InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Knotted Kite Strings ❯ The scent of your skin ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter Two~

“Over the ramparts you tossed
the scent of your skin and some foreign flowers
tied to a brick
sweet as a song
the years have been short but the days were long.”

Recently, little has changed in the West. There have been no wars to fight, no lands to conquer, and no great enemies attacking my subjects. The only change in my life has been the recent addition of a child, Rin, who has come to serve as a reminder of a certain other young girl…

She has taken to accompanying me as I patrol my lands, which I do for two weeks of each month. I protect her and ensure her well being as she once tried to do for me when I was wounded. I do not take kindnesses that others grant to me lightly; those that come without strings attached are valuable and few, and my honor does not permit me to let them go unrewarded.

However, today, I decided to leave the castle without her, leaving her in the care of my servant, Jakken. Making my way through my lands, I came to the district of a human shogun. As I drew closer to his palace, I began to sense a powerful, pure force. Since it was my practice to patrol my lands monthly, I felt that I held rather good knowledge of its inhabitants, but this aura was one that I had yet to encounter.

Finally upon reaching the ramparts, the force was so strong that I knew that it had to be a miko, and a strong one at that. There were a few other unfamilliar auras, one that must have belonged to a monk, though its purity paled in comparison to that of the Miko's, that of a yokai—young, and very devoted to the miko—and the last, a feminine one which seemed to hold a sort of grief for the past, and a desire for retribution. I also sensed the aura of Izayoi's son, my half-brother Inuyasha. A brief look of anger crossed my face. Striding forward, I made my presence known to a guard at the gate.

“Go and tell your master that Sesshomaru, his lord, wishes that the miko in his walls present herself to me immediately, and give a viable explaination for her presence on my lands.”

He was gone quickly, and, a few minutes later, a female human appeared on the wall.

She was around 17 or 18 years old. She had a tangled mass of jet-black hair surrounding her head. She looked like the picture of innocence, with a smile on her face and her wide, deep blue eyes, but there was a sadness about of her, as though she knew what it meant to love something that you could not have, and had accepted the fact.

The similarity was astounding. I mentally shook myself: doubtless, the girl that I had known had been dead for centuries. I saw her eyes widen slightly when she saw me, and attributed it to the shock of sensing my own aura, which was also a powerful one. I focused my attention on examining her, to see how she had prepared herself to meet one with such a reputation for heartless cruelty as I.

The miko was oddly dressed, with a very short kimono that was cut above her knees. She had a red piece of cloth around her neck, and a quiver of arrows on her back. She was carrying the bow in her hands, no doubt ready to attack me should I threaten her. She had a small, brightly colored one-strapped pouch hanging from one shoulder. How odd…what could possibly fit into such a small bag?

The girl seemed to make a decision. With another glance at me, she pulled a flower from her hair, a type of flower that I had never seen before. She drew a small knife from her pouch and, hesitating for a moment, made a slashing motion in the vicinity of her wrist. I saw her colbalt eyes glisten slightly as she did this. She then tied them around a stone from the wall, using them to bind the flower to the stone. Finally, she pulled a tattered, brightly colored piece of paper from the pouch on her shoulder, and wrote something on it. There were now tears sliding softly down her cheeks. I, not used to such displays of emotion, raised an eyebrow to myself. This, she tucked under the string, and, deeming the odd parcel finished, threw it over the wall in my direction.

At this moment the wind shifted, blowing from behind the castle towards me, andwhipping the miko's hair around her now tear-streaked face, while sending my own silver hair streaming behind me.

My unchanged features belied my growing uncertainty. My confusion at the miko's previous actions was nothing compared to the turmoil that I felt now.

On the wind, I caught the scent of sakura blossoms, grass, and sunshine.

It couldn't be…?

Note:

Please let me know what you think, I love hearing people's opinions, comments, questions, and even constructive critizisms. I want to do what I can to make this story easier to understand, and better to read.

I know, it's a little confusing right now, and it seems like I skipped a lot in between the first chapter and this one. However, there is a method to my madness …I want to follow the song, but also to give you a few background scenes before I let Sesshomaru tell the story of his past between his childhood and now, because I want to see if you can figure out for yourself how he underwent the transformation from a rather emotional young boy to the frigid, stoic taiyoukai of the west. There will probably be one last snapshot of his past with `Gome before I will explain it for you.

It should be noted that this takes place rather a while before my first story, but they don't necessarily have to be read together. This will probably end up as installment in something like a series.

Also, thanks for the positive reviews! I'll post responses at the end of each chapter for the reviews people sent me for the chapter prior. And now…
corrupted_miko: thanks! Glad you like it…and I'll try to update every few days.
Anonymous bluesilver: wow **blush** thanks! That's one of the nicest compliments I've received on my writing. I'd be happy to email you when I update, which should (hopefully) be often.
Jasmine: Well, you'll have to wait and see what happens…I couldn't tell you in advance…even I don't know. The idea started off as the idea for a one shot, but I barely got through the first verse of the song and it was already 2 pages long on my computer, and I have a feeling that that was the shortest chapter, so…we'll see!