InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Simple Legacy III ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 7 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and its characters are created by Rumiko Takahashi, not me, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: To Katie33h, darkserenity07, Hentaivixen, Heartstar, gradualwisd0m and winter's mistres, thank you all for reviewing!!

A Simple Legacy III by elle6778 - Chapter 7

The sound of a gentle splash caught her attention. Kagome almost turned around in reflex before she recalled that Sesshoumaru was naked. Her cheeks immediately heated as she remembered the time she had walked into him in the hotsprings.

She scowled. He remembered enough of that incident to tease her about it. That had been mean of him. It had been the first time she had seen him completely nude and she had been frozen to the spot, unable to pull her gaze away. Surely she had overreacted. Or maybe her reaction had been due to the fact that she did not know him very well at that time. Or it could have just been her teenage hormones.

Anyway, she was positive that if she was to see him in that state again, she would not be as tongue-tied.

Shuffling into a more comfortable position on the tall boulder, she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at a tree in the distance. Sesshoumaru had wanted her to remain within his sight, so there she was, sitting with her back turned to the hotsprings. All she had to do was turn around and she would see him. Not that she would actually do something like that, of course. Why would she even want to see him like that anyway?

And what on earth was taking him so long?

Come to think of it, it was strangely silent back there.

“Sesshoumaru?” she called out softly.

When the silence continued, she frowned. Did he leave without her? But she would have heard if he had left, right? Should she turn around and check?

She caught herself before she turned around, her cheeks heating up again at the thought of what she had almost done. Okay, maybe she was a little affected by his body. It would probably be better if she just continued staring at the tree. Sesshoumaru would never let her forget it if he caught her spying on his bath. Come to think of it, maybe she should move a little bit further, or maybe try to get off this boulder without breaking any bones. Her landing skills were not that great after all.

With that thought, she began to shuffle carefully to the edge. Just as she was about to reach, her traditional straw zori skimmed over a patch of slippery moss. Her eyes immediately rounded when she realized what she had done.

A squeal of surprise escaped her lips as she slipped, her arms cartwheeling wildly around her. Squeezing her eyes shut, she braced herself for the impact with the ground.

But it never came.

Instead, she found herself clamped tight in a pair of damp arms. Her eyes shot open to clash with Sesshoumaru's unreadable golden orbs. Her gaze traveled down his face, past his lips to his pointed chin and further down to her hands which were splayed his bare chest.

Bare chest.

Kagome gulped as her eyes shot back up.

He seemed frozen as he stared down at her. Not for the first time, it occurred to her that he was so good-looking that it was almost unreal. It was too bad that he had claimed that he did not require a woman. His mate would be one lucky woman…female.

Suddenly, the image of Kagura came to mind. Naraku had hinted at something like that, but Kagome really could not imagine Sesshoumaru being with the wind sorceress. Kagome was not stupid. With his looks and his age, he probably had engaged in some form of relationship or another at some point. Her heart suddenly twisted at the thought of Sesshoumaru holding some unnamed, gorgeous female youkai.

She huffed inwardly. Why should she care if he decided to bed half the female in the Western Lands? After all, it was not as if she liked him that way, regardless of what Inuyasha or Sango thought.

Right?

The steady beat under her palms suddenly caught her attention, drawing her back to her current situation. Sesshoumaru still had his arms around her and he did not seem inclined to let go anytime soon. His scent invaded her lungs as she took a deep breath. To her consternation, she felt her body responding to his closeness.

“Uh, S-Sesshoumaru?” Her voice sounded strangely husky.

His eyes flickered, but his expression remained bland. “Our position is improper,” he stated quietly.

But he did not make any move to release her.

She blinked in an attempt to clear her mind. It was hard to think with him this close to her. Was she attracted to him? Was that why she reacted this way every time they were close? But normally it was more of a comfortable feeling. Like how she had always felt warm and languid when he scent-marked her.

This time, though, she felt as if she wanted to jump out of her skin.

Kagome's breath hitched in her throat, her eyes widening as Sesshoumaru lowered his head.

What was he doing? Her heart thudded erratically, pulsing loud in her ears. She found her eyes traveling to his lips, mesmerized. Dimly, she was aware that her fingers were twitching against his bare chest.

Those lips came closer. Was he going to kiss her?

Their nose touched briefly, and then she felt him shifting sideways until their cheeks came into contact.

Her breath escaped her lungs in a rush.

He was just scent-marking her, she thought as her eyes fluttered shut. She barely registered the familiar moves he made against her face and neck as she attempted to calm herself.

Of course he was just scent-making her. What else could it be?

Then all of a sudden, she found herself released. Disoriented, she swayed slightly as she watched Sesshoumaru's naked form, his modesty only covered by a piece of traditional loincloth. As he reached out to his clothes, she quickly turned away, embarrassed at her own actions.

She bit her lips, feeling somewhat lost and disturbed, all at the same time.

Nothing happened back there. It was all just in her mind. It must be because of all her earlier thoughts about all the courtings she had been subjected to, plus her thoughts about Akiyama's true intentions and Sesshoumaru's unmated status. Her mind was just a little confused, that was all.

Right?

……………………̷ 0;..

The fire-pit at the centre of the room glowed brightly, illuminating the large reception hall filled with only three occupants. The space was bare of furniture, bar a low table at one end of the room. The bamboo walls, however, were decorated with various scrolls and painting, depicting scenes of great battles.

Kagome glanced out of the corner of her eyes at a stoic Sesshoumaru. He was standing beside her to one side of the table, his eyes fixed to one end of the room where Jaken was waiting by the shoji screen. She could tell that he was tense, even though his expression gave nothing away. Maybe he was concerned about remobilizing a full rank of warriors. Or maybe he was concerned about the warriors' reactions to him.

Ever since Sesshoumaru had told her about his warriors few weeks ago, he had been preoccupied with gathering his forces. So much that their patrols and their morning training sessions had dwindled down to nothing. Jaken had taken over the patrols, backed-up by a few other inuyoukais. It left Sesshoumaru free to go through mountains of parchment to unearth the whereabouts of all the warriors which had been released a couple of centuries ago. That was then that she had found out that he had never attempted such a thing before.

However, it was not as if they did not see each other. Instead, somehow or other, she always ended up close to him, whether it was in his study or anywhere in the castle. He would always find something for her to do which kept her by his side.

Not that she was complaining. This was far better than the first week, right after they had returned from their last patrol. She cringed in mortification as she remembered what her mind had conjured up that day. Of all things, why did she have to think that Sesshoumaru was about to kiss her? She had been so embarrassed with herself that she had found it hard to even meet Sesshoumaru's eyes. Fortunately, he had seemed to have understood that something was bothering her and had left her to her own devices for the next few days.

She sighed. That had been awkward, but she was glad that things were back to normal now.

Well, as normal as it could be with all the preparations for the arrival of a select group of generals. Jaken had delivered the messages last week, summoning the presence of those generals who had served under Sesshoumaru's father centuries ago.

She could sense their presence in the castle and knew that it would not be long before they appeared.

It was fortunate that Sesshoumaru had called her to his side even before she had asked. It would have been annoying if she had to try to convince him that she had every right to be included, especially considering that Ryokusen was responsible for the death of the sorceress and her child. The urge to avenge the sorceress and her daughter was overwhelming. Kagome wondered if the sorceress's last thoughts before she died had anything to do with it.

The generals were getting close, she thought as their presence intensified.

She grabbed Sesshoumaru's wrist, dimly aware that recently, she frequently felt like touching him in one way of another. Her eyes widened when she realized what she was thinking. Could it be that she was suffering from some sort of withdrawal from his scent-marking?

He gave her a questioning look.

Wracking her brain to remember what she was about to say, Kagome finally blurted, “It will go well.”

His eyes flickered briefly. “That is to be expected.”

She rolled her eyes. “That's why you look so worried, right?”

His eyes narrowed.

Smiling, she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. Before he turned away, she saw a slight softening of his expression. Involuntarily, her heart skipped a beat and her cheeks heated. Surprised at her own reaction, Kagome blinked.

What was wrong with her?

……………………̷ 0;….

Wearing his usual expression of bored indifference, Sesshoumaru fought the urge to exhale heavily. For many centuries, he had depended only on himself and he disliked the thought of having to lead a group of warriors. He answered to no one and no one answered to him.

He preferred to patrol the lands than what he was currently doing.

He glanced out of the corner of his eyes at the miko beside him. The lack of patrols also meant that he had not scent-marked the miko for more than two weeks. Vaguely, he wondered if his edginess had anything to do with the side-effect from the scent-marking. His desire for her presence puzzled him. Again, that might also be another side effect. Their hands were still touching and he realized that the warmth of her small hand against his was strangely pleasing.

However, the generals would arrive soon and it would be inappropriate for them to remain in contact in such a manner.

He gave their joined hands a pointed look. “Miko. They will arrive shortly.”

Her eyes widened briefly before she pulled away. Suddenly, he detected a hint of unease in her eyes. She seemed troubled.

“What is the matter, Miko?”

Taking a deep breath, she replied, “It's nothing.”

Perhaps she was nervous at the prospect of meeting the generals. “You will simply remain by this Sesshoumaru's side, Miko.” He paused thoughtfully and then added, “Silently.”

She gave him a small smile. “I wasn't planning on saying anything. Look, don't worry about me. I'm fine.”

He was not fooled by her words. But before he could ask again, the sound of approaching footsteps reached him. Jaken went to the shoji screen and slid it open just as the group of inuyoukai appeared.

As each of them walked in, they bowed low and greeted, “Sesshoumaru-sama.”

He inclined his head in acknowledgement.

Jaken turned to the inuyoukais and announced loudly, “You've been recalled to serve the Western Lands.”

Few of the warriors bristled visibly, glaring at Jaken while the rest gave the diminutive youkai looks of interest. Perhaps it would not be wise to allow Jaken to continue.

When Sesshoumaru spoke, his tone was quiet. “You once served under the great Inu-no-Taishou. Certain events had come to pass which made it necessary for the Western warriors to regroup.”

One of the warriors stepped forward. Sesshoumaru recognized him as his father's main general.

“It would be my honor to serve the Western Lands again, Sesshoumaru-sama,” the old grey-haired inuyoukai declared. “Your father had led us well and I'm sure that you will do the same.”

Sesshoumaru inclined his head.

A younger general glanced towards the miko. Sesshoumaru dimly remembered that his name was Katsuo. “Is this the miko who defeated Naraku by your side, Sesshoumaru-sama?” he asked respectfully.

“It is true that this miko is an ally of the Western Lands,” Jaken declared, wearing a look of pride.

The one called Katsuo inclined his head at the miko. “I congratulate you on your success.”

“Thank you,” the miko replied with a polite smile.

A few of the other generals frowned. Then one of them glanced at the silent taiyoukai and said, “Forgive my ignorance, Sesshoumaru-sama. But is she just an ally? Isn't the miko your mistress? Or is there another miko in question?”

“Shin!” one of the other generals hissed in warning.

Sesshoumaru stilled, his eyes narrowing a fraction as the implication of Shin's words sank in. Beside him, the miko froze, obviously just as surprised as he was. So, the baseless rumors had begun, he thought irritably. But before he could correct their assumptions, a furious Jaken stepped forward.

“Fool! The miko-”

“Jaken.” Sesshoumaru's voice was low, but its tone carried a wealth of warning. Turning towards the warrior, he continued firmly, “You are under the wrong impression. The miko is a close ally and you will not insult her.”

The warrior lowered his head, appearing distressed. “I understand.” Then, turning to the miko, he said in a stricken voice, “My apologies, Miko.”

“It's alright,” the miko replied tightly. It was clear that she was still unsettled by the inuyoukai's assumptions.

The grey-haired general spoke again, “We await your orders, Sesshoumaru-sama.”

Sesshoumaru studied the twelve inuyoukais in front of him. Most of these individuals were once generals to his father's ranks of warriors. Only two of them were unknown to him, one of them being the one called Shin. He surmised that they were the offsprings of the generals who had served under his father. And now, they would serve the Western Lands under his command. Although he had little experience in such matters, Sesshoumaru determined to carry out this task in a manner which surpassed his father.

He would not tolerate being second to another. Not even to his father.

Turning towards their expectant faces, Sesshoumaru began, “The Northern forces had been causing problems in the Western Lands. Ryokusen, the neko-youkai who was once defeated by the Inu-no-Taishou, has a foolish desire to seize this land for himself. Perhaps as a revenge for his defeat.”

Growls escaped the lips of the generals. One of them said, “He's weak. Too weak to even think about taking over the Western Lands.”

“Let's just teach that bastard a lesson,” another one spat.

Sesshoumaru held a hand up and the generals immediately stilled. “Do not underestimate Ryokusen. Since his last battle with Inu-no-Taishou, he had gathered a large number of warriors.” It was not necessary to elaborate further until he was certain that he could trust them.

Twelve pairs of eyes stared at him in shock. It was apparent that they were unaware that Ryokusen was behind those attacks on some of the youkai settlements.

“You will gather the warriors in your locality and return a detailed account of each of the warriors to this castle,” he told them firmly. Sesshoumaru had every intention of screening the background of each of the warriors. He was not foolish enough to risk a traitor in his ranks.

“You have four days to get the information back here,” Jaken added sternly.

“You will now return to your lands.”

The generals gaped at him, but Sesshoumaru simply stood up. If they were unable to complete such a simple task in the given frame of time, they were not worthy of being the warriors of the Western Lands.

Once they had regained their composure, they bowed to him in unison and one after another, they filed out of the room. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed slightly at the speculative look in one of the general's eyes as he glanced at the miko.

This particular situation of the miko's would no doubt worsen once the rest of the warriors gathered in the Western Lands. Perhaps he should have continued scent-marking the miko. However, since she had not left the castle, he had seen no reason to continue doing so.

His lips tightened as he recalled what one of the younger inuyoukai had said. It displeased him to know that the miko was viewed as his mistress. The position of a mistress was not an honorable one as it suggested that the miko was free with her favors. It also suggested that she was not worthy to be his mate when nothing else could be further from the truth.

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened when he realized what he had just thought. Although it was true that the miko would be a prized mate, it did not mean that he wanted her to be his.

Did he?

The houshi's words appeared in his mind, further irritating him. Perhaps he should have considered a farce human marriage.

A soft touch on his arm brought him out of his contemplations.

“That went well.”

Sesshoumaru glanced over his shoulders at the miko. “Indeed.” His tone was dry.

……………………̷ 0;……………

Kagome was idly going through the rows of bound parchment in Sesshoumaru's study. It had been three days since the generals had left the castle, and now things seemed to have calmed down a little.

However, calm was the last thing she felt. She had been feeling odd around Sesshoumaru these days and the whole thing was making her anxious. But she could not quite put her finger on what was causing it.

A nagging voice in her head kept telling her that maybe she had developed some feelings for Sesshoumaru, but she could not understand how it could have happened. Being close to him all the time just made it even more confusing for her.

Glowering inwardly, she figured that the irritating voice in her head was probably making things up.

She sighed heavily. Maybe it might help if she went out for a while. And anyway, she probably should not keep hanging around Sesshoumaru while he was in the middle of mobilizing his forces. Some time alone would probably help her get things into perspective. She could also pop into the taijiya village for a while and maybe pay a visit to Kaede. While she was out there, she could also try to look for the last shard. That should be long enough to get her mind in order.

Yes, that was a good idea, she decided.

Suddenly feeling a little lighter, she returned the bound parchment to its rightful place in the wooden shelf and turned around.

“Um, Sesshoumaru…”

The only indication that he had actually heard her was a slight flicker in the golden depths of his eyes. His hand continued to move as he wrote something down on the parchment in front of him.

“I think I'll go traveling for a while.”

His movements stilled. Then he looked up. “You wish to travel?” he queried evenly.

Kagome nodded. “Yeah. To visit Sango and Kaede. I just need to get out for a while and I might as well visit them.”

“Hn.”

She continued, “Anyway, while I'm out, I think I might as well go find that last shard. I'll feel better knowing that I'm actually trying to find it.”

“Hn.”

“I think maybe I'll go tomorrow.”

Sesshoumaru just stared at her silently, his feathered quill held motionlessly over a piece of parchment. A little unnerved by his perusal, Kagome fought the urge to fidget. “Sesshoumaru?” she prompted when he failed to respond.

“You will wait,” he finally said.

She frowned. “Huh? Why?”

He turned his attention back to the parchment and continued to write. Without taking his eyes off his work, he explained, “It is unsafe out there at the moment. The Western warriors are regrouping.”

Her frown deepened. “But they know that I live here, right? I mean, I was there during that meeting. They wouldn't harm me. And anyway, I can always fight back if I meet any unreasonable ones.”

“No.” His tone was uncompromising.

She bristled. “Sesshoumaru…”

“Three days, Miko. Wait three days.”

She was about to argue, then she noted the expression in his eyes.

Sesshoumaru was tired.

Frowning, she asked anxiously, “When was the last time you slept?”

“It is unimportant,” he remarked flatly as words continued to flow from his quill to the parchment.

Lips compressed, she walked over to him and pulled the quill out of his hand. Ignoring his frown of disapproval, she asked, “What do you mean it's unimportant?”

“Miko…” he warned.

“Don't `miko' me! You should be resting if you're tired,” she scolded.

Sesshoumaru's lips tightened. “This Sesshoumaru is not tired.”

She planted her hands on the table and leaned down to him. “You're lying.”

His eyes flickered.

Sighing, she straightened and walked around the table until she was standing behind him. Ignoring the way he stiffened, she placed her hands on his shoulders and began to knead his tense muscles. Slowly, his body relaxed beneath her hands, bringing a smile to Kagome's lips.

A rumbling sound reached her, and she stilled. Was that a purr?

Grinning, she continued her ministrations, the occasional rumbling spurring her on. Her fingers pressed and rubbed his muscles from his neck down the small of his back, and then swept back up again. When she finished, she tilted her head down to gaze into his face. His eyes were slightly glazed.

“Liked it?” she asked.

Their eyes met. A short pause followed before he replied evenly, “It was tolerable.”

Unable to help herself, Kagome laughed.

…***…***…***…

Sesshoumaru flicked through the last pile of parchment on his table, his eyes scanning the details the generals had left for him. It contains information on each and every one of the Western Land warriors. From what he could see, most of them had served under his father and the rest were their descendants.

Finishing with the last pile, he pushed it to the side and stood up. He had been working on those parchments for the last two days, making sure that those forming his new ranks were worthy of serving the Western Lands. It would not be long now. Within the week, they would arrive at the castle.

Suddenly, he stilled. A familiar presence reached him, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps approaching his study.

It had been two days since the miko had informed him of her wish to travel. And since then, he had sent out two messengers to summon Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed in distaste. The fact that he needed the hanyou's assistance grated on his nerves. However, he knew that it could not be helped since he could not accompany the miko himself. He disliked the notion of the miko traveling alone. She might be adept at protecting herself, but his encounter with the panther youkai in the south immediately came to his mind. From what he could tell, the miko was innocent. Her questions for him months ago about youkai mating only proved to him that she was not wise in the mating ways. If anyone tried to trap her in a manner similar to what the panther youkai had attempted, the miko would be scarred for life.

Not to mention the last thing he wanted was for her to mate with some despicable low-life youkai, granting said youkai the miko's power and a mate he was not worthy of.

His thoughts were interrupted when the shoji screen slid open abruptly. Sesshoumaru's eyebrows rose at the sight of the two bloodied inuyoukai flanking a glowering Inuyasha.

“What's so important that you have to drag me here? Did something happen to Kagome?” Inuyasha snapped irritably.

“You injured the messengers?” Sesshoumaru's voice was cold.

“Keh! They asked for it, interrupting me when they shouldn't. I told them to wait but they insisted I left right then.”

Sesshoumaru frowned. Turning his attention to his messengers, he instructed, “You will summon the miko and then tend to your injuries.”

Nodding, the two inuyoukais bowed before they left the room, but not before throwing angry glares at Inuyasha.

Once the shoji slid shut, Sesshoumaru bit out, “You will not injure anymore of those under the Western Lands' protection.”

Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest. “Cut the crap, Sesshoumaru. Why do you want me here?”

He willed himself to remain calm. After all, he required the hanyou's assistance. “The miko desires to travel.”

“Travel?” Inuyasha echoed incredulously.

“She desires to visit her friends and to proceed with a shard hunt.” Sesshoumaru paused briefly before continuing firmly, “You will accompany her.”

Inuyasha stared at him wordlessly for a moment. Then he averted his gaze. “Why don't you go with her?”

“The Western army is mobilizing. This Sesshoumaru needs to be present to oversee the proceedings.”

Gaping, Inuyasha exclaimed, “You're joking, right?” Then he frowned thoughtfully. “This is because of Ryokusen?”

“Hn.”

Inuyasha exhaled loudly. “This is really not a good time, Sesshoumaru. Can't she wait a while longer?”

“The miko needs you.”

Another thoughtful silence followed. And then Inuyasha nodded, looking resigned. “Fine, I'll go with her. Who knows what sort of trouble she'll get into traveling all by herself?”

“Indeed.”

“Feh!”

An uncomfortable silence commenced as they stared at each other. Then Inuyasha scowled. “So, did anything happen?”

Sesshoumaru kept his expression bland. “Perhaps you should clarify your question, little brother.”

“You and Kagome. Are you courting her or what?” Inuyasha snapped irritably.

Sesshoumaru raised a brow and remarked evenly, “One would think that you wish for such an event to occur, considering how many time you brought the subject up.”

Inuyasha's eyes flared. He took a few steps forward until amber met gold. “Listen, Sesshoumaru. If it was up to me, I'd just tell you to stay the hell away from her,” he bit out. Then he continued, “I may not understand her reasons, but I can see that she wants to live here. And don't think that I didn't notice that she always seemed happier when you're around.”

An odd warmth washed over Sesshoumaru at the hanyou's words, but he ignored it. “Do not blame this Sesshoumaru for the miko's desires.”

Inuyasha straightened, taking a step away. “You talk as if you're completely unaffected by her,” he scorned.

Sesshoumaru simply stared at him, composing his expression into a look of mild disinterest.

Inuyasha shook his head, looking exasperated. “It's useless talking to you.” Walking towards the door, he threw back over his shoulders, “I'll go get Kagome. She probably had enough of staying here.”

“That will not be necessary. She had been summoned.” Sesshoumaru forced himself to ignore the rest of Inuyasha's words.

Just then, the miko's familiar presence reached him. A moment later, she entered his study, this time not even bothering to announce her presence. Sesshoumaru suppressed a twinge of annoyance.

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Inuyasha! You're here!” she exclaimed, rushing past him towards Inuyasha.

Glancing down, his hanyou brother gave her a smile, his expression softening slightly. “Keh! Someone's got to check to see if you're safe here,” Inuyasha said, tossing a pointed look at him.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed.

“I'm glad to see you too,” the miko said with a laugh. “Hey, I've been thinking of traveling. You want to come with me?”

Inuyasha's eyes flicked towards him before he turned his attention back to the miko. “What? You think I'll let you go alone?”

The miko bristled. “Hey! What's that supposed to mean?”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. “You want to go traveling or not?”

A happy grin spread over the miko's face. “Of course.”

…***…***…***…

Somehow, Inuyasha had found out about her trip and insisted on following her.

Kagome flushed as she remembered how Sesshoumaru had nuzzled her before she left. Inuyasha had sputtered in outrage as she blushed furiously. The only person who had seemed unaffected was Sesshoumaru himself. He simply viewed it as some sort of protection for her, she thought uncomfortably. Well, so did she, but it had been embarrassing to do it in front of Inuyasha.

They had spent a few days in the taijiya before they set off for Kaede's village. Kagome had been surprised when Moriko declined to join them, but the forest youkai explained that she was in the middle of trying to create a permanent barrier around the taijiya village to keep it protected. It seemed that there had been a few random attacks in the east.

So they had left, just her and Inuyasha. But for some reason, for the past one week of travel, her hanyou friend had been quieter than usual.

A little confused, Kagome snuck a sideways glance at Inuyasha. Arms folded into his sleeves, Inuyasha seemed lost in thought as he walked beside her.

Finally not able to stand the silence, she asked, “Are you alright?”

He jerked and glanced at her. “Feh, why shouldn't I be alright?”

“I don't know. You look…erm… preoccupied.”

“I just have something on my mind.”

“What?”

He scowled at her. “You won't want to hear it.”

“Try me.”

“Just wondering how long this will take, that's all,” he said gruffly.

She raised a brow. Did her friend have something else to do? Then why had he insisted on following her in the first place? “If you have something to do, you can go, you know,” she said softly.

His eyes widened. “No!” he protested. Then he looked away uncomfortably. “It's fine.”

Unconvinced, Kagome pressed, “I know when you're lying to me, Inuyasha.”

“Keh, who says I'm lying?”

“Your ears are twitching.”

Inuyasha stilled. Then turning around, he scowled at her. “Just find the stupid shard, alright!” he snapped.

Kagome grinned. Now she was positive that Inuyasha wanted to be somewhere else. “Come on, you can tell me,” she coaxed.

He did not bother to answer. As he continued to walk, wearing a mutinous look on his face, Kagome decided to try a different tack.

“So, it looks like things are going well in the village, huh?”

“Yeah, half of the buildings are done. Some of the younger people from Kaede's village decided to join Sango.” He smirked. “A new breed of taijiya.”

“That's great,” Kagome exclaimed. “And Moriko? She's happy staying there?”

Inuyasha averted his gaze. “I suppose so,” he replied gruffly. He paused for a long while, and then added quietly, “I'm courting her.”

Comprehension dawned upon Kagome and her eyes widened. “Now? Then what are you doing here?”

He scowled. “What are you talking about?”

Kagome closed her eyes in regret. He should not have come with her. Inuyasha should be back at the village with Moriko. But Kagome knew that he felt a certain amount of responsibility for her. She guessed that it had become a habit after their three years of traveling together. Her lips tightened. It was not fair on him. After all, he deserved to have a life instead of spending all his time hunting for shards. And anyway, the Shikon jewel was her responsibility.

“Inuyasha, go home,” she urged. “You shouldn't be traveling with me when Moriko is back there alone.”

“Keh! She's not alone. Sango and Miroku are with her.”

“You're in the middle of courting her. Honestly, Inuyasha, you should go,” she insisted.

He gave her an irritated look. “Kagome. I'm not leaving you here alone.”

She let out an exasperated sigh. “You know I can protect myself, right?”

“Not against some stuff, you can't. And anyway, it's unsafe for you to travel alone.”

A sudden suspicion came to her. The fact that Inuyasha had turned up so conveniently gave her an idea who might be responsible for it. “Did Sesshoumaru ask you to do this?”

His eyes flickered for a moment, giving him away. Then he exclaimed carelessly, “Does it matter?”

She gritted her teeth. “He said I could come and go as I please. And now he's getting you to follow me around to protect me?”

“Kagome, we're just worried.”

“About what?!” Did Sesshoumaru really think that she could not protect herself? Did he have so little confidence in her skills and her strength? Her blood boiled. Strangely enough, she felt a little betrayed. She should be used to it, considering how over-protective Inuyasha was, but for some reason, it felt different when it came from Sesshoumaru.

“How should I know?! Sesshoumaru's not exactly talkative, you know!” Inuyasha snapped.

Kagome squashed the urge to scream. When she spoke, her voice was tight. “Look. Go home. I can handle looking for the shards by myself. And anyway, it'll only be a week or so.”

“I'm not going anywhere,” Inuyasha stated mutinously.

She stifled a sigh. It was clear that Inuyasha had no intention of listening to her.

Then Kagome's expression became awash with determination. She would not continue to weigh him down like this. But since he would not leave, she would simply have to do it instead. All she had to do was to make sure that he had no way of tracking her down. She knew how to mask her scent and Sesshoumaru had taught her how to hide her trail, so it should not be too difficult.

Grinning inwardly, she began to formulate a plan.

…***…***…***…

Sesshoumaru looked out at the sea of inuyoukai gathered in the large open area outside his castle. He could not help by feel a satisfying sense of pride at the view.

It had taken the generals a week to gather the forces. Sesshoumaru recognized some of them as those who had served his father in the past. But the rest were younger, the new warriors of the Western Lands. They had been sorted into ranks and training groups. Although the generals had assured him that these inuyoukais were well versed in battle, Sesshoumaru wanted them to train together. It was crucial that their skills complimented each other. He also wanted them to develop some skills which did not include the use of their youki.

The generals had been given instructions on how to proceed and Sesshoumaru had every intention of making sure that those instructions were obeyed. All he had to do now was to inspect them occasionally, with Jaken reporting to him on their daily progress. Then perhaps he could resume patrolling his lands with the miko.

Absently, he wondered when she would return from her travels. She had been gone for less than two weeks and he was growing increasingly unsettled by her absence. Lips compressing in a thin line, Sesshoumaru wondered why he had allowed the miko to have such a large impact on peace. Perhaps he should leave the castle for a while to join her.

Nodding at the generals, signaling them to continue the training, Sesshoumaru spun around and began to return to his castle. Once he entered the courtyard, he stopped in his tracks as the presence of Inuyasha hit his senses. The hanyou was some distance away but his furious yells were loud enough to reach him.

“KAGOME!!! WHERE ARE YOU?”

Sesshoumaru frowned. The miko was supposed to be with the hanyou. Had he somehow managed to lose her?

Useless.

Turning around, he made his way towards the direction of Inuyasha's increasingly frantic voice. As his half brother came into view, Sesshoumaru stopped and waited.

“Oi! Have you seen Kagome?” Inuyasha asked breathlessly, skidding to a halt in front of him.

Raising a brow, Sesshoumaru replied disdainfully, “Are you incapable of keeping up with a mere human?”

Inuyasha bristled. “Kagome is no mere human!She just ran off and left me a stupid note telling me to go home. I guess she's not here either.”

Sesshoumaru's brow furrowed as he extended his hand. “The note.”

When Inuyasha placed the crumpled piece of thin parchment in his palm, Sesshoumaru ran his eyes over it. It was short and to the point, simply telling Inuyasha to go home and that she would be fine traveling alone. Sesshoumaru's lips thinned in annoyance. The miko was simply incapable of following instructions. If she wished so badly to be alone, so be it.

“We've got to find her!” Inuyasha exclaimed.

“The miko is more than capable of defending herself.” Something within him protested at his words, but Sesshoumaru forcibly suppressed it.

Inuyasha shook his head, looking annoyed. “There is something weird going on in the east. When I was looking for her, I saw a few villages flattened. If she's out there alone, who knows what might happen to her.”

Sesshoumaru stilled. There was disturbance in the east so soon after Ryokusen's attack on his castle and the Western villages? “Did you detect the stench of neko youkai?”

Inuyasha frowned. “Now that I think about it…Yeah.” Then he paused before he continued in an agitated voice. “You think Ryokusen has something to do with the villages?”

“Hn.”

Tossing the crumpled parchment back to his half brother, Sesshoumaru looked thoughtfully into the distance. Ryokusen had proved to them that his powers, although stolen, was not to be taken lightly. The miko might be in danger, especially considering that Ryokusen wanted information about his deceased mate.

Turning around to face Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru said, “You will remain here and watch over the affairs of the Western Lands. The warriors are being trained and would simply require occasional inspections.”

Inuyasha's eyes widened. “What?!”

“You heard correctly, little brother. Since you could not find the miko, this Sesshoumaru will depart to do so.” Then his gaze hardened. “Watch over the Western Lands. Do not fail.”

Inuyasha just crossed his arms over his chest and scowled.

…***…***…***…

It occurred to Sesshoumaru that he would not be in this ridiculous position if he had not trained the miko in the art of concealment. His lips tightened. As always, she had been an excellent student, even though it had taken her a week to completely master the subtleties of the art.

Her success was irrefutable. Tracking her scent had taken all the skills he possessed. He had spent two days in the Eastern Territories before he had finally picked up her trail a few hours ago.

It led him to a mountain, not too far from Kouga's lair.

She was somewhere in these mountains, he thought irritably. Then his eyes narrowed as the breeze drew his attention to another scent. His heart quickening in apprehension, Sesshoumaru called forth his powers and streaked up the side of the mountain until he reached a ledge. When his feet touched the rock, he looked around. He could see a grassy cliff in the distance. That was where the scent was coming from.

As Sesshoumaru made his way there, he grimaced. The scent of pheromones was strong, offending his sense of smell. Some youkais emitted pheromones to attract females and then claim them when the females were too affected to resist. When he realized what it could mean, he streaked the remaining distance towards the cliff.

The view which greeted his eyes froze him on the spot.

Two days of scouring the Eastern Territories and he had to find her gazing heatedly into the eyes of some worthless panther youkai. He felt the rise of his fury. For some reason, the sight of the miko being in the arms of another male brought on something which he had never thought to associate with the miko.

Possessiveness.

His fury mounted as the male youkai leaned into her. There and then, Sesshoumaru decided that no one, whether youkai or human, would lay a single finger on the miko. With a snarl, Sesshoumaru leapt forward and hauled the unsuspecting youkai off the miko. The panther struggled away and glared at him.

“You're interrupting,” the youkai spat.

“Sesshoumaru?” the miko muttered, sounding confused. It was clear that she was still affected by the pheromones, judging from the glassy look in her eyes.

Sesshoumaru ignored her. Instead, he focused his attention on the insolent youkai in front of him. “The miko does not welcome your attentions,” he bit out as he flexed his claws threateningly. He would show this youkai no mercy for daring to trick the miko.

The youkai's eyes widened.

A single slash of his poison attack was all it took to send the youkai flying. The cliffs echoed with his howls of terror as he disappeared down the cliff. Sesshoumaru's eyes hardened as his blood continued to pound in his veins. The youkai would not survive the night. The poison he had released would make sure of that.

“I could have handled that, Sesshoumaru,” the miko said quietly.

He turned slowly to face her. Her previously glazed eyes were beginning to clear as the effects of the pheromones dissipated.

“You, Miko, are foolish.” His tone was hard.

She bristled. “Hey, I didn't do anything to deserve that!”

His lips tightened. “Running from Inuyasha was foolish. Allowing yourself to be held down by a weak youkai was foolish.”

“Look, it's not like I'm asking to be courted by these idiots. As for Inuyasha, he has a future mate to go back to, alright! What is your problem anyway? I can take care of myself! I don't need you or Inuyasha to baby-sit me.”

Sesshoumaru suppressed the urge to shake her. She obviously did not comprehend what was about to happen earlier. He gritted his teeth. The image of her being seduced by another male was simply unbearable. His voice was cold when he spoke. “Do you realize the severity if one of these males succeeded in marking you? Inuyasha was simply providing you with assistance.”

Her eyes flashed as she stepped close to him, her flushed cheeks catching his attention as she snapped, “Like I said, I can take care of myself Sesshoumaru.”

“You forget that you have been injured by Ryokusen recently,” he bit out, trying hard to calm himself in the face of her continual defiance.

“Oh yeah? What about you? You did not come out of the last two battles uninjured, Sesshoumaru! What makes you think you can help?” she taunted.

His eyes narrowed at her words. She dared to challenge him? Yes, her defiance was clear as she glared at him. Her defiance was goading him, pushing him to do something about it.

Completely oblivious to his fraying control, she continued, “You told me that I can come as go as I please, Sesshoumaru. What is this then? Why are you out here checking up on me?”

Sesshoumaru's lips tightened. Perhaps he should have allowed the insolent youkai to defile her to teach her a lesson. But the instant the notion crossed his mind, Sesshoumaru felt the rise of his rage and the overwhelming urge to kill something.

She glared at him, her face flushed with anger. Her heightened color and her rising aura were oddly enticing. Her defiance irked him, but he could not help but feel compelled to close the gap between them. In less than a blink of an eye, they were face to face.

She grabbed his armor. “Answer me, Sesshoumaru!”

Her tone grated at him. “You will not raise your voice, Miko,” he growled, wanting nothing more than to silence her forcefully.

She snapped up at him, “Stop ordering me around…”

He stared at her lips, her words slowly fading from him. Somehow, the only thing he could focus on was those lips and how he wished to seal them.

Blood roared in his ears, completely tuning her words out.

One moment, he was simply staring down at her and the next, the two of them were pressed together with barely a hair's breadth between them. She had finally stopped speaking. Instead, she seemed to be caught in the same spell as he was. Their eyes locked for a long moment as they swayed towards each other.

The first touch of their lips was soft and fleeting.

Pulling back just a fraction, Sesshoumaru felt his lips tingle where he had made contact with her. Ignoring the screaming warning in his head, he dipped down again. This time, instead of brushing his lips against her, he pushed closer. A strangled gasp sounded, but with their mingled emotions, he had no way of telling who made the sound. He ran his tongue over her plump bottom lip before he nipped it, savoring the silky texture. Then he slipped his tongue between her lips, tasting her. He sucked in a sharp breath as his mind clouded instantly.

Dimly, he realized that his entire body was tightly coiled in preparation to further their kiss on to something more. With a growl, he pulled back.

The silence was thick.

Sanity slowly returned to him as he stared at the flushed miko. His entire body froze in shock as reality sank in. As dismayed as he was, Sesshoumaru found it impossible to move as his eyes remained locked onto the miko.

What had he done?

Cheeks flushed, the miko blinked wordlessly and then quickly turned her back to him, her palms pressed against her cheeks. Waves of confusion and desire emanated from her, dizzying in its intensity.

He felt the same, with the addition of a mounting feeling of anger. Resolutely, Sesshoumaru willed the return of his calm. His fury at his own loss of control was palpable. At the rate things were going, the foolish concerns of the hanyou and the houshi might come to the feared conclusion. He knew he had to do something about it. But what?

Admitting that he was attached to her appeared to have made things worse. It was as if a large part of himself was not satisfied with a simple attachment and wanted more. And it was obvious what it wanted.

It wanted the miko.

…***…***…***…

t.b.c.

A/N: Finally! (grins) I thought they would never get to this point. I hope you like how it went and as usual, please review to let me know what you think.