InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fuyu no Shimekiri ❯ Let Loose the Dogs of War ( Chapter 15 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 15: Let Loose the Dogs of War

Sesshoumaru dispersed his youki cloud as his feet touched the ground, pausing to wait for Ah-Uhn to land with his Lady, then turned and lifted her from the dragon's back. Tenderly brushing a lock of hair back from her brow, he leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, then moved away and offered her his arm.

Smiling up at him, she let him lead her to the main tent, and grinned when she caught sight of Koga and Shippo already there. Pulling away from Sesshoumaru, she moved to swing her kit into a hug, then let loose of him and grinned at Koga, before taking a seat next to her Lord.

"So. How has everything gone?"

Koga chuckled at her. "What an impatient one you are, Kagome." As Sesshoumaru nodded, he continued. "Everyone's here and, besides some normal exhaustion, ready to go. We cleaned out that garrison on the other side of the border, and I've had my wolves out roaming the entire area in a swathe of about five miles on either side of our line of march. At this point, we've caught a few scouts, but not much else."

Shippo nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I've got about five hundred of the best scouts and spies out there blanketing the entire area from here to the Southern Lord's shiro - and I'm almost positive he has no idea we're coming." He glanced over at Koga. "Also, from what my spies have found, he has about five thousand soldiers currently garrisoned at his palace - and if we can get through the next twenty-four hours without them discovering us, he won't be able to get any of his other garrisons to his side in time."

Koga snorted at that. "Hell, even if he does find us out, and calls his closest garrisons back to his shiro, he'd only add about two thousand more soldiers to the total... which is only about half of what we have right now." He sent a mischievous glance Kagome's way. "Besides, he doesn't have the Shikon no Miko on his side, either. Kagome could take out half the battlefield with just a couple arrows, so..."

Sesshoumaru smirked. "Maybe we should just escort my Lady to the Southern Lord's palace, and then sit back and watch her win the war. She is most formidable, is she not?" he asked, obvious pride in his voice.

The other two laughed as Kagome mock glared at her Lord. "Absolutely not, Sesshoumaru! I am not your excuse to be lazy."

He shook his head in amusement, then straightened and wiped all emotion from his expression as he noted his generals waiting to report to him.

"Come."

The three male youkai saluted their Lord.

"General Taro, is everything ready for the army to move out at first light?"

"Yes, my Lord, the soldiers will be ready for sleep at precisely two hours after sundown, and then, with my Lady's assistance," he bowed in Kagome's direction, "they will be awake and well-rested two hours before sunrise."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Very well." He caught the eye of all three of his generals, one after the other. "I need not remind you to pay attention to your men - I would be most displeased if another assassin managed to get close to my Lady because you were not paying attention to your duties."

All three males nodded, and he waved a hand at them languidly. "Dismissed."

Koga and Shippo, meanwhile, had snapped to attention at the mention of assassins and Kagome in the same sentence, and both immediately began demanding information.

Kagome put up a hand, and they quieted down, waiting to hear what she had to say.

"It happened about a week ago. Someone took a pot-shot at me while I was enjoying the gardens one morning. Jaken managed to track the arrow used back to its maker, but unfortunately, he has many customers, so there's no way to know anything for sure... although I have my suspicions," she finished sourly.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his gaze and pinned her with it. "And just who do you suspect, Kagome, and why have you not spoken of your suspicions sooner?"

She winced as the other two males also pinned her with identical glares. "Because... it's just a suspicion and I have no proof?"

"Not good enough, koi. Speak. You are no fool, and if you believe you know who is behind it, then there is a good reason for your belief. I would hear it."

"Okay, okay. Remember when we were questioning the weaponsmaker? At one point, I heard him say that the last customer that had ordered arrows from him was a former samurai from the Northern Lands... one who'd at one time been in service to a human Lord that was allied to the Northern Lord. It got me thinking." She looked up for a minute, weighing her thoughts, then looked back at her Lord.

"When you threw Hikari out of the shiro, you humiliated him and his daughter, not that they didn't deserve it," she snickered, amused at the look on Koga's face, "but, he threatened you at that time. However, put yourself in his place. What better way to get revenge than to kill the reason for the fight in the first place? Much better than starting a war... and if he could keep his involvement secret, and wait it out, in his mind, he'd see it as getting a second chance at pawning his daughter off on you."

Sesshoumaru looked thoughtful. She had some very good points, as he'd suspected she would. Eyeing her suspiciously, he asked, "When were you planning on saying something, koi, hmmm? You wouldn't have been waiting for another attempt by any chance, would you?"

Her eyes widened, and she had a look of "caught" all over her face. "W-well... maybe," she mumbled, squirming in her seat at the look he shot her.

Shippo shook his head disgustedly. "Same old Kagome, all right. Always getting into trouble, then trying to deal with it on her own. You really need to share these things with us, momma."

Koga muffled his laughter at the look she shot Shippo behind his hand... he wasn't a masochist, and the expression on her face promised pain.

"Look, you guys, you know I'm right. There will be another attempt, and if I can catch the assassin, we can confirm my suspicions, or disprove them, either way. When he tries again, I can throw a barrier around him before he can even move... so please - don't interfere, and you," it was her turn to pin her youkai lord with a glare, "don't even think about trying to lock me down or hide me. I won't stand for it."

He sighed, then nodded. "Agreed. You really aren't in very much danger, I suppose - our enemy doesn't seem to realize what he's up against in you. An ordinary arrow, even if he got you in the heart, won't do much to you, will it?"

"Oh, it'd hurt, that's for sure, but... that's about all. The Shikon Jewel has no intention of losing its host. Don't worry about it," she said cheerfully, "I hate pain, so I have no intention of letting whoever he is get a hit in on me."

After that, the four in the tent spent the rest of the evening speaking of various things, and after dinner, Koga and Shippo went off to their own tents, leaving Kagome and Sesshoumaru to find theirs. He had not changed his mind since the attempt - she slept with him, no matter where they were.

Curling up against his side, she waited till the camp settled down, and leaving the sentries out of it, she cast a spell of sleep on the army and her Lord... and then drifted off herself.

When she woke the next morning, it was to warm golden eyes gazing at her lovingly, and with amusement and respect as well echoed in their depths.

Brow furrowing, she asked softly, "What's that look for?"

He shook his head and spoke quietly in the pre-dawn air. "The spell... it took a lot of power to cast such a thing over an entire army, koi - and yet, you did it easily, and well. I feel rested, and energetic, ready for anything."

She smiled at him , and leaning over, gently kissed him. Pulling away, she said, "I'm glad, Maru-chan - kami knows we're all going to need the energy."

Winking at him with a suspiciously wicked glint in her eye, she added, "Maybe I should cast this same spell on you the night before our mating... that way, you will be full of energy and well-rested when it really counts!"

She laughed at his growl, and evading his reaching arms, climbed out of the bedroll. "Come on, my hentai Lord - it's time to go to war. The sooner we get it done, the sooner we can get back to the important things - like our mating."

Brow raised haughtily, he stood and, stripping off his sleeping hakama, began to dress. "Mayhap, my love, if you keep teasing this Sesshoumaru, you will find yourself being mated on the battlefield... after all, the rush that comes with battle, is very like to lead to a similar rush of passion."

He snickered at her horrified gasp. "Sesshoumaru, if you even think..."

Clasping her arm, he pulled her from the tent as soon as she was fully dressed to allow the soldiers to pull everything down and pack it away. "Ah, but I do think, my koishii - I think about it all the time. I've been thinking about it for a hundred and forty years." He looked at her with a molten gaze that had her breath catching in her throat.

"Believe me, koi, it does not matter when or where... the thought is always there."

She didn't say a word... and was still silent when, for lunch, he handed her travel rations. They had not planned to stop... indeed, they would arrive at Hebikuro's palace before sundown - and Sesshoumaru had every intention of attacking at first light.

If they timed it right, they could finish the whole thing by that evening, spend the night resting and caring for any wounded, and then he and his soon-to-be mate could leave with Shippo and head back the Western Shiro to prepare for his mating.

He'd told her last week that they'd be mated within a fortnight... and he'd meant it. He'd waited a hundred and forty years too long already, and he was done with that.

Just after noon, Koga came flying up inside his traditional dust-storm to inform them that his wolves had caught a large scouting party, and managed to devour all but one. That one had managed to escape, but Sesshoumaru was not worried about it by that point - by the time that scout could report to his Lord, it would be far too late to do anything much about it.

Sesshoumaru was an excellent tactician and a master of timing, and they came within sight of the Southern Palace well before sundown. Moving his army to within a mile of the gates, he motioned for General Taro, and when he approached, ordered him to set up camp, then join them in the main tent for a final strategy session.

While his soldiers prepared their encampment, Sesshoumaru stood and stared at the shiro in front of him, his analytical mind already taking the palace defenses apart piece by piece. What he found gave him no pause... this would be almost too easy. Turning his back on his enemies with contempt, he caught his miko's eye, and nodded towards the center of the encampment at their tent.

She smiled, and holding out her hand, allowed him to escort her to it and their waiting companions.

She gazed proudly at the soldiers surrounding them, then at the gorgeous male that would soon claim her as his for all time.

He was most certainly perfection in the flesh... killing perfection, walking perfection - he was perfect at everything... including war, she had no doubts.

This inu was out to win - everytime, and it showed in everything he did.

The snake had never had a chance, the poor fool.