InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ phases ❯ A long winter ahead ( Chapter 18 )

Ch. 18

A long winter ahead

It was magnificent, his father's fortress. Its mighty walls breathtaking as they rose up from the scenery in all their glory, all together wondrous and frightening. She found herself awe struck, never in a million years would she have even hoped to know so much about Inuyasha. She knew the basics but it was almost always vague basics delivered unceremoniously, his background was never a topic he had willingly shared of his own free will.

But standing here beside him, looking out on his father's fortress, his inheritance, she felt as if she knew him a little more than she had ever hoped to before everything had happened. She was thankful, as silly as it was, to see his heritage in such a concrete way. Inuyasha cleared his throat as they moved closer to the gates. "Well...this is it."

Kagome smiled at his forced nonchalance giving him a small nod as they moved closer watching as the men who stood guard moved to open the gates having quickly realized who was approaching. "It's magnificent, Inuyasha."

"It is." It was hard to miss Kagome's excitement as they passed through the gates, the woman was too enthralled with the massive structure within the wall to notice as he moved to her other side discreetly leaning in to whisper in her ear. "Just wait till you see the inside."

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She walked alongside him in comfortable silence, taking in the wealth and beauty that adorned the halls of the Inu no taisho's castle. She longed to see more than just these halls and although she had never been while in her time she was sure its opulence would far outweigh that of Himeji castle.

She paused for a moment, turning her head as Inuyasha's footsteps slowed. 'I guess were close then.' She watched from her place behind him as they continued on towards Sesshomaru. In a way he looked so right walking these beautifully adorned halls. Intimidating in his full armor, his snow white hair pulled high upon his head. Was this what his life was meant to be? Had his mother not been harmed by a jealous man, if his father had not been forced into battle after receiving such terrible wounds, would he have lived this life?

Maybe, but she doubted it. He would have had the support of his father and the love of his mother no doubt, but he would always be a half breed. Only the power of the jewel had allowed him to become what he was now. A bit of her optimism faded as her thoughts turned to the more complicated issue that had been Inuyasha's poor sense of self worth.

He had told her before that he had only wanted to use the jewel for one thing, to become what he could not with his mother's blood coursing through his veins. She had hoped though that their time spent together could show him that he didn't need to change. That Sango, Miroku and Kaede could show him that humans could accept him even befriend him. That Shippou, Kirara and even Kouga could show him he could gain the respect and camaraderie of even a full demon.

That she could show him he could be loved as he was. Not just as a human, not just as a demon but as a hanyou, as Inuyasha. She knew he had come a long way from the life he lived before being pinned to Goshinboku, but in the end, Naraku was still able to play on that old crutch, Inuyasha's own self hate. Kagome turned to look at him once more, decorated in his armor, those blue stripes adorning his cheeks marking him as the second son of the Inu No Taisho, a warrior truly deserving of respect and admiration. He didn't need the armor nor those marks. In her eyes he had been all of those things and more with his simple fire rat and puppy ears.

'Puppy ears.' She held her hand up covering a happy smile. 'It's a good thing he still has them.'

She had been so lost in thought she almost bumped into him when he came to a stop before an ornate shoji, a lone guard left to keep watch. She surmised it was mostly for show seeing as Sesshomaru could most certainly take care of himself.

"Apologies My lord, but I can't allow you to bring this...woman before Lord Sessomaru." Kagome couldn't help but be a little in censed by the look the man made as he looked her over but honestly she didn't feel up to having it out with anyone after such a long journey. Inuyasha on the other hand seemed much too happy to oblige. The poor soul had no idea what he was in for as Inuyasha turned towards him, a look of wrath hidden just beneath his forced cool. "I don't remember asking your permission."

There was a coldness in his voice that made her shiver. Anyone with an ounce of self preservation would have had sense enough to let it go at the tone in his voice, but the man standing before them apparently lacked that crucial quality as he glared back. "I can not allow someone such as 'her' in there."

"Dammit! She goes where I go!" Before she could draw her next breath, he had made his move. The guards flippant retort having finally tipped the scale. A rush of red and glinting metal preceding the ugly sound of bones cracking and the scent of blood that followed. The damned idiot was unquestionably out for the count and Inuyasha having only felt a bit better by the outburst turned to usher Kagome through the shoji.

He had planned on keeping his cool and letting the idiot slide. He had wanted to make a good impression of course, to show Kagome how much he had changed but that was before that idiot had made such an assumption about his guest. Son of the Inu No Taisho or not, everyone knew Inuyasha hadn't always been a full demon and a purist asshole like that guard would take every chance he could get to affront the bastard 'half-breed'.

He felt as Kagome stumbled, fatigue apparent but it didn't help that his speed increased unknowingly along with his sour mood. He turned to watch as she regained her footing, turning away before she could notice. It wasn't so much that the asshole was making a jab at his pride but it was the branding of Kagome as a painted woman, or god's forbid, a concubine that had set him off. He wouldn't allow anyone to speak like that about her.

As they made their way down the small corridor Kagome moved to grab Inuyasha's arm hoping to calm him some. "Inuyasha, it's ok. They don't know who I am, it's only natural." They stood quietly before the shoji screen as Inuyasha turned searching her eyes. 'She doesn't even realize what he meant.'

"Enter."

He never got the chance to respond and in part he was grateful for the interruption as he didn't really fancy the idea of explaining to Kagome that someone had basically accused her of being a whore. His hand fell from her arm as he pushed open the shoji, effectively ending the conversation. The sooner he got this over with the better. He cringed inwardly as the silence between them continued to grow as he ushered her into Sesshomaru's study. Before the shoji could even click shut an icy voice rang out breaking the silence.

"I see I was correct in my assumption." Inuyasha watched intently as his brother continued to study the scroll before him before finally giving the smallest nod in Kagome's direction. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist."

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She had to admit, Sesshomaru's comment came as a complete surprise. The comment was obviously used to prove yet again how little there was that the Great Sesshomaru wasn't aware of. After all he was an incredible self promoter, adept at using any situation to showcase his seeming omnipotence . As annoying as it could be she really couldn't expect any less. Kagome turned her attention towards the younger of the two recalling just how much like his brother he could be. 'It must run in the family.'

"How many did he loose?" Kagome's head snapped up at Sesshomaru's words. "You knew?" Kagome tried to control her frustration as Sesshomaru continued in his perusal of the scroll before him. Lord or not, she wouldn't allow him to cast off Yutto nor his people.

"Your lord came here seeking sanctuary for an entire village. There aren't many things that could push a mid ranking Daimyo to do something so drastic with winter so closely approaching." Kagome straightened her back, losing a bit of her fight as she realized what he meant. "The country side is in a constant state of war, Miko. It is not a stretch to see a village in exodus and attribute it to a raid."

He was right, he could have done without the dripping indifference when it came to the situation but still he was right. Japan was in a constant state of upheaval as Daimyos fought amongst themselves vying for more land, wealth and ultimately power. Japan wouldn't see true peace for many generations to come, a thought which left Kagome incredibly homesick.

"The outposts were lost...one hundred and seventy five men manning the outposts and three villagers caught in the crossfire...That's how many we lost." For a moment the fatigue she felt could be seen playing across her face but only for a moment before she quickly pushed it away but not before Inuyasha took notice sending her a look of understanding.

"My Lord." A soft aged voice sounded from behind the shoji screen prompting a simple "hn." from the demon lord. "The accommodations are in place for the Miko, My lord. Do you wish for me to escort the Lady?" Kagome turned to look at Inuyasha hesitantly. There was a silent agreement as he gave her a slight nod. She would go for now, she trusted Inuyasha enough to relay the information in a more preferable compendiary manner, sparing her the aggravation that was Sesshomaru's communication skills. She would have preferred to stay mostly just to prove to him that she wasn't as naive as he believed her to be but for now she would comply and leave the men folk to all matters of business while hopefully she took a well deserved and steaming hot bath.

The shoji softly clicked open as an elderly demoness motioned for Kagome to follow. Age apparent but no doubt not revealing the verity of her many lifetimes. Kagome followed suit without much fuss, sending Inuyasha a small smile before disappearing through the shoji along with the demoness. Inuyasha continued to watch after her protectively even as the shoji slid closed.

"She will be provided with handmaidens and her own private quarters while she is here. She will be safe." Inuyasha eyed his brother as he turned towards a shelf, perusing through the tightly wound scrolls stacked within. He wanted to say something smart, a jab at how little he trusted his brother or even to question why he had made it sound like she would be there for a substantial period of time but in the end Sesshomaru took advantage of his silence steering the conversation in the direction he wished it to go.

"Yutto has certainly been placed in a very undesirable position. Burying more than half of his men and now he has been forced to seek out refuge from a demon Lord...Of course the number could have been much greater..." Sesshomaru paused momentarily as he pulled several scrolls from their places within the shelf, placing them gracefully atop his desk. "There were some benefits to your...self imposed excursion across Musashi."

If it was surprise he was hoping to induce he wouldn't be getting it from Inuyasha. The younger brother was well aware that Sesshomaru more than likely knew of his decision to leave albeit wasn't the greatest time to initiate his 'search'. But hey, hindsight is twenty-twenty, right and besides if he hadn't happened to come across that band of marauding demons he wouldn't have learned of the attack on Yutto's village. Yes, he lost the posts but he would have lost more than just them had Inuyasha not come in time to warn them. Despite being demons themselves Katsuo and the others would not have realized what was happening in time to respond the way they had. They just wouldn't have had the same heads up.

"Tell me, Inuyasha. Did you find what you were looking for?" Inuyasha didn't miss the sarcasm behind his brothers words. The asshole knew his search was pointless. In the end, what he had been searching for was in the last spot he expected it to be and he knew his brother had been privy the entire time. The younger brother crossed his arms deciding to ignore the question in favor of hurrying this little get together along.

"On my way back I ran into a group of demons, they had destroyed an entire military post...one of Yutto's. I was able to get some information out of one of them...He told me they had been sent by a Lord from the east."

" Hiromasa."

Inuyasha's arms fell to his sides, immediately sending Sesshomaru a glowering look. "Is there even any reason for a meeting then? You've made it clear how much of a fucking know it all you are." His response was Sesshomaru's characteristic 'Hn' followed by silence as he returned to his scrolls.

"This Sesshomaru sent you and your men as precaution. You would be a fool to believe I would sit idly by and watch from the sidelines. As soon as this little skirmish was recognized as a legitimate threat I had my own informants sent out."

Under any other circumstances Inuyasha would have been quick to snap but in light of recent of events he found he really didn't care as much as he probably should. Inuyasha shrugged it off internally seeing as a reunion with Kagome more than made up for Sesshomaru purposefully keeping him in the dark. Silver ears twitched accompanying a loud yawn as Inuyasha stretched his arms over his head before leaning back against the ornate wall. "Well then...what do you know about this Hiromasa?"

Inuyasha crossed his arms casually waiting once again for a reply from the stoic lord.

"His name is Hiromasa Tetsuya. He is nothing but a child, a son born of one of the former Lord's concubines none the less and has proved miserably illiterate when it comes to warfare. "

Inuyasha lifted away from the wall, brows furrowed. "How the hell did he become the lord? Doesn't make sense that he would be the successor." Sesshomaru gave a low 'hn' in reply as he continued to pour over the scroll before him. "There was another. Only one legitimate son was bore of the wife of the former lord, Hiromasa Arata. The reason for his impeded succession is unknown but It is said that although she was only a concubine, Tetsuya's mother is incredibly well versed in politics as well as a great beauty."

"You think she bewitched some of those old croons after the Lord's death?"

"It wouldn't be the first time." Sesshomaru spoke placidly as he re tied the scroll he had been studying. "Her son is ignorant to war yet he has been intrepid enough to ally himself with low level demons and start a campaign for land of his own. Perhaps she is using her son as nothing but a figure head to suit her own lust for power." The demon lord paused for a moment unrolling the second scroll. "Regardless it has been taken care of."

Inuyasha pushed off from the wall eyeing his brother inquisitively. "What do you mean it's taken care of?"

Sesshomaru made no move, keeping his eyes trained on his scroll as he read on. "I did more than gather information Inuyasha. Men fight amongst themselves continuously but Yutto's territory lays within my borders and as Lord of the western lands I can't allow Hiromasa to think he can attack what is mine without consequence."

Inuyasha nodded understanding what his brother meant. It didn't take a genius to know just how serious Sesshomaru was when it came to what was his and what he would do when he believed he had been crossed. After all Inuyasha himself had taken one of his arms during one of his tirades over the ownership of what he had believed to be his, their father's Tessaiga.

"Looks like you've got it all figured out." Inuyasha rolled his shoulder as he moved to an open window overlooking the night sky, standing silently as he breathed in the crisp air. The peaceful moment interrupted by his brothers annoyingly aristocratic voice. "The winter will be especially taxing on the humans with the influx of Yutto's people, its predicted to last many months...i surmise though that you will enjoy the time you have."

It was hard for Inuyasha to understand his brother sometimes but in this case it was clear. Yeah the winter would be a particularly hard one, one that would require a lot of work but nothing that they couldn't handle. The harsh winter would signal a stalemate for quarrelsome daimyo's at least for this particular region and for better or worse he would be spending it with Kagome. A thought that both thrilled and terrified him.

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Surprisingly enough it wasn't all that late by the time she heard a gentle knock on the shoji's wooden frame. A fact she was sure was due to Sesshomaru's men assisting the village as they settled in for the long winter ahead allowing both her and Inuyasha to head straight for the citadel. It also seemed that Sesshomaru didn't do all that much talking after she had gone either.

"Are you decent?" Kagome had to fight from snickering at the completely genuine apprehension in his voice. 'Well it's nice to know he learned to knock first at least.' Kagome quickly moved to her feet gathering up a plain haori to throw over her sleeping yukata as she made her way to the screen sliding it open only enough to stick her head out. She smiled to herself when she found him turned away .

"Psst." It was hard, forcing down the urge to smile as he turned to face her a single eyebrow raised as he regarded her peaking from behind the screen. Kagome couldn't help but giggle softly before pushing the screen aside showing him he had nothing to be afraid of. "Are you coming in or not?"

"Keh" Kagome slid the shoji open scooting back to allow his larger form through, closing the shoji mindlessly as she watched him cross the room coming to stand before the small fire pit. In an instant her mind went numb and suddenly she could feel just how fast her heart was racing. She was truly nervous in that moment feeling once again like that naive little schoolgirl who fell in love with a half demon boy. Remembering every insecurity she had once held between them how uncertain he could make her feel.

The crackling from the fire pit drew her from her thoughts inadvertently bringing her gaze to meet with his. Honeyed eyes glowed in the firelight, piercing through her. All at once soothing her unease and provoking a new and restless yearning within.

"Are you tired?" Kagome hummed softly, removing her hand from the shoji as she crossed the wooden floor to stand opposite him, the fire burning brightly between them. "I am, but no...you don't have to leave." It was his turn to smile sheepishly seeing as she had so easily called him out. Honestly he didn't want to leave but there was a part of him still that dreaded vulnerability, searching for loopholes wherever possible to escape possible openness. It was a part carried over from his hanyou life a part Kagome knew all too well.

"What did Sesshomaru say after I left?" Without thought Inuyasha brought his hand to the hilt of his sword, fidgeting mindlessly as he regarded her in the firelight. "Basically that he knows who is responsible and that he's already taken care of it." Inuyasha watched entranced as she listened intently, her gaze boring through him without her even knowing. "That Yutto and his people will be safe...that you will be safe."

Her heart leapt at the sound of his voice and she found she could no longer keep eye contact as a soft blush began to dust her cheeks. Stormy eyes lowered as she nodded her head softly, strands of unruly hair falling as she did so. "Did he say anything else?"

For a few moments she heard nothing but the soft crackle from the hearth causing her to lift her head in question only to find that his gaze had not faltered. Moments passed in silence as she found her gaze once again locked with his.

"Only that...He thought I would enjoy this time."

Kagome smiled softly at his reply. It wasn't what she had expected to hear from him but she was more than ok with that.

"I think so too, Inuyasha...I think...I think we both will."

There was no doubt in her mind, she would.

AN:

I am beyond sorry my update didn't come as soon as expected! 'Life' or more appropriately work happened and decided I of course needed no free time whatsoever to work on this chapter at all this summer, which is a real bummer because I feel like I've caught my second wind on this story, creatively speaking. I apologize for taking so freaking long and hope you guys enjoy reading it :)

Please let me know if ya'll are still interested. I wouldn't dream of abandoning this story regardless of how many views it gets but it is nice to know if I still have interested readers.

*Himeji castle is a beautifully preserved castle dating from the feudal period of japan. I mention it here because I want you guys to get a sense of how massive and grandiose I imagine a demon lord's castle fortress to be.