InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Mutt's Tail ❯ Cleaning and Penning ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha or any characters from the show/manga that may appear in this fic…please…don't sue…I'm broke. *pulls out pants pockets and a moth flies away*

2: Cleaning and Penning

I heard Koga snicker as I closed my eyes and bowed before Kikyo.

"I do not know what to say, Lady Kikyo," I said quietly, THAT was an understatement. I felt her place her hand on my head and I froze.

"Say nothing, truly, Sesshoumaru and Inu Yasha are my pets but I thought that perhaps you might find a suitable mate between the two. Of course, both are rather ragged and unappealing to the eyes," Kikyo said as Kagome ordered the servants around to gather Kikyo's belonging and return them to her room. I watched the gleam of murder glow in the two pairs of golden eyes.

"I would not say that, my Lady," I spoke quietly, I had to be careful, Kikyo did enjoy disciplining youkai. She patted my head, her hand gently rubbing behind my ears, what normally would have felt pleasant was turned into a form of disgust.

"Then you like them, wonderful, you will take them out to the back stables and wash them, I will bring them clothes after dinner, I want you to keep them company," she ordered and I bit my tongue, the taste of blood and the sting of the wound kept me from snarling. Kikyo began to leave and then stopped to look back. "And Meinu, don't take your eyes off them."

"I won't, my Lady," I spoke slowly and softly, trying not to snarl.

"That's an order," she chuckled and I nearly attacked her, my own self-control stronger than I thought. I watched as the servants returned inside and the various field hands returned to their work. I looked at the two and growled in Kikyo's direction.

"Meinu, make sure to clean them well too," Koga teased as he and the other wolves approached. I snarled and for once let go.

"Baka, you have work to do, stop being such an idiot and hunt effectively. I'm a lone female and I can bring in twice the amount of meat in one night than you do in a fortnight!" I snarled, my face right up into his. "Now I've got work to do so go get to yours, you lazy, stupid, incapable male!" I looked at my 'gifts' and growled. They began to follow me as Koga and his wolves looked at me, I had always teased Koga right back smiling all the while, never had I snapped like that.

"Come along," I sighed as we rounded the barn, there really was nothing I could do, I had to bathe the two and then watch them as they were left standing around nude until Kikyo came with suitable robes.

*****

I filled the wooden tub with water from the well and then dropped some cleaning salts into it before turning to the two. I looked from the youkai to the hanyou.

"The water will be cold and you will only be able to bathe one at a time, but you'll be clean and your Mistress will bring you some new robes," I said as I looked at the two. They looked at each other and then at the tub, the hanyou's ears were flat against his head.

"Is there not a hot spring nearby?" Sesshoumaru asked and I looked at him and blinked.

"There is one in the house, the other is several miles away, I can make it there, but I doubt the boundaries set by your collars will allow you to go that far. Besides, she ordered me to bathe you here," I sighed and they looked at the water again.

"I rather bathe alone," Inu Yasha grumbled and I growled.

"You think I want to bathe you, you stupid male!" I snarled as I walked up towards them. "I got ordered to do it, in four years I have not been ordered to do anything! I was asked!" I walked back to the tub.

"I see," Sesshoumaru whispered and I looked at him. "Kikyo has been in our lands for four years, has she not?" I blinked and then realized the question was directed at Inu Yasha.

"Yea, I'd say I've been fighting her for that long," the hanyou replied and I blinked again. Then it clicked, Kikyo was battling in the Western Lands, these two were from 'royal' breeding, and they were referring to the Western Lands as 'our lands'.

"You two are the Lords of the Western Lands," I said, shocked. They looked at me for a second as if I was an idiot then they looked at their ragged clothing, muddy skin, and tangled and dirty hair. "Huh, never would have guessed with all that dirt on you. Take off your robes, I'll have them cleaned and I know a place to hide them."

"Why would you do that?" Inu Yasha asked as he looked at me and I shrugged.

"You want me to throw them out, fine," I leaned forward to take his belt but he jumped back. "Take them off and I'll wash them in the hot spring tonight." The two looked at each other and I crossed my arms as they began to disrobe. I took their robes and when into the stable, placing them in a bag on the wall. When I came out Sesshoumaru was in the tub and Inu Yasha was holding his brother's under-robe. I grabbed the soaps and the grooming supplies and began to work. I started with his shoulders and chest, wiping the mud and grim away to reveal milking white skin. I moved down his arms, paying special attention to his claws, sharpening them with a file before gently rubbing them with a cloth. I had to have him step out so I could dump the filthy water and refill the tub. I didn't look at him as I repeated the process with his legs and back. He stared at me the whole time, I was probably blushing.

"You are not accustomed to bathing others?" he asked and I stopped and laughed.

"No, I'm not, I have helped Kagome…er…Lady Kagome with her nails and hair, when she was preparing for special occasions, but I have never washed a male," I said as I began to wash his face, carefully taking the dirt off his beautiful markings. Two lovely, purple stripes on each cheek, red over each eye, and a blue crescent moon on his forehead. I nodded as I looked at him, save for his hair he was clean.

"Now your hair," I sighed as I dumped water over his head and poured soap into his hair, I began to brush the long locks as the soap worked to clean the gray-ish black mess on his head.

*****

I had finished the long job of brushing Sesshoumaru's hair and I poured the water over his head many times to clean the soap away, I was startled to see that the actual hair was not gray or black but a silver white, it made my auburn locks look sad and pathetic. I sighed as I took a towel and patted his hair dry before handing him the towel to wrap his body in.

"Inu Yasha, you're next," I said as I reached for his under-robes. "I must wash those too." I pointed to several bloodstains. They both looked sad as if the last bit of their old lives were passing with those tattered, silk rags. I filled the tub and took the robes, not looking at Inu Yasha as I entered the stables and put the robes with the others. I sighed as I repeated the process again.

*****

We were sitting behind the stables till long after nightfall and I knew I would not be hunting tonight. I looked at them, they could only keep their modesty protected. I couldn't deny that they were handsome males, each one possessing an elegant sense of beauty. I couldn't believe that Kikyo would call them my GIFTS. I felt sudden sadness for them, they had been free and now they were slaves, I had been a slave for as long as I had been alive.

"What's taking that miko-bitch so long?" Inu Yasha growled and I turned my head so I could only see them from the corner of my eyes.

"She's taking forever purposely, if we're unfortunate she'll 'forget' about us all night," I sighed. "She once forgot that she had Koga standing over a small fire holding buckets for her 'potion' for several days." I remembered having to lick all of Koga's wounds clean because Kagome didn't trust the other wolves. It wasn't that bad of an experience, that's why I didn't like to think about it.

"Why did she call us your gifts?" Sesshoumaru asked suddenly and I turned to look at him. I was wondering the same thing.

"The only thing I can think of is that she wants more inu youkai with our traits," I said as I crossed my arms and reached into my pockets, I had four bones in my pockets, maybe I should share.

"Why would she want that?!" Inu Yasha cried and I looked at him. I was right in front of him in the blink of an eye.

"Because I'm fast and I'm smart, you're royalty, a mix of that wouldn't be bad at all," I hissed and then I was hit by the thought. "Especially in the slave markets."

Both of them growled and I knew, they had never been to the markets, they had been captured in battle, against Kikyo.

"Here," I threw them each the larger bones from my pockets. "Hopefully she'll be here soon." They both broke the bones and began to suck the marrow.

*****

I watched as the two slept, Kikyo had probably kept them standing the whole time, everyone gets tired standing. I sighed as I stood, turning to bow to Kikyo as she rounded the side of the stable.

"Lady Kikyo, I've washed the two and groomed them," I said, biting back the urge to growl at her.

"Very good, Meinu," she said, patting me on the head again. "They are even more handsome clean, aren't they?" I looked at her and the look in her eyes told me to respond.

"Yes, my Lady, they are handsome," I said quietly as I watched her smirk.

"Well they were the two hardest ones to capture, I almost had to slay Inu Yasha," she bragged and I could see the two glaring at her. "Do you know where the chains are we used to bind Naraku to the God Tree when he ruined my mother's vase?" I blinked and swallowed nervously.

"Yes, my Lady, in the canine barn, in the loft," I whispered. This was not a good thing.

"You will get those while these two dress, then you three will come to me," Kikyo smiled.

*****

I was carrying the chains when I saw Kikyo come around the stable, Inu Yasha following, dressed in a simple red robe, and Sesshoumaru in the rear, dressed in a simple gray robe. They still looked stunning and I bit my tongue.

*****

I looked at Kikyo as she led Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru to the old training pens. I fought the urge to whimper and let Kikyou know how much I hated this place. The stench of fear, pain, anger, and death was saturated in the earth, even after four years of abandonment, the smell still remained strong.

"Meinu, chain Sesshoumaru's collar to this pen," Kikyo ordered and I attached the chain to his collar, it fused to the iron collar quickly, and then attached the other end to a ring in the middle of the pen, it fused as well.

"The chain is magic, only she or Kagome can remove them," I whispered as I finished and headed out, the pens were surrounded by wooden fences, like those for the horses. I looked at Kikyo and she smiled.

"Inu Yasha in this one," she pointed to the one opposite Sesshoumaru's. I quickly repeated what I had done with Sesshoumaru. "We are done for tonight. Tomorrow, we begin training." I shuddered in fear.