InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Silver Fur and Azure Feathers ❯ A Little Spy ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

By: Senkura

A Little Spy

“Lord Inutaisho is here, my Lord Takemaru.”

The servant's voice woke the tenshi lord from his perusal of the documents littering his desk, and he glanced up at the bowing servant.

“Thank you, Toki. I will greet him myself.” Lord Takemaru rose from his seated position behind the desk and stretched his legs. Perhaps I am getting too old to sit for long. He thought with amusement. In truth, though he was over six thousand years old, the tenshi lord did not appear a day over twenty-five. His black hair trailed out behind him as he opened the shoji door to his study, closing it behind him.

As he strolled through the halls of the palace, he could faintly hear the servants going about their duties, chatting amiably when they passed each other. Down in the training ground he could hear his son and eldest child, Tataru-Seda grunting and laughing as he wrestled with a friend. In the east wing, he could hear his older daughter, Kyoko, sighing and discussing some issue with her kimono with her maidservant. He frowned when he realised he couldn't hear his youngest daughter, Ayame-Naru. Then again, she was a quiet child. Probably deep in the library.

He reached the outer doors and watched the approach of the demon lord of the West, Inutaisho, and his young son, Sesshomaru. Both of the inuyoukai landed in the courtyard of the palace.

When the three met in the middle of the courtyard, the two lords bowed slightly to each other and then exchanged grins.

“Glad to see you, Inutaisho-san. Sesshomaru-kun.” Takemaru nodded to the two hundred year old youkai, who had the appearance of an eighteen year old boy. The younger taiyoukai bowed a touch lower than his father but didn't smile. Takemaru knew that Sesshomaru was a serious lad, little inclined to laughter.

“As am I, Takemaru-san.” Inutaisho replied warmly, “I hear that your mate has recently had another young? I'm sure that the addition to your numbers is most welcome. How is the child?” he asked, as they began to stroll into the palace.

Takemaru smiled. “She's absolutely beautiful. I'll see if I can dig her out of the library later to meet you.”

“I look forward to it. But first we must discuss less pleasing matters. You've heard of the trouble Ryukotsusei is stirring up in East?” Inutaisho's golden eyes darkened with displeasure.

Takemaru sighed, and rolled his blue eyes towards the heavens. “He cannot get the message, can he?” His large wings, folded at his back, twitched with irritation.

***

She has been in the library when she had felt the two taiyoukais approaching. Having gone to the large window she had seen them greet her father. Having been momentarily distracted by the way the sun made their beautiful silver hair shine, she hadn't noticed the maidservant entering the room.

“Milady?” the servant spoke with the warm tone most of the servants used when they spoke to her. “Do you want to go into the gardens?”

She turned towards the servant. “No, thank you, Momiji. I'm going to see the pretty silver men!” She grinned at Momiji and left the library as quietly and as quickly as her little slippers would take her.

“Oh, my!” Momiji chuckled, watching the little tenshi run, her black hair and blue silk kimono flying out behind her, the silver bells tied into her hair singing sweetly. Really. The little girl was a treasure.

The little tenshi's feet carried her to her father's study. She peeked inside the gap between the shoji door. She could see her father's back; his long black hair tied up high into a tail, and his black and green haori as he sat cross-legged on the tatami mats. His low desk had been pushed to one side so that there was no barrier between himself and the two inuyoukai.

The older youkai, Lord Inutaisho caught her gaze first. He was tall, even sitting down, with his silver hair tied high like her father's and forelocks framing his tanned face. He was…handsome? Was that the word? Yes, she thought. He had warm golden eyes and a red stripe on each cheek. He wore a white haori and hakama and had plated armour covering his chest and upper arms. She blinked at how sharp the spikes looked. He had a large white pelt trailing from each of his shoulders.

When she was done looking at him, her eyes drifted to the younger demon. He was pretty! His hair was as silver as his father's but not as long, and it was left down, falling down his back to pool on the tatami mats. He had golden eyes too but his were cooler than his father's, more serious. His markings were different too. He had a blue crescent moon on his forehead, a red striped on each eyelid and two red stripes on each of his cheekbones. His haori was white with blue printing on the shoulder and he wore white hakama with a green sash. His pelt, white like his father's, was looped over his shoulder and round his back. It looked so soft and she wanted to touch it, but she was a tenshi lord's daughter. She wouldn't be so impolite.

Their voices drifted out to her.

“Ryukotsusei has to be dealt with; otherwise he'll start encroaching on both our territories.” Lord Inutaisho was saying.

Her father nodded, making his hair sway, “Of course. My son and I are more than willing to join you in reprimanding him.”

***

Lord Inutaisho frowned slightly. He had been aware of a presence for some time, but Takemaru didn't seem to notice it. Either that or he wasn't bothered.

“Takemaru-san. I believe there's someone outside that door.” he gestured to the shoji door behind the tenshi lord.

Takemaru's eyes narrowed, and he turned towards the door. He rose easily to his feet and slid the door open. His frame blocked whoever had been standing there, but Inutaisho's sensitive ears picked up a childish gasp, the ringing of small bells and the sound of little feet running.

Takemaru let out a deep chuckle and moved down the hall after the spy. The two inuyoukai heard a quiet squeak and then Lord Takemaru was coming back into the room, holding something under his arm.

“This is our little spy.” He set a little girl on her feet in front of the two youkai. Inutaisho couldn't hide his smile.

The child in front of him was perhaps six years old, with miniature versions of her father's wings folded at her back, a blue kimono printed with red butterflies, a white silk obi and white trousers appearing out of the bottom of her kimono. Her pale little face was shaped like a heart and framed by shining black hair that reached to her obi. In the front were tied two little silver bells that jingled softly as she raised her head to look at him. The child was undoubtedly gorgeous, with large sapphire coloured eyes, and small, fine features. Her left eye had a two navy stripes and three dots both above and below, and three navy dots decorated her right cheekbone.

“This is my youngest, Ayame-Naru.” Takemaru said, a note of paternal pride in his voice.

“A pleasure to meet you, little one.” Inutaisho chuckled, bowing slightly from where he sat.

The child smiled, and her eyes lit up. She bowed back to him. “Inutaisho-sama.” She said, without missing a beat. Her voice was sweet. The demon lord laughed delightedly. Charming child, he thought.

The little tenshi turned towards his son, whose eyebrows rose in surprise. She bowed again, “Sesshomaru-sama.” The bells in her hair rang merrily.

Sesshomaru nodded back to her. Ayame-Naru turned back to her father, who patted the tatami mat next to him, to tell her she could sit. She went and knelt at his side, picking up the edge of his haori sleeve and fiddling with it.

“How old is she, Takemaru-sama?” Sesshomaru asked.

The child didn't seem bothered about being spoken of as though she wasn't there.

“Only six years old.” Takemaru absently stroked his little girl's hair, and she smiled up at him adoringly. “Tenshi grow faster than youkai, Sesshomaru-kun. She'll be an adult in about fourteen years.” He looked down at her, “It's a shame really. I would like her to stay as she is for a couple of decades. Before I know it, she'll be bothered by others seeking mates.” He tucked a lock of hair behind the child's pointed ear.

She glanced up at her father again. “I don't want a mate, Father. I won't have time to read all the books in the library.” Having said her piece, she went back to examining the tenshi lord's sleeve, apparently unaware that the two lords were laughing helplessly at her words.

“You don't have to worry about that, my dear.” Takemaru said, recovering. He looked up at Inutaisho and Sesshomaru. “There are no unmated males among the tenshi anyway. I suppose she won't be bothered for a while.”

“If anyone bothers me, I'll throw books at them.” Ayame-Naru's little face was serious. “Only if I'm done reading the books though…” she grew thoughtful and leaned into her father.

Takemaru grinned at Inutaisho. “Now, where were we?”

“Ryukotsusei.” Inutaisho grew grave again.