InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Cursed ❯ The Year in Review ( Chapter 21 )

AN: Wow, what can I say but sorry for the extremely long wait. Sometimes real life interrupts my fantasy life. I'll try to start updating regularly again but please bear with me. I will stress that even though it may seem like I'm not going to finish at times, I always will. If a story never gets finished then it's a pretty sure bet that I'm dead or in a coma. Since I don't plan on letting either of those happen, it will eventually come to an end. Also, I've created something of a convoluted plot here and it's going to take me some time to figure out how I'm going to get from point A (already written) to point C (already written). It's that damn point B in the middle that's giving me indigestion. I'll also start responding to reviews starting next chapter but trying to do it this time would have taken up just a little too much room. Thanks to everyone who's stayed with this and I hope you enjoy this long overdue installment.

 

Chapter Twenty One - The Year in Review

 

Yuti maintained her vigilance over the fitfully sleeping human. Getting her into the castle unseen had been a bit tricky but fortunately the human had been nothing but quiet. She didn't say anything and obediently followed all directions given. Once they arrived they entered the rarely used private quarters of her lord, Yuti was at a complete loss as to what to do next. Any attempt at conversation had been ignored by the disquieting woman. Finally, she just decided to sit and watch over the pathetic creature. She would have to pry answers out of the stoic lord, as this human was surprisingly less forthcoming with information than even he was.

 

Sesshoumaru was seated at a large table, which was littered with documents that would require his immediate review. The stack was imposing and though he normally dreaded such things, this time he looked forward to it. It would be vital in his education over the past year.

 

His head general stood in a stance of agitation across the table at which he was seated. Tomo had spent the last two hours trying to give an accurate description on the more important goings on of the past year within and out of the Western Lands. It had quickly become obvious that his master was completely ignorant of the state of things. It seemed as though he had just fallen off the face of the earth only to suddenly reappear one year later..

 

“I didn't even need to be told that Loki had was stirring up discontent during my absence, such an occurrence is hardly surprising.”

 

Tomo wished he could just laugh at the all too accurate statement. It was true, that rat of a lord who never should have attained such a title in the first place was always the instigator of trouble. Unfortunately, this time it was not the easily quashed problem that it had been in the past. This time was different.

 

“I couldn't agree with you more my lord but there have been other troubling circumstances that have arisen in your absence. It seems that Loki has begun to catch the ear of others beside just his own subordinates this time.”

 

Sesshoumaru looked up from the stack of papers to his general, trying his hardest to remain solidly focused on the important matters at hand. He felt like a pup again with his easily wandering mind. He'd managed to conquer it once but he now found he'd regressed in the ability. He would attempt to deal with the situation that she presented as soon as he had a full understanding of the events and problems that had occurred within his lands in the last year.

 

“What type of nuisance is he presenting this time?”

 

Tomo's brow creased. He disliked only giving partial answers to his lord but at the moment a partial answer was all he had. “Nothing concrete my lord but during your absence he began preaching openly that changes needed to be made. He never said anything overtly mutinous but he said it eloquently enough that many of your usually loyal lords began to turn an ear toward him instead of turning their back as they normally do.” He paused a moment before continuing when Sesshoumaru made no move to quiet him. “The unrest I reported with the Northern border, the disputes over holdings within the West amongst some of your lords, your lack of an heir apparent and your extended absence have all weighed heavily in making many of your loyal subjects nervous about the future strength of this land. The combined circumstances have allowed a garrulous fool like Loki to burrow into the minds of the weaker lords.”

 

Sesshoumaru said nothing. He would have to ruminate on the current situation before taking any definitive action. If all Tomo was telling him was accurate, as it most assuredly was, then moving carefully through the political scene at the moment would require a great deal of finesse. He could not afford to have his lords split over his ability to lead them. He may be a powerful youkai in his own right but he was not a god that could do anything he pleased. He needed the backing of powerful men to rule successfully especially without the added measures of the now lost Tokijin and Tensaiga to lend strength to his position.

 

Though no one knew yet of the two swords' absence, it did not mean that it would not be realized soon enough. After all, he was rarely seen without them. To suddenly not have them at all after such a long absence would be recognized almost immediately. He'd be surprised if Tomo hadn't already noticed. It also presented an added complication. How would it be seen? He disappears for a year, leaving his lands in unrest and then coming back without his greatest symbols of power. He already knew how it would be perceived. Weakness. It was unacceptable and he would have to find a way to end it as quickly as possible.

 

After a long moment of silence between the youkai lord and his top general, the silence was finally broken. “Now if I may be so bold my lord but where the hell have you been for the past year. Jaken came back with Ahun one day saying you had simply not returned from a routine patrol. I had to practically beat the little toad to death to keep him from moaning about how you must have met some gruesome demise.”

 

Sesshoumaru raised a single eyebrow. So his retainer had lost faith in him so easily. Truly though, he wasn't surprised in the least. It wasn't because of the little toad's faith that he kept him around, rather his undying sense of loyalty. The little toad probably tried to commit suicide to follow his master into the land of the dead.

 

“Then the little idiot tried to commit oibara since he believed you had left this life for the next.”

 

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes in mild annoyance, predictable little twit. “Well, as you can see, I did not die.”

 

Tomo just gave him a guarded but obviously annoyed look. He was much better at staying within the character of loyal subject and subordinate than his new mate ever had been or currently was. Yuti had always had a boldness that no other could rival. She had even stood up to his great and terrible father when the two had been children. Not even the young lord had possessed the courage or the stupidity for such a foolish move against his father. Despite the consequences of that blunder, Yuti had not been sufficiently cured of her bull headedness. She had wizened up since then however as she'd learned when such behavior would be tolerated and when it would not.

 

“The reasons for my absence and my return are, for the moment, none of your concern. Just know that it was beyond my ability to return and had I done so, the consequences would have been far more disastrous than my prolonged disappearance.”

 

Though unsatisfied with the answer, Tomo knew better than to press his master. Where most could not differentiate between one stoic countenance of his lord and the next, Tomo had learned long ago the subtle differences. At the moment, Sesshoumaru would be unmovable on the subject.

 

“Then may I ask a different question my lord?”

 

Sesshoumaru inclined his head to continue as he returned his attention to the papers on his desk.

 

“With what mission did you entrust Yuti before retrieving me?” Tomo immediately noticed the way in which all of his lord's actions simply stopped. Whatever it was, it had to be very important to affect the great youkai in such a way.

 

“She's attending to a personal matter of mine at the moment.” He then stopped as if in mid thought. He simply didn't know how to deal with that part of his return at the moment. The more that Tomo had told him about the current state of things, the less Sesshoumaru had felt secure in his decision to bring Takana here. With Loki causing all different sorts of problems at the moment, the foolish lord would undoubtedly make quite a spectacle of his brining a human female back to the fortress. Though it had taken place over a hundred years ago, the acts of his father were still forefront in the minds of many in the Western Lands.

 

His father's taking of a human directly led both to his death and the bloody civil war that had followed in the absence of his leadership. It had taken a great deal of luck for his young son to overcome [Author ID1: at Tue Oct 3 13:21:00 2006 ]the uprising and bring the lands back under some semblance of order. In the early days, many had tried to take advantage of his young age and lack of experience. If it hadn't been for a few key supporters that had the best interests of the West in mind, it is a fair bet that it would have fallen apart only to be slowly picked apart by the surrounding stronger lands.

 

Sesshoumaru was pulled out of the past by his general's persistence. “Is it a matter that I will be enlightened to or will I be kept in the dark on this subject as well?” Sesshoumaru then did something that actually surprised the hell out of Tomo, he sighed visibly and audibly. It was the type of sigh that made Tomo believe that his lord was actually unsure of what to do, something he had not seen in many, many decades.

 

“No, you will not be kept in the dark. In fact, I'm going to need your advice on how to proceed.” With that said, Sesshoumaru stood. “Come, there is someone you will need to meet first.”