InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Cursed ❯ Stolen Moments ( Chapter 28 )

Chapter Twenty Eight - Stolen Moments

 

“A human? A human female?” Sareth didn't even try to hide the astonishment in his voice. “And how is this being received?”

 

Loki picked at the roasted carcass and took a long draught of sake, in no real hurry to answer. “Some don't like it.” He belched. “But most don't care and no one will go to war because of it.” He tapped his chest with his fist in a mild effort to force the food in his gullet down faster to make room for more but also in order to emphasize his point. “Everyone is already accustomed to the idea of Sesshoumaru keeping human females as pets anyway. He kept one for her entire life. If he'd been fucking her, then it might be a different story but the whole court paraded by her and nothing. I think their feelings would change some if she smelled like him but she doesn't just like the other human never did. She only smelled of her own kind. If he had fucked her, then it was a long time ago.” He laughed. “Besides, there's rumor and this is just rumor mind you, that she's already whelped by a human.”

 

“She's carrying?” He stroked his chin.

 

“I'm not sure. I never got that close to her. I just walked by, but those that do think it, like the fortress servants would swear to it.”

 

“Anything else?” Sareth asked, hoping that this fool had come with something more than this.

 

“No, that about sums it up. Oh, I need some more of that scent muddler. Can't have people suddenly knowing I'm being all stealthy.” The fat dog answered back as he scoured the picked clean carcass for something else to nibble on.

 

“Why was he gone?” He asked, a hint of annoyance creeping into his voice.

 

“No one knows.” Loki answered without looking at the serpent youkai.

 

“He disappears without a trace from his empire for an entire year,” he began, “and all you have for me is that he brought back a whelped human woman?”

 

Loki looked up from his food survey at the chill in his coconspirators tone. He tried to match it but failed miserably. “Sesshoumaru is well known for his silence on anything and everything personal.”

 

“Hn.” Sareth replied noncommittally. He needed more than this drivel about a human and its unborn whelp. If this plan was to bare fruit, he needed something...something more...” He was pulled out of his reverie by the sudden verbal explosion of his idiot companion.

 

“I almost forgot! No one has seen him with his swords or the swords themselves at all!” Loki looked very happy with himself.

 

Sareth allowed himself the pleasure of imagining himself spitting poison onto this fool and watching him dissolve in front of his eyes. Loki took the smile that resulted from the serpent's hidden fantasy as praise and smiled himself.

 

 

“Whoever knew you be so good with diplomacy Momo?” Yuti teased lightly when she walked into their quarters to find her exhausted looking mate slouched down in a chair with a mug of warm sake.

 

He gave her a mildly annoyed look. “You know I hate it when you call me that.”

 

She laughed. “But that was the deal. I get to call you Momo and you get to call me Mate. Fair is fair.” She said from the doorway.

 

Tomo put down the sake. “Yeah, well you got the better part of the deal. Besides, I don't much see the point in that lately.” They hadn't seen much of each other lately but then again, that's probably why she was here.

 

She laughed and shook of his little jab as she walked over to her seated mate and sat down straddling his lap. “You look absolutely dreadful.” She cooed before she kissed his brow.

 

“Thanks lover.” He huffed as he placed his hands on her hips. “It's good to know that I look the same as I feel.” He was about to say something else smart when she silenced him with a sweet kiss. He growled instead and not the kind when he thought about all the non military business he'd been involved in lately but the kind that he made when she wiggled in his lap like she was right now.

 

“Gods how I've missed you.” He moaned when she pulled away from his mouth. “I didn't think Sesshoumaru would be back until tomorrow from his foray to the Southern Districts. Fortunate for us.”

 

“I don't think he will be.” She whispered into his ear right before she nibbled on it. Yuti suddenly found his hands on her shoulders instead of her hips where she preferred them.

 

He pushed her away slightly in order to get a good look at her face. “You mean he's not back yet?”

 

“No.” She said slyly before attempting to kiss him again. She was thwarted once more.

 

“Then why are you here?” He asked, all seriousness suddenly. “Shouldn't you be watching the human?”

 

“You mean Takana? And I've taken care of it.” She said with a slightly guilty look on her face.

 

“Taken care of it?” His eyes narrowed.

 

Yuti let out an exasperated sigh and let her head fall back. “I've got Sura looking after her for just a little bit but if you think I need to leave right this minute...” She made to get up but strong hands suddenly held her firm.

 

“Now I didn't say that Yuyu.” She laughed. He tried to use different pet names with her in an attempt to find one that she hated as well. That way he could get her to agree to stop using Momo in exchange for getting him to stop calling her whatever it was he came up with. It was a fool's quest. Even if he did find something that annoyed her enough to make her agree to such a thing, she'd never let him know it. She loved the look she received every time called him that way too much.

 

“Oooo, I like that one!” She didn't but she kissed him anyway.

 

 

Sura eyed the human woman. She'd been fascinated by the idea of one here in the palace the moment she heard the rumors. When Yuti had asked her to look after her for a little while, she'd jumped at the opportunity. Yuti must have seen the excitement in her eyes and had quickly admonished her.

 

“Don't bother her Sura. She's shy.” She quickly softened her stance. “Thanks Sura.”

 

Now the human was in her kitchen, peacefully eating a meal that Sura had especially prepared for her.

 

“Did you make this?” Takana finally asked. Sura jumped on the opportunity.

 

“Yes! Do you like it?” The diminutive youkai chirped, quickly moving away form the activity she'd been pretending to do for the last ten minutes.

 

Takana was surprised at the amount of energy that the little creature exuded but her voice matched her perfectly physical stature perfectly. She'd never heard such a tiny voice. It wasn't high pitched, just...tiny, with the hint of an accent. She had beautiful big black doe eyes that absolutely sparkled with excitement and the deepest black hair she'd ever seen. There was pitch-black and then there was the color of this creature's hair. Takana couldn't help but like her immediately.

 

“Yes, it's excellent! I've never had anything like this.” She didn't think the little cook's eyes could get any brighter but they certainly did.

 

“I'm so glad! It's been a long time since I've had the chance to cook for a human.” Sura saw the surprise on her guests face and immediately set to quell it. “This was Rin's favorite dish.”

 

“Rin?”

 

“Oh, you don't know about her? She was the last human that Sesshoumaru-sama allowed to live here.” The surprised look had not abated at all. “She died about twenty years ago. She was so old.”

 

Takana was a mass of questions. Who had she been? Why had she been there? What had she been to him? Perhaps she wasn't the first to find herself in this odd situation. She opted to ask the most innocuous question she could think of without raising any suspicions from the tiny youkai.

 

“How did a human come to live in this palace before?”

 

“According to Jaken, a toad that accompanies Sesshoumaru-sama on patrols in order to care for Ah-Un, she just started following them one day when she was a child after Sesshoumaru-sama pulled her back from the underworld. Followed him all the way home.”

 

“She'd been dead?”

 

“As a drown neko.”

 

“How did he do that?”

 

“Oh, he has this magical sword that his father left to him called Tensaiga. It is a sword of life and he used it on the girl. No one knows why, not even Jaken and he was there when it happened.”

 

It was a strange story but she was in no position to disbelieve any strange happenings these days. It was relieving to hear that she'd been a child that just followed him home though.

 

“I'm sorry,” Takana started after a moment of silence, “my name is Takana and yours is?”

 

Sura absolutely lit up, even more. “Sura, my name is Sura. It is very nice to meet you.” She said with a customary little bow of her head. Takana returned the gesture.

 

“Your accent; you weren't born here were you?” Takana asked, already becoming comfortable with the little youkai.

 

“No. I was born on the great continent across the sea to the west. I actually came over as a slave and was given to Lord Sesshoumaru as part of a treaty signing but I'm not a slave anymore. No, not me.” She took a quick breath and continued. Takana was fully enjoying listening to her. “Sesshoumaru-sama doesn't approve of slaves within his lands so he freed me and allowed me to serve him in anyway I wished and I wished to cook so here I am. It was Sesshoumaru-sama's father that originally did away with the slavery practice in the Western Lands. I'm told that he did away with it when he took a slave as a mate and the decree was his gift to her. She was Sesshoumaru-sama's mother.” She didn't stop but moved to take a seat across from Takana.

 

“Apparently it caused a lot of problems at first since all the lords had slaves. All the other lands still do too as does the continent but his word carried over into law here in the West. I was glad that I wasn't a slave anymore. It was so boring.” She rolled her eyes and pretended to be falling asleep. “All I was allowed to do all day was look pretty but here...” She said, gesturing to the large kitchen that she obviously took a great deal of pride in, “here I can look anyway I want and cook all day and all night long. It's great! The life of a pleasure slave was not for me.”

 

Takana almost choked on her noodles at her final words. “So, you never um...performed for Lord Sesshoumaru?”

 

“Me! Oh no and even if I had, I wouldn't talk about it. He insists on privacy on such matters. It would be known of course,” she tapped her nose, “but it would be improper to say it aloud.”

 

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...” Sura cut her off.

 

“It's ok.” She chirped. “So, when are you due to have it?”

 

Takana froze, another amount of noodles just suspended in mid air. Slowly her eyes rose to meet the expectant ones of her cook. “What?” She asked hesitantly.

 

“Your baby. When do you think you'll have it?” Still as chipper as ever.

 

“But...I haven't told anyone.” She stuttered out.

 

Sura had begun to get the notion that this was not a subject she should have brought up. “Well...everyone knows...everyone in the palace anyway.”

 

“But how?” Takana was sounding like she was on her way to getting hysterical.

 

“You can smell it. Oh! Humans can't, I completely forgot but youkai, at least us inu, can smell it.”

 

“Then Sesshoumaru knows.” Takana said out loud to herself but Sura answered anyway.

 

“Yea, he would have known first since he brought you here. Are you alright?” Sura was a little concerned at the suddenly pale face Takana was sporting. “I'm sorry, did I say something wrong. I didn't mean to.” She started apologizing furiously.

 

Takana finally remembered that she wasn't alone and immediately tried to calm herself though she wasn't very successful. “No, no. I just didn't realize how good your noses were.” She stood up, clearly still agitated. “Where's Yuti? I need to talk to her.”

 

It was Sura's turn to look a little nervous. If she screwed up this little assignment then she wasn't going to be trusted with anything by Yuti ever again and she so looked up to the female general.

 

“Uh...she's indisposed at the moment.” She knew full well where she was and just what she was doing. “She won't be gone long though. She should be back soon. I'm sooo sorry I upset you. Would you like some desert, I have some of the best deserts lined up for you.”

 

It was funny that the distress of another actually calmed Takana down immensely. The caregiver in her seemed to always put her own worries behind those of another. “No, no. You didn't do anything wrong. I promise.” When it seemed that the little youkai was not going to calm down, she continued. “I'd love some desert, what have you got?”

 

That did the trick. Sura immediately perked up. “You want some? Oh, then you're going to love this!” She ran to the back and came back with a bowl of diced fruit and a pitcher of cream. She poured the cream over the fruit and hand handed it too her with the most expectant look on her face.

 

“It's delicious!” Takana declare without an ounce of acting going into the display. It really was great. The cream was not just simple cream but was mixed with what had to be honey and a variety of spices that the young healer could not identify.

 

Sura clapped and hopped up and down. “Oh good!”

 

Sura just watched Takana eat her desert for a while, all conversation coming to a thankful standstill. When she finished as much as she could possibly eat, she spoke up again. Something had been nagging her ever since the silence began.

 

“Sura?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Where is Yuti?” She asked with a little smirk.

 

Sura turned red which was surprising considering her previous occupation. “Um, I think she missed general Tomo-san” When Takana laughed, Sura gained a little confidence to speak again of which she didn't need much. “They haven't had much of a chance to see each other lately. They'd only been mated for a couple of weeks before Sesshoumaru-sama returned.”

 

“I see.”

 

“Yeah. I don't think she's supposed to have left you with me but...I'm not going to tell anyone.

 

“My lips are sealed as well.” Sura immediately lit up as much as she had been before.

 

 

AN: Well, I haven't felt pain in my hip in a couple days and tomorrow I try running again so everyone, cross your fingers for me and I won't threaten you with anything this chapter. Good.

 

Cochrann - She is trying and I agree, he does deserve it. He's been through a lot of changes and that can't be easy. Thanks for the sweet words.

Vickey - All tens, now I know you're lying. You are just too nice I think.

Nikkie23534 - hehe, you are so optimistic when it comes to me. You have got to be a great mom!

White Luna - Oh gosh no! I would never think you were complaining, especially not about angst. Hell, you read my stories too! Hehe

SnowFlakeAlchemist - Oh, thank you, thank you. Ah, the pup, yeah, she's coming along...slowly but hey, that's why they make em so cute. The hip is rested and we'll see if it's enough tomorrow. I like updating, sometimes it's the writing that slows me down though.

DragongirlCV - Thanks, me too!

 

PSAN: I just realized after revising that this long chapter doesn't have any Sess in it. A travesty!