however, were longer and seemed to be made of a hard clear material.

Distracted slightly, Sesshomaru reached down and picked up the clear object, marveling at its design.

"That's a pencil," came a soft voice from behind him. For a moment he had forgotten the young priestess was there. What nature of woman was she that her presence became so natural so easily? He turned to look at her, still holding the strange item. In the soft morning light, she seemed to glow. The unruly black hair she normally let free was pinned half up, and despite the haphazard state of her dress, he had to admit that she looked… nice.

Kagome took his continued silence as a sign he wished for further explanation. "Well, technically it's a mechanical pencil. It's probably the first time you've seen one of these, right?" She came up as close as she dared and put her thumb over the top, her knuckles slightly brushing against the demon lord's hand.

"Hold it tight," she instructed.

Surprising himself, Sesshomaru listened and followed her direction. A moment later, Kagome pressed down on the top three times, eliciting a series of three corresponding clicks from the object.

"Look," Kagome said, gently using her hand to turn his and point to the other end of the pencil.

Sesshomaru looked down at her hands. They were small and tipped with short, blunt nails. The faint lines where the path of her blood came close to the surface were evident on her pale skin. Drawing his gaze away from her person, he looked to where she indicated, noticing there was now a thin line protruding from the end.

Not receiving any answer or indication that he understood, Kagome let go of him and turned to pick another pencil off the floor. She repeated the previous actions, holding the pencil steady, pressing down on the end, and making the clicking sound. She then knelt in front of one of the papers and began to write.

"This. Is. A. Pencil."

Sesshomaru stared at the object in his hand and then at the written words before her. What a strange device that could write without needing to be dipped in ink!

"Interesting…"

The miko looked pleased with his observation, and he placed the pencil he still held on the table next to her. Suddenly remembering his purpose in asking her to meet with him privately, Sesshomaru turned and walked toward his study.

Kagome frowned. Sesshomaru had seemed to enjoy learning about the pencil, but then he left so abruptly.

What's got into him?

She was about to get up and collect the children when he returned just as quickly as he left, setting a string of coins on the table. Her eyes bulged slightly, surprised at how much he had given her.

"This Sesshomaru finds himself in need of your help again, miko. Winter is approaching, and Rin and the kit will require clothes of an appropriate size and material. There is no surplus of staff in the house, therefore I must ask you to take on this task."

"Isn't he technically doing me a favor?" Kagome asked herself, thinking how Shippo's apparel should be her concern. She decided not to question it, however, opting to look up into the eyes of her host.

"Where is the nearest village?"

"About a day's journey from here if you borrow Ah-Un. You are able to do this alone?"

The last part was another of those statement-more-than-question questions. Did she have a choice? Possibly. Was he concerned for her well-being? Not likely.

Kagome nodded and smiled up at him. "Leave it to me," she said.

Sesshomaru nodded in reply. As he turned to reenter his study, he said, "I will have Ah-Un ready for your departure after breakfast tomorrow."

Kagome grimaced and stood up, slipping the coins into the kimono sleeve. She exited the library quietly and made her way out to the garden where she was sure the children were still playing.

Looks like I'm not getting out of training tomorrow…